SECURITY WITHOUT EMPIRE: NATIONAL ORGANIZING CONFERENCE ON FOREIGN MILITARY BASES

There is a sense of relief that many here in the U.S. feel after the presidential election, but we understand this is a time to step up our organizing for peace and economic justice - including the growing movement to close and withdraw the nearly 1,000 U.S. military bases located in foreign nations.

American University, Washington, D.C.

Feb. 27-Mar. 2, 2009

From Okinawa and Guam to Honduras, Germany, Iraq, and beyond people who have suffered from the abuses inherent to foreign military bases have been calling for their withdrawal. People in the U.S. have joined this call, outraged by the damage done by U.S. bases abroad and by their expense, which diverts $138 billion a year from addressing human needs and revitalizing our economy. Representatives of 13 organizations have come together to organize a national conference or the closing and withdrawal of military bases. The goals of the conference are:

• Share information about U.S. foreign mlitary bases and resistance;
• Develop new strategies and expand the U.S. anti-bases movement;
• Integrate anti-bases organizing into a more coherent movement;
• Raise the visibility of the U.S. and international anti-bases movements;
• Apply pressure on Congress;
• Close and reduce the number of foreign bases.

The conference will feature base opponents from many "host" nations and will include leading activists as keynote speakers, panelists and workshop facilitators.

Monday, March 2, will be a lobbying day on Capitol Hill, in which we encourage as many conference attendees as possible to participate.

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