Just last week, the U.S. State Department announced that it would cut $5 million in security aid to Mexico in response to its appalling Human Rights record. The withdrawal of some aid – though not enough to put a definitive end to the failed Drug War – is a victory for the people who have been clamoring for justice and calling for an end to US military aid and training to Mexico. We will continue to demand an end to the Drug War and accountability as the US continues to train and fund Mexican military and police through the Merida Initiative.
This November 20-22, join us in Columbus, Georgia for one of the largest hemisphere-wide anti-militarism convergences. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of our Vigil, and our movement, which began on the anniversary of the November 16, 1989 SOA graduate-led massacre of Elba and Celina Ramos and six Jesuit priests at the University of Central America in El Salvador.
From Richland County, South Carolina to Ayotzinapa, Mexico, we continue to see the effects of failed US policy and militarization. We must continue to denounce the militarization of police forces across the Americas and call for an end of state-sponsored terrorism and imminent violence against our communities, both at home and abroad.
In less than three weeks, thousands – Human Rights activists, torture survivors, union workers, veterans, migrants, faith communities, students and educators – will converge at the gates of Fort Benning and Stewart Detention Center once again to demand a fundamental shift in US foreign policy, and call for the closure of both the School of the Americas and Stewart Detention Center.
It’s not too late to make travel plans! For questions about mobilizing yourself and others please contact us at 202-234-3440 or 202-234-3440. This year’s November Vigil weekendwill include:
- 50+ workshops, trainings, teach-ins and film screenings at the Columbus Convention Center
- Friday night welcome plenary and Saturday night concert with music by Aaron Fowler and Laura Dungan, Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls, Charlie King, Colleen Kattau, Emma’s Revolution, Fransisco Herrera, Kuumba Lynx Performance Ensemble, Olmeca, Omari, and Rebel Diaz.
- Featured speakers from across Latin America and the US, including Nadín Reyes Maldonado, Homies Unidos, Tawana Honeycomb Petty, Pablo Ruiz Espinoza, and Father Roy Bourgeois
- rally, march and vigil to #ShutDownStewart
- Puppetista pageant and street theatre to celebrate our resistance
- Nonviolent Direct Action and Civil Disobedience
- Sunday vigil and solemn funeral procession to commemorate the martyrs
Join us in our resistance. Let’s imagine and create the world we want to see for all of us. Join us as we learn about the struggles our brothers and sisters are facing across the Americas. As we learn and listen, let’s connect our struggles and continue to grow our movement.