Declaration of Human Rights

Dear Friends,

On December 10, 1948, as the world came together to say “never again” in the aftermath of World War II, the Holocaust and the use of nuclear weapons, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Each of the Member countries were called on to publicize the text of the Declaration and “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded…without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.” These are the rights that bind us to people all across the globe in humanity and respect. Imbedded in them are the following themes:

· Women’s Rights
· The Right to health Care and education
· The right to be free from fear and torture
· The right to freedom of expression and self determination
· The right to decent work
· The right to be free from hunger and poverty

And, most importantly, this declaration includes the responsibility of all of us to protect these human rights. Yet in the past sixty-one years, we have witnessed mass atrocities all around the globe. And today, as we escalate and expand a failing war, as we watch protesters in Iran and elsewhere jailed for their words, and as we struggle with a myriad of other issues such as immigration, gay rights, climate change and health care, it is critical that we pause and reflect on how we must act if we are to be true to our responsibility – in our own country as well as around the world — as fellow humans. Please take the time to write a letter to the editor; write your senator and congressmen, talk with your neighbors. Doing nothing to protect the rights of others is not neutral. It is a message of support for those that deny those rights – and that threatens all of us. You can read the Declaration at http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/, or purchase a copy of them in a small booklet at the JRPC store.

In freedom and hope,

Betsy

Petition for Arms Ban

Dear Friends,

In the Fall 09 issue of Physicians For Social Responsibility, we are reminded that the problem of nuclear weapons is far from being resolved. The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) comes up for a vote on December 5, but it is unlikely that a new treaty will be approved before then. It is also well to remember that the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which was last debated in 1999, was narrowly rejected by the US Senate. This should be one of our highest priorities. President Obama has taken many opportunities to promote ultimate nuclear disarmament on both the domestic and international stage. This was one important reason for his being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year. But we must do more than hear the words. We need global commitments to action. Of course, it is a difficult time now because of the many other important and pressing public issues which are under consideration – health care and climate change particularly. But we must devote what time we can now to the nuclear issue and to expand our involvement when it becomes the issue of highest priority. In any case, we must support our President to fulfill his promise to remove once and for all the threat of nuclear Armageddon. Physicians For Social responsibility has a petition to President Obama asking him to fulfill his vision of a world free of nuclear weapons. I urge you to sign it at http://action.psr.org/site/Survey?SURVEY_ID=3261&ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS

Sincerely,

Meyer “Mike” Chessin

National Day of Listening

Dear Friends,

This week, as many celebrate Thanksgiving, we are mindful that there are many around the world who suffer, including many immigrants and refugees in our own country. There is much yet to be done to end wars and injustice and to save our planet for future generations. Being truly thankful requires us to find ways to act out of that gratitude, and in doing so to remember our connection to others and the world. We will be closed on the day after Thanksgiving as a way to model our value that it is those connections to each other and the world that are most important, not the things we consume. Story Corps has designated the day after Thanksgiving as National Day of Listening. What a perfect way to balance the push for record shoppers at “black Friday events”! You can participate at http://www.nationaldayoflistening.org/ or just do some simple practice on your own by listening to those around you – listen for the ways you can serve, understand and bring peace.

In gratitude for all you do in the name of peace, and all the ways you bring hope to me, to the Center and to the world, Betsy

Gift Ideas and Rock for Peace

Dear Friends,

As the Christmas buying season approaches and a reduced income makes buying gifts difficult for many people, some of us find ourselves struggling between our desire to give and our commitment against materialism and waste. The best answer to this dilemma, in my opinion, is making charitable gifts honoring family and friends, and I hope many of you will consider such donations to the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center. When we give to the Missoula Food Bank or Poverello Center, we know we are directly helping hungry people that we may see every day in Missoula. It may be more difficult to see the physical results of your donation to JRPC, but its presence feeds the heart and soul of Missoula as we work locally and internationally for peace, justice, and sustainability. It is frustrating that we have to spend time and energy on money matters, but the fact is that in spite of Betsy’s upbeat communications about the success of our peace party (less than budgeted, however), we are struggling financially. Your membership and donations are crucial to keeping our doors open. Thanks to those of you who have given gift memberships and honor donations in the past. When you give a JRPC membership or donation to honor a friend, you are giving twice.

You also give twice when you buy gifts at our Fair Trade Store. Our store manager, Katie, is doing a wonderful job of ordering and displaying beautiful, interesting, useful merchandise, including books and locally-made cards and other items. When you choose to buy fair trade gifts, you are helping people to put food on their tables and also helping JRPC to keep its doors open. We are counting on our members to not only shop here but to tell your friends. Invite them to visit the Hip Strip local shops before they go to the mall or big box stores.

And last, you have a purely entertaining, sustainable, locally-made opportunity to help JRPC and the UM Students for Peace and Justice film series on Friday evening. Please join us at “Rock for Peace” at 9 pm at the Badlander with 2 great local bands — Reverend Slanky and Infernal Machine. It should be a great evening among peace-loving friends. Buy your $5 ticket early at JRPC — $8 at the door Friday night.

Working together for peace,

Ethel MacDonald, JRPC Coordinating Council Member

Rethink Afghanistan: Letter to President Obama

Veterans for Rethinking Afghanistan consists of a growing number of veterans committed to showing Congress and the public the realities of the war. These vets have been testifying before Congress and meeting with Senators and Representatives. Their message: Rethink U.S. foreign policy to include non-military solutions for the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Below is a letter they plan to deliver to President Obama once they get 100,000 signatures. Let’s help them get there. Sign it online at http://rethinkafghanistan.com/ or we will have a copy of it at JRPC that you can sign. Better yet, call the White House at 1-202-456-1414 or send your own e-mail to http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.
In case you missed our showing of the dvd “Rethink Afghanistan” by Robert Greenwald, we have it in our library or you can view it at the link above. It is past time for all of us to rethink Afghanistan and think instead of nonviolence, of compassion for our troops and the Afghan people, and of how we can work together to end our longest war.

Dear President Obama,

News reports indicate that you plan to send between 34,000 and 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan.
We urge you to reconsider this decision.
Expanding the war in Afghanistan will make Americans less safe, not more so. Less than 100 members of Al Qaeda remain in Afghanistan. The Karzai government we once supported is controlled by warlords and is riddled with corruption. Pakistan’s stability will be gravely imperiled by an expansion of the war. Hundreds if not thousands of troops will be killed, along with countless civilians. Anti-American sentiment throughout the Muslim world will be inflamed by civilian bloodshed, facilitating recruitment by terrorist organizations.
The war will cost billions of dollars when we can least afford it, and will stymie your domestic agenda. The cost of sustaining a military force in Afghanistan is $1 million per soldier per year – that’s close to $100 billion dollars annually with the troop increase. With the economy in shambles, the deficits generated by these enormous costs will compromise your domestic legislative agenda both fiscally and politically.
The United States has no vital interest in Afghanistan. If you choose to further escalate troop levels in Afghanistan, you will be making the biggest mistake of your presidency.
Please reject General McChrystal’s troop requests and begin the process of exiting U.S. forces from Afghanistan…

A Reflection on Veterans Day

Dear friends of peace,

Next week, this country will be awash in red, white and blue for Veterans Day. Originally this November holiday was to commemorate the end of “the war to end all wars” — Armistice Day. Over the years, it has become clear that WWII did not end all wars. We soon forgot the horrors, misplaced the lessons and longed for the glory and the economics of war. It is right to set aside time to remember and honor those who pay the price, the veterans and their family members, none of whom escape unscathed. However, the reality is that Veterans Day has become more about honoring the glories of war than honoring the men and women who bear the scars. This last week, we dedicated a new warship made out of the remains of one of the most tragic acts of war, the destroyed Twin Towers. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of American veterans, home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, lack access to basic treatments and services needed to help them transition back into civilian life. You can read the Action item below about veterans of the Merchant Marines being denied their status and benefits as a veteran, even though they were one of the most impacted groups of servicemen and women in WWII. This last summer we had a couple of veteran Conscientious Objectors come through Missoula and receive a shameful non-welcome from local veteran groups. Women, gays and lesbians in the military continue to be subjected to hate and discrimination. And in Missoula we have many veterans living on the streets or in homeless shelters, under scrutiny from those who want our downtown to be “cleaned up”. We all know veterans, and if we don’t we should. For we cannot know war without seeing these faces and knowing these stories – all of them. Glorifying and celebrating war will not end it. Rather, our society must truly see the horrors and know the lives destroyed by war, so we intimately know the cost. Let’s look past the red, white and blue celebration at the people who paid the price for our society’s attraction to war. Talk with them, learn from them, honor them. We at JRPC will be taking our own advice. On Wednesday, November 11, any veteran will get a 20% discount in our store. And on Wednesday afternoon, we will deliver gift basket to the homeless veterans living at the Valor House. Call us if you’d like to help or participate.

In honor,

Betsy

A Day of Dialogue

Dear friends,
The Matthew Shepard & James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was recently signed into federal law, protecting the rights of LGBT individuals and permitting the government to provide grants and assistance to state and local authorities to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. This law became a reality as a result of almost 12 years of dialogue, discussion and advocacy. As part of the mission statement at the Peace Center, we affirm our commitment to “a process of reflection, dialogue and action, both in times of crisis and in the ongoing work of peacemaking.” As you scroll down the calendar of events below, you’ll see a number of action-oriented opportunities. Less frequently available in Missoula are opportunities for true dialogue, a process that, unlike debate or discussion, does not involve holding firm to a particular viewpoint and trying to convince others of its merit. Instead, dialogue asks that we slow down and listen more deeply to others, suspend our judgments and assumptions, and create shared meaning with one another.

Today, the University of Montana will once again host the “Day of Dialogue”. This year’s campus-wide symposium is focused on the theme of oppression, with workshops, panels and presentations looking at the topic from a variety of angles. This morning at 9:40, the JRPC is sponsoring an interactive workshop on the oppression associated with free trade and consumerism, where we’ll all have a chance to dialogue about the relationship between the purchases we make and global justice. There are a number of sessions available (http://life.umt.edu/dod/sessions.php) in the University Center throughout the day for any of you who are able to attend. And at 6:10 pm this evening the Faculty panel discussion will touch on the very relevant topic, “Struggling for Civil Discourse in an Era of Incivility” with Provost Royce Engstrom, Heather Bruce, David Moore, Janet Finn and Tobin Miller-Shearer. Join us for what promises to be a rich and rewarding conversation to plant the seeds of future policies to end oppression in all its forms!

Yours in peace,

Betsy

For Clarity re: Afghanistan

Dear friends,

While we are busy discussing health care reform, there is another important discussion to be had on Afghanistan. As you know this is now the longest conflict (longer than WWII or Vietnam). We already have some vocal pundits and politicians demanding quick action. In essence, they want the president to agree to general’s McChrystal’s recommendation for a troop surge. If he doesn’t, these “experts” have a doomsday scenario (pick one) for you. It is a strange “trick or treat” where you keep treating (with billions of dollars and resources) but the trick is still on you! Sometimes you wonder if these experts are getting trained in Cheney’s bunker-school of doomsday talking points!! It is a classic discussion that seems to have similar narrative -”Our brave troops are fighting a global war of terror in [pick a country]. While their morale is high, we need to surge with necessary troops or it will hurt our cause”. There is no real discussion on the strategy, our real (versus ideal) objectives or looking back at what worked and what didn’t. Their battle cry is for a surge in green (dollars and troops). Isn’t it far more critical to review our plans, methods and how to involve local citizens in these solutions instead of us planning their future for them?

Even if the strategy is counter insurgency, you cannot solve it by troop surge. For their population we need 600,000 troops! It is not a realistic scenario for us in any shape or form. We are once again, framing these discussions as win or lose in terms of warfare. General McChrystal is right in one thing – our need to win their hearts and minds. But that cannot happen with armored carriers, bulletproof vests and heavy guns. It cannot happen with drones or Special Forces either. This may happen with diplomats, builders, core of engineers, NGO’s, social organizations, reliable rule of law and the respect for the leaders governing them. We also need regional players like India, China, Iran and Russia to play a prominent role in these deliberations. Without proper solutions, Afghans have a history of responding to invaders in kind! Before we continue this costly venture of solving problems through force (or pretend democracy will come this way), let us ask for clear goals and objectives. Demand our leaders to look back and avoid similar mistakes. By a majority, we are reluctant to send additional troops there, but very few are vocal to make this point. A vacuum like this is filled by armchair warriors, who put our troops in harm’s way while receiving on the job training to tackle these complex issues. Hopefully the strategy review is looking for real solutions instead of just a surge in green. Please continue to remind our leaders that voters asked for this kind of change last November.

Srini Mondava

Coordinating Council Chair

International Fair Trade Month

Greetings Peace Center Community,

With many hard times surrounding the country it is sometimes easy to forget that our daily practices can have a positive rippling effect. But sometimes it is the simplest actions that can create the biggest ripple. YOU have the power to reach out to global communities everyday with your purchasing practices when you purchase Fair Trade products.

October is International Fair Trade Month. This means that communities all over the world are participating in educating about Fair Trade. Here at the center this is one element we focus on daily. We offer many Fair Trade products and FREE literature for you to enjoy. To increase your awareness of Fair Trade here are the top 10 reasons to buy Fair Trade:

1. Fair trade means fair pay and fair working conditions for vulnerable farmers and producers.
2. Fair Trade encourages environmental sustainability.
3. Fair Trade protects children.
4. Fair Trade empowers marginalized workers.
5. Fair Trade is safe.
6. Fair Trade supports communities.
7. Fair Trade is trade farmers and artisans can count on.
8. Fair Trade connects you with other cultures.
9. Fair Trade means sustainable local economies.
10. Fair Trade means what you buy matters.

With so many opportunities to make the right decision please welcome Fair Trade buying practices into your daily routine of life.

Peace,
Katie

National Security and Climate Change

Greetings Peace Center Community –

I am honored to write a short piece for this week’s newsletter. I am a Peace Center member—I joined when I first moved to Montana over 15 years ago—and I believe mightily in the work members do day in and day out for peace in this community and beyond.

I work now primarily around issues of global climate change and natural resource protection. Recently, there has been increased attention to the ramifications of global warming as a moral and fairness issues the world over. Clearly, the people who have the least to do with creating carbon pollution stand to suffer the most. This issue is not simply an “environmental” one, nor should it be a partisan one. Of late, national security experts and veterans are becoming more outspoken about the link between climate and war – and peace – as have young people.

I would like to invite JRPC members and friends to an event that links these two – a presentation by former US Senator and Secretary of the Navy John Warner is the kick off for an interdisciplinary climate change program at the University of Montana. The Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate is a key event sponsor. The presentation — National Security and Climate Change – takes place Thursday October 15, 7 pm at UMs Urey Lecture Hall. More information is here.

I hope you can come hear Senator Warner’s unique perspective. What could send a better message to our community, including our elected officials here in Montana, about avoiding conflict and solving climate change than a packed house!

Also, this Monday, October 12, Operation Free – a veteran’s bus tour is coming through Montana, with a breakfast stop in Missoula. These veterans are touring the country advocating clean energy and climate solutions. If any veterans would like to like to attend, please contact me (Amy).

Thanks for all you do – Amy Cilimburg