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Tell Congress: Honor our Commitments to UN Peacekeeping!

Sponsored by: Better World Campaign

Global spending on war is staggering, but UN peacekeeping is helping to maintain peace, foster reconciliation, promote democracy, and build the foundation for long-term stability in 18 missions around the world.

UN peacekeeping shares the burden of maintaining international peace and security for a fraction of what it would cost the U.S. to do so, while keeping American troops out of harm's way.

But the United States is failing to pay its fair share of UN peacekeeping even though we vote for every mission! The President's budget request this year shortchanges UN peacekeeping by $500 million.

Considering the U.S. has already accumulated $500 million in prior unpaid bills to UN peacekeeping alone, the United States could owe more than $1 billion to the United Nations by the end of 2007 a small fraction of the $168 BILLION that will be spent on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this year!

Sign the petition below telling Congress to honor its commitments to UN peacekeeping. Peace. It's cheaper than war.

deadline: 5-6-2008
goal: 30,000

31,943
signatures!

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Success! Due to efforts from people like you, the United States Congress increased funding for UN Peacekeeping by $195 million for 2008. Thank you for making a difference! Please click here for more petitions.

Dear Members of Congress,

War and hostility are far too prevalent in today's world, exacting a huge economic, moral, and human cost. In contrast, the price of peace is a fraction of the cost of war. I strongly support UN peacekeeping as a fair and effective means of sharing the burdens for international security and stability. No nation should have to bear every burden, pay every bill, or take every risk; I urge you to act now to fully fund our promised contributions to the UN.

Today, the UN oversees a record 18 peacekeeping missions around the world, including in some of the world's most dangerous places, such as Sudan, Lebanon, Congo, and Haiti, all of which are critical to our national and international security, and the U.S. votes to approve.

The UN's lifesaving peace missions are in jeopardy because donor countries are not living up to their commitments to support UN peacekeeping, particularly the U.S. Growing shortfalls in U.S. contributions, policy restrictions, and long-standing unpaid bills threaten to put the United States more than $1 billion behind in peacekeeping obligations. Shortchanging UN peacekeeping has real impacts, forcing the UN to cobble together the necessary means for deployment and discouraging other countries from contributing their fair share of resources.

I urge you to take a leading role in fulfilling U.S. commitments to UN peacekeeping by increasing funding to the Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account by $500 million in the fiscal year 2008 appropriation process. The U.S. should also take steps to pay off prior U.S. arrears. Investing in peace serves our country better than paying for the soaring costs of war.

[Your comment]

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

We signed the “Tell Congress: Honor our Commitments to UN Peacekeeping!” petition!

# 31,550:

2:51 pm PDT, Jun 21, Adam Meltzer, Illinois

# 31,549:

2:41 pm PDT, Jun 21, Andrea Kraus, California
It's up to each one of us to force Congress to spend less on wars (zero would be best) and fully fund UN peacekeeping missions. Let's not forget WE elect these people into office! And WE pay with our hard-earned taxmoney.

# 31,548:

2:30 pm PDT, Jun 21, Name not displayed, California

# 31,547:

2:25 pm PDT, Jun 21, Heather Macurdy, Arkansas
Peace is the answer.

# 31,546:

2:20 pm PDT, Jun 21, Mark Major, Arizona
We do not need to be Team America-World Police...

# 31,545:

2:11 pm PDT, Jun 21, Carolyn Tranghese, Massachusetts

# 31,544:

2:01 pm PDT, Jun 21, Blonde Morticia, Oregon

# 31,543:

1:52 pm PDT, Jun 21, Alex Weisskopf, Arizona
It is a legitimate debt. Pay up

# 31,542:

1:48 pm PDT, Jun 21, Michelle Schesny, New York

# 31,541:

1:39 pm PDT, Jun 21, Ted Studley, California
If we can afford to spend so much money on war, we ought to be able to spend even more money on peace.

# 31,540:

1:16 pm PDT, Jun 21, Katrina Patrick, Washington

# 31,539:

1:15 pm PDT, Jun 21, Laura Sierra, Washington
peace is cheaper than war.

# 31,538:

1:14 pm PDT, Jun 21, Mia S., California

# 31,537:

1:12 pm PDT, Jun 21, Shane Sittig, Arizona

# 31,536:

12:53 pm PDT, Jun 21, John Christopher, North Carolina
Who trusts a nation that does not honor its commitments, and a untrustworthy president does not a nation make.

# 31,535:

12:25 pm PDT, Jun 21, Brenda Pope, Washington
I am one hundred percent behind this petition; peace is a part of my personal philosophy and I believe that the world would be a better place if the President of this United States took on that philosophy. I believe the United States should Honor our Commitments to UN Peacekeeping at All Times!!! Although, we are involved in a war, I believe it is important that our President support peace. I believe our President should check his heart and mind and his views because we have a serious problem in Iraq. In the meantime, we need to have peacekeepers at the ready for problems that may come up anywhere in the world. I believe that it is best to practice peace and avoid war at all costs. When one goes to war with another, one never knows what one is getting into; Vietnam is one example, and now we have another with Iraq. I urge my representatives, Congressman McDermott and Senator Patty Murray, among others to urge the government to keep their commitments to UN Peacekeeping!!!Thank You!!!

# 31,534:

12:19 pm PDT, Jun 21, Nicholas A. Read, New York
Nothing Sudan does can justify its war against its own citizens in Darfur. We must do whatever we can to end this genocide.

# 31,533:

12:16 pm PDT, Jun 21, Lynn Quilicot, New York

# 31,532:

12:13 pm PDT, Jun 21, Jacqueline Kolpin, Arizona

# 31,531:

12:12 pm PDT, Jun 21, Ayisha Stewart, California

# 31,530:

12:11 pm PDT, Jun 21, David Parker, Arkansas
It's time to stop the madness of war. Peace must be our priority.

# 31,529:

12:04 pm PDT, Jun 21, Name not displayed, Oregon

# 31,528:

11:52 am PDT, Jun 21, Tiffany Drake, Nevada

# 31,527:

11:44 am PDT, Jun 21, Emily Barker, Indiana

# 31,526:

11:39 am PDT, Jun 21, Fern Godden, California

# 31,525:

11:27 am PDT, Jun 21, Marissa Rodriguez, Texas

# 31,524:

11:25 am PDT, Jun 21, Renee Duenow, Missouri

# 31,523:

11:22 am PDT, Jun 21, Linda Hale, California
We need to seek diplomatic solutions that the world will applaud.

# 31,522:

11:15 am PDT, Jun 21, Rachel Sternthal, New York

# 31,521:

10:53 am PDT, Jun 21, Brittany Manning, California

# 31,520:

10:39 am PDT, Jun 21, Name not displayed, Illinois
War obviously is not about freedom for the people, it is to increase the power and profit of the select few. Slautering each other is a also a lousy form of population(birth)control. It is more than time to stop this insanity.

# 31,519:

10:06 am PDT, Jun 21, Ran Zirasri, North Dakota

# 31,518:

9:58 am PDT, Jun 21, Latoya James, Virginia
Do what's best!

# 31,517:

9:54 am PDT, Jun 21, Latoya James, Virginia
Please do the right thing!

# 31,516:

9:47 am PDT, Jun 21, Adrienne Austin, North Carolina
Peace has to be our goal or all else fails.

# 31,515:

9:34 am PDT, Jun 21, Deborah Knaack, Nevada

# 31,514:

9:32 am PDT, Jun 21, Sandra Zwart, Netherlands

# 31,513:

9:28 am PDT, Jun 21, Thomas C Townsend, California

# 31,512:

9:22 am PDT, Jun 21, Lyn Noland, New York

# 31,511:

9:08 am PDT, Jun 21, Cynthia Pikoulas, New York

# 31,510:

8:42 am PDT, Jun 21, CHERYL HUGEL, Ohio
GIVE PEACE A CHANCE!!!!!

# 31,509:

8:33 am PDT, Jun 21, Tiffany Stanley, North Carolina

# 31,508:

8:31 am PDT, Jun 21, Richard D. SAMPSON, Wisconsin
we must give more than lip service. to our professed commitments for thwe welfare of others.

# 31,507:

8:30 am PDT, Jun 21, Lori Smith, Oregon

# 31,506:

8:26 am PDT, Jun 21, Janet Petty, California

# 31,505:

8:18 am PDT, Jun 21, Amy Webster, New Jersey

# 31,504:

8:10 am PDT, Jun 21, Lori Zimmerman, New Jersey
If we want oterh nations to consider us true leaders, we must live up to our financial obligations. We must use the pocket book to demonstrate that we want to end blood shed and promnte peace. The U.N. has also served as a great source to fight poverty, ignorance, human rights and environmental danger in this world

# 31,503:

8:09 am PDT, Jun 21, Betty A. Crawford, New York
I am sure all the great minds you have working for you can find a better way.

# 31,502:

8:07 am PDT, Jun 21, Joanne MacLeod Bartlett, New York
We as individual Americans honor our commitments in our daily lives. Our country should do the same.

# 31,501:

8:04 am PDT, Jun 21, Troy Shaw, Michigan

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