Did
Jodie Evans spend over $30,000 of CODEPINK
donations to get a brief meeting with President
Obama in San Francisco on October 15?
No. A donor called Jodie
Evans and said, "Because you risked
your life to bring back signatures from
women in Afghanistan who don't want
more troops in their country, I want to
make sure Obama sees them. I have purchased
a ticket for dinner with Obama and I want
to take you as my date.” Jodie
was thrilled and accepted gratefully. Because
of this opportunity, Jodie was able to meet
with President Obama, deliver the petition
signatures, and speak to him about the need
to have Afghan women at the peacemaking
table. See the video coverage here.
Additionally,
CODEPINK of course did not fork over
$30k to the Democratic Party fundraiser--we
are a non-profit and that would be illegal.
And when it comes to the amount of money
that this supporter chose to pay for the
ticket, it's chump change compared to what
Halliburton, Bechtel, Blackwater, Chevron,
Exxon, CACI, Lockheed Martin, and General
Dynamics flaunts to access Congress and
the Pentagon. Peace is priceless!
General
Questions
What
is CODEPINK?
CODEPINK is
a women-led and women-initiated grassroots
peace and social justice movement dedicated
to stopping the war in Iraq, preventing future
wars and redirecting our country's resources
into life-affirming activities: education,
health care, veteran's benefits and social
services. We began in the onset to war in
Iraq in 2002, as President Bush was telling
us all to be afraid: CODE
ORANGE! Duct tape your windows
shut! CODE YELLOW!
Saran-wrap everything in your freezer! We
decided we needed to open a space for women
to respond with love, humor and spirit: we
decided that America needed CODEPINK.
We have given "PINK
slips" to poor leaders, PINK badges of
courage to good ones--we hold vigils and marches,
we are a consistent pink presence in the halls
of Congress. We now have 150 local chapters
and an e-mailing list of over 150,000 people
who receive our weekly alerts. We published
an inspiring collection of essays from peacemakers
around the world, called STOP
THE NEXT WAR NOW, have traveled to
Iraq, Iran, Palestine/Israel, New Orleans
and more. Help us stop the war: Join CODEPINK
today!
Am
I a CODEPINK Member?
Without the regular trappings of dues, official
induction or secret handshakes to learn, many
people wonder how they know when they are
members of CODEPINK.
Just using the word member implies that there
is an established organization and accepted
code of behavior to which you have to pledge
in order to be included as one of the privileged
few. CODEPINK
doesn't have members. We don't require official
affiliation to speak, act, or protest with
CODEPINK.
People* committed to creative protest against
militarism and injustice are CODEPINK.
People who want to influence a shift in
the focus of world society and governments
from militarism to life-affirming endeavors
are CODEPINK.
People who are not ashamed to wear a big
pink button, and thereby encourage conversation
are CODEPINK.
People who are not afraid to be unreasonable
or to be called un-patriotic in the name
of peace and social justice are CODEPINK.
People who realize that you must be the
change you want to see in this world are
CODEPINK.
*People includes all people regardless
of their gender. Though initiated by women
and composed primarily of women, CODEPINK
does not discriminate on the basis of gender,
sex, ethnicity, age, religion, or social-economic
status. (This answer written by CODEPINKOrlando.)
I'm
a man. Can I still be in CODEPINK?
Yes! There are many men
in CODEPINK who
are supportive and respectful of women taking
on leadership roles.
What
is CODEPINK doing now? How do I find out when
big national actions are planned?
If
I sign up to be on the CODEPINK list, will
my information be given out to other organizations,
the FBI, or Walmart?
No.
If
I make a donation to CODEPINK, how is my money
used?
Your money will fund our programs, and every
little bit helps! The bulk of our funding
comes from individual donors, like YOU. We
are a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization.
Your contribution will help us get the anti-war
message out by unfurling pink slips, organizing
marches to end the war in DC, collecting humanitarian
aid for innocent civilians in Iraq, rebuilding
New Orleans, and working for peace.
There
isn't a CODEPINK chapter in my area, and I'd
like to start one. How do I do that?
Sign up to be a local coordinator online
in the local groups section of our website-
specifically the Local
Group Start-Up Kit. To find out more about
starting a local group, contact Rae, our local
groups coordinator, at locals[@]codepinkalert.org.
What
does "Stop the Next War Now" mean?
CODEPINK started
with the intention of stopping the invasion
of Iraq before it started, but during our
visit to Iraq, it became clear that the war
was imminent. Now, we are dedicated to creating
a movement that is capable of stopping the
next war, whether it is in Syria, Iran, North
Korea or anywhere else. We need to educate
ourselves, expose the truth to the public
and create a culture of peace and compassion
before we are saddled with another expensive,
unjust war.
Will
CODEPINK endorse my action / group / event
/ general strike / dance marathon?
Please email info[@]codepinkalert.org
with questions regarding sponsorship and endorsement.
Can
Medea Benjamin, Jodie Evans, or Gael Murphy
(the three CODEPINK cofounders) come and speak
at my event / school? How do I get a CODEPINK
speaker for my event or action?
To find out how to arrange a CODEPINK
speaking engagement, please contact: nancy[@]globalexchange.org
(for Medea Benjamin) dana[@]codepinkalert.org
(for Jodie Evans) or email info[@]codepinkalert.org
with a general inquiry.
Is
CODEPINK a feminist organization?
CODEPINK is
a women-led organization that seeks to empower
women politically, creating space for women
to speak out for justice and peace in their
communities, the media and the halls of Congress.
Women are not better or purer or more innately
nurturing than men, but the men have busied
themselves making war, so we are taking the
lead for peace.
Does
CODEPINK support our troops in the military?
"'Support
the troops' has become empty rhetoric.
We want new recruits to be told the
truth and our military to be brought
home and no longer be an occupying
force. We feel that wanting the opposite
seems to be less supportive for troops."
~ Jen Hogg IVAW
Real support for the troops means
bringing them home, taking care of
them when they get here, and making
sure they do not have to be in harm's
way unnecessarily. CODEPINK
partners with Iraq
Veterans Against the War and Veterans
for Peace in our collective work
to end the long occupation in Iraq.
Additionally we support the work of
the Service
Women's Action Network, which
develops the leadership of female
veterans, mentors young women considering
military service, and provides and
promotes services that are healing
to women after their military service
experience and especially those who
have been raped and traumatized during
their service in the military.
We support those brave soldiers who
refuse to fight in Iraq and become
war resisters or conscientious objectors,
and have cosponsored numerous actions
with Courage
to Resist and the Canadian War
Resisters network.
We also call attention to the very
serious lack of benefits for our military
veterans. Numerous CODEPINKers currently
work on the G.I. Rights hotline giving
much-needed information and support
to active duty troops and their families.
Our members have donated phone cards
to veterans and visited them at the
VA on a regular basis. CODEPINK
also founded the Walter Reed Vigil,
to call attention to the lack of funding
for veterans health needs.
Our online store offers “Pro
Soldier, Pro Peace” pins so that
the message of supporting our troops
in a positive and life-affirming manner
can spread. Many of our activists
and local organizers are military
moms and family members, all trying
to get their families home safely.
In 2005, CODEPINK organized a
trip to Iraq with military family
members to better understand the effects
of this illegal war upon our troops
abroad.
While we support our soldiers, we
also look forward to a day when the
primary way to serve our country is
not through violence and killing;
when organizations such as AmeriCorps
and the Peace Corps take equal priority
with the military in advertising and
funding. We especially support
our National Guard being able to do
what they signed up to do--protect
us here at home in the case of natural
disasters and emergencies, as opposed
to fighting and dying abroad in an
illegal war. At CODEPINK, we
believe the best way we can do this
is by speaking out, often in coalition
with IVAW, Vets for Peace, Military
Families Speak Out, and other organizations.
More FAQs
coming soon!
Do you have a question, or an answer to
a question that you are often asked about
CODEPINK? Please
email thoughtful and serious questions to
info[at]codepinkalert.org