The next COVID-19 relief package must prioritize funding to address our real threat to peace and security: COVID-19. In the face of a global pandemic, we need to fund healthcare, not the production of weapons that will only exacerbate the worst effects of this ongoing global pandemic. Sign on to CODEPINK’s petition to tell Congress: Bailout people NOT the Pentagon and weapons manufacturers!

The post Tell Congress: Bailout People, NOT the Pentagon! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

The post Watch CODEPINK and World Beyond War’s 5-part Webinar Series Online Now! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

1) National Action to End the Korean War: June 1 – 5, 2020/National Advocacy Week

In the 70th anniversary year of the unended Korean War, join hundreds of people across the country in nationally coordinated virtual advocacy meetings to urge your Member of Congress to support a peace agreement to end the Korean War and the lifting of sanctions for life-saving humanitarian assistance. Register here by May 15. 

Organized by Korea Peace Network, Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network, Peace Treaty Now, and Women Cross DMZ 

2) Webinar: Shifting from “Security” to “Peace” in Korea

Thursday, May 21, 2020: 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. Click here to register

Why have the U.S. and North Korea been at war for 70 years? How do we get to peace? What makes us truly secure?

Join this webinar with Dr. Han S. Park on the need for a radical shift toward a peace paradigm in Korea. English to Korean interpretation will be provided.

Han S. Park is University Professor Emeritus of International Affairs and Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Global Issues (GLOBIS) at the University of Georgia. Dr. Park has visited North Korea more than 50 times since 1981 to further efforts for diplomacy and peacemaking. He was instrumental in President Jimmy Carter’s visit to North Korea in 1994 to avert military confrontation and President Bill Clinton’s visit to Pyongyang to free detained American journalists in 2009.

Hosted by Korea Peace Network, Korea Peace Now Grassroots Network, Peace Treaty Now, Re’Generation Movement, Women Cross DMZ

3) Join CODEPINK and World Beyond War for the last two installments of their 5-part Divest from the War Machine webinar series. 

Tuesday, May 12: Divesting Universities; 5 – 6 pm PT/8 – 9 pm ET. Register here. 

Tuesday May 19: Coalition Building Across Movements; 3 – 4 pm PT/6 – 7 pm ET

Register here.

4) Did you know the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, invests billions of dollars in weapons manufacturers? Thursday, May 21, at 7:30 am ET, join CODEPINK and allies for the People’s Blackrock Stakeholders’ Protest.  Take action online as the BlackRock shareholders meeting will be taking place virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The post Take Action to End the Korean War and Divest From the War Machine! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for governments and the international community to focus more on human security issues and to shift resources from military spending, especially the nuclear weapons budgets, to accomplish this. However, the nuclear weapons and fossil fuel industries have vested financial interests in maintaining the nuclear arms race and a fossil fuel economy. They are a potent political force preventing change.

Governments, cities, religious communities, universities, banks and private investors can shift these financial incentives by divesting from the nuclear weapons and fossil fuel industries and re-allocating these investments according to ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) principals. Such actions provide political support for legislative efforts to cut nuclear weapons budgets, especially in the USA and UK.

During the webinar, held April 21, international experts and activists highlighted examples of nuclear weapons and fossil fuel divestment and examined how these can assist initiatives to cut nuclear weapons budgets and support public health, climate protection and sustainable development.

The event included  the preview of a Handbook on Nuclear Weapons Divestment which will be produced by the Move the Nuclear Weapons Money campaign.

The webinar was sponsored by Abolition 2000, Move the Nuclear Weapons Money, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament and the World Future Council.

The post Move the Nuclear Weapons (and Fossil Fuel) Money appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

This Earth Day and as part of the Global Days of Action Against Military Spending, UFPJ Member group Code Pink is asking supporters to help spread the message that #WarIsNotGreen.  Code Pink also has created a Global Days of Action on Military Spending Toolkit with a variety of resources.

The post April 22: on the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, Divest from the War Machine appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Thanks to the tremendous organizing efforts of the New York Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (NYCAN), both bills now have a super-majority of co-sponsoring Council Members, but your support during the hearing phase is still very important.

We encourage you to promote your support for both bills:

(a) Attend the hearing and press conference— details are available here. Show your support by joining the press conference on the steps of NY City Hall at 11 am. The hearing begins at 1 pm.

(b) Testify at the hearing — you may sign up at the beginning of the hearing to speak. We note that spoken testimony must be limited to two (2) minutes.

(c) Submit written testimony — you may bring your statement to the hearing and/or email it, by 5pm EST on January 28th, to hearings@council.nyc.gov (please copy Robert Croonquist at rcroon@gmail.com so that we may keep track of submissions). We note that there are no restrictions on written testimony.

(d) Follow the hearing — it may also be possible to follow the hearing on the City Council live-stream and/or WNYE television.

(e) Promote the hearing and your support for the bills — respond to and share the Facebook event and tag us on Facebook and on Twitter.

Learn more about New York City’s Policy and Practice on Nuclear Weapons, From the Manhattan Project to Nuclear Free. This new background paper published by Pace University’s International Disarmament Institute provides a historical overview of the development of New York City’s NWFZ and other relevant policy protecting New Yorkers from the humanitarian and environmental consequences of ionizing radiation.

In Solidarity,
United for Peace & Justice Coordinating Committee

The post Keep NYC Nuclear Free! Historic Hearing on Nuclear Disarmament January 28 appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

When CalPERS meets with General Dynamics about its contracts with the for-profit prison companies, it also needs to raise the moral argument about its contribution to ongoing conflicts around the world- in particular, the war on Yemen. As one of the largest public pension funds in the U.S, CalPERS has a responsibility to start engaging with General Dynamics on its billion-dollar arms sales and its complicity in war crimes.

CalPERS has invested millions in a company which has been implicated in war crimes and the loss of countless innocent lives. In one of the most egregious cases, 54 were killed- 44 of whom were children- and countless more wounded in an airstrike on a Yemeni school bus with remnants of a General Dynamics guided metal fin found at the scene.

General Dynamics has a long-lasting contract with Saudi Arabia estimated at 1.3 billion dollars. This means that General Dynamics is providing weapons to a country which is waging a war on Yemen that has already killed an estimated six thousand innocent civilians. The company’s arms sales to despotic regimes like Saudi Arabia only contribute to the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in the region, which creates strong resentment towards our country and contributes to the rise of violent extremism. Join CalPERS members in urging the pension fund address General Dynamics’ war profiteering.  

Investing in peace,

Linda Helland, Roxanne, CODEPINK

 and United for Peace & Justice

The post Talk to General Dynamics About Its Weapons of War appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

What: Divest Oregon from war coalition call
When: Tuesday, September 10th at 6pm – 7pm
Where: Join with your telephone or computer
RSVP here to join and receive call-in details
Contact: maya@codepink.org

You can spread the word about divestment by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper. We make it very easy too!  Just fill out this form and a pre-made letter will be sent for you, or put a personal touch about why you think Oregon should divest from the war machine  and then hit send. Then let me know if you see your letter published!

Towards a Weapons Free Future,
Maya from CODEPINK and United for Peace & Justice

The post Oregonians: We’re talking about ending war. appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

What: Divest Seattle from War meeting
When: Sunday, September 8th at 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Where: 4001 9th Ave. NE, Seattle (University Friends Meeting House)
RSVP here to join
Contact: maya@codepink.org

I’ll be joining this meeting in person again and look forward to seeing you there! If you can’t make this one, but want to join the coalition listserv let me know at maya@codepink.org.

Towards a weapons free future,
Maya from CODEPINK and United for Peace & Justice

The post Seattle: join us to continue divestment planning appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Mayor Eric Garcetti became a leading voice on environmental justice in 2019 when he helped pass a Green New Deal for Los Angeles. The ambitious plan demonstrates Mayor Garcetti’s commitment to building a green economy for all Angelenos. It’s surprising, then, that Los Angeles has not yet made a commitment to divesting all public funds from weapons manufacturers, some of the world’s largest polluters which exacerbate the worst effects of climate change. 

War is not green! Join us in calling on Eric Garcetti to divest all public funds from weapons manufacturers. We believe it’s outrageous for the city’s investments to make a killing on killing when public dollars should be used for public good. We know it’s possible to support each other without doing harm to others in the process. Mayor Garcetti should begin working with the City Council to divest L.A. from weapons manufacturers.

Tell Mayor Garcetti to divest Los Angeles from the war machine!

Too many cities, pension funds, and universities invest our public dollars in weapons companies that literally make a killing on killing and profit by exacerbating the worst effects of climate change for some of the most vulnerable populations around the world. Enough is enough! We’re pulling our money out of these war profiteers and putting it to use in our communities where it’s sorely needed. Let Mayor Garcetti know it’s time to divest L.A.!

Towards a weapons-free future,

 Maya from CODEPINK and the UFPJ Coordinating Committee

The post Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti needs to hear this appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.