Winning Justice for Palestine: The Middle East Peace Process and the BDS Movement

Join us for a panel addressing the Middle East Peace Process and the BDS Movement, followed by a dinner for Rasmea Odeh

Winning Justice for Palestine: The Middle East Peace Process and the BDS Movement

Saturday, March 8^th

4:00 to 6:00 pm

Trinity Episcopal Church

125 E. 26^th Street, Chicago

Panel on the Middle East Peace Process and the Growth of the BDS Movement

The panel will include analyses of the current peace talks from two of the more prominent national Palestinian organizations in the U.S., plus a discussion of the role of the BDS movement in Chicago and around the world.

Speakers:

- Rama Kased – National Coordinating Committee Member U.S. Palestinian Community Network - San Fran

- Tarek Khalil - American Muslims for Palestine

Followed by

International Women's Day Dinner Honoring Rasmea Yousef Odeh

6:00 - 8:00 pm 

Dinner donation requested – $20.  $5 for students and the unemployed

No one turned away for lack of funds

Food from Haifa Cafe

Rasmea, Associate Director of the Arab American Action Network (AAAN), has made it her life's work to serve and help empower Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim families. She was arrested in October, 2013 by agents from the Department of Homeland Security and indicted in federal court that same morning, and charged with Unlawful Procurement of Naturalization, an allegation based on answers she gave on a 20-year-old immigration application. She is the victim of another politically-motivated witch-hunt by our federal law enforcement agencies in their campaign of intimidation of the Palestinian community and solidarity activists.

Sponsored by (list in formation):

American Friends Service Committee
American Muslims for Palestine
Anti-War Committee

Coalition to Protect People's Rights
Committee to Stop FBI Repression

Committee Against Political Repression
Palestine Solidarity Group – Chicago
Students for Justice in Palestine - UIC
U.S. Palestinian Community Network

Documents for raids on anti-war activists unsealed

Reveal McCarthyite attack on free speech, right to organize

On Feb. 26, the application and affidavit used to obtain the search warrants for the 2010 raids on homes and offices of anti-war and international solidarity activists were unsealed, revealing lies and attacks on the constitutionally-protected rights to speak out and organize. The unsealing of these documents came as a result of legal action taken by the anti-war activists.

For more information and to read the documents go to  STOPFBI.NET.   It's interesting reading, to say the least!

Stop Drones--Joe Iosbaker & Holly Kent-Payne of Chicago's Antiwar Committee and the new SDS update Mike James and Katy Hogan of Live From the Heartland Show.

Click here to see the video!

Statement of Support for Rasmea Odeh

The AntiWar Committee-Chicago extends our unconditional support to community icon Rasmea Odeh. On October 22nd, 2013, 65 year-old Rasmea Odeh was arrested in her home and charged with immigration fraud. The Department of Homeland Security alleges Rasmea did not disclose her arrest by an Israeli military court, which happened over 45 years ago, on her application for US citizenship. She could face up to ten years in prison and the revocation of her citizenship. We recognize that these charges are a political assault against her as well as the Palestinian community.

For over 40 years Rasmea has dedicated herself to serving and empowering the people, a fact not lost on the communities of Chicago when she was named the Chicago Cultural Alliance’s “Outstanding Community Leader” for 2013, nor has this been lost on the international community which promptly rallied to her cause, quickly disseminating the news of the struggle being waged far and wide amidst numerous calls for solidarity and demands charges be dropped.

This has demonstrated firstly that no legal assault can erase the revolutionizing effects of years of sacrifice and dedication for one’s community, and secondly that the heroes of the people never have to struggle alone; the Chicago Anti-War Committee calls for solidarity with Rasmea Odeh!

Midwest Action Against Drones (MAAD) Conference: Workshop Updates

Conference: Building the Movement Against Drones
Sunday, September 29, 2013
9:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Kent College of Law, 525 W. Adams in Chicago

Conference Schedule:

9:45 – 10:15 : Registration/coffee

10:15 :  Opening Plenary

         Call to order
         Boeing Campaign (Kait McIntyre - Anti-War Committee of Chicago)
         The situation we are up against (Joe Iosbaker)              
         What must the movement against drones do to succeed? (Medea Benjamin)
         Recognition of Groups involved in the movement against drones.

Workshop Slot #1 -- 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

A.      Protesting drone bases/command centers

        Peter Lems, American Friends Service Committee
        Joy First, WI: Camp Williams/Volk Field
        Larry Fisk, MN: Brainard Area Coalition for Peace, Camp Ripley

B.      Successful movement building

        Sarah Simmons, Parents 4 Teachers, Anti-War Committee - Chicago
        Pepperwolf, Lucia Wilkes Smith,WAMM’s Ground  All  Drones, MN.  Organizing “Drones 101”. 

C.      Local regulation of drones

        Matthew Kellegrew, Bill of Rights Defense Committee (via Skype)
        Marcia Bernsten, North Shore Coalition for Peace, Justice, and the Environment

Workshop Slot #2 - 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

A.      Protesting drone manufacturers/contractors

        Tom Bottolene, SueAnn Martinson, Pepperwolf, WAMM Ground  All  Drones, MN
        Kait McIntyre, Anti-War Committee – Chicago.  Boeing

B.      Economics: What drones are costing our communities

        Molly McQueen, American Friends Service Committee

C.      Countering the “boots on the ground” argument

        Jacob Flom, Milwaukee IVAN
        Vince Emanuele, Indiana IVAN             

2:00:  Closing Plenary

Registration: No one will be turned away for inability to pay.

For registration only, send an email to antiwarcommitteechicago@gmail.com and your spot will be reserved.


Register and pay for the conference here.


Make a donation to MAAD here.


Check out the website for updated information.

Syria Debate on Fox32 in Chicago: Should the U.S. Intervene?

On the Fox32 newscast of September 10, there was an interesting debate on whether the U.S. should launch a strike into Syria. On the side of no intervention is Joe Iosbaker of the AntiWar Committee Chicago and calling for U.S. intervention is Kenan Rahmani of the Syrian-American Council.

Check it out here.

Rally, Sep. 7: TELL CONGRESS TO VOTE NO ON WAR WITH SYRIA!

March and Rally

Noon, Saturday, September 7^th

^{Federal Plaza, 50 W. Adams St., Chicago}

^{Join the Anti-War Committee - Chicago; Syrian American Forum; ANSWER - Chicago; U.S. Palestinian Community Network - Chicago; American Friends Service Committee; Iraq Veterans Against the War – Chicago Chapter;  American Party of Labor; March 19th Anti-War Coalition; Northwest Indiana Veterans for Peace; Palestine Solidarity Group – Chicago; Gay Liberation Network; Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice; 8th Day Center for Justice; and others}

<sup>To endorse, email joeiosbaker@gmail.com 

To join the Facebook event, click here.</sup>