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About New Jersey Peace Action Peace Action, founded in 1957 as SANE (Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy), is the nation’s largest peace organization. New Jersey Peace Action (NJPA), based in Bloomfield, was a founding chapter and has always been among the nation’s most active. Several local groups throughout northern New Jersey are affiliated with NJPA. There are more than 35 Peace Action state affiliates across America. Peace Action has a national office which lobbies for legislation in Washington, DC. This means we have the advantage of both local grassroots action and a strong national presence. Both locally and nationally, Peace Action’s policies are decided democratically by members and through elected boards. Our members reflect a broad cross-section of people from all walks of life. Our goals include fighting terrorism through international law and cooperation, rather than illegal invasions; eliminating nuclear weapons through negotiated treaties; redirecting excessive military spending to support schools, seniors, healthcare, jobs and veterans; ending U.S. arms sales to human rights-abusing nations; opposing civil liberties restrictions in laws such as the USA Patriot Act; and promoting peaceful resolutions to conflicts at all levels. We have spearheaded New Jersey participation in national marches and hundreds of other anti-war actions since 9-11; held educational events about war and peace at venues such as parades, street fairs and town hall meetings; held annual commemorations of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; hosted noted progressive speakers at luncheons, dinners and meetings; and lobbied state and federal leaders to support practical, positive alternatives for peace. Recent speakers at our events have included Daniel Ellsberg, Ray McGovern, Scott Ritter, Noam Chomsky, Amy Goodman and Jonathan Schell. Our president is Anna Nelson, and our director is Madelyn Hoffman. We also have an office manager, Max Probst, and numerous volunteers. We have nearly 1,000 members, and a mailing list of over 5,000. Membership is $35/year; you can join or request a brochure by calling (973) 744-3263. |
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About Maggie Astor — Counter-Recruitment Coordinator MAGGIE ASTOR, our Counter-Recruitment Coordinator and 2005 Volunteer of the Year, began her work at New Jersey Peace Action in January 2005 as a volunteer. She began working on counter-recruitment initiatives after attending the Peace Action National Congress/Student Peace Action Network Summit in Detroit in the summer of 2006. Currently, Maggie is working on our postcard campaign to Governor Corzine, urging him to order the distribution of opt-out forms to high school students statewide. (You can obtain postcards here, by calling the NJPA office at 973-744-3263, or by e-mailing Maggie at crcoordinator@gmail.com.) She is also part of our efforts, in collaboration with the Plainfield People’s Organization for Progress, to raise opt-out rates in Plainfield through the distribution of counter-recruitment literature there. She writes our monthly memos and various other documents, and assists with numerous smaller tasks around the office. Maggie is a senior at Montclair High School, and will be studying English at Barnard College in New York City in the fall. In addition to her work with NJPA, she is co-editor in chief of the MHS newspaper, the Mountaineer, and a staff member on the school literary magazine. She is an avid gymnastics fan, and enjoys reading and playing the piano. |
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Maggie at our 2007 Mother-Daughter March for Peace |
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New Jersey Peace Action 673 Bloomfield Ave, 2nd floor Bloomfield, NJ 07003 (973) 744-3263 director@njpeaceaction.org |
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Maggie Astor Counter-Recruitment Coordinator (973) 744-3263 Monday - Friday, 11 - 4 crcoordinator@gmail.com |
