Resources to Evaluate Iraq Actions

Preamble: Charter of the United Nations (1945)

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Geneva Conventions Relative to Prisoners of War (1949)
Geneva Conventions re Prisoners of War

International Human Rights Documents
International Human Rights documents


Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC)
1101 Pennsylvania Ave SE
Washington DC 20003
Tel. 202.543.6176 - Fax 202.543.0725 www.epic-usa.org
Education for Peace in Iraq Center

GI Rights, CO Training event June 6

REGIONAL
GI Rights, Counter Recruitment, CO Training

With Sam Diener and Robert Dove of the AFSC New England Regional Office &
the national GI Rights Network

WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS - On Sunday afternoon, June 6, 2004, between 1pm and 8pm, 40 community members from throughout western Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire will gather at Mt. Toby Meeting of Friends (Long Plain Road / Rt. 63, Leverett) for a GI Rights, counter recruitment and conscientious objector advocate training. The training is being organized by the western Massachusetts office of the American Friends Service Committee and the Western Massachussetts Counter Recruitment Network.

Organizer Jo Comerford notes, "the goal of the training is to support community members in becoming advocates for the rights of military personnel, as well as advocates for young people and their families considering the realities of military service."

The day will include discussion regarding: GI rights advocacy, discussion about the reasons for joining the military, DEP (Delayed Enlistment Program), structure of military & GI Rights Network, military discharges, conscientious objection (CO), helping folks who are AWOL/UA (Absent w/o Leave, Unauthorized Absence), the draft, and organizing a local network.

"Young people call AFSC each week with questions about registering for the draft. We also received calls from folks in the military, or those in delayed entry programs. Our main goal is to be their allies as they consider their options," continues Comerford.

Space for the training is limited. Please contact AFSC, 413.584.8975, to register. Donations to defray the costs of the training are welcome. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Sri Lanka NonViolent peaceForce -June 14 event

BEYOND WAR:
Envisioning Alternative Responses to Violent Conflict
A slide show and talk with Jan Passion
Team Manager of the Nonviolent Peaceforce, Sri Lanka

Monday, June 14, 2004, 7 pm
First Churches Northampton
129 Main Street (corner of Main and Center Streets)
Accessible, Free, Open to the public

NORTHAMPTON, MA - Long time peace activist Jan Passion has been living and working in Sri Lanka with the Nonviolent Peaceforce. In this island nation, which has endured 20 years of violent conflict, Jan serves as the Team Manager for the Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP). The NP is an international organization composed peace and justice activists working to expand the power and potential of nonviolent peacemaking. Jan will share about THE NONVIOLENT PEACEFORCE and it‚s vision for a world beyond war.

The specific objectives of the Nonviolent Peaceforce are:
-To reduce the level of violence, or potential for violence
-To increase the safety of civilians while the peace process is continued
-To improve possibilities for civilian participation in that process

For more information on NP, please explore: http://www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org .

For more information on this event: please call AFSC, 584-8975. Co-sponsors of this event inlcude: AFSC, Traprock Peace Center, The Leverett Peace Pagoda, Western Mass Interfaith Coaltion for Justice and Peace, and the Buddhist Peace Fellowship.

June 26 Concert to Benefit Agape Community

Benefit for the Agape Community

"Soul of the Cello"


Come to the Concert
with Eugene Friesen
Cellist Paul Winter Consort

7:00 pm Saturday, June 26th
Hardwick Town House, Hardwick Center Hardwick MA

Agape must purchase two acres of land by July to protect its wooded area
from development and sprawl on all it perimeters

SAVE AGAPE'S LAND IN THE QUABBIN RESERVOIR

(rtes. 32 A and 122) $10 or more (whatever you can) to support the Save the
Agape Land Fund: The Agape Community http://www.agapecommunity.org for directions.
Call (413)-967-9369 for accommodations-- peace@agapecommunity.org

CAFTA and Congress - help needed

If, with just a few mouse clicks, you could help stop an agreement that will wipe out local agriculture, foster irresponsible foreign investment, and reduce access to essential medicines throughout Central America, would you?

Well, you can. In fact, your help is urgently needed! Click here now to email Congress.

If you haven't heard of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), don't be surprised. This agreement between the US, five Central American countries, and the Dominican Republic has been negotiated in secrecy and has received very little attention in the press.

But for the poor farmers and workers of Central America, CAFTA is tremendously important, as it could have disastrous consequences. Oxfam America's eCommunity members already know about NAFTA's devastating effects on small corn farmers in Mexico. And we've previously told you about trade regulations that would restrict access to drugs in some of the poorest countries.

Needless to say, a similar agreement would devastate a region in which 1 of every 4 people suffers from hunger, and 3 out of every 5 live in poverty.

The Bush Administration announced today that in two weeks it will sign CAFTA. Congress could vote on this agreement as early as next month. Please email your Representative today. Tell Rep. john Olver to say yes to small farmers, poverty reduction, health care, jobs and democracy — and commit to VOTE NO ON CAFTA

Resource to help understand prison abusers

As a resource we recommend the Stanford Prison Experiment web site, which features an extensive slide show and information about this classic psychology experiment, including parallels with the recent abuse of Iraqi prisoners. Teachers and human rights advocates can use this resource to show the inherent danger of prisons and punishment. "..Our planned two-week investigation into the psychology of prison life had to be ended prematurely after only six days because of what the situation was doing to the college students who participated. In only a few days, our guards became sadistic and our prisoners became depressed and showed signs of extreme stress....Philip G. Zimbardo" Go to: http://www.prisonexp.org/

Church and Public Policy Summer Course

The Churches' Center for Theology and Public Policy has joined the Bread for the World Institute and the Washington Theological Union in co-sponsoring a course on the Church in the Public Square in Washington, DC, June 19-24. It is a course for Seminary Credit or Audit.

Topics covered will include: The Intersection of Faith and Politics: a View from the Parish; Theological, Ethical and Biblical Foundations for Political Advocacy; Theological Foundations: Hunger and the Millennium Challenge Account; Roman Catholic, Mainline Protestant and Evangelical Social Statements; Elections, Candidates and Voting; The Millennium Challenge Account 2003-2004 Campaign. You would also attend Bread for the World's 30th Anniversary Dinner.

For more information about the course, housing or registration, phone Russ Testa at 202.541.5245 or consult www.wtu.edu/prog-summerinstitute.htm.

Letter to Pres. Bush from UCC Pres. and...

Letter to President Bush from the General Ministers and Presidents of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Rev. Chris Hobgood, and United Church of Christ, the Rev. John Thomas.



May 20, 2004

Dear Mr. President,

Greetings in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace!

We write with grave concern for the prospect of peace in the Middle East and for the Palestinian people who have continued to experience the destruction of their land and property due to systematic home demolitions and the construction of the separation barrier. We voice a special concern for the people of Gaza who, over the past week, have been targeted in a campaign by the Israeli government that has resulted in the destruction of lives and livelihoods of hundreds of Palestinians. This operation comes at a time when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan for Israel to withdraw from Gaza was to move forward. That plan, and the current incursion, seem to place the U.S.-led Road Map on hold. The Road Map itself seems to have been abandoned entirely.

It is ironic that the name of the current military operation is "Rainbow." The story of Noah in our faith tradition tells us that the rainbow is the sign of God's promise to all creation never to destroy it again. This campaign is clearly opposed to the spirit of preservation and protection of humanity and nature. Bulldozers, helicopter gunships, and missiles are the implements of death and devastation, not the tools of security. Israel has killed and injured scores of Palestinians, and completely destroyed dozens of homes leaving more than 2,000 people homeless.

The destruction of lives and livelihoods in Gaza seems to be a different manifestation of the same policy implemented through Israel's construction of the wall, or "security fence." That construction (which encroaches on the occupied West Bank) also drives through villages and residences, dividing Palestinians from their families and fields, and destroying homes in its path. The barrier denies people of all faiths access to their sacred places of worship. Even were the barrier a temporary measure, the effects on peoples' lives are devastating and permanent.

Peace depends on the guarantee of rights and freedom, the safeguarding of dignity and security, for everyone in the Middle East. Regional peace must begin with establishing a just and equitable framework for negotiating an end to the Arab-Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Both Palestinians and Israelis must show the political will to seek resolutions to their differences. Fair solutions can only be met through balanced negotiations and with respect to the rule of international law. But the first step must be an end to the grotesque violence that merely instigates passions and provokes greater violence in response.

Mr. President, we urge you to do all that is within your power to restrain Israel from further assaults on the Palestinians of Gaza, particularly those refugees living in the Rafah Camp. Mr. President, we appeal to you to seek the acquiescence of Israelis and Palestinians to abide by agreements to stop all forms of violence and to desist from unilateral alterations to the facts on the ground. Mr. President, we implore you to mobilize the resources of your good office to resuscitate the Road Map and to re-engage in the steps necessary to bring about peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Such engagement, we believe, is in the best interest of the United States, and must be a priority for peace-loving people throughout the world. In that vein, please find enclosed our denominations' resolutions from our 2003 General Synod (United Church of Christ) http://www.ucc.org/synod/resolutions/res24-26a.pdf and General Assembly (Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) http://www.disciples.org/ga03/resolutions/index.htm on U.S. Policy in the Middle East, which we share for your positive consideration.

Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers as you best seek to lead this country. We thank you very much, in advance, for your time in reading this letter and would be most pleased for your reaction and response.

Very sincerely,

(The Rev.) Chris Hobgood
General Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)



(The Rev.) John H. Thomas

General Minister and President

United Church of Christ

Prayer for Middle East Peace

Daryl Byler, Director of the Washington Office of the Mennonite Central Committee and Chair of Churches for Middle East Peace, wrote this prayer for individuals and congregations grieving over the tragic violence in the Middle East and the suffering people.



A prayer for justice, peace and hope



Out of the depths we cry to you, O God.

Our hearts are broken by the myriad images of violence in our world.

We grieve with Palestinian mothers and fathers who have lost children and homes in the recent attacks in Rafah.

We mourn with all who have lost loved ones in suicide bombings.

We feel hopeless because a just and secure peace for Israelis and Palestinians seems like a distant dream.

We feel confused about what our nation is doing in Iraq and how long our young women and men will be there.

We feel shamed by the graphic images of U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners.

We feel afraid that the spreading cycle of violence will touch our lives and loved ones.

We feel angry at political leaders whose words and actions seem only to inflame tensions and undermine the path toward peace.

We confess our own complicity in the world's brokenness.

Too often we have failed to name injustices or to understand those whose views are different than our own.

Our busyness prevents us from listening and speaking and acting in ways that build peace.

Comfort all who mourn, O God;

Fill us with your hope;

May your truth and light dispel our confusion and fear;

Restore our commitment to both pray and act for a world in which all children are secure and where war and injustice are but distant memories.

Amen.

June 3 hunger Awareness Day

National Hunger Awareness Day, June 3rd, 2004
To plan how you, your family, church, school or other group can participate in this national day of awareness and action, please visit: www.hungerday.org or www.crcjustice.org.

Responding to Christian Zionism

Challenging Christian Zionism

For Christians committed to justice and peace, the challenge of Zionism can be daunting. Many Christians support Israeli actions and policies, believing that Jews' status as the "chosen people" of the Hebrew scriptures entitles them to use any means necessary - no matter how violent or oppressive - to occupy the holy lands. Those who question this position may fear being labeled anti-Semitic, but cannot square Zionist theology with God's concern for the poor and oppressed of all nations, the teachings of Jesus, the inclusive nature of the early church, or the present-day oppression of Palestinian Christians.

A new Web site called "Challenging Christian Zionism: Christians Committed to Biblical Justice" is intended as a clearinghouse of information about Christian Zionism and to foster education on this very divisive issue. Articles include: "Christian Zionism: An Historical Analysis and Critique," "The Evangelical-Jewish Alliance," and "Whose Promised Land: Israel and Biblical Prophecy."

Visit: www.christianzionism.org

Pentecost 2004 Event May 23-25 In Washington D.C.

Dear Friends,
In a theologically and politically diverse nation, Christians and others of good faith are called to witness to the need to treat all human beings as sisters and brothers-especially "the least of these." Please join me in Washington May 23-25 for a Pentecost Call to Unity, as the diverse Christian community responds together to the call for social and political transformation on behalf of low-income people in America.

Come to receive education and inspiration. Come ready to take action for peace and justice. Come to make the statement that the biblical imperative to overcome poverty should be a moral and electoral matter in an election year.

I look forward to being with you in Washington.

Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., Senior Minister, The Riverside Church, New York City

Call to Renewal’s Pentecost 2004 will include a keynote address from veteran journalist Bill Moyers, as well as opportunities to hear The Rev. Dr. James Forbes Jr. of Riverside Church, The Rt. Rev. John Bryson Chane, Episcopal Bishop of Washington, Jim Wallis, convener of Call to Renewal and many others.

Call to Renewal is a national network of churches, faith-based organizations, and individuals working to overcome poverty in America. It is at 2401 15th St., NW, Washington, DC 20009 – phone: 202.328.8745

In addition there will be an Emerging Leaders forum, numerous breakout sessions and plenary panels on related topics, a Congressional Prayer Breakfast and a wonderful worship service at Washington National Cathedral.

Registration Information -- $115.00 for adults (after Friday, May 7, 2004, $140.00)
$65.00 for students and Emerging Leaders (attendees 30 and under ) (after Friday, May 7, 2004, $90.00) “One Day Only" Registration fee: $55.00

Hotel Information - Hotel Reservation must be received by the Washington Plaza Hotel by Thursday, May 6, 2004. After this date the special group rate ($159 per night + tax for single or double) and availability are not guaranteed. To make reservations call: 1-800-424-1140 or 202-842-1300. You will need to provide the hotel with the following:
Group Number: 3566
Group Name: Call to Renewal
Washington Plaza Hotel is at 10 Thomas Circle NW, Washington, DC 20005 check: www.washingtonplazahotel.com