SOA Watch news #humanrights

SOA Watch Action Camp Desde las montañas... Greetings from the beautiful Shenandoah mountains, where the river babbles and the donkey brays! Since Wednesday, School of the Americas Watch activists have converged at the Wayside Center for Popular Education, located in Faber, Virginia, for the first SOA Watch Direct Action Training Camp. While the nights are freezing, the days are hot with information! Check out the photos! The training camp is the kick off for the Days of Action (April 14-17: http://SOAW.org ), which will culminate with a rally, march and action on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Monday, April 16 at 12noon. We hope to see you in the streets! From anti-oppression work to building puppets, from listening projects and how to build blockades, the activists have been busy connecting and getting ready to carry forward the movement to close the School of Assassins. We began the camp remembering Ed Lewinson, former Prisoner of Conscience from New York, who passed away on Wednesday - Ed Lewinson, Presente! Participants and trainers from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Southerners on New Ground shared their experiences of successful movement building. Tomorrow, participants will look forward to learning the basics of climbing! As we send this out now, trainers from Earth First! and Greenpeace are sharing their knowledge of successful blockades... Want proof? Here you go! We're getting ready for the April Days of Action and our November vigil at Fort Benning, and planting the seeds for the continuation of this beautiful movement that generations of activists have nurtured and fueled. We look forward to seeing you this weekend in DC! From the mountains of western Virginia, con mucho amor y solidaridad. Schedule for the April Days of Action in Washington, DC, April 14-17 Friday, April 13: In town early? Kick off the SOA Watch weekend with two great local events! Celebrate DC Language Access Month with the Many Moves, One Movement celebration (7:30pm, Bloombars, 3222 11th St, NW. Tickets $20 advance/$25 door). And the women's electro-cumbia DJ crew Maracuyeah says: "Those who kick up dust on the dance floor and find their makeout soulmate at night are better fighters for justice by day!" Check out the show! (10pm, Judy Restaurant, 2212 14th St, NW. 18+, $10 donation) Saturday, April 14: Conference - "International (In)Security." 9am-5pm. Metropolitan Community Church, 474 Ridge St, NW, Washington, DC. For conference agenda and speaker bios, click here. Saturday, April 14: Join our friends at the American Friends Service Committee for the 2nd Annual "If I Had a Trillion Dollars" Youth Film Festival, 6-8pm (Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th Street, NW). See AFSC site for more information. Sunday, April 15: Strategy Sessions - Help guide the strategies to close the SOA over the electoral year! Georgetown Law School's Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) will host the strategy sessions, located at Georgetown Law School's McDonough Building, 101 F St, NW. Contact Becca@soaw.org to confirm your attendance and to receive planning materials. Sunday, April 15: Concert! Benefit show, with live music and plenty of dance space! 7-10:30pm. Haydee's Restaurant, 3102 Mount Pleasant St NW (take green/yellow Metro line to Columbia Heights, walk west on Irving St, and then north on Mt. Pleasant St) Monday, April 16: Flood Capitol Hill with Justice 9:15 - 10:15am Lobby Training - Stewart R. Mott House 122 Maryland Av., NE. The training will be followed by visits to your Representatives on Capitol Hill. Contact Alison Snow for more information at asnow@soaw.org. 12pm. Gather at Upper Senate Park (New Jersey and Constitution Ave, NW) for a rally, followed by a lively parade, a march on Capitol Hill and nonviolent direct action. 1:30pm Congressional film screening with Congressman Jim McGovern, featuring the testimonies of eight youth filmmakers, who submitted entries to the "If I had a Trillion Dollars" film festival. The screening is open to the public and will take place on April 16 at 1:30pm in the Cannon House Office Building, Room 122 Monday, April 16 and Tuesday, April 17: Lobbying on Capitol Hill. Take what you've learned and get your Congress member to cosponsor HR 3368! Days of Action: Join us for a rally, march and action on Capitol Hill on Monday, April 16 at 12noon; for the conference on Saturday, April 14; the strategy session and the concert on Sunday, April 15 in Washington, DC: SOA Watch on Facebook SOA Watch on Twitter See us on YouTube Please make a donation NOW to support the SOA Watch Days of Action. Our mailing address is: SOA Watch, PO Box 4566, Washington, D.C. 20017, USA Our telephone: (202) 234 3440 Click here to fund the campaign to close the SOA.