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| The Peace Alliance Newsletter October 2008 |
CONTENTS
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There are times we all recognize as history in the making and certainly this past week has been one of them. Regardless of how you voted, selecting new leaders is just the beginning. As citizens, we now focus our attention on using our voices to empower them to prioritize peace--in every home and school, in our streets and prisons, and around the world. It is with great enthusiasm that I assumed the role of Executive Director on October 1st. Over the past years, and especially the past few months, I have worked closely with volunteers, staff, and Board, giving me a unique perspective on our work I can tell you now our organization has never been larger or stronger. I am both excited and confident in what lies ahead. Today we launch the registration for our Department of Peace Campaign National Conference, March 20-23, 2009 in Washington, DC and we expect it to be our largest ever. I encourage each of you to come, whatever it takes. The world is changing. Defining the course of our nation is the greatest civic influence we have. Now is the time, as the new Congress and new administration set their priorities, that we can make the biggest impact. Now is the time to make your voice heard and to ask your national leaders to make peace and violence reduction a top priority in every sector of our society, and the cornerstone of our international policy. How can you do this?
Democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires our active engagement.
Our last conference sold out, and we had to turn people away at the
door. This year, you can be one of 1,000 citizens crisscrossing the
halls of Congress, inspiring our leaders to reach for a brighter,
better and saner future. Don’t you want to be there? Lynn McMullen Rather than popping down to your local Hallmark, buy your Holiday Cards online from us! These one-of-a-kind cards were specially designed by Campaign volunteer Marcia Taack of California. Each card contains information about the Campaign on the back and all proceeds benefit The Peace Alliance. Send Your Postcards to the President-Elect Now that the elections are over, our work begins in earnest. Now through Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009, we are sending postcards to President-elect Barack Obama telling him we want increased funding for effective violence reduction and prevention programs. Learn how you can join this fun, easy and important action today! If you've already participated, be sure to report your results (if you haven't already) and keep enrolling your friends and family! Get Ready for the National Conference!
We're thrilled to announce early-bird registration is NOW
OPEN It promises to be an historic four-day event featuring YOU, hundreds of youth and adult grassroots volunteers from across the nation and the world, Riane Eisler, Rita Marie Johnson, Azim Khamisa, Ocean Robbins, Rich and Yvonne St. John-Dutra and more! Learn all about the conference on our website and register today! We've put the stories we've received on the website for you to read. Those are just the tiny tip of the iceberg we've heard about from organizers. If you don't see your story there, feel free to send it to Wendy. Thank you and congratulations to everyone! The family has established The Stephen A. Desposito Memorial Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers. Donations payable to "URI Foundation/Stephen A. Desposito" may be sent to the URI Foundation, PO Box 1700, Kingston, RI 02881. You may read his full obituary online. Thank you Steve for a life well-lived and well-loved. From the Board From September 25 through 27, 2008, our seven Peace Alliance Directors and three staff (Wendy Greene, Kathy Kidd and Julia Simon-Mishel) met in Marin, California for a Strategic Planning retreat lead by our new Executive Director, Lynn McMullen - a first with new Board members, Christine Elliot, Judy Kimmel, Matthew Albracht, Aaron Voldman and Daniel Smith, joining veteran Directors Heart Phoenix and Mike Robbins. We evaluated our organization's internal strengths and weaknesses, and the current and near-term external factors representing both threats to, and opportunities for, our work. (The analysis of "strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats" forms the basis of accepted best practices for Strategic Planning.) You can anticipate exciting news in the near future as we further articulate specific goals, strategies and operational plans in the following four strategic areas: Strengthening and Growing Our Grassroots, Fundraising, Legislative Agenda and Community Peacebuilding. We look forward to working with the State Coordinators and incorporating grassroots input received in the past year as we refine our Strategic Plan. Ask the Peacebuilder By Marianne Perez Editor's Note: Educator and Peacebuilder Marianne Perez, who holds a masters in Peace and Conflict Studies and is part of New Yorkers for a Department of Peace, will share information and answer your questions about the field of peacebuilding. Read the full text of the column and submit your questions to Marianne on our website under under Get Involved>Peacebuilding Conversations>Ask a Peacebuilder. Enjoy! Careers to Change the World? The following email launches our discussion this month:
Read the answer and join the conversation on our website. Stories from the Field Making Peace a Priority on the Campaign Trail NorCal Hosts Town Hall with Congressman
Ellison Celebrating the International Day of Peace San Diego Summer of Peace -------------------------------------- Monthly Grassroots Conference Calls
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~~~ Resources and Tools to Support You Search the Web and Raise Money iSearch: It just got easier to raise money for The Peace Alliance! Now you can add the iSearchiGive search bar to your browser, and raise money every time you search for anything on the web! Visit iSearch
to register and then look in the upper right corner for the
button saying "Click here to add iSearchiGive to your browser." Use
that bar and every search will be a search for peace! Teach Peace Coloring Book Follow Sophia the Ladybug [PDF] in discovering the value of a Department of Peace and how anyone, no matter how small, can make a big difference in the world. A great resource for working with young people, Teach Peace's coloring book and more can be found on the Teach Peace website. ~~~ For a list of all 37 cities, counties, and tribal councils who have endorsed the Department of Peace and Nonviolence, and to find out how you can do likewise in your city, click here For a list of the 69 Congressional co-sponsors of HR 808, click here. For a list of organizations endorsing the Department of Peace campaign, and a form to sign up yours, click here. Quote of the Month
If you have a favorite quotable from a notable about peace or evocative of what peace means, we will be happy to consider it for this space. Please email us at Quotable Quotes. ~~~ ~~~ Visit
Our Store CafePress Shopforpeace.net ~ Do you Shop Online? If you shop online for books, music, electronics, appliances or any other products, consider using our affiliate link with Amazon.com or the iGive participant stores. Amazon.com For every purchase you make using this link, we get a percentage of the sale. If you already shop regularly online, this is a simple way to help fund the work of The Peace Alliance! Click here.
Join iGive.com to support The Peace Alliance. Their online mall features over 685 trusted online retailers like Lands' End, Staples, NORDSTROM, JC Penney, eBay, Expedia.com, Barnes & Noble, QVC, & PETsMART to name just a few! A percentage of EACH purchase is donated back to The Peace Alliance, plus a bonus $5 donation if you shop within 45 days. The more stores you visit, the more chances to win a $1,000 donation during the Surfathon! No purchase required. Please Join iGive and do your shopping for peace. ~~~ Update Your Profile It is easy to do it yourself and you will really help our staff if you can update your email address, phone numbers and address yourself. Your profile page also contains links to regional events and your donation history.
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Congratulations everyone! More than 25 Walk for
Peace events were held all across the nation in during September,
many held in conjunction with the International Day of Peace, September
21. 
We're sad to report the loss of Stephen Desposito,
former Co-Congressional District Team Leader (CDTL) of Rhode
Island's District 2. A very young 57 at his passing on
September 5, 2008, Steve and his wife Joyce helped pioneer Peace
Alliance efforts in Rhode Island. 
Times
for all calls: 6:00
PM Pacific/ 9:00 PM Eastern
