United for Peace & Justice : Index

US Troops Out of Iraq

With Iraqis celebrating the first benchmark on the way to withdrawal yesterday, United For Peace and Justice is encouraged by these events, but continues to call for a rapid and total end to the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq.

Because the road is much too long for withdrawal under the SOFA timetable, UFPJ urges you to call the White House and the Congress to let them know that continued occupation cannot solve the problems facing Iraq -- and in fact, the presence of U.S. troops exacerbates the problem.

Call Congress at 202-225-3121 and the White House at 202-456-1111. You can also email the White House here.

Demand an Exit Plan from Afghanistan

Recently, Congress approved the FY 2010 Defense Authorization bill and voted on amendments to it. This gave $130 billion to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, on top of the over $75 billion voted on last week.

The sole bright spot is the McGovern amendment. While the amendment failed, it did see a good showing with 138 House Representatives voting in favor of an 'exit plan' from Afghanistan. We've got momentum to build on.

That's why we need you to continue making calls! To reach the Washington switchboard, please call this number: 202-224-3121.

National Media Action on Afghanistan

Weeks ago, UFPJ had its National Media Day of Action in Afghanistan!

We received lots of buzz -- being one of AlterNet's 'hottest campaigns', an op-ed piece posted on Common Dreams by a UFPJ Afghanistan Working Group member, tons of blog posts, videos, and much more. And we need you to keep up this effort!

So we urge you to continue writing your letters (if you haven't already), calling in to talk radio, utilizing social networking sites, and sending emails to friends and family -- anything and all you can do help spread the word and get our message out there in full!

Cut the Military Budget Petition

Let’s make Tax Day the day we recommit ourselves to ending the excessive spending on war and call on the Obama administration to reduce the military budget by 25%. This goal, a major part of UFPJ’s Beyond War, A New Economy Is Possible campaign, has resonance with people from different backgrounds – working families, business owners, senior citizens, etc. Even the Tea Party conservatives are calling for a reduction in military spending!

To influence our elected leaders on this issue, we must build our grassroots power. UFPJ is starting up a petition drive to do just that. The petition drive will target the Obama administration and Congress calling on them to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, cut military spending, and re-invest those funds in human needs, green jobs, and clean energy.

You can find two versions of the petition:
• The online version
• A version you can print and download

10,000 March on Wall Street

This past Saturday, April 4, in honor of Dr. King and his visionary 'Beyond Vietnam' speech in 1967, 10,000 people marched on Wall Street to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and to demand a larger investment in the needs of our communities. Labor, veterans, students, immigrant rights groups, military families, faith-based people, women's groups, and community groups joined us for a lively, vibrant march.

Joining us, too, was Rev. James Lawson, a leader to us all and co-worker with Dr. King. Speaking before the start of the march, Lawson said to marchers, 'In the spirit of Dr. King and the movement for equality and justice of the fifities and sixties, I say if we want peace to blossom, we must eradicate poverty, racism, sexism, violence, and greed in the U.S. Peace cannot come by crying peace. Peace can only begin to emerge when justice does.'

Report Back on National Assembly!

UFPJ's 4th National Assembly (12/12 - 12/14) provided the coalition and our movement with tons of energy and excitement, as groups all over the country recommitted to the important work that lies ahead.

Click here for the report on the National Assembly from the UFPJ Steering Committee.

Delegates to the Assembly from UFPJ member groups amended and adopted several documents that outline the coalition’s direction and priorities in the context of the new opportunities and challenges of this period. Click here for links to all of the new documents.