About Us

We Work To:

• Transfer resources from military to human needs, leading to economic and social justice within and among nations
• Eliminate nuclear, biological, chemical and conventional weapons by all entities in an internationally coordinated process
• resolve international conflicts peacefully via the United Nations and the promotion of internationally accepted rules of law

Who We Are

Brooklyn For Peace is a diverse network of Brooklyn residents—parents, non-parents, adults, youths, and neighbors—alarmed by the militarism of our society and its impact on our lives as well as the lives of people around the world. We organize community meetings and forums, set up information tables, participate in phone and advertising campaigns, meet with elected officials and participate in demonstrations. We disseminate solid and carefully researched analyses on international and domestic policies.

We are a democratically functioning non-partisan group. We provide a host of opportunities for Brooklyn residents to work for peace and social justice in ways that can accommodate busy schedules. We believe when given the right tools, ordinary people will change the world

Our History

Brooklyn For Peace was founded in 1984 as Brooklyn Parents for Peace, in response to the U.S. invasion of Grenada. Our earliest initiatives included organizing local opposition to the Staten Island homeport for nuclear-capable cruise missiles and the U.S. intervention in Central America. We incorporated as a not-for-profit educational organization in 1988.  We subsequently mobilized local opposition to the 1991 Gulf War, while fighting to preserve welfare, Medicaid, and public education in New York City throughout the 1990s.  Our primary mission is educational. We see active response to injustice as a vital component of education.

After the terrible events of September 11, 2001, we reached out to affirm our sense of community and to oppose a military response to this tragedy. We called for compensation for civilian victims of U.S. bombing in Afghanistan. In Brooklyn, we organized against the detention of immigrants arrested without charges in the wake of 9/11 and advocated for protection of our historic civil liberties.

After the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, Brooklyn For Peace sought to limit military recruiting in our public schools and to inform students of non-military alternatives.

We have mobilized our community against the Iraq War before it began in 2003 and to end our military presence there as rapidly as possible.

We have sponsored events seeking to achieve a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in Israel and Palestine.

We hosted an annual Brooklyn Peace Fair from 2003 to 2012 which combined public awareness activities with culture, the arts and experts in socio/political fields. In this venue, activists and artists worked together to reach out to those not yet involved in the peace movement and to help build connections between those already involved.

We believe the current world economic crisis offers an important opportunity to move forward towards a peaceful more productive society.

Brooklyn For Peace is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Become a member!

Become a member or donate to Brooklyn For Peace. There is still much work to be done. We can never give up on working toward peace and social justice issues. Our members understand how important it is to have a grass-roots organization that stands by its mission and continues to bring awareness to the issues, causes of war and social injustices in our community, our state, and the world. If you are a member, please consider raising the amount or giving a monthly sustaining contribution. Thank you for all you do to support BFP.

Donate!

What better way to discover Brooklyn For Peace than through photographs and videos. Explore our media and “see” Brooklyn For Peace’s years of peace and social justice work through the eyes of the camera.

One of our activities is meeting with our local elected officials. We have consistently met with and shared our concerns around the current issues with them. Built strong relationships through dialogue and transparency.

Find out who your current representatives are in Brooklyn and who represents you in the senate. Engage, call, email to let them know what’s on your mind.

Contact Elected Officials

Call to action!  We also post and sponsor online petitions and call-ins. See what we are currently working on congressionally.