Fire This Time Volume 12 Issue 12 - December 2018

Page 13

the United States, and the Peace and Neutrality Alliance in Ireland (PANA).

The three days of the conference featured many prominent International antiwar activists and organizations, who shared their analysis, as well as their experiences in organizing against U.S./ NATO military bases. This included plenary sessions focusing on: Militarism, Nuclear Weapons, and Military Bases; Environmental and Health Impact of Military Bases; Central and South America/Guantanamo; Asia Pacific / Pivot to Asia / Okinawa ( Japan); The Middle East: US/NATO Plan; Europe/NATO Expansion; and Africa/Africom.

Among other important presentations and discussions, the continuation of U.S. occupation of Guantanamo, Cuba was highlighted. Within the so-called “War on Terror”, the U.S. military has used Guantanamo Base as a torture prison.

(MAWO) was the only antiwar organization from Canada that attended the First International Conference Against U.S./ NATO Military Bases. Two members of the Executive Committee, MAWO Chair Alison Bodine and Azza Rojbi participated in the Conference and the important work of building a global campaign against U.S./NATO military bases.

As a member of NATO and a close ally of the United States, the government of Canada is complicit MAWO Executive member Azza Rojbi exchanging with in the new era of war and occupation. Their hands conference goers and showcasing examples MAWO's work.

unleashed against poor, working and oppressed people around the world.

For more about the ongoing work of MAWO and to get involved, visit www.mawovancouver.org Build a Stronger and More United Movement Against U.S./NATO Military Bases!

Dr. Aleida Guevara, a Cuban pediatrician and daughter of legendary revolutionary Che Guevara, opened the First International Conference Against U.S./NATO Military Bases with the important message:

“We do not do enough in these types of gatherings, these are the first steps, but these are not enough. This action has to be multiplied; the information has to be spread to thousands and thousands of people, all together, we will be strong enough.

We must all find this strength together. We need it. We need to have information. We need to have unity. In order to have unity, we need to have mutual respect among all of us. We need to have common goals. We have to leave behind the small differences between this or that organization and have common goals for our fight. That is the way we have to work.”

For almost 120 years, the U.S. has illegally occupied Guantanamo – and Cuba has been fighting for its return since the triumph of the Cuban revolution in 1959.

U.S. and imperialist threats against Venezuela were also raised at the Conference, where it was established that the United States government has targeted the democratically elected government for “regime change.” U.S. threats have been heightened by the presence of the U.S. Southern Command, military exercises, and the recent inclusion of Colombia as a Global Partner of NATO. Vancouver’s Peace Coalition MAWO in Dublin Mobilization Against War and Occupation

are also covered in the blood of people in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Mali, Ukraine and all countries where imperialism has carried out its deadly exploits.

It is with this perspective that peace-loving people around the world must work to build a stronger and more united global movement against U.S./NATO military bases. With thousands of military bases around the globe, the military cooperation of the U.S. and NATO knows no borders, and poor, working and oppressed people must also work to build a united movement across borders that can close all U.S./NATO military bases and stop the deadly imperialist war machine in its tracks.

At the Conference, MAWO also joined with other organizations, in the beginning, to plan for a strong mobilization in response Follow Alison on Twitter: @Alisoncolette to the April 4, 2019 meeting of NATO that will be taking place in Washington, DC. As Join us to build a revolutionary movement! NATO meets marking Distribute Revolutionary Change in Your Area! its 70th anniversary, For distribution of Fire This Time in your area, across they will be faced with BC, and internationally, please contact: protests and other Thomas Davies actions calling the Publicity & Distribution Coordinator organization out for Phone: (778) 889-7664 what it is: a weapon Email: firethistimecanada@yandex.com of war and occupation

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