[mgj-discuss] RECLAIM: VA regional antiwar conference in Richmond, March 21-23!

[Joseph Catron]

please forward widely and forgive multiple cross-postings.  spread the word!

RECLAIM!
A Conference On Community, War & Oppression
RICHMOND, VA

FRIDAY, MARCH 21st thru SUNDAY, MARCH 23rd
AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT VCU & THE PACE CENTER
Childcare, food and housing provided.

Hey- If you're against war and live in or near the
Virginia/Mid-Atlantic/Southeast area, we request your presence in Richmond
the weekend of March 21-23 for RECLAIM! a conference on community, war and
oppression. During RECLAIM we'll be building a bigger and stronger,
long-lasting anti-war movement in our particular part of the country by
networking and equipping a couple hundred activists from all walks of life
with the skills, knowledge and connections they need to fight the
fundamental reasons for the government’s mad oil war.  There will be
workshops, skill sharing sessions, panel discussions, films,
demonstrations, a regional spokescouncil and more.  If you're against
Bush's "endless war" in all of its different manifestations, please try to
make it to Richmond at the end of March.  Movements don't build
themselves, and power doesn't conceed anything without demand.

For more info: call 804.643.0196, email a16rva at hotmail.com, or check out:
http://www.richmondpeace.org and http://richmond.indymedia.org

Here's a smattering of what we’ve planned so far...

FRIDAY NIGHT: FOCUS ON IRAQ
an extensive series of workshops and info sessions focusing on multiple
aspects of the war, Iraq specifically and organizing against another
Persian Gulf War.  With Dr. Rania Masri.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY WORKSHOPS TO INCLUDE:
*The Social Cost of War on Working Class People
*Introduction To Islam
*Against The Occupation: An Intro to Palestinian Liberation and the
International Solidarity Movement, by Adam Shapiro
*Public Speaking Skill-share (women's workshop, by Rania Masri)
*Non-Violence & Direct Action
*Activist Grab Bag: Tactics, Skills, & Strategy for Social Change
*Sexism & Militarism
*We Don’t Want Your Racist War: Understanding How Racism & War Are Connected
*Making Connections: A Panel on Local Social Justice Organizing & the
Anti-War Movement
*Ending Israeli Apartheid: VCU Israel Divestment Campaign
*Working Class Resistance To War: Past & Present
*US Imperialism in Latin America
*Confronting Empire: Anarchist Perspectives, with Cindy Milstein
*Understanding and Resisting the PATRIOT act

SATURDAY NIGHT SPOKESCOUNCIL: A democratic forum for the VA anti-war
movement to plan it’s next big actions and initiatives! All are invited to
speak their mind about where they would like to see their energy with a
statewide movement go.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT CULTURAL EVENTS including...
*Poets Against the War
*AVAIL punk benefit show for food not bombs
*Puppetshows
*Aniwar Film Festival

and finally...

SUNDAY EVENING MARCH AGAINST POVERTY & WAR:
4:30 PM Rally and Meal  5:30 PM March down Monument Ave. On Sunday, March
23rd, hundreds of people from all across Virginia will converge on
Richmond to raise our voices in opposition to the Bush administration’s
economic and military violence. If you're against the present cycle of
poverty and war, we need you here with us.

Yes, YOU.

Unions, students, pacifists, activists, kids, moms, artists, jews,
muslims, christians, homeless and all community members.  If we want
better wages and healthcare instead of violence and destruction, we need
to be in the streets together!

At 4:30 PM on SUNDAY MARCH 23, we'll be gathering in Monroe Park to eat
dinner, hear speakers and rally.  At 5:30 we march.  The march will be
permitted, safe and accessible to all.  We will proceed together in
opposition down Monument Ave past stone monuments of the South’s racist
war generals, and end in a candlelit vigil at dusk.