about us take action community education resources press release members feedback
Home

LIA
Annual
Report

Cost of the
War in Iraq
(JavaScript Error)

LIA Outreach
Report 2007

Congressional
Contact List

Internet Privacy
Policy

Legislative
Action
Message

Peace Action

United for Peace

Moveon.org

Common Dreams

National Priorities Project

Membership
Form


United for Peace

 

OBAMA LETTER/SIGN & SEND
print
pdf / doc

Please sign on, circulate at meetings and send before janurary 20. Revise or edit as you wish. Suggestions for next steps? Thank you to Great Neck and to others for earlier drafts. Peace

December 2008


President-elect Barack Obama
Presidential Transition Team
Washington, D.C. 20270

Dear President-elect Obama,

This is an historic moment for America! You were elected President on the promise of change and hope. We look to you to fulfill that promise and move forward on the issues you so eloquently set forth in your campaign. We expect you to:
• End the disastrous war and U.S. occupation of Iraq and withdraw troops and contractors beginning in 2009.
• Engage in serious talks with Iran to prevent the development of nuclear weapons.
• Call for the prompt Senate approval of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
• Begin negotiations for a Treaty to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons.
In addition, the United States must not escalate the war in Afghanistan. Rather, we must make serious efforts to end the war and to seek a political solution.
You, our next President, are facing serious challenges in human security, climate change, the economy, healthcare and growing poverty at home and abroad. None of these challenges can be adequately funded without ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
With the American people, you have the responsibility for building a better future for our children, our country, and the world.
With every good wish for your success,
Sincerely,


Name:
Address:

Mail directly or to: LI Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives, 38 Old Country Road, Garden City NY 11530
www.longislandpeace.org

Schedule of Events

December 2008

Thursday, December 11, 2008, 7:30 p.m.

RESTORING AMERICA’S REPUTATION.
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CHALLENGE FACING
OUR NEW PRESIDENT flyer

William Schulz

Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock
48 Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset


20th Annual KAIROS AWARDS DINNER

The Kairos Awards honor those individuals who have made significant contributions towards bringing about a more just and peaceful world.

2008 KAIROS HONOREES

CODE PINK LI
In recognition of their energetic and creative work to end the Iraq War
and to prevent other wars

MORTY GREENHOUSE
Great South Bay Forum on Public Affairs
In recognition of his lifelong commitment to progressive causes,
peace, and justice

SUSAN MCKEON-STEINMANN
South Country Peace Group
In recognition of her principled stand against the Iraq War at the
Smithaven Mall and her ongoing organizing and activist work in
Suffolk County

DEACON DON AND MARIE ZIRKEL
Pax Christi LI
In recognition of their principled stand against the Iraq War at the
Smithaven Mall and their commitment to using their faith as a
catalyst for change

Special Musical Performance by Willow a cappella singing group


Hofstra Anti-War Protesters Plead Not Guilty

by Ann Givens

HEMPSTEAD, New York - A group of Iraq war veterans and their supporters who were arrested outside last month's third presidential debate at Hofstra University pleaded not guilty Monday to disorderly conduct.

Nicholas Morgan, an Iraq War veteran from Washington, D.C., was knocked unconscious and suffered a fractured cheekbone during the protest. He and other protesters contend he was kicked in the head by a mounted Nassau police horse. Repalone said police are still reviewing the incident. (File)The 15 defendants, including 10 veterans, came to Nassau First District Court in Hempstead surrounded by supporters, some carrying poster-sized photographs of one man, Nicholas Morgan, bleeding after being hurt during the Oct. 15 conflict outside the Hofstra gates. Morgan, 24, who was in court Monday, said he was stepped on by a police horse........
Published on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 by Newsday.com (New York)

THE PEOPLE'S AGENDA
FOR 2008

Sign the "THE PEOPLE'S AGENDA FOR 2008" Petition

Bringing the People's Voice to the Debate: Costs of the War to Long Island
Statement by Megan O’Handley, Co-Director, Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives, October 15, 2008

Good afternnoon. My name is Megan O'Handley and I'm the co-director of the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives. Thank you for joining us in bringing the people's voice to the final presidential debate. For the past several months the Alliance, in cooperation with many other peace and social justice organizations, has been circulating The People’s Agenda for 2008. The agenda outlines a program that we, the people, expect the next president and Congress to do to make our government more accountable and fair to all Americans and to restore America’s credibility in the world.....

October 15th Report:
BRINGING PEOPLE’S VOICES TO THE DEBATE

Margaret Melkonian & Megan O’Handley, LI Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives

By late afternoon, close to 1,000 people stood for peace and justice and brought their voices to the presidential debate at Hofstra on October 15. We the people told Senators Obama and McCain that they wanted the next president to end the war, to bring our soldiers home, to create a universal health care system, to develop a sustainable energy policy, to fund human needs not war, to restore the Constitution and to adhere to the rule of law. The day before, petitions signed by 3,000 Long Islanders were sent to the Obama and McCain campaigns.............


We the People want our country back.

As Americans, our heritage includes compassion, tolerance, and fairness. We believe all people must be treated with respect, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, or economic class. Equal rights and equal opportunity have always been guiding principles of our society.

Margaret Melkonian, Co-director, Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives and Camillo Mac Bica, Coordinator, Veterans for Peace LI.

October 15th
Presidential Debate

Signs listing some of the major points of The People's Agenda for 2008

People lined up along Hempstead Turnpike.

Sheila Croke and Joe Volker, Pax Christi LI.

At the final Presidential Debate at Hofstra, as
We the People tell Senators McCain and Obama we expect our next President to:

  • End the war in Iraq, bring our soldiers home now and provide full medical benefits to veterans

  • Reallocate war funds to housing, jobs, health care, the environment, and education

  • Create a universal, single-payer health care system for all Americans

  • Develop a sustainable energy policy that substantially reduces global warming and creates good-paying jobs

  • Eliminate poverty, hunger, and homelessness

  • Restore all Constitutional rights and protect human rights

  • Implement a foreign policy based on the rule of law, justice, and human dignity


Great Neck SANE/Peace Action and the LI Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives
On this 63rd Commemoration of Hiroshima Day
Invite you to join us in saying

NO HIROSHIMAS—
NO IRAQS—NO IRANS

Bring the Soldiers Home!

  • Michael D’Innocenzo, Prof. of History, Hofstra University
  • Mary Beth Sullivan, Outreach Dir., Global Network Against Nuclear Weapons
  • Hon. Michelle Schimel, NY State Assemblywoman
  • Rabbi Devorah Marcus, Temple Beth-El, Great Neck
  • Rev. Mark Lukens, Bethany Congregational Church
  • Fred Brewington Esq., Civil Rights Attorney
  • Margaret Melkonian, Co-Director, LI Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives
  • Co-Chairs: Hon. Jon Kaiman, Supervisor, Town of North Hempstead
  • Stan Romaine, Chair, Great Neck SANE/Peace Action
  • Music by Bob Lepley – Peace Jazz Pianist Extraordinaire
 
 

Say no to HR 362 - No attack on Iran. Talks not Bombs.

Ackerman's office on July 9, 2008 - .

Over 30 people attend the action at his office at really short notice

The Shelter Rock Forum, Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, Islamic Center of Long Island, and the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives

Present

BRINGING THE WAR BACK HOME

Kristofer Goldsmith
Iraq Veterans Against the War

Sunday, June 22, 2008, 1 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock
48 Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset

Suggested donation: $5

LI native Kristofer Goldsmith enlisted in the army at 18, six months after graduating from high school. He wanted to be a soldier all his life and was motivated to enlist by the attacks of September 11th. Eager to serve his country, he became an artillery forward observer stationed in Sadr City, a northern suburb of Baghdad.

“I quickly learned it wasn’t at all how I thought it would be,” said Kris. “It was brutal and dehumanizing.”

At the end of his term of service he expected to return to civilian life and go to college. After President Bush announced the surge, the military initiated the stop-loss policy. Kris was told he would have to serve another 12 months in Iraq. In desperation, not wanting to return, he tried to take his own life. This resulted in his being diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. As a result his educational benefits were rescinded upon his discharge. Kris has been sharing his story of personal transformation from warrior to active member of the growing numbers of Iraq Veterans Against the War. It is a powerful and moving story. During the program clips from the March 2008 Winter Soldier hearings, at which Kris testified, will be shown.

For more information: LI Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives, 516-741-4360,
www.longislandpeace.org
UUCSR Shelter Rock Forum 516-627-6560, ext 122, www.uucsr.org

Directions to UUCSR: From LIE, exit 35 north (from east) or 36 (from west). North 1-1/2 miles on Shelter Rock Rd. Entrance on left by white fence. From Northern Blvd. Go South 1/2 mile on Shelter Rock Rd. Entrance on right

 

Long Island's
Peace Groups

Remember Victum'sof War

Memorial Peace Procession at Jones Beach on May 24, 2008

At Jones Beach on Saturday May 24, Pax Christi LI joined by the Suffolk Peace Network, Veterans for Peace, Code Pink LI, LI Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives and others mourned the victims of war in a solemn peace procession on the board walk. Stopping several times to read the names of the soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, 150 people marked Memorial Day by remembering and mourning the dead.

This 4th annual Peace procession coincides with the military air show at Jones Beach. In the midst of a celebration of instruments of war and the recruitment of young men and women to go to war, the peace witness calls forth the meaning of Memorial Day to remember all those who have died and to save future generations from the scourge of endless war.

From the start of this silent peace procession, the peace people and veterans from Iraq Veterans against the War, were taunted by a group of ten war supporters. For them, patriotism is endless war in Iraq. It is “victory” no matter how many more U.S. Soldiers or Iraqis are killed and maimed. The war supporters were angry and abusive, jeering the veterans as traitors and the rest of us as communists. All along the way, they were yelling, “Shame on you. Shame on you.” There is, indeed, shame about U.S. policies of war and torture being carried out in our name. While sorely tempted to respond and argue, peace participants met their screams and bullying with peaceful silence and witness.

Amidst the war marketeering and recruitment, military planes thundered overhead. For a short while on this day, there was a powerful presence of peace and nonviolent witness in a response to militarism and violence.

Crowds observed the procession and accepted our flyers on what is mostly just a day at the beach. And the war goes on and on.

Margaret Melkonian
Pax Christi Long Island
Co-Director
LI Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives


Long Island Says: 5 YEARS TOO MANY
Local Coverage

NASSAU COUNTY DAY OF ACTIONS MARKING THE 5th
ANNIVERSARY OF THE IRAQ WAR A GREAT SUCCESS


People holds signs at Old Country Road during the Five Years In Iraq rally in Garden
City on Wednesday, March 19, 2008. (Newsday/Ana P. Gutierrez / March 20, 2008)

In Nassau County, our day of actions to mark the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war began with a press conference at the Supreme Court Building in Mineola. Margaret Melkonian, co-director of the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives, opened with a statement about the war and its tragic costs in terms of lives and dollars. She was followed by Ed Ciaccio, Queens/Nassau MoveOn Council, who read a statement from MoveOn's New Priorities Campaign; Sue Donnelly, Code Pink Long Island, who spoke about what she witnessed at the Winter Soldier hearings; and Sister Mary Beth Moore, Pax Christi Long Island, who read the “LI Clergy and Religious Against the War” statement, which has thus far been signed by more than 100 local religious leaders. Reverend Ben Bortin of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock and Habeeb Ahmed of the Islamic Center of Long Island also spoke. The press conference was covered by News 12 Long Island, WCBS radio, a photographer from Newsday, and the Regional News Network (RNN).
In the afternoon groups of people visited the offices of Reps. Steve Israel (CD 2), Peter King (CD 3), and Carolyn McCarthy (CD 4) They met with staff to deliver the message, “End the war and bring the troops home now.” The delegations left packets of information for the representatives, including facts and figures about the cost of the war to taxpayers in each of LI’s five Congressional districts. Later in the day Rep. Gary Ackerman (CD 5) joined us at our peace vigil in Garden City. [Suffolk groups plan to visit Rep. Tim Bishop (CD 1) within the next few weeks.]

At 5 p.m., more than 200 Long Islanders came out in the rain to call for an end to the war and for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. We gathered on Old Country Road in Garden City, in our raincoats or under umbrellas, in a peaceful vigil to mark the 5th anniversary of the war. There were 8-year-olds and 80-year-olds; students from several local colleges and universities; and citizens from the North and South Shores as well as places in between. As people stood with soggy signs, an occasional song or chant would break out. There were many honks of support from cars and buses passing by. Congressman Gary Ackerman joined us for awhile— the first LI representative to stand with us against the war. The mood was serious, yet hopeful. On Long Island, we are resolved to step up our efforts to end the war and bring the troops home—now.

The Nassau County actions were coordinated by the Stop the War Coalition: Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives, Code Pink LI, Great Neck SANE/Peace Action, LI Veterans for Peace, Pax Christi LI, Shelter Rock Forum, and the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock.


The Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives

19th Annual

2007 KAIROS HONOREES

Reach Out America

Frances Reid and Shirley Romaine,
Co-Chairs

NORMA COHEN

Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock and
The Interfaith Alliance of Long Island

In recognition of her lifelong commitment to peace and justice, and to fostering understanding among people of different faiths.

DR. DAISAKU IKEDA

President of Soka Gakkai International

In recognition of his sustained, thoughtful, international advocacy for peace, justice, and nonviolent social change. The Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives would also like to acknowledge the work of Soka Gakkai-USA leaders Paula Miksic, Ellane Kolens, and Maggie Yamamoto

ANDREA LIBRESCO

Past President and current Board Member, New York Civil Liberties Union—Nassau Chapter; Co-Chair, Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives; and Associate Professor of Curriculum and Teaching, School of Education and Allied Human Services, Hofstra University

In recognition of her commitment to protecting civil liberties, achieving peace, and inspiring future generations of teachers.

 

Protestors brave rain at Manhattan anti-war rally

Despite a midday downpour, thousands of anti-war activists marched from Union Square to lower Manhattan Saturday in one of 11 coordinated protests from Orlando to Seattle to New Orleans..

"Stop the war! Stop the rain!" said Sahai Hiwot, 42, of Jersey City, as she paraded down Broadway.

 

NYS Peace Action 50th Anniversary


Almost 200 Long Islanders gathered at a peaceful demonstration on Old Country and Glen Cove Roads in Garden City (across from Roosevelt Field Mall) yesterday, September 25, from 5 to 6 p.m......


LI CLERGY AND RELIGIOUS FOR PEACE: A CALL TO END THE WAR

We come together as LI Clergy and Religious for Peace to express our moral opposition to the war in Iraq.

We call for an end to the war in Iraq and the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

We seek to encourage a broad dialogue and a discernment process among Long Island clergy, congregations and communities that will promote a new U.S. foreign policy based on moral values, human dignity, nonviolence and the rule of law.

(August 2007)
*Affiliations for Identification Purposes

Please sign on and return to:
LI Alliance, 38 Old Country Road, Garden City, NY 11530 - (516)741-4360/lipeace@broadview.net


LONG ISLAND ALLIANCE FOR PEACEFUL ALTERNATIVES TO BE INDUCTED INTO THIRTEEN/WNET AND WLIW21 COMMUNITY HALL OF FAME

The Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives is proud to announce that it is one of ten not-for-profit organizations that have been chosen by Thirteen/WNET and WLIW21 for induction into their Community Hall of Fame.

LI ALLIANCE CALLS ON LI REPRESENTATIVES TO CONTINUE SUPPORT FOR TIMETABLE FOR WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ

President Bush has vetoed the troops and the American people in his refusal to end the war and to bring the troops home. The Bush Administration lied us into war and launched an illegal war and occupation in violation of international law. Congress must heed the demands of the majority of Americans who want this war to end as quickly as possible.........

Not One More Death.

Not One More Dollar.

End the War.

Long Islanders Rally Across Long Island

March in Washington D.C.

CONGRESS: CHANGE COURSE IN IRAQ-NOW!

In the November elections we gave the 110th Congress a mandate for peace to end the war. Let's make sure they follow through.

CALL YOUR CONGRESSPERSON. Tell your representative to:
1. Oppose any escalation of troops in Iraq.
2. Support the immediate withdrawal of troops.
3. Vote against the $100 B supplemental appropriation that will fund the continuation of the war.

NOT ONE MORE DEATH. NOT ONE MORE DOLLAR. BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!
Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121

 

Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives
Internet Privacy Policy

The Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives respects the privacy of each individual who contacts us. We appreciate your support and the role you play in enabling us to carry out our important work. Our privacy policy is described below.

Providing Visitors with Anonymous Access
You can browse our website without disclosing personal data.

Individually Identifiable Information
We collect only the information you choose to share with us when you voluntarily contact us. That information may include: your name, postal address, e-mail address, telephone and/or fax number, and affiliation. We will use this information to respond to your request. We will only add your name and address to our mailing list, postal and/or e-mail, if you have elected to join as a member of the organization or have otherwise asked that we do so. Your personal information will not be shared with or made available to any third parties.

Links to Other Sites
Our site may include links to other web sites that we feel may be of interest to you. Links are provided only as a convenience and do not imply any endorsement of other sites.

If you would like to review or correct the information that you have provided to the Alliance, please contact us at lipeace@broadviewnet.net or

Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives
38 Old Country Road
Garden City, NY 11530-1532
Phone: 516-741-4360, Fax: 516-742-4450


Anti War Vigil in Great Neck

sponsored by Great Neck SANE

 

 

 

LI ALLIANCE FOR PEACEFUL ALTERNATIVES STATEMENT ON IRAQ

The LI Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives and millions of people around the world opposed the war in Iraq on grounds of international law and the assessment that the invasion of Iraq would have disastrous consequences: the deaths and injury of Iraq civilians and soldiers; the deaths and injury of American troops; billions of dollars in costs of war and reconstruction; chaos in Iraq in the aftermath of war; destabilization of the Middle East; and the breakdown of multilateral security institutions, particularly the United Nations.

Given the urgent need for ensuring the safety and well-being of the Iraqi people, for Iraqi reconstruction, for the restoration of Iraqi sovereignty, and for multilateral security cooperation, we urge that:

1. Interim authority over civilian affairs and reconstruction should be handed over to the United Nations.
2. U.S. troops should be withdrawn and replaced by a UN multilateral peacekeeping force as quickly as possible.
3. The United Nations should oversee a period of elections, constitution-writing and rapid restoration of sovereignty to the Iraqi nation.
4. The United States should bear the continued responsibility for meeting the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people and the costs of reconstruction, as required by international law.
5. The U.S. Congress should set up a special commission or select committee to investigate the origins of the war and the possible misuse of intelligence.

Moreover, mindful of the costs of war both at home and abroad and of the dangers of war profiteering, we urge transparency and accountability of corporations awarded contracts in Iraq. We also call on the Administration and Congress to heed the warning of President Eisenhower: "Every gun that is fired, every warship that is launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold, and are not clothed. The world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, and the hopes of its children."


Adopted on October 15, 2003 at monthly peace meeting at Shelter Rock, L.I. Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives, (516) 741-4360


America's Future challenges the big money corporate agenda by encouraging Americans to speak up - to discuss and debate a new vision of an economy and a future that works for everyone. America's Future works on issues such as protecting Social Security, raising the minimum wage, and ensuring fair trade.

www.ourfuture.org also highlights broader issues and groups within progressive politics.

Mark Twain
"Statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception."

Source: Chronicle of Young Satan