Rethink Afghanistan DVD Now Available, Sign Up To Host a House Party Today!
There are now two copies of the film Rethink Afghanistan available at Peace Action. This great DVD is 75 minutes long and separated into 7 segments. This film is a great way to get a conversation started on Afghanistan. Please consider hosting an Afghanistan house party in which you invite friends, family and/or neighbors, provide snacks and refreshments, and watch the film together. We have packets with discussion questions and other helpful materials to assist you in putting on a house party. Please e-mail Liz at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information, or call 414-964-5158.
This October 7th marked the eighth year of the NATO and US-led war and occupation in Afghanistan. Military operations, carried out in the name of the United States, continue to bombard the Afghan people with daily attacks that kill innocent civilians and establish another generation of Afghans who know only war and occupation.
Earlier this year, President Obama announced his 10 year plan for Afghanistan. It includes an additional 21,000 U.S. military forces deployed in Iraq and diplomatic engagement of Pakistan. He is still trying to force political and social change through the Pentagon, insisting that this is a "war of necessity."
We have a better plan: focus on diplomatic cooperation and humanitarian aid, emphasize job creation, and mitigate civilian casualities by scaling back military force.As we go to press Afghanistan is holding elections. It has been clear throughout the campaign that the majority of Afghans are sick and tired of war. "There is broad agreement the war must end," writes Carlotta Gall in the New York Times, 8/18/09. And Americans, too, are getting tired of this war. A recent CNN poll showed that 54% of the people in the U.S. now oppose the war in Afghanistan. A Washington Post-ABC News poll in August showed 51% of the people thought the Afghan war is not worth fighting. However, Congress and the new administration will only end the war in Afghanistan when the public demands it.
The peace movement is challenged to organize this public sentiment into an effective movement. Now is the time to tap into the political momentum for peace and to educate the American public about the need to remove foreign forces from Afghanistan and increase international support of Afghan-led aid and development.
Now is the time for grassroots action
Hosting an Out-of-Afghanistan House Party is an excellent way to answer questions and educate our friends, family and community about
- The military, political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian realities of war in Afghanistan
- Better solutions to secure Afghanistan and consequently the United States and our allies
- Specific actions we can take to motivate the American public and move our government to support peaceful solutions for Afghanistan
