Sane
Community Resource Directory Peace and Disarmament
SANE
A Citizen's Organization for a SANE World
1416 Hill Street
Ann Arbor,MI48104
313-663-3913
Statement of Goals and Policies
SANE's goals are the reversal of the nuclear arms race and conversion from a military to a civilian economy.
We condemn the nuclear arms race as a threat to the survival of humanity and urge sharp cutbacks and reductions of nuclear armaments. Our ultimate objective is the complete elimination of all nuclear war threats. To this end we support a bilateral United States - Soviet Union nuclear weapons freeze as the first step toward strategic arms reduction agreements. We also urge the consideration of independent national initiatives to reduce tensions and lower nuclear arms stockpiles.
While SANE supports the need for a legitimate national defense, we oppose policies of increased military spending and overseas interventionism as a threat to world peace and a detriment to American security. We urge a new, more peacefully oriented U.S. foreign policy and cali for the elimination of support for corrupt foreign dictatorships. America should advance economic and political progress in the world, not militarism and repression.
We believe that national security rests as much on a strong economy and just society as on military preparedness. Excessive arms spending actually weakens civilian industry and undermines our economic competitiveness in the world. We believe that conversion from military to civilian industry is essential for the economic well-being of America and its citizens. The millions of workers who now depend on the arms race for their livelihood should be entitled to job security through planned economic conversion. To this end SANE works with the International Association of Machinists and other unions to urge alternatives to the military budget and prepare plans for converting military facilities and workers to civilian purposes.
As a citizen's lobby, SANE promotes real democracy in U.S. foreign and military policy decision making. This country's state, defense and intelligence bureaucracies are rife with corruption and incompetence. They operate within a shroud of secrecy, removed from the concerns and needs of the country's citizens. If this is to change, the public must have accurate, unbiased information about foreign policy and legitimate defense needs. SANE is committed to providing such information to as many people as possible through a year-round national community outreach program. Since 1982, the organization's field representatives have contacted millions of average citizens in towns and cities coast-to-coast. It is a top priority for SANE to expand this program.
Meeting Time and Places
The Ann Arbor SANE office is in the Friends Center at 1416 Hill Street. Our group is somewhat distinct in that our operations are conducted primarily by paid staff rather than member volunteers. The staff size varies from a low of about 15 to as many as thirty, depending on the time of year, political need, and the availability of Ann Arbor's student community for full-time employment. We meet daily to review our work and plan for the future. SANE members and interested individuals are always welcome in the office to discuss the issues, and participate in organizing projects. We can set up regular meeting times for volunteer corps at the convenience of those who wish to participate.
Membership Profile
From its founding in the late fifties until the late seventies, SANE was known as a small organization of prominent statespeople and philanthropists with reliable backing by liberal citizens. Today, SANE is the largest peace organization in the United States with a grassroots membership of about 150,000 and doubling every year. Most of the membership has been recruited recently through an ambitious community outreach program. They are representative of the great diversity of American society - rich and poor, people of all races and ethnic backgrounds, politically conservative and radical, from high school students to great great grandmothers, from navy admirals and congressional leaders to pacifists and homemakers.
That's the key to SANE's effectiveness as a congressional lobby: we cannot be labelled except as "American."
Organizational Structure and Community Services
SANE is organized as a citizen's lobby. The members are represented by an expert lobbying staff that has direct access to Congress. The field offices are headed by a state director who coordinates the activities of a program and canvass staff. The Ann Arbor office has four committees or task forces devoted to membership development, political or electoral action, fundraising and field operations. Through the work of these committees, we keep our members informed of congressional action on foreign and military policy, build our volunteer corps, train potential activists; participate in electoral campaigns by petitioning, public ad campaigns and phone banking before votes; raise funds tor SANE activities, for local movement work, and to increase the peace community's resource base; and conduct a door-to-door canvass throughout the state.
The Ann Arbor Office can provide speakers for community groups, and when time and energy permits, trained activists for local campaigns.
Current News
We have just returned from SANE's annual membership conference, a three day symposium with nationally-known speakers, workshops, celebration and mourning. The good news: we are growing daily and are stronger than ever. The bad news: we have a long hard road ahead to achieve a world of peace and justice.
In Ann Arbor, SANE has been assisting with the effort to pass a referendum for Peace in Central America. We will host a fundraising bash with the Watusies, more to follow, and will phone bank to identify and mobilize voters until the day of the election.
Our expert training staff are gearing up for the summer exodus of students and teachers who want to work for peace. We can accomodate an almost unlimited number of committed people. Please contact us !
(See employment ad in Agenda or the Ann Arbor News).
Coming Events and Activities
In Ann Arbor, SANE will be focusing on the April 7 election of Proposal A, for peace in Central America. Nationally , we will be working on legislation to effect the following goals: elimination of military assistance to the contras in and out of Nicaragua, drastic reduction of funding for the government of El Salvador, and the promotion of U.S. participation in the Contadora Peace Process; a congressionally mandated moratorium on funding for nuclear warhead testing, pursuant to an international comprehensive test ban treaty, and the elimination of funds for the Star Wars system that would cause violation of arms control agreements.