The following blog is a guest post from Michael T. McPhearson, National Coordinator, United For Peace and Justice:

—

Americans demand good paying jobs; corporations and the rich pay their fair share; protection of our social safety net; significant cuts to runaway Pentagon spending; and an end to the War in Afghanistan. We must not let up – we must continue to remind our elected officials who they represent.  Together our voices can make a difference.

The next few weeks are critical as Congress and the President negotiate over the budget. Wall Street CEOs and war hawks have descended on Washington, DC and are all over the news telling Americans we must lower our expectations – that we need to understand that the U.S. simply can’t afford to maintain programs like Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. We can’t let the money and power of CEOs and war hawks influence our election mandate.

Please take action today with United for Peace & Justice petition and call your Congressperson to remind them that America needs jobs, not wars! More information is available at our website, www.jobs-not-wars.org.

TAKE ACTION on and after December 5th:

Thank you for taking action and speaking up!

• United for Peace and Justice
• Veterans For Peace
• Military Families Speak Out

“What About Peace?” by Christina Scheblein

Global Exchange has been a part of the What About Peace? youth art contest for six years, but this is the first year we’re offering notecards featuring some of the artwork. We’re quite excited about this, and hope you are too!

For this first run, we’re offering a collection of three beautiful designs, all past “Honorable Mention” winners.

The cards are available now for your holiday and New Year’s greetings!

The card designs reflect the urgent, dignified and playful call for peace envisioned by three talented young What About Peace? contestants.

A  set of 9 cards (3 of each design) is yours for a $10 donation to the project. The 4” by 5 ½” cards are blank inside with plenty of room for your personal holiday greeting (or any greeting for that matter, since peace is embraceable year-round.)

“Peace Comes From Within” by Allie Witham

• Christina Schebleim of New York has created a colorful watercolor grid of peace signs subtly including the words change and possibility in the pattern.
• Alayna Miller from Michigan calls on us to “Take Time to Converse About Peace” with a playful circle of sneakers spelling out the word “Peace”.
• Allie Whitham of Oregon’s peace dove, “Peace Comes from Within” is constructed of hundreds of black and white peace doves with a simple olive branch in its beak.

“Time to Converse about Peace” by Alayna Miller

• Support the contest designed to give creative voice to youth who want to engage in the dialogue for peace: Order your Peace cards today!
• What About Contest Seeking 2013 Entries Now! Do you know any 14 – 20 year olds? Send them this link to the contest guidelines. – The deadline is February 15. More than $2500 in prizes are offered to winners and their sponsors.
• Keep up with the What About Peace? contest: “Like” What About Peace? on Facebook.

Grand Prize, “Peace is in Our Hands” by Amanda Mckenna of Sacramento, CA

What About Peace?, the art contest that asks youth ages 14–20 to answer this question creatively is pleased to announce the 2012 winners.

Hundreds submitted entries, and after months of jurying, judging and photographing we are ready to reveal the inspiring work of  this year’s contestants, as they think about what peace means in 2012.

Congratulations to all of this year’s winners. Below is a list of winners; our grand prize winner along with the first and second place winners for each category, plus honorable mentions in each category.

Check out the What About Peace Facebook page for a peek at some of this years colorful, thought-provoking visual entries.

We will continue to showcase the creative entries through the end of the school year on our What About Peace website. You can go there now to see the first installment of all of our amazing and inspiring entries. Then keep checking back for future entries!

In the meantime, without further ado, here this year’s winners:

2012 Grand Prize Winner:

Amanda McKenna 17 years old, from Sacramento, California: “Peace is in Our Hands” sponsored by Deborah George of Sheldon High School.

First Prize Visual Arts: Paisley Hiefield, 16 years old

First Prize Visual Arts:

Paisley Hiefield, 16 years old from Portland, Oregon: “Release More Peace” sponsored by Annarose Pandey of West View High School

Second Prize Visual Arts: Jessica Tilley, 16 years old from Battle Creek Michigan: “Peace Has No Limit” sponsored by Rebecca Gardner of Harper Creek.

First Prize Written:

Emily Council, 17 years old from Wiliamsburg, VA: “Reality Check” sponsored by Moncia Schauffler of Lafayette High School.

Second Prize Written:

Simran Khanal, 15 years old from Bennington, NE: “A New Kind of Peace”, sponsored by Deborah Ward of Burke High School.

Honorable Mentions Visual Arts:

• Dana Ser, 16, Levittown, NY “Breathe in War, Breathe out Peace”
• Alayna Miller, 17 Battle Creek, MI “Take Time to Converse about Peace”
• Nhi Nguyen, 15 San Diego, CA “The Letter of Peace”
• Baylee Kentner,, 15 Levittown, NY “Represent Peace”
• Camille Mason, 16 Chattanooga TN “Peace on Earth”
• Ashley Hand, 16 Chattanooga, TN “Heartbeat?”
• Mary Hare, 17 Portland, OR “We Stand For Peace”
• Angeleena Tiaokhiao, 14 San Diego, CA “We Are Peace”
• Katie Lober, 17 Odenville, AL “Share the Peace”
• Alexander Setzer, 16 Baltimore, MD “A Piece on Peace”
• Jacob Reynolds, 16, Concord, CA “Peace is in our Reach”
• Allie Witham, 17, Portland, OR “Peace Comes from Within”
• Veronica Stamp, 17 Oneonta, NY “It isn’t Enough..”
• Brenna Rathbone, 16 Oneonta, NY “Holding the World Together, One Hand at a Time”
• Ansley Pearson, 14 Chatttanooga, TN “Let Peace Fly Free”
• David Vieira, 16 Parlin, NJ “Why Not Try Peace”
• Rausan Bonijerai, 18 , Locust Valley, NY “Peace, love, peace, love”
• Emma Black, 17, South Abington, PA “Together we Can find the Missing Peace”
• Mallory Hiefield, 16 Portland, OR “It Starts with You”

Honorable Mentions Written:

Essay:

• David Arellano, 15 Ooltewah, TN “What About Peace”
• Changwoo Hong, 16, Winona, MN “ Promoting Peace”
• Hyuntuek Huang, 16, Winona, MN “Peace Sign (V sign)”
• Lynzee Matousek, 18 Omaha, NE “My Peace”
• Jacqueline Naganuma, 17 Beaverton, OR “Peace, What About It?”
• Amelia Nichols, 15, Winona, MN “Peace is Possible”
• Nicolo Odorizzi, 17 Omaha NE, “Peace”
• Cecilia Perez, 17, Salinas, CA “Give Peace a Chance”
• Alexander Peterson, 16 Omaha, NE “Peace and War”
• Nick Thurber,16 Omaha, NE “A Piece of Mind”
• Joseph Tlougan, 16, Winona,MN “Untitled”
• Michael Yoon, 16, Winona, MN “Untitled”

Poetry:

• Samantha Adams, 16, Baltimore, MD “One World Peace”
• Emily Banat, 17 Omaha NE, “The Implications of ‘Peace”
• Rachel Chuang, 17 Great Falls, VA “Perched on the Window”
• Lauren Cooper, 17 Omaha, NE “The First One Home”
• Eric Keisling, 18 Omaha, NE “Something to Fight For”

Short Story:

• Erin Brown, 16 Omaha, NE “That One Person”
• Hannah Combs, 15 Chattanooga, TN “Why Can’t There Be Peace?”
• Kathryn Gunderson, 16 Seaford, NY “City of Peace”
• Stephen Skelly, 16, Levittown, NY “Stockholm Syndrome”

Man Grieves the loss of family members, Photo Credit: Outlook Afghanistan

In 2002, inspired by the NYTimes portraits of individuals killed in the World Trade Center disaster, Global Exchange published a report called “Afghan Portraits of Grief,” which profiled the innocent victims of war, to expand the picture of the cost of our response to 9/11. Making the people’s stories come alive was so important to understanding the complexities and the suffering of war.

For the past two weeks as we’ve grappled with the horror of the massacre in the Kandahar province, I’ve been dismayed at the focus of the mainstream press. The press seems to be focusing almost entirely on the mind-set of Sergeant Bales and the effect of the massacre on US/Afghan relations without much mention of the actual victims who were all Afghan citizens, including nine children.

I set out to do a short piece about who the victims were — names, ages and any other details to humanize them so that we can feel and understand the real tragedy of this war…

AND I COULDN’T FIND ANYTHING!

We know that three homes were attacked in the villages of Balandi and Alkozai, which is in the Panjway District of Kandahar, 35 km west of the city of Kandahar. Rolling those names around on my tongue, though I’ve never been there I wondered what it looks like and who the people are who live there.

It’s an area in the southern part of Afghanistan, steep mountain views, but a mild climate where farmers are famous for their delicious grapes and pomegranates – where there is major trade in sheep’s wool, cotton, silk and dried fruit. They grow wheat and mulberries for silk worms, serve dried fruit and tea to their guests.

One Kandahar massacre victim was Abdul Samad*, a 60 year old farmer and village elder with a long white beard and turban. He and his teenage son had been visiting a nearby town when Sergeant Bales, disguised in local clothing – a Shalwar Kameez – climbed the fence at the base wearing night vision goggles, walked about 1 mile, and went house by house looking for an unlocked door.

Mr Samad’s family had recently returned to the area after fleeing during The Surge when his home had been destroyed. He moved into a neighbor’s house near the US army base because he thought it would be safer.

But that night – March 11th, eleven members of Abdul Samad’s family were killed:  His wife, four daughters between the ages of 2 and 6, four sons between the ages of 8 and 11, and two other relatives. Three were shot point blank and then set on fire.

Further down the road in the village of Najiban, Mohammad Dawoud, age 55 was killed. His wife and children escaped.

In Alkozi, at the home of 45 year old laborer Hajii Sayed, who had fled Kandahar three times during the years of fighting, four more people were killed: Alkozi’s wife, nephew, grandson and brother.

In total, sixteen people were killed, including nine children, four men, and three women. Five others were injured.

And for two weeks, I couldn’t even find their names! That is, until just as I got ready to post this, I find the names on Al Jazeera in a wonderful blog piece by Quais Azimy, “No one asked their names.”

Why did it take so long for the press to release the names of the victims? Until we can relate to the people hurt by our military we will continue to have innocent victims of war.

Mr. Samad who lost nine members of his family said the lesson was clear to him: “The Americans should leave.”

So *here are the names of the victims of the Kandahar massacre – with dignity and respect for lives cut too short:

Mohamed Dawood son of Abdullah
Khudaydad son of Mohamed JumaNazar Mohamed
Payendo
Robeena
Shatarina daughter of Sultan Mohamed
Nazia daughter of Dost Mohamed
Masooma daughter of Mohamed Wazir
Farida daughter of Mohamed Wazir
Palwasha daughter of Mohamed Wazir
Nabia daughter of Mohamed Wazir
Esmatullah daughter of Mohamed Wazir
Faizullah son of Mohamed Wazir
Essa Mohamed son of Mohamed Hussain
Akhtar Mohamed son of Murrad Ali

The wounded:
Haji Mohamed Naim son of Haji Sakhawat
Mohamed Sediq son of Mohamed Naim
Parween
Rafiullah
Zardana
Zulheja

*It is interesting that the one name I got from the New York Times. Abdul Samad is not here and instead is listed as Mohamed Wazir.

Artwork ready for the jury

What about Peace? The answer is on it’s way.

What About Peace? is the international arts contest for youth ages 14 – 20 to express ideas and thoughts about peace by responding to the question, “What About Peace?” through artistic expression, with $1500 in prize money to be given out.

"What About Peace?" submissions laid out by jurists

The deadline has passed to submit and the question “What about Peace?” has been answered by over 700 young people – using the medium of photography, painting, graphic, poetry, short story and essay.  The answers came from all over the country – Virginia, Minnesota, Nebraska, Arizona, California and far off countries including the Philippines.

Last year I served as the “What About Peace?” Grand Judge and this is the first year that Global Exchange has been in charge of this contest that is designed to reward sustained thought about what we mean by peace and how we achieve it.  It was started by a visionary woman, Barbara Briggs-Letson who believes that having young people think about peace is a good thing and that their unleashed creativity can and will make it happen.

What About Peace? promotes an important inter-generational dialogue and the jurists were inspired by the carefully thought out essays, poems and beautiful paintings and collages.

Some of the "What About Peace" 2012 entries

For continuity this year I drove up to Sebastopol, CA where last year’s jury showed me how it was done. Four jurists – a museum curator, an artist and two art teachers helped me spread out all the visual pieces in the pews of large church that had donated space. Then came the difficult task of finding the truly unique answers, the creative responses and the artfully executed pieces. It wasn’t easy! There are some great entries this year.

Now the pieces have returned to San Francisco, where our Grand Judge Rae Abileah will pick the prize winners in the next two weeks and we will have the honor of announcing and posting the winners on April 20th on our What About Peace? website and right here on our People to People blog. Stay tuned!

"Unity" 1st place painting winner by Christopher Minafo 15 years old, New York

We hear a lot of talk about war, violence and destruction, but what about peace?  This important question is the inspiration behind our international arts contest, aptly named What About Peace? The contest is for youth ages 14 – 20 to express ideas and thoughts about peace by responding to the question, “What About Peace?” through artistic expression.

Though the contest is in full swing and the deadline is closing in, there is still time to enter. All entries must be received in our office on or before February 15th, 2012 to qualify.

"What About Peace" 2012 submission table

I meandered over to the contest submission area at our office today to peek at the entries, and I have to say, I got a little verklempt. There are some really inspiring pieces already in, organized in boxes by category, with bigger pieces stacked behind. A surprisingly large haul of photographs and poems. Cool!

But I’m not the only one. Throughout the workday today I could hear other Global Exchange staffers milling about the contest submission table, checking out the newest arrivals.

Of course it’s not up to us who wins the big $1,000 prize. That will be up to the grand judge (to be announced soon right here on our People to People blog.) Last year Global Exchange’s Kirsten Moller was the What About Peace? grand judge and shared her reflections in this blog post about the contest winner.

The Contest Accepted Mediums are:

• Telling a story (up to 500 words)
• Writing an essay (up to 500 words)
• Creating a poem (up to 200 words)
• Painting a picture or collage (up to 18” x 24”)
• Taking a photo (up to 11” x 14” on photo paper)
• Designing a graphic, poster or comic strip/cartoon (up to 18”x24”)

It’s not too late to enter! If you are between the ages of 14-20 enter today. If you are a teacher, counselor or youth worker, please encourage your students to apply.

Download entry form here.

Download contest flyer to share with teachers here.

The Grand prize is $1000, but more than $2500 in total prizes will be awarded. Check out www.whataboutpeace.org for all the entry details.

WHAT ABOUT PEACE? RULES N SUCH:

• You must be between 14 and 20 years of age to participate.
• One entry per person…One person per entry.
• Entries won’t be returned. What About Peace? has the right to use any and all entries on our website, in displays, and in publicity for the contest. Copyright belongs to the entrant.
• Be sure that you and your teacher/sponsor understand our stance on copying and plagiarism.  They are not allowed.
• Send your entry and the form to What About Peace ? at 2017 Mission Street, 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA 94110;  All entries must be received in our office on or before February 15th, 2012.

WHAT ABOUT PEACE? WINNER DETAILS:

• The sponsor/teacher of each winner will be notified of their winner(s) by US Mail.
• All winning entries will be posted on our website, www.whataboutpeace.org on April 20th, 2012.
• Sponsors/teachers will present What About Peace? awards in our name.
• All winning entries will be posted on our website on April 20th, 2012.

SPREAD THE WORD! An easy way to spread the word about this exciting contest is to Share and Tweet this post (buttons on top right of post.) Here’s to a peaceful tomorrow.

Priceless Peace by Bikram Singh, California

It’s the beginning of a new year, the perfect time to contemplate peace and the environment. With 2012 in full swing, the deadlines for two youth-focused events, an art contest and eco-awards, are fast approaching. Here’s more about them, and how you can get involved:

1) What About Peace? is a Global Exchange international arts contest for youth ages 14 – 20 to express ideas and thoughts about peace by responding to the question, “What About Peace?” through artistic expression.

What about Peace Hands Can Help by Michelle Cupp, Missouri

Are you finishing up your painting, choosing between photographs or assembling a collage?  Does your poem, short story or essay say everything you want it to convey about peace?  Because on February 15th we hope that your ideas for peace will be in our office and ready for the jurying process!

If you are a teacher, counselor or youth worker, please encourage your students to apply. Here’s a downloadable flyer you can print and share.

The Grand prize is $1000! Check out www.whataboutpeace.org for all the entry details.

To get your brain pumpin, here’s some unique painting style ideas:) Just remember to stick to the contest size rule (up to 18” x 24”).

2) Eco-Hero Awards recognizes accomplishments of young people ages 8 – 16 whose personal projects have significantly improved the environment. The awards are sponsored by Action For Nature.

The young people who contribute their stories, pictures, insights, and achievements are at the heart of what Action For Nature stands for. The Eco-Hero Awards gives young people both the motivation and the means to continue creating positive change for the natural world.

Award recipients receive up to $500 cash, an award certificate, and other forms of recognition. The application deadline is January 15, 2012. Visit the Action for Nature website for application requirements or email ian@actionfornature.org for more info.

—

An easy way to spread the word about both of these exciting events is Share and Tweet this post (buttons on top right of post.) Here’s to the next generation leading by example!

Omg, it’s totally true. Lol! (That was my ridiculously lame attempt to sound like a young person:)

What About Peace? is an international arts contest for youth ages 14 – 20 to express ideas and thoughts about peace by responding to the question, “What About Peace?” through artistic expression, with $1500 in prize money to be given out.

The accepted mediums are:

• Telling a story (up to 500 words)
• Writing an essay (up to 500 words)
• Creating a poem (up to 200 words)
• Painting a picture or collage (up to 18” x 24”)
• Taking a photo (up to 11” x 14” on photo paper)
• Designing a graphic, poster or comic strip/cartoon (up to 18” x 24”)

Honorable Mention: Anjali Chandrashekar 18 years old, Tamil Nadu, India "Peace! Is It Out There?"

Past What About Peace? entries have blown me away. Whether official winners or not, there have been some really incredible submissions in past years, like this honorable mention from last year. (I couldn’t create something 1/10th that good!)

Last year Global Exchange’s Kirsten Moller was the What About Peace? grand judge and shared her reflections in this blog post about the contest winner.

A great way to get a feel for the contest is to check out previous year winners, so here are some:

2011 What About Peace Winners

2010 What About Peace Winners

2009 What About Peace Winners

WHERE DO YOU COME IN?

If you know youth between 14 – 20, please encourage them to enter this special contest. An easy way to spread the word is to download the flyer and hand out to teachers and others who work with youth ages 14-20. (That’s what I did; I gave one to my sister who is a high school history teacher, and she passed it on to a colleague who teaches art at the same school.)

Download contest flyer to share with teachers here.

Download entry form here.

WHAT ABOUT PEACE? RULES N SUCH:

• You must be between 14 and 20 years of age to participate.
• One entry per person…One person per entry.
• Entries won’t be returned. What About Peace? has the right to use any and all entries on our website, in displays, and in publicity for the contest. Copyright belongs to the entrant.
• Be sure that you and your teacher/sponsor understand our stance on copying and plagiarism.  They are not allowed.
• Send your entry and the form to What About Peace ? at 2017 Mission Street, 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA 94110;  All entries must be received in our office on or before February 15th, 2012.

WHAT ABOUT PEACE? WINNER DETAILS:

• The sponsor/teacher of each winner will be notified of their winner(s) by US Mail.
• All winning entries will be posted on our website, www.whataboutpeace.org on April 20th, 2012.
• Sponsors/teachers will present What About Peace? awards in our name.
• All winning entries will be posted on our website on April 20th, 2012.

TWO CONTESTS ARE BETTER THAN ONE!

I got a call the other day from a guy named Ian. He told me about another contest aimed at youth called the Eco-Hero Awards which is happening around the same time as the What About Peace contest. I figured 2 ways for youth to get involved in making the world a better place are better than one, so here’s more about the Eco-Hero Awards from Program Coordinator Action for Nature Ian:

Every year Action For Nature sponsors the Eco-Hero Awards, which recognize accomplishments of young people (ages 8 – 16) whose personal projects have significantly improved the environment. The young people who contribute their stories, pictures, insights, and achievements are at the heart of what Action For Nature stands for. The Eco-Hero Awards give young people both the motivation and the means to continue creating positive change for the natural world.

Award recipients receive up to $500 cash, an award certificate, and other forms of recognition. The application deadline is January 15, 2012. Visit their website for application requirements or contact ian@actionfornature.org for more.

WHAT ABOUT PEACE? DOWNLOADS & ACTIONS

Please help us spread the word about the What About Peace? contest. Here are some resources to help you:

• Download entry form here
• Download contest flyer
• Visit www.whataboutpeace.org for more info
• Share & Retweet this blog post (use buttons on top right of post)
• “Like” What About Peace on Facebook

As Whitney Houston sang back in the 80s: “I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way.” Watch for yourself if you really want to cheese out on nostalgia!

The following also appears on Huffington Post:

This week marks the beginning of what is supposed to be the final 100 days of the U.S. occupation of Iraq. But if U.S. troops are to leave Iraq at the end of this year as promised – repeatedly – it will take grassroots pressure to counter the growing “occupy-Iraq-forever” chorus in Washington.

Despite the fact that there is a Bush-era agreement with the Iraqi government to leave, despite the fact that the majority of Iraqis and Americans don’t support a continued U.S. presence, and despite the fact that Congress is supposedly in an all-out austerity mode, strong forces – including generals, war profiteers and hawks in both parties – are pushing President Obama to violate the agreement negotiated by his predecessor and keep a significant number of troops in Iraq past the December 31, 2011 deadline.

It’s true there has already been a major withdrawal of U.S. troops, from a high of 170,000 in 2007 to about 45,000 troops today (with most of the troops being sent over to occupy Afghanistan instead). That number, however, doesn’t tell the whole picture. As the New York Times notes, “Even as the military reduces its troop strength in Iraq, the C.I.A. will continue to have a major presence in the country, as will security contractors working for the State Department,” the latter to defend a U.S. embassy that’s bigger than the Vatican.

Back in 2007, candidate Obama pledged that the first thing he’d do as president would be to withdraw our troops from Iraq. “I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank,” the future president declared. So far, the only thing many Americans can take to the bank, however, is evidence their home was fraudulently foreclosed upon.

In spite of President Obama’s oft-repeated promises, his administration appears unwilling to withdrawal all U.S. troops, much less private contractors. Obama’s hand-picked Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, has already endorsed a plan that would see 3,000 to 4,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq indefinitely, ostensibly to “continue training security forces there.” The senior commander in Iraq, meanwhile, is pushing to keep as many as 18,000 troops there. And U.S. lawmakers, both Republican and Democratic, are echoing the call to stay.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham recently predicted leaving only 3,000 troops behind would be a “formula for disaster.” Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, meanwhile, warned it would be a mistake because Iraq was not yet fully secure. And in a FOX interview, Republican Sen. John McCain said, “I have talked to many military leaders who have specifically said around 13,000 troops would be a minimum. . . .I have never talked to a military leader that said that leaving only 3,000 is a good idea. I don’t know who came up with this idea.”

Somebody ought to tell McCain who came up with the idea – not of leaving 3,000 troops, but leaving none: the Iraqis. Removing all U.S. troops by the end of this year was agreed to by the very government that the U.S. helped install. And it came as the result of popular pressure – the way democracy is supposed to work. The agreement was codified in a 2008 Security Agreement signed between Washington and Baghdad. And any change in that agreed-upon deadline is supposed to come only at the request of the Iraqi government. So far, with less than 100 days left, no such request has been made.

Iraqi leaders, even those who owe their positions to the U.S. occupiers, know it would be political suicide to come out publicly in favor of keeping U.S. troops. Most Iraqis hate the American invaders who launched an illegal war of aggression that has killed well over 100,000 Iraqis. They blame the U.S. for setting off a civil war that forced more than 4.7 million Iraqis to flee their homes, the majority to never return, and which resulted in the ethnic cleansing of Baghdad. A proud people, they feel humiliated by the presence of foreign troops and they will not forget the treatment that many of their fellow citizens received in American-run prisons. Indeed, tens of thousands of Iraqis have taken to the streets of Baghdad to demand that the foreign invaders leave.

After inflicting so much suffering on the Iraqi people, the least we can do here at home is support their call for our troops to leave. While some members of Congress are pressing Obama to keep the occupation going, others, spearheaded by Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee, are calling for an end to this shameful episode in our history. A coalition of peace groups ranging from Peace Action to Military Families Speak Out is also adding their “out now” voice.

“We are deeply troubled by recent reports that indicate your Administration is making plans to leave thousands of U.S. troops deployed in Iraq indefinitely,” the groups say in a letter to the president. “We are also troubled by the extraordinary buildup of private military contractors and untold numbers of intelligence operatives in Iraq. Mr. President the future of Iraq depends upon the Iraqi people, not the U.S. military. Now is the time to bring all of our brave men and women in uniform home, as promised.” They have asked all peace-loving Americans to flood the White House with messages. Call 202-456-1111.

Others are taking to the streets. On October 6, anti-war activists from around the nation will be gathering in Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC, to call for an end to both the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The protest will not be just for one day, but an on-going “people’s occupation” of the plaza to call for an end to U.S. military occupations. Come if you can, or just help spread the word if you can’t.

Instead of passively accepting our government’s plans to extend the Iraq occupation indefinitely, let those who claim to represent your wishes in Washington know you’ll stand for nothing less than a real, no-gimmicks end to a war and occupation that has wrecked all too many lives. And that’s a pledge they can take to the bank.

Medea Benjamin is cofounder of Global Exchange and the peace group CODEPINK.

Medea Benjamin

The following was written by Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Global Exchange and CODEPINK: Women for Peace, and a passenger on The Audacity of Hope.
—
Instead of high-fiving each other for their success in thwarting the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, Israeli officials should be throwing overboard the propaganda hacks who catapulted the flotilla into headline news for weeks and left Israel smelling like rotten fish.

Last year, when the Israeli military killed nine aboard the Turkish ship, the incident made waves around the world. But in previous years, the same international coalition had sent boats to Gaza five times, successfully reaching their destination with a symbolic shipment of humanitarian aid. No blood, no military interception, no story. That’s why the advice of many of Israel’s best buddies, including the lobby group AIPAC, was to just ignore the flotilla.

But no, the Israeli government refused to listen and instead announced with great bravado that it was prepared to stop the flotilla with lethal force—including snipers and attack dogs. Smelling blood, the media frenzy began. Before even leaving home, passengers were besieged with press calls inquiring why we were willing to risk our lives and giving us a chance to talk about the plight of the people of Gaza. Worse yet from the Israeli government perspective, mainstream media began bombarding us with requests to come along. With space for only ten media on our boat, we ended up choosing reps from CNN, CBS, Al Jazeera, AP, The Nation and Democracy Now. Other boats in the flotilla also started scrambling to accommodate more press. Thanks to Israel, we were guaranteed that no matter what happened, the whole world would be watching.

The Israeli government’s next blunder was a doozy. It sent a letter to foreign journalists warning them that if they participated in the flotilla, they would be denied entry into Israel for ten years and their equipment would be impounded. The outcry from journalists and media organizations worldwide was immediate. Israel’s Foreign Press Association said the threat “sends a chilling message to the international media and raises serious questions about Israel’s commitment to freedom of the press.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to rescind the decision, blaming it on his underlings.

But the blunders continued. A YouTube video of a “gay rights activist” who claimed he was not allowed to join the flotilla because he was gay and linked the flotilla to Hamas was exposed as a hoax disseminated by employees of the Israeli Government Press Office and the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Senior Israeli defense officials told journalists that flotilla activists were intending to dump bags of sulfer on Israeli soldiers to paralyze them and/or light them on fire “like a torch.” We countered by holding an open house on the boat, inviting the media to inspect every nook and cranny and meet with nurses, lawyers, musicians, writers, grandmothers and other “terrorists” on board. The Israeli government looked so silly that even cabinet ministers criticized Netanyahu’s “media spin” and “public relations hysteria.”

Then there was the sabotage of the Irish and Swedish boats, the frivolous lawsuits and legal complaints by the Israeli Law Center (Shurat HaDin), the strong arming of the Greek government to issue a ban on all boats traveling to Gaza, and undoubtedly more dirty tricks that will be exposed in the future.

Through it all, the Israelis helped us turn a potential non-story into a media blitz that has not ended. The passengers are now returning home to the local public spotlight. Rather than being depressed by Israeli maneuvers to prevent the flotilla from reaching its destination, they are more motivated to speak out about the siege of Gaza and bullying tactics of the Israelis. Flotilla organizers are still fighting to get their boats released by the Greek government and vow to try again.

Our modest and peaceful initiative has exposed, for the world to see, the lengths the Israeli government will go to to stop nonviolent international initiatives. We have put the plight of Gaza and the illegality of the siege once again on the radar where it was previously ignored. We have exposed the sad but ultimately unsustainable fact that the Israelis have managed to extend their vindictive siege of Gaza to the shores of Europe and have widened the gulf between the Greek government and Greek popular sentiment with regard to Palestine.

Most importantly, we have given a boost to the larger, massive, multicultural, multinational movement for Palestinian rights. This Friday, hundreds of international activists are flying to Ben Gurion airport where they plan to tell border control agents of their intent to visit Palestine. This “flytilla,” as it has been dubbed, has also aroused a hysterical response from the Netanyahu government. Here again, the world’s attention will be focused on Israel’s control and blockade of movement in and out of the West Bank. The Knesset is on the verge of passing a bill that will effectively outlaw boycotts, a law that will likely only strengthen the resolve and increase the size of the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement. And then there will be the showdown at the United Nations, when Palestinians will be calling for recognition as a state.

The Israeli government can only continue its egregious violations of human rights and torpedoing nonviolence initiatives for so long. Eventually, justice will prevail and Palestine will be free. And initiatives like the flotilla will be remembered as part of a continuous wave of resistance that helped turned the tide.

TAKE ACTION:

• Learn about how corporations are involved in the Israeli occupation of Palestine
• Invite Economic Activism for Palestine Director Dalit to speak in your community
• Consider becoming a Global Exchange member to support our work