This past Tuesday we hosted our bimonthly Capitol Calling Party, cohosted with Massachusetts Peace Action and featuring Col. Lawrence Wilkerson and Reiner Braun. Reiner Braun, executive director of the International Peace Bureau and founder of the No to NATO Network, grounded the call in the current status of the invasion of Ukraine and what the responses in the street have looked like. Braun provided the anti-war movement with powerful calls to action, telling us that we can only have true security when both us and our neighbors are secure — and, for that reason, we need to unite as a worldwide peace movement.

Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, adjunct professor at the College of William & Mary and former Chief of Staff to Sec. of State Colin Powell, discussed the background and current status of the war in Ukraine. Col. Wilkerson also linked the war to the recently-released IPCC report, underlining the impacts that this increasing militarization will have on the climate crisis.Following our guests’ powerful statements, we streamed the State of the Union address. As we watched communally, we were able to discuss the omissions, falsehoods, and merits of President Biden’s address. You can watch Tuesday’s full recording here.

This has been an intense and troubling week for many of us, so it felt especially heartening to gather together this past Tuesday. The good news is that there are many more opportunities approaching to join together and use your voice to call for peace! Join us this Sunday, March 6 for an international day of action - visit https://www.peaceinukraine.org/ to find an event near you. And join the CODEPINK Congressional Liaisons program this Tuesday at pm PT/8pm ET for a call on the peace and demilitarization legislation we are focusing on this quarter, and how to set up calls with your representatives. Register here.