News and Media
Celebration of the World March for Peace – December 2 in NYC
Download the flyer. Celebration of the World March for Peace Wednesday, December 2, 6:30 p.m. – Reidy Friendship Hall The World March for Peace – which WRL has endorsed – is taking place in 100 countries and 300 cities from October 2, 2009 through January 2, 2010. On November 30, the international team of marchers…
Stop Urban Shield 2015!
WHAT IS THE STOP URBAN SHIELD COALITION? Stop Urban Shield is a broad coalition of grassroots community and social justice organizations primarily based in the Bay Area but with partnering community groups across the nation who have come together united against Urban Shield. Urban Shield, a SWAT team training and weapons expo that brings together…
U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Don’t impose death sentence on 82-year-old nun and peacemaker
Sixteen years in prison is not enough? Sister Megan Rice and her friends, all peace activists, already face 16 years in prison if convicted for a nonviolent peace action. Sister Megan, Greg Boertje-Obed, and Michael Walli went to Oak Ridge, Tennesse, to say NO to nuclear holocaust. Instead of dropping charges, the US Attorney General…
Banner Dropped @ WRL Headquarters…
We Want Peace, Not Police! We are proud to announce two brand new banners now hanging above the WRL National Office at 339 Lafayette St. Thanks to WRL’s Demilitarize Health and Security working group for their hard work and initiative! And thank you to Cindy Trinh of Activists of New York for these great…
The Day the World Says “No”
Today, May 15th, is a global holiday: Conscientious Objection Day. Part of building a culture of peace is marking new traditions. This holiday – created in England in 1985 – gives us a valuable chance to thank war resisters for their service: service to a future demilitarized world. Conscientious objectors have risked death, prison, humiliation,…
May Day 2015
This past May Day in NYC, WRL was drummin’ for the revolution against policing, war, and worker exploitation. “From the fight to reduce the working day to the movement against borders, we believe that real economic justice requires an end to exploitation and inequality internationally. Resisting militarism for over ninety years, we aspire toward a…
Statement in Solidarity with the Egyptian Conscientious Objector Mark Nabil Sanad
9 April 2015 We, peace and human rights organizations, declare our support and solidarity with No to Compulsory Military Service Movement and with the Egyptian conscientious objector, Mark Nabil Sanad. We condemn the silence of Egyptís authorities over conscientious objectorsí suffering. We call on the Egyptian authorities to restore his civil rights and to recognize…
Judith Malina, Presente!
The world stage has lost a shining light and WRL has lost a dear friend. We mourn the death April 10 at the age of 88 of legendary pacifist actor-director Judith Malina, co-founder of the Living Theater. She was 88. Judith and her husband, actor-director Julian Beck, founded the Living Theater in 1947. It soon…
Stay Tuned: WIN’s Final issue!
In production now: The final issue of WIN Magazine. WRL has been putting out regular print publications for 70 years, starting with WRL News in 1945, but that long run is coming to an end. Regrettably, WRL will cease production of a print publication with WIN’s Spring 2015 issue. The issue is a document for…
Juanita Morrow Nelson — August 17, 1923 – March 9, 2015
Juanita Nelson was a Civil Rights activist, one of the 5 founders of the present day war tax resistance movement, a community land trust organizer, and organic farmer. Juanita and her partner Wally Nelson, a World War II resister, made their home at Woolman Hill, in her words to “lessen dependence on a violent society.”…
Narayan Desai, 1924-2015
We mourn with sadness the passing of Narayanbhai – teacher, trainer, author, spinner: total revolutionary. We celebrate a long life rich in history though never in funds, Narayan grew up in Gandhi’s ashram, the son of Gandhi’s personal secretary and biographer, Mahadev Desai. A devotee of Jayaprakash (JP) Narayan’s work and call for TOTAL REVOLUTION,…
Against All Odds: Voices of Popular Struggle in Iraq
“Other histories had been possible for Iraq, and indeed might yet be possible. The social basis for the Popular Movement to Save Iraq remains, even if in the shadows. It is the only force that could provide an alternative to the history of blood that stands before Iraq, the nest of bones, the sky of death.” – Vijay Prashad, from…
Run for Peace 2009
Dear Friends, The War Resisters League does a lot of work for peace—organizing demonstrations, publishing a quarterly magazine, developing resources and trainings on nonviolence… Most of this work is done from the comfort of a chair (although you can get a workout on the picket line). Now, the War Resisters League is taking our message…
This December, Double the Resources for Resistance
We are absolutely thrilled to announce this special opportunity made possible by an anonymous donor and longtime friend of the War Resisters League in Texas. To support WRL in reaching our fundraising goals this year, until the end of December, every one-time or sustainer donation you make online will be generously DOUBLED up to $20,000…
Prisoners for Peace Day
Each year on December 1st War Resisters’ International and its member mark Prisoners for Peace Day, when WRI and its affiliates (including WRL) publicise the names and stories of those imprisoned for actions for peace. Many are conscientious objectors, in jail for refusing to join the military. Others have taken nonviolent actions to disrupt preparation…
Training for a Nonviolent Mass Movement!
Training across Generations Earlier this month over two dozen organizers from across the Northeast gathered at the Voluntown Peace Trust in Connecticut for the first in a series of planned “Training 4 Trainers” weekends. “WRL has a long history of providing resources in nonviolence training. This past weekend strengthened our commitment by offering this unique…
War Resisters League is looking for a Freeman Intern for Fall 2014
We’re looking for an energetic, passionate intern to help us relaunch our website, promote our organizing resources, and to be part of the life of our national office. The Freeman Intern will work closely with WRL’s Office Coordinator. The work will include: Migrating content from our old website to our new site, due to launch…
We Pushed Urban Shield Out of Oakland, But the Struggle Continues!
On Friday, September 5th, hundreds of of protesters gathered in front of the Marriott in Downtown Oakland, CA, to stand against Urban Shield and declare two major victories: Urban Shield will no longer be held at the Marriott and it will no longer take place anywhere in Oakland. Reclaiming the streets in celebration of our power,…
A Letter on the Current Iraq Crisis from the Right to Heal Initiative
June 19, 2014 U.S. Department of State Attention: Secretary John Kerry 2201 C Street NW Washington DC 20520 Dear Secretary Kerry: The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 incited a previously unimaginable deepening of sectarian divisions among the people of Iraq following the overthrow of the repressive Ba’athist regime of Saddam Hussein. The US government…
Boston STOMP Report Back and Press Roundup
We can’t be afraid, we cannot let the police scare us into not doing anything to help our communities.” -Kazi Toure, National Jericho Movement, Boston Resident Last weekend, police and SWAT teams from across Massachusetts arrived in Boston to train in military tactics in the name of “public safety.” On that Sunday, STOMP (Stop Oppressive…
Join WRL in South Africa this summer!
Registration deadline extended to 31 May 2014! Seven months after the passing of South African independence leader Nelson Mandela, War Resisters International will be hosting a momentous conference in Cape Town, South Africa: “Small Actions – Big Movements: the Continuum of Nonviolence.” Rooted in the historic struggle against apartheid in South Africa, this conference will…
Tear gas is NOT nonlethal: ways to resist US tear gas shipments
Since last week, the streets of Turkey have again been filled with tear gas following the death of 15-year-old Berkin Elvan, who was in a coma since June 2013 after being hit in the head by a tear gas canister while buying bread during the government repression of last summer’s Gezi Park uprising. March 13th…
WRL sponsors the GI Coffeehouse West Coast tour
Join Under the Hood Cafe and Outreach Center (Killeen, TX), Coffee Strong (Lakewood, WA), and The Clearing Barrel (Kaiserslautern, Germany) for the first-ever GI Coffeehouse West Coast Tour! With stops in more than a dozen cities, coffeehouse organizers will meet with local activists and supporters, sharing information and stories from the coffeehouses, which over the…
Become a WRL Sara Bilezikian Peace Intern: Apply Now!
WRL is looking for a Spring 2014 Bilezikian Organizing Intern! Want to hone or share your organizing skills? Want to work with one of the oldest and most exciting anti-war and anti-militarism organizations? We are currently taking applications for our Spring 2014 Bilezikian Internship Program, which runs for 13 weeks starting Monday, March 10th. Application…
Welcoming Our New National Committee
We are thrilled to share the results of War Resisters League’s National Committee (NC) election with you all, and delighted to welcome new and incumbent members to our leadership structure. Nearly 200 WRL members participated in our most recent election online or by mail, sending ballots from Alaska to Puerto Rico, and contributing to a…
Pete Seeger, 1919-2014
A giant has left our world. With millions, we mourn Pete’s departure on Monday, January 27th. We share his family’s sorrow for the loss of his daily presence, following so closely the death last July of his beloved wife and their beloved mother/grandmother Toshi. Yet even as we grieve—“we” here refers to the world at…
Historic Protest Settlement from 2004 RNC: WRL Speaks
January 16th’s historic settlement awarded to protesters at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City was the largest in U.S. history – and many a WRLer was in the mix! At the press conference, Ed Hedemann of the WRL – NYC local said: “The government can place FBI agents behind every mailbox and…
Peace Activists Who Exposed COINTELPRO Go Public
Peace activists involved with the March 8, 1971 break-in that exposed the FBI’s repressive COINTELPRO operation have come forward to share their story and draw connections to widespread government surveillance today. WRL’s WIN Magazine was first to publish the complete collection of the documents in our March 1972 issue. Download and read a PDF of…
Facing Urban Shield Reportback and Press Coverage
On Friday, October 25th, more than 100 police and military agencies from California and across the US were joined by their counterparts from Israel, Guam, Bahrain, and Brazil for a massive SWAT team training and weapons expo called Urban Shield. The Facing Urban Shield Action Network, with more than 30 endorsers in the Bay Area,…
90 Years of Revolutionary Nonviolence: New WRL Perpetual Calendar
Order Now! WRL’s New Perpetual Calendar Highlights Revolutionary Nonviolence on the Occasion of Our 90th Anniversary. This perpetual calendar can be used year after year. You can just write in the dates! It includes an event related to WRL and nonviolence for each day, with a line to add your own reminders of birthdays, etc….
Howard Clark
Please join War Resisters League in honoring Howard Clark, who passed away unexpectedly at home last weekend. War Resisters International was founded in 1921 to promote nonviolent action against the causes of war and to support and connect people around the world who refuse to take part in war or the preparation of war. In…
Want to get more involved in WRL? NC Nominations are open.
UPDATED DEADLINE: OCTOBER 14. Do you have what it takes to help lead the War Resisters League? Do you have the skills and vision to help chart WRL’s course in promoting revolutionary nonviolent change? Do you know someone who does? Nominations are open for the at-large seats on the National Committee (NC). This is WRL’s…
HIROSHIMA DAY OBSERVATIONS 2013
In New York and other cities and towns across the country, peace activists will hold protests, vigils and educational events to observe the 68th anniversary of the US nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. If you have planned an action you would like posted here, let us know at wrl [at] warresisters.org New York City…
Facing Urban Shield Action Network
What is Urban Shield? From October 25th -28th, 2013 in Oakland, California, Urban Shield – a trade show and training exercise for SWAT teams and police agencies will bring local, national and international law enforcement agencies together with “defense industry contractors” to provide training and introduce new weapons to police and security companies. The…
In Memoriam: Toshi-Aline Ohta Seeger, 1922-2013
She was, of course, Pete Seeger’s wife and partner for nearly 70 years. But she was also his producer, the director of his television program, an Emmy-winning television producer, an organizer of the first Newport Folk Festivals, a documentary film producer, and a moving spirit behind the Clearwater movement to clean up the Hudson River….
Hiroshima Day: We Have Not Been Moved book event in DC
In conjunction with the War Resisters League Conference Busboys and Poets & Teaching for Change welcome SONIA SANCHEZ and MATT MEYER to sign and discuss: We Have Not Been Moved: Resisting Racism and Militarism in 21st Century America Edited by Elizabeth Betita Martínez, Mandy Carter & Matt Meyer with an Introduction by Cornel…
Registration still open for WRL’s 90th Anniversary Conference!
Revolutionary Nonviolence: Building Bridges Across Generations and Communities War Resisters League 90th Anniversary National Conference Thursday, August 1 – Sunday, August 4th, 2013 Georgetown University in Washington, DC It is still possible to register for the conference. The housing deadline has passed, but there is some on-campus housing available. So please do REGISTER TODAY! The…
New Book from War Resisters International!
New from War Resisters International! Sowing Seeds: The Militarisation of Youth and How to Counter It by Owen Everett Around the world children, adolescents, and young adults encounter the military and military values in a variety of ways, from visits to schools by military personnels, to video games and the presence of the military and…
90 Years Young!
War Resisters League is proud to have reached our 90th anniversary and we have had a great celebration all year. In August, we held our 90th Anniversary conference, REVOLUTIONARY NONVIOLENCE: Building Bridges Across Generations and Communities in Washington, DC. In October, we celebrated and honored Harry Belefonte, Joan Baez and Daniel Ellsberg at our 90th…
New! Facing Tear Gas Campaign Website
Facing Tear Gas is a campaign to end the US’s role in the business of tear gas in solidarity with global nonviolent uprisings and those facing US-backed repression everywhere, including within the US. Check out our new website: facingteargas.org
Solidarity with #direngeziparki and the people of Turkey
From WRL’s Facing Tear Gas Campaign: Over the past several days, Turkey has seen some of its largest mass mobilizations in years. Protesters are pouring into Taksim Square, Gezi Park, and other public spaces throughout the country in the thousands to reject neoliberalism and government-backed urban gentrification. As they brave vomit-inducing tear gas, rubber bullets,…
International Day of Action For Military-Free Education and Research
As part of its Countering the Militarisation of Youth work, War Resisters International is coordinating an International Day of Action For Military-Free Education and Research, which will take place on 14 June 2013. The day will be based on the September 2012 week of action in Germany, which was supported by over one hundred groups…
Dannia Southerland, 1950- 2013
Dannia Southerland, 62, passed away on February 9, 2013 in Durham, NC. Dannia, who went by Sunshine at the time, was on the WRL/Southeast staff from 1978 until 1984. A strong woman with a strong presence, Sunshine had a great smile and ability to raise important issues and challenge us all. Mab Segrest wrote about…
May 15 is International Conscientious Objectors Day
May 15th is International Conscientious Objectors day. Around the world, peace and justice activists and organizers will be remembering the generations who refused to go to war, and raising awareness of the many who continue to be persecuted and imprisoned for refusing to kill. For info on actions around the globe, check out War Resisters…
Lawsuit filed to end 30 years solitary confinement for Russell Maroon Shoatz
Lawyers for former Black Panther political prisoner Russell “Maroon” Shoatz filed a federal lawsuit on May 8, 2013 against Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) officials, demanding an end to almost 30 years of solitary confinement. In one of the most overtly biased and egregious uses of “restricted housing,” Maroon – who will turn seventy-years-old this…
ICBM Minuteman III launch still set for November 14
The next ICBM Minuteman III launch is still set for November 14, 2012 UFPJ disarmament working group and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom are calling a protest at 11:55pm (five minutes to midnight) on November 13. WRL endorses the demonstrations against these offensive tests and the continued subjugation of the people formerly…
Defend Bradley Manning, War Crime Whistleblower
The Bradley Manning Support Network and Courage to Resist have established a legal defense fund for Pfc. Bradley Manning, the 22-year-old Army intelligence analyst accused of leaking intelligence documents to WikiLeaks. He is charged with eight violations, including allegedly leaking the “Collateral Murder” video to WikiLeaks (for a detailed account of the actions depicted in…
NATO/G8-free Video Call for Submissions!
Calling all social justice videographers! The Network for a NATO-free Future (see member organizations below) is helping put together a counter-summit to the G8 and NATO summits happening this May in Chicago. To help give a U.S.-based community organizers and local activists an idea about what NATO is, its role in the world, and its…
WRL seeking conference organizer for our 90th Anniversary
War Resisters League is seeking a conference organizer for our 90th Anniversary Conference to take place August 1-4 at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Revolutionary Nonviolence: Building Bridges across Generations and Communities will bring together WRL members from around the country as well as allies and other interested people. While celebrating WRL’s 90th anniversary, we…
Join in the global chorus against “Stars Earn Stripes”
WRL (though our WRL NYC Local) has been active in the protest of this outrageous reality game show with General Wesley Clark and celebrities playing at “war.” Help us tell NBC: Battle is Not a Sport – War is Not a Game. Sign the petition to be sent to NBC! If you’re in NYC on…
Unwelcome NATO/G8! Join WRL in Chicago, May 18-19
As thousands will converge in Chicago during the international summits of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Group of 8 (G8) this spring, WRL and a group of organizations* committed to ending U.S. militarism and its maintenance of economic injustice globally are looking to you and to your organizing networks to help us…
Suzanne Ross
Dear friends, In the introductions to WRL’s recent book, We Have Not Been Moved, the mini-biography of contributor Suzanne Ross was inadvertently cut short. At this time when her work to free imprisoned journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal has become more crucial than ever, we wanted to correct that omission by including her full mini-biography here, as…
April 15 Global Day of Action on Military Spending
Add your (war) tax day event to this list! This week, Portland, OR, Belfast, ME, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Phoenix, Bristol, RI joined the list of US cities where activities to mark Tax Day and the Global Day of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS) will occur. On Long Island, NY, 4 Congressional offices will be visited….
WRL is looking for a Summer 2013 Freeman Intern to work in Historic Preservation and Research Assistance
WRL is looking for a Summer 2013 Freeman Intern to work in Historic Preservation and Research Assistance Are you interested in radical history? Want to work with one of the oldest and most exciting anti-militarism organizations? We are currently taking applications for our Summer Freeman Internship Program. The Summer 2013 Freeman Intern will focus primarily…
JOB OPENING: WRL Development & Membership Coordinator
UPDATE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED. Please note: WRL has an office cat. The office is not wheelchair accessible. War Resisters League seeks an enthusiastic and experienced grassroots fundraiser, who brings initiative and works well collaboratively, to coordinate and facilitate our fundraising program, and increase our income, national visibility and membership base. The Development &…
Join Now! April Days of Action Against Drone Warfare
War Resisters League encourages you to join now with people across the United States who are planning actions and education programs in the month of April aimed at ending drone warfare and surveillance. Please sign up today to get connected with organizing efforts in your area.
U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Don’t impose death sentence on 82-year-old nun and peacemaker
Sixteen years in prison is not enough? Sister Megan Rice and her friends, all peace activists, already face 16 years in prison if convicted for a nonviolent peace action. Sister Megan, Greg Boertje-Obed, and Michael Walli went to Oak Ridge, Tennesse, to say NO to nuclear holocaust. Instead of dropping charges, the US Attorney General…
Apply now! WRL Winter 2013 Bilezikian Organizing Internship
Want to hone or share your organizing skills? Want to work with one of the oldest and most exciting national anti-militarist organizations? We are currently taking applications for our Winter 2013 Bilezikian Internship Program, which runs for 13 weeks starting January 14 (dates are flexible). Application deadline: Friday, December 17. Our intern will work 20…
Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Click here to read the updated Hiroshima/Nagasaki exhibit created by members of the NYC chapter of WRL, detailing the history of the bombings and the emergence of the powerful US anti-nuclear movement. The exhibit is available also available in a downloadable PDF version, which can be used as a flyer at events, actions, and vigils…
WEATHER UPDATE
UPDATE: November 3, 2012 The War Resisters League National Office has been closed since Monday, when the storm hit our area, resulting in a power outage in the neighborhood. Yesterday, November 2, electricity was restored to the neighborhood, and we are hoping to be back in the office this week. There are still major disruptions…
Table of Contents – We Have Not Been Moved
We Have Not Been Moved: Resisting Racism and Militarism in 21st Century America Ultimately, there can be no peace without justice, and no justice without peace. The two great moral issues of our time, peace and human rights, are so closely related that we can say that they are one and the same. —Coretta Scott…
Praise for We Have Not Been Moved
Praise for We Have Not Been Moved: Resisting Racism and Militarism in 21st Century America When we sang out “We Shall Not Be Moved” in Montgomery and Selma, we were committed to our unshakeable unity against segregation and violence. This important book continues in that struggle—suggesting ways in which we need to do better, and…
We Have Not Been Moved: Resisting Racism and Militarism in 21st Century America
Edited by Elizabeth “Betita” Martínez, Mandy Carter & Matt Meyer Introduction by Cornel West Afterwords/poems by Alice Walker & Sonia Sanchez We Have Not Been Moved is a compendium addressing the two leading pillars of U.S. Empire. Inspired by the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who called for a “true revolution of values”…
24th Annual Raffle for Resistance – 2012
BUY TICKETS ONLINE! Nearly Twice as Many Prizes! $3 per ticket, $25 for a sheet of 12 PLEASE NOTE: RAFFLE TICKET DONATIONS ARE NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE Raffle Drawing: Nov. 29, 2012 IF YOU BUY YOUR RAFFLE TICKETS ONLINE, WE’LL FILL THEM OUT FOR YOU Your raffle contribution directly supports the campaigns and programs of War…
War Profiteers are the 1%: November 30th action in NYC
On Wednesday, November 30th, 2011, War Resisters League joined with Occupy Wall Street activists and United for Peace and Justice for a protest at the Aerospace and Defense Finance Conference, a meeting in which Department of Defense officials met with the CEOs of 30 military contractors, including reps from three of the top five defense…
Bite the Bullet
Individuals, companies and corporations have always taken advantage of warfare to make enormous economic profit. For centuries, ordinary people, who suffer most from war, have resisted these war profiteers. One of the major factors in Harry S. Truman’s rise to the U.S. presidency was his relentless (“Give ’em Hell, Harry!”) pursuit of war profiteers. But…
WRL endorses October 2011 nonviolent action in D.C.
Stop the Machine! Create a New World! A Call to Action – Oct. 6, 2011 and onward October 2011 is the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan and the beginning of the 2012 federal austerity budget. It is time to light the spark that sets off a true democratic, nonviolent transition to a world…
WRL is looking or a Summer 2012 Freeman Intern to work in Fundraising and Membership Development
Want to hone or share your grassroots fundraising skills? Want to work with one of the oldest and most exciting anti-militarism organizations? We are currently taking applications for our Summer 2012 Freeman Internship Program, which runs for 13 weeks starting June 4 (dates are flexible). Application deadline: May 11. You do not have to be…
Empire on Wall Street
On 10/14, WRL and the South Asia Solidarity Initiative organized an action at Occupy Wall Street about the costs of U.S. military intervention all over the world and those who profit from it. Download the toolkit for a National Day of Action on November 17th, when we will be asking our members and supporters to…
Marv Davidov, 1931 – 2012
Long-time Minnesota peace activist Marv Davidov died on January 14 at age 80. WRL New England Staffer Joanne Sheehan wrote about Marv on the War Resisters International website: “I don’t remember when I first met Marv Davidov, sometime in the ’70. I first heard of him when I learned about the Honeywell Project, which he…
Unwelcome NATO/G8! WRL in Chicago, May 18-19
WRL is headed to Chicago! Please join us in spreading the word about the counter-summit planned for May 18-19 and the call for videos that WRL is launching as part of the popular education-based organizing of the Network for a NATO-free Future. See below for info or get in touch with the WRL national office…
Legal support for G.I.s participating in Occupy Wall Street actions
As veterans and servicemembers have been joining in and supporting their local #Occupy movements, the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild has stepped up to coordinate legal support for active duty servicemembers, reservists, and veterans who are facing harassment and/or legal sanctions for participating in these important protests. The MLTF can be…
Protesters convicted in Protest at Vandenberg Air Force Base
Father Louie Vitale was convicted and fined $1000 for trespass at Vandenberg protesting the ICBM launch on August 22, 2009. Sister Megan Rice was convicted and fined $500 for the same incident. More details available soon. See www.macgregoreddy.com for background on the protest and updates on the convictions of Fr. Louie and Sr. Megan.
War Voices: A dialogue on ten years of U.S.-led war and occupation
On October 7th, War Resisters League joined with a number of our partner organizations in the anti-war movement to host War Voices,* a dialogue on these past ten years of U.S.-led war and occupation and their connections to the militarization of life here in the U.S. and globally. The evening’s discussions among community leaders and…
10 Years of detention and torture: Witness Against Torture January actions
From January 2-12 Witness Against Torture will spend two weeks in Washington D.C. leading up to the 10 year commemoration of the Guantanamo prison and along with it a system of indefinite detention and torture that targets Arab, South Asian, and Muslim men and necessitates the spread of rampant Islamophobia that we have seen escalating…
May 12 Actions
On May 12, the War Resisters League participated in a day of teach-ins and actions with a broad coalition of unions and community organizations in New York City to stop the state and federal budget cuts which are threatening so many, and to highlight the billions that NYC tax payers are contributing to wars. Click…
One Year After the Egyptian Revolution: Tear Gas and Police Repression
Tear gas, policing, and the counter-revolution: January 25 marked one year since the beginning of the Egyptian revolution. One year after the fall of the Mubarak regime, the Egyptian people are still in the streets, calling for an end to the rule of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) that took power after…
The War Resisters League Commemorates the 66th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
For a list of events organized by Pax Christi USA chapters and affiliates please visit: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129544250468870 Friday August 5th. 4:00PM: at Dag Hammerskjold Plaza – East 47 St between 1 & 2 Aves, NYC. Musical performances by Ray Korona, the Raging Grannies, The Peaceniks, Russell Daisey, Bruce Markow and special guest from Japan singer/songwriter,…
Join Witness Against Torture’s Days of Action in D.C. June 22-25 2011
CALL TO ACTION – JOIN US ON JUNE 22-25, 2011 We must continue to speak and act against the ongoing crime of Guantanamo! We walk in shame and grief and anger. We walk mindful of broken promises, hollow words, and bankrupt institutions. We walk for men torn from their families and homelands, tortured and abused…
Act with Iraqis Standing Up to the US Military Presence in Their Country
Since February 25th Iraqis – fueled by the air of audacity sweeping the Arab world – have been organizing weekly Friday protests against government corruption and sectarianism, a shocking lack of public services, and for the release of Iraq’s thousands of arbitrarily imprisoned. This coming April 9th though, 8 Iraqi civil-society organizations are taking this…
March with WRL on April 9 in NYC!
On Saturday, April 9, 2011 WRL members and members of many other peace and justice groups will be meeting at the Gandhi statue at Union Square West and 15th Street at 12pm. WESPAC and WRL are also calling for group participation in a feeder march to Union Square that will leave at 11:30am from the…
Israeli Apartheid Week 2011
Throughout March 2011, in cities all around the globe, Palestine solidarity activists are participating in Israeli Apartheid Week. IAW is a flurry of events which aim to expose the multiple ways the state of Israel commits the crime of Apartheid, as well as call on global civil society to participate in BDS – boycott, divestment…
April 8 2011 Pentagon Action
Announcing an April 8 Civil Resistance Action at the Pentagon: We will come together in solidarity to act in resistance against the activities of the U.S. military and form autonomous affinity groups that will be acting in nonviolent civil resistance at the Pentagon on April 8. We will encourage groups to descend on the Pentagon…
Be an Organizing Intern at the WRL National Office!
War Resisters League is looking for a New York City-based part-time intern for a twelve-week period, June 13 – August 31. The intern will work 20 hours a week on a number of organizing projects and administrative tasks, including the following: Working with local WRL chapters and affiliate groups all over the country, contacting them…
Nonviolent Civil Resistance on March 19th at the White House
Led by Veterans for Peace on March 19th – the anniversary of the brutal invasion of Iraq, where over a million Iraqis and almost 5,000 US soldiers were killed with thousands more grievously injured – as the occupation of Iraq and the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan continue unabated, Veterans for Peace is calling for…
DON’T BUY WAR TOYS
WAR IS NOT A GAME Playing with war toys and violent videos numbs people to the terrible truth: War means death and suffering, not fun and games. Playing violent video games has been directly linked to increased aggressive behavior. A Harvard School of Public Health study found significant amounts of violence even in video games…
UPDATE: Results of Nov 18 trial of May 3rd Grand Central NPT Protesters
From Bev Rice: I was delighted to tell my NLG lawyer, Mark Taylor, that the MTA policeman who wrote the summons wasn’t my arresting officer. After being sworn in, this officer said he was called in from Penn Station because “there was a war protest in Grand Central.” When Judge Weinberg asked him for details,…
National Committee Elections 2011
MAY 1, 2011 Balloting has closed. Thanks to everyone who voted! ELECTION of AT-LARGE MEMBERS to the WRL NATIONAL COMMITTEE The National Committee The National Committee (NC) is WRL’s highest decision-making body and meets twice a year in New York City to shape the League’s policy and direction and set its budget. (The Administrative Coordinating…
NC Elections 2011 – Statements of Candidates
MAY 1, 2011 Balloting has closed. Thanks to everyone who voted! Statements of Candidates (* = Incumbent) JASON AHMADI (Southwest) I have found that building real relationships and community is essential to resisting this culture and practice of war. In my anti-nuclear organizing in the rural pueblos of Northern New Mexico, I feel I have…
Take a Stand for Peace – December 16 in Washington, DC
Join activist veterans marching in solidarity to the White House, demanding an immediate end to U.S. wars, whether conducted by occupation troops, drones or proxy, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Palestine. We will be nonviolently refusing to leave the White House, willing to be dragged away and arrested for peace. We believe that the…
Shut Down the School of the Americas! November 19-21, 2010
November 19-21: Close the school of the Americas Join us to remember the victims and to celebrate the resistance! (para información en español, haga click aquí) Thirty years have passed since Maryknoll missioners Maura Clark, Jean Donovan, Ita Ford, and Dorothy Kazel were brutally killed by graduates of the SOA in El Salvador. They are…
Homecoming in Detroit and on Coming Home from the US Social Forum
It’s been nearly five days since returning home from Detroit and I think that the word most present in the minds of many of the WRL members who were at the second-ever U.S. Social Forum is “unpack.” Aside from the bags full of notes and posters, books and pins that we carried home with us,…
Twenty-Four Anti-Torture Activists Acquitted
Twenty-Four Anti-Torture Activists Acquitted in Trial for Protest at the US Capitol Calling for Guantanamo’s Closure and the Investigation of Deaths at the Prison For Immediate Release June 15, 2010 Contact: Jeremy Varon: M: 732-979-3119 jvaron [at] aol.com Helen Schietinger: M: 202-344-5762 h.schietinger [at] verizon.net WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, June 14, twenty-four activists with…
One Nation for Peace! Oct 2 in D.C.
2010 War Resisters League is a member organization of the Peace Table for October 2, bringing local and national peace organizations to this massive demonstration to counter racist, classist, and anti-immigrant attacks from the right and to unify a majority of the people of the U.S. around an inspiring vision of our nation based on…
2009 Peace Awardees arrested in Zimbabwe
Ellen Chademana and Ignatius Muhambi of the gay rights group Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe, 2009 WRL Peace Awardees, were arrested last week after a raid on their offices. From SWRadio Africa: Gay rights pair finally released on bail By Violet Gonda27 May 2010 The two members of the gay rights group Gays and Lesbians…
For Allies
◊Links to groups that serve as allies Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities (YANO) American Friends Service Committee—Youth and Militarism Program Coalition Against Militarism In Our Schools** -Great example of students and adult allies working together to evoke change National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth (NNOMY) CodePink Leave my Child Alone! ◊ Resources…
WRL Track Club
War, Empire and the Economy Got You Down? We have the Solution! Don’t Just Stand There…. Run! The War Resisters League Track Club is committed to building community and building muscles, and we want to run with you. After a decade long (or so) hiatus, we reformed in 2009, and ran the Hartford Marathon and…
In Memory of Bob Witkowski
Robert C. “Bob” Witkowski, 57, of Ashley, PA, (formally of Wilkes-Barre) passed away on March 20, 2010, unexpectedly at his home. Bob was born in Jersey City, NJ. He was the son of Charles and the late Florence H. Witkowski of Wood-Ridge, NJ. Bob was employed at the Salvation Army in Hanover Township, PA, and…
Tax Day Actions 2010
Join in the work of the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee including WRL members across the country in organizing against taxpayer dollars spent for war and militarism! The numbers are staggering: Over $1 trillion spent so far on the invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan since October 2001. Nearly half of each tax…
May 3rd WRL action for nuclear abolition
We Declare NYC a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (starting with Grand Central Station)! Monday, May 3, 2010 8-10am Grand Central Station War Resisters League is marking the beginning of the United Nations’ Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference with creative and nonviolent direct action at Grand Central Station. We assert that “Nuclear Disarmament Begins at Home.” Throughout…
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