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Pftjtion to The'•Democratic and Republican National Convention '

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Pftjtion to The'•Democratic and Republican National Convention ' PFTJTION TO THE'•DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION ' We, the undersigned, who have served overseas in volunteer service programs such as the Peace Corps and the American Fiiends Service Committee, are'gravely con­ cerned'about the'crisis 'which confronts our nation in its relations with ether coun­ tries and with its own people. We went overseas believing that as citizen's of a-rich nation we should work to change the unjust and intolerable situation in which one- fourth of the world's people enjoy three-fourths of the world's wealth. Having been taught that ail men should be free-to shape their own future,'we sought to-act" upon" that understanding. -'••• '• • We have returned to this country and have found our nation deeply engaged in a • war.-that-seeks to impose,, at immense cost, a United States solution on the'problems of another country. A similar reliance on intervention and military response-exists, . in most of the world. The United States shews no respect for principles;of: self- determination when other countries seek independence from our political and economic, hegemony.. Our government justifies this foreign policy with a Cold War mentality that divides nations into "free11 and "communist" and ignores the fundamental division between rich and poor. It pours immense resources into military éxpënrliturè3 and the gap between rich and poor steadily widens. 'At home, we find that this country is profoundly divided. The violence of,Vietnam has c'Ome back upon us in the form of assassination, political imprisonment'of critics of the government and civil disorder. Armed suppression of dissent leaves, little hope that poverty and racial injustice can be eliminated without violence. ' ;.-. ; On the basis of our experience abroad, we now join together in making this petition to the national political conventions. We call upon the delegates to enact the following principles as a part of their platform and to select candidates who will seek their implementation: .'•'.•••,. CURRENT GESTURES OF THE ADMINISTRATION TOWARDS ENDING THE WAR IN VIETNAI ARE SEVERELY"INADEQUATE. Therefore: ' '.' "• • 1) The United States must immediately begin the withdrawal of its troops from South Vietnam and Thailand; :2) The United States must recognize that the National Liberation Front will have • 'a major role in any negotiations and peace settlement; ••'.',. 3) The United States must be prepared to pay war reparations to the people of Vietnam for the damage its arms have wrought; 4).. Pardon or amnesty must be granted to all persons who are subject to criminal • .prosecution7for their conscientious resistance to the war, including Dr. Benjami: . Spook,".William Sloane Coffin/ Michael Ferber and Mitchell Goodman, and re- v .tüPned.,yoluriteers Malcolm Dundas, Bruce Murray and Fred Lonidier. POLICE AND MILITARY RESPONSE TO CIVIL DISCONTENT IN THE UNITED STATES IGNORES AND OBSCURES THE REALITY OF POVERTY AND RACISM IN THIS COUNTRY. Therefore: 5) The government must recognize the, right, of black people, Puerto Ricans , Indians, Mexican-Americans and poor whites to control the schools, police and economic institutions in their communities; . "v 6) The recommendations of the Kern er Report should be implemented as a first step towards providing justice to all citizens; 7) A negative income tax or a guaranteed annual income must replace a welfare system which perpetuates poverty and undermines the dignity of the poor; 8) Military and defense spending should be drastically reduced and funds reallocated for the elimination of poverty. UNITED STATES SUPPORT OF UNREPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENTS ABROAD AND HOSTILITY TO REVOLUTIONARY NATIONS WORKS AGAINST LEGITIMATE DEMANDS FOR SOCIAL JUS­ TICE AND POLITICAL CHANGE. Therefore: 9) The United States must end military assistance to those countries where it is usee to suppress internal political movements—as in the cases of Thailand, Guatemala, Greece and the Portuguese African territories; 10) The United States must end political and economic support of racist regimes in- South Africa, Mozambigue, Angola and Rhodesia and Southwest Africa; private in­ vestments, such as the US bank consortium for South Africa should be discouraged. 11) The United States must recognize the right of other countries to protect and nat­ ionalize their own resources and to secure their own interests against the exploi­ tation of private foreign investment in developing economies; 12) The United States must restore diplomatic relations with Cuba and recognize the People's Republic of China . CURRENT UNITED STATES AID POLICIES ARE DESIGNED PRIMARILY TO SERVE UNITED STATES INTERESTS RATHER THAN THE NEEDS OF RECIPIENT COUNTRIES. Therefore: 13) The United States should shift its emphasis from military assistance to develop­ ing countries towards greater economic and technical assistance; 14) The United States aid must be administered on a multilateral basis through gen­ uinely international organizations. Assistance should not be contingent upon the purchase of goods manufactured in the United States; 15) The Peace Corps should immediately be removed from State Department control and should become an internationally sponsored and administered program. Participant countries should both receive and send volunteers, and citizens of the host country should have the primary role in overseeing the work of the volunteers. (This petition of the Committee of Returned Volunteers has been signed by 800 persons who served in volunteer programs in the third world. CRV is an independent educational and political organization founded in 1966 which has chapters in ten cities. For information contact John McAuHff, Interim National Chairman, CRV, Box 3Ö0, Cooper Station, New York, N.J. 10003 212-U77-OuOli) .
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