While women around the world are battling for their lives and their rights, New York City is heating up for the ten year review of the Beijing Platform for Action on the Status of Women. The Beijing Platform is the strongest and most complete international document on women’s rights.

Not surprisingly, the Bush administration plans to undermine the Beijing Platform, displaying its usual contempt for international law and women’s rights. They want to chip away at the Beijing Platform, and are trying to get other countries to let them do it.

Just yesterday, U.S. representatives to the U.N. unveiled offensive and retrogressive language on abortion rights to include in the U.N.’s official comment on the Beijing Platform ten-year review. Almost every other country involved in the Beijing Platform review is trying to mobilize opposition to the U.S.’s proposed language, but ***American women also need to act now! ***

FAX OR EMAIL U.S. REPRESENTATIVES TO THE U.N. TODAY! Tell them to stop attacking global women’s rights!

Today, right now, you can tell the U.S. to stop attacking women's rights. Send a fax or email to Mark Lagon and Carl Fox, the main negotiators for the United States. Tell them that you oppose the U.S. amendment on abortion, and that you want to see the U.S. support and implement the Beijing Platform for Action!

FAX OR EMAIL:
Dr. Mark Lagon, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International
Organization Affairs
Email: lagonmp@state.gov Fax: 202-647-7385

Mr. Carl Fox, Adviser for Social Affairs, United States Mission to the UN
Email: foxcb@state.gov Fax: 212-415-4341

Get sample text online at
http://www.codepinkalert.org/National_Actions_Letter.shtml

MARCH 5 – 8: JOIN US OUTSIDE THE UN OR IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!

Join us next week to continue to stand up to U.S. While the Bush administration continues its attempts to undermine international women’s rights at the U.N., we will honor International Women's Day and show our solidarity with women everywhere, joining with women from Ramallah to Stockholm, from Nairobi to Lima, in celebrating the Global Week of Action for Women's Rights and demanding an end to war, poverty and discrimination.

In New York City, there are plans for several vibrant, loud and festive days to amplify women's voices for peace and justice and take a stand against the Bush Administration's lies and unending wars. Come to New York City to take action and to build the women's anti-war movement--or organize for women's rights in your own community! Details about the events below are at

http://www.codepinkalert.org/National_Actions_March_8th.shtml


MARCH 5-8, 2005 EVENTS IN NEW YORK CITY

SATURDAY, MARCH 5: CODEPINK CONVERGENCE
4-6 p.m., Crobar, 530 W. 28th St. (Chelsea) between 10th and 11th Aves.

Gather with CODEPINK activists from all over the country for a meet and greet, and get detailed information about the week's actions and volunteer opportunities. RSVP: racheltanya@hotmail.com


SUNDAY, MARCH 6: CODEPINK ACTIVIST TRAINING CAMP
8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Barnard College at 117th St. and Broadway
Join powerful female activists for a day of interactive training that will include workshops about creative protest, media outreach, non-violence, diversity, and youth activism. $10-25 sliding scale (your generous contribution makes more scholarships available) For more information, a schedule, and to register, go to: http://codepink.kintera.org/training


SUNDAY, MARCH 6: WOMEN'S WRITES: SLAMMING MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT!
7:30-9:30 p.m., Minor Latham Playhouse, Barnard College
CODEPINK and Sacred Slam http://www.sacredslam.com join together for an evening of poetic performances that honor the female journey. Bear witness to and challenge the ideas of "sexism," "equality," and "feminism" through the work of featured artists including Magdalena Gomez, Morley, Queen GodIs, Ellen O'Grady, and more! $10-12, No one turned away for lack of funds.

MONDAY, MARCH 7: DEMAND WOMEN'S RIGHTS EVERYWHERE!
Attend events at the UN, and participate in actions and events throughout New York City that are being organized by CODEPINK and other women’s groups.

TUESDAY, MARCH 8: “WOMEN DEMAND PEACE AND EQUALITY” MARCH AND RALLY!
1-3 p.m. Meet at the N.Y. Public Library, corner of 42nd St. and Fifth Ave.

Join us for an International Women's Day March and Rally! Stand in solidarity with the women of New York and the world against war and militarism, and in support of women's rights! Meet at the NY Public Library at the corner of 42nd street and 5th Ave and march to the UN at 46th St. and 1st Ave. Rally at 2 p.m. at the U.N., sponsored by a coalition of NYC women’s and progressive groups.

Sign up online at
http://www.codepinkalert.org/National_Actions_March_8th.shtml to let us know you're coming so we can keep you up to date on all the details. And please let us know if you need housing or if you're available to volunteer.

CAN'T MAKE IT TO NEW YORK?

There are lots of ways to take action for women's rights internationally from wherever you are:

*Sign the National Women's Studies Association's petition http://ase.tufts.edu/womenstudies/newsa/beijing%2010%20petition/index.html in support of the Beijing Platform for Action and urging the US government to reaffirm it. The petition is written to target academics and students, but is open to anyone.

*Spread the word! Too few women know about the Beijing +10 Review, the Beijing Platform for Action, and international law on women’s rights. Educate yourself http://www.codepinkalert.org/National_Actions_March_8th.shtml#background and then educate other women in your community: write editorials in your local papers; forward emails about Beijing +10 to listservs you're on. Make sure this review can't happen in silence!

*Organize an International Women's Day event in your community! It can be as simple as a 'women for peace' vigil or as complex as a march and rally through your town. It can be a celebration of women's art and power, or it can be a meeting with your city council to talk about the need for women's programs. Bring women's issues to the table in your community. Bring International Women's Day home!

For women's rights everywhere,
Andrea, Ariel, Claire, Dana, Emily, Gael, Jodie, Medea, Nancy, Rae, Tiffany
http://www.codepinkalert.org February 25, 2005

http://www.saveourenvironment.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=13057


Informant: Scott Munson

In the name of the people, who suffer under Electrical Sensitivity, we beg for

- official acceptance of the problem

- a clear definition of the Electrical Sensitivity

and preventively

- the support concerning the construction of radio free protection zones

- a ban of the continuous emission of cordless phones after the Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) standard and other electronic devices

signature / name, address:



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This will be forwarded to the WHO in Genf, if you send it to:

Verein für Elektrosensible e.V.
Düsseldorfer Str. 22

D-80804 München



Workshop of
Electrical Hypersensitivity
in Prag, 26.-28. Oktober 2004

Summary from Dr. Birgit Stöcker


The biological effects of electric and magnetic fields as well as electro-magnetic waves (emf), have been estimated completely erroneously during the last decades. However, because of the increasing expansion of technology in every area of life and especially since the escalation of mobile phone radiation, the evaluation of the influence of electro-technology on life has changed, and there came movement into the valuation.

Science is now discussing the following:

1. Electro-sensibility as an intensified perception of emf, which is seen as a sensory disturbance by neuropathic patients (e.g., in conditions after meningitis, borrelioses or multiple sclerosis); in cases of brain stem syndromes, brain tumours, as well as skull fractures.

Diagnosis: neurologic tests
Therapy: damp of conduction systems

2. Electro-sensitivity, which is mainly a stress syndrome marked by raised sympathetic activity, increased action potentials, secretion of stress factors (like free radicals, adrenaline, noradrenaline, histamine, cholesterine, etc.). Corresponding to the individual tolerance of these stress factors, people suffer from unspecific symptoms, such as insomnia, headache, chronic fatigue, vertigo, and even epilepsy; or, they complain of vacillating blood pressure, difficulty in breathing, cardiac arrhythmia and myocardial arrest. As these problems, as a rule, disappear after disconnecting the electromagnetic source, we talk about a neurological warning-signal, which should not be underrated.

Diagnosis: in vivo- or in vitro-provocation with testing the stress factors; new: genetic expression test

Therapy: stress reduction with
- sport
- breathing exercises
- medicine
- supplements

3. Electro-allergy as a different reaction of the organism against emf. We find allergies more and more in young people, who use an immense amount of electronic appliances.

Diagnosis: allergy tests
Therapy: antiallergics

4. Electro-injuries playing a strong role in the diseases of modern civilization. This includes changes in the nervous and hormonal systems, heart and blood pressure effects, negative influences on immunity, metabolic disorders and long-term cancer, as well as genetic reactions. Radiation disease is normally irreversible. It appears not only in hypersensitive people, but can also attack everyone in society, without their feeling any sensibility. Correlating cause and effect (medical coherence) is, at the most, hard to percieve, as environmental or civilization’s diseases are regularly a synergism of multifarious loads.

Here we can observe a circulus vitiosus dynamic at work:

Electricity
geopathic heavy
zones metals
synergism
fungi, viruses, chemical
bacteria, parasites substances
allergenes

Diagnosis: in vivo- or in vitro-provocation with testing specific parameters, like blood pressure, hormones or glukose tolerance before and after emf-loading; also genetic test (DNA damages)

Therapy: corresponding care of symptoms


Kontakt:

Dr. Birgit Stöcker
Verein für Elektrosensible e.V.
- Mitglied im Paritätischen Wohlfahrtsverband -
Düsseldorfer Str. 22

D-80804 München

Tel. Hotline: 0900 11 00 791

e-mail: stoecker.b@web.de


Letter to the WHO in response to its Precautionary Framework
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/473990/

The emissions damage health
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/538751/

Im Namen der Menschen, die unter Elektrosensitivität leiden, bitte ich um


- offizielle Anerkennung des Problems


- eine klare Definition der Elektrosensitivität


sowie präventiv um:


- die Unterstützung der Einrichtung von funkfreien Schutzzonen und


- ein Verbot der Daueremission von DECT-Telefonen u.a. elektronischen Geräten



Unterschrift / Name, Adresse:


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Dies wird an die WHO in Genf weitergeleitet, wenn Sie es einschicken an den:

Verein für Elektrosensible e.V.
Düsseldorfer Str. 22

D-80804 München




Bericht über den Workshop:

Electrical Hypersensitivity, ein internationales elektromagnetisches Feld-Projekt der WHO vom 25. und 26. Oktober 2004 in Prag

von Birgit Stöcker

Ende Oktober 2004 fand in Prag eine internationale Tagung zum Thema „Elektrosensibilität“ statt. Bereits erzielte experimentelle und theoretische Ergebnisse wurden kritisch besprochen und neue Resultate präsentiert. Auch nicht-wissenschaftliche, aber qualifizierte Meinungen konnten vorgetragen werden. So versuchten vor allem Vertreter von Betroffenen-Verbänden, die Fülle der diskutierten Symptome und biologischen Effekte zu einem logischen Krankheitsbild zusammenzufassen.

Anwesend waren Vertreter aus den verschiedensten Staaten der Erde, was zeigte, dass es sich bei der Elektrosensitivität um ein Weltproblem handelt. Es diskutierten ca. 75 Forscher aus universitären Instituten, ca. 25 Ingenieure der Mobilfunk-Industrie sowie etwa 35 Beamte aus Strahlenschutzbehörden und Ministerien. Leider waren nur 4 Ärzte zugegen, womit bestätigt war, dass dieses Thema medizinisch noch nicht erfaßt worden ist. Aus den Betroffenen-Organisationen waren lediglich 9 Personen gekommen; sie waren auch nicht geladen worden, bzw. hatten sie Schwierigkeiten der Anreise in eine hoch technologisierte Stadt.

Das Programm organisierte die Weltgesundheitsorganisation in der Schweiz (Dr. Repacholi, Dr. Saunders, Dr. van Deventer) in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Nationalen Institut für Arbeit in Schweden (Prof. Hansson-Mild). Die lokale Organisation lag bei dem Nationalen Referenz Laboratorium für nicht-ionisierende Strahlung Tschechiens (Prof. Pekarek, u.a.)

Herr Repacholi, WHO, machte in seinem Eingangsreferat eine gute Zusammenfassung des heutigen offiziellen Wissensstandes zur Elektro-Hypersensitivität (EHS), die auch von den Betroffenen mitgetragen werden konnte, so dass der Eindruck entstand, das EHS-Syndrom sei erkannt, gut beschrieben als auch von oben anerkannt. Er betonte, dass der Workshop dazu gedacht sei, Wissenslücken aufzuzeigen und weitere notwendige Wege (insbesonders kausaler) Forschung festzulegen. Zusätzlich sollte überblickt werden, wie EHS-Individuen geholfen werden kann.

Allerdings brachten die vielen Referate einzeln-thematisch und kausal denkender Forscher im Laufe der zwei Tage mehr Verwirrung als Klärung der Thematik. So schien Dr. Patrick Levallois, Québec, Canada, irritiert über unterschiedliche Symptomschilderungen in den verschiedenen Staaten; zum Beispiel stehen in Schweden immer schon Hauterscheinungen im Vordergrund; in Mitteleuropa werden häufiger neurologische Symptome geschildert und in USA spricht man von Elektroallergien. Als Ursache der EHS sehen einige Studien eine „Amalgam-Intoleranz“, andere „Allergien“ und weitere „ungewöhnliche Sensitivitäten gegenüber alltäglichen Chemikalien“. Daraus zog Levallois das Fazit, dass die Elektro-Hypersensitivität ein nicht gut charakterisiertes gesundheitliches Problem darstelle und weiterer Forschungsbedarf bestehe.

Prof. Kjell Hansson-Mild, Umea, Schweden, wunderte sich über die unterschiedlichsten Meßwerte verschiedener Frequenzen sowohl in Privathäusern als auch bei Arbeitsplätzen, die nach der Selbsteinschätzung Elektrosensitiver alle zu Erkrankungen führen können, selbst wenn sie wenig von der Norm abweichen.

Dr. Jan Bures, Prag, Tschechien, berichtete über Magnetfeldstimulationen menschlicher Gehirne, die mit Ausnahme einiger wenigen gravierenden Folgen, bei mehreren Zehntausend Probanden keine biologischen Effekte erzeugten. Zwar haben Langzeitversuche bei Tieren solche gezeigt; eine EMF-Hypersensitivität beim Menschen hält Bures trotzdem, aufgrund dessen biologischer Natur, nicht für plausibel.

Prof. Eugene Lyskov, Umea, Schweden, sieht vor allem einen psychosomatisierenden Effekt aufgrund veränderter Stresssituation und der daraus resultierenden Hyperaktivität des vegetativen Nervensystems. Dr. Christopher Mueller, Zürich, Schweiz, verneint eine reine psychosomatische Reaktion sowie eine Placebo-Effekt und bestätigt die Elektrosensitivität durch sein NEMESIS-Projekt. Ganz anders Dr. Eduard David, Witten-Herdecke, Deutschland, der zum wiederholten Male seine viele Jahre zurückliegende Studie vortrug. Dabei war keine reguläre psychologische Abnormität, insbesondere in Bezug auf hypochondrische Tendenz, festzustellen, obwohl einige Hypersensitive ein „schizoides Verhalten“ zeigten. Er erkläre dies mit einer gewissen Erwartungshaltung während der Provokationsversuche. Darüber hinaus war keine Differenz zwischen der sensitiven bzw. der gesunden Gruppe festzustellen. (Dazu sei angemerkt, dass Herr David selbst immer wieder darauf hinweist, dass sein Lehrstuhl für Elektropathologie durch die Elektroindustrie finanziert werde.)

Zurück zu den in Schweden seit langem untersuchten Hauterscheinungen; so ist Prof. Olle Johansson, Stockholm, klar, dass die Anzahl der Mastzellen in der Epidermis bei EHS-Personen erhöht ist. Dies könnte die klinischen Symptome von Stechen, Schmerzen, Anschwellen und Rötung erklären. Ein neuer Aspekt, der näher diskutiert werden sollte.

Prof. Lawrie Challis, Nottingham, UK, berichtete von geplanten Studien zu RF, GSM, UMTS und TETRA. Anscheinend läuft in England unter dem Titel „Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme“ eine ähnlich groß angelegte Forschung wie in Deutschland, deren Ergebnisse erst in einigen Jahren zu erwarten sind. Auch Prof. Norbert Leitgeb, Graz, Österreich, stellte laufende sowie geplante EHS-Forschung vor. Obwohl die EMF-Datenbasis seit 1993 bereits 85 wissenschaftliche Studien zur EHS beinhaltet, steht, laut Leitgeb, der kausale Link zur EMF-Belastung immer noch aus.

Allerdings gehen nicht alle Forscher den rein kausalen Weg. Prof. Anders Ahlbom, Stockholm, Schweden, sieht EMF als Teil einer langen Kette, die zu Symptomen bzw. einer Kombination von Symptomen führt. Prof. Berndt Stenberg, Umea, Schweden, schilderte neben der Hautproblematik ein generelles Syndrom und sprach deshalb von „Umwelterkrankung“. Dr. Herman Staudenmayer, Denver, USA, bindet das EHS-Problem in eine „Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance“ (IEI) ein (wobei das Wort idiopathisch die Intoleranz gegenüber Umweltfaktoren falsch erfaßt, da Umweltreize nun mal existieren und sich entsprechend ursächlich verhalten).

Frau Dr. Lena Hillert, Stockholm, Schweden, die sich seit vielen Jahren epidemiologisch mit der Thematik auseinandersetzt, bestätigt das Leiden hypersensitiver Menschen, doch vermißt sie den biologischen Marker. Sie empfiehlt deshalb „kognitive Verhaltens-Therapie“ den Patienten anzubieten. Dies verspricht natürlich keine Heilung.

Mehr Hoffnung liegt deshalb auf politischen Programmen, wie dem „Internationalen EMF-Projekt“ http://www.who.int/emf , durch welches die WHO ein weltweites Forschungsprogramm koordiniert. Dr. T.E. van Deventer, Genf, Schweiz, schilderte den Projektrahmen, der die Mitgliedstaaten dazu anregt, Vorsorge in die öffentliche Gesundheitspolitik mit aufzunehmen. Entsprechend hat das National Radiological Protection Board, United Kingdom, eine öffentliche Gesundheitserfassung von EHS beschlossen (Vorstellung durch Dr. Jill Meara).

Quelle:
http://www.elektrosmognews.de/news/20041128_workshop_prag.html
(Auszug)


Elektrosensibilität - ein Stress-Syndrom
http://www.buergerwelle.de/pdf/elektrosensibilitaet_ein_stress_syndrom.htm

Newsletter der BÜRGER GEGEN ATOMREAKTOR GARCHING e. V. vom 21. Februar 2005

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, liebe FreundInnen,

IPPNW ("Internationale Ärzte für die Verhütung des Atomkrieges, Ärzte in soziale Verantwortung e. V." und Träger des Friedensnobelpreises 1985) bat uns, diesen Rundbrief zu verschicken. Die BÜRGER GEGEN ATOMREAKTOR GARCHING e. V. unterstützen diese Kampagne als auch die Petition (s. u.).

Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Gina Gillig
BÜRGER GEGEN ATOMREAKTOR GARCHING e. V.
Danziger Straße 19
85748 Garching
Tel 089 / 31 77 28 13
Fax 089 / 31 77 28 14
Mail: buerger-gegen-atomreaktor@frm2.de
http://www.frm2.de


Betreff:
1. Internationale Plakatkampagne "Atomkraftwerke abschalten"
2. Europäische Petition - Millionen Unterschriften von Bürgerinnen und Bürgern der Europäischen Union

http://www.facts-on-nuclear-energy.info – Fakten zur Atomenergie


Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, liebe AtomkraftgegnerInnen,

es ist wieder soweit: Die Atomindustrie kämpft für eine Renaissance der Atomenergie. Versprochen wird die Lösung für die Energieprobleme und für die befürchtete Klimakatastrophe. In mehreren Ländern gibt es auf Druck der Industrie wieder Überlegungen und Planungen für neue Atomkraftwerke und die alten Anlagen sollen noch viele Jahre weiterbetrieben werden.

Wie haltlos die Prophezeiungen der Atomindustrie sind, zeigt eine Serie von 8 Plakatmotiven der atomkritischen Ärzteorganisation IPPNW, der Europäischen Solarvereinigung EUROSOLAR und des Weltenergiebüros WISE. In kurzen und knackigen Statements wird erklärt, warum

1. Uranvorkommen weltweit sehr begrenzt sind und den Atomkraftwerken in Kürze der Brennstoff ausgeht (Sackgasse Atomenergie),

2. Atomstrom nur minimal zur Weltenergieversorgung beiträgt und schlichtweg überflüssig ist (Hochstapler Atomenergie),

3. die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines Super-GAUs in Europa bei 16 Prozent und weltweit bei 40 Prozent liegt (Risikotechnik Atomenergie),

4. auch nach 50 Jahren Atomkraftwerksbetrieb weltweit noch immer kein sicheres Endlager für den Atommüll existiert (Müllproduzent Atomenergie),

5. Atomenergie die Verbreitung von Atomwaffen fördert (Bombenrisiko Atomenergie),

6. die Atomenergie das Klima auch nicht retten kann (Klimaflop Atomenergie),

7. Windkraftanlagen weit mehr Arbeitsplätze schaffen als die Atomindustrie (Arbeitsplatzarme Atomenergie),

8. Erneuerbare Energien aus Sonne, Wind, Wasser und Biomasse den Energiebedarf dieser Erde decken können (Alternativen zur Atomenergie).

Diese Statements werden mit plakativen Motiven in kühlem und sachlichem Design in Szene gesetzt. Sie liefern gute Argumente für Diskussionen mit Freunden, Arbeitskollegen oder Atomkraftbefürwortern. Sie finden die Plakatserie auf der Homepage http://www.facts-on-nuclear-energy.info

Machen Sie mit:

- Nutzen Sie die Möglichkeit die Motive unter
http://www.facts-on-nuclear-energy.info im pdf-Format herunterzuladen (DIN A4 und DIN A1). Sie können die Plakate im Format DIN A4 auf Ihrem eigenen Drucker oder im Format DIN A1 im Copy-Shop ausdrucken.

[nur für Adressaten in Deutschland/Österreich/Schweiz]
- Bestellen Sie die Plakate als Drucke im A4-Format in der IPPNW-Geschäftsstelle, Körtestraße 10, 10967 Berlin für 3 € (1 Serie á 8 Plakate), 12 € (5 Serien) oder 16 € (10 Serien) zzgl. Porto.

- Weisen Sie auf Ihrer Homepage mit einem Link auf die Plakatkampagne hin

Vielen Dank,

Ihre IPPNW
(International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War)

PS. Unterzeichnen Sie die Europäische Petition zum Ausstieg aus der Atomenergie:

Europaweit sollen bis April 2006 1 Millionen Unterschriften von Bürgerinnen und Bürgern der Europäischen Union gesammelt werden. Dies würde die Bürgerinitiative nach der künftigen europäischen Verfassung dazu berechtigen, die Kommission aufzufordern, einen Vorschlag zum Ausstieg aus der Atomenergie zu unterbreiten.

Die Petition kann im Internet unter http://www.atomstopp.com/1million/
unterschrieben, oder auch eine Unterschriftenliste als pdf-Datei heruntergeladen werden.

Weitere Informationen:

IPPNW Germany
Ärzte für die Verhütung des Atomkrieges
Körtestr. 10, 10967 Berlin
Tel: +49-30-698074-0
Fax: +49-30-693 8166
E-Mail: ippnw@ippnw.de
Internet: http://www.ippnw.de

Bush's Budget Prioritizes Star Wars above Programs Such As Head Start

Tell Congress to Stand Up for What's Right

Beneath the incomprehensible federal budget numbers a $2.57 trillion budget, a $427 billion deficit, $419 billion in military spending the federal budget is a moment of truth. It's the checkbook of our country. And it, like the spending plan of a family or business, should reflect the stuff we care about. But Bush's proposed budget is out of step with Americans' true priorities.

To bankroll more tax cuts for millionaires and a sell-off of Social Security to Wall Street, President Bush suggested record cuts to essential services that provide real benefits to the American people. The silver lining is that what the president proposes, Congress disposes. None of Bush's cuts will happen if Congress rejects his budget.

This is where we come in. Congress needs to hear loud and clear from the American people: The Bush budget should be dead on arrival.

If this mail was forwarded to you and you aren't yet a member of TrueMajority, click here to send your message.



Toward a fair budget,

Duane Peterson

TrueMajority Coordinator

Below are ten misguided Bush budget decisions that particularly offend American values and squander our country's future. Tell Congress to reject Bush's indecent budget proposal. Tell your representatives that you don't want your government to&



Undercut schools in need by reneging on the $12 billion in funding to schools promised by President Bush himself. [1]

Eliminate child-care assistance for 300,000 children by 2009. [2]

Keep college out of reach for qualified students by failing to raise the maximum Pell Grant as promised [3] and by freezing work-study funding. [4]

More than double the copay charged to many veterans for prescription drugs, in addition to requiring some vets to pay a new $250 yearly "user fee" for promised health-care services. [5]

Eliminate Community Development Block Grants lifelines for cities around the country, used to build and maintain clinics, day-care facilities and housing developments. [6]

Eliminate the Even Start literacy program that helps impoverished children and their illiterate or semiliterate parents learn to read. [7]

Cut funds from Medicaid that would pay for health care for 1.8 million low-income children. [8]

Cut food stamps benefits for up to 300,000 of the working poor, largely parents and children. [9]

Force deeper cuts in basic domestic programs by adding new tax cuts that would cost $1.6 trillion over ten years. More than half of these cuts would go to households that earn more than a $1 million yearly, while virtually none target households earning less than $100,000 per year. [10]

Balloon the federal deficit to $1.4 trillion by 2010, thanks to war spending and new tax cuts. [11]

Continue funding Pentagon waste.Bush's budget contains over $20 billion for Pentagon weapons systems such as super stealth fighter jets and the Star Wars program. These were designed to fight the Cold War, but are now unnecessary since the Soviet Union went out of business and they are unusable in the struggle against extremism. [12]

Congress has the power to overrule Bush's grossly misguided spending priorities. Please contact your representatives today and demand that they reject the Bush budget and realign America's spending priorities to serve us all, not just a privileged few. Click here to send your free message .

To see how Bush's proposed federal budget affects your community, check out the National Priorities Project's Web page: http://www.nationalpriorities.org/impact05/budgetpub.html .

Sources:

[1] Democratic Staff, Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives. FY 2006 Bush Budget: Breaks Promises, Underfunds K-12 Funding, and Forces Students to Pay More for College.

[2] "Assessing President Bush's New Budget Proposal," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 2/7/05.

[3] Rep. George Miller. Inadequate Yearly Progress Report. Committee on Education and the Workforce. U.S. House of Representatives. December 2003.

[4] FY 2006 President's Budget Request, US Department of Education. 2/7/05. Trends in College Pricing 2004, The College Board. 2004.

[5] "Bush Budget Raises Drug Prices for Many Veterans," New York Times, 2/7/05.

[6] "Bush Plans Sharp Cuts in HUD Community Efforts," Washington Post, 1/14/05.

[7] "White House, Congress to Battle Again over Domestic Programs," Washington Post, 2/7/05.

[8] "President's Medicaid Budget Shifts Huge Financial Burden to States," Families USA. 2/7/05.

[9] "Assessing President Bush's New Budget Proposal," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 2/7/05.

[10] "What the President's Budget Shows about the Administration's Priorities," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 2/7/05.

[11] "Bush Proposes Steep Cuts in $2.57T Budget," Associated Press. 2/7/05.

[12] The Cato Institute (www.cato.org) and the Center for Arms Control and Proliferation (www.armscontrolcenter.org).

Here's the letter we'll send to your members of Congress, or click this link below to write your own :

http://truemajority.kintera.org/2005budget

Dear [Congressmembers name]:

President Bush's proposed budget does not reflect my values of fairness, compassion or investment in my country's future. Fortunately, Congress has the power to craft a budget that does reflect America's values. Please use your influence to protect the American people by reversing the following proposals in the president's proposed budget. Don't follow the president's plans to:

Undercut schools in need by reneging on the $12 billion in funding promised to schools by President Bush himself.

Eliminate child-care assistance for 300,000 children by 2009.

Keep college out of reach for qualified students by failing to raise the maximum Pell Grant as promised and by freezing work-study funding.

More than double the co-pay charged to many veterans for prescription drugs, in addition to requiring some vets to pay a new $250 yearly "user fee" for promised health-care services.

Eliminate Community Development Block Grants lifelines for cities around the country, used to build and maintain clinics, day-care facilities and housing developments.

Eliminate the Even Start literacy program that helps impoverished children and their illiterate or semiliterate parents learn to read.

Cut funds from Medicaid that would pay for health care for 1.8 million low-income children.

Cut food stamps benefits for up to 300,000 of the working poor, largely parents and children.

Force deeper cuts in basic domestic programs by adding new tax cuts that would cost $1.6 trillion over ten years. More than half of these cuts would go to households that earn more than a $1 million yearly, while virtually none target households earning less than $100,000 per year.

Balloon the federal deficit to $1.4 trillion by 2010, thanks to war spending and new tax cuts.

Continue funding Pentagon waste Bush's budget contains over $20 billion for Pentagon weapons systems such as super stealth fighter jets and the Star Wars program. These were designed to fight the Cold War, but are now unnecessary since the Soviet Union went out of business and they are unusable in the struggle against extremism.

Reversing these ill-advised policies and investing in the future of America's people will generate great returns in human capital and real national security.

Thank you for considering my views.

[we'll insert your name here]


Informant: Martin Greenhut

***TAKE ACTION***PLEASE CIRCULATE***TAKE ACTION***

The time for nuclear disarmament in NOW.

Every nation in the world received an Abolition 2000 mailing in early February addressed to the Foreign Minister and the Ambassadors at UN missions in Geneva and New York. (see attached letter)

Out letter calls on every nation attending the Nuclear

Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in May 2005 to come prepared with national plans and a timeline for disarmament of their country’s nuclear arsenals, including a complete inventory of all fissile materials for their country as well as an outline of conditions that must be met in order for nuclear weapons and nuclear-capable states to start the irreversible, verifiable dismantlement of their nuclear arsenals.

The following documents prepared by the nuclear abolition community were included in the mailing:

• Security and Survival: The Case for a Nuclear Weapons Convention, which lays out all the steps needed for the total elimination of nuclear weapons;
http:// www.lcnp.org/mnwc/convention.htm

• NGO Shadow Report: Accountability is Democracy, Transparency is Security; a listing of fissile materials prepared by NGOs in countries around the world
http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/shadowreport/ngoshadrepindex.html

• International Sustainable Energy Fund Statute;
http://www.gracelinks.org/energy/docs/ISEF-Statute-final.pdf

• Compendium of Past NGO Recommendations to the NPT delegates.
http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/nptindex1.html#ngo_reports

We urge you to follow up!

Make an appointment with your foreign ministry or consulate to discuss your government’s plans :
- to report on their fissile material holdings at the NPT;
- to dismantle their arsenals;
- to begin negotiating for nuclear disarmament within a time bound framework, so that negotiations can be successfully concluded by 2010 with complete elimination of nuclear weapons and appropriate safeguarding of nuclear materials by 2020, as requested by the Mayors Emergency Campaign to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons.
(For Foreign Ministry Contact Information, see
http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/resources/govcontacts/govindex.html)

Write a letter to your head of state asking what plans are being made in your country to comply with the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Ask others to write as well.

Distribute this action alert to your friends and colleagues, and encourage them to also take action.

Translate and publish your version of the attached press release, Global Anti-Nuke Movement Demands Plan by May, and circulate it to local and national press in your country.

The world community must deliver a unified and unequivocal message that arduously negotiated treaties and international agreements cannot be simply dismissed, undermined or negated. Nations must come to this year’s NPT prepared with plans for nuclear disarmament. The message is out. We need your help to make it happen!

Let us know the results of your actions. Send a brief report to monika@abolitionnow.org. Was your ministry or consulate willing to meet with you? How did the meeting go? What reasons, if any, did your government give you for not implementing the agreements they have made? Did you receive an answer from your head of state?

We will keep track of your responses on http://www.abolitionnow.org to help others know your country's position.

Monika Szymurska
Abolition 2000
Outreach and Development Coordinator

215 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1001
New York, NY 10016

e-mail: monika@abolitionnow.org
tel: (212) 726-9161
fax: (212) 726-9160

http://www.abolition2000.org
http://www.abolitionnow.org

February 19, 2005

RAPID RESPONSE MEDIA ALERT: OR DO WE IGNORE THEM?

Email Reveals BBC Contempt For Public Complaints

In a world of terrible suffering and injustice, many of us cling to the hope that journalists will have the integrity and compassion to report honestly. Above all, this means standing up for the defenceless and crushed against those who would rather we did not know and did not care.

On February 17, a Media Lens reader followed up an unanswered complaint he had sent to Judy Swallow, presenter of the BBC’s World Service Newshour programme. The email contained important testimony relating to US-UK war crimes during attacks on Fallujah. This, in full, is what was sent:

Dear Judy Swallow,

As you haven't responded to my email of 13.02 regarding BBC coverage of events in Fallujah, I thought perhaps you needed more examples of the things that the BBC has so far failed to mention. I would really be interested to hear your views on these stories. Do you think they are untrue, or insignificant? If so, on what grounds? And if not, how can you defend your job within an organization that is continuing to mislead the public about US/UK war crimes in Iraq?

Best wishes,

[Name Withheld]

These extracts are taken from "Remembering The First Siege Of Fallujah: Excerpts From Testimony Submitted To The World Tribunal On Iraq," by Omar Khan and Dahr Jamail (February 14, 2005), available at zmag.org:

"...three of my friends agreed to ride out on the one functioning ambulance for the clinic to retrieve the wounded. Although the ambulance already had three bullet holes from a U.S. sniper through the front windshield on the driver's side, the fact that two of them are westerners was the only hope that soldiers would allow them to retrieve more wounded Iraqis. The previous driver was wounded when one of the snipers shots grazed his head. What I can report from Falluja is that there is no ceasefire, and apparently never was. Iraqi women and children are being shot by American snipers.

Over 600 Iraqis have been killed by American aggression, and the residents have turned two football fields into graveyards. Ambulances are being shot by the Americans. And now they are preparing to launch a full scale invasion of the city. This is difficult for me to see, particularly after being there yesterday and seeing an ambulance with 3 bullet holes in the driver's side of the windshield. Seeing slain women and children, elderly, unarmed people. All killed and/or wounded by American snipers. In the last week there have been over 600 Iraqis slain in Falluja alone, with thousands more wounded."

"The Americans shot out the lights in the front of our hospital, they prevented doctors from reaching the emergency unit at the hospital, and we quickly began to run out of supplies and much needed medications. One of my doctors in Falluja asked the Americans there if he could remove a wounded patient from the city. The soldier wouldn't let him move the victim, and said, "We have dead soldiers here too. This is a war zone." The doctor wasn't allowed to remove the wounded man, and he died. So many doctors and ambulances have been turned back from checkpoints there."

Dr. Abdul Jabbar reported that "Many people were injured and killed by cluster bombs. Of course they used cluster bombs-we heard them, as well as treated people who had been hit by them." Dr. Rashid agreed, saying, "I saw the cluster bombs with my own eyes. We don't need any evidence. Most of these bombs fell on the families. The fighters-they know how to escape. But not the civilians." He added: "Not less than 60% of the dead were women and children. You can go see the graves for yourself."

At Noman Hospital in Al-Adhamiya, a doctor there too said of the people who came in from Fallujah from ten days earlier, that "most were children, women and elderly."At Yarmouk Hospital, a lead doctor reported that he saw American soldiers killing women and children, calling the situation in Fallujah "a massacre."

...according to one Fallujah resident, who after having escaped to Baghdad testified that US warplanes were bombing the city heavily prior to his departure, and that Marine snipers continued to secure residents of the besieged city, shot by shot. "There were so many snipers, anyone leaving their house was killed."

A doctor working in a temporary emergency clinic in Fallujah during April's siege posed a question on Democracy Now!, which he repeated: "When you see a child five years old with no head what can you say? When you see a child with no brain just an open cavity what can you say? When you see a mother just hold her infant with no head and the shells are all over her body?" (Email forwarded to Media Lens, February 19, 2005)

Although harrowing, this email was rational and restrained, and contained credible evidence relating to issues that could hardly be more serious. Judy Swallow answered our reader with an email that was presumably intended for a colleague:

“Oh god mike - do you take care of these sorts of things, or do we ignore them?” (Forwarded to Media Lens, February 19, 2005)

On the BBC website Swallow describes Newshour as "exposing injustice and challenging lies". (http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/worldservice/judyswallow.shtml)

What does it say when a senior BBC journalist can dismiss testimony relating to our government’s involvement in war crimes as merely “these sorts of things”? And what does it say that a journalist can suggest that it might be an option to simply ignore a public complaint of such seriousness?

Of course, it might be objected that this is an isolated case; that we are being unfairly harsh. But it is not isolated - we have received numerous examples of exactly this kind of high-handed, dismissive response from journalists right across the media both personally and forwarded to us by readers.

In truth, this is a perfect example of how the media’s power without responsibility has resulted in an arrogant, elitist system which views the public with barely disguised contempt.

SUGGESTED ACTION

The goal of Media Lens is to promote rationality, compassion and respect for others. In writing letters to journalists, we strongly urge readers to maintain a polite, non-aggressive and non-abusive tone.

Write to the following BBC journalists and managers. Ask them how a senior BBC journalist can suggest ignoring a sincere and reasoned complaint relating to war crimes committed by the British government.

Judy Swallow, presenter of Newshour
Email: judy.swallow@bbc.co.uk

Mike Finnerty, editor of Newshour
Email: mike.finnerty@bbc.co.uk

Nigel Chapman, director BBC World Service
Email: nigel.chapman@bbc.co.uk

Mark Thompson, BBC director general
Email: mark.thompson@bbc.co.uk

Michael Grade, BBC chairman
Email: michael.grade@bbc.co.uk

Register a complaint at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaints_process.shtml#code

Please also send all emails to us at Media Lens:
Email: editor@medialens.org