Peace = Patriotism

A User’s Guide to Antiwar Activism

Comments (0) By Coco McPherson Tuesday, Sep 25 2001

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Peaceful Justice: PJ was founded at Wesleyan University, but the coalition is now on campuses nationwide and counts university and high school students from 105 schools in 30 states among its membership. Students from Columbia, Barnard, the New School, NYU, Hunter College, and Hunter College High School are representing New York City. The PJ Web site lists organizing guides and a sample petition for activists seeking to get involved on campus. 608-256-7081, www.peacefuljustice.cjb.net

Prolibertad: Based in the Bronx, ProLibertad organized six years ago to liberate Puerto Rican political prisoners and to end the U.S. bombing of Vieques. On the current peace initiatives, PL spokesman Benjamin Ramos said, "We want to make sure that the left and the progressive movements come together for what may be a new antiwar movement. The war is inherently racist. We have the media saying that there shouldn't be violence shown against Arab Americans, and yet we're going to bomb Arab countries. Fanaticism is not revolutionary. We condemn the act, and we condemn the war." 718-601-4751, www.prolibertad.org

Jews For Racial & Economic Justice: JFREJ was founded in 1990 in direct response to ethnic tensions in New York City and as an effort to revitalize the Jewish tradition of progressive activism. In the past, it has hosted conferences on anti-Arab racism, and it is now calling for all Americans and New Yorkers to speak out against anti-Arab racism and racial profiling. 212-647-8966, www.jfrej.org

Active Element Foundation: AEF, the national organization that links activists to donors via grant making and hip-hop culture, has launched the Peaceful Action Initiative to support young organizers already working on peace vigils, fundraisers for firefighters and rescue workers, and support efforts for the Arab American and Muslim communities. 212-283-8272, www.activelement.org

On the Web

For vigil and march info: nyc.indymedia.org

For current debate, see the online version of Z Magazine: www.zmag.org/ZNET.htm

To add your name to peace listservs: s11nycsubscribe@topica.com

Online Petitions

www.petitiononline.com/notowar/petition.html: Eve Ensler and other local artists and activists are behind "New Yorkers Say No to War." Their e-mail petition is an open letter to the U.S. government.

www.9-11peace.org: This is one of the biggest petition sites on this issue on the Web.