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Alternatives: the bi-monthly publication of the Nashville Peace and Justice Center. Written and edited by NPJC members, Alternatives is always seeking: photos, cartoons, analyses, articles on NPJC events (past, present, future), and articles related to peace, justice, and the environment. Send submissions to: ashleycrownover@yahoo.com
Tennessee Indepedent Media Center:Believing that the flow of free information cannot function if only the wealthy have access to the media, the Tennessee Independent Media Center intends to be a community forum for the voices and viewpoints generally ignored or misrepresented by the corporate media. They facilite organizing through the coverage of events and activities going on locally, and they also intend to spark open debates and inform people in a thorough fashion. By encouraging everyone to participate, they hope to give and receive a full picture of the issues Tennessee Alliance for Progress: Works to effect the establishment of progressive, family-focused values; to provide direction in the ordering of priorities for the state's financial resources; and to implement viable methods of providing those resources at adequate levels. Highlander Research and Education Center: The Highlander Center was founded in 1932 to serve as an adult education center for community workers involved in social and economic justice movements. The goal of Highlander was and is to provide education and support to poor and working people fighting economic injustice, poverty, prejudice, and environmental destruction. We help grassroots leaders create the tools necessary for building broad-based movements for change. Community Shares: The mission of Community Shares is to support social change organizations in Tennessee in order to promote a more just and caring community. Knox Social Forum: The Knoxville collection of progressive and concerned groups and individuals. Stop the Bombs: Run by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, the Stop the Bombs campaign focuses on the nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In August, 2003, the NPJC will be organizing a caravan of concerned citizens from Middle Tennessee who are against nuclear warfare to travel to Oak Ridge for the annual Hiroshima Day protest.
American Friends Service Committee: Quaker social justice and peace organization California Peace Action: A model for a successful and comprehensive regional peace website, this teaches us in Tennessee about some of the possibilities we have. California Peace Action works to reduce the threat posed by nuclear weapons, to end US arms sales to human rights-abusing governments, to cut excessive military spending, and to promote international cooperation. Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors: This Quaker supported group has a GI Rights Hotline (1-800-FYI-95GI), non-militaristic schools hotline (1-800-NO-JROTC), and information on everything from resisting draft registration to leaving the military. Cities for Peace: US cities against war. Culture of Peace News Network: Learn, Read, Discuss, and Write. Draft Resistance Information and Action materials: Wondering about registration for the Selective Service? Want to get 7 reasons not to register for the draft? Go to this site. Pax Christi International: A Catholic organization working for peace and justice. Peace Action: Practical, Positive Alternatives for Peace Peace Roots: The activist branch of The Farm, an intentional community, the Peace Roots Alliance seeks to create a just and sustainable world for future generations by emphasizing our common humanity, promoting nonviolence, and working to remove the root causes of war. United for Peace and Justice: A national campaign to link peace and justice organizations from across the US. Waging Peace: The website of the nuclear age peace foundation -- and excellent source for everything from nonviolence education onwards. Vets for Peace: http://www.veteransforpeace.org/Win Without War: http://www.winwithoutwarus.org/The Shalom Center: http://www.shalomctr.org/Psychologists for Social Responsibility: http://www.psysr.org/American Muslims for Jerusalem: http://www.amjerusalem.org/
Campus Activism Global Exchange: An international human rights organization dedicated to promoting environmental, political and social justice. Idealist.Org: Action Without Borders: Your link to organizations (including the NPJC), volunteer opportunities, and articles. Institute for Global Communications (IGC): Provides access to grassroots organizations worldwide working for peace, human rights, environmental stability, women's rights, conflict resolution, and worker rights. Latin America Working Group: A coalition of religious, human rights, policy, grassroots and development organizations striving to influence U.S. policies that promote peace, justice, and sustainable development in the region. Mexico Solidarity Network: Provides information and promotes activism to develop effective bi-national strategies within Mexican and US-based civil society to confront common problems. MoveOn: Grassroots (i.e. Democrat) political involvement opportunities. NAACP: 94 years working for social change, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has been at the forefront of civil rights from the very beginning. Tennessee Alliance for Progress: Works to effect the establishment of progressive, family-focused values; to provide direction in the ordering of priorities for the State's financial resources; and to implement viable methods of providing those resources at adequate levels. Voices in the Wilderness: A campaign to end the sanctions and military warfare against Iraq. Working For Change: WFC offers opinion, news, and action opportunities for people with progressive values. Anyone with Internet access (members and non-members alike) can speak out on urgent issues, read informative columns, and e-mail online comics to friends.
Catholic Worker: The Catholic Worker Movement, founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933, is grounded in a firm belief in the God-given dignity of every human person. Today over 185 Catholic Worker communities remain committed to nonviolence, voluntary poverty, prayer, and hospitality for the homeless, exiled, hungry, and foresaken. Catholic Workers continue to protest injustice, war, racism, and violence of all forms. Coop America: Practical steps for using your consumer and investor power for social change. The Simple Living Network: Tools, examples & contacts for conscious, simple, healthy & restorative living.
UFE goes to Nashville by Chaka A. K. Uzondu On March 4, 2006 the Nashville Peace and Justice Center hosted UFE’s “Closing the Racial Wealth Divide” workshop. The event was well attended and the beautifully decorated room was quickly filled to capacity. The 35 diverse (by race, gender, national origin, and issue area) community members quickly got comfortable and began to share their wealth of knowledge and experience as we embarked on a two and a half hour journey of mutual learning and sharing. Community members shared their concerns about growing inequality in Tennessee. Their stories brought painful personal narratives to the hard economic facts. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in the early 2000s Tennessee had the 7th largest growth in income inequality in the country. It is no surprise that the income gap between the richest 20% of families and the poorest 20% was 3rd largest in our country. Community members also shared their stories about their continuing struggle to save Tenncare. Cuts to Tenncare are the largest cuts to a state health care system since Medicaid. These cuts effectively ended the much-needed benefits received by over 300,000 poor adults. The Nashville Peace and Justice Center was one organization working diligently to ensure that those who could not afford private insurance, would not be left to face the accidents of life uninsured. Part of what made the workshop so powerful was learning about the small, but important victories being won. Participants shared how the Nashville Homeless Power Project, a group of homeless and formerly homeless activists, were able to get legislation passed that made it mandatory for police cadets to complete a training provided by the organization before they could become police officers. Another powerful story told of the victory of Spanish-speaking workers to maintain their right to seek employment. Legislators in Nashville had attempted to pass legislation that would make it illegal for immigrant workers to congregate at certain locations to seek work. The immigrant workers quickly and effectively organized themselves and enjoined the legislators not to pass legislation that was antithetical to the country’s ideals. Essentially, they forced legislators to explain why they felt workers seeking work should be denied the right to do so. The overwhelming interest demonstrated says much – UFE’s educational workshops are interesting and inspiring. A number of organizations, activists, and community members expressed interest in having UFE share and learn with them as they continue the long struggle for social justice in Tennessee. UFE plans to do what we do best – support efforts to create greater wealth equality and economic democracy.
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© 2005-2007 Nashville Peace and Justice Center
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