At press time, the advance team of UN weapons inspectors has just arrived in Iraq. The Bush administration is clearly looking for a "Gulf of Tonkin" opportunity to claim that Iraq isn't cooperating and launch their long-planned war. Our work to stop them remains crucial.
The Peace Council's organizing efforts have continued at a high pace over the past month. October 26 saw the largest anti-war demonstration in Central New York since Vietnam (see page 5 for details). The Syracuse Common Council passed an anti-war resolution on November 4, joining 11 other municipalities to oppose Washington's warmaking.
In the past several weeks our efforts have been less visible as we've engaged in a planning process to strategize for the next several months. Out of that effort the following campaigns are beginning:
Increasing Public Visibility
¨ Develop and distribute poster(s) to be put up in people's windows, businesses, places of worship, etc. The business poster would express support for the Common Council's anti-war resolution
¨ Continue lawn sign distribution
¨ Promote the use of a typical household item (i.e. ribbon) as a symbol of opposition to war on Iraq
¨ Place signs on the back of CENTRO buses
Public Education
¨ Develop an Educational Outreach Campaign to provide educational presentations & facilitation of discussions
¨ Implement a concerted campaign to get these speakers and facilitators into community centers, house meetings, faith and community groups, etc.
¨ Create and distribute materials on the war (and post them on the SPC website), both printed and electronic
¨ Include a media component with all projects
Public Pressure
¨ Initiate a Petition Campaign—to collect a significant number of signatures. Would start with efforts at Plowshares, faith communities, etc. and possibly include a door-to-door canvas, preceded by distribution of informational material in early January
¨ Encourage groups (teachers for peace, social workers for peace, nurses for peace, unions, etc.) to write anti-war statements to send to media and elected officials and request meetings with our representatives.
¨ Organize Demonstrations _ continue vigils, maybe varying times and days and perhaps organize other medium-sized demonstrations
¨ Participate in a January 18 Demonstration—either a major local action or sending busses to a DC Demonstration
¨ Facilitate a Letters to the Editor Campaign
Personal Responsibility/ Nonviolent Resistance
¨ Participate in an existing material aid campaign to gather and send needed supplies to Iraq
¨ Participate in the Iraq Pledge of Resistance, engaging in nonviolent resistance to the war
¨ A Contingency Plan has been developed. If a "new" attack on Iraq begins, we will demonstrate at 5:00 pm at Clinton Square that day.
Please consider how you can participate in this ambitious plan of action and contact the Syracuse Peace Council to get involved. (315) 472-5478 email: spc@peacecouncil.net
Please consider how you
can participate in this ambitious plan of action and contact the Syracuse
Peace Council to get involved.
(315) 472-5478
email: spc@peacecouncil.net