WOMEN PEACEMAKERS TO SPEAK AT NJ PEACE ACTION'S 51st ANNUAL DINNER AND DECRY CONTINUED FUNDING OF THE OCCUPATION

Ann Wright, retired US Army colonel; former State Department official and Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Global Exchange and CODEPINK, will be the guest speakers. Their topic: "The True Costs of the 'War on Terror': Afghanistan, Iraq and at Home." Amnesty International's Bloomfield High School student chapter will also be honored. The Bloomfield Town Council has issued a proclamation recognizing their important work. South Orange resident David Bressen will be named Peace Action Person of the Year (See end of release for biographical information).

"This event is particularly timely in light of the fact that House Leadership is poised to allocate another $172 BILLION toward the war in Iraq - and to do it NOW, so that it cannot become an election issue, " said Madelyn Hoffman, Director of NJ Peace Action. "Both Ann Wright and Medea Benjamin have opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq from the start, one from within the halls of government and the other from her position as a long-time advocate for human rights. Retired Colonel Ann Wright submitted her resignation from the State Department on the very day the invasion began because after 30 years in the military, she felt she could no longer support U.S. foreign policy. Medea Benjamin founded CODEPINK in November 2002 to encourage women everywhere to oppose the war in Iraq and put an end to new wars." (Action alert on the funding appears below.)

Before her resignation, Ann Wright sent a cable to the State Department's dissent channel, a mechanism set up during the Vietnam War in 1971 for internal disagreements. She received a stock reply and then decided to go public. "It was a big step. I was pretty senior in rank, just below ambassador. My whole life has really changed. Most of my life is dedicated to trying to stop the war."

Today, Ann Wright says: "The only hope for the killing and violence to end in Iraq is for the United States to remove itself and give the Iraqis the political space to broker the deals among themselves that will quiet the violence."

"The Bush Administration," said Medea Benjamin, "did not allow Admiral Fallon to testify before Congress in April; it only wanted Congress to hear the voice of General Petraeus-the 'feel good' military man who says the surge is working."

"There was Ann Wright, said Paula Rogovin of Military Families Speak Out, "calling an early morning meeting on the side of the country road near President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, in 2005. Retired Army Colonel Wright playing the role of Colonel of activists at Camp Casey, helped organize many hundreds of military families, veterans and activists that August to demand that Mr. Bush meet with Cindy Sheehan and other Gold Star families and that he bring the troops home from Iraq. That bold encampment spurred on anti-war activism around the country. I remember saying to Colonel Wright when I left Camp Casey, 'Thank you. You are great!' Indeed, Ann Wright is a hero of the anti-war movement."

"Medea Benjamin is a courageous, determined and outspoken advocate for issues of peace and justice," said Sarah Mercuri of CODEPINK New Jersey. "I very much admire her bold actions in trying to put a stop to the madness of the immoral and catastrophic occupation of Iraq. Through her efforts, she has shown us that a viable democracy means more than showing up at the voting booth once a year. Her gutsy and high-spirited style has inspired many women, men and children to get off the couch and do something. Because she is one of my heroes, I am very much looking forward to introducing her at NJ Peace Action's Annual Dinner."

Ann Wright, now a full-time anti-war activist is most noted for being one of three U.S. State Department officials to publicly resign in direct protest of the invasion of Iraq. She is presently touring the country talking about her recent book Dissent: Voices of Conscience subtitled, "Insiders Speak Out Against the War in Iraq." She also was there when the U.S. opened its new embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2002.

Medea Benjamin, described by New York Newsday as "one of the most committed-and most effective -- fighters for human rights", was nominated in 2005 for the Nobel Peace Prize. The author of numerous books, she has worked throughout the world as an Economist on issues ranging from universal health care to schools-not-prisons.

Presently, both she and Ann Wright are focusing on stopping the war in Iraq. Medea Benjamin has made several trips to Afghanistan.

The Amnesty International chapter at Bloomfield High School have brought a renewed sense of political consciousness to the students and community. They are working on military counter-recruitment and eliminating torture. The students participate in vigils, rallies and do the nuts and bolts office work to have earned this award.

Dave Bressen became active in South Mountain Peace Action, an NJPA chapter, during the 1960s, shortly after he moved to South Orange from Brooklyn Heights. Over the course of the decades, he has been there for marches, vigils and meetings with elected representatives. He has played a leadership role as an NJPA board member and as a chair of SMPA.

Dave has also given generously of his time for groups that do good on a local level. For the past decade, he has been on the board of the Community Coalition on Race, nationally recognized for its success in sustaining the racially diverse communities of South Orange and Maplewood. He has been a board member of the South Orange Performing Arts Center, which recently built a cultural center in downtown South Orange, with five movie screens and a 415- seat performing arts theater. He is active in Main Street South Orange, one of 65 groups in the state that promote the vitality of downtown areas. He also serves on the local Community Relations Committee, which tries to solve problems which come up in the local area. In addition, Dave has promoted community media by serving on the board of the local public cable station, SOMA TV. Though he has never run for public office, he has directed about a dozen campaigns of Democratic Party candidates for municipal office.

The dinner will take place at The Regency House, 140 State Route 23, Pompton Plains, NJ, from 11:45 to 4:00 on Sunday, April 27th. Tickets cost $50.00. Go to www.NJPeaceAction.org or call 973-744-3263