Thursday, September 5, 2013

Grounded in a commitment to non-violence, Pax Christi USA urges you to pray and act for peace. Do all that you can as we join with religious leaders from around the globe in calling for dialogue and negotiations as the only solution to the crisis in Syria. Find ways to make public and visible your opposition to a U.S. military strike on Syria and instead call for urgent, diplomatic efforts through the United Nations. 

• Pray and join in the Sept. 7th Worldwide Day of Prayer and Fasting, called for by Pope Francis.
• Organize a prayer vigil outside your legislators' home offices, or join other peace vigils.  Call the media to cover it.
• Write a "letter to the editor" of your local newspaper. Mention the names of your senators and representatives in the letter and publicly call on them to vote "no" to any authorization for a military strike.
• Contact your Members of Congress while they're still in-district this week. Urge them to oppose any proposed authorization for military intervention in Syria and instead pursue urgent, diplomatic and legal measures through the United Nations. The rush to bomb Syria could inflame a wider war.

Take action with the following simple steps for each of your U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative:

1. Look up your legislators' local phone numbers. Their local offices are listed on their websites, which you may find here for senators and here for U.S. representatives.
2. Express your concerns to the person who answers the phone, using the sample script below, if it is helpful:

"Hello, my name is ___________ and I live in ___________ and I am affiliated with (identify yourself with your relationship to Pax Christi or other faith community). Make the following points:

• I oppose any U.S. military action in Syria: It will only bring further loss of life.
• I call on the senator/representative to instead support strong, multi-lateral diplomacy through the UN: Bring all parties and regional actors to the table to negotiate a ceasefire and lasting solution to the conflict.
• The UN should be urged to protect the Syrian community, stop the flow of arms to all sides, and uphold the ban on chemical weapons, without escalating the violence.

For Catholic members of Congress, offer to send the statement from the Pope, the Bishops, and Pax Christi. Here is a sampling of statements, analysis and prayer resources to lift up the message in your community. 

• The Pax Christi USA statement and Pax Christi International statement on Syria. These could be used as a basis for a "letter to the editor" to your local newspaper or for calling in to a talk radio show.
• Comments by Pope Francis to share with your pastor to include in preaching this Sunday or to include in the parish bulletin.
• A prayer for peace from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
• The Institute for Policy Studies' most recent analysis, which includes suggestions for diplomatic and legal measures.
• MoveOn.org for a video of a town hall meeting on Syria with progressive thought leaders.

Thank you for bringing the voice of peace and nonviolence to this very critical, urgent issue.