ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545 To subscribe, visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email

TWO IMPORTANT ORGANIZING OPPORTUNITIES IN JANUARY TO TURN UP THE HEAT:
The 75th Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15) and the Annual State of the Union Address (January 20)

United for Peace and Justice is kicking off the new year with a renewed commitment to fight the warmongering, empire-building policies of our government. We have just adopted an ambitious strategic plan of action for 2004 (see http://www.unitedforpeace.org for details) and are encouraging our supporters and member groups to begin the year by taking part in peace and justice activities linked to the 75th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the State of the Union address.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15th: 75th BIRTHDAY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Between January 15th and the official MLK holiday on Monday, January 19th, people throughout this country will be involved in activities celebrating the life and work of this national leader in the struggles for justice and peace. United for Peace and Justice urges you to honor the legacy of Dr. King by recommitting yourself to the work we all must take up this year.

In virtually every community in the nation there will be educational events, cultural activities and protests during the MLK Holiday weekend. This can be a critically important time for the antiwar movement to link the struggle against empire abroad with the fight for racial and economic justice at home, to strengthen ties with other movements, and in many cases to build new relationships:

1) Find out what MLK events are already planned in your community or city.

2) Contact the organizers of these events to see how your antiwar group can cooperate on the event. Ask if you can distribute literature, or even have a speaker.

3) Reproduce and distribute the materials which will soon be on the UFPJ web site: an edited version of Dr. King\'s famous speech against the Vietnam War and anti-war posters with the image of Dr. King.

4) Organize your own event during the holiday: a vigil honoring Dr. King and calling for an end to the US occupation of Iraq, a day of leafleting, or an educational event (you might want to use parts of the video from the UFPJ Teach-In last May which includes a strong presentation by former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney on the link to domestic issues ­ see the bottom of this email for ordering information).

5) If you organize an event be sure to post it on the calendar on the UFPJ website by visiting http://www.unitedforpeace.org/calendar_gxinput.php And check our web site for other ideas and materials you can use during the MLK activities.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20th: GEORGE W. BUSH DELIVERS THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS What will George Bush report in his State of the Union address on January 20?

That a handful of the administration’s closest corporate cronies are making billions in profits while hundreds of Iraqi citizens and US soldiers continue to lose their lives? That over 2 million people have joined the ranks of the unemployed since Bush took office? That states are still dealing with pressing budget deficits while Bush sets in motion his tax plan that rewards the wealthy? That racial profiling is alive and well as immigrants are targeted in the “war on terror”?

Probably not.

UFPJ calls on our supporters and member groups to ensure that the real State of the Union is discussed in your community on January 20. Organize a house party, town hall meeting, forum, gathering at religious centers or other event to set forth a Peoples’ State of the Union. Our goal is to TURN UP THE HEAT and to engage our communities and local media in discussing a different vision for the direction of the U.S. and its role in the world.

United for Peace and Justice is preparing materials you will be able to use to make your gathering more fun and productive. Most of these items will be available for downloading from our web site by Tuesday, January 13th, and other items will have to be shipped. Let us know if your group is planning an event by writing to stateoftheunion@unitedforpeace.org and we\'ll send you a packet.

To help you get started, here are some initial ideas:

THEMES FOR THE NIGHT Let’s face it. The State of the Union is a depressing subject. To make this event uplifting and inspire a new phase of movement building we’ve come up with some ideas to turn up the laughter, add a bit of competitive spirit, and to calm the nerves. We’ve also suggested a format for groups who want to use the opportunity to engage the public and media in a bit more serious discussion on the health of the U.S. Feel free to combine some of these ideas and send in your own ideas to UFPJ at stateoftheunion@unitedforpeace.org.

1.) State of the Union Dessert Social: “To take the bad taste out of your mouth” Participants bring a dessert dish as admission to the event (a dessert pot-luck). People to take a bite of a dessert each time President Bush says something that leaves them with a bad taste.

2.) Track the Lies Games. Remember when the President tried to convince the public that we were under imminent threat from Iraq in last years’ speech? In sixteen words Bush alleged that Saddam sought uranium from Africa and set in motion the series of lies that led to war in Iraq. This year we can expect another round of manipulated information, distortions, half-truths, and propaganda from Bush again. Our website will soon include details on how you might implement any of these ideas:
a) Half-truth Bingo Night
b) Lie-O-Meter
c) Tally sheets to track Bush’s lies, distortions, manipulations, half-truths etc.
d) \"Bushit Watch\", \"Misstatement of the Union Watch\", or “Sorry-Ass State of the Union”. Small soft foam balls to throw at the TV when people hear something they don’t like.

3.) People’s State of the Union: a town hall style meeting or hearing. If you are on the East Coast we recommend starting the event at 7:00pm (two hours before the actual televised speech), West Coasters might have time for direct responses following the President’s speech. Invite people from different constituencies to testify about their observations and experiences over the last year. For example, you can have someone speak about the state of health care, immigrant rights, workers rights, international cooperation, or whatever issues affect your community. Ministers For Racial, Social and Economic Justice (MRSEJ) are calling on houses of worship to host events in key cities. MRSEJ is encouraging the local faith community groups to designate someone to respond theologically to the speech and then to open the floor to comments from the audience. Contact them for more information by emailing gshagler@earthlink.net

Location
The best place to hold your Alternative State of the Union Event is a place that is accessible and comfortable for the broadest audience possible. Remember to book a place that has a TV large enough for the numbers you expect and is accessible by public transit. Here are a few ideas of places to hold your events:
-- House Party. Invite your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers to your home to view the speech. Use this as an opportunity to pull in new faces to your organization.
-- Church or house of worship. To host a larger event partner with a church or faith based group and reach out to the congregation and surrounding community.
-- Community Center. Your local peace and justice center, a senior center, youth center etc.
-- Bar. If you are choosing one of the fun themes for the evening you may consider holding it at a neighborhood hot spot. This can only be an option if the place is all-ages or if you are not expecting students or youth.
-- Campus Student Center. Request a room with a large screen TV.

Additional ideas:
-- Partner with allied organizations that work with poor people, immigrants, people of color, faith communities, labor or other groups who your group has not worked with much in the past. Some UFPJ groups will be supporting MLK day events and this is a natural next step for collaboration with civil rights and African American groups.
-- Use the event as an opportunity to engage the audience directly in action. Have postcards or a petition for people to sign on the spot. The UFPJ web site will have items you can download by January 15th.
-- Have people join your organization on the spot or at least sign up for your email list. Add an extra check box so people can choose to join the UFPJ action alert list and send the names to UFPJ at stateoftheunion@unitedforpeace.org
-- Use the event as a fundraiser. Sell your organization\'s T-shirts, books, and build in a fundraising mechanism to the night.
-- Pass out a set of questions that people could think about as they watch the speech and then discuss at the end.
-- Ask for donations from local stores (such as CDs or gift certificates) to pass out as prizes for the games.

REGISTER YOUR EVENT TODAY! Add what you are planning to the calendar on the UFPJ website by visiting http://www.unitedforpeace.org/calendar_gxinput.php

Finally, we encourage you to use both the MLK and the State of the Union activities as a time to recruit for the March 20: The World Still Says No To War regional demonstrations. On this first anniversary of the start of the war against Iraq, people around the world will take to the streets. Major protests are already being planned for New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, with more cities to be announced very soon. Visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org for more details, downloadable leaflets, and information on ordering stickers.

UFPJ TEACH-IN VIDEO On May 31, 2003 United for Peace and Justice organized an historic National Teach-In on Iraq, Preemptive War and Democracy. With upwards of 2,000 people in attendance,this inspiring event brought together many of the most prominent and articulate voices of our day, including: Arundhati Roy, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, Howard Zinn, Damu Smith, Phyllis Bennis, Hussein Ibish, Kathy Kelly, Rania Masri, Ralph Nader, Rev. Graylan Hagler, and, in one of his last public appearances, Edward Said. The three hour video of the teach-in includes all of the presentations made at this remarkable gathering.

Copies of the video are available for $40 each, or at a reduced rate of $30 for student and low-income groups, and can be ordered from us at:
United for Peace and Justice
Times Square Station
PO Box 607
New York, NY 10108

ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
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