Coalition for Peace Action

Mission

The Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) is a grassroots citizens organization which brings together people of all ages, backgrounds, professions, and political persuasions in support of three goals: global abolition of nuclear weapons, a peace economy, and a halt to weapons trafficking at home and abroad.

Mission
History
Organization
Educational Fund
Programs
Accomplishments
Sponsors
Officers

Recent Accomplishments

A world
free of
nuclear weapons

<History

In September 1980, a group of religious congregations in the Princeton area joined together to sponsor a Teaching Conference and Interfaith Service on the theme "Can We Reverse the Nuclear Arms Race?" The response was overwhelming - nearly 2,000 attended.

At a follow-up meeting several weeks later, a decision was made to form an ongoing organization dedicated to nuclear disarmament - the Coalition to Reverse the Nuclear Arms Race. In 1981 the name was shortened to the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and the organization expanded beyond Princeton to cover central and southern New Jersey.

In 1982, the Coalition co-led a statewide Nuclear Weapons Freeze referendum that won the support of 66% of New Jersey Voters.

In 1988, to increase coordination and effectiveness, the Coalition's members voted to affiliate with Peace Action, the largest grassroots peace group in the US.

As the Cold War drew to an end in the late 1980's, the Coalition's goals expanded to include the related goals of reaping a major peace dividend - a peace economy - and halting weapons trafficking, both internationally and domestically.

In 1993, to reflect this broader agenda, the members voted to change the name of the organization to the Coalition for Peace Action.

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Two closely related non-profit organizations
carry out our mission:

Coalition for Peace Action

The Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) oversees the advocacy work of the organization, including lobbying our elected representatives and voter education. Donations to the CFPA are therefore not tax deductible.

CFPA has a Political Action Committee that organizes lobbying, demonstrations, vigils, briefings, and similar activities; and has standing with the United Nations as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). There are also currently four active local CFPA affiliates in central and southern New Jersey. A Steering Committee (board) meets monthly to oversee and coordinate policy, budget, and programs.

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Peace Action Education Fund

The Peace Action Education Fund (PAEF) has been granted 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status by the IRS and conducts the educational work. Tax deductible contributions can be made to this entity.

PAEF has several working committees:

The Peace Education Committee organizes the Annual Conference and Interfaith Service for Peace, Week Without Violence, and other community education events as well as sending speakers, fact sheets, videos, and the like to schools, congregations, and community groups.
The Annual Concert Committee organizes Concerts for Peace to do outreach and raise funds for educational work.
The Help Increase the Peace (HIP) project , co-sponsored with the American Friends Service Committee, trains youth and adults in the skills of non-violent conflict resolution.

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Programs for Peace

Annual Conference and
Interfaith Service for Peace:

Each fall, the CFPA sponsors a major religious and educational gathering on current peace issues. Speakers have included General William Burns, Ben Cohen, Marion Wright Edelman, Daniel Ellsberg, George Kennan, George McGovern, Mary McGrory, Patricia Schroeder, Cyrus Vance, Bishop Leontine Kelly, and Andrew Young, among others.

Annual Membership Dinner
and Gathering:

The CFPA holds an annual gathering and dinner open to all members to learn of and give input to our work. Speakers have included William Sloane Coffin, Admiral Stansfield Turner, Freeman Dyson, and John Kenneth Galbraith, among others.

Annual Concert for Peace:

Annually since 1986, the CFPA has sponsored a Concert for Peace to raise funds and provide cultural expressions for peace. Performers have included David Byrne, the Paul Winter Consort, Richie Havens, Holly Near, Emerson String Quartet, Pete Seeger, Peter Yarrow, Baba Olatunji, Suzanne Vega, Dar Williams, Janis Ian, and many others.

Peace Voter:

The Coalition publishes and distributes non-partisan Voter Guides comparing the stands of the candidates on peace and gun violence issues to educate voters before Election Day. From 1995 to 2000, the candidate who was significantly better on peace and gun violence prevention won in 9 of 10 targeted races.

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Lobbying:

Using petitions, letters, phone calls, and personal meetings, the Coalition lobbies New Jersey elected representatives to sponsor and support specific legislation to advance our goals. With its Urgent Action and Email Networks, over 1,000 households and key organizations are alerted when important legislation needs to be advocated to our representatives.

Media:

Through press conferences, press releases, radio and television programs, letters to the editor, and op-ed pieces, the Coalition conveys information and perspectives on our priorities through the mass media.

Public Witness:

The Coalition organizes vigils, rallies, and other public demonstrations to call attention of the community, the media, and our elected representatives to the urgent need for advancing our goals. At times the CFPA co-sponsors events with other organizations to increase our effectiveness in advocating initiatives such as childproof handguns and projects such as peaceful conflict resolution.

Each year in August the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Commemoration is held. Speakers and other cultural elements come together in a program in remembrance of the victims of nuclear weapons.

Gun Violence Prevention:

Working closely with Ceasefire NJ and other groups, the Coalition has played a leading role in gun violence prevention efforts. In 1993, we helped defeat the NRA's effort to rescind New Jersey's Assault Weapon's ban, the first and strongest such ban in the
nation. The next year the National Assault Weapons ban and the
Brady Bill were passed by Congress. In 2000 the Coalition organized buses to go to the Million Mom March, supervised
a Princeton University study on childproof handguns, and successfully lobbied the NJ Senate for passage of the Childproof Handgun bill.

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Highligths and Accomplishments
1980 - 2004

1980: First annual Conference and Interfaith Service for Peace draws 2,000; leads to founding of ongoing organization, now known as Coalition for Peace Action. Annual event held each fall since.

1982: Coalition co-chairs successful statewide Nuclear Weapons Freeze referendum in November election, approved by 2/3 of New Jersey’s voters.

1985-1988: Coalition’s “Target Congress” project recruits and trains over 500 citizen letter-writers to regularly write to two targeted US Representatives and one US Senator from NJ. All three showed significant movement toward pro-peace voting record during time frame, in one case going from 20% to 90%.

1986: First Annual Concert for Peace, featuring Paul Winter Consort, draws 1,800 to Princeton University Chapel; concert has repeated annually, with wide range of performers, through present.

1992: Coalition successfully lobbies Congress, in concert with national effort, to stop funding for US nuclear weapons testing.

1993: Coalition co-leads intensive lobby effort to preserve New Jersey’s Assault Weapons Ban (AWB) in NJ Senate, despite overwhelming NRA-engineered passage of AWB rescission three weeks earlier in NJ Assembly.

1995: First Peace Voter campaign in country distributes tens of thousands of voter guides comparing candidates on peace and gun violence issues. Repeated in six more elections since. To date, candidate who was significantly better on such issues has won in 13 of 15 targeted House and Senate races.

1998: Coalition runs Peace Voter Guide as signature ad in over 350,000 copies of newspapers in swing targeted race in 12th congressional district. Pro-peace candidate succeeds in unseating one that had poor peace voting record, crediting the Coalition with having a significant impact.

2000: Coalition provides first-in-the-nation “Non-Partisan Candidate Briefings” to five of six major party candidates in New Jersey’s US Senate primary, and to 3 of 4 major party candidates in two targeted House races. National Peace Action urges all affiliates in largest US peace network to replicate using Coalition’s Handbook.

2001: Coalition co-organizes Interfaith Gathering for Healing and Hope ten days after 9-11 attended by over 2,000 at Palmer Square. Coalition co-sponsors Central Jersey Interfaith Group and worship services to promote interfaith understanding and respect, with participation by Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Bahai, and Hindu participants.

2002: After five year campaign co-led by Coalition, NJ Governor signs into law first Childproof Handgun Bill in the nation, mandating that all handguns sold in New Jersey have built-in technology preventing anyone except adult authorized buyer from firing a handgun

2002: Coalition hosts US premiere of The Mid-East Optimists, consisting of 3 Jewish and 3 Muslim comedians, to sold-out audiences. Dance and drama performances also held to mobilize support for peace. Coalition makes the most use of cultural events for peace outreach and fundraising of any peace group in US.

2003: Coalition co-founds NJ Coalition Against War in Iraq and mobilizes tens of thousands of New Jerseyans against war across the state.

2003: Coalition hosts Peace Action National Congress, during which former Archbishop of Canterbury preaches to over 1,000 for 24th Annual Interfaith Service for Peace at Princeton University Chapel.

2004: Coalition and its project, Church Folks for a Better America, run peace ads of quarter page and larger in over 7 million copies of major newspapers, including New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and others before Election Day.

Coalition begins expansion into eastern Pennsylvania. Part time staffperson hired, and four new chapters started, as of January 2005.

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