October 10, 2012

Dear Activists,

Read "US Delegation's Message of Peace Received Warmly in Pakistan" By Medea Benjamin and Robert Naiman on Common Dreams View amazing photos by delegate Katie Falkenberg Watch CNN Coverage of CODEPINK in Pakistan Share this video on Facebook! Tweet this!

Did you hear the news about our inspiring peace march this weekend to the tribal areas of Pakistan where no foreigners have been permitted to go in a decade?  I still can't believe it, but... we did it!!!

As one Pakistani woman wrote to us, "Your coming to Pakistan has touched so many hearts that you cannot even imagine! You were able to do what hundreds of millions of dollars spent by USAID in TV ads to win hearts and minds in Pakistan has failed to achieve!"  Read more about how warmly our delegation was received in an article written by Medea Benjamin and Robert Naiman here.

While we were pushing the issue of drones to the forefront in Pakistan, back home in San Francisco CODEPINK activist Kristin Hull delivered your Stop Drones Petition signatures to President Obama. Amazing!!

Our peace march made international headlines on CNN (see video here), the New York Times, the Washington Post, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and over 100 major news outlets. 

While we were disappointed that the Pakistani government prevented us from entering deeper into South Waziristan as planned, we feel we've been successful in putting the issue of drone warfare in the international spotlight. 



Yesterday we organized a public fast in Islamabad to atone for US killer drone strikes.  We were devastated to hear news of the Taliban attack on 14-year-old Pakistani girl Malala Yousufzai who is an outspoken advocate for girls to attend school.

After our fast we collected funds to send to Malala's school and we are reaching out to global community to find medical help for her neurological needs. We condemn this violence and understand that American drone attacks increase extremism. We are praying for Malala's quick recovery and return to school.

The world is watching, and we're fired up and ready to keep campaigning to end drone attacks. Members of our delegation are eager to plan speaking engagements back in the US to share our experiences far and wide. Check out the delegate biographies and email Sam to set up an event with one of the delegates. It can be a talk at your local university, place of worship or simply a gathering in your home. We're anxious to share what we've learned and would love your help.

Peace and solidarity from Islamabad,

Alli McCracken
CODEPINK National Organizer 



PS It was inspiring to see that while we were on the march, many of you around the country joined protests on the 11th anniversary of the Afghanistan invasion with “Stop Killer Drones” banners.  We feel your solidarity here!