[net.general] The Emergency Response Network reposting

riddle@ut-sally.UUCP (Prentiss Riddle) (11/01/84)

What would you do if the U.S. invaded Nicaragua or El Salvador tomorrow?
Here's one possible answer:

   At the present moment, thousands of men and women across the United
   States are helping to organize and participate in the Emergency Response
   Network to block or halt U.S. intervention in Central America.  These
   people are pledging to engage in acts of nonviolent civil disobedience if
   the United States invades, bombs, sends combat troops or otherwise
   significantly escalates its intervention in Nicaragua or El Salvador.  If
   such an invasion should occur, this nonviolent action will bring the
   issue dramatically before the North American people, will pressure
   Congress to act, and will signal the unwillingness of thousands of U.S.
   citizens to support the war.  [From a brochure prepared by the Austin ERN
   task force.]

Becoming a part of the Emergency Response Network involves making a commitment
to one or more of three levels of participation:  Resistance (nonviolent civil
disobedience), Witness and Support (legal vigils and demonstrations in
conjunction with the above), and Ongoing Work (newsletters, publicity,
letter-writing, etc.).  Here in Austin the Network has specific plans for the
resistance portion of the response: volunteers will peacefully occupy
Congressional offices within 24 hours of a U.S. invasion and refuse to leave
until the invasion has stopped.  At least as important is the ongoing work:

   The U.S. is already at war in Central America.  One of the purposes of
   forming the Emergency Response Network is to raise awareness in our
   community and to work to replace present U.S. policies in Central America
   with policies that promote peace and justice.  It is also our hope that
   the very existence of the Emergency Response Network will prevent the
   escalation of the war by deterring a U.S. invasion of Central America.
   [From the Austin brochure.]

The Emergency Response Network was originally proposed by members of the
Christian peace movement and has spread beyond it to include other communities
as well.  National endorsers as of a few months ago included Witness for
Peace, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Fellowship of
Reconciliation, Pax Christi, Clergy and Laity Concerned, the American Friends
Service Committee, SANE and Sojourners, among others.  The actual work of the
Network, however, is done by local groups in individual communities across the
country.  If anyone is interested, I can post a list of regional co-ordinators
of Witness for Peace or the AFSC who can help you get in touch with people
working on the Emergency Response Network in your town.

For more information, see the article "A Pledge of Resistance" by Jim Wallis
in the August 1984 issue of the Christian peace magazine "Sojourners."

--- Prentiss Riddle ("Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada.")
--- {ihnp4,harvard,seismo,gatech,ctvax}!ut-sally!riddle

[Apologies for the first, incorrect, posting if I didn't cancel it fast enough.]