Proposed New Forum: Peacemaking & Community [View All]

As many anti-war posts as we post and recommend on DU. I don't see enough posts on "peacemaking" and I don't get many responses to the items I have posted in the past about peacemaker teams.

So, I am proposing a new forum where we can discuss ongoing efforts and strategies to create peace internationally and in our communities.

PLEASE suggest what you would like to see in a mission statement for this forum below! :hi:


What kinds of posts would be included? Well, for example:

U.S. Delegation Returns from Iran, Denounces CIA Covert Operations

A delegation of 14 Americans and two citizens of the Netherlands from the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the largest and oldest interfaith peace and justice organization in the United States, returns Wednesday, May 30th, from a successful two-week trip to Iran.

The delegation, the fourth sent to Iran by FOR in the last 18 months, spoke with everyday Iranians throughout the nation and conveyed the message that face-to-face dialogue and discussion, rather than threats and intimidation, are the only solution to the current crisis between Iran and the West.

The delegation.... traveled throughout the country. It visited cultural, religious, and historic sites in Tehran, Mosuleh, Anzali, Shiraz, Yazd, Kashan, Qom, Abyaneh, and Esfahan. Individual delegates delivered hundreds of handwritten messages of peace from ordinary Americans in their home communities to Iranians they encountered during their trip.

While in Iran, international media reported that the U.S. government had authorized covert operations against Iran. The delegation released the following statement on May 29th in response to this news:

"The Fellowship of Reconciliation delegation in Iran expresses our deep distress that President Bush reportedly has authorized CIA covert operations to destabilize the government of Iran. President Bush's decision to act secretly against Iran's currency and government came on the eve of historic conversations to begin in Baghdad May 28 between the governments of the two countries. Such an action undermines not only those talks, but also efforts of grassroots civilian diplomacy such as ours. In the absence of diplomatic relations, news of covert operations in Iran also creates further suspicion in the minds of Iran's authorities about the intentions of all U.S. citizens in their country, endangering the success and possibly the safety of visitors who come in earnest and as advocates of peace.

"For the last ten days, Iranians from diverse walks of life and parts of the country have warmly embraced the members of our delegation. As many Iranians have said to us, we want our peoples to be friends – now and in the future. They have emphasized their desire that our countries not go to war. They see as we do that the differences between our two governments regarding nuclear power and the two governments' roles inn the region, including in Iraq and in Israel and Palestine, require ongoing dialogue and negotiation above all else. The history of acrimony and distrust between the governments have provided ample fodder for misunderstanding, and the governments' commitment to dialogue needs to be firm, enduring, and uninterrupted by threats, illegal intervention, or attacks by proxy forces. The saber rattling and military exercises currently carried out by the governments of both nations send a message to our own peoples that war is a feasible "option." But we know that the children, men, and women of Iran whom we have met will be those who suffer the most from escalated military action and operations to punish Iran. For ordinary people here and at home, war is neither a solution nor an acceptable outcome.

"Our delegation and Iranians we met are not alone in calling for a peaceful resolution of these issues. The nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council -- Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates -- have opposed U.S. military action against Iran. Qatar and the Emirates have refused the use of U.S. bases on their territories for such action, a brave policy that we applaud.

"We remember the covert actions of the CIA in Iran in 1953 that overthrew the elected government of Mohammad Mossadegh, and ask: When will the United States learn to respect the sovereignty of other peoples in the world? Iranians have said to us: 'We don't want outside interference, we want to make decisions for ourselves about our political processes.' We, the FOR delegation, affirm their desire, and urgently call on our elected representatives, the media, and our communities to support dialogue to address the concerns of both governments. We ask Members of Congress to respond to the recent invitation from the Iran's elected parliament to meet, and we publicly offer to help facilitate our Representatives' positive response."