United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) is a coalition of organizations opposed to U.S. military interventions abroad. ¹ It formed in October 2002 as a campaign to coordinate opposition to the impending U.S. invasion of Iraq, with over 70 groups agreeing to establish the coalition at a meeting in Washington, D.C. The project was formally adopted in 2003 at the UFPJ National Strategy Conference. ²

The group positioned itself as an alternative to the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, led to criticism from that organization. As of 2025, it was operating as a fiscally sponsored project of the Alliance for Community Trainers. ^{3 4  5  6}

Background

United for Peace and Justice organized large protests in its early years, including a February 2003 rally in New York City that attracted hundreds of thousands against the Iraq War, despite being denied permits for marches near the United Nations. ⁵ It coordinated anti-war demonstrations during the 2004 Republican National Convention and a 2005 anti-war protest in Washington, D.C. that drew over 100,000 participants. In 2005, UFPJ ended a joint effort with the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition due to strategic differences. ⁶ By 2008, the coalition restructured into a network operated by a volunteer coordinating committee and a part-time national organizer. ⁷ Alliance for Community Trainers served on UFPJ’s coordinating committee for years and as of 2025 was serving as its fiscal sponsor. ^{3  8}

Programs and Campaigns

United for Peace and Justice supports campaigns including the Poor People’s Campaign, Divest from the War Machine, No Foreign Bases Campaign, Global Days of Action on Military Spending, and Korea Peace Network. ^{9  10} It addresses nuclear disarmament, opposition to nuclear weapons production, environmental impacts of nuclear projects, military commissions at Guantanamo, and redirecting military funds to social programs. ¹¹

In 2025, UFPJ issued statements on the 80th anniversaries of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings calling for an end to war, criticized U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile tests, protested potential nuclear testing, and promoted Martin Luther King Jr.’s opposition to the Vietnam War. ¹ It encourages member groups to engage in education, public actions, protests, and mobilizations. ⁸

Financials

United for Peace and Justice is fiscally sponsored by Alliance for Community Trainers, a charitable organization that provides training in organizational development, nonviolent action, and community organizing. ^{2  8} UFPJ’s last independent filed tax return was for 2020, when it reported revenues of $22,751, expenses of $43,129, and net assets of $0. In 2019, revenues were $55,776, expenses $46,633, and net assets $20,378. In 2018, revenues were $63,932, expenses $58,657, and net assets $11,235. ^{12  13}

People

Lisa Fithian, associated with Alliance for Community Trainers as a trainer as of 2025, previously worked as a national co-chair and coordinating committee member for United for Peace and Justice. ⁷

Board members of UFPJ as of 2025 included Joe Jamison, Reece Chenault, Lee Siu Hin, Michael T. McPhearson, Carolyn Eisenscher, Lisa Fithian, Mary Hiladky, Thea Paneth, Terry Kay Rockefeller, Sally Weiss, and Jacqueline Cabasso. ^{7  14}

1. “Home,” United For Peace and Justice, accessed December 29, 2025, https://www.unitedforpeace.org/. 
2. “Help Fund Peace Work!,” United For Peace and Justice, accessed December 29, 2025, https://www.unitedforpeace.org/donate/. 
3. “History 2003-2013,” United For Peace and Justice, accessed December 29, 2025, https://www.unitedforpeace.org/about/get-involved/history/. 
4. “UFPJ Unity Statement,” United For Peace and Justice, accessed December 29, 2025, https://www.unitedforpeace.org/ufpj-unity-statement/. 
5. Patrick E. Tyler, “Threats and Responses: Overview; From New York To Melbourne, Cries for Peace,” New York Times, February 16, 2003, https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/16/nyregion/threats-and-responses-overview-from-new-york-to-melbourne-cries-for-peace.html. 
6. “A.N.S.W.E.R. Responds to UFPJ,” A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, December 16, 2005, https://www.answercoalition.org/05_12_16_answer_responds_to. 
7. “Coordinating Committee and National Organizer,” United For Peace and Justice, accessed December 29, 2025, https://www.unitedforpeace.org/coordinating-committee/. 
8. “United for Peace and Justice Member Group Resources,” United For Peace and Justice, accessed December 29, 2025, https://www.unitedforpeace.org/resources/united-for-peace-and-justice-member-group-resources/. 
9. “Campaigns,” United For Peace and Justice, accessed December 29, 2025, https://www.unitedforpeace.org/campaigns/. 
10. “The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival,” United For Peace and Justice, accessed December 29, 2025, https://www.unitedforpeace.org/campaigns/the-poor-peoples-campaign-a-national-call-for-moral-revival/. 
11. “Resources,” United For Peace and Justice, accessed December 29, 2025, https://www.unitedforpeace.org/resources/. 
12. “United For Peace And Justice Inc,” ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, accessed December 29, 2025, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/611466089. 
13. “Alliance Of Community Trainers,” ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, accessed December 29, 2025, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/201402741. 
14. “United For Peace And Justice Inc,” ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (Form 990-EZ for fiscal year ending January 2020), accessed December 29, 2025, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/611466089.