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The Declaration of Peace

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The U.S. war in Iraq is an endless fire consuming lives, resources and even the possibility for peace. Instead of quenching this fire, the U.S.-led occupation is actually feeding it, creating heartbreak and hatred around the world.

With nearly 70 percent of the people of the United States now opposing this war, there is a growing demand for withdrawal and to bring our troops home. The “Declaration of Peace” is a call by people all across America to establish a comprehensive, concrete and rapid plan to end the Iraqi occupation, including:

• Withdrawal of U.S. troops and all coalition forces

• Closure of U.S. military bases

• Support for an Iraqi-led peace process, including a peace conference to shape a post-occupation transition and an international peacekeeping presence if mandated by this peace process

• Return of Iraqi control over its oil resources and the political and economic life of the nation

• Reparations and reconstruction to address the destruction caused by the U.S. war and 13 years of sanctions

• Establish a ‘peace dividend’ for job creation, health care, education, housing, and other vital social needs

• Increased support for U.S. veterans of the Iraq war, and

• No so-called ‘preventive’ war against Iran or any other nation.

With Congress adjourning by the end of the month to head home for the fall election though, time is of the essence. The Declaration of Peace accordingly sets a deadline of September 21 — International Peace Day — for both establishing and initiating a concrete, comprehensive plan to end the occupation. Congress and the White House will then have six months to fully implement the plan before the March 19, 2007 completion date, on what will be the fourth anniversary of the Iraq invasion.

Endorsed by a host of Peace & Justice and religious organizations, the Declaration of Peace urges to citizens to take bold, powerful steps for peace by:

1) Contacting their federal representatives and candidates in the fall congressional election and urging them to pledge their support for legislation that will bring the troops home and cut off funding for the war; and

2) Publicly participate in activities leading up to the September 21 deadline, including marches, vigils, and nationally coordinated phone-ins and e-mail campaigns.

In the event that Congress and the White House fail to meet the September 21 deadline, many Declaration supporters are already preparing to engage in peaceful actions in Washington, D.C., at local their local congressional offices, and at other sites throughout the nation during the week of September 21-28. If necessary, marches, rallies, vigils, demonstrations and other creative expressions ‘declaring peace’ will be organized. In the spirit of Mohandas Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., acts of nonviolent civil disobedience may be appropriate to demonstrate principled opposition to the Iraq occupation. These nationally coordinated nonviolent activities will continue on a regular basis until the United States completes a final withdrawal.

The goal, however, is to win support for the Declaration of Peace by September 21. And in both the House and Senate, support for establishing a timetable for withdrawal is growing daily. Besides well-known Democrats like Rep. John Murtha, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, and former presidential nominee John Kerry, even Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel has now issued the call for withdrawal.

It has been a tragic three-and-a-half years. But together — as policy-makers and citizens; Democrats, Republicans and Independents, people of faith and people of conscience — we have the power to douse this fire before it burns completely out of control. Go to declarationofpeace.org or call the NFP State Office to find out what you can do to ‘declare peace’ by September 21.