Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Not One More! wrap up + M19

Not One More! is finished, and if you weren't able to come and see or participate i'd like to tell you how amazing it was to see a community come together to create something...the variety of energies and talents and perspectives that collaborated within a common experience was not only inspiring and made for a successful event; it was Peace at work.
Please enjoy this brief report-out + three more end-the-war actions tomorrow!

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Not One More!: Wrap-Up

· Dialogue on the Ojai Post
· Event photos
As i said in the intro, this project was Peace and community-building at work. It was the OPC's biggest - and therefore my personal biggest - action yet, and i am VERY gratified by its success. To secure facilities, sponsors, and participant groups; to plan out the logistics; to invite and reinvite the media and local officials; to put together a program book; to solicit donations; to coordinate persons; and then to actually carry out the writing in three days of nearly 4,000 names was quite a feat, and it was accomplished only through an energetic community effort.
if i may make some huge THANK-YOU's (in no particular order, and you know what you did):
Coleen Ashly
Dennis Ashly
Jessie Austin
Cody Stephens & James
Brooke
Frank Peterson
Tom Erickson
Sophie Whitney
Dolores
Ruth & Celeste
Liz Tavis
Donna Stephens
Peggy La Cerra
Tom & Erin McNerney
Kris Young
Noel Douglas
Cheri Mason
Karen Kennedy
Grant Marcus
Teresa Meehan
All our Volunteers and Signers
All of our sponsors, particularly our three major ones:
The Ojai Post
Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions
The Ojai Valley Democratic Club
You can read my opening remarks from Saturday morning's flag ceremony and view the event photos on flickr
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Petition to City: End the War!

As you know, half of our Not One More! action was a petition to the City of Ojai, urging them to adopt a resolution that i've drafted based on the successful resolutions passed in both Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, among other cities. i've customized it for our community using data compiled at my request by the National
Priorities Project.

We collectecd 189 signatures in support of our resolution to:
· End the war
· Withdraw our troops, contractors, and bases
· Redirect war funds to domestic needs
· Provide non-military aid to rebuild Iraq
If you didn't make it to the park this past weekend, you can READ THE RESOLUTION AND SIGN THE PETITION HERE!
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M19: MoveOn's New Priorities Vigil

On March 19th, tens of thousands of people across the country will gather to observe the fifth anniversary of the war with candlelight vigils.We'll commemorate the sacrifices too many families have made, and the billions of dollars wasted in Iraq that could have been better invested at home.
Locally, three choices!
· Ojai, 7pm at the Y
· Ventura, 7pm at City Hall
· Ventura, 5pm at Ventura High School
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M19: Protest Military Recruitment

From ANSWER VC and VC Stop the War:
Wednesday, March 19, 12 Noon - 2pm
Ventura Military Recruitment Center
4009 E Main St, Ventura (Main & Telephone)
Initiated by ANSWER Ventura County. For more info call 805-367-6481 or email answervc@riseup.net.
We will then carpool to Los Angeles to carry out the same action at the Hollywood Recruitment Center at 4pm!

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M19: Winter Soldier fundraiser

Almost forty years ago, veterans of the Vietnam War gave public testimony to the war crimes and atrocities committed on behalf of the U.S. government. Now, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are repeating Winter Soldier for this war. In order to raise funds for this historic event, Ventura is joining with thousands of other communities to host a benefit event for soldiers against the war.

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008
6-9pm @ Sunset Cafe, 2069 E. Main St, Ventura (across from Ventura High)
Tickets: $20
Sponsored by Ventura County Committee to Stop the War.
[The Winter Soldier testimonies finished during the weekend, so complete audio archives are being compiled. If you missed any of the powerful voices, there is audio at
WarComesHome.org and IVAW.org]
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