Art can speak truth where words fail. How can one find words to express the horror of war? Picasso's "Guernica" is a response to the bombing of a town in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. A copy of this painting that covers the wall in the anteroom of the UN Security Council chamber was covered over at the request of the United States prior to Colin Powell's presentation justifying war with Iraq. Truth is not the concern when we are hell-bent on war.

Dahr Jamail speaks of Falujah as Iraq's Guernica. While the devastation of Faluja burns in the conscienciousness of Iraqis, most Americans seem to not give it a second thought. We ignore the evil perpetrated by our own government at our peril.

Articles: General

Bypass the Media Monopoly: A Compilation of Online News Sources

The Bill of Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

A Familiar Path to Torture
A talk by Samer Rabadi, Deputy Director, Western Region, Amnesty International USA
hosted by the South Valley Peace Center at the Tulare County Office of Education, April 26, 2005
For more information on this issue, see Amnesty International USA's web page on stopping torture.

Just and Unjust War
By Howard Zinn
(Noted historian Howard Zinn, who was a bombardier in World War II,
eventually came to question whether any war can be considered a just war.)

The Reason Why
By George McGovern

Compassionate Listening--First Step to Reconciliation?
and other essays by Gene Knudsen Hoffman

A Call to Arms
By Marilyn Chandler McEntyre
A poem

An Overview of Curbs on Civil Liberties in the US

The Writings of Peter Dale Scott
Co-founder of the Peace and Conflict Studies Program at UC Berkeley

Several of our members have formed an editorial writing group
called Progressive Writers Bloc.  Editorials are submitted to
local papers and archived on progressivewritersbloc.com. 
If you are interested in participating, write an opinion piece
(500-600 words) and send it to David Chandler.

(The Golden Rule of Foreign Policy)

Articles

US Elections

Analysis of Diebold's Computerized Voting Software

Disturbing Facts About the 2004 Election

Middle East Crisis

Archive of pre-war articles on Iraq

Defeating Terrorism, Step 1: Look in the Mirror

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:
Requirements for a Just, Secure, and Lasting Peace
Analysis by Jim Fine, former International Director of AFSC in the Middle East

Carving Up the New Iraq
by Neil Mackay

Crude Vision--Politics of Oil in US-Iraqi Relations
(from the Institute for Policy Studies)

UNDERSTANDING THE U.S.-IRAQ CRISIS:
A Primer from the Institute for Policy Studies

Iraq and the Oil Connection
By Michael Renner
Worldwatch Institute

911

The Complete 9/11 Timeline
and a 2-page summary

9/11 Research

911review.com
(Not to be confused with the dubious "911review.org")

Commentary through Humor / Art

Mark Fiore: Dissent, Find the Terrorist, Whoops!,
Archive

Bumper Stickers by Jerry Jaspar

Rule-the-World Productions Proudly Presents . . .
Rye observations from a Libertarian perspective

(Remember the poets who were first invited, then uninvited to visit the Whitehouse, because it was feared they might speak out against the war?)
Well they have! http://poetsagainstthewar.org/ has the response
of 11,000 poets! Wow! Browse forever!

Sign on Hwy 190 between Porterville and Springville
put up by Peter Dutton as a personal statement
in the aftermath of the war in Iraq.

Actions/Events

Conservative Porterville Passes an Anti-Patriot-Act Resolution!!

SVPC Activities and Events Page

Peace and Social Justice calendar
of the Community Alliance magazine, Fresno. Also from Fresno,
a list of links and listserves on peace and social justice issues.

We encourage local Catholic parishes to join in the work of Pax Christi. (For information
about the Pax Christi community at St. Anne's in Porterville, or St. Mary's in Visalia,
or for help in forming a community in your own parish, contact Billie Chandler.)

The World Says NO to War, March 15-16, 2003

Bill Warner's Report on January 18, 2003 San Francisco Rally

Size of the San Francisco Rally on January 18, 2003
an Independent Assessment by David Chandler

Military Issues

War and Peace: Thinking Through the Issues

Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors

AFSC Youth and Militarism Program

Local Counseling for Conscientious Objectors
and others facing decisions about the military

Links

News Sources

Global Policy Forum

Approval Rating and Other Polling Data

Retro Poll
If you want to know what the public is really thinking, check out this resource for comparison with the better known polls. Retro Poll conducts valid statistical polling of the whole United States, but it combines questions about people's opinions with questions to determine their knowledge. Example: 60.0% of those who think Saddam Hussein was involved with 911 support the war, but 75.8% of those who believe there is no link between Saddam Hussein and 911 reject the war

The L-Curve
A graphic portrayal of the US income distribution.
Ever wonder why the government doesn't seem to be representing you?
Maybe it's because you're only a "horizontal spike" person.

MoveOn.org
The largest and most organized manifestation of the current anti-war movement.

Alternet.org

Z-Net
In-depth articles on world affairs by noted progressive thinkers.

The Progressive

Greg Palast
Investigative Journalism

The Crisis Papers

Center for International Policy

CommonDreams.org

FAIR
A media watchdog organization...especially relevant in the current propaganda war.

Vietnam Veterans Against the War

Veterans for Common Sense
An organization of veterans of the first Gulf War
whooppose current plans for war with Iraq.

Voices in the Wilderness
A very out-front group to watch on the Iraq issue.
They have just been fined $50,000 (which they are refusing to pay)
for taking medical supplies into Iraq, thus violating the sanctions.

Every Church a Peace Church

protest.net, UnitedForPeace.org
Calendars of peace and protest activities throughout the world

Chickenhawk Database
We don't take the position that people who avoid the military are "chicken", but when the military avoider turns around and becomes a cheerleader for war, the hypocracy justifies the term. What is particularly noteworthy is how many of our current generation of hawkish politicians (starting at the top with George W. Bush) actively avoided the military themselves.

Dissident Voice
Collected internet reporting on "Gulf Slaughter II"

AddictedtoWar.com

Antiwarmonger.org

Norberts Links for a Better World
A Massive List of Links to Peace Groups and other NGO's
(Also check out Norberts home page)

Heather Wokusch's annotated list of links