PDX Peace is a Portland, Oregon area coalition focused on the immediate goal of ending the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and bringing US troops home. We are committed to U.S. policies based on democratic principles, human rights, and nonviolent resolution of conflict.
Gaza: Two more protests, call your representative and other actions
Below is an important alert concerning the ongoing devastation in Gaza from Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights (AUPHR), a member group of PDX Peace. See below for two upcoming protests, info on calling congress and other actions you can take to make a difference.
Dear AUPHR Supporters -
A line is being drawn in the sand: do you support human rights, justice, and calls for a ceasefire or do you support the military madness of the Israeli and U.S. governments!
It is time to let our new President and this new Congress know that we are fed up with the Bush way of doing things and fed up with one-sided support for Israel's policies.
Call your representatives, consider attending the Thursday protest of the Multnomah county Democrats and a Saturday demonstration in downtown Portland!
If you want to help the people of Gaza financially, Palestinian Robert Massoud, founder of Zatoun, has recommendations of organizations, see below.
Also included is the statement by Earl Blumenauer calling for a Ceasefire and a BBC report just in about Israel's bombing of a U.N. School.
Sincerely,
Peter Miller
Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights
Call your representatives and tell them to call for an immediate ceasefire!
Thank Earl Blumenauer for his call for a Ceasefire and Engagement!
Senator Jeff Merkley 1-202-224-8845
Senator Ron Wyden (202) 224-5244 (503) 326-7525
Congressman Earl Blumeanuer (202) 225-4811 (503) 231-2300
Congressman Peter DeFazio (202) 225-6416 (541) 465-6732
Congressman Greg Walden 202-225-6730 541-776-4646
Congressman Kurt Schrader (202) 225-5711 (503) 588-9100
Congressman David Wu (202) 225-0855 (503) 326-2901 toll free Oregon (800) 422-4003
PROTEST: Thursday, January 8th 6pm, Multnomah Democrats Central Committee Meeting
Confront Oregon Democrats over the Democratic leadership's shameful support of this carnage against the people of Gaza.
Thursday, Jan. 8
Gather at 6pm.
Multnomah Democrats Central Committee Meeting/Election of Officers
Social hour at 6 PM, meeting begins at 7 PM
Hollywood Senior Center, 1820 NE 40th Ave., Portland 97212
PROTEST: Saturday January 10, 3pm at Pioneer Square
Our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza need us to take to the streets and demand an end to the massacre.
This morning, we woke up to the news that the Israeli military has
slaughtered 30 and wounded 55 Palestinian civilians taking refuge at
the U.N. School. The bombardment from land, air and sea is continuing
and the death toll nears 600 Palestinian men, women and children and
over 2,500 wounded.
Come down to Pioneer Square this Saturday, January 10 at 3:00 p.m. and make your voices heard.
Bring your Palestinian Flags and Signs, and tell your Friends and Neighbors
Called for by Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights, Portland
Peaceful Response Coalition, Sabeel North America, American Jews for a
Just Peace and other organizations.
For further information, contact Hala Gores at Hala@goreslaw.com or (503)307-9339 or Peter Miller at Pmiller@auphr.org or (503)358-7475.
Statement by Earl Blumeanuer: A Call for Ceasefire and Engagement
Oregonians have long watched the momentous changes in the Middle East with hope and concern. One fundamental lesson has emerged: without political processes that aim for peace, violent events and the acts of extremists can overpower the desire of people across the region to live in security.
With daily rocket attacks ever deeper into Israel and hundreds already killed in what Israel calls the start of a multi-stage offensive, forceful U.S. diplomatic re-engagement to support peace is critical. Yet, nearly a decade of failed Bush policies has left America in a weakened position abroad. I was particularly discouraged that the U.S. did not try to broker an extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas or improve the humanitarian situation on the ground. An out-of-touch U.S. leadership has made America, Israel, and the region less safe.
The Bush administration should use its remaining days to renew our commitment to this region and forcefully advocate for a path towards peace.
Although a secure Israel and an independent Palestinian state living side by side seems less likely at the moment, I have high hopes that the new Obama administration will exhibit a strong reversal of course and re-engage the region. To make this path ready I strongly urge all parties to usher in the New Year with a renewed ceasefire agreement. We must continue to work for a peace process that recognizes the legitimate needs of both Israelis and Palestinians. This is the only hope for a better future.
Strike on Gaza school 'kills 40'
At least 40 people have been killed in an Israeli air strike on a United Nations-run school in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources have said.
A number of children were among those who died when the al-Falluj school in the Jabaliya refugee camp took a direct hit, doctors at nearby hospitals said.
People inside had been taking refuge from the Israeli ground offensive.
Earlier, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned of a "full-blown humanitarian crisis" in Gaza.
Speaking on the 11th day of the Israeli assault, a senior ICRC official, Pierre Kraehenbuhl, said life in Gaza had become intolerable.
Palestinian medical sources say up to 600 people have been killed since the attacks began, and Mr Kraehenbuhl said much more needed to be done to protect civilians.
At least 70 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday, while four Israeli soldiers were killed by fire from one of their own tanks.
Read the story from BBC NEWS.
A Message fro From Zatoun
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2009 8:25 PM
Subject: Gaza and Help for Gaza
"Every Palestinian has become a prisoner. Gaza is surrounded by an electrified fence on three sides: imprisoned like animals, Gazans are unable to move, unable to work, unable to sell their vegetables or fruit, unable to go to school. They are exposed from the air to Israeli planes and helicopters and are gunned down like turkeys on the ground by tanks and machine guns. Impoverished and starved, Gaza is a human nightmare.
Hope has been eliminated from the Palestinian vocabulary so that only raw defiance remains.
Palestinians must die a slow death so that Israel can have its security, which is just around the corner but cannot be realized because of the special Israeli "insecurity." The whole world must sympathize, while the cries of Palestinian orphans, sick old women, bereaved communities, and tortured prisoners simply go unheard and unrecorded. Doubtless, we will be told, these horrors serve a larger purpose than mere sadistic cruelty. After all, "the two sides" are engaged in a "cycle of violence" that has to be stopped, sometime, somewhere. Once in a while we ought to pause and declare indignantly that there is only one side with an army and a country: the other is a stateless dispossessed population of people without rights or any present way of securing them. The language of suffering and concrete daily life has been either hijacked or so perverted as, in my opinion, to be useless except as pure fiction deployed as a screen for the purpose of more killing and painstaking torture - slowly, fastidiously, inexorably.
That is the truth of what Palestinians suffer."
The late Edward Said wrote these words in August 2002. How can it be that his words remain accurate six years later?
The week's events in Gaza have overshadowed whatever joy or peace one can have at this special time of year. However the resounding demonstrations around the world have helped give us some relief from helplessness. Apart from these acts of public outcry at the terrible suffering in Gaza, we in North America feel powerless, without means to oppose the moral bankruptcy of bombing densely-populated areas with impunity or our governments who positively approve of it with similar disregard for civilians and ongoing suffering.
Zatoun has been sent direct donations for Gaza and received inquiries for organizations able to lend immediate aid in this most recent crisis. Zatoun is not setup to accept funds for emergency humanitarian aid and has no means to get them to Gaza, quickly and efficiently. Zatoun's work is of a different kind with a long time horizon. One that has to do with trees, farmers and livelihoods - things that grow slowly and build enduring roots for genuine understanding towards peace.
Our mission is to create experience, awareness, and healing in North America using olive oil from Palestine. Necessarily this focus keeps us outside the daily fray - however horrible the events might be. Zatoun may be silent at the level of direct advocacy however we support the people of Palestine and especially in Gaza at this time.
To help Zatoun supporters wishing to donate directly at this time of dire need, we offer the following organizations for your consideration. They are ready to accept your contributions (and provide a receipt for income tax purposes) and able to direct funds to humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Many offer online, telephone and mail options.
In the United Sates:
- American Near East Refugee Aid (www.anera.org)
- United Palestinian Appeal (www.helpupa.com)
- Islamic Relief (http://www.irw.org)
In Canada:
- The Canadian Red Cross (www.redcross.ca) - no specific Gaza Appeal page online - donors can specify "ICRC Gaza Response" at the end of donation form.
- Islamic Relief (www.islamicreliefcanada.org)
- UNWRA - United Nations Works Relief Agency (www.un.org/unrwa). Revenue Canada recognizes donations made to UN agencies even if outside Canada.
In Canada, the Palestinian Child Sponsorship Program (www.cpfq.org/child)supports children in Gaza. Established in 1999, it provides desperately needed financial assistance and hope to needy Palestinian children and their families living in the West Bank and Gaza. The program operates similarly to "Foster Plan" providing updates and communication with the child and their family. Donations are tax-receiptable in Canada.
You may like to know that Zatoun has been helping in Gaza for the past three years. Zatoun has sold about $8,000 of small embroidery items and pottery made by people living in Gaza. These items have been sold mostly at fairs and event tables (not available for online ordering). The beautiful items (bracelets, bookmarks, glass cases, sachets, etc.) are made by the parents and students attending The Atfaluna School for Deaf Children (www.atfaluna.net) which provides sign language schooling, hearing aids and services as well as vocational training to the deaf in Gaza.
In closing, Zatoun wishes immediate relief to the people of Gaza and a peaceful future for all.
experience ~ learn ~ share
ZATOUN : fair trade olive oil from PALESTINE
info@zatoun.com; www.zatoun.com
MLK Day March
MLK Day March Save the Date
This coming Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 19th Sisters of the Road
invites you to join us in beginning to celebrate our 30th year honoring
the work of the Poor People’s Campaign. This MLK Day will be on the eve
of the inauguration of a new US President and a fitting time to
remember Dr. King’s work for Economic Human Rights and to call for the
change we need in Portland.
We will be marching from Sisters to St. Mary’s Academy
(1615 SW 5th Ave) and along the way taking peaceful actions to call
attention to economic injustice and unfairness at our local and state
level. This is a permitted march.
Please join us for the march if able, or at the venue where we will
be honoring Dr. King and kicking off our work for the next year to
bring economic human rights to our community. Especially important will
be our call to restore civil liberties to our community by repealing the Sit/Lie ordinance
this year. This is a special time in our country; by working together
we can use this opportunity to achieve the goals we all know we need to
achieve. Please take the time to join us with your friends and family.
Here are the details:
On Monday January 19th, 2008 at 2pm we will begin gathering at Sisters
(133 NW 6th Ave). There will be some snacks before the march. At 3pm,
the march will leave. If you don’t want to march, feel free to meet us
over at St. Mary’s Academy around 3:30pm for our program.
If you have any questions about the event, please contact Devin at 503-222-5694 ext. 16 email her.
Voices In Conflict as adapted by Cleveland High School Drama Department
The Cleveland High School Theatre Department will present a play entitled Voices In Conflict as adapted by CHS drama students. This class project the result of student research into the war and those who serve. THe goal is to promote an unbiased perspective of the war using a series of verbatim monologues and some interactive scene work from soldiers, military administrative members, family members, and the media. Students are representing real people such as Charlie Anderson, Tammy Duckworth, Kelly Dougherty, Iraqi civilians and exiles, and Mark Delgado's mother. The show opens Jan 9th at 7 pm and runs Jan 10th, 15th,16th,and 17th. Tickets are $5.00 for students,vets, and senior citizens; $8.00 for adults. Location: 3400 SE 26th Ave at the corner of Powell and 26th Ave. Plenty of parking directly across from the school. Student performances are well acted. A talk back will take place after each performance. For questions call Jane Ferguson, director, at 503-916-5120.
Sanctuary City Resources
Want to End the War?
Here Are Some Resources You Can Use To Help Make Portland a Sanctuary for GI Resisters!
Download the Sanctuary City Fact Sheet
Download the Sanctuary City Petition
For buttons contact: Kelly Campbell, 503-230-9427, kcampbell@afsc.org
Bring the Oregon National Guard Home Campaign
Keep the Oregon Guard in Oregon!
The federal government intends to send 3500 members of the Oregon National Guard to Iraq in Summer 2009. Many will not return or will return with physical or psychic trauma. Moreover, taking the guard and all their equipment out of Oregon causes serious hardship at home and leaves the state unprepared for disasters. The Oregon legislature has the power to prevent or delay the Federal Government from sending our guard abroad.
Current federalization of the Oregon National Guard is based on authorizations for the use of military force against Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2002) that are either too broad, too open ended, or are no longer valid. The Iraq authorization, for example, is based on Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction and a sponsor of international terrorism. Conditions which were not and are not true. The US and Oregon Constitutions do not support unending and unlimited federalization.
The Oregon Legislature has the power to declare that the Oregon National Guard may be deployed only if Congress passes a current and valid authorization for the use of military force.
PDX Peace has joined with other organizations around the state in a campaign coordinated by Peace and Justice Works to get such legislation passed. Similar campaigns are now active in at least 10 other states. Join us!
For more information about the campaign go to the Peace and Justice Works website.
Gather signatures for a petition to the Oregon legislature (pdf).
Read frequently asked questions about the campaign (pdf).
See a draft of possible legislation (pdf).
View the original authorizations of the use of military force (pdf).
STOP THE MASSACRE IN GAZA NOW! Emergency Demonstration
STOP THE MASSACRE IN GAZA NOW!
Emergency Demonstration
Tuesday December 30, 2008
Gather at 4:30 and Rally 5:00 pm
Where: Federal Building, Downtown Portland, SW 3rd & Madison, Portland
Sponsored by: Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights, Portland Peaceful Response Coalition,
American Jews for a Just Peace, International Socialist Organization, American Friends Service Committee, PDX Peace Coalition and others.
Read more background and action ideas.
In Light of Peace Ceremony
Title: In Light of Peace
What: Peace Lighting Vigil
When: Jan 3rd, 4pm
Where: Corner of N.E. Oregon and Interstate blvd.
Contact: Kyle Collins at (503)380-7788 or kyle@mapclicks.com
The Peace Memorial Park Foundation and Veterans For Peace, Sean Slattery Chapter are pleased to announce the "In Light of Peace Ceremony" at the corner of N.E. Oregon and Interstate blvd Saturday, Jan 3rd at 4:00pm. Various leaders from multi and non denominations will present their wishes for peace for 2009. Following the speeches there will be a lighting ceremony at 5pm with holiday lights and hand held candles that will encircle the 75 ft peace symbol.
Join us along with friends and family members for music, warm beverages and your commitment to community as we welcome peace into the new-year.
Now in its third year, the Peace Memorial is a monument to all people everywhere who have ever perished in warfare. The mission of the Peace Memorial Park Foundation of Portland Oregon is to maintain the park in perpetuity, present a lasting memorial to all victims of violent conflict, provide a place of reflection and inspire all who visit to make and act on a commitment to peace as an alternative to violence.
For details about the park, please visit the official website at www.peacememorialpark.org
Winter Soldier Northwest Broadcast on KBOO
Stay tuned on Friday December 12th on KBOO Community radio 90.7 fm
9 am - 4 pm: Portland Winter Soldier
Winter Soldier was first held in 1971, when veterans of the Vietnam War gathered in Washington DC to testify about the atrocities they had committed or witnessed during the war. Now, Iraq Veterans Against the War have resurrected the tradition by holding a number of Winter Soldier events, including here in Portland on October 18. Veterans' testimonies, recorded in Portland in October, will be followed by a live forum with Iraq war vets and civilian victims of Occupation.
Benefit Concert: A Celebration of Peace
A Celebration of Peace 2008: A concert to benefit PDX Peace and the St. Luke Lutheran Church's Veterans Bridge Fund
Sunday Afternoon Dec 28th, 2:30 p.m., The Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Ave., Portland.
Suggested Donation $10 or more -- All Are Welcome, no one turned away
With:
RAINA ROSE
"If a bottle of champagne could sing, it would sound a lot like Raina Rose: positively effervescent and sparkling with youthful enthusiasm. She's a joy"
-- Tracy Grammer
"Portland native Raina Rose is everything a young female folksinger should be... From her late duo the Gypsy Moths to her latest and best-yet C, The Prophet, the Panhanldler and the Moon, her vocal, guitar and songwriting chops continue to flourish."
-- Jeff Rosenberg, Willamette Week
"Her music is joyful, buoyant, exhilarating, and radically silly. It's smart, grin-inducing artistry that's thankfully grounded in the real world."
-- D. R. Scott's Pulp Culture blog
MO MACK AND THE PEACEMAKERS
Portland folksinger and peace activist Mo Mack is joined by the Peacemakers, John and Cynthia Boelling, in some classic peace folk songs and original pieces. Expect smooth, three part harmonies, stylish guitar playing, and high quality tunes. They will be joined by Scott Bickford of Schwing Daddies on bass.
And special guests: THE SUMMER QUARTET
Four fabulous voices: John and Cynthia Boelling, Patrick Scofield, and Mel Downey. Yes, the four part blend is luscious, and they sing Bach, Beatles, madrigal, musical theater, and pop, but it's the fun and emotion that they sing with that makes them special. Yum!
Sanctuary City News Coverage
Three of us spoke to city council today about the camapign to make Portland a sanctuary city for war resisters. The media got pretty interested in the issue--below is some of the coverage in the Oregonian and Oregon Live, and at the bottom links to the TV coverage.
Stay tuned for what is next in the camapign!
Activists want to make Portland a sanctuary for AWOL servicemen
by Mark Larabee, The Oregonian
Tuesday December 02, 2008, 8:11 PM
Activists from several peace groups will go before the Portland City Council today seeking support for making Portland a sanctuary for military resisters -- service members who have gone AWOL to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They hope the City Council will instruct police officers to ignore federal arrest warrants if they make a traffic stop of a soldier absent without leave.
The activists say such a stance is backed by the city's formal opposition to the Iraq war. And, they say, it's in line with the city's withdrawal from the federal Joint Terrorism Task Force as well as its policy prohibiting Portland officers from assisting U.S. immigration agents unless they need emergency backup.
"As a city that's declared itself against the war, we should be supporting soldiers who don't want to go fight," said Kelly Campbell, peace director of the American Friends Service Committee in Portland. "We should be saying it's not our job to be turning them in."
"This is a way to get in front of all of them at the same time and let them know we're serious about this," she said.
Commissioner Randy Leonard said he thinks the proposal is inappropriate.
"I think it's a mistake to be in Iraq for a variety of reasons, including the fact that the president lied to us about the reasons for going to war," Leonard said. "But to call for anarchy in the ranks and declare Portland as a free zone would be illegal. I like doing things like electing a new president to change policies, which we have done."
The peace activists are listed to speak under the "communications" section of today's council agenda. Such communications are usually limited to three minutes, and the council rarely comments on them during the meeting.
Tens of thousands of service members are AWOL, and it's a much bigger problem than the military can handle, said Bill Galvin, counseling coordinator for the Center on Conscience and War in Washington, D.C. The Marine Corps goes after absentees more aggressively than other branches, but the effort is minimal, he said.
"They do not generally go out and track people down," he said. "The main way they get folks is if they are busted for traffic violations."
The proposed policy wouldn't keep military police or federal agents from coming to Portland to look for deserters. Still, as a practical matter, it could have a big effect on people who are AWOL and living here.
"This is an opportunity for the citizens of Portland and the City Council to support the soldiers who are coming back and their right to speak out," said Dan Shea of Veterans for Peace, who first proposed the idea.
Shea said he enlisted with the Marines and spent most of 1968 in Vietnam, where he was exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange. That resulted in his diabetes, he said.
Shea said he never supported the Vietnam War but felt obligated to serve. When he came home, he felt betrayed by the country, saying the initial reasons for going to war were nothing but lies. The same thing is going on today, he said.
Among today's veterans, Shea said he's found people who can no longer support the war because of what they participated in or witnessed.
"These are people of conscience," he said. "They served for what is the best of our country -- the ability to speak out -- and now they are being persecuted for that."
Benjamin Lewis could soon be one of them. The 23-year-old served two tours with the Marines in Iraq and was honorably discharged in 2007. He has been notified that he will be recalled in April or May as part of the Individual Ready Reserve but has vowed not to go because he's opposed to the "open-ended war of aggression."
Because of his language skills, Lewis said, he was often employed as a translator between U.S. forces and Iraqis. "Most Iraqis thought we were there for oil and business interests, and a lot of them thought it was a Christian crusade against Muslims," he said.
Lewis said he will testify today as the only Corvallis member of Iraq Veterans Against the War. The Oregon chapter was founded last month.
"GI resistance is a very important part of questioning military legitimacy," he said. "There's a prevailing notion in America that no matter what the military does, it has to have a firm moral purpose. That is something that is rarely questioned, but it's something that needs to be questioned."
TV coverage:
http://www.katu.com/news/35481474.html
http://www.kgw.com/news-local/storie/kgw_120308_news_soldier_sanctuary.2...