[Peace-discuss] Fwd: [ALACOUN:8428] RE:African studies resolution

[Barbara Dyskant]

>X-Spam-Level:
>
>Appropos this discussion of what is appropiate for the
>ALA to do regarding the war issue, I thought
>councilors might be interested in this press release
>that I received from the Sierra Club.  They got a LOT
>of heat from their members who thought they were
>refusing to take a stand against war.
>
>Ann Sparanese
>Councilor-at-Large
>
>****
>For Immediate Release: December 11, 2002
>Sierra Club: Allen Mattison, 202-675-7903
>Win Without War: Nathan Naylor, 202-822-4780 ext. 219
>
>
>      Major Religious, Civic and Environmental Leaders
>Launch
>           National Coalition Opposing Bush War Plan
>
>                Win Without War Challenges
>                  Bush Preemption of Peace Process
>
>      Group to mobilize mainstream opposition &
>sustained protests
>           If White House continues unilateral war
>build-up
>
>WASHINGTON -  The Sierra Club and leaders of other
>influential civic,
>environmental and faith organizations today announced
>the creation of a
>new
>coalition in support of a peaceful, diplomatic
>solution to the crisis
>in
>Iraq.  The new group, Win Without War, represents
>millions of Americans
>and
>seeks to prevent bloodshed and loss of life on all
>sides by slowing the
>Bush Administration's apparent rush to war so that
>U.N. Arms Inspectors
>have time to carry out their mission.  Today's event
>followed a Win
>Without
>War press conference with celebrities held yesterday
>in Hollywood, CA.
>
>Representatives from the National Council of Churches
>(NCC), the NAACP,
>National Organization for Women (NOW), Sierra Club,
>Working Assets and
>MoveOn.org lent support from their various
>organizations to the peace
>effort.
>
>"By reducing our dependency on oil, the U.S. can
>increase our national
>security and reduce the threat of war, as well as
>clean up our air and
>curb
>global warming," said Larry Fahn, Sierra Club Vice
>President.  "Our
>country
>has the know-how to cut our dependence on oil by using
>energy
>efficiency,
>modern technology, and renewable power.  Because war
>has dire
>environmental
>and social impacts, the Sierra Club urges the U.S. to
>let the United
>Nations inspectors do their job so the parties can
>resolve the Iraq
>issue
>peacefully."
>
>"An unprovoked military attack against Iraq would not
>be a just war,"
>stated Reverend Bob Edgar, NCC General Secretary.
>"Such a war would
>violate
>the UN Charter, cause the deaths of many innocent
>people, and unleash
>forces of political extremism and terror."
>
>"The NAACP and millions of African-Americans who are
>uneasy about the
>proposed war with Iraq stand with Win Without War
>today," said Julian
>Bond,
>Chairman of the NAACP Board of Directors. " The war
>against terrorism
>and
>security on the domestic front are much more pressing
>issues for
>President
>Bush to address."
>
>Win Without War was founded on the conviction that
>security for
>Americans
>and U.S. allies abroad can be achieved through
>aggressive inspections,
>sustained monitoring programs and the dismantling of
>Iraqi weapons of
>mass
>destruction. Win Without War members pledge to broaden
>opposition to
>Bush
>Administration calls for a unilateral invasion of Iraq
>and vow to
>intensify
>the protests that began this week in dozens of cities
>for as long as
>necessary.
>
>"George W. Bush's drive for war against Iraq may serve
>his political
>ambition but it will not make our country more
>secure," said Terry
>O'Neill,
>NOW Membership Vice President.  "Moreover, women would
>be
>disproportionately affected by war against Iraq.  As
>has happened
>during
>previous wars, funds will be diverted from education,
>health, welfare
>and
>other vitally needed social programs from an already
>downsized budget.
>Women will bear the greatest burden of any decrease in
>domestic
>spending in
>order to finance this war."
>
>"We've seen an enormous concern from our members about
>the President's
>plans for war with Iraq," said Eli Pariser,
>International Campaigns
>Director, MoveOn.org.  "Many who have never been
>politically active now
>feel compelled to act.  Especially worrisome is the
>Bush
>Administration's
>apparent intent to obstruct or undermine the weapons
>inspections
>process-which is why our petition calling on the
>President to "Let the
>Inspections Work" has been one of our fastest-growing
>campaigns ever."
>
>"The Bush administration's priorities are seriously
>reversed," said
>Melissa
>Daar, State Political Manager, Working Assets.
>"Instead of rushing to
>war,
>Bush should keep him promise to find bin Laden and let
>UN inspectors do
>their job."
>
>                          # # #
>
>
>
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-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu

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