October 6 Witness

October 6 Witness; some earlier records alternatively called it the October 6 Coalition; organization was composed of a broad range of religious and civic groups committed to a program of public education and witness connected with the Tricentennial of the German Settlement of America, 1683-1983 (observed from January 1, 1983 to December 31, 1983); primary goals of October 6 Witness were: 1) to focus public attention on the peaceful religious roots of German-American history; 2) to counter efforts of the United States and West German governments to co-opt the Tricentennial celebration for strategic and military purposes; 3) to oppose U.S. - West German collaboration in deploying Pershing II and Cruise missiles in Western Europe; 4) to strengthen existing ties between the peace movements of the U.S. and Germany, both East and West, and to initiate ongoing dialogues and exchanges which promote peace; 5) to emphasize the relationship between peace and human rights by highlighting local social, economic and racial injustices caused by appropriating domestic resources for military ends. The group was centered in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. Quaker and Mennonite groups were involved because of their historic peace testimony and early settlement in Pennsylvania. Bruce Birchard, Samuel D. Caldwell, and Morton Frank, were instrumental in the organization. Groups represented on the Steering Committee included: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers); the Philadelphia Mennonite Council; the United Methodist Church, Eastern Pennsylvania Conference; Women Strike for Peace; Philadelphia SANE; the Catholic Peace Fellowship; Philadelphia Nuclear Freeze; Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and Jobs With Peace.