President Obama is sending the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (carrying 75 warplanes and a crew of over 6000) and other warships for additional war-games with the South Korean military beginning this Sunday, November 28.
Please read the following fact sheet that outlines the current situation, key facts and historical context to this ongoing armed conflict. Click here to download the factsheet.
This only escalates the already tense situation on the Korean peninsula and brings us dangerously closer to an all-out war. And the blogosphere is already full of hate-mongering rhetoric calling for “retaliation” after the tragic incident on Yeonpyeong Island earlier this week.
Two civilians and two South Korean soldiers have died. We say: NO MORE LOST LIVES.
We need all those who stand for peace to call for deescalation on the Korean peninsula and an immediate end to the U.S.-South Korean war games.
On Wednesday, December 1 from 7 pm to 10 pm EST (4pm to 7 pm PST), Join the National Campaign to End the Korean War (www.endthekoreanwar.org) in a coordinated online demonstration!
1. Barrage the White House and State Department with emails and urge President Obama and State Secretary Clinton to immediately stop the joint U.S.-South Korean war maneuvers, and sign a Peace Treaty to end the state of war that has existed for sixty years on the Korean peninsula.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
http://contact-us.state.gov
2. Post replies on online media sites and blogs where they are discussing the issue and beat back the war-mongering rhetoric with calls for de-escalation and a peaceful resolution. Refer to the attached factsheet for talking points. Some suggested sites (and their Twitter accounts) are:
• CNN (Twitter: @cnn)
• The New York Times (Twitter: @nytimes)
• The Washington Post (Twitter: @washingtonpost)
• The Huffington Post (Twitter: @huffingtonpost AND @huffpostpol)
• NPR (Twitter: @npr)
• BBC News (Twitter: @BBCBreaking AND @BBCNews AND @BBC_HaveYourSay)
• Yahoo! News (Twitter: @YahooNews)
• Voice of America (Twitter: @VOA_News)
• ABC News (Twitter: @abcnews)
• Foreign Policy (Twitter: @FP_Magazine)
• Reuters (Twitter: @Reuters)
• Associated Press (Twitter: @AP)
• Politico (Twitter: @politico)
3. Post links to articles calling for diplomacy on listserves, blogs, Facebook and Twitter. Some suggested articles are:
• “Statement on the Current Crisis in Korea.”
by the Alliance of Scholars Concerned About Korea, November 27, 2010
• “North Korea’s Consistent Message to the U.S.”
by former President Jimmy Carter in The Washington Post, November 24, 2010
• “Retaliation, Retaliation”
by Paul Liem of the Korea Policy Institute, Nov 25, 2010
• “Crisis in Korea?”
by John Feffer, Co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus in The Huffington Post, Nov 23,2010
• Obama’s Only Choice on North Korea
by Tim Shorrock in the Daily Beast, Nov 24, 2010
• “Crisis in Korea?” Tim Shorrock: Direct Talks With North Korea Are the Only Answer to End Korean War
Tim Shorrock on Democracy Now, Nov 24, 2010
• “A Return Trip to North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Complex”
by Siegfried S. Hecker, Nov 22, 2010
• ““Review U.S. Policy toward North Korea””
by Bob Carlin and John Lewis in The Washington Post, Nov 22, 2010
4. Change your Facebook and Twitter pictures with the “One Corea” image. You can also use this image for your own blog or website. Click here to download the image. (Helpful Facebook tip: Don’t forget to adjust the thumbnail size after you change your picture)
5. Have Twitter? Use the hashtag #koreanpeace in your tweets to make this a trending topic. You can also donate a tweet (click here): I stand for peace on the Korean peninsula. It’s time to end the 60 yr old Korean war. #koreanpeace http://endthekoreanwar.org/
6. Have Facebook? Donate a status update: I stand for peace on the Korean peninsula. It’s time to end the 60 yr old Korean War. Learn more at http://endthekoreanwar.org
7. Tweet your elected officials and other world leaders about the escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula and demand an immediate halt to the U.S.-South Korean war games.
• Look for you Members of Congress on Twitter. Click here to look for their twitter accounts.
• U.S. President Barack Obama (@barackobama), the White House (@whitehouse) and the U.S. Department of State (@StateDept).
• South Korean Blue House (@BluehouseKorea) and the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (@mofatkr)
• United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon (@secgen) and the United Nations (@UN)
{extended}