[Peace-discuss] UFPJ National Conference for Peace & Justice, June 6-8 Chicago

[Joseph T. Miller]

SAVE THE DATE!!!  MAKE YOUR TRAVEL PLANS NOW!!!

NATIONAL CONFERENCE
United for Peace and Justice Coalition

June 6-8, Chicago

On June 6-8, United for Peace and Justice will hold a National Conference in Chicago. Representatives of local and national peace and justice groups from across the U.S. will come together to assess the new challenges and opportunities we face in stopping the Bush administration’s program of permanent war. It is time to develop plans for coordinated action over the next 6-12 months. We invite all organizations affiliated with or interested in joining UFPJ to send a representative to participate in this important meeting. (See info at bottom for how to become a member group of UFPJ.)

United for Peace and Justice formed in October 2002 to bring together a broad range of organizations throughout the United States to coordinate our work against the U.S. war on Iraq. Activities organized by UFPJ organizations and activists—-including the Feb. 15 mobilization in NYC, in which 500,000 people participated, and the jointly organized Feb. 16 demonstration in San Francisco, attended by 250,000--have been instrumental in resisting the Bush administration’s empire-building agenda.

(PLEASE NOTE: For multiple reasons, the conference will not be on May 24-26, as had been initially planned at a March 9 meeting in Washington, D.C.)

Now more than ever, it’s critical that we strategize about how to build a stronger grassroots movement for peace, democracy, and justice. At this conference organizers and activists will have the opportunity to grapple with these questions and more:

--Will Bush soon wage “pre-emptive” wars on Syria, Iran, or North Korea?
--What strategy and tactics will help us build the power needed to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq? 
--What action should we take to end the U.S. role in sustaining Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands and repressive regimes from Colombia to the Philippines—all in the name of “fighting terror?”
--How do we attract and retain the involvement of diverse communities and sectors at a moment when many feel demoralized by Bush’s invasion of Iraq or unclear about next steps?
--Does the intersection of an economic crisis at home and the diversion of billions of federal dollars to the military create new opportunities to organize and build the leadership of communities of color in the movement?
--How do we fight against the detentions and deportations of immigrants, the attacks on our civil liberties, and the possibility of a PATRIOT Act II?

Over 3 full days, we will use plenary sessions, breakout groups, and workshops to

1) Strengthen ties between local and national peace and justice groups across the U.S.
2) Assess the political landscape we face (Bush’s war agenda—its impact abroad and at home; strengths and weaknesses of our movement) 
3) Develop coordinated campaigns and action plans (involving mass actions, direct action, grassroots lobbying, etc.) 
4) Develop a 6-12 month structure to help us implement those plans
5) Elect UFPJ leadership	

The first day is tentatively planned to be educational, with presentations, panels and workshops on a range of topics relating to Iraq, the “war on terrorism,” and movement-building. These discussions will provide a framework for making decisions on action plans and how we’ll organize our work on the second and third days.
 
UFPJ is committed to ensuring grassroots participation at this vital meeting, occurring at a critical juncture for our movement. Therefore, UFPJ will cover a large percentage of the costs of either travel or the conference. We are in the process of finalizing conference logistics and scholarship plans and will send out an update shortly.

In the meantime, we encourage you to make transportation plans ASAP.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:

United for Peace and Justice
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/

To become a member group of UFPJ:
United for Peace & Justice welcomes the participation of any and all national, regional and local groups who share our goals and wish to work with others. Email andrea at globalexchange.org

To receive email updates, go to
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email.php

Contact us at:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/contactus.php
New York City 212-603-3700
 
To make a tax-deductible donation, go to
http://unitedforpeace.org/donate
 

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