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March 29, 2007

My take on Presidential Politics

I tend to agree with my sister WILPFers that far too much energy is sucked away by presidential elections. Core issues of peace and justice are never tackled, and none of the candidates every completely represent my views on war, peace, and the way towards democracy. Heck, the whole way we elect presidents is undemocratic.

Nevertheless, I'm still interested in engaging people in the political process. And I think elections are a unique way to preach beyond the choir. That's part of the reason I'm involved with the Courage Campaign, a California progressive organization that is pushing to make CA more than just an ATM on the road to the White House via our ATM Watch.

Some people are skeptical, and I responded to one such critic on the Courage Campaign blog. Feel free to read why I think its important for presidential candidates to address California issues in "ATM Watch in the News: Are Californians Californian?"

Posted by cj at 10:46 PM | Comments (0)

March 26, 2007

Death, Harrassment, & Possible Peace

UN officials would like to remind you that there is a genocide in Darfur. It's getting worse, not better. All those Nicolas Kristof columns haven't saved very many people from murder, rape, and pillaging on the basis of ethnicity. So read another article on the genocide, by Reuters / AP via Intl Herald Tribune. Or go to Save Darfur to get active on the issue.

If you're Nigerian and female, you must be willing to be raped to get a college diploma. Read the horrific details in "Lecturers Prey on Nigerian Women, Girls," by Katharine Houreld of the AP in WaPo. To stand up for a woman's right to education without forced rape, join Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

SecState and SecGen UN are trying to renew peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. Or at least that's what they're telling the press. But, see, they continue the lie that there's equity between Israel and the Palestinians. That somehow, a stateless people, whose elected leaders are barred from the negotiations should be held to the same standards as occupiers who continue to appropriate land, water, and other resources. Instead of pressuring Israel to get the hell out of the West Bank and to allow Gaza to trade with its Egyptian neighbors, the US entourage continues the facade that the most useful thing for Israel to do is talk through the US to all Palestinian representatives and pretend to be open to Saudia Arabia's 2002 peace plan (that called for Israel to fully withdraw from the West Bank, not expand its illegal settlements). Read the watered down version of this news from Reuters. To voice your opposition to the status quo US policy on the Middle East, join WILPF's campaign - Women Challenge US Policy: Building Peace on Justice in the Middle East.

Posted by cj at 7:53 PM | Comments (0)