Organizing for What We Want & Need!

 

The following are the prepared remarks shared by Peaceworks Director Mark Haim at the Veterans for Peace Memorial Peace Gathering held May 25, 2026. The picture above is from our May Day demonstration.

Good afternoon friends. Thanks for being out here. In this perilous time it is critical that we make our concerns known.

We can't help but to call out the urgency of addressing costly wars, new arms races, the absence of nuclear arms control, loss of democracy, all this playing into extreme nationalism of fascism.

All these concern us and we must speak out against what's wrong.

But we need first and foremost to address what we do want.

We want and need PEACE.

We want and need universal healthcare; affordable housing, and adequate nutrition for all.

We want and need clean air, clean water, a clean, sustainable energy future and a stable climate and more.

We want and need freedom and justice. This includes social and economic justice as well as environmental justice.

This need is incompatible with fascist autocrats, with cults of personality, or with the continuous need for making enemies and making wars.

When we gather to move forward this agenda it's OK to protest, but what's most needed is to demonstrate what we want and need.

Let me clarify. Protest is a negative term. We protest what we oppose—war for example—but, when we demonstrate it includes taking a stand for what we support—peace for example.

If we hope to build a movement that's broad-based and attracts large numbers of people, we need to share a positive vision of the sort of livable future we hope to create.

For example, my sign, which I was holding earlier, says “Peace with Iran.” That's what I'm demonstrating my support for. That's not all, of course, but it's a clear example of what's needed, an agenda that all can rally behind; one that can make our lives better; one that can bring forth a livable future for ALL.

One more thing: LOVE!

As we do this work, we cannot let hate simmer. We've got to move beyond hate, fear and enemies.

We've got to care and share.

We've got to share our understanding of what Gandhi taught: the importance of being the change we wish to see.

And, lest we forget, the motto on my hat makes it clear:
“Love Your Neighbor.”

And, guess what, we're all neighbors!

Part of what's most needed today is building a strong, vibrant, broad-based peace movement; one that can attract the participation of a diverse mix of people of all ages who share a desire to create the sort of peace-loving society we've been sharing.

I invite you to join in daily peace vigils as well as weekly demonstrations and larger mobilizations. The work of creating a future we can be proud to pass on to our progeny requires sustained engagement, day-in and day-out, for the long haul. Please join us in co-creating a peaceful, just and sustainable future for all. 

Stop the War NOW!

As we write, we are two and a half months into a war of choice; a war our government told us would be won in a week or two. The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is not defensive; we were not invaded or attacked. The Trump administration has yet to justify taking the lives of thousands of Iranians.

Rationales for the war have varied from day-to-day, but they seem to have settled largely on the claim that Iran was mere weeks away from having nuclear weapons capable of launching a nuclear attack on the U.S. These claims were revealed to be false. In fact, U.S. intelligence said it would be a decade before Iran would be capable of attacking us. Clearly, there was no immanent threat. This is one more war of aggression, the most serious of war crimes; and one more war built on a house of lies.

While the loss of life and limb is our greatest concern, the economic impact of the war is no small matter. Direct costs are reported to be in the neighborhood of a billion dollars a day; money we've been told we don't have available to spend on healthcare, education or environmental protection. Add to this skyrocketing inflation and its impact on all of us, but especially on working families many who were already having to chose between paying the rent or feeding their kids.

While polls show unprecedented opposition to the war, the administration and its allies in Congress appear to accept the horrific consequences, and most of us are doing nothing to end the war.

The time has come to say “No!” We must make visible our concerns. Join daily peace vigils. Write to the White House and Congress. Raise concerns at your house of worship. Display your call for peace. Boycott companies that profit from war. Encourage youngsters not to enlist. Please, join in turning up the volume and making our cry for peace too great to ignore. 

Make Peace Visible!

We gather in a daily Vigil for Peace, seven days a week, 12:15-12:45, at the City Hall Keyhole. You're invited to join us for whatever portion of the time you can. We always have plenty of signs, but you are welcome to bring your own, if you prefer. We aim for a larger turnout on Sundays, same time, same place. Join us if you care and if you can.

Thoughts RE: U.S. War on Venezuela

 

The following are observations by Peaceworks Director Mark Haim RE: the Trump-ordered attack on Venezuela and the kidnapping of  President Maduro:

This past Saturday started off with a bang. I was safe,and so were my neighbors, as the explosions I was hearing were on NPR's Weekend Edition, coming from Caracas, Venezuela. Apparently, while I got a good night's sleep, others were awakened by bombs in their neighborhoods, with 80 or more people losing their lives. I, and fellow peace advocates, immediately started organizing to get the word out, and over the weekend we held two demonstrations raising concerns regarding this dangerous maneuver..

We were out at the CoMo City Hall Keyhole, and most passersby were supportive of our point of view. The main disagreement came from some of those weighing in on social media. Many made the argument that this was not war because it was over practically before it began.

Well, let me ask this: If some unnamed nation was to have its air force fly over Washington, DC and other critical locations, bombing multiple targets, while at the same time that country's military landed in helicopters, made their way into the White House, and took off with the president and their spouse, would we not consider this an act of war? And, would it be legal?

The question of legality has both international and national dimensions. Under international law—specifically according to Article two of the United Nations Charter—there are just two legal routes to going to war. One is self-defense. The other is when mandated by the UN Security Council. Please note that the Charter is a treaty the U.S. ratified and thus according to the Supremacy Clause of our Constitution, is the highest law of the land.

Let me know if I'm missing something, but, as best I can tell, Venezuela has not dispatched their military to attack the U.S. and, likewise I've heard no reports of the Council authorizing military action by the U.S. Sadly, international law is often violated—as it was in 2003 when Bush, Cheney and Powell could not convince the Council to authorize war on Iraq, so they went to war anyway—but this does not make our nation exempt from following it.

Meanwhile, domestically, Article One, Section Eight of our Constitution requires a vote of Congress to declare war. This also has been ignored since World War II. Instead, we've relied upon the War Powers Resolution, adopted in the wake of the Vietnam War. It requires presidential communication with Congress and sets time limits in requiring Congressional approval. The Trump administration has ignored this too, when the President has ordered the bombing of other countries including Syria, Iran, Yemen, Nigeria and others.

Whatever one may think of the Maduro regime, violating Venezuela's sovereignty by removing it from office is wrong. And putting the power to do this, employing the vast, lethal resources of the United States military, in the hands of one individual is extremely dangerous.

We might wake up one morning to the news that the U.S. Military has attacked another country, with missiles and bombs, as a prelude to sending in so-called “boots on the ground,” with a higher price to be paid in life, limb and resources. Once the camel gets its nose under the tent, there is no telling how far this will go, a lesson that should have been learned 60 years ago in the jungles of Vietnam.

Another danger that we can't afford to ignore is the justification actions like this by our nation provides to others. Consider the legitimacy this might provide to China vis-a-vis Taiwan, or Russia vis-a-vis Ukraine. And, just as Putin likely would be tempted to attack the Baltic states and others, if allowed to conquer Ukraine, so too might Trump be tempted to attack Greenland, or Panama, or Colombia among others, if allowed to get away with overthrowing the government of Venezuela.

A world in which “might makes right” is one run by bullies; is one in which human rights, including the right to life, are rolled over by those who have the biggest guns, the fastest, most accurate missiles and the biggest bombs, potentially including nuclear weapons.

If this troubles you, please make your voice heard.

No War on Venezuela!

The Trump administration has grown more bellicose by the day. While boats are regularly being attacked with orders given to take no prisoners, the Pentagon has mobilized weapons and a large contingent of  military personnel and Trump keeps saying attacking Venezuela itself is immanent. 

We urge you to contact Congress to make your voice heard LINKS HERE, and to join us in demonstrating opposition to this totally ginned-up war fever. Below is a copy of the letter Peaceworks Director Mark Haim sent to Sen. Hawley and other members of our Congressional delegation.
 

Dear Sen. Hawley,

I am writing to implore you, as an influential member of the Republican Party, to use whatever leverage you have to urge the President to reject war with Venezuela. Such a war would be:

1) A criminal act. If it was a war, it would be a war of aggression, which is the highest form of war crime based upon the Nuremberg Principles, enunciated in the aftermath of WWII and codified into international law.

2) Costly in terms of life and limb, U.S. as well as Venezuelan.

3) Financially costly with enormous opportunity costs; there is so much that's actually useful and needed that we could, and should, be spending on.

4) Not part of a war on drugs. There is no proof that most of the boats being attacked were carrying illegal drugs. Even if they were smuggling drugs, this would be a criminal matter. and the accused should be apprehended, along with evidence of their alleged crimes, and brought to justice, not murdered.

Further, the President has no credibility on this matter. He claims to be fighting drugs, while he's been pardoning actual drug kingpins, including former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who has been found guilty of smuggling hundreds of tons of contraband.

5) Would not be beneficial to national security. Hypocrisy and war-mongering does not win our country friends. The U.S. just comes across as a bully out to control others and expropriate the resources they possess.

At least 87 people have been killed in the attacks on boats. Let's not compound the tragedy by launching an actual war.

Sincerely,
Mark Haim