Posted on 01/04/2006 7:14:50 PM PST by kristinn
Global petition to stop the war in Iraq Date: 5 Jan 2006
GLOBAL CALL FOR NONVIOLENT CIVIL RESISTANCE TO END THE U.S.-LED MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ
Contact: dm@aglobalcall.org Global Call to Action Voluntown, CT, USA
Our website: www.aglobalcall.org
FROM: Nobel Peace and Literature Laureates Cindy Sheehan and other peace and human-rights activists Religious leaders of various traditions Prisoners of Conscience Former government ministers Poets, authors, journalists
A Global Call for Nonviolent Civil Resistance at U.S. and British government installations around the world has been issued by Nobel Peace and Literature Laureates along with Cindy Sheehan and other peace and human-rights activists, religious leaders, and others. The signers, from 16 countries, “invite peace-makers throughout the world to participate in an international campaign of massive, nonviolent civil resistance to stop the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq. These actions could be organized to include both non-violent civil resistance and legal demonstrations.”
The proponents of the Call include Harold Pinter, this year´s winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, and Nobel Peace Laureates Mairead Corrigan Maguire of Northern Ireland (1976) and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel of Argentina (1980).
The first date of international actions is March 19-20, 2006, the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. (Subsequent action dates are presented in the Call, below.) The group envisions that “some would participate in legal demonstrations while others would stage sit-ins, die-ins, and other nonviolent methods of blocking ‘business as usual’ at government buildings or installations (including military bases and recruiting centers) or at corporate offices of war profiteers in the U.S., Great Britain, and other countries which are taking part in the deadly and unjust military occupation of Iraq.”
As for peace-makers in countries whose governments are not at war in Iraq, they are asked to “consider U.S. or British embassies, consulates, military bases, or appropriate corporate offices as sites for legal demonstrations and nonviolent civil resistance.”
The signers of the Global Call emphasize that “the Number One message of every action would be: END THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ. The killing of tens of thousands of civilians, the wounding of perhaps 100,000 or more people, the torture and murder of prisoners in U.S. custody – these and other realities of the occupation are evidence of the massive state terrorism being perpetrated against the people of Iraq. At the same time, we mourn the deaths of over 2,300 soldiers of the ‘coalition forces,’ while we denounce the lies (weapons of mass destruction, ties between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda) proclaimed in an effort to justify the invasion.”
The GLOBAL CALL follows:
We, the undersigned, invite peace-makers throughout the world to participate in an international campaign of massive, nonviolent civil resistance to stop the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq.
FIRST DATE OF INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS: March 19-20, 2006, the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. The subsequent days of action are specified below.
THE ACTIONS
Some would participate in legal demonstrations while others would stage sit-ins, die-ins, and other nonviolent methods of blocking "business as usual" at government buildings or installations (including military bases and recruiting centers) or at corporate offices of war profiteers in the U.S., Great Britain, and other countries which are taking part in the deadly and unjust military occupation of Iraq. For these governments, "business as usual" is the business of violence, death, and exploitation. It must be blocked and stopped by responsible citizens.
Peace-makers in countries whose governments are not at war in Iraq could consider U.S. or British embassies, consulates, military bases, or appropriate corporate offices as sites for legal demonstrations and nonviolent civil resistance.
The second INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENT CIVIL RESISTANCE TO END THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ will be May 1, May Day, the International Day of the Worker -- an occasion for massive demonstrations all over the world where working class struggle is celebrated and kept alive. The impact of the war on the poor and working class of the world could be emphasized.
The third INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENT CIVIL RESISTANCE TO END THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ will be August 9, 2006, the 61st anniversary of the U.S. nuclear bombing of Nagasaki, Japan-- to demand an end to U.S. proliferation of nuclear weapons of mass destruction and an end to the U.S. state terrrorism in Iraq.
The fourth INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENT CIVIL RESISTANCE TO END THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ will be Sept. 11, 2006, the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the U.S.-- to commemorate and deplore that horrible act of violence and to denounce the terrorist violence which the U.S. government is inflicting on Iraq under the false pretense of the "war on terrorism."
If necessary, we will continue with the INTERNATIONAL DAYS OF NON- VIOLENT CIVIL RESISTANCE TO END THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ. The fifth could be on Dec. 10, 2006, International Human Rights Day. (The Day itself, Dec. 10, falls on a Sunday, which would be appropriate for legal demonstrations. Groups doing civil resistance or civil disobedience actions at government installations may choose Monday, Dec. 11, when these offices will be open. This is similar to the situation of March 19-20.)
PATH TO ACTION
If you are interested in discussing this proposal with us, please contact: dm@aglobalcall.org (It is possible that by making this initial contact you may be putting yourself in some legal jeopardy.)
If you express interest in implementing this proposal, our Coordinating Committee could put you in touch with others from your country, region, or city who have also expressed interest to explore possibilities for collaboration.
We would be willing to support the local grass-roots organizing efforts according to the needs of the individuals and groups in these areas. Contact us if you would like any guidance or assistance. As we develop our contact list, we will send out update information and other information to assist you and your group in the planning of your actions.
The Number One message of every action would be: END THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ. This emphasis must be clear if the many actions in many places are to have a profound impact on the public and governments. Local or national organizers may wish to present one or two related issues or demands, with the main focus staying on ENDING THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ.
Our Coordinating Committee will send out a brief sample statement which could be used with each action. Groups are free to express their demands and motivations in religious language or not, as they see fit.
SPREADING THE WORD
We ask individuals, groups, and organizations around the globe to endorse this Call and to send it out to their mailing lists and to the media. Groups which are not committed to participating in the actions of civil resistance could simply transmit our Call.
We hope that this global call will be a part of a sustained grass-roots campaign to end the military occupation of Iraq. Through our Coordinating Committee, we would be happy to support grass-roots efforts to this end and to work with others in organizing nonviolent civil resistance around the world.
Some persons and organizations may choose to organize legal demonstrations (without any component of civil resistance) on the days we have proposed. We would request that they inform us of the legal demonstration they are planning, and that they inform their local media. We will also inform international media about the actions planned.
As for those who are planning civil resistance in their locality, if you are proposing this publicly prior to your action, please inform your local or national media and please let us know so that we can inform the international media.
If you are not making this public before your action, please inform us as soon as the action takes place so that we can report it as one of many actions in various parts of the world.
Thanks for your kind consideration of this proposal.
Sincerely,
(Signers are from 16 countries. In some cases organizational affiliations are for personal identification purposes only.)
Gary Ashbeck Baltimore, Maryland, USA Jonah House
Father Daniel Berrigan, S.J. New York, NY; USA Catholic priest, author, lecturer, peace activist
Father Roy Bourgeois, M.M. Columbus, Georgia, USA Catholic priest; Founder, School of the Americas Watch
Father Ernesto Cardenal Managua, NICARAGUA Catholic priest; poet, sculptor, former Minister of Culture of Nicaragua
Bishop Pedro Casaldáliga Sao Felix de Araguaia, BRAZIL Retired bishop of Catholic diocese of Sao Felix Theologian, author
Christian Base Communities SPAIN
Patricia Clark Nyack, NY, USA Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation
Comité Oscar Romero de Madrid Madrid, SPAIN
Mairead Corrigan Maguire Belfast, NORTHERN IRELAND 1976 Nobel Peace Laureate Co-founder of Peace People
Susan Crane Baltimore, Maryland, USA Jonah House
Father John Dear, S.J. Cerrillos, New Mexico, USA Catholic priest, peace activist, author
Rev. Richard Deats Nyack, NY, USA Former Executive Secretary and Fellowship Editor, Fellowship of Reconciliation
Marie Dennis Washington, D.C., USA Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Pax Christi International
Father Miguel d'Escoto, M.M.. Managua, NICARAGUA Catholic priest; Foreign Minister of Nicaragua 1979-1990; Proponent of Nonviolent Evangelical Insurrection against Imperialism
Xavier Dias editor of ADHIKAR, a monthly Hindi bulletin for communities affected by mining. Ranchi, Jharkhand, INDIA
Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Washington, D.C., USA
Jim and Shelley Douglass Birmingham, Alabama; USA Mary´s House Catholic Worker
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton Detroit, Michigan; USA Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit Pastor of urban parish, author, lecturer, peace activist
Father G. Simon Harak, S.J. New York, New York, USA Catholic priest; Anti-Militarism Coordinator War Resisters League
Jennifer Harbury and Sister Dianna Ortiz Washington, D.C., USA Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International
Hartford Catholic Worker Community Hartford, CT, USA
Father Francois Houtart Louvain la Neuve, BELGIUM Catholic priest; Prof. Emeritus of the Catholic University of Louvain; Member of the International Council of the World Social Forum
Jonah House Community Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Judith Kelly Arlington, Virginia; USA Mid-Atlantic Regional Associate, Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service; Prisoner of Conscience in Movement Against School of the Americas
Kathy Kelly Chicago, Illinois, USA Voices for Creative Non-Violence
Eric LeCompte Washington, DC, USA SOA Watch Event Coordinator
Jerimarie Liesegang, PhD Hartford, CT, USA Queer Activist Director, Ct TransAdvocacy Coalition
Madrid Committee of Solidarity with Black Africa Madrid, SPAIN
Danny Malec Voluntown, Connecticut, USA Global Call to Action
Father Regino Martínez, S.J. Dajabón, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Catholic priest; Coordinator of Border Solidarity
Liz McAlister Baltimore, Maryland, USA Jonah House
Edel Mihm Saarbruecken, GERMANY Journalist
Father Uriel Molina Oliú Managua, NICARAGUA Catholic priest; theologian, founder and former director of Centro Antonio Valdivieso, Managua
Father Ismael Moreno, S.J. El Progreso, Yoro, HONDURAS Catholic priest; Director of the Reflection, Research, and Communication Team (ERIC)
Father Joseph Mulligan, S.J. Managua, NICARAGUA Catholic priest working with Christian Base Communities; writer, peace activist
Mary Novak Voluntown, Connecticut, USA Global Call to Action
Michael O´Grady, S.J. Cambridge, Mass., USA
Adolfo Perez Esquivel ARGENTINA 1980 Nobel Peace Laureate
Harold Pinter London, ENGLAND 2005 Nobel Literature Laureate
Ted Schmidt Toronto, Ont., CANADA Editor, Catholic New Times
Ramón Sepulveda Velez PUERTO RICO Community Organizer
Cindy Sheehan Berkeley, California, USA Peace Mom – mother of Army Spc. Casey A. Sheehan, who was killed in Iraq on April 4, 2004 Founder of Gold Star Families for Peace Cindy camped at George Bush´s ranch in August, 2005, demanding to speak with the president.
Joanne Sheehan Norwich, Connecticut, USA Chair of War Resisters´ International War Resisters League/New England coordinator
Father Eugene Toland, M.M. BOLIVIA
José María Vigil PANAMÁ Teólogo
Dr. Stellan Vinthagen Department of Peace and Development Research Goteberg, SWEDEN
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, director The Shalom Center Philadelphia, Pa., USA
The Rev. Phil Wheaton Takoma Park, Maryland, USA Episcopal priest Committee of Indigenous Solidarity-Zapatistas of Washington, DC
Workers´ Vanguard Communities SPAIN
Rev. Bill Wylie-Kellermann Detroit, Michigan, USA United Methodist pastor, writer Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education
Father Francisco Xammar, S.J. Tarragona, SPAIN Catholic priest; International Christian Secretariate of Solidarity with the Peoples of Latin America (SICSAL)
Celeste Zappala Philadelphia, Pa., USA Mother of Sgt Sherwood Baker, killed in action in Iraq on April 26, 2004 Member, Gold Star Families United Methodist
Yep. Jerimarie I guess must mean a he/she......
Torture abolition and survivors support? Queer advocacy director? Do these people post their resumes online? What a crew. Power to the healing crystals, comrades!
See my #37.
A few pastors in my area love to politicise their pulpits.
They tend to forget that the alternative is to let evil have free reign.
Saw that.
Thanks!
Thank you. Your knowledge is much greater than mine, so I count on you and learn from you.
But - It's just disconcerting to me because we are dealing with an enemy that would love to chop off their heads just as fast as they'd want to chop off mine, or yours or anyone that is not a muslim.
I'll pay attention when they have Iraqi supporters.
Lame Libs.
If they do their shenanigans anywhere near me, I'll FReep 'em.
Would someone please inform these dolts that the peacemakers are already occupied in Iraq.
(Dang, that was good, if I do say so myself : )
All right, kiddies - dyin' time is here.
Peace was never brought about by weak and gutless people.The peace freaks only encourage the terrorist to attack because they are seen as worthless cowards who are easily defeated.The real peace makers are the people who support using a strong military to deter terrorist.Peace is the product of strength,while death and slavery come to those who are too weak to fight for themselves.
Well, thanks for the compliment. :-) You're quite welcome.
And don't I love ya for it.
"Some would participate in legal demonstrations while others would stage sit-ins, die-ins, and other nonviolent methods of blocking "business as usual" at government buildings or installations (including military bases and recruiting centers) or at corporate offices of war profiteers in the U.S., Great Britain, and other countries which are taking part in the deadly and unjust military occupation of Iraq. For these governments, "business as usual" is the business of violence, death, and exploitation. It must be blocked and stopped by responsible citizens."
TREASON.
Tjese people are nuts:
The fourth INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENT CIVIL RESISTANCE TO END THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ will be Sept. 11, 2006, the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the U.S.-- to commemorate and deplore that horrible act of violence and to denounce the terrorist violence which the U.S. government is inflicting on Iraq under the false pretense of the "war on terrorism."
I have strong opinions, Pyro, but I'm here to learn. Perhaps to teach as well...but only as my knowledge increases. :)
Tjese=Swedish for 'These'
Perfectly put!
I am busy dabbling now on a novel about the violent domestic "enviro-terrorists" *(as designated by the FBI as "domestic terrorists") being actively targeted by stealthy American patriots -
*ELF, *ALF, PETA, *RUCKUS, NRDC, ANSWER, Greens - All of the Enviro-Nazis & Commies who decry the use of fossil fuels - oil, coal, natural gas, internal combustion powered vehicles, forest/wood products, food products - suddenly find their partially natural wood and wood by-producy and oil by-product homes, offices, vehicles, heating and cooling systems, foodstocks - being subject to the same exact methods of destruction that they have used against legal businesses, honest citizens, farmers, ranchers, private and gvernment grant research labs, etc.
The flip side of these terrorist's traitorous and criminal actions
This scenario is coming sooner in actuality than you would believe
Some writers on FR have already been developing similiar storylines - but I believe mine is a tad different and more likely to occur sooner
Shoot them on sight.
Shot on the spot too... Saves on court costs.
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