A Declaration of Peace

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Create peace. Create alternatives. Create hope.
End the US war in Iraq.
Take steps to bring the troops home now --
And engage in nationwide nonviolent action
If a concrete withdrawal plan is not established and activated

The Declaration of Peace --
A Commitment to Take Nonviolent Action to:
• End the US War in Iraq
• Bring the Troops Home Now, and
• Establish a Concrete Deadline and Timetable for a Comprehensive Withdrawal

The US war in Iraq is an endless fire consuming lives, resources, and the fragile possibilities of peace. Instead of quenching this fire, the US occupation intensifies it. At a time when seventy percent of the people of the United States oppose this war, there is a growing call to bring the US troops home now and to establish a comprehensive withdrawal, including the closure of US bases in Iraq and supporting a peace process in the post-occupation transition.

The Declaration of Peace is a commitment people are making across the United States to support bringing the US troops home now; to establish a comprehensive, concrete, and rapid withdrawal plan; and to take bold, loving and powerful steps to help make the dream of peace in Iraq a reality.

By signing The Declaration of Peace, we join together to end this war and to declare the beginning of a shift in our society and in our world: from the horror of war to nonviolent solutions; from policies of destruction to comprehensive and just reconstruction and reparations in Iraq; and from hundreds of billions of dollars devoted to war to budget priorities and economic justice that meet human needs at home.

At this critical moment, each of us -- policy-makers and citizens; Democrats, Republicans and Independents; people of faith and people of conscience – has the power to douse this fire. Sign The Declaration of Peace – and take tangible, nonviolent action to end this war and to declare a new era of peace and justice.

The Declaration of Peace: Committing to Take Action

The Declaration of Peace is a pledge to take nonviolent action for the immediate withdrawal of US troops – and to engage in concerted nonviolent action if a concrete withdrawal plan is not established and begun by September 23, 2006, just days before Congress adjourns for the fall elections.

The Declaration is a commitment to take one or more steps between now and September to bring the troops home now and to create momentum for a concrete withdrawal plan. Between now and September we will:

Call on candidates in the fall congressional elections to “declare peace” by publicly pledging to vote for and support legislation that brings the troops home and cuts off funding for the war;
Participate in activities leading up to September 23, including marches, vigils, and national phone-ins;
Prepare for September by organizing Declaration public signing events, nonviolent action planning, and nonviolent action training across the United States.
If the September 23 deadline is not met, thousands of Declaration signers will engage in coordinated nonviolent witness in Washington, DC and at Congressional offices and other sites throughout the nation from September 23-30. These activities will include marches, rallies, vigils and other creative expressions “declaring peace.” Some signers will be led by conscience to engage in nonviolent resistance or civil disobedience in the spirit of the nonviolent action taken by Mohandas Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King for justice and freedom.

Nationally coordinated nonviolent activities will continue on a regular basis until the United States withdraws from Iraq. At the same time, as we work to end this war, we will also challenge policies that threaten and launch new wars against other nations.

Sign the Declaration -- and help create new directions for peace!

The Goal of the Declaration of Peace:
Establishing and Completing a
Comprehensive, Concrete Withdrawal Plan

The Declaration of Peace is a commitment to take nonviolent steps for a comprehensive, concrete and rapid end to the war, including:
• Withdrawal of US troops
• Closure of US 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
• End to US control of Iraqi oil and the political and economic life of Iraq
• Reparations and reconstruction to address the destruction wreaked by the war
• Increased support for US veterans of the Iraq war, and
• No so-called “preventive” or “pre-emptive” war against other nations
This comprehensive and concrete withdrawal plan must be established and activated no later than September 23, 2006, and completed no later than March 19, 2007, the fourth anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. We will take every nonviolent step possible to meet these goals before these deadlines.

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The Declaration of Peace

Yes! I declare peace with the people of Iraq and commit to take steps to end the US war by engaging in:
_____ Nonviolent witness, including marches, rallies, and organized efforts to call on members of Congress to “declare peace” and to establish a concrete, comprehensive withdrawal plan by September 23, 2006
_____ Nonviolent direct action, nonviolent resistance or civil disobedience as conscience leads me, if a concrete, comprehensive withdrawal plan is not established and activated by September 23, 2006.
Name_____________________________________________________
Address___________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
City_____________________________State_______Zip____________
Email_________________________Phone_______________________
Affiliation__________________________________________________

Nonviolent Action Guidelines

• Our attitude will be one of openness and respect toward all we encounter in our actions.
• We will use no violence, verbal or physical, toward any person.
• We will not destroy or damage any property.
• We will carry no weapons.
• We will not bring any drugs or alcohol to Declaration events.
• If participating in a nonviolent direct action, such as civil disobedience, we will not resist arrest and we will remain accountable for our actions.

All individuals participating in nonviolent direct action are required to take nonviolent action training. Please contact the Declaration of Peace if you would like help setting up such a training, or finding someone in your area who can lead one. (These guidelines are derived from the Iraq Pledge of Resistance.)

Declaration of Peace Endorsers

United for Peace and Justice;

Clergy and Laity Concerned About Iraq;

The Global Call for Nonviolent Resistance to the War in Iraq;

Proyecto Guerrero Azteca por la Paz;

The United Church of Christ; Methodist Federation for Social Action;

Code Pink;

Episcopal Peace Fellowship;

Pax Christi USA;

Iraq Pledge of Resistance;

Global Exchange;

Voices for Creative Nonviolence;

Peaceful Tomorrows;

Peaceworkers;

Courage to Resist;

The MK Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence;

Los Angeles Interfaith Council United for Justice and Peace;

Ecumenical Peace Institute/Clergy and Laity Concerned (Northern California);

Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service.

For More Information:

The Declaration of Peace:

http://www.DeclarationOfPeace.org

kenbutigan@peaceebene.org

773-777-7133

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