Dear John,

We're only 5 weeks out until #NoWar2021, World BEYOND War's global convergence this June 4-6. Because it's virtual, I'm personally excited that it will be more globally accessible than previous #NoWar conferences, bringing together folks from 18 countries and counting. In this time of lockdowns, amidst increasing hostility between nation states and rising racial tensions, this opportunity for cross-cultural connection feels especially needed to me. Can you make it?

The agenda is packed with powerful speakers, from researchers and organizers to veterans and war tax resisters, exposing the global impact of the war machine — from mining to weapons fairs to war zones — and sharing proven strategies and tactics for resistance. As World BEYOND War's Organizing Director, I often hear from folks that they are really concerned about escalating militarism, but don't know what to do. The institution of war is a behemoth and it's not going to go away overnight. But we do know what success looks like, from stopping the construction of military bases in Montenegro to shutting down weapons expos in New Zealand to converting arms factories to ventilator and mask-making amidst the pandemic.

We've pulled together these stories into one action-packed event so you can speak with folks working on the front-lines of the war abolition movement in their communities. We're also offering 3 training opportunities on digital storytelling, nonviolent direct action planning, and corporate research so you can hone your organizing skills. Responding to your feedback, we've added lots of unstructured time for one-on-one and small group networking, virtual expo booths to meet with sponsoring organizations, and themed discussion groups on a host of topics requested by our network.

Check out the full #NoWar2021 schedule below and reserve your spot.

Friday, June 4, 2021

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-04:00)

14:00-15:00: Get on Hopin early to test your technology and explore the platform before the online conference starts

15:00-15:45: Networking, Virtual Expo Booths, & Live Music

15:45-16:45: Land Acknowledgement with Shannon Chief, Welcome Address with Rachel Small, Vanessa Lanteigne, Brent Patterson, Dave Webb, and Richard Sanders, followed by Group Action

16:45-17:45: Opening Panel: From Weapons Fairs to War Zones: Unraveling the War Machine with Bianca Mugyenyi and Daniel Selwyn. Moderator: David Swanson.

17:45-18:45: Discussion Groups by Topic – Join a discussion group to learn more about these issues and meet others who are working on these campaigns!

Peace Education with Phill Gittins
Building Peace with Iran: Learn about the impact of sanctions and engage in a discussion about how to ease tensions and build peace with Iran. Moderator: Foad Izadi.
Young Peacebuilders in Action: What role can youth play in the promotion of peace and security? How can young peacebuilders empower each other with the skills necessary to make meaningful change? Join us for an interactive discussion where you will learn how youth can be at the forefront of peace advocacy and listen to peace stories from some members of the WBW Youth Network!
War’s Ecological Impact: One of the most destructive of human behaviors, war is a leading contributor to the environmental crisis. We’ll examine the military’s carbon “bootprint” and military base contamination. This discussion will include analysis of the full lifecycle of weapons and war, from extracting the materials to operating weaponry. We’ll close by sharing strategies for resistance and demilitarization. Moderators: Brent Patterson and Tamara Lorincz.
War Tax Resistance: Tax resistance to paying for the military began hundreds of years ago and continues to this day. Let’s talk about the practicality and efficacy of refusing to pay for war. Moderator: Doug Hewitt-White, Lincoln Rice, and Robin Brookes.
Departments and Infrastructures for Peace: A conversation looking at ways to create ministries, departments, and other national infrastructures for peace, in order to implement a culture of peace and nonviolence globally. Moderators: Liz Remmerswaal and Saul Arbess.
Weapons in Space and the Conversion of the MIC: Who cares about an arms race in space? Is it far away and in the future? Let’s talk about what is going on with Space Force and the need to transform the war machine. Moderators: Bruce Gagnon, Dave Webb, and Mary Beth Sullivan.
Antiwar Veterans Meetup: A meetup for veterans turned anti-war activists. Friends and allies are also welcome to join this discussion! Moderators: Leah Bolger, Bill Geimer, and Bruce Moncur.
China Is Not Our Enemy Campaign. Moderator: Jodie Evans.
No to NATO. Moderators: Barry Sweeney and Ann Wright.

Saturday, June 5, 2021

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-04:00)

12:00-12:45: Networking, Virtual Expo Booths & Live Music

12:45-13:45: Learning from Success Stories

Divestment Workshop: Money makes the world go around, and we all know the expression “follow the money” but how do we find the money trail, and what then? Join this workshop to learn tools and tactics to cut off the flow of money to the weapons industry. From research, to advocacy, to action, there are options for everyone. As a case study, David will share the success story of divesting Charlottesville, VA from both weapons and fossil fuels. Workshop Facilitators: Carley Towne, Susi Snyder & David Swanson.
Shutting Down Weapons Expos with Siana Bangura, Zelda Grimshaw, and Te Ao Pritchard
How to Shut Down a Military Base

14:00-15:00: Trainings

Media Training 101 – Be Heard: Strategies for Traditional Media and Digital Storytelling: We can’t win the world we want if we can’t tell compelling stories and have them be heard. Join Katie Perfitt, National Organizer with 350.org, to learn about how we can win against our opponents in the battle of the story. In this session you’ll learn how to create a storytelling plan for your campaign or action, including tactics to get traditional media to work for you, and also how you can harness digital tools and social media to tell your story yourself! Participants can expect an interactive workshop and practical examples and case studies from Katie’s work in the Climate Justice movement. Workshop Facilitator: Katie Perfitt.
Nonviolent Direct Action Training with Christian Peacemaker Teams
Corporate Research for Taking Action Against Wars and Militarism: An introduction to undertaking corporate research collectively to inform our strategizing on private companies that are profiting from military interventions, the global arms trade, and the militarization of police forces. What information do we need in order to strategize about a corporation, where might we find it, and how do we make sense of it in order to inform our campaigns and organizing, locally and beyond? Workshop Facilitator: Jen Moore.

15:15-16:15: Panel: Star Wars: 21st Century Missile Defence with Lynda Williams, Dave Webb & Bruce Gagnon. Moderator: Mary Beth Sullivan.

Sunday, June 6, 2021

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-04:00)

14:15-15:00: Networking & Virtual Expo Booths

15:00-16:30: Panel: The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade with Bruce Moncur, Kathy Kelly and Kelsey Gallagher. Moderator: Mary-Wynne Ashford.

16:45-18:00: Panel: Insights of the Pandemic: The Urgent Need for Conversion to a Peace Economy with Sam Gindin, Taylor Barnes and Sam Perlo-Freeman. Moderator: Simon Black.

18:00-19:00: Networking, Virtual Expo Booths, and Attendee-Created Sessions

See you at #NoWar2021,

Greta Zarro
Organizing Director
World BEYOND War
[email protected]

World BEYOND War is a global network of volunteers, chapters, and affiliated organizations advocating for the abolition of the institution of war.
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