Dear Friends and Companions in the Struggle,

As we approach the 35th anniversary of SOAW and our gatherings, I write to you with deep gratitude for your continued solidarity and an invitation to join us in Ambos Nogales this November 16 and 17.

This November gathering is an affirmation of life and a declaration that we will not be silent in the face of injustice and militarization inflicted upon impoverished and displaced communities across borders.

SOA Watch began as a response to the atrocities committed by those trained at the School of the Americas, a symbol of U.S.-sponsored militarization. The counterintelligence tactics the U.S. developed in Vietnam and refined in Latin America continue to be used to fragment, divide, and criminalize our communities. SOA Watch, as part of the larger global antiwar movement, also continues as a movement that crosses borders, faith communities, and generations, united by a common vision: a world where peace is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of justice and community.

In these times of deepening crisis, we are called not just to resist the expanding militarization and exploitation of our planet, communities, and collective human spirit but also to build—a culture of peace that addresses the true root causes of mass migration: privatization of land and resources, militarization, and forced displacement and exploitation of impoverished communities.

This is an invitation to stand with and draw strength from one another in our interconnected struggles. A call to say "No!" to militarization; a call to say "Yes" to peace and to a world where every human being is valued and every life is sacred.

I encourage each of you to show up and continue walking this path together. Our presence in Ambos Nogales is a testament to the power of community and to the belief that another world is possible. While I won’t be joining you physically at the border, my spirit will stand alongside each of you as we continue the work that has united us for all these years. Together, we say NO to U.S.-sponsored militarization. Together, we build a culture of peace.

In solidarity and with deep gratitude,

Roy Bourgeois

SOAW 2024