2004 Peace & Justice Action Calendar

Here’s a sampling of the local, national and global events and actions now being planned for the coming year. To stay informed about these and other such events, see <www.protest.net> and <www.unitedforpeace.org>. For local events, see the monthly community calendar on the back cover of the Peace Newsletter.

February 19, 7-9pm: The Patriot Act Comes Home. Local. Syracuse Peace Council (SPC). Local residents share stories of personal encounters with repressive measures of the Patriot Act.
March 4: Books Not Bombs. National. National Youth and Student Peace Coalition. Student groups around the country will demonstrate in different cities to support education not war.
March 8: International Women’s Day. Global. Various organizations. Vast array of actions and events worldwide.
March 14, 2-4pm: Strike for Peace. Local. SPC. Fun fundraising bowl-a-thon in Mattydale.
March 20: The World STILL Says No to War. Global.United for Peace & Justice and many others. Demonstrations around the world on the anniversary of the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq. SPC is organizing buses to New York City.
April 2-4: Training for Trainers: Learning to Facilitate and Plan Trainings for Nonviolent Action. Regional. SPC and other area groups. Weekend training near Ithaca for activists and organizers.
April 15: Tax Day. National. Various organizations. Events linking US government spending priorities to social injustice and militarism.
April 23-24: Protest the International Monetary Fund & World Bank. Global. Converge on Washington, DC to demonstrate at the IMF/WB annual meetings.
April 23-25: First Annual Animal Liberation Student Assoc. Conference. National. Center on Animal Liberation Affairs, Syracuse Animal Rights Organization and others. Panel discussions and presentations of student papers at SU.
April 25: March for Women’s Lives. National. National Organization for Women, Planned Parenthood and others. March on Washington, DC for women’s reproductive rights. Syracuse/Rochester Planned Parenthood is organizing buses.
May 1: Support Nuclear Disarmament. National. Various groups. Nationally coordinated actions to coincide with the UN Non-Proliferation Treaty conference in New York City.
May 1: May Day. Global. Various organizations. Events and actions honoring the labor movement.
June 5: 37th Anniversary of 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Global. United for Peace & Justice and others. Coordinated actions against Israel’s “separation wall” and its ongoing occupation of Palestine.
June 19: Juneteenth. National. Various groups. Local events will include a parade and festival to mark the official end of slavery in the US.
June 27: Gay Pride Day. Global. Stonewall Committee and others. Local events will include a parade and festival.
July 26-29: Democratic National Convention. National. Various organizations. Converge in Boston to demand Democrats support an agenda for peace & justice.
August 6 & 9: Hiroshima & Nagasaki Days. Global. Various organizations. Locally SPC will work with other organizations to organize a theatrical procession on August 6.
August 29: The World Says No to Empire, War, and Greed. Global. United for Peace & Justice and others. March and rally against the Republican National Convention in New York City.
August 30-September 2: Republican National Convention. National. Various groups. Protest activities during the RNC in New York City.
September 6: Labor Day. National. Various groups. Locally, the CNY Labor Federation will coordinate a march for workers’ rights.
November 2: Election Day.
Mid-November: Shut it down! National. CNY SOA Abolitionists, School of the Americas Watch. Annual demonstration at Ft. Benning, GA to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (former SOA) where Latin American military officers are trained for counterinsurgency.
December 4-5: Plowshares Craftfair & Peace Festival. Local. SPC. This annual fundraiser for SPC features dozens of crafters, performers, good food, and lots of community building.