Dear Founding Members and Friends,
From all the volunteers at the US Peace Memorial Foundation, thank you for your support and generosity. The year 2022 was fraught with many challenges, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which shifted public focus away from U.S. aggression and militarism. For example, the U.S. bombed Somalia two days before the February 24 Russian attack. Yet, most Americans seem unaware that our wars in the Middle East and Africa continued throughout the year.
It was heartening to see the mainstream American media finally paying attention to war crimes as they called out Russian atrocities, including the bombing of civilian targets. Perhaps one day, they will be consistent and begin to evaluate and condemn U.S. war crimes. Since the nuclear bombing of Japanese cities, the U.S. has continued a strategy of targeting cities and civilians unable to defend themselves, bombing no less than thirty countries, killing millions of people, maiming tens of millions more, and creating untold numbers of refugees. Since 1946, no other country has killed and injured more people outside its borders. Police violence, mass murder, and freer access to guns continue as a reflection of our entrenched war culture.
We continue to increase our bloated pentagon budget, distribute weapons worldwide, create new military bases near perceived enemies, and deploy nuclear weapons so close to Russia that an “accidental” nuclear holocaust and World War III are more likely than ever. I am incredibly proud of this year’s US Peace Prize recipient, Costs of War, for the data and analysis that help us understand the actual cost of U.S. militarism. Having an informed public and people who are actively opposed to war are crucial to world peace. At this time in our history, we need to increase the number of Americans who speak out against war, which is precisely why the US Peace Memorial Foundation exists. By advancing our knowledge about and showing appreciation for heroic U.S. peacemakers, new role models can shape public discourse and education.
Building a national monument to peacemakers can help achieve that goal. It can change our cultural mindset, making it no longer acceptable to label those who speak out against U.S. wars as un-American, anti-military, disloyal, or unpatriotic. With public recognition of our peacemakers – celebrating their actions and accomplishments and normalizing their roles in society – we can challenge the social barriers that citizens face when publicly expressing antiwar sentiments.
The US Peace Memorial Foundation, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, does this work by:
· Publishing the US Peace Registry, which honors and documents the antiwar and peace activities of individuals and organizations.
· Awarding the annual US Peace Prize to an individual or organization that has made an exceptional effort to stop wars and work for peace.
· Raising funds to build the US Peace Memorial in Washington, DC.
Please work with us to
end the U.S. war culture by honoring courageous Americans who stand for peace.
Your contribution shows that you value and support our programs, and it
demonstrates your commitment to building the US Peace Memorial.
If you are already a Founding Member, please make your 2023 contribution today. If not, please join us! Become a Founding member with a $100 donation. Your name will be included at www.uspeacememorial.org/Donors.htm; in any future editions of our book, ENDING U.S. WARS; and, eventually, at the National Monument we will build in Washington, DC.
YES, I want to contribute to building the US Peace Memorial.
Thank you again for your generosity and support. I am inspired by all that you do for peace.
Michael Knox, Ph.D. Chair
BRIEF REVIEW OF THE YEAR
MEASURED PROGRESS
Early on, we set four benchmarks to achieve before announcing our national campaign to raise the millions of dollars needed to build the US Peace Memorial as a national monument. In the press release to announce the campaign, we want to be able to say that we have one thousand Founding Members representing all fifty states, have honored one thousand individuals and organizations in the US Peace Registry who are working for peace, and have already raised one million dollars in donations.
This chart shows how we are doing and where we need your help before we can move forward.
46 States Represented - 92% of our goal
The Foundation has achieved 92 percent of its goal of having Founding Members from every state. We now have Founding Members from forty-six states (plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). The five leading states in terms of membership are Florida (132), Minnesota (42), California (39), New York (21), and Massachusetts (19). Help us increase the number of supporters in your state. Please help us add Founding Members from the four remaining states that still need to be represented: Delaware, Mississippi, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
467 Founding Members - 47% of our goal
We have achieved 47 percent of our goal of one thousand Founding Members to begin our national fundraising campaign. We must have 533 more Founding Members from throughout the country. Currently, our Founding Member list includes 423 individuals and 44 organizations/businesses, 12 of which are faith-based. If you are one of the nearly 6,000 people on our email list who have not yet joined, please take action today – become a Founding Member. By supporting the Foundation, you will be working for peace.
292 Registrants - 29% of our goal
The US Peace Registry documents and honors the antiwar efforts of Americans. Anyone who has spoken out publicly against war can submit a description of their activities and apply for consideration. What better way to end current U.S. wars than to have more people speak out against them? There are many ways to make your voice heard. We currently recognize and honor the work of 200 individuals and 92 organizations that are role models for a broad range of peace and antiwar activities.
Donations - 20% of our goal
To date, we have received donations totaling $201,942 toward the $1,000,000 benchmark we must reach before publicly announcing our major fundraising campaign to build the US Peace Memorial as a national monument. If you can make a charitable contribution, please consider the importance of supporting our goal of moving the U.S. toward a culture of peace.
US PEACE PRIZE
The US
Peace Memorial Foundation awarded the 2022 US Peace Prize to Costs of War “For crucial research to shed light on
the human, environmental, economic, social, and political costs of U.S. wars.”
On September 30, 2022, we presented the US Peace Prize to Costs of War at an
event held at Watson Institute, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. I thanked
them for their important work that could help end U.S. wars: “The research and
scholarly publications generated by Costs of War’s faculty and staff provide
accurate data that can truly impact our public and foreign policy.
Your outreach to the media, lawmakers, and educators helps to build
momentum towards reversing long-standing patterns of U.S. militarism.”
The program’s Co-Directors, Drs. Neta C. Crawford, Catherine Lutz, and Stephanie Savell responded: “On behalf of our global network of over 50 scholars and experts, we’re thrilled to receive the US Peace Prize for the Costs of War and deeply honored to be included amongst the other exemplary awardees. This prize is a testament to the tireless hard work and creative vision of so many people, from the scholars who share their findings with the public to the many people who build Costs of War’s impact from behind the scenes; all of us share a passion for working against militarism.” Note: Dr. Lutz (center), Dr. Crawford (right). Dr. Savell is not present.
Costs of War joins previous US Peace Prize recipients Christine Ahn, Ajamu Baraka, David Swanson, Ann Wright, Veterans For Peace, Kathy Kelly, CODEPINK Women for Peace, Chelsea Manning, Medea Benjamin, Noam Chomsky, Dennis Kucinich, and Cindy Sheehan.
The
other 2022 US Peace Prize nominees were the National Network Opposing the Militarization of
Youth, Randolph Bourne Institute, and RootsAction.org. You can read about the antiwar/peace
activities of all recipients and nominees in our publication, the US Peace Registry.
See photos and full details at https://www.uspeaceprize.org.
HONORED INDIVIDUALS and ORGANIZATIONS
This year, the US Peace Registry recognized and documented the antiwar work of the following Americans and U.S. organizations. You can read about their specific contributions and activities at www.uspeacememorial.org/Registry.htm.
