Join us on Saturday, November 6th for this year's Virtual Conference and Sunday, November 21st for the Annual Vigil! (Please note that we originally sent a Conference Save the Date for October 23rd, but have had to change that to November 6th. There will be no event on October 23rd.) On Saturday, November 6th, we will facilitate three virtual panels discussing the historic and current U.S.-sponsored militarization throughout the Americas, the Biden Administration's political strategies to address the root causes of mass migration, and the ongoing struggle of communities and movements to safeguard the dignity and autonomy of the Earth and all peoples within increasingly repressive and militarized nation-states. On Sunday, November 21st we will honor the memory of political and social activists, compas, loved ones, and extended community members whose lives were cut short by state violence and who today serve as ancestors guiding us in our collective struggle for peace and justice. The Litany and Presentes will feature the beloved SOA Watch Musicians Collective. The virtual events are free, bilingual (Spanish and English, interpretation will be provided) and all are welcome to attend! You will receive an email confirmation with all the links for the panels and the litany after registration. We look forward to sharing virtual space with you. Until soon, Brigetta, Candice, Lulu, Pablo, Roy |
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Panels - Saturday, November 6th 2021 |
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Panel 1 The Evolving Empire: Historical and Contemporary Export of U.S. Militarization in Latin America and the Caribbean 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CST 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST Panelists will discuss historical and contemporary U.S. military training and security funding to Latin America and how these ongoing investments embolden U.S.-backed security forces to operate with impunity despite their overwhelming evidence of political corruption, violent repression, and rampant human rights violations. How does the U.S. leverage security training and funds to advance its greater geopolitical and economic objectives in the hemisphere? How are these historical and contemporary investments directly tied to mass displacement and migration? |
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Panel 2 Tangled Roots: Mass Migration and the Biden Admin's Coopting of the Narrative of Change 3:15 PM - 4:15 PM EST 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM CST 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM PST Panelists will discuss why the Biden Administration's political strategies to address the root causes of mass migration from Central America will actually cause more migration. While the strategy acknowledges general issues of corruption, it sidesteps accountability with Central American leadership and ignores the real causes of mass migration: decades of U.S. intervention. Why is this strategy destined to exacerbate displacement, human rights abuses, and migration? This panel will also discuss Title 42 expulsions and anti-immigrant law enforcement at the U.S./Mexico border. |
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Panel 3 Territorial Defense and the U.S.-Promoted Neoliberal Extractivist Model 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM EST 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM CST 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM PST Hear from movement leaders at the front lines of struggles for communal lands, clean water, and self-determination within growing nation states that forcibly repress political descent, displace communities from desirable land, and privatize natural resources. Panelists will discuss how the U.S. is implicated in mega projects that threaten to displace their local communities, growing private economic interests in rural lands, and how public and private security forces operate to bolster neoliberal priorities at the expense of Indigenous, Afrodescendant, and rural farming communities in Latin America. |
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Vigil - Sunday, November 21st 2021 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM EST | 1:30 PM - 3:00PM CST | 11:30 PM - 1:00PM PST |
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