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Maine Peace Fund
The Peace Fund was established by Peace Action Maine (known at the time as the Maine Freeze Campaign) in 1984 as an affiliated “501 c-3” organization that supports Peace Action’s goals and activities in public education and broad-based advocacy around issues such as nuclear disarmament, non-violent conflict resolution, international peacekeeping institutions and structures, expanding the understanding of root causes of conflict and of the concept of security.
As Peace Action’s tax-exempt affiliate, the Peace Fund can receive contributions that are tax deductible for the donor and can receive grants from foundations or other organizations to help support its work. The Peace Fund represents the interests of Peace Action with MaineShare, a “social action fund” whose mission is to provide significant support to organizations doing progressive social justice and root cause work in Maine that is now offered as a payroll giving choice at over 150 workplaces throughout the state. Donations to the Peace Fund and through MaineShare support Peace Action’s work through direct grants, the publication of PeaceTalk, and other various activities in keeping with the shared mission of both Peace Action Maine and the Maine Peace Fund.
As a 501-c-3, the Peace Fund has also served as the financial “home” for smaller organizations whose mission and work is congruent with our goals, by accepting donations and grants on their behalf. The Peace Fund does not make grants to these organizations, but passes the funds it receives directly to them. This relationship has supported the work of the Department of Peace, the “Arts Project” of several years ago, “Nothing But Hoops”, a youth advocacy/diversity conflict resolution project, and Peace-Out, a nationwide network of veteran conscientious objectors and resource for soldiers seeking conscientious objector status, for example, and the activities of:
Permaculture for Peace
Permaculture for Peace is a small grassroots project that is working to create food gardens to support a free school lunch program at Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana. The school is the Accelerated Learning Program created by the Self-Help Initiative for Sustainable Development (SHIFSD) which provides children who have dropped out or never been to school the opportunity to get an accelerated education in 3 years instead of 6 years. The farm will provide nutritious food for the students while also serving as a place for conflict resolution, rehabilitation, and education through art and music.
Working Villages International
Working Villages International is a project which supports sustainable development in the town of Luvungu in the Ruzizi Valley of the easternmost part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in South Kivu province. The area of the Ruzizi Valley was once known as the “Breadbasket of the Congo” before it was devastated by years of civil war. Large numbers of unemployed local people provide almost unlimited supplies of ready labor enthusiastically committed to rebuilding this part of their country along lines of sustainability inspired by the vision of Mahatma Gandhi. Working Villages International has strong support from local officials and has received status as a recognized non-governmental organization in the DRC. Working Villages International was begun with the assistance of a native of Maine, Alexander Petroff.
Haiti Solidarity Network
Haiti Solidarity Network exists to support the struggle for human rights and democracy in Haiti. Haiti Solidarity Network helps to educate the public in Maine about the history, political struggles and community projects in Haiti. Haiti Solidarity Network works closely with existing projects in Portland, Maine and New England, such as the Sacred Heart/St. Dominic’s Sister Parish Project in Port au Prince, the Konbit Sante Cap-Haitien Health Partnership, Peaceful Justice in Haiti and Human Rights Accompaniment in Haiti-Hurah,Inc.
Friends of Nuestras Raices
Friends of Nuestras Raices is a Maine support group for an after school program in the neighborhood of San Martin de Porres in Lima, Peru which seeks to teach young people the arts, music, crafts and dances of the traditional Inca peoples of the Andes mountains. Friends of Nuestras Raices sponsors educational programs about the current situation in Peru and the lives of the residents of San Martin de Porres and raises money to support the ongoing educational work of Nuestras Raices in Lima.
ASERELA
ASERELA is an organization of members of the Acholi tribe from southern Sudan living in Portland. For over ten years, ASERELA has supported the construction and maintenance of the primary school in the Kiryondongo Refugee Camp in Uganda. Members of ASERELA travel regularly to the camp to take supplies and money raised by Portlanders and Mainers and report back to the annual “Feast for the Children” dinner. Currently ASERELA is involved in paying the teachers’ salaries and feeding the children in the school. Future plans include assisting in moving the school back to southern Sudan as soon as it is safe to do so.
Fur Cultural Revival
Fur Cultural Revival is the organization of members of the Fur tribe living in Portland, Maine. Fur Cultural Revival seeks to educate the public about the genocide in Darfur and to assist individuals and institutions in examining their investment portfolios with the goal of divesting from companies doing business with the government of Sudan. Fur Cultural Revival also raises money to send to projects in Darfur which provide food, medicine and shelter to people who have been displaced by the genocide being committed there.
Friends of Darfur
Friends of Darfur is an organization of people from Darfur and their supporters which seeks to share the culture, music, drumming, singing and dances of the Fur tribe with the people of Maine. Membership in Friends of Darfur is open to anyone wishing to support the organization. Friends of Darfur raises money to send to projects in Darfur which provide food, medicine and shelter to people in the refugee camps.
Emergency USA Mission Statement
Emergency USA Mission Statement is an international organization that recognizes in today’s conflicts 90 percent of the victims are civilians. Every year war takes the lives of millions of people worldwide. Emergency provides free of charge, high standard medical and surgical care in war-torn areas. Emergency promotes a culture of peace, solidarity and respect of human rights. Emergency is an independent, neutral and nonpolitical humanitarian organization established to provide care to civilian victims of war and of land mines. All Emergency facilities are designed, built and managed by specialized international staff committed to training local medical personnel. The work of Emergency around the world is possible thanks to the help of the thousands of volunteers and supporters.
The Direct Aid Initiative
The Direct Aid Initiative is a project of Electronic Iraq intended to build bridges of friendship and support with Iraqis displaced as the result of the ongoing Iraqi crises through providing funds for crucial medical expenses. The intention of our work is to facilitate long-term relationships of trust and communication between Iraqis and Americans. Through this process, we believe this initiative can play a significant role in bringing the voices, concerns, and perspectives of Iraqis more fully into the discourse on Iraq in the United States, supporting an engagement with the Iraqi people that is not solely predicated on a US military presence.
IRAQI STUDENT PROJECT
The Iraqi Student Project looks forward to and hopes to help realize a day when Iraq’s tradition of leadership in higher education will again flourish. Until this day comes, The Iraqi Student Project (ISP) seeks to facilitate undergraduate education for Iraqi students who are unable to pursue their education in Iraq or neighboring countries at the present time.
The Maine Peace fund is proud to be a founding member of MaineShare
MaineShare gives you an easy way to donate to over 30 statewide organizations working everyday to make Maine a better place to live. Through payroll giving contributions and direct gifts, our donors help these organizations achieve good health, environmental protection, safe communities, economic opportunity, human rights, animal welfare, peace, and much more. Your year-round giving at work provides these groups with a steady flow of dollars to keep important programs going.
MaineShare gives employees in the workplace an easy way to give a few dollars a week from their paycheck and support groups working for Maine every day. For more information, visit www.maineshare.org
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