Not Just Change, but Justice: Toward a New Latin America Policy

February 15-17, 2009: Lobby Days and SOA Watch Encuentro in Washington, DC

Join human rights activists from across the country in Washington, DC and lobby your Member of Congress to get on board for the closing of the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC).

With 35 Representatives who voted to continue funding the SOA/WHINSEC losing their seats in Congress on November 4th, we are in a great position to pressure the new Congress to permanently shut down the school in 2009. The last vote to defund the SOA/WHINSEC, in 2007, lost by a margin of only six votes.

Make Your Voice Heard: Ensure True Change in Latin America Policy

Grassroots activists and organizers will converge on Washington, DC calling for a new Latin America policy and opposing militarization.

SOA Watch is working with other Latin America Solidarity and social justice groups on a series of events from February 15-17, 2009 to push the U.S. Congress and the White House to close the School of the Americas and to bring real change to U.S. Latin America policy.

Join Latin America Solidarity activists and organizers in Washington, DC for a series of events for a new Latin America policy, against empire and militarization.

Schedule of Events

The events start on Sunday, February 15 with reflection, discussion, and strategizing around the campaign to close the School of the Americas (SOA/ WHINSEC). The campaign is at a critical stage and we need everyone’s ideas, creativity and energy.

megaphone-sm The SOA Watch Encuentro will be followed by a 6:00-9:00pm anti-militarization program, featuring activists, distinguished academics, and writers. The evening program is organized by the Latin America Solidarity Coalition (LASC) and the North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA) Report on the Americas. It will be looking at issues of US-Latin America relations specifically in the areas of militarization.

On Monday, February 16, a Grassroots Lobby Training and an Arts and Action Workshop will take place in preparation for lobby visits and street theater actions on Capitol Hill on Monday and Tuesday, February 16/17.

The lobby visits on Monday, February 16 and Tuesday, February 17 are aimed at recruiting initial co-sponsors for a new bill that calls for the suspension of operations at the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC) and for an investigation into the connection between human rights abuses in Latin America and U.S. training of Latin American soldiers.
The bill will be introduced by Representative McGovern (D-MA).

Fore more information and to register, visit SOA Watch.