Board of Directors

Members of the Board Of Directors

Committee Meetings

Get Involved ! Our five working committees meet regularly to plan and carry out work for peace, social justice and international law. You can also help us build bridges of peace by participating in our ad hoc task forces activities.

Visit the Committee meeting schedule page for the latest schedule.

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Become a member of Brooklyn For Peace, and advance our work for peace.

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About Brooklyn For Peace

Mission Statement

Brooklyn For Peace is committed to eliminating war and the social injustices that are its causes. Through active education on international and domestic issues, we empower our community and ourselves to be a productive force in securing a peaceful future for generations to come by building a world where peace is the first response to conflict. We promote U.S. policies based not on coercion and violence, but on peace, justice, democratic advancement, human rights and respect for international law.

We work to:

• transfer resources from military to human needs, leading to economic and social justice within and among nations
• Eliminate nuclear, biological, chemical and conventional weapons by all entities in an internationally coordinated process
• resolve international conflicts peacefully via the United Nations and the promotion of internationally accepted rules of law

Who We Are

Brooklyn For Peace is a diverse network of Brooklyn residents—parents, non-parents, adults, youths, and neighbors—alarmed by the militarism of our society and its impact on our lives as well as the lives of people around the world. We organize community meetings and forums, set up information tables, participate in phone and advertising campaigns, meet with elected officials and participate in demonstrations. We disseminate solid and carefully researched analysis on international and domestic policies.

We are a democratically functioning non-partisan group. We provide a host of opportunities for Brooklyn residents to work for peace and social justice in ways that can accomodate busy schedules. We believe, when given the right tools, ordinary people will change the world

Our History

Brooklyn For Peace was founded in 1984 as Brooklyn Parents for Peace, in response tot the U.S invastion of Grenada. Our earliest initiatives included organizing local opposition to the Staten Island homeport for nuclear-capable cruise missiles and the U.S. intervention in Central America. We subsequently mobilized local opposition to the 1991 Gulf War, while fighting to preserve welfare, Medicaid, and public education in New York City throughout the 1990s.

After the terrible events of September 11, 2001, we reached out to affirm our sense of community and to oppose a military response to this tragedy. We called for compensation for civilian victims of U.S. bombing in Afghanistan. In Brooklyn, we organized against the detention of immigrants arrested without charges in the wake of 9/11, and advocated for protection of our historic civil liberties.

After the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, Brooklyn For Peace sought to limit military recruiting in our public schools, and to inform students of non-milityary alternatives.

We have mobilized our community against the Iraq War before it began in 2003 and to end our military presence there as rapidly as possible.

We have sponsored events seeking to achieve a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in Israel and Palestine.

We host an annual Brooklyn Peace Fair which combines public awareness activities with culture, the art and experts in socio/political fields. In this venue, activists and artists work together to reach out to those not yet involved in the peace movement and to help build connections between those already involved.

We believe the current world economic crisis offers an important opportunity to move forward towards a peaceful more productive society.

How Can You Participate?

Our members have many obligations to family, friends, schools and jobs. We encourage people to participate to whatever extent they are able. You can attend an educational forum, join a working committee, write letters, make phone calls, or staff information tables.

We are united by our concern for future generations.

Since our work is primarily educational, we have incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation, governed by a Board of Directors. Membership on the BFP Board is open to any member who has been active in the activities of BFP, who supports our goals as stated above, and who is willing to share the responsibility for determining the priorities and developing the programs of the organization. We are seeking diverse membership on our Board, representing the diversity of communities in Brooklyn.

To become a member of the Board, an individual must be voted in by a majority of the current members of the Board. An individual can nominate themselves for membership on the Board, or could be nominated by another member, whether on the Board or not. Our current By-Laws allow 30 members of the Board.

Monthly regular meetings of the Board of Directors are open to any member of Brooklyn For Peace who wishes to attend. The opinions and input of all members are important and welcome; however, only Board members can vote. Annual meeting for election of Board members and officers is in June, but vacancies on the Board can be filled at any time. Term of service for both officers and Board members is one year. There is no limit on the number of terms which may be served. Date and time of regular meetings are posted on the web-site, with RSVP by e-mail or telephone requested if you would like attend.

For a copy of our By-Laws, or for further information on the responsibilities entailed in membership on the Board, please contact us by email or call 718–624–5921.