WFPI MAY 27, 2008
Assumption: Our activities against war, torture, use of National Guard, etc., will be viewed by many mainstream folks as irrelevant until either day after election (if McCain wins) or till at least next Memorial Day if someone else does. Given that: What are best ways to use this time for us; how do we get the most leverage?
1. Reading Groups, for ideas, inspiration, increased knowledge to use later, etc.
2. Fun social things (picnic) to keep connected to each other; also maybe use blog to connect.
3. Show movies we want to watch with each other, see who else might come (or house parties).
4. Visibility: Involvement in parades, giving to local clinics, etc., street-corner vigils.
5. Write letters to editor that identify needs of our nation and world for transformations that need our attention now and go beyond the election, whatever its outcome.
6. Long-term planning of wfpi events for 2009.
7. Counter-recruiting!!!
8. Protests at campaign events of presidential candidates and their surrogates, Loebsack, Harkin and their opponents: street theater with mourners carrying “bloody children;” demands to pledge to limit warfare, honor treaties, refuse and/or renounce voting to fund war, etc. (Use media.)
–> Things we might demand that candidates for national office pledge to do:
· accept/keep no contributions from companies that produce weapons or tools of war.
· oppose (not initiate, not fund) any war not fought strictly in self-defense if it isn’t authorized by the UN Security Council and also declared by Congress.
· renounce any previous vote to fund any portion of the Iraq war or to provide a bloated budget to the Pentagon.
· cut the budget of the Department of Defense by 15% or more.
· create of a Department of Peace charged to reduce the likelihood of wars through diplomacy, aid and development, climate and energy policies.
· never employ these means within the prosecution of a war (or ever):
Making first use of nuclear weapons, depleted uranium weapons, white phosphorus as a weapon, napalm weapons, cluster bombs.
Targeting civilians, journalists, hospitals or ambulances.
Torturing prisoners or detaining them with no legal process.
Spying in violation of the law and the Bill of Rights.
Punishing whistle-blowers.
· uphold these treaties:
The International Criminal Court, the United Nations Charter; The Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, the Landmine Ban Treaty, the Biological Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention; The Kyoto Treaty on Global Climate Change, the Biodiversity Treaty, and the Forest Protection Treaty.
