Perspectives on the School of the Americas

The next meeting of Peace Action of San Mateo County will be a presentation on the School of the Americas (SOA), also known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC). This is the training center in Fort Benning, Georgia, where government and military leaders from Latin America are trained in counterinsurgency and other military techniques, including torture.

Every November there is an organized vigil and protest at the gates of Fort Benning, with nonviolent direct action and arrests. On March 13 we will show a 25-minute documentary film called "Somos Una America: Shut down the SOA", which depicts the vigil, and what people there have to say about it and the school. The film is in both English and Spanish subtitles - depending on who is speaking.

Then we will have a live talk by School of the Americas activist Bob Nixon, along with two students from Notre Dame de Namurs University in Belmont who attended the SOA vigil last year, and are well-versed on the issues surrounding the School. Each of our guests will offer a personal perspective on the School and the protests aimed at ending it or changing its goals and practices. We look forward to a lively and educational evening.

We begin at 7 PM in Beck Hall at the Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo, 300 E. Santa Inez Avenue (at Ellsworth) in San Mateo. Admission is free, refreshments will be on hand. The UU is wheelchair accessible.