ShareThisFor Immediate Release: January 12, 2010
Contact: Sarah Jaine Szekeresh
sarahjaine.sz [at] gmail [dot] com
CAMPUS ANTIWAR NETWORK ANNOUNCES NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Disappointment with Obama Administration reinvigorates national student antiwar movement.
The Campus Anti-war Network invites faculty and students from all schools in the U.S., and their supporters, to its winter conference on February 27th and 28th. Hear speakers give context to the history and motivations of U.S. foreign policy, and activists engaged in ongoing struggles against the wars relate their experiences. Participate in workshops on war and the environment, divestment campaigns, the situation in Gaza, the AfPak conflict, and more. Discuss how to build a democratic anti-war movement in this country from the grassroots, one focused on mass action to force politicians regardless of party to accede to the demand for an end to illegal U.S. backed occupations.
In November of 2006 and 2008 the U.S. electorate clearly repudiated the previous administration's foreign policy of endless war, first by ousting the Republicans from the Congress, and then the White House. Voters' hopes for change have been crushed by the new administration, which has faithfully continued and entrenched the occupation of Iraq and has expanded the occupation of Afghanistan with a surge of 40,000 troops.
The Obama administration has simply ignored that solid majorities of Americans are now opposed to both occupations, which have killed millions in Iraq and Afghanistan and are the main obstacles to Iraqis and Afghanis rebuilding their societies and establishing democracy. They have cost the lives of thousands of U.S. soldiers and created epidemics of suicide and disability among veterans, conditions ignored by military brass and the Veterans Administration. Says regional coordinator Sarah Jaine Szekeresh, “CAN is still working to dispel the myth that Obama's presidency is a victory for the peace movement. It is not. Obama's presidency will be a victory for corporations like KBR who will continue to be paid billions of dollars for creating military bases in Afghanistan and Iraq.”
Despite being in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, Obama's government budgets billions for these wars as well as for Israeli apartheid in Palestine, and these requests are approved by a pliant Congress. To fund these imperialist adventures, money for education, infrastructure, and healthcare are cut, to the detriment of working Americans and the environment. We feel the end these disasters will have to come from outside the political establishment.
Who: Campus Antiwar Network
What: National Conference: “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over: Hope Only Goes So Far”
When: February 26 – February 28
(call contact for more specifics)
Where: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Why: To build a grassroots student movement to fight imperialism and stand for human rights
gmail [dot] com (Get in contact with CAN)
