----- Original Message ----- From: Claudia K. White <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2000 10:01 PM Subject: [senaa] Marco / SOA [STOPNATO.ORG.UK] STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK One heart, one goal, one Earth. --------- Forwarded Message --------- DATE: Fri, 1 Dec 2000 23:45:29 From: "Brigitte Thimiakis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "senaa LIST" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Dear All, just thought you might find the following description of action at Ft. Benning that happened this morning. Such actions are part of the Gandhian Wave strategy that the SOAWatch began developing last year. The idea is to have smaller groups doing nonviolent direct actions at the SOA in Ft. Benning to keep up the pressure through out the year. You may remember last March six of us began the "Wave" when we went to the front lawn of the SOA and dug a grave, buried crosses and flags from countries where victims of SOA graduates were killed. Send your energies and blessing to Liz and Josh who may still be hanging on the water tower as I write. In the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi, the four American Churchwomen whose anniversayr of death we celebrate on Dec. 2, and the 100,000s of Centeral and South American victims of the SOA, may we be energized by their lives of love, mercy and justice, Blessings, Kathleen Activists Deploy 1,750 Square Foot Banner Within Fort Benning Military Reservation, Date: Wednesday, November 29, 2000 8am Columbus, GA: Early this morning two concerned civilians lowered themselves off of a water tower on the Fort Benning Military Reservation, unfurling a 1,750 square foot red, white and blue banner reading, "North and South The People Say: Close the School of the Americas." Risking prison sentences for their non-violent civil disobedience, Liz Guy (25) of Seattle, WA, and Josh Raisler Cohn (23) of Portland, OR, intend to remain suspended all day to protest the continued existence of the controversial training school, whose graduates are cited by United Nations Truth Commissions for human rights abuses throughout Latin America. The water tower is easily visible from the barracks that serve as living quarters for the students of the School of the Americas (SOA). The School of the Americas, located on Fort Benning in Columbus, GA, trains 600-2,000 Latin American soldiers each year in combat skills, including sniper training, commando tactics and psychological operations. These tactics are primarily used by soldiers against their own people. In September 1996, the Pentagon acknowledged that the SOA used training manuals advocating torture, extortion, and assassination. Their nonviolent action takes place on the eve of the twentieth anniversary of the murder of four U.S. church women who were working in El Salvador for the rights of the poor. On December 2 1980, Maura Clarke, Jean Donovan, Ita Ford and Dorothy Kazel were brutally raped and murdered while returning from a MaryKnoll Sisters meeting. The investigation of their murders found 26 military officers responsible; 19 were SOA graduates. "Since the SOA*s inception, its graduates have been directly involved in many of the worst human rights violations in Latin America, including the murder, torture and rape of religious leaders, labor organizers, educators and others working for the rights of the poor," Guy said. "Our tax dollars are training soldiers to use violence to maintain U.S. economic and military dominance in Latin America. We are here to say *NO MORE!* " In response to increasing public awareness and pressure * just last week over 10,000 people came to Fort Benning to protest the school * the military has resorted to cosmetic changes, including a name change to the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. "The new name is only a ploy to disassociate the SOA from its horrific history," said Raisler Cohn, who was arrested on the base two weeks ago for his symbolic hanging in protest of the school. "We are here to tell Congress and the U.S. Army that we are not fooled. Whatever name they give the School of the Americas, we want it closed forever." Kathleen Desautels, SP 8th Day Center for Justice 205 W. Monroe Chicago, IL 60606 312/641-5151 Phone 312/641-1250 Fax kakd(a)claret.org www.8thdaycenter.org --------- End Forwarded Message --------- Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK Dear All, just thought you might find the following description of action at Ft. Benning that happened this morning. Such actions are part of the Gandhian Wave strategy that the SOAWatch began developing last year. The idea is to have smaller groups doing nonviolent direct actions at the SOA in Ft. Benning to keep up the pressure through out the year. You may remember last March six of us began the "Wave" when we went to the front lawn of the SOA and dug a grave, buried crosses and flags from countries where victims of SOA graduates were killed. Send your energies and blessing to Liz and Josh who may still be hanging on the water tower as I write. In the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi, the four American Churchwomen whose anniversayr of death we celebrate on Dec. 2, and the 100,000s of Centeral and South American victims of the SOA, may we be energized by their lives of love, mercy and justice, Blessings, Kathleen Activists Deploy 1,750 Square Foot Banner Within Fort Benning Military Reservation, Date: Wednesday, November 29, 2000 8am Columbus, GA: Early this morning two concerned civilians lowered themselves off of a water tower on the Fort Benning Military Reservation, unfurling a 1,750 square foot red, white and blue banner reading, "North and South The People Say: Close the School of the Americas." Risking prison sentences for their non-violent civil disobedience, Liz Guy (25) of Seattle, WA, and Josh Raisler Cohn (23) of Portland, OR, intend to remain suspended all day to protest the continued existence of the controversial training school, whose graduates are cited by United Nations Truth Commissions for human rights abuses throughout Latin America. The water tower is easily visible from the barracks that serve as living quarters for the students of the School of the Americas (SOA). The School of the Americas, located on Fort Benning in Columbus, GA, trains 600-2,000 Latin American soldiers each year in combat skills, including sniper training, commando tactics and psychological operations. These tactics are primarily used by soldiers against their own people. In September 1996, the Pentagon acknowledged that the SOA used training manuals advocating torture, extortion, and assassination. Their nonviolent action takes place on the eve of the twentieth anniversary of the murder of four U.S. church women who were working in El Salvador for the rights of the poor. On December 2 1980, Maura Clarke, Jean Donovan, Ita Ford and Dorothy Kazel were brutally raped and murdered while returning from a MaryKnoll Sisters meeting. The investigation of their murders found 26 military officers responsible; 19 were SOA graduates. "Since the SOA*s inception, its graduates have been directly involved in many of the worst human rights violations in Latin America, including the murder, torture and rape of religious leaders, labor organizers, educators and others working for the rights of the poor," Guy said. "Our tax dollars are training soldiers to use violence to maintain U.S. economic and military dominance in Latin America. We are here to say *NO MORE!* " In response to increasing public awareness and pressure * just last week over 10,000 people came to Fort Benning to protest the school * the military has resorted to cosmetic changes, including a name change to the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. "The new name is only a ploy to disassociate the SOA from its horrific history," said Raisler Cohn, who was arrested on the base two weeks ago for his symbolic hanging in protest of the school. "We are here to tell Congress and the U.S. Army that we are not fooled. Whatever name they give the School of the Americas, we want it closed forever." Kathleen Desautels, SP 8th Day Center for Justice 205 W. Monroe Chicago, IL 60606 312/641-5151 Phone 312/641-1250 Fax [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.8thdaycenter.org eGroups Sponsor One heart, one goal, one Earth. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb
