United National Antiwar Coalition
National Conference to Bring the Troops Home Now! July 23–25, 2010 Crowne Plaza Hotel, 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 NOAM CHOMSKY, Internationally renowned political activist, author, and critic of U.S. foreign and domestic policies, MIT Professor Emeritus of Linguistics (via video) 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) 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 The Complete Schedule is Below Program and Agenda National Conference to Bring the Troops Home Now! July 23-25, 2010 Albany, New York DRAFT Friday night, July 23 7:00 p.m.—10 p.m. 7:00 Call to order – Joe Lombardo, Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace 7:05 Welcoming remarks – Mike Keenan, President, Troy Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO Introduction of Mary Nichols-Rhodes, Progressive Democrats of America, Chair of session 7:10 Overview of the conference – Jerry Gordon, Secretary, United National Antiwar Conference (UNAC) 7:20 Questions about the overview 7:40 Panel discussion on “Strategies and Tactics in the Struggle to End the Empire’s Wars and Occupations.” Panelists: 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 U.S. Wars and Occupations Teresa Gutierrez, International Action Center Kathy Kelly, Creative Voices for Nonviolence 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 Blanca Missé, Graduate Student, UC at Berkeley; played leading role in March 4 student protests David Swanson, WarIsACrime.org (formerly AfterDowningStreet.org) Deborah Sweet, National Director, World Can’t Wait 9:00 Presentation of Co-Sponsors’ Action Proposal – Mary Nichols-Rhodes 9:10 Presentations by attendees of proposals to amend the action proposal, additional demands for mobilizations, resolutions 10:00 Adjourn MUSIC AND SINGING Saturday morning, July 24 8:30 a.m. – 12 noon 8:30 Call to order – Greg Coleridge, Director, Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee; Coordinator, Northeast Ohio Antiwar Coalition 8:35 Welcoming remarks – Maud Easter, Women Against War 8:40 Keynote addresses – Noam Chomsky, internationally renowned political activist, author, and critic of U.S. foreign and domestic policies; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Professor Emeritus of Linguistics; Donna Dewitt, President, South Carolina AFL- CIO; Co-Chair, South Carolina Progressive Network 9:15 Adoption of rules and procedures – Jerry Gordon 9:30 Election of presiding committee 9:45 Dedication of Kent State and Jackson State Memorial Antiwar Mural 10:00 Break 10:15 Workshops I 11:45 Break 12:00 Lunch; speakers Saturday afternoon, July 24 1:00 – 6:00 1:00 Call to order. Co-Chairs: Michael McPhearson, Co-Chair, United for Peace and Justice, formerly, Executive Director, Veterans for Peace; Jeff Mackler, National Co-Coordinator, National Assembly to End U.S. Wars and Occupations 1:05 Plenary session to discuss and debate Co-Sponsors’ action proposal, amendments, additional demands, and resolutions. Vote on amendments. 4:15 Break 4:30 Workshops II 6:00 Dinner (on your own) Saturday night, July 24 7:30 – 10:00 Public program with speakers and cultural presentations Sunday morning, July 25 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 8:30 Call to order. Kathy Black, Co-Convenor, U.S. Labor Against the War; President, Philadelphia Coalition of Labor Union Women; AFSCME District Council 47; Jim Lafferty, Executive Director, National Lawyers Guild, Los Angeles Chapter 8:35 Final discussion, debate and vote on demands. Final vote on action proposal, which then becomes the conference’s action program. Final discussion, debate and vote on resolutions. 11:00 Decision on future of UNAC 11:15 Summary remarks – Jerry Gordon 11:20 Break 11:30 Workshops III 1:00. Adjourn
SATURDAY, JULY 24, 10:15 AM SATURDAY, JULY 24, 4:30 PM Resistance to Israeli Apartheid in Fadi Kanaan - Palestinian leader Nada Khader - Exec. Dir. WESPAC Foundation, Col. Ann Wright - Veterans for Peace; Code Pink, just returned from Free Gaza Flotilla Representative - Al- Noura Erakat - Palestinian American Human Rights Attorney and activist, adjunct professor of international human rights law in the Middle East at Joel Kovel - author “Overcoming Zionism: Creating a Single Democratic State in Israel/Palestine Representative - Al- Climate, War and Planetary Survival - How Bad, How Soon, and the Empire's Coming Response Joel Kovel - academic, writer, eco-socialist, Editor-in-Chief journal “Capitalism Nature Socialism” Maggie Zhou, Ph.D. - MA Coalition for Healthy Communities & Committee for a Secure Green Future Women Against War Maria Butler - Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Peacewomen Project Associate Connie Frisbee Houde - Albany Women Against War group Col. Ann Wright – Veterans for Peace; Code Pink, just returned from Free Gaza Flotilla Spiritual Approaches to Creating Peace Blase Bonpane, Ph.D. – Director, Office of the Kathy Kelly - Co-Coordinator Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Co-Founder Voices in the Wilderness defied sanctions to carry medicine to Paki Wieland, D.Min. – Lifelong peace activist; Organizer, Bring Our War Dollars Home campaign in The Faith Community & the Antiwar Movement Shamshad Ahmad, Ph.D. – President, Masjid As-Salam of Mark Johnson, Ph.D. - Executive Director Fellowship of Reconciliation Sybil Stock, MD – Elected member, Social Responsibilities Council of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany; Member, Women Against War Afghanistan Project Closing Pardiss Kebriaei - Staff Attorney The Social Impact of US Military Intervention in Kathy Kelly - Co-Coordinator Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Co-Founder Voices in the Wilderness defied sanctions to carry medicine to Attiq Siddiqui - Fahima Vorgetts - Women for Afghan Women Representative – Action for a Progressive Health is a Human Right Oliver Fein, MD – President, Physicians for a National Health Program; member, Brooklyn For Peace Margaret Flowers, MD – Congressional Fellow, Physicians for a National Health Program; member, Chesapeake Citizens Mary Nichols-Rhodes, LPN - State Coordinator and Congressional District Organizer - Victor W. Sidel, MD – Professor, Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Past President, American Public Health Assoc.; Past President & current Member, Board of Directors, Physicians for Social Responsibility; Past Co-President, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Andrew D. Coates, MD – Coordinator, Hudson-Mohawk Physicians for Social Responsibility; Chair, Capital District Chapter Physicians for a National Health Program; Secretary-Treasurer for Division 231, Public Employees Federation (AFL-CIO); founding member, Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace Poor People’s Movements & the Triple Evils of Racism, Economic Exploitation & Militarism Ana Edwards - Founding Member (Virginia) Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality; Chair Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project; host radio program DefendersLIVE! Cheri Honkala - Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign/March to US Social Forum Student Organizing: Budget Cuts & U.S. Wars Ross Caputi - Iraq War Veteran, participated in the Second Battle of Fallujah, President Boston University Anti-War Coalition Jackie Hayes/Colin Donnaruma - SUNY Pat Korte – student at the Blanca Misse - Immigration Reform & the Militarization of the US/Mexico Border Lynda Cruz - Derechos Humanos, Theresa Gutierrez - Co-director, May 1 Coalition NYC Monami Maulik Executive DirectorDRUM- Desis Rising Up & Moving David Wilson - co-author of “The Politics of Immigration”, produces Weekly News update on the War, Militarization, & the Assault on Civil Liberties & Communities of Color Pam Africa - Chair, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal Abayomi Azikiwe - Editor Pan-African News Wire, Co-Founder Lillie "Ms K" Branch-Kennedy - Shahid Buttar - Executive Director National Bill of Rights Defense Committee Representative - Mongi Dhaoudi - Executive Director, CT Chapter, CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations) Representative - Muslim Solidarity Committee from Representative - Project Salam Organizing Veterans & Military Families Chantelle Bateman - NE Regional Field Organizer Ryan Henowitz - Patrick McCann - Board of Directors/DC-Area Chapter (016) President Veterans For Peace, Board of Directors, Nikki Morse – Organizer, Military Families Speak Out Counter-Recruitment in High Schools Jim Murphy - Coordinator NY Vets Speak Out & International Veterans Fellowship of Reconciliation Dayl S. Wise Vietnam/Cambodia veteran, member Vietnam Veterans Against the War & Veterans for Peace Presentation Fellowship of Reconciliation Youth and Militarism program The Truth of US Occupation of Nellie Bailey - Harlem Tenants Council, just returned from Marty Goodman - active in Ray Laforest - Haitian American labor leader (AFSCME) and Haitian community organizer, elected member of Pacifica National Board Tony Savino - Award-winning photographer will present an eye-opening and critical slideshow on earthquake relief David Wilson - US-based immigrant rights activist who was in Meredith Aby – Luis Fernandez Castro – Antoine Castro Natalia Fajardo – Colombian-American social/environmental activist from VT, former intern with Fellowship of Reconciliation, volunteer for Mingas-FTA working to promote sovereignty, democracy, improved labor conditions, and nonviolence in Colombia US Foreign Policy & the Economic Crisis: A Vital Labor Concern Kathy Black - Co-Convenor Doug Bullock - 1st VP Albany Central Labor Council, Michael Eisenscher - National Coordinator Barry Weisleder - long-time Canadian anti-war and union activist, Chair of the Socialist Caucus New Democratic Party, convener of the Workers' Solidarity and Union Democracy Coalition caucus in the Ontario Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress, organizer of the Toronto Substitute Teachers' Action Caucus Bring Our War Dollars Home: City Council, Town & State Legislature Meeting Resolutions & Voter Referendum Campaigns Cole Harrison – Member, Eastern Massachusetts 25% Solution Campaign, Fund Our Communities - Cut Military Spending 25%, Co-convenor UFPJ's Afghanistan Working Group, convenor Boston United for Justice with Peace Afghanistan/Pakistan task force, co-convenor of its Legislative Action task force Chris Hellman - Communications Liaison National Priorities Project, former military policy analyst for the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, frequent media commentator on military planning, policy, and budgetary issues Mark Roman - Vietnam war resister, founding member Waterville Area Bridges For Peace And Justice, one of the organizers of the Bring Our War Dollars Home campaign in Paki Wieland – Lifelong peace activist, organizer Bring Our War Dollars Home campaign in Deepening the Base & Building Bridges between the Climate Change, Peace & Economic Justice Movements Suren Moodliar - Majority Agenda Project organizing team, coordinator Mass. Global Action and Encuentro 5 Weimin Tchen - Majority Agenda Project organizing team, member Boston United for Justice with Peace Nonviolent Resistance in the 21st Century: Local to Global Challenges to Empire Beth Adams - Non-violent activist; weekly radio programmer "The Singing Wilderness & Eco News" and produces monthly series “We Are the Ones” in W. Mass., active in Stop Spewing Carbon Campaign, MACUCC Eco Ministries Task Group, MA Save the Forest Walks, Pioneer Valley Alliance for Justice and Peace, PV Nuclear-free Future Committee, PV Chapter-No More Guantanamos, WILPF Disarm Committee and Witness Against Torture Ruth Benn - Coordinator National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee , longtime pacifist, active with NYC War Resisters League Frances Crowe – Long time non-violent activist and founder of the Northampton, MA Committee to Stop the Wars in Iraq & Afghanistan, 28 years Western Mass. AFSC Coordinator, active in Northampton Bring the War Dollars Home Resolution campaign and shutting down Vermont Yankee Sunday Schedule: SUNDAY, JULY 25, 11:30 AM The Human Costs of Targeting Zaineb Alani - Iraqi writer, poet, activist living in US has large extended family in Ali Hossaini, M.D. - Iranian-Iraqi-American physician recently returned from Dahlia Wasfi, M.D. - Iraqi American activist, speaker, writer on effects of occupation on Iraqis, visited Managed News: Inside The US/NATO Military Industrial Media Empire Peter Phillips - Professor Sociology, Robin Andersen - Professor Communications, Mickey Huff - Professor History, Diablo Brian Murphy - Professor Communications, The Rise of Right Wing Populism & the Tea Party: Do We Need a Right-Left Coalition? Medea Benjamin - Code Pink Chris Gauvreau - CT United Against the War, Administrative Body National Assembly to End Glen Ford - Black Agenda Kevin Zeese - Co-Founder Voters for Peace Afghanistan/Pakistan: What Is the Strategy Behind US Intervention? Charlotte Dennett - public interest attorney, investigative journalist on role of Big Oil in US policy in Mideast and Latin America, author “The People v. Bush: One Lawyer's Campaign to Bring the President to Justice and the Nationwide Grassroots Movement She's Encountered Along the Way” Fahima Vorgetts - Women for Afghan Women Gareth Porter - historian, investigative journalist, policy analyst on Phil Wilayto - Editor, The Virginia Defender, author “In Defense of Iran: Notes from a U.S. Peace Delegation's Journey through the Islamic Republic” Leila Zand - Fellowship of Reconciliation Organizing Active Duty GI’s & GI Resistance Christine Beckermann or Michelle Roubidoux - members Toronto War Resisters Support Campaign GI resisters living in Tod Ensign - Director Citizen Soldier GI/veterans rights advocacy group Jimmy Massey - founding member of IVAW, founder Peace It Together Building Solidarity with Unions & Workers in Countries Targeted by US Imperialism Amjad Ali - North American representative Iraq Freedom Congress and General Federation of Workers Councils and Unions in Iraq (GFWCUI) Michael Eisenscher - National Coordinator End US Support for the Honduran Coup Government Joe Callahan - Alexy Lanza - Honduran, La Voz de los de Abajo & Casa Morazan in US Economic & Military Expansion into Abayomi Azikiwe - Editor, Pan-African News Wire Electoral & Legislative Strategies against Militarism, War and Empire Cole Harrison - Co-convenor UFPJ's Afghanistan Working Group, convenor Boston United for Justice with Peace Afghanistan/Pakistan task force, co-convenor of its Legislative Action task force Howie Hawkins - NY Green Party candidate for Governor Christopher Hutchinson - Socialist Action candidate for US Congress in CT Kevin Martin - Executive Director Peace Action Mary-Nichols Rhodes - State Coordinator and Congressional District Organizer - Silent Casualties: The Devastating Effects of Uranium Munitions and Environmental Costs of War Beth Adams - Non-violent activist; weekly radio programmer "The Singing Wilderness & Eco News" and produces monthly series “We Are the Ones” in W. Mass., active in Stop Spewing Carbon Campaign, MACUCC Eco Ministries Task Group, MA Save the Forest Walks, Pioneer Valley Alliance for Justice and Peace, PV Nuclear-free Future Committee, PV Chapter-No More Guantanamos, WILPF Disarm Committee and Witness Against Torture Tom Ellis – Long time social and environmental activist; member Community Concerned about NL Industries (armaments factory, where DU munitions were manufactured), Albany, NY; active in coalition to implement "zero-waste" policy by local governments Herbert Reed –
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Conference Highlights Workshops Lunch Program KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
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
PANEL ON POLITICAL REPRESSION,
Kati Ketz -Students for a Democratic Society
Rafael Sananez -Vamos Unidos, NYC
Muslim Voices Protest Profiling, Preemptive Prosecution, and Political Imprisonment
Gretel Munroe - Grassroots Actions for Peace and the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons, Science Team and Steering Committee member