Dear Friends,
I am looking for some urgent support in distributing this letter throughout the U.S.A. through any medium that you would deem appropriate. I am hoping that you may be able to submit it to local newspapers, magazines, web-sites etc. I appreciate that you are sure to already have your hands full with your own initiatives so I am sorry to be creating yet more work for you.
However, as expressed in the letter, we do feel a sense of powerlessness in that it is difficult for us to make our small New Zealand voices heard in the face of the extraordinary behaviour of the Bush administration.The letter is aimed at the ordinary person in the street who is perhaps unaware of the degree of concern within other nations of the world.
Many thanks in anticipation and all the very best positive outcomes in the work that you are already engaged in.
Navachitta
*************
Dear people of America,
We, the undersigned New Zealanders, wish to convey to you a collective sense of growing trepidation we are feeling in response to your present administration's "war on terrorism". We believe that all war IS terrorism! we are concerned that the effects of the United States' government's foreign policy could lead to further global instability, insecurity and hatred. As we are not U.S. citizens, we feel powerless when it comes to influencing any U.S. military decision that we fear could endanger all life on earth. 6.5 billion people live in the world. Of these, only the 280 million citizens of the US are in a position to exert influence on the U.S.government to make decisions that preserve life and peace and promote harmony in the world, rather than taking action that will lead to countless deaths and untold suffering.
The following facts might be useful in deciding for yourselves whether our planet is at greater risk than ever before:
The rhetoric the Bush Administration uses is incongruent. It speaks of "weapons of mass destruction" regularly and yet the U.S.currently has 2000 intercontinental land based hydrogen bombs, 3456 nuclear weapons on submarines, and 1750 nuclear weapons on planes ready for delivery. Of these 7206 weapons, roughly 2500 remain on hair-trigger alert.
The U.S. rejected a draft agreement signed by 143 countries to strengthen the germ weapons treaty. The Pentagon has been working on research in biological weapons to engineer deadly variants of infective organsisms.
The United States currently spends 22 times as much on its military forces as Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Libya put together. U.S. military expenditure is now U.S.$310 billion dollars annually.
A U.S. attack on Iraq could unleash unthinkable consequences and alienate the entire Arab population of 1.2 billion people. The U.S. led alliance against al-Qaeda would dissolve, and the world could descend into a terrorist-ruled chaos. All weapons cause pain, suffering and loss of life. People will be orphaned, widowed and terrified if military action ensues. Israel has threatened to use nuclear weapons on Iraq.
These events must not take place. We appeal to you, the American people, to make it an urgent priority to non-violently oppose these military projects. If Iraq is attacked, we will be closer to all-out nuclear war than ever was the case during the Cold War.
We are not communists, terrorists or anti-American. We simply want a world to exist for our grand-children. We solemly request that you take action for all life on earth.
"Hatred does not cease by hatred.
Hatred only ceases through love.
This is the eternal law."
The Dammapada, v.5
Yours sincerely,
Dharmacharini Navachitta (Western Buddhist Order) Auckland
Dharmacharini Bhadrachitta(Western Buddhist Order) Auckland
Dharmacharini Amritadevi (Western Buddhist Order) Auckland
Elizabeth Smith Communications Manager, Auckland
Genevieve Maignot Mother, Auckland
Roimata Macgregor - Film Producer, Auckland, New Zealand
Christopher Dudman - Film Director, Auckland, New Zealand
Lisa Tresham - Branch Manager, Auckland, N.Z.
Marie Jones, Wellington, New Zealand
Hiroaki Ito - Designer
Gary John - Auckland, New Zealand
Brendon Lodge - Runner, Auckland, New Zealand
Angela Jackson - Producer, Auckland, New Zealand
Jonty Barraud Film producer Wellington NZ
Larisa Tiffin - Film Producer, Auckland, New Zealand
________________
Margo Okazawa-Rey
Director, Womens Leadership Institute
Visiting Professor, Womens Studies
1 510 430.2239
Contact Anne Macgregor
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