Rally Line-Up

We've got a fabulous rally line-up including inspiring local and
nationally-known activists working for a world without war. Speakers
at the 2:00 PM rally include:

Tom Chamberlain, Bob Watada and Zahra Sultan be at the World Without War.


The rally will be hosted by spoken word artist Walidah Imarisha and Megan Brooker of the PDX Peace Coalition and Military Families Speak Out.

 

About the Speakers

Zahra Sultan
Zahra Sultan is an Iraqi social worker who left Baghdad in 2001 and lived in Jordan for almost 7 years. In Jordan she worked with different international and American NGOs to help Iraqis who were displaced from their country due to the war and invasion in 2003. Zahra received a scholarship from the School for International Training in Vermont for a program in conflict transformation across cultures in 2007. While in Vermont, she was invited to Portland to speak about the situation of displaced Iraqis and to raise awareness about their situation. After visiting Portland in the Summer of 2007, Zahra decided to relocate here where she has started her own organization, Save Refugees. The organization works to support Iraqi refugees with different needs and to build
bridges between Americans and Iraqis by creating networks and sharing
culture.

Bob Watada
Bob Watada is the father of Ehren Watada, the first commissioned officer to refuse to fight an illegal war in Iraq. Ehren announced on June 7, 2006, that under military law, as an officer he was obligated to refuse deployment to an illegal war. He was charged with with missing a movement and conduct unbecoming an officer. A military court martial in February 2007 ended in a mistrial called by the judge and the prosecutor. Upon appeal, a federal civilian judge ruled in October 2007 that to try Lt. Watada a second time would be a case of double jeopardy, a violation of the US Constitution. The US military continues to hold him, long after his contracted time has expired. We are awaiting for the military to release him honorably.

Bob Watada was born in Colorado and in 1964 joined the Peace Corps rather than go to Viet Nam. He received his doctorate in Agricultural Economics from University of Hawaii in1974, worked in Hawaii State government for 32 years, the last ten years as Executive Director of State Campaign Spending Commission. Bob retired in 2006 and is currently residing in Oregon as farmer.

Andrea Cano
Andrea Cano, Oregon Farm Worker Ministry executive director, advocates for labor rights, just earnings and working conditions for the 175,000 women, men and youth undergirding Oregon’s agribusiness. A licensed minister of the United Church of Christ, she has devoted her vocation to social justice, peace making, and human rights through her work with international, national, and statewide organizations, including the Geneva-based World Council of Churches, the Latin American Council of Churches in Quito, Ecuador, and Centro Alberto Rembao in Jalisco, Mexico. Since the Del Monte roundup of undocumented workers, she has been a frequent lecturer and presenter on the issues of immigration and Oregon’s growing racial, ethnic and cultural diversity.

"Militarizing U.S. foreign policies is causing further war.
Militarizing our borders is legitimizing racist behaviors. And both are
unacceptable. We have no choice but to redirect our thoughts and
attitudes, moral, spiritual, and political will to create not destroy
community, foster a culture of peace not deny it, and realize that this
is a world where everyone belongs – un mundo donde quepan todos. "

Terell Wilson
Terell Wilson is a freshman at Madison High School. He has helped organize the Youth Action Tent, he's been acting on a growing interest in community work to oppose the war. Terell is also involved in a city program to get young folks more engaged in the life and decisions of our community.

Lizo Wallace
Lizo graduated Franklin High School in 2004. She's been a member of United Voices since 2002, facilitating workshops, planning events, and editing a zine -- working around issues of oppression, personally, locally and globally. She also tutors calculus and has recently become a noise musician.

Barbara Dudley
Barbara Dudley is an adjunct professor in the Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University where she teaches courses on world trade, global civil society, social sustainability and advocacy. She is also co-chair of the Oregon Working Families Party. She formerly served as President and Executive Director of the National Lawyers Guild, Executive Director of Greenpeace USA and Assistant Director for Strategic Campaigns of the national AFL‑CIO.&nb sp; During the Vietnam War, Barbara was civilian counsel in courts martial in Vietnam and the Philippines for GI's who were facing charges for resisting the war.

Tom Chamberlain
Tom Chamberlain is the President of the Oregon AFL-CIO, which
represents 188,000 working families. Through his more than 20 years of
political and union leadership experience, Chamberlain has served as a
City of Portland Fire Fighter, President of the Oregon State
Firefighters Council, an International Association of Firefighters
Field Representative and as a Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Ted
Kulongoski.

“It is working men and women and their families who have paid the
highest price for the war in Iraq—in lives and in treasure,” said
Oregon AFL-CIO President Tom Chamberlain. “While multi-national
corporations have cashed in on the war, working families have seen
prices go up, wages go down and too many loved ones lost or injured.
It’s time to end the war, bring the troops home and begin rebuilding
America’s battered middle-class.”

 

 

 

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