[Peace] Fwd: National Organizing Conference on Iraq: May 25-26

[Arun Bhalla]

----- Forwarded Message

3rd National Organizing Conference
on Iraq: "Forging National Strategies"

May 25th - 26th, 2002
Palo Alto,   California at Stanford University

Twelve years of bombings and sanctions have brought immense suffering,
hardship and death to the Iraqi people.  Well over a million Iraqis have
died from the lethal combination of wartime bombings and sanctions.  The
real "weapon of mass destruction" that must be removed from  Iraq is the
sanctions!  And now the United States Government is openly proposing to
launch an all-out war on Iraq.   US aerial bombardment would kill
thousands of civilians, as it did in Iraq in 1991 and in Afghanistan in
2001- 2002.

Such a war could precipitate a collapse into an Iraqi civil war or even
a regional war, with devastating consequences, including deaths into the
hundreds of thousands.  Another war against Iraq would be driven by U.S.
oil companies' desire to control the second largest region of oil fields
in the world.

Join fellow activists from over 70 organizations for two full days of
networking, sharing, organizing and strategizing. Let us join our
efforts to stop the drive to another racist war, and to end the needless
and ongoing suffering of Iraqi people.

· Come to help us devise a national strategy for ending sanctions and
averting another deadly war.
· Share your experiences with other grassroots activists, and learn from
their successes and failures.
· Attend workshops on how to help promote existing programs run by
Network Member organizations.
· Get involved in the planning efforts for the next major anti-sanctions
actions.

On-Line Registration: PLEASE REGISTER EARLY, and indicate if you would
like the host group to find accommodations for you.  Details of the
conference site will be announced later, check the conference page for
updates, and helpful information for travelers. Go to
www.endthewar.org/conference.htm to register if you have web access;
even if you register on the web, please also call 650-326-9057 to
confirm, as we have been having some problems.

Travel Arrangements:  You are advised to book your travel tickets early.
While you will be responsible for your own transport while in the area,
the local host organizations will try to assist with transportation, to
and from the airport and locally, as much as possible.  To help you with
your planning, details of public transportation and local hotels will be
posted to the conference web site.  There are three airports within 35
miles of Palo Alto: San Jose Int'l (SJC) (14 miles); San Francisco Int'l
(SFO): (20 miles); Oakland Int'l (OAK): (35 miles).  For ride-sharing
notices check or post a message to our bulletin board at
http://www.endthewar.org/guestbook.htm

Arrival/Departure Times:  The conference will begin early Saturday
morning, and the decision-making portion of the agenda will conclude by
6 p.m. on Sunday, May 26th. On Monday, May 27th (Memorial Day), the
Agenda Working Group (which you are welcome to join!) is planning for a
possible action, or continued non-decision-making meetings.  We
therefore recommend that you arrive by Friday evening and set your
departure time so that you can participate in the conference until at
least 6 p.m. on Sunday. Details of Monday's program will be announced
along with the official agenda at a later date.

To contact the Network, write to: nnewai at usa.com.
Or Call: (650) 326-9057

Sponsoring organizations include:
The National Network to End the War Against Iraq, American Muslims for
Global Peace and Justice (San Francisco), Colorado Campaign for Middle
East Peace (Denver), Connecticut Peace Coalition (New Haven, CN), Davis
Coalition to End the Sanctions on Iraq (Davis, CA), Iowa Committee
Against War Crimes in Iraq (Des Moines), LIFE for Relief and Development
(Detroit), Middle East Task Force and Interfaith Council for Peace and
Justice (Ann Arbor), Peninsula Peace and Justice Center (Palo Alto, CA),
Twin Cities Campaign to End the Sanctions/Minnesota Fellowship of
Reconciliation (Minneapolis), U.S. Out Now! (Madison), Voices in the
Wilderness (Chicago).



Working Groups: We still need people to help plan the conference.  The
process is open to all.  The Agenda Working Group will be holding
conference calls to fill out the details of the conference.   Your help
in getting the word out to organizations and individuals who might be
interested in this conference would be appreciated; and you could also
plug into the Outreach Working Group.

Brief Description of each WG:

AGENDA WG:  As with last year, this is open to all current and future
members who want to help plan the agend for the conference.  Discussions
will take place by e-mail and conference call. Contact person: Stephanie
Phibbs <stephaniephibbs at hotmail.com>
To join the e-group, send an e-mail to:
Network-AgendaWG-subscribe at yahoogroups.com

EMERGENCY RESPONSE / INTERIM STRATEGY WG:  The theme for his year's
conference will be "Forging National Strategies".  This WG has been
created to get the ideas flowing in the direction of national strategy.
Communication by e-mail and possible conference calls may be held
(possibly jointly with Agenda WG).  Contact Person: [open]
To join the e-group, send an e-mail to:
National-StrategyWG-subscribe at yahoogroups.com

OUTREACH WG: Join us to help in the outreach efforts to invite people to
the conference.  We hope to get good regional representation on this WG,
so if you join we will be looking for you to contact groups in your
area.  Contact Person:  Mike Zmolek <paka at boo.net>
To join the e-group, send an e-mail to
NetworkEOC-subscribe at yahoogroups.com



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