Signatories Wanted for Pledge of Resistance to US/UK "War on Terrorism"

[Milan Rai <milanrai@DELETETHISbtinternet.com>]

www.justicenotvengeance.org

5 February 2002
PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE
1) The Need for Resistance
2) The Pledge of Resistance
3) You are invited to Sign Now 
4) How to Take Part
5) Support the Action on 25 February
6) The Text of the Pledge itself (sign here!)

Dear friends,

1) THE NEED FOR RESISTANCE

George Bush commits himself to war against the 'Axis of Evil'. Colin 
Powell says the US will attack Iraq to achieve 'regime change'. The 
Pentagon says the so-called "war on terrorism" could last for six 
years. Meanwhile thousands of families in Afghanistan face starvation, 
warlord terrorism, and refugee camp destitution; thousands of 
children die every month in Iraq because of US/UK-sponsored 
sanctions; and Human Rights Watch says that leading members of the 
"war on terrorism" 'have violated human rights principles at home 
and overlooked human rights transgressions among their partners'.

It's time to resist.

We know that mass civil disobedience has helped to limit, terminate, 
and in some cases prevent direct US military intervention in the past. 
We need a campaign that can build mass civil disobedience. Those 
who lost their lives on 11 September deserve justice, not vengeance.

2) THE PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE

ARROW (Active Resistance to the Roots of War), in conjunction with 
the Non-Violent Resistance Network, is launching a 'Pledge of 
Resistance' to the ongoing US/UK 'war on terrorism'. The Pledge will 
be publicly launched at the Resist! conference in London on 23 
February (more details on conference at 
<www.justicenotvengeance.org>).

We invite people who are prepared to engage in nonviolent civil 
disobedience to this dangerous and repressive war to sign the Pledge 
of Resistance as soon as possible.

The Pledge has an action option, which commits the signer to 
engaging in civil disobedience, and a support option. This is the text of 
the action option:

'I pledge to take part in nonviolent civil disobedience in the event of a 
major US/UK attack on Iraq or any other country in the course of the 
"war on terrorism."'

The point of signing the Pledge is to create a network of resisters so 
that we can coordinate our nonviolent civil disobedience to the "war 
on terrorism", make our resistance as effective as possible, and 
limit/prevent whatever attacks the US is aiming to launch. By 
publishing our names, we can show that the resistance extends all 
over the country, and (if the number of signatories grows large 
enough) signal to the Government the political cost it faces in terms of 
terms of nonviolent resistance.

3) CALL FOR LAUNCH GROUP OF SIGNATORIES FOR PLEDGE 
OF RESISTANCE

ARROW invites you to become part of the Launch Group of 
signatories whose names will be publicised at the launch (we are 
aiming for over 50 signatories by 20 February). 

After reading the rest of this letter and the Pledge document itself 
(text below and posted as a Word Document at 
<www.justicenotvengeance>), if you are willing to sign the action 
option of the Pledge, then please register by 
replying to this email with your name and contact details at the end of 
this (very long) message.

Please also consider doing some local press work about your 
participation in the launch group/about the launch of the Pledge (see 
below).
        
4) HOW TO TAKE PART IN THE PLEDGE

We are urging signers to form or join affinity groups to prepare for 
nonviolent action. Effective and sustainable civil disobedience depends 
on us building communities of resistance and support, and preparing 
ourselves thoroughly for the legal, political, outreach, and media work 
involved. 

Note: This is a _nonviolent_ project. All actions carried out in 
connection with the Pledge should be within the spirit of nonviolence: 
no action should harm or dehumanize any other person. This is 
fundamental to the Pledge.

Suggestions and helpful material will be posted at 
<www.justicenotvengeance.org/pledge> or will be available from 020 
7607 2302. If you have helpful material, please do pass it on for 
sharing!

Affinity groups can either organise their own actions, or participate in 
national actions. We aim to have national contacts in Scotland, Wales 
and England, who will help organise actions in the event of a major 
attack or clear indications of preparation for such an attack. 
Participation will be open to anyone who has signed up to the action 
option for the Pledge, whether or not you are in an affinity group.

'A MAJOR ATTACK'
The US is still bombing Afghanistan, regularly drops bombs on Iraq, 
and is already involved in low-intensity warfare in the Philippines as 
part of the "war on terrorism". These are policies that need resisting, 
but they are not the focus of the Pledge. The Pledge will be triggered 
when there is a 'major attack' on another country by the US (almost 
certainly with some British support and involvement). There is no 
central definition of a 'major attack', we expect to recognise it when 
we see it.

ACTIONS
There will also be other actions organised by signatories to the Pledge. 
The Pledge itself is reactive, but those of us committed to resistance 
can and will also be pro-active in resisting US/UK violence. For 
example, ARROW and others will be marking the launch of the 
Pledge with an action in London on 25 February - details to be 
organised at the conference over the preceding two days.

5) SUPPORT THE 25 FEBRUARY ACTION IN LONDON

To maximise the impact of the launch of the Pledge, it would be great 
if the Launch group of signers could do press work locally about their 
participation in the pledge and its launch at the conference in London. 
If you are not coming to London for the conference and the action on 
25 February (details to be finalised at the conference) one possible 
photo-opportunity would be to hold a support vigil in your town - 
perhaps at your local war memorial - for the action carried out on 25 
Feb, stressing that the Pledge is designed to help prevent the further 
loss of life for civilians (and service personnel). Details will be available 
on the Monday via <www.justicenotvengeance.org>.

Yours for active resistance

Milan Rai                               
ARROW/Voices in the Wilderness UK       

David Polden
ARROW/Nonviolent Resistance Network

6) TEXT OF THE PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE

The Pledge is a network of resistance. By signing, and by resisting, we 
can help to limit and perhaps prevent military retaliation for 11 
September. This pledge is sponsored by ARROW (Active Resistance 
to the Roots of War) and Voices in the Wilderness UK. More 
information and copies of a Word formatted document are available 
at <http://www/justicenotvengeance.org>

Please return this email with your name and contact details below the 
pledge text below and 

I oppose US/UK military retaliation for September 11th.

1) I pledge to take part in nonviolent civil disobedience in the event of 
a major US/UK attack on Iraq or any other country in the course of 
the "war on terrorism." 

Nonviolent civil disobedience rejects any actions that would harm or 
dehumanize another person. Civil disobedience means risking arrest, 
conviction, a fine and/or prison in actions such as sit-ins, blockades, 
war tax refusal, fence-cutting and so on. This is an incomplete list, part 
of a spectrum of nonviolent action which individual pledgers can 
choose from.

Name 

Address 


Phone Number

Email (it helps us if you fill this in)

(Note: By signing, you agree to have your name and town published. 
All other details will be kept confidential. We need all your details to 
be able to contact you swiftly in the event of action.)

www.justicenotvengeance.org


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