Peace Action of San Mateo County

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We believe that conflict doesn't have to result in violence or war at home or abroad. All action begins at the local level and activism begins with education. Join us at one of our free monthly events, view a topical film or listen to engaging Bay Area activists, educators and social justice advocates working to reduce militarism at home and abroad. Lively Q & A follows. Free refreshments and wheel chair accessibility.

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Sunday, May 21: The Courage to Resist – Around the World

Whether in a time of war here in the U.S. or in places like Russia, Ukraine, and elsewhere, there will always be those eligible to do the fighting but with neither a desire nor intention to engage in it. Whether from a reluctance to die or to kill – often considering the morality or legality of a given conflict – their resistance to carrying out acts of war is likely to run afoul of their country’s military codes as well as its laws. Whether they are draftees with no say or recruits with a change of heart, the consequences of such resistance can be oppressive and quite literally confining.

This is a situation that calls out for the work of an organization like Courage to Resist, whose members and supporters insist that it is often a matter of courage – not cowardice – to refuse to fight. To that end, since 2004 Courage to Resist has been involved in assisting would-be (who would much rather not be) soldiers in their pursuit of freedom. They have also done counter-recruitment work to make sure “candidates” for the military know just what they are getting themselves into, and supported whistleblowers who dared to tell the truth about improprieties on the part of the military.

On Sunday, May 21 at 7 PM PST, Stephanie Atkinson of Courage to Resist (and a one-time war resister herself) will join us on Zoom to tell the organization’s current story. In a talk entitled “Counter-recruitment and Military Resistance – the U.S. and Elsewhere”, Stephanie’s presentation will cover war resisters and questioners in the U.S., as well as in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3289220486.

Stephanie will be coming to us from her home in the vicinity of Seattle, WA. She was in the Army Reserves when her unit was activated for the soon-to-be Persian Gulf War. Stephanie went AWOL and refused her orders to deploy, making her one of only a handful of soldiers to do so during that conflict. Along with her will be Emily Oneschuck, a current resister who will also tell her own story.

We look forward to seeing you for an interesting critique on military service and its alternatives.

Sunday, June 11: CODEPINK’S Marcy Winograd speaks on Diplomacy to End the War in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine tragically rolls on and activists continue to look for an end to the fighting and dying – with a widespread understanding among peace advocates and government officials around the world that there is no viable military solution, and diplomacy needs to be the main priority. As distant as that can seem, every overture – whether or not “visible to the naked eye” – needs to be encouraged as an alternative to the threat of escalation.

On Sunday, June 11 at 7 PM PST, Marcy Winograd, coordinator of the legislative initiative CODEPINK CONGRESS, will be our guest on the Zoom platform with a talk entitled “Diplomacy to End the War in Ukraine”. Marcy will share the work and goals of the Peace in Ukraine Coalition to advocate for a ceasefire, peace negotiations and an end to weapons shipments to Ukraine. She will provide a critical examination of U.S. motives and provocations in the years leading up to the war, and the need for new political leadership to reverse course and avoid a wider war that risks nuclear confrontation. And as her talk title suggests, she will discuss possible diplomatic solutions – as well as the role activists can play in rebuilding the anti-war movement.

Marcy Winograd is a long-time anti-war activist who also serves as Co-Chair of both the Peace in Ukraine Coalition and the End Wars and Occupations Team for Progressive Democrats of America. In 2020, Marcy served as a Democratic National Convention delegate to Bernie Sanders, mobilizing 500 other delegates to challenge the influence of neo-conservatives. Marcy also co-founded the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party to demand the funding of human needs, not endless war.

Marcy is a retired English and government teacher. She blogs about militarism and foreign policy at Common Dreams, CounterPunch, and elsewhere. Regarding her time with CODEPINK, Marcy says, “I am honored to work with such creative and committed activists and look forward to mobilizing co-sponsors and congressional votes for peace legislation.”

Watch this space for the Zoom link!