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Indivisible Columbia County NY will join March for Our Lives’ Day of national action, in reaction to the latest wave of gun violence. They will be holding a vigil at the gazebo in Chatham, NY 11:00 -Noon June 11^, 2022. 

March for Our Lives (MFOL) was founded in the wake of the Parkland shooting.  They call for the reexamination of the dangerous District of Columbia v. Heller interpretation of the Second Amendment in which the US Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects an individual’s right to keep and bear arms, unconnected with service in a militia, for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.  MFOL also calls for the initiation of both FEC and IRS investigations into the NRA, and the full repeal of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) which is a United States law that protects firearms manufacturers and dealers from being held liable when crimes have been committed with their products.

MFOL advocates the passing of legislation to raise the national standards for gun ownership. This includes a national licensing and registry system which promotes responsible gun ownership; a ban on assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and other weapons of war; policies to disarm gun owners who pose a harm risk; and a national gun buy-back program to reduce the estimated 265–393 million firearms in circulation by at least 30%.

This vigil is cosponsored by Upper Hudson Peace Action

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Larry Wittner Wednesday June 8, 7:00 PM Eastern Time, via Zoom

speaking on “How the Peace Movement Can Work More Effectively to End the War in Ukraine”

Larry Wittner, Counterpunch March 11, 2022  

The Imperialist Roots of Putin’s Policy

Recent Activity by Upper Hudson Peace Action

Jan 12, 2022 we zoomed with a speaker from South Korea, Hyun Lee, with a masters from Columbia, who described a peaceful path out of the current tensions with North Korea and gave us a good overview of how the United States has made South Korea subservient militarily to it as well touching on our relationship with China. The recording is here: https://youtu.be/LZ01PesM0X8

We endorsed  Grannies for Peace & World BEYOND War this Valentine’s Day for their webinar on starvation in Afghanistan at which Kathy Kelly and Phyllis Bennis presented.  If you missed it or want to share it with a friend, here is the link to the recording.

We helped advertise Friend’s Committee on National Legislation’s February 17, 2022 presentation on starvation in Yemen and the United State’s Complicity therein. If you were not able to join us, you can watch the discussion here, and you can watch the film “Hunger Wards”  here.

Upper Hudson Peace Action works to end wars and prevent new wars through education and public witness. We seek to abolish nuclear weapons. We support human rights, economic justice and international cooperation. Located in New York’s Capital District, we sponsor speakers, organize demonstrations, screen films, pass out leaflets, circulate petitions and address elected officials.

Upper Hudson Peace Action’s nine affiliated Branches (click on links for more information):

• Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace
• Chatham Neighbors for Peace
• Pine Hills Neighbors for Peace
• Saratoga Peace Alliance
• Schenectady Neighbors for Peace
• Southern Rensselaer Neighbors for Peace
• Palestinian Rights Committee
• UAlbany Peace Action

Stay Informed!

–Watch DemocracyNow!     https://www.democracynow.org  The best media/news show for social activism, with Amy Goodman’s factual reporting, without the editorializing and hype seen on broadcast channels. It can be seen at their DemocracyNow! website, at http://FreeSpeech.org on Roku and similar internet TV streaming devices at 8AM, and listened to on WRPI 91.5 FM weekdays at 9AM.

–See UHPA’s Larry Wittner’s articles and biography: https://peaceact.net/larry-wittner-bio/

• * The Peace Movement and electoral politics   https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-peace-movement-and-electoral-politics_us_5a25b29ae4b05072e8b56b90
• * Working for Peace and Justice  http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/167234
• * Should Limiting North Korea’s Nuclear Ambitions Be the Responsibility of the U.S. Government?http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/167069
• * A Negotiated Curbing of North Korea’s Nuclear Capabilities is Good, But Not Good Enough http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/166975
• * Playing Nuclear `Chicken’ With Our Lives http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/166649
• * How Much is a Boss worth? http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/166324
• * Should We Pay the Staggering Economic and Human Costs of Nuclear Weapons? http://href=”http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/167564?
• Why the “Merchants of Death” Survive and Prosper http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/167756

Get Involved!

* Sign up to be on the Upper Hudson Peace Action email list to get newsletter announcements of events: https://peaceact.net/contact-us/

* Join a weekly vigil near you (see the calendar and the local chapters listings above), or start your own—typically an hour of becoming friends with like-minded folks with signs on a busy street corner.  Due to uncertain times, these vigils may or not be happening.

* Look into other organizations as well as us, such as:

• Women Against War, http://www.womenagainstwar.org  Women Against War brings together Capital District women to work for peace. We advocate for changed US foreign policies through lobbying, leafleting, vigils, media outreach & educational events.
• AFSC   https://www.afsc.org/ the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker organization that promotes lasting peace with justice. working with people of many backgrounds. Key activities: Ending discrimination, building peace, defending immigrant rights, ending mass incarceration, building economic justice.

* Support anti-nuclear activities:

• Peace Action National’s’s fact sheet on first use of nuclear weapons: https://www.peaceaction.org/cms/assets/uploads/2017/05/fact-sheet-restricting-first-use.pdf
• Peace Action NYS info on nuclear weapons http://www.panys.org/campaign/abolishing-nuclear-weapons/
• Living on the Nuclear Brink: see William J Perry’s detailed talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MXLuYWaoAg
•  http://www.graftonpeacepagoda.org/ Join Jun San’s Buddhist prayers, walks, and attention to antinuclear as well as environmental causes. Grafton, NY. Open to all.
• Support ICAN http://www.icanw.org/  The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is a coalition of non-government organizations in one hundred countries advocating for a strong and effective nuclear weapon ban treaty.

* Support the refugees in our area:

• help out USCRI Albany http://refugees.org/field-office/albany/

* Get involved politically:

• Citizen Action- Albany (health care, racial justice, campaign finance, progressive taxation): http://citizenactionny.org/
• Move-On.org  http://Moveon.org/   MoveOn elevates the voices and power of real people in the political process.
• Bernie Sanders Network: http://berniesandersnetwork.com/UpcomingEvents
• OurRevolution: https://ourrevolution.com/issues/
• Consider supporting the Green Party http://www.gpny.org/ or the Working Family Party http://workingfamilies.org/

* Support environmental action:

• see Bill McKibben’s  https://350.org/    350.org is building the global grassroots climate movement that can hold our leaders accountable to science and justice.
• PAUSE, People of Albany United for Safe Energy  http://www.pausenergy.org/  PAUSE promotes safe, sustainable energy and fights for environmental justice.

We are part of the national organization Peace Action – today’s Peace Movement
-the largest membership peace group in the United States.

Peace Action works for smarter American approaches to global problems.
Click on the link for more information on our overall organization. http://www.peace-action.org/

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We are also one of 18 chapters of
Peace Action New York State (PANYS)    http://www.panys.org/
–From Buffalo to NYC, PANYS is a vibrant peace organization, with varied activies to model after and to take part in.

 

For Peace News— click here:

For information on issues— click on these links:

• Syria
• Carbon-free Energy
• Drones
• Gender-based Violence
• Indian Point
• No War with Iran
• Nuclear Weapons
• Move the Money
• Vote Peace

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We work in cooperation with other peace and justice groups in our area.

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Dan Wilcox protests in the Capital Region

Schenectady Neighbors for Peace Vigil

Bertha Kriegler protests the war

Peace on the Mohawk River

Stop the Pipelines; Stop Fracking

John Amidon -Non-Proliferation Treaty talk at UN

Linda LeTendre- Solidarity with Jun-san’s Buddhist peace walks

Effective civil disobedience

Wendy Dwyer promoting Renewable Energy

Nuclear Weapons protest

Michael Rice protests war

Annual Hiroshima/ Nagasaki memorial Trudy Quaif of Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace, with Mabel Leon (UHPA, Women against War, Grannies)

Sue Clarke reads John Hersey’s Hiroshima

Mari Matsuo at annual reading of
Hersey’s Hiroshima

David Easter at Non Proliferation Treaty
March NYC

Chatham peace vigil

Peace Action members joined the April 9 National Anti-war March in New York City

Obama Visit Demonstration 1-2011

Part of the “I Miss America” demonstration

Troy Peace Vigil

Labor rights and political action

Drone protest arrest at Hancock AFB

Nuclear non-proliferation march in NYC

Jackie Donegan– Teach Peace!

Close Guantanamo!

Action against Iran war

Pete Looker: No to fossil fools/fuels!

Steve/Barbara Wickham- protesting and tech support

Annual dinner/ award for Paul Rehm from David Easter

Mabel Leon receives award for her work

Labor Justice via the IWW

Protesting John Bolton at Union College

Jill Stein (on guitar) on peace Mohawk River-cruise

Protest signs collection at Siena College

Award presentation to Barbara Dworkin at Palestinian Rights Dinner

Marching in solidarity with the Japanese at the NPT in NYC

Engaging our politicians (Congressman Tonko/ Elaine Klein)

Greg Giorgio makes a joyful (?) sound while leading

Hiroshima remembrance at Schenectady Central Park’s Peace Pole

Terri Roben leading in song during Hiroshima remembrance Temple Gates of Heaven peace pole

Jeremy Clowe, Elaine Klein near St. Helen’s peace pole

Syracuse anti-drone large protest

Larry Wittner receives award

anti-KKK march in Albany