United for Peace and Justice: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:26, 17 December 2005

Revision as of 16:44, 29 December 2005

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'''United for Peace and Justice''' (UFPJ) is a coalition of more than 1,300 international and [[United States|U.S.]]-based organizations opposed to what they describe as "our government's policy of permanent warfare and empire-building."

The organization was founded by [[Leslie Cagan]] and others in [[October 2002]], during the build-up to the U.S.'s [[2003 invasion of Iraq]]. The direct precursor to UFPJ was "United We March!", initiated by [[Global Exchange]], the [[Green Party of the United States]], and others, which organized the April 20th demonstration against the U.S. [[invasion of Afghanistan]].

Primarily, UFPJ organizes large-scale [[protest|protests]]. The group separates its work into seven issue [[campaign|campaigns]]: [[Iraq]], counter-[[military]] [[Recruitment|recruitment]], [[Anti-globalization|global justice]], [[nuclear disarmament]], [[Palestinian territories|Palestine]]/[[Israel]], [[civil liberties]]/immigrant rights and [[faith-based]] organizing.

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*Its second major [[protest]], held on [[March 20]], [[2004]] to commemorate the first [[anniversary]] of the [[United States|U.S.]]' attack on [[Iraq]]. The event drew over 100,000 people in [[New York City]], plus nearly two [[million]] in 700 other cities.

*Another major protest on [[Sunday]], [[August 29]], [[2004]], the eve of the [[2004 Republican National Convention]] in [[New York City]]. The event drew over 500,000 people, according to [[The New York Times]], and received lead coverage (including a double-sized, vertical front page in New York [[Newsday]]) in every major [[newspaper]].

== Unity statement==

UFPJ's lengthy Unity Statement [http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=1871], adopted as a work in progress at the [[June 2003]] UFPJ National Strategy Conference, begins by asserting their opposition to the "[[pre-emptive war]]s of aggression waged by the [[George W. Bush|Bush]] administration" and the "drive to expand U.S. control over other nations and strip us of our rights at home under the cover of fighting [[terrorism]] and spreading [[democracy]]." It then echoes the rhetoric of [[Not in Our Name]] (founded six months earlier and itself a member of UFPJ) stating, "we say NO to [the U.S.'s] use of war and [[racism]] to concentrate power in the hands of the few, at home and abroad."

It goes on to call for "a broad mass movement for peace and justice" and, in particular, for "peaceful resolution of disputes amongst states; respect for national [[sovereignty]], [[international law]], and the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]]; the defense and extension of basic democratic freedoms to all; [[social justice|social]] and [[economic justice]]; and the use of public spending to meet human and [[environmentalism|environmental]] needs."

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The critique is then broadened to much of U.S. foreign policy, [[nuclear weapon]]s policy, [[racial profiling]], detention of immigrants, and other abuses in domestic law enforcement, singling out the [[USA PATRIOT Act]] and the proposed "even more draconian" [[Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003|PATRIOT Act II]]. It also assails the damage that a war budget and "tax cuts for the wealthy" have done to domestic programs such as [[Medicaid]] and even [[veterans' benefits]], then states, "Military recruiters are aggressively targeting low-income students, predominantly people of color, who, because they are denied access to good schools and decent jobs, have few alternatives to poverty or incarceration other than joining the military."

== "No Stolen Elections!" campaign==

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*[http://www.unitedforpeace.org Official UFPJ website]

*[http://www.nov3.us "No Stolen Elections!" campaign website]

[[Category:Anti-Iraq War groups]]