[Peace-discuss] State of the anti-war movement

[Barbara kessel]

I third the motion. Let's hear from more people on peace-discuss and
then take it up at the next AWARE meeting.

On 5/26/08, Ricky Baldwin <baldwinricky at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I second the motion!  (In fact, I'd love to go, but I won't be here :-(
>  ...)
>
>
>  Ricky
>
> --- "C. G. Estabrook" <galliher at uiuc.edu> wrote:
>
>  > [I think it would be worthwhile for AWARE to represented at this
>  > assembly, June
>  > 28th and 29th 2008 in Cleveland. --CGE]
>  >
>  > "The only correct demand for the U.S. anti-war movement is for the
>  > immediate and
>  > unconditional withdrawal of all US forces from Iraq."
>  >
>  >       CPR for the Anti-War Movement
>  >       by Ron Jacobs
>  >
>  > It is fair to say that the anti-war movement in the US is moribund.
>  > A movement
>  > that put a million people in the streets a month before the invasion
>  > of Iraq in
>  > 2003 and has drawn as many as half-a-million protesters to protests
>  > as recently
>  > as January 2007 has failed to mobilize anything even near those
>  > numbers since
>  > then.  Part of this is because of differences among the leadership of
>  > the two
>  > primary anti-war organizations, part of it is because many people
>  > opposed to the
>  > war have put their energies -- however misplaced -- into working for
>  > Barack
>  > Obama, and part of it is attributable to the belief that there is
>  > nothing one
>  > can do to stop the bloody occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.  The
>  > most recent
>  > example of this occurred during the week of March 15th, 2008.
>  > Despite the
>  > announced intentions of both anti-war organizations to organize some
>  > kind of
>  > national march marking the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq,
>  > there was
>  > no such protest.  Instead, hundreds of cities and towns around the
>  > country held
>  > smaller observances.
>  >
>  > In the wake of the failure to organize a national protest, some folks
>  > from the
>  > US who had formed a coalition following a 2007 international anti-war
>  > conference
>  > in London decided to step outside the existing organizational stasis.
>  >  They
>  > formed a steering committee with the intention of reigniting the
>  > national
>  > movement against the war in the United States.  The primary movers
>  > behind this
>  > effort include members of the American Friends Service Committee
>  > (AFSC), US
>  > Labor Against the War (USLAW), military veterans and individuals with
>  > decades of
>  > experience organizing against imperial war, and representatives of
>  > numerous
>  > local anti-war committees.  Characterizing themselves as the mass
>  > action wing of
>  > the anti-war movement, the steering committee in early spring 2008
>  > put out a
>  > call for a national meeting of anti-war activists and citizens in
>  > late June of
>  > this year -- a call which has been answered by hundreds of
>  > organizations and
>  > individuals from across the US.  Organizing under the name The
>  > National Assembly
>  > to End the Iraq War and Occupation, the steering committee has
>  > garnered the
>  > endorsement of several labor organizations and individuals like Cindy
>  > Sheehan,
>  > Howard Zinn, and Mumia Abu Jamal.  In addition, a multitude of local
>  > peace and
>  > justice organizations, church groups, and student organizations have
>  > signed on.
>  >
>  > When I asked AFSC organizer and coordinator of the Northeast Ohio
>  > Anti-War
>  > Coalition Greg Coleridge, who along with Marilyn Levin of Greater
>  > Boston United
>  > for Justice with Peace, is one of the national spokespeople for the
>  > National
>  > Assembly, why this conference should be held now, he responded this
>  > way:
>  >
>  > "The ever-increasing human carnage, economic costs, and desire for US
>  > military
>  > conquest connected to the Iraq war and occupation demand effective
>  > resistance.
>  > There is an urgent need for greater coordination, collaboration and
>  > cohesion
>  > among US anti-war organizations without giving up their own missions
>  > and
>  > identities.  The upcoming elections provide ample opportunities to
>  > distract
>  > attention from the current permanent nature of the war and
>  > occupation.  Now is
>  > the time for anti-war activists and concerned citizens to come
>  > together and call
>  > on the anti-war movement to organize mass actions which communicate
>  > to the
>  > public and pressure elected officials that US troops, bases and
>  > contractors must
>  > leave Iraq immediately."
>  >
>  > It is important to note that there is not a call for a withdrawal
>  > timetable
>  > here.  As Coordinating Committee member Jerry Gordon told me in a
>  > conversation,
>  > the only correct demand for the U.S. anti-war movement is for the
>  > immediate and
>  > unconditional withdrawal of all US forces from Iraq. Furthermore, it
>  > is assumed
>  > that the best way to make this demand is through mass action and a
>  > unified
>  > anti-war movement that utilizes democratic decision-making and
>  > remains
>  > independent of any and all political parties and organizations.  It
>  > is not the
>  > intention of those on the steering committee to supersede UFPJ or
>  > ANSWER.
>  > Indeed, they have the utmost respect for the two organizations and
>  > the work they
>  > have done to this point.  This respect is evident in the fact that
>  > both
>  > organizations have members from their coordinating committees on the
>  > speakers
>  > list for the Assembly.
>  >
>  > The Assembly, which will take place on June 28th and 29th 2008 at the
>  > Crowne
>  > Plaza Hotel in Northeast Cleveland, is open to all.  A five-point
>  > action plan
>  > will be discussed and voted on during the weekend.  Although there
>  > are several
>  > speakers slated for the podium and a number of workshops scheduled,
>  > there will
>  > be ample time for anyone to speak and it is hoped that those who have
>  > serious
>  > ideas on how to organize a movement that will stop this war will
>  > attend and
>  > speak up.  As Greg Coleridge put it in an email to me, "I see the
>  > Assembly as a
>  > collective facilitator -- enabling the many different voices against
>  > the war to
>  > coalesce and create a massive roar to force an immediate end to the
>  > war and
>  > occupation."  He continued, hoping that a "greater trust" can be
>  > developed among
>  > those working to end the war.  As for concrete outcomes, he said the
>  > organizers
>  > "hope that Assembly attendees will agree to urge that the broad
>  > anti-war
>  > movement unite in calling for mass actions this year and next."
>  >
>  > Reminding me that the vast majority of people in the US oppose the
>  > war and
>  > occupation, Coleridge explained why he believes mass action is not
>  > only
>  > important but essential.  "Unfortunately," he wrote in an email.
>  > "the US
>  > Constitution doesn't permit national initiatives or referendums."  If
>  > it did, he
>  > "believe(s) most people today would vote for a federal initiative
>  > calling to end
>  > the Iraq war, bring US troops home, close military bases, and end
>  > funding beyond
>  > required to transport the troops back."  Coleridge continued,
>  > explaining that
>  > "Organized mass street actions have played a historically important
>  > role in
>  > producing social change in this country.  A government that ignores
>  > public
>  > opinion and mass mobilizations loses credibility, authenticity, and
>  > legitimacy.
>  >   No government can effectively govern without support from the
>  > majority of its
>  > citizens.  A vast majority of people oppose the war and occupation.
>  > The
>  > anti-war movement has a responsibility to provide forums where those
>  > feelings
>  > can be expressed.  National and coordinated mass action is certainly
>  > not the
>  > only strategy required to end the Iraq war and occupation.  Over the
>  > last couple
>  > of years, however, it is a strategy that has not been utilized for
>  > maximum
>  > effect.  That must change."
>  >
>  > Conference speakers include Jonathan Hutto, Navy Petty Officer,
>  > author of
>  > Anti-War Soldier and Co-Founder of Appeal for Redress; Donna Dewitt,
>  > president
>  > of the South Carolina AFL-CIO; Cindy Sheehan (by satellite); Colia
>  > Clark, long
>  > time civil rights activist; Fred Mason, President of the Maryland
>  > AFL-CIO and
>  > National Co-Convenor of USLAW; Jeremy Scahill, author of Blackwater:
>  > The Rise of
>  > the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army; and Clarence Thomas,
>  > Executive Board
>  > member, ILWU Local 10, the trade union that initiated the May 1
>  > one-day strike
>  > that closed all U.S. West Coast ports from Canada to Mexico.
>  >
>  > For information and to register for the National Assembly, please go
>  > to their
>  > website at www.natassembly.org or call 216-736-4704.
>  >
>  > Ron Jacobs is author of The Way the Wind Blew: A History of the
>  > Weather
>  > Underground (republished by Verso). His first novel, Short Order
>  > Frame Up, is
>  > published by Mainstay Press. He can be reached at
>  > <rjacobs3625 at charter.net>.
>  > URL: mrzine.monthlyreview.org/jacobs210508.html
>  >
>  >       ###
>  >
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