An Evening of War Resistance

An Evening of War Resistance

Thursday, Nov. 15th, at the [Santa Cruz] Vet's Hall, 846 Front St., main auditorium
Doors open at 6:30p. Live music at 7p. Film @ 7:30p.
Discussion/Q&A follow the film.

Suggested donation, $5-$20; no one turned away for lack of funds.
Fundraising will benefit Project Safe Haven and Courage to Resist.

**Film featured will be "Breaking Ranks: AWOL in Canada" --

Written and directed by Michelle Mason, [The Friendship Village], this new documentary profiles four of the American soldiers who have deserted from the Iraq War and have gone to Canada seeking sanctuary. (There are now about two dozen such men and women who have formally applied for refugee status, and another hundred or two who are living underground.) Their plight, as demonstrated in the documentary, reveals how lack of opportunity in the United States entices disadvantaged young people into joining the military and how, once enlisted, many are forced to commit acts that must be considered war crimes.

The film is 56 minutes long. More at http://www.breakingranksthefilm.com

**Followed by a discussion/Q&A with Gerry Condon & Jeff Paterson--

--Gerry Condon deserted from the U.S. Army in 1969 after refusing orders to Vietnam. He lived for three years in Sweden and three years in Canada, where he organized for amnesty for US war resisters. For the last three years, Gerry has been working with another generation of American youth who are fleeing an unjust war and seeking sanctuary in Canada. He is director of Project Safe Haven and he maintains a blog at http://www.SoldierSayNo.blogspot.com.

Also see: --> War Resisters Support Campaign http://www.resisters.ca/

--Jeff Paterson, an organizer for Courage to Resist, an organization dedicated to supporting military war objectors. As an active duty U.S. Marine artillery controller in August 1990, Corporal Paterson was the first military service member to publicly oppose and face court martial for refusing to deploy in support of Operation Desert Storm. See: http://www.couragetoresist.org/ and sign up for their newsletter here: http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/219/66/

Updates will also be provided on the case of Lieutenant Ehren Watada, the first officer to refuse service in Iraq. See: http://www.thankyoult.org/

Also see: --> Iraq Veterans Against the War http://www.ivaw.org

--> Veterans For Peace http://www.veteransforpeace.org/

**Live music opening by Boomer & the Wonders.

Thursday, Nov. 15th, at the Vet's Hall, main auditorium
Doors open at 6:30p. Live music at 7p. Film @ 7:30p.
Discussion/Q&A follow the film.

Suggested donation, $5-$20; no one turned away for lack of funds.
Fundraising will benefit Project Safe Haven and Courage to Resist.

Sponsored by the Santa Cruz Peace Coalition.