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Peace

A Withering Tree Of Peace

As the drums of war beat louder and the warmongering rhetoric becomes shrill, a group of Russian and American activists assembled in downtown Moscow to replant yet again the symbolic U.S.-Russia friendship birch tree that was initially planted nine years ago. It has had to be replaced several times as the trees have struggled to survive. Some say it’s because of the severe weather, and some, with a sense of humor, believe it’s because of a toxic atmosphere between the two countries poisoning the tree. The first one was planted on April 24, 2015, on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the historic “Elbe River” meeting of the American and Soviet military on April 25, 1945, which became symbolic of their joint victory over Nazi Germany.

5,238+ Actions As Part of Campaign Nonviolence Action Days

Nationwide – Between September 21 and October 2, 2024, tens of thousands of people participated in over 5,238+ nonviolent actions to protest violence, war, poverty, racism and environmental destruction as part of the 11th annual Campaign Nonviolence Action Days.  Stretching between the International Day of Peace (Sept 21) to the International Day of Nonviolence (Oct 2), the campaign brings together over 100 organizations to “build a culture of peace and active nonviolence, free from war, poverty, racism, and environmental destruction.” The effort increases public awareness of the many aspects of violence from direct/physical violence (such as gun violence, mass shootings, death penalty, and war) to systemic/structural violence (poverty, mass incarceration, climate crisis) to cultural violence (bias, discrimination, oppression).

Ajamu Baraka On Global Conflicts And Social Transformation

In addition to risking a nuclear war with Russia, the United States is stoking greater conflicts in West Asia and China. Ajamu Baraka speaks with Clearing the FOG about his recent tour in Iran where he spoke to a cross-section of people about their concerns and the need for greater international solidarity. Baraka also discusses the responsibility of people, particularly in the collective West, to organize in order to change course away from militarism. He provides an analysis of the upcoming presidential election, the verdict in the case of the Uhuru 3 and why people must avoid aligning themselves with the ruling class, which will stop at nothing to hang onto power.

A Radical Way To Change The UN Security Council, Including Its Name

What conditions might compel the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council to relinquish their veto power? In exchange, what conditions might the other member states agree on to make it happen? These are important questions to pose to the public as the 193 member states negotiate a Pact for the Future for the upcoming Summit of the Future to ensure the organization’s usefulness for generations to come. Let us hope that the P5 — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — as well as other member states have the wisdom to institute reforms as soon as possible. Some Council reform proposals consider adding individual countries as permanent members, such as India or Brazil.

Build Global Mass Opposition To The New Cold War

The following is the text of a speech given by Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez at an online meeting of the Scottish Trade Union Peace Network on 22 August 2024. Carlos discusses the nature of China’s foreign policy, dealing with common criticisms such as that China seeks to “undermine democracy” in Taiwan, that it is an aggressive and expansionist power in the South China Sea, and that its nuclear arsenal poses a serious threat to world peace. The speech goes on to analyse the theoretical basis and economic underpinnings of China’s foreign policy, observing that China’s rise “has never been based on dominating the land, labour, resources and markets of the rest of the world. It has never been driven by the expand-or-die logic of capital.”

New Orleans Residents Rebuke Sham ‘Peace Statement’

New Orleans, LA – On August 6, at 9:30 a.m., nearly 100 local activists and community organizations converged onto New Orleans City Hall. They gathered to stand against the New Orleans City Council adopting a “Statement of Peace,” and demanded instead a resolution for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The so-called “Statement of Peace” was sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, an openly Zionist organization. It calls for peace while conveniently omitting Palestine or Palestinians, ignores local victims of Israeli genocidal violence such as Tawfic Abdeljabbar, and implies that local anti-genocide protests are “calls for violence.” After only a few weeks in circulation, the statement has been put forth on the council agenda.

Let’s Think About How To Build A More Peaceful World

Although the current U.S. presidential campaign has focused almost entirely on domestic issues, Americans live on a planet engulfed in horrific wars, an escalating arms race, and repeated threats of nuclear annihilation. Amid this dangerous reality, shouldn’t we give some thought to how to build a more peaceful future? Back in 1945, toward the end of the most devastating war in history, the world’s badly battered nations, many of them in smoldering ruins, agreed to create the United Nations, with a mandate to “maintain international peace and security.” It was not only a relevant idea, but one that seemed to have a lot of potential.

Nurturing Actions For A World Free Of Political And Other Forms Of Violence

The United States is a violent society, whether it be its pervasive culture of war and militarism, long term systemic racism or the current rise of political violence. To counter this and build a democratic society that respects human rights, we must educate ourselves about methods of nonviolence and mobilize to put what we learn into action. Clearing the FOG speaks with author and activist Rivera Sun, program coordinator with Campaign Nonviolence. Sun speaks about the upcoming days of nonviolent action from September 21 to October 2, during which thousands of actions ranging from teach-ins to direct action are planned with the intention of mainstreaming nonviolence. She explains why nonviolence is essential in a democratic society and where people can find resources and training.

The Beijing Declaration: How Chinese Diplomacy United Palestinian Groups

Chinese diplomacy has done it again. By hosting a historic signing of a unity agreement between 14 Palestinian political parties in Beijing on July 23, China has, once more, shown its ability to play a global role as a peace broker. For years, China has attempted to play a role in Middle East politics, particularly in the region’s most enduring crisis, the Israeli occupation of Palestine. In 2021, China announced its four-point plan, aimed at “comprehensively, fairly and permanently” resolving the Palestinian question. Whether the plan itself was workable or not, it mattered little, as neither the Israeli government nor the Palestinian Authority were prepared to ditch Washington, which has dominated Middle East diplomacy for decades.

Give Peace A Chance In Haiti: Restoring Security And Stability

At 9:16 a.m. on June 25, a Kenya Airways plane touched down in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. On board were some 200 Kenyan police, the vanguard of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission approved by the United Nations Security Council late last year. Eventually, the force is expected to consist of 2,500 officers from at least a half dozen countries who will be tasked with restoring security and clearing the way for free and fair elections. It’s certainly not the first such mission in Haiti, where, since the mid-1990s, there have been nearly constant UN and foreign security deployments. Almost 10,000 troops were stationed in Haiti between 2004 and 2017, only to be replaced by a smaller successor mission.

NATO’S Wars Versus Human Survival

The NATO of the popular imagination is an assembly of representatives of democratic nations who commit to making the world more peaceful, including by militarily defending each other if one of them is attacked. There could hardly exist a more grave collection of lies. NATO is in fact an institution devoted primarily to the increased sale of weaponry to governments of every type — neither its members nor its often openly dictatorial partners acting at the bidding of any populace — and devoted secondarily to doing the will of one government, that based here in Washington, D.C., which is represented by over 900 military bases outside its borders.

Ann Wright On The Gaza Freedom Flotilla And Upcoming NATO Protests

This week, Clearing the FOG speaks with Ann Wright, a retired Colonel, former State Department official and prominent peace activist. Wright, who resigned in protest of the Iraq War from the State Department in 2003, speaks about recent resignations over the genocide in Gaza and the Biden administration's new report on Palestine. She also discusses the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which is ready to sail but is being prevented from doing so, and the protests and activities being planned for this July when the NATO leaders meet in Washington, DC around the 75th anniversary of its founding.

Susan Crane To Start Prison Sentence For Protesting Nuclear Weapons

Susan Crane, 80, has been part of an international Peace group in protesting US nuclear weapons at Büchel Airforce base in Germany. Susan has been part of several Plowshares actions, and is currently living and working at the Redwood City Catholic Worker in California.  She starts 229 days in prison in Germany in early June for her nonviolent civil disobedience at the Büchel Airforce Base. David Hartsough is author of "Waging Peace" Global Adventures of A Lifelong Activist and is co-founder of World Beyond War, and is a member of San Francisco Friends Meeting. 

Appeal From Brazilian Women On Peace Mission In the Middle East

Responding to the calls for active listening by “Palestinian Women, the Pillar of Resistance” and the outcry of statements from Palestinian institutions and intellectuals, we are making some necessary propositions for immediate and forceful action with the Brazilian government, as well as urging entities and leaders of communities in Central America, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), with the leading role in the “Lula tem Razão!” [Lula is Correct] movement, from the Global South.

The North American Peace Movement At An Inflection Point

The North American peace movement is contesting ongoing US wars in Ukraine and Palestine and preparations for war with China. Out of the fog of these wars, a clear anti-imperialist focus is emerging. Giving peace a chance has never been more plainly understood as opposition to what Martin Luther King, Jr., referred to as “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world: my own government.” Palestinian, Muslim and Arab, and anti-Zionist Jewish groups have been in the forefront of the anti-imperialist peace movement.
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