November 5, 2008
In January, 2009, Barack Obama will be inaugurated as president of the United States. We earnestly hope his presidency will signal the dawning of long-needed progressive change in the United States. To help build popular momentum behind the progressive goals of President Obama’s campaign, we intend to maintain a 20-day presence, from January 1 – January 19, 2009, in Hyde Park, Chicago: “Camp Hope: Countdown To Change.”
As activists committed to nonviolence, several groups working for peaceful and just social change, both locally and nationally, plan to launch Camp Hope. These groups include: Voices for Creative Nonviolence, the St. Louis-based Justice and Peace Shares, Pax Christi, IL, AFSC, IL Coalition for Peace, Justice, and the Environment, the Eighth Day Center for Justice, Kairos Chicago, North Suburban Peace Initiative, North Shore Coalition for Peace and Justice, Hyde Parkers for Peace and Justice and the Peace Action Sub-committee of the First Unitarian Church of Chicago.
Now, we welcome your participation in this promising project. Every day from New Years’ to Dr. Martin Luther King Day (1/1-1/19), whatever winter has in store for us, we will set up at the intersection of E. Hyde Park Blvd. and 5100 S. Drexel Ave to congratulate Senator Obama as our new President-elect and recommit ourselves to progressive actions he promoted on his campaign trail. We are urging President-elect Obama to take eight actions immediately upon being sworn into office, and reminding ourselves that these are only eight early steps to more profound policy changes.
As Commander-in-Chief, issue an order directing the U.S. military to reduce the overall levels of U.S. military personnel deployed in Iraq by no fewer than 5,000 military personnel per month and to immediately cease offensive combat operations, with the ultimate objective of removing all military personnel from Iraq (other than those required for normal embassy missions) and the complete cessation of hostilities within Iraq.
Establish a commission to explore and develop policy proposals for full employment, living wage jobs and job training
i-in light of the impact of unemployment, especially amongst Black, Latino and other young adults; and,
ii-recognizing that unemployment and the prison-industrial complex are intrinsically race-based and connected in that the U.S. elects to imprison people of color rather than create living wage employment opportunities.
Cease and desist in the execution of all raids and immediately suspend deportations until comprehensive immigration reform is completed. Support comprehensive immigration reform which promotes the reunification of families and provides legal status with a path to citizenship for the millions of persons who are currently undocumented; suspend all of the Bush administration’s policies regarding border patrol until comprehensive immigration reform is completed
Take all nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert and begin negotiations with other leaders of nuclear weapon states to reduce and eliminate all nuclear weapons.
Close Guantanamo; eliminate military tribunals and accord, to detainees being held at Guantanamo and other U.S. detention facilities, access to the U.S. court system. We ask that the President-elect reverse the Bush administration’s advisory opinions regarding the permissibility of torture in extracting information from detainees and forbid all forms of torture by any and all US agencies and personnel.
Establish a commission to explore policy proposals which would provide universal health coverage and make recommendations that would cover all pre-existing conditions, provide no less coverage than what the Congressional health care plan provides, and provide health care to the greatest number of people.
Establish a 90-day moratorium on all housing foreclosures.
Submit the Kyoto Protocol to Congress for ratification, making a commitment to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
In addition to our daily vigil, we will organize community workshops, forums, and town hall meetings on these policies and on nonviolent strategies for achieving them. Peace and justice advocates who wish to visit Chicago to be part of Camp Hope will be warmly welcomed, whether for a single day or the duration of the encampment. We’ll offer logistics help to the best of our abilities, but we do ask participants to anticipate covering their own expenses for housing, transportation and food.
The 2008 election energized countless Americans to organize anew for change. Now that the election is over, it will take continued outreach, organizing, and popular involvement – including pressure on Congress - to enact the progressive changes that brought Americans to the polls to elect Barack Obama. We hope you’ll consider joining our efforts in 2009.
Contact Camp Hope: Countdown to Change
Phone: 773-878-3815
Email:
