Days of Decision:
"We The People Declare Peace!"

A Week of Nationwide Coordinated Actions
September 14 - 21, 2007

At Every Congressional Office Across the Country:

Nonviolent Actions to
End the Funding for the War on Iraq and
Establish A Comprehensive Peace Plan for Iraq

  - In September, General Petraeus will deliver his report on the war.
 
  - In September, Congress will face a decision on funding another year of war. Republicans and Democrats will consider the future of U.S. operations in Iraq.

  - We, the people, must set the agenda for a change in U.S. policy in Iraq.

  - Therefore, The Declaration of Peace is calling upon people across the United States to take nonviolent action in September to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq.  Join us! 

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Modern weapons in general create horrifying experiences for civilians caught in the line of fire. But some weapons continue to kill and maim innocent people for months or years after the conflict has ended. Cluster bombs, which release thousands of bomblets over a large area, are one such weapon. Due to high “dud” rates, many bomblets sit unexploded near homes, playgrounds, and farms until someone triggers their deadly blast.

Senator Diane Feinstein has introduced legislation to restrict the use and sale of cluster bombs. We plan to deliver this petition next week. Can you add your name and help spread the word?

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Bush ignores latest Iranian overture for direct talks, and gives orders to kill Iranian "operatives" in Iraq
Sign the Petition Against War in Iran

Military Maneuvers
Independent journalist, Reese Erlich has recently reported that the CIA is covertly working with the Party for Free Life of Kurdistan, the Iranian branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party, which is listed on the United States State Department List of Terrorist Organizations.  This is not only a bad idea because it undermines nonviolent reformers within Iran, but it also creates discord with Turkey, one of the U.S. strongest allies in the region.

Sanctions
On March 24th, the United Nations Security Council voted to impose a new round of sanctions on Iran as punishment for continuing its uranium enrichment program.  Both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate are also currently considering intensifying sanctions against Iran unilaterally.  While it would certainly be inappropriate for Americans or anyone else to support Iran’s nuclear program these sanctions do more harm than good.  The most likely effect of all of these sanctions isn’t changing Iranian nuclear policy, rather it is hardening into positions and squeezing opportunities for diplomacy.  To really change policy we need to draw Iran into the international community, not further isolate it.

Please sign the "No War in Iran!" petition, and pass it on to your friends and colleagues. We the people demanded peace in the last election, and we intend to make sure we get it. Sign the petition today. (Click here for a downloadable PDF version of the petition)

Click here for more information about Peace Action's work on Iran

Specifically, we call upon all doctors and medical professionals to refuse to cooperate in torture. International political organizations have condemned torture categorically and there are specific prohibitions against physician involvement in torture (such as the 1975 Declaration of Tokyo by the World Medical Association). In 1999, the American Medical Association adopted a formal position on physician involvement in torture, stating that “[p]hysicians must oppose and must not participate in torture for any reason. Participation in torture includes, but is not limited to, providing or withholding any service, substances, or knowledge to facilitate the practice of torture. Physicians must not be present when torture is used or threatened” (American Medical Association. Opinion 2.067 Torture. Code of Medical Ethics and Current Opinions).  

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With the press hyper-focused on the U.S. port sale to the Saudis, the Cheney shooting, and the Supreme Court Abortion Case (two of which are really important) it is easy to forget that as you read this, a genocide is raging in Darfur. The people of Darfur are a half a world away, but from the vantage point of your faith, they are as close as your next heartbeat.

Please do something - take a moment from your work. Glance out of your window, or close your eyes, and just for a moment, be mindful of these our brothers and sisters whom you have never met. Whatever you are doing at this moment - know that THEY are experiencing something far different. Many are living in terror, crying out for someone to listen, and burying their dead. They are trying to comfort their children, create a home as refugees under intolerable conditions, and simply get on with life. Their government has not simply failed them, it has organized a proxy militia to target them.

As tonight's news clamors for our attention, please take time to remember these who, at the moment, have no voice. President Bush, who more than a year ago declared the violence to be genocide, finally declared his intention to stop the Sudanese government from its brutal ethnic cleansing. The President has said "not on my watch" - and we need to press him to keep his recent commitment.

Here is how you can help. Our friends at the Save Darfur Coalition, in partnership with FaithfulAmerica and over 150 faith-based, advocacy, and humanitarian aid organizations, recently launched its Million Voices for Darfur campaign, an unprecedented effort to raise awareness of the genocide taking place in Darfur and promote the actions necessary to end it.

Go here to visit the Million Voices site and learn more: http://www.millionvoicesfordarfur.org

We are helping to generate one million hand-written and electronic postcards from Americans demanding a stronger and more effective U.S. response. Specifically, the campaign calls on the United States government to support a stronger multinational force to protect the civilians of Darfur.

Many of you responded through our February Ezine. If you have not yet signed the postcard, please do it now. With your help and our collective vigilance, we will NOT let the cries of those in Darful go unheard.

One more thing. Please visit www.faithfulamerica.org and post your prayers for our neighbors in Darfur. You can also find information on the crisis for use in your teaching, preaching, or reflection in our Briefing Room.

http://www.faithfulamerica.org/display_article.php?article_type=brief&article_id=37 (information appears courtesy of SaveDarfur.org)

Thank you, and blessings to you,

Vince Isner and your FaithfulAmerica.org Team

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Dear MoveOn member,

On Wednesday, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi announced that she backs the exit plan of Congressman John Murtha.¹ Pelosi is the first high-ranking Democratic leader to endorse a detailed Iraq exit strategy plan. This is a courageous move because leaders at her level rarely get ahead of their colleagues. Pelosi is now under attack from Bush supporters and rivals within her own Party including some members of the right-wing Democratic Leadership Council.²

Your work is making a difference. The best way we can support Nancy Pelosi is by showing Congress that the American people are behind her—they want an exit strategy plan. Will you sign our petition at the link below? MoveOn members will deliver it to congressional offices in less than two weeks.

http://political.moveon.org/iraq/?id=6466-592098-NsB.ZOw7LJ9vpZWJKfPbpg&t=2

If members of Congress are hearing from constituents they'll feel confident about supporting such a plan even in the face of critics. And this moment is a critical time—representatives are examining and changing their positions because so many things have changed in Iraq and in the United States.

Two critical facts on our side.

• More than 80 percent of Iraqis want us to leave Iraq—a fact affirmed last week when Iraqi leaders urged foreign troops to leave Iraq.³
• The majority of the American public supports an exit strategy plan to bring the troops home.⁴

But the gap between the American public and our leaders is huge—a majority of our elected representatives aren't backing an exit strategy plan. That is why speaking out now is so important.

Pelosi has been a leader against the war in Iraq since it started—running the "whip" operation in Congress that rounded up Democratic votes against the war in 2002. When she led congressional war opposition she was bucking her own leaders who were supporting Bush. It impressed enough of her Democratic colleagues that they elected her Leader.

Now her support for Murtha's plan will open the door to lots of other Democrats supporting an exit strategy that would bring the troops home from Iraq in 2006—either Murtha's plan or another. But critics and rivals of Murtha and Pelosi are on the attack while members of Congress are examining and changing their minds. We need to step up and make sure they hear from constituents too. Will you sign the petition?

http://political.moveon.org/iraq/?id=6466-592098-NsB.ZOw7LJ9vpZWJKfPbpg&t=3

Our plan is to deliver the petition to the congressional offices of representatives—both Democrats and Republicans—before the holiday break. Please sign today.

Thanks for all you do.

–Tom, Wes, Tanya, Marika and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
  Friday, December 2nd, 2005

P.S. Here are the sources.

1. "House minority leader backs withdrawal." Reuters. November 30, 2005
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1218

2. "Democratic Lawmakers Splinter on Iraq." The Washington Post. December 2, 2005.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1217

3. "Secret MoD poll: Iraqis support attacks on British troops." News Telegraph. October 23, 2005.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1220

4. Polling of the American Public on Iraq.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1219

Support our member-driven organization: MoveOn.org Political Action is entirely funded by our 3.3 million members. We have no corporate contributors, no foundation grants, no money from unions, no major donors program. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. If you'd like to support our work, you can give now at:

http://www.moveonpac.org/donate/email.html?id=6466-592098-NsB.ZOw7LJ9vpZWJKfPbpg&t=4

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://political.moveon.org/?id=6466-592098-NsB.ZOw7LJ9vpZWJKfPbpg&t=5
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

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TAKE ACTION: 

Oprah's talking about the sexual exploitation of children. Urge others to do the same.

Call on Dateline NBC to take a deeper look at trafficking.

____________________________

  Thanks to generous hosts around the globe, we had 76 "Human Trafficking" home screenings signed up!

From Hawaii to Pennsylvania, screenings took place in 28 US states. In addition, hosts from Nigeria, Australia, and Canada signed up to spread the word.  

Chris Grumm,

President, The Women's Funding Network

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Our goal is to have 144,000 signatures (in this case electronic signatures) to take to the Pope and to the United Nations, letting our leaders and the rest of the world know that we want peace on our planet.

James is leading a peace walk from Assisi to Rome September 12th - 21st ending with a Papal audience where he, joined by Earthdance International founder, Chris Deckker, will present the names of those asking for peace to the Pope. The following day they will take the list of names to the United Nations peace conference taking place in Assisi.

Meanwhile, Earthdance International is coordinating a global peace event taking place in hundreds of cities around the world to dance and pray for peace the weekend of September 17th. The highlight of the Earthdance International event is a simultaneous dance-floor link up, when every event across the world plays the Prayer for Peace. Morning in the Australian rainforest, midnight in London, and sunrise over the Himalayas, the Prayer for Peace is a profound and powerful moment that unifies our intentions for World peace and healing.

We are asking the people of the world to both join us in prayer on September 17th and to sign the Declaration of Interdependence below. If you are interested in joining the peace walk in Assisi or the Earthdance International celebrations, you can click on the links below.

How It Works:

Simply sign the Declaration of Interdependence below by filling out your name and e-mail address. Agree to join the global peace vigil on September 17th by saying the Prayer for Peace listed below the Declaration. Only your name and not your e-mail address will be presented to the Pope.

There is great power in prayer so join us in making the dream of peace a reality!
Please sign up and be counted!

We, the people of planet Earth,
In recognition of the interconnectedness of all life
And the importance of the balance of nature,
Hereby acknowledge our interdependence
And affirm our dedication
To life-serving environmental stewardship,
The fulfilment of universal human needs worldwide,
Economic and social well-being,
And a culture of peace and nonviolence,
To ensure a sustainable and harmonious world
For present and future generations.

here http://www.emissaryoflight.com/peacewalk/

Let us flood them with signatures and top their  144,000 goal!!!!! Ross

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