Merrimack
Valley People for Peace
Serving the communities of the Merrimack Valley
- Why We Still Vigil -
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Flyer was updated July 2013
We believe that these times of unprecedented global insecurity - environmental, economic, social, and political - call for imaginative and dramatically new ways to promote peace and justice.
We condemn all forms of terrorism. Further, we believe that war and oppression are acts of terror because they victimize innocent civilians in overwhelming numbers. The best way to fight terrorism, therefore, is not to participate in it by waging war but, instead, to respect global human rights and work to reduce the economic and social conditions that cause poverty and injustice in the world.
We believe that it
is imperative to use non-violence and non-military actions - through grassroots
activities, diplomacy, and international law - to settle local, regional,
and global differences.
We call for the end of all US military engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan, including all permanent bases.
We believe that military actions by recent US administrations have caused the destruction of international law, weakened the peacekeeping and humanitarian roles of the United Nations, and made Americans less secure at home and abroad.
We believe that our country does not have the right to global military supremacy, the right to preemptively attack any sovereign nation assumed to be a potential threat, or the right to first use of nuclear weapons.
We are alarmed about the use of drones to kill people in other sovereign countries and anywhere.
We believe that the explosive Israeli/Palestinian conflict remains a major barrier to peace in the Middle East and that the US must support and work for peace, dignity, and justice for all parties. We denounce US support for Israel's occupation of Palestine and its oppression of the Palestinian people.
We believe that the US must explore responsible peaceful solutions made visible by the Arab Spring.
We denounce US practice of being the world's largest supplier of weapons at home and abroad, often to undemocratic regimes and gross abusers of human rights.
We denounce the manufacture
and use of depleted uranium weapons. Their use in Iraq in the Gulf Wars
I & II, Kuwait, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan has brought untold
harm to people (all troops, including our own, innocent civilians, and
the unborn) and caused extensive damage to the environment now and into
the future.
We demand that our government act responsibly and clean up the soils and
waters radiated by depleted uranium, in other countries and in the United
States We oppose any use of nuclear weapons and call for global nuclear
disarmament.
We condemn the reckless waste of our country's human and economic resources by the military-industrial complex.
We believe that these billions of our tax dollars should be invested in sustainable energy, education, health care, jobs, housing, and support for global human rights.
We support major increases in veterans' benefits, especially programs that treat war-related medical and mental health problems of veterans and their families
We believe that the leaders of our government, past and present, should be held accountable for violations of the US Constitution and international law.
We support the establishment of a cabinet level Department of Peace.
We call on all citizens to reclaim our democracy - to honor dissent, vote regularly and responsibly, demand a free press, oppose abusive corporate power, and protect every individual's right to privacy.
We stand and work
for peace and justice. There is much work to do. Active peacemaking is
everyone's responsibility!
Merrimack Valley People for Peace, Inc. works for a sustainable future for all life on our planet. Our members commit themselves to the interrelated activities of education for peace and justice, for the prevention of war, an end to arms sales, the abolition of nuclear weapons, economic diversification, and the protection of the environment.
Citizen's Oath of Office
"I do solemnly pledge that I will faithfully execute
the office of citizen of the United States, and that I will, to the best
of my ability, help create a truly democratic world by 1) going beyond
mainstream corporate news media to seek out information about important
political, economic, and social issues;
2) engaging fellow citizens, including those who disagree with me, in
serious discussion and debate about those issues; 3) committing as much
time, energy and money as possible to help build authentic grassroots
political organizations that can pressure politicians to put the interests
of people over profit and power; and 4) connecting these efforts to global
political and social movements fighting the US Empire abroad, where it
does the most intense damage. I will continue to resist corporate control
of the world, resist militarism, resist any roll-back of civil rights,
and resist illegitimate authority in all its forms. And I will commit
to collective efforts in my local community to help build joyful alternatives
to an unsustainable consumer society."
Robert Jensen, University of Texas at Austin
List of useful resources
. . .
These resources are included to assist us in finding news coverage and
commentary
outside of the mainstream media.
NEWS AND INFORMATION
350.org
www.alternet.org
www.antiwar.com
www.commondreams.org
www.costofwar.org
www.democracynow.org
www.globalissues.org
www.ifamericansknew.org
www.informationclearinghouse.info
www.nomorevictims.org
www.nonviolence.org/vitw
www.peace-action.org
www.space4peace.org
www.truthout.org
www.wagingpeace.org
www.warincontext.org
www.zcommunications.org/znet
zinnedproject.org
NUCLEAR ENERGY / DEPLETED URANIUM
www.bandepleteduranium.org
www.beyondnuclear.org/
www.ippnw.org
thefallujahproject.org/
BLOGS
www.dahrjamailiraq.com
www.juancole.com
ORGANIZATIONS
www.afsc.org
www.moveon.org
justicewithpeace.org
www.unitedforpeace.org
www.warresisters.org
-
- You may have seen us flying rainbow peace flags. These flags have a
proud history, starting
in Italy in 1961.
___________________________________________________
Merrimack Valley
People for Peace meets monthly, on the fourth Tuesday,
at 7:30 pm, at
North Parish Church, North Andover.
(NOT DECEMBER)
Contact
Merrimack Valley People for Peace (978) 685-1389
P.O. Box 573
North Andover, MA 01845
Send material to post on the website to brian@quirk.ws