Truth, Reconciliation, Reparations!

Stop the War that Began in 1492!
Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations
West Coast Tribunal
http://www.uhurureparations.org

When: Saturday, February 15, 2003, 11am to 5pm
Where: Mandela Arts Center, 1357 – 5th Street, Oakland
Who: African People’s Solidarity Committee,
Contact: Wendy Snyder, (510) 625-1106 voicemail, (510) 658-7619, uhurureparations [at] yahoo.com

On Saturday, February 15th, from 11am to 5pm, the African People’s Solidarity Committee presents the West Coast Tribunal for Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations at the Mandela Arts Center at 1357 – 5th Street in West Oakland near West Oakland BART. This tribunal will address the war that began in 1492 against African and Indigenous peoples. Contact Wendy at (510) 625-1106 for more information.

The event will feature
Omali Yeshitela, Chairman of the African People’s Socialist Party and the Florida Alliance for Peace and Justice as the keynote speaker with special guest Saikou Diallo, the father of Amadou Diallo who was killed in 1999 by the New York City police officers.

Expert testimony will be provided by
Robert Allen, author of The Port Chicago Mutiny,
Willie Ratcliff, publisher of the San Francisco BayView Newspaper,
Jervis Muwaakill, whose son was killed in 2001 by six Oakland police officers,
Harry Simon of Union del Barrio,
Quetzaoceloacuia of the Barrio Defense Committee and
Penny Hess of the African People’s Solidarity Committee.

Other speakers include LaDonna Williams of the West Contra Costa County Toxics Coalition and People for Children's Health and Environmental Justice, human rights activist Yuri Kochiyama who was a friend and associate of Malcolm X, Rhonda Ramirez of the Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines and Jess Ghannam of the Palestine Right of Return Coalition.

The event will also feature historical display panels depicting slavery, colonialism, genocide in the Americas, police brutality and the prison system.

"We are inviting all community activists, educators, artists, and progressive-thinking people to participate in this campaign for Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations to address the war that began in 1492. The US war on Iraq draws its origins back to 1492 with the arrival of Columbus in so-called North America, which marked the beginning of the white world's assault on humanity," states Wendy Snyder, one of the program coordinators.

Continues Snyder, "The basis for the United State's ability to wage a war on Iraq is rooted in the 500 years of genocide, colonialism, and the exploitation of African and indigenous people which created the United States that we know as an world's primary power today. If we truly want a world of peace, harmony and justice, we must come to terms with the truth of the oppression of African people and make steps towards reconciliation through uniting with the movement for white people's reparations to the African community."

For more info about the event or about the African People’s Solidarity Committee, contact (510) 625-1106 or email reparations_sfbay [at] yahoo.com