At
its 26th Annual Convention in Portland, Oregon, last week, members of Veterans For Peace
huddled with a wide range of experts - on everything from how to deal
with military recruiters in schools, to how to deal with Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) - and everything in between.
Some 300 VFP members from 36 states were joined by 100
members of Iraq
Veterans Against the War and several members from Military
Families Speak Out.
Speakers
included authors Robert Jensen, S. Brian Willson, Ed Tick, David
Philipps, Blasé Bonpane and Jessica Goodell and Nobel Peace Prize
Nominee, Kathy Kelly.
Discussion panels
included Transformational Healing for Combat Vets and Their Families;
Veterans in the Criminal Justice System; Helping G.I.s Get Out of the
Military; Military Sexual Trauma; Organizing Grassroots Restitution for
the People of Iraq; Legislation to Benefit Survivors of Agent Orange in
Vietnam; the psychological effects of war on suvivors; Putting Social
Media to Work; A Primer for Political Remix Videos and how to use the
tactics of non-violence in a violent world.
The delegates debated and adopted resolutions
on diverse issues, such as reducing the military budget, abolishing
corporate personhood, the health effects of depleted uranium munitions;
impeaching President Obama for war crimes and supporting Palestinian
rights under international law.
Delegates also self-organized a dozen caucuses
to share experiences on topics as varied as therapists and social
workers working with veterans, women's issues, G.I. resisters and
military medical personnel.
The four-day convention contained within it a film
festival and a veterans'
art exhibit.
VFP is a national, humanitarian and educational organization
with over 100 chapters and members from the Spanish Civil War, World
War II, Korea, Vietnam, Panama, El Salvador, Iraq, Afghanistan and every
period, hot and cold, in between.
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