The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
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This is a response I made to a message from someone overseas (since I
didn't ask for permission to reproduce the letter, I'm not revealing his
identity).
Since we are all in this mess together, I thought this idea should be
circulated more widely, and others who have had the same idea should
enter into a dialogue and plan.
Exactly what do we do, and how do we do this?
--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: bob.steel1
To:
Subject: Re: World Peace , Freedom and Welfare.
Date: Sat, 3 May 2003 11:09:26 PST
>It seems that there should be a kind of collaboration >between the peace
loving people around the world . I >don't know how this can be organised
, but there must be >a way that can help unifying the efforts of all
advocates >of freedom and peace in all nations , regardless of
>their ethnic origins , religions or nationalities .
> Let it be a web site { World Peace , Freedom and >Welfare }to which
millions from around the universe can >subscribe , the funding of which
can come through nominal >endowments by subscribers . Through the inter-
>net there can be a kind of an organizing board elected to >run all the
administrative matters . Standards according >to which the nominees will
be elected can be designated >through professionals who can master such
issues. I know >things are not that simple , but as said a trip of a
>million miles always start with a step.
> Persons like you and me with real and honest will >can gather more
freedom and peace loving people around >and with real enthusiasm we can
spread the truth among >them .What I mean is that we should never loose
hope. On >the contrary the more we feel desperate the more keen we
>should feel towards continuing our struggle to establish >a more healthy
society of people with genuine belief in >equality freedom and peace.
> Gradualism step by step people will acquire the >wisdom, the will,
and the knowledge to participate in >this Universal craving for freedom .
This is the only way >we can face the arrogance and tyranny of Mr. Bush
>and all the other dictatorial powers governing the >nowadays world .
> Think about such a proposal . I from my side of the >world will
start contacts to get it started .
It would be help -- although there are already a few organizations with
sites. What is needed is to collect the power of the people into an
organized and effective force. The big corporations spend money all over
the world to further their objectives -- the people need to find a way to
do the same. We need to mount a massive advertising campaign, targeted in
particular towards the American people, and oriented towards the next
election and putting pressure on the politicians in office.
We should expect resistance: the US government will likely try to label
such an organization as being terrorist and subversive trying to
undermine American values, and there will be need to respond to that. We
need to get as many prominent and reputable world figures as possible
involved: religious and social leaders, academics, government officials
and former officials, scientists, writers and artists, jurists. The
reputation of such an organization must be impeccable and inspire
confidence in it's legitimacy.
Ideally we could help third party candidates mount political campaigns --
but I don't know what the legal issues would be: if candidates could
accept money, or if a non-American could advertise (and would the
networks accept such advertisements?). Perhaps the Greens could be
involved with this. Perhaps the peoples of the world could fund an
international radio and television network.
The key thing would be to inform the people who now vote and to get out a
portion of the vast numebr of people in the US who do not vote. Religious
leaders (such as the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Dali Lama,
and the most respected figures in the other religions) should issue
statements endorsing sane and peaceful canditates and policies, and
denouncing candidates who want war, empire, and curtailments of human
rights. Perhaps massive demonstrations thoughout the world could endorse
the more enlightened candidates. We have to meet political power with
political power, and financial power with financial power.
Bush might spend $500 million on his re-election campaign, but the people
of the world could raise $billions if everyone contributed. We could hire
top-notch advertising companies to show the truth about Iraq, and other
places around the world. We could develop documentary films, and mail out
pamphlets and informational floppy disks to millions of Americans. We
could devlop a web site which would not only talk about the political
crisis, but have games, news, music, and other features which would
attract people to log on.
This has to be a massive and well funded organization to meet the massive
well-funded juggernaut which is driving this assault on truth and
liberty. It will take the *united people of the world* to win this war.
This effort has to be circulated among all the peace and peaceful
organizations so that a censensual body can form. Perhaps an existing
organizations can take the responsibility of coordinating this effort at
the beginning. I would like to see the UN do this, but I'm afraid that it
is subject to much political pressure. We need an alternative "UP" -- a
United People to do what the United Nations has been unable to do -- a
world-wide union devoted not merely to labor, but which might indeed get
support from the large labor unions. We need the support of
environmental, religious, medical, academic -- all the the existing
organizations who are concerned. We need the whole world.
--------- End forwarded message ----------
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