One Nation Working Together - 10.2.10, DC
This One is Going To Be Big!

WASHINGTON - It should be of no surprise that in an August 13th Gallup Poll the economy in general and unemployment/ jobs specifically topped the list of public concerns. The economy and jobs grabbed 58% of responses as top issues. War and fear of war lagged way behind in 8th place with only 4%. With millions across the nation struggling to keep their homes, make ends meet and keep or find jobs, the wars and occupations in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else is not uppermost on people's minds. Taking care of business at home is first.

But people still care. Poll after poll shows that support for the war in Afghanistan is falling. A majority of people think the invasion of Iraq was a mistake and want U.S. troops to continue to pullout. Even with international issues on the backburner for most people, our efforts continue to be vitally important and effective. We are in a good position to move our work to end these occupations.

The last 18 months have been tough for the anti-war/peace movement. Progressive activism has been muffled and the hundreds of thousands we were able to turn out in the past have stayed home. All of that is about to change!

The rise of the Tea Party movement and profound disappointment with the slow pace of real change has slapped many people in the face. They are waking up from a post election daze to the realization that it takes a movement to make change happen. In this context, a new initiative called One Nation Working Together has emerged.

The NAACP, 1199 SEIU, the National Council of La Raza, Green for All, Center for Community Change and the United States Student Association initiated this campaign, and more than 150 other national and local groups have already signed on. The growing list of participating organizations includes United for Peace and Justice, Veterans For Peace, Peace Action, US Labor Against the War, Code Pink, Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Progressive Democrats of America, United National Antiwar Committee, National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance and other peace groups. Labor participation includes the AFL-CIO, AFT, SEIU, CWA, Transport Workers Union, Unite/HERE, UFCW and others. Some of the other national organizations that are part of this effort are: USAction, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Campaign for America's Future, National Action Network, Center for American Progress, Jewish Funds for Justice.

The effort will kick off on October 2ndwith a march in Washington, DC demanding that Congress and the Obama Administration adopt a peoples' agenda for jobs and economic renewal.The mobilization is intended to be the beginning of an ongoing progressive coalition. With the reach, size and political breadth of the organizing partners, the 10.2.10 mobilization has potential to be huge and the continuing efforts very powerful.

The peace and anti-war movements must take advantage of this unique opportunity to work closely with allies to demand "Money for Jobs, Not For War", and "Jobs, Peace and Justice". Our work over the past 8 years has set the table for this unprecedented broad coalition to gather and work together.

Our participation in 10.2.10 deepens the antiwar and peace content of the demonstration and ultimately of the coalition that emerges from it. Our signs and voices will make more visible the connections between U.S. militarism, war spending and our nation's lack of resources to resolve the current economic crisis. This strengthens the message of the mobilization and will help make continued efforts to push for real change successful.

The 10.2.10 mobilization affords us an opportunity we cannot afford to miss.

We urge your group - whether a community group or a national organization - to join us in the effort We encourage you to contact local organizers or if none exist near you, to convene a local coalition to organize as many people from your area as possible to be in Washington, DC on 10.2.10.

And then we hope you will continue efforts after the mobilization. The objective is to organize a coalition in each community that is as broad and diverse as that which is developing nationally - not just to mobilize for the march in DC, but to create the kind of cross-constituency, cross-movement alliance that will give real muscle to our common progressive agenda.

Now is the time to commit to making this mobilization and emerging local and national coalitions a success. It will not be easy, because coalition building is always hard. But the possibilities for advancing our work are great and success worth having never comes easy.

Please endorse the mobilization today. Click here for anendorsement form PDF. 

Please contact One Nation Regional Directors for local contacts. Click here for a list of Regional Directors.

Partners in the 10.2.10 effort are requested to hold local coalition media events the week of August 28 through September 2 to launch their participation in One Nation Working Together's massive national effort.  Join an existing event or organize your own to tell the media that your community is mobilizing for 10-2-10. Contactonwtcommunications@gmail.comto find an event or to let them know you are organizing one so it can be listed.  For more information about a peace contingent contact the One Nation Peace Table atonenationforpeace@gmail.com.

It's time to hit the streets again with a strong and vibrant message: Money for Jobs, Not For War!  Jobs, Peace, and Justice!

This one is going to be big! Be there and help write a new page in the history of social struggle in the U.S.

Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace
Code Pink
Committees for Correspondence for Democracy & Socialism
Defending Dissent Foundation
Fellowship Of Reconciliation
Global Exchange
Indianapolis Peace and Justice Center
Institute for Policy Studies/New Internationalism Project
Just Foreign Policy
Majority Agenda Project (Boston)
National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance
North Carolina Southern Anti Racism network
Northern Virginians for Peace & Justice (NVPJ)
Northern Virginia Greens
Peace Action
Peace Action, Main Line, PA
Pledge of Resistance
Progressive Democrats of America
United for Justice with Peace (Boston)
United for Peace and Justice
United National Antiwar Committee 
Veterans For Peace 
Voices for Creative Nonviolence
War Times/Tiempo de Guerras