FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information contact:

Kevin McDermott, Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice

Phone: 708-386-4843

Email Address:

December 1 - 15, 2002, Dedicated a "Season of Peacemaking:" Religious and community leaders united for coordinated peace events against a war with Iraq.

November 27, 2002 -- Oak Park, Illinois -- The Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice (OPCTJ), in cooperation with Chicagoans Against War (CAWI), and United for Peace, an interfaith group of religious leaders, is calling for communities, churches, synagogues, and mosques throughout the Chicago area to observe a "Season of Peacemaking and Unity" December 1 - 15, 2002 by organizing peace vigils and other events designed to unite all of Chicago-land with one voice saying NO TO WAR.

In Oak Park on Sunday, December 8, community organizations and church members will gather at 2:00pm in Scoville Park to make public statements for peace followed by a march through downtown. "We've chosen to hold our event on December 8th because it is a critical date on the timeline for war. December 8th is the day that The United Nations has given as the deadline for Saddam Hussein to declare all of his weapons of mass destruction," said Kevin McDermott, an OPCTJ member and one of the coordinators for the event.

Answering the question is it important to show support for peace, OPCTJ member Angela Larson said, “Now, more than ever, the people of this country must speak out against plans by the United States to invade Iraq. Aggression against other countries, preemptive strikes, bombing of civilian populations, and interfering in the political choices of other nations are all violations of international law and immoral acts under any conditions. And, in this nuclear age, such acts court disaster. ”

“We believe that the real threat facing us is this manufactured rush to war,” said another coalition member, Eric Gershenson. “It has distracted us and consumed resources necessary to solve a multitude of problems – from the continued terrorism of Al Qaeda, to economic instability, to the further erosion of civil liberties that are undermining of the very democratic guarantees we claim to be defending. These are the real immediate threats to our nation, not Iraq,” he said.

The local December activities will culminate in a regional peace vigil at St. James Cathedral in downtown Chicago and candlelight peace procession up the Magnificent Mile on December 15. Organizers are requesting that attendees bring candles, flashlights, and peace banners from their local activities to the St. James Cathedral, 65 East Huron, Chicago. The December 15th peace service is to begin at 3:30pm.

December peace and human rights events are sponsored by a growing list of organizations including: the American Friends Service Committee, Chicagoans Against War on Iraq, Chicago Peace Response Coalition, Community Renewal Society, Eighth Day Center, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, Evanston Neighbors for Peace, Illinois Church of the United Church of Christ, Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church, Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice, Oak Park Democratic Party, Pax Christi, Peace and Justice Office of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, Presbytery of Chicago, and Veterans for Peace.

A list of peace vigils and related events, as well as additional material will be posted at the Web site for Grass Roots Voices (www.grassrootsvoices.org), a project of the American Friends Service Committee.

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The Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice is a group of citizens from Oak Park and the surrounding areas who gathered in response to the attacks of September 11th and our nation’s mobilization for war. The group’s focus is to promote a just foreign policy, humanitarian alternatives to war, protect our civil liberties, and advocate for justice and equality at home. For more information about OPCTJ, please go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OPCTJ.