code PINK for a week! come to d.c.

[babydollhead]

This summer we at CODEPINK would like to invite you to join us in DC for a week (Sunday-Saturday) of high-imact actions to help end the US occupation of Iraq and prevent a war on Iran! Pick a week during July and come stay at our Pink House on Capitol Hill, located only blocks from Congressional offices and a short distance from Smithsonian museums, the Washington Monument, and the Mall ~ all absolutely gorgeous this time of year! Many of our "Pink House" alumni say they cannot wait to come back where they feel so welcomed to our pink "oasis", often described as uplifting, eye-opening, empowering and unforgettable.

Apply to join us this summer here:

http://codepinkalert.org/form.php?modin=74

In choosing to spend a week or two of your summer with us at the Pink House, we will mentor you and joyfully hold your hand as you learn new skills needed to creatively pressure Congress into bringing our troops home and ending the violence inflicted daily on our brothers and sisters in Iraq.

Fun skill-building includes:
Activist Art (How to "PINK" it up with song, dance, & visual art)
Reaching the Media Training (creative messaging, letters to the editor, press releases, flyers, getting your points across, etc.)
Be the Media (using your camera, youtubing & Flickr websites)
Leadership skills (planning an action, meeting facilitation, and more)
Community living (cooking, being part of a team, creating events to build local community connections)


Here's a blog entry from one of the women who stayed and worked with us last summer:

"CODEPINK has been acting as my proxy for a long time. I'm extremely grateful to them for that and for allowing me to stay down here in the DC and learn from them. I cannot fully communicate with words, pictures or even video just how amazingly energetic and dedicated everybody here is. I mean, geesh: speedwalk up to the Hill in the chilly morning after some coffee, watching Democracy Now and planning out a tentative schedule; demonstrate outside the RNC; splitting up to attend an FCC hearing and a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing; grabbing a quick bite in the Dirksen cafeteria; meeting and greeting Senators in the halls and tunnels of Congress; visiting the Blue Dog Democrats' offices with dog bones and cost of war figures; back to the tunnels...all on my first day. The following days were even more eventful!
I hope that conveys some sense of what CODEPINK has done on a daily basis here in DC. You might see a picture or a short video clip here and there, but that's representative of mere moments in full days that are consumed with giving voice to the voiceless and trying to counter the lobbyists, consultants and self-interest that drive our government.
We criticize Congress for not doing more, for not being brave, for not standing up for what's right--well, put some skin in the game beyond voting, donating to candidates, writing letters or even marching. Gene Sharp cataloged 198 methods of nonviolent action. Choose some that you haven't tried before, go beyond your comfort level and escalate your involvement in stopping the horror. Then get a friend or two to join you. Pretty soon, we've got a movement.
There are many ways to fight. When you need some inspiration, after you return home from the Pink House, you can always visualize the CODEPINK gals working so hard, then go PINK for peace in your community in whatever way you can."

While enhancing your commitment to peace, you will gain the confidence to organize and mobilize locally. We will provide you with the tools you need to reinvigorate your actions at home and to help you inspire others to join our creative dissent.

For complete details about the Summer of Hope weeklong activist camps in DC:

http://codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=4113

Apply to join us this summer! To fill out the interest form and provide us with your contact info:


http://codepinkalert.org/form.php?modin=74

Pink House guests are expected to pay $10 a day for meals, and a sliding scale contribution to CODEPINK is requested. Participants are responsible for their own travel to DC. For less than you may spend during your average week at home, you could have a priceless experience restoring democracy and building peace this summer!

In Solidarity,

Des, Liz, Gael, Rae, Sarah, and the DC CODEPINK Team