Jes is building a Bridge of Hearts

Dear CodePink Friends,

Please check out my website: bridgeofhearts.org

If you're on Facebook, I'd love to be your friend!

I'll be using Facebook to set up house parties for a tour of the U.S. this summer,and I'll be showing a personal documentary on Iran, featuring footage from my last two trips.

If you're interested in hosting a house party, please let me know.

Join us on April 2 (see below) to celebrate the Iranian New Year!

Peace & Love,

Jes




You're Invited...

In celebration of the Iranian New Year (Now Rooz), you are cordially invited to participate with your child in an enchanting train ride conducted by the great Gandhi Puppet of Peace.

Our guest speaker and presenter of this international project, Jes Richardson, is a school teacher and resident of Novato, and this New Year he is joined by The Gandhi Peace Puppet in sending the message of Love to the children of Iran.
All ages are welcome and this event is free.

Saturday, April 2, 2011
2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Jes Richardson will be on tour this summer to build a bridge of understanding between the children of two nations, Iran and America. Adults are also welcome to cross this bridge by joining Jes and the children in singing a new love song to the Iranian children. The song is written and composed by local musician and song-writer, Ted Wright. At the end of his national tour, Jes plans to appear on "The Late Show with David Letterman". We are very excited to be hosting this event and hope you can join us!

To learn more about The Bridge of Hearts project and vision you can visit the website: www.BridgeofHearts.org

Questionnaire for Tea Party

Dear Tea Party members,

In an effort to better understand the sentiments of your group and see where we, in the peace movement, might find common ground, we would appreciate it if you would answer a few questions. Thank you for your time.

o The Cold War has been over for 20 years, yet we maintain 800-plus bases around the world and have troops stationed in 148 countries at a cost of over $100 billion/year. Should we begin to dismantle this global web of bases?

o Every taxpayer has already spent, on average, $7,367 for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (http://www.costofwar.com). Now Obama plans to send another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, with a price tag of one million dollars per soldier per year. Do you think Congress should stop funding the wars and bring out troops home?

o Israel, a wealthy country, gets $3 billion a year from Uncle Sam with no strings attached and no accountability. The second largest recipient is the autocratic government of Egypt. Should Congress cut the foreign aid budget by cutting funds to Israel and Egypt?

O Private security contractors in war zones make way higher salaries than US soldiers and with little accountability, undermining our reputation overseas. Should we phase out private security contractors in war zones and return those jobs to the U.S. military?

o Experts on the left and the right say we could cut our military budget by 25%, including closing foreign bases, winding down the wars, and ending obsolete weapons systems, without jeopardizing our security. Do you agree?

o If we could make significant cuts to the military budget, how should those funds be reallocated? To pay down the debt? Increase security at home? Rebuild our infrastructure? Stimulate the economy through tax breaks?

o Do you think people on the left and right of the political spectrum can work together to trim the bloated Pentagon budget?

If you are willing to be a part of a continued dialogue on this issue, please give us your name, email and/or phone. Thank you.

Name and contact info:



CODEPINK, www.codepink.org, info@codepinkalert.org, 415-235-6517

There Are No Goodbyes

I just wanted to briefly abuse my posting privileges here and say goodbye to the Pink House. I will never forget that great space full of joy, love, action, energy and creativity.

A big thanks and hug to Des for being my surrogate mama when I was in DC, and to everybody I met who taught and inspired me so much. You all rock, you wonderful Pink sisters and brothers doing the good works our nation and world need.

An era has ended, the journey continues.

Peace and respect,
ntodd
Green Mountain Code Pink

DC Pink House Transition

Three years ago, on March 1, 2007, we opened the doors to a brick townhouse in the northeast quadrant of DC and decided to call it home. Little did we know in the years to come this 5-bedroom house near Capitol Hill would become a ground zero for CODEPINK activism in the halls of Congress. We not only brought a flash of hot pink to the sea of drab gray and black Congressional suits, but we broke through the inside-the-beltway politics with a refreshing dash of people power. The costs of maintaining the house and paying the rent have become an overwhelming burden for CODEPINK and we must now move on from the house into the next course of action. The Pink House will close at the end of February, 2010, but CODEPINK in DC will maintain a virbant presence and invites activists to join powerful actions in March in the beltway!

Read the full story of the Pink House and find out how to get active with CODEPINK in DC here:
http://codepink4peace.org/blog/2010/02/packing-up-the-pink-house/

Finding CODEPINK Online

Dear Blog Readers,
This blog is no longer as active as it used to be though it does serve as a great archive of CODEPINK actions in DC over the past three years.

To find updated events happening in DC check out our calendar here.

Pink House Mama moves on

Big changes are happening in DC and we're not just talking about Congress. We are writing to share with you the news that Desiree has decided that as of August she will retire from her role as Pink House Mama and move on to the next chapter in her epic life. Des never thought she'd be in this role this long - 2 1/2 years! - and the time has come for us to offer forth our gratitude for the incredible work she has done, the space she has created for the magic to happen in DC. CODEPINK's presence in DC has been in large part made possibly by Desiree's heart, dedication, hard work behind the scenes and on the front lines, and non-stop caring, creativity, cooking, cleaning, chanting, acting... and the list goes on. Des is a wonder woman in PINK and an inspiration to us all, and we know that as she moves into her own place, she'll remain an active member of our PINK family, in action and in gatherings. Read Des's letter to you below.

While Des will move to a new home in the beltway, our Pink House continues. This summer we have an excellent opportunity to gather in action during the final week that Congress is in session before the August recess (and Des's last week at the Pink House!). Join us for our Women's Leadership Intensive in DC July 26-August 1 (Sunday-Saturday): PINK the halls of Congress, meet with CODEPINK cofounders and staff for a special pink strategy session and a dance party that would make Emma Goldman proud. Here's a letter from Des:

Sisters and Brothers-in-Peace,

Believe it or not, when Rae welcomed me through the doors of the PINK HOUSE 2 1/2 years ago, I had NO idea I would be here that long or grow so much!! My initial plan was to help out during the anniversary of the war 2007 action and stay for just 1 month!

"Pinking" the Hill, working with peacemakers from all over the country and welcoming activists from Brazil, Cameroon, Ghana, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Pakistan and Vietnam to the PINK HOUSE has been a profound experience for me for which I am eternally grateful. I have learned and experienced so much in such a short a span of time thanks to the women I have worked so closely with over the last two years, dear Ann, Dana, Gael, Joan, Jodie, Leslie, Liz, Lydia, Medea, Nancy, Rae, and Sam and hundreds of others! Thank you for teaching me so much!

Opportunities to learn and contribute will continue as I will be close by the PINK HOUSE in my own apartment and as a Youth Services Librarian every day I share lessons learned as an empowered "pinker" for peace and social justice.

The PINK HOUSE lives on, albeit only as long as you want it to. Please continue supporting our work by coming to DC, especially if you've never stayed here www.codepinkalert.org/house or can help support other activists to come to the Hill.
Come see me and PINK ON!!!

Desiree Fairooz
CODEPINK DC / Activist House Coordinator

McCAins- Arizona Friday June 5 w Cindy Sheehan

This friday June 5th CODEPINK activists be making an in office visit as confirmed with Lois longtime receptionist to support a real change through PEACE & a JUST foreign policy..........

will be Denouncing ToRTURE once again outside John McCain's office in protest!

Can all our DC friends call McCains 602.956.2410

Vote NO to deny confirmation to the Obama pick for Afghanistan!

Thanks alot

Your help is needed

LIZ Edwina Lisa Virgina Maggie & Peace TEAM