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Message*	Michigan Peaceworks <a href="http://michiganpeacenetwork.org/organizations/?id=404">http://michiganpeacenetwork.org/organizations/?id=404</a> Our Mission<br /> Michigan Peaceworks promotes peace, democracy, civil rights, and civil liberties through community organizing, education and advocacy.<br /> <br /> <br /> History<br /> Michigan Peaceworks (MPW) was founded as the Ann Arbor Area Committee for Peace in the wake of the events of September 11, 2001. A small group of experienced community organizers came together to protect civil liberties, mobilize those who advocate nonviolent solutions to international conflicts, and advance friendship and understanding between people of all faiths and nationalities.<br /> <br /> In four and a half years, MPW has grown from an ad hoc assemblage that met in members' homes to a large grassroots organization with an email list-serve of 3,000 and U.S. mailing list of 5,200. In December 2004 the organization moved into a downtown Ann Arbor office and now employs one full-time executive director and two part-time organizers. Since 2002, MPW has hosted more than 30 college and university interns and four high school interns.<br /> <br /> MPW has sponsored rallies with up to 4,000 participants, posted three anti-war and pro-democracy billboards on area freeways, engaged in door-to-door informational canvassing, and sponsored educational events around Iraq exit plans, global warming, and African genocide.<br /> <br /> MPW consistently supports civil liberties - primarily by defending Muslim detainees' rights to due process and, recently, through theatrical media events and educational forums bringing attention to domestic eavesdropping. MPW continually strives to create and maintain a safe space for dissent where individuals can freely and effectively challenge systems of inequality.<br /> <br /> MPW plays an important role in our community by effectively channeling people's desire for peace and justice, at a time when we're engaged in war and facing serious challenges to our civil liberties.<br /> <br /> Programs and activities<br /> MPW currently has three major programs: building a youth activist network in southeastern Michigan, spreading the youth activism model throughout the state, and organizing and educating the local (SE Michigan) community in pursuit of peace and justice.<br /> <br /> The Youth Activist Network<br /> August 2006 marked the start of the second year of our youth activism program. After making initial contacts in a handful of schools in the winter and spring 2005, we held our first Youth Activist Summit in August 2005. That event, which featured workshops and discussions, attracted students and teachers from ten high schools. We worked with those attendees throughout the 2005-2006 school year to organize clubs within their schools and develop their community organizing skills and sense of empowerment. In Ann Arbor and Lincoln school districts, we cooperated with students, parents, teachers and administrators to simplify and publicize the process by which students can "opt-out" of inclusion in the databases that schools are, by law, required to give to military recruiters. We also worked with students in various schools to limit the access military recruiters had to students, so that the military's access was similar to that given colleges, universities, and employers.<br /> <br /> In addition, Mich. Peaceworks sponsored activities that brought together student activists from the various participating schools. We sponsored two "youth peace nights" (at the first one we shot a video of the students speaking about peace and social justice issues and at the second we brought in members of Latinos Unidos to discuss immigration issues). We also sponsored a cultural diversity training for the young activists. At the same time, we initiated the Youth Activist Council. As a first project, the council sponsored a very successful "spy-in" in February 2006. The purpose of the "spy-in" was to use humorous tactics to protest the Bush Administration's domestic spying program.<br /> <br /> Three high school students interned with Michigan Peaceworks throughout this past summer, honing their communication and community organizing skills as they assisted with all aspects of the organization's work. The student interns were the primary organizers of the second annual Youth Peace Summit, held in August 2006. This summit attracted students from an additional four schools, raising to 14 the number of schools with students in the Youth Activist Network.<br /> <br /> The Network's first project in 2006 was holding an "Opt-Out Day" on September 13; this was a day during which students publicized the "opt-out" process and distributed and collected forms from their peers. Students from 7 schools participated in "Opt-Out Day" and "opted-out" a total of 518 students. The first meeting of the Youth Activist Network was held in late September 2006. At that meeting, students initiated plans to hold cultural diversity workshops.<br /> <br /> <br /> The Michigan Peace Network: Spreading the Youth Activist Model<br /> On February 4, 2006, Michigan Peaceworks hosted the founding meeting of the Michigan Peace Network. The meeting brought together 120 activists from more than 40 peace organizations throughout the state. The newly formed network adopted a proposal by MPW's youth outreach team to establish and support youth peace clubs in high schools. In May 2006, MPW wrote and produced the manual "Inspiring Youth Activism" and distributed it to all groups represented at the February meeting. Since that time, MPW youth outreach team members have conducted three trainings for peace groups: in Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Carp Lake (near Mackinaw City).<br /> <br /> In addition to the two aforementioned programs, MPW has established a yearly calendar of events, including a Concert for Peace, a "Brewing Peace" fundraiser dinner, a booth at the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair, and a peace float in the 4th of July parade. We produce and distribute and electronic information service called Weekly Reads, host monthly music-discussion Peace Cafes, and bring Democracy Now to the local cable television station three times per week.<br /> <br /> Our ongoing actions around the war in Iraq continue to draw large numbers. Our March 19th 2006 demonstration on the third anniversary of the war attracted over 1,200 people in a city of 115,000. By employing creative tactics around the domestic spying issue, we have attracted significant regional and national (alternative) media attention. Our latest action, a satirical turn-over of mug-shot style photos of group members with placards saying "war protester" to the NSA and FBI. An earlier "spy in" at the local Federal Building by our Youth Activist Network also garnered positive press coverage. In short, our accomplishments include a roster of regular and popular activities, timely and powerful actions, networking with other peace organizations throughout Michigan, passionate youth activism, and an increasing media profile.
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Our Mission
Michigan Peaceworks promotes peace, democracy, civil rights, and civil liberties through community organizing, education and advocacy.

History
Michigan Peaceworks (MPW) was founded as the Ann Arbor Area Committee for Peace in the wake of the events of September 11, 2001. A small group of experienced community organizers came together to protect civil liberties, mobilize those who advocate nonviolent solutions to international conflicts, and advance friendship and understanding between people of all faiths and nationalities.

In four and a half years, MPW has grown from an ad hoc assemblage that met in members' homes to a large grassroots organization with an email list-serve of 3,000 and U.S. mailing list of 5,200. In December 2004 the organization moved into a downtown Ann Arbor office and now employs one full-time executive director and two part-time organizers. Since 2002, MPW has hosted more than 30 college and university interns and four high school interns.

MPW has sponsored rallies with up to 4,000 participants, posted three anti-war and pro-democracy billboards on area freeways, engaged in door-to-door informational canvassing, and sponsored educational events around Iraq exit plans, global warming, and African genocide.

MPW consistently supports civil liberties - primarily by defending Muslim detainees' rights to due process and, recently, through theatrical media events and educational forums bringing attention to domestic eavesdropping. MPW continually strives to create and maintain a safe space for dissent where individuals can freely and effectively challenge systems of inequality.

MPW plays an important role in our community by effectively channeling people's desire for peace and justice, at a time when we're engaged in war and facing serious challenges to our civil liberties.

Programs and activities
MPW currently has three major programs: building a youth activist network in southeastern Michigan, spreading the youth activism model throughout the state, and organizing and educating the local (SE Michigan) community in pursuit of peace and justice.

The Youth Activist Network
August 2006 marked the start of the second year of our youth activism program. After making initial contacts in a handful of schools in the winter and spring 2005, we held our first Youth Activist Summit in August 2005. That event, which featured workshops and discussions, attracted students and teachers from ten high schools. We worked with those attendees throughout the 2005-2006 school year to organize clubs within their schools and develop their community organizing skills and sense of empowerment. In Ann Arbor and Lincoln school districts, we cooperated with students, parents, teachers and administrators to simplify and publicize the process by which students can "opt-out" of inclusion in the databases that schools are, by law, required to give to military recruiters. We also worked with students in various schools to limit the access military recruiters had to students, so that the military's access was similar to that given colleges, universities, and employers.

In addition, Mich. Peaceworks sponsored activities that brought together student activists from the various participating schools. We sponsored two "youth peace nights" (at the first one we shot a video of the students speaking about peace and social justice issues and at the second we brought in members of Latinos Unidos to discuss immigration issues). We also sponsored a cultural diversity training for the young activists. At the same time, we initiated the Youth Activist Council. As a first project, the council sponsored a very successful "spy-in" in February 2006. The purpose of the "spy-in" was to use humorous tactics to protest the Bush Administration's domestic spying program.

Three high school students interned with Michigan Peaceworks throughout this past summer, honing their communication and community organizing skills as they assisted with all aspects of the organization's work. The student interns were the primary organizers of the second annual Youth Peace Summit, held in August 2006. This summit attracted students from an additional four schools, raising to 14 the number of schools with students in the Youth Activist Network.

The Network's first project in 2006 was holding an "Opt-Out Day" on September 13; this was a day during which students publicized the "opt-out" process and distributed and collected forms from their peers. Students from 7 schools participated in "Opt-Out Day" and "opted-out" a total of 518 students. The first meeting of the Youth Activist Network was held in late September 2006. At that meeting, students initiated plans to hold cultural diversity workshops.

The Michigan Peace Network: Spreading the Youth Activist Model
On February 4, 2006, Michigan Peaceworks hosted the founding meeting of the Michigan Peace Network. The meeting brought together 120 activists from more than 40 peace organizations throughout the state. The newly formed network adopted a proposal by MPW's youth outreach team to establish and support youth peace clubs in high schools. In May 2006, MPW wrote and produced the manual "Inspiring Youth Activism" and distributed it to all groups represented at the February meeting. Since that time, MPW youth outreach team members have conducted three trainings for peace groups: in Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Carp Lake (near Mackinaw City).

In addition to the two aforementioned programs, MPW has established a yearly calendar of events, including a Concert for Peace, a "Brewing Peace" fundraiser dinner, a booth at the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair, and a peace float in the 4th of July parade. We produce and distribute and electronic information service called Weekly Reads, host monthly music-discussion Peace Cafes, and bring Democracy Now to the local cable television station three times per week.

Our ongoing actions around the war in Iraq continue to draw large numbers. Our March 19th 2006 demonstration on the third anniversary of the war attracted over 1,200 people in a city of 115,000. By employing creative tactics around the domestic spying issue, we have attracted significant regional and national (alternative) media attention. Our latest action, a satirical turn-over of mug-shot style photos of group members with placards saying "war protester" to the NSA and FBI. An earlier "spy in" at the local Federal Building by our Youth Activist Network also garnered positive press coverage. In short, our accomplishments include a roster of regular and popular activities, timely and powerful actions, networking with other peace organizations throughout Michigan, passionate youth activism, and an increasing media profile.

Tags: Iraq War

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