The Chatham Peace Initiative -a community gathering for peace . . . We
are residents of Columbia County, NY, who first came together in the fall of
2002 to vigil in protest of the looming war in Iraq. We are deeply committed to
peace and social justice and to the plight of detained immigrants.
Chatham
Peace Initiative,
Last updated 03/25/2009
Co-founder of www.afterdowningstreet.org
David Swanson and Valeria A. Gheorghiu Esq., at the invitation of the The
Chatham Peace Initiative, will speak on Prosecuting the Bush Administration for
war crimes at the Albany Friends’ Meetinghouse on April 20 at 12:00 noon and at Berkshire Community College in
Pittsfield MA co-sponsored by GIRO (Global Issues Resource
Organization) on Monday, April 20
at 7 PM. Press
release
Directions to Albany
Friends Meetinghouse (Quakers)
Downloadable
flyer for
Directions to BCC Directions: http://www.berkshirecc.edu/Maps%20and%20Directions
Downloadable
flyer for BCC event
Link to video of the
Justice Robert Jackson Conference for the Planning of the Prosecution of High
Level American War Criminals
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www.projectsalam.org,
set up to free the innocent Muslims unjustifiably serving long prison
sentences, has composed its second petition and needs your signatures! It lists five incarcerated Muslim men who
should be released: Dr. Rafil Dhafir,
Yassin Aref, Mohammed Hossain, Dr. Sami Al-Arian and Syed Hashmi.
For the Latest on convicting Bush and Cheney go
to http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/39585
The Chatham Peace Initiative holds a vigil every
Saturday from 12-1 PM on the village green in
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The following article
and accompanying picture appeared in the register star about our Jan 12 vigil
in front of Congresswoman Gillibrand’s office.
Demonstrators
outraged at Israel-Gaza war
|
|
Hudson-Catskill
Newspapers
Last week,
Congress passed resolutions “recognizing the right of
Only five
representatives voted against it: Ron Paul, R-Texas, Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio,
Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Gwen Moore, D-Wisc., and Nick Rahall, D-W.Va.
Protesters held
signs that referred to the attacks as a slaughter or genocide, and distributed
copies of the letters they had written to Gillibrand.
Among other
things, the letters alleged that
“Killing people is
not going to solve the problems of the world. It will only make more enemies.”
said Marion Lathrop of
Lathrop, and
others in the crowd, said that if the
“It’s not like I
support Hamas, I have a Jewish last name,” said a female protester who asked
not to be identified. “But when I hear an account of a woman hiding along with 30
other people in her house, her baby in her lap, and her baby gets hit by
shrapnel, and the baby’s mouth opens and she realizes that her baby is dead ...
I know that some people say that they are like the Hatfields and McCoys and
they will always be fighting, but we can’t give that our approval.”
“Stop the
slaughter... on both sides.” said Nancy Rothman.
“But it is
disproportionate,” said Susan Davies, an organizer of the protest.
“International law says that disproportionate violence is illegal. For one thing,
Bob Elmendorf
said, “Kucinich put it well. He said that he was a friend of
Wendy Dwyer from
Canaan said she had come because she was against the
“The
The following letter
was given to Representative Gillibrand’s staff on Monday Jan 12, 2009 at our
protest against US support for Israel’s attack on Gaza which we held outside
her Hudson office. The letter was subsequently sent to the Register Star and
the Independent.
www.chathampeace.org info@chathampeace.org
Contact:
Susan Davies 518-392-9477 or Bob Elmendorf 518-766-2992
January
12, 2009
Rep.
Kirsten Gillibrand
Dear
Representative Gillibrand,
We
strongly urge you to withdraw your support for
Since
the withdrawal of the Israeli forces and settlers from
For
17 days now
The
The
only representatives who had the courage to vote against this resolution were:
Ron Paul (R-TX), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Gwen Moore
(D-WI), and Nick Rahall (D-WV). We are displeased that you did not join them in
standing up for international law both on ethical and humanitarian grounds. We
ask you to re-examine your position
and provide the kind of leadership so
badly needed in Congress at this terrible moment by condemning Israel’s attacks
and urging them to immediately stop the attacks, end the punishing blockade on
Gaza, and sit down for peace talks with all parties involved including Hamas
without preconditions. This is not only in the best interests of the
Palestinians people but also of the people of
Sincerely,
The
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The Chatham Peace Initiative has restarted its
peace vigil. It will be held every
Saturday from 12-1 pm at the village green in
Vincent Bugliosi’s latest book is “The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder” Here is a review of it by Bob Elmendorf, treasurer of CPI.
If you, like most people who are desirous of seeing the President impeached, which in any event could lead to some kind of deal or pardon, have given up on that outcome, Mr. Bugliosi’s book is the perfect antidote for your frustration.
According to Democracy Now “In his career at the LA County District
Attorney’s office, he successfully prosecuted 105 of 106 felony jury trials,
including twenty-one murder convictions without a single loss.” Mr. Bugliosi brings that experience and a
thorough knowledge of the law and couples it with evidence that the President
lied that
All that is required now is for some District Attorney to take the initiative, and Mr. Bugliosi volunteers to help in any way he can.
***
Register Star article on 3 hour rally against
5 years of war held at Congresswoman Gillibrand’s office in
Register Star 02/03/08
The picture below is of Congresswoman Gillibrand in front of the Hudson Opera House on February 2, 2008, with a bundle of completed impeachment petitions collected by the Chatham Peace Initiative, talking with Wendy Dwyer displaying an impeach sign with Martin Baumgold behind waving a peace flag. Below that picture is Congresswoman Gillibrand inside the Hudson Opera House with Max Greishaber on her left who made and presented her with this banner entitled “Congress Gillibrand: Support the woman and children of Iraq!” Bob Elmendorf is on her right and Nancy Rothman is in the rear.
We handed out the following letter to those who attended the event:
February 2, 2008
We welcome Congressmember Kirsten Gillibrand
to
Out of the destruction, terror and tragedy of World War II Eleanor had the vision to guide the nation and world in the creation of the United Nations, an institution which implements actions for the betterment of human kind and mediates world disputes.
Today we are again engaged in the terror, torture, repression and tragedy of war. We know that the events that unfold before us each day cannot stand the review of law nor withstand the test of the Constitution. Were Eleanor with us today, she would combat this repression and war effort. Eleanor would not hesitate to bring our military back home.
Our demands are grounded in Eleanor’s legacy, and our loyalties, principles and convictions speak in harmony with hers. We citizens of the 20th District feel reassured in the knowledge that Congressmember Gillibrand also embraces Eleanor Roosevelt’s legacy.
We demand complete military withdrawal,
respect for the human dignity and rights of the peoples, women and children of
CPI: Susan Davies, Bob Elmendorf, Max Greishaber, James Rothenberg, Nancy Rothman
The following letter conveyed to petitions to Congresswoman Gillibrand:
The petition signatures here presented
represent the modest collection efforts of a very small group of people. Most
were gathered on the main street of
We were greatly impressed not only by their number, but by the relative ease of obtaining them. The teeth were falling out by themselves, to reverse an expression. One quickly got the feeling that public resentment against the White House ran deep and wide. Indeed, public opinion polls seem to reflect this, is spite of the scant attention the matter receives in the Congress and from elite opinion.
Impeachment is only the first step in the search for justice. But failing to take it, for whatever reasons, is to push justice into an indefinite future. One must at least be able to say, I tried.
Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway.
-
Eleanor Roosevelt -
This search for justice goes beyond the
President and Vice President having to answer to the American people for their
crimes. The people they harmed on foreign shores are waiting as well.
Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.
- Eleanor Roosevelt -
Susan Davies
Bob Elmendorf
Max Greishaber
James Rothenberg
Nancy Rothman
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From the Register Star
From The Independent
The
Is Rallying To
Call for the Shutdown of
Friday, January 11, 2008 from 4:00 -5:00 PM
Corner of Park and
STOP THE TORTURE
DEMAND JUSTICE
For more information call 766-2992
Go to http://www.witnesstorture.org/jan11_call for downloads of signs, and more background information.
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Thursday, December 6 at 7 p.m.
Screening of “Little Birds”
Tracy Memorial (
Presented by the
“This
is a film that simply cries out to be seen more widely.” – Jasper Sharp, Midnighteye
Little Birds (
"I tried to depict the devastation caused
by air strikes and how attacks with cluster bombs cruelly involved ordinary
Iraqis," said the 35-year-old Watai, "And such scenes seemed to be
quite new to
The film provides an intimate look at the lives of Iraqi families during the invasion and after. It especially focuses on 31-year-old Ali Saqban who lost three of his four small children in the initial bombing of Baghdad, and on Hadeel Kadem, a 12-year-old girl, and her father who await an operation to remove a piece of shrapnel from her eye.
The film has no distributor in the
The Chatham Peace Initiative has arranged for a series of screenings in the area including at: The Sanctuary for Independent Media, 3361 – 6th Avenue, Troy, NY (518-272-2390) on Thursday, December 13 at 7 p.m.; the Rock Hill Bake House Café, 19 Exchange St Glens Falls, NY 12801 (518-615-0777) on Friday, December 14 at 7 p.m.; and at the Media Education Community Room, 60 Masonic St. Northampton, MA "Little Birds" on Fri. Dec. 14.
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As of October 27, 2007, twenty-two congress members have signed onto house resolution 333.
Mass Grave in
Amy Goodman posted a story on May 8, 2007 “One
In Eight Iraqi Children Die Before the Age of Five
Click
for information on Dr. Rafil Dhafir, unjustly imprisoned for 22 years for the
false charge of medicare fraud because he sent aid to
Click
for information on the cases of Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain both sentenced
to 15 years on evidence that
**********
Call Congressional Switch Board free 1-
800-828-0498 and ask for your congresswoman/man or senator to oppose the
escalation in Iraq and call for an immediate exit to be replaced by the UN,
NATO, the Arab League and any other peaceful consortium of countries that can
help rebuild Iraq or how about letting the Iraqis have their own country back
and find their own internal solutions.
With war reparations from the
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The following statement from the
Dear Editor,
“The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right.” – Thomas Jefferson
The Chatham Peace Initiative joins many other
members of our local and national community in an endeavor to restore a sense
of humanity to our country and to ourselves as a people as we witness US war
and destruction abroad being perpetrated in our name. Open public dissent and
discussion are essential if we hope to peacefully effect changes in our
national policies. The
Amendment 1: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and
to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Over the past four years the
The passage of the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, and other repressive anti-Constitutional legislation initiated and promoted by the Bush Administration is evidence that the American people are losing faith in the ability to maintain a free and open society. CPI wonders if the fear and doubt fostered by our government’s policies is causing us to check our liberties at the village gate and at the national border.
CPI firmly believes that free speech and community discourse are an indispensable part of a free society. We will not be dissuaded from fulfilling our responsibility as citizens to verbalize our grievances against our government.
for the
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DONATIONS
We are in need of donations to cover the
expense of speakers, meeting room rental, mailings, phone calls and printing.
Donations can be made out to
A history of our work with Ansar Mahmood and
championing the rights of immigrants
(Click on the pictures below to bring up a
page.)
Links
Past events
Upcoming Media