Avery and Nancy and I just had a remarkable experience. Our benefactor, the Marguerite Casey Foundation, invited all of its grantees in Washington to send representatives to Seattle to talk about Movement Building. It was not a command performance, but since the convening was at a fine hotel with all our expenses covered, it was a compelling invitation.

Besides PJALS, MCF has also supported KYRS, Odyssey, VOICES, and Spokane Alliance in Spokane, but most of the participants were from the Seattle area and work in a distinctly different environment. The common denominator is work on behalf of economically oppressed families.

We found considerable common ground with every organization represented there, but it would never have occurred to me to gather these diverse advocates to exchange ideas, challenge and refresh each other. And it would never have occurred to me to criticize a foundation for the way it distributes grants, but an amount that makes a PJALS staff position and campaign for a year may be a drop in the bucket to some of these inner city groups with government subsidies, field directors and levels of administrative support.

At any rate, MCF was prepared for us all, and encouraged give and take. The foundation also brought grantees from other parts of the country to challenge our provincial thinking and get us on the same page, make us feel a part of the same movement, whether we have one issue or 20, or do material support or educational advocacy.

A bonus for PJALS, was that one area of discussion was Chicago’s Big Box Living Wage Ordinance that recently passed the Board of Aldermen, only to be vetoed by the mayor. As we work our way toward a vote on a similar ordinance for Spokane, we could hardly have a better sounding board for our campaign. One might think that having MCF in our corner would make it easy, but even long-time advocates for low-income families have different ideas about such an ordinance. Hard core advocates can be as suspicious of new ideas as conservative bureaucrats, and we had some good exercise in the limited amount of time we had for discussion.

I’m hoping you will have some of the same conversations we had with that unique group in Seattle, whether you are on board with our initiative or a bit skeptical, whether you vote in Spokane or outside the city. It’s my belief that a thorough discussion will put you squarely behind our proposal, that you will see it as a real opportunity to slow the spiral of economic polarization while offering a better employment situation to big retailers, including significant savings in training and absentee rates. And if you haven’t reached that conclusion yet, you’ll still want to sign the petition so it can go to the voters this fall.

Elections don’t have to be about a winner and a loser. When they’re done right, it’s all about a win for the community.

Because most power holders don’t encourage discussions about what to do with money, it’s surprising to find one who does. My experience with MCF encourages me to listen to more voices and find more people who’ll listen to me. When you find out what movement you’re part of, you may find that you’ve more diversity than you bargained for. Make the most of it, and still be true to your values.

Although we can’t avoid rhetoric about winning and losing, we can still find the importance of the process, which may be the same thing as the ultimate goal. Whether we’re talking war and peace or poverty and wealth, I think it’s important to remember the wisdom of A.J. Muste, who is credited with the slogan, “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.”

I hope you’ll check our website for the latest information on Spokane Citizens for a Living Wage, and call us with questions and suggestions for the campaign. There’s always room for you at our meetings on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays. And I’m always glad to tell you why I think any movement toward a living wage is a necessary step for a community that wants to establish justice. - RN

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Many used this road to escape the violence this summer, until the Israeli military destroyed the bridges, that is. We crossed a few small World War II replacement bridges before arriving at the "pièce de resistance," a detour under that the Israelis completely destroyed.

I could only shake my head in disgust. One side was nothing more than metal structural wires struggling out of crumbling cement into the deep crevasse below. Now the United States is contributing up to $30 million for it to be rebuilt. They have put $148 million into reconstruction so far, peanuts compared to the billions the U.S. gives Israel in military aid, aid used to attack Lebanon. It would have been easier to just use the money to help people beforehand. The U.S. is canceling its financial assistance out.

We visited a school in a Bedouin community high in the plateau of the Bekaa Valley. The residents make their living working the fields that surround their long term tents, winterized with doors, layers of plastic, and wood. It is cold here. Unfortunately, there is no work. The fields are brown. The summer crop spoiled because of the war. They were not able to replant.-

Throughout the journey, we were reminded of how everyone was affected by the war this past summer. Some were forced to flee, others took people in. In some ways, it was worse than the civil war because there was no going to the bomb shelter in the basement. Entire buildings were destroyed. People who took refuge in bomb shelters could be stuck underneath rubble for weeks, if not forever.

We drove by a destroyed milk factory. Why a milk factory? The story is that the company won a contract with UNIFIL, the other contender was an Israeli company. Now the Israeli company has the contract. I was reminded of the destroyed factory when I went to get milk at the local store. “Where is the Lebanese milk?” “There isn’t any, the factory was destroyed.”

A Trip to the South

I lost count of destroyed bridges along the way. I saw the spot where the petrol tanks were blown up, causing a large amount of environmental damage. Many livelihoods depend upon the sea, not to mention all the marine life that was affected. Thanks to groups like Greenpeace and Greenline, the beach looks pretty clean. I cannot say what lies below the water’s surface, though. I was thinking of this as I also felt great joy in seeing the flat craggy rocks that I used to climb as a child.

Billboards are everywhere. One is a visual display of the types of unexploded bombs that people may still find all around, "Keep away and notify the authorities immediately." The Israeli military scattered bombs around the South while the cease fire was being negotiated.

1,200 killed in 34 days this summer. Four times this amount wounded. And people are still dying and being maimed because of these unexploded bombs.

I feel so sad here, so helpless because people had to live through such terror and now are functioning around the destruction of war. I feel like all of this is my fault. I know that it is not exactly me that caused this, but I am complicit and so is everyone that pays taxes and votes for representatives that do not speak up.

On the bright side, a lot of money is pouring in for reconstruction, and I am amazed at how fast the country is being rebuilt. I can't help thinking about what the Lebanese could be doing with their ingenuity and determination if they did not have to keep on rebuilding. It’s as if they are reliving the same moment over and over, like the movie “Groundhog Day.”

Putting a Face to the Protesters

I met a young man who was at home with his family in the South during Israel’s war on Lebanon. He is studying computer engineering at the University. He would like to find a job in Lebanon when he finishes his degree, but chances are he will have to leave the country to find work like so many other Lebanese. For 18 days during the summer, my friend awakened each morning at 6:00 to the sound of Israeli bombing. For 18 days his alarm clock was bombs destroying the bridge down the street. Did it take 18 days? No, but bombing rubble instills fear and kills civilians.

My friend wants a voice. He wants his people to have this voice when Israel disrespects borders, and he wants a voice in the political system in his country. My friend believes Hezbollah and the coalition it has with Amal and the Free Patriotic Movement is this voice.

                                           For more information about Lebanon, I recommend

www.electronicintifada.net/lebanon/,

www.dailystar.com,and anything by Robert Fisk. - MM

I struggle with how I feel about Hezbollah. I do not believe in the violence they instigated. My friend reminded me Israel was planning this war and the kidnapping of the Israeli soldiers was just a good moment to proceed. I know this. I also know Israeli jails hold hundreds of Lebanese citizens who have not been given fair and legal trials. But no matter how you look at it, the result was war, and people were killed. Neither side is blameless in war.

Since the war, more Lebanese support Hezbollah. The party is helping people rebuild and is asking for more representation in the government. One third of the seats would give the coalition of Hezbollah, Amal, and the Free Patritiotic Movement veto power, like the other groups. This is what the demonstrations at Martyrs’ Square are about.

In Lebanon, each political party helps its own. While visiting various non-profits, I learned that each political party and sometimes even the various leaders run foundations and give financial support to non-profits in their region. The government has given very little to the Shiites who have the least amount of political representation in the government and coincidentally are those with the fewest resources. It is Hezbollah who has provided support to the people in need.

The Paris Summit

I am back in the US, and industrialized countries have joined to supply Lebanon with $7.6 billion. Unfortunately, the majority of this money is in loans, not donations. Plus, the largest portion was lent by the World Bank which, along with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is famous for its structural adjustment policies that often do more harm than good to most people. It requires creation of reform packages like one the Lebanese government has that includes tax programs that are harsher on the poor than on the rich, privatization of basic services, and limitations on social spending.

I’ve not heard of these reform packages benefiting other countries. In addition, this money is not to reform the sectarian system or decrease disparity between those who have and those who do not. If Lebanon is to know long-term peace, these two things need to happen.

Maa Salama, Peace be with you. - MM

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Rally and March Against War on March 17

PJALS joins with nationwide groups and actions again on March 17, 2007 to express our hope for peace and a return of U.S. troops from wars of aggression. We’ll be at Franklin Park, Division and Queen, at 2:00 pm, with signs, speakers and music.

Our guest speaker will be Hernan Suarez Diaz, president of the new Seattle chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War. Former Spokane Mayor Sheri Barnard will also address the urgency of bringing our troops home, and Mike Kress will present his Pledge of Resistance to a War on Iran, as outlined on these pages.

Musically, the P-Jammers are gearing up for another rousing manifestation as a radical marching band, and the Raging Grannies have some new songs to entertain and inspire us. Another special feature of this event will be the Bush Chain Gang. Yes, those cute little icons of our perpetual war will be in Spokane, wearing stripes and chains. Don’t miss the life-size bubble heads of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice. And you get to be within hailing distance without even making so much as a $5,000 campaign donation.

Following our rally at the park, we’ll take our signs and our nonviolent indignation on a sidewalk march up and down the sidewalks of Division Street. Our walk will be about one mile.

This event is, in no way, planned as a St. Patrick’s Day statement or alternative, but is in conjunction with the March on the Pentagon and other peace events around the country on the same weekend. PJALS welcomes everyone who wants peace and respects our commitment to nonviolent action.

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Stop the War on Iran:
A Pledge of Resistance

By Mike Kress

Politicians and pundits are ramping up their rhetoric to demonize Iran. The boogeyman of “al-Qaeda in Iraq” is all but forgotten as the blame for US casualties in Iraq suddenly shifts to Iran. The media coverage of Iran is disingenuously framed by the question of how much threatens us, not whether it’s a threat at all.

Two naval carrier groups sit in the Persian Gulf, a third is being prepared, and more navy assets are in the hemisphere. A Navy admiral is the new commander of US forces in Central Asia. About 50,000 additional troops are going to Iraq, allegedly for George Bush’s escalation but likely to facilitate an attack on Iran. Patriot missile batteries are deploying to nearby countries (Saudi Arabia, Israel) to help protect them from Iranian retaliation.

Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security advisor to President Carter, recently testified to the Senate that a war with Iran would be disastrous, but that the Bush administration was intentionally escalating tensions with Iran and appeared to be seeking an incident to justify war. Considering Brzezinski’s insider credentials and participation in provoking the USSR to invade Afghanistan, he should be taken seriously.

The Iraq occupation becomes more tenuous daily and greater numbers of Americans demand a withdrawal. The gamblers in our government (the neo-crazies, to paraphrase Colin Powell) want to raise the stakes to “double or nothing” with regime change in Iran. Beyond crazy, they talk of using nuclear weapons – an avenue opened by the Bush cabal in its National Security Strategy. The Israeli right wing and its influential US lobby support this insanity.

The Constitution and international law are no restraint on the dishonest and greedy thugs who currently hold the reins of our government. The “marketing campaign” and military build up against Iran is well underway, and it looks eerily like the prelude to our invasion of Iraq. Congress is behind the curve by offering non-binding resolutions on Iraq, while the mainstream media act as loyal stenographers for those who want to destroy Iran.

With all evidence pointing to an approaching US bombardment of Iran, it falls upon people of peace and conscience to prevent it.

In online essays just over a year ago, I proposed and explained a strategy and tactics that could help end the occupation of Iraq (Getting Out of Iraq: A Letter to the US Peace Movement, and The US in Iraq: Bluffing With a Losing Hand). While these counter-recruitment and counter-retention campaigns related to Iraq should continue, anyone opposed to war with Iran must take concrete action now to stop it.

One way to do this is to put the nation and its leaders on notice: Attack Iran and there will be consequences, not just symbolic protests.

This is where a “pledge of resistance” comes in.

As we learned in 2003, protests alone can’t stop wars. Important as they are for morale and showing the world we all aren’t sheep, most protests fit into an accepted system of dissent that keeps resistance within boundaries deemed acceptable by the government and corporate media. Like campaigns for women’s rights and civil rights, our dissent must go beyond the symbolic and actually have an impact on those who participate in decisions about war and peace.

Since there appears to be a split in the ruling class over attacking Iran, we must persuade them to make the right decision. I suggest this pledge of resistance as one step. Please consider signing it, then send copies to your elected representatives and to local media. Pass it to friends, family, peace and justice groups, churches, organizations, or anyone with an interest in stopping another senseless war.

Pledge of Resistance to a War on Iran

The lessons of the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq demand that American citizens oppose unnecessary wars. I oppose a war on Iran, a sovereign nation and people that is no threat to the United States. This “pledge of resistance” notifies you that:

1.) I will write letters, send emails, and speak to elected officials and media representatives in an effort to stop a war on Iran.

2.) I will create and/or distribute written, recorded, painted, drawn, or photographed media to counter the campaign of disinformation being waged against Iran.

3.) I will encourage military members to refuse serving in a trumped up war with Iran, and help them if they ask for my help.

4.) I will organize and/or join anti-war demonstrations.

5.) If Iran is attacked, I will engage in or assist non-violent acts of civil disobedience until US forces cease all hostile action and return to their home bases.

6.) If Iran is attacked, I will spend money only on life essentials and household bills until US forces cease all hostile action and return to their home bases.

7.) I will find other citizens to join me in this pledge until US forces come home.

Signature or Initials _____________________________________ Date ____________________

Mike served two tours in the Persian Gulf (93/94) before leaving the Air Force
as a conscientious objector. He served as vice-chair of the Spokane Human Rights Commission and on the steering committee of PJALS. He can be reached at shrcmike@yahoo.com.

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Police Oversight:
PJALS Calls for IOPO

PJALS has gone on record with a suggestion for an Independent Office of Police Oversight for the City of Spokane.

In fact, on behalf of the Peace and Justice Action League, Breean Beggs, has presented a proposed ordinance to establish such an office. As a panelist at the third and final Police Accountability Forum, the Chief Catalyst for the Center for Justice introduced a draft of the ordinance at the Gonzaga University Law School on February 21st.

The proposed ordinance would create the office and provide for an Independent Auditor to be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. Any person would be able to file a complaint or allegation of wrongdoing against a Spokane police officer or police department employee. It would be the auditor’s job to ensure a just investigation of the complaint, whether it is conducted by the IOPO, the police department, or another agency.

Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick has indicated at a previous forum that she would soon choose a method of accountability for her department, but she insisted that she would be the responsible party in every investigation. Our ordinance provides that the chief and all law enforcement employees work with the auditor to develop operating procedures for working with each department. The auditor would be completely independent and be given the cooperation of every city employee. He or she would establish communications with citizens of the city and file public reports of findings as well as maintaining dialogue with the police department.

PJALS feels that our proposal is the right way for Spokane to go in police oversight. Ultimately, it will benefit the chief, the department, and the citizens of the city. If you live in Spokane, encourage its acceptance.

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Landmines Keep on Killing After the War is Over

- Landmines kill and mutilate 8,000 to 10,000 children each year?
- Landmines cost as little as $3 to produce, but as much as $1000 to remove?
Join the United Nations Association to raise awareness and funds to remove landmines and to support survivors.

UNA of Spokane needs your support at its annual Adopt-a-Minefield, Night of 1000 Dinners Potluck, Monday, March 12, 5:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 4340 W. Ft. Wright Drive. A $10 donation is suggested in addition to the food you bring to share.

More information: 747-2407.