Dear RN list, June 16
As you know, June 18, the first day of the G-7 summit in Cologne, Germany,
will be the day for anti-corporate globalization actions in many (if not
most) major cities in every continent.
Meanwhile, here in Canada, the Canadian Peace Alliance has desgnated June 19
as a day to SEPAK OUT FOR PEACE, respect for international law and against
squandering resources on military "security".
A small group of local people and I will hold a vigil on June 19 so I wrote
the handbill (second message below) to help people see the connections
between the two issues.
Meanwhile, it turns out that it is not just in Canada that the 19th will be
a day of protest against war. See the item below about a creative action
that will take place in New York!
all the best, Jan
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Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1999 02:00:17
From: Bill Koehnlein <•••@••.•••>
Date: Sat, 12 Jun 1999 19:32:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: •••@••.••• (by way of Weekly News Update <•••@••.•••>)
Subject: NYC Area // Street Theatre Against US Militarization and War
in Balkans
At a meeting tonight, Monday, of an informal NYC coalition of pacifists,
religious, socialist, and social justice groups, etc., it was announced that
on:
June 19 / gather at 11 a.m.
There will be Street Theater Action Against U.S. Militarization and the War
in the Balkans.
Meet at 19 West 21st Street between 5th and 6th Avenue, at the CISPES office
at 11 a.m. Call Nica Network for info and to sign up (212 / 674.9499).
COSTUMES: dress as a waiter/waitresss: black bottom (skirts/pants), white top
(shirt/ blouse/t-shirt), dark/black shoes, sandals or sneakers.
ACTION: a skit called "CAFE PENTAGON"
Groups of 4 people will go in the subway dressed as waiters/waitresses. One
person holds a board with the special menu for the day: "war in Yugoslavia."
Another person carries a tray full of military toys (soldiers, missiles,
planes) and asks riders if they ordered weapons. The rest distribute
bills/checks showing the cost of the current war and the amount of money
spent on the military.
(thanks to: The Activist Cookbook: Creative Actions for a Fair Economy, a
hands-on manual for organizers, activists, etc. available from United Front
for a Fair Economy, 37 Temple Place., 5th floor, Boston, Ma. 02111. (617 /
423.2148)
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Dear Editor,
The recent bombing of Yugoslavia was just one more example of how military
power we taxpayers pay for has been used in an illegal and harmful manner.
Do not believe that using cluster bombs (which behave in many ways like land
mines) or depleted uranium weapons (as NATO governments did in Iraq and also
in Yugoslavia) was done for "humanitarian" reasons.
A columnist with the New York Times, Thomas Friedman, has a much clearer
idea of WHY we prepare for and go to war:
"For globalism to work, America can't be afraid to act like the almighty
superpower that it is....The hidden hand of the market will never work
without a hidden fist - McDonald's cannot flourish without McDonnell
Douglas, the designer of the F-15. And the hidden fist that keeps the
world safe for Silicon Valley's technologies is called the United States
Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps."
-- "What the World Needs Now," Thomas Friedman, New York Times,
March 28, 1999
It's easy to see that both war and consumerism are endangering our future;
it's up to us to find ways to live on this planet without both.
Many people are doing just that. On June 18, the day that the G-7 summit
begins in Cologne, Germany, activists in many different countries (including
Canada) will be protesting the devastation of our planet by multinational
corporations.
The next day, June 19, activists will SPEAK OUT FOR PEACE and an end to
costly military build-up across Canada and elsewhere too.
The two days of action and the two struggles are, in many ways, one and the
same.
Individually, we can all learn to consume less and to be more loving in the
way we relate to others. And as a society there is SO much we can do to make
this fragile planet a better place for all living beings.
Sincerely, Jan Slakov, Weymouth, NS 837-4980 <•••@••.•••>
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Note: Please include my contact info with my name at the end of the letter.
