VICTORIES!

Dear Friends,

In today's chaotic world, sometimes it can be hard for you to feel as if you're making a difference. We want to assure you: YOU ARE. Over just the last couple of weeks, we've seen great examples of what happens when people come together to create change--great victories that YOU have helped make possible.

Last week, President Obama said he did not want to prosecute Americans who used torture in interrogating prisoners. Yesterday, thanks to pressure from groups like CODEPINK and people like YOU, he shifted, opening the door open to prosecuting officials who laid the legal groundwork for the use of torture.

Last week, many of us contacted Afghan President Karzai and the Afghanistan Embassy. Now, thanks to the brave uprising of women in Afghanistan and activists like you speaking out on their behalf, Karzai has promised to review the law that would have legalized marital rape. Keep it going by planning or joining pink house parties and by joining our new book club! Click here for more.

For the last few months, we've been protesting the bailout of Wall St. instead of Main St, and calling on the bankers to "Give Us Our Money Back." We're starting to see some glimmers of progress, with the government finally introducing a $275 billion plan to help homeowners, and some of the banks, like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan, saying they want to start repaying the money they took from us.

Last month, we were outraged that the Iraq Government gave Muntadar Al-Zaidi, 3 years for throwing his shoes at Bush to bring attention to the widows and orphans of Iraq. This month, his sentence was reduced from three years to one!

Last year, we launched a campaign calling upon the FBI to add Luis Posada Carilles, a ruthless terrorist responsible for downing a Cuban airplane in 1976, to the Most Wanted List and arrest him. On April 8, he was indicted on 11 counts.

None of these things could have happened without the people rising up to demand justice and work for change. Thank you for all of your engagement, for your phone calls and emails, for your taking to the streets to raise your voice. You are making a difference and you can bring your voice to join us for Mother's Day in DC on May 9-10!. If you can't make the trip, you can add beauty and power to our knitted White House cozy and our photo mosaic when you pledge to be a Mother for Peace!

Celebrating our power,
Allison, Audrey, Blaine, Dana, Desiree, Farida, Gael, Gayle, Janna, Janet, Jean, Jodie, Liz, Lori, Lydia, Medea, Nancy, Pam, Paris, and Rae