Medea Benjamin

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Medea Benjamin

Medea Benjamin is married to Kevin Danaher.

Medea Benjamin is the founding director of Global Exchange, helped to bring together the coalition United for Peace and Justice and co-founded CODEPINK, a women initiated grassroots movement working to end the war in Iraq, stop new wars, and redirect resources into life-affirming activities.

She is the co-editor (with Jodie Evans) of Stop the Next War Now. In 2005, she was one of 1000 women from around the world nominated collectively for the Nobel Peace Prize. Her work for peace and human rights has taken her to many parts of the world, including China, Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2000, she was the Green Party USA candidate for United States Senate from California.

CoC National Conference endorser

In 1992 Medea Benjamin Global Exchange, San Francisco, endorsed the Committees of Correspondence national conference Conference on Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the 90s held at Berkeley California July 17-19.^[1]

Socialist Scholars Conference

The eighteenth annual Socialist Scholars Conference took place in New York before about 1,800 participants from more than a dozen countries. The Conference theme was “Rockin’ the Boat: Building Coalitions for a New Century,”

“The Battle After Seattle: Globalization and Its Discontents” featured Medea Benjamin co-founder and executive director of Global Exchange, David Abdulah, education director of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union of Trinidad and Tobago, Hector Figueroa of the SEIU, and Mark Seddon from the executive committee of the Labour Party in Britain^[2].

Benjamin spoke of channeling grass roots movements for global justice into battles that are directed at local institutions and are winnable, such as the anti-sweatshop campaigns being waged at universities across the country, and the pressure campaign against Starbucks to promote less exploitative trading agreements.

Committees of Correspondence Conference 2002

At the Committees of Correspondence National Conference and Convention, July 25-28, 2002 San Francisco State University, the Plenary Panel and Discussion on Electoral Reform and the Struggle for Democracy comprised;

John Nichols, Gus Newport, Medea Benjamin, Mildred Williamson The protection of the right to vote, ballot access, electoral campaigns that are independent of corporations and major political parties.^[3]

Not In Our Name

In August 2004 Medea Benjamin endorsed an anti “Bush Team” Protest at the Republican National Convention in New York, organized by Not In Our Name, an organization closely associated with the Revolutionary Communist Party^[4].

911 "Truther"

Medea Benjamin was one of 100 "prominent Americans" who signed an October 26 2004 statement^[5]circulated by 911Truth.org calling on the U.S. Government to investigate 9/11 as a possible "inside job".

...we have assembled 100 notable Americans and 40 family members of those who died to sign this 9/11 Statement, which calls for immediate public attention to unanswered questions that suggest that people within the current administration may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext for war.

Travelling with CODEPINK's "Fallujah Aid" Contingent

diplomatic courtesy letter from Rep. Henry Waxman to Daniel Goodspeed, Consul General, U.S. Embassy in Aman, Jordan. Dec. 14, 2004. (click to enlarge)

In December 2004, US Senators Barbara Boxer of California, Raul Grijalva of Arizona and Congressmen Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Henry Waxman of California provided diplomatic courtesy letters to a contingent of anti-war groups and individuals desiring to Fallujah, Iraq. Among those travelling in the contingent were: Rosa Suarez del Solar and her husband Fernando Suarez del Solar; Jeffrey Ritterman, Physicians for Social Responsibility; Jodie Evans, co-founder of CodePink: Women for Peace; Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Global Exchange and CodePink; Hany Khalil, national organizer, United for Peace and Justice. The organizations sponsoring the tour were CodePink, Project Guerrero Azteca for peace, Global Exchange, the Middle East Children's Alliance, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Peace Action, United for Peace and Justice, and Voices in the Wilderness.^[6]

Fernando Suarez del Solar stated that had it not been for the help of the two congressmen, the tour would have not seen the light due to obstacles laid by the Pentagon. The contingent traveled from December 27, 2004 through January 8, 2005.

The contingent delivered $100,000 in cash and and $500,000 in humanitarian aid. At the time the diplomatic courtesy letters were issued, Medea Benjamin had stated that the aid was intended for families of the “other side” in Fallujah.^[7]

Visiting Chavez

from left: Cindy Sheehan, Jodie Evans, Hugo Chavez and Medea Benjamin

On 28 January 2006, Jodie Evans, Medea Benjamin and Cindy Sheehan visited with president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez.

United for Peace and Justice

In 2005 Medea Benjamin, Global Exchange was on the Steering Committee of United for Peace and Justice.^[8]

Open Letter to Obama on Iran

In 2008 Medea Benjamin of Global Exchange/CODEPINK, San Francisco, CA signed an online petition “A Open Letter to Barack Obama on Iran”.^[9]

Colombia Support Network

As of 2008, the Colombia Support Network Advisory Board consisted of ;^[10].

• Medea Benjamin
• Larry Birns
• Blase Bonpane
• Fr. Roy Bourgeois
• Noam Chomsky
• Pamela Costain
• Kristin Dawkins
• Reverend John Dear
• Kathleen Falk
• Daniel Gomez-Ibanez
• Thomas Gumbleton
• Edward S. Herman
• Doug La Follette
• Robert McChesney
• Gail Phares
• Mark Pocan
• Mark Sherman
• Tony Vento
• Howard Zinn

Progressive Democrats of America

Medea Benjamin serves on the Advisory Board^[11] of Progressive Democrats of America.

Healthcare-Now!

In 2009 Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK, San Francisco. CA served on the board of directors of Healthcare-Now! .^[12]

Iraq: The Legacy of the 7-Year U.S. Occupation

On Sunday, August 29th 2010. at Busboys and Poets, 5th and K Sts. NW, Washington, D.C., an event "Iraq: The Legacy of the 7-Year U.S. Occupation" was held;

Is the U.S. military really leaving Iraq or just rebranding? What is the toll of seven years of occupation on Iraqis, U.S. soldiers and our economies? What is the status of Iraqi refugees around the world? Is it still possible to hold accountable those who dragged us into the war or committed crimes such as torture? What role did Congress and the media play in facilitating the invasion/occupation? We'll also look at the role of the peace movement -- its strengths and weaknesses -- and draw key lessons to make our work for peace, including in Afghanistan, more effective.

Speakers/performers included:

• Congresswoman Donna Edwards
• Kymone Tecumseh Freeman, playwright, performer, reading Letters from Iraq
• Head-Roc, hip-hop artist
• Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies
• Raed Jarrar, Peace Action
• Manal Omar, author
• Bill Fletcher, Jr., labor leader, scholar
• Josh Stieber, Iraq Veterans Against the War
• Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK and Global Exchange
• Andy Shallal, Iraqi artist, owner Busboys and Poets
• David Swanson, author
• Gene Bruskin, U.S. Labor Against the War
• Felicia Eaves, activist

The event was sponsored by: CODEPINK, Peace Action, Institute for Policy Studies, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Global Exchange, Just Foreign Policy, Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), U.S. Labor Against the War, ANSWER, World Can’t Wait, Voices for Creative Nonviolence, War is a Crime, Rivera Project, Washington Peace Center.^[13]

Bradley Manning Support Network Advisory Board

As of December 2011, the Bradley Manning Support Network, Advisory Board consisted of;^[14]

• Medea Benjamin, Code Pink: Women for Peace
• Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, board member for the National Whistleblower Center
• Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistleblower
• Kathleen Gilberd, Co-Chair of the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild
• Mike Gravel, former United States Senator (D-AK)
• Kimber Heinz, War Resisters League
• Birgitta Jónsdóttir, Member of the Icelandic Parliament
• Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and activist
• Michael Moore, documentary filmmaker, author and activist
• Jose Vasquez, Iraq Veterans Against the War
• Ann Wright, US Army Colonel (retired)

PDA meeting, Maryland

Thursday March 15, 2012, PDA National Director Tim Carpenter, PDA National Vice Chair emeritus Stephen Shaff, PDA National Deputy Field Director Andrea Miller and Mike Hersh welcomed speakers Rep. Donna Edwards (Md-6), Professor Eric Kingson from Social Security Works, and Alex Lawson from We Act 1480 AM Radio to Busboys and Poets in Hyattsville, Maryland.

Current and former PDA National Board Members Medea Benjamin, Joe Libertelli and Steve Cobble, Healthcare NOT Warfare co-chair Donna Smith, and Maryland Senator Paul Pinsky also helped welcome progressives to Prince George's County's newest meeting place. The turnout included several important progressive leaders from Maryland's 4th, 6th, and 8th districts.

Special thanks to the Very Important Progressive Host Committee including--Stephen Shaff; PDA board member Bill Fletcher, Jr., Raucus Activist Writer; Alex Lawson, Social Security Works and WE ACT Radio; Heather Booth, Activist; Steve Cobble, PDA Political Advisor, and Institute for Policy Studies; Medea Benjamin; Tom Hucker, MD Delegate, D-20; Greg Moore, NAACP/Political Consultant; Beth Becker, Progressive PST; Naomi Bloch, Activist who donated a small library of books; David Hart, Physicians for Social Responsibility; Beth Schulman, IPS; Greg Smith, Activist; Joe Libertelli; Mark Dudzic; Jimmy Tarlau, Communication Workers of America; Kerren-Pope Onwukwe, Attorney/Activist; and Andrea Miller.^[15]

References