A Few Thoughts on the Coup in Honduras – Jeremy Scahill Junne 29, 2009 “Rebel Reports” –
There is a lot of great analysis circulating on the military coup against Manuel Zelaya in Honduras.
I do not see a need to re-invent the wheel. (See hereherehere and here). However, a few key things
jump out at me. First, we know that the coup was led by Gen. Romeo Vasquez, a graduate of the
US Army School of the Americas. As we know very well from history, these “graduates” maintain ties to
the US military as they climb the military career ladders in their respective countries.
That is a major reason why the US trains these individuals.
Secondly, the US has a fairly significant military presence in Honduras.
Joint Task Force-Bravo is located at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras.
The base is home to some 550 US military personnel and more than 650 US and Honduran civilians:
They work in six different areas including the Joint Staff, Air Force Forces (612th Air Base Squadron),
Army Forces, Joint Security Forces and the Medical Element. 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment,
a US Army South asset, is a tenant unit also based at Soto Cano.
The J-Staff provides command and control for JTF-B.
The New York Times reports that “The unit focuses on training Honduran military forces, counternarcotics
operations, search and rescue, and disaster relief missions throughout Central America.”
Significantly, according to GlobalSecurity, “Soto Cano is a Honduran military installation and home of the Honduran Air Force.”
This connection to the Air Force is particularly significant given this report in NarcoNews:
The head of the Air Force, Gen. Luis Javier Prince Suazo, studied in the School of the Americas in 1996.
The Air Force has been a central protagonist in the Honduran crisis.
When the military refused to distribute the ballot boxes for the opinion poll, the ballot boxes were stored
on an Air Force base until citizens accompanied by Zelaya rescued them.
Zelaya reports that after soldiers kidnapped him, they took him to an Air Force base,
where he was put on a plane and sent to Costa Rica.
It is impossible to imagine that the US was not aware that the coup was in the works.
In fact, this was basically confirmed by The New York Times in Monday’s paper:
As the crisis escalated, American officials began in the last few days to talk with Honduran government
and military officials in an effort to head off a possible coup. A senior administration official,
who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity, said the military broke off those discussions on Sunday.
While the US has issued heavily-qualified statements critical of the coup
—in the aftermath of the events in Honduras—the US could have flexed its tremendous economic muscle
before the coup and told the military coup plotters to stand down.
The US ties to the Honduran military and political establishment run far too deep for all of this to have gone
down without at least tacit support or the turning of a blind eye by some US political or military official(s).
Here are some facts to consider: the US is the top trading partner for Honduras.
The coup plotters/supporters in the Honduran Congress are supporters of the “free trade agreements”
Washington has imposed on the region.
The coup leaders view their actions, in part, as a rejection of Hugo Chavez’s influence in Honduras and with
Zelaya and an embrace of the United States and Washington’s “vision” for the region. Obama and the
US military could likely have halted this coup with a simple series of phone calls.
For an interesting take on all of this, make sure to check out Nikolas Kozloff’s piece on Counterpunch, where he writes:
In November, Zelaya hailed Obama’s election in the U.S. as “a hope for the world,” but just two months
later tensions began to emerge. In an audacious letter sent personally to Obama, Zelaya accused the
U.S. of “interventionism” and called on the new administration in Washington to respect the principle
of non-interference in the political affairs of other nations.
Here are some independent news sources on this story: School of the Americas Watch NarcoNews
Eva Golinger’s Postcards from the Revolution
ALBA representatives reaffirm support to Hondura`s Legitimate Government http://mathaba.net/news/?x=620928
(the Bolivarian Alliance of the Peoples of Our America)
Much has been going on in Honduras this month leading up to this,
from a recent coup attempt (ablove), to an Earthquake, an OAS meeting,
and two important futball games.
“bottom line? Democrats are the new republicans”
“we don’t have a left and a right party in this country anymore,
we have a center right party and a crazy party.
And over the last thirty odd years,
Democrats have moved to the right,
and the right has moved into a mental hospital.”
“look folks, i like Obama too, I’m just saying,
let’s not make it a religion. …
every time Obama tries to take on another on another progressive
ccause there’s a major political party standing in his way,
the Democrats.
People talk a lot about a third party in America,
we don’t need a third party, we need a first party.
You go to the polls and your choices are the guy who voted for the
first Wall Street bailout, or the guy who voted for the next ten.
This week we’re hearing that a public option for health care is unlikely,
because it doesn’t have the support of enough Democrats.
Even Ted Kennedy’s plan (Ted Kennedy yeah!),
leaves 37 million uninsured.
This is because we don’t have a left and a right party
in this country anymore,
we have a center right party and a crazy party.
And over the last thirty odd years,
Democrats have moved to the right,
and the right has moved into a mental hospital.
So, what we have is one perfectly good party for hedge fund managers,
credit card companies, banks, defense contractors, big agriculture,
and the pharmaceutical lobby, that’s the Democrats,
and they sit across the aisle from a small group of religious fanatics,
flat earthers, and Civil War reenacters,
who mostly communicate by AM radio
and call themselves the Republicans.
And who actually worry that Obama is a Socialist.”
April 10, 2009
Ron Howard on Realtime with Bill Maher ; 4:28
“Look, if you’re gonna make an endorsement like that,
you know, start, start by humiliating your self, a and a um,
and then be as modest about it as possible.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CgbvIasKUA&feature=related
October 13, 2007
Naomi Klein’s ”Shock Doctrine” on Maher; from Amsterdam ; 5:39
“now we all know that it’s Comunism is when the government
takes over private business, but,
when Corporations take over the government
that is what has been defined as Facism.
Do you think that’s where we’re at?
“Yeah, or Corporatism …
you can call it crony capitalism or corporatism,
but it’s certianly not the free market” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHMuiJwM23M&feature=related
while i’m not a big fan of Move On, they have made it too easy not to pass up this opportunity to send a message.
Do them one better and send an email, snail mail, or a phone call to your Rep.
Congress is voting on the big energy bill next week.
But the latest version of the energy bill would repeal a key part of the Clean Air Act -
arguably the most important environmental law in American history.
Big coal companies want to revoke President Obama’s authority to crack down on global warming pollution
from their dirty power plants — and they’re on the verge of winning.
If they succeed, the oldest and dirtiest coal plants could keep destroying the climate for years to come.
And this change could pave the way for 100 new coal plants,
which would pollute our communities with smog, soot, mercury, and global warming pollution.
I signed a petition urging Congress not to repeal this Clean Air Act provision.
Can you join me at the link above?
Sources:
1. “EPA urged to act on climate, not wait for Congress,” Associated Press, May 18, 2009
There is no way to penalize a corporation (or a government) that does not actually hurt people instead.
At least when the paper overlord is a government, we have the illusion of owning it; who owns the
largest conglomerates that actually write the laws and pay for the votes that pass them?
Conglomerates all own each other.
“We are all back seat drivers, & there’s nobody at the wheel”
(Timbuk 3 ’Reverend Jack and His Roamin’ Cadillac Church’)
Hence it is our imaginary overlords who actually ”govern” our planetary scale decision making.
They originally came about by human authored rules and laws, and existed only on fragile pieces of
paper, but have now transcended paper and even nature’s laws, making over humans, and even the
world itself, as the fragile illusions of permanence; for the only laws that matter are the ones they
themselves have written. A human that imagines any humans to have power, or the ability to
conspire with other humans, or even the power not to conspire with corps(es), is simply deluded.
Humans will only return to governance of human affairs when they have collectively made the choice
to stop imagining otherwise.
No matter how one looks at it, there is an ongoing attempt to have immortal ’paper’ imaginary
citizens rule the world of living mortal actual beings.
How do we stop it? Even more to the point, why did we ever allow it? Occasionally some, such as myself,
will point out that imaginary immortal beings are neither equipped to understand,
nor prioritize, the needs of living mortals, and the fragile planetary
organism our breath and tears are part of.
They cannot even be made care to obey nature’s law.
Socialism of, by, and for the corps(es), with the goal of world dominion; Does Fox ”News” actually
hate such socialism?
or do they consciously promote it by opposing any advancement of the human cause?How again is it we are not a national socialist governed nation?Does that not apply to massacring Arabs over there instead of Jews here in the homeland?
War always kills and impoverishes human people and it always profits corps(es),
if you try to stop it they will cry out for their 18th amendment rights (which they don’t have).
If you want to kill our real enemies, simply stop believing in their imaginary power to compel us
based on an imaginary legal equality with actual citizens.
What’s really on my mind? don’t have one anymore.
Watched the Fox News channel comedy show called Red Eye tonight,
they cured me. Now i’m right all the time, i know everything, i don’t need a mind of my own,
and i finally get the whole concept of buying an Amerikkkan soul for myself.
THEY RULE! WE RULE!! EVERYONE ELSE SUCKS!!!
(if the whole world sucks enough then us true believers won’t suck at all)
Blind faith, and a belief that things will always remain just as one grew up believing them to be
are the only excuses we have for our stupidity. They are not very good excuses, but when it comes
to a reason to follow the herd of lemmings it appears most of us need only the thinest of veneers.
That’s what happens to social mammals,
but it’s a cruel twist of the inevitable that brings us to a
place where we don’t believe in the need for us to work and play well together
even though we are less equipped than any other animal
to survive au natural alone.
Faith in the imaginary overlords is the only excuse we have
for having such little faith in ourselves.
Two good examples: those who call for war often claim Jesus’s Love, just as those who call for
corporate welfare often cry out for a free market.
Let’s just make the whole mess much simpler and more honest by evolving a religion based on the
axiom that unexamined selfishness is the only greater good. The only way you get into heaven is
by out pacing the Jones, preferably by stealing from your neighbor.
We can cut the middle man right out and worship the conglomerates who are our actual lords,
those with thoughtful minds can make an analogy to the angels (not the fallen ones of course,
have some faith in blind belief).
Donald Trump can be the prophet, or the sacrificial lamb, and GW Bush can wash his hands of us all,
while the entire Dow family becomes enlightenment itself. Monsanto can be the savior of the world’s
threatened monocultures and self replicating organisms can play the role of Judas.
Damn! i think i’m half there already…
So who wants to put something in my collection plate to get the ball rolling?
Now, what we’re going to do is put the government and the structure of the state
at the service of the Salvadoran people–the totality of the Salvadoran people-
-but fundamentally, of that great majority who are oppressed and excluded from
the country’s social and economic development. [The people who for]
not just the last twenty years but for last 200 years or more
have not had the possibility of participating in the formation of public policies.
A government like the one I’m going to create will give them the protagonist’s role,
which, until now, they have not had.”
Mauricio Funes http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090330/lovato?rel=hp_picks
The Nation magazine is running an interview (following) with Mauricio Funes,
elected a few days ago to be the first leftist president of El Salvador.
Most leftists in the world question his identifying with “the left,”
as he appears to be quite conservative. But make no mistake,
the progressive community of the world sees this victory as a step up for El Salvador,
which has been ruled by extremely brutal right wing fascists for a long time –Jack
A Conversation with Mauricio Funes
By Roberto Lovato & Josue Rojas
On March 15, the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN)
became the first leftist party to clinch a presidential election in the history of El Salvador.
By 10 pm, it became clear to Salvadorans and to the world that the former guerrillas
had ended more than 130 years of oligarchy and military rule
over this Central American nation of 7 million.
In the streets, thousands of red-shirted sympathizers chanted “¡Si Se Pudo!” (Yes, We Could),
while they celebrated the victory of the FMLN’s Mauricio Funes.
Funes captured 51 percent of the vote, to 49 percent cast for Rodrigo Avila of the Nationalist Republican Alliance party, which had been in power for twenty years.
Though Funes, a former journalist, is the best-known Salvadoran on his country’s TV networks,
he is little known outside the region.
Thanks to a collaboration between The Nation and New America Media (NAM),
reporters Roberto Lovato and Josue Rojas had the opportunity to interview
El Salvador’s next president on the night of his election.
What follows is an excerpt from this interview with Funes, who addressed numerous issues:
the meaning of his presidency, El Salvador’s relationship with the United States,
immigration and other domestic and foreign policy concerns.
Immigration has become one of the defining issues of the US-El Salvador relationship.
How will your administration’s approach to this issue differ from that of the outgoing Saca administration?
The fact that we’re going to rebuild the democratic institutions-
-enforce the constitution and make of El Salvador a democratic state that respects the rule of law-
-is the best guarantee to the United States that we will significantly reduce the flows of out-migration.
Salvadorans who leave to go the United States do so because of the institutional abandonment,
the lack of employment and dignified ways to make a living.
This forces them to leave in search of new possibilities in the US.
It’s not the same for us to ask the US government to renew TPS [temporary legalization]
without a Salvadoran effort to avoid further migration flows,
as to do so from a position in which we have undertaken efforts to reduce the migration flows.
What’s the first message you’d like to send to President Obama?
The message that I would like to send to President Obama
is that I will not seek alliances or accords with other heads of state from the southern part of the continent
who will jeopardize my relationship with the government of the United States.
Opinion polls in El Salvador indicate that large majorities of its citizens reject key policies that define,
in many ways, the relationship between El Salvador and the United States,
specifically CAFTA, dollarization and the Iraq war.
What will your approach be to these issues?
We can’t get mixed up in repealing CAFTA…nor can we reverse dollarization,
because that would send a negative message to foreign investors,
and then we’d be facing serious problems because we wouldn’t have enough investment to stimulate the national economy.
What do you think the United States government should be concerned about with regard to El Salvador at this time?
To the degree that we do our part, which is to rebuild our productive capacity
and to create a coherent social policy that improves the quality of life,
there will be fewer reasons to leave for the US and we’ll reduce migration flows.
And that should be a concern for the US.
Where will the effects of the transition in power be felt most immediately?
We’re going to change the way we make policy.
And one of the most significant changes is that we will no longer have a government
at the service of a privileged few.
And we will no longer have a government that creates an economy of privileges for the privileged.
Now, we need a government like the one envisioned by [Archbishop of El Salvador] Óscar Arnulfo Romero,
who, in his prophetic message, said that the church should have a preferential option for the poor.
Paraphrasing Monseñor Romero, I would say that this government should have preferential option for the poor,
for those who need a robust government to get ahead and to be able to compete in this world
of disequilibrium under fair conditions.
This government implies a break from traditional policy-making.
Now, what we’re going to do is put the government and the structure of the state at the service of the Salvadoran people-
-the totality of the Salvadoran people-
-but fundamentally, of that great majority who are oppressed
and excluded from the country’s social and economic development.
[The people who for] not just the last twenty years but for last 200 years or more
have not had the possibility of participating in the formation of public policies.
A government like the one I’m going to create will give them the protagonist’s role,
which, until now, they have not had.
soon to be up for a vote is a bill that could stop small and local producers;
HR-875 ‘Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009’
There is a U.S House Resolution…HR875…entitled “The Food Safety Modernization Act”…put forth by Rosa Deloro, a Dem. from CT, whose husband is Stanley Greenberg, who works with many corporations, including Monsanto, that wants EVERYONE who grows ANY food to register and report to the Feds.
Failure to do so results in large fines and potential seizure of property.
I’ve never been poisoned by anything at a farmers market, and it’s none of their business if i choose to grow a strawberry plant or a tomato!
feel free to plagiarize my wiseacre comment below left on one of these pages;
better yet, write your congress person!
i’m so scared of organic food that i think the government should arm us with assault weapons and rockets and train us to use such in self defense against rabid tomatoes and broccoli
it would probably also make us a whole lot safer if we spread all our nuclear waste evenly over all lands that might be used to grow food consumed in the US just to make sure that even if organic farming techniques are being used anywhere that i won’t have to be attacked by any actually organic food
as to those who would like to give me their extra homegrown zucchinis, i would be happy to entertain the idea of accepting them if you can submit triplicate copies of the paperwork required by this bill to ensure your food facility is safe enough for me and mine
growing vegetables next door without submission of this documentation will require a response from my assault weapons
What is the Peace Justice and Environment Project?
The Peace Justice and Environment Project (PJEP) is a network of networks using the Actions Options Tool (AOT) web-publishing software as the backbone of their websites. Use of the AOT makes publishing web content easy and efficient while encouraging the communication and cooperation of member groups on common projects. Designed by activists and then developed and refined in the field by those using the software, the AOT is currently being used by over 1000 justice, peace and environment organizations in 26 networks or coalitions covering 33 states throughout the U.S.
The purpose of the web application, the Actions Options Tool (AOT), is to facilitate human-to-human communication. The AOT is not about replacing person-to-person communication with web, email or digital features, but is about encouraging human communication through web and email applications. The AOT has resulted in more real time meetings, phone and conference calls between the individuals and organizations most needed to accomplish specific organization goals. This web application facilitates finding and organizing allies and then getting things done by reaching out and taking action.
The Actions Options Tool was designed to encourage organizations to support each other forming connections that strengthen the activist movement. Within each network using the AOT software, organizations post their actions. Actions that garner 55% or greater support and a commitment of participation from 5 other organizations through the AOT action grid will have access to the system’s database for an email blast to publicize their action. That database is created from the emails of those who register or support campaigns on the network. In Illinois, the database contains over 4000 email addresses. Other states have the same potential. Additionally, as the network of activists grows, campaigns travel beyond the borders of a single state.
There is a shift in identification as we experience increased contact with those folks that share our experiences. The AOT provides a window and connection to other activists creating an opportunity to experience our self and those around us as very closely allied or tied. Trust and empowerment are experiential and political descriptions of the same human condition. The AOT is a political empowerment tool that enhances an environment of trust by providing guidance and perspective that comes with connection to other individuals and organizations.
Website Organization/Navigation of the 21 State Network Sites of the Peace Justice and Environment Project
Home Page Under the Network banner, the Home page displays New Actions and new member organizations added to the network. Further down the page are Announcements and News Articles generated by and for network members.
Actions is the home of the AOT Action grid. Here all current actions sponsored by Member organizations are shown on the horizontal axis. A click on each action title will link you to full event details. On the vertical axis, active member groups register their degree of support for the posted actions. A legend at the bottom of the page defines what the degrees of support mean.
Calendar events are shown on a single month expanding grid that displays posted actions and has features for recurring vigils, meetings and other events. Place your cursor on each event for the full title, click on the event for full details.
Resources gives access to links, documents, videos, audio files books and pictures relating to news & opinion; 43 issue categories; peace, justice & environment organization and activist tools. The search feature within the resources section allows for the speedy recovery of files with names or descriptions with relevant key words.
Campaigns has details of network initiated actions for members and registered users: Petitions, Boycotts, E-letters and Fundraisers with a summary showing how close (#s of signatures or $ raised) each campaign is to goal
Social Net gives access to the public face of the site’s social networking users along with contact information. Each page has as much or as little information as the social network user desires.
MemberOrgs has a full list of network member groups. Click on any name to access the member group’s page (some used as a group’s web presence). Here are links, logos and contact forms to learn about and get in touch with our participating organizations.
Networks has a full listing and links to PJEP’s 21 network and coalition websites that serve 26 states.
PJEP links to the national website of the Peace Justice and Environment Project.
About has our mission statement and describes the benefits of participation in the PJEP network.
Contact allows for general inquiries as well as a link for groups interested in joining the network.
How Member groups use the Features of PJEP Websites using the AOT
Administrator Control Panel has a menu of interactive features to serve member groups. To get access, the system emails each member representative or administrator (you) a temporary password after the website facilitator enters you into the system. Log in using your email address and password. Here is what you’ll find:
Profile contains your personal contact information. Here you can re-set your password to one you can easily remember. Include your phone number so your fellow admins can contact you.
Organization Information operates as your group’s webpage within the PJEP site. Here you can enter your group’s mission statement, upload your logo and list your group’s website as well as other custom information including links and graphics to appear on theMemberOrg page. Some groups use this space in lieu of their own website.
Edit – If you need the make a change re your Organizational information, just click on the “Edit“ button and follow the prompts. Each Control Panel function allows you to edit your information to correct or change information.
Message Center (Message Transmission)
In addition to being able to contact your network facilitator or and the committee heads if there is a governing body of the network or coalition, the ‘Message Center’ provides each organization’s representative or “admin” the opportunity to email any other admin within the network or coalition. There is even the option for an admin to email all other network administrators simultaneously.
This is not a substitute for a phone call. By far the best way to communicate or solicit support is by picking up the phone and the phone numbers of your fellow admins are located here in the message center.. But sometimes there is no substitute for a rush urgent email transmission to all member organizations. The message center allows you to do so. Use this feature prudently.
Actions (The Actions Grid)
Each time you add an action, your event is posted on the website’s Action Grid, inserted onto the Calendar, listed on the home page and an email goes out to each administrator in the network. Your action can be a vigil, forum, talk, visit to elected official, petition, boycott, film showing, speak out, press conference, editorial board meeting, tabling, fundraiser, e-letter or letter to the editor campaign, mass-phone-calls to elected officials, or mass protest. It is the most powerful function of the network.
Votes
Each vote you make triggers an email notification to the sponsoring organizations and a vote of support or better becomes a small message of solidarity with those who have worked hard to put on an action. A definition of each vote’s degree of support appears in the legend at the bottom of the Action Grid on the website.
Several activists have noted that the time taken within their organizations to note degrees of support for the actions and events of other organizations has positively influenced the culture of their group. What emerged was an awareness of how closely related actions and activists are across the state.
The ‘Actions Offspring’ section provides the opportunity for several closely related actions to congregate in a single area, under a single Action. This section behaves similarly to MoveOn’s programming for multiple location actions allowing the creator of the Action Offspring to note the number of attendees coming to the event, the number of guests allowed and volunteers required. This section of the website can be useful for large organizations with multi location actions.
Campaigns – Petitions, Boycotts, E-letters and Fundraisers –For the most succesful Campaign, we recommend you also post it as an Action with a link to the PJEP Campaign Page. for example, fundraising for a peace scholarship would have an action asking folks to access the fundraising page and support the effort. As well, all campaigns benefit from a vigorous outreach plan to get as broad support as possible
Petitions
By clicking on ‘Add a petition drive’ note the seven steps to a successful petition drive. Petitions are a great way to make connections to organizations in other states. If you create a petition, call the AOT developers at 800 878 1801 and we’ll guide you to organizations in other states that might be interested in sponsoring your petition for that activist community.
Our most successful petitions were grounded in emerging current events. An Illinois assemblywoman proposed the impeachment of George Bush in a floor bill. A petition to support the bill was posted on four days later. Within eight days 1000 signatures were gathered and delivered to the Assembly Speaker with television and radio present.
Boycotts
By clicking on ‘Add a boycott (located below ‘Boycotts’) note the seven steps to a successful boycott. Although boycotts usually involve strategic long term planning and a multi-state presence, this is not always the case. In July of 2007 it was discovered that British Petroleum had received permission from Indiana EPA to substantially increase its Lake Michigan dumping of ammonia, was already dumping mercury and had applied to increase their atmosphere effluents. Within a week Indiana, Illinois and Michigan AOTs posted boycotts of BP. 700 signatures were gathered in less than a week.
If you have sponsoring partners across several states you can get media attention. Call 800 878-1801 for media consultation.
E-letters
Modeled after the e-letter centers of national organizations, the AOT e-letter functionality offers the admin of any participating organization (you), the ability to compose and post a letter online, except that it can be modified by a visitor and transmitted to the target chosen by the admin.
Stored in the programming are the email addresses of Federal Representatives and Senators or their legislative aides. You can choose the category of target (House members, leaders, etc.) and the AOT software will display that category so a visitor can observe who is being emailed. An upcoming feature will allow you to create a custom target, for example the mayor of a local town, if an e-letter online action requires a localization of the programming.
The e-letter center is perhaps the most complicated to setup of the various features of this site. Call 800 878-1801 if you have any questions or would like guidance to make best use of this feature.
Fundraisers
Organizations can now create online fundraisers. Fundraisers can focus on an event, promote an action, piggyback on an online campaign, or stand alone as an ongoing way to collect funds. The system only allows credit card contributions. Because of Federal election law, we can not manage fundraisers for political parties.
Reporting functionality allows you to analyze your campaign. You can investigate funds collected, obtain specifics on donors and donation amounts, find out when donations came in, etc. Several sorting criteria allow high quality reporting of what works best when using these tools.
PJEP will cut a check for the contributions for your campaign whenever there is over $100 in your account on the 15th of the month for the previous month’s receipts minus the credit card processing fee, estimated at 3%. When people make a donation, they will also be asked if they would like to add a voluntary “tip” to PJEP for providing the service to the network. When the campaign end date arrives, a check will be written for the balance of the funds collected for the fundraiser (minus CC fee).
Calendar
By plugging in a date & time, providing an event name, description and location you can alert users of the website to the events that your organization would like other network activists to be aware of. Actions are automatically posted on the calendar. The system’s calendar allows for recurring events such as regular peace vigils and meetings.
In Pennsylvania, for example, calendar postings were the first text to populate the website. Minnesota’s Coalition uses this feature more than any other section of the site.
Articles and Announcements (Home Page Updates)
Each member administrator may post articles and Announcements on the Home Page of your state network. Don’t like what is currently posted on your network’s Home Page? Here you can keep the home page current by posting text pictures or videos relating to your organization’s actions, events and projects or your favorite analysis of peace, justice or environmental events.
Announcements have a cut of date when the announcement will be removed. An article will move down the page (and eventually into the system archives) as new content is gets posted on top of it. Announcements will have content relating to a timely event, while the information in posted Articles have a lasing effect.
Note the option of using custom formatting, inserting graphics and posting YouTube videos in your Article or Announcement. If you have any questions about this or any other feature of the site call 800 878 1801 and someone will help you.
The Resource section, overseen by a dedicated committee, is meant to be a one-stop-shopping site or online library for those needing information on how to affect change for social justice. Resource content might be a PDF focusing on an upcoming protest or a detailed document offering long-term perspectives on the movement as a whole.
Resources on each network site include general categories available in all states, plus a dedicated section for each site. Admins have the opportunity of adding resources to your state’s resources by following the Control panel prompts. If you wish to submit resources for the general categories, please send an email to laurel [at] pjep [dot] org.
Uploads
Here you can upload pictures and documents for display on your Action announcement (for event flyers), MemberOrg page or in a Home Page Article or Announcement. Select upload and follow the prompts to add a file from your own computer. Once uploaded, the system will provide you with a system url for your link or page display. Again, please call 800.878 1801 and someone will answer questions and help you upload and insert content.
The Social Networking and Political action Page (SNAPAP)
The social networking and political action page (SNAPAP) offers a host of features never before available in any context let alone a nationwide web of social and political change networks to benefit both individuals or groups.
Toaccess these features, register on the site, after which a password will be automatically issued by email. Then users may log in using their email address and system generated password when first logging in to the site. Upon logging in, SNAPAP users who are not also administrators, will be automatically directed to the SNAPAP controls.
Profile Window is where you can update your personal information for other to get to know you. Here you can re-set your password to one you easily remember.
User Created Resource Center/Favorites Allows users to create a personal digital file library. Here you can search their resources noting only their own contributions or every contribution of every resource or digital file in the system, an alternative universe of left/progressive contributions.
Interactive Message Center
A unique feature of SNAPAP is the text message center allowing the storage of multiple phone numbers making possible a transmission of a single text message to numerous activists to drive them to a spontaneous event. Mass text messaging is unique to this form of software.
Multiple-degree-of-separation software tracks the indirect influence that an activist exhibits when she or he brings in friends to an online campaign and those friends bring in additional participants. When a user participates in a petition, boycott, e-letter or fundraiser the AOT offers three ways to trace indirect participants in that campaign: 1) when a user refers a friend while signing up for a campaign, 2) when a user sends an invitation from their SNAPAP messaging center, 3) when a friend clicks on the word “participate” when investigating the public view of their SNAPAP page. An activist will discover that bringing in three friends to an online action indirectly leads to the participation of many more. Lineage charts display the specific interconnections that descend from every user.
Visit the site for guidance on using these powerful new features or call 800 878-1801 or your facilitator if the information provided isn’t clear.
How the Features Work Together
In October 2006, coalitions and networks in Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota all of whom use the AOT programming joined together, to post a petition which called for the Department of Homeland Security to stop live-fire target practice on the Great Lakes using lead ordnance, potentially dumping 7000 lbs of lead into the Lakes annually. Over 1200 signatures and comments were gathered online through the three AOT networks in less than three weeks. In total, almost 400 peace and environmental organizations had been contacted with dozens working in close cooperation as a direct result of the Actions Options Tool programming.
As a direct result of the campaigns initiated by the activities of the three state coalitions, the number of hearings, which the Coast Guard held on the issue, was increased to seven from the original four. At one of the hearings, of the 52 people testifying, 50 testified against the live-fire practice. Most of these people were contacted through the AOT programming. Information for the media advisory was pulled from the three AOTs. Numerous television, radio and print stories emerged from the hearings where activists and citizens congregated to make their feelings known. The tool notified, educated, organized and directed the members of member organizations to the targeted event.
On December 4, petitions were delivered to Senator Durbin’s aids along with a list of the 37 Illinois organizations supporting the petition. On December 13th the organizers met with Senator Durbin himself. By that meeting, the AOT showed that over 1800 citizens had signed the petition with 44 organizations in support. Durbin supported the activists’ position that the practice should be halted. He said he would set up a meeting to discuss this with those members of the Coast Guard that instituted the policy.
On December 18, the Coast Guard announced that they were discontinuing the program with no more live practice on the Great Lakes. Militarization of the Great Lakes was halted. The Dept. of Homeland Security retreat was directly related to the efficiency and ease of use of the Actions Options tool.
Grassroots Empowerment at its Best
The website software behind the PJEP networks seeks to lower the level of authority to the local grassroots organization, empowering those organizations across the country with unique and powerful communication tools and online resources. With the recent addition of social networking, we’ve integrated social networking with political action lowering the level of authority even further providing individual activists with knowledge and online features never before available at any level.
This is software designed to encourage emerging powerful democratizing forces by enhancing horizontal communication, nurturing transparency and facilitating diversity. By empowering the individual and local grassroots organizations, the AOT seeks to foster creativity where creativity can thrive, with the individual that seeks deep and lasting social change.
how to get involved locally in a campaign (would need some help with this one to do it penultimately)
summary of candidates and their positions
future convergence of corp and machine and the need for a more consensual, human, sustainable governace machine
universal spiritual needs and rights and recognition of them in the context of the needs creating the green movement and being expressed thereby, the question of the party’s roles, issues, responsibilities, and limitations, especially as individuals
