Washtenaw County Chapter Projects
2003 Projects
Chapter Formed - February 2003.
February/March - Participated in pre-Iraq war marches, Ann Arbor.
March - Participated at Ann Arbor rally the day after the Iraq invasion
April - Joined with the S.E. Michigan VFP Chapter at a peace rally in Monroe, despite the City of Monroe denying a permit for a march.
July - Staffed a Veterans For Peace information booth at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Marched in the Ann Arbor July 4th parade - the only veterans group to do so. Gave testimony before the Ann Arbor City Council asking them to support a petition against the federal Patriot Act.
August - Staffed a Veterans For Peace information booth at the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival. Staffed an information table at the Hillsdale, Michigan peace festival.
September - Staffed an information table at the Rolling Democracy tour (with Jim Hightower) at the University of Michigan Power Center.
October - A contingent of Washtenaw County Chapter Veterans For Peace members traveled to Washington, DC for the "Bring Them Home Now" march. Staffed an information table at the Michael Moore talk at Eastern Michigan University.
November - Held a Veterans Day peace ceremony at the Ann Arbor Federal Building.
2004 Projects
January - Participating in Martin Luther King Day march - Chelsea.
March - Participating in peace events surrounding the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. First display of Chapter's "Arlington Midwest" display at the Diag of the University of Michigan.
May - Chapter's Arlington Midwest Display at Ypsilanti's Frog Island Park. Marched in Ypsilanti's Memorial Day parade.
July - Ann Arbor Art Fair booth, march in Ann Arbor July 4th parade. Chapters Arlington Midwest display set up at Ann Arbor's Veterans Park on July 4th.
August - Ypsilanti Heritage Festival booth, marched in Heritage parade. Participated in local Hiroshima Day peace ceremony.
September - Chapter Arlington Midwest display at Ann Arbor's Veterans Park to commemorate 1000 soldiers killed in Iraq. Information booth at Festival Latino in Ypsilanti.
November - Hosted Veterans Day peace event at the Ann Arbor Federal Building. Hosted, along with the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, a "Close The School of the Americas" local solidarity rally in Ann Arbor.
December - Launched a local "don't buy war toys" drive in Washtenaw County.
2005 Projects
March - Chapter's Arlington Midwest display set up at the University of Michigan Diag, with Veterans For Peace leading the march sponsored by Michigan Peaceworks that ended at the display.
April - Chapter co-sponsored, with Michigan Peaceworks, talks by Iraq Veterans Against the War member Jimmy Massey in Washtenaw County.
May - Arlington Midwest display at Ann Arbor Veterans Park. Chapter awarded its first two Peace Studies Scholarships. Peace Pole dedicated on Mothers Day in Ann Arbor park. VFP information table at Utah Phillips concert at the Ark. Assisted at Iraq Veterans Against the War talk at Jackson Community College.
July - Participated in the Ann Arbor Independence Day parade. Had a VFP information table at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Helped with Eyes Wide Open display (one pair of boots for every solider killed in Iraq) during the Ann Arbor Art Fair.
August - Chapter members attended national VFP convention in Dallas, Texas. VFP information booth at Manchester, MI RiverFolk festival. VFP information table at Ypsilanti Heritage Festival. Participated at Hiroshima Day peace event at Ann Arbor city hall.
September - Chapter at Festival Latino with information table.
November - Annual Veterans Day peace ceremony. Local "close the school of the Americas" solidarity rally.
December - Don't buy war toys annual drive.