Be About Peace Day May 30, 2009

Click for SMPA Statement on Be About Peace Day, Posters and Proclamations by Maplewood and South Orange

Click for Photos of Be About Peace Day at the Burgdorff Center: 1 :: 2 :: 3 :: 4 :: 5 :: 6

Click for Photos of Ceremony for Major Dwayne Kelley: 1 :: 2

Click for Maplewood Online Video
of Be About Peace Day by Jamie Ross:

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US Support for Israeli-Palestinian Peace

-- Speech by Rep. Gary Ackerman

-- Letter by Sen. Diane Feinstein and 31 other Senators

-- Statements by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

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A Town That's All About Peace
by Erin Hicks

It is a crisp Saturday morning in March. As you walk towards the library, you see people with neon peace signs on their faces and brightly colored T-shirts. At the library, you enter a large room full of talking, laughing people. There are stands and tables everywhere, and even a rock band playing. Find this strange? Well, if you live in Maplewood, New Jersey you wouldn't.

Click below to read speeches and comments

Remarks by Maplewood Deputy Mayor Fred Profeta at Be About Peace Day Forum 3-29-08

Remarks by Dan O'Flaherty, Columbia University, at Be About Peace Day Forum March 29, 2008

Remarks by Chris Black at Be About Peace Day Forum March 29, 2008

Maplewood Memorial Day Parade

May 25, 2009

Commemoration of Iraq War Anniversary

March 21, 2009 at the Peace Memorial in the Ethical Culture Society Garden, Maplewood NJ.

We recalled our six years of efforts for peace and welcomed the President's commitment to end the war. We stated our concern about the continuing human and economic costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and restated our dedication to working for peace and a peace economy. A moment of silence was held for South Orange residents Augie Schroeder and Dwayne Kelley and all Americans and Iraqis whose lives have been lost and damaged in the war.

-- Photos by Mary Gallagher.
See blog by Chris Black on The NY Times Local.

A Moment to Celebrate

On February 28, 2009, President Obama announced a timetable to bring home ALL American troops from Iraq in two stages: all combat troops by August 2010 and the remaining 35,000-50,000 troops by December 2011.

Many would prefer a faster timeline, and that is still a possibility, especially since lives continue to be lost and deployment through 2011 would cost America about $200 billion that we obviously need at home. But what is most important is that our country has taken the first step to end the war, and we have a national consensus to do so.

MoveOn.org Report on Iraq and Recession delivered to NJ Senators 4-24-08

Be About Peace Day March, 29 2008

The welcome table at Maplewood Memorial Library, where South Mountain Peace Action launched two petitions on Be About Peace Day.

Click for Program :: Photos-1 :: Photos-2 :: Photos-3 :: Photos-4 :: Photos-5 :: Photos-6
:: Op-Ed :: Proclamations :: Petitions

SMPA's "Be About Peace Day" template appears on Cities for Progress. Maplewood and South Orange peace proclamations appear on this page and here and here. For Maplewood's 2003 antiwar resolution, click here

"Be About Peace" design © Jackson Roberts 2003
Dove-and-hand and "Shalom Salem" designs
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