Democratizing Defense Conference to be held in August at Madison, WI

You are invited to this year's Democratizing Defense Conference, convened by Veterans for Peace, CODE PINK, War is a Crime, and others, one of nine conferences taking part within this year's Democracy Convention (August 7-11 in Madison, Wisconsin).

"I'm excited about an event that will take a broader look at structural problems other than 'How do we prevent the next big new war?'," says conference organizer David Swanson. "We're going to step back and consider what produces all these wars - not just as an academic exercise, but rather a critical part of how we should design our activism."

"The military industrial complex will not be stopped unless all of those suffering from its theft of dollars and lives, its destruction of morality, its promotion of plutocracy, its erosion of civil liberties, and its savaging of our natural environment unite. If we do unite, we can forget restoring an American Dream. We'll have the power and the resources to create a world beyond what we've ever dared to imagine. The Democratizing Defense Conference and the larger Democracy Convention is bringing together the coalition we need." said Swanson.

The Democratizing Defense Conference will explore the many ways that democratic principles are abandoned in the name of "national defense" and will move forward efforts to establish a democratic alternative to endless war. On both small and large levels, the federal and state governments turn blind eyes to the Constitution, international law, labor rights of military employees, and the will of the people in issues regarding the military and war. And the increasing dependence on drones and a robotized military threatens to undermine what democratic control over our military that remains.

REGISTER NOW: Click here to register https://democracyconvention.org/democracy-convention-2013-registration

Confirmed speakers at the Democratizing Defense Conference already include:

•David Swanson, Author, "When the World Outlawed War"
•Ben Manski, Liberty Tree Foundation
•Coleen Rowley, former FBI agent and whistleblower
•Bruce Gagnon, Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
•Helen Jaccard, Veterans For Peace
•Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report
•Debra Sweet, World Can't Wait
•Joe Scarry, No Drones
•Medea Benjamin, CODE PINK

Planned conference sessions include:
•What U.S. foreign policy would look like if we spread democracy to the U.S. Would we still need a military?
•Military Spending vs. Democracy - how the budget for war preparations fuels plutocracy and removes the freedoms nobody hates us for. And what we can do about it.
•War Spending vs. the Environment
•What would you do with a trillion dollars a year? How do we build the coalition to make that happen?
•Do democracies use flying killer robots?
...and more!

The Democratizing Defense Conference at the 2013 Democracy Convention will provide space for attendees to discuss, debate and strategize how to ensure that the growing U.S. democracy movement takes itself seriously enough to attempt to write our political and cultural victories into the governing law of this country.
To get a sense of what to expect at this year's Democratizing Defense Conference, click here for a link to the program of the that last one, held in 2011.

~ ABOUT THE 2013 DEMOCRACY CONVENTION ~

If you want to strengthen democracy where it matters most ... in our communities, our schools, our workplaces and local economies, our military, our government, our media, our constitution ... you will find something inspiring in Madison this August. Join us at the second national Democracy Convention.

More than one conference, the Democracy Convention houses at least nine conferences under one roof. As the great progressive reformer Fighting Bob La Follette said, "democracy is a life," and "involves constant struggle" in all sectors of society. With the Democracy Convention, we recognize the importance of each of these separate democracy struggles, as well as the need to unite them all in a common, deeply rooted, broad based, movement for democracy.

Every day we learn of new participants in the convention, new conference conveners, new sponsors, and new, incredible speakers and workshop leaders. This will be THE PLACE to go this summer for those committed to winning democracy in the U.S.A.. So:
•Register now for the Democracy Convention.
•Sign up your organization, union, or business to sponsor the convention.
•Spread the word - make sure your community knows about the convention. Click here for a button to put on your website.
Thank you, and see you in Madison!


P.O. Box 260217
Madison, WI 53726-0217