Jeju Island Needs Our Help

Dear Friends,

I hope this letter finds you doing well.  I have just returned from Washington DC where I was part of a trial of those arrested at the White House on March 19 opposing the endless and growing string of U.S. wars.  On that day 113 people (including many veterans) were arrested but only 18 of us went to trial.  We were found guilty by the judge but he chose to impose only a minor fine, which was a victory of sorts. 

I am writing to ask for your help.  As you may know the Global Network will be 20 years old in 2012.  We’ve been asked by the leaders of the Gangjeong village on Jeju Island, South Korea to hold our annual space organizing conference there next year.  Our Board of Directors/Advisers has agreed and we will travel to the village on February 24-26 for what will be an extraordinary event.

The mayor of Gangjeong village is now in jail for standing on top of a crane.  Several others, including a handful of Catholic priests, have recently been arrested for blocking cement trucks from entering the Navy base construction zone where they would pour concrete over the rocky coastline to build the piers.  The ships to be ported at this proposed base will primarily be U.S. Navy Aegis destroyers, outfitted with so-called “missile defense” systems, that are being used by the U.S. to surround China’s coast in a provocative move to give the U.S. first-strike capability.

It is crucial that the Global Network go to Gangjeong to show support for the small village (population about 1,900) that has been non-violently resisting this base for the past few years.  The problem, as you can imagine, is that it is not cheap to fly to South Korea and it is my job to raise funds so we can help get some of our key leadership from India, Sweden, England, U.S., Australia, Japan, and other places to this event.

I am thus writing to ask you to consider making a special donation to the Global Network for our travel fund for our 20^th anniversary conference – probably one of the most important space organizing events we’ll ever hold.

Little did the villagers of Gangjeong on Jeju Island ever realize that their fight to save their fishing and farming way of life, they’ve been in this village over 400 years, would have such global strategic implications.  As you know the Global Network has been doing everything we can for the past two years to build international support for the village.  We want to honor their invitation by bringing a strong and diverse delegation to this important conference.  It will be a great opportunity for us to show that peace groups all over the world support the noble efforts of the Gangjeong village.

Please send your tax-deductible donation for our special travel fund either by using our regular mailing address (see just below) or by using the secure Donate Now button on our web site home page. 

Let me know if you have any questions about this request or if you might be interested in traveling to Jeju Island with us for the conference.

I thank you in advance for your support and promise we will send you a full report about the conference.  Best wishes.

In peace, Bruce K. Gagnon, Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 443-9502
globalnet@mindspring.com

www.space4peace.org
http://space4peace.blogspot.com/  (blog)

News from Jeju Island

Dear friends, 

I have very tragic news to report from Jeju Island, South Korea.

At the crack of dawn on Friday, undercover police officers came to Gangjeong village and arrested three major leaders of the peaceful resistance: Village Chief Kang Dong-Kyun, renowned peace activist Brother Song Kang-Ho, and base opposition leader Ko Kwon-Il.

The South Korean Navy and Minister of Justice Lee Gui Nam also issued a threat to Kang Dong-Kyun and 76 other villagers, peace activists and civil society organizations for blocking the naval base construction. It specifies the following:

(1) These 77 individuals are banned from getting into the public waters or land near the Joongduk coastline where the naval base will be constructed.

(2) The notice bans the staff and volunteers from five civil society organizations – Peace-Life Association, Jeju Environmental Association, SPARK, Frontiers, and Gangjeong Village Association – from entering the public waters and land near the naval base site.

(3) All facilities from the resistance site must be removed within seven days.

(4) In the case that the facilities are not removed, the Navy and Minister of Justice will charge the village leader Mr. Kang for removing these facilities.

(5) The village leader Mr. Kang will be responsible for paying the Navy 5,000,000 Won ($5,000 US dollars) for each case of violation.

The South Korean military is trying to quash the resistance by arresting its leaders and inciting fear among villagers who are fighting for their land, community and livelihoods. As one of activist wrote, “I feel the martial law atmosphere here.”

The truth is: the villagers and their leaders are not alone. There is a growing tide of people from throughout the Korean peninsula and around the world who are behind them. We must let them know we have their backs by spreading this information – far and wide – and quick.

Here’s what you can do: 

1.    Please forward this to the media and as many people as possible.

2.    For those in the United States, please call the South Korean Embassy in Washington, DC ASAP and let them know the repression against the villagers conveys to the world that South Korea has returned to the era of authoritarian rule. The South Korean Embassy in Washington: (202) 797-6343.

3.    Email U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Stevens and let her know that we know that the U.S. Forces in Korea oversees the South Korean military, and as American citizens, we won’t stand for more military destruction in the name of so-called national security. EmbassySeoulPA@state.gov.

4.    Please keep forwarding this petition to your friends and family. http://signon.org/sign/save-jeju-island-no-naval?source=s.em.cr&r_by=363941

5.    Visit www.savejejuisland.org and join the facebook page for quick updates in Gangjeong http://www.facebook.com/groups/Saveprofyang?ap=1. 

We must not let the Lee Myung Bak regime repress democracy. We must not let their attempts at intimidation dampen the hope that has inspired so many people around the world to act for peace. We must remain firm in our resolve to support the courageous villagers in Gangjeong who are standing up to their military and government. We must join them in saying, “No Base on Jeju Island.”

Segregationists to take over the UA System?

Concern is being raised that some members of the UA System Board of Trustees are pushing to hire Stanley Reed, a known segregationist and anti-gay advocate to the presidency of the System Board.  Some links to past articles are below, but make phone calls fast.  The votes are being taken THIS WEEK.

Some important places to call:

Governor's office - 501-682-2345 - email from website 'governor.arkansas.gov'

Current UA system president Alan Sugg - 501-686-2505

Current Chair Carl Johnson - 501-663-6262

INTERESTING ARTICLES ABOUT STANLEY REED

Round 3 of president's search reveals -- http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2011/07/14/round-3-of-ua-president-search

The Decks Run Red -- http://www.arktimes.com/arkansas/the-decks-run-red/Content?oid=1764560

Peace Alliance remains under attack

Act Today to Support International Violence Prevention Infrastructure!
Join Friends Committee on National Legislation, Save Darfur Coalition and 24 organizations calling for key and attainable prevention funding priorities

The Peace Alliance recently joined the Prevention and Protection Working Group and I sat in on my first working group meeting yesterday. All I can say is ‘Wow.’  The collaboration amongst these diverse organizations uniting behind driving the issues we care about -- is astounding.  This group is a force to be reckoned with!  

Please join with me today in supporting one of the working group’s summer actions, a call to Congress for innovative State Department and foreign peacebuilding operations to receive the support they deserve.

The Prevention and Protection Working Group -- a coalition of 24 organizations dedicated to preventing deadly conflict and protecting civilians by strengthening U.S. civilian capacities (see list of orgs at bottom) -- have come together to urge Congressional Appropriators to invest in critical conflict prevention and civilian protection accounts.

The President’s FY 2012 international affairs budget includes a number of modest but important investments that will save lives and preserve scarce resources by improving the U.S. government’s ability to prevent and mitigate conflict. The initiatives outlined below represent relatively small investments that could save billions of dollars and thousands of lives by preventing crises from turning violent, stemming mass atrocities, and avoiding costly interventions.  And, they all stand a good chance at being implemented if we make our voices heard to Congress.

Contact Congress today! Take action in support of International Violence Prevention! 

SHARE THIS EMAIL WIDELY

Secretary of Defense Gates, Secretary of State Clinton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mullen, and bipartisan leaders in Congress have all noted the dual needs to rectify the imbalance in the U.S. foreign policy toolbox and to strengthen civilian capacity in order to meet today’s complex security and humanitarian challenges.  Lets support them by taking action today!

Specifically, we join this working group to urge Congressional Appropriators to fully fund the President’s FY2012 request for the following accounts: (Descriptions of these accounts courtesy of a letter to Congress from our PPWG friends).

Complex Crises Fund: The CCF is a crucial source of unprogrammed, innovative, and flexible funding for civilian agencies, without which the State Department and USAID would be less capable of acting quickly when conflicts escalate or undertaking rapid stabilization, prevention, and crisis response activities. We urge you to fully fund the President’s FY2012 request of $75 million for the CCF and to ensure that it is available for both the State Department and USAID.

Conflict Stabilization Operations: The CSO (formerly Civilian Stabilization Initiative) funds the Civilian Response Corps (CRC) and the State Department’s Office for the Coordinator of Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS). The CRC, a new corps of civilian experts trained and deployed to help prevent and mitigate conflict, now includes over 1,200 trained federal employees supporting critical diplomatic and development efforts in some of the most troubled spots in the world, including Afghanistan, Sudan, and Somalia. S/CRS continues to support vital conflict prevention, reconstruction, and stabilization operations in Pakistan, Haiti, and Yemen, among others. CSO is a low-cost, efficient use of scarce resources that can prevent costly conflict. We urge you to fully fund the President’s FY2012 request of $92.2 million for the CSO.

Office of Transition Initiatives: USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives supports programs that help fragile or conflict-prone countries transition to peace and stability. OTI implements these programs and has developed a strong track record over the last 15 years in applying short-term assistance to leverage opportunities for advancing peace and mitigating violence. We urge you to fully fund the President’s FY2012 request of $56 million for OTI.

UN Peacekeeping Operations: Professional, well-equipped international peacekeepers reduce the burden on the U.S. by acting as a key stabilizing force at a fraction of the cost of U.S. intervention – a mere 12 cents to the dollar according to the Government Accountability Office. UN Peacekeepers play a vital role in protecting civilians from harm, preventing displacement, restoring and maintaining rule of law and enabling post-conflict political and economic reconstruction. Therefore, we urge you to fully fund the President’s FY2012 request of $1.920 billion for Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) and $292 million for Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) programs.

Civilian agencies and international partners must be well-equipped to respond flexibly and decisively to mitigate escalating crises before atrocities occur. Wise investment in the aforementioned accounts will undoubtedly save lives and prevent the United States from costly military and reconstruction expenditures.

U.S. Institute of Peace: In addition to the points above, The Peace Alliance is also including in this action a call to continue to fund the U.S. Institute of Peace. USIP is the only congressionally mandated and funded national institution dedicated specifically to helping prevent and resolve deadly conflict. Investing in USIP will help the U.S. save lives and treasure in the long-run by preventing wars rather than fighting them.

Contact Congress and the President today! Take action in support of International Violence Prevention! 

Forward this email!

You can read a more detailed agenda for policymakers and citizens on FCNL's website.

Members of the Prevention and Protection Working group:
3D Security Initiative
Alliance for Peacebuilding
Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation
Better World Campaign
Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict (CIVIC)
Church of the Brethren Global Partnerships
Citizens for Global Solutions
Colomban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
Disciples Justice Action Network
Friends Committee on National Legislation
The Fund for Peace
Human Rights First
Investors Against Genocide
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, University of San Diego
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur
Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office
National Council of Churches of Christ, USA
The Peace Alliance
Refugees International
Resolve
Save Darfur Coalition/Genocide Intervention Network
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society

Gratitude,
Aaron Voldman
The Peace Alliance & Student Peace Alliance

Rebuilding the American Dream-Van Jones

 This Thursday night at 8:15 ET, MoveOn.org is hosting a one-of-a-kind online event, and you're invited.

It's the launch of a new organization called Rebuild the Dream, which is dedicated to creating an economy that works for ALL of us and to stopping the attacks on the middle class and working Americans.

The launch event will be An Inconvenient Truth for our economy—on steroids. It's equal parts tent revival, dance party, and gripping story about what's happened to our economy and how we turn it around.

It will be led by green jobs visionary and former White House advisor Van Jones. And while he lays out the truth about our economy, hip-hop megastars The Roots and world-renowned visual artist and DJ Shepard Fairey will back him up with some amazing music. I've seen the rehearsals, and it's simply astounding. 

We'd love to have you join us for the live stream, in HD. And because a mass movement requires mass bandwidth, please RSVP to let us know you'll be watching! 

Rebuild the Dream is an organization dedicated to building the American Dream movement—the answer to the question: Will we fight alone and lose, or will we stand together and win?

Young graduates and returning veterans who can't find a job shouldn't stand alone. Families losing their homes to the banks that they bailed out shouldn't stand alone. Seniors having their Medicare slashed and the poor and disabled having their Medicaid gutted shouldn't stand alone.

This is not a coalition—it's a movement of people standing together. It's a banner under which we can all be proud to march. It's a movement dedicated to the enduring values and principles that we share, not the election of any individual.

Those values and principles will be enshrined in a Contract for the American Dream, which we'll build together from the ground up. That starts in July with house meetings in every congressional district across the country.

And this Thursday night it all starts with the truth—live streamed into your home.

Click here to RSVP and make sure you're logged on and tuned in at 8:15 p.m. ET this Thursday.

Thanks for all you do,

–Justin, Peter, Marika, Stephen, and the rest of the MoveOn team

P.S. Over the past several weeks we've been spreading the "we are being lied to" message with creative and confrontational on-the-ground action. It's taken off quickly and generated a lot of attention. Click here to see the video that's creating all the buzz.