National Call to Action
March 2009 6th Anniversary Events and Mobilization
“End the U.S. Occupation! Peace for Iraq!”
During the days surrounding the 6th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq (March 19-20), opposition and nonviolent resistance to the U.S. occupation of Iraq will be manifested in events and actions across the country in clear repudiation of current U.S. policy in Iraq, and will hopefully reach huge levels of public participation.
The Declaration of Peace calls upon all local Peace groups and organizers to organize special events and nonviolent actions during the week of March 16th to the 21st, to demonstrate the will of the people and call upon the Congress and the Obama Administration to: “End the U.S. Occupation! Withdraw All Military Forces Now! Work for Peace for Iraq!”
Let us act together in solidarity with the millions of Iraqis whose lives have been so tragically changed since March 2003, and who continually call for an end to the U.S. occupation of their country.
There is no more appropriate time to remind the government of their responsibility to the Iraqi people and to bring U.S. soldiers home alive and intact, than on the anniversary of the devastating “Shock & Awe” assault on Iraq.
The people of Iraq — indeed, the people of the world — will be watching.
All eyes will be on the United States of America
• To see the level of support for Peace for Iraq.
• To see the level of opposition to the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
Let us design our events and actions as massive outpourings of goodwill and love for the people of Iraq and to clearly demonstrate our persistent opposition to the immoral military occupation of Iraq.
The Declaration of Peace joins with scores of other partners of the March 21st National Coalition in supporting and promoting a massive mobilization in the nation’s capital and March on the Pentagon on March 21, 2009 to insist upon a Real Change in U.S. foreign policy.
The March on the Pentagon will be a critical opportunity to have the new Administration in Washington hear the voice of the people demand an immediate end to wars and occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to again act in a goodwill gesture of solidarity with the peoples of those nations.
Help organize and mobilize!
March 19th is less than six weeks away.
Be Creative in Your Organizing
The Declaration of Peace encourages the planning of unique events for March 2009.
May we suggest going beyond the norm in your organizing.
Consider organizing a:
• Benefit concert or program to raise funds for organizations that are providing direct aid to Iraqis. Help support Direct Aid Iraq and Iraqi Health Now. Raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis and the need to end the U.S. occupation.
• Congressional office sit-in or “occupation” to seek a commitment to de-fund the war.
• Public “Die-In” to dramatize the tragic impacts of war and occupation.
• Demonstration or nonviolent action at a military recruiting office or National Guard station to protest the recruiting of youth and the poor for wars of aggression.
• Demonstration or nonviolent action at the offices or facility of a weapons manufacturer to make the connections between corporate interests and the victims of war and occupation.
Invite Iraqis and veterans for Peace to speak at your event.
Invite your members of Congress and their staff to attend or participate in your event.
And don’t forget to do the all-important media work – to insure good public participation and great media coverage of your event.
What other creative ideas can you come up with?
Contact The Declaration of Peace to share your suggestions, and to get organizing tips, resources, and help with nonviolence training and media work. Write to:
Please post the announcement or press release for your event at The Declaration of Peace Events Calendar.
Why it is essential that we now all continue to work in unity for Peace for Iraq
President Obama has said that he will seek a drawdown of U.S. combat troops, but that he will still leave a “residual” force in Iraq, for “targeted counter-terrorism missions against al Qaeda in Iraq and to protect American diplomatic and civilian personnel.” These troops also will “continue efforts to train and support the Iraqi security force.”
Obama has declared no timeline for the withdrawal of these “residual” forces, which could amount to tens of thousands of military personnel.
Obama promised during his campaign to withdraw roughly one combat brigade a month for the first 16 months of his presidency, but, even that seems to be in question, since top commanders in Iraq propose a slower drawdown. The generals want to wait and not do a major drawdown until after the national elections in Iraq in early 2010.
The presence of U.S. troops, and of U.S.-funded contractors, has fueled an armed resistance, terrorism, and sectarianism in Iraq, and a prolonged occupation will continue to do so. A majority of Iraqis and a majority of the Iraqi Parliament are vehemently opposed to a continued occupation, under any name or justification. They demand a full withdrawal of all U.S. troops within a much shorter timeframe than considered by Obama or the U.S. generals. Militant resistance and insurgency against the occupation and its Iraqi allies, and the instability that results from the U.S. taking sides in favor of certain Iraqi groups and political agendas, will not end until the U.S. occupation ends.
We, as the Peace Movement in the U.S., should be listening to what a majority of Iraqis wants to see happen.
• We demand that President Obama fulfill his promise to really end the Iraq war and give Iraq back to Iraqis. This can only happen with complete withdrawal, according to a timetable set by Iraqis, not by U.S. generals. The withdrawal needs to include not just U.S. military personnel but, military contractors as well.
The U.S. media are not reporting much about Iraq any more, but, the suffering there goes on, even if the number of attacks on civilians are somewhat lower now. Still more Iraqis flee Iraq every day, than return to Iraq.
It is important for us in the Peace Movement to keep on pressuring Congress and the President to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
This is why we are coordinating local actions during the whole week of March 19th!
This is why we are mobilizing for the March 21st mass demonstration in D.C.!
As well, we demand that U.S. troops leaving Iraq not be redeployed to Afghanistan, but, be sent home to their families. There is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan either.
We, the People, Declare Peace!
Let’s work to make it so!