SOAW–W News for March, 2003
1) Another Voice for Nonviolence – Charlie Liteky.
2) SOAW Prisoners of Conscience need YOUR help!
School of the Americas Watch–West ~ SOAW–W
March 13, 2003San Jose Website - http://teachers.bcp.org/llauro
Los Angeles Website - www.soaw-la.org
National Website - www.soaw.orgAs many of you know, Charlie Liteky (SOAW Prisoner of Conscience, Nov. 1999 cohort; parishioner at St. John of God in San Francisco) is currently in Iraq with the Iraq Peace Team.
Two excellent articles are below on his work, and the work of 20 others who plan to stay with the people of Iraq even if a war begins.Activists in Baghdad Brace for Consequences of War
An American in Baghdad
Sacramento News and Review, by Melinda Welsh
[Sorry, this is late in getting posted, but it's never too late to help our PsOC, so you are encouraged to do what you can. --Daniel]Mon, 17 Mar 2003 16:42:20 -0800
From: Rachel MontgomeryHi friends-
First of all, I want to thank all of you for all of the encouragement and support you have given me and all of the bay area School of the Americas prisoners/probationers of conscience. It has been overwhelming, and very much appreciated.
As a SOAW Prisoner of Conscience (POC), I am really feeling the time fly as I get closer and closer to going to prison. Two of the 5 prison bound POC's in the bay area have already received their prison report dates, and they will be going in on April 8th, 2003. For myself and several of the others, the main reason for doing the action that we did was to get the word out and help educate people about the SOA and U.S. foreign policy. I feel I have been able to do a lot of this, but still want to reach as many people as I can while I still have my freedom.
This is where you come in.... I and several of my co-defendants/fellow POC's (there are 10 of us in the bay area) are available and happy to come out and speak to school, church and community groups-- to help educate folks and/or to help us raise funds to cover expenses while we are in prison, and to help the Probationers of Conscience get to Washington D.C. next month to lobby Congress. If you would like to support us and join us in the work to close the SOA, you are invited to host house parties for us to come speak at, organize events (large or small) with your church/school/community groups,etc. You can certainly be creative.... host a concert, a poetry reading, a film showing, etc.
Any help with getting our stories out into the media is greatly appreciated, as well. And please feel free to pass this on to anyone you think may be interested. Thanks!
If you have any questions, or would like to schedule a party or other event, please contact me as soon as possible:
Rachel Montgomery
510-533-7375
510-205-3956Peace-
rachel(sentenced to 6 months in federal prison for misdemeanor trespass for "crossing the line" at Fort Benning, Georgia last November)
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[For archived news from previous posting,
click on: February.]
