A group of dedicated people is organizing a 35-day walk from Coos Bay to Portland, via Astoria — a total of 350 miles at an average pace of ten miles a day. Walkers and organizers will meet with local residents along the route to talk about the threat of rising sea level due to global warming.
Corvallis Peace Fair to Mark International Day of Peace
CHARLES NEWLIN: The United Nations’ International Day of Peace – celebrated every year on September 21 – is a global holiday when individuals, communities, nations and governments highlight efforts to end conflict and promote peace. Established by U.N. resolution in 1982, “Peace Day” has grown to include millions of people around the world who participate in all kinds of events, large and small (www.internationaldayofpeace.org).
Calendar
To offer calendar items, post them at www.oregonprogressivenetwork.org or email them to: updates@oregonpeaceworks.org before the 12th of the month for following month’s issue.
A Weaver’s Welcome: Eyewitness Report from Pakistan
KATHY KELLY: Pakistan needs help on a much larger scale. The U.S. has pledged 100 million dollars toward relief efforts. Two other disclosures about money budgeted for Pakistan should be considered in light of the unbearable burdens borne by close to two million new refugees.
DeFazio Explains Why He Voted for More War Funds
CONGRESSMAN PETER DEFAZIO: Thank you for contacting me about the 2009 Iraq/Afghanistan Defense Supplemental Appropriations bill. This bill provides $96.7 billion, 87% of which would be to cover costs relating to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for the rest of this fiscal year. I voted for these funds because I chose to give President Obama time to implement his Afghanistan strategy and withdraw troops from Iraq. But it was not an easy decision.
Response to DeFazio on the Supplemental
REBECCA GRIFFIN: Here in Oregon, it’s instructive to look at Rep. Peter DeFazio’s letter to his constituents explaining his decision to vote in favor of more than $90 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. DeFazio is reliably progressive on foreign policy, and is likely to be an ally if we can address the concerns he and other members of Congress have about Afghanistan policy.