Where Is Obama Leading Us In Afghanistan?
An Analysis of the President's Escalation Speech

We will take an in-depth look at the president's speech at West Point on December 1, in which he announced an escalation of 30,000 troops in Afghanistan. We will also look at the immediate reaction to the speech. What did he really say? Where is he really leading us?

The Long Peace: A Proposal for Action
The above one-hour analysis will be followed by a proposal re: actions we can take to bring an end to the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

Huntington Woods Public Library - lower level
26415 Scotia
Wednesday, January 20 at 6:45 pm

All are welcome.

For info: info@hwpeace.org

A transcript of the president's speech can be found here. Reading beforehand not required, but suggested.

Juan Cole Talk on Afghanistan Conflict -- Informative and Well Attended
Over 270 attendees packed the Royal Oak First United Methodist Church on November 14 to learn more about Afghanistan, the country that has been the epicenter of the United States' fight against terrorism since the events of 9/11. Juan Cole, one of the foremost experts on America's troubled relations with the Islamic world, shed light on the varied ethnic population of Afghanistan and how our eight year occupation has so far succeeded in possibly recruiting more extremists than in securing our nation. More photos.

HW Peace Newsletters
For your interest: Here are PDFs of our past newsletters. New ones will be posted as they are created.

Summer, 2006
Fall, 2007
Summer, 2008
Fall, 2008 issue

Video Now Available: Israel / Palestine Town Hall Meeting
Thanks to all who participated in or attended our Israel / Palestine Town Hall Meeting (Promoting Peace and Justice in the Middle East). It was a lively discussion and a standing room only crowd. Here is the video of the Feb. 10, 2009, event. Many thanks to Jeff Kolakowski for making this possible. Video

HWPCE Members Protest for Peace on Tax Day 2009. More photos.

HWPCE Statement on Israel/Gaza
We, the members of the Huntington Woods (MI) Peace, Citizenship and Education Project call for an immediate and unconditional cease-fire between Israel and Gaza.

We deplore the violence that Israel and Hamas have chosen to visit on each other. The random destruction and constant threat to life endured by the Israelis near Gaza cannot be accepted; nor can the Israeli domination of the lives of millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The policies of both Israel and Hamas have created unbearable hardships and suffering for both peoples. Nevertheless, Israel's current escalation of the conflict by a week of bombing and then a ground invasion have created a human catastrophe for the Palestinians far beyond the provocation of Hamas's rockets. Its scale is conveyed by the staggering disproportion in Israeli/Palestinian casualty figures and deaths of hundreds of Palestinian noncombatants.

None of this would be possible without U.S. military and diplomatic support. Our tax dollars pay for the American F-16 planes bombing Gaza; our United Nations Ambassador first blocked, and then abstained from, a cease-fire resolution in the Security Council. Concern for Israel's security should cease being a justification for a one-sided U.S. policy that ignores UN resolutions, international law, and Palestinian human rights. What would the American reaction be, for example, if a rocket fired from Gaza crashed into an Israeli school and killed forty Jewish children? Outrage should be impartial.

Instead, irresponsible American policies are sowing the seeds for unending violence. Among these is the U.S. Senate Resolution of January 8, 2009 and any similar resolution in the House which places the blame for this current crisis solely on Hamas and supports Israel's invasion into Gaza.

Instead, we urge our government in the strongest terms to demand an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza in tandem with the ending of rocket fire into Israel. This must be followed by an end to the Israeli blockade of Gaza, including a resumption of free movement in and out of Gaza, including to the West Bank. And this should lead to negotiations, as suggested by Israeli author David Grossman, to be "mediated by the international and Arab communities" on tangible ways of ending the deprivation of Gaza and finally resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The HWPCE Peace Platform is Complete!
After months of discussion and collaboration, the Huntington Woods Peace, Education and Citizenship Project members are pleased to announce the completion of our Peace Platform. With so much at stake in this year’s election, we hope the Peace Platform serves as a confirmation of positive local and global community values and to further promote non-violence and conflict resolution. It addresses the underlying issues that caused 9/11, U.S. domestic policy issues and foreign policy issues such as Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Israel/Palestine.  We invite you to read our Fall 2008 Huntington Woods Peace Times for the full text.

HW Peace Group Meetings
6:45 p.m., 3rd Wednesday of the month at the Huntington Woods Library, lower level (26415 Scotia Rd., South of 11 Mile Road, West of Woodward). Join us and help set the direction for our coming activities.

Calendar of Local Peace & Justice Events

Note on photo above: our group and its giant peace doves flying above the parade route were one of the highlights of the 4th of July parade! (Photo above from 2004 parade. More photos.)

New: Photo Gallery page.

Peace Vigils: Join members of our group at 11 Mile & Woodward (in front of St. John's Church) on the last Saturday of every month at 12 noon. And join us and others every Monday from 4:45 to 6:45p.m. at the corner of 9 Mile and Woodward.

Finding Alternatives to Military Enlistment (F.A.M.E.) enables young people to make informed decisions about their lives and military service, based on clear and accurate information. Click here.

Don't Want Your Child Contacted by Military Recruiters?
Did you know that No Child Left Behind requires high schools to turn over private information about students to military recruiters? You can protect your family's privacy. OPT-OUT! Print this Opt-Out form, fill it out, and send it to your child's high school to prevent recruiters from contacting them.

For more information about this group and/or its activities, email: