Chicago Indymedia : http://chicago.indymedia.org/archive
Chicago Indymedia

News :: [none]

Cities for Peace Campaign

City Council resolutions opposing war with Iraq have been passed in over 20 cities across the U.S. and efforts are underway in dozens more communities...
Cities for Peace Campaign

City Council resolutions opposing war with Iraq have been passed in over 20 cities across the U.S. and efforts are underway in dozens more communities. This first round of success is exciting and efforts are underway to broaden this campaign and to give voice to the anti-war message in mainstream America.

We hope you will lend your energy to this national effort!

The Institute for Policy Studies is working with the Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC), National Priorities Project, some American Friends Service Committee chapters, and other grassroots groups, students, the faith-based community and others to facilitate the drafting and passing of City Council resolutions or letters opposing war with Iraq. Similar resolutions can be passed in other bodies, such as student council bodies, faculty senates, unions or church boards. We are working with groups through the United for Peace coalition. In addition to opposing U.S. military action against Iraq, these City Council resolutions are highlighting how taxpayers, city and state budgets, and critical social services will be impacted by the costs of a war with Iraq.

In some cities passage of resolutions on federal matters may prove difficult. In these cities we encourage you to work to get a letter signed by the majority of a Council and other elected officials as an alternative to passing a resolution. The goal is to express national opposition to war by elected officials and other organized bodies in whatever form. Please send updates to the City for Peace campaign so we can bring your communities' efforts into the national story of cities that are coming out against a war with Iraq.

We hope you will help us reach our goal of generating 100 city council resolutions and letters against the war by the State of the Union Address in January to express our country's opinion on the future direction of U.S. policy at home and abroad.

A resolution effort in your community will:

1) elevate public awareness of anti-war sentiment;

2) highlight the links between domestic and foreign policy concerns about the war; educate elected officials about the potential impacts on their city's budgets and citizens' concerns that rushing to war will further compromise the safety of our cities;

3) create media buzz about local impacts of war and generate national coverage of the growing city-led backlash to Bush's war;

4) deepen working relations between national and grassroots activists of the anti-war movement;

5) further the current work going on in communities of color (who are one of the strongest anti-war demographics) as well as student groups, labor, and faith-based communities. Religious groups such as the National Council of Churches, the United Methodists and Muslim organizations would be central to working with community activists in this endeavor;

6) create opportunities for elected officials who oppose war to take pro-active steps towards stopping the drive toward military action. We imagine, for instance, that the National Conference of Black Mayors could be a vital partner in this effort.

For furthur info contact www.citiesforpeace.org
 
 

Donate

Views

Account Login

Media Centers

 

This site made manifest by dadaIMC software