National Day of Action Against the Wars and Sanctions: Oct.17 Teach-In to be covered LIVE by Japanese Television
Defenders Announcements
Oct. 17 Teach-In "Rethinking Afghanistan & Iran"
What: Teach-In: Rethinking Afghanistan & Iran
When: Saturday,
Oct. 17, 7 pm
Where: Asbury United Methodist Church, 324 N 29th St,
Richmond, Virginia 23223
Free and open to the
public
On Saturday, Oct. 17, the Defenders for
Freedom, Justice & Equality and the Richmond Peace Education Center will
co-sponsor a teach-in titled "Rethinking Afghanistan and Iran," It's
been eight years since the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, making this the longest
U.S. military engagement since Vietnam. Many thousands of lives have been lost,
including nearly 900 GIs. According to the Center for Defense Information, the
estimated cost of this war will reach $439.8 billion by the end of this fiscal
year. And the Obama administration is now weighing whether to commit tens of
thousands more troops.
Larry Syverson
- A member of Military Families Speak Out whose son Branden is serving in Afghanistan and stationed at an outpost in Taliban territory. Last week, Syverson organized a protest in downtown Richmond to mark the eighth anniversary of the Afghanistan war, saying: "We need to end these wars and bring ALL our troops home NOW." Syverson will discuss his experience as the parent of a soldier serving in Afghanistan and discuss his opposition to the war.
King Salim Khalfani
- How do wars at home and abroad affect the Black community? Virginia State Conference NAACP Executive Director, King Salim Khalfani, discussed the impacts of US military policies on people's lives.
"Rethink Afghanistan"
- Has the US war in Afghanistan brought stability to Afghanistan or security to the U.S.? Are the Afghan people better off today than they were eight years ago? Or are we merely laying the groundwork for a longer and wider war, a war without end? These are some of the questions raised by the new documentary film "Rethink Afghanistan," directed by Robert Greenwald, the man behind "Outfoxed," "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" and "Iraq For Sale." (For more information, see http://rethinkafghanistan.com.)
"Rethinking Iran"
- What's the real story behind the headlines? Is Iran trying to develop a nuclear bomb? Does it want to destroy Israel or any other state? And what can U.S. peace activists do to prevent yet another war? These are some of the questions that will be addressed by Phil Wilayto, one of the few U.S. anti-war activists to have actually traveled in Iran. Phil is editor of The Virginia Defender newspaper and author of "In Defense of Iran: Notes from a U.S. Peace Delegation's Journey through the Islamic Republic." Along with peace activists Cindy Sheehan and Kathy Kelly, he was a speaker at the Conference to End Sanctions sponsored by the National Association of Muslim American Women and held Sept. 29 at Trinity University in Washington, D.C.
This event will be covered by NHK- TV, a Japanese news station (www.JapanTV.net)