The U.S. invasion of Iraq officially began on March
19, 2003. A month before Operation Shock and Awe began, a worldwide push to
prevent the war was under way, according to Chicago-based Voices for
Creative Nonviolence, formerly known as Voices in the Wilderness. From Feb. 15 through March 19, VCNV will travel to
Washington, D.C., for the “Winter of Our Discontent,” 33 days
of fasts, protests, and lobbying of Congress to end the war in Iraq. In conjunction with this campaign, the Women’s
International League for Peace and Freedom, Abraham Lincoln
Unitarian-Universalist Congregation, and Pax Christi Springfield, are coordinating the
Springfield effort to “focus on education and action to address
concerns about the ongoing war in Iraq and the dangers of U.S. empire
building.” “The Winter of Our Discontent” calls for
an end to the military presence in Iraq, as well as the cancellation of
debt incurred by Saddam Hussein, forgiving of $33 billion in United
Nations-imposed war reparations, and payment of war reparations to Iraq by
the U.S. In addition, the group wants “respect for basic
human rights and workers’ rights as per international law,” and
says “hands off” Iraq’s oil. A noon vigil at the corner of Sixth and Adams streets
will be held next Wednesday to get things started locally. Other activities
include letter-writing, lobbying, social events, interfaith services,
public meetings on U.S. policy toward Iran and Iraq, fasts, prayer, and
guest speakers. A full listing of events will be published in next
week’s Illinois Times.
This article appears in Feb 9-15, 2006.
