Two US Veterans for Peace will speak in the Teachers Club Dublin at 7pm on Fri 4/11/2011
Gerry Condon deserted from the US Army in 1969 after refusing orders to deploy to the Vietnam War. After six years of self-imposed exile in Sweden and Canada, Gerry returned to the US in 1975, campaigning for amnesty for all US war resisters. He has been a peace activist ever since, organizing against US intervention around the globe and supporting resistance inside the US military. He is co-chair of the GI Resistance Working Group of Veterans For Peace, and serves on the Steering Committee of the Bradley Manning Support Network.
"The US government must not punish those who followed international law and conscientiously refused to be part of illegal wars and occupations. As long as the US is persecuting war resisters, the nations of the world should provide sanctuary to those young men and women who have the courage to resist."
Helen Jaccard is a US peace activist who recently represented Veterans For Peace at the United Nations NGO Conference on Building Sustainable Societies. She believes that the issues of ending war and ending destruction to our environment are inextricably linked.
"Peace is absolutely a pre-requisite to building sustainable societies. War and occupation destroy human civilization while wreaking havoc upon Mother Earth. If we are to save the planet, we must put an end to war and militarism."
Helen Jaccard and Gerry Condon are traveling throughout Europe, networking with peace and justice activists as they go. They are currently in Ireland, and will be attending the November 13th protest at Shannon International Airport, which is being used as a transit point by US military war planes and CIA torture ("rendition") flights.
Wage Peace!
Gerry Condon & Helen Jaccard
