Read Thoroughly. Share Widely. React Passionately.
Every summer, the Peace Economy Project publishes its annual news letter, the Peace Economy News. In it, we typically cover topics ranging from the federal budget to police militarization, from recapping PEP’s events of the past year to research endeavors planned for the following year. Our members look forward to its release, and last year more than 500 people received it in the mail or read the articles online.
The 2016 edition is coming out in August. We hope you’ll consider signing up to receive it. It’s free to sign up, and here’s why this year’s edition will be the best one yet:
It’s a Comprehensive Look at the U.S. Military from a Local, National and International Perspective
Although the Peace Economy Project is based in St. Louis, our scope and mission has always included the impact of the military-industrial complex on all levels. Since its founding in 1977, PEP has understood that St. Louis’ war-based economy didn’t operate in a silo. Defense contractors like Boeing and Graybar receive much of their business and profits from the Department of Defense, and ultimately, wars happening abroad.
The purpose of our newsletter is to build awareness for the interdependency of the war economy and what our military is actually doing with our tax dollars and the weapons and equipment those companies manufacture. The 2016 edition will be no different, as it will cover issues like nuclear weapons, the 2016 election, and the Israel/Palestine conflict.
A Concerted Effort to Make the Peace Economy News Accessible Online
In previous years, the Peace Economy News was published almost exclusively in print, with few of the articles published on our website, if at all. In 2016, that’s going to change.
Even though we will still save the print edition and use print as our main avenue of distribution, the articles in the 2016 newsletter (and some evergreen articles from older issues) will be re-published on our website and on our Medium page as well. The goal of republishing the articles online in new places is to reach more people who may be interested in the topics we cover, but may not necessarily know who the Peace Economy Project is or who may not be on our mailing list. It’s tough to reach folks who don’t know you exist with a print newsletter!
Increasing our online presence is not only critical to the long-term growth and sustainability of the Peace Economy Project, but our message about the reach of the military-industrial complex and reducing U.S. military is one that’s not talked about enough in mainstream media. Instead of waiting and hoping outlets like CNN and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch cover issues like ours, it’s better to think and act like a media outlet ourselves and do what’s necessary to talk about the issues we advocate for.
The Newsletter is a Perfect Opportunity to Take Action
Military spending. Wasted Pentagon funds. The consequences of war both home and abroad. They aren’t the easiest or the happiest issues to talk about. They also aren’t the easiest issues on which to take action. After learning about the struggles in Honduras, or the need for prison reform, or youth violence in St. Louis, what are you supposed to do next? What can you do to make a difference?
The Peace Economy News presents several awesome ways to “react passionately,” as its motto goes. One of those ways is to become a member of Justice and Peace Shares, a collaboration of three St. Louis non-profits (including the Peace Economy Project) that are committed to social change, peace, and justice for the poor. Joining JPS makes it easy to support several organizations at once without having to send multiple checks or to receive duplicate donation appeals from multiple organizations.
Another way to react passionately is to take the time to write an article for Peace Economy News or for our blog. We welcome responses to our articles as well as new perspectives on some of the issues PEP tackles on a regular basis.
A third way to take action is to attend one of PEP’s upcoming events, especially if you live in or near the St. Louis area. We have at least one event every month and we promote the events of like-minded non-profits as well.
Overall, there is plenty to be excited about for our 2016 edition of the Peace Economy News. It’s sure to be our best newsletter yet!
