Dear Common Dreams Readers:
$50k
For Immediate Release
Noor Mir, 845.625.3725, noor@codepink.org
CODEPINK Hosts DC Global Drone Summit, Nov 16-17
Gathering will feature representatives from Europe, Asia, the Middle East
WASHINGTON -
Summit: Drones Around the Globe: Proliferation and Resistance
Time: Saturday, 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm
Location: Georgetown Law Center, Hart Auditorium, Washington DC
In the wake of shocking new reports on the impact of US drone strikes put out by the UN, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, the Global Drone Summit will bring together hundreds of people from across the US and around the world to discuss strategies to stop the proliferation of drones used for killing and spying. Entitled Drones Around the Globe: Proliferation and Resistance, the Summit is organized by the peace group CODEPINK, along with the progressive think-tank Institute for Policy Studies, The Nation Magazine, Center for Constitutional Rights, and National Lawyers Guild (Georgetown Chapter). The event is open to the press (must show valid press ID). Please email Alli@codepink.org to be put on the list.
Organizers will be bringing together drone survivors from Pakistan and Yemen, drone pilots, legal experts, human rights advocates, authors, social media experts, technology experts, artists and musicians, and grassroots activists for the international drone summit.
The program will include:
Opening Remarks by Dr. Cornel West
Victims' Testimonies: Honoring Voices, Acknowledging Lives
Drone Operators: Commanding the Machines
I Spy: Drones and the Surveillance State
Compensation: Helping with Loss
Global Action to Regulate Drones: The United Nations and the International Movement
Creative Resistance to Drone Warfare, Art and Poetry From Around the World
Film screenings throughout the weekend
Workshops on Sunday for direct action training, street theater, props making, social media and student organizing
Speakers include international law expert Mary Ellen O'Connell, ACLU's Hina Shamsi, Pakistani attorney for drone victims Shahzad Akbar, author of Drone Warfare Medea Benjamin, Retired Colonel Ann Wright, UK/Europe drone expert Chris Cole, renowned British scientist Noel Sharkey, and creator of DroneStream Josh Begley.
CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming activities. CODEPINK rejects foreign policies based on domination and aggression, and instead calls for policies based on diplomacy, compassion and a commitment to international law. With an emphasis on joy and humor, CODEPINK women and men seek to activate, amplify and inspire a community of peacemakers through creative campaigns and a commitment to non-violence.