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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, millions of Americans sense that U.S. foreign policy serves to strengthen authoritarianism, political fundamentalism and terrorism. We propose a new foreign policy based on the following principles:
- Renunciation of military intervention to extend and consolidate U.S. imperial power, including intervention in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya and Iran, and dismantling this country's massive global network of military bases
- Taking a clear stand against corrupt and authoritarian governments, whether they are U.S. allies, like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the other Gulf states, or states like North Korea, Iran, and Syria, to which the U.S. is hostile.
- Opposing all forms of terrorism worldwide — not just by anti-U.S. forces like Al Qaeda and the Taliban, but also by forces with which the U.S. is now aligned, such as the Colombian paramilitaries and the Israeli Army, and by the U.S. itself in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere.
- Supporting the right of self-determination for all peoples, including the Kurds, Tibetans, Chechens, Kashmiris, Palestinians and Israeli Jews, and the right to equal citizenship for all.
- Supporting freedom of speech, press, religion, artistic expression, and association - including the right of workers to form trade unions — in every nation.
- Supporting equal rights for women, lesbians and gays, and all sexual, racial and ethnic minorities
- Taking unilateral steps toward renouncing weapons of mass destruction, above all nuclear weapons, and vigorously promoting international disarmament.
- Defending the environment from both governmental and corporate depredation and taking drastic, emergency steps to radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Abandoning economic policies 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, and for women, control over their bodies and reproduction.
A U.S. government that carried out a foreign policy based on these principles - and implemented them at home — would be in a position to honestly and consistently foster democracy around the world. It could encourage democratic forces (not unrepresentative cliques, but genuinely popular parties and movements). Some of these forces exist today, others have yet to arise, but all would be strengthened if the U.S. were to abandon its current imperial foreign policy.
Highlights of CPD Initiatives, 2002 to Present:
- Our calls to support and participate in occupations around the country in October and in November 2011
- CPD co-sponsors a November 2011 demonstration against the New York-Historical Society's outrageous award to Henry Kissinger.
- In October 2011CPD Co-Director Joanne Landy brings solidarity greetings from Occupy Wall Street to occupiers in Rome, Italy.
- Our ongoing support for the democratic movement in Bahrain. We initiated our 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, signed by more than 1900 individuals, including hundreds of brave Bahrainis. It was sent to President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, and key members of Congress. We continue to provide updates on the under-reported travesty of justice in Bahrain on our website and Facebook page.
- Our 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.
- Our June 2011 condemnation of Israel's murderous attack on unarmed Palestinians.
- Our April 2011 statement: "We Support the Libyan Democratic Revolution and Oppose Western Military Intervention and Domination."
- Our February 2011 delegation of peace and human rights activists to the U.S. and Iranian Missions to the U.N. to present our statement "End the War Threats and Sanctions Program Against Iran, Support the Struggle for Democracy Inside Iran." CPD will be supporting the 3,000 Iranians who on November 20 protested the proposed changes to Iran's labor law, which will, if passed, further weaken the rights of Iran's workers.
- Our February2011 statement heralding the democratic revolution in Egypt.
- Our January 2011 statement: "We Support the Democratic Revolution in Tunisia"
- Our December 2010 declaration of support for Julian Assange and Wikleaks -- and, if he was the individual who obtained the Wikileaks cables, Bradley Manning.
- October 2010- CPD sign-on statement, "End the War Threats and Sanctions Program Against Iran: Support the Struggle for Democracy Inside Iran."
- August 2010-After the disastrous floods in Pakistan in August 2010, CPD circulated an appeal by the Sindh Labour Relief Committee, including 14 Pakistani unions and progressive organizations, for financial aid to the flood victims. The Campaign also posted a statement on the floods' political context by the Labour Party Pakistan and the National Trade Union Federation.
- January 2010-CPD participated 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!"-CPD Sign-on Statement
- July 2009-CPD Question and Answer on the Crisis in Iran
- June 2009 Crisis in Iran - a Statement from CPD
- 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": CPD 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: CPD article "Pushing Missile Defense in Europe" in Foreign Policy in Focus.
- Jan 2008: CPD 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 Britské 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.