 Dear Friends of Peace Action West, The new political era brings with it unique opportunities for creating more peaceful foreign relations. But the forces of militarism and fear-mongering have not left the scene. Far from it. We must energetically meet the opportunities with a blend of grounded optimism and untiring political action. Truly, people the world over are hungering for a new approach to foreign policy based on human rights, democracy and international cooperation. Now, our job is to channel that hunger for change into lasting advances for a more peaceful, principled U.S. foreign policy. Over the last 50 years, Peace Action West has created a track record of accomplishments to be proud of. The Action Report you hold in your hands is a window into what you as a supporter of Peace Action West have accomplished in just one of those years. The Action Report is a measure of how our vision of a more peaceful foreign policy took concrete form as real-world changes. Again, there is much to be proud of. You and I defeated the Bush administration’s aggressive efforts to expand the nuclear weapons complex. We reined in the saber rattling and rumors of war between the U.S. and Iran. We laid the political groundwork for a withdrawal of troops from Iraq. And we sent more pro-peace legislators to Congress. Over the next year our vision is poised to take concrete form in other ways. We will support deep reductions in U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons stockpiles. We will push for a real diplomatic opening with Iran. We will work to reorient US policy towards Afghanistan and Pakistan by supporting non-military strategies. All of these goals are achievable. But none of these goals will be realized if there is not a vocal, active and organized constituency for peace. Now is not the time for us to get complacent. Now is the time to push harder than ever before. So take a look inside the report for some of what you – along with thousands of your fellow citizens of the world – accomplished in the last year. That taste of progress can then whet your appetite. Let’s celebrate our victories and our opportunities as we keep walking the path one step at a time.
Sincerely, |
