Dialogues Against Militarism ~ Ice Cream Social Fundraiser August 23, 2009

Dialogues Against Militarism ~ Ice Cream Social
Fundraiser

Dialogues Against Militarism (D.A.M.) was created from the belief that the power of conversation can serve as a means to develop new ideas and advance the possibilities of moving beyond militarism. D.A.M.’s mission is to foster free and open conversations that engage and challenge issues of militarism through the relation of experiences by those who have been on its front lines. It is hoped through these dialogues that together we can build a better world.

A speaking tour is being organized in Israel/Palestine made up of US and Israeli ex-soldiers to discuss their experiences and strategize for ways to challenge militarism in their respective societies. This forum will be used as a means of education and mobilization in the fight against war and occupation.

We need funds to support these courageous former US soldiers. Join the fundraiser, eat delicious ice cream and meet the young ex-soldiers who will be traveling to Israel/Palestine to build people-to-people ties. http://www.againstmilitarism.org/
Sunday, August 23rd 3pm
446 Valencia St - Intersection for the Arts
Gallery, 2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA
BART: 16th & Mission St. Station

with special guest Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, writer, teacher, historian and social activist

Supported by American Friends Service Committee, CODEPINK Women for Peace, Courage to Resist & others!

For info codepink.nancy@gmail.com * gallery not handicapped accessible

DAM TEAM

Stephen Funk, In 2003, US Marine Stephen Funk became the first person in the military to publicly denounce the War in Iraq and refuse to serve. He applied for conscientious objection and traveled the country for several months to speak out against the war, encouraging military service members to examine their own beliefs about the war, informing others about conscientious objection, and to caution young people to think twice before enlisting. For his public stand he was sentenced to six months in military prison, demoted to private, fined, and given a bad conduct discharge. Since being released he continues activism with several groups, primarily as the San Francisco chapter president of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Sarah Lazare, is an organizer and Program Coordinator with Courage to Resist, a national organization that supports members of the US military who refuse orders to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. She is also a freelance writer and columnist, with articles that have appeared in publications ranging from Adbusters to ZNet, and is currently co-editing a book about GI resistance against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sarah has a background in labor, community, and anti-war organizing and has done such organizing in the several cities where she has lived, including New York City, Washington, D.C., and Springfield, Illinois.

Matthew Edwards, is a conscientious objector from this most recent war in Iraq. He was discharged on March 19, 2003, the first day of the bombing campaign in Iraq, from the United States Marine Corps. Prior to his discharge he was held by the Marines for 5 months and was subjected to harsh and often illegal treatment that included food and sleep deprivation and physical mistreatment that culminated in a broken hip and finally a medical discharge. He lived in Damascus, Syria for just shy of one year where he lived, worked, and studied, picking up conversational Arabic. While there he was exposed to the refugee and social crises associated with the war and occupation of Iraq. Matt currently lives in San Francisco organizing with Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW).

David Zlutnick, has spent the last several years involved in social justice movements, mostly focusing on labor struggles and war opposition, and most recently housing justice. For several years he was involved in counter-recruitment and demilitarization campaigns aimed at getting the military and war profiteers out of high schools and colleges as well as participating in direct action organizing. David also has a strong history within independent media, both written and visual. He has worked with numerous independent print publications and his writing has been published in numerous media outlets, including The Friendly Fire Collective, of which he is a founding member.

Eddie Falcon, served four years in the Air Force as a C-130 Loadmaster. He was assigned to the 50th Airlift Squadron based at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. He deployed to Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan, moving cargo, troops, senators, Special Forces units, medical evacuees, Afghan locals, vehicles, and more in and out of Afghanistan in the winter of 2003 and the winter of 2004. He was also forward deployed to Al Udeid, Qatar, to move troops, cargo, etc. in and out of Iraq. Falcon received an honorable discharge in December 2005 and is now using the Montgomery GI Bill to major in Spanish at San Francisco City College. He now studies Spanish at the Complutense University in Madrid. Since his discharge, Falcon has been involved in anti-war activities back home. He helped organize and testified in Winter Soldier San Francisco.

Official Website: http://www.againstmilitarism.org/