This morning at Camp Democracy has been devoted to women and their role in the peace movement.

Kelly Dougherty, IVAW (photos courtesy of James E. Hill)

First, several women in the military spoke out about the particular issues of being female in the military. Kelly Dougherty spoke as a member of Iraq Vets Against the War who was an MP in Iraq in a mostly male (aren't they all) unit. Anu Bahagwati a former Marine Captain spoke about being conscious about how we react to soldiers and veterans, and how we need to honor those who refuse the military's racist and sexist policies as much, if not more, than we support the troops. Also speaking were Col. Ann Wright and Eli Painted Crow who also discussed the silence surrounding women veterans and soldiers.

(Left: Helga Aguayo. Photos courtesy of James E. Hill)

As a military spouse, the person whose talk spoke the most to me was Helga Aguayo. She is the wife of an AWOL Army soldier, spoke about her husband's attempt to become a Conscientious Objector. Aguayo was stop lossed (kept on past his signed commitment) and went AWOL when his CO application was denied and he was about to redeploy to Iraq out of Germany. He expected to be jailed for refusing to go, but the Army was in the middle of forcing him to go when he left his family and the Army through a window in his family's apartment. During her press conference Helga teared up as she spoke about the frightening experiences of her family's interrogations by the military, about seeing her husband manhandled by MPs as he was being forced to return to the war he didn't believe in, and about her difficulties in getting back to the United States. The military almost refused to let she and her daughters go home!

After the speeches by these brave women, another Iraq Vet against the War took the stage. While Tim Goodrich is not a woman, his Vets for Progress political action campaign (PAC), is something that the women's peace organizations who sponsored the day can get behind. We need to take back politics as well as the streets.

Perhaps if we listen to those who loved this country enough to serve or to move around with someone who served and who opened their eyes to the need for peace and change in this administration, we can all recognize what we need to do to to make change happen.

Lisa, MFSO Santa Barbara

TODAY AT CAMP DEMOCRACY: CODEPINK and NOW

Women's Peace Day at Camp Democracy, come on down!!!

Women's Call for Peace at Camp Democracy
Wednesday, September 20 - ALL DAY starting at 8:30
CODEPINK and NOW present a day packed with activities highlighting women's call for peace, including Medea Bejamin, Kim Gandy, Phyllis Bennis, Olga Vives, Col. Ann Wright, Howard Zinn, Kelly Dougherty, Sarah Rich, Sue Udry, Marcia Jansen, Diane Perleman, and others. The day will include workshops on CODEPINK and NOW organizing and activism, Roundtable on how to end the violence in Iraq, Panel of Military Women Speaking out, and more! We will offer several nonviolent direct action trainings for those considering such action in DC during the week. The day will also include a brown bag lunch with an update on the situation for the women of Juarez from the Mexico Solidarity Network. Music performance by Emma's Revolution!

Verna Avery Brown and Ron Pinchback of WPFW (DC's Pacifica radio station) will be airing "What's At Stake" live from our Women's Call for Peace Tent at Camp Democracy from 10 am to 12 pm.

Evening: Give Peace A Vote March from Camp Democracy to the E Street theater for the premier of US vs. John Lennon! Wear your '60s era threads (clothes), especially the pink ones! Click here for the complete schedule.You need to reserve your free ticket online.

9:30 pm-Until: WOMEN'S PARTY! Live musisc, poetry, speak out. Men urged to come support. Sherry Glaser, Sheba Love, Terry Snow, Diane Patterson, Kelly Green, Natalie Illum, Emma's Revolution, Mara Levi, Pamela Means, and many more!

updates coming soon!!
COME TO CAMP DEMOCRACY!!!!!

TODAY AT CAMP DEMOCRACY

Today we have former Senator Mike Gravel visiting Camp Democracy. 30 years ago Sen. Gravel read the Pentagon Papers into the national record, successfully filibustered alone to end the draft, and helped bring the Nuclear Freeze movement to the US.

Sen. Gravel will be speaking throughout the day, come down any time!!

Tonight at 8 p.m.
Movie -- pre-premier showing of the new movie finished just this week by award wining producer Dorothy Fadiman, “Stealing America, Vote by Vote” Introduced by panelists Rob Fitrakis and Jonathan Simon. Make this your Friday night movie date….under the stars at Camp Democracy.

Surf your way to Camp Democracy...

Wednesday was verdict day... the Bush Crimes Commission held a press conference at Camp Democracy, and George Walker Bush was found guilty on all counts. Here's some video.

An unprecedented Commission of Inquiry has found the President of the United States and his administration guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The five-member panel of jurists unanimously found the administration’s actions “shock the conscience of humanity” in five areas – wars of aggression, illegal detention and torture, suppression of science and catastrophic policies on global warming, potentially genocidal abstinence-only policies imposed on HIV/AIDS prevention programs in the Third World, and the abandonment of New Orleans before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina.

The press conference was followed by a march (more video) to the White House and Justice Department in order to deliver the verdict. Led by Ann Wright and Ray McGovern, about 70 of us walked from Camp Democracy to Pennsylvania Avenue. As we approached the White House, we were boldly chanting, "This is what democracy looks like." We stopped in the middle of the street directly in front of the White House where Ann Wright, Ray McGovern, Malik Rahim and others spoke and the charges included in the indictment were read again for the public to hear. We then walked to the White House guard gate and attempted to deliver a copy of the indictment to President Bush in the interest of full disclosure.

The guards refused to accept it!

Ray McGovern asked by who orders they were refusing to accept delivery of a pettition from the People. The guard refused to say. So, we left our package lying inside the gate, and we marched away toward the Justice Department.

At the Justice Department entrance on Constitution Avenue, we were encountered by the total stereotype of "G men", broad stern and unfaltering in their gruff appearance.
However, upon request of Ray and Ann, the Justice Department sent out a representative to accept the indictment.

Once again, we had a lot of fun creating a very effective action at Camp Democracy

Midge Potts, Springfield, Missouri

A BREAKTHROUGH FOR ARMY SPECIALIST SUZANNE SWIFT

Come to Camp Democracy!!



VICTORY!

We did it! After only an hour and a half in Congressman DeFazio's (D-OR) office, they agreed on Tuesday to begin a Congressional Investigation into Suzanne Swift's case. For more info on Suzanne, see suzanneswift.org.



Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace and Oregon constituents kept talking about Suzanne and her situation and kept the office focused on the issue. DeFazio's Eugene Office was so flooded with calls in support of Suzanne from all over Oregon, they couldn't handle the lines!

There was also a group on the front steps of the building holding signs and telling all passers-by about Suzanne's situation.

We're saving lives and changing the world every day!

Come to Camp Democracy!

pictures courtesy of James E. Hill

Here's what is going on... I love the smell of freedom in the morning!

Camp Democracy has been speeding right along on the National Mall in Washinton DC 24 hours a day since September 5th.
details of past, present or future scheduled events check out CampDemocracy.ORG.

Okay so this is the scoop...

I got here on Saturday, and I plugged into volunteering for the trash/recycle crew right away. It's all been good as far as that goes, I mean to say that the trash has been getting put in the right place and so has the recycling. Although, we will probably need more help with it as the crowd here continues to grow.

In the meantime, I have been having SO much fun! We are working to build community right in the middle of our nation's capitol. And if that wasn't cool in of itself, then the positive effects of our most recent action more than made up for it!!!

We had a SERIOUS success today... several Iraq Veterans Against the War made an impromtu appearance at Representative DeFazio's office demanding that he investigate the case of Suzanne Swift.. and after only an hour and a half in their office, they agreed to open a congressional investigation!!

More later, and pictures on the way!