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In August and September of 2012, the Republican Party and Democratic Party will converge on Tampa, Florida, and on Charlotte, North Carolina, for their respective party conventions, where they will select their presidential candidates and drum up the support of their bases. Both parties are responsible for the interventionist U.S. policies that have militarized the Americas, and for the continued operation of the School of the Americas (SOA/ WHINSEC). They claim to represent the people of the United States, and we won't let them pull off their dog and pony shows without us. We will be there to engage them, and to communicate a clear message for justice, peace and self-determination to the people of the Americas. Join the protests, and get together with people in your community to plan and organize creative actions to to educate the candidates and the public about the reality of the militarized U.S. foreign policy.

**DOWNLOAD THE SOA WATCH 2012 RNC-DNC FLYER!**

The Coalition to March on the RNC is planning to take to the streets on Monday, August 27. The Coalition writes in their Call to Action: "For too long, too many politicians in both political parties have ignored our needs, while serving the interests of the rich and powerful. We need to take things into our own hands and make them understand the consequences of their actions. Monday, August 27, 2012, is the time to advance the cause of justice and make our voices heard. Tampa, Florida, is the place for all of us to raise our demands. Whether you are working to defend reproductive rights, standing up against attacks on immigrants and racist discrimination, resisting attacks on working people, or saying no to government cutbacks, we can come together from across the country to let our voices be heard. From California, to Illinois, to New York, we can join our brothers and sisters in the South in mobilizing and building a united protest with a clear message, 'No to the Republicans! We demand good jobs, healthcare, affordable education, equality and peace!'" For more information about the planned march, visit http://MarchOnTheRNC.com

Shortly before the protest against the RNC, from August 8-12, our friends from Veterans For Peace are holding their 27th Annual Convention in Miami, Florida. The convention is titeld "Liberating the Americas: Lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean" and SOA Watch founder Father Roy Bourgeois will be one of the keynote speakers. Visit http://VFPNationalConvention.org for more information.

**DOWNLOAD THE SOA WATCH 2012 RNC-DNC FLYER!**

September 2012, Charlotte, North Carolina
Protest at the Democratic National Convention (DNC)

The Coalition to March on Wall Street South, an umbrella group that is coordinating protests at the DNC writes: "In September of 2012, the social justice movements of the United States have an opportunity and obligation to use the spectacle of the Democratic National Convention as a platform to raise people's demands for justice on the world stage." Visit http://WallStSouth.org/ for more information.

Expose the double standard in the government's "War on Terrorism" and demand the closure of the School of the Americas (SOA/ WHINSEC), the notorious terrorist training camp on US soil!

**DOWNLOAD THE SOA WATCH 2012 RNC-DNC FLYER!**

November 2012, Fort Benning, Georgia
Mobilize for the November Vigil to Close the SOA and to End U.S. Militarization

This electoral year, it is more important than ever to mobilize for justice in the Americas. We have seen that no matter who wins the race to the White House, power cedes nothing without a demand. The November Vigil will occur two weeks after the Presidential election, and our presence at the gates of Fort Benning will serve as a reminder to the winner that we will not stop.

Join the SOA Watch movement at the gates of Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, this November 16-18, as we continue to speak truth to power and demand a real change in US foreign policy!

More than once, the SOA Watch movement has put the Pentagon on the defensive, from changing the SOA's name to pressuring Costa Rica to continue training police... and we will not stop! The movement has educated thousands about the reality of US foreign policy in Latin America and we continue to mobilize, speak out and put our bodies on the line. Justice will be ours.

For more information, visit http://www.SOAW.org/take-action/november-vigil

EDUCATE YOUR COMMUNITY

To order a copy of the U.S. interventions map, click here.

Other Resources:

• Order a batch of November Vigil postcards to hand out at the conventions!
• Distribute bilingual SOA Watch 101 informational sheets
• Order Presente newsletter and educate the people!