DC Shoe Protest Coverage

Raw Story:

Members of the theatrical protest brigade Code Pink left several dozen pairs of shoes in front of the White House to represent some of the hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians killed during the war in Iraq, and they called for the release of Muntadar al-Zaidi. It was Bush, they said, who should be in jail.

"It's not enough to throw a shoe at him, he needs to be hauled before an international court and charged for war crimes," Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin said.

The event also had elements of street theater as the dozen or so protesters who showed up took turns hurling their own footwear at a Bush impersonator. It was quite the cathartic event for some of the demonstrators, who have frequently expressed their outrage at the president's abuses of power and misguided foreign invasions.

"We love our Constitution and we hate what you've done to it. And we also hate what you've done to the Iraqi people, George," Benjamin said as she prepared to throw two shoes at another demonstrator wearing a Bush mask. "This is on behalf of the Iraqi people, especially the women who have been hurt by your policies, George. And this one is for the children, George, who have suffered in Iraq."

I'm very thankful for Muntadar al-Zaidi's brave act of defiance and for Code Pink's action in solidarity with him. I understand, however, that Cornerites and even Raw Story is a bit confused by all this:

There was an appreciable level of irony in a group of anti-war protesters who celebrate non-violence gathering to champion the cause of a man who assaulted a world leader.

Rain Burroughs, an anti-war activist who traveled to the protest from Richmond, Va., said she found it "refreshing to see someone stand up" on behalf of Iraqi civilians who had been killed, even though she traditionally espouses the value of nonviolent action.

Benjamin said some Code Pink members were wary of championing al-Zaidi, but she said his actions have to be placed in context of the country where he lives.

"We've gotten a lot of our people who've called us and said ... it seems too violent for us, and we say, 'You're not living in Iraq. You're not suffering in your daily life," Benjamin said in an interview. "I mean, were I an Iraqi, I don't know that I would still be a nonviolent person. So this is actually a less violent act than one might expect."

Medea and Rain hit the proverbial nail nonviolently on the head. Much of nonviolence is predicated on the notion that you have the space and time to make moral decisions. If you haven't been educated, and given the opportunity to consider and practice alternatives to violence, it's certainly understandable on a human level that you might act violently out of desperation.

As I noted in a recent Paxcast, even Gandhi said just over a month after the start of WWII:

[N]on-violence has to be non-violence of the brave and the strong. It must come from inward conviction. I have, therefore, not hesitated to say that it is better to be violent if there is violence in our breasts than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. Violence is any day preferable to impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent.

Muntadar al-Zaidi has refused to be impotent any longer, even if it's not the manner that we would prefer. But it's not about us: it's about the Iraqis and their desire to have us leave their sovereign nation, and he has lit a brushfire in the minds of his people, not to mention ours, all with an object so mundane as a shoe.

ntodd

PS--Read the whole Raw Story link: it has more pics and video.

PPS--Apologies for the self-indulgence in links.

Holiday Cheer from CODEPINK Arizona Friends

Mon December 8th 2008 post election-exhausted peacemakers

Hi everyone it's Liz reporting back from sunny phoenix! Feeling really grateful to be here!

Last saturday our peace & justice community arranged for a CODEPINK fundraiser to enable & continue our presence in Washington DC. I want to begin by thanking everyone for continuing to believe that our work is very important -your support makes it possible!Every time i come back to the hometown we celebrate our friendships, our network,progressive steps,and our journey t0gether as well as complain about the various backward steps each election cycle brings to(mostly) the aware citizenry.This election cycle Arizona suffered painful losses Gay Love Benefits,lost a state senate seat,Sheriff Joe(racist) & Andrew Thomas -State Attorney re-elected also Jan Brewer(unqualified partisian) will take over for our departing Gov. Janet Napolitano---WHEW---besides other BIG Losses or huge backward movement.This just validates the need to work together stay focused on the issues and find progressive candidates for the future. Candidates for placement with have our values that we will support from start of campaign.These social gatherings remain imperative to community building so THANKS everyday. Organize Speak Out Organize Speak Out Donate to peace groups!

So getting back to the party Edwina set up a conference call with our friend IVAW Adam Kokesh
giving us the oppportunity to share our RNC disruption of McCain's nominating speech. We have had conference calls with Adam as part of our agenda at other parties.
Adam Liz & Nancy were able to disrupt the biggest speech of Mccain"s political history and we all have our viewpoint to share. It was great to talk about our experiences as we shared some of the moments leading up to exercise in Free Speech also tactics,facts and laughed in hindsight..................as we re lived it from our unique perspective.The Arizona crowd will always remember that moment!
Adam gave Kudos to CODEPINK for teaching him important direct action lessons on the doorsteps of Congress & shared his Ron Paul views with candor as well as next steps- move to New Mexico in January 2009. IVAW local Arizona Member Hari & friends showed up mid conference call - personally i feel so proud when those war resisters show up and take part. Hari is so amazingly courageous representing so many young people eloquently..........Thanks to Hari for bringing his piece of truth to our conscience.

Then Josie Lenwell New Mexico CODEPINK coordinator made a powerful slide show of the State Dept Blackwater Action,Die-in Sept 2007,Hall of Shame Campaign kick off"Whipping Congress into Shape" and hundreds of outstanding photos from DC actions that i provided the funny inside details to the captive audience of about 45 people.It gave everyone the opportunity to interact with asking questions which gives better understanding of our all around work on capitol hill during congressional session. The slideshow represented a history of direct actions in late sept 2007 and was seemless in keeping the attention focused. It was my CODEPINK opportunity when queried to share a vision of our work looking forward to the change we advocate.We need to work harder than ever to keep Obama online with his promises of diplomacy, withdrawl(Iraq) in 16 months taking Sofa into account, closing gitmo and others but make our message of No More Wars esp Afghanistan no troop build up in Afghanistan!Redirection of funding from overkill Pentagon budget to human needs programs-from dirty coal to Clean Green.

Finally we were gifted with items for an auction & usually make photos of our Shero Work to sell which we have alot of fun doing a spirited auction that Edwina lead festively.We auctioned off photos of Medea & Kathy Kelly, The Peace line in Twin Cities,Vets for Peace Archives Banner,and CODEPINK specialties and it was rec'd generously Thanks to all!
We are all feeling unity in the great need to stay strong to our Out of Iraq Now stance.Healthcare not Warfare.The coalition in Arizona wants to stay active and proactively support good politics through policy.We watch the new adminstration with a cautious eye and will stand up with new ideas for the future.
Obama needs our support help and direction-Fired up ready to work for change!

cioa for now.............. I miss DC the CODEPINK house - feel very grateful for the new friends everywhere through CODEPINK work
SHOUT out to Jodie Evans WE LOVE you Jodie!!!

want peace work for justice!

Letter to Barack

November 27, 2008

Dear President-elect Barack Obama,

I am the grandmother of a 7 year old little girl who I do not get to see very often since I moved to Washington, D.C. in March 2007. But in August of that year, I brought her here to spend a week with me. During her short stay, I took her to the White House and we talked about the current president who hurt innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not more than a minute had passed that while she posed for pictures for me, she turned to a tourist standing nearby and said to her, "That's where the BAD president lives."



So, I write to you today, Barack, because my granddaughter deserves a GOOD president and a GOOD government and a GOOD world in which to live. She deserves a country that cares about its citizens, a country that provides her excellent healthcare, a superb free college education, and a future full of promise.

Our little girl deserves a nature-rich planet. She deserves to have a healthy, happy neighborhood in which to live and breathe. She deserves to run and play allergy-free, free of the dust of nearby cement plants, free from cancer causing chemicals in the food she eats and toys she plays with, free from depleted uranium and carbon emissions in the atmosphere and free from the global warming that is now killing the polar bears and other plants and animals she may never get to see in the wild.

She deserves to grow up in a country that she is proud of, so as she recites the Pledge of Allegiance every day in school she'll know that "..liberty and justice for all.." is the hallmark of our country's domestic AND foreign policy, that we seek dialogue, diplomacy and respect for human rights of ALL people not just American people.

She deserves never not ever to experience the likes of the injustices of Katrina and the Jena 6, the wars and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, the horrors of Abu Ghraib, Mahmoudiya and Guantanamo. She deserves a Commander-in-Peace who will bring her stepdaddy and all his buddies home and never start another war.

So, Barack, when I bring my granddaughter back to the White House in a not too distant future, I hope she and all the other tourists from home and abroad will be able to say, “That's where the GREAT President Barack Obama lives.”


Dylan and her daddy Adam my son, and me

Desiree Fairooz
CODEPINK:Women for Peace
Washington, D.C.

Dear All,Please check out Jodie's latest blog from Iran (text version below):
http://codepink4peace.org/blog/2008/11/day-3-jodies-diary/
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Janna

Medea and I (CODEPINK co-founders) are spending the week in Iran on a citizen’s diplomacy visit, engaging with Iranian women’s groups and officials to build bridges and create peace from the ground up. We arrived Friday. Here’s a bit of our experience Sunday (bit of time delay in getting this up…sorry!)It is our third day in Iran and we feel like we’ve been here a month. We are all a bit bleary eyed, with too little sleep. Poor Ann Wright has been hit with the flu, but she doesn’t miss a meeting.

Leila Zand, our trip leader from Fellowship of Reconciliation is managing three jobs while trying to handle her wild bunch (Medea and myself.) Medea and I aren’t great at following rules, especially when they don’t make sense. So to be in a form of a straight jacket probably brings our rebellious spirit. Leila has to carry too much of our pent up energy and desires to see and do as much as possible in this short trip.

We are all walking the tightrope of wanting to bring more groups back. This is the purpose of the trip and what we complained to Ahmadinejad about in September—the complaint that led to this trip. To break open the knot between Iran and the US we need more citizen diplomacy and Medea and I surrender to the need and agree to what I am now calling Slow Activism. (I think there is something in this I want to develop further with my Slow Food and Slow Journalism friends when I get home.)

There are people we have introductions to that we can’t meet because it would upset the government, at whose very consent we are here–having been denied entry previously. So we are ALL on our best behavior. I even think I have been able to keep my scarf on much more than the last trip. It also helps us to better understand the terrain. Our friends here learn how to navigate the political land mines. International recognition here is a ticket to a freedom most Iranians who are politically active don’t have.

Habib knows how to use a vacuum and seems to know they are inherent in the structure of our visit. Promises of meetings melt away and he is there with the replacement. We were supposed to be at the US Embassy this morning, a tour prepared by the government—it was even announced in the press. But that and a meeting with the Foreign Minister were announced cancelled when we woke. So Habib whisked us off to the a War Library at the Center for Artists. A pretty serious library of books about war from around the world including 800 they had published or arranged to publish themselves. The director had been a journalist in the 8-year war and has given his life to telling its story to make sure another doesn’t happen. A great partner for our War is So Over message….and a reminder it takes a lot of pictures, words and movies to tell that story.Rostan came over to meet us when we returned from our daily dive into the horrors of war. Lucky we love Habib so much because he manages to spend most of his time with us breaking our hearts and taking us deeper and deeper into the devastation of the 8-year war. I think when I leave I will feel like I was there.

We wanted to ride a subway and we wanted to go shopping—if meetings cannot be arranged, then please take us into the belly of the city! We walked for blocks to the subway entrance. Public transportation is priced right—20 cents for the subway and 2 cents for the bus. It was about 3:30pm and getting close to rush hour so the train was packed and we had a choose between the men’s train or the women’s. We chose the men’s train and it was packed. We had to push our way in to fit and of course all eyes were on the Westerners. We went five stops standing and mashed together, the other women on the train were young or with a partner.

We emerged from the train to a bustling street. There were hundreds if not thousands of women in long black chadors. We had arrived at a community much more religious than the middle of downtown were we live. It was a fantastic bazaar which, unlike that of Isfahan where it is mostly crafts, seemed to cater to the needs of the community (housewares were in abundance.) Rostan told us that a wives’ family has to buy what is needed to create the new home, and all around us, young girls and their mothers where laden in housewares. A tiled, arched entrance swallowed us and we got lost in catacombs of alleys laden with wares and Victoria Secret-styled stalls with sexier lingerie than I have ever seen. We found our way to a center with vaulted tiled ceilings. Medea found a fantastic set of pink silverware, 33 pieces for $20. Needing a toilet we learned there are mosques almost everywhere and they are the best place to look. We found a mosque just outside and were greeted with warmth and invited in.

We were a happy bunch on an adventure, Medea making friends with the beet sellers and bent on finding a manteau that wasn’t so hot.As darkness engulfed this neighborhood and the stalls closed at the call to prayer, we descended to the subway again. There were hundreds of people, all in black, pushing to get through. It was awesome to behold. We thought of going up to take a cab but realized at rush hour it would take even longer. So we poured ourselves into the throng and decided this time we would try the women’s car.

What fun! We had a delightful conversation facilitated by a young woman who knew a bit of English. I love the curiosity of the people in Iran—they simply stop us on the street to know where we are from and it reminds me of our visits to Iraq. As I would come home to Venice Beach after being in Iraq and know just how closed a society I live in. There is no curiosity in those streets. Just people going somewhere, and when I have the openness that lingers when I come home, people think I am crazy. All the young women in the subway car have graduated from college—an urban planner, sociologist, doctor, teacher and mother’s with their young children. It is much saner than the men’s car and we get the wisdom of the separation. We went a stop past ours to find chador stores for Medea. We walked for blocks and blocks with no luck, finally there seemed to be one that was made of cotton. She went inside to try it on and I met a student who came up to ask if I was serious about the big peace sign on my back. “Glad you are here for PEACE,”” said Essa Abrahani, a student of mechanical engineering. “Congratulations for being here, US idea of Iran is colored by revolution and 8 year war. Come visit and see who we really are,” was his message to Obama.

Medea emerged with a new outfit that they even managed to hem for her. We had dinner in a richly layered restaurant full of music, courting couples, big families and the ever-present kabob. We had a fast dinner to be home for our weekly staff conference call on Skype from the internet café—and a late night of catching up on emails and blogs.

http://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/11ddbb3344bb74f5

Dear All,Please check out Jodie's latest blog from Iran (text version below):
http://codepink4peace.org/blog/2008/11/day-3-jodies-diary/
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!Janna
Medea and I (CODEPINK co-founders) are spending the week in Iran on a citizen’s diplomacy visit, engaging with Iranian women’s groups and officials to build bridges and create peace from the ground up. We arrived Friday. Here’s a bit of our experience Sunday (bit of time delay in getting this up…sorry!)It is our third day in Iran and we feel like we’ve been here a month. We are all a bit bleary eyed, with too little sleep. Poor Ann Wright has been hit with the flu, but she doesn’t miss a meeting. Leila Zand, our trip leader from Fellowship of Reconciliation is managing three jobs while trying to handle her wild bunch (Medea and myself.) Medea and I aren’t great at following rules, especially when they don’t make sense. So to be in a form of a straight jacket probably brings our rebellious spirit. Leila has to carry too much of our pent up energy and desires to see and do as much as possible in this short trip. We are all walking the tightrope of wanting to bring more groups back. This is the purpose of the trip and what we complained to Ahmadinejad about in September—the complaint that led to this trip. To break open the knot between Iran and the US we need more citizen diplomacy and Medea and I surrender to the need and agree to what I am now calling Slow Activism. (I think there is something in this I want to develop further with my Slow Food and Slow Journalism friends when I get home.)There are people we have introductions to that we can’t meet because it would upset the government, at whose very consent we are here–having been denied entry previously. So we are ALL on our best behavior. I even think I have been able to keep my scarf on much more than the last trip. It also helps us to better understand the terrain. Our friends here learn how to navigate the political land mines. International recognition here is a ticket to a freedom most Iranians who are politically active don’t have. Habib knows how to use a vacuum and seems to know they are inherent in the structure of our visit. Promises of meetings melt away and he is there with the replacement. We were supposed to be at the US Embassy this morning, a tour prepared by the government—it was even announced in the press. But that and a meeting with the Foreign Minister were announced cancelled when we woke. So Habib whisked us off to the a War Library at the Center for Artists. A pretty serious library of books about war from around the world including 800 they had published or arranged to publish themselves. The director had been a journalist in the 8-year war and has given his life to telling its story to make sure another doesn’t happen. A great partner for our War is So Over message….and a reminder it takes a lot of pictures, words and movies to tell that story.Rostan came over to meet us when we returned from our daily dive into the horrors of war. Lucky we love Habib so much because he manages to spend most of his time with us breaking our hearts and taking us deeper and deeper into the devastation of the 8-year war. I think when I leave I will feel like I was there.We wanted to ride a subway and we wanted to go shopping—if meetings cannot be arranged, then please take us into the belly of the city! We walked for blocks to the subway entrance. Public transportation is priced right—20 cents for the subway and 2 cents for the bus. It was about 3:30pm and getting close to rush hour so the train was packed and we had a choose between the men’s train or the women’s. We chose the men’s train and it was packed. We had to push our way in to fit and of course all eyes were on the Westerners. We went five stops standing and mashed together, the other women on the train were young or with a partner. We emerged from the train to a bustling street. There were hundreds if not thousands of women in long black chadors. We had arrived at a community much more religious than the middle of downtown were we live. It was a fantastic bazaar which, unlike that of Isfahan where it is mostly crafts, seemed to cater to the needs of the community (housewares were in abundance.) Rostan told us that a wives’ family has to buy what is needed to create the new home, and all around us, young girls and their mothers where laden in housewares. A tiled, arched entrance swallowed us and we got lost in catacombs of alleys laden with wares and Victoria Secret-styled stalls with sexier lingerie than I have ever seen. We found our way to a center with vaulted tiled ceilings. Medea found a fantastic set of pink silverware, 33 pieces for $20. Needing a toilet we learned there are mosques almost everywhere and they are the best place to look. We found a mosque just outside and were greeted with warmth and invited in. We were a happy bunch on an adventure, Medea making friends with the beet sellers and bent on finding a manteau that wasn’t so hot.As darkness engulfed this neighborhood and the stalls closed at the call to prayer, we descended to the subway again. There were hundreds of people, all in black, pushing to get through. It was awesome to behold. We thought of going up to take a cab but realized at rush hour it would take even longer. So we poured ourselves into the throng and decided this time we would try the women’s car. What fun! We had a delightful conversation facilitated by a young woman who knew a bit of English. I love the curiosity of the people in Iran—they simply stop us on the street to know where we are from and it reminds me of our visits to Iraq. As I would come home to Venice Beach after being in Iraq and know just how closed a society I live in. There is no curiosity in those streets. Just people going somewhere, and when I have the openness that lingers when I come home, people think I am crazy. All the young women in the subway car have graduated from college—an urban planner, sociologist, doctor, teacher and mother’s with their young children. It is much saner than the men’s car and we get the wisdom of the separation. We went a stop past ours to find chador stores for Medea. We walked for blocks and blocks with no luck, finally there seemed to be one that was made of cotton. She went inside to try it on and I met a student who came up to ask if I was serious about the big peace sign on my back. “Glad you are here for PEACE,”” said Essa Abrahani, a student of mechanical engineering. “Congratulations for being here, US idea of Iran is colored by revolution and 8 year war. Come visit and see who we really are,” was his message to Obama. Medea emerged with a new outfit that they even managed to hem for her. We had dinner in a richly layered restaurant full of music, courting couples, big families and the ever-present kabob. We had a fast dinner to be home for our weekly staff conference call on Skype from the internet café—and a late night of catching up on emails and blogs.

Medea's Blog Citizen Diplomacy trip to Iran nov 2008

CODEPINK goes official…in Iran
Medea Benjamin
Before our first meeting, Jodie and I took a morning walk, looking at the stores, watching the people. They were watching us, too, especially Jodie. At first she wondered why people were looking at her feet, then we realized that between her long skirt and high heels, her ankles and some bare skin were showing. That’s a no-no here.
So when a policeman approached us, asked where we were staying and said, “Come with me,” we wondered if we might be getting arrested for Jodie’s bare ankles. He was smiling, though, so we followed him to the police car. It turns out that he and his partner, who was sitting in the police car, were just really nice guys who wanted to give us a lift back to the hotel. We joked around with them, took a photo of me in the police car, and rode back to the hotel in style!
Our first meeting was with the head of the U.S. desk in the foreign ministry. He is handling the official part of our visit, and had arranged for us to meet with two of the women members of Parliament. So we bundled into his car and drove there.
Our meeting was in the incredibly ornate old Parliament, built in 1906, bombed by the British, rebuilt, and eventually superceded by the new Parliament. They gave us a tour of this wondrous work of art—the room where the Parliament convened, the shah’s coronation room, the sitting rooms where private meetings were held. We gazed in awe of the craftsmanship and beauty. The sparkling coronation room was replete, head to toe, with cut and sketched mirrors and exquisite chandeliers. The wood-carved desks and tables were so intricate that each piece must have taken a lifetime to complete.
As we were being served tea and pistachios in one of the sitting rooms, the two women from Parliament arrived and sat in the oversized chairs across from us. Next to them were two men, who they introduced as the assistants and notetakers. The older woman, Eftekhari Laleh, looked very pious, covered from head to toe in a black chador. She was a second-term member of Parliament (they have four year terms) who was on the education committee, and she taught religion at one of the universities. The younger woman, Dr. Zohreh Elahian, was a member of the Committee for National Security and Foreign Policy. She was also a medical doctor and worked in a women’s hospital one day a week.
They told us that there were only 8 women in a Parliament of 290 representatives, but they were proud to add that two of the four vice presidents were women. One was in charge of women’s affairs, the other in charge of the environment. Dr. Elahian added that 70 percent of medical specialists were women.
While the women Parliamentarians had relationships with their counterparts from all over the Middle East and Asia, they had never met with U.S. congressional representatives and in fact, our meeting was the first time they had ever met with Americans! They said our visit opened new doors in the relationship between our countries.
Regarding the U.S. elections, Dr. Elahian said that during the campaign, she didn’t see much difference between Obama and McCain in terms of their unconditional support for Israel and their hardline stance about Iran’s nuclear energy program (which they insisted, as does everyone here, that Iran has the right to develop nuclear energy but it was not developing nuclear weapons because that went against their religious beliefs). She also said that while Obama may try to make changes, she realizes that corporations and monied interests have a long history of control in the U.S. and could prevent Obama from fulfilling many of his promises. However, she felt that the American people were tired of warmongering and the politics of invasion. She said the U.S. presence in Afghanistan was only making the security situation worse and that the increase in opium production since the U.S. invasion had negative repercussions in Iran, since the drugs are transported through Iran to Europe. She also expressed sympathy for the suffering people of Gaza and concern about unconditional U.S. support for Israel.
We asked the women about the effects of U.S. sanctions against Iran, and Dr. Elahian explained some of the negative impacts, like making it harder to get radiation treatment for cancer patients. But she added that sanctions had made Iran become more creative and independent scientifically. She boasted that despite the sanctions, Iran is one of a handful of countries that had reached the UN millennium development goals for reducing poverty and curing preventable diseases, and that Iran had made great headway in addressing HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
We tried to get the women to talk about the struggle for women’s rights in Iran, but they insisted that women had full rights. After the formal part of the meeting was over, however, Dr. Elihian said that her female constituents would often come to her office asking for help in matters such as divorce and inheritance—areas in which women do NOT have equal rights.
We ended the meeting exchanging cards and ideas about follow up, including a possible meeting—in a third country—with some U.S. congresswomen.
In our next meeting, with three advisors to the President in the areas of media and communications, diplomatic niceties were dispensed with and the kid gloves came off. The man who did most of the talking was Mr. Kalhor. He had long, gray hair tied back in a ponytail and wore sandals with no socks, giving him the air of an aging hippie. And with his background as a poet and architect, together with his quick smile and twinkling eyes, I assumed he was going to be a gentle, conciliatory kind of guy. That’s why I was shocked when he started to roar like a wounded lion. “Talk to Obama? We don’t want to talk to Obama. What’s the point of making agreements with the United States when the they always renege on their agreements anyway? For the past five decades, the U.S. has been the source of all problems in the Middle East thanks to its support of Zionism. As far as sanctions, we have been living under them just fine for the past 28 years. And if we do talk to Obama, it will be with our own preconditions: full withdrawal of U.S. troops from our entire region and an end to U.S. unconditional support of international Zionism. We don’t need help or goodwill from Obama or anyone in the United States; we need a radical change in U.S. policy—period.”
Whew! For almost two hours, we had a lively back and forth with Mr. Kalhor. At times we got the impression that he was saying things he didn’t really believe. In fact, at one point, he said, “Look, these are not necessarily my positions, they are the positions of this government.” I pointed out that if his job was to convey the Iranian government’s positions to the world in a sympathetic light, then denying the holocaust, threatening Israel’s existence and talking about the international Zionist economic conspiracy was not very good “packaging.” I suggested they would be better off talking about the need to respect the human rights of Palestinians and stop the tragic deaths of U.S. soldiers in unnecessary wars. My comments only brought on a fresh cascade of anger, accusing us of only caring about the lives of U.S. people and proving “just how arrogant America is”.
After almost an hour of Mr. Kalhor’s tirade, the second man, Ali Akbar Javan, finally got a word in edgewise. Although he looked more the part of a conservative bureaucrat, he turned out to the “good cop”, calling for diplomacy. He told us that he traveled quite often internationally with the Ahmedinajad, so he seemed to have the president’s ear, which was good to hear.
At the end of the meeting, I mentioned to Mr. Akbar that I had spent a lot of time in Latin America, and immediately he started speaking Spanish to me. It turns out he had lived in Spain and spoke quite well. We quickly established more of a rapport, joking and exchanging emails.
The meeting with these gentlemen, while difficult, was a good reality check that pushing for dialogue on the part of the Obama administration would not be sufficient. The Iranian government also needs to be convinced that it is worthwhile to negotiate with the U.S.
Our last meeting of the day came as a refreshing renewal after our bout with realpolitik. It was with the group Miles for Peace, our cyclist friends. We met their founder Dr. Rouhani, an impressive man who worked as an elementary particle physicist by day and a peacemaker by night, as well as about 20 young people. We ate the dinner they had prepared for us and exchanged ideas for furthering people-to-people ties. We told them about the YouTubes series we wanted to make called Iran talks to Obama, with Iranians from all walks of life giving advice to the new U.S. president. They loved the idea, and signed up right then and there to be interviewed. Before collapsing, we managed to film five incredibly beautiful, heart-felt interviews. One of the young women didn’t want to be interviewed on camera, but instead wrote her comments to Obama. I include her beautiful words below for your enjoyment.
It was almost 1am when we left, but we felt elated by these beautiful young people with their hearts so full of goodwill.
Warm greetings from this ancient and fascinating land,
Medea
Dear Mr. Obama, I am an Iranian girl, just an ordinary Iranian girl, and I wanted to share some thoughts with you. I know you are a father, a good father, I can tell from the sparkle in your daughters’ eyes. I have a request for you: Whenever you have to make a decision about war—anywhere in the world—please look into your daughters’ eyes and remember that far, far away there are thousands of eyes just as beautiful as those of your children. But these children are living in fear of losing their lives, their parents, their security, their happiness and more. If you believe that you will “save” these children by making war, as your former president believed, please think again. The costs are much greater than you think. I grew up during the Iran-Iraq war. I spent my childhood and school days under constant fire from bombs hitting my city. I touched fear, I lost my friends, it was terrible. I don’t want my children or any children in the world to live through such an awful experience. So please, Mr. Obama, look at those sparkles in your lovely daughters’ eyes and think about a new world without violence and bloodshed. Please… Laya Bidgoli, Tehran, Iran, November 23, 2008

Medea's Blog Day #1 Iran Citizen Diplomacy

Medea Benjamin November 22, 2008

DAY ONE in Tehran
What an extraordinary day! After arriving at our hotel in the middle of the night, I woke up early raring to go. Our hotel is in a great location downtown, and I took some time before our meetings to buy some beautiful crafts in the nearby stores and chat with the storeowners. After a hearty Iranian breakfast that included delicious tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh eggs, cheese, yoghurt, flat bread and mouth-watering olives, the “work day” began for the three of us—myself, CODEPINK cofounder Jodie Evans and Col. Ann Wright.

Our first meeting was with our dear friend Rostam Pourzal, who works with the anti-sanctions group CASMI. Rostam used to live in Washington DC, but moved back to Iran recently. Thank goodness he came to greet us, because it turned out that the government person who was supposed to set up our schedule today didn’t show up. So Rostam filled in the day for us with an amazing variety of activities and meetings.

First, he brought over a filmmaker, Habib Ahmadzadeh, who works on films that deal with the Iran-Iraq war. Habib took us out to a delicious lunch in a typical, old Persian restaurant where we ate scrumptious lamb, eggplant and kabobs. Then we went to his office, but along the way he stopped to show us the old, abandoned U.S. Embassy. It is now surrounded by murals with anti-American slogans—a stark reminder of the harsh rhetoric emanating from both governments.

In a screening room at his office, Habib showed us one of his beautiful films called Night Bus. It chronicled a fictionalized story that reflected Habib’s own odyssey as a teenage soldier during that war. An 18-year-old Iranian soldier ends up being in charge of transporting 38 Iraqi prisoners of war from the battlefield to an Iranian base. During the adventure-packed ride full of agony, betrayal and bonding, the Iraqi and Iranian men discover their common humanity. We were all weeping when the lights came on, and had a long discussion afterwards about the futility of war. Habib also showed us a short docudrama about the 20-year anniversary of the July 3 downing of an Iranian commercial airline by a US navy ship in which over 200 people died—a terrible tragedy for which the U.S. government has never apologized. There are so many sad pieces of our history that most Americans are unaware of, but that make us seem so callous in the eyes of the victims…

From there we went to a refreshing artists’ park, replete with a beautiful sculpture exhibit, art stores, and a café/vegetarian restaurant inside. Most of the people milling around looked like—and were—painters, writers, playwrights, filmmakers and poets. It was a cultural oasis, with conversations buzzing inside and outside. We added to the animated atmosphere by having a table full of people coming and going to meet and greet us. Most were called by Rostam, but a few—like a nuclear engineer Jodie met—just came by out of curiosity (yes, the pink does stand out). Among those joining us for tea was a famous woman filmmaker named Rakhshan Banietemad, a woman who runs an eco-tourism company, a producer of plays, and several women who work for peace.

We were so thrilled by the conversation that we asked if any of them would be willing to be filmed. We decided that it would be great to ask Iranians from all walks of life to comment on what they would say to Barack Obama if they had the chance. Some of the women were afraid to be videoed, but Rakhshan, who was in a more secure position because of her prominence, agreed. So with the help of Habib as cameraman, I interviewed Rakhshan about US-Iranian relations and what could be done to move our countries toward a more peaceful path. With so many incredible connections being made, our tea turned into dinner (which the Iranians refused to let us pay for) and we didn’t get back to the hotel until about 9:30 pm.


But it turned out that the day was not yet over. At about 10:30pm, while I was checking email at the internet café, two of our dear young friends from the group Miles for Peace showed up. It was great to reunite after our time together in Washington DC. They are so bubbly, so hopeful, so creative, so loving. We heard about some of their upcoming ideas for youth exchanges with the US—soccer matches, swimming the Persian Gulf (!), a bike trip through Iran with 50 Iranian-Americans. All such terrific ideas. We will meet with the larger Miles for Peace group tomorrow evening.


Reflecting on the days’ events, I was struck by how much more open Iran is than I had thought. Yes, we have to wear headscarves and long coats, but that seems so unimportant --although I must say that I feel very claustrophobic covering my head all day. (During lunch at the restaurant, Rostam told me I could take the scarf off, but about 20 minutes later some men came to complain.) I have been comparing the atmosphere here to that of Iraq under Saddam Hussein and here it is very different. People in Iraq were afraid to speak out against Saddam, people in Iran aren’t. We heard criticism of the government while we were still on the plane. Then in customs, when an official asked our guide why we had come to Iran and she replied “trying to make peace,” he laughed and said, “Not with this terrible government of ours.” The taxi drivers complain; western-educated elites complain, businessmen complain. While most wouldn’t want to be filmed venting against their government, they talk to us in an amazingly open fashion, barely looking over their shoulders to see if anyone is listening. I suppose I shouldn’t jump to conclusions after one day, but the atmosphere is much more open than I thought it would be, and that in itself is reason for hope.

Citizen Diplomacy Trip to promote Direct People to People ties Iran

We are just back from a fantastic day. Memories of our first days in Iraq almost 6 years ago strike us as we walk the streets. Medea and I share a tiny room with twin beds, also similar to our Baghdad hotel, but no call to prayer at 4 in the morning outside our window.
I came down from the bedroom this morning for breakfast and we were swept away and now just returning at 10pm. It began when Rostam Pourzal arrived to learn what we wanted from our trip. Immediately he was on the phone with friends. Habib Ahmadzadeh soon arrived. A filmmaker who tells the story of war.
He told us we were too literal when we hear “Death to America or death to Israel”, that they are really calling for an end to the policies of the US Gov’t or Israeli Gov’t that seem very much like apartheid in South Africa. He said that a majority of Iranians are anti-war, he repeated what I have heard so many times from Iranians, “We aren’t warlike, we don’t invade people, we only defend ourselves.” He talked about his mother’s heartache for the American Soldiers who died in Iraq, she lost a son in the war and can feel the grief of those mothers. We asked him about Obama and he responded, “He is a walnut, inside a shell and unknown. But history has taught us how little an individual can do, and that we need to learn how to rely on ourselves.” Medea asked him about Afghanistan, and said that US Ambassador James Dobson, at a recent seminar in Congress, said Iran was funding the Taliban. Both Habib and Rostam laughed, “Taliban are the worst enemy of Iran, worse than the US. The say that if you kill 7 shi’ia you go to heaven.” We went to his offices and watched a powerful film about the cost of war to everyone, The Night Bus. It takes place during the Iran/Iraq war. I was in tears almost through out, he unflinchingly exposes the costs of war to heart, mind, spirit and soul...nothing heroic or beautiful about war. Very different from American war films. He says there is a movement in Iran to turn weapons into pens, or ways to communicate. That is why he makes films. He then showed us a short about the USS Vincente shooting down the Iranian Airliner with 266 people including many women and children, 8 below the age of 2. We never apologized. He works to heal the wounds on both sides. Powerful worker for Peace. He was in the military for many years and suffers from wounds of chemical weapons until today, so he also works with a group against the use of chemical weapons and the support of those who are in need and suffering from their effects. What a big hearted wise man. In his attempts to show us his films there were technical difficulties and he laughed that Americans thought Iranians could have nuclear weapons, they can’t even get high speed internet or get video equipment that works.
At 7pm we were off to a beautifully manicured Park, full of women and college age students with a café called the house of the artists. The café was rich with conversation and everyone looked as if they were a poet or an artist. A nuclear engineer came over to find out who we were; exclaiming that he was educated at Cal State LA. I asked him how close they were to a bomb. He laughed. Said it would be a very long time.
Soon our table was full of amazing women. Women who work for peace, most were about our age, had grown children, had suffered in someway for being outspoken but still fearless. Their faces were full of joy and life and the conversation was at a pitch for hours. We began to work on our project of asking Iranians what they would like to tell Obama. The filmmaker Rakhashan Bani-Etemad sat in the garden with Medea for about 15 minutes of filming with the camera in the hands of Habib. The generosity of everyone is overwhelming, their time, their stories, their passion....we can’t even pay for a meal. Tonight the students from Miles for Peace who bicycled across the US came at about 11:00 to beg Medea for time to take her to see their Iran. They also told us about their plans for a friend to swim the Persian Gulf for peace, and an agreement they have for the US Soccor team to play the Iranian soccor team in April and then 50 Iranian/Americans to come to Iran and bicycle across Iran as they had done across the US.
There is so much more but I am exhausted. Sending love,Jodie

Your favorite PINK house story is wanted!!

Remember when?

The Washington Times said:

"Code Pink - a mostly female protest group best known for their pink costumes - has taken up residence in a Northeast house within walking distance of the Capitol. And while some in the politically astute neighborhood say they disagree with Code Pink's views or tactics, they also say the group hasn't proved to be too disruptive a neighbor..."

Salon said:

"Located in a brick row house on Capitol Hill, the Code Pink house is its rallying point for Washington actions. It serves as a base for activists from Code Pink's 250 local chapters around the globe. Inside, the atmosphere resembled a grubby, renegade sorority installation at FAO Schwartz -- the underground headquarters of Barbie's rebellion.."

The Washington Post:

Medea Benjamin, one of the founders of the women's peace group Code Pink, wears pink every single day, and sleeps in it, too.
Her shoulder bag, her wallet and her cellphone are all pink. When she visits Washington from San Francisco to lobby Congress against the war in Iraq, she stays in Code Pink's new group house on Capitol Hill, where nearly everyone wears pink, where her bedspread and her pillow and her bedroom curtains are pink, as are the drinking cups in the kitchen and the flowers that grow out back.
Code Pink's signature color is a bright, vibrant shade, the hue of Barbie dolls and Victoria's Secret panties. It's a color for those who believe that even in the midst of serious --

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2007/03/28/VI2007032801891.html

James' blog:

"The “lone young man stuffing manicotti in the kitchen” has left the Pink House… and although my involvement with the Pinkies has only just begun, my departure from the Pink residence feels like the end of an era… if not for CODE PINK, then at least for me.

For nearly five months I occupied the basement of the CODE PINK DC House, a.k.a. “the Cave,” and I am pleased to report that my time as CODE PINK “caveman” (or “troglodyte”) was one of the happiest, most positive, constructive, and best times of my life."

Please add your favorite house story to share with the world! Just post your story as a comment!

Des, Adam & Dylan

Taxpayers say No More Bailouts Congress!!

Oversight hearings of the Bailout debacle brings out the CODEPINK activists

with our Foreclosed Living Room furniture to the doorsteps of Congress!

simple message

-CONGRESS- Stop ripping off the taxpayers with bailouts

for crooks that mismanage companies -- instead

pass an economic stimulus package to help our failing economy!

Vets Occupy the Archives AGAIN!

Vets for Peace occupied the Archives Nov 14 in the early hours

of saturday morning through sunday Nov 16 to bring attention to the need for Imepachment Hearings of the occupying forces in the White House!! There were almosta dozen Veterans that risked arrest while staging a demonstration on the 6 story platform

scaffolding at the Archives.The banner was great but had problems with the wind .....

Cheers to our vet friends for keeping the issue of impeachment on the peoples table!!

G20 Weekend in Washington DC

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/business/news/article_1443088.php/SIDEBAR_Quail_lamb_Vermont_brie_for_G20_maiden_summit

The G20 leaders are meeting with irrelavant Bush one last time before regime departure.The student groups had a permitted peoples banquet staged for Lafayette Park until the police abruptly changed the plan and made the food handlers relocate the food across the street.The show went on in a drizzling rainy night on the grass outside the WhiteHouse.

Education is a human rightalong with clean air water peace-Let's demand our government make college affordable!

So Long and THANK YOU, from James O'Donnell

Sigh…

The “lone young man stuffing manicotti in the kitchen” has left the Pink House… and although my involvement with the Pinkies has only just begun, my departure from the Pink residence feels like the end of an era… if not for CODE PINK, then at least for me.

For nearly five months I occupied the basement of the CODE PINK DC House, a.k.a. “the Cave,” and I am pleased to report that my time as CODE PINK “caveman” (or “troglodyte”) was one of the happiest, most positive, constructive, and best times of my life.

(For those considering a sojourn at the Pink House, I highly recommend the experience.)

At the CODE PINK House I became personally acquainted with several courageous American heroines I’ve admired for years, from Medea Benjamin to Col. Ann Wright to Cindy Sheehan to Desiree Fairooz to...

In my time in DC, I met and was inspired by many other heroic individuals previously unknown to me, people whose dedication to peace and justice continue to inspire me to this day: Liz Houricane, Gael Murphy, Leslie Angeline, Jes Richardson, Tighe Barry, Jim Preston, Sarah Rose-Jensen, Rae Abileah, Adam Kokesh, Jennifer Teguia, Julie Allen, Pete Perry, Alicia Forrest, Jason Ortiz, Jay Marx, Devon Nola, Kim Gollub, Laura Heath, Cynthia Papermaster, and many more...

These are people I am very proud to call friends. I will always aspire to carry forward what I learned from the character, integrity, and idealism they exhibited daily in the time I came to know them.

Together we attended many hearings, staged many demonstrations and protest actions, and reached out to our government representatives and members of our community, from other progressive organizations to just plain folks. We also hosted pot luck dinners, studied issues, conducted teach-ins, made banners, and built relationships in one of the most supportive, tolerant, open environments I’ve ever encountered.

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: Thank you! Thank you, CODE PINK, for all that you do, for your tireless efforts and unyielding advocacy for a more peaceful and just world.

Your critics don’t begin to understand how patriotic, moral, hardworking, and decent you are. CODE PINK cares, genuinely and deeply, about all of the world’s victims of war, avarice, militarism, and institutionalized plunder -- from Iraq to Gaza to Sudan to Tibet to Burma to New Orleans to Queens and beyond.

Anyone who thinks CODE PINK is about “hating America” isn’t paying attention. CODE PINK is America at its best: generous, conscientious, idealistic, and informed... with the moral courage to do something about it.

Although I could recount many examples of successes and positive experiences at the Pink House, I promised a good friend of mine that I wouldn’t allow this blog to grow to novella length, so I’ll just share with you my favorite chapter: our efforts to prevent Congress from passing a resolution that would ease the Neoconservatives’ path to war with Iran.

I don’t want to sound boastful, but I truly believe that CODE PINK was a key cog in the machine that stalled this misguided and potentially disastrous resolution.

Under the guise of diplomacy and resting on a foundation of false claims that would make the bogus case for war with Iraq blush, this bipartisan resolution called for war with Iran, including a naval blockade cutting off all refined petroleum products into Iran (an act of war under international law and a war crime, inflicting collective punishment on a population of 70 million human beings, 70% of whom are under the age of 30 years old).

Over a sustained period, CODE PINK’s efforts were focused on numerous actions (and our actions were amplified by the efforts of several other groups, including the Washington Peace Center, the Institute for Policy Studies, and others).

We employed several strategies from the humorous to the serious, from the colorful to the sober -- smart, silly, straight, crooked -- we went all out. Partnering with the Institute for Policy Studies, we conducted sit-ins and teach-ins at the offices of the House and Senate sponsors of the resolution. Sometimes we made appointments or brought lunch and juice to share with staffers.

We were polite, committed, and implacable. We had a war to stop.

When Medea hit the scene, I saw an entire house (a PINK one) mobilize overnight, and I saw an armada (also PINK) created in no time flat: canoes, kayaks, and a rubber raft, all outfitted with mounts for banners (thank you, Tighe).

Congressman Gary Ackerman awoke the next day to find his houseboat BLOCKADED!

“How do YOU like it?” was the basic message, but it was delivered with humor and civility... and when the media arrived to cover our action, the message was still civil but deadly serious:

“Do you know that the U.S. intelligence community and International Atomic Energy Agency flatly contradict the alarmist claims you make in your resolution, Congressman?”

“Are you aware of the harm similar sanctions regimes have done to civilian populations, leaving the target governments virtually unscathed?”

(Once your funny sailor hats and banners get those cameras to show up, that’s when you hit ‘em with your facts! Heaven knows today’s media isn’t interested in correcting the warmongers’ screwed-up facts on their own initiative -- that task is left to groups like CODE PINK!)

And finally, we succeeded.

A resolution that had come out of the blocks with more than a hundred co-signers in the House was KO’d. A resolution favored by the Military Industrial Complex’s pet, AIPAC, was down and out for the count, not to return this session.

Veteran CIA briefer and peace activist Ray McGovern was among those who later confided to us that this success was, in his experience, a first (usually, AIPAC gets what it wants -- which, incidentally, doesn’t usually correspond to what most Israelis want).

Representative Barbara Lee’s top legislative staffer, Greg Barry, was among those who later informed us that we had made a difference. “The Peace Community can really take some credit on this one,” he told Pete Perry and me.

After reviewing one of my fact sheets, Mr. Barry had pointed me and the Pinkies toward a number of sympathetic Representatives, those most likely to use our facts to bring their peers up to speed. (It’s AMAZING how ill-informed many politicians are about the matters on which they vote -- several Representatives seemed to truly believe that this resolution was about avoiding war with Iran! They simply could not have read the resolution, or understood it, for that to be the case...)

That was the high point of my DC experience: several actions, a house in high gear, the hearts and minds of a diverse and motivated group of people all working toward the same goal, and an astonishing and gratifying result. Quite possibly, due to our actions, lives were spared, both “ours” and “theirs.”

Amen.

Again, thank you, CODE PINK.

Thank you for letting me participate in the good that you do. I spent nearly five amazing months in your midst, wrote my first blog, cooked a few meals, researched for hours, laughed, cried, met some of the most awesome human beings I ever hope to encounter, and forged relationships I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.

Keep up the great work.

Embassy Tour Promoting Diplomacy & Peace

CODEPINKers and new supporters converged at the house to get ready for a day of promoting Citizen Diplomacy at the Embassies of Syria, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia--five countries with which the Bush administration has had antagonistic relations. Our goal was to embrace Obama's YES WE CAN motto, and turn it into YES WE CAN...Live in Peace. Fifteen of us set off in our two freshly painted RVs (with that message prominently displayed). As gifts, we took flowers, apple pies and cards expressing our desire for diplomacy.

The Embassies welcomed us with open arms. At the Cuban Embassy we talked about the need to push President-Elect Obama to do more than his announced lifting of restrictions for Cuban-Americans to travel to Cuba. We want him to lift ALL travel restrictions, as well as the trade embargo that has hurt the average Cuban and denying trade opportunities to U.S. businesses. We also talked about the need to free the "Cuban Five"--five Cubans unjustly imprisoned in the U.S.

At the Syria Embassy, the Ambassador Mustapha was very charming, dynamic and gracious. He told us of his hopes for improved relations under Obama. We were deeply saddened to hear him talk about the recent U.S. military incursion into Syria in which 8 civilians were brutally killed. We asked him to convey our sorrow to the families. We also discussed the tremendous burden Syria is shouldering by giving refuge to about 1.5 million Iraqis, and how we want our government to contribute more to their economic needs and of course, to end the occupation so that these families can return home.

The Venezuelans met us in a room decorated with the shirts of famous baseball players, reminding us of how much our nations have in common. We expressed our regrets that the Venezuelan ambassador had been recalled because of the diplomatic rift between our leaders and our desire for an administration that will not interfere in Venezuela's internal affairs. The same was true at Bolivian Embassy. There is presently no Ambassador and U.S. government support for the opposition to President Evo Morales has led to poor relations between our nations. We were told that President Morales will be in the United States next week to speak before the Organization of American States and meet with Obama's team. They are anxious to renew full diplomatic ties.

Our last stop was the Iranian "interests section"--not a embassy because of the lack of normal relations. The head diplomat, together with two other staff, met with us for over an hour. Over tea and cookies discussed everything from nuclear weapons to the US occupation of Iraq to cultural affairs. When we thought the visit was over, our hosts insisted that we stay and eat the apple pie together--and then they gave us gifts! It was a lovely visit.

All were delighted about how the day had gone, and felt that our small gesture as citizen diplomats moved us a step closer to peace.

Green Fest on Sunday with CODEPINK

CODEPINK day #2 at the Green Fest DC-

fabulous day to be in public meeting & greeting the green enviro

minded consumers.

Green Fest with CODEPINKDC

Thanks to the volunteers for helping out our table for the annnual Green Fest in DC!

We appreciate the hard work of all the CODEEPINK helpers we could never have been successful without each and every effort~!!

Meet & Greet Truth Squad

A small group of CODEPINK went to the Biltmore to say

we stronglyopppose war mongers that want permanent

falied foreign policy that decreases our national security!

We tried to negotiate our presence with police to be able to

stand on our favorite corner where (many many protests)

the lane merges the traffic into the Arizona Biltmore.

The negotiation was limited and we could absolutley not

be at the most appropos location until after the motorcade drives into the resort.

Sarah Palin entered the resort around 7pm our signs

were in perfect position from the motorcade perspective.

We were going to pack up and leave but suddenly there were signals

that another politican was expected. The helicopter was hovering while flashing lights

and police started redirecting traffic and re-closing the street in and out of the Az Biltmore resort......almost 8pm McCains entourage enters slowly each vehicle looking at our banners.

Support our Troops with Peace Get Us out of Iraq Johnny>>>>>>>>>>>NOW!!

Stop the Torture Policies Senator

Close Gitmo Senator

Stop Illegal Eavesdropping Senator

Support the troops

Hate this War/Occupation!!

CODEPINK Reporting Live-Arizona Biltmore Resort

The Republicans are looking very stressed out running around at the infamous Arizona Biltmore resort where later tonight John McCain will give his concession speech on the spectacular lawn!

I am inside the Az Biltmore now live blogging for the Peace community ..........John McCain's national party has a private event set up starting at 6pm inside the Wrigley Mansion next door!

Looking at Phil Gramm in front of me ........ let's get a quick photo on this historic day!

Say Peace instead of cheese!!

Looking for new leadership in Arizona

Vote out the War Mongers in 2 days!! Peace is the change we can

afford in Arizona!!

www.therealmccain.com

Arizona Residents Statewide Join to Divorce McCain

Nov 1 2008

Phoenix Arizona

95 degrees

Sunny Bright Day

Outside McCains headquarters

http://www.azcentral.com/photo/News/Other/8601

We the Arizona residents have organized a statewide pre-election day of action to Speak Out for Peace with a Divorce Ceremony!Lisa played the role of Miss Arizona and we had a grande choregraphed ceremony to officially declare a separation from our failed leader bubble beltway Johnny-Endless War in Iraq & Torture are no longer tolerated in our names with my tax dollars.The country needs a break from wars hate racism intolerance WE NEED A REAL CHANGE not more of the same worthless criminal leadership!!

McCain's many years of failed leadership with Torture policies,promoting endless wars,and generally disconnected from the people of Arizona reminds me of the desparate need to bring back integrity to repair the soul of our country not perpetuate the same flawed policy.Good Policy makes Good Politics! We had a symbolic divorce ceremony outside theMcCain headquarters on 16th street.The coaliton of many speakers from CODEPINK for Peace & womens groups to union organizers to indigenous stalwarts to Iraq War Vets we all were provided time to speak up about why we are divorcing McCain from this great state.We are tired of endless preemptive wars of aggression and fear that further erode any moral standing and the very real possibility of new wars in Pakistan or Syria......... or elsewhere! We don't want Torture policies to continue to plague our conscience and clearly McCain is on the torture team.Endless illegal Occupation of Iraq & Torture will be the 2 reasons we in Arizona have to Stand up and Speak out loud McCain Does Not Represent our values!!Change begins with Peace so Speak Up for Peace and bringing our troops home everyday!!!!!!!!!

Liz in Arizona

Gandhi Peace Brigade / Peace Trip to Iran in May

We want to thank CODEPINK for their support and for creating this AMAZING page on their website. http://codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=4487

SUPPORT MAY PEACE TRIP TO IRAN!

"Leslie and I are hoping to visit Iran with a CodePink delegation in May, 2009. “While we're there, we'll be talking with teachers and students about Friends of Iran, a program we've developed to build friendships between American and Iranian students, and their teachers. The best way to prevent a war is to establish friendships between the people." Contributions for the Friends of Iran program and the upcoming trip to Iran are gratefully accepted. Click here to donate now, or send your tax-deductible donation (payable to CODEPINK) to to 2010 Linden Ave., Venice, CA 90291. Thank you! Promoting Peace with Iran Dear Friends, Leslie and I met in front of Senator Dianne Feinstein's house in San Francisco during CODEPINK's Troops Home Fast on July 5, 2006. I was putting up the ten foot tall Gandhi Puppet and Leslie asked if she could help. I said, "Yes!" and we've been together ever since. We spent a lot of time on the road during our first year, chauffeuring the Gandhi Puppet from Cindy Sheehan's Camp Casey in Texas to Washington DC. In May, 2007, we visited Iran as part of a Global Exchange "Citizen Diplomacy" Delegation. Fourteen of us traveled throughout the country for a little over two weeks. What Leslie and I discovered was not at all what we were expecting. The Iranians we met were kind, sophisticated, and extremely generous ... and they LOVE Americans. Here are some of the photos we took of these beautiful people. Why did we go to Iran? In January, 2007, Leslie came back from the DC CODEPINK house where there had been talk about an attack on Iran. She was horrified by the thought of the U.S. starting another war. She flew back to California to join me, where I, too, had been hearing reports about U.S. aircraft carriers heading toward Iran. We both thought we were on the verge of yet another war. After watching this video, we decided to go to Iran. We thought, if a two minute video can have such a big affect on us, perhaps we should film our interactions with the Iranian people, then come back here and talk about our experiences. This is what we've done and we're calling it our Journey for Peace with Iran. When we returned to the United States, Senator Lieberman appeared on Face the Nation to encourage the Bush administration to use military force against Iran. Leslie was appalled and tried to make an appointment to talk with him. She went on a 24 day hunger strike and was hospitalized on the 16th day and was arrested in his office on the 22nd day. Lieberman finally consented to meet with her and Ali Nasri of Miles for Peace. Leslie began the Hungry for Justice? Impeach him FAST! in hopes of pressuring the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, John Conyers, to start impeachment hearings for Vice President Cheney, who is the driving force behind our government’s plans to attack Iran. Over 450 people across the country fasted in solidarity. When Senator Clinton made her "Obliterate Iran" comment, Leslie fasted again. She wanted Clinton to apologize to the Iranian people and the world. On May 22, Leslie and three other courageous CODEPINK women were arrested at the Petraeus Confirmation Hearing for objecting to his lies about Iranian involvement in Iraq. Before our trip to Iran, Leslie and I were leading reasonably normal lives. I had just graduated from Dominican University and was planning to be an elementary school teacher. Leslie worked in a health food store. When we returned from Iran, we quit our jobs, said good-bye to our sweet home in California's San Geronimo Valley, put everything into storage, and moved into the CODEPINK house in Washington DC to lobby Congress for peace with Iran. We are currently living with friends in the Bay Area and offering our Peace with Iran presentation. Here's a review of the presentation we gave in Hawaii. If you would like us to give our presentation to your peace organization, your congregation, or your house party guests, please get in touch. President Ahmadinejad spoke at the United Nations in September and the next day he met with 150 people from 50 different peace groups, an event organized by Fellowship of Reconciliation. Leslie was honored to be a part of this historic event. Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans, Co-founders of CODEPINK, were also there. Leslie and I are hoping to visit Iran with a CODEPINK delegation in May, 2009. While we're there, we'll be talking with teachers and students about Friends of Iran, a program we've developed to build friendships between American and Iranian students, and their teachers. The best way to prevent a war is to establish friendships between the people. If your daughter/son would like to be introduced to an email pal from Iran, or if you know of a class of students that might enjoy email pals, just contact us and we'll send you more information. When we return from Iran we will tour the United States and offer an updated version of our Peace with Iran presentation. We will be visiting the schools of the students who have joined our Friends of Iran program, and we'll also be giving our presentation to adult organizations. Improved relations with Iran can only come from the hearts of Americans, not from the minds of politicians. Leslie and I want to continue to be full time peace activists, if we can. Relatively few people have been to Iran and even fewer still are able to devote much time to promoting peace with Iran. This is what we want to do with our lives. We're fortunate because our children are grown and our needs are simple, so we now have the time to follow what appears to be our calling. When Americans understand they have nothing to fear from Iranians, the administration will no longer be able to lead us to war. We are doing all we can to promote this understanding. Watch Our Slideshow: PEACE WITH IRAN! Contributions for the Friends of Iran program and our upcoming trip to Iran are gratefully accepted. Click here to donate now, or send your tax-deductible donation (payable to CODEPINK) to 2010 Linden Ave., Venice, CA 90291. Thank you! Peace and Freedom, Jes & Leslie Our website:http://www.jfpf.org/