CLEVELAND PEACE ACTION

Cleveland Peace Action, is a grassroots peace organization founded in 1981 as the Greater Cleveland Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign. With the merger of the national Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy and the national Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign, Cleveland Peace Action took on its present name at the first National Peace Action Congress held in Cleveland in 1987. In 2008, the Cleveland office serves as Ohio's state chapter to the national organization. Cleveland Peace Action uses citizen petitions, educational forums, demonstrations, vigils and press conferences to promote its goals of nuclear disarmament, redirection of military spending to social programs, global cooperation, and human rights.

The national organization of Peace Action is part of two grassroots coalitions: United for Peace and Justice and Win Without War, which works closely with members of Congress. The Student Peace Action Network (SPAN), which organizes college and high school students. In 2008, Cleveland Peace Action had an active membership of 400 people who had donated funds or volunteered in the past year. A bimonthly newsletter reached 2500 people and regular email communications were sent to over 1150 people.

With the start of the wars in Iraq (2003) and Afghanistan (2001), Cleveland Peace Action focused on educating and organizing student and community opposition. In April of 2006, Cleveland Peace Action held a week long event at Cleveland State University where a slate of speakers addressed issues like the draft and opposition to military recruiters in schools. Cleveland Peace Action has also been a regular participant in Greater Cleveland area fairs and festivals, where they distribute literature and canvass the public. Every year Cleveland Peace Action holds a Hiroshima Day Commemoration, marking the anniversary of the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 9th, 1945. The event is held at the Rockefeller Park and includes artists, peace and community organizations, and neighborhoods families.

In 2008, Cleveland Peace Action's headquarters were housed at the Peace House on 10916 Magnolia Ave, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106. Its current (2008) president is Francis Chiappa.


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