United for Peace and Justice

United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), founded in October 2002, is a "coalition of more than 800 local and national groups throughout the United States who have joined together to oppose our government's policy of permanent warfare and empire-building." 

John Bruhns was announced as a lobbyist for UFPJ in March, 2008. According to the news release announcing his hiring, "John Bruhns served as an infantry sergeant in the U.S. Army in Iraq from 2003 to 2004 and returned strongly opposed to the occupation that he had been a part of, believing the Bush administration had misused his patriotism. Bruhns began speaking out at peace events and in April 2007 was named the winner of a Video Vets contest created by MoveOn." 

Writing in September 2007, Michel Chossudovsky observes that: "In the US, United for Peace and Justice tacitly supports US foreign policy. It fails to recognize the existence of an Iraqi resistance movement. Moreover, these same antiwar organizations, which are committed to World Peace tend to downplay the implications of the proposed US bombing of Iran. More generally the antiwar movement fails to address the existence of a broader Middle East military agenda, a long-war. Its actions are piecemeal, focusing on Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine without addressing the relationship between these various war theaters."

Steering Committee
"The Steering Committee is the decision-making body of UFPJ between National Assemblies. It will serve as a broad and representative leadership body made up of 35 participating organizations elected at the National Peace and Justice Assembly, 60% (21) from local or regional groups or coalitions, 40% (14) from national organizations; affiliates or subgroups of national organizations count as "national" representatives, and only one representative of a particular national organization (either its national office or a local affiliate) can serve on the Steering Committee." 


 * Older List of Steering Committee Members.

Accessed August 2007: (Elected at the UFPJ National Assembly, February 2005)


 * Baltazar (Bal) Pinguel, American Friends Service Committee-National
 * Joseph Gainza, American Friends Service Committee-Vermont
 * Felicia Eaves, Black Voices for Peace
 * Maleena Lawrence, Black Voices for Peace - Oakland
 * Kenneth Quam, Boston Mobilization
 * Gael Murphy, CODEPINK: Women for Peace
 * Judith LeBlanc, Communist Party - USA
 * Katie Nelson, D.C. Anti-War Network
 * Prasad Venugopal, Detroit Area Peace with Justice Network
 * Chuck Fager, Fayetteville Peace With Justice
 * Denise Thomas, Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition
 * Medea Benjamin, Global Exchange
 * Fernando Suarez del Solar, Guerrero Azteca Project
 * Bryan Proffitt, Hip-Hop Against Racist War
 * Margaret Powers, Historians Against the War
 * George Friday, Independent Progressive Politics Network
 * Saif Rahman, Institute for Policy Studies
 * Jose Vasquez, Iraq Veterans Against the War
 * Susan Wenger, Lancaster Coalition for Peace and Justice
 * Ann Roesler, Military Families Speak Out
 * George Martin, Milwaukee Coalition for a Just Peace
 * Orlando Green, National Hip Hop Political Caucus
 * Siu Hin Lee, National Immigrant Solidarity Network, Peace NoWar Network
 * Sobukwe Shukura, National Network On Cuba
 * Jessica Marshall, National Youth and Student Peace Coalition
 * Leslie Kielson, United for Peace and Justice NY
 * Efia Nwangaza, Not In Our Name (NION)
 * Michael O'Gorman, PeaceRoots Alliance
 * Howard Wallace, Pride at Work
 * Lisa Fithian, Root Activist Network of Trainers (RANT)
 * Kelly Campbell, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
 * Sophie Bloch, Students for Change
 * Brenda Allen, Teaneck Peace and Justice Coalition
 * Liz Rivera Goldstein, Teen Peace Project
 * Rahul Mahajan, Third Coast Activist Resource Center
 * David Meieran, Thomas Merton Center
 * Kymberlie Quong Charles, US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
 * Nancy Romer, US Labor Against the War
 * Alona Clifton, Vanguard Public Foundation
 * Michael T. McPhearson, Veterans For Peace
 * Bob Wing, War Times
 * Jacqueline (Jackie)Cabasso, Western States Legal Foundation
 * Saundra Addison-Britto, Women To Women Ministries, Inc.
 * Cliff Suk-Jae Lee, Young Koreans United (YKU) of USA

Contact details
630 9th Avenue, Suite 216 PO Box 607 Times Square Station NY, NY 10108 Telephone: (212) 868-5545 Fax: (646) 723-0996 Website: http://www.unitedforpeace.org

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Americans Against Escalation in Iraq
 * International Occupation Watch Center
 * MoveOn
 * peace movement
 * Peace Vigil August 17, 2005
 * Peace Vigil in Crawford, Texas
 * Bill Fletcher, Jr. - Former Co-chair
 * Leslie Cagan - Chair
 * Julie Cassinelli
 * Max Uhlenbeck
 * Virginia Rodino