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Event 

Title:
National Conference to Bring the Troops Home Now!
When:
07.23.2010 - 07.25.2010 
Where:
Crowne Plaza Hotel - Albany
Category:
Organizing Events

Description

You're invited!

Hundreds of people will be gathering in Albany, N.Y. to decide how best to strengthen the movement to end the carnage and destruction resulting from wars and occupations. You can learn more and register to take part at http://www.nationalpeaceconference.org 

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 United
States. Trillions of dollars are spent on seemingly endless
conflicts in pursuit of profits and global domination, while
trillions more are lost by working people through 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. 

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

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

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, 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:

Deborah Sweet, National Director, World Can't Wait

Medea Benjamin, CODE PINK

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

Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report

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

Teresa Gutierrez, International Action Center

Kathy Kelly, Creative Voices for Nonviole

 

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

Kevin Martin, Executive Director, Peace Action

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

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

Venue

Venue:
Crowne Plaza Hotel
City:
Albany
State:
NY