MPJEN

Announcements:

Shoes for Bush Protest

SHOES FOR BUSH Protest
Inspired by Muntadhar Al-Zaidi , the brave journalist who hurled shoes at Bush and on behalf of the people of Iraq,
The Kennebunks Peace Department is organizing a "SHOES FOR BUSH" protest.

We are collecting shoes to bring to The White House
on Bush's last day in office, Monday January 19th We intend to FILL a UHAUL (generously provided by activist Lydia Vickers).

"Throwing a shoe is a very bad insult in Arabic culture and no one is more deserving than Bush!"



Jamilla is asking for activists to collect shoes in their area and she will pick them up in Portland before January15th. Caravan to DC is leaving onSaturday, January 17th, if you want to join us please contact us.

If your organization would like to join in the effort to collect shoes please contact Jamilla, email: jamillaelshafei@gmail.com

This action is being organized around the state and the country through peace and justice organizations, MPJEN and FACEBOOK.

Please pass on as we need thousands of shoes!

--
Jamilla El Shafei

Posted on Dec 16, 2008 by Kennebunk Peace Department

Rally to Form a Department of Peace

On Sunday, December 7th from 1 to 3pm, Members of Code Pink, Women in Black, Waterville Area Bridges for Peace and Justice, Radio Free Maine, Maine Social Justice and many others met at the Empire Grill in Skowhegan to discuss ways to encourage President Elect Obama to form a new cabinet level position under a Department of Peace. This Cabinet Secretary would sit with all other cabinet members when decisions concerning peace, domestic violence, labor and economic justice issues were at stake both at home and abroad. All agreed that it was important to national and global security that peaceful resolutions were found for all inevitable conflicts. Pepole came from Waterville, Winslow, Solon, Madison, Vassalboro, New Portland, Skowhegan and other parts of Central Maine. A letter to President -Elect Obama was drafted and unanimously signed by all. Co-organizer, Abby Shahn, will see that the letter is hand delivered to the Obama-Biden Transition Team in Chicago.

Posted on Dec 10, 2008 by Waterville Area Bridges for Peace & Justice (WABP&J)

I Miss America Pageant, Maine Code Pink

On November 2, Lisa Savage Solon, Maine school teacher and Waterville Area Bridges for Peace and Justice and Code Pink activist organized an "I Miss America Pageant" for their weekly peace vigil on the Margaret Chase Smith Bridge in Skowhegan, Maine.

Participants (male and female) dressed in pink gowns and represented various themes about how the Bush regime 'missed the mark' on practicing American values.......Miss Appropriated Funds, Miss Take, Miss Pronounced, Miss Informed and so forth. Hundreds of Folks from Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Canada enjoyed the irony as they passed by on the busy rt. 201 bridge dedicated to the former Maine Republican Senator.

Posted on Nov 15, 2008 by Waterville Area Bridges for Peace & Justice (WABP&J)

Victory for MJPEN.org Member, We Take Care of Our Land!

On Oct 17, 2008 the Federal Energy Regulatory commission dismissed an application by Quoddy Bay LNG LLC (QBLLC), an Oklahoma firm to develop a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility at the Split Rock site within the Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation.

For almost four years, We Take Care of our Land has been engaged in litigation against the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Their lawsuit is based on BIA’s failure to comply with four federal laws in connection with its June 1, 2005 approval of a ground lease with QBLLC.

Please read full details on their website wetakecareofourland.org, "..dedicated to those who carry us to the sea--our ancestors."

Posted on Oct 20, 2008 by We Take Care of Our Land

Orono Passes Resolution Opposing War in Iran

WHEREAS, the Iraq war and occupation have had tremendous costs physically, emotionally, and financially on the United States. With the costs to U.S. taxpayers for the Iraq war and occupation now over $500 billion and increasing, cities and states have faced a severe budget crisis, and local communities have been deprived of much-needed funds for healthcare, education, fuel-assistance, safety, and other services and for infrastructure repairs. We now face the prospect that the human and financial costs of a war with Iran may exceed Iraq costs and will divert desperately-needed resources from the critical human needs and real security of our community; and

WHEREAS, according to the National Priorities Project (www.nationalpriorities.org), taxpayers in Orono, Maine will pay $2.1 million for the President's request for additional Iraq war spending in FY2008 and FY2009. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

• 674 People with Health Care for One Year, or
• 3,289 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year, or
• 55 Public Safety Officers for One year, or
• 37 Music and Arts Teachers for One Year, or
• 287 Scholarships for University Students for One Year, or
• 17 Affordable Housing Units, or
• 647 Children with Health Care for One Year, or
• 307 Head Start Places for Children for One Year, or
• 40 Elementary School Teachers for One Year

NOW, THEREFORE, Be It Resolved by the Orono Town Council that;

The Town of Orono opposes preemptive military action by the United States against the Islamic Republic of Iran without adequate Congressional hearings and deliberations and urges Congress to prohibit the use of funds to carry out preemptive military action against Iran without clear explicit Congressional authorization; and that

The Town of Orono supports and urges the U.S. to work diplomatically and cooperatively with other nations and through the United Nations to pursue diplomatic engagement with Iran in order to reduce tensions and security concerns.

Be it further resolved, that the Orono Town Clerk shall forward copies of this resolution to President George W. Bush and members of the Maine Congressional delegation.

Posted on Oct 03, 2008 by Orono Peace Group (Maine Chapter of Citizens for Global Solutions)

Occupation Project Update - Jury Acquits Bangor Peace Activists

Standing in front of the Penobscot County Courthouse while the jury deliberated their fate are, from left to right, Doug Rawlings, Henry Braun, Jimmy Freeman, Dud Hendrick, Rob Shetterly and Jonathan Kreps.
More photos available at: http://paxchristimaine.org

Occupation Project Update - Jury Acquits Bangor Peace Activists
By V. Kelly Bellis

Bangor, Maine - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - Six peace activists were found not guilty of criminal trespass after a two-day jury trial in Penobscot County Superior Court. They have been referred to as the "Bangor Six" by some in context with this particular moment, some nearly fourteen months after their alleged crime. However, this precedent-setting case for peace activists here in Maine, and likely beyond, should be placed in an expanded context beginning with the fact that these 6 courageous souls that spoke to the jury with great heart, conviction and eloquence were accompanied by 6 others on March 7, 2007 who together were also arrested, pleaded no contest and paid fines. And these 12 arrests made in March of 2007 are part of a wider image, both locally and nationally, and a series of local peace actions dating back to mid-2002 when the Bush Administration's puffed-up bleatings of preemption began. In total there have been 25 peace activists arrested at Senator Collins' Bangor office and 36 peace activists arrested at Senator Snowe's Bangor office since the beginning of the war on March 19, 2003. Out of those combined 61 arrests, 7 individuals have been arrested twice and four others arrested three times.

Read the complete article here: http://paxchristimaine.org

Posted on May 01, 2008 by