Summary Information
Leonard Cizewski Papers 1984-1990
M90-370; Audio 1871A
2.6 cubic feet (7 archives boxes), 16 tape recordings, 42 photographs, and 13 negatives
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Papers of Leonard Cizewski, a Madison, Wisconsin peace activist, primarily documenting his activities for Trade for Peace Inc. and the Dane County Pledge of Resistance, two groups that protested U.S. policy in Nicaragua after the imposition of the U.S. trade embargo in 1985 upon the importation of stamps, coffee, and handicrafts. In 1987 government officials raided Cizewski's home and confiscated files and goods; thereafter the protest concentrated on First Amendment Rights issues. Trade for Peace ceased operation with the end of the embargo in 1990. English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-m90370
Biography/History
Leonard Cizewski was born in Chicago in 1952. In 1981 he settled in Madison, Wisconsin, where he worked as a nurse. In Madison he continued his earlier peace activities by becoming involved in Witness For Peace and Central American issues. In 1984 Cizewski traveled to Nicaragua as part of the Wisconsin-Illinois delegation for Witness For Peace. In 1985 he was active in protesting against the deployment of the Wisconsin National Guard in Honduras. Cizewski was also part of the Dane County Pledge of Resistance, a local chapter of a national organization formed in 1984-1985 to oppose U.S. foreign policy in Central America. In May 1985 the Reagan Administration imposed a trade embargo against Nicaraguan goods. The Dane County chapter of Pledge of Resistance responded by organizing a Trade for Peace sub-committee to carry out acts of civil disobedience against the embargo. Leonard Cizewski was the prime organizer of Trade for Peace, which functioned as an autonomous organization between 1985 and 1990. During this time he ran the organization out of his home.
The goal of Trade for Peace was to raise public awareness and overturn the embargo. Toward this end, the group carried out acts of civil disobedience centered around two tactics: the symbolic importation of illegal Nicaraguan goods and the sale of these goods at press conferences and via direct mail order. Trade For Peace usually imported its merchandise through Canada, but it also relied on supplies from travelers to Nicaragua. Initially TFP imported and sold only stamps, but as the group developed, coffee beans and arts and crafts items were also sold. Trade for Peace also held annual news conferences and sales on the anniversary of the embargo.
Trade For Peace consisted of a core group of about twelve members and twelve additional supporters. By the end of its existence it had a mailing list of 600 individuals throughout the country.
From 1985 to 1987 Leonard Cizewski made several contacts with Central American activists and importers in Canada. In March 1987, he traveled to Canada to arrange for the importation of 150 pounds of Nicaraguan coffee beans. These beans were roasted and therefore substantially changed and legal under the terms of the embargo.
In 1987, Peter Flaherty of the conservative Citizens For Reagan became aware of Trade For Peace, and he contacted the U.S. Justice Department and urged that TFP be prosecuted. In March 1988, Trade For Peace received notification that unless it ceased its activity federal charges would be brought. Trade For Peace continued its activities in defiance of the embargo. On August 30, 1988, six customs agents raided Cizewski's home and seized his Trade For Peace business files and Nicaraguan goods. Trade For Peace reacted by forming a defense fund, hiring an attorney, and contacting the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU filed a suit for civil forfeiture of confiscated goods. Later the customs office offered to drop the charges if Trade For Peace ceased its importation activities. TFP accepted the offer and thereafter concentrated on activities protected by the First Amendment. In March 1990, the U.S. Attorney closed the criminal investigation after the Sandinistas lost the Nicaraguan election and the embargo was lifted by President Bush. Trade For Peace then held a news conference and disbanded. The Dane County Pledge of Resistance merged with the Wisconsin Witness for Peace organization.
Since the dissolution of Trade For Peace Cizewski, who continues to reside in Madison, has been less active in social/political issues, although he did participate in the AIDS Memorial Project in 1992, as well as various school board campaigns.
Scope and Content Note
The papers are arranged as TRADE FOR PEACE (TFP) and DANE COUNTY PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE (DCPOR) papers. The TFP papers are further divided as Activity, Publicity, Correspondence, Legal, and Financial papers; the DCPOR papers are subdivided into National Guard deployment papers, organizational records, and publicity.
These papers document Leonard Cizewski's activities for Trade For Peace and to a lesser extent his activities in the Dane County Pledge of Resistance. Because he was the prime organizer of Trade for Peace the files better reflect his activities in this organization. Indeed, the collection offers substantial insight into Cizewski's involvement in TFP from its inception until its dissolution in 1990. The records reflect his involvement in the Dane County Pledge of Resistance only until 1987.
The strengths of the collection center around Cizewski's correspondence with various social action groups and the documentation of how TFP developed these contacts and initiated acts of civil disobedience. The collection documents both internal and external activities, and it provides insight into this social/political action group.
The organizational activity folders offer a good run of meeting notes from 1985 to 1990. Moreover, the Preliminary Work file offers evidence of TFP's inception - why it was started, its goals, and its assessment of the potential risks. The publicity files, which are a highlight of the collection, illustrate campaigns to raise awareness about the embargo and symbolically protest through the importation of goods. The collection includes newsclippings about Trade For Peace, photographs, mostly by Liz Chilsen, of various news conferences as well as an extensive collection of audio tapes. Of particular note is a radio debate with Peter Flaherty of the conservative group Citizens For Reagan. The clippings document the national media attention Trade For Peace attracted after the August 30, 1988 raid.
The Activity files also offer insight into TFP's connection with other social action groups and projects concerning Central American issues. Moreover, the collection offers an insight into Cizewski's ideas about U.S. policy in Central America through the publication of an article that appeared in The Progressive magazine.
The correspondence files provide direct evidence of Trade For Peace's contacts in Canada such as Jeff House, an attorney who handled the dealings with Bridgehead Trading, Inc. in Canada and the importation of coffee beans. In addition, files on Carmen Albrecht and Friends in the Peace Movement offer important documentation about TFP's efforts to raise awareness of the embargo. In order to fund the purchase of stamps and coffee Trade For Peace solicited loans and grants from various groups and individuals. Kathleen Kelly and Karl Meyer are two such individuals who worked with Trade for Peace.
The legal files explicate the nature of the raid on Cizewski's home and the support received from the ACLU. In addition Box 4 contains examples of items seized in the raid and later returned.
TFP's financial condition is documented in the complete run of tax returns. In addition, the financial files also help explicate attempts to secure grants from national and local organizations.
The DANE COUNTY PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE series provides limited information about Leonard Cizewski's involvement. Of particular note is his open letter that attempted to heighten awareness among soldiers about U.S. policy in Central America. In addition, the collection includes Cizewski's article “The Wisconsin National Guard and Central America”, and some correspondence with elected officials. The DCPOR had a hotline for information on U.S. policy in Central America. Records of the hotline messages are complete for 1985-1987. Financial information about the group is contained in a file of pledge forms. These forms also contain some interesting comments about Central American policy.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Leonard Cizewski, Madison, Wisconsin, 1990. Accession Number: M90-370
Processed by Scott R. Lien, archives intern, 1996.
Contents List
M90-370
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Series: Trade For Peace Inc.
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Activity
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Organizational records
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Box
1
Folder
1-2
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Committee, 1988-1989
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Box
1
Folder
3
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Grass Roots Peace Directory form, 1987
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Box
1
Folder
4-9
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Meeting notes, 1985-1990
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Box
1
Folder
10
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Non-profit organizations report, 1987
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Box
1
Folder
11
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Phone tree, 1986
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Box
1
Folder
12
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Preliminary work, 1985
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Box
1
Folder
13
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Public supporter lists, 1988
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Box
1
Folder
14
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Mailing lists, 1983
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Publicity
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Box
1
Folder
15
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Advertisements, 1988
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Box
1
Folder
16
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Anonymous writing on August 30, 1988 Raid
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Box
1
Folder
17
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Article by Leonard Cizewski, The Progressive, 1989
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Box
1
Folder
18
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“Breaking The Embargo A Step by Step Guide,” by Leonard Cizewski, undated
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Box
1
Folder
19-23
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Clippings, 1985-1990
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Box
1
Folder
24
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International publicity
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Box
1
Folder
25
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Leaflet, 1988
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Box
1
Folder
26
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Media list, 1990
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Box
1
Folder
27-29
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News conferences, 1986-1988
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Box
1
Folder
30
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News releases, 1988
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Box
2
Folder
1
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Pamphlets, 1986-1987
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Box
2
Folder
2
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Photo ready price cards, 1986
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Box
2
Folder
3
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Press release, 1990
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Box
2
Folder
4
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Price lists, 1986-1989
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Box
2
Folder
5-8
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Publicity, 1986-1989
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Audio 1871A
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Audio Recordings of Radio Broadcasts Cassette tapes
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1871A/1-2
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APA Embargo Hearings (WORT), 1989 September 25
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1871A/3
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Trade for Peace, 1986 March 7
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1871A/4
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Trade for Peace (Pacifica), 1988 May 9
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1871A/5
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Pacifica story on TFP/Leonard on WORT (Breakfast Special), 1988 August 31, September 2
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1871A/6
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Leonard on NPR, 1988 September 4
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1871A/7
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"Second Opinion," Trade for Peace, WORT-FM, 1989 April 5
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1871A/8
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Betty Cheuning, "Second Opinion," Trade for Peace, 1989 April 5
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1871A/9
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APA Nicaragua debate, 1989 June 1
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1871A/10
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"A Public Affair," Cizewski v. Flaherty, WORT-FM, 1989 June 1
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1871A/11
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Jeff on WORT/Beatrice Tucker talk, 1989 June 26
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1871A/12
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Leonard Cizewski, Trade for Peace radio interview, KPFA, 1989 November 3
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1871A/13
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"Morning Edition," Packard/Nicktrade, 1990 February 27
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1871A/14
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TFP on WORT, Jeff and Paola
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1871A/15
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Alex Winter
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1871A/16
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[unidentified]
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M90-370
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Art, Coffee, and Stamp Importation / Sales
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Box
2
Folder
9
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Art
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Box
2
Folder
10
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Asentamiento project, 1986
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Box
2
Folder
11
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Chicago 1988 action
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Box
2
Folder
12
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Photographs and slides of craft objects
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Box
2
Folder
13
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Sales announcements
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Box
2
Folder
14
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Sales instructions
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Box
2
Folder
15
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Stamp sale orders
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Relations with similar groups
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Box
2
Folder
16
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Coalition of Madison Alternative Trading organizations
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Box
2
Folder
17
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Dane County Religious Committees, 1988
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Box
2
Folder
18
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National Lift the Embargo Campaign, 1988
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Box
2
Folder
19
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Nicaraguan Friendship Project, 1986
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Box
2
Folder
20
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Nukewatch, 1987
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Box
2
Folder
21
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Seeds For Peace Partnership
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Box
2
Folder
22
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U.S.-Nicaragua Friendship Conference, 1986 June
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Box
2
Folder
23
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Wisconsin-Central America Friendship
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Box
2
Folder
24
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Wisconsin Coordinating Committee on Nicaragua, 1988
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Box
2
Folder
25
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Witness For Peace, 1987
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Correspondence
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Box
2
Folder
26-31
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General, 1985-1990
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Art, Coffee, and Stamp Importation
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Box
3
Folder
1
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Advertisements, 1986-1989
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Box
3
Folder
7
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Albrecht, Carman, 1985-1987
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Box
3
Folder
2
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Anglican Church / Canada
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Box
3
Folder
3
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Art importation, 1988
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Box
3
Folder
4
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Banks - Canada, 1988
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Box
3
Folder
5
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Barter
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Box
3
Folder
6
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Bridgehead Trading, Inc. (Canada), 1985-1988
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Box
3
Folder
8
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Canada trip, 1987
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Box
3
Folder
9
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Coffee imports, 1987-1988
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Box
3
Folder
10
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Deltronic Trading Corporation, 1987-1988
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Box
3
Folder
11
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Fonesca Coffee Imports, 1987
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Box
3
Folder
12
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Foreign trading contacts, 1986-1989
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Box
3
Folder
13
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House, Jeff, 1988-1989
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Box
3
Folder
14
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Kelly, Kathleen, and Karl Meyer, 1988-1989
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Box
3
Folder
15
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New Society Products
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With other Social / Political Action Groups
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Box
3
Folder
16
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Elected officials, 1988
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Box
3
Folder
18
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Friends in the Peace Movement (Quakers), 1985-1988
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Box
3
Folder
19
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Latin American Working Group (LAWG), 1985-1987
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Box
3
Folder
20
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Invitation letter, 1986
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Box
3
Folder
21
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Lawrence Trade for Peace, 1989
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Box
3
Folder
22
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Madison Monthly Meeting of Friends, 1987-1988
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Box
3
Folder
23
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Media, 1989
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Box
3
Folder
24
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Milwaukee Pledge of Resistance
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Box
3
Folder
25
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National Consultation of Nicaraguan Network and Confronting Political / Economic Destabilization Workshop, 1988
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Box
3
Folder
26-27
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National Pledge of Resistance
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Box
3
Folder
28
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Neighbors regarding August 30, 1988 raid
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Box
3
Folder
29
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Nicaragua Ministry of Presidency (Spanish), 1987
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Box
3
Folder
30
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Organizations, 1986
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Box
3
Folder
31
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Potential distributors
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Box
3
Folder
32
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Pastors for Peace
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Box
3
Folder
33
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Project Peacemakers, 1985-1987
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Box
3
Folder
34
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San Francisco Pledge of Resistance, 1989
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Box
3
Folder
17
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Sharp, Fred (photographer), 1987-1988
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Box
3
Folder
35
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Witness For Peace, 1985-1988
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Legal
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General
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Box
3
Folder
36
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ACLU material
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Box
3
Folder
37
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FOIA Material
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|
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Correspondence
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Box
3
Folder
38
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Canadian attorneys
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Box
3
Folder
39
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Items seized in August 30, 1988 raid
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Box
3
Folder
40
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FOIA
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Box
3
Folder
41
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Items returned
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Box
3
Folder
42
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Legal
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Box
3
Folder
42a
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Omnibus Trade Bill
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Box
3
Folder
43
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Trade For Peace testimony
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Box
3
Folder
44
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U.S. Attorney
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Box
3
Folder
45
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U.S. Customs
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Box
4
Folder
1
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Retained material (by U.S. Customs) : Includes envelopes, pamphlets, literature
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Box
4
Folder
2
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Stamp samples
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|
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Financial
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Box
5
Folder
1
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Arts and Crafts and Coffee loans, 1988
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Box
5
Folder
2
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“First Dollar”
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Box
5
Folder
3-4
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Fund appeal information, 1988
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Box
5
Folder
5
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Grant proposals, 1987-1989
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Box
5
Folder
6-9
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Income tax, 1985-1988
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Box
5
Folder
10
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Logs, 1986
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Box
5
Folder
11
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Receipts, 1986-1989
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Box
5
Folder
12
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Sales tax information,
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Box
5
Folder
13
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Seller's permits
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Series: Dane County Pledge of Resistance
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National Guard deployment issue
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Box
5
Folder
14
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Clippings and publicity, 1985-1986
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Box
5
Folder
15
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Correspondence, 1984-1986
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Box
5
Folder
16
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Correspondence with elected officials, 1984-1986
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Box
5
Folder
17
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Meeting with Governor Earl and press releases, 1986
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Box
5
Folder
18
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Open letter project, 1985
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Box
5
Folder
19
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“The Wisconsin National Guard and Central America” / by Leonard Cizewski, 1986
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Organizational records
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Box
5
Folder
20
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Cizewski notes on U.S. policy
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Box
5
Folder
21
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Correspondence, 1984-1986
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Box
5
Folder
22-23
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Hotline, 1985-1987
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Box
5
Folder
24
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IFCC meeting, 1986 November 15
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Box
5
Folder
25
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Meeting notes
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Box
6
Folder
1-5
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Membership list
|
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Box
6
Folder
6
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Madison Council resolution, 1984
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Box
6
Folder
7
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National POR newsletters
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Box
6
Folder
8
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Neighborhood group material
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Box
6
Folder
9
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Pledge contacts
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Box
6
Folder
10
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Pledge forms
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Box
6
Folder
11
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Pledge handbook
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Box
7
Folder
1
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Senate campaign notes, Kasten v. Garvey, 1986
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Box
7
Folder
2
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Steering Committee notes and memos, 1984-1986
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Publicity
|
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Box
7
Folder
3
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Clippings, 1984-1986
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Box
7
Folder
4
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Press releases and press committee notes, 1985-1986
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|
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Series: Photographs
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PH Box
15
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Pledge of Resistance publicity and rally
|
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PH Box
15
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Peace for Trade publicity and events
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