Momentum for the campaign is growing locally, regionally and nationally—with campaigns underway in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Oregon, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Alaska and California. Nationally, the campaign is endorsed by Veterans for Peace, Declaration of Peace, Global Campaign Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, and others.

Please be in touch with the Voices for Creative Nonviolence office about joining with an affinity group for the campaign, if you are not already part of an affinity group.

If you are part of an affinity group in which members are planning on engaging in civil disobedience during the campaign, please have a representative of your group contact Voices so we can begin to coordinate scheduling of actions for the campaign.

If you are part of an affinity group which is dedicated to engaging in solidarity work during the campaign, rather than risking arrest, please contact Voices so we can begin to coordinate solidarity work during the campaign.

FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT: Voices for Creative Nonviolence. Phone: 773-878-3815. Email: occupationproject (at) vcnv.org. Web: www.vcnv.org

KEY DATES:

JANUARY 8 – 7:00 p.m. – BROAD BASED CAMPAIGN MEETING -- Wellington United Church of Christ (615 W Wellington Ave in Chicago) -- Broad based campaign meeting of all interested individuals and organizations to prepare for the start of the Occupation Project campaign. At this meeting, individuals who are not yet members of an affinity group will be assisted in joining with an existing affinity group or in forming new affinity groups for the campaign. We will also discuss the timeline for the campaign, including strategizing when and where civil disobedience will take place. An overview of the supplemental spending plan will be provided.

JANUARY 20 – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – NONVIOLENCE TRAINING – St. Gertrude Parish Social Hall. (1401 W. Granville Avenue in Chicago). Prepare for participation in the Occupation Project. This training will include: theory and practice of nonviolence; role plays in nonviolence; the arrest process; and the potential legal consequences of participating in civil disobedience. The campaign will assist those not already in affinity groups in joining with an existing affinity group or forming new affinity groups.

JANUARY 20 – 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – NONVIOLENCE TRAINING – Third Unitarian Church (301 N Mayfield Ave in Chicago). Prepare for participation in the Occupation Project. This training will include: theory and practice of nonviolence; role plays in nonviolence; the arrest process; and the potential legal consequences of participating in civil disobedience. The campaign will assist those not already in affinity groups in joining with an existing affinity group or forming new affinity groups.

JANUARY 25 – 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. NONVIOLENCE TRAINING – Chicago Theological Seminary. Room location to be determined. Contact Voices for Creative Nonviolence at 773-878-3815 or occupationproject (at) vcnv.org for details. Prepare for participation in the Occupation Project. This training will include: theory and practice of nonviolence; role plays in nonviolence; the arrest process; and the potential legal consequences of participating in civil disobedience. The campaign will assist those not already in affinity groups in joining with an existing affinity group or forming new affinity groups.

FEBRUARY 5 –CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE BEGINS AT OFFICES OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS WHO DO NOT PUBLICLY PLEDGE TO VOTE AGAINST THE SUPPLEMENTAL SPENDING BILL WHICH PROVIDES ADDITIONAL IRAQ WAR FUNDS.

FEBRUARY 17 – 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – NONVIOLENCE TRAINING. St. Gertrude Parish Social Hall. (1401 W. Granville Avenue in Chicago). Prepare for participation in the Occupation Project. This training will include: theory and practice of nonviolence; role plays in nonviolence; the arrest process; and the potential legal consequences of participating in civil disobedience. The campaign will assist those not already in affinity groups in joining with an existing affinity group or forming new affinity groups.

FEBRUARY 19 to FEBRUARY 26 – CONGRESS IN RECESS. Representatives and Senators will be in their home district and state.

FEBRUARY 26 TO MARCH 9 – POSSIBLE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE HEARINGS. If the patterns of 2005 and 2006 are followed this year, we expect the House Appropriations Committee to hold hearings on the supplemental war funding bill sometime during this period of time. Unfortunately, it is also very possible that we will not know exactly when the hearings will be held until a day or two before the actual hearing date.

MARCH 19 – FOURTH YEAR REMEMBRANCE OF THE U.S. INVASION OF IRAQ.

MARCH 30 TO APRIL 13 – CONGRESS IN RECESS. The House will almost certainly have voted on the Iraq war funding bill by the time the recess begins (in 2005 and 2006 the House voted for the funds prior to March 16, when it began a week long recess in those years). The focus during this time period should shift to the Senators.

APRIL 16 – TAX DAY. The Senate will likely vote on the supplemental spending bill