SOAW Activists Report to Prison Today - New Legislation - and more!

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SOA Watch UpdateMarch 15, 20051. SOA Watch activists report to prisons today2.

New legislation introduced in Congress!3. Families to Close the SOA/ WHINSEC

this November4. March 19th actions against the Occupation of Iraq5. SOA Watch

movement contact information==============================1. SOA WATCH ACTIVISTS

REPORT TO PRISONS TODAYEleven SOA Watch activists –- including a Maryknoll nun,

a 79-year-old retiree, students, and a farmworker –- will report to federal

prisons around the country today to begin serving three- to six-month sentences

for their acts of nonviolent civil disobedience opposing the School of the

Americas/ WHINSEC. The eleven were arrested at Fort Benning in November of 2004

as part of the annual demonstration calling for the closure of the SOA/

WHINSEC.We honor their witness, their action, and their spirits as they head off

to prison! We also hold in our thoughts out two probationers who have already

begun serving their time, the two SOA Watch activists

sentenced to community service and the more than two million people currently

incarcerated in the United States, most for nonviolent offenses.For prison

addresses and more information about each of these activists, visit:

http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=322.To read more about how you can

support these peacemakers and other “prisoners of conscience,” visit:

http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=129.Those reporting today are:FCI DANBURY

in Connecticut:Sr. Lil Mattingly of Maryknoll, NY – 6 monthsAlice Gerard of

Buffalo, NY – 6 monthsFCI PEKIN in Illinois:Liz Deligio of Chicago, IL – 3

monthsMeagan Doty of St. Louis, MO – 3 monthsElizabeth Nadeau of Minneapolis, MN

– 3 monthsFCI BUTNER in North Carolina:Dan Schwankl of Siler City, NC – 3

monthsUSP ATWATER in California:Aaron Shuman of Oakland, CA – 4 monthsTAFT FCI

in California:Brian DeRouen of Fairfield, CA – 4 monthsFCI YAZOO CITY in

Mississippi:Nashua Chantal of Americus, GA – 3 monthsFCI OTISVILLE in New

York:Tom MacLean

of Greenfield, MA – 3 monthsFCI OXFORD in Wisconsin:Ron Durham of Chicago, IL –

3 monthsThere is no jail that can contain the

truth!==============================2. NEW LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN

CONGRESS!Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) has reintroduced legislation in the 109th

Congress to suspend operations of the School of the Americas/ WHINSEC. HR 1217,

" The Latin America Military Training Review Act of 2005, " has 78 bi-partisan

introductory co-sponsors -- thanks to YOUR determined efforts during our

February Lobby Day and National Call-in Day!To determine if your representative

has signed on as a sponsor of this bill, visit http://thomas.loc.gov/, click on

the link for " Search Bills and Resolutions " and search by bill number for HR

1217. By clicking on the " Bill Summary and Status " link, you can access

information about the bill, including the list of current co-sponsors.If your

representative has yet to sign on, take the time to call their DC office by

calling the Capitol Hill

Switchboard (202-224-3121). Here is a suggested message for you to convey: " I am

calling Congressman/woman ________ to remind him/her that Rep. Jim McGovern has

introduced HR 1217, The Latin America Military Training Review Act of 2005,

which would suspend and investigate the School of the Americas, which now uses

the acronym WHINSEC. 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. " ==============================3. FAMILIES TO CLOSE THE SOA AT THE

NOVEMBER VIGILSome SOA Watch activists are beginning to work on strategies to

encourage and facilitate family participation in the annual Vigil to Close the

SOA/ WHINSEC. Some of their ideas include a hospitality room for parents with

babies, an area in front of the stage for kids, a time for teaching songs to

close the SOA to children, an art time for making symbols

kids can carry in the Sunday procession and a teach-in for middle school

folks.Have you brought kids to the Vigil in the past and had ideas about how to

make their experience better? Are you interested in working with children at the

Vigil in November? Consider contacting Nancy Jones and getting involved in this

exciting process! Nancy can be contacted at

njones48(at).==============================4. MARCH 19th ACTIONS

AGAINST THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQOn Saturday, March 19, the second anniversary of

the most recent war in Iraq, people around the world will be demonstrating to

call for an end to the occupation. Just a few of the planned demonstrations in

the US include:FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, home of Fort Bragg -–

www.Ncpeacejustice.orgNEW YORK CITY -- http://www.troopsoutnow.org/SAN FRANCISCO

BAY AREA -- http://www.indybay.org/antiwar/Check out www.indymedia.org and the

United for Peace and Justice calendar at

http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?list=type & type=28

for other events in your area.==============================5. SOA WATCH

MOVEMENT CONTACT INFORMATIONYou will receive another email shortly after this

email that contains important contact information for the SOA Watch office in

DC, SOA Watch regional representatives and SOA Watch working groups. Please use

this valuable resource and save it for your

records.______If you have received this email

by mistake or if you don't wish to receive updates from SOA Watch, send a blank

email to soaw-. To , send a blank email

to soaw-. To read more about this list visit

http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/soawSOA Watch ~ PO Box 4566 ~

Washington DC 20017 ~ (202)234-3440 ~ www.soaw.org ~ info

 

 

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