All are welcome. Sponsored by the Resist Militarism Taskforce of the WNY Peace Center.
- “Studies of our drone strikes have suggested that maybe eight out of 10 times we are hitting the wrong target, we have killed thousands of civilians.” – Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), September 21, 2021. Read more here.
- …among the dozens of drone bases in the US, killing by drones is done at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. See here for more information.
It’s time for US citizens to stop “…looking away” from this horrific issue.
You are invited to attend an upcoming series of 30-minute silent meditation/prayer vigil sessions against human executions, torture, murders & assassinations—these sessions are aimed at bringing more peace to the community, to the nation, and to the whole world.
12/19/21: Vigil for Mr. Bigler Jobe Stouffer II, scheduled to be executed in McAlester, Oklahoma.
How the sessions run:
· 6:30 p.m. — A few minutes before the silent vigil, please get comfortably seated, connect to Zoom, and mute your microphone.
· OPENING: 6:35 p.m. When the bell rings, the silent vigil (25 minutes in length) will begin. It will be a silent meditation session or silent prayer session (your choice).
· CLOSING: 7:00 p.m. Another bell will ring at the conclusion of the vigil, at which point some short reflective meditations will display for another 10 minutes.
· ZOOM will automatically time out after 40 minutes.
Communities across the U.S. and across the world have been devastated by military occupation, war, and state-sanctioned police violence. The U.S. military is also the single largest consumer of fossil fuels in the world and has served as the enforcer of the occupation of Indigenous sovereign lands while upholding violent resource extraction across the world. Addressing climate change requires ending the military-industrial complex. At the same time, increasingly militarized police forces perpetrate harm in Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Arab, Pacific Islander communities, poor, and marginalized people, and violence against women, and gender non-conforming peoples.
A Just Transition to a Regenerative Economy must end wars, military culture, and the violence of militarized forces and police in our communities and across the world.
Anti-militarism and Abolitionist movements in the U.S. and delegates from our communities will convene in a virtual town hall with our international allies in the Global south while participating in the 2021 UNFCC in Glasgow, Scotland.
We will hear testimonies from communities resisting militarism and occupation in their communities both inside and outside the U.S. and ultimately call on U.S. elected officials to take action to move away from funding unending wars and military presence and prioritize investing in regeneration and repair for communities impacted by militarism in the U.S and all over the planet.
Speakers will include:
Participants at the COP26 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow:
- Alejandria Lyons – Southwest Organizing Project
- Ramon Mejia – GGJ Alliance
- Sheila Babauta – Micronesia Climate Change Alliance
- Sharif Zakout – Arab Resource & Organizing Center
Testimonies from international allies from the Global South and frontline community leaders in the U.S.:
- Seydi Sarr – African Bureau of Immigration and Social Affairs (ABISA)
- Kyle Kajihiro – Oahu Water Protectors
- Youkyoung Ko – WILPF, Korea Peace Now!
- Sha Merirei Ongelungel – Indigenous Environmental Network
Our speakers will discuss a just transition to a regenerative economy, alternatives to policing and military intervention, and a pledge for U.S. Members of Congress to sign on.
Can you support this event with a simple tweet? Click here for sample tweets to share on your social media accounts.
