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Join us for a movie on Friday nights at venues throughout Union County. Pick up literature, sign a petition, learn about actions you can take to make the world a better place.

August 2008

Union County Peace Council To Show the Japanese Animated Film "Grave of the Fireflies" On August 8^th 

On Friday August 8th at 7:30pm, Union County Peace Council will host a free screening of the notable Japanese anti-war animated film:  "GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (HATURO NO HAKA)".  Read about it on Wikipedia. This Japanese anime feature will be shown at The First United Methodist Church in Westfield at 1 East Broad Street. 

Based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same title by Nosaka Akiyuki and directed by Isao Takahata and produced by the Japanese Studio Ghibli, "GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES" is a powerful and beautifully crafted film, that captures the fleeting beauty and fragility of life and the struggle of the human spirit amidst the inhumanity and cruelty of war. 

It puts a human face of the suffering of civilians, against the much larger forces of war and indifference.

Originally released in 1988, winner of the 1994 Chicago International Children's Film Festival for best animated feature, it is named as a favorite among many film and anime fans. 

Championed by film critic Roger Ebert as one of the most powerful anti-war films ever made, the message of 'GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES" continues to resonate powerfully. 

The tale centers on the struggles of a teenage boy, Seita, and his five year old sister, Setsuko, living in the port city of Kobe in the latter days of World War II. 

After their neighborhood of wooden and paper houses ignites from intensive fire-bombing and their mother dies from her injuries, they are left on their own to battle hunger, prejudice and their own human failings. 

After a terrible experience with some unreceptive and stingy relatives they take refuge in a hillside bomb shelter, seeking refuge and comfort in each other and in the simple beauties of nature, such as by filling their cave with the light of fireflies. 

 "Why do the fireflies die so young?" Setsuko ask her brother but he has no answer.

 This is not an anti-American film, but sends a searing message about the horror of war and the extremes of both callousness and compassion which humanity is capable. 

 It is a film about finding moments of incredible beauty in the face of darkness and despair.

 "...understated and necessarily painful, but finely realized and one of the most powerful anti-war films ever made."

Note:  Although this is an animated film, this subject matter may be too intense for young children.

This film is being shown in conjunction with other world-wide events to commemorate the 63^rd anniversary of the atomic bombing of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 6th and 9th in 1945) and to call for global nuclear disarmament.

Everyone Is Invited to Stay for Light Refreshments and Discussion After the Film 

The church parking lot is on Ferris Place (off Prospect Street).  Please enter by side door.

Sponsored by Union County Peace Council,
  The Hiroshima/Nagasaki Remembrance Committee,
  The First United Methodist Church of Westfield
   and Word Out!

For more information e-mail unioncountypeacecouncil@gmail.com
or call Diane at (908) 233-7344

July 2008

Union County Peace Council Sponsors Free Showing of the Documentary "King Corn" and An Animated Short on July 25th at The First United Methodist Church of Westfield

   On Friday, July 25th Union County Peace Council will continue it's free film program with the showing of the feature documentary "KING CORN", along with a short animated film: "THE STORY OF STUFF".  These films will be shown at 7:30 PM at the First United Methodist Church of Westfield at 1 East Broad Street.

Is it true that we really are what we eat ?

   If that's really so, then Americans definitely are very "corny".  Literally.  In fact, carbon analysis of hair samples from average Americans do confirm that we are largely composed of corn.   Confronted with this startling evidence, college buddies Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, the two main figures in the documentary film "KING CORN" decide to pack up and head to the American heartland to explore the major role corn plays in the American diet and in our lives.  Returning to ancestral roots - the remote county in Iowa where both their great-grandfathers lived within a few miles of each other - they lease one acre of farmland to grow "the nation's most-planted, most-processed, most-subsidized" crop, 

 They chart a year of progress, from bare soil, to planting and post harvesting, with many side excursions and explorations inbetween.  In the process, they encounter some eye-opening and sometimes disturbing aspects regarding American agriculture and our food supply.

This film provides an intensive investigation of where our food comes from and what is happening to small farms and communities - with increasing consolidation and industrialization-and what effects all of that - and the major dominance of  processed corn in our diet - is having on our health and our society.

Produced and directed by Aaron Woolf, who lived with Ian and Curtis in Iowa, and supplemented with explorations through 30 states and to Mexico to collect information and interviews for this film, "KING CORN" utilizes a whimsical humorous approach to present a hefty amount of hard-hitting information. 

 "An enormously entertaining moral, socio-economic oddysey through the  American food industry."  -- Boston Globe

"KING CORN is as relevant as SUPER-SIZE ME and as important as Inconvenient Truth"...   -- Austin Chronicle

 "The Story Of Stuff" an animated short with narration by Annie Leonard tells just that: from resource extraction, to manufacture, to marketing, and on to post-consumer waste.

Both of these films provide powerful and inspiring appeals to greater consciousness in our daily consumption and lifestyles, for the greater health of all of us and our planet.

 Everyone is welcome to stay for post-film discussion and refreshments. 

 Parking lot for church is on Ferris Place (off Prospect Street).  Please enter by side door.

June 2008

Union County Peace Council to Show
"The Power of Community -
How Cuba Survived Peak Oil"  Documentary at the First United Methodist Church of Westfield on May June 20^th

A real-life reality film about a disaster coming to your town – what would you do?"*

*"Must see for survival in the next energy age beyond oil."*

* Union County Peace Council will sponsor a free screening of a very timely film in light of the current energy crunch and ever rising gas pump prices, along with global concern about global warming and environmental impacts. *

*The documentary: "THE POWER OF COMMUNITY: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" provides some helpful inspiration and ideas of how it is possible for communities to turn crisis to an advantage in a manner that benefits and even empowers citizens.*

*"THE POWER OF COMMUNITY" will be shown on Friday, June 20th at 7pm at the First United Methodist Church of Westfield at 1 East Broad Street.*

The film briefly covers the concept of "*Peak Oil*" - the point at which oil resources and production reaches its maximum and then starts to decline - a point which many scientists and public policy experts feel we may have already reached or surpassed.

This film also vividly conveys how this concept applies the situation of the island of Cuba at the time of the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, and the almost complete subsequent shutoff of shipments of Soviet oil, upon which the Cuban economy at that time was highly dependent. Referred to as "the special time", causing a near standstill to the economy and transportation and 80 percent reduction in food imports, the Cuban government and citizens were forced to take immediate action and make dramatic changes for survival.

After an initial rationing period, the people and government of Cuba got more creative - fostering wide-scale organic and farm rescaling – breaking large farms into smaller projects available to those committed to growing crops for local consumption. People were helped by permaculture experts brought in from Australia and created a wide-scale system of urban agriculture, growing crops in every available space - including rooftops, balconies and patios, and use of composts and "bio-pesticides" to replace the petroleum-based pesticides and fertilizers that were no longer available. The initiatives spread to all sectors of the society: transportation, education and healthcare, bringing self-reliance, and fostering community spirit and even political empowerment.

This film provides a valuable microcosm of what could be possible in other industrialized nations, and in light of current energy and environmental concerns, can provide inspiration and some hopeful models for change. And it shows a different side of Cuban life than most Americans ever see. Directed by Faith Morgan, this film is a project of "THE COMMUNITY SOLUTION" - a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching and designing sustainable local energy alternatives to current fossil fuel based, unsustainable industrialized and centralized modes of living. www.communitysolution.org/cuba "Everyone who is concerned about Peak Oil needs to see this film.

Cuba survived an energy famine during the 1990s, and how it did so constitutes one of the most important and hopeful stories of the past few decades. It is a story not just of individual achievement, but of the collective mobilization of an entire society to meet an enormous challenge". –Richard Heinberg, author of *The Party's Over* and *Powerdown*

*Everyone Welcome To Stay For Post-Film Discussion *And Refreshments. 

* Parking lot is on Ferris Place, off Prospect Street. Please enter by side door.*

***Sponsored by Union County Peace Council, First United Methodist Church of Westfield and Word Out!*

May 2008

Union County Peace Council to Show
"The Ground Truth" Documentary at the First United Methodist Church Of Westfield On May 23^rd

    Union County Peace Council will recommence its film program will a free screening of the documentary "THE GROUND TRUTH: THE HUMAN COST OF WAR" on Friday May 23rd at 7 PM at the First United Methodist Church of Westfield at 1 East Broad Street.

   Everywhere you encounter the phrase "Support the Troops" - from military, politicians and civilians of all stripes, but how do we really "Support Our Troops"?  What does that mean in real terms and what is the reality behind the rhetoric? 

   "THE GROUND TRUTH" is a film that takes a close and in-depth examination of that question, mostly by offering insights from those most affected, in particular the veterans and family members themselves.  This film goes behind the scenes to tell what most of the media neglects to tell or largely glosses over.

   Produced and directed by Patricia Foulkrod, in association with "Operation Truth", the non-profit organization founded by Iraq War veteran Paul Riekhoff, "THE GROUND TRUTH" shows an inside view of what happens to many of the veterans who signed on to the military: their recruitment, training and deployment.  It follows them to their assignments in Iraq, and most poignantly, follows what happens to them and their families after they return. 

   In the words of the film's director:  "It became clear while filming, that the broken hearts and shattered lives that I was seeing were so invisible.  The suffering was profound and pervasive - whether people were for or against the Iraq War...I wanted to capture the ongoing pain and betrayal that returning soldiers experience when their psychological and physical need are not recognized or cared for...I wanted us to sit with the broken hearts and troubled minds of these young veterans, so we can take responsibility for their suffering, that is being experienced in our name."

   If we claim to "Support the Troops" then those words need to be more than an empty slogan and we owe to those who are willing to sacrifice everything to be open to them and their message, even if it makes us uncomfortable.  We need to open our hearts and provide understanding and support - especially upon their return - when they need that most of all. 

   At a time when our country is spending so many billions upon recruiting, training and deployment of so many of our young people overseas, it is in all our interests to provide any necessary assistance, support and healing to them once they return. 

   Silent indifference and societal disconnect can only cause even greater suffering.  

 We all share a stake and a responsibility to heed the message of our vets, and to demand accountability from our government to provide whatever services are necessary for healing and reinclusion.  

             To be there for them when they return is the very least we can do.

  "THE GROUND TRUTH is an honest and powerful representation of what killing does to soldiers and the bravery it requires to come home and tell the truth." -- Geoffrey Gilmore

   Featured at the Sundance and Nantucket film fesitvals.

    All  are invited to stay for post-film discussion and refreshments.

 The church parking lot is accessible from Ferris Place (off Prospect Street). 
 Please enter by side door. 

  For more information:  e-mail unioncountypeacecouncil@gmail.com or call Diane at

(908) 233-7344.

Sponsored by Union County Peace Council, the First United Methodist Church of Westfield and Word Out!

October 2007

 A TRUE LIFE "HORROR" STORY:
 Union County Peace Council will host a
FREE HALLOWEEN SCREENING of the HBO documentary
"GHOSTS OF ABU GHRAIB" 

       at The First United Methodist Church of Westfield
 (1 East Broad Street) 
on  WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 31st at 7pm

                           
This special screening will be one of hundreds of screenings sponsored nationwide by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) to mark October as "Torture Awareness Month". 

As movie-goers flock to sensationalized depictions of violence and torture as depicted in countless Hollywood and independently made slasher movies and sequels, such as "Saw", "Resident Evil" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" to name just a few, many unsettling questions arise regarding the juxtaposition of such "fake" violence against images of actual abuse and subjugation such as the graphic images of those detained at Iraq's infamous Abu Ghraib prison. 

A site already long notorious under Saddam Hussein's reign, the release of such disturbing yet now iconic images across TV screens and front pages world-wide, detailing extensive physical and sexual abuse and even fatalities in the "refurbished" Abu Ghraib facility under U.S. command, set off a firestorm of questions. 

How did such egregious violations become accepted practice at Abu Ghraib?

Who was responsible, and who knew what was happening and how far up the chain-of-command did responsibility go? 

What does this represent for American culture and society and the reputation and standing of the United States in the rest of the world?

All of this against the backdrop of an administration endlessly repeating the mantra;  "We do not torture".

Blending in-depth interviews with witnesses, victims and military guards directly involved along with other powerful contextual footage, acclaimed filmmaker Rory Kennedy probes the psychological and political underpinnings behind the headlines of this scandal. 

Kennedy says of her film;  "I would hope GHOSTS OF ABU GHRAIB...encourages people to get involved ... have gatherings where they talk about it...talking to their friends and family about what's happening and really demanding change."

"We need to voice those concerns, and really embolden our leaders to take action and change our policies back to what America used to represent -- human rights and human dignity and respect for the law."

"While the Abu Ghraib story is not new, "Ghosts" adds significantly to public knowledge..." -- LA Times, Tony Perry

"...demands attention..."  -- Philadelphia Inquirer, Jonathan Storm

ALL ARE INVITED TO STAY FOR POST-FILM DISCUSSION AND REFRESHMENTS.

"There is no such thing as a little bit of torture."  -- Alfred W. McCoy, author of " A Question of Torture:  CIA Interrogation, from the Cold War to the War on Terror"

Parking lot for church is on Ferris Place, off Prospect Street.  Please enter by side door.

For more information:  Go to www.ucpeace.org, e-mail:  unioncountypeacecouncil@gmail.com or call Diane at (908) 233-7344  

Sponsored by Union County Peace Council, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, First United Methodist Church of Westfield and Word Out!

July 2007 "Prescription For Disaster"

20 (Friday) 7:30pm United Methodist Church, Broad Street, Westfield, NJ

"Films For Change" series will be the documentary "Prescription For Disaster" (about the current healthcare crisis) - a film by radio, PBS television presenter and author, Gary Null, Ph.D.

"Prescription For Disaster" will be shown for free on Friday, July 20^th at 7:30pm at the First United Methodist Church of Westfield at 1 East Broad St.

Sponsored by UCPC, First United Methodist Church of Westfield, and Word Out!

NOTE: Anyone who has any interest (or skepticism) regarding Michael Moore's "SICK-O" documentary would do well to see this film, also.

See video "Learn How the Pharmaceutical Industry & the FDA are Endangering Your Health for Profit in this Highly Recommended Video".

Union County Peace Council's next presentation in the "Films For Change" series will be the documentary "Prescription For Disaster" (about the current healthcare crisis) - a film by radio, PBS television presenter and author, Gary Null, Ph.D.

"Prescription For Disaster" will be shown for free on Friday, July 20th at 7:30 PM at the First United Methodist Church of Westfield at 1 East Broad St.

Sponsored by UCPC, First United Methodist Church of Westfield, and Word Out!

NOTE: Anyone who has any interest (or skepticism) regarding Michael Moore's "SICK-O" documentary would do well to see this film, also.
FREE SHOWING OF "PRESCRIPTION FOR DISASTER" AT THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF WESTFIELD ON FRIDAY, JULY 20TH

WHO CONTROLS HEALTHCARE IN THIS COUNTRY ?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS WE FACE
AND WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS ?

On Friday July 20th at 7:30 PM, Union County Peace Council will continue its free film series with a screening of the documentarty "PRESCRIPTION FOR DISASTER" (an examination of the U.S. healthcare system). This film will be shown at the First United Methodist Church of Westfield at 1 East Broad Street.

This searching, extensively researched and enlightening investigation of the crisis in our healthcare system was created and produced by radio/TV personality, NY Times best-selling author and noted health expert
Gary Null, Ph. D.
Gary Null hosts "The Gary Null Show" on talk radio and has produced many PBS programs contributing much information to debate on health and public policy issues.

This film provides thoughtful and intensive analysis of current issues concerning corporate and government involvement in medical care, prescription drugs and public health, and how all of that affects the lives and well-being of many ordinary Americans.

Anyone interested in (or skeptical about) the information presented in Michael Moore's documentary "SICK-O" would also be well advised to see this film. It serves as a perfect "companion piece" to Moore's film - providing even greater depth of knowledge, examples and specific information on the topic.

As in Moore's film, "PRESCRIPTION FOR DISASTER" shows a system skewed toward making immense profits for healthcare, insurance and pharmaceutical firms, with often costly and disastrous - even deadly - effects on those who may find themselves at the mercy of this system.

Gary Null's film also discusses how benefits of alternative and/or preventative care - through nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, and supplements - can save money and lives and discusses intense pressure and attacks faced by alternative practitioners from drug companies and the medical establishment.

More than just a current "hot" topic, the current debate around healthcare centers around serious life and death issues and is at the heart of elemental questions of basic democracy in this country.

Who will control healthcare and what are our options?

It is essential for everyone to be informed and get involved in this debate as this issue affects us all.

EVERYONE IS INVITED TO STAY FOR POST-FILM DISCUSSION AND REFRESHMENTS.

Parking lot is on Ferris Place (off Prospect Street). Enter by side door.

For more information go to: www.ucpeace.org, e-mail unioncountypeacecouncil@gmail.com or call Diane at (908) 233-7344

Sponsored by Union County Peace Council, First United Methodist Church of Westfield and Word Out!

COMING SOON! Our Fourth annual PEACE & WORLD FRIENDSHIP FAIR in downtown Cranford on Sunday, August 5th. Please contact us for more information, or to volunteer or participate.

Prescription For Disaster (Gary Null) 1 hr 33 min - Oct 23 ...
Hide video - 93 min -
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2502546838698762400

June 2007
"SIR! NO SIR!: The Suppressed Story of the GI Movement to End the War in Vietnam"

This acclaimed documentary will be shown for free as the latest in Union County Peace Council's "Films for Change" series on Friday, June 8th at 7:30pm at the First United Church of Westfield on 1 East Broad Street.

Directed and written by David Ziegler and winner of numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Audience Award for Best Documentary, " SIR! NO SIR!" vividly recaptures the colorful spirit of the U.S. anti-war movement that rose up against U.S. military involvement in Vietnam, and which soon came to symbolize the 1960s and 70s.

While one of the prevailing notions of Vietnam war resistance is that protestors were on one side of fence and most of those in the military were on the other side, this film powerfully documents the very significant resistance movement that took firm root and blossomed within the ranks of the military.

Starting with rather few individuals, the protest expanded to a movement of hundreds of thousands of military rank and file, as well as among discharged or retired veterans. The Pentagon recorded a staggering total of 503,926 "incidents of desertion" starting from 1971 alone.

Despite threats of prison or stockades facing those charged with disobeying orders or involvement in any protest activity, "organizing an anti-war meeting could net you six to ten years in jail...carrying a sign could put you away for two"... this film documents the fervent anti-war organizing activities that went on, on bases and the nearby coffeehouses that sprang up across the county.

Hundreds of underground protest newspapers further carried the message to their fellow troops both here and overseas.

The film unearths a treasure trove of neglected history from that crucial and turbulent era of our past and seeks to correct some myths from that time. Many parallels can certainly be made to our current involvement in another highly unpopular war.

One veteran interviewed for the film, Dave Cline, a NJ resident who was wounded three times in Vietnam and later became president of Veterans For Peace, says: "When you just went through an experience of that nature, and you find out that it's all lies and that they're lying to the American people and your silence means you're part of keeping that lie going - I couldn't stop. I mean I couldn't be silent."

With powerful archive footage and interviews with veterans, and music of that era, including scenes with Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland during their lively "Free the Army" (to put it politely) performance and rally tours, " SIR! NO SIR!" vividly recaptures the colorful spirit of that time.

While this film makes no bones about its partisan stance against the Vietnam War (and unavoidable comparison to the current military involvement in Iraq) the film makes its case powerfully and passionately, especially in the words of those whose lives were changed forever in war and who have much to tell us if we are willing to hear it.

"Two Thumbs Up!" - Ebert and Roeper

"A penetrating eye-opener of a documentary" - The Hollywood Reporter

All are invited to stay for post-film discussion and refreshments .

Parking lot for the church is accessible from Ferris Place (off Prospect Street).
Please enter by side door.

Sponsored by Union County Peace Council, The First United Methodist Church of Westfield, Veterans for Peace,Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Iraq Veterans Against War, and Word Out!

April 2007

13 (Friday) 7:30pm United Methodist Church, Broad Street, Westfield, NJ
film: Chasing Freedom   www.courttv.com/freedom
Geri and Charlie Mulligan will be talking about Immigration Detention: what it is, the system, the conditions, the way it oppresses and what we can do about it.

March 2007

23: Peaceable Kingdom
A Tribe of the Heart Documentary
see www.TribeOfheart.org

February 2007
16: Iraq For Sale

January 2007
12: Baraka: A World Beyond Words, Westfield*

December 2006
15: Why We Fight, Westfield*

November 2006
17: An Inconvenient Truth, Westfield*

All films are free. Films begin at 7:30pm. Refreshments are served and there will be an opportunity to sit and chat after the film. Free, but donations are welcome!

Watch for additional dates and films.

*First United Methodist Church, located at 1 East Broad St., Westfield

**St Joseph's Social Services Center, located at 118 Division St., Elizabeth