VFP eNews: STOP THE WAR IN SYRIA!, Debut of Extremist Peace Video, 2016 Convention a Huge Success & More!

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	Friday, August 26, 2016 STOP THE WAR IN SYRIA! Don’t Be Fooled by War Propaganda! Recently, a compelling photo of a bleeding and seemingly confused young Syrian boy seated in an ambulance in Aleppo was widely distributed and commented upon in domestic and international news media.  In response, some journalists have called for the Obama Administration to "take action," including bombing government military targets in Syria. Veterans For Peace feels great sympathy for all of the victims in Syria, and for all who have lost family members, friends and loved ones in this terrible war. Many of us are veterans of military conflicts that were sold to the American public with emotionally compelling but misleading messages and images. We recognize and denounce the manipulation of selected images of human suffering as propaganda used to justify yet further military violence, which will only lead to more death and suffering. Why are we not seeing images of suffering on both sides of the war in Syria?  Why is an image of an injured boy used to call for yet more violence? <Full Statement> Back to Top Less Than One Month Until International Day of Peace We have less than one month until International Day of Peace, which is September 21st. This is a perfect opportunity to encourage people around the U.S. and throughout the world to take nonviolent action towards ending war, poverty, racism and environmental destruction and to connect the dots among all forms of violence. Each year, VFP members take action to promote peace. Do you plan to take action for #PeaceDay? This year, we are collaborating with Campaign Nonviolence and their third annual Week of Actions, which is scheduled for September 18-25, 2016. Currently over 385+ nonviolent actions are being planned in all 50 U.S. states and in 16 other countries!  See the full list on the CNV Actions page and add your action if you haven't done so yet. Help us bring the message of peace and nonviolence into every town and every home this September! Back to Top “Extremists” for Peace Music Video Grand Debut at the 2016 National VFP Convention The convention banquet dinner attendees were treated to the first ever showing of Pat Scanlon’s new music video,“Extremists” for Peace". The video was accompanied by banquet dinner attendees singing along as the video played. Colonel Ann Wright commented afterwards, “I love it. I can’t stop singing it". Back to Top Thank you for your patience! The staff of the national office are currently transitioning into new roles. The weekly enews will be back to its weekly schedule by mid September.  Look for new and exciting things on the national website also.   Back to Top		In This Issue: STOP THE WAR IN SYRIA! Don’t Be Fooled by War Propaganda! Less Than One Month Until International Day of Peace “Extremists” for Peace Music Video Grand Debut at the 2016 National VFP Convention Thank you for your patience! 2016 Convention -- A Huge Success! Remembering Kellogg-Briand Pact  Save the Dates: Upcoming Events 2016 Convention -- A Huge Success! VFP held its 31st annual convention in Berkeley, CA. Over 380 people attended the convention, of which 45 were Post 9/11 veterans. The convention was cross-generational with veterans from WWII to the current era of wars and active duty personnel. We also had veterans from our international chapters in the UK, Okinawa, and Tijuana, Mexico. Throughout the week, we heard from many speakers: veterans, activists, scholars, and military families about the state of these times and the need for our work. The convention included 4 major plenaries, 25 workshops, 3 mini plenaries, a banquet dinner and social gatherings.  Veterans For Peace was also the recipient of the 2016 Peace Prize, from the US Peace Memorial Foundation.  Check out some of photos from the convention. More photos and video will be available soon! Back to Top Remembering Kellogg-Briand Pact  On August 27, 1928, fifteen nations signed the pact at Paris. Later, an additional forty-seven nations followed suit, so the pact was eventually signed by most of the established nations in the world. The U.S. Senate ratified the agreement by a vote of 85–1. The lone dissenter refused to sign only because he felt the pact did not go far enough to assure the end of war. This law, the Kellogg-Briand Pact, is still in effect today both nationally and internationally and U.S. law today, yet extraordinarily few people are aware of it. More information on Chapter 27's website. Back to Top Save the Dates: Upcoming Events Aug 27 - Remembering the Kellogg Briand Pact Sep 21—International Day of Peace Sep 23-25 - World Beyond War Conference: No War 2016: Real Security Without Terrorism in Washington, DC Sept 26 - Tour of VFP Authors Advocating Peace in Southern CA Sep 2016 - Ann Wright and Diane Wilson sail on Women's Boats to Gaza Oct 7-10 - First SOAW bi-national convergence at the U.S./Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona Nov 11 - Armistice Day in your city Oct 11-26  - 2016 Maine Peace Walk - Stop the War$ on Mother Earth in various cities in Maine Nov 11 - Armistice Day in your city Back to Top

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Michael Moore's Where To Invade Next-A Film

              

Sept 2, 2016 - Where to Invade Next

[as of now, 8/28 10pm, 10 seats available]
Watch trailer  

Filmmaker Michael Moore visits various countries to examine how Europeans view work, education, health care, sex, equality, and other issues. From cafeteria food to sex ed, Moore looks at the benefits of schooling in France, Finland and Slovenia. In Italy, he marvels at how workers enjoy reasonable hours and generous vacation time. In Portugal, Moore notes the effects of the decriminalization of drugs. Through his travels, we discover just how different America is from the rest of the world.

"HEARTFELT. Moore’s film is funny, but it's also as serious as a heart attack. There’s nothing mock about his outrage; it's sincere and ultimately hopeful."
~Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly

When/where
doors open 6:30; film starts promptly 7pm
243 Broadway, Cambridge
rule19.org/videos

Please join us for a stimulating night out
free admission
feel free to bring your own food/snacks and drinks - alcohol allowed
"You can't legislate good will - that comes through education." ~ Malcolm X

UPandOUT film series - see rule19.org/videos

Keep Space for Peace Week Actions - List Now Forming-October 1-8 2016

Keep Space for Peace Week Actions - List Now Forming

 

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Keep Space for Peace Week

International Week of Protest to

Stop the Militarization of Space

 

October 1-8, 2016

 

No Missile Defense

Stop Drones Surveillance & Killing

No to NATO

End Corporate Domination of Foreign/Military Policy

Convert the Military Industrial Complex

Deal with climate change and global poverty

 

 

 

List now in formation

 

• Alice Springs, Australia (Oct 1) National Conference Pine Gap: Serving US Militarism for 50 Years – Time for Independence? Panels include: Pine Gap & US Base in Darwin; Security Threat to Australia?; War with China?; Mass surveillance; Nuclear and Drone warfare; Arms Manufacturers; Regional Arms race threat to peace. The Chifley, Alice Springs Resort, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm,  aspatt2016@gmail.com
• Alice Springs, Australia (Oct 2) Joint Cavalcade to gates of US Spy base at Pine Gap 9:00am - 12:00pm, aspatt2016@gmail.com
• Bath Iron Works, Maine (Oct 1) Vigil across from administration building on Washington Street (Navy Aegis destroyers outfitted with “missile defense” systems built at BIW) 11:30-12:30 am   Smilin’ Trees Disarmament Farm (207) 763-4062
• Berlin, Germany (Oct 8) Nationwide demonstration Down with Weapons! Cooperation Instead of NATO Confrontation, Disarmament Instead of Welfare Cuts http://friedensdemo.org/aufruf-zur-demonstration-am-08-10-2016-in-berlin/
• Boston, Massachusetts WILPF will organize protest
• Caracus, Venezuela (Oct 6) Protest by International Solidarity Committee (COSI), roso_grimau@yahoo.es
• USAF Croughton, England (Oct 1) March & Rally at U.S. satellite communication and intelligence base. (Space communications, drones, bomber guidance, missile defence and command & control functions.)  12-3 pm. Oxfordshire Peace Campaign, oxonpeace@yahoo.co.uk
• RAF Fylingdales, North Yorkshire, England (Oct 1) Demonstrate against US Missile Defence and space-based warfare base, 12-3 pm, Yorkshire CND  info@yorkshirecnd.org.uk    
• Maine Peace Walk (Oct 11-26) Stop the War$ on Mother Earth, Penobscot Nation on Indian Island to Kittery Naval Submarine shipyard, More info at  http://vfpmaine.org/
• Menwith Hill, England (Oct 4) Demonstration at U.S. NSA/NRO Spy Base in Yorkshire.  Sponsored by CAAB   mail@caab.corner.org.uk  
• Niscemi, Sicily Protest action at U.S. space warfare communications base by No MUOS campaign sadhusan@virgilio.it
• Tucson, Arizona (Oct 4) Peace vigil against drone piloting at Davis-Monthan AFB, Craycroft Road entrance, 7:00am Contact nukeresister@igc.org  or 520-323-8697
• Tucson, Arizona (Oct 4) Speech by John LaForge Dangerous, Useless, Expensive: Why Eliminate Land-Based Missiles at Himmel Library (1035 N. Treat Ave), 6:15 pm, Contact nukeresister@igc.org  or 520-323-8697

 

Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 443-9502
http://www.space4peace.org 
http://space4peace.blogspot.com  (blog)

Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth. - Henry David Thoreau

From The Frontlines Of The Strugggle Against Militarism- Why We’ll Keep Going Back to Bath Iron Works

Why We’ll Keep Going Back to Bath Iron Works

 

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Why We’ll Keep Going Back to BIW

BY BRUCE GAGNON

I recently returned from a nearly month-long trip to South Korea where I, and two others from Veterans For Peace, visited several farming villages that have been devastated by the expansion of bases for US military operations in the region.
While gone I missed the West Bath Court arraignment for the Zumwalt 12 arrestees. We were arrested at BIW during the June 18 ‘christening’ of the second Zumwalt stealth destroyer. Bar Harbor lawyer Lynne Williams represented me in court on Aug. 2. Our group of peace protesters pled not guilty to the charges filed against us for blocking the road and gate in front of BIW. We are scheduled to return to court in September and November before jury selection and trial is scheduled in December.
While in South Korea our delegation visited two 500-year-old fishing communities that have been torn apart to build an Air Force base and a Navy base. The bases have caused tremendous suffering for villagers who have fed their families and lived in harmony with nature there for so long. But the Obama-Hillary Clinton ‘pivot’ of 60 percent of Pentagon forces into the Asia-Pacific region necessitates more ports-of-call, airfields, and barracks for the US imperial operation now aimed at China. When America demands they be moved out of the way, these villagers become expendable.
We spent six days walking around Jeju Island in the intense early-August heat. There a Navy base has been built that will port the Aegis and Zumwalt destroyers built at BIW. More than 600 people from throughout South Korea came to the island to support the Gangjeong villagers who have been fighting unsuccessfully for the last eight years to stop the base.
Two teams of 300 each headed east and west around Jeju Island taking six days to complete the 5th annual Grand March for Life and Peace. It’s no coincidence that five out of the 12 of us arrested at BIW on June 18 have been to Jeju Island over the years to stand with the people as they opposed the base construction. The villagers suffer from depression as they watch their way of life dying. The 2,000- person village is currently being besieged by more than 5,000 Korean and American naval personnel.
I also spent considerable time in Seoul attending various protests against the announced deployment of the US THAAD (Theater High Altitude Area Defense) ‘missile defense’ system. The Pentagon plans to stick it on the mainland in the farming village of Seongju (population 10,000). The right-wing South Korean government, following orders from Washington, likely chose this village because it had backed the conservative government by a margin of 85 percent in the last national election. But that has now changed. Just before I arrived in South Korea the residents of Seongju held a mock funeral where they announced that they had, en masse, resigned from the ruling party. Then, just before I left Korea, 900 of these same residents took the sacred step of sitting together and shaving their heads. In Korea this is a big deal. It indicates the commitment to fight to the death, and in this case many women also joined the hair shaving, which is rare.
I know it’s really difficult for many Americans to understand all of this because we think of ourselves as the ‘exceptional nation’ bringing peace and democracy to the rest of the world. The warships built at BIW are seen by most Mainers as symbols of American freedom, but these days people in places like South Korea, Okinawa, Japan, Philippines and Guam only see suffering when the US military arrives in their communities.
From Oct. 11-26 there will be another peace walk through Maine similar to the ones we have organized over the past five years. This walk will be called ‘Stop the War$ on Mother Earth’ and will draw links between our endless wars for oil and the ravaging of our planet by the fossil fuel industry.

We’ve just had the hottest summer in recorded human history and you’d think the nation would go on a massive campaign to reorder our society to solar, wind, tidal power and mass transit production instead of picking a fight with China and Russia. It would make more sense to convert BIW from war making to peaceful pursuits and help give future generations a fair chance at survival. Unfortunately, while we crash and burn, the American people seem distracted by the ongoing circus sideshow on corporate TV.

For the sake of our children and world peace we’ll keep protesting the building of war ships at BIW.
- Bruce K. Gagnon is a member of PeaceWorks and lives in Bath

Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 443-9502
globalnet@mindspring.com
www.space4peace.org
http://space4peace.blogspot.com/  (blog)

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A View From The Left-Part Two-Big Business won this round, but the fight's far from over

Big Business won this round, but the fight's far from over

 

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While this is a setback, workers in Minneapolis still forced $15 onto the agenda - and it's there to stay.

Workers in Minneapolis have been fighting for a $15/hour minimum wage. With no action from City Hall, they campaigned to let Minneapolis vote for $15/hr. The City of Minneapolis has repeatedly sided with business interests, fighting relentlessly to block the proposal from the ballot. Today, the City won an appeal in the Minnesota Supreme Court. Below is a statement from 15 Now Executive Director Ginger Jentzen. Al, The Minnesota Supreme Court sided with Mayor Hodges, Minneapolis City Council and the Chamber of Commerce to strip Minneapolis of the right to vote on a $15/hour minimum wage. While our charter amendment is blocked, the fight for $15 in Minneapolis is far from over. We forced the council to open a debate about an ordinance by the second quarter of 2017. The Supreme Court's decision affirmed that the Minneapolis City Council has the power to pass $15/hour as an ordinance at any time. Now more than ever we need to keep up the momentum to demand the council pass our proposal for $15 as an ordinance - can you donate $15, $50, or $100 today to the grassroots movement to win $15/hour for Minneapolis? "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." For decades they ignored poverty wages in Minneapolis, but we kept organizing and we forced them to take notice. Then they said $15/hour was unrealistic. They fought back with everything they have, taking this to the conservative Supreme Court. This morning we demanded that Mayor Hodges and Minneapolis City Council drop the appeal, but they refused to even consider it. The fact they are this threatened fundamentally shows how strong we are. But we kept organizing, and we've paved a path to win $15/hour! We have terrified big business and the political establishment in Minneapolis. Our grassroots campaign has already won the public battle over the hearts and minds of the people to end poverty wages. 68% of Minneapolis residents support our charter amendment. The same poll showed a stunning 83% of African Americans and 74% of women voters support our proposal, groups that are disproportionately affected by poverty wages. Big business knew we would win, which is why the DFL controlled City Council and Mayor Hodges worked overtime to block a popular vote on $15, even going so far as uniting with Republican Justices at the Minnesota Supreme Court. The Minnesota Supreme Court has a long track record of siding against working people. One Minnesota Justice was even one of Donald Trump's potential choices to replace Antonin Scalia on the US Supreme Court. This did not stop City Hall from relying on this court when it seemed clear $15/hour would win at the ballot. City Hall even welcomed the Chamber of Commerce as an ally on the appeal, allowing them to file their own separate legal argument to block $15/hour from voters. Why did they go through all this trouble? To defend powerful corporations like Target and Best Buy, who want to keep making massive profits off the exploitation of working people in Minneapolis. We started this campaign for simple reasons. 62 families own as much wealth as the bottom half of the world's population. The CEO of Target makes $11,000/hour, while the average retail worker makes around $10/hr. The Twin Cities are home to 17 Fortune 500 companies - the highest concentration in the country - yet also the worst racial inequities in the nation. Passing $15/hr will be an economic opportunity for over 100,000 Minneapolis workers, and it would put almost a billion dollars back into pockets of low-wage workers each year - that's what the City of Minneapolis just stole from voters. We've come so far, but now we need to continue the struggle. Through determined organizing, low-wage workers have dramatically changed the political landscape in a few short years. In 2012 the first fast food workers went on strike demanding $15. In 2013, Minneapolis City Council Members refused to even explore raising minimum wage. Then low-wage workers won $15 in SeaTac, a suburb of Seattle. In 2014, 15 Now formed in Seattle and led a movement to make it the first major US city to pass $15/hour. Since then, dozens of cities have followed suit. Now a majority of Americans support a $15/hour minimum wage, and it's commonly accepted as an important policy in cities with high costs of living and poverty rates, like Minneapolis. While the Supreme Court's decision blocks one path to $15, low-wage workers have already blazed another. It's now widely accepted that Minneapolis has the power to pass our proposal for $15 as an ordinance. In fact, City Council passed a non-binding resolution to pass a minimum wage ordinance, but failed to set a dollar amount or time frame for implementation. Because of our movement, 68% of Minneapolis residents support our reasonable proposal, $15/hour for big business by 2020 and small business by 2022. Make your voice heard on September 12th, and demand City Council pass our proposal for $15/hour. It's time to regain the momentum and keep $15 on the agenda. Minneapolis workers are organizing a mass rally on September 12th, to show City Hall and the Chamber of Commerce that while they won this round, the fight is far from over. Can you donate today to support the movement for $15/hr in Minneapolis? Ginger Jentzen Executive Director, 15 Now Minnesota STAY CONNECTED @FifteenNow | Fifteen.now@gmail.com| 15Now.org

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