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Welcome! (Or Welcome Back!) Updated for Armistice Day, 2025 NEW INFO (Including Working for Democracy) APPEARS BELOW THIS POST

“Action is the antidote to despair.” – Joan Baez

Thank you for this initial interest, or continuing interest, in our chapter. This is the most current version of the website to be viewing. If you searched the internet for us you may have come across websites and other platforms that we’ve used over the years since our founding in 2003, but which don’t offer the features we need to effectively stay in touch with folks who are curious about us and those folks who are already members.

The first thing you need to know is who we are as an international organization. So, click this to read about our statement of purpose. https://www.veteransforpeace.org/who-we-are/statement-purpose I will add that non-veterans for whom this statement resonates are very, very welcome to join. Some 30% of our total membership are non-veterans passionate for working for peace. (I would also suggest that existing members review the statement of purpose from time-to-time to be reminded of the work we’ve committed to pursuing.)

Most folks we interact with as individuals or as a result of our public events or outreach express their interest in how to get involved. I hope I don’t scare anyone away, but I’ve prepared an inventory of opportunities to participate in showing up as members of Veterans For Peace – Western North Carolina. Many hands make light work.

REGULAR ACTIVITIES (Some of these have been done for 20+ years; others, not so long)

  • Weekly Vigil for Peace (Every Tuesday from 4:30PM-5:30PM) at Pack Square. THIS IS THE GO-TO EVENT EVERY WEEK TO MEET SOME OF US!
  • Monthly Meeting, held in-person at 15 Overbrook Place, Asheville 28805 (Land of the Sky United Church of Christ) and by Zoom. LAST TUESDAY of the MONTH @6:30PM
  • NEW and NECESSARY and COMING SOON!: Save Our VA vigils at our local VA Medical Center.
  • Bannering/other actions in collaboration with other local peace advocacy groups.
  • Monthly Tabling (Subject to events and locations that would work for info distribution)
  • Participation in National VFP Zoom meetings then reporting to chapter membership
  • Participation in monthly chapter membership/executive committee meetings. (1 hour long via Zoom. With more participation, in-person and zoom)

ANNUAL ACTIVITIES (Some of these have been done for 20 years; others not so long)

  • Martin Luther King Day Observance (January)
  • Annual Remembrance of the Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 6-9)
  • Memorial Day Observance (May)
  • Labor Day Event(s) in Collaboration with Unions
  • WNC International Day of Peace observances and actions. (September)
  • COMING SOON! Reclaim Armistice Day (from Veterans Day) Observance (November 11)
  • Asheville Holiday Parade (Saturday before Thanksgiving)
  • Your Suggestion(s)?_________________________________

OTHER/SPECIAL ACTIVITIES (Some things that have been done in the past; some others aspirational)

  • Monthly Letters to the Editor
  • Crisis Vigils, as needed and in collaboration with other local peace advocacy groups
  • Representation in the Media (Interviews on radio and in the press on issues and events)
  • Issues/legislation letter-writing, lobbying Congressional and Senate representatives and other officials
  • Military Counter-Recruiting in area schools
  • Adopt-a-Street Litter Clean-Up
  • Your Suggestion(s)?__________________________________

NATIONAL PROJECTS (Participation in the work of the larger VFP organization)

Almost all of these efforts to promote peace have been a part of what our chapter has done during the past 22 years and depended on the enthusiasm and energy of our several dozen members to get involved. Unfortunately, over those 22 years we have aged, died, became ill, moved away or just became cynical about the possibility of making peace a reality and faded away from the organization.

As I’m wring this, and you are reading this, hope exists that we can get back to work in a big way… and the need for our work, and more people to pitch in to do it, has hardly ever been greater.

In addition to what we currently do, and aspire to do more of, we also have these opportunities to make things happen:

CHAPTER OFFICERS (AKA: Executive Commitee)

President. Somewhat vacant at the moment.

Vice -President. Currently Lyle Petersen

Treasurer. Currently Chris Berg

*Assistant to Treasurer (Dues collector?)

Secretary. Currently Bruce Roth

Executive Assistant to the Executive Committee. Somewhat Gerry Werhan at the moment.

*Assistant to Secretary (Correspondence? Membership records? Internet presence?)

What I’ve written above should leave no doubt in any one’s mind as to how to get involved and our need for your involvement. HOWEVER, your membership and support in any form is welcome and I hope for your interest to translate into an email to me and an opportunity to talk about the possibilities of having you join us and make a difference for peace and justice in Western North Carolina and our world.

Thanks again for contacting us.

Gerry Werhan: Executive Assistant to the Executive Committee, chapter-president@veteransforpeace-wnc.org

Want to join Veterans For Peace? Go here to this link to see the dues for your category of membership and join the national/international organization. https://www.veteransforpeace.org/take-action/join Our headquarters staff in St. Louis will process your membership and using your address will assign you to the local chapter closest to where you live. It’s also a good idea to email me that you’ve joined so that I can confirm that you’re listed on the roster I receive monthly.

Having done that, I want to make you aware that those dues don’t trickle down to the local chapter. They do get used for local chapter special needs and projects, however. Our routine month-to-month expenses for web services, tabling materials, banners, flags, office supplies and other such things are funded by annual local dues. The requested/suggested annual dues we’ve set by and for our membership is $25.00

WORKING FOR DEMOCRACY

Go to this website for what to do: https://protectdemocracy.org/

Join Veterans For Peace in Celebrating Armistice Day on November 11th 

It’s been 107 years since the world celebrated peace as a universal principle. WW I had just ended and nations mourning their dead collectively called for an end to all wars. Armistice Day was born and was designated as “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated.” After World War II, the U.S. Congress decided to rebrand November 11 as Veterans Day. Honoring the warrior quickly morphed into honoring the military and glorifying war. Armistice Day was flipped from a day for peace into a day for displays of militarism. VFP has taken the lead in lifting up the original intention of November 11th – as a day for peace. As veterans we know that a day that celebrates peace, not war, is the best way to honor the sacrifices of veterans. We want generations after us to never know the destruction war has wrought on people and the earth.

More than ever, the world faces crisis. Tensions are heightened around the world and the U.S. is engaged militarily in multiple countries. Here at home we have seen the increasing militarization of our police forces and brutal crackdowns on dissent and people’s uprisings against state power. This year, with a political arena fueled by hate and fear, the conversation of peace is missing from almost every interaction.

Join VFP-WNC on November 11 at 10AM at the WNC Veterans Memorial at Pack Square Park to learn more, and think more, about what the marginalization of peace means for our future.

Upcoming Event: Remembering and Grieving the First Uses of the Atomic Bomb on People 80 Years Ago.

Wednesday, August 6, 2025 from 3PM-5:30PM at Pack Square Park (The Free Speech Zone in Downtown Asheville (where the Vance Obelisk once stood)).

In partnership with WNC Physicians For Social Responsibility, VFP-WNC invites ALL people of good will and for a nuclear-free world to gather in remembering, and helping our community to remember, the days 80 years ago when the US became the first and only nation to ever use nuclear weapons on our fellow human beings.

Please join us and bring your signs and passions, keeping in mind this statement from President John F. Kennedy ‘Humankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to humankind.’

Veterans For INNER Peace: Western North Carolina and BEYOND!

Introducing another initiative and opportunity to show up for peace, in community and the wider world.

Mission

The mission statement established for the Veterans For Inner Peace working group is consistent with the VFP Statement of Purpose. 

Our belief is that we can serve the cause of world peace by nurturing peace within ourselves by cultivating the mindfulness practices of awareness, understanding and deep compassion to share peacefully and respectfully with all of society about the deep human and ecological costs of war. 

Veterans For Inner Peace will provide resources for the development of the individual practice of mindfulness meditation, regional meditation training retreats, yoga, and an online blog or website dedicated to mindfulness meditation discussion, and links to proven mindfulness resources to cultivate peaceful healing in ourselves, and the world. Veterans For INNER Peace as a working group will remain non-denominational, and open to all veteran and associate members of VFP. However…

VFP-WNC IS REACHING OUT IN OFFERING THE PEACE EDUCATION PROGRAM TO ALL VETERANS AND ANYONE FOR WHOM THE BOLD WORDS ABOVE RESONATE. No VFP membership required.

The Peace Education Program is an innovative series of video-based workshops that help people discover their own inner strength and personal peace. 

Each workshop features video excerpts of renowned author Prem Rawat’s inspiring presentations on one of ten themes: Peace, Appreciation, Inner Strength, Self-awareness, Clarity, Understanding, Dignity, Choice, Hope, and Contentment. 

Peace Education Program Videos 

See how the Peace Education Program is helping diverse groups of people in a variety of settings across the world. Videos are presented below to show the program’s impact in: Education, Corrections, Conflict Zones, Community & Veterans. More are available on The Prem Rawat Foundation’s YouTube Channel 

The program can be viewed online wherever you have an internet connection. 10 programs, one per week, 1 hour long. Online or in-person in Asheville. No obligation and NO COST. 

INTERESTED? Contact PeaceIsPossibleNC@gmail.com. Please provide your contact information and preference for in-person or online participation.

We will let you know the starting date for the next online and in-person courses.
—
Gerry Werhan

Executive Committee Member

Veterans For Peace – Western North Carolina

veteransforpeace-wnc.org

Asheville Hands Off Protest

However you were led to check out our website, THANK YOU!

A recent spike in interest in what Veterans For Peace – Western North Carolina is up to in response to the actions and policies of the current administration has motivated us to accelerate the development of this website. We intend for this to be a primary source of resistance information and opportunities to get involved in what we’re doing.

Please visit weekly until such time that we can sign you up for notifications.

VERY IMPORTANT: Please email me to let us know you’re interested:

Better yet, please join us.

Thank You.

Help Us Celebrate Armistice Day 2024!

Please join Veterans For Peace – Western North Carolina in reclaiming Armistice Day at 10AM on Monday, November 11, 2024 at the WNC Veterans Memorial, located in Pack Square Park near the Buncombe County Courthouse. There will be music, readings, history and fellowship with others who yearn, and work, for the vision of world peace that Armistice Day was established for.

Please Read This Post Next – Still Under Construction But Useful – Current as of 11/4/2024

Thank you for taking the time to track us down on the internet. We’ve got some work to do to get our new website looking and functioning as we envision. For now, here’s information you can reference to participate in our quest for peace.

  • email address for our chapter president (and website creator), me, Gerry Werhan: chapter-president@veteransforpeace-wnc.org
  • My personal mobile number: 704.957.2924. I’m always happy to talk with you about any questions you might have.
  • Meetings and Actions: For over 20 years, since before the catastrophe of Operation Iraqi Freedom began, our chapter has held a vigil for peace at Pack Square in Asheville every Tuesday afternoon. WE HAVE SUSPENDED OUR CHAPTER PARTICIPATION IN THAT VIGIL. While there are other veterans still holding a vigil at that time and place, they do not represent the local and national position of Veterans For Peace in regard to the war in Ukraine* and you should notice that they no longer display VFP logos. Information about other vigil and action opportunities in support of VFP’s peace advocacy will appear here shortly. *Please visit veteransforpeace.org for further explanation of all our positions and initiatives.
  • We hold an hour-long monthly Executive Committee & membership meeting (optional for members, although members are welcome to attend) the last Tuesday of the month from 6:00PM-7:00PM. It is held both in-person and via Zoom. If you’ll email me I can add you to our googlegroup to be kept in the loop about the meeting agenda, zoom meeting link, and other information throughout the month. Our mailing address and meeting location is 15 Overbrook Place, Asheville, NC 28805. Land of the Sky United Church of Christ (a Just Peace Congregation) generously provides meeting and storage space in support of our common goal to eliminate war and injustice in our world.
  • If you’d like to know more about our international organization and how to join us as a veteran or non-veteran (associate) member please visit veteransforpeace.org/join
  • To reiterate, though, I’m eager to talk or meet with anyone who reaches out with questions. Our goal is to eliminate any obstacles that might keep peace loving people from joining us.

Thanks for investing your valuable time in visiting this website and reading all of this to the end.

And remember, ‘Humankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to humankind.’ – John F. Kennedy