CPT in the USA

Introduction

In the United States, CPT has worked at violence reduction in urban settings and in support of a Native American community. We acknowledge that violence afflicts our home communities too.

The first project was in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington DC. CPT maintained a team of 2-5 persons there from 1994-96 helping to establish citizen street patrols and closing down two notorious crack houses. A smaller team then carried on a project in the Park Realty neighborhood on the edge of Richmond VA from 1997-99. The metropolitan area has one of the highest murder rates in the country. CPT initiated neighborhood patrols and community vigils at murder sites.

CPT has also worked with Native American communities threatened with violence in South Dakota and New York state.

Oneida Territory (Central New York)

Oct 22, 2002 demolishion of Danielle Patterson's house.

CPT was invited to send an observer team to Oneida Territory near Syracuse, New York, for two weeks in February 2002, in response to fears surrounding forced evictions. The team met with various Oneida individuals and officials, area pastors, police, city and state officials, local residents and businesspeople. Fears and threats of violence remain.

In August of 2002 a request for peacemakers came from Danielle Shenandoah of the Onedia community (as her house was to be demolished) and CPT responded to this call by sending an emergency team to join dozens of other supporters on the land. The emergency team was present in the community from August to December.

Danielle Shenandoah's house was demolished on November 1, 2002 and since then CPT has sent teams to be present with the community upon their request.

Further information:

Click here for the February 2002 Oneida Report.

CPTNet releases

Ft Benning, Georgia

The US Army's School of the Americas is located at Ft Benning, Georgia. Graduates of the School have been involved in some of the worst abuses of human rights in Latin America. Every year, thousands of persons come to Ft Benning to remember the victims of these atrocities and to call for the closure of the School. CPTers and supporters have been a growing presence at these public witness events. A photo essay and movie clips from CPT's participation in 2001 is available at www.goshen.edu/~joelrf/webfolio/cpt.soa2001

Cleveland OH

CPTnet story: Cleveland: Lee Heights CPT Takes Prayers to the Streets

In November 2000, a CPT regional group began to take shape in the Lee Heights neighborhood of Cleveland OH. Many members of the group attend Lee Heights Community Church (Mennonite) and asked CPT to assist them is addressing the violence in their city. The group completed CPT Reservists training in May 2001. A large part of CPT-Cleveland's focus in 2001 was responding to local gun violence. The team organized and attended public vigils to pray for justice and the realization of Christ's peace in troubled inner-city neighborhoods. Small groups of team members conducted neighborhood walks each month to examine street activity during evening hours.

With drug-related violence subsiding in the neighborhood surrounding the Lee Heights Community Church, CPT-Cleveland focused on broader peace issues in 2002. In early September, the group held a prayer-vigil to commemorate the 9/11 attack and pray for peace. In October, CPT-Cleveland organized a van-load of Christians to attend a national march for peace in Washington, DC. In addition to participating in anti-war rallies, CPT Cleveland joined with other Ohio peace groups in a public prayer vigil in late September to express opposition to the death penalty.

For more information, contact Robin Miller at 216-581-2448; e-mail: leeheights@juno.com

South Dakota

Rick Polhamus, CPTer from Fletcher OH accepts blessing from Lakota at ceremony remembering how far the the struggle for land has come and how far it has to go.

In March 1999, seven Lakota warriors established a “spiritual camp” to oppose the threatened transfer of federally-administered treaty land to the state of South Dakota. Spiritual leaders conducted ceremonies and lit a sacred fire at the camp-site across from the South Dakota state capitol, Pierre. Immediately they experienced threats and harassment from local police, state troopers, and federal agents. The Lakota asked CPT to join them to help prevent an outbreak of the sort of violence associated with the deaths at Wounded Knee in 1973. CPT completed its full-time presence in October 1999 following one legislative victory overturning the land transfer. CPT continues to maintain contact with the camp through periodic delegations and is prepared to respond to future requests for support.

Click here for more information.

Colorado

CPTer Joanne "Jake" Kauffman, Boulder CO joins with fire circle with Sioux people in Pierre SC. Kauffman led the CPT presence of support of the Sioux at Pierre SC for six months in the summer of 1999.

• a demonstration against violent toys,
• surveying area toy stores with results being shared with the managers,
• interpreting CPT to area churches and meetings and to the larger community and the media, CPT fund-raising activities,
• joining community peace watch efforts during times of expected student violence,
• assisting with training of students and neighborhood residents in being a violence-reduction presence in times of potential violence.
• training for being part of CPT Reserve Corps in 1997 was led by various CPT staff who traveled to Boulder, Colorado, for weekend sessions.

For more information, contact Marilyn Miller at 303-499-5229; e-mail: mmmiller@attbi.com

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Carlisle, PA, U. S. Army War College

CPT members and supporters in Eastern PA and Maryland gather monthly to pray in front of the Army War College and call for a new paradigm to reach peace for the world. For information contact Elayne McClanen 301-260-744

Chicago IL

Local CPT supporters occasionally gather Monday nights from 6:00-7:30pm for a potluck and conversation about CPT and other related peacemaking topics. Everyone is welcome to come. For more information, please call the CPT Chicago office at 773-277-0253.

Page last updated: September 22, 2005