When we launched the Peace Pledge, we recognized that whichever pro-war candidate was elected, we would need to rebuild a strong movement for peace and justice, for the long term. The Peace Pledge campaign was designed to carry social movement organizing through at least the first 100 days of the next Presidency.

The results are in. Though the players have changed, the message and the struggles we are working to lift-up remain the same.

Sign the Peace Pledge and prepare to take action in your community. In the coming days, weeks and months, UFPJ will be providing information about action opportunities and educational materials for your use.

Take the Pledge to Hold the Next President Accountable to Peace

“Now that the voting is over, I pledge to continue organizing for peace. I know that voting alone cannot and will not end American’s perpetual wars, so I am recommitting myself to nonviolent direct action and movement building.

I will protest, vigil, lobby, sit-in, and take creative action to dismantle the war machine and build a culture of peace with racial, economic and social justice that redirects the billions spent by the Pentagon to fund crucial programs for our people, our communities and our planet.”

Here are a few things you can do to build this campaign.

1. SIGN the Pledge
2. Get your organization to ENDORSE the campaign
3. HOST an action in your community
4. SHARE our Blog posts on movement building, unity, strategy, and overcoming militarization
5. GIVE a donation now, to help us fuel our national organizing and agenda setting to end war past the first 100 days of the New President and the New Congress

The post If this Election Made You Sick, the Peace Pledge is Your Cure appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

TO: PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

We urge you to reject any military intervention in Syria, including arming the rebels or creating a no-fly zone, and instead to focus on increasing humanitarian assistance through the United Nations and building active multi-lateral diplomacy without preconditions with all involved parties for an immediate ceasefire, a full arms embargo, and negotiations to end Syria’s civil war.

Why is this important?

You can’t put out a raging fire by pouring gasoline on one side of it. There is no military solution to the crisis in Syria, and more arms to any side mean more civilians will be killed.

Any U.S. military intervention holds the threat of unplanned escalation, and ultimately a quagmire. It is much easier to send planes, bombs and missiles than it is to get out – especially if a plane is shot down or a pilot captured. There is no exit strategy for Syria and even a “no-fly zone” could easily become a costly quagmire.
The situation in Syria today is full-scale civil war, which denies the people of Syria their right to choose their own government and leaders. Other governments arming and financing the two sides does not restore that right, it only makes things worse.

The U.S.-Russian initiative known as Geneva II talks should be pushed forward, involving all the relevant outside actors, especially those providing weapons and military or economic support to any side. The U.S. should stop trying to prevent Iran’s participation in the talks – any serious diplomacy requires everyone to be at the table.

On the Syrian side, negotiations must include not only the Syrian government and the armed rebels, but organizations representing Syrian civil society including unarmed opposition forces, Syria’s minority communities, women, and youth.

Follow this link to sign the petition.

Sponsored by:

Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
Institute for Policy Studies (IPS)
Just Foreign Policy (IFP)
Peace Action (P-A)
Peace and Justice Resource Center (PJRC)
United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ)
U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW)
Women’s Actions for New Directions (WAND)

The post Sign Petition: NO U.S. MILITARY INTERVENTION IN SYRIA! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

A telling and sad statistic provided by Census Bureau reports that in 2011, 46.2 million or 1 out of 7 people live in poverty with almost 1 out of 16 people living in deep poverty.  The Census defines deep poverty as income 50% below the poverty line. Census figures show that in 2011, 6.6 percent of all people, or 20.4 million people, lived in deep poverty.

Today Pentagon spending accounts for more than 50% of Federal budget discretionary expenditures. Why should there be so much spending on war when people are suffering and our nation needs to invest in our future? It makes no sense. Priorities must change. Our nation needs a new foreign policy based on diplomacy and international cooperation; not war making. We need new budget priorities focused on job creation and supporting human needs and development.
Tell your friends, tell your family and tell the world!

Learn about Tax Evaders in this new video game. Many of these evaders are “’defense” contractors making billions in war profits from Pentagon bloat. Shockingly, the debate in Congress today is about cutting Social Security. The real question is why are we even discussing these cuts before going after the hundreds of billions that corporate Tax Evaders steal from our budget every year? A recent report reveals that we are losing nearly $100 Billion every year from corporate tax dodging

Participate in a Thunderclap. Join together to tell Congress, “Our tax $ should go to the programs we need, not to Pentagon waste. Make the call to #demilitarize http://thndr.it/Y3bwaP!

What is Thunderclap?

Thunderclap is a tool that lets a message be heard by saying it together. Join a Thunderclap, and you and others will share the same message at the same time together; spreading an idea through Facebook and Twitter that cannot be ignored.

Join with others to make sure our message is heard and seen!

On April 15, actions from street corner vigils, educational forums, informational leafleting and meetings with legislators will occur in 43 countries.
In the US, actions are planned in 28 states (*denotes in more than one location): DE, *MI, ME, *MO, WV, *VA, *NY, *VT, DC, *FL, WA, *WI, *MA, *OR, *PA, MD, *CA, *AZ, OH, RI, *IN, MT, *NH, TN, KY, *CO, IA, *NJ

To find locations and contact info, or list an event, go to GDAMS website. Our partners at the Coalition on Human Needs have listings for local events here.

The post Global Day of Action on Military Spending appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Peace and Justice Groups, Military Families, Veterans, Unions, Retirees, and the Unemployed are all supporting our Jobs Not Wars Petition demanding that Congress and our President Give Us Work Not War. If you have not yet signed, simply click here to Sign the Petition.

If you have already signed, we Thank You! Now it’s time to HIT THE STREETS! The Jobs-Not-Wars campaign is organizing local actions or events from Friday, June 21st to Wednesday, July 3rd that highlight the disparities between runaway military spending and cuts to social spending in the federal budget, as these play out in our communities. We will place a spotlight on the priorities and needs of the majority of people. Learn more about the initiative here.

Please continue to help Spread the Word by forwarding this Petition to all your friends and associates.  If you belong to an organization, no matter how big or small, who agrees with our Petition, ask them to Endorse the Campaign here.

A Quick Summary of our Petition’s Demands:

• End the War in Afghanistan Now
• Make Substantial Cuts to the Over-bloated, Out-of-Control Pentagon budget
• Create Good Paying Jobs
• Let the Bush tax cuts expire for the top 2%
• The wealthiest and corporations must do their fair share and pay a little more
• Protect our social safety net including Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid
• Rely on negotiation and determined diplomacy rather than military power

Click here for a downloadable copy of the Petition and bring it to your church, union, parent teacher meeting, and ask them to Sign the Petition. Hungry American children, the children of the poor and unemployed, are becoming the new face of America. All Our Voices are needed to fight against the influence of the very powerful, money laden Wall Street and Corporate CEOs and the Military Industrial Complex.

If you can afford to, please consider making a donation. Any size donation will be gratefully received – remember that even very small donations added together make a BIG difference. Thank you for your time and continued support

In Struggle,
Michael McPhearson
National Coordinator

The post Sign the Jobs Not Wars Petition and Join the June 21st-July 3rd actions appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.