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.
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.
Prof. Frank von Hippel presents at CFPA's 44th Annual Conference for Peace, at Christ Congregation, 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.
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.
The Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) is a grassroots citizens' organization bringing together people of all ages, backgrounds, professions and political persuasions around three goals: global abolition of nuclear weapons, a peace economy and a halt to weapons trafficking at home and abroad.
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