CODEPINK Women for Peace would like to propose an evening panel on Thursday and Friday eves and a daylong training on Saturday for beginner and seasoned activists working to end the Iraq war and stop future wars of aggression using nonviolent, creative tactics. We will submit 3 proposals--one for each of the panel events, and one for the Saturday trainings.

Women Stopping the War in Iraq and Preventing One with Iran

Hear from key women organizers in the US peace and justice movement about the effects of war on women, including a short documentary on Iraqi women. Then here what women are doing around the country to stop the war in Iraq and a new war with Iran. The speakers include Medea Benjamin, Cofounder of CODEPINK and Global Exchange; Leslie Cagan, Director of the anti-war coalition United for Peace and Justice, Ann Wright, military colonel and diplomat who resigned in opposition to the invasion of Iraq, and Anu Bhagwati, Iraq Veteran Against the War.

In this workshop we will screen a 14-minute documentary featuring 6 Iraqi women who traveled around the US speaking on the effects of the war. We will give an update on the status of Iraqi women and discuss ways to support them. We will also propose ideas for fostering “sister-to-sister” ties with Iran, and update participants on the role of US women in the peace movement.

Additional Information:

What format(s) will you follow (panel, small group discussion, Power Point presentation(s), story circles, slide show, role play, etc.)?
Our workshops and offerings will be dynamic and engaging: we will present powerful women speakers who will speak to the issues and encourage audience questions and participation. Two events will be panel discussion style with some short video screenings; the three workshops will be interactive and include small group exercises and discussion.

How many people do you anticipate participating in this event (choose one)? (Please note that most self-organized USSF events will not be able to have more than 50 participants.)

25-50 people in most sessions, 50-100 people at Friday evening envisioning event

What ideas do you want the participants to take away?

We hope that participants will leave with a better understanding of the US peace movement, CODEPINK, and how to get engaged in creative peace actions locally. These workshops are sure to inspire participants to get active and connected to end the war in Iraq and build peace through empowering women as leaders and taking creative direct action.

How does your event connect to the USSF Crosscutting Themes?

The purpose of our workshops is to “encourage thinking and acting that move beyond criticism toward actually building ‘another world,’” and to build a movement of peacemakers within the US that can stop our government’s imperialist wars of aggression and can participate in the global peace and justice movement.

How will the participants be engaged?

Participants will be engaged through dialogue, role play, arts activism, and more!

What language will your activity be conducted in?
English

Will you provide oral interpretation? Will you provide equipment (headset and transmitter) for interpretation?
No, we don’t plan to provide interpretation.

Will you provide handouts for attendees? In Spanish? In English? In another language (if so, state the language)? USSF will not copy handouts for you.
Yes, we will distribute flyers about CODEPINK and our peace work, and have sign up sheets for people who want to sign onto our Give Peace a Vote petition. We will bring all materials with us.

What is the biggest challenge/adversary your movement/organization faces?

The biggest challenge we face is achieving our goal—stopping the war in Iraq, bringing home our troops, and supporting Iraqis to build peace—in the face of US apathy, misguided belief, and a wealthy ruling class that is addicted to oil interests and power. We face the challenge of learning how to build a diverse movement that is inviting, warm, serious, and also playful and compassionate.

Currently we are facing the challenge of pushing the newly elected Congress to stop buying Bush’s war by voting against the supplemental spending bill. Unfortunately, our representatives easily speak out against Bush and his troop escalation, but get tripped up about the funding because they fear that they will not be supporting our troops. Our task is to help them, and the American people, see that supporting the troops is cutting funding for the continuation of the war, and caring for our troops with adequate healthcare services when they get home. If Congress buys the war again, we must make them aware that now they own it, and all the responsibility that comes with being at the helm of an occupation—the blood will be on their hands.

What concrete alternative(s) do you propose?

We propose the real and tangible alternative of a world without war, specifically a strategy of the US troops withdrawing from Iraq and Iraqis leading the rebuilding of their nation.

What strategies do you propose to achieve these alternatives?

We demonstrate the possibility and the power of this alternative through our creative, joyous protest. Initially it began with a group of visionary women came together with the intention of preventing an attack on Iraq, sat outside the White House every day and reclaimed the color pink as a powerful color for peace, in the face of a government based on fear and lies... And their actions caught like wildfire and have spread throughout the country (and world!) to create the foundations of a women’s movement for peace and justice. That movement has achieved wonders in the past four years: a pink slip campaign to fire the president that included dropping giant pink slips (large banners shaped like ladies’ lingerie), speaking out inside the Republican National Convention and inside of numerous speaking events with Bush and Co., hosting a tour of Iraqi women who visited over 100 US cities speaking about the need for the US to leave their country.

CODEPINK brings creative campaigns focusing on ending the war in Iraq, from vivid protests, to voter outreach, to international petitions, to speaking tours, to hurricane relief work in New Orleans, to vigils, to occupations of Congressional offices. We are constantly seeking new ways to engage people in the US around becoming a louder and more effective voice to stop the US occupation of Iraq and build peace.

Currently we are focusing on pushing Congress to carry out the people’s Mandate for Peace, and have rented a house in DC to host activists in the coming months to keep an ongoing presence in the halls of Congress. We are also focusing on providing regional and DC-based activist trainings. Our work at the US Social Forum connecting with other peace and justice groups and building capacity in local leadership with our trainings will be integral to the peace movement’s work in the months to come.

Any other special needs?
We would like to have the ability to show a DVD and a power point slide show, which would require access to a DVD player and projector/TV and a projector to connect to a laptop.

We’d also like to have a CODEPINK table in one of the tents, ideally with other peace groups such as United for Peace and Justice.

CODEPINK has already registered as an organization for the USSF. Our three main facilitators and organizational reps will be cofounder Medea Benjamin, cofounder Gael Murphy, and national local groups coordinator Rae Abileah.