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Noted.

A how-to for taking action on Afghanistan.

The Editors

October 21, 2009

AFGHAN ACTION:

If you’re a student, join Students for a Democratic Society

, which has created a website for its antiwar working group, and the

Campus Antiwar Network

, which holds teach-ins, debates, demonstrations and walkouts on high school and college campuses.

Write, phone, e-mail and fax your elected representatives and President Obama, and implore them to say no to Gen. Stanley McChrystal

‘s request to send 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan. Urge them to support Barbara Lee

‘s bill (HR 3699) to prohibit any increase in the US armed forces and to co-sponsor Jim McGovern

‘s resolution (HR 2404) calling on the defense secretary to outline an exit strategy.

Watch Robert Greenwald

‘s Rethink Afghanistan for free at rethinkafghanistan.com, then get a copy of the DVD and host a screening yourself. You can also invite your elected reps and their staffers to watch the film, and post one of the film’s six segments to your Facebook page.

Play host to a Peace for Afghanistan house party with Peace Action

. Go to peaceforafghanistan.org for hosting tips or to find a party near you. The Peace Action website also has “A Better Plan for Afghan Peace” petition.

Add your name to Code Pink

‘s call for an exit strategy, and see the “Women Say NO to War” section of its website (other genders also welcome), CodePink4Peace.org, which features a calendar of antiwar events.

Sign the Campaign for Peace and Democracy

‘s emergency statement calling for an end to military intervention in the region and an infusion of humanitarian aid instead.

Join peace groups like the War Resisters League

, American Friends Service Committee

, Military Families Speak Out

, Win Without War

and Peace Action West

. And check out United for Peace‘s site to find out about upcoming demonstrations, rallies, vigils and other actions.

Support anti-escalation Afghan groups working for women’s rights and social justice, like the Afghan Women’s Mission

, MADRE

and the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan

(RAWA).

Tell your friends and family about the National Priorities Project

‘s cost-of-war tickers, which keep a running tally of the national, state and local costs of our military ventures. Write to media outlets, local and national, to provide nonmilitary perspectives.

Support the troops who refuse to fight, like Travis Bishop

, currently serving a twelve-month sentence for refusing deployment to Afghanistan. Find out how at couragetoresist.org.

Visit our special page “Afghanistan in Crisis” for the best in The Nation‘s Afghanistan coverage. And go to thenation.com/blogs/actnow for an expanded version of this article with links to each project.   ANDREA D’CRUZ and PETER ROTHBERG

The Editors


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