Peace Council Pages

March 19 Demo and March
March 17 marks the start of the 5th year of the US war on Iraq.

Bring yourself, your anger, your pots and pans, and your voice to Clinton Square on Monday March 19 at 5 pm, for a 5:30 march to the Federal Building to express our outrage. More details on the spc announcements listserv, the website or contact Jessica.

Let there be no year six.

Local Cost of the War Committee (LCW)
LCW has grown in size equal to our outrage. With over 30 active members, we have developed three active working groups:
• Petitions: This group is responsible for gathering individual signatures, conducting presentations to organizations to obtain their support, and delivering the petitions to our congresspeople.
• Truth Sheets: This group is working on the production and distribution of more editions of The Shared Times. All are available at peacecouncil.net/sharedtimes or at the SPC office. The latest issue is "The Human Cost of the War."
• Direct Action: This group is developing creative ways to get our message out, in addition to our already active Weekly Peace Outreach.

New members are welcome. For meeting information, contact Jessica.

Petitions to Stop the Funding
LCW's petition calls for immediate congressional action to stop funding the war in Iraq. We are distributing two versions of the petition - one for individuals and one for organizational endorsements.You can download the petition for individuals from www.peacecouncil.net/iraq. Instructions included.

We are happy to conduct a presentation for your organization. Contact John Burdick at jsburdic@maxwell.syr.edu.

Talking Points

We have written a straightforward guide to make talking about the war in Iraq easier. The pamphlet counters five commonly accepted myths about why the US needs to "stay the course." It also contains action suggestions (see excerpts on pages 5-6). To obtain a copy of both There's a Better Way to Leave Iraq and its sources, visit the office or www.peacecouncil.net/iraq.

The Shared Times
Following the success of our past publications relating the economic cost of the Iraq war to the decline in money available for community services at home, we have created a new edition of The Shared Times focusing on the human cost of war (www.peacecouncil.net/sharedtimes). It graphically illustrates the physical and emotional destruction the US presence has on both Iraqi civilians and US soldiers.

You Can Do Something!
Be Informed: Learn why a total and immediate end of the occupation in Iraq is necessary.

Petition: Add your name and gather petition signatures urging our lawmakers to stop funding the war. Ask an organization you are a member of to sign onto it.

Take Action: Voice your feelings by joining SPC's weekly Peace Outreach, come to local demonstrations, attend LCW planning meetings, train for civil disobedience, recruit friends to join you in an action group, download and distribute The Shared Times.

Educate: Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper, talk with neighbors, friends and co-workers, host an Iraq film screening or speaker at your home or work.

Contact Congress: Call Sen. Chuck Schumer (202) 224-6542 or 423-5471; Sen. Hillary Clinton (202) 224-4451 or 448-0470; and Rep. James Walsh (202) 225-3701 or 423-5657.

Strike for Peace
Don't be an April Fool, sign up now for Strike for Peace, a fun, fundraising bowl-a-thon to benefit SPC. The bowl-a-thon will be held on Sunday, April 1 at Bowlmor Lanes in East Syracuse. Teams and individuals can register for one of two sessions, 12:30-2:30 or 3-5 pm. Individual and team prizes will be awarded for the most money raised, top scores and most extreme levels of foolishness attained. See www.peacecouncil.net/bowl for more information.

Supporting the Onondaga Nation
Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON) is preparing for the initial court hearing in the Onondaga Land Rights Action, set for Wednesday, March 28 at 1 pm in Federal Court in Albany. Judge Lawrence Kahn is holding oral arguments in response to repeated requests from the Onondagas for this opportunity to present their case - that they have not waited too long to file - in court (see "Onondagas Make the Case" in January 2007 PNL for background information). The Judge has yet to rule on New York State's motion to dismiss the case.

Carpooling from Syracuse is being organized by NOON, with vehicles leaving at 9 am and returning that evening.

A follow-up program to the Onondaga Land Rights and Our Common Future series is being held on Tuesday March 20 at 7 pm at Syracuse Stage, 820 E. Genesee St., to inform people about the current status of the Onondaga legal situation. For more information.

In addition, NOON is organizing an International Women's Day event: Our Voices in Our Communities: A Women's Talking Circle on Thursday, March 8 at 6 pm at The Warehouse, 350 West Fayette St.

MAEP Retreat Generates Energy
Sixteen people attended the Military Alternatives Education Project's counter recruitment retreat on February 19. The retreat generated some great energy and ideas for the upcoming year.

Along with the current projects MAEP is working on - tabling in high schools, creating an alternatives to the military booklet and more - we decided to emphasize coalition building and getting college students more involved. MAEP also will train high school students to table in their own schools. Another exciting idea is to have a concert in September to celebrate the publication of the alternatives to the military booklet and to raise funds for its distribution.

Check www.peacecouncil.net/MAEP or contact Eric for updates.

 

Weekly Peace Outreach

“End the War; Bring the Troops Home” Carpooling available from SPC Come greet thousands of rush hour drivers and remind them that we are the deciders - we can stop the Iraq War. Back to Tuesday Afternoons: 4:45-5:30 pm Carpooling available from SPC • March 6: Rt. 257 (Fayette St.) and Rt. 173 (E. Seneca Tpk.), Manlius •March 13: James St. and Thompson Rd. (Northside) • March 20: E. Genesee St. and Erie Blvd. (Dewitt) •March 22: Rt. 11 Northern Lights Shopping Center (Mattydale) • April 3: Teall Ave. and Rt. 690 (Eastside)

SPC Film Premiere at Birthday Dinner
SPC's 71st birthday celebration will be held Saturday, April 14, place TBA, and will feature the premiere of a locally filmed and produced documentary on SPC's 71 year history (approximately 30 minutes).

Doors will open at 6 pm, and a scrumptious dinner featuring local foods will be served at 6:30. Reservations for dinner are strongly encouraged, as we can only seat 175 people for the dinner. The program will begin at 7:30 pm (those who wish to only attend the program may do so without a reservation). After the screening, several local activists who participated in the making of the film will share remarks and answer questions. Suggested donation at the door is sliding scale $10-70.

Contact Jessica for information or to help with the event.

No More Broken Front Door
The SPC office was broken into in late January. Fortunately, there is little of material value in the building, so we did not lose much. The front door had been kicked in and the glass pane broken. The team of Lanny Freshman and Jim Brown sprang to action, first securing the door and then, over the next several days, laboring in the frigid cold to repair the door.

Thank you so much, Jim and Lanny. Your thoughtfulness, attentiveness and skill helped the office function well in an otherwise trying situation.

Thanks Credit Union Members
SPC recently received a Common Cents award of $586 from the Syracuse Cooperative Federal Credit Union. A special feature of SCFCU's VISA check card is that purchases made with it generate "small change" for the Credit Union, which is then awarded to community organizations. Thanks to Credit Union members for nominating and voting for SPC, and to the Credit Union for its support.

Activist Appreciation:
Linda Perla When SPC reinvigorated itself in 2002, Linda Perla came forward to join SPC's new Steering Committee. She was on the Finance and Fundraising Committee from its inception, playing a major role in organizing SPC's Birthday events and Syracuse Stage benefits. Linda is the ideal committee member - reliable, organized, creative and fun to work with. She's now taking a well-deserved break from the Finance Committee … and we hope she'll be back. The committee will miss our regular meetings at Linda's kitchen table where there were always treats and good company waiting.