Upper Hudson Peace Action

Support Peace. Take Action.

Join the Upper Hudson Peace Action in promoting peace and making a difference.

Our Mission

Creating a Peaceful and Equitable World

Raising Awareness

Championing Human Rights, Sustainability, and Disarmament

The Power of Collective Action

Join Us in Making a Difference

Together Towards Change

Building a Better Future Through Our Initiatives

  • What is the way forward for the peace movement?

    Join us for Upper Hudson Peace Action’s Annual Gathering! Sunday, November 10, 2024
    4pm to 6pm at     St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church,10 N. Main Avenue, Albany [map]

    Featuring
    • A panel presentation on the topic “Which way forward for the peace movement?” with
    Maureen Aumand, Susan DuBois, Tom Ellis, Charlie Mandracchia & Larry Wittner
    • Presentation of the first Pat Beetle Peace Award to Maureen Aumand
    • Desserts, coffee, and tea provided by UHPA
     
    Save the date. Invite your friends.
    Use the Facebook event page.

    Schedule
    Doors open at 3:45pm.
    Awards ceremony begins promptly at 4:15pm.
    Panel discussion will begin at 4:30pm
    Suggested donation: $20 per person
    This donation includes annual Upper Hudson Peace Action membership dues.
    This event is free for all students.
    This is a zero waste event and we welcome volunteers to set-up or break-down.
    No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
     
    About the Speakers
    Maureen Baillargeon Aumand is a member of Women Against War, Grannies for Peace, and the co-organizer of the annual Kateri Peace Conference.
     
    Susan DuBois has been involved in the local peace and justice community for many years and is a co-chair of Ukraine Solidarity Capital District.
     
    Tom Ellis is a long-time member of both the Palestinian Rights Committee and Upper Hudson Peace Action.
     
    Charlie Mandracchia is a political science PhD student at the University at Albany, committed peace activist, and former campus organizer at Siena College for Peace Action of New York State.
     
    Larry Wittner, a peace and social justice activist since 1961, currently serves as a board member of the Peace Action Fund of New York State and of the Citizens for Global Solutions Education Fund.

     

     

  • Local Hiroshima/ Nagasaki 2024 ceremonies

    Reading of John Hersey’s Hiroshima 
    Tuesday, August 6, 11:00AM
    Townsend Park, Albany, NY
    (Henry Johnson Blvd. & Central Ave.)
     
    The event is free and open to the public and the public is encouraged to join in the reading.  Those interested in reading can sign up to participate when they arrive.  Please bring folding chairs. Rain site: Social Justice Center.

    On August 6, 1945 the United States of America used the atomic bomb for the first time to destroy the city of Hiroshima, Japan; on August 9, the U.S. used the atomic bomb again on Nagasaki, Japan. Over 200,000 people died immediately in the two bombings and over a hundred thousand more died in the following decades as a result of the effects of the radiation.  

    Hiroshima by John Hersey tells the story of the bombing on August 6, 1945 by following the story of six of the survivors.  The book version has been in print since 1946.  

    Co-sponsored by the Poetry Motel Foundation, Tom Paine Chapter Veterans for Peace, Upper Hudson Peace Action. For more information contact Dan Wilcox, 518-482-0262; dwlcx46@gmail.com
    =============================================================

    From our friends in peace at the Grafton Peace Pagoda:

    Hiroshima/Nagasaki Peace Walk & 79th Commemoration Ceremony
    Hiroshima/Nagasaki Peace Walk: No More War – August 6-10, 2024
    • Tuesday, August 6 – Hiroshima Day – 2:00 PM Chickopee, MA City Hall to Springfield City Hall for Peace Vigil and Gathering
    • Wednesday August 7 – 9:00 AM Amherst City Hall to North Hampton MA L3Harris Company (War technology company)
    • Thursday August 8 – 9:00 AM Saratoga Springs to West Milton Kesselring Training Facility (Nuclear Submarine Training Center)
    • Friday August 9 Nagasaki Day – 7:00AM Vigil at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory and walk to NYS Capitol for Nagasaki Peace Vigil at noon
    • Saturday August 10 – 6:30PM Grafton Town Square walk to Grafton Peace Pagoda for Lantern Ceremony at 8:00PM

    For Peace Walk details please contact Grafton Peace Pagoda, Nipponzan Myohoji (Japanese Buddhist order) call 518-658-9301, 8:00am-5:00pm. During Peace Walk contact Rose (201) 956-5702

    ————————————————–

    Hiroshima Nagasaki Day
    Saturday, August 10, 2024 – 79th Commemoration Ceremony
    Remembering those lost to nuclear war

    Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo

    6:30pm walk from Grafton Town Square to Grafton Peace Pagoda
    8:00pm Program of Peace in front of the Peace Pagoda

    • Lantern Ceremony
    • Interfaith Prayer
    • Musical Offerings

    Ceremony rain or shine. Remember that it’s always cooler in Grafton and there are sometimes mosquitos so bring what you need for comfort. For more information contact the Grafton Peace Pagoda at 518-658-9301 (between 8:00am-5:00pm).

    87 Crandall Rd., Grafton, NY 1213

  • EcoFission: a debate on the role of nuclear energy in addressing climate change

    Upper Hudson Peace Action and the RPI chapter of Sunrise Movement invite you to a one-on-one policy debate on the proposition: “Nuclear Energy plays an essential role in addressing global warming.”
    The debate, happening in RPI Nason Hall (1965 Burdett Ave, Troy, NY) begins at 6:30pm on April 11th and will conclude at 7:35. Pizza from DeFazio’s and lively open discussion following the debate.
    Dr. James Olson is a Senior Lecturer in the Dept. of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering.
    Mark Schaeffer is a lifelong environmental activist who is active with 350.org, PAUSE, and Peace Action.

    Facebook link to event:     https://fb.me/e/8tz2cCMng

     

  • Special Program on a Visit to Kurdistan

    Upper Hudson Peace Action Alert       Exploring Kurdistan: Yassin Aref’s Albany Friends Visit and Report

    Event has taken place. Link to YouTube video of presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz_jo7YoN8o

    Tuesday, February 20, 2024 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Albany Public Library (161 Washington Ave., Albany, NY) 

    Upper Hudson Peace Action presents a program offering a rare glimpse into Kurdistan, home of Yassin Aref, by six Capital District people who had supported him during a long and very controversial ordeal involving accusations of association with terrorism and issues of FBI entrapment. After 15 years in US federal prisons, he returned to his home in Kurdistan in 2019. His supporters, now lifelong friends, traveled to visit him and learn about Kurdistan in 2023.

    After a brief introduction about the background of the trip, the talk will include: tales of the speakers’ adventures; explanations of the political situation and history and the genocides against the Kurds; personal accounts of Kurdish hospitality; and a presentation of the outstanding geography of the land.

    The presentation will include dozens of professional photos from the trip. Yassin Aref was an incredible host who took his visitors to many varied places in Kurdistan, including one of the world’s oldest cities.  During the ten day trip, they visited a general, a chief, lunched with the governor, and were well fed and tended by their friend’s extended family.

    The public is invited to attend this free program and gain a broader understanding of Kurdistan, a land loosely defined as areas inhabited mainly by Kurds in large parts of eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, western Iran and smaller parts of Syria and Armenia.

    Speakers for the event include: Steve Downs, Lynne Jackson, Kathy Manley, Alaa Muhiddin, Diana Morales, and Carl Strock, with Jeanne Finley as the moderator.

    Please note that attendees are asked to wear masks for virus prevention.

    Co-sponsors for the program include: Peace Action New York State, Upper Hudson Peace Action, Muslim Solidarity Committee, Project SALAM, and Save the Pine Bush 

  • UHPA Nov. 11 Peace Community Gathering Featuring David Cortright

    You are warmly invited to a community gathering at 7pm on Saturday, November 11, 2023 featuring scholar and activist David Cortright speaking on “Why Nuclear Disarmament is More Urgent than Ever“

    Upper Hudson Peace Action is sponsoring Professor David Cortright who will speak on “Why Nuclear Disarmament is More Urgent than Ever” Saturday, November 11, 7:00 PM at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 10 North Main Ave., Albany followed by a Q & A discussion time. Pat Beetle will be presented with a lifetime achievement award.  A dessert Bar and tea will be provided. There will be a silent auction, a short singalong led by Elizabeth Meehan, and a peace book swap. This is a fundraiser with a $20 admission, more if you can, less if you can’t.  Let’s take care of each other by wearing masks. 

    Cortright is a scholar and activist for peace, currently serving as University Lecturer and fellow of the 
    Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at Cornell University. He is Professor Emeritus at the 
    University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. 

    Cortright is the author or editor of 22 books, including most recently A Peaceful Superpower: Lessons 
    from the World’s Largest Antiwar Movement (New Village Press, 2023).  

    As an enlisted soldier from 1968 to 1971 Cortright spoke out against the Vietnam War and organized 
    petitions and protests as part of the GI peace movement. In 1970 he filed a federal lawsuit against the 
    Army to defend the right of dissent against unjust war. 

    From 1978 to 1988 he was the executive director of SANE, the Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy, and then co-director of SANE/Freeze. In 2002 he was a co-founder of Win Without War, which opposed the US invasion of Iraq and remains an active voice today in promoting progressive foreign policy. 

    This event is co-sponsored by the Peace Action Fund of New York State.

  • UHPA Calendar of Events

    Follow UHPA on Facebook

  • Public Reading of John Hersey’s Hiroshima

    The Tom Paine chapter of Veterans for Peace is sponsoring, with Upper Hudson Peace Action co-sponsorship, a public reading of John Hersey’s classic book, Hiroshima, which follows the true stories of six people caught up in the atomic bombing of their city. Starting at 11:00 AM on August 6, the event will take place in Townsend Park, in downtown Albany, NY. Those interested in reading can sign up to participate. Please bring folding chairs. The rain site is the Social Justice Center, located at 33 Central Avenue, Albany. 

    On August 6, 1945 the United States of America used the atomic bomb for the first time to destroy the city of Hiroshima, Japan. On August 9, the U.S. used the atomic bomb again on Nagasaki, Japan. Over 200,000 people died immediately in the two bombings and over a hundred thousand more died in the following decades as a result of the effects of the radiation. Hiroshima by John Hersey tells the story of the bombing on August 6, 1945 by following the story of six of the survivors. The book version has been in print since 1946.

    For more information contact Dan Wilcox, 518-482-0262, dwlcx@earthlink.net

  • Golden Rule Peace Boat visit coverage in the Albany Times Union

    Times Union Article

  • Golden Rule Peace Boat visits Albany July 11- July 13

    In 1958 four Quaker peace activists sailed the Golden Rule toward the Marshall Islands in an attempt to halt thermonuclear weapons testing. The US Coast Guard boarded her in Honolulu and arrested her crew, causing an international outcry. Arrest of the crew and rising awareness of the dangers of radiation and nuclear war led to worldwide demands to stop nuclear testing. This spurred the U.S., the U.S.S.R., and the U.K. to sign the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963.

    In 2010, the Golden Rule was rebuilt in Humboldt Bay, California, and is now “Sailing for a Nuclear-Weapons Free World and a Peaceful, Sustainable Future.

    ”With tensions so high between nuclear armed nations and a new nuclear arms race, it is more important than ever to bring a message of nuclear disarmament and peace. Come see the boat and learn what you can do to support the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, and the total elimination of nuclear weapons.

    Tuesday, July 11 Between 4 & 7 PM The Golden Rule will arrive and dock on the Hudson in Albany, NY next to Dutch Apple Cruises and the USS Slater. The land address is the intersection of Quay Street and Broadway.

    Wednesday, July 12 9-5 Tours of the boat will be available at that location.

    Upper Hudson Peace Action & Peace Action New York State
    Invite You to a Free Online Interactive Talk With Michael Richardson, Co-founder of Rivers & Mountains Greenfaith

    Build a Greener, More Peaceful Economy By Not Investing in Fossil Fuels & Weapons
    Date:  June 14, 2023
    The recording of the session can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWeuVJ1FuBY

    Links mentioned in the talk:
    https://www.rivers-mountains-greenfaith.org/
    https://www.rivers-mountains-greenfaith.org/divest-invest-workshop
    https://fossilfreefunds.org/
    https://weaponfreefunds.org/

    Details: This talk contains some useful green investment and banking strategies for all of us – no need to have a stash of cash

    Discussion Will Include Information About

    Personal Banking – find community banks and credit unions that use deposits for local ventures.Credit Cards – find alternative cards that do not invest in fossil fuel projects.

    Home & Auto Insurance – find local, small insurance companies that don’t invest with fossil fuel projects.

    Retirement Investments – learn about your current investment fund and how to find alternative greener investments… and how to find an environmentally conscious financial advisor.

    About the speaker: Lifelong activist, Michael Richardson, is co-founder of Rivers & Mountains GreenFaith, an inter-faith group of climate activists in the Hudson Valley of New York State in coalition with Stop the Money Pipeline, Third Act, and GreenFaith (international).  He also is on the steering committee of NY Renews, the force behind the landmark NYS Climate Act.

  • Build a Greener, More Peaceful Economy

    By Not Investing in Fossil Fuels & Weapons

    Free Online Interactive Talk With Michael Richardson, Co-founder of Rivers & Mountains Greenfaith

    Date:  June 14, 2023     

    The recording of the session can be found here:

    Links mentioned in the talk:
    https://www.rivers-mountains-greenfaith.org/
    https://www.rivers-mountains-greenfaith.org/divest-invest-workshop
    https://fossilfreefunds.org/
    https://weaponfreefunds.org/

    Details: This talk contains some useful green investment and banking strategies for all of us – no need to have a stash of cash

    Discussion Will Include Information About

    Personal Banking – find community banks and credit unions that use deposits for local ventures.

    Credit Cards – find alternative cards that do not invest in fossil fuel projects.

    Home & Auto Insurance – find local, small insurance companies that don’t invest with fossil fuel projects.

    Retirement Investments – learn about your current investment fund and how to find alternative greener investments… and how to find an environmentally conscious financial advisor.

    About the speaker: Lifelong activist, Michael Richardson, is co-founder of Rivers & Mountains GreenFaith, an inter-faith group of climate activists in the Hudson Valley of New York State in coalition with Stop the Money Pipeline, Third Act, and GreenFaith (international).  He also is on the steering committee of NY Renews, the force behind the landmark NYS Climate Act.