Join with the Troops Out Now Coalition at the United States Social Forum

www.TroopsOutNow.org
National Phone No.: 212-633-6646

INTERNATIONAL ACTION CENTER
www.iacenter.org

Join the International Action Center at the United States Social Forum

The International Action Center sends greetings to everyone who is joining in the historic United States Social Forum in Atlanta this week. This is an opportunity for progressive forces from throughout this country to strengthen and build unity in the struggles against the pro-war and reactionary policies of this government. It is also a time to show solidarity with all who are struggling worldwide against imperialist war, occupation, globalization, racism, and bigotry.

The IAC encourages everyone who is going to Atlanta to attend the ground-breaking plenary sessions. These momentous panels focus on critically important social and political issues with speakers who truly represent vital people's movements.

We invite you to join with us at the:

Opening March on Wednesday, June 27 - The IAC contingent will gather at 1:00 p.m. at the Georgia State Capital     (Washington Street side) Look for the "End the occupation of Iraq, Palestine and Haiti"! banner.

We also invite you to workshops which the IAC is hosting.

How Many Ways to be Gay:
From Rainbow Flags to Rainbow Solidarity
Thursday, June 28, 1-3 p.m., at Georgia Ballroom West, Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown, 590 West Peachtree Street NW @ North Avenue MARTA station. The primary force holding back progress toward full lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in the U.S. and globally is U.S. imperialism, which often hypocritically uses opportunistic sympathy for restrictions on our rights as an excuse to attack other countries. There are many ways to be gay. Unity requires a greater understanding of cultural and historical differences and the impact of racism, sexism and imperialist war. Our biggest challenge is to build international solidarity by defending the rights of all oppressed nations to self-determination and setting an example through our struggle here against militarism, racism, national chauvinism and homophobia/homohatred. Presenter: Leslie Feinberg, author, Stone Butch Blues and Initiator of Rainbow Solidarity for the Cuban 5

Countering Historical Injustice:
Forging Unity with Oppressed Peoples Everywhere Is the Key
Friday, June 29, 10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Socrates room at the Atlanta Marriott Downtown, 160 Spring Street NW @ Marta Peachtree Station near Public Library People of Color resist all forms of repression, degradation and injustice every day. These justified acts of resistance often occur in isolation, forced there by the white-dominated capitalist establishment's racist divide-and-conquer tactics. Now is the best time for the broader progressive movement to extend solidarity to oppressed peoples fighting for basic democratic rights and sovereignty. How can we build the necessary working-class unity to fight back and win against the imperialist economic system that exploits us all for profits?   Share your own experiences and views during the discussion.

Panel presenters include:
First Panel: Prisons are the crime! Free all political prisoners!
Mumia Abu-Jamal, death row political prisoner, on the prison-industrial complex (dvd)
Sharon Danaan, Cleveland Lucasville Five Defense Committee
Alicia Jrapko, International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban Five Jewel Nelms, mother of Frances Newton, an innocent woman executed Sept. 14, 2005
Gloria Rubac, Texas Death Penalty Abolition movement
Njeri Shakur, Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement
Toni Zeiden, Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
Message of solidarity from Kenneth Foster, Texas death row inmate

Second panel: Connecting the war at home with the war abroad
Black Workers for Justice representative on Gulf Coast struggle for Reconstruction
Omowale Clay, December 12th Movement, on the struggle for land in Zimbabwe (dvd)
Teresa Gutierrez, May 1st Immigrant Rights Coalition (NY)
Larry Hales, Colorado United Communities against Police Brutality; Fight Imperialism Stand Together (FIST)
Kuusela Hilo, BAYAN-USA (Mass organization representing the aspirations of the Filipino people)
Larry Holmes, Troops Out Now Coalition, on why the anti-war movement must be an anti-racist movement
Javier Rodriguez, March 25th Coalition, immigrant rights group based in Los Angeles

Co-moderators: Monica Moorehead, Coordinator, Millions For Mumia/International Action Center, editor of "Marxism, Reparations and the Black Freedom Struggle," and John Parker, March 25th Coalition, West Coast Coordinator, IAC.

Plenary Sessions: Topics are Gulf Coast Reconstruction in the Post-Katrina Era; War Militarism and the Prison-Industrial Complex; Indigenous Voices: From the Heart of Mother Earth; Immigrant Rights; Liberating Gender and Sexuality: Integrating Gender and Sexual Justice Across Our Movements, which includes Imani Henri, International Action Center organizer; Workers' Rights in the Global Economy.

VIDEO; INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S CONGRESS IN CARACAS, APRIL 2007 (Check USSF Program Schedule for date and location in Short Stories Section on Film Festival)
The XIV Congress of the Women's International Democratic Federation was held in Venezuela this Spring. The WIDF was founded by women survivors of concentration camps, women in the French and German resistance movements, and others, at the end of WWII. WDIF was founded to fight worldwide against fascism, oppression, and colonialism. This was an exciting congress especially since it was held in Caracas with women participants from all over Latin America who are now in current struggles from Venezuela to Bolivia, including Indigenous women.    Women representatives came from all over the world to participate in this historic congress. The National Women's Fightback Network which is affiliated with the WDIF attended this congress and contributed this video footage.

Meet the IAC at the Leftbooks table (North side of Pine Street, near the stage, next to Renaissance Park). There you can meet organizers, discuss and pick-up literature for upcoming anti-war protests in the Fall.

For information in Atlanta, call 678-602-9314.

Sign up for Action Alerts - http://iacenter.org/folder04/list.htm

Donate to help with IAC participation at the USSF - http://iacenter.org/iacdonate.shtml

International Action Center,
55 W. 17th St., Rm. 5C, New York, NY 10011
National phone no.: 212-633-6646,
website: www.iacenter.org