Monday, February 13, 2017

VFPeNews: New ExComm, VFP-UK's New Campaign, and Standing Rock!

Veterans For Peace
To  alfredjohnson34@comcast.net 
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Introducing VFP's New Executive Committee!

Veterans For Peace recently had their board meeting with the newly elected board.  They chose new officers for the Executive Committee.
Barry Ladendorf- President
Kourtney Andar - Vice President
Brian Trautman - Treasurer
Monique Salhab - Secretary
To see a list of the full Board of Directors, see our website!

¡Presente! Lew Lubka and Jeff Strottmann

Lewis Lubka, Veteran For Peace member of Chapter 154 in South Dakota.  He passed away January 6, 2017. Lewis was born in 1926 in New York City, NY.  He was 90 years old. He served his country in World War II. He was a retired North Dakota State University professor. Lewis spent much of his life dedicated to working for justice, activities that ranged from confronting racism, ending nuclear weapons and ending war. 
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Jeff Strottmann passed away on Feb. 6th.  Jeff was the first Iowan to join Veterans For Peace, in 1992.  He was one of the 10 charter members of VFP #161 when we became a chapter in 2010.
Jeff always rooted for the underdog, and was passionate about peace and justice. While working at the hospital, he was heavily involved in the AFSCME union, representing other workers' interests. At the same time, and especially after he retired, he was devotedly involved with Veterans for Peace, where he forged great friendships.

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VFP-UK Launches a Poster Campaign

A new recruitment campaign for the Royal Navy’s Trident nuclear submarines has been unveiled in London, thanks to Veterans For Peace UK. The bus stop posters urge Londoners to ‘Become a Suicide Bomber’ by joining the ongoing “suicide mission” aboard the UK’s nuclear submarine fleet.
UK artist Darren Cullen, 33, who designed the poster campaign, says the ads claim that “Nuclear bombs are suicide bombs” because it is “impossible to use these weapons without also killing ourselves. A country with nuclear weapons is prepared to destroy the world rather than lose a war. With a single weapon system we hold the planet hostage by the sort of terror you only get from thermonuclear missiles.” #NoNukes

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VFP Joined IVAW to Deliver Comments about Standing Rock

On February 8th Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans For Peace and Native Veterans deliver letters full of statements from 1,000s across the country  to the Army Corp of Engineers.   Dozens of veterans and supporters gathered at the Northwest Division office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) to express vehement opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Phoenix Tiffany Johnson, a local Native veteran, delivered thousands of public comments to a representative of the office, calling on the Army Corps to deny the final DAPL easement and respect unceded Native lands and fundamental human rights.
Portland Army Corps of Engineers physically locked their doors and did not allow a small group of peaceful veterans to deliver a message inside the building on behalf of the underrepresented. Eventually a secretary came out to receive a flash drive with thousands of comments of protest that Trump denied happened. We will continue to be here to receive and join NW Stands With Standing rock action at noon.

Peace In Our Times Winter Edition Available for Download!

The Winter Edition of the PIOT is sold out but is now available for download!
Peace In Our Times is a Veterans For Peace publication.  It is a great outreach tool and getting the message of peace out! 
Order your spring edition to make sure you don't miss out when it's available.

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Take Action For Standing Rock

Just a few days ago the Trump Administration and the Army moved to approve the easement for Energy Transfer Partners to drill under Lake Oahe on the Missouri River and build the Dakota Access Pipeline through Native land at Standing Rock, despite threats to the environment and the likely contamination of drinking water for millions of people living near the Missouri River. They also suspended a 14-day waiting period which means that the drilling could already be starting.
Leaders at Standing Rock are calling for solidarity actions around the country and around the globe to protest the recent order and for a large demonstration on Washington on March 10. Here's how you can take action, today! Check out our Veterans For Peace Standing Rock page for our previous statements of support of this prayerful resistance.

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Resource: Know Drones 


KnowDrones was founded in 2012 so we know it's been around for awhile, but its a great resource that is updated frequently!  It was created to inform the American public about the illegality, immorality and dreadful human consequences of U.S. drone attacks in order to bring about: (1) a complete halt to drone attacks; and (2) an international ban on weaponized drones and military and police drone surveillance.
KnowDrones educates the general public about drone attacks through this website and through cable television, internet and newspaper advertising opposing these attacks. Check out the play "The Predator".  It is a great tool for raising awareness. The Predator is about killer drones and it is a useful tool for people to question our policy of killing people in far off lands to stop terrorism

Do You Have a Great Resource?

We want to hear from you!
We are hoping to include a helpful resource in our weekly VFP E-News   Do you have a  resource that you have found useful in your work for peace?  A great movie?  Good guides to build organizing skills?  Let us know! 
Please send Resources that can be accessed online or are available to folks across the country.

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In This Issue:

Introducing VFP's New Executive Committee
Veterans Challenge Islamophobia 

¡Presente!: Lew Lubka and Jeff Strottmann

Stop the Privatization of the VA!

VFP-UK Launches New Campaign

50th Anniversary of "Beyond Vietnam" Speech

VFP Joined IVAW to Deliver Comments About Standing Rock

Deported Veterans Oral History Features VFP Member, Hector Barajas

Peace In Our Times Available for Download

Introducing VFP Supporter Stickers!

Take Action for Standing Rock

Resource: Know Drones

Elliott Adams:  "We Must Actively Work To Change"

2017 Peace Essay Contest

Junction48: Film Screening Opportunity

Save the Dates: Upcoming Events

Veterans Challenging Islamophobia

VCI sent out the Veterans For Peace statement on the Muslim Ban and the Border wall, (read the statement) and a list of resources that you can use to resist.
Here are some great resources:

Stop the Privatization of the VA

Express strong opposition to recommendations by the Commission on Care that will weaken the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system and significantly increase the share of veterans’ care provided outside of the VA. Proposals to shift funds to private contractors and for-profit care will take desperately needed resources away from our veterans, and should be rejected.

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50th Anniversary of Beyond Vietnam Speech

April 4, 2017 will be the 50th anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.  In confronting the deeply rooted racism,  militarism and materialism of the United States,  Dr. King described the United States as the greatest purveyor of violence in the world.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the reading of Martin Luther King’s “Beyond Vietnam” speech, we are asking local VFP chapters to organize speech-reading events.

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Deported Veterans Oral History Features VFP Member, Hector Barajas

Recently VFP member Hector Barajas was interviewed for a short oral history.  Hector Barajas who served with the 82nd airborne and was deported in 2004 is the founder of The Deported Veterans Support House. The house operates as a shelter and resource center for veterans who need assistance, as well as office for our political advocacy efforts in the realm of immigration reform. DVSH also raises awareness about the deported veteran cause through social media, public outreach, and community events.
To support his and other veterans' struggles to get back home, watch the video and please sign the petition

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2017 Peace Essay Contest!

The West Suburban (Chicago) Faith-Based Peace Coalition is sponsoring a Peace Essay Contest with a $1,000.00 award to the winner, $300 for the runner-up, and $100 for third place. Essays have to be directed to a person who can help promote knowledge of the Kellogg-Briand Pact (KBP) and, from whom a response is expected. Essays will be judged not only on the quality of the essay but on the impact of the response. Everyone is eligible to participate; there are no restrictions regarding age or country of residence. 

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Introducting NEW VFP Supporter Stickers!

Check out these new "VFP Supporter" stickers.  Great for our Associate members and for doing outreach at events!
Get 20 stickers for only $7!
Stickers: 3x3 inch
- All proceeds support VFP's ongoing work.

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Elliott Adams:  "We Must Actively Work To Change"

Ellott Adams, former President of Veterans For Peace and member of Chapter 147 recently wrote two Letters to the Editor.  We have combined them into one piece.
"It is easy to know that women need and deserve equality and not to be oppressed, but creating that in our society is more difficult. It is not that evil people want to oppress women. That would be easy to find and deal with in ourselves and in others. It is that the tone of our society provides justification and rationalizations that allow the inequality to look normal, to look rational, even to look reasonable. It is partly how we allow ourselves and others to speak. It is partly what jokes we think are morally appropriate. It is not enough to support and believe in equality, we must take time to look at the facts and be sure our society does in fact offer equal opportunities for all.  And if not we must actively work to change that."

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Junction 48: Film Screening Opportunity! 

Junction 48 is a film that tells the story of Palestinian citizens of Israel, the discrimination they face, house demolitions, and other serious issues through a love story between hip-hop artists. It is based on the true story of the lead singer of the Palestinian hip-hop group DAM, and the film has an awesome soundtrack.

Junction 48 is coming to the US this March, and you can set up a screening in your community using an easy tool called Tugg, which will partner you or your organization with a local theater. You get to keep 5% of ticket sales profits!
If you would like to pre-screen the film, and/or set up a screening via Tugg, email Alli McCracken  now!

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Save the Dates: Upcoming Events

March 11 - Half Day VFP Retreat in Nashville: contact Joey King: jbkranger@aol.com
Aug 9-13 - VFP Annual Convention-"Education Not Militarization", Chicago, IL.  There will be a concert the evening of the 13th, so plan to stay the evening of the 13th!  More details to follow soon!
Veterans For Peace, 1404 N. Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63102

Veterans For Peace appreciates your tax-exempt donations.
We also encourage you to join our ranks.



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Anti-Trump activists call a national general strike for Feb 17: buy nothing, protest everywhere

Anti-Trump activists call a national general strike for Feb 17: buy nothing, protest everywhere



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Life sentence is being asked once again for feminist, writer, sociologist, activist Pinar Selek who has been on trial, imprisoned, tortured and acquitted again and again, for the last 19 years.

Mehmet Atak
To  Romana Cacchioli,   Chiara Tiveron  and 47 others
3 attachments
Dear all,
 
I often sent you many e:mails about Asli Erdogan, during the five months that she was kept in prison unlawfully, whose books had been translated into 18 languages and who had received many internaional awards. In my e:mails, I mentioned about human rights and freedom of expression violations in Turkey, as well. Moreover, I sent you the translations of the reports of 17 criminal lawyers (judge, lawyer, academician) with different political views, who said that all phases of lawsuit and arrest were unlawful in accordance with the existing Turkish legal system after they had reviewed Asli’s court file.
 
In  some of my e:mails, I wrote you that targeting Asli had been a warning for the other white collar citizens in Turkey. Asli is a woman, who graduated from most elite schools in Turkey like Robert College and Bogazici University, studied in “God particle” project at Cern, later when she began to write, whose books were printed in many countries and who received many international awards, and she has been targeted upon her not hesitating to oppose to authority about the rights of humans, animals and environment and discriminated groups, Kurdish people being in the first place, instead of locating at one of the highest levels of the social pyramid. “Look what happenned to Asli Erdogan; if you do not watch your steps and oppose, the same could happen to you easily” has been simply wanted to be told to the other white collar Turks.
 
A sociologist, a writer (P.E.N. member) and specially an anti-militarist and a peace activist Pinar Selek has reached to a climax in “being targeted”, who has been stood trial for the last 19 years as a legal scandal. What has been done to Pinar is almost the same with what has been done to American opponent actor Jean Seberg as told in the FBI reports published as a book by Romain Gary after her suicide.
 
As the exact opposite of Durkheim and Mauss way in sociology, Pinar is a sociologist human who does not see the humans in her researches as subjects of the research, but as humans; who does not close the street childs, immigrants, transvestites, women who were violently victimized and many others who were discriminated into her book after her research was completed; who set up workshops and walk with them as a human. She is a person who set up workshops with many discriminated people at feminist Amargi Cooperative and Journal which she had founded and help them to open new doors in their lives. Today there are journalists, writers, actors, etc. who had been from the lowest levels of the social pyramid and discriminated the most, came out from these workshops.
 
Pinar was arrested in 1998 for the first time with the accusation of making PKK propaganda while she was making researches for her sociology book published with the name of “Could Not Make Peace” on PKK and Kurd issues. Pinar was exposed to heavy torture like palestinian hanging, electroshock and electrifying her skull during interrogation and jail. (She has a report from Berlin Überleben Therapy Center for Torture Victims which confirms these tortures.)
 
Pinar was acquitted two times in 2002 and 2006.
 
Despite these acquittals, a case was opened again against Pinar in November 2010. This time Pinar was accused of bombing Misir Carsisi (small covered bazaar at Eminonu). Though not involved at the trial, various state institutions sent eight sacks of false evidence to the courst against Pinar, however, there was not even one rational evidence to tie Pinar to the explosion. During the session in November 2011, her acquittal was declared by the court. But, in January 2013, Supreme Court reversed the judgement of this court and requested heavy life sentence for Pinar again. At the end of new trial period, in December 2014, the court declared acquittal for Pinar, against whom there was not even one rational evidence (4th acquittal). 
 
Pinar was seen as a threat to be punished because “she saw the game and she said that she had seen the game” as R. D. Laig said as a black fish, instead of being a white girl having her place in the pyramid for the sake of the system.   
 
During the last days of 2010, I staged a play for Pinar with the name of “A Fairy Tale Spring (Pinar): Government Does Not Kill One by only Taking His/Her Life” which I had written by using Pinar’s fairy tales. I believe that the name of the play is enough to tell what has been done to Pinar by itself.
 
After her book “Could not Make Peace” had been published in 2004, Pinar published an important second sociological book about trans-individuals and LGBTI in 2008: “Masks, Cavalry, Nellies”. In 2011, Pinar published an important third sociological book about militarism, military service and consciencious objection: “Being Man by Crawling Along”. She received doctor’s degree in political sciences from Strasbourg University in 2014 with her thesis titled “Dissident Movements Interactions with Eachother in Turkey”.
 
Moreover, Pinar wrote two fairy tale books for children after 2010 with the names of “Green Girl” and “Water Drop” and in 2011 a novel named “a place where passengers frequently stop by”.
 
Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court demanded once again the reversal of the acquittal of Pinar Selek in January 2017 despite expert reports proved the explosion in Misir Carsisi had been due to gas tube not to bombing which Pinar had been irrelative and who was acquitted four times and was on exhile since 2009.
Pinar means “spring” in English. Despite to all she was exposed to, Pinar, kept smiling, writing and researching; she ran by opening water ditches for the discriminated people. In today’s circumstances this Spring will dry up the moment she returns to her body of water, her homeland. Please do whatever you can for this Spring not to dry up.
 
 You can learn more information from Ms Yasemin Oz who is a feminist lawyer land also the International Spokesperson of Justice for Pinar Selek Committe. (yaseminsevval@yahoo.com)
 
Or you can contact directly to Pınar (selekpinar@gmail.com)
 
Best regards,
 
 ps. In February 7, 2017, by way of statutory decree no. 686, 330 academicians, 115 of which are from Academicians Initiative for Peace, from Turkey’s long established universities were dismissed from profession.
 
 
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Mehmet Atak
+ 90 212 225 54 41
+ 90 212 343 50 04
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Sign to Support the Treaty of Tlatelolco, Nuclear Free Zone!

Sign to Support the Treaty of Tlatelolco, Nuclear Free Zone!

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Dear UJP Activist,
Just yesterday, UFPJ’s co-convener Jackie Cabasso traveled to Mexico City on a mission for peace and to further the cause of nuclear abolition. She is joining with representatives from around the globe and the Foreign Ministers of the Latin American and Caribbean States to celebrate the 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolco.
Treaty of Tlatelolco Map
If you don’t know about the historic Treaty of Tlatelolco that's entering its 50th year, you should. It established a nuclear weapon free zone in Latin America and the Caribbean. It was a precursor to and inspiration for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Join us in saying: “Congratulations on 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Tlatelolco, Nuclear Free Zone. May it spread to the whole earth!” Add your name here.

For half a century, the Treaty of Tlatelolco has immeasurably increased the security of the countries in the zone, their neighbors, the United States and Canada, and the world, by erecting a strong barrier to the spread of nuclear weapons. This achievement deserves major recognition and as part of her participation in the celebrations, Jackie will be delivering a petition to the Foreign Ministers of the Latin American and Caribbean States, to thank our Latin American neighbors for their sustained leadership and encouraging them to help spread the charge of the Treaty of Tlatelolco to the whole world, making our entire planet a nuclear free zone.

Add your name to the petition to be delivered on February 14 in Mexico City.

In dangerous times as these, when the top players in our political system are making threats to our neighbors, hanging up the phone on allies, and touting walls and militarism, it is important that we take diplomacy into our own hands and strengthen our bonds with our neighbors around the world who also seek peace. We hope that Jackie’s visit to Mexico City will deepen our relationships and solidarity with our partners in Latin America and with Latinos living in the US.

Click here to sign now.

This project was initiated by our close partners at Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy and World Beyond War. The petition will be delivered in person in Mexico City on February 14, 2017, by Jackie Cabasso, Executive Director of Western States Legal Foundation. Jackie is also a founder of Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons, which was recently nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and serves as the North American Coordinator for Mayors for Peace. In 2003, Jackie established UFPJ’s Nuclear Disarmament/Redefining Security working group, which addresses nuclear disarmament in the context of demilitarization, war prevention, and justice. It is UFPJ’s longest running working group.

If you appreciate UFPJ's continued efforts to build a world free from nuclear weapons, please make a monthly contribution of $5 to support this work.

 

 

The Peace Pledge is UFPJ's Campaign to Keep Trump and his Military Industrial Cabinet & Congress out of the War Business!

 
Help us continue to do this critical work and more-- make a donation to UFPJ today.
 

Upcoming Events: 
Stand in Solidarity with Palestine! Water is Life!Thursday, February 16, 2017 - 4:30pmRuggles Station, Orange LineBoston
Report from Standing Rock / DAPL Pipeline: Peace and Prayer for HumanityThursday, February 16, 2017 - 6:30pmSt. Marks School HallDorchester
Film and Discussion: The Occupation of the American Mind: Israel's Public Relations War in the U.S.Tuesday, March 21, 2017 - 6:30pmChurch of the Good ShepherdWatertown
Newsletter: 
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In Boston- EMERGENCY ACTION against Bibi+Trump

United for Justice with Peace
To  markin 
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EMERGENCY ACTION against Bibi+Trump

As you all probably know, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be coming to DC next Wed, Feb 15th to meet with Trump. We can expect that this will be an exchange of WORST practices, given that Trump's wall and Muslim Ban mirror Israel's own religious and identity profiling and restrictive immigration. 
In coordination with groups across the country, JVP-Boston is organizing an EMERGENCY ACTION on Wed, Feb 15th, from 4:30-6:30 to say loud and clear-- from US to Palestine: #BuildMovementsNotWalls #NoBanNoWalls !! 
This event will begin at the JFK Federal Building, where we will hear from a variety of activists working to fight many forms of white supremacy and racism, drawing the intersections between what is happening in the US with what is happening in Palestine/Israel. We will march through Downtown Crossing to get our message out to the public, and end with a rally in front of the Israeli Consulate.
 
Sponsored by Jewish Voice for Peace, United for Justice with Peace and others.
Upcoming Events: 
Stand in Solidarity with Palestine! Water is Life!Thursday, February 16, 2017 - 4:30pmRuggles Station, Orange LineBoston
Report from Standing Rock / DAPL Pipeline: Peace and Prayer for Humanity
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In Boston- Peace and Prayer for Humanity- Report from Standing Rock/ DAPL Pipeline


Peace and Prayer for Humanity-
Report from Standing Rock/ DAPL Pipeline
Thursday, February 16, 2017, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
St. Marks School Hall, 18 Samoset St. Dorchester

Please see attached flyer.

Smedley member Dan Luker will be reporting live from Standing Rock.
If you can make this event please do to show solidarity.

PS - Mike Sullivan is on his way there.
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