Pete Shell, one of the conference organizers said, “We advanced the organizing for the mass mobilization on NATO and the G8 in Chicago on May 20.” The opening speaker on Saturday morning was Joe Iosbaker, an activist from Chicago with the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War and Poverty Agenda (CANG8). Iosbaker called out, “If you’re going to Chicago to protest NATO, please stand.” Hundreds rose to their feet in response.

Over 150 people came from New York’s Muslim community, including South Asians, African Americans and Arabs. Malik Mujahid, a leader in UNAC, is also a founder of the Muslim Peace Coalition and has led UNAC to build the alliance between their community and the anti-war movement. There were also Filipinos, Colombians, Puerto Ricans and many other nationalities, but the Muslim community turned out in such numbers because the conference addressed the U.S. government’s war against Muslims. Marlene Jenkins and Shahina Parvee spoke about the FBI spending years entrapping their sons, who had done nothing to harm anyone. Judges refused to allow them to use evidence of entrapment in their defense cases, and both men received 15 year prison sentences.

Meredith Aby of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression spoke about being raided by the FBI in an investigation sparked by her anti-war organizing. “This conference took strong stands against political repression.” Showing that the anti-war movement won’t be intimidated, Aby continued, “I’m also excited that so many are organizing to march in Chicago against the U.S. and NATO wars in Afghanistan, Libya, and their threats of war against Syria and Iran. This will be the largest national anti-war protest in years.”

#StamfordCT #AntiwarMovement #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #UNAC #CoalitionAgainstNATOG8WarPovertyAgenda #ChicagoNATOSummit #UnitedNationalAntiwarCoalition

###March 23-25, 2012 at the Stamford CT Hilton (one stop from Harlem/125th St. on Metro North commuter line)

####Say No to the NATO/G8 Wars & Poverty Agenda

####A Conference to Challenge the Wars of the 1% Against the 99% at Home and Abroad

The U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the G-8 world economic powers will meet in Chicago, May 19-22, to plan their financial and military strategies for the coming period. These elites, who serve the 1% at home and abroad, impose austerity—often by the use of drones, armies, and the police—on the 99% to expand their profits.

Join activists from the antiwar, occupy, environmental, immigrant rights, labor, and other movements at a conference from March 23-25, 2012 to learn more, to plan a May 19 “No to NATO/G8” demonstration in Chicago, and to democratically develop a program of action for the months to follow.

Special guest speakers include:

–Xiomara de Zelaya is currently a presidential candidate in Honduras and the partner of Manuel de Zelaya, the former president displaced by a U.S.-backed coup in 2009.

–Bill McKibben is the founder of the grassroots global warming group 350.org and the architect of the successful campaign to defeat the XL pipeline.

–Glen Ford is the executive editor of Black Agenda Report, a ground breaking site that covers U.S. wars abroad and wars at home from the perspective of the African American community.

–Richard Wolff is the author Capitalism Hits the Fan: The Global Economic Meltdown and What to Do About It

–Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid is the founder of the Muslim Peace Coalition

–Vijay Prashad is the author of The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World

–Andrew Murray is a member of the UK Trades Union Congress General Council and head of UK Stop the War coalition from 2001-2011

–Col. Ann Wright was a central Gaza Boat organizer and the editor of Dissent: Voices of Conscience

–Medea Benjamin is the founder of Code Pink

—Jared Ball is the author of I Mix What I Like.

–Clarence Thomas is an Oakland ILWU activist with Longview WA Longshore fight

–Scott Olsen is an Iraq war veteran and Occupy victim of Oakland police violence

–David Swanson is author and editor of War is a Crime.org

–Pat Hunt is a founding member of the Coalition Against NATO/G8 Wars & Poverty Agenda

—Fignole St. Cyr is a leader of the Haitian Autonomous Workers Confederation

How to Register?—Where to Stay?—Transportation?—Submitting Resolutions?

Visit www.UNACPEACE.org and click on UNAC conference.

Email: UNACpeace@gmail.com Phone: 518- 227-6947.

We urge attendees to take advantage of the double rooms (2 double beds) at the convention site that are now only $119 a night. There is nothing less expensive in the tri-state area and we had to guarantee the hotel room reservations in return for the use of space for the convention. By staying at the hotel, you are contributing to the overall success of the conference.

Also, registration covers two Saturday meals, and there will be key plenary panels going on in the dining room during these meals.

Conference Schedule and Workshops

Conference Schedule

Friday Night, March 23, 2012

4:30 p.m. Registration Opens

8:00 pm—Opening Panel: Shifting Strategies of Empire: Analyzing the Military and Economic Plans of the 1%.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

7:00 am Registration Opens

8:30 am—Plenary

10:45 am Workshop Series One

12: 30 pm. Lunch with Panel: The War at Home on the Black Community: Mass Incarceration, Unemployment, Stop and Frisk

1:45 pm Plenary

4:00 pm Workshop Series Two

5:45 pm Workshop Series Three

7: 30 pm Dinner with Panel: Islamophobia, the Attack on Civil Liberties, & the War on Workers

Sunday, March 25, 2012

9:00 am Plenary

Noon Plenary Panel: Global Economic Meltdown, Warming, and War

1: 30 pm Workshop Series Four

3:00-4:30 pm NATO/G8 Protest Organizing Session & Closing Remarks

Workshops-in formation

US Geopolitical Strategy and Intervention in the Asia-Pacific Region. Bernadette Ellorin, Juyeon Rhee.

End the Occupation of Haiti! Ray Laforest & Kim Ives.

Haiti: Analysis from Trade Unionists on the Ground. Fignole St. Cyr & others.

Egypt: One Year After the Revolution. Where is the Struggle Headed? Ayman El Sawa, Ahmed Shawki, others

Law as a weapon of war. Steve Downs, Marlene Jenkins, Shamshad Ahmad, Kathy Manley

Defeating AFRICOM & NATO: Bldg Solidarity with Africa in the Struggle Against Imperialism. Abayomi Azikiwe In formation.

Targeting Iran: The Truth Behind the Hype: Ana Edwards, Sara Flounders, Ken Stone, Mansoureh Tajik & Phil Wilayto.

Iran: Solidarity, Not Intervention. Raha Iranian Feminist Collective.

The West's Politico-Economic Warfare on Iran. Eleanor & Ardeshir Ommani.

Antiwar Strategies in Black Community Organizations. Ana Edwards, Abayomi Azikiwe, others.

Contradictions of the Imperialists' Agenda for Full Spectrum Dominance. Glen Ford, Nellie Bailey, Margaret Kimberly, Bruce Dixon, Tony Montiero.

Propaganda and Communications on Permanent War. Peter Hart & David Swanson.

Building Resistance at the Democratic & Republican National Conventions. Ben Carroll. In formation.

No to NATO/G8: Teaching Resistance—Anti-Imperialist Curriculum and Methods. June C. Terpstra, Cris Toffolo.

U.S. Nuclear Weapons in Europe and Outer Space and the Campaign for Withdrawal: John LaForge, Alice Dressman; Bruce Gagnon

Veterans Peace Teams. Tarak Kauff, Eric Lobo, Mike Tork, Fred Nagel, Ellen Barfield.

What War? US Turns from War on Iraq to Permanent Occupation. Invitees: Debra Sweet, Siman Antoon, Wafaa Bilal, Larry Everest, Raed Jarrar, and Michael Otterman; Pat Elder

Taking Back Our Schools: Counter-Recruiting in upstate NY and Chelsea MA. Jim Murphy, Lyn Meza

“We are Not Your Soldiers”: Stop the Militarization of our High School Campuses. Elaine Brower, Ethan McCord, Matthis Chiroux,, James Brower.

Corporate War Against the Planet: The Hydrofracking Front. Mary Finneran, Joan Walker, video of Richard Grossman

Democratizing Money: Banking in the Public Interest: Susan Harman, Mike Krauss, Tom Sgouros

Labor Against Austerity and War: Andrew Murray, Clarence Thomas, others.

Struggle to Free Palestine. In formation.

Afghanistan After Ten Years of Occupation. Mary Dean, Jeff Pickert, others. Border Militarization/Migrant Workers Rising Globally. Monami Maulik, Rafael Samanez, Amanda Flores, Ayesha Mahmooda, Roksana Mun, Mustafa Sullivan, Derechos Humanos, Carol Barton

All Out for the May 1 Mobilization! Teresa Gutierrez, Victor Toro, others.

From Egypt to New York City: “Anti-Radicalization” Laws, Surveillance, the War on Terror Industrial Complex, & NDAA. Monami Maulik, Fahd Ahmed, Shasheena Parveen, Shahid Buttar; Osman Chowdhury, Sam Anderson, Suzanne Adely

Confronting Robotic (Drone) Warfare at the Hancock AFNG Base/Hancock 38. Carol Baum, Judy Bello, Ed Kinane.

Rethinking Pakistan: People’s Struggle and the War on Terror. Saadia Toor, Adaner Usmani, Madiha Tahir, Zohra Ahmed.

Negotiating Peace—What the U.S. Might Do for Colombia. John Jairo Lugo & Stephen Kobasa.

Honduras: The Struggle for Land, Democracy, & Sovereignty. Xiomara de Zelaya, Lucy Pagoada, others.

The Economy, Unemployment & the Military: Alternatives to Save Our Country & the Jobless: Marguerite Rosenthal, Gertrude Schaffner Goldberg, Shelia Collins.

Linking Endless War and Economic Crisis: Bring Our War $$ Home. Bruce Gagnon, Lisa Savage, Paki Wieland, Mary Beth Sullivan; Marilyn Levin

Occupying the Military Industrial Complex: David Swanson, Brian Kwoba, others

Occupy, Community, & Labor Collaboration: Notes from the field. In formation.

Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions—Join Palestinian Non-violent Resistance to Occupation. Ethan Heitner, Nancy Krikorian, SJP.

No Nukes: Nuclear Power, Weapons, & War. Hattie Nestel, Alice Slater, Henry Rosenberg

How Do You End Student Debt? End the War! Tax the Rich! Daniel Alley, Christopher Hutchinson, SJP, others

Search for Human Rights & Justice in South Asia. Muslim Peace Coalition. Kannan Srinivasan, Toby Caman, Junaid Ahmad, Haley Duschinski.

Climate Change Related Conflicts in So. Asia. Muslim Peace Coalition. Hares Sayed, Akhtar Assad, Shafat Ahmad.

Influencing Electoral Conversation from a Peace & Justice Perspective. Muslim Peace Coalition. Shaik Ubaid, Seemi Ahmed, Imam Talib Abdurrashid.

Prisons: The New Torture Machines. Steve Downs, Faisel Hashmi, Ayesha Hoda, Kathy Manley.

Faith-Based Organizing. Fellowship of Reconciliation & others.

Lessons from the Past: Activist Strategies for Ending Warfare & Converting from a War Economy. David Swanson, Jeff Mackler, others.

Women, Peace & Security. Laura Roskos In formation

Understanding & Organizing Against Expanding Wars in Yemen & Pakistan. Leili Kashani, others.

Faith-Based Organizing for Resistance. Newland Smith, Rabbi Lynn Gottlief, Paki Weiland, others.

Music & Song to Move the Movement. Chris Nauman, others

No Torture. No Indefinite Detention. Beth Brockman, Carmen Trotta, Debra Sweet, others.

NATO & G-8: Two Arms of American Empire. In formation.

Puerto Rican Self-Determination & Struggle Against Militarism in the Caribbean. Gamelyn Oduardo

Occupy Movement, Labor and Community Struggles: A Fruitful Collaboration. Clarence Thomas, Larry Holmes, Jen Waller, Larry Hales.

*To add yourself to the UNAC listserv, please send an email to: UNAC-subscribe@lists.riseup.net*

#StamfordCT #AntiwarMovement #UnitedNationalAntiWarCoalition