A conference for the entire movement
April 5 – April 7, 2024
11 E Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55101, United States
FRIDAY April 5
4 to 5pm – If you arrive early join Women Against Military Madness – WAMM in their weekly Rally for Palestine at Snelling & Summit Ave in St Paul. (For 20+ years, regardless of the weather, WAMM has continued this weekly action)
Open at 5 pm with videos, slides of recent demos, and music
Opening Session of Conference
5:30 – 6:00 pm – Welcome/goal of conference: Joe Lombardo & Ajamu Baraka
6:00 pm – 6:30 pm – Decolonization Panel:
Nick Estes – Red Nation author and activist, Olga Sanabria Davila – Puerto Rican activist, organizer for presence at annual UN Decolonization Committee
Twin Cities Free Palestine Coalition: 6:30 – 7:50 pm
MC: Yasmin Hirsi, Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment – RISE; Meredith Aby – MN Anti-War Committee; Anthony Taylor-Gougé – MN Workers United; Latifah Moss – MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee; Humberto Martin – Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar; Gillian Rath – SDS at University of Minnesota
Break Ramadan Fast 7:50 pm
Questions & Discussion and announcement on the RNC & DNC protests
Yalla Drum performance, other music and gatherings
SATURDAY, April 6
9 am – Arrive at Hall – taped music, slides, coffee, people filter in and find seats.
9:30 to 11:00 am – Plenary Panel 2 – Palestine, Zionism and Imperialism – Rania Salem member of USPCN-Chicago (MC); Taher Herzallah – Director of Outreach and Grassroots Organizing; American Muslims for Palestine; Husam Marajda – Co-chair of US Palestinian Communities Network Chicago; Janine Solanki, Chair of Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO)
11:00 to 11:15 Special Address – Nicaraguan Ambassador Lautaro Sandino
11:15 to 12:45 pm – Plenary Panel 3 – Expanding NATO, U.S. Wars, Sanctions, Pivot to Asia– Sara Flounders – SanctionsKill Campaign, William Camacaro – Bolivarian Circle; Jeff Mackler – UNAC Administrative Cmty; Bruce Gagnon – Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space; Michael Wong – VP of Veterans For Peace & VFP China Working Group; Lee Siu Hin – China/U.S. Solidarity Network, Tom Baker – Pres. Local Riding Assoc of the Ontario NDP, CA
12:450 to 1:15 pm – Buffet LUNCH in hall
1:15 to 1:30 Lunch speaker – Mnar Adley – Founder & Editor of Mint Press News
1:30 – 3:00 First set of WORKSHOPS
- The impending war against China and how to oppose it. Michael Wong – VP of Veterans for Peace; Lee Siu Hin – China/U.S. Solidarity Network; Sara Flounders – International Action Center; Dee Knight – DSA International Committee
- Zones of Peace in Our Americas, Haiti, Sanctions, Blockade of Cuba, SOUTHCOM, Erica Caines and Brianna Tomci of the Black Alliance for Peace Zone of Peace. The Campaign for a Zone of Peace in Our Americas is linking grassroots movements and organizations across this hemisphere — to oppose militarization and imperialism, and build popular sovereignty and self-determination. We will explore how colonial relationships (e.g. Haiti, Palestine, Puerto Rico) help us understand how we respond to internal colonialism here.
- No Nukes workshop – Cris Mann – Green Party Peace Action Committee; John LaForge – Beyond Nuclear; Ann Sullentraop – Peace Works Kansas City
- Canadian Antiwar and Social Justice Movement – Tom Baker – Pres. Local Riding Assoc of the Ontario NDP, CA; John Philpot – Just Peace Advocates; Janine Solanki – Movement Against War and Occupation MAWO
3:00 – 4:30 – Second set of WORKSHOPS
- Palestine Organizing Across the U.S. – Panel chair: Jim Byrne, Tucson Anti-War Committee; Niki Gonzalez (she/her) from New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports; Tamera Hutcherson (she/they) from Dallas Fort-Worth Anti-War Committee; Maria Sohn Hasman (she/her) from Tucson Anti-War Committee; Sol Swain (she/her) from Denver Anti-War Action; Audari Tamayo (he/him) from Students for a Democratic Society at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Sana Wazwaz (she/her) from American Muslims for Palestine-Minnesota
- Smash Kop Cities – A Spoke In A National White Supremacist Bulwark for White Minority Rule– Efia Nwangaza, Moderator, Founder/Director Malcolm X Center for Self Determination, BAP organizer; Erica Caines and Brianna Tomci, Anti-SouthCom/Kop City, Black Alliance for Peace organizers; Aisha Fields – Uhuru Movement, Former JOMO Political Prisoner; Renee Johnston – National Cop Cities Researcher and mapper (Invited)
- Sanctions and hybrid warfare – U.S. tightening the noose on ⅓ of humanity: Nicaraguan Ambassador Lautaro Sandino; William Camacaro – Bolivarian Circle, David Paul, Sara Flounders – SanctionsKill Campaign, Allison Bodine – Fire This Time Movement, Roger Harris – US Peace Council
4:45 to 6:30 pm – Plenary Panel 4 – Defending our movement, Confronting Repression – Mick Kelly – Antiwar 23, Colleen Rowley – Julian Assange Defense Committee MN, Aisha Fields – UHURU 3 defense, Efia Nwangaza, Founder/Director Malcolm X Center for Self Determination – Kop City; Roger Harris, Task Force on the Americas – Victory for Alex Saab; Tom Burke – Committee to Free Simón Trinidad; Mel Underbakke, Coalition for Civil Freedoms – Muslim political prisoners
6:30 to 8pm Working Groups, Youth Organizers Meet and Greet with Wyatt Miller – MN Antiwar Committee and Danaka Danaka Katovich – Code Pink. Also, networking and other special interest events, short films and exhibits
SUNDAY, April 7
9:00 am arrive at hall – taped music, slides, coffee,
9:30 to 11:00 am – Third set of WORKSHOPS
- Climate Change, Climate Justice and War – Pippa Bartolotti – UNAC, Global Women against NATO; Logan Praneis – MN Climate Justice Committee; Harvey Markowitz, Barry Reich – Veterans For Peace Climate Crisis & Militarism Project; Joe Vital – East Phillips Neighborhood Institute
- Imperialism out of Africa – DRC Congo, West Africa, AFRICOM: Ambassador Dr. Sidi Omar, Representative of the Frente POLISARIO at the United Nations and Coordinator with MINURSO; John Philpot – Just Peace Advocates; Ajamu Baraka – Black Alliance for Peace
- Tools for Fighting Back – Tactics and Movement Building – Wyatt Miller – Nick Toliver – MN Anti-War Committee, Danaka Katovich – Code Pink, Cody Urban & Carly Brook – Resist US Led Wars
- Expanding NATO, war in Ukraine and DC actions against NATO 75th Anniversary Summit – July 6 & 7 in Washington DC: ILPS; Bruce Gagnon -Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space; Joe Lombardo- UNAC; John Parker – Struggle LaLucha; Phil Wilayto – Virginia Defenders
11:00 to 12:30 pm – Fourth set of WORKSHOPS
- Independent Media, Margaret Kimberley – Black Agenda Report ; Mnar Adley – MintPress News; Camila Escalante – Kawsachun News; Madison Johnson – Workers World Party; Wilton Vought – Radio4All.net
- Building Solidarity with Latin America & Solidarity Delegations Alison Bodine – Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice; William Camacaro – Bolivarian Circle of Venezuela; Mairead Gillis – Venceramos Brigade; Tom Burke – Freedom Road Socialist Organization; Gerry Condon – Task Force on the Americas and Veterans For Peace.
- Bringing Anti-imperialist issues into community, workplace, school and union organizing: Richie Merino – Bronx Anti War Coalition; Arjae Red – Starbucks Union Organizer; Debra Rosario – Bronx Green Party
- Pivot to Asia – Organized by BAYAN, USA; Nodutdol for Korean Community Development; Hawaii Peace & Justice; Peoples Democracy Party of Korea
12:45 to 2:30pm – Final Plenary – Support Proposals and actions
2:30 to 2:45 pm Special Greeting Ambassador Dr. Sidi Omar, Representative of the Frente POLISARIO at the United Nations and Coordinator with MINURSO
2:45 to 3:00 pm CLOSING REMARKS – Margaret Kimberley, Senior Editor of Black Agenda Report, UNAC Administrative Committee