Why We Do What We Do...

I received this from Rev. Petero Sabune, the Protestant pastor at Sing-Sing Prison and the leader of Pax Christi NJ’s most recent retreat, regarding an upcoming action we are planning for the people who are being detained for immigration violations in the Hudson County Jail. But it was so meaningful and beautiful that I wanted to share it with you. This is for all of you who have stood alone or in small groups to address injustice and to pray for change.

Yesterday was the anniversary of John Newton, March 10, 1748. His ship capsized in the gulf of Guinea, but his human cargo did not kill him. They saved his life. He later became an Anglican priest and mentor to William Wilberforce. John heard the voice of God in the mourns and groans of the Africans below in the ship, composed Amazing Grace and became an abolitionist. Wilberforce became a member of parliament, a free holder, and submitted legislation to abolish slavery, every week for 25 years. Two weeks before he died slavery was abolished in the British Empire in 1833. They used to meet for tea and Bible Study on Thursdays, at Hannah Moore's house at Clapham.

A prayer Vigil or a March is political, legal, social but it is also spiritual. When we stand or walk together those who see us know and those detained, see and hear us. Even those who guard know we are there in solidarity with those in detention. Even there is one or two people we need to remember and remind each other why we do what we do. We need to pray, not just for them but for each other. Like the abolitionists who came before we, the struggle continues.

6th Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq - Vigils Throughout NJ

Six years later and over 4000 US soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis killed and millions more Iraqis displaced our military presence in Iraq continues. Today groups throughout the state will be holding vigils and demonstrations against our occupation in Iraq. If you are looking to gather with fellow peacemakers and witness for the complete withdrawal of troops from Iraq below is a list of vigil throughout the state.

*Statewide Demonstration in New Brunswick!

REBUILD & RENEW
AMERICA NOW!

Cut the Military Budget Annually by 25% - Make it Transparent
End the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
Create Jobs and Strengthen our Infrastructure
Guarantee Quality Affordable Health Care for Everyone
High Quality Education from Early Childhood through College
Regulate Wall St. and Support Main St.
Clean Energy and Independence From Oil
Reduce Poverty and Support the Social Safety Net

March and Vigil

Calling for A Reduction in Military Spending and Investment in our Families

Intersection of George St. & Albany St.
New Brunswick
Thursday, March 19, 2009
5:30 PM

Co-sponsoring Organizations (in formation):
Alliance for Disabled in Action · Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees · Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War · Central New Jersey for Change · Coalition for Peace Action · CWA Local 1081· DFA-NJ · Green Party of Monmouth County · Industrial Union Council · Lutheran office of Governmental Ministries Monmouth Democracy for America · New Jersey Citizen Action · New Jersey Labor Against the War · New Brunswick Chapter of the NAACP ·New Jersey Peace Action · Next Step · Ocean County Democracy for America · Ocean Progressive Democrats of America · PDA/DFA Progressive Democracy South Jersey · People's Organization for Progress · Rutgers AAUP-AFT · Rutgers Against the War · Somerset Unitarian Universalist Social Action Committee · Somerset Voices for Peace and Justice · Tent State · Union County Peace Council

For More Information or to Add Your Organization as a Co-sponsor, contact Atif Malik, NJ Citizen Action Organizer at atif@njcitizenaction.org or 732-246-4772.

*Six Years Too Many -- events in Bergen County

Join Bergen County Military Families, Veterans, and Local Residents
March 18 - 22
to mark the 6th Anniversary of the Iraq War

Join us to demand:
All troops out of Iraq immediately!
Bring the National Guard Home immediately to take care of the people of NJ! Their deployment is illegal.
Take care of the troops when they get here!
NOT one more dollar for the Iraq war! Use the money here for people's needs - for housing, health care, jobs, and education.

Please come to these important events in Bergen County to mark the 6th anniversary of the war. Bring food and baby supplies for the Family Assistance Center for the National Guard families whose loved ones are currently deployed in Iraq .


·Wednesday, March 18. Vigil/press conference. 4:30 - 6:00 pm. The press conference will be at 5:00 pm.National Guard armory. Teaneck Rd and Liberty Rd. Teaneck , NJ .

· Thursday, March 19. Vigil. 5:00 - 6:00 pm. Ft. Lee Vigil Group. Lemoine Avenue and Bruce Reynolds Boulevard . Ft. Lee , NJ

· Friday, March 20. Film showing and discussion. 7:00 pm. See Phil Donahue's movie, Body of War, about the impact of the war on troops and families and the role of members of Congress. PHIL DONAHUE WILL APPEAR IN PERSON TO SPEAK ABOUT HIS FILM. Puffin Cultural Center. 20 Puffin Way , off Teaneck Road , near Ft. Lee Road , Teaneck , NJ

· Saturday, March 21. 12:00 noon. Demonstration at the monument in Englewood , Palisade Ave. and Tenafly Ave.

· Sunday, March 22. Vigil. 4:30 - 5:00. Sponsored by the Leonia Vigil Group. Broad Avenue and Ft. Lee Road in Leonia.

Military Families Speak Out, Bergen County www.mfsobergencounty.org
Veterans for Peace, Chapter 21 NJ
Bergen Peace and Justice Coalition www.bergenjustice.net
Teaneck Peace and Justice Coalition
Leonia Vigil Group
Ft. Lee Vigil Group
NJ Peace Action

We welcome the co-sponsorship of other groups and participation of everyone in the region.

*Montclair, Morristown and Weehawken Hold Special Vigils

*The Montclair Peace Vigil will mark the 6th anniversary of the war in Iraq with a Thursday vigil - March 19th, 4:30 - 6:00 pm instead of Friday. Everyone is welcome to join us. The vigil takes place at the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue, So. Fullerton Avenue and Church StreetMontclair. For more information, contact (973)259-1126.

*The Morristown Peace Vigil will hold a special vigil to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq on Friday, March 20th from 6:00pm until 7:00pm on the Morristown Green. The vigil will call for ALL the troops to be brought home from Iraq.

*The Weehawken Citizens for Peace will mark the sorry event of the sixth year since the U.S.Iraq with a special vigil at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Boulevard East in Weehawken from 5:00pm to 6:30pm on March 19th. Please join us! (note the date change)

*Courage of Conscience Speaking Tour: Combatants for Peace
Courage of Conscience Speaking Tour
Combatants for Peace

March 19th at 7:30pm
Sparta United Methodist Church
71 Sparta Avenue
Sparta, NJ 07871

Former Soldier, Former Fighter

Yaniv Reshef and Bassam Aramin

Tangible Way to Peace in Israel and Palestine

Israeli Yaniv Rashef, whose home is in range of Gaza missiles, was a foot soldier in a sabotage unit of the Israeli Army - and chose to fight no more. Palestinian Bassam Aramin served seven years in jail for planning an attack against Israeli soldiers - and chose no more violence. Just two years ago, Bassam lost his daughter to an Israeli soldier's rubber-coated bullet. They are Combatants for Peace, now over 600 former Israeli soldiers and former Palestinian fighters, working together without revenge to build justice, peace - and playgrounds.

Cosponsors:

Church and Society Committee of SUMC, Northwest New Jersey Peace Fellowship (a chapter of NJ Peace Action), September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, The Peace Abbey, and the Rebuilding Alliance.

South Mountain Peace Action Celebrates Peace!

Saturday March 21, 2009

Ceremony
for
PEACE

12:30 pm to 1:00 pm

at the Peace Memorial
in the garden behind

The Ethical Culture Society
516 Prospect Street
Maplewood NJ

*Trenton - Countdown to Withdrawal

Noontime press conference
6th Anniversary
of the Iraq War

Come and join this important regional press conference at a site where 30 reporters are stationed full time. This is our best shot at getting our message out through the media. Even if you need to take time off from work, it is worth it!

March 19, 2009
Time: 12 noon to 1:00 pm
Place: Statehouse steps - 125 West State Street
Trenton , NJ
Press Conference on Sixth Anniversary of Iraq War at 12 Noon on March 19 on State House Steps in Trenton
Brother of fallen soldier, Vietnam veteran, student leaders and clergy to speak.

Vigil for Immigrants at the Elizabeth Detention Center

Please join IRATE (the Interfaith Refugee Action Team - Elizabeth) and Pax Christi NJ at 1:30 pm on Sunday, October 12th as we march with the flags of the nation to honor our immigrant heritage and protest the treatment of immigrants held at the Elizabeth Detention Center. We will assemble on Progress Street, just off Dowd Avenue in Elizabeth, NJ and march two blocks to the Detention Center where we will hold a vigil to remember those who are being held inside and at similar facilities across the country.

About Immigration Detention
Immigrants in detention include families, both undocumented and documented immigrants, many who have been in the US for years and are now facing exile. They include survivors of torture, asylum seekers and other vulnerable groups including pregnant women, and children. Individuals who are seriously ill are held without proper medication or care. Immigrants detained during this process are in non-criminal custody because being in violation of immigration laws is not a crime. It is a civil violation similar to a traffic ticket.

About IRATE
IRATE is an alliance of grassroots organizations whose members believe that the current U.S. policy of detaining immigrants in prison-like conditions is contrary to our tradition of welcoming refugees. Currently in New Jersey, the Bureau of Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) has some 300 people detained at the Elizabeth Detention Center and an unknown number of people in county jails throughout the state.

For more information on the vigil click here

For more information on immigration detention go to
www.irateweb.org
www.detentionwatchnetwork.org
www.cliniclegal.org

Frida Berrigan Speaks of Her Father

Frida Berrigan, daughter of peace activist Philip Berrigan, on what it's like to grow up in a family devoted to social justice.

My Father, the Activist