This past year, the disconnect on the
so-called "War on Terror" between the U.S. political
establishment and the people of this country has become glaring.
Despite handing control of Congress to Democrats in 2006, voters
have seen the occupation of Iraq drag on and continuing attacks
on civil liberties at home.
At a speech in Boulder several years ago,
Noam Chomsky said (in paraphrase), "When I give talks here,
someone always asks me what people can do about the latest
government outrage. When I speak in other countries, I never get
that question. People elsewhere seem to know what they can do."
Despite our remaining civil liberties, people in the U.S. often
aren't in the habit of getting involved in politics beyond
voting every two to four years.
To help address this gap, Strength Through
Peace recently developed a Web page called the "Peacemakers'
Toolkit." The Peacemakers' Toolkit is a compendium of ideas,
tips, contacts and other information designed to help people
become and remain engaged and active as peacemakers and
activists generally. The "tools" are arranged in five separate
categories: keeping informed, communicating with elected
officials, communicating with the general public, joining an
organization, and additional ideas for nonviolent action. It can
be accessed via our Web site at
www.strength throughpeace.org.
As the Bush administration careens
insanely toward another war in the Middle East, we are hopeful
that the Peacemakers' Toolkit helps at least a few more people
find their voices and speak out for more humane foreign and
domestic policies.
Kevin Cross,
convener, Strength Through Peace,
Fort Collins
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Originally
published
in the
Fort
Collins
Coloradoan
on
November
22, 2007 |
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