_______2014 PEACE Prize awarded to CODE PINK_______ Co-founders, Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans are antiwar and human rights activists and leaders who have been arrested many times for their actions. Medea will be a guest of Americans Against the Next War Sept. 11, 12 & 13. She is a Co-founder of CODEPINK (Women for Peace), 2002. ____A FEW ACTIONS FOR PEACE MEDEA BENJAMIN HAS DONE: Organized and mobilized people from around the country to participate in a four month White House Vigil, 11/17/2002-03/08/2003. Organized and participated in three delegations to Iraq and met with Iraqi groups to encourage inspections not war, 2003. Created International Occupation Watch Center (IOWC) to monitor the U.S. military and the war’s effect on civilian populations, brought U.S. military family members to see conditions of their children and to speak out against the war in Congress and the UN, 2003. Co-edited, How to Stop the Next War Now: Effective Responses to Violence and Terrorism, Inner Ocean Publishing, 2005. Organized the Hammering Halliburton campaign, which exposed war profiteers with corrupt no-bid contracts to corporations with close ties to the Bush administration, 2005. Arrested for interrupting shareholder meeting of Halliburton, 2005. Exposed Blackwater Worldwide illegal activities and arrested at CEO’s house, 2005. Protested at headquarters of the International Association of War Contractors, 2005. Delivered over $600,000 of humanitarian aid to Iraqis as part of a Families for Peace delegation, 2004-2005. Organized International Women Say No to War and delivered 1,000,000 petition signatures to White House, 2006. Protested at the World Social Forum, Caracas, Venezuela, 2006. Organized Troops Home Fast and fasted for 30 days culminating with an invitation and trip to meet with Iraqi antiwar leaders in Jordan and promoted a reconciliation plan, 2006. Organized humanitarian aid for war refugees in Lebanon and spoke out against Israeli bombing and U.S. complicity, 2006. Organized national displays of shoes tagged with names and ages of Iraqi civilians killed in war with Walk in Their Shoes Campaign, 2006. Organized delegation of prisoners’ family members to Guantanamo Naval Base prison camp demanding its closing, Cuba, 2007. Protested weekly outside Justice Department concerning water boarding and indefinite detention and protested outside Attorney General Holder’s and previous Attorney General Gonzales’ office, arrested for these actions, 2007. Organized Valentine’s Day Kiss-Ins at military recruiting centers across the country, 2008. Arrested for staging daily counter recruitment protests at the Berkeley Marine recruiting center, 2008. Educated the public on the negative effects of the Hummer by organizing Anti–Hummer Campaign, 2004-2010. Attended and organized Don’t Iraq Iran campaign and the Delegation to Iran for Peace, both against bombing and sanctions of Iran, brought Iranian youth to Congress and U.S. delegates to Iran, organized office sit-ins against pro-war officials, 2005-2010. Organized alternative conventions outside both the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention and Presidential Inaugurations, 2000-2009. TV appearance, “The Daily Show with John Stewart” to discuss protest methods and how to engage people in antiwar movements, October 2010. Interrupted President Obama at George Washington University speech on policy in Afghanistan. He responded to her, 04/13/2011. Created voters’ pledge petition with over 77,000 signatures to end war with the Give Peace a Vote Campaign, 2000-2011. Organized, participated in, and mobilized multiple International Women’s Day Marches and Mother’s Days Calls for Peace, where women from war torn countries (Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan) toured the U.S. to speak about their experiences, 2002-2011. Helped organize antiwar mass mobilization efforts in Washington, DC and New York City, 2003-2011. Articles published in USA Today, The Huffington Post, and numerous blogs, 2006-2011. Founded United for Peace & Justice, a coalition of over 13,000 peace and justice groups and organized their marches in Washington, DC and New York City, 2006-2011. Organized Gaza Freedom March, helped organize delegations to Gaza of both people and humanitarian aid, spoke out across the country regarding this issue, lobbied Congress, sailed on the U.S. Flotilla to Gaza, 2009-2011. Organized Bring Our War Dollars Home, an alliance fighting for social programs, protested in California at libraries with local groups, promoted the antiwar message to economic and social coalitions with the theme of one nation working together and the mayors’ resolution to end the war at the U.S. conference of Mayors, 2010-2011. Organized Ground the Drones Campaign, protested increased use and ensuing civilian casualties at military bases across the country, 2010-2011. Editorial, “Code Pink: Get out of Afghanistan”, USA Today usatoday, 08/09/2011. Deported from Bahrain after leading an all-women march attended by thousands as a part of Witness Bahrains human rights observers, February 2012. Nominated for Peace Prize, US Peace Memorial Foundation, Inc., 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Organized first ever International Drone Summit with lawyers, scientists, academics, and activists to kick off an international campaign to reign in the use of drones in the U.S. and abroad, droneswatch.org, Washington DC, 04/28/2012. Disrupted President Obamas chief counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan and spoke out against the use of drones. Received international recognition for her actions as the video was seen by hundreds of thousands of people and translated into many languages youtube/watch?v=xXj7YfLRx5I, Woodrow Wilson International Center, Washington DC, 04/30/2012. Marched on National Conventions, carried banners, gave TV and radio interviews, and sang antiwar songs, Republican, Tampa, FL and Democratic, Charlotte, NC, August & September 2012. Authored book, Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control, published by OR books, codepink.org/article.php?id=6064, 2012. Performed skit in front of the White House asking President Obama to “Kill the Kill List” and “Ground the Drones” youtube/watch?v=BcJcNFTNh34&feature=youtu.be, Washington DC, 06/01/2012. Peace delegate to Pakistan to protest U.S. drone warfare, met with victims and family members, lawyers, academics, womens groups, and Pakistani leaders; gave book (Drone Warfare) and delivered petitions to U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan; participated in march to Waziristan; organized a public fast, Islamabad; made international headlines and news interviews on CNN (see video here), the New York Times, the Washington Post, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and over 100 major news outlet, 09/28-10/14/2012. Peace Prize recipient (2012), “in recognition of her creative leadership on the front lines of the antiwar movement,” US Peace Memorial Foundation, Inc., New York City, 10/28/2012. Founding Member, US Peace Memorial Foundation, Inc., 2012. Interupted and questioned President Obama three times regarding drone war and Guantánamo, during a counterterrorism address democracynow.org/2013/5/24/medea_benjamin_v_president_obama_codepink, and democracynow.org/2013/5/24/that_woman_is_worth_paying_attention, National Defense University, Washington, DC, 05/23/2013. Awarded William Sloane Coffin, Jr. Peacemaker Award, Peace Action Fund of New York State, 10/28/2013. Arrested for disrupting numerous congressional activities including 02/07/2013 demonstrations outside and inside Hart Senate Office Building to disrupt confirmation hearing for CIA Director by demanding an end to civilian casualties, displayed signs, read names/ages of children killed by U.S. drone attacks, and arrested, youtube/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1vJs3prigGk; and 09/04/2013 during Senate Foreign Relations Committee she was arrested for telling Secretary Kerry, “We don’t want another war!”, Washington, DC, 2005-2014. Speeches and presentations throughout the country on topics including ground the drones, end torture, shrink the pentagon, and create peace, 2005-2014. Co-Director of CODEPINK (Women for Peace), 2002-2014. TV Appearances on various news programs promoting an antiwar message, 2006-2014.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 13:16:12 +0000
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