Brainerd Area Coalition for Peace (BACP) held our monthly meeting on Monday, December 5, 2022 at 7 p.m. The meeting took place online via the Zoom website. Richard and Judi Schiller and Doug Olson joined the BACP meeting. BACP meeting participants discussed the Nicaragua Advocacy Network's statement entitled "Supporting Nicaragua's Sovereignty, Honoring Its Achievements." The statement demands the U.S. government lift sanctions against Nicaragua, calls for the U.S. mainstream media to accurately report on events in Nicaragua, and lists the many achievements of the Nicaraguan government in improving the quality of life in Nicaragua. The statement can be found at https://drive.google.com/file/d/17bfReh2ivcs8WKDvQiSwZ3qvdWh9RlZm/view The Nicaragua Advocacy Network released the statement in response to the Biden Administration renewing U.S. sanctions against Nicaragua. Fellow BACP member Larry Fisk shared the statement with the BACP listserv. Meeting participants agreed with the statement. Fellow BACP members Larry Fisk, Gayle Nielsen, and Larry Mjolsness expressed support for the statement prior to the BACP meeting. Meeting participants decided BACP would, as an organization, endorse the statement. [Doug informed the Nicaragua Advocacy Network of BACP's endorsement of the statement. The Nicaragua Advocacy Network now lists BACP as an endorsing organization for the statement.] If you agree with the statement and would like to sign it as an individual, please send an email to the Nicaragua Advocacy Network at nicaraguaadvocaynetwork@gmail.com with your name and address. Meeting participants discussed the outcome of the U.S. mid-term elections held on Tuesday, November 8. Unfortunately, not much is likely to change in U.S. foreign policy after the elections. There are very few members of Congress who are consistently anti-war and anti-imperialist. The most consistently anti-war and anti-imperialist member of Congress is U.S. Representative Thomas Massie from Kentucky. Massie is a libertarian Republican. He always votes against the military budget and U.S. sanctions. (Representative Massie was the only member of Congress to vote against U.S. sanctions on Venezuela in 2015). Representative Massie supports legislation to withdraw U.S. forces from the Middle East. He opposes NATO expansion. Massie's foreign policy views are similar to former U.S. Representative Ron Paul (Republican-Texas) who had a strong anti-war, non-interventionist record. The one thing which might change is the new Republican majority in the U.S. House may scrutinize U.S. military aid to Ukraine more but, given the coalition of Democrats and Republicans who support arming Ukraine, Ukraine is likely to continue receiving U.S. military aid. There may be more calls for diplomacy to end the Ukraine War. Meeting participants agreed BACP will not meet in January, unless a new U.S. war starts or there is an escalation of an existing U.S. war. BACP usually doesn't meet in January. Instead, the first BACP meeting of 2023 will be held online on Monday, February 6. Meeting participants discussed the Week of Action the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) is planning for the week of Friday, January 13 through Sunday, January 22. UNAC is planning peace marches and vigils throughout the nation and asking other peace groups to hold marches and vigils. UNAC's Week of Action will demand an end to U.S. wars in the Middle East, a halt to U.S. military aid and training for the Ukrainian military, the curbing of rising tensions between the U.S. and Russia and China, and the lifting of U.S. sanctions imposed on multiple nations. UNAC's Week of Action supports the Palestinian struggle for freedom and justice and cutting the U.S. military budget and using the funds for human needs. UNAC's Week of Action is being held around Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 16). Dr. King was a strong opponent of U.S. wars and imperialism. For more information about UNAC's Week of Action, please visit https://unac.notowar.net/stop-u-s-wars-mlk-week-of-actions-jan-13-22/ STOP U.S. Wars: MLK Week of Actions, Jan 13–22 The Next Step - Stop the Wars at Home and Abroad! “The greatest purveyor of violence in the world : My own Government, I can not be Silent.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. April 4, 1967 As you know, after the October antiwar actions, more than 75 actions, we held a meeting to discuss next steps. It was decided that we should have another week of unac.notowar.net Meeting participants discussed ways BACP could support UNAC's Week of Action. Meeting participants agreed BACP holding a peace vigil in solidarity with UNAC's Week of Action was unlikely due to the usually harsh January weather conditions. Instead, BACP will endorse the UNAC Week of Action and post statements on the BACP website (www.brainerdpeace.org), Facebook page, and listserv supporting UNAC's Week of Action. The ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition is holding a peace rally on Saturday, January 14 in New York City's Times Sqaure. For more information about the ANSWER Coalition's peace rally, please visit: https://www.answercoalition.org/take_to_the_streets_sat_jan_14_in_nyc_peace_in_ukraine_yes_nato_expansion_no Take to the streets Sat. Jan. 14 in NYC: Peace in Ukraine -- Yes! NATO expansion -- NO! On Saturday, January 14, in conjunction with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, we are building another major event in New York City that will begin with a noontime rally at Times Square followed by a march and an indoor rally/teach-in. www.answercoalition.org The next monthly BACP meeting will be held on Monday, February 6. 2023 at 7 p.m. The BACP meeting will be held online via the Zoom website. The meeting will last 40 minutes, the maximum amount of time Zoom allots for free meetings. BACP will meet online through at least April. A link to the online February BACP meeting will be sent out with the meeting notice. The BACP meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m. BACP Meeting Notes Submitted by Doug Olson