All People’s Breakfast calls for criminal justice reform, abolition of death penalty

About 250 people gathered to celebrate the national Martin Luther King Jr. holiday at the All People's Breakfast at Colorado College's Cornerstone Arts Center. The theme was "Ending Mass Incarceration in America" with keynote speaker Rosemary Harris Lytle, president of the Colorado Springs Branch NAACP. Rosemary (pictured above) rightly pronounced that little has changed for communities of color in terms of the justice system since Dr. King challenged Jim Crow some 50 years ago. All three men on Colorado's Death Row are African Americans. Freedom songs were delivered by the Gospel Music Workshop of America.

 

We collected 60 surveys about action steps people in attendance are willing to take. If you were not at the breakfast or didn't get a chance to complete a survey, please request a survey from Steve at dynamic@ppjpc.org. Proceeds of more than $1,000 will benefit the PPJPC Peace Scholarship and the NAACP Youth Leadership Award. The breakfast was co-sponsored and co-organized by the Colorado Springs Branch NAACP, Colorado Springs Diversity Forum, Colorado Springs Utilities, Colorado College, Hooked on Books Bookstore, SGI-USA and Carter Payne Historic Event Center.

To donate to the Peace Scholarship Fund, please visit our website.



Now, more than ever - join the J&P!

All J&P members and friends are invited to celebrate a new year at the J&P Annual Meeting & Party for Peace, 5:30-8 p.m. Jan. 27 at 1st Congregational Church, 20 E. St. Vrain St. The potluck dinner will feature a presentation by Arshad Yousufi of the Islamic Society of Colorado Springs on "Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Prospects for Peace." After a brief annual report and approval of 2012 board members, we'll kick off the party with music and fellowship.

About 160 people attended our International Day of Peace breakfast in September and nearly 100 people joined the J&P or renewed their memberships. If you cannot attend the annual meeting but would like to join the J&P (or renew your membership for 2012), you may do so online via this website. Or contact Steve Saint at (719) 632-6189 or director@ppjpc.org.

Thousands call for an end to the Afghanistan war


On Oct. 7, 2001, less than a month after the events of 9/11, the Bush Administration invaded Afghanistan on the pretext of capturing Osama bin Laden and dismantling al-Qaeda. Afghanistan had not attacked the U.S. and the United Nations did not authorize Bush's military action. Bin Laden was never formally charged regarding 9/11. Friday marked the tenth anniversary of that war, which has claimed the lives of almost 2,000 U.S. soldiers, 8,500 Afghan troops and countless Afghan civilians, and cost American taxpayers almost $500 billion. Did you hear about the protests and petition-signing on Oct. 7? Guess the local press decided to ignore us!

Outside Colorado Springs, anyway, public opinion polls have caught up with the J&P - the majority of Americans are ready for the war to end. The Friday anniversary was marked with student demonstrations at Palmer High School and Colorado College (pictured above). Citizens for Peace in Space presented petitions signed by thousands calling for an end to the war to our three members of Congress. If you would like to participate in a future demonstration or signature-gathering effort, contact Steve at dynamic@ppjpc.org.

Jerusalem Project invites you to Interfaith Holiday Tour

More than 40 people participated in one or more events on the J&P’s Interfaith Holiday Tour. This was an opportunity to sample some holiday traditions and build relationships across religious lines, with stops at an Iftar (breaking the Ramadan fast) potluck at the Islamic Society on Aug. 27, a Sukkot dinner on Oct. 14 at Temple Shalom and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12. The purpose of the Jerusalem Project is to provide a safe, social environment for Jews, Christians, Muslims and people of other faith traditions to meet, make friends and develop an united voice for peace and justice. To get more information, contact Steve at dynamic@ppjpc.org.



9/11 remembered with “Evening in Jerusalem 4”


“Never Forget Peace” was the theme of Evening in Jerusalem 4,” held on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. While Colorado Springs was awash in flag waving and saber rattling, we organized a dinner and commemoration by Christians, Jews, Muslims and other friends in search of world peace through dialogue, mutual respect and the breaking down of dangerous enemy images. About 100 people attended the Middle Eastern dinner at Colorado College. This was our “fourth cup of tea” - our three previous evenings (July and October, 2010; March, 2011) drew about 100 people each to further the process of interfaith dialogue in Colorado Springs.  For more information about how to get involved, contact Steve at dynamic@ppjpc.org.

Iraq vets to speak out for soldiers’ right to heal

A group of Iraq Veterans Against the War stopped in Colorado Springs in July on their way from from Ft. Hood to the national IVAW convention in Portland. They gave a report from the field, “Operation Recovery: A Campaign to Stop the Deployment of Traumatized Troops.”

Earlier this year, IVAW deployed the team to Ft. Hood to begin a year-long outreach drive and lay the groundwork for a fight to win service members and veterans right to heal. The military depends on the deployment of service members with traumas (PTSD and brain injuries) to continue the wars. The J&P not only advocates for immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, but supports the right for veterans to heal - at Ft. Hood and Ft. Carson as well. For more information on reaching out to at-risk soldiers, contact Steve at dynamic@ppjpc.org.

J&P to collect bikes for people and planet

The two existing bike clinics for homeless riders are facing serious challenges. Peter Sprunger-Froese has seriously injured his hand and Brian Gravestock’s Bike Clinic Too has trimmed hours. To help out, the J&P is launching a summer campaign to collect good-condition (i.e. no repairs needed) bicycles from the community. 

We need the community to bring down those good-condition-but-unused bikes parked in sheds and garages around the region. The emphasis here is on “good condition.” You can also volunteer to help us transport other peoples' bikes to a storage facility and even make a few basic repairs on site. Bike mechanics who can volunteer to make more extensive repairs are also sorely needed.

Bring your bikes down understanding the following protocols:

1. Bikes in need of obvious repairs should be repaired before they are donated.

2. If the only challenge is flat tires, please inflate them to see if they hold air before donating them.

3. If you have a suitable bike but no way to transport it to the park, please contact us. We are developing a list in case a way of transporting bikes presents itself.

5. Acceptable bikes will get you a receipt for tax deduction.

6. Any surplus bikes may be used to launch a new pilot bike-sharing project.

For more information, contact Steve at (719) 632-6189 or econjustice@ppjpc.org.




Can we end homelessness?


Almost 70,000 people in El Paso County live in poverty, according to new statistics from the U.S. Census. The poorest of the poor are homeless people suffering from mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction and disabilities. Is there anything we can do to reduce and even eliminate poverty in the Pikes Peak Region?

In partnership with Catholic Charities, Peak Vista Health Centers and Care & Share Food Bank, the J&P has launched a community discussion of the new federal Interagency Council on Homelessness strategy document, "Opening Doors." A task force towards ending homelessness in Colorado Springs through collaboration and partnership began meeting last fall. Concerned citizens, non-profit organizations and local government agencies are invited to collaborate in synthesizing strategies from various sources to prevent and end homelessness in Colorado Springs. For more information, contact Steve at econjustice@ppjpc.org. "Opening Doors" can be found at www.ich.gov.

Public forums on fracking scheduled

The Green Cities Coalition, Sierra Club and the League of Women Voters recently sponsored three educational forums on hydraulic fracturing and potential impacts of drilling. Our first forum was standing-room only on Nov. 10 at UCCS and included a screening of "Split Estate." Additional sponsors were Students for Environmental Awareness and Sustainability (SEAS) and the UCCS Office of Sustainability. The second forum on Nov. 11 featured Wes Wilson, the Environmental Protection Agency whistleblower portrayed in "Gasland," along with excerpts from the Sundance award-winning documentary. A full screening of "Gasland" was held on Nov. 14 at the Sand Creek Library. For more information on future forums, contact Steve at sustain@ppjpc.org.

The Green Dream: Creating a Demonstration Center for Sustainable Urban Living

The J&P is launching a new Green Dream project to create a demonstration center exploring how people can survive and sustain themselves in the urban environment - for the duration of this century and beyond. We actually have the technology and expertise, they’re just not getting the needed attention and funding as our country clings to its extravagant, consumptive past.

Got land? We need it – donate it to us, sell it to us, lease it or loan it. Got professional skills – legal, financial, planning, technical? Volunteer some time as a Green Dream Guru. Want to employ hundreds of people in urban farming, biofuel production, construction, transportation and renewable energy? Bring your capital and business expertise to our table. For more information about how you can make a difference, contact sustain@ppjpc.org.