Summary of Activities in 2003

The War in Iraq & Peace in the Middle East
As we watched in dismay, our government engaged in a preemptive war without international support, and we joined the largest manifestations of public resistance ever in this country.
 

Early this year a brightly colored BFP poster, proclaiming "Say NO to War Against Iraq!" appeared on doorways and windows in offices and homes throughout Brooklyn. More than 800 individuals signed a similar statement which appeared as a paid advertisement in Brooklyn newspapers, in addition to a Spanish translation.

On February 15, BFP members carrying giant puppets and posters created at a BFP children's workshop united with 30 million people from around the world to express opposition to the war.

In January, April and October, we sponsored buses to antiwar demonstrations in Washington.

Our "Code Pink" demonstration at the office of Senator Clinton resulted in a meeting with staff at her office. We also led a large candlelight vigil at the Brooklyn home of Senator Schumer on the eve of the U.S. invasion.

In December we collaborated with Veterans for Peace and Military Families Speak Out on a "Support Our Troop — Bring Them Home Now!" rally at Borough Hall. Brooklyn For Peace calls for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, and a transitional role for the United Nations in restoring Iraqi sovereignty.

In December our position statement "For Israel and Palestine: Against Violence and Hate" appeared in Brooklyn newspapers with over 150 individual signers.

Street Outreach
Thanks to many, many volunteers, we continued to reach out through old-fashioned tabling and conversation in Brooklyn neighborhoods. Thousands of people signed petitions and picked up flyers at sidewalk tables. We led a successful postcard campaign to urge Brooklyn Community Access Television to broadcast Amy Goodman's "Democracy Now!" five times a week.

Art for Peace
Our arts workshops created puppets, banners, and models to carry in demonstrations.

We planned WEARNICA, a project of Works-on-Shirts.

At Grand Army Plaza, participants became walking art galleries, wearing original art works on their backs to raise public awareness of the realities of war.

We helped stage "What Does War Cost Brooklyn?" a short play and discussion presented by Mass Transit Street Theater and Bronx Action for Justice & Peace.

Brooklyn 2003 Peace Fair

Our first annual Brooklyn Peace Fair, sponsored by BFP and the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, brought together almost 100 local and national organizations for a day of performance, discussion, and education around issues of war and peace.

Four hundred people attended, including Congressman Major Owens, Assemblywoman Joan Millman, Assemblyman Jim Brennan, and City Councilman Bill DeBlasio.

Borough President Marty Markowitz declared October 18 Brooklyn Peace Fair Day.

Education
In cooperation with Brooklyn Peace Action, we organized numerous educational forums and produced literature on the war in Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, budget cuts for domestic programs, and encroachments on civil liberties. BFP representatives spoke at teach-ins and community meetings across the city.

Web Site
On our actively maintained Web site, www.brooklynpeace.org, you'll find position statements, articles and other background information, and an easy-to-access calendar of our activities.

Defense of Civil Liberties
We participated in the campaign to encourage the City Council to pass Resolution 909, protecting against the Patriot Acts.

Opposition to military recruiting in high schools
Our Opt Out Project offered education about the No Child Left Behind Act, which makes the name, address, and telephone number of every public high school student available to military recruiters unless students choose to "opt out." Our research uncovered a chaotic system: most students, parents, and parent coordinators are unaware of their right to stop the flow of recruitment materials and calls. In the coming months, we will step up our efforts to encourage Chancellor Klein to implement a system for broadly distributing information in more than one language.

Underlying all of BFP's activities is a profound belief in an engaged community: we all bear responsibility for the world that we ultimately share. You need not have children of your own to join; we are united by our concern for future generations. Please make a strong and simple statement of your commitment to peace and justice by joining us.