Coalition for Peace Action

Mission

The Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) is a regional citizens’ organization that brings together people of all ages, backgrounds, professions, and political persuasions to support three goals:

• Global Abolition of Nuclear Weapons
• A Peace Economy
• A Halt To Weapons Trafficking and Gun Violence 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, faith-based congregations in the Princeton area joined together to sponsor a Teaching Conference, Can We Reverse the Nuclear Arms Race?, and an Interfaith Service for Peace. The response was overwhelming and nearly 2,000 attended. CFPA was then formed and dedicated to nuclear disarmament.

CFPA’s goals later expanded to include a peace economy and a halt to weapons trafficking and gun violence internationally and domestically. Today, CFPA has chapters in central and southern New Jersey, as well as Pennsylvania.

CFPA is affiliated with Peace Action and United for Peace and Justice, two of the largest national grassroots peacemaking organizations. These affiliations increase the effectiveness of our organizing by enhancing coordination between regional, local and national levels.

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 conferences and community education events, and sends speakers, videos, and other tools to schools, congregations, and community groups.
The Peace through Arts Committee organizes concerts and other cultural and artistic events as outreach, and to raise funds for educational work.
Students for Peace represents a diverse group of central New Jersey students who work to promote peace by hosting educational and cultural programs and conducting service projects through CFPA.

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Programs for Peace

Annual Conference and
Interfaith Service for Peace:

Speakers for this event have included Ben Cohen, Marion Wright Edelman, Daniel Ellsberg, George Kennan, George McGovern, Mary McGrory, Patricia Schroeder, Cyrus Vance, Archbishop George Carey, Andrew Young, Jonathan Schell, The Rev. Bill Sinkford, Ambassador Max Kampelman and Noam Chomsky, among others.

Annual Membership Dinner
and Presentation to Honorees:

An annual dinner and talk on a current peace issue is open to all members. Individuals who have made a significant contribution are honored. Speakers have included William Sloane Coffin, Admiral Stansfield Turner, Freeman Dyson, Joe Cirincione and John Kenneth Galbraith.

Annual Concert for Peace:

Annually since 1986, the CFPA has sponsored a Concert for Peace to provide a cultural expression for peace, and as a fundraiser. 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 Jon Sebastian.

Peace Voter Campaigns:

Before Election Day, the Coalition publishes and distributes non-partisan Voter Guides that compare the stands of the candidates on peace and gun violence. From 1995 - 2006, the candidate who was significantly better on peace and gun violence prevention has won in 16 of 19 targeted races.

Lobbying:

Using petitions, letters, phone calls, emails, and personal meetings, the Coalition lobbies New Jersey and nationally elected representatives to sponsor and support specific legislation to advance our goals. Through its Urgent Action and Email Networks, over 3,000 households and key organizations are alerted when there is a need to advocate for important legislation and bring it to our representatives’ attention.

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:

CFPA organizes marches, rallies, and other public demonstrations to draw attention to our goals and the urgent need for action. Visible public displays are a means to educate and motivate the community, media, and elected officials to take necessary action. CFPA co-sponsors events with other organizations to increase effectiveness, and reach as many diverse groups as possible. Each August a Hiroshima and Nagasaki Commemoration is held. Speakers, cultural displays, and many communities join together in remembrance of the victims of nuclear weapons.

Gun Violence Prevention:

Working closely with Ceasefire and other groups, CFPA has played a leading role in gun violence prevention efforts. In 1993, CFPA 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. CFPA played a leading role in lobbying for passage of the first childproof handgun bill in the U.S., signed into law in 2002.

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.

2007: Jonathan Schell draws an overflow crowd to the membership dinner. Annual conference "Stopping Nuclear Terrorism and Proliferation" draws 650 at Princeton University.

2008: CFPA conducts an extensive Peace Voter campaign with Bob Moore giving more than a dozen talks throughout the region, and ads placed in papers with circulation of more than 83,000. Hans Blix brings out record crowds for the annual membership dinner. Peace Fest - an event for high school students - draws over 100.

2009: CFPA and its affiliates organize 5 buses to take people to President Barack Obama's inauguration in Washington, DC. Ambassador Thomas Pickering speaks about getting to zero nuclear weapons at the annual membership dinner. With a addition of Seminarians for Peace, the number of CFPA affiliates grows to 18.