UMass Anti-War Coalition

Points of Unity

1. We call upon the U.S. government to pull its military out of Iraq NOW. Along with the evacuation of troops, we call for military bases to be immediately dismantled and U.S. corporate investors to withdraw.

2. We believe in the self determination of the Iraqi people.

3. We believe in the self determination of the Palestinian people. We believe that the U.S. is culpable in the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the oppression of the Palestinian people, and therefore the U.S. must cease its aid to Israel as long as the occupation continues.

4. We believe in the U.S. government's responsibility to provide reparations to the people of Iraq. Reparations are to be paid not only for the devastating war and occupation, but also the U.S. led sanctions and blockade.

5. We believe that there should be an end to all U.S. led wars of aggression and imperialist intervention around the world, whether economic or military. We oppose any spread of war to other countries such as Iran or Syria.

6. We believe that a drastic cut in U.S. military expenditures is needed, and that tax money should instead be reallocated to domestic needs such as: universal education, health care, social services, and social security. This military budget cut should include U.S. dealings in the arms trade.

7. We believe that most American citizens who choose to enroll in the armed services do so because of an economic and political system that targets them and leaves them with limited options. Thus, we believe that alternatives to military service such as universalized free higher education, nationalized health care, access to employment with living wages, should be extended to low-income young peoples, especially people of color.

8. We demand that the ROTC be expelled from the UMass campus.

9. We demand that the United States government end its racist scapegoating and attacks on civil rights and civil liberties.

10. We call on the United States to adhere to international law, including the U.N. Charter and the Geneva Conventions. This includes signing on to the International Criminal Court and submitting to its rulings, with no exemptions for U.S. soldiers or decision makers.

11. The UMass Antiwar Coalition operates in a democratic and participatory manner and we encourage full participation of all of our members.