Another Mother for Peace believes that it is our patriotic duty to speak out against war. Our precious democracy allows us as citizens to voice our opinions and to influence the debate in Washington. Peace Homework is how we make our voices heard.

CURRENT HOMEWORK

Thank you, supporters, for sending our postcards to President Obama urging him to “Bring our troops home and take care of them.” Here’s what else you can do:

√ Donate political posters to the Center for the Study of Political Graphics (cspg@politicalgraphics.org) and help continue their work for social justice and peace.

√ Tell your senators and representative to co-sponsor the newly introduced bill to establish a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan: H.R. 5015/ S. 3197. If passed it would allow Congress a fundamental vote on the direction of our foreign policy.

√ Ask your members of congress to co-sponsor the International Violence Against Women Act, H.R. 4594/ S. 2982. If passed, our government would have to respond to outbreaks of gender-based violence (like the mass rapes occurring in the Congo), put violence-reduction solutions into foreign assistance, and make ending violence against women a diplomatic priority. For more information, go to www.amnestyusa.org or womenthrive.org and enter IVAWA in the search box.

√ Insist on support for thousands of trained Congolese women police officers. Write to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and ask her to allocate funding for training women to protect their sisters in the bush.U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington DC 20520.

PREVIOUS HOMEWORK

Get informed about what Afghan women are doing to advance their cause.

• Read the United Nations report, “Silence is Violence, End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan” July 8, 2009. United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. http://unama.unmissions.org/Portals/UNAMA/vaw-english.pdf
• Check out the “Women in Afghanistan Series” on Women’s E-News. http://www.womensenews.org/story/intl/090819/women-in-afghanistan
• Learn what women in Afghanistan are telling us at the Afghan Women’s Network. http://www.afghanwomensnetwork.org/
• Understand the anti-fundamentalist perspective of the oldest political organization of women (since 1977) in Afghanistan, the Revolutionary Association of Women in Afghanistan, http://www.rawa.org/index.phpand its close partner, The Afghan Women’s Mission: http://afghanwomensmission.org/index.php
• Listen to two Afghan human rights activists on National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113465160
• Learn about the programs at the United Nations Development Fund for Women in Afghanistan. http://www.unifem.org/afghanistan/prog/WPG/index.php

Let’s make sure President Obama and Congress hear our voice as they reformulate strategy. Let’s tell them that a war in Afghanistan does not promote security.

AMP wants to know why Western forces are in Afghanistan. Fighting terrorism? Combating corruption and fraud? Improving the government and the economy? Protecting the human rights of women and children? Training the Afghan army? Supporting Pakistan?

Is the fight in Afghanistan a war of necessity? Is America more safe by “staying the course”?

• Afghans are fed up with the corruption of the Karzai government.
• Karzai’s reelection is in dispute – is this promoting democracy?
• While some Afghan women and girls have benefited from new
  opportunities for education and political participation, a majority of women still suffer from domestic violence and forced marriages while still teenagers.
• There are no clear objectives for continuing military action and
  certainly no benchmarks for success.
• America does not have unlimited resources.

Support H.R. 1084, the Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2007. Introduced by Representative Sam Farr (D-CA 17th), this legislation would create a Response Readiness Corps as “a critical first step toward changing the way the U.S. engages the world. Many of the problems in the world today cannot be solved by military force. Problems such as economic disparity and the lack of a functioning, legitimate government can’t be solved by the military. Yet U.S. policymakers lack a corps of civilian experts to send to crisis torn areas to help countries help themselves and provide basic services to their citizens. This legislation addresses that need.” Press Release, Ann Vaughan, Friends Committee on National Legislation, March 5, 2008.

Attack Iran? No! Contact your members of Congress and urge them to support S. 759/HR 3119. Introduced by Senator James Webb and Representative Mark Udall, these bills reassert that only Congress can declare war. Specifically, they prohibit the use of funds for military operations in Iran without congressional authorization.

Vote for Presidential candidates who will bring the troops home from Iraq.
The Presidential primaries begin in early January and extend into June, 2008. Make sure your vote counts. We want strong peace candidates in November. A chronological listing of primaries is available at: http://www.vote-smart.org.

Contact your Senators and urge them to support S. 759 – a bill introduced by Senator Jim Webb (VA) that would prevent President Bush from attacking Iran without congressional authorization

Contact your Representative’s office and urge them to co-sponsor H.J. Res 14, a measure introduced by Representative Walter Jones (NC) that would require the president to obtain congressional approval for any use of force against Iran, barring “a demonstrably imminent attack” by Iran on the United States

KEEP THE PRESSURE ON WASHINGTON:
Make the Armed Services Committee Accountable.
Prevent the Temporary Increase of U.S. Troops in Iraq; Support the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops.
Stop the Escalation of the Iraq War; Support the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops.

Contact Your Representative to Support House Joint Resolution 73
Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha’s H.J. Res 73 calls for the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq. If your representative is already a sponsor, then encourage them to work with Murtha to get the bill to a debate and vote on the House floor.

Contact the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to let them know that supporting our troops means caring for our veterans.

Let’s Add Laura Bush to the List of People to Get the AMP Message
Send Laura the letter on page 1 of the Fall Newsletter. Download the letter to send by fax or mail. Spread the word: WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER. IT NEVER WAS, AND IT ISN’T NOW” Send the letter to:
Laura Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, DC 20500

Support Cindy Sheehan
Join AMP in supporting Cindy Sheehan’s courageous stand against the war.

Stop High School Recruitment!!!
Every day American High School students are the targets of U.S. Military recruiters. Did you know that you can opt-out so that your child is not approached? Tell the military to – “Keep your hands off our kids!!”

End the Back-door Draft!!!
Join AMP in urging the media to cover the stories of families victimized by U.S. military “retention policies” – The Back-door Draft must end now!

Register to Vote!!!
Your vote is your voice. We hope you’ll make sure you are registered to vote in your state and that you stay on top of all the candidates’ positions on war and peace.
»»Download a national voter registration form

Peace Packets
These packets of bright yellow postcards, emblazoned with the “War is not healthy…” logo both spread the word about Another Mother for Peace and help citizens lobby Congress to Make Peace a Priority! Request your Peace Packets today!