Let's Increase Peace Action's Membership
By: Larry Wittner
Chair, Membership/Affiliation Committee, Peace Action National Board
Peace Action does a great job of working for a peaceful world. But it could do an even better job if it had more members. After all, it takes members to talk to their neighbors, circulate petitions, write letters to the editor, pressure their legislators, take part in vigils and demonstrations, vote in elections, and participate in the numerous other activities that are necessary for a people’s movement.
So what can you do to help increase Peace Action’s membership?
If you’re active in a Peace Action affiliate or chapter, make sure that it has a membership director. This person need not be responsible for doing all the work in garnering new members. But she or he is someone who should take responsibility for seeing to it that membership recruitment efforts are being made.
What kind of efforts? Among the best is circulating a sign-in list at Peace Action events and, soon after that, phoning or writing to non-members and asking them to join. Even if they don’t join right away, add them to your local mailing list, for they might decide to join at a later date or attend your future activities. You can also develop an attractive membership brochure with a tear-off section for people who would like to become members. These membership brochures can be distributed at Peace Action events, at the events of other groups (especially when Peace Action is a co-sponsor), and at sites where peace minded people gather.
And there are lots of other things that can be done by your Peace Action group to attract members. An affiliate or chapter newsletter provides a very effective means to reach out to new people, including those non-members on its mailing list, and can include a membership brochure or a tear-off form. Web sites can also be helpful in both advertising activities and providing a means whereby people can join Peace Action. In addition, you might decide to do a membership recruitment mailing to a list of potentially interested people—perhaps provided by a local group with similar aims, drawn up by your core activists, or both of these.
And to expand the opportunities for membership, how about providing for a limited income/student membership category? Although most groups have “regular” membership dues, many of them also provide for a dues payment that is set at a very low level, thereby enabling anyone to join who wants to do so. You might also provide a discounted membership fee for people paying to attend one of your major events, or even offer free membership to people paying for admission. Even if you’re not active in a Peace Action chapter or affiliate, you can help build Peace Action’s membership. Why not suggest to your spouse, relatives, and closest friends that they join? (They can do so through the national Peace Action website.)
Or you might know of an independent peace group that might want to become part of the Peace Action network. (In that case, contact Peace Action’s National Field Organizer Judith LeBlanc: jleblanc@peace-action.org.) Also, of course, feel free to get in touch with me (wittner@albany.edu). The Membership/Affiliation Committee of the National Board is always looking for good ideas on how to increase our organizational strength. There is plenty of opportunity for growth in Peace Action. At the moment, we have about 100,000 members in a nation of over 300 million people. So let’s seize that opportunity, and build the kind of mass people’s movement that can turn around this nation—and the world.
To:United Nations
Human Rights Council
UN Human Rights Policy
The United Declaration of Human Rights
High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
The Council of Canadians
Acting for Social Justice
Please accept my letter regarding global violation of human rights, as well as inclusion addtional articles to the existing United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. My request was sent to the United Nations Human Rights Council on February 15, 2011. Please support, endorse my humble request.
In addition to my letter (attachment files), I would like to point out another urgent issue, with regard to social, global safety, human rights violation.
I believe it’s time to propose new lgislation, article to the existing United Nation’s Human Rights Declaration. The article should prohibit any scientific, technological means, “solutions”, tools to weaponize nature, weather phenomenons, climate patterns. It is obvious that such practices violate human rights, and clearly represent another mutation toward crimes against humanity (the entire text, which was sent to the leading scientific institutions, as well as international organization around the world can be obtained upon request).
United Nations
Human Rights Council
UN Human Rights Policy
The United Declaration of Human Rights
Mark J. Wagner February 15, 2011
ul. Kokoszki 2/41
44/100 Gliwice
Poland
Telephone: 048 32 232 5196
E-mail: q7q7mark@gmail.com
The fundamental demand of our time is to protect human life, dignity, and free will as an expression of humanistic, transcendental values for every man, who exists on earth, and those who will come. Without it, human life will be incomplete, and entire population will be driven by new form of slavery, extreme existential dependency based on judgment of just a few, who are driven by an opportunistic motivations to enforce their own vision on entire human civilization. As we all know from history, human perception can be formed through skillful manipulation, and often results are tragic, painful.
Man’s awareness shall be formed through education, example, and by following ethical, moral, spiritual code of behavior. Understanding principals and expanding awareness about self, as well as social interdependency, which is not limited to any geographical area, is paramount in terms of human social evolution. Today I ask myself, what is the statement of our times? How much do we understand human nature, and what is the direction we are willing to choose, but most of all, how we shape our personal and interconnected status quo, and destination. Social responsibility can be expanded and implemented by reinforcement of law, even through technological means, but only by meaningful implementation of education and personalized approach, perspective toward all aspects of human existence, expansion of frame of awareness make sense and create solid ethical base on which progress is achievable. Every alternative will multiply difficulties, promote injustice, and even reinforce pathology.
We must realize simple fact, the quality of human life, civilization depend on each of us, every day, through individual imprint, free will of every human being who exist on Earth. I want to emphasize the importance of free human will. The status quo is changing, but universal values, manifestation of higher intelligence, divine testimony, expression, don’t.
Life is evolving into more advanced form, with constantly expanding awareness, but real progress can be achieved only through free will and personal choice. I strongly believe, human is destined to do great deeds, and human fabric of life is made from positive, beautiful threads of goodness. We can reinforce any message we want, but we shall reinforce message of justice, righteousness, equality, wisdom, tolerance.
The blueprint of awareness is manifested by spontaneous understanding of what is right, and what is wrong, and the statement of our times should vividly express what we want to achieve, and how we want to be perceived on global scale. Despite natural tendency to comply with acceptable code of behavior, we must understand our social, universal responsibility in terms of formation of human awareness. I strongly believe, the statement of our time should be protection of intellectual, existential, spiritual aspiration, by incorporating those values into the written statements, codes, articles of law, as well as protection the very basic, foundation of human existence, free will.
* UN Human Rights Policy.
Please expand and incorporate into The United Declaration of Human Rights, article protecting free will, and against subliminal manipulation through technological means, social media:
* Free Will (Free Will vs. Subliminal Messages).
Free will and human response shall not be compromised by attempts of evident manipulation, especially by technological means, information technology, (IT), social media (TV, radio, internet), nanotechnology, subliminal messages (IT, TV, radio, internet). Progressive utilization of subliminal methods is evident, few examples: information technology, cellular telephone technology, internet technology (sound and computer screen projection of subliminal messages ), TV technology by utilization of subliminal messages through sound and screen projection, nanotechnology by utilization of tiny mechanisms into the human body. All of those means, tools, are designed and implemented to influence in profound way human behavior, response, and to create man without her/his own will, choice, self-expression, individuality. Human being without free will, represent biological substance, organic slave.
* Human is Good. (Self-perception).
Human is good. Proactive implementation, reinforcement of self-perception as positive force. The great majority of human population follows positive examples, code of ethics, spiritual teachings embedded into the fabric of human existence, experience. Statistical, institutional and governmental data support above statement.
* Social Media.
The purpose of social media phenomenon is to promote dialog, understanding, tolerance, and progress through technological means such as internet, (Facebook, and other similar sites). Gathering information, personal, social, cultural, behavioral profiling by third parties, institutions and governmental agencies is unacceptable and illegal.
In ever changing world, earth, universe was created, shaped with one purpose, to enhance human experience, and meaning of life to promote co-existence with all living things, aware and unaware.
Human freedom without free will becomes meaningless phrase. Awareness and Free Will is the most sophisticated manifestation of life as we know it, and must be protected from any threats.
Thank you,
Mark J. Wagner
Copy:
* US Department of State
* Protection of Human Freedom
* European Union
* European Commission General Council for Human Rights Policy
* World Organization for Human Rights
* International League for Human Rights
* Helsinki Committee for Human Rights
* International Justice Mission
* Anti-defamation League
* Time Magazine
* The New York Times
* The Washington Post
* CNN
* Chicago Tribune
* Chicago Sun Times
* Guardian
* Der Spiegel
* Nowiny Gliwickie
* Gazeta Krakowska
* Dziennik Zachodni
* Glos Warszawy
* Glos Niedzielny
* Gazeta Wyborcza
* Academy of Science
France
Germany
Italy
Poland
Russia
United Kingdom
United States