#NJAntiWarAgenda Publication Coming Soon!

Permission granted to reblog - please link back!

We are getting ready to publish the first historic issue of NJ Anti-War Agenda in support of all of NJ area efforts  in opposition to the endlessly spiraling US wars of imperialism.  

The pending publication was discussed in a fine article by Gregory Dube, about the recent New Brunswick protest demanding support for Puerto Rico and opposition to US war escalations – see addendum for excerpt.

You can help #NJAntiWarAgenda hit the streets:

Your input:

If you have ideas as to what should be in the paper, want to help with one of the above articles or offer another topic, contact call /text 908-881-5275 / bwitanek@igc.org

TO HELP GET THE PAPER INTO THE STREETS, CALL OR TEXT 908-881-5275
One goal is for the paper to be truly representative of NJ organizations and individuals that are in motion based upon their anti-war agenda.

I am looking for folks to help finish up by offering to write some of the remaining articles.  I will help and I am collaborating with an editor so it does not have to be a Pulitzer winner or anything – I am looking for 200 – 300, maybe 500 words per article.  I might also need help in finalizing the lay out.  Also if there is any web designer that wants to take on setting up and very light maintenance of a website to promote the paper,

I am willing to work out modest stipends for the authors of the articles, any semi-volunteer production staff and web designers.

Contributions welcome:
Those who would like to contribute financially toward the printing or toward the work for the paper or a related website, you can do so at this link.  If you would like to discuss your contribution, please call or text 908-881-5275.

https://fundly.com/nj-antiwar-agenda-printing-expenses

Articles so far:
Edit suggestions are welcome on linked articles and some of the articles below are pending rewriting for the paper.

Proposed Page 1:
Welcome Letter
Moving the Money – From War to Human Needs
US Itchy Finger on Nuclear Trigger

Proposed Page 2-3
What is Your AntiWar Agenda?
Afghanistan
Korea
Disaster Flier
Venezuela Solidarity Letter

Proposed Page 4-5

Highland Park / New Brunswick – Central Jersey Coalition Leads Anti-War Vigils and Protest Rallies

JC Anti War Protest Last Sunday of Each Month (since 2003) 12 – 2pm

Tutorial: How to Plan an Anti-War Protest

Newark anti-war protests 

Organizing GIs

Finishing Up - Articles needed on the following topics:

Philippines and NJ Philippines Solidarity Committee
Peoples Organization for Progress
North Jersey Vigils
Montclair Vigil Site
Other Vigils Around NJ
NJ Peace Action
Green Party Antiwar Work
Organizing Youth Through Pizza Shop Meetings
Campus Organizing
Counter Recruitment
Organizing GIs
Russia
China
Africa
Iraq
Iran
Puerto Rico
Syria
War at home
Yemen
Other possible targets

ADDENDUM: Excerpt from New Brunswick Today article:

Bob Witanek, a Belle Mead resident and active member of the New Jersey anti-war community, echoed Herzog’s sentiments.

“Taxes should be used to better the lives of taxpayers, not blowing people up,” Witanek said.

“We have three aircraft carriers in North Korea and three to four nuclear subs off their coast, threatening to blow them off the map. Then we hear about the impediment in aiding Puerto Rico because of the ocean--that never seems to be a problem when it’s war we’re talking about.”

Witanek said that because of these and many other challenges threatening peace in the world, citizens need to get organized and make their commitment to peace formally known: a process he hopes to help facilitate with his upcoming publication "NJ Anti-War agenda."

The prospective eight-page tabloid will encourage those who consider themselves anti-war to develop positions against what he calls the "endlessly escalating imperial wars."

“Everyone needs to be engaged in this: we’re in a dire predicament right now. Everyone needs to be shouting. We’ve got to figure out ways to get people energized,” Witanek said.

Please RT:

#NJAntiWarAgenda publication soon to hit NJ area streets , , ,https://t.co/PFantOgq9Y

— Bob Witanek (@bwitanek) October 28, 2017

Veterans and GI's are Anti-War Allies!

Submitted by Richard Moser, Author, New Winter Soldiers

If you want to stop war and challenge the empire then help our soldiers and veterans organize. 

Our soldiers and veterans carry special knowledge.  They have seen first hand the horror and futility of war.  What we understand as endless war, empire and occupation they know through  personal experience.  Today’s soldiers and veterans have been treated worse by the US government than any generation of soldiers in well over a century.

In an effort to hide the war from the US public the burden has fallen heavily on approximately 1% of the American population to go into combat.  That 1% sees far more combat than soldiers did in WWII or Vietnam or Korea.  Two, three, and more tours are not uncommon.  This is far more than humans can endure. The consequences in PTSD, suicides and casualties are more than tragic: this is the empire eating its own.

But soldiers and veterans also have so much to teach us:  they know the machine and the know how to organize.  Their training can teach us the kinds of dedication and discipline we need to build a mass movement with real power to disrupt the war machine.  Maybe most important they can teach us how we can recapture the revolutionary spirit that once made America truly great. With a little help from their friends soldiers and veterans can once again be leaders in a new anti-war movement.

Since the Vietnam War there has been an unbroken tradition of opposition to war from servicemembers, veterans and their families.  During the Vietnam Era soldiers protested, refused combat, insisted on discussing actions rather than simply following orders and resisted the war effort in ways large and small.  As veterans they organized the Vietnam Veterans against the War and came to lead the anti-war movement in the early 1970’s. The Veterans For Peace and Iraq Veterans Agains the War continue the struggle.

Want to help our service-members stand against war and the oppressive conditions of military life?  The tradition of resistance continues.  Start by supporting any of the following organizations:

IVAW (Iraq Veterans Agains the War)

VVAW (Vietnam Veterans Against the War)

Veterans For Peace

GI Rights Hotline

Military Families Speak out

Veterans For Standing Rock

Gold Star Families for Peace 

Given support and an opportunity to stand up for the kind of values and ideals that they really wanted to fight for, a new GI and veteran movement is ready to spring to life. We saw that movement come alive when the veterans supported the courageous water protectors at Standing Rock.  Reach out to soldiers and veterans, build a civilian movement to support them, and when there are many Standing Rocks the soldiers and veterans will answer the call.

Richard Moser is author of “New Winter Soldiers: GI and VeteranDissent During the Vietnam Era.”  Moser writes at befreedom.co  .

Highland Park / New Brunswick – Central Jersey Coalition Leads Anti-War Vigils and Protest Rallies

HIGHLAND PARK / NEW BRUNSWICK

Anti-war Protest Coordination
Held Monthly Protest Vigil for 11 Years – Now on Standby to Organize Emergency Actions in Response to US War Escalations

Locations: Usually at Raritan Ave/Rt 27 north of the Albany Street Bridge in Highland Park
Alternate Locations: New Brunwswick at the corner of Albany & George Street or at “the Fountain” at the corner of Livingston Avenue and George Street

Contact:

noendlesswar@gmail.com  732-771-7882
http://www.againstendlesswar.org
https://www.facebook.com/groups/204276683815

Since 2004, the Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War has kept opposition to US war making in the spotlight in the Highland Park / New Brunswick communities.  Through 2015, the coalition maintained a monthly vigil on Raritan Ave/Rt 27 north of the Albany Street Bridge in Highland Park.  It began on April 14, 2004 to commemorate those who were killed after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March, 2003. Originally called the Iraq Memorial Wall Vigil, it included huge black panels with the name, age, rank, and date of every U.S. soldier killed. In 2008, the panels of the Wall became too numerous to continue to display on a weekly basis. However, the vigil continued another 6 years.

The coalition continues to organize protests at that site, and sometimes on the corner of Albany Street and George Street or at the Fountain on the corner of George Street and Livingston Avenue both in New Brunswick in response to US war escalations and threats,

According to one of the groups coordinators, Ellen Whitt:

"We look at the vigil and our group as against the endless war on working people at home and around the world.

We have a weekly announcement email list that includes many events in the Middlesex County area. People can sign up for this and it includes the time and place of our monthly Planning Meetings.  Contact noendlesswar@gmail.com   to join the contact list.

Every six weeks we sponsor Marc's Place Coffeehouse where we invite speakers to lead a discussion of important current issues including war, social justice and the environment. It also includes performances by area musicians and poets. The coffeehouse is nearly 12 years old. It brings together activists and people new to these issues to discuss how to fight back effectively."

Next Coffeehouse event:

Oct 21: Fighting Racism and Changing the System-Where Do We Go from Here

https://www.facebook.com/events/176462796248622

According to Ellen, top concerns as far as US war escalations go include:

“North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Middle East - Syria, Iraq, Palestinian”

However the coalition stands ready to respond to any and all such war threats as they surface.

Folks can plug in to help improve the effectiveness of the events and activities by:

Attending Planning Meetings to help plan future activities and our work with other groups, volunteerinh to help with the coffeehouse, helping with outreach (includes tabling at community events, distributing leaflets, social media).

According to Ellen, the Coalition works with many groups and is also formally part of other coalitions:

“We are members of the NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice and NJ Renews. We work with the local chapter of Jewish Voices for Peace, Food and Water Watch, New Labor, Interfaith-RISE (refugee resettlement), DIRE (Deportation and Rapid Response Equipo), among others.”

Related to the coalition’s opposition to war, the group also focuses on
“immigration, environmental, labor issues and issues related to the Middle East. We have frequently worked with both NJ Peace Action and the Coalition for Peace Action,” according to Ellen.

“We are generally trying to build stronger connections with local and regional groups on issues where we agree to expand our reach,” she added.

Most recently on Monday October 1, the coalition led a rally demanding "Money for Puerto Rico, Not for War!" at the corner of Albany and George in New Brunswick.

All those interested in helping to organize a better Central Jersey response to the US war threats are encouraged to contact Central Jersey Coalition AgainstEndless War today!

Also, please spread the word, contribute and attend:

Tutorial: How to Plan an Anti-War Protest

Tutorial: How to Plan an Anti-War Protest

Planning an anti-war event

Care needs to be taken in organizing events in opposition to US warfare.  Having a well prepared plan, a good core group of organizers and participants, goals for the event, and an organizing strategy will greatly enhance success.  Some first steps include:

Determining the goals for the event. 

The following is a sample of possible goals:

- To express opposition - to deployment of naval fleet, selling of weapons, or bombings, etc.

- To educate the public - about a policy, consequences, expenses, and the overall disaster it will likely cause at home and abroad.

- To reach out to the local community - offering opportunities for participation.

Pick an appropriate location. 

Things to consider include:
- Safety
- Parking
- Visibility to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
- Ability for interaction to share printed hand-outs and speak with passersby.

- A route to march from that location through visible markets and communities, if the opportunity for such event expansion presents itself.

- You can also pick a location that is appropriate for the issue you are addressing, such as in front of your elected officials' offices, at a recruitment center, at a Federal or State Building if you are asking for something from the Federal or State government, corporate headquarters for a company such as Boeing, etc, though the benefits of a strategic symbolism need to be weighed vs. potential community outreach.

Identify individuals and organizations with whom to partner. 

- Look for those who not only support the goals but are also willing to participate in organizing and publicizing the event.  A core group of 2 - 4 individuals is ideal to get things rolling.

Identify the organizations that are sympathetic toward anti-war sentiments and activities in the area.

- Identify the local schools, community centers, businesses (for instance, beauty parlors and barber shops),  places of worship, parks, housing developments, and other proximate opportunities that might aid in the distribution of information.

Identify "hooks and hot-buttons" that would engage the local population and invite participation by passersby.

- Identify the particular issues that are important to the local population and how it relates to the anti-war effort, if reasonably possible.

-  Identify any activities that would interest and bring in the people, such as artistic performances, open mic, and local activist speakers.

 Pick the date.

- The event date should be based upon the definite availability of you, the main organizer, and at least two or three others. 

- Try to ensure a small group is present when starting.   A group is far more likely to receive attention and interest from passersby than a few individuals.

- If your protest/vigil has 4 or fewer attendees, you can turn it into an "informational picket" where the attendees hand out fact sheets, etc.  Sometimes you can build a bigger crowd from passers by depending upon objective circumstances and your approach to the public.

 Plan the publicity.

A layered, multi-channel approach should be used:

- Social networking which could be used to reach individuals as well as organizations.

- Local media which could result in pre-event publicity as well as event-day coverage.

- On-the-ground pre-publicity directed at the local neighborhood through fliers and advance canvassing. 

- Event day live casting of (at least) key parts of the event and photographing the participation.  Use  hash tags on the photos, video, articles, etc. as well as on event signs.  This will make it easier for people to follow your organizing efforts.  (We use #NJAntiWarAgenda, for example.)

- Following the event, be sure to write and post reports with photos, blog, and generally use social networking to celebrate the successes of the event.

Have a time-lined plan for the event.

- The sequence, staffing, and estimated duration for poetry and music, presentations, speeches, info-booths, printed hand-outs, pedestrian engagement, etc.

-  Organizers should have a means to gather the contact information of participants and anyone who shows interest.

- If you are planning to have speakers, it is important to organize a sequence of speakers at your protest, beginning with the most important speaker or the speaker addressing the most important topic, make sure that you have several speakers at the beginning who will describe the whole story within the first 10 - 15 minutes of your program. It is usually useful to ask speakers to stick to a time limit -- whether it be 5 or 10 minutes per person-- just so you can have some measure of control over the program. Be intentional about the people you invite, the topics you want them to cover and the effectiveness of the speakers you choose. 

Material Support

A small amount of funds could make the event more successful.  The following are some items that might need to be purchased to make the event more visible and have a more coherent message:
- Poster board and markers.  You can have pre-made signs or you can allow participants to make their own signs as they arrive.  You should have suggested slogans but encourage them also to express their own anti-war agenda on their signs.

– If the topic is likely to be revisited at future protests, banners with demands, the names of participating organizations and #HashTag phrases that you are using to brand your events could be helpful.

 – About 100 copies of half sheet fliers (cut in 2 to make 200) – depending upon the amount of pedestrian and vehicular traffic are key in communicating a clearer message to those you encounter during your event.

– A sound system – it could be a bullhorn or a more sophisticated rechargeable battery pack sound kit - makes for a more coherent rally type event and gives you an opportunity to address those hanging around, walking by or in vehicles passing the event.  They can be rented, purchased or borrowed from seasoned activists who happen to have their own sound set up.

Literature:

It is important to have a written piece explaining the purpose of the protest, including contact information what demands you are expressing.  Include information about how to join your group on social networks.  Hand outs promoting a local event are encouraged.  NJ Anti-War Agenda will be made available for this purpose to distribute at your events – contact 908-881-5275 to arrange to get a bundle.

Permit:

While you do not need a permit for a protest on public sidewalks and right-of-ways for protected free speech, many towns have local ordinances against sound amplification.  While the constitutionality of such ordinances is questionable, sometimes it is easier to acquire a permit or to at least communicate to local officials or police to minimize the possibility of having your activity shut down or curtailed.  Those experienced with organizing events in the town or city you are operating in can advise on whether or not a permit is advisable.  If a permit is required, especially for sound, it is important to find out how long it usually takes to get that permit and plan the date of your event accordingly to allow yourself enough time to get the permit.

Organizing:

These events should not be pop-up events but should be tied to an organizing drive in the neighborhood.  Ideally supporters of the event should work the areas earlier on the day of and in the days and weeks in between events – to talk about the protests, the reasons and how they relate to the struggles of those in the neighborhood.  The goal is to build a movement that engages the entire community – not simply to take a principled stand.  The demand is stronger when it is backed by genuine community support.

Add a social component.

- If possible, invite folks to meet afterwards for a casual chat at a local restaurant or cafe.  Keep the organizing light but do touch on the next steps.  Determine if anyone is interested in helping to organize future events.

We can help you.

NJ Anti-War Agenda is networked with a number of organizers with experience in arranging events, so help is just a phone call away at 908-881-5275.

We are partnered with the following organizations that have also been instrumental in such organizing - you can contact these organizations as well for support and assistance in putting these events together:
NJ Peace Action (973)876-1023
Peoples Organization for Progress  (973)801-0001

Green Party of NJ
Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War  (732)771-7882

Jersey City Peace Movement Protest @ Journal Square Last Sunday of Every Month

Highland Park / New Brunswick – Central Jersey Coalition Leads Anti-War Vigils and Protest Rallies