For Immediate Release
Month, Day, 2008

Contact: YOUR NAME, YOUR ORGANIZATION
Tel: xxx-xxxx Email:

[YOUR CITY] Calls for Ending Colombia Military Aid, Support for Treatment

The [your city] City Council will consider a resolution on [date] calling for an end to military funding of the Colombian Army as part of the “drug war,” and re-direction of money to domestic drug treatment efforts.

The city government urged Congressperson XX to “step up her/his leadership to terminate all military assistance to the Colombian Army, and to re-direct these funds” to “substance abuse prevention, harm reduction, and treatment programs.”

Supporters include the local treatment center XXX, the peace group Fellowship of Reconciliation, and local XXX activists.

“I am happy that [your city] is taking the lead in ending war funding to a corrupt and brutal military and putting the money where it can really help people suffering from addiction,” said the executive director of YOUR LOCAL treatment organization.

“The US has put almost five billion dollars into the Colombian military, and the army has committed massacres and collaborated with death squads and drug traffickers with almost total impunity,” said local activist of YOUR CITY. “It’s time US communities stand up for how they want their tax dollars spent.”

Military spending in Colombia was supposed to cut cocaine production in half by 2005. Instead, retail prices for the drug have dropped and purity has increased, according to the Office on National Drug Control Policy. Meanwhile, a recent study showed that killings of civilians by the Colombian army has increased since the U.S. overhauled military training of its forces.

The resolution recognizes [YOUR REPRESENTATIVE’s] role in advocating for reduced military spending and copies of this resolution will be sent to [your Representative] and to [your Senators].

This is the [number] of its kind (Fairfax, Berkeley and Santa Cruz have all passed similar resolutions) and the Fellowship of Reconicliation is working with other communities around the country who plan to pass similar local government resolutions.

Or download this sample press release here.