Dear Peacemakers,
This one needs to be short because I gotta go bale hay. The Wheels of Justice bus transmission has been paid for thanks, in part, to the generosity of many people who receive the NPI. Because it is important to know where money goes when it is requested, here is the breakdown: $2,540 came in from the WOJ list and $2,465 came in from NPI including a single donation for $1,600. Our fiscal sponsor (which allows us to give tax deductions) took $467, and the bus repair itself was $3,400 which puts us $1,138 over what we needed. The surplus will all go into the bus fund to help us keep the bus going.
The project that is currently using the bus is Witness Against War which is a 450 mile long walk from Chicago to St Paul. Many of you have already joined the walk as it passed through your part of the state. Wisconsin totally lucks out that the bulk of the walk is happening here. Please go to the website for Voices for Creative Nonviolence for updates and locations of the walkers. You can also get the schedule from the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice. Please consider joining the walk if it is anywhere near where you live.
Another upcoming project here in Wisconsin is the fall school tour of the Wheels of Justice. It starts in Wisconsin in early September and the bus will be in our state for almost three weeks. If you want the bus to come to your area to bring eyewitnesses to war and occupation in Iraq and Palestine, please contact me as soon as possible. Going to school is what we do best. This fall will be our 9th year out on the road. We have spoken to thousands of students across the US from elementary to graduate schools. We also meet with peace groups which is where we pass the hat to keep the bus going. WOJ is all volunteer and runs entirely on donations.
Finally, here is an international project to be aware of as it is happening right now and it could become dangerous for the participants. It is the Free Gaza Project which is basically a group of internationals who are going to break what they call the illegal siege of Gaza by sailing in a boat to the Gaza strip. Read about one person's participation in this project here. Jeff Halpern is an Israeli Jew who works with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, and was a nominee for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. I met Jeff in Jerusalem in 2006 and I can tell you he deserved the nomination given the work that ICAHD does. Please help put this project on your congressional representative's radar as well as letting others know about it.
Thanks again for keeping the Wheels of Justice going.
peace,
Mike Miles
Barb Kass
Northwoods Peace Initiative
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