We are in historic times. The Obama campaign mobilized millions of
people, and his election has brought a new sense of hope and
possibility to the nation. United For Peace and Justice is building on
this momentum and the rich history that made the election of an
African-American possible.
With the inauguration coming the day after our nation celebrates the
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, we are reminded again of King's
courage and wisdom in connecting the issues of poverty, racism and war.
In honor of his legacy, United For Peace and Justice is launching our
BEYOND WAR, A NEW ECONOMY IS POSSIBLE: YES WE CAN! Campaign that will
kick off on January 19th and culminate its first phase on April 4th
with a massive mobilization in New York City.
Visit here to see the document of the campaign voted on at the National Assembly.
April 4th is the anniversary of Martin Luther King's "Beyond Vietnam"
speech in 1967 and, sadly, the anniversary of his death one year later.
Our urgent call to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be linked
to our call to help solve the current economic crisis by dramatically
cutting military spending and, instead, investing in our communities.
Click here to download a PDF file of Dr. King's "Beyond Vietnam" speech. You can also listen to audio from Dr. King's speech here while reading along to the text.
Our campaign is a call for a new set of national priorities rooted in
the vision and values of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- a world without
racism, poverty, or war. To honor his work -- as well as our work of
the last six years -- we are committing ourselves to working across
race, class, and gender lines to build a massive people's movement with
the power to help make sure the Obama administration and the U.S.
Congress are in alignment with the will of the people.
Building this kind of power and movement starts from the bottom-up with
local organizing and building relationships and alliances that are
rooted in respect and real solidarity. To nurture the peace movement's
growth into a strong ally for other movements will require work. But
ending war and building justice for our communities is worth it! There are several core elements to this campaign that we hope you will take up:
- Retooling
the Antiwar Movement: We are launching this campaign in the context of
this unique political moment. Our country has crossed a racial divide
with the election of the first Black president. It is a moment to
celebrate and to move a racial and economic justice agenda to the
center of our grassroots organizing to end the wars. As a movement, we
must relearn some history and deepen our analysis of systemic
oppression. The UFPJ website will have resources to help facilitate
discussions, strengthen organizing, and provide materials on racial
justice.
- Alliance
Building Work: Now is the time to take a new look at what coalition and
alliance-building work means. Those of us who have spent the last six
years trying to end the war in Iraq need to link up with the groups who
have been active in the economic and social justice movements: what
other groups are active in your community, what are their issues, what
are they doing, what do they need, what do they think about the war.
Together we can make a much stronger demand to end the wars and
occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan and insist that money is spent on
creating jobs, rebuilding infrastructure, building a green economy,
stopping housing foreclosures, providing health care, and meeting the
other needs of our communities.
- Base-building
Work: expanding our memberships, our lists, and our power. Now more
than ever people want to talk about the role of our government and what
we might expect or not from the Obama administration. Let's engage them
and listen to them. Let's use this moment to educate people on the
costs of war and how the issues are connected. Let's invite people to
join our groups and at least to sign up on our contact lists.
We encourage your group to take some time to think about how King's
work and the framework of the Yes We Can campaign can support and be
integrated into your local work.
Click here for a set of posters you can download and reproduce and click here for a leaflet that draws heavily from King's speech against the war in Vietnam and is still relevant today.
More materials and resources will be
made available that connect issues of war, the economy and the
environmental state of the world. Think about how you can create space
where your community can come together and discuss these vital issues.
Table at local events, knock on your neighbors' doors, and plan
town-hall meetings.
| 
