The Declaration of Peace

We acknowledge and thank our colleagues at the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) for providing much of the following excellent resources and information.

Move Your Congressional Representative and Senators Towards Peace for Iraq: Tips & Resources

Now is a great time for you to meet with your Representative and Senators to talk about Peace for Iraq.

Click on the links below to utilize the resources to help make your meetings with your members of Congress successful.

1. Find out who your members of Congress are and where their offices are. (After choosing your Senator or Representative, click on the “Contact” tab to find the location of their local offices.)

2. FCNL has prepared guides for scheduling Congressional meetings and meeting with Congress members.

Grassroots Toolkit: How to Schedule a Meeting with Your Member of Congress

Grassroots Toolkit: Meeting with Members of Congress

3. Eight Tips for a Successful Lobby Visit

4. Help Guide for Congressional Visits

5. Congressional Bird-dogging Guide

For some tips on asking questions, be sure to check out FCNL’s bird-dogging guide as well.

6. Find FCNL resources on Iraq here.

7. Find more information and resources on Iraq here.

8. “Quickly, Carefully, and Generously: The Necessary Steps for a Responsible Withdrawal from Iraq” published in June 2008

9. Keep Peace for Iraq in the Media

Click here to see DoP’s “Working the Media for Peace”

10. Comprehensive Peace Plan for Iraq

Utilize the Talking Points during your Congressional visits and give a copy of the full Comprehensive Peace Plan for Iraq to your members of Congress to read and support.

11. Congressional Declaration of Peace

Ask your Representatives and Senators to commit to Peace for Iraq by signing the Congressional Declaration of Peace

We are thankful!

As the end of 2008 approaches, we in The Declaration of Peace National Coordinating Body are thankful for much.

We are very grateful for the participation of thousands of you in ongoing efforts for Peace for Iraq, and for your generous financial support for The Declaration of Peace. Thanks to many of you, all of this campaign’s expenses have been met for 2008.

Peace for Iraq is possible!

Our efforts toward Peace must continue in 2009 with diligence, ‘laser-like’ focus, and creativity. This is only possible by your involvement and through your financial support.

As the year comes to a close, we want to make you aware of a few things.

1. Through the contributions of those who responded to our special appeal, we will have a full-page ad, promoting Peace for Iraq and participation in The Declaration of Peace, in the February 2009 issue of Sojourners magazine. We are grateful to all who donated to this effort and to Sojourners for giving us an excellent rate for the ad. Thank you!

2. The Declaration of Peace will participate in the United for Peace & Justice National Assembly in Chicago on December 12 - 14, to make plans for the coming year with other Peace organizations, coalitions, and campaigns.

3. Organizing is beginning for massive nationwide nonviolent resistance to the war and occupation in Iraq during March 2009, the 6th anniversary of the U.S. invasion.

We need your generous financial gift for 2009!

Your contribution now will help make it possible to expand and strengthen this campaign for Peace for Iraq in 2009.

We remind you that:

• The Declaration of Peace is volunteer-run.

• We have low basic operating costs of only about $5100 per year.

• All of our funding comes directly from supporters like you. We receive no foundation grants or money from any other source other than individual and member group contributions.

• The Declaration of Peace only continues with your participation and support.

Please contribute what you can. $10, $20, $30, or maybe $100.

Click here to donate

or mail a check to:

The Declaration of Peace

P.O. Box 6163

Bloomington, IN 47407-6163

Make checks out to “The Declaration of Peace”. Your donations are tax-deductible.

Thank You!

Let us continue to pray and work together for Peace for Iraq.

The National Coordinating Body of The Declaration of Peace

Timothy Baer (Nashville, Indiana) __ Paul Frazier (Syracuse, New York) Christine Glaser (Bloomington, Indiana)
Andrew Sawtelle (Providence, Rhode Island)

The Declaration of Peace encourages your participation in the following nonviolent action, organized by the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance, on November 10, 2008 in Washington, D.C.

If you can’t be in D.C. on Monday, see below for how you can still participate.

Citizens Risking Arrest to Bring Indictment to Bush and Cheney

Contact: Max Obuszewski at or Joy First at (608) 239-4327

WHO: The National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance (NCNR) is a nationwide network of individuals and organizations committed to Peace and Justice, utilizing the nonviolent practices and disciplines of Gandhi and King through nonviolent civil resistance.

WHAT: Gathering at the Department of Justice to request a meeting. In September, members of NCNR sent a letter to Attorney General Mukasey, asking to meet with him to discuss the indictment of George W. Bush and Richard Cheney for war crimes. Attorney General Mukasey has not responded. (See the letter here http://declarationofpeace.org/letter-to-department-of-justice-calling-for-indictment)

WHEN: At 12 noon on Monday, November 10, 2008, members of the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance will go to the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. with a copy of the letter and again ask for a meeting with Attorney General Mukasey to discuss indicting Bush and Cheney for war crimes. If they are refused, some members of the group will be moved by conscience to risk arrest.

WHERE: DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, 950 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C. The delegation will meet on the CONSTITUTION AVENUE side of the DoJ BUILDING at NOON.

WHY: Barack Obama has won the election, and now more than ever we need to continue our work calling for Peace and Justice. We must continue to demand that the new president ends the occupation of Iraq and does not escalate military action in Afghanistan. The call for Justice demands that Bush and others in his administration be held accountable for the deaths of over a million innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan, and nearly 4,200 U.S. soldiers.

All are encouraged to join in!

In April 2008, Obama said that as president he would indeed ask his new Attorney General and his deputies to “immediately review the information that’s already there” and determine if an inquiry is warranted. It is the responsibility of citizens to make sure this happens.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, appointed by President Truman to be the Chief Prosecutor at the Nuremberg Tribunals following World War II, stated, “let me make clear that while this law is first applied against German aggressors, the law includes, and if it is to serve a useful purpose it must condemn aggression by any other nations, including those which sit here now in judgment.”

We take this action knowing that we are doing what we are called to do, knowing that we are doing the only thing we can do as our leaders have continued to disobey the laws of the United States and to trample on and shred the U.S. Constitution for the last 8 years.

If possible, please join us in D.C. on November 10, 2008 for this action.

If you are not able to make it to D.C., we ask citizens across the country to join us in solidarity through local actions on November 10 and beyond as we call for the restoration of Justice.

FIRST, call the attorney general’s office on November 10 to encourage him to meet with the citizenry who want to discuss the indictment of Bush and Cheney: Department of Justice Main Switchboard: (202) 514-2000 and Office of the Attorney General: (202) 353-1555.

SECOND, hold a solidarity demonstration at your local federal building or local Attorney General office on November 10. During the demonstration, you would have a copy of the NCNR letter requesting a meeting. You would emphasize that the attorney general must meet with these concerned citizens and consider an indictment.

THIRD, ask your Congressperson to support H. Resolution 1509, introduced by Tammy Baldwin. This resolution expresses “the sense of the House of Representatives that the next president should immediately work to reverse damaging and illegal actions taken by the Bush/Cheney Administration”. The resolution states the need to fully investigate the administration for alleged crimes and hold them accountable for any illegal acts.

FOURTH, insist that the new Congress, in January 2009, uphold the subpoenas that they have issued to investigate crimes of the Bush administration. The subpoenas have been mocked and ignored by the current administration. The new Congress must reissue these subpoenas and have them supported by the new administration so that Justice can prevail across the land.

It is time to bring the criminals of the Bush regime to Justice.

We, the people, have the power. We, the people, call for Justice.

Full Page Magazine Ad to Promote Peace for Iraq

Thank you very much to all who contributed to our appeal last month to raise money for a full-page magazine ad promoting our nationwide campaign for Peace for Iraq.

We had hoped to raise enough to place ads in the November issues of one or more nationally-distributed magazines.

We greatly appreciate everyone’s generous donation.

However, what we received wasn’t enough to pay for even one ad.

The National Coordinating Body of The Declaration of Peace decided to postpone the ad display until after the inauguration of the new president and the convening of a new Congress.

We are now planning to display a full-page ad in February or March 2009. With the 6th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq approaching in March, this will be a good time for many people to re-focus on ending the occupation of Iraq. Therefore, it’s a good time for The Declaration of Peace to reach out beyond our current network of signers and supporters.

We need to raise an additional $490 to $1200 to get a full-page ad in either The Progressive or Sojourners. We feel that these two magazines provide the widest readership of individuals who will likely respond … at the lowest cost.

But, it is up to you to help make this a reality.

As always, all of our funding comes directly from supporters like you.

This is your campaign. The Declaration of Peace is completely volunteer-run.

If you can help contribute to place full-page ads in magazines in early 2009 …

Click here to donate

or mail a check to:

The Declaration of Peace

P.O. Box 6163

Bloomington, IN 47407-6163

Make checks out to “The Declaration of Peace”.

Thank You!

The National Coordinating Body of The Declaration of Peace

Timothy Baer (Nashville, Indiana) __ Paul Frazier (Syracuse, New York) Christine Glaser (Bloomington, Indiana)
Andrew Sawtelle (Providence, Rhode Island)

The Declaration of Peace encourages your participation in the following nonviolent action, organized by the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance, on November 10, 2008 in Washington, D.C.

Indictment Day Action

Monday, November 10, 2008

12 noon

United States Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20530

Calling for the indictment of George W. Bush and Richard Cheney for war crimes.

Participants in this action are seeking a meeting with Attorney General Mukasey to bring forth an indictment.

If the group is denied, some will be risking arrest.

Participation in different roles is needed.

Join us!

For more information or to join this action, contact: Max Obuszewski at or Joy First at

We have all been awestruck by the Bush-Cheney regime, possibly the most dangerous in U.S. history. We have all marched to protest the criminal excesses of this administration. And we have repeatedly tried to convince our elected officials to take action. However, our pleas for impeachment have been ignored. And now it is October 2008, in the twilight days of the Bush-Cheney administration. This is a situation that demands citizen action before the curtain is drawn on January 20, 2009.

So, the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance is organizing a presence at the Department of Justice on November 10 to demand an indictment of George W. Bush and Richard Cheney for war crimes. While millions favor impeachment, this act of resistance will probably be relatively small. But it is necessary, and those inspired to take part will be motivated by the Nuremberg obligation to speak out when the government violates the law.

Outreach to numerous groups and individuals was made, and agreement was reached on sending a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey seeking a meeting to urge the attorney general to move forward with an indictment. The letter was sent on September 26. The letter is a tool to challenge a government agency which was complicit in aiding and abetting the shredding of the Constitution.

On November 10, a delegation will try to enter the DoJ building in order to demand that an indictment process be initiated.

Please indicate your interest in participating in the Indictment Day Action on November 10 by e-mailing Max Obuszewski at or Joy First at

Feel free to pose any questions.

There will be a planning meeting on Sunday evening November 9, 8:30 p.m. at the Code Pink House at 712 H Street NE, D.C. All who may be risking arrest are expected to attend.

We acknowledge and thank our colleagues at the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) for providing much of the following excellent resources and information.

Move Your Congressional Representative and Candidates Towards Peace for Iraq: Tips & Resources

From September 29th until the November 4th Election, your members of Congress will be back in their home districts campaigning for re-election. This election season is a great opportunity for you to meet with Congressional candidates, including your Representative and Senators. Most members of Congress and other Congressional candidates will hold public meetings and forums during this period. Take advantage of these gatherings, or schedule a face-to-face meeting with your Congressperson or other candidates to talk about Peace for Iraq.

Click on the links below to utilize the resources to help make your meetings with your members of Congress successful.

1. Find out who your members of Congress are and where their offices are. (After choosing your Senator or Representative, click on the “Contact” tab to find the location of their local offices.)

2. FCNL has prepared guides for scheduling Congressional meetings and meeting with Congress members.

Grassroots Toolkit: How to Schedule a Meeting with Your Member of Congress

Grassroots Toolkit: Meeting with Members of Congress

3. Eight Tips for a Successful Lobby Visit

4. Raising Questions about Peace with the Candidates

As the November election approaches, you’ll have an increasing number of opportunities to interact with candidates. You might attend town hall meetings, be invited to participate in telephone conference calls, or see candidates at other public events. FCNL has put together some tips for questioning congressional and presidential candidates about peace, including suggestions for raising these issues if you can’t get to a public forum.

Click here to see several questions from FCNL to ask the candidates that touch on Iraq, nuclear weapons, the environment, and other topics.

5. Congressional Bird-dogging Guide

For some tips on asking questions, be sure to check out FCNL’s bird-dogging guide as well.

6. Tips for finding Congressional meetings during the August recess. Click here for suggestions on finding the town hall meetings and forums that your members of Congress may schedule, and not publicize widely.

7. Other Congressional candidates (besides the incumbent)

Don’t know who the candidates are? Want to contact the candidates? Not sure where to find their websites? FCNL has up-to-date and accurate election information for every state.

8. Make Peace an Election-Year Issue In Your Community

How can you encourage people in your community to raise peace issues in this year’s election? One simple way is to give a presentation for your local organizations using the “War Is Not the Answer” toolkit. It has everything you need to start a thoughtful dialogue with candidates this campaign season. You can download the pieces to make the toolkit from FCNL’s website.

9. Find lots of other great tips and resources on the FCNL page: Make Peace an Election Issue in 2008

10. Find FCNL resources on Iraq here.

11. Find more information and resources on Iraq here.

12. “Quickly, Carefully, and Generously: The Necessary Steps for a Responsible Withdrawal from Iraq” published in June 2008

13. Keep Peace for Iraq in the Media

Click here to see DoP’s “Working the Media for Peace”

14. Comprehensive Peace Plan for Iraq

Utilize the Talking Points during your Congressional visits and give a copy of the full Comprehensive Peace Plan for Iraq to your members of Congress to read and support.

15. Congressional Declaration of Peace

Ask your Representatives and Senators to commit to Peace for Iraq by signing the Congressional Declaration of Peace

16. 7 Suggested Questions to Congress Members and Congressional Candidates