U.S. HANDS OFF SYRIA
An Urgent Message for Peace
on the Eve of Wider War

Please click here to add your name in support
of the Hands off Syria Coalition

Dear friends of International Action Center,

Please review this statement issued by the newly-formed Hands Off Syria Coalition. It follows a lengthy round of discussions among several antiwar and social justice organizations and leading individuals about the urgent need for a broad coalition to confront the escalating war in Syria. International Action Center- IACenter.org is supportive of this process and a signatory to this statement. We invite you to join the rapidly growing coalition and encourage others to join.

Solidarity, Sara Flounders for IAC

We raise our voices against the violence of war and the enormous pressure of war propaganda, lies and hidden agendas that are used to justify this war and every past U.S. war.

We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, endorse the following Points of Unity and will work together as an Ad Hoc Coalition to help put an end to the regime change intervention by the United States, NATO and their regional allies and the killing of innocent people in Syria:

1. The continuation of the war in Syria is the result of a U.S.-orchestrated intervention by the United States, NATO, their regional allies and reactionary forces, the goal of which is regime change in Syria.
2. This policy of regime change in Syria is illegal and in clear violation of the United Nations Charter, the letter and spirit of international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
3. This policy of forced regime change is threatening the security of the region and the world and has increased the danger of direct confrontation between the United States and Russia, with the potential of a nuclear catastrophe for the whole world.
4. War and U.S. and EU sanctions have destabilized every sector of Syria’s economy, transforming a once self-sufficient country into an aid-dependent nation. Half the Syrian population is now displaced. A UN ESCWA report reveals these U.S. sanctions on Syria are crippling aid work during one of the largest humanitarian emergency since World War II. The one third of Syrians refugees in surrounding Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey have been hit hard by U.S. cuts to UNICEF. This forces desperate refugees to struggle to reach Europe.
5. No foreign entity, be it a foreign government or an armed group, has the right to violate the fundamental rights of the Syrian people to independence, national sovereignty and self-determination. This includes the right of the Syrian government to request and accept military assistance from other countries, as even the U.S. government has admitted.
6. Only the people of Syria have the inalienable right to choose their leaders and determine the character of their government, free from foreign intervention. This right cannot be properly exercised under the conditions of U.S.-orchestrated foreign intervention against the Syrian people.
7. Our opposition is to forced regime change in Syria by U.S.-backed foreign powers and their mercenaries. It is not our business to support or oppose President Assad or the Syrian government. Only the Syrian people have the right to decide the legitimacy of their government.
8. The most urgent issue at present is peace and putting an end to the violence of foreign intervention that has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and the displacement of millions of Syrians both internally or as refugees abroad.

Based on these Points of Unity, we, as individuals and organizations-in an Ad Hoc Coalition-agree on the following demands and commit ourselves to working together to help achieve them:

1. An immediate end to the U.S. policy of forced regime change in Syria and full recognition and compliance by the U.S., NATO and their allies with principles of international law and the U.N. Charter, including respect for the independence and territorial integrity of Syria.
2. An immediate end to all foreign aggression against Syria, and serious efforts toward a political resolution to the war.
3. An immediate end to all military, financial, logistical and intelligence support by the U.S., NATO and their regional allies to all foreign mercenaries and extremists in the Middle East region.
4. An immediate end to economic sanctions against Syria. Massive international aid for displaced people within Syria and Syrian refugees abroad.

Only in a peaceful and independent Syria, free of foreign aggression, can the people of Syria freely exercise their sovereign rights, express their free will and make free choices about their government and their country’s leadership.

We invite all supporters of peace and peoples’ right to self-determination around the world to join hands of cooperation in this effort to achieve these most humanitarian demands.

   We need jobs, healthcare, education and an  
     end to racist police violence here at home,  
   NOT U.S. WARS ABROAD!     
 
Please click here to add your name
in support of the Hands off Syria Coalition
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UE local 150, NC Public Service Workers Union Resolution

ue150-resolution-police-employer-oct-8-2016

WHEREAS, the continuous onslaught of state sanctioned killings of Black and Brown unarmed women, men and children has reached crisis levels; and

WHEREAS, Black communities of color and others across the United States are outraged by these killings and have responded with organized resistance and spontaneous rebellions; and

WHEREAS, it is imperative that the most organized sector of the working class “organized labor” acknowledge that these killings are a working class issue and must organize a fight back against these killings that the local, state and federal agencies are ignoring; and

WHEREAS, Black and Brown workers make up part of the collective workforce that is responsible for producing public and human services; making, transporting and warehousing products the consumers buy that generate corporate profits from our labor for the 1%;

WHEREAS, the environment at our work place is negatively affected by the tensions and fears amongst Black and workers of color about their safety as they travel to and from work at all hours and reside in communities that are criminalized by the mainstream media and all forms of institutional racism; and

WHEREAS, workers we must not allow our employers to remain silent about these killings and call on them to speak out against these unending police killings, the militarizing of police departments and the failure of local, state and federal agencies to stop these illegal killings; and

WHEREAS, the attached Petition will help to build a national campaign to draw national and international attention to the corporate driven policies that create high unemployment, attacks on pensions, poorly funded schools, unaffordable healthcare and anti-labor laws to name a few, that devalue the lives and communities of Black and Brown workers and support or are silent about the police killings, and that requires organized labor to broaden our demands and tactics to help empower the struggles of the working-class through the whole of society; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that UE local 150, NC Public Service Workers Union endorse and get workers to sign the Petition calling on Employers to Speak Out Against the Unwarranted Police Killings of Black, Brown and Workers of Color; and

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that UE150 union members take signed Petitions to their employers, hold press conferences in front of work sights and in union halls; and eventually hold marches and rallies to popularize this demand as part of building the conditions for a Solidarity Day of Action, No Work, No School, No Shopping.

Adopted by UE local 150, NC Public Service Workers Union, Executive Board, October 8, 2016

Petition Calling on Employers to Speak Out Against the                                                              Unwarranted Police Killings of Black and Workers of Color

petition-calling-on-employers-to-speak-out-against-the-unwarranted-police-killings-of-black-and-workers-of-color

We, the undersigned workers at the _________________________ are outraged at the police killings of unarmed Black and workers of color who make up part of our collective workforce that are responsible for providing the public and human services, and making, warehousing and transporting the products that consumers buy that generate corporate profits from our labor.

The climate at our workplace is negatively affected by the understandable tensions and fears among Black and workers of color about our/their safety and lives as we/they travel to and from work at all hours, and live in communities that have been criminalized by the mainstream media.

We feel strongly, that you as our employer must speak out against these unending police killings, against the militarization of the police, and against the failure of the local, state and federal government bodies to take effective actions to end this racist, repressive and divisive climate intensified by these police killings.

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Rise Up! Justice4tony merges with Coalition For Justice and WisconsinJobsNow on a National Day of Action to fight social injustice. Young, Gifted and Black Coalition brought everyone together at Department of Corrections to shut down major throughway E. Washington Ave before marching to the Governors Mansion [Photo: Leslie Amsterdam]

Workers World Party & Moorehead/Lilly Campaign 2016 National Conference

November 11 – 13 | New York City

Shabazz Center – 3940 Broadway @ W 165th

♦  REGISTER TODAY!  ♦

Every day we wake up to news of another Black person murdered by a cop. We hear of another migrant youth being threatened with deportation. We read stories about how young people are asking for too much simply by demanding a livable income, housing, and education. But still we are expected to make our way to our underpaid, low-wage jobs and to sit in our classrooms as school resource officers police our bodies. We walk in our communities fearing that we could be the next Black person killed or the next immigrant deported, the next queer or trans person brutalized, the next woman sexually assaulted, the next Muslim afraid of being racially profiled, or the next person fired, evicted or displaced. We also witness climate change destroy the planet.

Why is this? Why has this become normal? More and more the veil is being pulled back. The more racism and Islamophobia we witness, the more homophobia and sexism we experience, we realize that capitalism is not working. The current system is failing us — and is desperately trying to maintain the social order through its murderous cops, corrupt politicians, and greedy bosses. We may be under attack, but we are also incredibly resilient…

At Standing Rock Oct. 22: People were arrested, maced, surrounded by insane wasicu cops and national guard with their military equipment. Over 80 water protectors arrested. Stand Now! #NoDAPL

Berserk Police indiscriminately mace peaceful Water Protectors!
This blatant attack was unprovoked – there were young children and elders in this crowd for prayer. #NoDAPL #WaterisLife #MniWiconi
Video by Rob Wilson Photography #WearetheMedia SHARE WIDELY!!
Call to Action! We need you here NOW at Sacred Stone Camp!
DAPL is trying to finish this pipeline now and they are nearing camp! They have to date destroyed 380 sacred sites!
If you’ve thought about coming out – now is the time – we need you!

United American Indians of New England

https://uwm.edu/lgbtrc/event/31st-annual-milwaukee-lgbt-filmvideo-festival/