Join the efforts of the United Nations family as we focus on recovering better for a more equitable and peaceful world. Celebrate peace by standing up against acts of hate online and offline, and by spreading compassion, kindness, and hope in the face of the pandemic.
International Day of Peace, September 21, 2021
Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world

The War in Afghanistan is Over; It's Time to Face the Truth
While the words that we spoke may have promised a hopeful cooperative future, our bombs, drones, and night raids drowned out those words. Our commitment to violence buried Afghan hearts and minds beneath paralyzing fear, generational trauma, and the crushing emotions of human pain. In reality, it is Americans' hearts and minds that need to change. And until we get that right nothing will change. Our duty now is to tell the true story of this war. UFPJ Coordinating Committee member Mary Hladky, a long-time member of Military Families Speak Out, has published an opinion piece at Common Dreams. READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.

Cut the Pentagon Launch Event and Video
On Sunday, September 12, Cut the Pentagon for People, Peace, Planet, and Future launched in front of the White House. Twenty years of war in Afghanistan have exposed the horrific costs of war and made it crystal clear that war on Afghanistan and Iraq was the wrong response to 9/11. Now that the public has seen the senselessness of spending over $21 trillion on the "war on terror," the campaign was created to seize this important moment.This is the time to build a big tent and get in the streets to expose the costs of war and demand that our tax dollars be spent to support the needs of people and the planet, not for destruction and murder. You can watch the launch video, which includes UFPJ National Organizer George Friday and Coordinating Committee members Jackie Cabasso and Carley Towne HERE!

Poor People’s Campaign Update
The Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival has wrapped up a Season of Nonviolent Moral Direct Action to Save Our Democracy. Now, in the runup to the massive Moral March and Poor People's & Low-Wage Workers Assembly on June 18, 2022, in Washington, D.C, the Poor People's Campaign is taking action at the state level. Find your state committee and join the Campaign! Wherever you are, you can support the West Virginia Poor People's Campaign in demanding that Senator Joe Manchin stop hiding behind the Coward's Filibuster and stand up for our democracy by supporting all provisions of the For the People Act, fully restoring the 1965 Voting Rights Act and passing a $15/hr federal minimum wage. Sign an Open Letter to Senator Manchin HERE.

Poor People's Campaign Co-Chair Rev. Liz Theoharris Speaks on the Moral Dimensions of Militarism
On September 9, Rev. Liz Theoharris, Co-Chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, keynoted the Lansing, Michigan Peace Education Center's first talk in its Divest from War, Invest for Peace series. She delivered inspiring words on building an economy that moves beyond war, invoking Dr. King's "Beyond Vietnam" sermon. "He saw clearly that a foreign policy defined by aggression hurt the poor and dispossessed across the planet the most," she said. "But it also did more than that. It drained this country of its moral vitality, and of its financial resources needed to fight poverty, racism, and injustice here at home." WATCH THE TALK HERE. United for Peace & Justice is proud to be a national partner with the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.

Never Forget: 9/11 and the 20 Year War on Terror
On the 20th anniversary of September 11, CODEPINK and Mass Peace Action hosted the webinar: Never Forget: 9/11 and the 20 Year War on Terror. The webinar reflected on the lessons of 9/11 and the lessons of the 20 year Global War on Terror and included testimonials from John Kiriakou, Vijay Prashad, Sam Al-Arian, Medea Benjamin, Jodie Evans, Assal Rad, David Swanson, Kathy Kelly, Matthew Hoh, Danny Sjursen, Kevin Danaher, Ray McGovern, Mickey Huff, Chris Agee, Norman Solomon, Pat Alviso, Rick Jahnkow, Larry Wilkerson, and Moustafa Bayoumi. We must never forget the lessons of 9/11 or the lessons of the Global War on Terror, lest we risk repeating the pain, death, and tragedy of the past 20 years. You can view the webinar on YouTube HERE.

U.S. Conference of Mayors Calls on the United States to Welcome the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and Act Now to Prevent Nuclear War
On August 31, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a bold new resolution Calling on the United States to Welcome the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and to Act Now to Prevent Nuclear War and Eliminate Nuclear Weapons. The resolution was introduced by Mayors for Peace U.S. Vice-President Frank Cownie, Mayor of Des Moines, Iowa. READ THE FULL REPORT. Founded in 1982 and led by the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Mayors for Peace has grown to 8,043 cities in 165 countries and regions, with 219 U.S. members. Noting that, "The United States Conference of Mayors has unanimously adopted Mayors for Peace resolutions for sixteen consecutive years," the USCM "urges all of its members to join Mayors for Peace to help reach the goal of 10,000 member cities." Is your Mayor a member?

Exposing the War Profiteers with David Moore
On September 9, CODEPINK Co-director Carley Towne was joined by David Moore, Co-Founder of Sludge, to expose war profiteers in Congress. During this webinar, they explored Moore's most recent investigative report detailing the members of Congress who personally profit from investments in the same military contractors they vote to enrich every year through the National Defense Authorization Act. The webinar delved into these investments, identifying some members of Congress who have personally divested from those stocks. The webinar also discusses what we can do to hold our representatives accountable. Watch the full webinar on YouTube HERE.

To the readers of this newsletter: the UFPJ newsletter enjoys an "open rate" of 20%
Can we enhance this further? Can we make this an interactive experience, promoting further discussion? The more members of the peace and justice community speak to each other, the stronger our voices get, the more our determination to be heard becomes. As you read a newsletter article, if you have a thought or a critique; if you notice a topic that should have been covered; if we have gone amiss, we want your feedback. What action should we have suggested? What is the thinking of your local group? We can pass your comments on in the next newsletter. We can make this an interactive exchange. Take a moment and reply to ufpjnewsletter@gmail.com.

New UFPJ Member Group Resource Page
We have added a page to our web site for member groups to say a bit about what they do and what kinds of resources they have available. We hope it will become a useful means for making new connections and facilitating cooperative work. Some member groups already have provided information, and we encourage all member groups to do so. Take a look at our United for Peace and Justice Member Group Resource page, and submit your group's resource information to ufpjnewsletter@gmail.com.

The Power of the Pen: 46 Groups Call for Completion of U.S. Sanctions Policy Review
United for Peace & Justice (UFPJ) regularly signs onto letters and statements dealing with a broad range of important peace and justice issues, intended to influence government policy. UFPJ was among 46 civil society organizations working to protect and advance humanitarian, peacebuilding, peace advocacy, and human rights missions, who wrote to President Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, and U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield on September 7, urging them to complete the administration's sanctions policy review as expeditiously as possible, to make its findings public, and to implement significant and structural changes to U.S. sanctions policy. The letter was highlighted in a Wall Street Journal article on September 10.

UFPJ is a diverse network of peace and justice organizations. If your organization is interested in joining UFPJ, please read our Unity Statement, and if it is consistent with your principles CLICK HERE TO JOIN.

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