10 Things You Can Do For Peace

1. CALL OR WRITE YOUR CONGRESSPERSON and tell them how you feel. Encourage them to support peace not war and encourage them to seek diplomatic international solutions not vengeance or retaliation. Support US political leaders -- such as Barbara Lee, US Representative from California -- who are calling for nonmilitary alternatives war and violence.

2. VOICE YOUR OPINION. Write letters to the editor in your local paper. You can use the AFSC media guide (www.afsc.org) to send e-mail to local or national media. Call radio talk shows and attend public forums. If you participate in opinion polls, be sure to suggest diplomacy or peace as an option, since this category is usually not available.

3. Young children NEED AN OUTLET TOO. Youngsters can draw pictures to express their feelings, if they are too small to write.

4. ATTEND PUBLIC EVENTS. Organize a vigil for peace with faith-based or other groups in your community. Visit www.peaceresponse.org to learn about events near you.

5. LEARN ALL YOU CAN about the Islamic faith, particularly Islam's positive stand on peace and nonviolence.

6. WORK AGAINST VIOLENCE aimed at others because of race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, nation of origin, gender or sexual orientation. Make a special point to reach out a hand of support to anyone who is perceived as Muslim or Arab. Contact a local mosque or civic organization to express your support and identify ways you can help.

7. LEARN ABOUT THOSE COUNTRIES that the US government holds accountable for terrorist acts. Knowing the history, the geography, the accomplishments, and problems facing countries like Pakistan or Afghanistan will help us let others see the peaceful majorities that live in these countries.

8. HOLD THE MEDIA ACCOUNTABLE for biased reporting. Don't hesitate to call a local media outlet if you see evidence of unfair or slanted reporting. Be sure to watch and read a variety of media sources and include foreign press in your assortment.

9. INSIST ON MAINTAINING AND PROTECTING THE CIVIL LIBERTIES that citizens in the United States have worked so hard to create; you have the right to speak freely, to associate freely, to assemble in lawful groups to express opinions, and, at the same time, you have the right to privacy. Working in your communities to use and protect these rights in the weeks ahead will guarantee that terrorism has not destroyed the fabric of liberty or undercut our Constitution. True patriotism upholds the founding principles of our country and embraces the Bill of Rights.

10. EDUCATE YOURSELF ON ALTERNATIVES TO WAR. Order a copy of The Little Book of Peace, by Patricia J. Chui, which contains anecdotes from well-known promoters of peace including Buddha, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahandas Gandhi, as well as quotes from individuals who may not be as well recognized for their nonviolent insight, such as: Jimmy Carter, Eleanor Roosevelt and Malcolm X. Also available: Speak Truth to Power, a study of international conflict that represents a Quaker search for alternatives to violence. Its message is every bit as relevant today as it was when it was first published in 1955. Both publications are available from the AFSC Literature Resources Unit.

http://www.commondreams.org/news2001/1219-05.htm

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Most of the problems between Arabs and Americans and the West in general are purely political.