For information about the conference: www.NationalPeaceConference.org
For information about The Sanctuary for Independent Media: www.MediaSanctuary.org

The conference will bring together antiwar and social justice activists from across the country to consider what can be done to end the U.S. wars, occupations, bombing attacks, threats and interventions that are taking place in the Middle East and beyond. Watch the stream and see for yourself where the antiwar movement is today and where it is headed.
Conference organizers are demanding the immediate and total withdrawal of U.S. military forces, mercenaries and contractors from Afghanistan and Iraq. They are also calling for re-direction of the trillions being used for wars and occupations to jobs, health care, education, the environment, infrastructure and other human needs, and compensation for the peoples whose countries the U.S. attacked and occupied for the loss of lives and massive destruction they suffered.

The live video stream begins on Friday night at 7 PM! Here's the complete webcast schedule:

Friday night, July 23 7:00 — 10 PM
Medea Benjamin, CODE PINK
Michael Eisenscher, National Coordinator, U.S. Labor Against the War
Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report
Chris Gauvreau, Administrative Body, National Assembly to End U.S. Wars and Occupations
Teresa Gutierrez, International Action Center
Kathy Kelly, Creative Voices for Nonviolence
Nada Khader, Palestinian-American and Executive Director of the WESPAC (Westchester Peace Action Coalition) Foundation
Kevin Martin, Executive Director, Peace Action
Michael McPhearson, United for Peace and Justice Co-Chair; Veterans for Peace
Blanca Missé, Graduate Student, UC at Berkeley; played leading role in March 4 student protests
David Swanson, WarIsACrime.org (formerly AfterDowningStreet.org)
Deborah Sweet, National Director, World Can’t Wait

Saturday morning, July 24 8:30 – 10 AM

Noam Chomsky, internationally renowned political activist, author, and critic of U.S. foreign and domestic policies; MIT Professor Emeritus of Linguistics
Donna Dewitt, President, South Carolina AFL- CIO; Co-Chair, South Carolina Progressive Network

Saturday lunch, July 24 Noon

FREEING OURSELVES FROM FEAR: How Political Prisoners and Victims of Preemptive Prosecution are Used to Justify War and Repression (And What We Can Do to Break the Cycle)

Jeff Mackler, Director, The Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal; West Coast Coordinator, Lynne Stewart Defense Committee; and Co-Coordinator, National Assembly to End US Wars and Occupations will introduce:

Suzanne Ross, New York Free Mumia Committee will read a statement from Mumia Abu Jamal. [Mumia Abu-Jamal was convicted in Philadelphia for the murder of a police officer and he has been on death row for 28 years. He has become an eloquent spokesperson for peace and justice, while his struggle against a racist justice system has touched and inspired many around the world.]

Ralph Poynter, husband of activist lawyer Lynne Stewart, will read a statement from Lynne Stewart. [Lynne Stewart represented Abdul Rahman (the “blind Sheikh”) in a 1993 terrorism trial. She was later prosecuted and convicted of material support for terrorism. Her prosecution is seen as the government’s attempt to intimidate radical lawyers from zealous representation, and silence Lynne’s voice in the struggle to reestablish the rule of law in America.]

Kathy Manley, activist lawyer and secretary of Project SALAM, will read a statement from Yassin Aref. [Yassin Aref was the imam at the Masjid As Salam mosque in Albany when he was the target of an elaborate FBI sting designed to frame him. He was convicted and is now serving a 15 year sentence at a special “Muslim prison” (CMU). While in jail he wrote a book about his life (“Son of Mountains”), and has become a poet and an eloquent spokesperson for peace and justice in the world. The government has acknowledged that Aref was not a terrorist and that their concern was whether his “ideology” might cause him to support crimes in the future.]

Shamshad Ahmad, president of the Masjid As Salam mosque. After the conviction of Yassin Aref, Shamshad wrote a book about the case (“Rounded Up”) which has become the basic guide to the government’s preemptive prosecution of Muslims.

Pardiss Kebriaei, Staff Attorney, Guantanamo Global Justice Initiative at the Center for Constitutional Rights

Saturday night, July 24 7:30 – 10:00 PM

Lynda Cruz - Immigrant rights leader, Derechos Humanos, Tucscon, AZ
Noura Erakat - Palestinian-American human rights attorney and adjunct professor Georgetown
Cheri Honkala – Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign; march to Social Forum
Joel Kovel - Environmentalist; author “Overcoming Zionism”
Ray Laforest - Haitian-American trade unionist and Haitian community organizer
Joe Lombardo - Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace; Administrative Body National Assembly
Ethan McCord - Iraq Vet, whistleblower re: war crimes
Blanca Misse - Berkeley student leader budget cut protests; union steward UAW
Cindy Sheehan - Gold Star Mother, antiwar leader
Fahima Vorgetts - Women for Afghan Women
Dahlia Wasfi, MD - Iraqi-American; speaker/writer on effects of occupation
Phil Wilayto - Editor, The Virginia Defender
Leila Zand - Iranian-American, Fellowship of Reconciliation

This video presentation is made possible by volunteer labor and hundreds of small donations from patrons of The Sanctuary For Independent Media. The Sanctuary for Independent Media is a community media arts center located in an historic former church in Troy, NY. The Sanctuary hosts screening, production and performance facilities, training in media production and a meeting space for artists, activists and independent media makers of all kinds.