Fasting has been present in all the world's spiritual traditions. Fasts help focus an individual or a group and have often been used as an effective nonviolent tool for achieving social change.
SOA Watch is calling on people to engage in a 3-day juice fast from April 23-25, during which participants will abstain from food and only drink water and juices. Juice fasts are less intensive than water-only fasts. The advantage of juice fasts is that fruit and vegetable drinks can supply extra energy and nutrients. People can fit three days of juice fasting into their normal schedules without significant drops in energy.
Fasts longer than 3 days require medical supervision as well as a thorough assessment to ensure that nutrient deficiencies do not result.
Consult a qualified health professional before you begin your fast. Some people shouldn't fast without professional supervision. For example:
Women who are pregnant or nursing
Children
People with diabetes, low blood sugar, eating disorders, kidney disease, liver disease, malnutrition, addictions, underweight, anemia, impaired immune function, gout, asthma, infection, nutritional deficiency, low blood pressure, ulcerative colitis, cancer, terminal illness, epilepsy, or other chronic conditions
People who have recently undergone surgery
People taking prescription medications
Physical preparation
Juice fasts must be entered and exited with care. To enter a juice fast, the diet should be gradually lightened over a few days. First, heavy foods such as meats and dairy products should be eliminated for a day or two. Grains, nuts, and beans should then be reduced for several days. The day before a juice fast, only easily digested foods like fruits, light salads, and soups should be eaten. During the fast, only raw vegetable and fruit juices, pure water and occasional herbal teas should be drunk.
Juice fasts should be ended as gradually as they are entered, going from lighter to heavier foods progressively. The diet after a fast should emphasize fresh, wholesome foods. Fasters should particularly take care not to overeat when they complete a fast.
Here is an example on how to gradually introduce solid foods back into the diet:
Day 1: Two pieces of fruit. Each piece of fruit is divided in half so there are four servings.
Day 2: Lightly steamed non-starchy vegetables, such as spinach.
Day 3: Brown rice, fresh salad.
Day 4: Organic yogurt, unflavored and unsweetened. Eggs.
Day 5: Meat, chicken, fish, tofu, if eaten.
Day 6: Beans, other grains may be introduced, if eaten.
Day 7: Other foods, as desired.
What does a typical juice fast involve?
Proponents of juice fasting suggest it be done during the warmer months of the year only. Spring is thought to be the best time of the year for juice fasting.
Seven or more days before the fast, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, sugar, dairy, wheat, animal meat, fish, and eggs are usually reduced or eliminated from the diet. The diet should consist mainly of organic fruits, vegetables, and beans.
Between 32 and 64 ounces of juice is usually recommended per day. The juice is sipped throughout the day. Typical fruits and vegetables include celery, carrot, kale, cabbage, apple, pineapple, cranberry, spinach, beet, and greens. Citrus fruits are often avoided. Dilute all your juices with one part water to three parts pure freshly made juice.
Be sure to drink at least eight 8 oz. glasses (large table glasses) of room temperature or warm filtered water every day, spread out evenly.
Organic fruits and vegetables are usually recommended. If organic produce isn't available or affordable, practitioners suggest peeling the skin off fruits and vegetables or washing vegetables with a non-toxic produce cleaner, usually available at health food stores.
Green vegetables and sprouts contain the pigment chlorophyll, which juice proponents believe are especially beneficial during a juice fast.
A combination of fruits and vegetables is recommended.
Certain fruits and vegetables and their parts should not be juiced, such as the pits of peaches, apricots, cherries, and other fruits, apple seeds, citrus peels, carrot and rhubarb tops, tough skins (such as kiwi, pineapple, mangoes), and bananas and avocados.
IMPORTANT
**************************************************
Fasting can reduce blood proteins and change the way medications react in the body. People taking medication should consult a health professional before starting a juice fast, and should never discontinue or reduce their medications on their own.
|
|
Sample Letter to Your Representative |
 |
 |
 |
Tags: Legislative Resources
The Honorable ____________________________________
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative _______________________________,
I am writing to urge you to support human rights in Latin America by supporting legislative efforts to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), formerly the United States Army School of the Americas (SOA). The graduates of this institution have a long history of human rights violations. From the atrocities in El Salvador and Guatemala in the 1980's, to recent violations in Colombia, SOA/WHINSEC graduates consistently appear in reports on human rights abuses in Latin America. SOA/WHINSEC training has resulted in civilian massacres, assassinations, disappearances, death threats and has led to both attempted and successful coups of democratically elected governments in the hemisphere. Recently, it was uncovered that WHINSEC has trained known human rights abusers, despite the congressionally mandated vetting of potential students. In addition, countries such as Uruguay and Argentina have made public announcements in recent months that they will no longer send students to the SOA/WHINSEC citing the school as sending a negative human rights message to Latin America.
Despite efforts to silence opposition to the Ft. Benning-based training school through a name change and cosmetic changes, it is still a combat training school that provides dangerous skills and weaponry to countries with serious current human rights problems. The proliferation of skills like counter-insurgency and psychological warfare in countries like Colombia, where impunity is offered to paramilitaries, only perpetuates the cycles of violence. Keeping the school open under any name sends a powerful anti-human rights message. Establishing reasonable living conditions for the people of Latin America and strengthening civil institutions will do more to stabilize the region than training militaries. Closing the SOA/WHINSEC, whatever its name, would demonstrate that the United States has made a clean break from the tragic history of the school and its graduates.
As your constituent, I urge you to co-sponsor legislation introduced by Rep. McGovern and work for its passage in Congress. I also urge you to support any amendments to appropriations bills that would cut funding for this notorious institution. Please contact Cindy Buhl in Representative McGovern's office to include yourself in this legislation.
Please send me a letter with your position on this issue. Thank you for your time and commitment to this important matter.
Sincerely,
|
|
|
Calling Your Member of Congress |
|
|
|
Tags: Legislative Resources
PHONE CALL CAMPAIGN TO CONGRESS
Organizing a phone call campaign to Congress is an easy action item that you can coordinate as part of your solidarity fast this month. Below are some tips and resources for your phone calls.
TIPS FOR MAKING EFFECTIVE PHONE CALLS
--When calling the DC office of your legislator, ask to speak with the legislative aide responsible for foreign affairs. Give your name and tell him or her that you are a constituent. When calling the district office of your legislator, ask for the constituent services representative.
--Be specific about what you want the member to do.
--Ask what the member's position is on the issue. If the staff person is uncertain, ask the staffer what he/she would recommend to her/his boss.
--Thank them for their time
GETTING IN CONTACT
Representatives in the House have at least two offices, and sometimes more, where they conduct their business of supporting their constituents. To contact the district office of your representative, located in your community, you can check your local phone book for the listing or check the Representative's website for their contact information. The websites for all House Representatives are located at www.house.gov. These websites also provide the contact information for their DC office, where the legislative staff works. You can contact them directly, or contact
the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121. Ask to be connected to your Member of Congress, and when you are, ask to speak with the legislative aide that deals with foreign affairs.
SAMPLE PHONE MESSAGE
"Hi, my name is ______, I live in ______, and I am a constituent of Congressman/woman ______. I am calling because I would like to bring to your attention an important opportunity to sponsor legislation that supports human rights in Latin America. Rep. Jim McGovern has introduced legislation that would suspend and investigate the School of the Americas, which now uses the acronym WHINSEC.
The School of the Americas is a combat training school in Ft. Benning, GA that has trained more than 64,000 Latin American soldiers and officers. New information indicates that WHINSEC has allowed known human rights abusers to instruct and receive training at the school. Argentina and Uruguay are two more countries that have made public announcements they will no longer send students to the school, citing the negative image and history of this institution. The concerns that Congress raised with regards to the SOA were never adequately addressed, and it needs to be closed so that an investigation can occur.
As your constituent, I urge the Congressman/woman to contact Rep. McGovern's office to become a cosponsor of this bill. This would be one very concrete step to support human rights and promote peace and justice for the people of Latin America. As an elected official in Washington D.C., I hope you will represent me and support this bill and/or any other legislative item that would investigate or cut funding for the school."
|
As you organize to fast this April, as part of a group or by yourself, think and plan ahead about how to educate people in your community about the School of the Americas, why you are fasting, and why they should get involved. One useful tool for getting the word out and working to frame the issue is the media.
Media coverage significantly magnifies the voice of those working for the closure of the SOA and a more just world. And it's up to all of us to generate media coverage of the SOA and ours efforts to close it down. Taking a little time to work with your local media can profoundly impact the number of people in your area who know about the SOA and the number of people who get involved in the work to close it down!
Seven steps for your group to consider:
1) Assess where you are now. What has been your track record of local print and broadcast coverage? Do you need to learn or brush up on media skills? Are you prepared to make a statement about why you are participating in this movement? Who are sympathetic editors and reporters? Which print and broadcast editors and reporters need some education?
2) Find a local "hook." If you are involved in a local group/organization that will be taking part in the Fast it is important to mention your involvement in that group. An example would be: A Rosa House Peace Community/ Fellowship of Reconciliation delegation's press release in 1998 identified the members as educators (in schools and community-based) who carried signs that urged "Teach Peace" and "Close this School," and they were quoted as linking violence in schools with US government violence.
3) Use independent and alternative media. IndyMedia web sites at www.indymedia.org give all of us the opportunity to post stories and photos in our own words. Go to the website nearest you and fill in the blanks! Are there alternative newspapers and/or radio programs in your area? Does your information appear in religious, labor and community newsletters? This requires some research on your part to search for those local media outlets that would be most likely to cover your story.
4) Tie in with local media. List the SOA Watch national office phone number (202-234 3440) underneath a local phone number at the top of your press releases, and cite www.soaw.org as a source for more information.
5) Varied and simultaneous submissions. All of your media work doesn't need to be a major press release or statement. Submit regular, brief announcements of organizing meetings, educational resources (speakers' bureau or videos). Send to city desk, community news and religion editors. Remember weekly bulletins of houses of worship, union publications and community newsletters.
6) Some participate, some don't. It is important to develop a comprehensive list of everyone from your community who is participating in the fast, with their names, ages, occupations and religious affiliations to attach to your press release. People who can't take part in the fast but want to be a part of the local actions can support you or your group by acting as a spokesperson, making pitch calls, and posting you local event on the internet throughout the week to increase your chances of local coverage.
7) Don't lose the story after the actions. As you end your fast, it can be helpful to send a final press release to your local media contacts describing and evaluating the action (number of participants, public reaction to the fast, announce future events). Keeping the story alive can increase your chances for a longer, more accurate story and in building a relationship with your local media.
Planning Your Media Work
The schedule for your work will depend on local plans and progress, but a suggested timeline is:
February: assess media work to date, where you have had coverage and where you need further outreach. Develop a comprehensive list of media outlets and be sure to note copy deadlines.
Late February: announce local participation in the national action (the SOAW website will feature a listing of all the local events taking place around the country); and provide information on how to contact your local SOA Watch group; speakers, videos.
March: Announce additional local/regional organizational endorsements and plans around the national SOA Watch Fast. Seek out a related feature story on fasting, nonviolent civil disobedience, and other public actions. Plan your local media support actions for the April Fast.
Late March and early April: build the momentum by releasing numbers of people participating in the fast around the country and in your community, mention key or influential people in your local group. Finalize plans for getting the news out. And do it!
|
|
April 23-26, 2008 will be a time of fasting for SOA Watch.; a time to organize fasts in your community to bring attention to SOA/WHINSEC victims and an opportunity for each of us to commit ourselves to closing this place of injustice. Local fasts nationwide will educate the public about the School of the Americas / WHINSEC and the reality of U.S. foreign policy towards Latin America. 
During the days of April 23-26, 2008, thousands of SOA Watch activists from across the United States and Latin American took part in the three-day Fast to Close the SOA/ WHINSEC. Public fasts, individual fasts, vigils and events were held in front of Federal buildings, congressional offices and university campuses to raise awareness of the victims of SOA/ WHINSEC sponsored violence and express support for HR 1707.