Dear friend,
This is CODEPINK’s twentieth anniversary year and we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for continuing to sustain our bold and vibrant movement for Peace and Justice. As one of our 30,000+ donors, you have chosen to invest in peace, and we couldn’t have achieved any of our work without your trust.
Today, twenty years after we marched against the US invasion of Iraq, almost half of our staff is below the age of 24. Having only known the US to be at war throughout their young lives, they represent 41% of the world’s population aged 24 or under who desperately want a better future for all. During these urgent times —when hawkish think tanks talk of the US preparing for multiple simultaneous large theater wars —it’s more important than ever to amplify the voices of young and impacted people as they challenge the war machine for the decades to come. This is why our member-based strategy, led by regional organizers, is reaching younger people every day to develop much-needed local leadership capacity that can galvanize large-scale weeks of action, rallies, summits and advocacy days that deepen their engagement with our work. Core to the success of this strategy is one-on-one coaching support and monthly team calls which foster a sense of community.
Together, our team members are working tirelessly to expose the enormous cost of war that the Pentagon and mainstream media would rather you don’t see. We have successfully engaged over 200 coalition partners and more than half a million supporters to join our movement, along with a strong social media presence that reaches millions more. Today, we play a key role in the movement to challenge the endless war in Ukraine and rising tensions with China.
In the last two months alone, our Summer of Peace initiative has inspired over 300 actions around the nation, and over 2000 calls made to Congress! We are also gearing up for large-scale actions in NYC during the Climate March and International Day of Peace at the UN in September. Our plans for the fall include major advocacy events in Washington DC with Dr. Cornel West and Jeffrey Sachs. Visit codepink.org/events to join us!
It’s no surprise that our work has ruffled feathers and is being noticed. We know we are being effective when we become the subject of ridiculous attempts by a warmongering news outlet to undermine our legitimacy as a peace organization. The accusations made against CODEPINK are that we take marching orders and money from foreign governments. We do neither of those things. We work on behalf of people like you who oppose war. These accusations, like the ones levied against social justice organizers in the 1940s by McCarthy’s infamous Committee on Unamerican Activities, are intended to instill fear in peace-loving people who care about preventing nuclear war. CODEPINK has learned over the years, when opposing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and today, as we promote negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and avoid a war with China, that peacemakers will always be labeled as “unpatriotic” or even traitors.
Your support of CODEPINK through the years has strengthened our resolve. We are proud of our ability to stay focused on our mission for peace despite increasing opposition from Congress and the weapons companies that profit from warfare.
Thank you for being part of CODEPINK’s bold, persistent and necessary voice for peace in a world increasingly hungry for war and profit.
❤️ With deep gratitude,
Danaka and Farida
CODEPINK Co-Directors
PS: For more news about our actions and disruptions please see our 2022-23 Impact Report and our member-based strategy, and check out these messages of solidarity!
P.S. Support our work with trust and confidence. CODEPINK is registered as a non-profit charity with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in the United States. Our Tax Identification Number is 26-2823386. We also have the Gold Seal of Transparency from Candid.
