This year’s convention promises to be dynamic and jampacked—not to be missed! One of the Friday keynotes is Jewish U.S. Army Major Harrison Mann, who will explain why he resigned over U.S. support of the Israel-Hamas war. Senior Airman Juan Bettancourt will likewise discuss his public declaration as a conscientious objector. And Black Agenda Report editor Margaret Kimberley, a well-known radio personality, is coming to share her perspective on current events.
The focus on Gaza continues Saturday, with a panel that includes Palestinian American activist and lawyer Huwaida Arraf; Israeli military refuser Elik Elhanan, who co-founded the Israeli-Palestinian Combatants for Peace; and legislative specialist Odeliya Matter, who works as a Program Associate on Middle East Policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Freedom Flotilla participants are featured panelists for Sunday’s program, “We Sail Until Palestine is Free.”
In addition, attendees can look forward to intelligent discussions by leading activists working to ban nuclear weapons and killer drones, address the effects of war and militarism on climate, seek justice for victims of U.S. wars, challenge the “new Cold War” climate, and change imperial and colonial attitudes that perpetuate forever war.
Apart from the annual membership meeting, Veterans For Peace conventions are open to non-members—military veterans as well as allied peace advocates. Some programming is of special interest to military veterans. The first two mornings begin with sitting meditation for veterans led by Claude AnShin Thomas, Vietnam war combat veteran turned Zen Buddhist monk. The convention program includes presentations from two national projects—one advocating repatriation of deported U.S. veterans, and the other seeking to prevent further privatization and weakening of VA care for veterans. And on Sunday, a workshop on moral injury suffered by veterans in today’s wars also touches on a future care model.
Native American veterans Strong Buffalo, Oren Lyons, and Four Arrows have been invited to share indigenous wisdom through poetry, story, and the presentation of a transformative worldview, respectively. As in years past, the schedule will include a live poetry “soiree” on Friday evening, and live music on Saturday night.
Veterans For Peace members look forward to convening in person in 2025, the organization’s 40th anniversary year. Meanwhile, excitement is building for the 2024 gathering coming up in mid-August.
