School of the Americas Abolitionists

C L
A C

Caribbean / Latin American Coalition of Central New York
A partner organization of the Syracuse Peace Council

[updated 01/05/07]

The Central New York SOA Abolitionists

The Central New York SOA Abolitionists, founded in the late nineties, are members of CLAC. Our business is transacted at the monthly CLAC meetings. All are welcome.

The Abolitionists are also an independent chapter of School of the Americas Watch -- based in Washington, D.C. and Columbus, Georgia.

Like the national organization, the Abolitionists aim is to expose and close the U.S. Army's terrorist training camp, the School of the Americans. Due to its notoriety (for teaching torture, assassination, anti-insurgency, etc.), several years ago the SOA changed its name to the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC).

To learn more about SOA/WHINSEC, check www.soaw.org. That website can lead you to the numerous excellent books and videos focusing on the SOA and documenting the human rights abuse of many SOA grads.

Unlike the SOA, SOA Watch and the Abolitionists are committed to nonviolence.

ANNUAL NATIONAL ANTI-SOA GATHERING

Each year in late November (on the weekend before Thanksgiving) Abolitionists join thousands of others from all over the U.S. at Ft. Benning, Georgia -- the home of SOA/WHINSEC -- for a three-day gathering. That event is a combined teach-in, rally, demonstration, march, and liturgy focused on closing the School. To learn more about the November 21-23, 2008 gathering, check out the SOA Watch website.

To participate in this national event with people from CNY, contact Ann Tiffany, (315) 478-4571, anntiffany@verizon.net, for logistical information and support.

PRISON WITNESS

Since the early nineties, "prison witness" has been a pivotal SOA Watch strategy. To date about 200 SOA Watchers have willingly gone to prison to help publicize and expose the SOA and to put the SOA itself on trial in the Columbus, George federal court.

Since the mid-nineties 17 current (or former) Central New Yorkers have gone to prison for their nonviolent civil disobedience at Ft. Benning:

Ann Tiffany, Anne Herman, Dan & Doris Sage,
Ed Kinane, Frank Woolever, Jack Gilroy,
John Honeck, Julienne Oldfield, Kathleen Rumpf, Laura MacDonald,
Linda Holzbaur Sr., Megan Rice, Mike Pasquale,
The late Rev. Nick Cardell, Rae Kramer,
Richard John Kinane, Shirley Way

For profiles of those sentenced in 2007 please go to:
http://www.soaw.org/article.php?id=322

SPEAKERS AVAILABLE

Many of these former prisoners of conscience are available to give presentations to classes, congregations and community groups about the SOA and about their prison experience. To arrange speaking engagements, contact Ann Tiffany, (315) 478-4571, anntiffany@verizon.net.

ANTI-SOA LEGISLATION

Congress has the power to close the SOA/WHINSEC. Lobbying is a major SOA Watch strategy.

Since the mid-nineties our own Republican Representative Jim Walsh, heeding his clamorous constituents, has consistently voted in favor of anti-SOA bills in the House. Please contact him, thank him for his past support, and urge him not to miss the next vote.

Representative Jim Walsh
1340 Federal Building
Syracuse, NY 13261
(315) 423-5657

For updates on national anti-SOA legislation check www.soaw.org.

PHOTO GALLERY

LINKS

SOA Watch
Main website for SOA Watch, the international movement to close the SOA/WHINSEC. SOA Watch is based in Washington, DC. It lobbies Congress and organizes the massive gathering at Ft. Benning every November. Its "shopping cart" features a host of SOA-related videos, booklets, books, etc

SOA Watch Northeast
Website for the SOA Watch Philadelphia office. It features SOA- and Latin America-related photos by long-time SOAW activist Linda Panetta. Use to order SOA-related resources and the CD, "Sing it Down! Songs to Close the SOA," by Central New York's own Colleen Kattau and
Jolie Christine Rickman.

Syracuse Peace Council
CLAC's local partner, the Syracuse Peace Council -- the oldest independent local peace and justice organization in the U.S.

Center for International Policy
The Latin America Working Group's multi-page country-by-country compendium of facts and stats on the SOA/WHINSEC and its graduates.

SOA/WHINSEC
The SOA/WHINSEC's own website. The FAQ is worth reviewing for the spins it provides.

Federal Bureau of Prisons
Includes a prisoner locator, data and maps for particular prisons, visitors' information, etc.

[updated january 2007]