International Day of Peace, September 21

The International Day of Peace ("Peace Day") provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date.  It was established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly.  The first Peace Day was celebrated in September 1982.

In 2002 the General Assembly officially declared September 21 as the permanent date for the International Day of Peace.

By creating the International Day of Peace, the UN devoted itself to worldwide peace and encouraged all mankind to  work in cooperation for this goal.  During the discussion of the U.N. Resolution that established the International Day of Peace, it was suggested that:

"Peace Day should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples. . .  This day will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our organization, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace and should serve all of us here within the organization as a constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests of differences of any kind, is to peace."

Since its inception, Peace Day has marked our personal and planetary progress toward peace.  It has grown to include millions of people in all parts of the world, and each year events are organized to commemorate and celebrate this day.  Events range in scale from private gatherings to public concerts and forums where hundreds of thousands of people participate.

Anyone, anywhere can celebrate Peace Day.  It can be as simple as lighting a candle at noon, or just sitting in silent meditation.  Or it can involve getting your co-workers, organization, community or government engaged in a large event.  The impact if millions of people in all parts of the world coming together for one day of peace, is immense.

International Day of Peace is also a Day of Ceasefire - personal or political.  Take this opportunity to make peace in your own relationships as well as impact the larger conflicts of our time.  Imagine what a whole day of Ceasefire would mean to humankind.

Learn more about International Day of Peace

Hiroshima Day Memorial Vigil

There will be a silent vigil at noon on Wednesday, August 6th at Marine Park in observance of the anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States. Sponsored by Juneau Friends Meeting. All are welcome. For information call Amy at 586-4409

JPPJ will carry the Cranes on July 4th

Plans are going forward to prepare for the annual Juneau July 4th parade. We will again bring out the colorful paper cranes. We urge you all to come out to participate with us and bring your family and friends and any visitors to swell the ranks and help carry the cranes. The message is simply The World Needs PEACE!

Nuclear Awareness Conference - University of Alaska Southeast, Juneau

Fri, April 18th 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Sat, April 19th 12:00 – 9:00 PM
Sun, April 20th 12:00 – 7:00 PM

This conference is being sponsored by UAS with support from Skagway City High School, the Juneau World Affairs Council, the Leighty Foundation, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and the Rongelap (Marshall Islands) City Government.

Keynote Speakers
Ms. Shigeko Sasamori is an International Peace Activist, was only one mile from the hypocenter when Little Boy exploded over Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945 at 8:15 am. She barely survived. Terribly burned, her parents could not tell the front of her head from the back of her head. She became one of the "Hiroshima Maidens" and traveled to the U.S. to receive extensive plastic surgery. Today she works tirelessly for nuclear disarmament and appears at conferences around the world. Recently she has spoken at "Think Outside the Bomb" at the University of California, Santa Barbara and at Los Almos Study Group --“Life of a Hiroshima Maiden”. Featured in the films, “White Light/Black Rain” and “Hiroshima Survivor: Shigeko”, Shigeko Sasamori's life journey has been a symbol for peace and the resurrection of humanity.

Dr. Holly Barker is currently Senior Advisor to the RMI Ambassador. Her book, Bravo for the Marshallese: Regaining Control in a Post-Nuclear, Post-Colonial World, is a case study that recounts the story of the people of the Marshall Islands and their efforts to understand the effects of nuclear contamination and to hold the U.S. government accountable. She currently teaches at the University of Washington in Seattle.

James Matayoshi. At the age of 18, Almira Ainri was exposed to fallout from the United States largest atmospheric test, Castle Bravo, which was carried by winds to Rongelap Atoll over 100 miles away from the detonation. Over 50 years later, James Matayoshi, Almira’s son, has become dedicated towards finding both immediate and long-term solutions to the many problems created by the U.S. Nuclear testing program for the Marshallese people. Over his 16 years as Mayor of Rongelap, James has spoken at multiple ‘Bravo Day’ and ‘Nuclear Remembrance’ events, actively participated in efforts to make the United States recognize it’s unfulfilled responsibilities to the Rongelapese people (who have been displaced from their homes due to radioactive contamination), and engaged independent scientific research of Rongelap concerning radioactivity and clean-up

The Drama, Debate and Forensics team from Skagway City High School is the prime motivator behind this conference. In 2007, Shelby Surdyk and Erica Harris performed at the state DDF competition entitled “For the Good of Mankind”. Told from the viewpoint of the people of the Marshall Islands, the duo interpretation explains the history U.S. nuclear testing in the Pacific.

The students traveled to the Marshall Islands in October 2007 with their coach, English teacher Kent Fielding. They did 15 performances in three weeks before hundreds of Marshallese citizens, including an audience before the President of Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Now, the DDF team has organized this event, which will include their performance and much more. For a full schedule, see the program posted on the UAS website http://www.uas.alaska.edu/.

Monday, April 7 through Wednesday, April 9.

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) exhibit, "Eyes Wide Open: the Human Cost of War in Iraq," will open Monday, April 7th at the Juneau Arts and Cultural Center across from Centennial Hall at 11:00 am and remain in place through 3:00 pm, Wednesday, April 9th. An Opening reception will take place at 5:30 pm on Monday. The local sponsoring groups include Juneau Friends Meeting, Veterans for Peace Chapter 100, Juneau Unitarian -Universalist Fellowship, the Juneau Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Juneau People for Peace and Northern Light United Church.

The exhibit features:

• A pair of combat boots for each serviceman/woman from Alaska, or an Alaskan base who has died in Iraq, each tagged with an individual’s name, military rank, age, and hometown/state
  

• 300+ civilian shoes, each one labeled with the name of an Iraqi man, woman or child who has died since the beginning of the Iraq war Posters explaining the human and economic costs of the Iraq war to Alaska

• Poster display "Dreams and Nightmares" focusing on the human and economic costs to the Iraqi people

The goals of the exhibit are to put a human face to the casualties in the Iraq war, spotlight the deaths of US soldiers and Iraqi civilians, and urge US government accountability.

Find out more about the national exhibit at http://www.afsc.org/eyes/

Amy Paige
EWO Alaska
State Coordinator
586-4409

PLEASE JOIN US AT A SILENT VIGIL FOR THE 4000 AMERICANS WHO HAVE DIED IN THE IRAQ WAR and OCCUPATION

DAY: The Day After U.S. Casualties Reach 4000
Watch the news - As of Sunday, March 23rd casualty count was 3996
WHERE: The Dimond Courthouse Square, Downtown Juneau
WHEN: 5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Sponsored by the Juneau Chapter of Veterans For Peace
and Juneau People for Peace and Justice
“Honor the Troops, Mourn the Dead, End the War”

Contact: Garland Walker - 586-5089

Wednesday, March 19th

A solemn gathering to mark the 5th anniversary of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Gather at the Capitol steps, 4th and Main Street
11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Reading of the Names of US soldiers killed in the last year.

Sponsored by Veterans for Peace Chapter 100

Author Dahr Jamail to Speak in Juneau, Monday, March 10, 2008

Former Alaskan Dahr Jamail is scheduled to speak here Monday, March 10th as part of his speaking tour including Fairbanks and Anchorage. Since speaking here in March 2005 Dahr has released his book -- Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an Unembedded Journalist in Occupied Iraq --
We will ask him to give us his understanding and analysis of the current situation of the "facts on the ground" based on his experiences and his ongoing reporting in cooperation with Iraqi journalists and ordinary citizens.

Where: Egan Lecture Hall, University of Alaska Southeast
When: 7 pm
SAVE THE DATE

Eyes Wide Open Exhibit in Juneau April 7-9, 2008

A coalition of Juneau organizations is working to bring the American Friends Service Committee's exhibit of boots of Alaskan and Alaska-based soldiers boots killed in Iraq to Juneau this coming April 7-9th. The exhibit is a smaller version of an exhibit that has been displayed in cities across the country. It also includes a collection of civilian shoes representing the thousands of Iraqi men, women and children who have been caught in the cross-fire.

The Eyes Wide Open: The Cost of War to Alaska exhibit is a respectful memorial to soldiers and all the victims of war. We hope that the simplicity of the exhibit will honor those who have given their lives, and make the true costs of this war more real to Americans for whom the war is so far away.

If you would like to volunteer to help in the planning or during the days when the exhibit is displayed, or if an organization you are involved with would like to be a co-host, please contact Amy Paige, 586-4409

Role for Alaskans in Ending Genocide in Darfur

Just received this information from Joyanne Bloom:

Alaska is seeking to play an important role in ending the genocide in Darfur. HB287 mandates that the Permanent Fund and state retirement funds divest any holdings they have that directly or indirectly finance the Sudanese government's military campaign against the people of Darfur. Many other states and our federal government have already done this.
The proposed targeted investment in HB287:

* Offers an opportunity for Alaskans to increase economic pressure on Sudan and stop the flow of money that funds the genocide:
* Tells our elected officials that we are concerned about the genocide and expect them to act; and
* Keeps Darfur on the political agenda and in the media.

Let our elected officials know Alaskans want to stop the genocide in Darfur now!
Joyanne Bloom

Our Juneau youth are engaged with this issue. The Juneau Chapter of Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND) is planning to testify on this legislation. Help augment their voices.

One Day of the Iraq War OR . . . . .

Monday,
January 21, 2007
5:30 PM

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY

Potluck and Social Gathering
Bring a dish to share

Northern Lights United Church
400 W. 11^th Street, Juneau

It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. with fellow peace and justice activists at a potluck supper at Northern Light United Church. Bring a dish to share, join your neighbors in conversations about the meaning of Dr. King's life and work for us today.

Questions for Candidates

As the political campaign season reeves up we may want to to ready to ask candidates some probing questions about their positions on the national issues of utmost concern to us. As a non-profit educational group Juneau People for Peace and Justice does not endorse candidates for political office, or engage in partisan political activity. However, we can and do educate ourselves on the issues and can advocate for policies that reflect our values.

One source I depend on to educate myself about the issues is the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker lobby in Washington. You may have many other sources that keep you informed. Here are a few questions you may wish to pose to Alaska candidates for national office from the FCNL brochures "Questions to ask the Candidates in the 2008 elections". You can find more detail about these issues at the FCNL website http://www.fcnl.org/pubs/candidatequestions08.htm

Iraq: Support U.S. Troops by Bringing Them Home

The U.S. needs a new policy in Iraq.The bipartisan Iraq Study Group chaired by former Rep. Lee Hamilton and former Secretary of State James Baker recommended a new U.S. policy based on negotiations with all of Iraq’s neighbors, support for reconciliation inside Iraq, and a clear commitment to a complete withdrawal in consultation with Iraqis and the neighboring states. Will you support legislation to make these recommendations U.S. policy?

Time to Invest in Peace

A huge portion, about 95 percent, of what the U.S. spends to engage with the rest of the world is allocated to the military budget. A tiny amount, about five percent, is devoted to diplomacy, development, and supporting international institutions that can help to solve problems before they turn into deadly conflict. Will you support the U.S. paying its full, fair share of United Nations dues and commit to increasing funding for the State Department and U.S.Agency for International Development?

End the Word Games, Ban Torture

The U.S. Army has established firm policies—written into the Army Field Manual—that prohibit torture. Yet the Justice Department insists the CIA should be exempt from these Army requirements and have the right to torture some prisoners. Would you support legislation requiring all U.S. government personnel— including the CIA—to ban torture and abide by the definitions in the U.S.Army Field Manual?

Climate, Energy, and Human Security

As the leading global greenhouse gas emitter over the last century, the U.S. has a special responsibility to substantially reduce its emissions and help developing countries reduce their emissions and adapt to the harmful effects of climate change caused in large part by past U.S. emissions. What specific policies will you support to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions quickly, deeply, and fairly and to help poor communities at home and abroad adapt to the harmful effects of climate change now?

Find more questions at http://www.fcnl.org/pubs/candidatequestions08.htm
or formulate your own. Share your thoughts by commenting to this posting.

Amy

New Year's Resolutions

Share your ideas for bringing new energies to the struggle for peace and justice in our community, nation and world.

Come to our bi-monthly meetings or participate in the discussion online at jppj@yahoogroups.com

Are you reading some helpful or inspiring book that others might appreciate?
Have you experienced some event or insights that give you hope for change?
Have you encountered a person or people who has/have inspired you to make personal choices in your life path?
How can we help each other in the coming months to be more effective "peaceworkers"?

UN Security Council Must Listen to Iraq's People and Parliament -- Take Action!

United for Peace and Justice Action Alert
November 20th, 2007

Anytime between now and the end of this year, the UN Security Council will be asked to consider a re-authorization of the U.S.-led occupation in Iraq. The background and details about this is included in the memo below, which is being sent to anti-war organizations around the world. United for Peace and Justice has signed on to this letter because we believe it is important to keep the pressure on the U.S. government from all angles.

We are asking that folks here in the U.S. take part in this effort by making two calls:

1) Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Call the U.S. Mission to the UN at 212-415-4000. Send faxes to 212-415-4443. (Khalilzad was the United States Ambassador to Iraq from 2005 to 2007.)

2) Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Call her office at 202-647-5290, and/or the switchboard at the U.S. Dept of State: 202-647-4000.

Let them know that you do not support a re-authorization of the occupation of Iraq. It is time to end this war and occupation; it is time to bring all of the troops and contractors home!

Peace,

Leslie Cagan
National Coordinator, UFPJ

UfPJ Regional Rally in Seattle October 27th

United For Peace and Justice Regional Rallies!
October 27, 2007

Once again, members of Veterans For Peace will be taking to the streets to show their opposition to the war and occupation of Iraq, and to show their support to bring the troops home now!

There will be 11 cities around the nation holding rallies and marches and we encourage you to participate! You can learn more at the links below.

www.oct27.org

DEMONSTRATIONS WILL BE HELD IN THE FOLLOWING CITIES

- Boston - New York - Jonesborough, TN - New Orleans - Orlando - Salt Lake City - Chicago - Los Angeles - San Francisco - Seattle - Philadelphia -

JPPJ Joins Fairbanks Phone Marathan Call for Peace

Juneau People for Peace and Justice will join with the Alaska Peace Center (Fairbanks) which issued the following CALL FOR PEACE

Alaska Phone Marathon to call for an end of the occupation of Iraq

Are you frustrated that nothing is being done to bring and end to the war in Iraq? That the illegality of the war is not being prosecuted? That the Administration is not being held accountable for torture and irresponsibility in the conduct of the war and occupation? That the Administration is rattling sabers toward Iran and neither Democrats nor Republicans seem opposed?

You CAN do something that can make a difference!

Every morning from 6 am to 9 am and from 4 to 7 pm (Sundays noon - 3pm) for the from now until October 27, the Alaska Peace Center is hosting a phone marathon to call Congress, call presidential candidates, call the media and call friends to do the same.

We want all congressional offices to be flooded with calls every day now to October 27th
We want all presidential candidates to be flooded with calls every day now to October 27th
We want all declared candidates for national office to be flooded with calls every day now to October 27th

Here in Juneau we will participate by asking each of you to:
(1) call our Alaska congressional delegation
Sen. Ted Stevens - (202) 224-3004
Sen. Lisa Murkowski - (202) 224-6665
Rep. Don Young - (202) 225-5765

(2) ask your Alaskan friends to call them

(3) ask your friends in other states to call their congressional delegation

What is the message?

(1) No Iraq funding without a firm timetable for bringing our occupation to an end and bringing all our troops home and

(2) Ask your Senators to support Senate Resolution S759 - No military action in Iran without Congressional approval.

Also ask your friends in other communities, and in other states to make similar calls. Report by replying to this email when you make your calls. In Fairbanks they are organizing at the Alaska Peace Center to be sure that calls are made throughout those time periods and days. Let's see if we can help get at the very least 5 calls per hour during each calling period every day

Help spread this effort to other states by calling or emailing your family and friends around the country. Especially if you have friends or family or know groups in the smaller, rural communities of Alaska who can make calls too. It is fun and inspiring to talk to other groups around the country. It's a great chance to connect with old friends and family to motivate them to do something. It's a chance for us all to hike up the volume for peace.

UAS to Host Iraqi Judge on the Reconstruction of Iraq

Friday, October 12th 7:00 pm UAS Egan Library
Judge Zuhair Jumma Bash Al-Maliki, Legal Advisor of Finance and Rule of Law Issues in Iraq

Juneau, Alaska - October 08, 2007 -

The UAS Evening at Egan Lecture Series will host Judge Zuhair Jumma Bash Al-Maliki, Legal Advisor of Finance and Rule of Law Issues in Iraq. Judge Zuhair is a cornerstone of the post-Saddam Iraqi legal system. He served as an Investigative Judge with the Central Criminal Courts of Iraq beginning shortly after the invasion and was elevated to Chief Judge by Paul Bremer in 2004.

The lecture will be held in the UAS Egan Library on Fri, Oct. 12 at 7 pm as part of the University’s fall lecture series. The lectures are free and open to the public. This is Judge Zuhair’s only stop in Alaska.

Judge Zuhair was born and raised in Baghdad. He attended Baghdad University where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. From 1988 until 1999 Judge Zuhair worked successively as a translator for the United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observation Group, a Foreign Relations Administrator for the Arab Union Scientific Research Council, and as an Administrator for the Arab Federation Food Industry. After careers in both government and private industry, Judge Zuhair returned to Baghdad University to attend law school.

In 2004, he gained international attention by issuing an arrest warrant for several government officials suspected of corruption, including Prime Ministerial candidate Ahmed Chalabi. Despite several assassination attempts and public smear campaigns, his colleagues said he never compromised his ideals. He asserts that the Iraqi legal system must be built upon an ethical legal foundation beholding only to the rule of law.

UfPJ Legislative Action

FED UP??? Let them hear it Oct. 8!

United for Peace and Justice is calling on supporters to contact their congressional delegations:

Meet with them, protest them, vigil them, occupy them!

The House and Senate will be home for Columbus Day -- Oct. 8 (and the Senate will be on recess until Oct. 16). They need to hear from us if they voted against the Feingold amendment or supported the Kyl/Lieberman amendment. It is also important that Senators who voted the right way on Kyl/Lieberman get thanked.

Roll call vote on Feingold amendment

Roll call vote on Kyl/Lieberman

We are adding resources like sample voting records, flyers and talking points for meetings to our website: www.unitedforpeace.org/congress . If your group has a good resource to share, please forward to sue@unitedforpeace.org

Let them hear it Oct. 27!

We need a massive turnout on Oct. 27 -- Please join the effort to help plan, mobiize and publicize the national mobilization!

visit www.oct27.org or get in touch with the point people for each region:

Northwest/Seattle
Kelly Campbell
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
503-230-9427 x2
kelly@peacefultomorrows.org

Listen to PEACETALK tonight at 7:00 pm on KTOO-FM (104.3)!!

Tonight PEACETALK, the VFP-Juneau monthly program on issues of war and peace, will air Stacey Fritz' talk presented here last Monday evening - " Star Wars & the new Cold War: Missile Defense in Alaska". If you missed that talk be sure to listen tonight!! Rich Moniak will host the program in Phil Smith's absence.

Her talk gives an understanding of how the proposed radar being planned for installation at Lena Point fits into the wider program that has been underway for several years in Alaska, - at the Kodiak Launch site and at Fort Greely. She is the founder and coordinator of No Nukes North and a board member of the Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. NNN is an also an active member group of the Global Network against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space (www.space4peace.org) Stacey is a graduate student at UAF where she studies the impacts of Alaskan and Arctic militarization.

Last Tuesday, the representatives of the Missile Defense Agency met with a group of Lena Point residents to describe the radar installation. But in response to the urging of Rep. Andrea Doll they have agreed to return to Juneau on September 13th (save the date) for a community-wide meeting to better inform the Juneau public about their plans. We will be asking that they be prepared to respond to questions about not just the radar installation but about the entire missile defense system, since the Juneau facility was not included in the environmental assessment of the radar installations and the Juneau public has not had an opportunity to comment on the plans for the Juneau facility or the system of which it is a part.

In the meantime, for a succinct video graphic description and critique of the missile defense system that is happening here in Alaska [Kodiak, Fort Greely, Cordova, Shemya, and elsewhere] see the short 4 minute video prepared by the Union of Concern Scientists. Go to the link on NoNukesNorth.net and click on the link there to watch with Real audio.
Or find it here: http://www.ucsusa.org/global_security/missile_defense/countermeasures-video.html

REGULAR JPPJ meeting on Tuesday, August 28th, 5:15 pm at Northern Light United Church, 400 W. 11th Street. Call Amy for more information - 586-4409