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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!

# 31,900:

5:50 am PDT, Jun 25, Deborah Hoff, Massachusetts
I am disguested at this situation - how does this makes sense to anyone??

# 31,899:

12:07 am PDT, Jun 25, Name not displayed, California

# 31,898:

11:15 pm PDT, Jun 24, JOHN JORDAN, California

# 31,897:

10:14 pm PDT, Jun 24, Sonia Aggarwal, California
It's important to honor all commitments in order to promote integrity.

# 31,896:

9:53 pm PDT, Jun 24, Barry Smith, New York

# 31,895:

9:06 pm PDT, Jun 24, Linda Schreiber, California

# 31,894:

8:18 pm PDT, Jun 24, Dorothy Townsend-Tyers, Washington
We need to strengthen the world opinion of us that we prefer peace to war.

# 31,893:

8:12 pm PDT, Jun 24, Patricia J. Malliry, Louisiana

# 31,892:

7:08 pm PDT, Jun 24, Christine Cohen, California

# 31,891:

6:45 pm PDT, Jun 24, Debbie Hillman, Georgia
It's the right thing to do!

# 31,890:

6:37 pm PDT, Jun 24, Becky Lee, Minnesota
Peace is free within our own minds and hearts...let it begin there; with each one of us.

# 31,889:

6:10 pm PDT, Jun 24, Michael Richardson, Florida
Peace is always on peoples lips but it must be made to be a reality, the US must keep it's commtments to the UN peace keeping missions.

# 31,888:

5:53 pm PDT, Jun 24, Vita Libertas, Florida
We like to represent ourselves as exemplars of human rights.....AND Democracy

# 31,887:

5:41 pm PDT, Jun 24, Eric LaVigne, New York
We will need the support and resources of the UN to help out with the mess we're making in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East in general, Africa, and everywhere else our failed policies, interventions, preemptions, and economic strategies are hard at work. To be fair, all the worlds ills are not all our fault, and there are natural changes going on and internicine battles and strife that we've not caused or exacerbated, which is all the more reason that we should be on the forefront of humanitarian support and aid and leading the United Nations instead of fogetting to pay our fair share. This was once our legacy, and now all we are known for is Iraq.

# 31,886:

5:38 pm PDT, Jun 24, Natalie Pargas, Washington D.C.
The UN is essential to our ongoing globalization. The US must suppot the UN's peacekeeping mission.

# 31,885:

5:10 pm PDT, Jun 24, Amy Cooper, Colorado

# 31,884:

4:38 pm PDT, Jun 24, Erich W Larisch, Washington D.C.

# 31,883:

4:21 pm PDT, Jun 24, William Taylor, New Mexico

# 31,882:

4:21 pm PDT, Jun 24, Name not displayed, North Carolina
We, as a nation, must honor our word and our commitment. These commitments are vital to the survival of our nation and our children's future. Thank You

# 31,881:

4:12 pm PDT, Jun 24, Name not displayed, California

# 31,880:

3:36 pm PDT, Jun 24, Nancy Knipe, California

# 31,879:

3:29 pm PDT, Jun 24, JOANN KOHLI, Oregon

# 31,878:

3:00 pm PDT, Jun 24, Nancy MacDermott, Ohio

# 31,877:

2:39 pm PDT, Jun 24, Hilary Entley, Pennsylvania

# 31,876:

2:16 pm PDT, Jun 24, Michael Jacobson, Florida
The budget has to be managed differently because it just does not make sense that all this money is being spent for the war in Iraq yet so little is focused on diplomatic efforts to resolve problems.

# 31,875:

1:07 pm PDT, Jun 24, Leon Perez, Florida

# 31,874:

12:11 pm PDT, Jun 24, Michael Goode, California

# 31,873:

11:37 am PDT, Jun 24, Kimberly Gronemeyer, North Carolina

# 31,872:

10:58 am PDT, Jun 24, William Cooper, Illinois

# 31,871:

9:50 am PDT, Jun 24, Stan McCauley, Oklahoma

# 31,870:

9:29 am PDT, Jun 24, Jean Cheesman, California

# 31,869:

9:04 am PDT, Jun 24, Name not displayed, Texas

# 31,868:

8:55 am PDT, Jun 24, Name not displayed, Michigan

# 31,867:

8:35 am PDT, Jun 24, Lisa Flint, Washington

# 31,866:

8:11 am PDT, Jun 24, Donna Yannazzone, New York

# 31,865:

7:41 am PDT, Jun 24, Elizabeth Stankevich, New Jersey

# 31,864:

6:47 am PDT, Jun 24, Name not displayed, Nevada

# 31,863:

6:23 am PDT, Jun 24, Jesse Barlow, Pennsylvania

# 31,862:

4:48 am PDT, Jun 24, Teresa Strawther, Oklahoma

# 31,861:

4:21 am PDT, Jun 24, Dr. Veronica Torres, Florida

# 31,860:

4:12 am PDT, Jun 24, Marianna Corneau, South Carolina

# 31,859:

4:11 am PDT, Jun 24, Emily Spence, Massachusetts
It is arrogant to assume that we should have participation and any influence in UN procedures when we do not pay our dues. Please work to change this embarrassing and dishonorable condition now. Thank you!

# 31,858:

12:25 am PDT, Jun 24, Bryan Smith, Washington
Peace is security.

# 31,857:

10:28 pm PDT, Jun 23, Anne Marie Cardinal, Arizona
I believe we need to put more of an effort toward working within the UN rather than going around it. Please honor our committments to peacekeeping efforts.

# 31,856:

10:11 pm PDT, Jun 23, George Smith, Oklahoma

# 31,855:

9:50 pm PDT, Jun 23, Name not displayed, Florida

# 31,854:

9:08 pm PDT, Jun 23, Lisa Florea, Ohio

# 31,853:

9:06 pm PDT, Jun 23, Arlindo Silva, Portugal

# 31,852:

7:18 pm PDT, Jun 23, Kenneth Schueller, Virginia
Please honor the commitments that have been made and not desicrate the tattered image that the US has already.

# 31,851:

7:00 pm PDT, Jun 23, Emily Allan, North Carolina

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