A Peace Resource! What you can do to stop war!

So much is happening around the world to stop a war in Iraq. Here are some ideas on what you can do. Please take a couple of them into consideration and ACT NOW FOR PEACE.

 

Candlelight vigil for peace: Plan a candlelight vigil for peace in your area on Sunday, March 16 at 7 pm. MoveOn.org and the Win Without War coalition, together with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and many faith-based organizations, are calling this vigil, and seek our your help. Please visit http://www.globalvigil.org Beginning in New Zealand, this will be a rolling wave of candlelight gatherings that will quickly cross the globe.

 

101 ways to win the war: For more details go to: www.earthfuture.com

Here’s a summary of some main ideas:

  1. Some of the recommended 10 ways to win via email:

v       Send an email to every member of the UN Security Council at the same time, urging them to vote against war: www.voice4change.org/stories/mailUNSC.asp. See also www.cta-usa.org/iraq.html

v       Send an email to Saddam Hussein in Iraq, urging him to comply with the UN Inspectors' demands: press@uruklink.net

v       Sign an online petition against the war. There are many good online petitions and pledges that are properly designed. Try these sites for a valid petition: The Iraq Peace Pledge: www.peacepledge.org

v       Send 400 emails all at once to UN members, the US government and the Canadian government:

g-macagainstwar@mcmaster.ca.

  1. Ways to stop the war with your signs:

v       Light a candle and leave it in your window, with the word PEACE written large beneath it.

v       Buy a Peace Flag, and fly it. Wear a Peace T-shirt and Organize an “Art for Peace” event

  1. Ways to stop the war with your body:

v       Use your voice! Phone your Senator or government representative, and tell them what you feel. Pay them a visit. Organize a carload of people to visit the offices of your politicians.

v       Distribute flyers. Go to www.unitedforpeace.org  and print a ready-made flyer.

v       Fast for some time and Perform a silent vigil somewhere in public, with a placard. Invite people to join you.

v       Go on strike. Refuse to work for fifteen minutes every day.

  1. Ways to stop the war with your spirit:

v       Pray for Peace. Find a beautiful collection of prayers for peace from every religion at www.peaceprayer.org/iraq.html.

v       Join the “100 days towards a culture of peace” initiative: (available in different languages at http://www.gerhardinger.org/English/Shalom/100Days/Letter_for_100_days.htm and

www.buonpastoreint.org

v       Study Scripture and the Church’s Social Teaching on war and peace: John Paul II’s statements, as well as your Congregation’s charism in this respect. www.vatican.va

v       Organize a Prayer Service for peace. Dance, sing, paint and share poems for peace.

  1. Ways to stop the war with your mind:

v       Educate yourself. Your arguments will be more powerful if you study what’s happening. The New Oil Order - Washington's War on Iraq is the Lynchpin to Controlling Persian Gulf Oil from Foreign Policy in Focus: www.corpwatch.org/issues/PID.jsp?articleid=5529

v       Analyse the situation: A good analysis of the lead-up to the current situation is contained in Le Monde Diplomatique: http://mondediplo.com/focus/iraq/

v       Develop Clear Arguments: Fifteen Arguments Against the War on Iraq: www.eclipse.co.uk/exeter/stopwar/15args.shtml Put time aside in community meetings.

v       Explore the Internet. One useful resource: TruthOut: www.truthout.org 

  1. Ways to stop the war with your organization:

v       Clarify that your congretation/organization is against the war.

  1. Ways to stop the war with your friends:

v       Write letters together and persuade your city and collect signatures

v       Discuss what you can do together.