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In these troubled times, Washington’s wars and occupations rage, resulting in an ever increasing number of dead and wounded and the destruction of countries posing no threat to the U.S. Trillions are spent on seemingly endless conflicts in pursuit of profits and global domination, while trillions more are lost by working people in loss of jobs, homes, pensions, health care, and cuts to social programs and public services. The U.S. goes to war to plunder the world’s fossil fuel resources, the unrestrained use of which threatens the future of our planet.

We must demand the immediate and total withdrawal of U.S. military forces, mercenaries and contractors from Afghanistan and Iraq, and the end to drone attacks on Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries and call for self-determination for the people of all countries. Moreover, we recognize that the Middle East cauldron today also encompasses Iran, Yemen, Palestine, and Israel, while countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa are targeted for intervention by a militarized U.S. foreign policy.

The urgency of the current world situation DEMANDS UNITY OF ACTION and purpose to generate the broad social movement we must create to not only end wars and occupations, but to fundamentally change the aggressive policies that inevitably lead our country to militarism, racism, and war. Our cry must be “Money for Human Needs; Not for Wars, Occupations, and Bail-Outs.”

Come to a conference where peace, social justice and environmental activists will come together to discuss the major concerns we face and to hammer out an ambitious program of action. The time is long overdue for such a gathering.

SCHEDULE

Friday evening, July 23: Panel discussion on “Strategies & Tactics in the Struggle to End the Empire’s Wars and Occupations”; Presentation of Action Proposal

Saturday, July 24: Keynote Speakers; Workshops; Lunch panel on Government Repression, Defense of Political Prisoners, and Guantanamo Detainees; Plenary Discussion of Action Proposal, Amendments & Resolutions

Saturday evening, July 24: Public Gathering with speakers & cultural performances

Sunday, July 25: Plenary Discussion and Vote on Action Proposal; Workshops

CO-SPONSORS

After Downing Street, Arab American Union Members Council, Bail Out the People Movement, BAYAN USA, Black Agenda Report, Campaign for Peace and Democracy, Campus Antiwar Network, Citizen Soldier, Code Pink, Fellowship of Reconciliation, International Action Center, Grandmothers Against the War, Granny Peace Brigade, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, May 1st Workers and Immigrant Rights Coalition, National Assembly to End US Wars and Occupations, National Lawyers Guild, Office of the Americas, Peace Action, Peace of the Action, Progressive Democrats of America, Project Salam, September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, Students for a Democratic Society, U.S. Labor Against the War, Veterans for Peace, Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Voters For Peace, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, World Can’t Wait

NOAM CHOMSKY, Internationally renowned political activist, author, and critic of U.S. foreign and domestic policies, MIT Professor Emeritus of Linguistics (via video)

DONNA DEWITT, President, South Carolina AFL-CIO; Co-Chair, South Carolina Progressive Network; Steering Committee, U.S. Labor Against the War; Administrative Body, National Assembly to End the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and Occupations

Additional Speakers: Joel Kovel, Dahlia Wasfi, Leila Zand, Cheri Honkala, Medea Benjamin, Pardiss Kebriaei, Kathy Kelly, Michael Ferner, Kevin Martin, Michael McPhearson, Nada Khader, Larry Holmes, Michael Eisenscher, David Swanson, Glen Ford, Blanca Missé, Pam Africa, Cindy Sheehan, Fahima Vorgetts, Kathy Black, Debra Sweet, Noura Erakat, Ann Wright (partial list)

PANEL ON POLITICAL REPRESSION, GUANTANAMO

MUSLIM POLITICAL PRISONERS

Hear statements from political prisoners Attorney Lynne Stewart, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Imam Aref and speakers from Project Salam, the Muslim Solidarity Committee, and the Center for Constitutional Rights

Friday Night July 23 Panel on:

"Strategies and Tactics in the Struggle to End the Empire's Wars and Occupations"

 

Speakers

1.      Medea Benjamin, CODE PINK

2.      Michael Eisenscher, National Coordinator, U.S.  
         Labor Against the War

3.      Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report

4.      Chris Gauvreau, Administrative Body, National
         Assembly to End the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and
         Occupations

5.      Teresa Gutierrez, International Action Center

6.      Kathy Kelly, Creative Voices for Nonviolence

7.      Nada Khader, Palestinian-American and Executive 
         Director of the WESPAC (Westchester Peace Action
         Coalition) Foundation

8.      Kevin Martin, Executive Director, Peace Action

9.      Michael McPhearson, United for Peace and Justice
         Co-Chair; Veterans for Peace

10.    Blanca Missé, Graduate Student, UC at Berkeley;
        played leading role in March 4 student protests

11.    David Swanson, WarIsACrime.org (formerly
         AfterDowningStreet.org)

12.    Deborah Sweet, National Director, World Can’t Wait