2011 Nobel Peace Prize

Congratulations to the dedicated and tenacious women who have won the Nobel Peace Prize for 2011. Two are women who have fought tirelessly for peace and stability in their post-conflict home nation of Liberia, and one who is currently combatting violence in her home country of Yemen. 

Looking Back On Ramadan

The All-American cross country road trip brings several things to mind: good friends, rock and roll, bad food, musty motels, gorgeous views, and the occasional breakdown. What probably doesn't normally come to mind is the Islamic month of Ramadan. However, two intrepid Muslim kids recently took Ramadan on the road, determined to explore

I recently discovered this two adventurous praying bloggers who undertook for the third year in a row an incredible journey and are traveling to 30 mosques in 30 days. Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq are two young voyagers who came up with the concept of showing the world Ramadan through American eyes. The guys crossed the United States while fasting, blogging, taking pictures, and listening to the stories of inspiring American citizens and immigrants alike.

This Ramadan, they are praying across the United States, beginning in Alaska and spending the last day before Eid-al-Fitr in none other than New York City. Flanked by reporters from CNN and the quirkiest Muslims the US has to offer, the Personally, we love the photo essays the boys put together.

Hope everyone had a great Eid this year!

Remembering September 11th, 2001

Today we remember the 3,000 people who died in the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. 

Clean Water is Sexy

Gentlemen- you have to check out this brand new clothing line. Launched last week (!), One Hundred is a new kind of clothing store, one that is attempting to combine their love of fashion with their love of equality. The clothes produced by One Hundred are not only artistically hipster, they meld block colors with eye-catching designs that coyly hint at their social justice inspiration- water. Love it already? So do we.

Now girls, don't worry, they will be launching a line for more feminine taste (including accessories- yay!) but the men's line was the first to be introduced. The kids at One Hundred use only sweatshop-free shirts, water based inks,

So why the name? One Hundred is adopting an unusual business model, where 100% of their profits will be going to their philanthropic branch called charity: water, which funds access and sanitation projects.  they will be posting their quarterly financial statements on their website.

Happy Birthday, Nelson!

The Peace Report would like to wish a very merry happy 93rd birthday to Mr. Nelson Mandela, former South African President, Nobel Peace Laureate, equality advocate, and avid rugby lover. Originally named "Rohilahla" (aka Troublemaker), Mandela is most widely known for his perseverance through 27 years of imprisonment while opposing racial segregation in his native South Africa. For many, Mandela is a breathing example of success in the constant struggle against injustice and structural violence. The United Nations joined in the celebration today with the second annual International Nelson Mandela Day to both honor his birthday, as well as to inspire groups around the world to organize public service and volunteering events. Happy birthday, love. We hope we get to celebrate many more.

Photo Credit: Reuters

Japanese Gain Hard-Earned Victory in World Cup Final

Japanese Captain Sawa celebrating after equalizing against the US

Congratulations to the Japanese National Team for their stunning victory today over traditional soccer powerhouse United States. During the 2011 Women's World Cup held this month in Germany, underdog Japan continuously defied odds, overcoming physical and technical disadvantages to win it all while competing against the best in the world. Just four months after a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that killed 25,000 of their friends, family, and compatriots, and still coping with the effects of nuclear crisis, the Japanese women's soccer team emerged victorious with age-defying Homare Sawa at the helm.


International sporting tournaments have been utilized since ancient times to bring communities together for competition and celebration. Intentionally or not, cups, meets, and games have become an important catalyst for improved international and interethnic relations. In playing sports together, different groups that might normally have little to no access to each other are flung onto a pitch and cheered on to battle it out in a healthy and exciting atmosphere. Especially since the invention of radio and television, global sportscasting has literally brought whole cultures into living rooms and bars across the world.


Think about it. What did you learn from your soccer team when you were little? You learned how to share. You learned how to play by the rules. You learned how to be fair, and you saw your own team penalized when you weren't. You learned that by helping another person on your team succeed, your whole team was victorious. You grew with the other kids, you fought with them, you gained skills with them, you celebrated with them, and sometimes you cried with them. But at the end of the season, you know you forged a bond that isn't easily replicated. You forged a bond of trust that was only achieved through pushing yourselves collectively further than you knew you could. 


These lessons play out several times a year on a global stage in different sporting events and tournaments. As communications becomes faster and more accessible, more fans will be able to share in the drama, delight, and agony that international sports have to offer. For its part, the World Cup has achieved great feats in breaking down barriers between races, and now sexes. Simple traditions, such as exchanging small gifts before the match or jerseys after the match, and holding local children's hands while the team is being introduced, FIFA its World Cup tournament have brought the world closer to institutionalizing acceptance and appreciation of talent, no matter the player. 

A quiet and unassuming team, the Japanese shocked the world with surprising resilience and passion. Through confidence and unique style of play, the Japanese kept the ball and withstood tremendous pressure from #1 ranked United States, while the world was critiquing each move. In this tournament, Japan came back from behind numerous times, each game tenaciously equalizing the scoreboard. With class and talent, Japan showed a higher level of play that did not capitalize on physical force, but instead on skill and strategy. Although their future at home remains unclear, Japan returns after this achievement with their heads held high, knowing that they have brought their country a semblance of a smile. That, in their words, is "the greatest victory".




Thanks to activist Jeff C. for his technical editing and continuous inspiration.

Need Motivation?

I believe in the religion of Islam. I believe in Allah and peace. - Muhammed Ali

Griffin House - I Remember (It's Happening Again)

This is easily one of my favorite songs. Poignant and straightforward, this song resonates with anyone whose relatives were involved in World War II or Vietnam. Connecting past conflicts with the incredulity that we are involved in current deployment overseas, this song is less a political statement than a call for rationality and pacifism. His upbeat guitar melody is a sweet irony to the frustration present in the lyrics.

Love the song and sing along:

My grandpa fought in World War II
My uncle fought in ‘Nam
My father was too young
He went to school and met my mom
And her dad always told us stories around dinner time
And there’s one he told when I was young that sticks out in my mind
He said ten years after daddy taught me bout the birds and bees
I was stranded in Pearl Harbor fighting off the Japanese
When the kamikaze pilots came and dove in without warning
I was on the Arizona on a warm December morning

(Chorus)
I Remember
When I was a younger man
We were soldiers
Fighting in a foreign land
Now I’m older
And it’s happening again

It was hard to have forgiveness for the things they did that day
And our President decided we should make their people pay
So we dropped on Nagasaki and we cut ‘em down to size
And the one we dropped on Hiroshima left them vaporized
And I heard some Christian sing, what would Jesus do
What if you were on the wrong side, would he point the gun at you
And they read through every word of Matthew, Mark and Luke and John
So they could see if killing was the side that Christ was on

(Chorus)

And they separate the church and state
And keep God out of school
So our governments can educate
Based upon their rules
But people start to wonder if our politics make sense
When religion is our best excuse for national defense
And when our citizens start saying that our wars are not okay
And Washington keeps telling them God loves the USA
And they teach us history so we can learn from our mistakes
And this generation wants to know how many years it takes
To change the way we treat our neighbors all across the land
Cause if we don’t change our hearts we repeat the past again

I Remember
When I was a younger man
We were soldiers
Fighting in a foreign land
Now we’re older
And it’s happening again

(Instrumental break)
When my grandpa finished talking
We went walking, he and I
I was thinking of the future and how scared I was to die
Now my best friend’s overseas in the desert where it’s dry
Fighting for our country and I need a reason why

I Remember
When he was a younger man
Now he’s a solider
Fighting in a foreign land
Now we’re older
God bring him home again

Memorial Day 2011

Sleeping in. Barbecues. The start of a steamy summer season. Just a few years ago, Memorial Day was celebrated as the day the pool opened for swim season. However, since September 11th and the beginning of the United States' military involvement in Iraq, Memorial Day has re-emerged as a testament to our troops' dedication and sacrifice. In a country determined to stand unwaveringly behind our military forces, Memorial Day is marked by This holiday finds us in a complicated position within the global military community.
According to the Washington Post, since 2001, 4,442 servicemen and women have lost their lives in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and 6,013 have

Need Motivation?

Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. - Martin Luther King Jr.

This quote is in response to recent deaths of high profile people who were targeted and killed as enemies of the United States. As a patriotic American, I believe in due process and justice for all.

Artist Profile Update: Banksy

A few weeks ago, I went traveling with a close friend to San Francisco, California. There, we went on a hunt for original Banksy street art. While looking specifically for Banksy work, we discovered some incredible sights. Permanent, impermanent, fixed, illegal, visual, literary, any type of art you can imagine was present in this creative city. Here are a few Banksy pieces we found intact, in addition to anonymous community art that tickled our fancy.

Banksy work which says, "If at first you don't succeed - call an airstrike."

This art was impermanent, written on tape.

This Banksy mural was protected by a cover, placed there by the landowner.

This painting depicts the personal choices individuals make in regard to their effect on the larger community.

This Native American portrait by Banksy has since been defaced, but originally held a NO TRESPASSING sign. 

These were a few of many scattered words on a sidewalk.

"I know which way the river flows, when I was young, I was told." Community mural in SF.

Mural depicting community values

Banksy art in a private parking lot

This sign says: "Keep your coins, I want change." It is a common phrase used by Banksy, and this sign was placed in a window by a recently removed Banksy piece in the Haight neighborhood.

One Day by Matisyahu

Nothing like a positive reggae encouragement for peace and nonviolence. Enjoy!




Thanks to reggae-loving activist Emily W.

Update: The Yonkofa Project

Quick update on the Yonkofa Project! All the volunteers are alive and well, and they are overseas in Ghana giving it their all: volunteering, meeting people, recording, singing, dancing, learning, and helping out in their host community. Stay tuned for a guaranteed hilarious and insightful de-brief on their journey to Western Africa, complete with stories and photos. Thanks to all who contributed to their mission. 

Environmental Film Fest in DC!

Starting next week, the Environmental Film Festival is taking over Washington! From March 15-27, they are showing over 150 works, and many are free. Topics range from the simple beauty of our planet to the social issues involved in ecological preservation. And for a special treat, the winner of last year's Cannes Film Festival (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives) will be there. So no matter if you're a professional environmentalist, or you just like nature, check out their website: http://dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org/. 

Washingtonian Activists Take On the Yonkofa Project

Map courtesy of Encyclopaedia Brittanica

Yonkofa means "Friendship" in Asante Twi, the principal native language of Ghana. In true Yonkofa fashion, a few of my good friends are traveling next month to bring music and funding for a new clinic to Yiwabra, Ghana. From April 12-22, they will be mixing it up, singing, recording, and volunteering in an existing clinic. Musical activists Taylor Williams and Gabriella Nanci have written a Mass to be recorded by a Ghanaian local choir. The proceeds of the music sales will go directly to funding a new health clinic for their town. Taylor is going to be joined by Emily, Jeffery, and Jeremy for assistance with the production and to volunteer at the clinic. After they return to the United States, The Peace Report will follow up on their journey to share their activities, insights, photos, stories, and new friends.

The Yonkofa Project can also be found on Facebook at facebook.com/yonkofa. Share it with anyone you think might be interested! Have questions? Send me a message, and I will forward them on to Taylor. 

Think about giving a little love to their project and help this clinic become a reality. Donations are tax deductible, and any amount will be greatly appreciated. If you are able to donate, please forward your contributions to:



St. Andrew’s Church
678 Riverside Road, Roswell, GA 30075 



Please make checks payable to St. Andrew’s Church, with the memo: The Yonkofa Project, or simply Taylor Williams. (Checks or cash sans memo may be mis-allocated.) A PayPal site is forthcoming- I will add it when it's ready!

Keep checking in to The Peace Report for Yonkofa Project updates!

Post inspired by activists Taylor W., Emily W., and Jeffery C. Good luck homeslices. 

Commemorating Black Peacemakers this February

In honor of Black History Month, I wanted to publish something commemorating the diligent and often under-appreciated work achieved by black and African American peacemakers. I found this speech, delivered by Dr. Manning Marable of Columbia University on April 4, 2008 at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This speech includes both past and current struggles of black peacemakers and the anti-war movement, as it would be under Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy. Give it a read, for a Black History Month treat. 

4 April 2008 marks the fortieth anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We still tend to focus our image of Martin delivering his “I Have A Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial, at the 1963 March on Washington, D.C. However, civil rights was not the only issue that divided America in the 1960s. By 1966, U.S. military forces in South Vietnam amounted to 184,000; by January 1969, 536,000 U.S. troops were stationed in that country. For black Americans, the war had a direct impact upon every community. African Americans comprised about one out of every seven U.S. soldiers stationed in Vietnam, and because African Americans tended to be placed in “combat units” more often than middle-class whites. They also bore unfairly higher risks of being killed and wounded. From January through November 1966, over one-fifth of all army casualties were black.

By 1965, however, a small number of black progressives had begun to speak in opposition to the war. Julian Bond, elected to the Georgia State House of Representatives, defended the right of “the Vietnamese peasants who … have expressed a real desire to govern themselves.” The “gunboat diplomacy of the past” had little place in contemporary world affairs. Perhaps the most articulate opponent of the US war effort holding public office was US Representative Ronald V. Dellums. From the floor of Congress, Dellums declared:

“I consider our involvement in Indochina illegal, immoral and insane. We are in a war which is the greatest human and economic drain on American resources in modern times – a war disproportionately waged on the backs of blacks and browns and reds and yellows and poor and working class whites, a war resulting in an untold number of deaths of the Vietnamese people, a war that is justified only by the notion that we as a  nation, must save face … Millions of people in the country are no longer willing to engage in such folly and be cannon fodder, and go across the water to spill their blood on foreign soil in a cause many of them do not even understand.”

Black activists and intellectuals, who were part of the Black Power movement, had serious reservations about participating in anti-war organizations dominated by white liberals and leftists. But almost all of them opposed the Vietnam War; some even drew an analogy between the suffering of the Vietnamese as a “colonial people”, and the “domestic colonialism” experienced by African Americans.

During the bitter national debate on Vietnam, nearly all major all public leaders within black America were forced to choose sides. As a dedicated pacifist, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. could not look upon the conflict benignly without taking some kind of public stand against the war. At the annual Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) executive board meeting held in Baltimore on 1-2 April 1965, Dr. King expressed the need to criticize the Johnson Administration’s policies in Southeast Asia. His old colleagues, fearful that Dr. King’s support for the anti-war movement would hurt the SCLC financially and politically, voted to allow him to do so only as a private person, without organizational endorsement. Bayard Rustin, the key organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, still maintained close ties with King, and tried to pressure the SCLC leader into a position of neutrality on Vietnam. On 10 September 1965, Rustin, Dr. King, and SCLC aides Andrew Young and Bernard Lee met with the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Arthur Goldberg. Goldberg managed to convince Dr. King, for the moment, that the Johnson Administration had every intention of bringing the conflict to a peaceful resolution. For several months, Dr. King watched anxiously as the number of US troops stationed in Vietnam increased. Finally in January 1966, Dr. King published his criticisms about the Vietnam War.

“Some of my friends of both races, and others who do not consider themselves my friends, have expressed disapproval because I have been voicing concern over the war in Vietnam,” Dr. King explained. But as a Christian, Dr. King believed that he had no choice except to “declare that war is wrong.” Black leaders could not become blind to the rest of the world’s issues, while engaged solely in problems of domestic race relations. Martin argued, “The Negro must not allow himself to become a victim of the self-serving philosophy of those who manufacture war that the survival of the world is the white man’s business alone.” The negative response to Dr. King’s anti-war statement was swift. SCLC leaders in Chattanooga, Tennessee, severed relations with the national organization in protest. National Urban League director Whitney Young replied that blacks were not interested in the Vietnam issue. Martin vigorously lobbied among his allies in the SCLC to back his position on Vietnam, and in the spring of 1966 the organization’s executive board came out officially against the war.

Increasingly, as Dr. King’s attention was drawn to the Vietnam war, he also began to consider the necessity for black Americans to devise a more radical strategy for domestic reforms. Dr. King was beginning to articulate a radical democratic vision for American society: the nationalization of basic industries; massive federal expenditures to revive central cities and to provide jobs for ghetto residents; programs to address rural poverty; a job or guaranteed income for every adult American.

On April 4, 1967, exactly one year to the day before his assassination, Martin delivered his eloquent, yet controversial address, “Beyond Vietnam,” at New York City’s Riverside Church. In his sermon, Dr. King advanced his strongest denunciation yet of the U.S. military escalation in Vietnam.

“I come to this magnificent house of worship tonight,” Dr. King began, “because my conscience leaves me no other choice.” Martin noted that the presence of hundreds of thousands of US troops in southeast Asia had only led to the deaths of thousands of innocent victims, and had cost American taxpayers billions of dollars. “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death,” Dr. King observed. It was impossible for the administration of then-President Lyndon Johnson to carry out his “Great Society” social programs, or his “War On Poverty,” when billions of dollars were being reallocated to destroy Vietnamese villages, towns and homes. King announced that “it would be very inconsistent for me to teach and preach nonviolence in this situation and applaud violence when thousands and thousands of people, both adults and children, are being maimed and many killed in this war.”

Despite these criticisms, eleven days later, in New York City’s Central Park, Dr. King led a rally of 125,000 in protest against the Vietnam War. As New York Times journalist Bob Herbert observed, Dr. King’s “Beyond Vietnam” address “unleashed a hurricane of criticism.” The NAACP and other moderate civil rights leaders, such as Bayard Rustin, sharply criticized King for “stepping out of his perceived area of expertise, civil rights, to raise his voice against the evil of the war.” The New York Times joined these critics, proclaiming in an editorial headline, “Dr. King’s Error.”

Four decades later, the US was once again confronted with a controversial, unwinnable ground war in Asia, and a domestic debate over our military involvement there. In the immediate wake of the terrorist attacks after 9/11 back in 2001, African Americans, like other Americans, were morally and politically outraged by Al Qaeda’s terrorist attacks. Yet they were deeply troubled by the immediate groundswell of patriotic fervor, national chauvinism and numerous acts of violence and harassment targeting individual Muslims and Arab Americans. They recognized that behind this mass upsurgence of American patriotism was xenophobia, ethnic and religious intolerance that could potentially reinforce traditional white racism against all people of color, particularly themselves. They questioned the Bush administration’s “Patriot Act of 2001” and other legal measures that severely restricted Americans’ civil liberties and privacy rights. For these reasons, the majority of  black leaders sought to uphold Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s tradition of civil rights and civic liberties, and boldly challenged the US rationale for its military incursions in both Afghanistan, and later Iraq.

The pastor of New York City’s Riverside Church, the Reverend James A. Forbes, Jr., proposed that African Americans embrace a critical, “prophetic patriotism… You will hold America to the values of freedom, justice, compassion, equality, respect for all, patience and care for the needy, a world where everyone counts.” Norman Hill, an African-American labor leader, observed in the New Pittsburgh Courier: “Threatening or attacking people because of their ethnic or religious background helps the terrorists by dividing the country. African Americans should remember this: after 300 years of oppression and discrimination, we are making progress in taking our full place in American society, thanks to the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement… The last thing we want to see is a revival of hatred and discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion or nationality.” Urban League President Hugh Price argued that black Americans must “vigorously support the federal government’s efforts to root out the terrorists wherever they hide around the globe . . .” However, Price also insisted that “black America’s mission, as it has always been, is to fight against the forces of hatred and injustice, to fight for the right of all human beings to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

As the U.S. Justice Department began to arrest and hold without trial hundreds of Muslims and Arab Americans, Islamic groups urgently appealed to the Nation of Islam, NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus for assistance. Approximately 40 percent of the U.S.’s Islamic population is African American, and hundreds of native-born blacks, because of their religious affiliations, also found themselves under surveillance or were arrested, despite having no links to terrorist groups. The Reverend Jesse Jackson openly condemned the police practice of ethnic/religious “profiling,” by declaring that the U.S. needed to focus its resources toward the “building of understanding and building a just peace,” instead of resorting to warfare to “root out terrorism.”

In March, 2003, as the U.S. military invaded Iraq, a Pew Research Center opinion poll found that only 44 percent of African Americans favored the war. By contrast, white Americans endorsed the invasion by 73 percent, with Latinos favoring military conflict by 66 percent. African-American clergy, led by Brooklyn activist, the Reverend Herbert Daughtry, organized daily “vigils for peace” near the United Nations. The black ministers created a “Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Now Movement,” which actively participated in the growing anti-war mobilization throughout the U.S. Black arts poet/publisher Haki Madhubti explained to the press why the majority of African Americans opposed the Iraq War, stating, “We’ve lived under terror since our forced migration to this country. We’ve been able to build a life around terror.”

By early April 2003 the U.S. had successfully toppled the regime of dictator Saddam Hussein, and over one hundred thousand U.S. troops occupied the country. No “weapons of mass destruction,” the justification for the U.S. invasion, were found. The military invasion of an Islamic country strengthened the network of fundamentalist Islamic terrorists, by creating a vivid example of imperialist aggression aimed against the entire Islamic world. In a 4 April 2003 Gallup opinion poll, 78 percent of white Americans supported the military invasion; African-American support for the war had plummeted to only 29 percent.

In this presidential campaign year, the candidate speaking most decisively within the antiwar tradition of Dr. King’s Riverside Church peace address is Illinois Senator Barack Obama. In a major address on 20 March 2008 at the University of Charleston, Obama urged the electorate to consider the destructive impact that Bush’s five-year-long war in Iraq has had on the economy. Obama observed: “The more than $10 billion we’re spending each month in Iraq is money we could be investing here at home. Just think about what battles we could be fighting instead of fighting this misguided war.” Obama showed the ability to break down the $10 billion Iraq War bill to illustrate how every U.S. family was bearing part of the financial burden. “When Iraq is costing each household about $100 a month, you’re paying a price for this war,” Obama declared. “No matter what the costs, no matter what the consequences, John McCain seems determined to carry out a third [Bush] term. That’s an outcome America can’t afford.”

Every day, the nation is currently slipping further into a serious economic crisis, while President Bush mindlessly tap dances outside the White House. Between September, 2007 and January, 2008, the median price for a U.S. home fell 6 percent compared to one year earlier. The private sector economy lost 26,000 jobs in January, 2008, and another 101,000 jobs in February.

Obama’s immediate challenge, therefore, is to link the current economic and mortgage crisis being experienced by millions of Americans, with the political economy of the Iraq War. The place for Obama to start would be to remind voters of the distance between Bush’s promises about the projected economic costs of the conflict vs. the reality. The federal government is incapable of addressing domestic economic problems, he might argue, because the Iraq War cost is so expensive.

Five years ago, the Bush administration promised Americans that the cost for invading and occupying Iraq militarily would be approximately $50 to $60 billion. By the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, this March, the Pentagon admitted that military expenditures now exceed $600 billion. The Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan center, sets the real cost somewhere between $1 trillion and $2 trillion.

Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, my faculty colleague at Columbia University, estimates that the long term cost for Bush’s war in Iraq could exceed $4 trillion. The best way to comprehend this enormous waste of money and human lives that the United States government has carried out is to measure the unmet needs and obligations we are failing to address. Several days ago, for example, Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton estimated the cost of the Iraq War at well over $1 trillion: “That is enough to provide health care to all 47 million uninsured Americans and quality pre-kindergarten for every American child, solve the housing crisis once and for all, make college affordable for every American student and provide tax relief to tens of millions of middle-class families.”

Even some honest Republicans who supported the Iraq War now recognize how terribly wrong their estimates were for how much the conflict would cost. Take the case of economist Lawrence B. Lindsey, Bush’s first chief economic adviser. Lindsey was fired from his post years ago because he estimated that the war could cost $100 billion to $200 billion. Lindsay’s preliminary figures were right, but he underestimated how long U.S. troops would be stationed and fighting in Iraq. Now, Republican Presidential candidate John McCain promises us that American troops could be stationed and fighting in Iraq for one hundred years.

The Iraq War fosters a culture of intolerance and violence that has infected domestic politics. Militarism and imperialism abroad have produced at home a “National Security State,” a government that now routinely suppresses civil liberties and civil rights. As poverty and class inequality grow exponentially, prisons become the last bastion for preserving the social hierarchy of class, race and gender privilege and unfairness.

As of 2008, one out of every one hundred American adults is living behind bars. According to a December 2007 study of the American Civil Liberties Union, “Race and Ethnicity in America,” in the past thirty years there has been a 500 percent increase in the number of Americans behind bars, amounting to 2.2 million people, which represent 25 percent of the world’s prison population. This prison population is disproportionately black and brown. As of 2006, the U.S. penal population was 46 percent white, 41 percent African American, and 19 percent Latino. In practical terms, by 2001, about one out of every six African-American males had experienced jail or imprisonment. Based on current trends, over one out of three black men will experience imprisonment during their lives.

There is overwhelming evidence that the overrepresentation of blacks in prisons is largely due to discrimination in every phase of the criminal justice system. According to the 2007 ACLU study, for example, African Americans comprised 11 percent of Texas’s population, but 40 percent of the state’s prisoners. Blacks in Texas are incarcerated at roughly five times the rate of whites. Despite the fact that blacks statistically represent fewer than 10 percent of drug abusers, in Texas 50 percent of all prisoners incarcerated in state prisons and two-thirds of all those in jails for “drug delivery offenses” are African Americans.

A similar pattern is found within the juvenile justice system. African-American youth represent 15 percent of all American juveniles. However, they represent 26 percent of all juveniles who are arrested by the police nationwide. They are 58 percent of all youth who are sentenced to serve time in state prisons. In California, Latino youth are two times more likely than whites to be sentenced to prison; for African-American youth in California, it is six times the incarceration rate.

What are the practical political consequences of the mass incarceration of black Americans? In New York State, for example, the prison populations play a significant role in how some state legislative districts are drawn up. In New York’s 45th senatorial district, located in the extreme northern corner of upstate New York, there are thirteen state prisons, with 1,000 prisoners, all of whom are counted as residents. Prisoners in New York are disenfranchised – they cannot vote – yet their numbers help to create a Republican state senatorial district. These “prison districts” now exist all over the United States.

The most obscene dimension of the national compulsion to incarcerate has been the deliberate Criminalization of young black people, with the construction of a “school-to-prison pipeline.” Under the cover of  “zero tolerance” for all forms of “disobedience,” too many school administrators are aggressively and unfairly removing black youth from schools. Statistically, African-American youths are two to three times more likely than whites to be suspended, and far more likely to be corporally punished or expelled. According to the ACLU’s 2007 study, “nationally, African American students comprise 17 percent of the student population, but account for 36 percent of school suspensions and 31 percent of expulsions. In New Jersey, for example, black students are nearly 60 times more likely to be expelled than their white counterparts. In Iowa, blacks make up just 5 percent of the statewide public school enrollment, but account for 22 percent of suspensions.” Too many black children are taught at an early age that their only future resides in a prison or jail. Those who escape prison might find themselves fighting or even dying in an unwinnable war in Iraq.

Meanwhile, as our military adventures abroad continue, states are reducing their investments in education, while expanding expenditures in their correctional facilities. Between 1987 and 2007, states spent an average of a 21 percent increase on higher education, but expanded their corrections budgets by an average of 127 percent. Today, for the first time in recent history, there are now five states that spend more state money on prisons than on public colleges – Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, Oregon, and Vermont. The ugly tradeoff not to educate but to incarcerate continues. The ever-expanding prison industrial complex lies at the center of America’s National Security State. Now is the time to return America’s government to democratic processes and the rule of law. Now is the time to break with the culture of violence – militarism abroad and mass incarceration at home. Now is the time to “give peace a chance.”

Obama’s biggest challenge, therefore, must be to explain to the American people that both imperialist wars abroad, the construction of a “National Security State” mass incarcerations and prisons, and periodic economic crises at home, all represent a profound structural failure within America’s legal, economic and political systems. This is the political economy of institutional violence. This was, of course, the realization of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., just before his assassination. “For years I labored with the idea of reforming the existing institutions of society,” Dr. King declared in 1966, “a little change here, a little change there. Now I feel quite differently.” Let us summon the courage of Dr. King, by opposing this immoral war. Let us join the great tradition of African-American peacemakers by rejecting and dismantling our prison industrial complex and mass incarceration. Let us imagine a world without racism and a nation dedicated to peace and freedom.

Dr. Manning Marable is one of America's most influential and widely-read public intellectuals. Since 1993, Dr. Marable has been Professor of Public Affairs, Political Science, History, and African American Studies at Columbia University in New York City. For ten years, Dr. Marable was founding director of the Institute for Research in African-American Studies at Columbia. Dr. Marable is a prolific author with almost 200 articles in academic journals and edited volumes.

A Peaceable Call To Action! Save USIP!

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is an independent, federally-funded nonprofit organization dedicated to providing thorough conflict analysis and programs to prevent and stop violent conflict and promote peacebuilding. Currently, Congress is facing an immense budget deficit, and is under pressure to drastically cut federal spending.  However, the proposed federal funding cuts will completely eliminate all funding to USIP. While we spend billions on fighting wars abroad, Congress is proposing to cut $42 million for conflict management and peacebuilding programs through USIP. This translates to the cost of about 3 hours of fighting in Afghanistan. 


According to General David Petraeus:  “USIP’s work on the informal justice system has been invaluable as we work toward improving rule of law at the provincial level.  Their plans for reconciliation efforts at the community level on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border are likewise a potential key to success in the enormous challenges we face.” If you're interested in reading more about why USIP is a true investment in the sustainability of United States' foreign policy and continued peacebuilding efforts in conflicted nations, check out the Save USIP blog.

And if we've convinced you, please take a minute and send the message below to your Senators and Representatives and support nonviolence and conflict prevention.

Submit an e-mail to your Senators and Representative Now

Click here to find and e-mail your Representative:

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Click here to find and e-mail your Senators:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=MD

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Honorable Member of Congress,

My name is [Insert Your Name] and I reside in [Insert Your City], [Insert your State]. I am writing you today to voice my strong opposition to the budget cuts proposed by the House of Representatives on Thursday, February 17, 2011. 

The bill included a 42 million dollar reduction in the budget for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), which would completely defund this critical organization. The United States Institute of Peace works to prevent, manage, and resolve international conflicts.   In completing this vital mission towards the national security of the United States, USIP operates on-the-ground in zones of conflict, most recently in Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, the Korean Peninsula, Pakistan, the Palestinian Territories, Nigeria, Sudan, to name just a few.  USIP develops tools to use in prevention that focus on religion and peacemaking, rule of law in fragile states, and guidelines for civilian and military interaction in hostile environments. 

The Institute of Peace was set up by Congress as a non-partisan effort, during the presidency of Ronald Reagan.  The United States Institute of Peace is governed by a bipartisan Board of Directors. The board is composed of twelve members from outside federal service appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate.  The Institute has been federally funded for 27 years as anindependent organization to support the military, the State Department, successive administrations and the international community in preventing deadly violence and manage unfolding conflicts overseas, as well as to help societies move from war to peace.

I appreciate your help and ask that you please ensure that the budget for this organization is protected to allow UISP to continue its vital mission. 

Thank you for your time and considering my request.

Sincerely,

[Insert Your Name]

Need Motivation?

Life is about who you love and who you hurt. It's about how you feel about yourself. It's about trust, happiness, and compassion. Life is about avoiding jealousy, overcoming ignorance, and building confidence. It's about what you say and what you mean. It’s about seeing people for who they are and not what they have. Most of all, it is about choosing to use your life to touch someone else's in a way that could never have been achieved otherwise. -Nike

Interested in Interfaith Collaboration?

This is a great website for those of you interested in Interfaith work and discussion. Good opportunities especially if you're in college or looking for organizing experience. 

Video Gaming of Epic Proportions

Jane McGonigal is one cool chick. Game designer and author McGonigal is the Director of Game Research and Development for Institute for the Future, and collaborated with the World Bank Institute on her most recent venture. Encouraged by scientific stats proving gaming's real-world benefits such as players' improved teamwork skills, confidence, and social consciousness, McGonigal transformed the potential of millions of gamers into a method for problem solving very real and pressing threats. Defying the common assumption that video games are only for entertainment and escapism, she designed and created Urgent Evoke, a game that challenges players to generate solutions to disparate problems ranging from poverty to sustainable economic policy. This game is geared towards youth in Africa, and teaches players how to create business ventures that will help eradicate hunger, disease, and poverty at a local level. As the game is played through the collaboration of several participants, these people create real- life connections that can translate into the working world. The game begins March 3rd, and should yield some very interesting results, both individually and community wide.


This is McGonigal's second gaming project aimed at inciting positive change. Her first game, World Without Oil, brought 1,900 players from 12 nations together to redesign their lifestyle to accommodate this new problem. This simulation resulted in blogs, videos, images, voicemails, and participants' greater understanding of oil pricing and its effect on lives around the globe. As stated on the WWO website:  More than immersive, it was meaningful and satisfying: “Usually games take away from real life,” player Ironmonkey wrote, “but WWO taught me a lot, lowered my electric bill, and focused me on doing things that matter to me.” WWO’s success on a small budget has opened the door for similar games that can engage mainstream Internet users with climate change, education reform, governmental policy and other timely, vital issues.


So go ahead, indulge in this new gaming paradigm. The next time you're craving some game time, solve water shortages, create solutions to food security dilemmas, and empower women- all while you're having a blast.


If you like what you're hearing, check out the Urgent Evoke trailer:

EVOKE trailer (a new online game) from Alchemy on Vimeo.

Music & Peace: Playing for Change

Watching Playing for Change perform was one of the most moving musical experiences of my life. At first, the artists stood contentedly behind their instruments onstage as the emcee introduced them: "From Louisiana to South Africa, please welcome Playing for Change." Little did I know the next two hours would give me a glimpse into the music movement for peace. The audience burst into excited applause as notes of reggae, deep soul, and blues were played into the venue. From the first song, "Don't Worry", they had me. Their electric energy was contagious, and everyone in the room clapped, danced, and sang along to hits such as "One Love", and "War/ No More Trouble". The encore was left to Grandpa Elliot, whose sonorous voice and dexterous harmonica gave Playing for Change an affable southern twang. As the musicians left the stage smiling and cheering, Grandpa Elliot remained on stage. The room descended into stillness as he continued standing alone. After a minute of silence, the southern patriarch began an a cappella version of Amazing Grace. No one in the audience breathed. Each note he sang resonated within the room. At the last verse, he abruptly stopped singing. Instead of finishing the song, he said, "Playing for Change has helped me do the impossible. This has been an incredible experience."


This group is not a traditional band, but a movement for peace through music. The project was created by Mark Johnson and Enzo Buono of Timeless Media Group, who began Playing for Change after they met the great Roger Ridley of Santa Monica. Street musician Ridley, known as "the voice of God" by other artists, stopped Johnson in his tracks with his rendition of "Stand By Me". Soulful, passionate, and beautifully rhythmic, Ridley embodied a combination of raw talent and humble lifestyle that inspired Johnson to found Playing for Change. Using Ridley's performance as a foundation, Johnson and Buono traveled the world recording street musicians performing their unique version of "Stand By Me". The cumulative effort resulted in a powerful online video montage that has reached over 24 million hits worldwide. Their website says it all: "No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual, or economic backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in our minds, we set out to share it with the world."


Playing for Change has since developed a non-profit Foundation to create music programs and schools abroad in Rwanda, Nepal, Mali, Ghana, and South Africa. Wanna learn more? Click here.


And as always, the videos speak volumes. For more tunes click here.

Need Motivation?

Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek but a means by which we arrive at that goal. 
                                                                       - Martin Luther King, Jr