PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR REPORT ON RECENT NEU CONFERENCE
February 27, 2010
NEW ENGLAND UNITED
GENERAL MEETING
1:00 - 5:00 PM
WHO KILLED HAITI AND WHY? THE US OCCUPATION AND THE FIGHT TO REBUILD A COUNTRY FREE FROM EXPLOITATION
HEAR REPORTS FROM MEDICAL PERSONNEL JUST BACK FROM
RELIEF EFFORTS, AND ASHLEY SMITH, WHO REPORTED FROM HAITI DURING THE 1994 OCCUPATION.
SMITH HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN THE HAITI SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT SINCE THE 1990'S. HE HAS WRITTEN ABOUT HAITI FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW, ZNET, AND COUNTERPUNCH.
THIS PROGRAM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY THE REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING OF NEW ENGLAND UNITED. PROPOSED AGENDA INCLUDES:
•THE MARCH 20 ANTIWAR MARCH ON DC
•NEW CAMPAIGNS TO END THE SIEGE OF GAZA
•EVALUATION OF JAN. 30 CONFERENCE
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27, 1-5 PM
Encuentro 5 , 33 Harrison, Boston, MA
NEU Antiwar Conference Draws Large Numbers
An overflow crowd of 400 antiwar activists from New England and New York attended the second annual New England United Antiwar Conference on Saturday, January 30 in Cambridge. The conference featured highly qualified speakers and workshop presenters on a wide range of topics, drawing participants from all age groups and a broad range of activist organizations.
Numerous reports from activists who attended indicate the conference was a huge success, a sign that the antiwar movement is entering a resurgence of momentum and enthusiasm. This reflects increasing awareness about the steadily expanding scope of endless wars and foreign occupations, and the use of the "War on Terror" to discourage dissent, and to justify the growing presence of American troops around the world.
The first panel started at 11:00 AM with the auditorium filled to capacity. "The Drive Towards Empire and Endless War," facilitated by Chris Gauvreau from Connecticut United for Peace, featured speakers Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report and Black is Back; Adaner Usmani, Action for a Progressive Pakistan; Bruce Gagnon, Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space; and Ashley Smith, Editorial Board, International Socialist Review.
Conference participants then attended one of five packed workshops:
* War in Latin America led by Omar Sierra of the Venezuelan Consulate; Antoine del Castro Rio of Colombia Polo Democrático; members of Proyecto Hondureno
* Domestic Costs of War led by Jon Flanders of Troy NY Labor Council and Nellie Bailey of Harlem Tenants Council
* In Our Lifetimes! Obama, the NPT and the International Struggle for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons led by Joe Gerson of American Friends Service Committee
* Resistance within the Military: The Renewed Struggles Against U.S. Imperialism led by Priscilla Loundes of March Forward!, Ryan Henowitz, vet; Herb Hoffman of Maine VFP
* Student Organizing led by Wes Strong of CT Students Against the War
After a short break for lunch, the conference resumed with a panel on "Debunking the War on Terror." Facilitated by Lisa Savage, CODEPINK Maine Local Coordinator, the panel featured Salma Abu Ayyash, Palestinian activist; Pardiss Kebriaei, Guantanamo Attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights; Danny Schechter, author of Embedded: Weapons of Mass Deception; and Peter Dale Scott, author of The Road to 9/11: Wealth, Empire, & the Future of America speaking via teleconference from California.
Workshops in the second round were also packed. Both Latin America in the first session and Haiti in the second overflowed their rooms and were relocated to the auditorium.
* Aid Not Occupation: Who's Killing Haiti? led by Ashley Smith; Josue Renaud, psychologist and Chair, New England Human Rights Org. Over $400 was raised to help send a team of Haitian psychologists and social workers from Boston to help traumatized children.
* Global Warming and War led by Ted Glick of Climate Crisis Coalition; Maggie Zhou of Secure Green Future, a project of Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities
* Israel as Apartheid State with Nancy Murray & Sarah Roche-Mahdi, CODEPINK
* Covert and False Flag Operations and 9/11: Pretext for the Continuing War on Terror led by Paul Zarembka, Professor of Political Economy SUNY Buffalo; and Barrie Zwicker, editor of Global Outlook
* Cutting War Spending 25%, Funding Jobs and Neighborhoods led by Mike Prokosch of Dorchester People for Peace
The last session of the conference was an organizing session facilitated by Mark Stahl from the RI Mobilization Committee to Stop War and Occupation. The March 20 antiwar action in DC was addressed by Marilyn Levin, a national co-coordinator for the National Assembly and member of Boston United for Justice with Peace and the Palestine Task Force; Emily Macmillan, organizer for the ANSWER coalition and a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation; Chris Garaffa, organizer for the ANSWER coalition and a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation; and Chris Gauvreau, of the administrative committee of the National Assembly and Connecticut United for Peace.
The second campaign, ending the siege of Gaza, featured remarks by Sarah Roche-Mahdi, a coordinator of Code Pink Greater Boston who has participated in several Code Pink peace delegations including the Gaza Freedom March. The third campaign, redirecting military spending in support of human needs, featured Mike Prokosch, a member of Dorchester People for Peace and United for Justice with Peace's 25% task force; and Mark Roman, from BringOurWarDollarsHome.org in Maine.
There was a social following the conference at Bertucci's restaurant in Cambridge.
Here is a link to a set of photographs of the conference: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lsavage3/sets/72157623239684885/
The photos used are from Roger Leisner - The Maine Paparazzi - Radio Free Maine.
Next meeting of New England United:
February 27 from 1 to 5 PM
Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Street in downtown Boston. The meeting will feature a program: "WHO KILLED HAITI AND WHY? THE US OCCUPATION AND THE FIGHT TO REBUILD A COUNTRY FREE FROM EXPLOITATION." It will include reports from Josue Renaud, Haitian psychologist and Chair, New England Human Rights Organization; and Ashley Smith, who reported from Haiti during the 1994 occupation. The program will be followed by an organizing meeting for spring actions.
Coordinating Committee of the New England United Antiwar Conference
Chris Gauvreau
Ann Glick
Marilyn Levin
Lisa Savage
Karen Slater
Mark Stahl
NEW ENGLAND UNITED
REGIONAL ANTIWAR CONFERENCE
MIT CAMPUS, CAMBRIDGE, MA
JANUARY 30, 2010
New England United, a regional antiwar network formed in July 2007, is organizing a regional antiwar conference on January 30 in the Boston area to discuss the multiple wars of empire and the "War on Terror", and organize for the spring antiwar mobilizations.
If your organization would like to endorse the conference, please email the endorsement to the Outreach committee at newenglandunitedoutreach@gmail.com . If you would like to donate to NEU to help support the conference and our ongoing work, please send your check (payable to New England United) to New England United, 33 Harrison Avenue, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02111. Thanks.
If you would like to join the conference planning committee, please send an email to David Keil at dmkeil@gmail.com . Also, please let David know if you would like to join one of the conference sub-committees: Program, Outreach, Logistics, Publicity, and Social.
An overview of the conference follows below. More information will be issued as it becomes available. Please join us and help make 2010 a banner year for the antiwar movement in New England, as we confront the expanding US occupations in Central Asia and the growing social ills at home. Thank you.
Bruce K. Gagnon, Coordinator, Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
Christine Gauvreau, Connecticut United for Peace
John Harris, Greater Boston Stop the Wars Coalition
David Keil, Faculty member, Framingham State College; member, MetroWest Peace Action
Marilyn Levin, Boston United for Justice with Peace; Co-Coordinator, National Assembly to End the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and Occupations
Daniel Piper, Connecticut United for Peace
Sarah Roche-Mahdi, Code Pink Greater Boston
Mark Roman, Waterville Area Bridges for Peace & Justice
Lisa Savage, CODEPINK Maine Local Coordinator
Mark Stahl, RI Mobilization Committee to Stop War and Occupation
for the New England United conference committee
Conference announcement:
Multiple wars of empire are being waged or promoted by Washington, in the name of a global war against terrorism. The occupations and wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Palestine being waged by, or with the aid of, the U.S. government, are expanding in number and deadliness. New U.S. bases are being set up in Colombia, and in Honduras, the State Department has backed away from its support for the return of President Zelaya.
Meanwhile, the "War on Terror" is being used as a smokescreen to justify the expansion of US wars and occupations, curtail civil liberties, promote the racist scapegoating of Arabs and Muslims, and drain resources needed for domestic social programs, including health care, jobs, education and the environment.
What is behind these interventions? What links them? If Iraq was about securing control of oil, what is at stake for corporate America in
Afghanistan and Pakistan? In Honduras? In Colombia? What do the histories of empire and imperialist foreign policy tell us?
The recent antiwar actions on October 17 in Boston and elsewhere called for immediate withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq, and for an end to U.S. support for the occupation of Palestine. They were built by inclusive decision-making bodies that welcomed contributions by all, and acted on majority or consensus.
Come to the NEU conference on January 30 to share analyses and to map regional campaigns to strengthen the antiwar movement. Help plan for national and local spring antiwar mobilizations, and for efforts to persuade the Congress and the White House to turn away from war.
New England United conference committee
REPORT ON OCTOBER 17 ACTION IN BOSTON
Following is a report by Cole Harrison, one of the event organizers:
Congratulations to all of you who contributed to building the Oct 17 Boston mobilization. Together, we made a loud and proud statement that the peace and justice movement is alive and well! We were joined by 40 peace actions throughout the United States yesterday and by Afghanistan-themed demonstrations and events on October 5 in Washington and on October 7 throughout the nation.
The Afghanistan war was in the forefront of everyone's minds, based on the signs, banners, tables, songs, and speeches. By calling for "Troops Out now" we registered beyond question that there is organized opposition to this war, a movement that is determined enough to dig in for the long haul.
The over 100 peace and justice organizations from all 6 New England states who sponsored and endorsed O17, the dozens of progressive organizations who set up tables and presented their projects and campaigns, and the 800 people who attended the rally and 1000 who marched, showed that our movement has the breadth and depth to say NO to endless wars and occupations and YES to redirect funding from the military budget to human needs. The many creative signs, banners, posters, costumes, and skits showed our ability to reach out and move people with our message of humanity.
Our appreciation goes to Bojah and the Insurrection, Above/Below with DJ Mayday, and Roy Zimmerman, whose challenging and joyful music kept us moving and dancing on a chilly day. The Constitution Brass Band of Vermont and Boston made the marchers (and many bystanders) strut, and the Bread and Puppet Theatre, whose bus was repaired just in time to make the trip, drew attention from all sides, complete with die-ins at street intersections.
Our featured speakers Zoya, Matthis Cheroux, and John Schuchardt, laid bare the disasters and roots of U.S. war policy. Sarah Fuhro, Peter Knowlton, Sarah Roche-Mahdi, Tito Meza, Sergio Reyes, Charlie Derber, Jim Brooks, and Angela Kelly drew together many of the strands of the peace and justice movement and showed the interconnection of the many issues and struggles which are gathering together to resist the corporate, militarist destruction of our people's lives and those of people throughout the world. Our thanks to them for their educational and moving presentations. (Catch the talks of Iraqi peace activist Abdulsattar Younus and Afghan parliamentarian Malalai Joya in the coming weeks)
Progressive and mainstream media groups captured the day in print, radio, photographs and video. We'll gather these presentations on our web site as they come in.
The event was planned by activists from different organizations and political tendencies who worked together, debated and compromised as they laid the plans for the event. Gathering regularly from throughout New England they worked together at in-person meetings, conference calls and on listservs and phone calls. The all-volunteer media, outreach, logistics, program, peacekeeping, and teams, and the coordinating committee, did terrific work behind the scenes preparing and staging the event. We think we are roughly on budget (a more complete financial report will come later).
An O17 evaluation meeting will be held Saturday, November 14, 1pm at Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Ave, 5th floor, Chinatown, Boston. The CC asks each team and state to write and post a one-page summary of its work, and present it on the 14th, with an eye to doing even better work next time. Take time now while the lessons are fresh, to write the how-to manual for organizing protests, because we will be doing this again and again.
As everyone reading this message knows, our work has just begin. Regardless of how many additional troops President Obama decides to send to Afghanistan, ending the war there is not not even on the table as an option in Washington. A real withdrawal of U.S. troops and mercenaries from Iraq has not happened. US support for the occupation of Palestine continues unchecked. The health care reform is being gutted. Joblessness is getting worse. The housing crisis is worsening. The climate crisis is being met only by token gestures. And nothing is being done to cut back the military budget, rather it still continues to increase regardless whether Democrats or Republicans are in office.
We will go back to our communities and do the hard work of building our base, unifying our movements, challenging the lies, and creating hope by projecting the progressive alternative that we know a majority of the American people support and need. Forward together, backward never! For peace with justice!
Cole Harrison
October 18, 2009
October 27, 2007
10,000 MARCH IN BOSTON
FOR AN END TO THE WAR IN IRAQ
As reported by the Boston Police and the Boston Globe, some 10,000 protestors marched at a regional demonstration in Boston on Saturday, October 27. The action was part of a national day of protest against the war in Iraq called by United for Peace and Justice. Regional demonstrations were held in 11 cities.
The Boston event started with a rally at Boston Common, with speakers and cultural performers, followed by a march from 2:30 thru 3:30 around Copley Square and back to the Common. The event was endorsed by over 200 organizations.
The demands for the Boston action were: Bring All The Troops Home Now; End All Funding for the Iraq War Now; Support Our Communities, Fund Human Needs; No Attack on Iran; Stop the Attacks on Civil Liberties, Defend Human Rights.
