Progressive Democrats Demand Healthcare Not Warfare to Commemorate Human Rights Day

Who: Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) and allied organizations What: Vigils and other programs on or around December 10th Where: At dozens of locations around the United States Why: To commemorate International Human Rights Day
 
WASHINGTON - Dec. 9, 2016 - PRLog -- On or around December 10th, activists with Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) and allied organizations will gather for vigils, movie showings, discussions, and other actions at dozens of locations around the United States to commemorate International Human Rights Day and to demand "Healthcare Not Warfare." These events will mark the 10th anniversary of PDA's Healthcare Not Warfare campaign, relaunch the campaign, and spark a new wave of organizing to guarantee high quality healthcare as a human right—financed by drastically decreasing spending on warfare, weapons, and military actions.

Donna Smith, Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) Executive Director said, "A decade ago, PDA launched the Healthcare Not Warfare (HNW) campaign, calling for an end to war and redirection of funds to meet human needs—including an expanded and improved Medicare For All healthcare system. This to guarantee high quality healthcare for all as as a human right."

Smith added, "Our nation continues to neglect millions of people who are still suffering without access to quality healthcare. This is cruel, immoral, and unsustainable. PDA demands expanded and improved Medicare for All. We could easily afford to fully fund such a program if only we drastically decreased our massive spending on warfare, weapons, and military actions."

Michael Lighty, Director of Public Policy at California Nurses Association (CNA) / National Nurses United (NNU) and PDA Board Member said, "There's one easy way to guarantee healthcare for all—Protect, Improve and Expand Medicare. If we're going to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), let's do it the most popular way—64% of Americans want Medicare for All."

Michael Fox, PDA Deputy Director explained, "PDA demands that our leaders adopt peace and diplomacy as our primary policies, rather than regime change and military interventionism. We call on the incoming Trump Administration and the new Congress to fulfill our commitment under international agreements to guarantee healthcare as a human right, and to end all foreign wars as well as the domestic war currently being waged against the Indigenous Peoples at Standing Rock, and against all domestic populations."

Fox continued, "To emphasize our organizing and advocacy, PDA chapters nationwide will hold public vigils and other programs on or around December 10th at which PDA supporters and our allies will mark the 10th anniversary of the HNW Campaign. These events will dramatize our national failure to guarantee high quality healthcare as a human right, will express our solidarity with the Water Protectors at Standing Rock, and will also commemorate International Human Rights Day while reminding us of our largely-unmet treaty obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

Smith concluded, "Human Rights Day celebrates the Universal Declaration to which the United States has been a party for 68 years, but which we have yet to fully adopt in policy or practice. Sadly, as we hope to enjoy the holiday season, we must prepare for expected extreme and regressive policies of the Trump-Pence regime. We must focus our attention on issues of war and peace while we prepare for impending attacks on healthcare. These vigils and other events will kick off PDA's renewed focus on championing healthcare as a basic human right and strong denunciation of warfare as an illegitimate policy."

Progressive Democrats of America is a grassroots political action committee. The organization was founded in 2004 to transform the Democratic Party and U.S. politics by working inside the party and outside with peace, justice, civil rights, environmental, and other reform movements.

For more information see http://www.pdamerica.org and contact Donna Smith donna@pdamerica.org 720-256-8373 or Mike Fox mikefox@pdamerica.org 727-320-4502

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