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

Rally and Welcome The Nation cruisers

MONDAY, JULY 30 5:00 PM MARINE PARK

Please join VETERANS FOR PEACE to welcome The Nation cruisers to Juneau! Confirmed speakers include The Nation Editor.Publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, and actor.education Richard Dreyfuss; also invited are Ralph Nader, Robert Scheer, and Patricia Williams.
The Rally is to support The Nation's editorial stand on the war in Iraq: "The Nation ... takes the following stand: We will not support any candidate for National office who does not make speedy end to the war in Iraq a major issue of his or her campaign. We urge all voters to join us in adopting this position."

4th of July Parade - Veterans For Peace Chapter 100 and JPPJ Combine Efforts

The colorful paper cranes made their appearance again this year. Many thanks to Judith Maier - "The Crane Lady" - seen in the photo by John Palmes - for organizing paper crane folding parties, and to all of you who joined us this year.

We were pleased to be part of the Veterans For Peace parade entry, following behind the inspired "float" that carried "Lady Liberty in the Chains of War, Fear, Lies and Torture" (in the person of Donna Anderson) and "Unchain Our Freedom - Stop the War".

Our regular weekly meetings will resume Tuesday, August 7th at 5:15 pm at Northern Light United Church, 400 W. 11th Street1th Street.

4th of July Parade

Juneau has come to expect to see us there and we need you all to come out in force! We Need Everyone of You to Be There!!! It is not the time to sit back and despair because this madness goes on. Even if just walking in a parade seems pointless in terms of getting the troops out of Iraq, we need to be there to bear witness to our faith that we can and will change how the U.S. interacts with the rest of the world and how we deal with conflict in the world and at home.

This year's parade theme is "Freedom is not free". We need help in designing the JPPJ message. Please plan to attend the next JPPJ meeting on Tuesday, June 19th at 5:15 pm. If you can't make the meeting, but have ideas to share please call me, Amy (586-4409) or Judith (789-9229).

A JPPJ-sponsored Petition calling for a prompt and safe withdrawal of all US troops from Iraq, etc, will not be pursued at this time.

JPPJ Plans for 4th of July

Plans are underway to prepare for JPPJ's annual 4th of July Parade. There will be two paper crane folding sessions - Tuesday, June 19th - 2:30 - 5:30 pm at Northern Light United Church, and Wednesday, June 20th - 3:00 - 7:00 pm at Mendenhall Public Library. We need people to help. Call Judith Maier at 789-9229 for details.

Also we are planning to initiate a Petition Calling for prompt and safe withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, transfer of control of all military bases to the Iraqi people, reallocation of military funds earmarked for Iraq to post-war reconstruction in Iraq and domestic needs in the U.S., and for Iraqi people to retain control of all decisions pertaining to their own oil and other natural resources.

We need at least 50 people to volunteer to circulate and collect signatures on the petition during the summer. We plan to publish the entire petition and list of signers in the Juneau Empire this fall, and to seek sponsorship of the Petition in Anchorage, Fairbanks and other Alaska towns and villages. Please contact Amy (586-4409) or plan to attend the next JPPJ meeting, Tuesday, June 12th at 5:15 pm.

Don Muller on civil disobedience

Don Muller of Sitka wrote in response to my email:

I think you're right, Amy--most people don't seem to keep up with what's going on, don't seem interested. Or something. As a bookseller, I think most people simply don't read enough--not enough history, and, in the case of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience, certainly not enough history about that subject. Have people never read Gandhi, King, the Berrigans, anything about the women's movement, anything about animal rights, even anything about Thoreau??? Are people simply not aware that every single significant social change in the U.S. is accompanied by civil disobedience?

When people claim that CD accomplishes little, I am sure they are measuring the wrong thing, and there is a perfect King quote that captures this: “The nonviolent approach does not immediately change the heart of the oppressor. It first does something to the hearts and souls of those committed to it. It gives them new self-respect; it calls up resources of strength and courage that they did not know they had. Finally it reaches the opponent and so stirs his conscience that reconciliation becomes a reality.” Wendell Berry goes even farther: "Protest that endures...is moved by a hope far more modest than that of public success: namely, the hope of preserving qualities in one's own heart and spirit that would be destroyed by acquiescence." Is that selfish? Hey, if so, it's the most unselfish selfishness. When people expect the war to end after their first arrest, well, they will be sorely disappointed.

But EVENTUALLY the war will end. If not, we have ourselves to blame. The more people do CD, the MORE PEOPLE DO CD, and pretty soon change comes about. But it won't happen when people have the wrong expectations. I also think Alaskans, for some reason, fear simple embarrassment if they take part in an action involving arrest. Maybe this is true of all conservative people. Well, read the above King quote again. I guarantee--and Rob will confirm this--you won't be embarrassed. I suppose one could be embarrassed if the action is done stupidly. But that's why people plan. And read and listen to what others have done. Hey, if you're embarrassed to do civil disobedience in Anchorage, go to DC--there are lots of opportunites there! No one can use the excuse that information, mentors, and opportunites don't exist.

Of course, there are many other reasons that people don't particiapte in nonviolent CD. And most are probably good honest reasons. But I think ultimately, on examination, these reasons can be countered with good reasons TO do CD, usually by people with a lot of experience (e.g. Martin Luther King, Jr.!!). I have heard people say that they feel they can't ask others to be nonviolent when they still have violence within themselves, that they must change themselves first. A good first response to that claim is: you will wait a lifetime if you expect to remove any potential violence from yourself before asking others. Again, King: “Admittedly, nonviolence in the truest sense is not a strategy that one uses simply because it is expedient at the moment; nonviolence is ultimately a way of life that men live by because of the sheer morality of its claim. But even granting this, the willingness to use nonviolence as a technique is a step forward. For he who goes this far is more likely to adopt nonviolence later as a way of life.” Can anyone out there say it more clearly? Sometimes I think (in dismay) that most people don't even know what nonviolent civil disobedience IS! Is that possible? Do most people equate CD with anti-abortionists? Anarchists in black face covers? The KKK? I have friends who really don't understand what it means, think that it is simply carrying a sign and getting arrested, the goal being to get arrested.

I'm not sure what the solution to this is: more workshops? more visiting speakers? more actions? Probably a combination of all these. I have a quote from someone named True: “Some generations appear to have learned little from the ones that went before about the power of nonviolence and the skills essential to conducting campaigns for social change: vigils, marches, boycotts, strikes, sit-downs, mediation….While other important achievements in American culture…pass from one generation to the next, refined by each, nonviolence has to be relearned, almost from scratch.” The idea of the Department of Peace, I'm sure, is based on this unfortunate fact. And governments know that's true and that's why governments--especially ours--never have a Department of Peace.

I am ranting now. I think we need to ask how to proceed. If there is not interest among those on this list, there must be others we know who can be recruited, encouraged, educated. Any ideas out there?

A good closing quote by Daniel Berrigan: "We have assumed the name of peacemaker, but we have been, by and large, unwilling to pay any significant price. And because we want peace with half a heart and half a life and will, the war of course, continues, because the waging of war, by its nature, is total, but the waging of peace, by our own cowardice, is partial.....We cry peace and cry peace and there is not peace. There is no peace because the making of peace is at least as costly as the
making of war, at least as exigent, at least as disruptive, at least as liable to bring disgrace, prison, and death in its wake"

Don