19 Dec 2017
Peace Permalink

Who Should Decide Who Gets the Nobel Peace Prize?   

December 19, 2017

Only Supporters of Peace Should Be Appointed to Nobel Peace Prize Committee

A petition to the norwegian parliament
 
This month Norwegian parliamentarians will vote on new members for the Nobel peace prize committee. It’s important that members of the committee be dedicated to Alfred Nobel’s vision of peace by peaceful means. They are the only means.

Join these initial signers:
Fredrik S. Heffermehl, Nobel Peace Prize Watch, Norway
Tomas Magnusson, Nobel Peace Prize Watch , Sweden
Richard Falk, professor of law, USA
David Swanson, author, USA
Ann Wright, USA
Kevin Zeese, co-director of Popular Resistance, USA
Margaret Flowers, co-director of Popular Resistance, USA
Medea Benjamin, Code Pink, USA
Jeff Cohen, journalism professor, USA
Mairead Maguire, Nobel peace prize laureate, Ireland
Gar Smith, Environmentalists Against War, USA
Patrick T. Hiller, War Prevention Initiative, USA 
Johan Galtung, Norway
Norman Solomon, RootsAction.org, USA
David Hartsough, USA
Maria Santelli, Center on Conscience & War, USA
Leah Bolger, World Beyond War, USA

CLICK  HERE TO ADD YOUR NAME.

Petition text:
To: Norwegian Parliament 
From: David Swanson
We ask that you facilitate compliance with Alfred Nobel’s legally binding will by selecting a committee dedicated to Nobel´s antimilitarist ideas of peace by co-operation, law, and disarmament. Parliament must abandon its selection routine which has favored Norwegian politicians rather than Nobel´s visionary idea.

We insist that you not include people on the Nobel peace prize committee who will be willing to glorify war criminals like Henry Kissinger who was honored by the current committee last December.
The awarding of the 2017 peace prize to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons was a great improvement over the awards of recent years in terms of compliance with Nobel’s will.

It is now incumbent upon you, in the December renewal of the committee, to select members who will continue, as in 2017, to fulfill the purpose for which the prize was created.
The peace prize belongs to the citizens of this world, and you must make sure that people dedicated to Nobel´s peace ideas be in charge of the world´s most important prize. The world´s prosperity and security depend on it.

19 Dec 2017
For Veterans, News Permalink

The US Southern Command in the Amazon

December 19, 2017

The US Southern Command’s Silent Occupation of the Amazon
By Santiago Navarro F. and Renata Bessi, 
Truthout | Report
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/42542-the-us-southern-command-s-silent-occupation-of-the-amazon
 
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thanks a
Brazilian soldier for assisting with his tour of the jungle
training center in Manaus, Brazil, on March 28, 2012.
Dempsey was there to visit the jungle training center which
borders several different countries in the Amazon Basin.
(DOD photo by US Army Staff Sgt. Sun L. Vega, Joint
Staff)

This Truthout original
was only possible because of our readers’ ongoing
support. Can you make a monthly donation to ensure we can
publish more like it? Click here to give.

Brazil, Colombia
and Peru share a triple borderland separating north from
south on the South American continent. Located deep in the
Amazon forest, this is the theater of operations in which
more than 30 military companies test their services and
merchandise. The multinational military exercise known
as AmazonLog2017, is organized by the
Armed Forces of Brazil. More than 1,500 members of the
Brazilian military and military members from invited
countries participated with high-caliber weapons and
munitions, boats, aircraft, helicopters, information
technologies, nautical and energy intelligent equipment,
radars and sensors. The Southern Command of the United
States — the Unified Combatant Command of the United States
Department of Defense with influence in the Caribbean,
Central and South America — is also an AmazonLog2017
participant.

Activists and
researchers are alarmed about this military exercise.
According to Mexican economist and geopolitical specialist
Ana Esther Ceceña, AmazonLog2017 allows “the
placement of troops that facilitate specific territorial
incursions and rapid response operations, both of which
imply the use of special forces, whether those be US forces,
local or private on the triple borderland.”

READ COMPLETE ARTICLE

19 Dec 2017
Families of Veterans, For Veterans, Military Sexual Abuse, Military Women's Issues Permalink

The military does not really consider domestic violence a crime.

December 19, 2017

Kelley’s White Privilege; the military, domestic violence & rape
http://theintercept.com/2017/11/08/texas-shooting-devin-kelley-white-privilege/

The military does not really consider domestic violence a crime.  They don’t consider rape a crime either.
http://www.newsweek.com/department-defense-reported-only-one-domestic-violence-case-703806

Congress tried to tackle rape by taking reports out of the chain of command but they failed. A weaker bill passed:
http://www.vox.com/2016/6/8/11874908/mjia-military-sexual-assault-gillibrand-mccaskill

19 Dec 2017
Costs of War, Families of Veterans, For Veterans, Health Permalink

VA delays key Agent Orange decisions

December 19, 2017

We had hoped to hear something this week but didn’t.
 It’s been about eight months since Veterans Affairs
Secretary Dr. David Shulkin said in a digital town hall,
“We’re getting very close to being able to give
you a final answer” on if the VA would expand the list
of diseases that are presumed to be linked to Agent Orange.
That hasn’t happened. The VA did issue a statement
late Wednesday saying it would “further explore”
the issue and pushing its decisions to some undisclosed
point in the future.

Here’s our latest story on the delay: http://propub.li/2A7vtqs

The VA said it would now work with the Trump administration
to conduct a legal and regulatory review of conditions for
awarding disability compensation to eligible veterans.

But wasn’t that the review that has been ongoing since
March 2016, when the National Academy of Medicine said there
is evidence to suggest that AO exposure may be linked to bladder cancer and
hypothyroidism?

We spoke to veterans and their families after we got the
news from the VA that they were delaying their announcement.
Here’s what Dick Pirozzolo, 73, said:
“It’s frustrating. The politicians all talk a
good game about the VA, but then when it comes down to
making a decision, they drag their heels.”

Pirozzolo served as an information officer in the Air Force
in Vietnam and has had bladder cancer and a thyroid
condition called Graves’ disease.

Now what? Well, the VA did not provide a new date by which
it expects to act. We even asked why it didn’t meet
its self-imposed deadline for action of Nov. 1. They
responded Thursday and said: “Your premise is
incorrect … Yesterday’s press release announced
his decision — he is considering possible new
presumptive conditions that may qualify for disability
compensation related to Agent Orange exposure.”

If and when we get any more information, we’ll let you
know. Thank you and hang in there.

Best,
Terry and Charlie
ProPublica

19 Dec 2017
Education, Golden Rule Permalink

Dear Friends of the Golden Rule

December 19, 2017

GOLDEN RULE PROJECT

http://www.vfpgoldenruleproject.org/

Who would have thought, seven years ago when we dragged a wrecked sailboat from the bottom of Humboldt Bay on the northern California coast, that we would be reviving a profound and dynamic part of our history? Who would have thought,when the Golden Rule “splashed down” five years later, that we would be launching a powerful new “weapon of mass education?” 

The Golden Rule has now been sailing for three years to ports throughout California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Thanks to your generous donations, the Golden Rule has breathed new wind into the sails of the nuclear disarmament movement. 
We hope you will continue to support the Golden Rule’s mission of sailing for a nuclear-free world and a peaceful,
sustainable future. The Golden Rule’s re-emergence was right on time. In July of this year, 122 nations voted
to pass the historic UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, making it illegal to possess, use, or threaten to
use nuclear weapons. Although the U.S. and the other nuclear powers have not signed the treaty, many disarmament
experts believe this could be the beginning of the end for nuclear weapons and war.
In October, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
(ICAN), and thus to the all those who are working for nuclear disarmament. Yes, the Golden Rule
proudly shares in that prize, and we will work even harder to earn it!

So many people have
contributed to the Golden Rule’s success,
too many to name here. We thank the skilled and dedicated
volunteers who spent thousands of hours restoring the
Golden Rule
to her original functionality and beauty. We thank
Veterans For Peace, in Humboldt Bay, San Diego, Tucson and
nationally, for their very generous and continuing
support. We thank our Quaker friends and the many
organizers up and down the coast who have hosted the
Golden Rule
and organized public meetings in their communities. We thank
our wonderful captains and crew, some 70 in all! And we thank all of you who
have provided the much needed funds to make the Golden Rule
miracle possible.

Thanks to you, the Golden Rule has reached tens of thousands
of people during three years of sailing for a nuclear-free world! And we have just begun. We are
planning to reach hundreds of thousands –
possibly millions of people –
in the next couple of years. And we cannot do it
without your support! The Golden Rule
is supported by people who believe in our mission. We
have no big foundations or philanthropists supporting us
(yet)! But hundreds of people have given tens to
thousands of dollars to support the Golden Rule’s mission. 
We need your help now if we are to continue to sail for peace.

Help the Golden Rule Sail
Across the Pacific!Concerned about the threat of
a nuclear war between the U.S. and North Korea,
the Veterans For Peace Golden Rule Project has joined those
who are calling for Negotiations Not War! But we are
doing more than that. We are now planning for a
possible voyage across the Pacific! First to Hawaii,
where the original Golden Rule crew was stopped and arrested
in 1958, and where people are now afraid they could be among
the first victims of a nuclear war. Then to the Marshall
Islands, where the original crew hoped to interfere with
U.S. nuclear bomb testing, and where formerly habitable
islands, widespread cancer and birth defects are a constant
reminder of the devastation caused by nuclear
weapons. Then on to Japan, which in 2020 will solemnly
commemorate the 75th
anniversary of the U.S. nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. Perhaps we would even sail to Korea!

Given the real possibility of nuclear war, now is the time! To make such a voyage, the Golden Rule
will need additional equipment, rigging, fuel, food, and much logistical and organizational support. Please help
the Golden Rule raise awareness around the world, before it is too late.The Veterans For Peace Golden Rule Project is
drawing up plans right now for this bold voyage across the Pacific, beginning as early as Spring of 2018. If we can
pull it off, we will make a big splash on the international stage. We will tell the world that peace-loving people
in the U.S. are willing to take risks –
to do whatever we can –
to head off the threat of a devastating nuclear war. 

Do you want to be part of the next voyage of the Golden Rule? 
Are you on board to help make it happen? Please consider making an extra special end-of-the-year donation. 
Together, we will be making history. We will literally be helping to save the
planet. Thank you!
Sailing for Nuclear-Free World!

Gerry Condon President, VFP Golden Rule
Committee

p.s. The Golden Rule is spending the winter months in San Diego. We take people out sailing on a
regular basis. We are also training new crew members. If you are planning to visit us in San Diego,
please give us a call at 206-499-1220. We will be happy to give you a tour, to take you out sailing, or even to
train you to crew the historic Golden Rule peace boat.    

09 Nov 2017
Films & Documentaries Permalink

Film Screening (free) – “Thank You For Your Service” Friday November 10

November 9, 2017

You’re Invited: “Thank You  For Your Service” Documentary Screening
and Panel Discussion on November 10th.  

This Veterans Day weekend, there is a special screening of “Thank You For Your Service,” the highly acclaimed 2016 documentary on the mental health crisis faced by our nation’s veterans. The documentary features the stories of veterans from across the country and highlights solutions for reducing the stigma around mental health issues both within the military and throughout American culture.
Event is Hosted by Julia Brownley, Member of Congress      .
http://brownley.house.gov

Friday, November 10, at 4:30 PM at
the Museum of Ventura County
100 E. Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring the film’s director and producer and local veterans, who will discuss the documentary, the experiences of veterans in our community, and what resources are available for those who need help.
 
The film screening is free, but space is limited! RSVP today to reserve your spot by calling my district office at (805) 379-1779.
 
It is heartbreaking that an average of 20 veterans commit suicide each day. One veteran life lost to suicide is one too many. By shining a light on this topic,  I hope we can reduce the stigma around mental health issues, and continue to work to address this devastating epidemic.
   
If you are a veteran who is having a difficult time, or you know someone who is, call the VA’s confidential crisis line at 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 or send a text message to  838255.   

21 Oct 2017
Events, Families of Veterans, For Veterans, News, Vietnam Permalink

OXNARD FILM SOCIETY PRESENTS: We Remember – Ventura County to Vietnam and Back

October 21, 2017

On October 20, 2017 the Oxnard Film Society, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, will be opening an exhibition entitled, We Remember – Ventura County to Vietnam and Back in downtown Oxnard.  

This multimedia exhibit tells the story of local Ventura County Vietnam Veterans experiences in the Vietnam War through photos and text, video interviews and documentaries.  The presentation also includes a brief history of Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh, an overview of U.S. foreign diplomacy from FDR to Nixon, the Draft, the Tet Offensive, Anti-War Movement and concludes with a Memorial Wall.

The mission of the exhibit is to thank local Vietnam Veterans for their service, to honor the veterans who died in the war and to provide a better understanding of the Vietnam War to students in high school and college and to the community of Oxnard and Ventura County.
LOCATION: 327 West 5th Street, Oxnard CA  93030 (Former Social Security Building)

21 Oct 2017
News, Peace, Uncategorized Permalink

Veterans Call on Trump and Kim Jong-Un to Begin Peace Talks

October 21, 2017

http://www.veteransforpeace.org/pressroom/news/2017/09/21/veterans-peace-sends-joint-letter-calling-peace-negotiations

Dear President Trump and Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un,
You have both made your point.The world has seen that neither of you will back down before the threats of the other.  For the sake of the world’s people, it is now time for good faith negotiations.

President Trump, you have engaged in reckless rhetoric and threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea with “fire and fury like world has never seen.”  We can tell you right now that you do not speak for millions of veterans in this country.  We know firsthand the horrors of war, and we don’t want to see them again, not even from a distance. 
Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, your threats to target Guam and the United States with nuclear weapons are deeply disturbing. We understand that you must defend your nation from threats of U.S. intervention.  However, your words and actions, like President Trump’s, are causing a very unstable and dangerous situation.
You both have shown the other, and the world, that you have the capability of causing calamitous destruction in a distant country.  You have also shown that through the strategy of “deterrence,” which holds millions of people hostage to the threat of nuclear war, you have so far been able to fend off an attack by the other.
The point has been made.  Now is the time to start backing off.

It is time for each side to clearly state its conditions for negotiations. Not conditions that are deliberately designed to be impossible for the other side to accept.  But conditions that are “negotiable.”  There should be no unilateral “pre-conditions” for talks to begin.  The people of the world are demanding peace.

The name-calling and bluffing game must stop, before someone, somewhere, makes a tragic mistake, a mistake that could never be undone.  Millions of people would die a horrible death, not only in Korea, the U.S. and Japan, but also in Okinawa, Guam, China, Russia – and who knows where else.

Millions of lives are in the balance, as is the future of the human species. For the sake of our mutual survival, it is time for diplomacy.  It is time to negotiate.  It is time for peace.  As veterans of too many wars, we beg you to start talking now.

Please let us know if we might be of assistance.  We will help in any way we can.
Peace for All Koreans!  Peace for All the People of the World!
Most sincerely,
Veterans For Peace