...peace for generations
Mission Statement
We are a diverse group of residents of south-suburban Chicago who are committed to promoting peace and justice. We aspire to leave a legacy of hope for our children and future generations and a blueprint for productive conflict resolution through education, diplomacy, action, and leadership-by-example. We have compassion for military personnel and all those affected by conflicts throughout the world, even as we ardently support efforts to end war. We have faith in our ability to make a difference.
You are welcome to join us!
We meet on the 1st Monday of each month, from 7 to 9pm
at 3505 Lakeview, in Hazel Crest.
(In the clubhouse of the Water's Edge Condominiums)
click for map
contact: g4p@generations4peace.org
click here to learn more
Next Meeting: MONDAY,
February 1st, 7 - 9 pm
Water's Edge Clubhouse
3505 Lakeview, in Hazel Crest
AGENDA:
We will discuss and approve the following
HOPE TO SEE YOU!
WANTED
We need
volunteers to help update the American Friends Service Committee
publication called Great Careers: Alternatives to the Military.
This can be done from home if you have access to a phone and/or the
internet. Even a few hours of your time would be valuable.
The manual focuses on non-military education and career options in the Chicago area, since this is the most heavily recruited area in the country. We plan to provide this publication free to young people we meet through our Truth in Recruitment efforts.
In mid-February, Darlene Gramigna, coordinator of the Chicago AFSC office's Truth in Recruiting program, will have a phone conference with interested volunteers to explain how to update the manual.
Contact g4p@generations4peace.org to help.
See our latest project below!
Thanks to everyone who donated funds and worked with billboard companies
to make this collaborative project with the American Friends Service
Committee possible.
Location: I-94, in Indiana, at the Grant St.
exit. The sign is on the south side
of the expressway and faces east (so you'll seeing it driving toward
Illinois).
If you would like to donate
money to keep the billboard up past December 7th, contact
g4p@generations4peace.org!
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Generations for Peace has
signed onto Tom Hayden's
Petition to
Demand an Exit Strategy to
End Wars!
You can sign the petition,too!
http://gopetition.com/online/30533.html
Afghanistan - A
Petition to Take Action Against the War
Published by
Tom Hayden on Sep 03, 2009
Background (Preamble):
An escalation of troops to
Afghanistan is pending.
Petition:
We, the undersigned peace and justice leaders, believe that the American
military interventions in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq are deepening
quagmires that threaten a Long War without end.
At the current rate of American deaths in Afghanistan, over 1,000
additional American soldiers will be killed in the next two years of
“hard fighting” predicted by the Pentagon as the next phase of a ten
year occupation. Another $130 billion for Afghanistan and Iraq now is
being rushed through asleeping Congress. An escalation of even more
troops is pending.
Now is the time for an exit strategy to end these wars. The government
of warlords, drug lords, and landlords we prop up in Kabul is losing
more legitimacy by the day. A majority of Americans including 70
percent from the majority party now consider Afghanistan a mistake.
Even leading national security experts deny that it¹s a necessary war.
If we do not decide to disengage at once, our dreams of domestic reform
will be squandered by years of war budgets. Our dreams of clean energy
will be buried in wars over oil and pipelines. The global good will
extended to our new President will be jeopardized.
We understand how difficult it is to reverse a mistaken course. But that
is the leadership we need, not one that continually escalates in order
not to lose. We have been there.
- Our government should adopt an exit strategy from Afghanistan based on
all-party talks, regional diplomacy, unconditional humanitarian aid, and
timelines for the near-term withdrawal of American and NATO combat
troops.
- The aerial bombardments of Afghan and Pakistan villages, like burning
down haystacks to find terrorist needles, should end.
- Military spending should be reversed in Afghanistan to focus on food,
medicine, shelter, the socio-economic needs of the poor, and the dignity
of women and children.
- President Obama should keep his pledge to withdraw all troops from
Iraq by 2011, and prevent American interference in the forthcoming Iraqi
elections.
- The President should oppose any Israeli attack on Iran, which will
only inflame the regional and global conflict.
Much as we were inspired by Barack Obama¹s election, we will not be
taken for granted by the President and the Congressional majority. The
historic victories in 2006 and 2008 were fueled by popular enthusiasm
and unprecedented voter turnouts that cannot be reignited by e-mail
solicitations. A growing disenchantment with a costly quagmire will
threaten all the hopes of 2008.
Everything is related now: we cannot afford national health care,
housing, and clean energy while spending billions on quagmires across
several continents.
We are prepared to create a storm of protest in Congressional districts
and close Senate races. We will form alliances with all those whose hope
for health, energy and economic reform are diminished by these wars. We
will defend dissent in the armed forces and protect our children from
the snares of military recruiters. We will reach out to strengthen a
global peace movement, especially in NATO countries.
History shows that terrorist threats can come from German cities,
African villages, and even homegrown American cells, not simply the
caves of Pakistan.
Our security needs cannot be served by provoking the growing hatred of
America caused by repeated invasions of foreign lands. We are human
beings who refuse to be defined in the world as mindless military drones
and Predators.
TOM HAYDEN
ARIEL DORFMAN, Author, Duke University
RABBI STEVEN B. JACOBS, Progressive Faith Foundation
REV. GEORGE REGAS, pastor emeritus, All-Saints Episcopal Church
REV. ED BACON, Pastor, All-Saints Episcopal Church
REV. PETER LAARMAN, Progressive Christians United
DR. NAZIR KHAJA, President, Islamic Information Service
REV. JOHN B. COBB, Claremont Theology School
REV. GEORGE HUNSINGER, Princeton Theology Seminary
REV. JAMES CONN, Director, New Ministries, United Methodist Church
RABBI HAIM DOV BELIAK, Hamifgash
REV. JANET EOLLERY MCKEITHEN, Westside Interfaith Coalition
STEPHEN ROHDE, president, Inter-faith Communities for Peace and Justice,
Los
Angeles
SENATOR JOHN BURTON, chairman, California Democratic Party
KAREN BERNAL, chair, Progressive Caucus, California Democratic Party
DANIEL ELLSBERG
SUSIE SHANNON, Executive Board Member, California Democratic Party
RAY MCGOVERN, CIA [ret.]
PAUL HAGGIS, film director
SONALI KOHATKAR, Co-director, Afghan Women's Mission
MICHAEL RATNER, President, Center for Constitutional Rights
JODIE EVANS, co-founder, CODE PINK
CODE PINK
LESLIE CAGAN, co-founder, United for Peace and Justice
RUSTI EISENBERG, United for Peace and Justice
UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE [UFPJ]
KEVIN MARTIN, PEACE ACTION, Washington
MICHAEL MCPHEARSON, Veterans for Peace
ROBERT NAIMAN, policy director, JUST FOREIGN POLICY
STAUGHTON LYND, historian
VAN GOSSE, co-founder, Historians Against the War
MARC BECKER, co-chair, Historians Against the War
MICHAEL ALBERT, Znet
BILL FLETCHER, Jr., executive director, Black Commentator, co-founder
Progressives for Obama
CARL DAVIDSON, webmaster, PROGRESSIVES FOR OBAMA
RICHARD FALK, professor, Princeton University, United Nations rapporteur
LEONARD WEINGLASS, human rights attorney
MATTHEW EVANGELISTA, chair, Department of Government, Cornell University
STANLEY ARONOWITZ, graduate center, City University of New York
JOE FEAGAN, professor, Texas A&M University
ROBERT GREENWALD, Brave New Films
GAEL MURPHY, Code Pink, Washington
TIM CARPENTER, Progressive Democrats of America [PDA]
NORMAN BIRNBAUM
DAVID FENTON
LEONARD WEINGLASS, human rights attorney
Synopsis of Meeting with
Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. , April 7th
On
Tuesday, April 7th, a group of eight Generations for Peace members met
with Congressman Jackson in the Homewood Office. We introduced him
to our group by sharing our mission statement and some of the
projects/events we have sponsored (such as the Penny Poll, see below).
The Congressman listened to our concerns regarding the escalation of
troops in Afghanistan and the proposed increase in military spending for
2009.
Below are key points made by Congressman Jackson:
He is “dismayed” at Obama’s decision to escalate troops in Afghanistan (and said he has told the President).
He wants to exit Afghanistan quickly, but fears it will be known as “Obama’s War.”
He says he is “not anti-drone," explaining that he feels drones do an important job and that there is a trade-off between "getting targets" and keeping our soldiers safe and, unfortunately, sometimes killing or injuring civilians.
He says the details of the proposed DoD budget (the largest ever) reflect a very different kind of approach to defense, including a more “agile” military force and more humanitarian aid. He seemed to feel the increase is good and necessary.
He shares our desire for peace, but says this must be balanced by the fact that there are very real global threats which cannot be dealt with by doing nothing.
The greatest threat
to peace is a failed nuclear state (
Pakistan ).
For this showing, you are asked to RSVP for a virtual ticket online at
http://rethink.bravenewtheaters.com/screening/show/13362
Saturday,
October 24th, 7pm - Free Film
Arlington West
Unitarian Universalist Community Church
70 Sycamore Rd.
Park Forest, IL 60466
PEACE:
How Do We Get There?
-
September 26, 2009
This educational conference, held at the Flossmoor
Library, featured presenters and activities focused on peacebuilding
and conflict management. The conference was held in recognition of
International Day of Peace, which occurs every year
on September 21st.
Speakers included:
Facilitators from Homewood School District 153's SEED diversity project
Representatives from the Homewood-Flossmoor Restorative Justice/Peer Jury Program
Teen filmmaker Stephen Sotor and his documentary, Peace
Governor's State University professor, Dr. Larry
Levinson
Our brown-bag lunch discussion explored this question:
How would a U.S. Department of Peace impact our government and our society?
Children's activities featured a "Peace Heroes" workshop led by Ginny and Jim
Hartley, former Chicago-area coordinators of
Parenting for Peace and Justice.
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Julie Haverty, Judy Gleitsman, Concetta Smart, and
Karen Maurer (right photo) admire the Peaceful Earth sculpture
made by children at First Presbyterian Church, Homewood.
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Mary Fazzini and Peer Jurors role play a Peer Jury
session.
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Dr. Larry Levinson speaks about a peace
Generations for Peace member, Joan Sanders, talks
as an ongoing process and the successes
with a conference participant.
of NGOs and grassroots organizations in
peacebuilding
March 15, 2008: Speaking out in the Local Press
The ad below appeared in the Southtown Star on Sunday, March 15th,
in the Neighborhood section. We had over 100 "signatures" of support!
Eyes Wide Open Exhibit - October 25, 2008
Generations for Peace honored fallen U.S. military personnel and Iraqi civilians by bringing the traveling exhibition: Eyes Wide Open: The Cost of War to Illinois to Homewood's Irwin Park.
This state exhibit is one of 46 included in the
national Eyes Wide Open network, created by the American Friends
Service Committee. As of the date of the Homewood event, the exhibit
included 151 pairs of boots representing servicemen and women from
Illinois who have died in the Iraq War. A white pair of boots was
included to represent the unknown number of soldiers who have committed
suicide either in Iraq or upon return home. In addition, pairs of
civilian shoes were displayed around the perimeter of the exhibit to
represent the thousands of Iraqi men, women, and children who have died
as a result of the war.
Nan Wexler and Judith Vicari prepare a pair of boots for the Eyes Wide Open exhibit.
International Day of Peace - September 21, 2008
Generations for Peace sponsored "Imagining World Peace," an event to mark International Day of Peace, designated by the United Nations as a global day of personal and political ceasefire and peace-building. People of all ages gathered together. We sang traditional peace songs, learned dances designed to create peace and unity, and viewed a short documentary about one young man’s dream, Peace One Day. We also wrote messages which were sent to a peace group in Tehran, Iran, which was holding its first-ever International Day of Peace event.
Read about the event on the blog of Karen
Van Fossan, Archibald Bush Artist Fellow:
http://peacetheater.blogspot.com/2008/09/this-bag-is-for-peace.html
FaLL 2008:
The Penny Poll
Project–
How YOU want your
tax dollars spent!
This fall found Generations for Peace members at various south suburban Farmer’s Markets
running
a public education project, the interactive Penny Poll exhibit.
Participants were invited to view the bar graph, below, which shows how Congress chose to spend our 2007 tax dollars. Then we
gave participants 10 pennies (each representing 1/10 of a dollar) to
"spend" among 5 budget categories—military, education and jobs, science and environment, healthcare, and diplomacy and foreign aid.
The results were tallied at the end of each day.
Here's how CONGRESS spent each of your 2007 federal income tax dollars:
How would YOU spend each dollar?
Results from Illinois School's Sunflower Festival (62 participants)
Because families at this school live in four different communities, Mrs.
Linda Green's
6th-grade math students graphed the results by city.
Results from Park Forest Farmer's Market, June 28th, (67 participants):
Results from Flossmoor Farmer's Market, July 11th, (47 participants):
Marimonica Murray conducts the Penny Poll with a Park Forest Farmer's
Market visitor
Homewood Independence Day Parade: July 4, 2008
Reality Check: A Coffeehouse to Mark 5 Years of War in Iraq- March 14, 2008
Intent on not letting the issue of the War in Iraq be
forgotten, Generations for Peace held a well-attended coffeehouse event
featuring musicians and speakers. Speakers included Margaret Jackson (Midwest
Regional Director for American Friends Service Committee), Ramona Mitchell
(mother of a GI serving in Iraq), and Jenna Kennedy (Partners for Peace). The
gift of music was provided by Anna Stange, the Mother Z's, and Rachel Mylan.
Candlelight Peace Vigil- December 16, 2007
About 40 brave souls gathered at the Veterans Memorial in Homewood to light a candle for peace. We sang songs, participated in choral readings, and....shivered!! The cloth banners draped around some participants are sections of the Peace Ribbon that was wrapped around the White House as a protest to the war in Viet Nam. They were
kindly shared by Rev. Richard Lewis.
Petition Delivery to Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., Dec. 13th
NO WAR IN IRAN!
Generations for Peace "hosted" a petition-delivering event at the Homewood office of Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. This event was organized by MoveOn, which supplied petitions urging our representatives to sign a letter to President Bush to let him know that he has no authority to strike or invade Iran without Congressional approval.
Rally for Peace and an End to the War: October 27th, 2007
This local rally (Homewood) was held as part of a day of
nationwide demonstrations and rallies in support of peace and an end to the war
in Iraq. Generations for Peace was honored to have folksingers Anna Stange and
Candy Heitner lead us in singing for peace. Speakers included Laurie Hasbrook
(from Voices for Creative Nonviolence), Pastor Nancy Dederer, Rabbi Ellen
Dreyfus, and Roderick Bashirr.
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Laurie Hasbrook
Pastor Nancy Dederer
Rabbi Ellen Dreyfus
Rod Bashirr with family and friends
Homewood Independence Day Parade: July 4, 2007
History
At the end of May, 2007, eight women met at the home of Jodi Libretti, in Homewood, Illinois, in response to a letter she sent to friends and acquaintances. The letter spoke of a deep longing to find other people in the local community who believed strongly in promoting peace and justice.
By the end of the first meeting, the women had decided to form an activist group that would include anyone committed to peace, not just women, and that, as a reflection of the many ages represented that night, the group would be called "Generations for Peace."
There were thirteen people at the next meeting, in June, where the mission statement was crafted. At that meeting, the decision was made to march in the Homewood 4th of July parade with signs and Generations for Peace t-shirts. In preparation for the parade, a sign-making party was held at the end of June. Over 30 people attended that meeting.
The Homewood 4th of July parade was the first public appearance of Generations for Peace. Parade bystanders reported that G4P was by far, the largest group in the parade. Over 65 women, men, and children walked with the group including one family representing three generations of peace activists, and the response from parade-goers was overwhelmingly positive. While some members of G4P were active protesters of the Vietnam War, many other members had never taken a public stand on any issue. This was a significant, moving, and uplifting event for the group.
Statement of Nonviolence
(adapted from the statement written by Voice for Creative Nonviolence
www.vcnv.org)
While nonviolence is defined in different ways by different people in different
contexts, and while there exists the need to continue discussion and debate on
how nonviolence and nonviolent action is conceived, we are committed to
following these principles in all of our group actions and events:
We will act with love, openness, compassion, and respect toward all people we encounter. We will seek dialogue with those who may disagree with us and maintain a spirit of openness, friendliness, and respect toward all with whom we engage.
We will not be violent in our actions or words toward any person or property and will not damage any property.
We will act fairly and honest with people regardless of the situation or role they play.
We will remain calm and aware at all times. We will keep a clear state of mind.
We will recognize our opposition is to a system of violence and militarism, not to individual members of the system.
We will carry no weapons.
We will gather in a manner that reflects the peaceful world we choose to create.
Contact Information for Congressional Representatives, Chicago south suburbs:
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Senator
Roland Burris (D) Fax: 202-228-3333
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Main District Office: |
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Senator Richard Durbin (D) http://durbin.senate.gov |
Main District Office:
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Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D)
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Representative Bobby Rush (D)
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South Suburban Office: |
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Representative Jerry Weller (R)
Washington DC: |
Phone: (815) 740-2028 |