Our nation is moving quickly toward a war with Iraq.

Within the next ten days, Congress will likely vote on a resolution permitting President Bush to
use military power against Iraq. According to the Washington Post, the resolution is the broadest
request for military authority since the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, based upon a lie, which launched the Vietnam War. (see link below) The President has made clear that once it has passed, he'll proceed without further consultation with Congress -- in other words, it's the last chance for the legislature to speak up on Iraq in the near future.

The draft that the President delivered to Congressional leaders last Thursday is alarming. It gives
him the authority to "use all means that he determines to be appropriate" to "restore international
peace and security in the region." If it passes, the President could use this language to justify
military attacks against virtually any country in the Middle East.

The resolution also ignores the role of the United Nations. It would allow the President to go into
Iraq without the support of any of our allies, and without a Security Council mandate.

It's critical that we let our elected representatives know immediately that a resolution authorizing
war against anyone in the Middle East is unacceptable.

ACTIONS
1. Right Now, please call your Senators and Congressperson.
Their local office can be found in the “government” section of your local phone book.  You can
also call the Capital switchboard toll-free at 800-839-5276 or toll at 202-224-3121 and ask for
them by name. In most offices, calls are running against the war but we need a virtual ground
swell to stop it.

If you want to find out their name, direct phone number and email, click
http://www.senate.gov/senators/index.cfm
http://www.house.gov

Don't worry if you've called before -- call again. Let the staffer you speak to know you're a
constituent. Then tell the staffer that you strongly oppose a war on Iraq. Express your deep
concerns about the resolution proposed by the Bush White House -- the unrestricted power to
wage war with any nation in the region, the lack of accountability to Congress and the American
people, the lack of cooperation with the United Nations and our allies. Your own words are
always best, of course.

2. Nonviolent Direct Action
Phone calls to Congress are important and should be continued, but alone they will not do the
job. More direct action is needed to save thousands of lives.  Numerous sit-ins and other
nonviolent actions have already pressured senators and representatives to reconsider their
position.

Contact concerned citizens in your community immediately and organize small delegations of
two to five constituents to visit the district offices of your Senators and Representatives. Be sure
to focus on members of Congress who have either not taken a position on the war resolution or
have already expressed their support. (So far, at least 17 Members of Congress have publicly
announced their opposition to the war resolution in its current form.)

If no one in your group has had previous experience with civil disobedience, contact a local
nonviolence trainer or peace organization (see below for links to “Resources for Nonviolence
Training). It is essential to ensure that everyone planning to participate in this important action is
properly trained and prepared to risk arrest.

It is not necessary to schedule a meeting. Each delegation should simply walk into the office and
ask to speak to the staffer who handles foreign policy or defense. Whether or not they meet with
you, tell someone in the office that, as constituents, you would like a public statement from the
Member of Congress declaring that they will vote against the war resolution in any form. Keep
the request short and simple. Let them know that you and your delegation will wait until a
statement is made. If the office refuses to provide a statement or tells you that they plan to
support the President, politely inform them that you will not leave until the office complies with
your request.

Make sure that the media is aware of your action.

You are essentially asking the Member of Congress to represent their constituents who oppose a
war in Iraq. Furthermore, to authorize the President to take U.S. military action against Iraq at
this time would represent a repudiation of the U.S. Constitution and the United Nations Charter,
abandoning legal restrictions that have guided America for two generations. You are carrying out
your civic duties in holding your elected representatives accountable.

RATIONALE FOR DIRECT ACTION
In a letter from a Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King, Jr. instructed us: “In any nonviolent
campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist;
negotiation; self-purification; and direct action.”

For over 12 years, concerned citizens and organizations in the United States as well as
throughout the world have documented the tremendous hardship, suffering and death that the
people of Iraq have had to endure. Despite this, the grave injustice and indignity of U.S.-led
military actions and international sanctions continue.

When the Bush administration began to put our nation on the path to war in Iraq, these same
concerned organizations and individuals petitioned Congress and the administration to reverse
the course and allow the UN to settle the conflict through peaceful means. Our case has been
made stronger by the collection of the facts. In short, the administration has been unable to
provide any evidence that shows Iraq to be a clear and immediate threat to the United States. But
despite all of this, our efforts to prevail upon our elected officials through negotiation have
failed. Even Iraq’s surrender to President Bush’s demand to allow in UN weapons inspections
“without conditions” seems to have had no effect in averting the collision course the Bush
administration has set for us. And now Congress appears prepared to vote to authorize the
President to use force against Iraq.

We are left with no choice. It is time for each of us to prepare to take nonviolent direct action.
Otherwise, we could lose our last chance to prevent our nation from making a devastating
mistake.

RESOURCES FOR NONVIOLENCE TRAINING
Civil Disobedience Index: (an extensive list of support organizations)
http://www.actupny.org/documents/CDdocuments/CDindex.html

The following are additional links that can assist you in locating a nonviolence trainer and/or
recruiting others to participate in your action.

Directories of Nonviolence Trainer
[Nationwide Directory] http://www.warresisters.org/wrl_locals.htm
[New England States] http://www.donnellycolt.com/nonviolencetraining/
[Arizona] http://www.nvcaz.com/connect/trainers.htm

List of Certified Nonviolence Trainers in the U.S.
http://www.cnvc.org/trnrlist.htm#ust

Know Your Rights
http://www.actupny.org/documents/demomanual/Demomanual.html