SOA Watch is working together with a wide variety of solidarity and social justice groups and as part of the Latin America Solidarity Coalition (LASC) on the planning and organizing for the 4th national Latin America Solidarity Conference (LASC4). The conference will take place from April 13-15, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois. LASC4 will bring together activists and organizers from the US, Latin America and the Caribbean to plan, evaluate and celebrate the growing US Latin America solidarity movement.

The conference is being organized in cooperation with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a long-time partner of SOA Watch. CIW is planning a protest at the McDonald's Headquaters on Friday, April 13, where they will deliver a historic announcement about their McDonald's Fair Food Campaign escalation. A massive and festive carnival is going to take place at a McDonald's restaurant in downtown Chicago on Saturday morning to underline the demands and to pressure the fast food giant to respect workers rights. A LASC4 Plenary (with a CIW representative, Colombian torture survivor Hector Aristizabal and others) starts in the early afternoon, kicking off the first set of workshop of the conference.

To watch a short video film of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers at the November 2006 Vigil to Close the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC) and to read more about the connection between our organizations, click here.

The Latin America Solidarity Conference (LASC4) shapes up to be an amazing event. Participants will exchange information on the state of the campaigns against military, political, and economic U.S. Intervention in Latin America and the Caribbean and develop action plans. Art and culture, which is an integral part of grassroots movement building throughout the Americas, will be a strong component of the conference.

LASC IV will be a space for reflection and discussion about vision, strategy and tactics, with workshops featuring activists with decades of experience addressing some of the most pressing issues on the left. Where do we want to go and how do we plan to get there? What does it mean to be anti-capitalist in terms of our daily practice? How do we implement strategies that challenge current power structures without falling into the reformist trap? How do we build multi-cultural, multi-ethnic movements?

Visit the following links:

Download the LASC4 Flier

Check out the Schedule of Events

Register for the Conference

Tell your friends about LASC4 and the CIW actions in Chicago

We hope to see you next month in Chicago!

April 25-27: Nationwide Fast to Close the SOA

Following the events in Chicago, SOA Watch is calling on activists and organizers around the country to organize fasts and actions to close the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC) in their local communities. The purpose of the fast is to strengthen our resolve, to educate the general public about the SOA/WHINSEC and to put enough pressure on Congress to cut off the funding for the school.

To assist you in planning, creating, and executing your April fast or event, SOA Watch has compiled an Organizing Packet. The April Fast Organizing Packet is a great resource for you and your community as you spread the word about the SOA/WHINSEC and as you plan your own fast or event.

Click here to find suggestions for possible fast locations and actions, instructions on how to fast safely, media, legislative, fundraising and outreach tips, resources, and flyers you can reproduce and use in your community.