WPJC joins Veterans For Peace in Support of Opting Out
VFP-111 Announces Conscientious Objector Project
"The best way to engage the interest of community members is to provide an action that they can take. Chapter 111's Conscientious Objection Project does that," says chapter president Aneesa Ahad. "It offers a direct path to fighting militarism through draft resistance and developing awareness of how the military is forced upon students in high school."
VFP-111 to Co-Sponsor Discussion on Ukraine
with Peter Lumsdaine
with Peter Lumsdaine
VFP-111 Co-Sponsoring Discussion on Ukraine
with Peter Lumsdaine
with Peter Lumsdaine
On Friday, July 7th, at 7:00 PM VFP-111 is joining Physicians for Social Responsibility, WPJC, Bellingham Peace Vigil, Community to Community and others to host a conversation with environmental protection/justice and peacemaking advocate Peter Lumsdaine at Bellingham Unitarian Church to discuss his recent trip to war-torn Ukraine. There will be more details soon. Stay tuned.
Tomorrow! SATURDAY 11AM PT (2ET) :
Towards Nuclear Disarmament
Towards Nuclear Disarmament
Veterans For Peace (VFP) has issued a remarkable Nuclear Posture Review that is what the US government should be putting out, but won’t. The VFP Nuclear Posture Review warns that the danger of nuclear war is greater than ever and that nuclear disarmament must be vigorously pursued. With the first anniversary of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on January 22, the VFP Posture Review calls on the U.S. government to sign the treaty and to work with other nuclear-armed states to eliminate all the world’s nuclear weapons. It also calls for measures that would reduce the risk of nuclear war, such as implementing policies for No First Use and taking nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert. Join VFP members Ken Mayers, Gerry Condon, and Alice Slater as well as longtime anti-nuclear activist Joseph Gerson for a discussion of this document and how it can be used as an organizing tool.
Feb 12, 2022 11:00 PM in Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Meeting Registration
Feb 12, 2022 11:00 PM in Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Meeting Registration
Moderator: Nate Goldshlag, coordinator of the Smedley Butler Brigade, Chapter 9 of VFP
Gerry Condon is a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister, and a former President of Veterans For Peace. For the last six years, he has served as president of the Golden Rule Committee, which organizes the voyages of the historic anti-nuclear sailboat. He is a Coordinating Committee member of the VFP Nuclear Abolition Working Group and one of the authors of the VFP Nuclear Posture Review.
Ken Mayers was a Major in the Marine Corps but left in opposition to US policy in 1966. He joined VFP in 1986. In July 2002, he co-founded the Santa Fe Chapter of VFP. Ken was a member of the national VFP Board of Directors from 2004 through 2009 and national treasurer from 2005 through 2009. He was again elected to the Board in 2020.
Alice Slater serves on the Board of World BEYOND War and is a UN NGO Representative of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. She is on the Board of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, the Global Council of Abolition 2000, and the Advisory Board of Nuclear Ban-US, supporting the mission of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its work in realizing the successful UN negotiations for a Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. She is a member of the New York City chapter of VFP.
Joseph Gerson is President of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security, Vice-President of the International Peace Bureau, Co-chair of the Committee for a Sane U.S.-China Policy, and Co-Convener of the international Peace and Planet Network. He was involved in launching the Nuclear Weapons Freeze movement and is a Vietnam era draft resister. Joseph has written multiple books about this issue.
Sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action and Veterans For Peace, and co-sponsored by Maryland Peace Action.
Gerry Condon is a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister, and a former President of Veterans For Peace. For the last six years, he has served as president of the Golden Rule Committee, which organizes the voyages of the historic anti-nuclear sailboat. He is a Coordinating Committee member of the VFP Nuclear Abolition Working Group and one of the authors of the VFP Nuclear Posture Review.
Ken Mayers was a Major in the Marine Corps but left in opposition to US policy in 1966. He joined VFP in 1986. In July 2002, he co-founded the Santa Fe Chapter of VFP. Ken was a member of the national VFP Board of Directors from 2004 through 2009 and national treasurer from 2005 through 2009. He was again elected to the Board in 2020.
Alice Slater serves on the Board of World BEYOND War and is a UN NGO Representative of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. She is on the Board of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, the Global Council of Abolition 2000, and the Advisory Board of Nuclear Ban-US, supporting the mission of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its work in realizing the successful UN negotiations for a Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. She is a member of the New York City chapter of VFP.
Joseph Gerson is President of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security, Vice-President of the International Peace Bureau, Co-chair of the Committee for a Sane U.S.-China Policy, and Co-Convener of the international Peace and Planet Network. He was involved in launching the Nuclear Weapons Freeze movement and is a Vietnam era draft resister. Joseph has written multiple books about this issue.
Sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action and Veterans For Peace, and co-sponsored by Maryland Peace Action.
Bellingham’s Veterans For Peace to Celebrate Armistice Day 2019
Monday, November 11th, 10:30 AM at the Church of the Assumption, 2116 Cornwall Ave
Once again Bellingham's Veterans For Peace Chapter 111 and supporters of peace will be standing in solemn commemoration of the 100th year anniversary of the end of the First World War across the street from the Church of the Assumption,
2116 Cornwall Ave, on Sunday, November 11 at 10:30 AM.
On Monday, November 11 at 10:30 AM Bellingham's Veterans For Peace and supporters of peace will be gathering in tribute to commemorate the anniversary of the end of the First World War, across the street from the Church of the Assumption, 2116 Cornwall Ave.
Over one hundred years ago this month the world celebrated peace as a universal principle. All the people of all the nations which had fought in the First World War went silent during the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of that eleventh month. Nations mourning their dead collectively called for an end to the butchery of all wars. Armistice Day was born and designated as “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated." On June 28, 1919 Germany and the Allied powers signed the Treaty of Versailles, declaring an end to “the war to end all wars.”
After World War II, the U.S. Congress decided to rename and designate November 11 as a national holiday, Veterans Day. Sadly, commemorating a forever end to hostilities eventually morphed into glorifying military service and justifying the next war. Armistice Day was flipped from a day for peace into a day for displays of militarism.
Next Sunday thousands of churches at home and abroad, including Bellingham’s Church of the Assumption, will ring their bells 11 times slowly in solemn remembrance at 11 in the morning to mark the end of the war that, in retrospect, ended peace. With the US now waging seemingly endless war, it’s time now, more than ever, for Americans to reclaim Armistice Day.
Join us once more in silent commemoration, with worldwide millions.
Monday, November 11th, 10:30 AM at the Church of the Assumption, 2116 Cornwall Ave
Once again Bellingham's Veterans For Peace Chapter 111 and supporters of peace will be standing in solemn commemoration of the 100th year anniversary of the end of the First World War across the street from the Church of the Assumption,
2116 Cornwall Ave, on Sunday, November 11 at 10:30 AM.
On Monday, November 11 at 10:30 AM Bellingham's Veterans For Peace and supporters of peace will be gathering in tribute to commemorate the anniversary of the end of the First World War, across the street from the Church of the Assumption, 2116 Cornwall Ave.
Over one hundred years ago this month the world celebrated peace as a universal principle. All the people of all the nations which had fought in the First World War went silent during the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of that eleventh month. Nations mourning their dead collectively called for an end to the butchery of all wars. Armistice Day was born and designated as “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated." On June 28, 1919 Germany and the Allied powers signed the Treaty of Versailles, declaring an end to “the war to end all wars.”
After World War II, the U.S. Congress decided to rename and designate November 11 as a national holiday, Veterans Day. Sadly, commemorating a forever end to hostilities eventually morphed into glorifying military service and justifying the next war. Armistice Day was flipped from a day for peace into a day for displays of militarism.
Next Sunday thousands of churches at home and abroad, including Bellingham’s Church of the Assumption, will ring their bells 11 times slowly in solemn remembrance at 11 in the morning to mark the end of the war that, in retrospect, ended peace. With the US now waging seemingly endless war, it’s time now, more than ever, for Americans to reclaim Armistice Day.
Join us once more in silent commemoration, with worldwide millions.
VFP-111 and Whatcom Peace & Justice Center to Co-Host Documentary Film
An Endless War? Getting OUT of Afghanistan
Friday, November 15, 6:00 PM at Bellingham Food Co-Op Community Connections Classroom 103,
405 E. Holly St
“For Americans to withdraw from Afghanistan is not a reason for shame. This is not about America, in fact this is where American exceptionalism gets us into trouble. The shame is to deny the reality of the situation.”
On Friday, November 15, Bellingham's Veterans For Peace Chapter 111 and Whatcom Peace & Justice Center are co-hosting the 2019 anti-war advocacy documentary An Endless War? Getting OUT of Afghanistan at the Bellingham Food Co-Op Community Connections Building.
The 1 hour-long film, produced by social and environmental activist Jean-Louis Bourgeois and directed by award-winning filmmaker Bob Coen, deconstructs the reasons why the Afghanistan conflict was doomed to fail from its start more than 18 years ago and why it has dragged on for so long.
An Endless War? is a frank analysis of America’s doomed campaign against a surging Taliban resistance, featuring interviews with former commanding officers of the US military, combat veterans, political analysts and American and Afghan peace activists – including FCNL’s Shukria Dellawar, Congressman Walter Jones and IPC Fellow Matthew Hoh. Director Coen and executive producer Bourgeois also offer solutions on how the United States can exit Afghanistan and not make this an endless war.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and experts featured in the documentary.
Parking is available behind the Community Connections Building.
An Endless War? Getting OUT of Afghanistan
Friday, November 15, 6:00 PM at Bellingham Food Co-Op Community Connections Classroom 103,
405 E. Holly St
“For Americans to withdraw from Afghanistan is not a reason for shame. This is not about America, in fact this is where American exceptionalism gets us into trouble. The shame is to deny the reality of the situation.”
On Friday, November 15, Bellingham's Veterans For Peace Chapter 111 and Whatcom Peace & Justice Center are co-hosting the 2019 anti-war advocacy documentary An Endless War? Getting OUT of Afghanistan at the Bellingham Food Co-Op Community Connections Building.
The 1 hour-long film, produced by social and environmental activist Jean-Louis Bourgeois and directed by award-winning filmmaker Bob Coen, deconstructs the reasons why the Afghanistan conflict was doomed to fail from its start more than 18 years ago and why it has dragged on for so long.
An Endless War? is a frank analysis of America’s doomed campaign against a surging Taliban resistance, featuring interviews with former commanding officers of the US military, combat veterans, political analysts and American and Afghan peace activists – including FCNL’s Shukria Dellawar, Congressman Walter Jones and IPC Fellow Matthew Hoh. Director Coen and executive producer Bourgeois also offer solutions on how the United States can exit Afghanistan and not make this an endless war.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and experts featured in the documentary.
Parking is available behind the Community Connections Building.
An Evening with a Whistleblower, Former CIA Analyst
Mel Goodman
Tuesday, May 8th
7:00 PM at Garden Street United Methodist Church, Room B, 1326 N. Garden St, Bellingham
Bellingham's Veterans For Peace Chapter 111 is once again hosting author and CIA dissident Melvin A. Goodman at Garden Street Methodist's basement Fireside Room on Tuesday, May 8 at 7:00 PM. Currently the Director of the National Security Project at the Center for International Policy in Washington, DC and adjunct professor of government at Johns Hopkins University.
Mel Goodman’s talk will focus on his career as a respected intelligence analyst specializing in US/Soviet relations, which ended abruptly in 1990. After twenty-four years of service, Goodman resigned when he could no longer tolerate the corruption he witnessed at the highest levels of the Agency. In 1991 he went public, blowing the whistle on top-level officials and leading the opposition against the appointment of Robert Gates as CIA director. In widely covered Senate hearings, Goodman charged that Gates and others had subverted “the process and the ethics of intelligence” by deliberately misinforming the White House about major world events and covert operations.
Don't be surprised also if Mel provides us with a report card of Trump's first 18 months in office. It's shaping up to be an interesting discussion.
Mel has authored, co-authored, and edited eight books, including his recent Whistleblower at the CIA: An Insider's Account of the Politics of Intelligence. In this breathtaking expose, Goodman retraces his career with the Central Intelligence Agency, presenting a rare insider’s account of the inner workings of America’s intelligence community, and the corruption, intimidation, and misinformation that lead to disastrous foreign interventions. Whistleblower is described by Daniel Ellsberg as “an invaluable historical exposé, a testimony to integrity and conscience, and a call for the U.S. intelligence community to keep its top leaders in check.”
The 24-year veteran with the CIA and the Department of State, Goodman also taught international relations at the National War College for 18 years. His articles and op-eds have appeared in numerous publications, including the New York Times, Harper's, Foreign Policy, Foreign Service Journal, Baltimore Sun, and the Washington Post.
Prior to this event the chapter has reserved the Brandywine Kitchen mezzanine, 1317 Commercial St, from 4:00 - 5:45 PM for dinner. Please join us.
MARCH ON BELLINGHAM
Saturday, January 20, 2018
10 am City Hall
Saturday, January 20, 2018
10 am City Hall
A day shy of 2017's Womxn's March on Bellingham
organizers and hundreds of supporters are expected to gather again on the streets of Bellingham.
'This is a march for solidarity with each other, to raise a voice against the fear and hatred this new administration was ushering in. This march will usher in a weekend of change and hope, highlighting every attempt we are making, at change, awareness and solidarity! It all matters! Let’s share this weekend with a spirit of hope and love!'
Full Disclosure Campaign Update - September 6
To: VFP Chapters and Active At-Large Members
Re: Burns/Novick PBS Series on Vietnam
If you were at VFP's Chicago convention or heard from someone who was, you know that the "Full Disclosure" workshop generated lots of ideas for VFP to have its voice heard in the national discussion that will follow the airing of PBS' "Vietnam" series beginning Sept. 17.
We can't stress how important that will be. As one person said in Chicago, "The PBS series will put a national spotlight on Vietnam and the 50th anniversary events. It'll be our last time to effectively set the record straight. After a 50th anniversary, it'll be all ancient history...we'll be just walking with the dinosaurs after that."
So let's seize the moment, friends and comrades! Time is short, but there are ample opportunities if we don't delay.
RESOURCES
VFP members have been hard at work preparing some really solid material for you to use locally. There's more coming. And we invite you to plug in and add your ideas.
1) The VFP "Full Disclosure" website. One feature not to miss is the timeline/chronology. Another is the most comprehensive critique of the Burns/Novick documentary we've seen so far, written by Thomas A. Bass in the Mekong Review, titled "America's Amnesia."
2) Then there's "Full Disclosure," the newspaper, It's essential. Initially 28 pages, expanded to 32 pages to include another review by Camillo Mac Bica. If you haven't ordered a bundle yet, do so here today. You will need them.
3) PBS affiliates and many libraries have scheduled or soon will schedule various kinds of local programs. If there's not a viewing party or discussion already scheduled where you live, organize one! The PBS p.r. team has encouraged VFP to participate and to let them know if there's any problem doing so. We have a perspective that is terribly important for the public to hear. Millions will be listening. The material is there to help you do it. All that's needed is your participation.
WHAT'S IN THE SERIES?
Bass' review appears to be based on him seeing the whole series, but no one we've talked with has, so it's unclear exactly what will be presented. But we do know this much:
1) PBS has published a thumbnail description of each of the 10 episodes and we've prepared some talking points based on those (see attached file) and
2) As these things go, it's unlikely that American Exceptionalism, American Empire or America's Addiction to War will be highlighted, thus the importance of VFP members taking a leading role in the local discussions.
WHAT'S THE FIRST STEP?
Reach for your phone. Call your local PBS affiliate and your library. Ask them if they have a presentation of some sort planned in conjunction with the documentary. If yes, tell them you want to be part of it. If no, ask them if they'd like to be part of one.
PLEASE NOTE:
Also, sign up to be on the "Full Disclosure" email list if you want to communicate with VFP activists around the country who are working on this.
To join the Vietnam Full Disclosure "google group" you must have a Google login. Once logged onto Google, go to: http://groups.google.com/group/vnfd and submit a request to join the group. Alternatively, send a request to group manager Becky Luening at [email protected] and she will directly add you to the group. After being subscribed, anyone can post to the group via the email address [email protected]
Get involved in this rare opportunity to get America talking about what really went down in Viet Nam!
To: VFP Chapters and Active At-Large Members
Re: Burns/Novick PBS Series on Vietnam
If you were at VFP's Chicago convention or heard from someone who was, you know that the "Full Disclosure" workshop generated lots of ideas for VFP to have its voice heard in the national discussion that will follow the airing of PBS' "Vietnam" series beginning Sept. 17.
We can't stress how important that will be. As one person said in Chicago, "The PBS series will put a national spotlight on Vietnam and the 50th anniversary events. It'll be our last time to effectively set the record straight. After a 50th anniversary, it'll be all ancient history...we'll be just walking with the dinosaurs after that."
So let's seize the moment, friends and comrades! Time is short, but there are ample opportunities if we don't delay.
RESOURCES
VFP members have been hard at work preparing some really solid material for you to use locally. There's more coming. And we invite you to plug in and add your ideas.
1) The VFP "Full Disclosure" website. One feature not to miss is the timeline/chronology. Another is the most comprehensive critique of the Burns/Novick documentary we've seen so far, written by Thomas A. Bass in the Mekong Review, titled "America's Amnesia."
2) Then there's "Full Disclosure," the newspaper, It's essential. Initially 28 pages, expanded to 32 pages to include another review by Camillo Mac Bica. If you haven't ordered a bundle yet, do so here today. You will need them.
3) PBS affiliates and many libraries have scheduled or soon will schedule various kinds of local programs. If there's not a viewing party or discussion already scheduled where you live, organize one! The PBS p.r. team has encouraged VFP to participate and to let them know if there's any problem doing so. We have a perspective that is terribly important for the public to hear. Millions will be listening. The material is there to help you do it. All that's needed is your participation.
WHAT'S IN THE SERIES?
Bass' review appears to be based on him seeing the whole series, but no one we've talked with has, so it's unclear exactly what will be presented. But we do know this much:
1) PBS has published a thumbnail description of each of the 10 episodes and we've prepared some talking points based on those (see attached file) and
2) As these things go, it's unlikely that American Exceptionalism, American Empire or America's Addiction to War will be highlighted, thus the importance of VFP members taking a leading role in the local discussions.
WHAT'S THE FIRST STEP?
Reach for your phone. Call your local PBS affiliate and your library. Ask them if they have a presentation of some sort planned in conjunction with the documentary. If yes, tell them you want to be part of it. If no, ask them if they'd like to be part of one.
PLEASE NOTE:
- If the local programmers are NOT welcoming, explain to them that local panels are supposed to be diverse and open. PBS has funded 76 stations with grants to produce local content and PBS officials are expecting local affiliate panels to be welcoming to VFP members.
- Consult the list of PBS affiliates to see what sorts of things are planned around the country (see attached file).
- Nate Goldshlag and Gene Marx are working with chapter contacts and other members to urge their involvement.
- If you are experiencing push-back locally, contact Nate or Gene. They will try to resolve it. If unsuccessful, they'll contact the PBS staff who will take it from there.
- If none of the above works and you're still frozen out, don't be shy about a) talking to the press about it and b) organizing a VFP-sponsored talk/event or even a picket line of the affiliate's office.
Also, sign up to be on the "Full Disclosure" email list if you want to communicate with VFP activists around the country who are working on this.
To join the Vietnam Full Disclosure "google group" you must have a Google login. Once logged onto Google, go to: http://groups.google.com/group/vnfd and submit a request to join the group. Alternatively, send a request to group manager Becky Luening at [email protected] and she will directly add you to the group. After being subscribed, anyone can post to the group via the email address [email protected]
Get involved in this rare opportunity to get America talking about what really went down in Viet Nam!
VFP-111 to Hold July Mini-Retreat
Mark your calendars. A chapter gathering, for planning, socializing, and our shared journey into the future will take place on Sunday, July 16, at 2:00 PM. All VFP members, family, and friends are invited.
Where: At Alice’s house, 8181 Birch Terrace Place
About a mile from I-5 exit 270 (Birch Bay Lynden Rd.) This neighborhood is west and north of the exit.
Phone 360-312-8234 for additional information.
Mark your calendars. A chapter gathering, for planning, socializing, and our shared journey into the future will take place on Sunday, July 16, at 2:00 PM. All VFP members, family, and friends are invited.
Where: At Alice’s house, 8181 Birch Terrace Place
About a mile from I-5 exit 270 (Birch Bay Lynden Rd.) This neighborhood is west and north of the exit.
Phone 360-312-8234 for additional information.
