Listed below are 16 ways you can get involved and participate in helping to end the war:

1. Texas Rallies - Take part in a rally, bring your kids, your neighbors, your dog.

September 1 (FORT WORTH-STATEWIDE EVENT) "American People's Straw Poll on Iraq" (see NEW RALLIES at right)

2. Wear Orange - Each Friday, put on an orange shirt, tie or neckerchief to provide a silent tribute against the current regime. war it at work, school, everywhere. Texans for Peace also has "End the War in Iraq" t-shirts (black on yellow) in sizes SM, MD, LG, XL, 2XL

3. Yard Signs - Make a yard sign expressing your view on the war, or pick up an "For Peace Now - Bring the Troops Home" (in Austin at Wheatsville Co-op, Planet K, Uncommon Objects and Monkey Wrench Books)4. Online petitions - Sign the Texans for Peace "End the War in Iraq" petition to Congress or the "Declaration of Peace" petition. Texans for Peace now has more "End the War in Iraq! Bring Our Troops Home" signs.

5. Letters to editors - Write a letter to your local newspaper editor briefly stating your viewpoint on the war. Editors like to receive letters from persons who haven't written in the past. Don't be shy, but also expect that you may need to write more than one before it gets published.

6. Local Congressional Office Visits - Every member of congress has local offices that are staffed Monday-Friday. Visit the staff, write a letter, give them a call, or schedule a meeting with your representative when they are in town (particularly during the August recess). These are the persons that have been elected to represent you in Congress. Senators Hutchinson and Cornyn have multiple offices around the state to serve you. Some groups like to take homemade cookies for the staff, in addition to materials. Texans for Peace can provide photos and stories of the impacts of war. Texans will be visiting congressional offices in Washington on September 17.

7. Call Congress - Congress is expected to vote to provide billions more for war in the 2007-2008 Defense Department authorization. Give a call to your senators and local congress person and briefly state your position. Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 (every day, if needed) and ask to be connected to the offices of your senators and representative. Not One More Dollar for the War! Most Texas members of Congress who have been contacted say that they intend to vote for additional funding to continue the war in Iraq, through 2008-9

8. Assistance to GIs and Veteran's Families - There are many ways that you can help returning veterans and families of those serving overseas, and in doing so help to provide healing at home.
Fisher House - Housing for military families who are visiting veterans in hospitals.
East Texas Military Families and Friends - Sends care packages to troops.
United Service Organization (USO) - Provides entertainment, care packages and items for hospitalized veterans.
Military Child - Helps school-age children on military bases and local school districts, while parents are deployed.
Adopt a Soldier - Provides support for returning soldiers.
Stephen's Touch - Compassionate listening service for military family members.
Texas GI Rights Hotline - Assists members of the military with about discharges, grievance and complaint procedures, and other civil rights (needs volunteers)

9. Local Vigils and Rallies - There are weekly vigils in many Texas cities (El Paso, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston) at 5 pm on Fridays. If you don't see one, get with a few friends, make some signs, and find a busy street corner to remind your neighbors about peace. (see NEW RALLIES at right)

10. Religious Observances & Activities

July 23-28 (BEREA, KY) - Baptist Peace Fellowship "Sustaining Faith and One Another as Empire Crumbles" conference
July 30-August 5 (ABIQUIU, NM) - Presbyterian Peace Fellowship and the Witherspoon Society "A Week for Peace, Global Justice and Creation" conference at Ghost Ranch.
August 10-12 (SEATTLE) - Pax Christi (Catholic Peace Fellowship) National Conference - "The Pursuit of Peace in a Culture of Violence".
September 16 (WASHINGTON, DC) - Christian Witness for Peace Worship Service near the Capitol.
September 16-21 (NATIONWIDE) - Christian Peace Witness for Iraq Prayer Vigils will launch a round-the-clock vigil/witness for peace and for the end of the occupation of Iraq. On that day, we hope to have many congregations/faith communities vigiling for the first 24 hours, with media coverage and visits to local congressional offices. Vigil/witness will continue.
September 21 (WORLDWIDE) - International Day for Prayer and Peace "an opportunity for church communities in all places to pray and act together to nurture lasting peace in the hearts of people, their families, communities and societies."
October 8 (NATIONWIDE) - The National Council of Church is calling local communities to create Interfaith fasts. The event theme is "Conquest to Community, from Violence to Reverence" and people of faith are invited to join their Muslim sisters and brothers who will be fasting for Ramadan.
October 19-21 (SAN FRANCISCO) - Pentecostal Peace Fellowhip Reconciliation Conference

11. Civil Disobedience in the Proud American Traidition
September 21-22 (Washington) - National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance, nonviolent direct action on Capitol Hill. Americans have been participating in sit-ins and other forms of "occupying" of congressional offices throughout the country. In Waco, residents refused to leave the offices of Congressman Chet Edwards until he would meet with them (two other visits did not produce a meeting. Congressional offices around Texas have been visited by several delegations. Other actions have centered around the offices of Senators Cornyn and Hutchinson. Create your own local "Occupation Project"
Participants in the Declaration of Peace are calling for nationwide nonviolent actions in the days leading up to September 21 (International Day of Peace). Declare yourself for peace.

12. Counter Recruiting - One way to stop a war is to stop the recruitment of new "cannon fodder" into the military. Parents, educators, clergy and activists are making headway in providing alternative messages to youth who are being actively recruited to join the war effort. Additional information and resources can be found at Non-Military Options for Youth and ArmyWrong.net

13. National Gatherings

July 23 (Washington, DC) - Impeach Cheney Orange Revolution - After Downing Street
July 29 (NEW YORK) - Gathering of Hearts in Central Park, sponsored by Cindy Sheehan and Camp Casey.
August 6-9 (NATIONWIDE) - No Nukes, No Wars - Anniversary of nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki protests outside corporate offices and facilities of war profiteers including: Bechtel, Lockheed-Martin, Northrup Gruman, etc.
September 15 (WASHINGTON, DC) - Nationwide March on Washington, sponsored by the international ANSWER coalition.
September 21 (NATIONWIDE) - International Day of Peace local picnics and teach-ins.
September 22 (WASHINGTON, DC) - Critical Mass Convergence
September 22-29 (WASHINGTON, DC) - Encampment in front of Congress by the "People's Peace Conference", sponsored by the Troops Out Now coalition
September 29 (WASHINGTON, DC) - Mass March on the White House, sponsored by the Troops Out Now coalition.
October 21-27 (NATIONWIDE) - No War, No Warming - Week of activities to tie together concerns over war with those of the environment
October 27 (6-8 CITIES Nationwide) - National Demonstrations to End the War in Iraq, sponsored by United for Peace and Justice

14. Congressional Hearings and Visits

July 31 (WASHINGTON, DC) - National Cities for Peace Day, Washington DC - Congressional Testimony from Locally-Elected Officials on the Local Costs of War from the municipalities with Bring the Troops Home resolutions
Sept 17-20 (WASHINGTON, DC) - Congressional lobby days by peace activists with visits to the official of individual congress members, sponsored by the international ANSWER coalition.

15. Learn more about the war - You don't need to rely on corporate media to become more informed about what is going on in Iraq. Talk to a returning soldier, visit with Iraqis online, check out the alternative media information coming out of Iraq, participate in a trip to visit with Iraqi refugees living in Jordan or Syria. Better yet, ask any returning soldier for his or her view.
Daily News from the War Zone - Texans for Peace End the War in Iraq website
Dispatches from the Middle East - Dahr Jamail
Daily News Reads - Antiwar.com, Truthout.org, CommonDreams.org, Counterpunch.org and Buzzflash

16. Study Peace (Study war no more) - Peace isn't a just a goal, but a means. Gain more from perspectives on peace and nonviolence.
A Force More Powerful
Albert Einstein Institute
The Carter Center
M.K. Gandhi Institute
The King Center
Plowshares
Teaching Tolerance
Peace Quotations from Texans for Peace

17. Help Fund Peacemaking - Donate to Texans for Peace.

Texas Events

Sept. 11 (Austin) - Day of Truth - Remember Gandhi, Lamar pedistrian bridge, 4 pm Rally 6 pm Open Mike, 8 pm Music w Bob Brown and the Lovers
Sept. 11 (Austin) - Alex Coke's IRAQNOPHOBIA/ A Call To Gather, 8 pm The Salvage Vanguard Theater (2803 Manor Rd. $10
Sept. 11 (Houston) - Impeachment Resolution, City Council Chambers, 1:30
Sept. 11 (Houston) - Freeway Blogging, Southwest Freeway (between Shepherd & Downtown), 4:30
Sept. 15 (Austin) - Impeach and Peace March from City Hall to Capitol, 3:00
Sept. 15 (Brownsville) - Stand in Solidarity, NE corner of Paredes Line Road and FM 802, 5:30 pm
Sept. 15 (El Paso) - Declaration of Peace, corner of Wyoming and Mesa in downtown, 10am
Sept. 15 (Garland) - Dallas Antiwar Rally, Raytheon on the corner of Miller Rd. and Jupiter, 12 noon
Sept. 15 (McAllen) - End the War Rally, 10th and Nolana, 5 pm
Sept. 15 (San Antonio) -leafleting and petitions, 10 am Guadalupe and Brazos street
Sept. 16 (Waco) -Bring the Troops Home Now! Freeway Blogging, IH-35, 2 pm
Sept. 20 (College Station) -Antiwar Protest, University Drive and Texas Avenue A&M, 5pm March, Century Tree/Academic Building, 6pm Reading of the names of US dead in Iraq
Sept. 21 (Corpus Christi) - 24-hour Observance of International Day of Peace, Cole Park beginning 6am
Sept. 21 (Kerrville) - Peace Walk, Labyrinth of St. Peter's Episcopal on Main and Tivy Streets, 7pm

please let us know of other events

DC Events

September 16-21 (NATIONWIDE) - Christian Peace Witness for Iraq Prayer Vigils will launch a round-the-clock vigil/witness for peace and for the end of the occupation of Iraq. On that day, we hope to have many congregations/faith communities vigiling for the first 24 hours, with media coverage and visits to local congressional offices. Vigil/witness will continue.
September 21 (NATIONWIDE) - International Day of Peace local picnics and teach-ins.
September 21 (WORLDWIDE) - International Day for Prayer and Peace "an opportunity for church communities in all places to pray and act together to nurture lasting peace in the hearts of people, their families, communities and societies."
September 22 (WASHINGTON, DC) - Critical Mass Convergence
September 22-29 (WASHINGTON, DC) - Encampment in front of Congress by the "People's Peace Conference", sponsored by the Troops Out Now coalition
September 29 (WASHINGTON, DC) - Mass March on the White House, sponsored by the Troops Out Now coalition.

October 8 (NATIONWIDE) - The National Council of Church is calling local communities to create Interfaith fasts. The event theme is "Conquest to Community, from Violence to Reverence" and people of faith are invited to join their Muslim sisters and brothers who will be fasting for Ramadan.
October 21-27 (NATIONWIDE) - No War, No Warming - Week of activities to tie together concerns over war with those of the environment