Statement of Purpose

We, having dutifully served our nation, do hereby affirm our greater responsibility to serve the cause of world peace and justice. Americans will be secure at home only when there is peace and justice abroad. To this end, we will work, with others: toward increasing public awareness of the costs of war, to restrain our government from intervening, overtly and covertly, in the internal affairs of other nations, to end the arms race and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons, and to abolish war as an instrument of international policy. To achieve these goals, members of Veterans For Peace pledge to use non-violent means and to maintain an organization that is democratic.

Veterans for Peace, Inc. (VFP) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational and humanitarian organization dedicated to the abolishment of war and was founded in 1985 by ex-service members. Our membership is comprised of veterans from all wars spanning from The Spanish Civil War to the current invasion of Iraq. These members make up over 100 nationwide chapters, and have dozens of international affiliations.

Our international activities include working with our affiliations in El Salvador, Russia, Canada, Japan, Guatemala, Viet Nam, the Netherlands, Chiapas (Mexico), France, England, Cuba, Nicaragua, Vieques (Puerto Rico), and numerous others.

A member of the Nobel-Peace Prize winning Coalition to Ban the Sale and Use of Landmines, VFP has been undertaking arduous tasks since its inception. From bringing medical aid to Central American nations, to evacuating wounded children from war-torn Bosnian hospitals and securing medical treatment elsewhere around the globe, or just sitting down with American high school kids so that they may make choices for themselves based on reality, and not myth. We remain firmly committed to the abolition of war.

We know the consequences of American foreign policy because once, at a time in our lives, so many of us carried it out. We find it sad that war seems so delightful, so often, to those that have no knowledge of it. We will proudly, and patriotically, continue to denounce war despite whatever misguided sense of euphoria supports it.

Wage Peace!

Associate memberships are available to people who have not served in the military. We welcome any person who shares our views.