[Peace-discuss] Suggestions sought on local peace groups overview

Wed Feb 26 15:12:15 CST 2003

Hi all,

I worked up the following overview of local peace efforts in preparation 
for a meeting this evening. Comments, suggestions and corrections are welcome.

peace,
Jim

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Local Anti-War Actions and Organizations

UIUC and the Urbana-Champaign community are blessed with the presence of 
multiple groups who work actively on peace and justice issues. Several of 
those groups have upcoming events that relate specifically to the looming 
invasion of Iraq. Here is an incomplete list:

AWARE (Anti-War, Anti-Racism Effort)  This independent group formed soon 
after Sept. 11, 2001, to explore alternatives to anticipated violent 
responses to the terrorist attacks. They have since held many vigils, 
teach-ins, and protests both on campus and around the community. AWARE’s 
members are also involved in many other local groups  originally, the 
organization was envisioned as a network of existing groups, but it has 
since taken on more of an independent identity. AWARE was instrumental in 
proposing and supporting the resolution opposing the war that passed 5-2 in 
the Urbana City Council in February 2003. AWARE is the local source for the 
many “NO IRAQ WAR” yard signs that have sprung up around town.
Website: www.anti-war.net
AWARE events:
(weekly) Prospect for Peace sidewalk vigil, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturdays, at 
southeast corner of Prospect and Marketview Streets, Champaign. Hold up a 
sign provided by AWARE, or bring your own. This is a legally permitted 
event - AWARE has worked out ground rules for this ongoing protest with the 
Champaign City Attorney’s office. (Park in the Lowes or Circuit City lots 
across the street if you attend  the owner of the tire business behind the 
protest area will tow protesters’ cars.) This event has grown to over 100 
people per week, even in blizzard-like conditions. Dress warm!
(weekly) Organizational meeting, 5 to 7 pm Sundays at the Urbana-Champaign 
Independent Media Center, 218 W. Main St., Urbana (across from Strawberry 
Fields market).
(imminent), Day of Invasion rally, beginning 5 pm on the day a US-led 
invasion of Iraq commences, at West Side Park in Champaign.

Student Peace Action  This UIUC registered student organization has been 
active since spring 2002. It is affiliated nationally with Peace Action, a 
Chicago-based peace group that traces its roots to the anti-nuclear weapons 
group of the 1980s, SANE/FREEZE. Student Peace Action held a well-attended 
teach-in in Lincoln Hall in February 2003, and was instrumental in the 
Illini Student Government’s passage of an anti-Iraq war resolution the same 
month.
Website: http://www.uiuc.edu/ro/peaceaction/
SPA events:
(weekly) Organizational meeting, Wednesdays at 7 pm, 145 Lincoln Hall, UI.
(imminent) - The day after a war officially begins in Iraq (whether 
declared by US government or reported by the media) the following events 
will take place:
Noon - Rally on quad
1 p.m. - March
March 5th-Coldpack drive. In solidarity with the March 5th student strike 
SPA are asking people to collect their monthly coldpacks either from inside 
the Illini Union or from Mckinley. These will be displayed on the Quad, 
then taken to the post office and shipped them to Voices in the Wilderness 
(www.vitw.org) who will then send them to Iraq for the Iraqi people.
Petition to halt military recruitment  SPA are currently in the process of 
collecting signatures for a petition that asks the UIUC administration to 
halt military recruitment while the military is recruiting for a war with Iraq.

Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative  PRC is a program of the Illinois 
Disciples Foundation, located at the corner of Springfield and Wright 
Streets in Champaign. They describe themselves as a multi-issue, 
multi-tactical activist organization committed to peace with social 
justice, working to promote human rights, democracy, and self-determination 
for all people. The organization is best-known for its ongoing efforts to 
retire Chief Illiniwek. It also supports an active local chapter of the 
Vietnam Veterans Against War, and is active in peace efforts with regard to 
the looming war on Iraq. PRC, like AWARE, was an important contributor to 
the success of the Urbana City Council resolution opposing a war with Iraq.
Website: http://www.prairienet.org/prc/
PRC events:
(weekly) Organizational meeting, Wednesdays, 7:30 pm, at Illinois Disciples 
Foundation.
Women Against War: A Rally in Solidarity with International Women’s Day, 
Friday, March 7, noon, on UIUC Union South Patio (Quad).
(imminent) Emergency Response Rally To Oppose Bush's War On Iraq, 12 Noon, 
Day after the war begins, UIUC Quad.

UIUC Teachers for Peace and Justice  A registered organization on the UI 
campus whose membership consists primarily of UI and community educators. 
The group sponsors peace-related teach-ins on a regular basis. Their most 
recent event, on Feb. 19, featured media analyst Robert McChesney (UI 
Institute for Communications Research) and Cliff Singer, director of the 
UI-based (and partly Defense Department-funded) program in Arms Control, 
Disarmament and International Security (ACDIS). No website is currently 
online. Additional information can be obtained from Rebecca Starr 
(ristarr at uiuc.edu).

Informational Resources

Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center  Office at 218 W. Main St., 
Urbana (across from Strawberry Fields). An ambitious, volunteer-organized 
effort with its own office and website, the UC-IMC is a leading member of 
an international movement in non-commercial, progressive media. The IMC 
website is an open-posting environment where anyone may post articles or 
photos of local, national or global interest. Many of the posts offer 
perspectives on peace issues that cannot be found in the corporate media 
outlets. UC-IMC is also a very active entertainment venue, with several 
live concerts each week; folk and punk predominate but you never know quite 
what you’ll find. The UC-IMC also puts out the “Public I” monthly 
newspaper, available for free all over town, and hosts the weekly “IMC News 
Hour” Mondays from 5:30 to 6 pm on WEFT-FM 90.1.
Website: www.ucimc.org

Peace e-lists  You can sign up for AWARE’s local news (peace@) and 
discussion (peace-discuss@) email lists at <http://lists.groogroo.com>. The 
site, a local nonprofit web presence provider for progressives, also hosts 
several other interesting e-lists, including those for the local Green 
Party and a cross-party political group, UC-Progressives.

WEFT-FM 90.1 Community Radio  WEFT is a local treasure of the airwaves, 
with a signal that reaches countywide and then some. Of particular interest 
are their “daily courier” programs Monday through Friday  New 
York-produced “Democracy Now” 4-5 pm, Free Speech Radio News 5-5:30, and 
varied magazine-format news programs 5:30-6 pm (including the UC-IMC News 
Hour” each Monday). Weekend highlights for progressives include the locally 
produced talk-format shows “News from Neptune” from 10-11 am Saturdays, 
“Labor Hour” from 11 am-noon Saturdays, “Radio Free Conscience” and “Radio 
Girl” 10-11 am Sundays, and “Window on the World” from 5-6 pm Sundays.

Common Dreams website  www.commondreams.org - A non-local, but vibrant and 
vital, compendium of peace-related articles culled from the nation’s 
newspapers and magazines. (It’s one of the best places to find Molly Ivins’ 
columns, e.g., since they were unceremoniously yanked from the pages of the 
local daily ‘long about September 2001.)