“Dual Occupations: Sovereignty and Freedom from Iraq to Palestine”
A Week-end Conference, October 17-19th
The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington
This multi-generational conference will connect communities working to end occupation and war in the Middle East and assist those who work in this movement in sharing skills and fresh ideas to become more effective in organizing. Participants will educate each other and build skills to challenge oppression through political, media, and gender analysis, with new knowledge of our roles in the dynamics of the Middle East and US foreign policy. Through bridging communities and acknowledging differences, we intend to find new strategies to build a broader and more effective movement.
This conference will inform and empower concerned individuals regarding the central source of conflict and turmoil in the Middle East today: foreign military occupations in Iraq and Palestine. We will bring together journalists, scholars, war veterans, peace activists and community leaders from occupied lands and their allies from within the U.S. to deepen our understanding of foreign military occupation in the Middle East and to encourage work towards ending these occupations on the basis of freedom and sovereignty for all peoples. Through panel discussions, workshops and cultural events, the conference will provide a forum for efforts to bridge communities, acknowledge differences, and build broader and more effective coalitions to work for peace and justice in both the United States and the Middle East.
The conference will feature talks on the future of U.S. foreign policy in the region, the nature of the military occupations in Iraq and Palestine, including impacts for women and refugees, personal witness and movement strategies to end these occupations, and efforts to build better relations between military veterans and peace movements. In addition we will offer opportunities for networking and workshops on skill building and effective organizing on a range of issues, including: peace curriculum for middle and secondary teachers, art and media activism, solidarity and anti-oppression work, direct action, boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns, and organizing with veterans and military families, as we strive to build more inclusive, sustainable and lasting movements for justice and peace.
We welcome both veteran activists and those new to this work.
Students Educating Students About the Middle East (SESAME)
and the academic program (Re)Imagining the Middle East.
