TAKE ACTIONS FOR PEACE!!

1]  Help Establish a United States Department of Peace!
Tell your member of the House of Representatives and your Senators that you want this proposed legislation to become law.
http://www.democracyinaction.org/peacealliance/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=902

2]  Department of Peace Petition
Please sign this petition to show your support for the Department of Peace legislation. Please note that signing this petition should be in addition to calling your Representatives & Senators and sending them an email/fax, which are BY FAR the most effective ways to contact your your elected officials in D.C.
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/
peacealliance/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=165

3]  Tell Congress that PEACE wants a PIECE of the PIE!
Join us in this National Action on May 12th (the Friday before Mother's Day) and gather members of your community to take pies to your local Congressional offices with a banner; "On behalf of Mothers Everywhere, Peace Wants a Piece of the Pie!" as well as a downloaded national budget pie chart showing the tiny slice that represents the portion of the U.S. federal budget requested for the Department of Peace and Nonviolence.
http://www.thepeacealliance.org/action/mothers/pie.htm

REGIONAL PEACE CONFERENCES - http://www.thepeacealliance.org/events/regional/main.htm

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Dear CIVIC supporter,

As the violence continues in Iraq and Afghanistan, ordinary men, women, and children are caught in the crossfire.

CIVIC is launching a week of advocacy including a photo campaign. By participating you are sending a message to victims of war and to our leaders that you care about the human cost of conflict.

It's simple: Write 'I Care' on a white piece of paper with black marker and have a friend snap a photo of you. We will post your photo along with hundreds of others. Together they will form a powerful visual of community and hope.

This photo campaign is not about being for or against the war in Iraq. It is a campaign of compassion. We believe that civilian casualties are the most tragic consequence of war. And each injury, destroyed home, and death should be given the weight it deserves.

Click here to upload your photo and add your voice to those around the world saying “I care.”

Thank you for your continued support,

CIVIC

p.s. Visit our new website and invite your friends and family to participate in our "Week of Action"

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Veterans for America took off this week, with a one-hour interview on National Public Radio and a front-page article in the Washington Post addressing the mental health needs of war veterans. Let's share the news about VFA and tell our friends about the problems facing veterans when they return home from 24/7 urban combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The response continues to be tremendous, with more than 400 new veterans signing up for VFA in the last four days. Even more impressive is how more than 1,000 supporters sent faxes to Senators asking them to support desperately needed pro-veteran legislation.

Unfit for War: VFA's Steve Robinson on NPR's On-Point Radio

On Wednesday morning, Steve Robinson, Veterans for America's Legislative Director, was interviewed on National Public Radio's On-Point. The show discussed the recent series of Hartford Courant articles which revealed that the military was rotating troops back to Iraq even after they'd been diagnosed with trauma and post-traumatic stress.

You can listen online at:

http://www.veteransforamerica.org/index.cfm/Page/Article/ID/7392

You can also read Steve's blog online at:

http://www.veteransforamerica.org/index.cfm/profileid/61175



Iraq War May Add Stress for Past Vets

The Washington Post this week reported an important story on Page 1, focusing on the increase in mental health services use by veterans from previous wars. According to the VA, PTSD compensation by VA has more than doubled since 2000, with most of the increase occurring after the invasion of Iraq.

Paul Sullivan, VFA Program Director, was quoted in the article: "PTSD is better understood than it once was...The veterans are more willing to accept a diagnosis of PTSD," he said, "and the VA is more willing to make it."

http://www.veteransforamerica.org/index.cfm/Page/Article/ID/7387

VFA Endorses Amendments to Defense Bill

VFA called for our supporters this week to contact their Senators and ask them to support two critical amendments to the defense authorization bill.

Your response was spectacular! Some Senate offices received dozens of faxes from our members, and they are still coming in. If you haven't yet sent your fax, it's not too late.

It's easy to send your message -- visit our online action center and send your message today.

http://www.veteransforamerica.org/index.cfm/page/memberhome/action/action/campaignid/27

Talk Back

With the launch of our new site, one of the key abilities we wanted to give veterans was a platform to speak up about the issues they are concerned about. If you are signed up with VFA, you can set up and post your blog today.

You can check out this month' blogs, respond to them, or post your own at:

http://www.veteransforamerica.org/index.cfm/page/weblog/subpage/month_blogs/d/1/m/6/y/2006

http://www.veteransforamerica.org/index.cfm/page/weblog

Support Our Work

You can help support our work. Consider a monthly contribution, or whatever you can send.

Veterans for America is a joint program of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization) and The Justice Project (a non-profit 501(c)(4) war veterans organization). Individual gifts made through The Justice Project are tax-deductible.

If you are interested in making a gift through a family or corporate foundation that can only support 501c3 organizations, you can also support our educational work through VVAF by contacting VVAF's development department at 202-483-9222.

http://www.veteransforamerica.org/donate.htm

Send a check

Checks should be made out to Veterans for America and mailed to:

Veterans for America
c/o The Justice Project
1025 Vermont Ave, 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20005

As always, thank you for your continued support for our work.

With highest regards,

Charles Sheehan-Miles
Associate Director
Veterans for America

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Are participating in Code Pink's Troops Home Fast,

go to www.womensaynotowar.org

for info on how you can support this worthy action.

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Agreement on Global Guidelines Collapses

While a majority of governments, including the United States, backed future negotiations to establish a set of global guidelines on small arms transfers at the U.N. Conference, a few countries successfully blocked this effort. Iran was the most obstinate, but Cuba, India, Israel and Pakistan also played a role. Some of the objecting governments were concerned that such guidelines would prevent them from receiving arms. Since any agreement required unanimous support, the negotiations fell through.  Canada said that they would finance a meeting for all governments to discuss the idea of global guidelines in the spring of 2007.    

For more substantive information on what happened on global guidelines and how the U.S. government helped block an overall agreement at the U.N. Conference, please check out our Q & A.

Darfur Crisis: Stop the Flow of Arms

The first issue of the Darfur Summer Action Series calls on activists to help stop the flow of arms to Darfur by urging Congress to support multilateral efforts to curb ruthless arms brokers such as in the Hollywood film Lord of War . Please join the AIUSA community and take action on this important issue now.

Take Action Now to Help Stop the Flow of Arms in Darfur.
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&template=x.ascx&actionfiltered=7023

Sign up to receive the Darfur Summer Action Series!
http://darfur.amnestyusa.org/100days

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