(please forward
widely)
As UNAC prepares
for a new year of struggle for peace, we ask that you help us with a generous
donation to support our work
The need for an
active anti-war coalition in the US was made clear from the events of the past
year. Many antiwar groups exist throughout the country that are doing very
important work but when we can coordinate our efforts throughout this country,
and along with activists in other countries, we magnify our strength.
 Such was
the case with the important 10-city tour we organized with the Afghan Women’s
Mission for the former Afghan legislator and human rights activist, Malalai
Joya. The tour, which coincided with the 12th anniversary of the
Afghan invasion, attracted large audiences throughout the country. Joya
explained that no one can liberate the Afghan people except for the Afghan
people themselves. She said the continued US occupation of her country was the
cause of much of the misery of Afghan women and Afghan people as a whole. We
raised tens of thousands of dollars to support her work in Afghanistan and her
ongoing mission to tell the truth about the US occupation.
UNAC also played
an important role in organizing anti-drone actions in dozens of cities
throughout the country during last April’s days of action against  drones. Three UNAC leaders also
traveled to Pakistan at the end of last year with the Code Pink anti-drone
delegation to that country. We were joined by thousands of Pakistanis as we
pushed our way to the border of Waziristan where the US drones are taking their
terrible toll and came back to speak to audiences throughout the country and
Canada. We also attended the anti-drone conference organized by Code Pink last
month to prepare ourselves for the continuing fight against drone warfare and
mass surveillance.
 As the war in Syria continued to
heat up and mercenary forces, armed by the US and its allies continued to pour
into country and when the Obama administration declared that it would strike
Syria, we called for emergency demonstrations demanding “No U.S. War on Syria.”
These took place in close to 100 cities and were larger than we had seen for a
long time. Polls showed the people were overwhelmingly against any US attack.
The British Parliament voted against supporting a strike and the US congress
was poised to do the same. Obama was compelled to back down, at least for the
moment.
UNAC sponsored or
was involved in many more activities throughout the year. We held educational
conference calls on the little known militarization and aggressive actions in
the Philippines, North Korea and Africa. We continued our support for
persecuted Muslim communities, communities of color and immigrants who were
under attack. This we saw as the domestic side of the phony “war on terror.”
We also continued
to support the civil and democratic rights of, Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani
political prisoner in the US and we called for compassionate  release from prison for UNAC’s
own coordinating committee member attorney Lynne Stewart. We spoke at and
organized forums and meetings in support of Chelsea Manning, against NSA spying
and growing attacks on civil liberties such as the recent attack on
Palestinian-American leader Rasmea Odeh and the FBI attacks on the 24 antiwar
and solidarity activists who had their homes raided and were served with federal
subpoenas. Many of these 24 are leaders and supporters of UNAC.
We are faced with
a dangerous year ahead. The US is building up forces in Asia and has conducted
provocative military maneuvers directed at China and North Korea. The sectarian
violence that the US helped create in many countries like Iraq, is increasing.
War rages in many parts of Africa where the US has sent 3,500 troops to 35
nations to foster its neo-colonial agenda. The plight of the Palestinians
continues to worsen. UNAC’s demand to “End all U.S. Aid to Israel” and to
support the Palestinian call for BDS has found traction in the broader antiwar
and social justice movements. The US still maintains troops in some 120
countries and US Special Forces and drones kill without regard to borders.
 NATO is planning its next
summit in Britain and many groups including international groups that UNAC
collaborates with like the No to War, No to NATO coalition are planning actions
similar to the ones we initiated and helped organize, such as the rally of
15,000 activists, when the NATO summit was held in Chicago in May, 2012. We
will want to participate in these anti-NATO actions in Britain and perhaps build
solidarity actions in the US.
UNAC is now
scheduling its third national antiwar/social justice conference in 2014 with a
focus on linking the deepening environmental crisis and global warming with the
ongoing US wars over fossil fuels and the growing repression and austerity
measures at home.
To consistently
raise the alarm and take action against the criminal acts of our imperialist
government and to continue to build a strong and expanding coalition, we need
your support. Please send a generous donation to UNAC, PO Box 123, Delmar, NY
12054 or click the button above to make an on-line donation. Checks should be
made out to UNAC.
Peace,
Joe Lombardo and
Marilyn Levin
UNAC
co-coordinators
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