Recent Events

About 400 attended Coalition for Peace Action's 44th Annual Multifaith Service and Conference for Peace on November 12, 2023, either in-person or online. An additional 150 have viewed video recordings of the event as of 11/28/23. The Most Reverend Archbishop John C. Wester of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, NM, preached, and faith leaders from a wide range of major world religions co-led the liturgy for the 11:00 AM Multifaith Service for Peace at Princeton University Chapel.

Click the image below to watch a recording of the Multifaith Service.

Archbishop John C. Wester preaches at CFPA's 44th Annual Multifaith Service for Peace, at Princeton University Chapel.

In addition to leading the multifaith service in the morning, Archbishop Wester spoke at the afternoon conference, which was held from 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM in-person at Christ Congregation in Princeton, and on Zoom. Our other speakers were nuclear weapon issues expert, Prof. Frank von Hippel, of Princeton University, and co-founder of Princeton's Program on Science & Global Security; Raisa Rubin-Stankiewicz, lead state organizer for the youth-led gun-violence prevention group, March for Our Lives, filled in last minute for Elena Perez; and author and activist, Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the women-led peace group CODEPINK. It was an informative afternoon with excellent, in-depth content on the multiple peace crises facing us right now.

Click the first image below to view the video recording of the Conference on CFPA's YouTube Channel.

Prof. Frank von Hippel presents at CFPA's 44th Annual Conference for Peace, at Christ Congregation, Princeton.

Please click on the image below to view a recording of CFPA Executive Director, Rev. Bob Moore's Just Peace Sunday Sermon given at Christ Congregation in Princeton.

CFPA  held a Commemoration of the 78th Anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings on Tuesday, August 8, in Princeton. About 125 viewed the Commemoration in-person or on Facebook Live.  The event was co-sponsored and hosted by the Princeton Public Library, which also provided soft drinks and desserts.

Origami peace crane folding in Hinds Plaza.

All were invited for a bring your own picnic dinner in Hinds Plaza where there was paper crane folding instruction. The event included peace music by The Solidarity Singers of the NJ Industrial Union Council, and multigenerational presenters with Dr. Stewart Prager as the keynote speaker.

The Solidarity Singers, led by Bennet D. Zurofsky, performed "Down by the Riverside", "Soon and Very Soon", "Rainbow Race", and other peace songs.

CFPA Board Vice-Chair and Advocacy Committee Co-Chair, Marc Tolo emceed. 

CFPA summer intern Sofia DaCruz gave an update on the No Wars, No Warming campaign. She was followed by Erica DeKranes, CFPA board member and Allentown, NJ Councilwoman. Dr. Prager, professor emeritus of astrophysical sciences at Princeton University, and an affiliated faculty member with the Program on Science and Global Security (SGS), presented on Opposing the Increasing Peril of Nuclear Weapons.  Dr. Prager's current activity is concentrated on the Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction – an organization to inform, engage, and activate physicists on the issue of nuclear threat reduction, of which he is a co-founder.

Erica DeKranes presenting on ways to involve younger generations in advocating against the current threats of nuclear technology. 

Dr. Stewart Prager giving his keynote presentation on Opposing the Increasing Peril of Nuclear Weapons.

The event was also streamed live on Facebook. Click here to watch the Facebook Live recording!

On Thursday, August 3, CFPA spearheaded a one-hour hybrid meeting with Rep. Dwight Evans (PA-3) and his foreign policy advisor Numa St. Louis, with a delegation that included four in-person and five online. Rep. Evans and Mr. St. Louis listened carefully, and the meeting concluded with a list of asks by CFPA on peace and climate justice legislation. Earlier in 2023, CFPA had an in-person meeting with a staffer to Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1); and Zoom meetings with Representatives Kim (NJ-3) and Watson Coleman (NJ-12); and staffers to Representatives Houlahan (PA-6) and Scanlon (PA-5).

In addition to those meetings, we advocated with a senior staffer to Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ-6) that he co-sponsor H. Res. 77 in support of the UN's Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and steps toward that end, and he did so. Our delegations also requested that in our meetings with Representatives Kim and Watson Coleman, and they also co-sponsored.

After a sold out 1:00 PM showing of Oppenheimer at the Princeton Garden Theatre on Sunday, July 23rd, the Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction presented an expert panel discussion including a Q&A, on the current dangers of nuclear weapons use and opportunities to reduce them. CFPA co-sponsored the event, which was also live streamed to the CFPA Facebook page, and can be viewed by clicking here.

Please click here or the image below to watch a recording of the No Wars, No Warming Webinar, Ending Climate and Nuclear Crises for the Next Generations, which was presented by CFPA and United Nations Association of Greater Philadelphia (UNA-GP) via Zoom on July 16.

About 70 attended the program, which featured author-activists Dr. Timmon Milne Wallis, Executive Director of NuclearBan.US who wrote Warheads to Windmills, a call to transition from the old economy to a new Green Peace Economy, and Dr. Joseph Gerson, President of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security (CPDCS), Co-chair of the Committee for a Sane U.S.-China Policy, and Co-Convener of the International Peace and Planet Network. The program also included an interview by CFPA's summer intern, Sofia DaCruz with remarkable youth peace champion Okezue Bell, a Nigerian-American student and STEM inventor, and a 2023 Global AI Ambassador. A brief Q&A segment followed.

This event was co-sponsored by NuclearBan.US, Physicians for Social Responsibility, The Welcoming Center, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom - Greater Philadelphia Branch, and Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security.

On June 17, a CFPA delegation joined many Princeton community organizations and many 100s of marchers in the 2023 Princeton Pride Parade, organized by The Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice. CFPA sold many rainbow Peace Caps before the parade!

CFPA honored Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman and presented keynote speaker Dr. Trita Parsi for this year's Program on June 4. About 80 attended, either in-person or virtually, to recognize Rep. Watson Coleman's persistent, strong peace leadership and to hear Dr. Parsi present Can America Become a Peacemaker Again?  Please see photos and a link provided to view a recording of the event below.

Special thanks to Andrea Kane, for all photography.

At CFPA's Annual Membership Program Sponsor Reception (from left to right), The Rev. Robert Moore, CFPA Exectuve Director; Ed Aguilar, CFPA Pennsylvania Director; Keynote Speaker, Dr. Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of The Quincy Institute; Irene Etkin Goldman, CFPA Board Chair; Honoree, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman; Kip Cherry, CFPA Advocacy Committee Co-Chair; New Jersey State Senator, Andrew Zwicker.

Honoree, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman addresses the audience.

Keynote Speaker, Dr. Trita Parsi delivers his presentation.

You can view a recording of the presentation and Q & A Session on CFPA's YouTube channel by clicking here. To enable closed-captioning while viewing the video, hover your cursor on the video to reveal the controls, and click on the "Settings" icon (looks like a gear) at the bottom right of the video, then select "Subtitles/CC" to turn them on. Click here to view CFPA's Facebook album of photos from the event. 

In the wake of a surge of mass shootings and gun violence across the U.S., and in conjunction with the 24th anniversary of the Columbine High School mass shooting, the youth led March for Our Lives NJ (MFOL) organized — and CFPA co-sponsored — a Rally Against Gun and Police Violence, which took place on April 20 at the NJ State House Annex in Trenton.

The Rev. Robert Moore, CFPA Executive Director, — under which Ceasefire NJ is a Project — keynoted the lineup of nine speakers. Click here to read a PDF manuscript of his speech.

CFPA Director, The Rev. Robert Moore speaks against gun violence.

There were also stations to write letters to legislators in support of the legislation in question and to make signs/posters. MFOL NJ also organized a lit drop at legislators' offices with one pagers focused on bills that would give civilian review boards subpoena power (A1515), ending qualified immunity (S375/A1006), and the New Jersey Safe Storage of Firearms Act (S2937/A2215) [and potentially same day voter registration].

Please click here or the image below to watch a recording of the Earth Week Webinar "Water: Source of Life and Development of the Earth", which was held via Zoom on April 19 with three excellent speakers:  Keynote Speaker, Ingrid Timboe, Policy Director at Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA); Okezue Bell, 2023 Climate Global Ambassador for the United Nations Association, UNA-USA; and Molly Jones, C-Change Conversations, Director of Development and Outreach. A Q&A segment followed their outstanding presentations.

This event was co-sponsored by CFPA, the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the United Nations Association - USA, Alliance for Global Water Adaptation, C-Change Conversations, Global Water Alliance, and Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Please click here or the image below to watch a recording of the CFPA-sponsored webinar, DISTORTED VISIONS: How we ended the cold war but lost the peace, which was held via Zoom on April 11. Through his presentation, Ambassador Jack F. Matlock, Jr. offered deep insight into the mistaken policies that led up to the Ukraine War. Amb. Matlock's presentation was followed by a Q&A segment.

CFPA presented An Insider's View of Setting the Doomsday Clock with Prof. Robert Socolow for this year's Gathering on March 26. Over 80 attended, either in-person or virtually, for a rare opportunity to hear from a member of the prestigious committee at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists that decides each year how to set its famous Doomsday Clock. Mr. Socolow's presentation was followed by a robust Q&A session.

You can view a recording of the presentation and Q & A Session on CFPA's YouTube channel by clicking here or on the photo below. Prof. Socolow is a bit soft-spoken, so you may want to use closed-captioning while viewing the video. To enable it, hover your cursor on the video to reveal the controls, and click on the "Settings" icon (looks like a gear) at the bottom right of the video, then select "Subtitles/CC" to turn them on.

Click here to read Prof. Socolow's presentation manuscript.

CFPA's PA Director, Ed Aguilar, pictured above with Miss Global USA 2023, Danielle Alura, President of the UN Association of Greater Philadelphia and CFPA Board Member, Manisha Patel, and UNA-GP Officer and Director of Peace Day Philly, Lisa Parker.

Ms. Alura headlined the 2020 Earth Day Webinar for CFPA, where she highlighted her #NoExcuseforSingleUse campaign, which led to Philadelphia's and other cities' bans on single use plastic in stores. This campaign has been mirrored in movements from the Caribbean to the Philippines!

On Friday, February 24 – the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine – CFPA sponsored a Vigil in Tiger Park on Palmer Square in Princeton, NJ.

About 40 people attended the Vigil, which was held from 12:00 - 12:40 PM and was followed by a short Rally at which CFPA's Executive Director, the Rev. Robert Moore spoke. As part of his Rally speech, Reverend Moore read his recent op-ed "A Diplomatic Surge is Needed to Prevent Endless War and Reduce the Nuclear Danger in Ukraine" and also shared a recently published Letter to the Editor from CFPA member and former fighter pilot, Richard Moody.

Click here to view a recording of the Rally.

CFPA Board Chair, Irene Etkin Goldman with CFPA Executive Director, the Rev. Robert Moore at the Vigil.

Please click here or the image below to watch a recording of the 2023 Sacred Heart Gathering for Peace and Justice webinar, which was held on February 11th by Sacred Heart Peace Community of Camden, New Jersey. Two outstanding scholars presented on the topic: Dr. Mark Doorley, Director of Villanova's Ethics Program, and William O'Keefe, Catholic Relief Services' Executive Vice President for Mission and Mobilization. The presentations were followed by a Q&A segment. Nearly 70 attended via Zoom. 

Please click here or below to view a recording of this timely and educational presentation by Larry Hamm, held on February 7th and sponsored by CFPA, in collaboration with Not In Our Town-Princeton and People's Organization for Progress. About 75 attended the webinar.

Please click here or below to watch the January 16th annual multifaith service in honor of Martin Luther King which was held at Nassau Presbyterian Church, and co-sponsored by the Princeton Clergy Association and Coalition for Peace Action. Nearly 500 attended both in-person and via livestream. Click the image below to view the livestream, which will be available to view for 90 days. After clicking to play, we recommend pulling the button at the bottom of the video to about the 2 minute 30 second mark to get to the start of the service.

CFPA Sponsored a Solidarity Vigil Against Hate and Bigotry in response to a major surge in hate and bigotry, online and in real-life events, since 2016, that has intensified this year and in recent months, with numerous major acts of violent hatred against LGBTQ, African American, Asian, Jewish, Muslim, and other communities. About 50 people attended at Tiger Park on Palmer Square in Princeton, NJ. The Vigil was co-sponsored by Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice; Not In Our Town, Princeton; and Princeton Community Democratic Organization.

Princeton Mayor Mark Freda addresses the crowd.

CFPA's Peace Education Committee Chair, Ram Chelluri (left), and Board Vice-Chair & Advocacy Committee Co-Chair, Marc Tolo (right).

CFPA's Executive Director, The Rev. Robert Moore, with Board Chair, Irene Etkin Goldman

Rev. Moore addresses the crowd, as Mayor Freda looks on.

CFPA sponsored this timely, important webinar on December 15th. Daryl G. Kimball, Executive Director of the Arms Control Association (ACA) since September 2001, was Keynote Speaker, and CFPA's Pennsylvania Director, Ed Aguilar, was a respondent to Daryl's presentation. Click the Zoom screen image below to watch the webinar on CFPA's YouTube Channel.

On November 13th, Coalition for Peace Action co-sponsored the 43rd Annual Multifaith Service for Peace. An estimated 250 attended either in-person at Princeton University Chapel, or via livestream. Rabbi David Saperstein preached and faith leaders from a wide range of major world religions co-led the liturgy.

Following the Multifaith Service, the 43rd Annual Conference for Peace was held from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM via Zoom.

Please click photo links below to view videos from the event. Medea Benjamin and Rabbi Saperstein joined us live; Bill McKibben's talk was pre-recorded, due to an unexpected change in his travel plans. You may see a few technical glitches, which were beyond our control.

Medea Benjamin

Buy Medea's 10th book, War in Ukraine, Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict by clicking the link below.

Rabbi David Saperstein

Bill McKibben

On Saturday, October 15th, 2022 TOGETHER (a project of the Coalition for Peace Action) hosted their 5th Annual Walk the Interfaith Talk event at Mercer County Park. 

TOGETHER's Jay Tyson gives opening remarks.

Attendees included Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Baha'is and Atheists, who took advantage of the beautiful weather and a good opportunity to meet new people and perspectives. Attendees were paired up and given time to walk the park's trails while gaining an understanding of each other's faith or no faith.

All were encouraged to bring light refreshment, and spend some extra time together afterwards. The annual event's mission is "Creating Connections ... Breaking Stereotypes ... Building Peace".

All photos courtesy of TOGETHER.

About 35 attended the Webinar on Peace in Our World, Peace in Our Streets co-sponsored by CFPA on Sunday, September 18. Click here to view a recording.

About 75 attended the Save Our Democracy Rally co-sponsored by CFPA on Saturday, September 17 in Princeton. See photos below, and click here to go to view a recording.

Photo by Robert Zurfluh

CFPA commemorated the 77th Anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings on Tuesday, August 9, in Princeton. Forty people were in attendance, and there were over 90 views of the event recording on Facebook Live. Due to the threat of thunderstorms, the event was changed from an outdoor gathering at Hinds Plaza to an indoor gathering inside Solley Theater at The Arts Council of Princeton, which was also a co-sponsor.

CFPA Board Vice-Chair and Advocacy Committee Co-Chair, Marc Tolo emceed. (Photo by David Kelly Crow.)

There was paper crane folding instruction, peace music by The Solidarity Singers of the NJ Industrial Union Council, and informative and motivating presentations from two world-class nuclear weapons experts.

The Solidarity Singers performed "Down by the Riverside", "Soon and Very Soon", "Rainbow Race", and other peace songs. (Photo by David Kelly Crow.)

Dr. Frank von Hippel is a senior research physicist and professor of public and international affairs emeritus with Princeton’s Program on Science & Global Security which he co-founded. Dr. von Hippel presented a thoughtful and informative overview of the entire nuclear weapons situation in "Remembering Nagasaki and Its Significance".

Dr. von Hippel discusses "Remembering Nagasaki and Its Significance". (Photo by David Kelly Crow.)

Dr. Rob Goldston is a Professor of Astrophysics at Princeton University. He received his B.A. in Physics from Harvard University, and his Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Princeton University. He serves on the board of the Council for a Livable World. Dr. Goldston presented an effective strategy of diplomacy in his "A Nuclear Tale of Two Cities".

Dr. Rob Goldston presents, "A Nuclear Tale of Two Cities". (Photo by CFPA.)

The event was also streamed live on Facebook. Click here to watch the Facebook Live recording!

On Sunday, August 7th, 2022, the Sacred Heart Peace Community, an affiliate of CFPA, held an observance of the 77th Anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Thirty were in attendance, including Fr. Michael Doyle, pastor of the parish.

Photo by Steve McGeady