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New CPD Endorsers
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February 21, 2012
Dear Friend of the Campaign for Peace and Democracy,As we enter a new year of hope and struggle, we are delighted to welcome our new CPD endorsers:
- Medea Benjamin, Cofounder, CODEPINK and Global Exchange
- Frank Brodhead, Concerned Families of Westchester
- Marjorie Cohn, Author; Professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law
- Hamid Dabashi, Columbia University
- Bill Fletcher Jr., BlackCommentator.com
- Dan Gallin, Global Labour Institute, Geneva, Switzerland
- Kathy Kelly, Co-coordinator, Voices for Creative Nonviolence
- Bitta Mostofi, Lawyer and activist
- Adaner Usmani, NYU Sociology; Labour Party Pakistan
For those of you who may not be very familiar with the Campaign for Peace and Democracy, our current statement of purpose outlining our principles and a summary of our activities over the last several years are below. We have also included a full list of endorsers.
For more detailed information about CPD, check out our website and join us on Facebook (above). And to ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list.
In peace and solidarity,
Joanne Landy Thomas Harrison
Joanne Landy and Thomas Harrison
Co-Directors
Campaign for Peace and Democracy
New York, NY, USA
cpd@igc.org
www.cpdweb.org
Statement of Purpose
The Campaign for Peace and Democracy works to advance a new, progressive and non-militaristic U.S. foreign policy — one that encourages democracy and social justice by promoting solidarity with activists and progressive movements throughout the world. We stand in opposition to existing U.S. foreign policy, which is based on domination, militarism, fear of popular struggles, enforcement of an inequitable and cruel global economy, and — despite the democratic rhetoric — persistent support for authoritarian regimes.
Founded in 1982, CPD opposed the Cold War by calling for "detente from below." It engaged Western peace activists in the defense of the rights of democratic dissidents in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and enlisted East-bloc human rights activists against anti-democratic U.S. policies in countries like Nicaragua and Chile. Today, there is a growing awareness among many Americans that U.S. foreign policy, particularly the so-called war on terror, offers only a prospect of endless militarization and actually serves to strengthen dictatorship, political fundamentalism and terrorism throughout the world. They also sense that a powerfully enhanced national security state of secrecy, surveillance, "kill lists," and indefinite detention poses a mortal threat to democracy at home. Millions realize too that this country's bloated military budget starves essential social programs. We propose a new foreign policy based on the following principles:
- Renunciation of both military intervention and non-military coercion as a means of extending and consolidating U.S. imperial power, as in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the rejection of military threats against countries like Iran and Syria, and the dismantling of Washington's massive global network of military bases.
- Taking a clear stand against authoritarian governments, whether they are U.S. allies, like Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, or states like North Korea, Iran, and Syria, to which the United States is hostile.
- Opposing all forms of terrorism worldwide — not just by anti-U.S. forces like Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and the Syrian military, but also by states with which Washington is now aligned, such as Colombia, Yemen, Bahrain, Pakistan, and Israel — and by the U.S. itself.
- Supporting the right of self-determination for all peoples, including the Kurds, Tibetans, Uyghurs, Chechens, and Kashmiris, and the right to equal citizenship and equal rights for all racial, religious and ethnic minorities.
- Opposing the continuing illegal and unjust Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and ending U.S. military, economic and diplomatic support for that occupation.
- Supporting freedom of speech, press, religion, artistic expression, electronic communication, and association including the right to form trade unions everywhere.
- Supporting equal rights for lesbians, gays, and transgendered people around the world.
- Defending the right of women in all countries to complete political, social and economic equality and to control over their bodies and reproduction.
- Taking major unilateral steps toward the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, above all nuclear weapons, and vigorously promoting international disarmament.
- Defending the environment from governmental and corporate depredation and taking radical emergency steps to address climate change.
- Abandoning economic policies, including today's global austerity regimes, that bring mass misery to people in large parts of the world. Initiating a major foreign aid and economic development program directed at popular rather than corporate needs.
- Promoting the ability of all people to flourish with ample food, water, shelter, healthcare and education.
A U.S. government that carried out a foreign and domestic policy based on these principles would be radically different from the one we have now. Only under such a government would this country be in a position to honestly and consistently foster democracy and progressive social transformation around the world. It could do this by encouraging democratic forces aimed at empowering ordinary people, not unrepresentative elites, and by itself providing an example of genuine democracy. Some of these democratic forces exist today, others have yet to arise, but all would be strengthened if the United States were to abandon its current imperial foreign policy.
Endorsers
Affiliations for identification only
|
Ervand Abrahamian, City University of NY Bashir Abu-Manneh, School of English at the University of Kent (UK) Janet Afary, Iranian author Michael Albert, Z Communications Aaron S. Amaral, International Socialist Organization; AKNY-Greece Solidarity Movement Kevin B. Anderson, Univ. of California-Santa Barbara Stanley Aronowitz, Bd of Directors, Left Forum Ed Asner Riad Azar, MPhil/PhD candidate, Department of Sociology, London School of Economics David Barsamian, Journalist Medea Benjamin, Cofounder, CODEPINK and Global Exchange Eileen Boris, Hull Prof. of Feminist Studies, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara Sam Bottone, Retired, American Nurses Assn. Laura Boylan, Neurologist, NYU School of Medicine Frank Brodhead, Concerned Families of Westchester Richard J. Brown, Physicians for a National Health Program, NY Metro Beth Bush (1933-2014) Leslie Cagan, Peace and Justice Organizer Roane Carey, Managing Editor, The Nation Donna Cartwright, Pride at Work Noam Chomsky, M.I.T. Joshua Cohen, Stanford Univ, Boston Review Marjorie Cohn, Author; Professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law Saulo Colón, LeftRoots; Puerto Rican Socialist; Co-editor, New Politics Margaret W. Crane, Communications Consultant M. Phyllis Cunningham, Granny Peace Brigade NY Hamid Dabashi, Columbia University, New York Gail Daneker, Peace and Justice activist, St. Paul, MN Ariel Dorfman, Author Martin Duberman, Emeritus Prof of History, Graduate School of the City Univ. of NY and Lehman College Lisa Duggan, Prof., American Studies and Gender and Sexuality Studies, Dept. of Social and Cultural Analysis, NYU Steve Early, Labor journalist; member, National Writers Union/UAW Carolyn Eisenberg, Brooklyn For Peace Daniel Ellsberg Mark Engler, Author; Foreign Policy In Focus Jodie Evans, Co-founder, CODEPINK Gertrude Ezorsky, Author, Freedom in the Workplace? Samuel Farber, Author Thomas M. Fasy, Brussels Tribunal John Feffer, Co-Director, Foreign Policy in Focus Adam Finger Barry Finger, Editorial Board, New Politics Dan Fischer, Dragonfly Climate Collective Bill Fletcher, Jr., BlackCommentator.com David Friedman Mike Friedman Sam Friedman, socialist, activist, poet; author, Teamster Rank and File; AIDS researcher Robert "Gabe" Gabrielsky Adam Gaffney, Physicians for a National Health Program Dan Gallin, Global Labour Institute, Switzerland Barbara Garson, Author, MacBird and Down the Up Escalator Carol E. Gay, President, NJ State Industrial Union Council Jack Gerson, Writer and activist Joseph Gerson, Director, Peace & Economic Security Program, American Friends Service Committee in New England Hadi Ghaemi Jana Glivická Jeff Goodwin, Prof. of Sociology, NYU Suzanne Gordon, Author; member, National Writers Union/UAW John D. Gorman, Tenants Attorney Richard Greeman, Victor Serge Fdn., France Jules Greenstein, Free for All Radio Arun Gupta, Bd mem, Defending Dissent Fdn; investigative reporter, contributor, The Washington Post, The Nation, and The Guardian Ernest Haberkern, Center for Socialist History Mina Hamilton, Writer Trevor Harrison, Political sociologist, University of Lethbridge, Canada David Hartsough, Peaceworkers, San Francisco Nader Hashemi, University of Denver Howie Hawkins, Green Party; Teamsters Stanley Heller, Host, "The Struggle Video News" Judith Hempfling Bill Henning Michael Hirsch, Democratic Socialists of America Adam Hochschild, Writer Nancy Holmstrom, Prof. Emeritus, Rutgers Univ.; Co-editor, New Politics Ali Issa, Nat'l Field Organizer, War Resisters League Marianne Jackson, Psychologists for Social Responsibility Sally E. Jones, Chair, Peace Action Fund of New York State Temma Kaplan, Prof. of History, Rutgers Univ. Kathy Kelly, Co-coordinator, Voices for Creative Nonviolence Richard Kim, Executive Editor, The Nation Naomi Klein, Author Dan La Botz, Teacher, writer, labor journalist; Co-editor New Politics Despina Lalaki, NY City College of Technology, City Univ. of NY; AKNY-Greece Solidarity Movement Nydia Leaf, Resistance Cinema |
Roger Leisner, Founder/Owner of Radio Free Maine Jesse Lemisch, Prof. Emeritus of History, John Jay College, CUNY Sue Leonard Rabbi Michael Lerner, Editor, TIKKUN Magazine Nicholas Evangelos Levis, Grad. Ctr, City Univ of NY; AKNY-Greece Solidarity Movement Nelson Lichtenstein, Director, Center for the Study of Work, Labor, and Democracy, UC Santa Barbara Martha Livingston, Physicians for a National Health Program, NY Metro Michael Löwy, Social scientist, Ecosocialist, Paris, France Kit Lyons, Former editor, I.S./Workers' Power Lisa Lyons, Political cartoonist, New Politics Paul Mackney, Former General Secretary of University and College Union (in UK) 1997-2007; Co-Chair, Greece Solidarity Campaign Betty Reid Mandell (1924-2014) Marvin Mandell, New Politics Nasir A. Mansoor, Deputy General Secretary, National Trade Union Federation (Pakistan) Dave Marsh, Writer-broadcaster, Sirius Satellite Radio Kevin Martin, Executive Director, Peace Action Gloria Mattera, Green Party of New York Michael McCally, PhD, Physicians for Social Responsibility Scott McLemee, Intellectual Affairs columnist, Inside Higher Ed Ian McMahan, Author David McReynolds, Socialist Party presidential candidate, 1980 and 2000 Deborah Meier, Vice-chair, Coalition of Essential Schools and Save Our Schools Bitta Mostofi, Lawyer and activist Erika Munk, Writer Manijeh Nasrabadi, member, Havaar: Iranian Initiative against War, Sanctions and State Repression; member, Raha Iranian Feminist Collective Mary Nolan, Brooklyn For Peace; Prof. of History, NYU David Oakford Mary E. O'Brien, Physicians for a National Health Program, NY Metro Derrick O'Keefe, Editor, Ricochet.Media; member, Canadian Peace Alliance Costas Panayotakis, NY City College of Technology (CUNY) Christopher Phelps, Univ. of Nottingham, UK Charlotte Phillips, Chairperson, Brooklyn For Peace Charles Post, Prof, Borough of Manhattan Community Coll; AFT 2334-PSC-CUNY Danny Postel, Center for Middle East Studies, University of Denver Leonard Rodberg, Queens College, CUNY Richard Roman, Socialist Project; Co-author, Continental Crucible Ruth Rosen, Historian and Journalist Peter Rothberg, Assoc. Publisher, The Nation Matthew Rothschild, Executive Director, Wisconsin Democracy Project John Sanbonmatsu, Animal liberationist Saskia Sassen Jennifer Scarlott, Coordinator, Bronx Climate Justice North Jay Schaffner, Moderator, Portside Bill Scheurer, Editor, PeaceMajority Jason Schulman, Co-editor, New Politics Peter O. Schwartz Richard Seymour, author of The Liberal Defence of Murder and Unhitched Stephen Shalom, William Paterson University Alix Kates Shulman, Writer Alice Slater, Nuclear Age Peace Fdn, NY Gar Smith, Co-founder, Environmentalists Against War; author, Nuclear Roulette Stephen Soldz, Professor, Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis Cheryl Stevenson Bhaskar Sunkara, Founding Editor and Publisher, Jacobin Yifat Susskind, Exec. Dir., MADRE David Swanson, Co-Founder, After Downing Street Peter Tatchell, Human rights campaigner, London, UK Chris Toensing, Executive Director, Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP) Bernard Tuchman Adaner Usmani, NYU Sociology Laura Veit, Architect Nantina Vgontzas, NYU Sociology; Academic Workers for a Democratic Movement, AKNY-Greece Solidarity Movement David Vine, American University Judith Podore Ward Lois Weiner, Prof. of Education, NJ City Univ Steve Weissman, Journalist Suzi Weissman, St. Mary's College of California; Beneath the Surface KPFK radio Cornel West, Prof. of Philosophy and Christian Practice, Union Theological Seminary Joe White, Univ. of Pittsburgh, retired Reginald Wilson, Former Director, Office of Minorities in Higher Education, American Council on Education Ella Wind, NYU Sociology; Academic Workers for a Democratic Union; MENA Solidarity Network-US Lawrence Wittner, Executive Secretary, Albany County AFL-CIO (NY) Emira Woods, Co-Dir., Foreign Policy in Focus Kent Worcester, Marymount Manhattan College Julia Wrigley, Co-editor, New Politics Stephen Zunes, Professor of Politics at the University of San Francisco, where he serves as coordinator for Middle Eastern Studies |
Highlights of CPD Initiatives, 2002 to April, 2013:
- April 29, 2013 co–sponsors forum "Sanctions as a Tool of War: A Comparative Look at Iraq and Iran. " Speakers: Dr. Joy Gordon, Denis J. Halliday, Hadi Kahalzadeh, Bitta Mostofi, Sina. Co–Sponsors: Havaar : Iranian Initiative Against War, Sanctions and State Repression, Raha Iranian Feminist Collective, CPD, War Resisters League.
- April 25, 2013 co–sponsors protest with Aristeri Kinesi New York/Greece Solidarity Movement (AK–NY) when Greek Minister of Public Order and Citizen Protection Nikos Dendias speaks at John Jay College . Report on the protest.
- April 21, 2013 co–sponsors demonstration in Athens Park , Astoria, Queens, with AK–NY: " Greece , April 21, 1967 — NEVER AGAIN "
- March 22, 2013 co–sponsors with SYRIZA–New York – discussion, "Neoliberalism and Working Class Resistance in Greece " with Lefteris Kretsos, Senior Lecturer at the University of Greenwich in London . Video
- February 2013 supports "Iran Sanctions=Silent War" sign–on campaign launched by Havaar: Iranian Initiative against War, Sanctions and State Repression
- January 19 2013 joins with other U.S. groups in a demonstration at the Greek Consulate in New York in solidarity with the call from Greece to protest Racism, Homophobia and Violence
- November 27, 2012 re–publishes Stephen Shalom's carefully documented Gaza Quiz , originally posted on the New Politics website.
- November 17 2012 – joins with Havaar, Iranian Alliances Across Borders, The OWS Global Justice Working Group, The South Asian Solidarity Initiative, and CodePink to work with Occupy Sandy in Brooklyn .
- October 23, 2012 public forum, "The Political and Humanitarian Crisis in Greece " with Alexis Benos, MD. Discussants: Matt Anderson, MD, Costas Panayotakis, and Marina Sitrin. Video
- October 22 2012 joins with RootsAction and other organizations in a call on Obama, Romney, Biden and Ryan to "End the U.S. War in Afghanistan Now!"
- October 4, 2012 cosponsors public forum with New Politics and the Radical Film and Lecture Series (RFLS), "The Neoliberal Assault on Disability Rights" with Nadina LaSpina, Ravi Malhotra, Jihan Abbas and Paula Wolff. Video Articles based on talks
- September 2012 launches sign–on statement "We Stand with the Greek People Fighting Austerity — For Their Sake and Ours." https://cpdweb.org/stmts/1022/stmt.shtml
- August 2012 CPD Co–Directors Thomas Harrison and Joanne Landy publish article "The Greek Grassroots Challenge to the Politics of Austerity" based on their July 2012 trip to Greece . https://cpdweb.org/docs/2012.greece.shtml
- July 2012 co–sponsors Havaar march against Iran sanctions.
- March 2012 Panel at the Left Forum: "What Are the Lessons of 1989's East European Revolutions for Transformations Today?" with Jan Kavan , Antonio Morandi , Joanne Landy . Chair: Thomas Harrison . (links to articles based on talks are shown under each speaker's name. Discussion is here .) Video
- March 2012 Panel at the Left Forum: "Should Labor and the Left Propose a Global Green Jobs Alternative to Austerity and Climate Change?" featuring Jeremy Brecher, Greg Albo, Elaine Bernard, and Robert Pollin. Chair: Joanne Landy
- February 4, 2012 marches alongside progressive Iranians antiwar demonstration under the slogans "No War, No Sanctions, No Dictatorship in Iran !"
- October and November 2011 calls to support and participate in Occupy Wall Street activities around the country .
- November 2011 co–sponsors a demonstration against the New York Historical Society's award to Henry Kissinger.
- October 2011 CPD Co–Director Joanne Landy brings solidarity greetings from Occupy Wall Street to occupiers in Rome , Italy .
- On going support for the democratic movement in Bahrain . CPD initiated its campaign with a May sign–on statement, "End U.S. Support for Bahrain's Repressive Government," published in The Nation , on The New York Review of Books website, and elsewhere, si gned by more than 1900 individuals, including hundreds of Bahrainis. It was sent to President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, and key members of Congress.
- September 2011 message of Condolence and Solidarity to the Syrian people and June declaration, "CPD Salutes Syria's Courageous Democratic Movement," disseminated in Syria and elsewhere.
- June 2011 condemns Israel 's attack on unarmed Palestinians.
- April 2011 statement: "We Support the Libyan Democratic Revolution and Oppose Western Military Intervention and Domination."
- February 2011 leads a delegation of peace and human rights activists to the U.S. and Iranian Missions to the U.N. to present CPD statement "End the War Threats and Sanctions Program Against Iran, Support the Struggle for Democracy Inside Iran." Supports the 3,000 Iranians who on November 20, 2010 protested proposed changes to Iran's labor law further weakening workers' rights.
- February 2011 statement heralding the democratic revolution in Egypt.
- January 2011 statement: "We Support the Democratic Revolution in Tunisia "
- December 2010 declaration of support for Julian Assange, Bradley Manning and Wikileaks
- October 2010 sign–on statement, "End the War Threats and Sanctions Program Against Iran: Support the Struggle for Democracy Inside Iran."
- August 2010 a fter the disastrous floods in Pakistan , circulated an appeal by the Sindh Labour Relief Committee, including 14 Pakistani unions and progressive organizations, for financial aid to the flood victims; also posted a statement on the floods' political context by the Labour Party Pakistan and the National Trade Union Federation.
- January 2010 participate in a protest at CIA headquarters in Langley, VA, against drone attacks.
- Oct 2009 – "We Call for the United States to End Its Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan!" Sign–on Statement
- July 2009 Question and Answer on the Crisis in Iran
- June 2009 Statement on the Crisis in Iran
- March 2009 Open letter to Czech Chamber of Deputies urging a "no" vote on the proposed U.S. radar station.
- March 2009 Open Letter to Iranian Authorities Protesting Threats to Shirin Ebadi, women's rights and human rights defender. The letter was published in The New York Review of Books.
- January–February 2009 "No More Blank Check to Israel ": Sign–on Declaration on the Gaza crisis.
- July 2008 CPD speaker at conference at the Czech Parliament against U.S. military radar base.
- July 2008 "We Protest the U.S. Radar in the Czech Republic " open letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, published in Prague .
- April 2008 Co–sponsored public forum in NYC with leaders of Czech anti–radar movement and Chagos Refugees Group for the people of Diego Garcia.
- March 2008: Open Letter to Polish Prime Minister opposing U.S. military base in Poland .
- Feb 2008 Picket of Czech President to protest U.S. radar.
- Feb 2008 article "Pushing Missile Defense in Europe " in Foreign Policy in Focus.
- Jan 2008 letter in the NY Times opposing U.S. radar in the Czech Republic.
- Dec 2007 Open letter to Iranian President Ahmadinejad "Release Iranian Students From Prison Now!, " published in Iran .
- Nov 2007 Statement "Solidarity With Opponents of Proposed U.S. Military Base in the Czech Republic " delivered to Czech Ambassador to the U.N. Published in The NY Review of Books and Britske Listy in the Czech Republic.
- May 2006 Statement " Iran: Neither U.S. Aggression Nor Theocratic Repression."
- June 2003 Protest U.S. Actions Against Cuba in response to escalating threats from the Bush administration.
- March 2003 Statement Protesting Repression in Cuba in response to the Castro regime's arrest of scores of oppositionists.
- Dec. 2002 Statement: "We Oppose Both Saddam Hussein and the U.S. War on Iraq ," published in the NY Times, Nation, Progressive and elsewhere.