Say NO to Torture and War this September!

SOA Watch is working together with Jennifer Harbury, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) and an incredible collection of interfaith and human rights advocates to organize ?Call for Justice Weekend? in Washington, DC on September 24, 25 and 26.

Click here for a complete schedule of events for the Call to Justice Weekend.

This event coincides with the national anti-war mobilization which has been called for Saturday, September 24 by United for Peace & Justice and International ANSWER and with the Operation Ceasefire concert. (See link below for more info on the march and rally.)

Visit SeptemberACTION.org for more information about logistics and events over the entire weekend.

After the grim revelations of the last year regarding U.S. torture and abuse of detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo, there can be little doubt that our nation faces an extraordinary moral crisis. We must speak out with one voice against this abhorrent practice on moral grounds. There exists no justification for the torture of any human being.

In light of this situation, we have organized our ?Call for Justice Weekend? in order to fully educate the public as well as our national leadership about the grim realities of current U.S. practices. We also seek to dispel some of the confusion surrounding certain issues, such as the applicability of the Geneva Conventions and the inefficacy of torture as an intelligence tool. We ask that all attendees plan to stay in Washington on Monday the 26th in order to speak with their Congressional representatives on this crucial issue.

We hope to receive delegations from across the country, from all faiths, cultures, races and political affiliations.

Planned activities from September 23th-26th include the following:

Friday Sept. 23rd: The Latin America Solidarity Coalition will hold the first public session of the International Tribunal on Haiti from 7 pm - 10 pm at the George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs, 1957 E St. NW ~ Washington, DC
A Critical Mass Bike Ride will be leaving from Dupont Circle at 6pm

Saturday Sept. 24th : This day will start with educational workshops and panel discussions on the SOA Torture Manuals, the applicability of the Geneva Conventions history, legal considerations, and security consequences of U.S. involvement in torture. There will also be a screening of the updated 2005 version of the documentary ?SOA: Hidden in Plain Sight.? Location: New York Avenue Presbyterian Church located at 1313 New York Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.
Massive anti-war events start at 11am.
The Operation Ceasefire Music Festival is going to take place in the evening at the Washington Monument.

On Sunday Sept. 25th, torture survivors from Latin America will speak out at a Citizens' Trial of Donald Rumsfeld, Alberto Gonzales and George Tenet for violations of international and U.S. laws prohibiting torture. The trial will be based on actual laws and evidence and will use real lawyers, as well as real testimonies given by Iraqi and Afghan survivors. We will close with an interfaith presentation. Location: Holiday Inn on the Hill, located at 415 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.

Monday September 26th : The day will open with an interfaith presentation, then grassroots activists from across the country will address Congress and other government offices also to lobby for an end to the war in Iraq, the closure of the SOA and to insist that all forms of torture be abolished. A mass nonviolent direct action at the White House will be coordinated by United for Peace and Justice.

Click here to download the Interfaith Petition. Return sign-on responses to Nadya Khalife at the UUSC office: nkhalife@uusc.org or 617-301-4313.

Register here for Call to Justice weekend!

If you have questions or need further assistance, please contact Jennifer Harbury or Nadya Khalife at UUSC at 800.388.3920 or by e-mail at stoptorture(at)uusc.org.