PANYS Success at 2010 Annual Meeting
On February 20, seventy PANYS members from around the state convened in New York City to increase their effectiveness at advocating for peace. The 2010 PANYS Annual Meeting included two excellent keynotes from Larry Wittner (author of "Confronting the Bomb") and Paul Kawika Martin (national PA Political Director). Our four information and four training workshops were a great success and the meeting on the whole left our members feeling energized and ready to continue making peaceful change. Everyone was excited to meet each other, whether as old friends or as new faces, and we are all looking forward to 2011's annual gathering.
Organizers Kickoff Meeting for May 2010 NPT Conference
More than 170 organizers and activists gathered on January 28th at All Soul's Church for inspiration, discussions, and planning for the upcoming NPT Review Conference. Actress Vinie Burrows started the meeting with a stirring reading of Dr. King’s “Beyond Vietnam, a Time to Break the Silence.” Joseph Gerson of American Friends Service Committee and Jackie Cabasso of the Western States Legal Foundation addressed the audience on the danger of nuclear weapons and the importance of the upcoming NPT Review. The event was moderated by our NPT Coordinator Judith Le Blanc. For more information about the NPT Conference, please visit www.peaceandjusticenow.org.
"No Escalation" Rallies at West Point and Times Square
PANYS and our allies from WESPAC sponsored a rally at West Point on Tuesday Dec. 1, before the President’s speech announcing the troop escalation in Afghanistan. The following day, PANYS members joined UFPJ, IVAW and Code Pink for a rally in front of the Times Square Army Recruiting Center in New York City. Peace Action International Co-Chairs UN NGO Conference on Disarmament
Dr. Charles Hitchcock of Peace Action International was honored by being named as one of the Co-Chairs of this year's UN/DPI conference. (That's the annual conference of the 1,500 NGOs that work in the United Nations.) The theme: For Peace and Development: Disarm Now! Much of the three day conference focused on nuclear abolition, although there were also discussions on small arms and the impact of war on various populations. Peace Action's expertise was highlighted in a variety of ways, including Dr. Hitchcocks' leadership and presentations by national Executive Director Kevin Martin and Scoville Peace Fellow Lisa Putkey. For more information on the conference, as well as a copy of the Conference Declaration, click here.
Peace Action New York State is delighted to introduce our new photo petition for a nuclear-weapons-free world. We hope to gather hundreds of photos of people who share our hope for a world free of nuclear weapons. Please help us by taking a photo of yourself and/or anyone else who supports our goal with a sign simply saying “I want a nuclear-weapons-free world.” Send your photos to photos@panys.org. Thanks for your support!
Ask Obama to uphold our commitments under the NPT
In his recent speech in Prague, President Obama reconfirmed America's commitment to upholding its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which include reducing our own nuclear arsenal. Please sign our online petition. You can encourage President Obama to fulfill the vision of a nuclear weapons-free world within our lifetimes. Print out a hard copy and have friends, family and neighbors sign, and return it to the address on the bottom. Thank you!
On the 64th anniversary of the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Peace Action NY chapters and affiliates across the state hosted a varietey of events in memory of the lives lost in those nuclear atrocities. In Manhattan, PANYS hosted a two-part Commemorative Festival. In the morning, we made and floated colorful origami peace cranes with young children at Central Park’s serene Harlem Meer. The commemoration continued later that evening at the Friends Meeting House with Chiori Miyagawa’s renowned play I HAVE BEEN TO HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR. Send photos of your Hiroshima/Nagasaki events to photos@panys.org.
Successful Doris Shaffer Lecture on Peace and Justice in the Middle East
The First Doris Shaffer Memorial Lecture on Practical Steps to Peace and Justice in the Middle East was on July 28th. We had about 100 people attend a fantastic pangel discussion featuring Issam Aburaya, Daniel Fleshler, and David Wildman. The discussion after the lectures was both challenging and engaging. If you were unable to attend, the event was videotaped and will be availible soon on this web site.
PANYS hosts an informative estate planning seminar
On Tuesday, July 21, PANYS hosted an estate planning seminar with elder law experts David Goldfarb and Michael Kutzin of Goldfarb, Abrandt, Salzman & Kutzin. The meeting was informative and helpful, providing lots of details on various taxes and aspects of an estate. If you would like copies of the information that was given out, please call 646-723-1749. Thank you to both David and Michael for taking time out of their day to make our event a success!
No War Westchester joins PANYS
Peace Action New York State is thrilled to announce that our network has expanded to include a second chapter in Westchester, No War Westchester. No War Westchester is a committee of WESPAC, a local peace and justice organizing hub. For more information on No War Westchester, their Iraqi Student Project, or their weekly Saturday vigil, see their web page at www.nowarwestchester.org.
"Confronting the Bomb" by L. Wittner now available
Larry Wittner, Peace Action New York State member, historian, and award-winning author, has created a new, abbreviated version of his authoritative trilogy, "The Struggle Against the Bomb." Confronting the Bomb tells the dramatic, inspiring story of how citizen activism helped curb the nuclear arms race and prevent nuclear war. This exciting read reveals hows how a worldwide, grassroots campaign — the largest social movement of modern times — challenged the nuclear priorities of the great powers and, ultimately, thwarted their nuclear ambitions.
Now available at www.sup.org or other online bookstores.
North Korea tests nuclear weapon
On Monday, May 25th, North Korea successfully tested a Hiroshima-sized nuclear weapon.
The need for the abolition of nuclear weapons is one of the core values of Peace Action New York State and all of our 17 chapters and 3,000 members. The complete elimination of nuclear weapons must be a key component in any realistic plan for peace, human security and full development. In addition to being deeply disturbed by Monday's test, we believe that the United States has a particular responsibility to be a leader in the movement for nuclear disarmament.
For more information, please see:
Young peace activists honored with awards
On Monday, May 18th, the Peace Action Fund of New York State hosted the 2nd Annual William Sloane Coffin Jr. Peacemaker Awards at the 1199 SEIU Penthouse in Manhattan. The evening was a wonderful collection of jazz music, good food, old friends and great conversation. Last year's honoree, Cora Weiss, presented the 2009 Peacemaker Awards to two dynamic young activists, Cliff Cawthon and Jennifer Hyman. We also had the opportunity to celebrate the work of six of our colleagues in the peace movement: Brooklyn for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, The Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives, Military Families Speak Out, No War Westchester and United for Peace and Justice. For photos of the event, please click here. 2009 NPT Prep Comm is a success
Great news! On Wednesday, May 6th, the 2009 NPT Prep Comm achieved it's primary goal - establishing an agenda for the 2010 NPT Review. More than 50 members of Peace Action from around the country are there to participate in the program, talk to the media, and network with our international allies. For detailed information on the Prep Comm, read Kevin Martin's blog or the daily digest created by Reaching Critical Will. PANYS supports immigrants

and worker rights
On May 1, 2009, members of Peace Action came out to support immigrant and worker rights in New York City because we know that peace and social justice are two sides of the same coin. Fund human needs, including worker rights and immigration reform, not war! Commemorating the Sixth Anniversary
On March 19, 2009 more than 700 New Yorkers participated in marches, vigils, rallies and lobby visits to mark the 6th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. More than 20,000 people from around the country came together for national events less than two weeks later. For a detailed report of how New Yorkers marked the 6th anniversary, click here. Six Years of Debt and Destruction, Six Years Too Many
March 19, 2009 is the 6th Anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Across New York, members and chapters of Peace Action will be marking this sad date, and those around it, with commemorations, vigils and events. To find an event in your community, please check the events calendar. John Nichols Event in Westchester
John Nichols, author of The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders Cure for Royalism, and a columnist and political reporter for The Nation addressed a full-house in Westchester on Sunday, February 1st. He discussed "What did we exactly win with Obama? Where does the Peace Movement go from here?" The event was dynamic, exciting, and inspirational. 2009 PANYS Annual Meeting a Success!
On Saturday, February 7th, more than 85 activists, including 25 students, from around New York State gathered in Rochester for the 2009 Peace Action New York State Annual Meeting. We had workshops on outreach to veterans, student organizing, working with the media, the National Guard campaign, the military budget and more. Kevin Martin and Paul Kawika Martin from national Peace Action were both there to give us a break-down of what's happening in Washington. If you missed it and want the highlights, call Cheryl at 646-723-1749. 2009 PANYS Annual Meeting. Vigils For Gaza Held Around NY State
Peace Action activists all over the state have been calling for an end to the violence in Gaza. Upper Hudson Peace Action held a candlelight vigil for Gaza on January 6, 2009. On January 7, 2009, our Long Island allies issued a joint statement on Gaza. On January 13, 2009 a candlelight vigil was held in front of the U.S. Mission to the U.N. in NYC. Finally, Buffalo State Students for Peace held a candlelight vigil on January 16, 2009.
For information on how you can get involved, click here. Save the NY Guard
As the war in Iraq changes from an invasion to a long-term occupation, the President no longer has Congressional authorization for the war. That means that Gov. Paterson is not required to accept the federalization of members of the New York State National Guard to serve in Iraq. Please join PANYS and our allies in a campaign to keep the New York Guard at home where they belong!
For more information, click here.
To sign an on-line petition, click here. Or download a petition here.
To go to the Save the Guard campaign web site, click here. October Debate at Hofstra University
Members of PANYS joined approximately 400 peace activists at the third and final Presidential debate at Hofstra University on October 15th. We were there to demand a peace President and support events organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War and the Long Islands Alliances for Peaceful Alternatives. What began as a peaceful, fun afternoon turned scary when 15 people were arrested and an IVAW member was left bloodied and nearly unconscious after being trampled by a police officer on horseback.

Dutchess Peace Coalition
Peace Action New York State welcomes its 15th Chapter: Dutchess Peace Coalition. Dr. King’s words “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice” are the motto of Duchess Peace Coalition. PANYS embraces this idea, just as it embraces its newest chapter, Dutchess Peace Coalition. The Coalition has been active in planning peace and justice events for years and PANYS is proud to welcome it into its family.

PANYS is now on Facebook!
Peace Action New York State now has a Group page on Facebook. Please join our group to get updates on upcoming events (like our summer film festival "Wastelands: Environmental Casualties of War") and help us recruit friends.

Peace Action: Past, Present, and Future by Larry Wittner and Glen Harold Stassen.
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Peace Action: Past present and Future is on sale now for $15.00 (plus shipping and handling)