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Connecticut Peace Education Program

The Connecticut Office plays a critical and unique role in the effort to network existing peace groups across the state and in outreach to individuals that are not currently involved in peace activity in any organized way.

AFSC-CT is the founder and lead partner of the Connecticut Coalition for Peace and Justice (CCPJ), a greater Hartford coalition of peace activists that has spawned numerous local peace and justice groups and ongoing vigils in communities around Hartford. We have taken a lead role in media activism by sponsoring media activism workshops for peace groups throughout the state and by providing media liaison for many of the statewide actions against the war.

AFSC-CT works with Connecticut United for Peace, a state-wide coalition of peace and justice groups to do grassroots education about the war in Iraq and other conflicts in the Middle East and to take advocacy actions and to mobilize to stop the war and bring U.S. troops home now.

In addition, AFSC-CT, has taken a lead role in organizing clergy and laity in opposition to the war in Iraq and the militarism of U.S. foreign policy. AFSC-CT is a founder of Reclaiming the Prophetic Voice (RTPV), a statewide interfaith network of clergy and people of faith against the war in Iraq.

AFSC-CT is also part of Connecticut Opposes the War: COW <www.CTcow.org> a state-wide coalition of labor unions, churches, and community organizations that seeks to end the war in Iraq. COW organized over 20 town meetings throughout the state on Feb. 24th bringing almost a thousand people together to work on plans for a state-wide rally on March 17th. On March 17th nearly 1,500 people gathered in Hartford at the Old State House to call for an end to the war and to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq.

AFSC-CT is a member of the nation-wide anti-war coalition United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ).

AFSC-CT worked with the Greater New Haven Peace Council to organize 4 buses from Connecticut to go the massive Jan 27th UFPJ march in Washington D.C. Hundreds of thousands of people marched to call on the U.S. Congress to take legislative action to end the war in Iraq.

AFSC coordinated a delegation of 15 Conn. residents who participated in the Jan. 29th UFPJ Advocacy Day to call on the U.S. Congress to end the war in Iraq. We are continuing our advocacy to get the 5 representatives and 2 Senators in Connecticut to stop to not approve more funds for the war, to bring US. troops home, and to not let the U.S. attack Iran. We are trying to arrange meetings with the 5 Congressional reps and the 2 Senators at their local offices. Contact us if you want to participate connecticut@afsc.org or at 860-523-1534.

Not One More Death. Not One More Dollar.

AFSC-CT helped organize a vigil in New Haven on Dec 31, 2006 to commemorate the 3000th U.S. solider to die in the Iraq war. There was also a vigil in West Hartford.

On March 14 AFSC-CT delivered a letter signed by over 700 Connecticut residents to the district offices of the 5 Congressional representatives calling on them to not vote for the Iraq war supplemental budget, to bring U.S. troops home now, and to not let the U.S. attack Iran. This was part of a national AFSC campaign that involved the work of over 20 field and regional offices through the country.

Please go to the national AFSC web site for more information Not One More Death. Not One More Dollar.

Non-violence Training for Activists

AFSC-CT provides non-violence training for adults on an "as needed" basis. AFSC has very important unique role to play fostering a climate of non-violent protest. Many groups depend upon us to lay the foundation for effective non-violent actions that are designed to attract and appeal to the largest possible constituency. Our role as police liaison for large actions has helped to provide a "safe" environment for constructive public witness.

Nuclear Weapons Work

AFSC-CT reaffirms the primary emphasis we place on anti-nuclear weapons work as part of our peace programming. As an active member of the Global Networks Against Nuclear Weapons and Power in Space, we commit to continuing to hold an anti-nuclear weapons event each October during the Global Network's annual "Keep Space for Peace" Week. This usually includes some public witness as well as an educational event focusing on the dangers of the militarization of space, the further nuclearization of U.S. foreign policy and opposition to pre-emptive strike doctrine. This witness is intended to augment our ongoing year-round efforts to educate voters about the nuclear weapons issue and to mobilize a Connecticut lobby against relevant federal budget and legislative initiatives. This work is coordinated closely with the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

Economic Justice

Much of the work of the Connecticut Program focuses on local conditions of drug violence, poverty and unemployment as well as racial disparities in housing, educational opportunity, and incarceration rates in Connecticut. AFSC has been instrumental in organizing numerous urban "camp outs" against drugs and violence in Hartford's North end. In these actions, abandoned lots or street corners where murder has occurred are transformed for a period into public "safe" spaces in the community.

Criminal Justice Reform

AFSC-CT has established a new Restoration and Reconciliation Committee. The focus of this work will be on setting up a network of Connecticut residents who are willing to provide transitional direct services to ex-convicts when they are newly released into the community. We will also monitor criminal justice reform legislation and provide public forums to educate the public. In all this work we will stress the importance of alternatives to incarceration and expansion of drug treatment options for non-violent offenders. We also support the work of the Connecticut Network to Abolish the Death Penalty

Budget Priorities

AFSC's "One War, Many Faces" campaign is a voter education effort to compare the costs of a militarized foreign policy with the need for resources to stem the decay of our urban communities and to provide much needed services in the area of education, healthcare and economic development at the local level.

Non-Violence Training for Youth

AFSC-CT has committed itself to a major expansion of the Help Increase the Peace (HIP) program in Connecticut. This non-violence training program for youth has been established in the Hartford Public Schools at the Quirk, Burr and Watkinson Middle Schools. We are planning to extend the program to the high school age group, and to more community groups. In addition, we want to be able to offer experiences for several HIP retreats each year for urban youth outside of the city environment.

Youth and Militarism

AFSC-CT will continue to respond to requests for information about conscientious objection and draft counseling. We will be happy also to respond requests for counter-recruitment presentations. In addition are working on a counter-recruitment "tabling" initiative at three area Greater Hartford schools.

Ways to Get Involved!

You can connect up to the local peace movement by attending any one of the local vigils, or the Weekly meetings of the Connecticut Coalition for Peace and Justice. Or just call the AFSC-CT Office at 860-523-1534.

Network and coalition memberships

• CT Network to Abolish the Death Penalty
• CT Cuba Coalition
• CT Nuclear Abolition 2000 Coalition
• CT United for Peace
• CT TransAdvocacy Coalition
• CT Alliance
• Connecticut Coalition for Peace and Justice
• Regional Coalition for Immigrants' Rights
• Connecticut Opposes the War

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