Nov.16-18: Mobilize for Justice and People Power |
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Converge at the Gates of Fort Benning, Georgia, to Close the SOA and to Change U.S. Foreign Policy However you feel about the upcoming elections, one thing is certain: changing the bipartisan U.S. policy towards Latin America and pushing back militarization is a long-term project and it depends on pressure from the grassroots. We need to mobilize and build mass movements that get people in the streets. Anyone familiar with the words of Frederick Douglass knows that “power concedes nothing without a demand.” SOA Watch has a proud history as a direct action movement and is deeply rooted in the struggle for justice, nonviolence, and resistance to empire. The 2012 November Vigil is taking place 10 days after the elections and is our chance to set the agenda for justice, no matter who is being elected. ![]() Below you will find the Schedule of Events, and information about the rally with amazing speakers and musicians from Colombia, Paraguay, Haiti, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Chile, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. The November Vigil started with a handful of activists who fasted at the gates. It now draws thousands and features in-depth information sessions, excellent workshops, and concerts at the Columbus Convention Center in addition to the rally and the vigil at Fort Benning. November 16-18 Schedule of Events Three-Day Convergence in Columbus, Georgia As we converge each year at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia, we are creating a strong community and a powerful force that will close the SOA, end U.S. militarization in the Americas and dismantle the broader system of oppression of which the SOA is a part. Wednesday and Thursday, Nov 14 and 15: Friday, Nov 16: Saturday, Nov 17: Energetic Rally at the Gates of Fort Benning with speakers and musicians from across the Americas from 11am-4pm.Sunday, Nov 18: Veterans for Peace and friends will gather at 8:00am the Columbus Inn (3170 Victory Drive) to march together to the gates of Ft. Benning, Georgia. Join the march! Solemn Funeral Procession with the names of the victims from 9am - 2pmOur movement unites vast sectors of society, including union workers, immigrants, people of faith, anarchists, pacifists, students, torture survivors, and many others. We recognize the existence of the School of the Americas as an example of the pervasive culture of militarization. We stand together with many justice movements in our joint struggle for social change.Share this news on your Facebook page or your Twitter account! |