Starting Date: 04-04-2011
Ending Date: 04-11-2011
Washington, District of Columbia 20003
United StatesU.S. attempts to secure military bases around the hemisphere are being met with grassroots resistance. While the U.S. has backed coups and coup-attempts in order to crush social movements in Honduras, Bolivia, Haiti and Venezuela in recent years, those very same movements are resisting and organizing in the face of repression.
This April, join SOA Watch as we take our vigil to close the SOA and end US militarization in the Americas to the heart of the empire: Washington, DC. Come join us for a week of direct action, street theater, lobbying and the 5th Latin American Solidarity Coalition Conference.
Many within the movement have pointed to Washington, DC, as the place to continue and build on our annual November vigil to close the SOA. From April 4-11, we will turn up the heat for those in power and build those bridges of solidarity from South to North.
See here for a growing list of organizational endorsements.
Direct Action
We are organizing a fast for justice in the Americas, film screenings, lobby days, street art and street theater as well as a March and Direct Action at the White House to Close the School of the Americas and to Resist U.S. Militarization on Sunday, April 10.
Starting on April 4th, Father Roy Bourgeois will carry out a Fast for Peace and Against Militarization. Please call 202-234-3440 or write to nico@soaw.org with the subject line “Fast for Peace” to sign up to participate in the fast with Fr. Roy. (If you cannot come during those days, please consider doing a fast in your own community, and let us know!)
On Friday, April 8th, we will join the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance for a march and mass civil disobedience at the Pentagon. Please check www.SOAW.org for updates on the Friday and Sunday demonstrations.
Our artists’ collective will need help building puppets and visuals for the marches and direct action! Please email aprilarts@gmail.com to find out how you can help!
Lobbying
We will be taking the halls of Congress to ask our representatives sign a Dear Colleague letter to urge President Obama to shut down the SOA/WHINSEC. This is your time to flex your people power! Contact asnow@soaw.org to let us know about your plans to come and lobby.
Information about your representatives’ voting record (if available) will be up soon, so get ready to put on the pressure!
Education and Strategy Conference Against Militarization
Among the 10 Agreements from the First Encuentro of the Americas was also the call for the promotion of "encuentros" in our countries to promote the culture of peace and to promote awareness of the danger that U.S. militarization poses for our continent.
SOA Watch is implementing this call by working as part of the Latin America Solidarity Coalition to organize a Conference to Build a Stronger Movement to End US Militarism and the Militarization of the Americas from April 9-10, 2011, during the SOA Watch Days of Action in Washington, DC.
Click here to register now to attend the conference!
Housing
There are a number of options in the DC area for housing options. Please check out this initial list.
Promote the Days of Action
With a distribution of over 60,000 copies per edition, the Presente! newsletter is a great resource to raise awareness about the SOA/WHINSEC and US militarization in the Americas. Place your order of 150 copies for $27 or 75 copies for $19.
April postcards can be purchased for $6 for 100.
We have also reprinted and updated our bilingual informational broadsheet, an excellent resource for beginners to the movement to close the SOA/WHINSEC! Your donation of $10 will get you 100 broadsheets. Geographical Scope: National Convergence |
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