OUR POSITIONS

Perennially

  • We are people in the United States who believe in and will work for peace in all of its manifestations. We believe in the right of people around the world to be free from U.S. imperialism and military intervention.

  • We believe the word peace should be a verb, not merely a noun. Peace must be active, not passive.

  • Our group will work to make peace the default action, rather than an after-the-fact resolution to conflict.

  • We recognize the disastrous impact that ongoing U.S. proxy and direct wars has on human life and the environment; we are angered by the deep unfairness that the U.S. government has shown people fleeing these countries; we call on the United States government to allow people fleeing from these countries, and Ukraine, to seek refuge here. Moreover, we will work in solidarity with peace-minded people in countries targeted by U.S. militarism.

  • We call for the U.S. government to begin a program of nuclear disarmament; life on our planet is seriously jeopardized by two existential threats—nuclear war and the unfolding climate crisis; the origins of both of these threats are human made, and the threats can only be unmade by humans.

  • We face rank propaganda which promotes violent confrontation with Russia and China—and all other countries that do not follow the “rules-based” order of the U.S. empire. We understand that “rules'' only apply to opponents of U.S. imperialism and not to the United States and its client states. We will resist militaristic propaganda and help educate people to investigate facts and discover the truth, which leads to peace.

  • When the U.S. state says defense, it really means offense.

Currently

  • We recognize and understand that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is inexcusable and atrocious; we call on Russia to desist in its war against Ukraine. 

  • We also recognize and understand that the United States and member countries of NATO played a significant role in driving this conflict by continuing to expand NATO over the last three decades and by refusing to agree to a diplomatic solution in the weeks and months preceding the invasion.

  • We call on the U.S. government to use its diplomatic power to help broker a ceasefire and, ultimately, a negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia. Further, we call on the United States to end sanctions against Russia as soon as possible; we recognize that sanctions mostly hurt average Russians, which will, in turn, worsen already-negative views some Russians have of the United States.

  • We recognize it is our moral and strategic imperative to confront the imperialism of our own state. The U.S. empire is a dangerous power and threatens world peace. We will pressure and challenge our state and corporations to de-escalate the war in Ukraine and push for an independent and neutral Ukraine and to work on cooperation among NATO member states and Russia, with the ultimate goal of the dissolution of NATO and a strong recommitment to the United Nations.

  • We call on the U.S. government to provide no more money for military support to Ukraine. Any money the U.S. government intends to send to Ukraine should only be for humanitarian assistance.

  • We call on the U.S. government to begin de-escalating tensions with China; the United States should not provoke China by having leaders visit Taiwan or other territories claimed by China

OUR PRINCIPLES

  • We are a democratic organization. We take decisions deliberatively and work towards building consensus.

  • We will protect the right of people to express themselves freely; people will be safe to disagree with others. 

  • We will intentionally make space for those people who have been historically marginalized and oppressed so they can exert their power to speak up and act for themselves.

  • Those people who have more privilege and means will be expected to contribute more of their privilege and means to achieve the goals of the group. 

  • Peace needs constant attention and nourishment. We will be its stewards and defenders. We are organizers for peace, not merely mobilizers and advocates for it.

  • All people and lifeforms have something at stake in our struggle for peace. All people of good faith who want to take peaceful actions against U.S. military interventions abroad are welcome to our group. 

  • We condemn all violence—violence against people and all living things in the natural world. We will confront all acts of violence against innocents with nonviolent hostility.

  • We will take direct actions to reach our goals. The actions will be escalatory and appropriate to given circumstances. Our actions will not be reactions, they will be proactions.

  • We pose the question: If one says an aggressor must be confronted with more violence in order to stop his violence, what evidence can one bring to bear to defend one’s position? Exerting violent force demands an extraordinary amount of evidence in order for it to be justified—its justification is not self evident.