Fw: FROM WADE: "War Times"

["Nello Margiotta" <animarg@tin.it>]

 More info below]

 January 3, 2002
 Prospectus
 WAR TIMES (working title)
 A New, Biweekly, Tabloid Newspaper Opposing the "War on Terrorism"

 The terrorist attacks of September 11 marked the beginning of a new and
 frightening period in our history. Thousands of people died that day, and
 their families along with the country as a whole are still struggling to
 recover. But President Bush's response of "permanent war against terrorism
 at home and abroad" has further endangered the lives and liberties of
 millions of people everywhere.

 The world's most powerful nation has mercilessly bombed Afghanistan and is
 installing a neo-colonial government of its own choosing, although that
 country has never attacked the U.S. Millions of Afghans have been displaced
 and face starvation this winter. The administration has also green-lighted
 massive Israeli assaults on Palestine, and it threatens to attack Iraq,
 Lebanon, Somalia, and other countries. The agenda seems clear: to remake
the
 world in the rightwing image with little regard for human consequences.

 At home, we are seeing a wholesale attack on constitutionally guaranteed
 civil liberties, especially those of immigrants and other people of color.
 The administration has institutionalized racial profiling and is secretly
 rounding up thousands of Arab Americans and other people of Middle Eastern
 background. At the same time, it is giving billions to the military,
 offering huge bailouts and tax incentives to corporations and the wealthy
 while ignoring the hundreds of thousands of laid off workers, and cutting
 social services. All in all, we face a second, different kind of war, a
 domestic war, in which longstanding racism and inequity are multiplying.

 Both form part of a long-range strategy to turn the clock back on past
gains
 and consolidate U.S. global domination. Peace, safety, and justice at home
 are more than ever linked to peace and justice abroad. To end the
"permanent
 war," we need to build a mass movement against U.S. interventions abroad
and
 link to it the struggles for social justice. The security and livelihood of
 people across the globe depend on success in this fight.

 AN EDUCATIONAL MOMENT

 Such a movement must be constructed step-by-step. After initial emergency
 actions in the wake of the first bombing of Afghanistan, we are all
 struggling to strategize how to build the movement, how to dig in for the
 long haul yet still prepare for emergencies. We are becoming aware of the
 twists and turns that this war may take, and trying to come up with
 successful responses.

 The majority of people in the U.S. appear to back the "war on terrorism" at
 this time. There is some opposition to some of the most extreme domestic
 measures, especially the military tribunals. Pro-war sentiment among
African
 Americans is known to be less than solid. But overall Bush has won support
 and is currently eyeing new targets.

 The mainstream media in the U.S. have largely capitulated to the war drive,
 filtering their presentation of the news through "patriotism." Important
 stories and information are ignored, buried, or presented in a pro-war
 context. Some of the progressive press is doing a heroic job, especially
 over the Internet, but little of it is geared for outreach to new
audiences.

 On the positive side, pockets of opposition have appeared across the
 country. There are signs of discontent over the economic effects of
 intensified militarism which are hurting a wide range of people here, from
 airport workers to students. And there are unusual openings for
progressives
 to join the public discussion of U.S. foreign and national policy. This is
 an "educational moment," and the proposed new publication is aimed at
 maximizing our ability to take advantage of it.

 THE NEW PUBLICATION: A Voice of and for the Movement

 To broaden and deepen the fight against the Bush program requires compiling
 information and analysis, and putting them into the hands of large numbers
 of readers. To help meet this challenge, we propose the publication of a
 free, mass produced, biweekly, and nationally distributed tabloid. It will
 be a valuable outreach and education tool for organizers on the ground and
 an entryway for new people into the peace and justice movement. It will
 complement existing publications and be backed by a modest Internet
 operation that would introduce people to the already developed anti-war Web
 presence.

 Content: The tabloid will present a view of the world that makes opposition
 to Bush's program urgent, vivid, and logical. To do so, it will be designed
 with an artistic sense, using photos, cartoons, and other graphic elements
 throughout. Overall, it must be popular, attractive, have flair, and
utilize
 humor and poetry as well as information and analysis. It will be bilingual
 at least in part, beginning with Spanish.

 The tabloid is intended to track the development of the war at home and
> abroad, spotlighting the dire consequences of Bush's program for human
 beings and the earth. It will provide backgrounders, facts, and clear,
 readable analysis. It will report on the work of the developing peace and
 justice movement as well as anti-racist struggles, thus providing an
 important representation of the possibility, vitality, and importance of
 opposition. Articles will be based on reliable and widely accepted
 information sources, both domestic and international.

 Audience: Its audience will be those most open to criticism of the
 government's actions but not yet part of the movement against Bush's
program
 of "permanent war." Currently this includes many peoples of color,
students,
 women, and religious folk. The tabloid will work to reach more workers and
 labor movement people. It will change and grow over time, and link up with
 new communities. At the same time, the publication will keep the anti-war
 movement itself abreast of new developments, including news about movement
 activities around the country.

 Distribution: The tabloid will be free so that it can be widely distributed
 through drops, by organizations and individuals, and by bundle agents. The
 lead site for the project will be Northern California, but it will be
 distributed nationally. A pilot issue, scheduled to be published in
 February, will be used to launch the base for distribution as well as to
 build support.

 Finances: We estimate the first year's budget as just over $500,000 for a
 bimonthly publication. We will seek foundation funding but expect most of
 the money to come from individuals and organizations.

 YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED

 The project is in its early stages and needs input at every level. To date,
 we have formed an initial group in the Bay Area to organize the project. We
 have begun to get input from different people and have some initial
 fundraising commitments. Ultimately the paper will need thousands of people
 and organizations that are willing to financially support, contribute to,
 and distribute the publication. You can help in these ways:

    *Give feedback on the concept, including the name, War Times
    *Fundraise and make a donation (checks may be written to EBC/War Times)
    *Distribute copies to your networks
    *Volunteer your writing, editing, photographic, or design skills
    *Pass this prospectus on or introduce us to others who can help
  For further information contact us at wartimes@attbi.com, EBC/War Times,
 1230 Market Street, PMB 409, San Francisco, CA 94102, 510-869-5156.

 Organizing Committee (organizations listed for identification purposes
 only):

  Jan Adams, former associate director, Applied Research Center
  Linda Burnham, executive director, Women of Color Resource Center
  Max Elbaum, former managing editor, CrossRoads magazine
  Adam Gold, STORM
  Rebecca Gordon, Seminarians for Peace
  Felicia Gustin, co-director, Speak Out
  Van Jones, national executive director, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
  Elizabeth (Betita) Martinez, director, Institute for MultiRacial Justice
  Steve Williams, executive director, POWER
  Bob Wing, former executive editor, ColorLines magazine

 Initial SF Bay Area Endorsers (organizations listed for identification
 purposes only). National endorsers list in formation:

 American-Arab Anti-Discrimination CommitteeSan Francisco Chapter
 Frances Beal, national secretary, Black Radical Congress
 Robert Chlala, Students for Justice in Palestine
 Jung-hee Choi, Women of Color Resource Center
 Malkia Cyril, We Interrupt This Message
 Gary Delgado, executive director, Applied Research Center
 Antonio Diaz, executive director, PODER
 Hari Dillon, president, Vanguard Foundation
 Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Indigenous World
 Michael Eisenscher, Labor Committee for Peace and Justice
 Arnoldo Garcia, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
 Fred Goff, Data Center
 Francisco Herrera, singer and activist
 Phil Hutchings, racial justice activist
 Yuri Kochiyama, activist
 Gerald Lenoir, board member, HIV Education and Prevention Project of
Alameda
 County
 Yolanda Lopez, visual artist
 Miriam Ching Louie, activist and author of Sweatshop Warriors
 Barbara Lubin, executive director, Middle East Childrens Alliance
 Sharon Martinas, Challenging White Supremacy Workshops
 Gus Newport, former Mayor of Berkeley
 Peter Olney, Institute for Labor and Employment
 Eric Quezada, Mission District organizer
 Colin Rajah, executive director, Just Act
 Adrienne Rich, poet
 Wilson Riles, former City Councilperson and progressive Oakland Mayoral
 candidate
 Helen Zia, author
 Shweta Parmar
 Third World Coalition
 American Friends Service Committee
 1501 Cherry Street
 Philadelphia, PA 19102
 (215) 241-7255
 (215) 241-7177 fax
 sparmar@afsc.org


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