CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots
peace and social justice movement working
to end U.S. funded wars and occupations,
to challenge militarism globally, and to
redirect our resources into health care,
education, green jobs and other life-affirming
activities. Won't you join us?
Why women?
CODEPINK is
not exclusively women
— we
invite men to join us
— -but
we are particularly eager to see mothers,
grandmothers, sisters, and daughters, female
workers, students, teachers, healers, artists,
writers, singers, poets and all outraged
woman rise up and oppose the global militarism.
How
did it get started?
Medea Benjamin, Jodie Evans, Diane Wilson,
Starhawk and about 100 other women kicked
off CODEPINK
on November 17, 2002. We set up for a 4-month
all-day vigil in front of the White House
during the cold of winter.
The vigil inspired people from all walks
of life, and from all over the country,
to stand for peace. Many organizations joined
us, including Global Exchange, Greenpeace,
WILPF, WAND, Public Citizen, NOW, Women
for Women International and Neighbors for
Peace and Justice. The vigil culminated
on March 8, International Women's Day, when
we celebrated women as global peacemakers
with a week of activities, rallies and a
march to encircle the White House in pink.
Over 10,000 people participated, and a
group of 25 women, including Alice Walker,
Maxine Hong Kingston, Susan Griffin, Starhawk,
Jodie Evans and Medea Benjamin, were arrested
for taking our peaceful protest right up
to the White House gate.
CODEPINK thus
emerged out of a deep desire by a group
of American women to stop the United States
from invading Iraq. The name CODEPINK
plays on the former Bush Administration's
color-coded homeland security alerts —
yellow, orange, red — that signaled
terrorist threats. While Bush's color-coded
alerts were based on fear and were used
to justify violence, the CODEPINK
alert is a feisty call for people to "wage
peace."
Since then CODEPINK
has become a worldwide network of women
and men committed to working for peace and
social justice. We have become famous for
confronting the warmongers, whether in the
halls and hearing rooms of Congress, the
national conventions of both the Republicans
and Democrats, George Bush's fundraisers,
the publicity tours of Karl Rove, Condi
Rice, Donald Rumsfeld and others, and Nancy
Pelosi's house.
Our
Call to You:
"We call on women
around the world to rise up and oppose
the war in Iraq. We call on mothers,
grandmothers, sisters and daughters,
on workers, students, teachers, healers,
artists, writers, singers, poets,
and every ordinary outraged woman
willing to be outrageous for peace.
Women have been the guardians of life-not
because we are better or purer or
more innately nurturing than men,
but because the men have busied themselves
making war. Because of our responsibility
to the next generation, because of
our own love for our families and
communities and this country that
we are a part of, we understand the
love of a mother in Iraq for her children,
and the driving desire of that child
for life."—Starhawk
A
Global Movement
The peace movement is
global: CODEPINK
has strengthened our international
ties through peacemaking delegations
to Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Beirut ,
Iraq, Italy, the war tribunal in Turkey,
Britain's Stop the War assembly, a
gathering in Thailand of women worldwide,
and our participation in the World
Social Forum in Brazil and Venezuela.
To join our upcoming peace delegations,
click
here!
How can you get
involved?
Sign
up for our weekly e-alerts
and invite your friends to sign up.
Join
a local CODEPINK or start one of your
own. There are dozens of
local CODEPINK
groups throughout the US and overseas.
Each group chooses CODEPINK
campaigns to work on, and may also participate
in local issues and coalitions. Local
groups' actions range from weekly or monthly
vigils; counter-recruitment actions in
schools; visits to district offices of
congressmembers; bird-dogging and banner-dropping
actions; hosting house parties; and more.
Educate
yourself:
-
Learn about effective
responses to violence and terrorism by
reading CODEPINK's recommended
books.
Get
Pink Wear! Our CODEPINKon-line
store has a wonderful array of CODEPINK
t-shirts, scarves, buttons, bumper stickers,
and books. Be visible as a codepinker
in your community. Great gift ideas, too!
Make
a donation. The generosity
of our supporters builds this movement.
You can donate
on-line or send a check to CODEPINK,
2010 Linden Ave, Venice, CA 90291. We
are a non-profit organization and your
donations are tax-deductible.
We thank you for your interest and look
forward to working together for a world
in which we relate to each other through
compassion, generosity, kindness, love and
joy.