Conference "Militarization And The Threat Of War In Asia"

Northern California Educational Conference (Free)
Saturday March 3, 2007 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
San Francisco City College-Visual Arts 114
Phelan and Judson Ave, San Francisco
Militarization And
The Threat Of War In Asia
The growing militarization of Asia is a serious problem for people of the world. In Japan, the government with the support of US politicians is seeking to overturn Clause 9 of the Japanese Constitution that renounces war and prohibits rearming the country The Japanese Diet recently passed "Patriotism" legislation encouraging nationalism and providing for instruction on indoctrinating "patriotism" in the school system. Japanese teachers are now being suspended and punished for refusing to go along with the nationalist hysteria campaign. The use of "anti-terrorism" laws also threaten all basic labor and civil rights. Transport workers can now be treated as "traitors" for going on strike using this new legislation.
This "anti-terrorism" legislation is also threatening the democratic and political rights of workers and people not only in Japan but Korea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and the rest of Asia. At the same time, the US government continues to encourage the remilitarization of Asia including the continued maintenance of US bases and the expansion of weapons and weapons systems in Asia. This conference will examine the history of militarism in Asia and how this militarization contributes to the escalating threat of war in Asia today.
Initial Speakers
Alan Fisher, AFT 2121 Past President
Karen Parker, Human Rights Lawyer
Dr. Peter Li President of GA, Global Alliance
David Ewing, Vietnam Veterans against the War
Joseph Prisco, President AMFA Local 9 (invited)
Gifford Hartman, Educator
Endorsed by
AFT 2121 http://www.aft2121.com/, Vietnam Veterans against the War http://www.vvaw.org/, Transport Workers Solidarity Committee http://www.transportworkers.org, The Rape Of Nanking Redress Coalition RNRC http://www.rnrc.org/, Peace and Freedom Party San Francisco, Labor Video Project
For more information contact (415)282-1908 lvpsf [at] labornet.org