Over the last couple of years I have met many of you through media requests, speaking events, and social gatherings. IVAW is currently working on an exciting campaign called
Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan. Below, I've pasted a brief description and link to our statement of support on the website.
IVAW.ORG/WINTERSOLDIERWhat I'd like to do is convene a meeting of as many authors, artists, filmmakers, photographers, and others to discuss how folks with skills can get involved locally to support Winter Soldier. What I'm particularly interested in is perhaps forming a collective of talented people who will be our longterm allies for this and future projects. As you all know, having an effective multimedia strategy is crucial for getting our stories out there.
So, I want to bring us together on
Wed, January 16th at 7p. We will meet at the War Resisters League office located at 339 Lafayette Street (buzzer #1) NY NY 10012. You take the 6 train to Bleeker or the BDFV to B'way/Lafayette. If you want to get involved or if you know people who fit the bill, please RSVP to me.
Peace,
--
Jose Vasquez
[log in to unmask][log in to unmask] IVAW-NYC 212-228-0450 x104
Mobile 917-587-3334
As the fifth anniversary of the U.S. occupation of Iraq
nears, Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) is preparing to launch an
event that will change the way the American public thinks about this
war. Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan will feature testimony from
U.S. veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Iraqi and
Afghan civilians, who will tell the hard truth about what is really
happening, day in and day out, in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Winter Soldier will convene on the weekend of March 15 in Washington,
D.C. and several local veterans will be standing up to share their
experiences. It will be the largest gathering of veterans who served in Iraq
and Afghanistan. While many Americans feel that the situation in Iraq and
Afghanistan is improving, these veterans will reveal the unpleasant realities
of the ongoing U.S. military occupation that many don't know about.
"It's our responsibility to tell the truth, and it's the duty of the
American people to listen," said Kelly Dougherty, executive director
of IVAW and a former sergeant in the Colorado Army National Guard, who
served in Iraq as a military police officer. "It's not going to be
easy to hear what we have to say. It's not going to be easy for us to
tell it. But we believe that the only way this war is going to end is
if the American people truly understand what we have done in their
name."
The event has been named Winter Soldier, to honor a similar gathering
30 years ago of veterans of the Vietnam War. Winter soldiers,
according to founding father Thomas Paine, are the people who stand up
for the soul of their country, even in its darkest hours.
Thousands of concerned citizens have already pledged their support for
Winter Soldier by signing the statement, We Support the Troops Who
Oppose the War. The full statement can be read at
http://www.ivaw.org/wintersoldierstatementofsupport.
Iraq Veterans Against the War was founded in 2004 to give those who
have served in the military since September 11, 2001 a way to come
together and speak out against an unjust, illegal and unwinnable war.
Today, IVAW has over 700 members in 49 states, Washington, D.C. and
Canada and on military bases overseas.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT
IVAW.ORG/WINTERSOLDIER