Eyewitness to Empire: Opening Session of the West Coast Conference of the Campus

Eyewitness to Empire
Opening Session of the West Coast Conference of the Campus Antiwar Network

Featuring:
Khury Peterson-Smith, CAN activist from NY who visited Iraq in January
Dr. Jess Ghannam, San Francisco ADC who recently returned from Gaza
Jim Bronke, Military Families Speak Out

Friday, April 23rd
7pm, 126 Barrows Hall
UC Berkeley Campus

All are welcome — conference registration not required

West Coast Regional Conference of the Campus Antiwar Network (CAN)
April 23-24th, University of California, Berkeley
To register, contact: can_wc_conf_2004@hotmail.com

Saturday, April 24th
10am - 6pm
Registration Begins at 9am
Evans Hall
UC Berkeley Campus

(please see complete schedule below)

West Coast CAN is proud to announce the second regional conference happening this April at UC Berkeley, featuring a report from Khury Peterson-Smith, a member of CAN who traveled to Iraq in January to see the occupation up close. We want as many students from the West Coat as possible to come out and plan the future of our movement!

With Bush's popularity ratings at an all time low, with intensifying resistance to the occupation in Iraq, and with deepening demoralization within the ranks of the military, the US government has found itself in a quagmire.

The antiwar movement has been vindicated on every count, including the WMD lies, and we have a broad audience for our ideas. Also the Israeli government, while recieving support from the Bush Administration, has continued to tighten its grip on the Palestinian people and erect an apartheid wall.

On March 20, one year after the war in Iraq began, close to two million people across the world expressed frustration with the Bush administration and the devestation in Middle East by taking to the streets in protest of the occupations of Iraq and Palestine.

Come to the "Eyewitness to Empire" speaking event on Friday night to hear firsthand accounts of the occupation of Iraq from a CAN activist who visited Baghdad in January. In addition, a military families speaker will talk about why they want to see the troops come home, and a pro-Palestinian speaker will make the connections between self-determination in Iraq and Palestine.

Now more than ever we need to organize so that the millions of students who oppose these brutal occupations can have a voice in the world. Come to the conference on Saturday and participate in debates, discussions, and strategy sessions to help map out the future of CAN and the anti-occupation movement.

For more information on the Campus Antiwar Network, please see http://www.campusantiwar.net

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The West Cost CAN Conference will take place at a critical time for our movement, and it's important that we discuss our strategies for successfully organizing in this period:
What are the challenges and opportunities facing our movement right now?
What does CAN think about the important political debates in the antiwar movement - occupation, self-determination, the UN, presidential elections, Palestine and Haiti?
What will CAN on the West Coast do as part of a national student organization to strengthen our resistance to the US occupation of Iraq and Palestine?

All antiwar organizations are invited to participate. We welcome antiwar organizations and supporters to help make this conference an important event for the entire movement! Also Campus-based antiwar and anti-occupation organizations are invited to affiliate with CAN and to send two delegates per campus to vote at the conference, plus all other students that wish to take part in disscusions and workshops.

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Saturday, April 24th
Evans Hall

Proposed Agenda:

9:00-10:00am - Registration
10:00-10:30am - Greetings/agenda vote/Keynote
10:30-11:15am - State of the movement discussion
11:30-12:30pm - Workshop Session I
12:30-1:30pm - Lunch break
1:30-2:30pm - Workshop Session II
2:30-2:45pm - Break
2:45-3:45pm - Presentation of Proposals/ Discussion
3:45-4:00pm - Break
4:00-5:00pm - Workshop Session III
5:00-6:00pm - Voting session
Followed by dinner/party

Proposed Workshops:

Session I:
A. Debate on Iraq (Pro-UN, Pro-phased removal, Pro-"out now!" speakers)
B. Debate on Elections 2004 (Democrat/Green/Independent)

Workshop Session II:
A. Haiti
B. Palestine and the history of Zionism
C. Vietnam and the anti-war movement of the sixties

Workshop Session III:
How to organize CAN w/ breakouts for different focus groups (Literature, Media, Events, Strategies, etc)

If you want to find out more about CAN check out campusantiwar.net. Please send this email out to all the antiwar organizations and supporters that you know - in particular to any campus antiwar group that might not yet be a part of CAN.

To register, to propose workshops or speakers, to offer your help in planning the conference, or ask questions, email the conference address: can_wc_conf_2004@hotmail.com

CAN Points of Unity:
We stand opposed to all US wars of aggression.
We stand opposed to the occupation of Iraq.
We support the right of the Iraqi people to self-determination.
We demand the immediate withdrawal of all troops from Iraq.
We demand that the US government pay reparations to the Iraqi people.
We stand opposed to the oppression of the Palestinian people and the occupation
of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
We stand opposed to racist scapegoating and all attacks on civil liberties.
We demand money for education, jobs and healthcare, not war and occupation!