About Us

This network website hub was organized by the Peace Justice and Environment Project (PJEP), a network of networks that encourages the communication and cooperation of member groups to facilitate each other's projects. PJEP now serves nearly 1600 justice, peace and environmental organizations in 38 networks and 2 coalitions covering 50 states throughout the U.S.

Use of this site encourages the exchange of ideas, expertise and resources between participating organizations through the use of an online and technical infrastructure, whereby local groups can work closely with each other by recruiting others to endorse, co-sponsor and/or participate in their projects. By networking we facilitate resource sharing and increased communication, which in turn encourages seamless action execution among cooperating groups.

Actions Options Tool (AOT) software provides the backbone of this website. AOT was designed by activists and then developed and refined in the field by those using the software to facilitate human-to-human exchanges by encouraging direct communication through web and email applications. Use of the AOT has resulted in more real time meetings, phone and conference calls between the individuals and organizations most needed to accomplish specific organizational goals. The AOT was made open source by its developers in 2007.

The AOT web framework seeks to lower the level of authority to the local grassroots organization, empowering those organizations across the country with unique and powerful communication tools and online resources. With the recent addition of social networking features, we've integrated social networking with political action lowering the level of authority even further to provide individual activists with knowledge and online features never before available at any level.

A PJEP facilitated network is neither a coalition nor organization unto itself and will not endorse actions. However, member organizations can band together and endorse actions. This structure emphasizes the cooperative function of the organizations using this tool, focusing on providing resources, enhancing communication and creating opportunities for peace, justice and environmental organizations across the state to work in close cooperation to execute common actions. Therefore, this network will not be an instrument to form a common policy under a single organizational name.

Use of this network embodies grassroots empowerment at its best. Here we encourage emerging, powerful, democratizing forces by enhancing horizontal communication, nurturing transparency and facilitating diversity. By empowering the individual and local grassroots organizations, we seek to foster creativity where creativity can thrive, with the individual that seeks deep and lasting social change.

For a complete list of Peace Justice and Environment Project facilitated state networks and coalitions, place your cursor on “Commons” on the navigation bar at the top of the page and select “States” from the dropdown menu there.

Coordinating Committee

Description:

Responsibilities of the Coordinating Committee shall be to:
1. Facilitate resource sharing and communications among member organizations.
2. Oversee the operations of the ICJPE including its standing committees.
3. Facilitate and assign time and resources to actions that received the most support at annual conferences and those actions exceeding 55% (with 5 organizations participating or co-sponsoring) on the actions grid and shall also offer assistance and suggestions to member organizations on how to increase participation in their actions appearing on the actions grid when they reach 40% or more support (with 4 organizations participating or co-sponsoring).
4. Authorize Action Working groups to participate in the Action Options Tool.
5. Prepare and present a budget to the annual conference for approval.
6. Oversee the finances of ICJPE, approving all non-budgeted expenditures over $50, coordinating fund raising as necessary.
7. Plan the annual conference with input from member groups. The CC will put together a draft agenda for the conference, subject to amendments/approval of the conference at the opening of its business section.

Composition:
There will be fifteen members of the Coordinating Committee (CC) selected / elected at the annual conference. An overall goal for the CC is diversity with regards to gender, age, geography, ethnicity, etc.

Standing Committees

Communications & Technology

Description:

a. To develop and maintain tools that facilitate communications between member organizations and outreach to individuals through developing and maintaining the website, the Action Options Tool (AOT) and other interactive web based tools.
b. To assist in setting up and maintaining a template website for any member organization that does not have a website, at no charge.
c. To manage and facilitate e-mail communications between administrators, committee members and individuals who have signed up through the ICJPE website to receive the ICJPE newsletter, information and alerts from ICJPE.
d. To assist ICJPE and member groups and committees in implementing free conference call tools (e.g. freeconference.com) in order to save time and increase the efficiency of their meetings.

Representation:

Education/Resources

Description:

Tasks
a. Will provide and organize online and in person resources for the benefit of the membership of ICJPE including but not limited to:
(1) Organizational skills such as media, fund raising, meeting facilitation and conflict resolution.
(2) Political, economic and social resources regarding issues of peace and justice
By these methods:
1) Collect articles, guides, tips and other documents for the ICJPE website, with assistance from member groups. There are many existing resources with a variety of methods and viewpoints that would need review and evaluation.
(2) Make a list of books on peace and justice topics as well as leadership skills and organization-building methods, and include reviews.
(3) Assemble a list of mentors and specialists who can advise committees and groups who request help. These people could be from ICJPE member groups or from outside ICJPE.
(4) Arrange for workshops facilitated by skilled trainers and those who have had success in leading peace and justice organizations - at the ICJPE annual conference, or at other times. Any fees involved would be negotiated fairly between the trainer and the participants.
(5) Arrange for mediation or support when a group or committee has a serious conflict or to avoid burnout by leaders and members.

Representation:

Media/PR

Description:

a. Will assist with the writing and editing of website content, PR materials, special projects and educational content for outreach committee.
b. Is responsible for content that posts on the home page of the website (in addition to announcements posted by member organization admins) and for the content transmitted in periodic newsletters (at a minimum of quarterly, newsletter frequency is committee members' choice). The members of this committee will decide upon editorial content with input from the Coordinating Committee. ICJPE member organizations are encouraged to submit articles to the Media/PR Committee for inclusion in the newsletter.
c. Will advise members on how to set up press releases and other media advisories.
d. In cooperation with the Communication/Technology Committee will establish a statewide media list and will oversee the logistics of media contacts; including the transmission of advisories & releases, managing phone follow up teams and otherwise assisting member organizations with their media relations. The Communications and Media/PR committees will be a ready support for those actions that meet "threshold" as defined in the ICJPE Structure Document.

Representation:

Outreach

Description:

Tasks.
a. Maintain a complete list of Illinois Peace and Justice Coalition member groups.
b. Keep ICJPE membership list as current as possible.
c. Seek to develop a complete list of Illinois peace & justice groups and develop a list of potential new member groups.
d. Follow up on potential new member groups and referrals from the ICJPE website or other sources and orient new member groups.
e. Perform a semiannual feedback survey of member groups.
f. Assist member groups with the use of ICJPE tools and resources and encourage participation in committees, networking, and contribution to the Resources Page.
g. Assist the Media/PR Committee in developing a handbook for new members.
h. Develop materials necessary (letters, survey forms, etc.) for the performance of committee tasks.
i. Will also maintain a list of out-of-state peace and justice organizations and the tools and resources these groups have at their disposal. The committee will encourage sharing of resources between ICJPE and out-of-state organizations. The committee will also gather information about projects undertaken by out-of-state organizations that ICJPE members can consider implementing within Illinois.

Representation:

Ad-hoc Committees

At Large

Description:

Seven ad hoc/at large committee members are elected from the conference floor to represent the following but not limited to the following under-represented groups: GLBT, labor, veterans, minorities, youth and two downstate (non-Chicago metro).

The At Large Committee members will work to increase coordination and cooperation between current ICJPE member groups and other branches of the peace and justice community and will encourage participation by their representative groups in ICJPE member actions.