UNAC conference aims to build movement against wars – at home and abroad

As the United States bombs Syria and funds organizing for a  right-wing coup in Venezuela, the racist police and the Klan are consolidating power and mobilizing violence against Black and Brown people in this country. How can anti-war and other progressive forces fight this intensifying war at home and link it to wars abroad? That question will be discussed on the weekend of June 16-18 in Richmond, Va., when members of over 100 organizations from across the U.S. gather to discuss, debate and build solidarity at the annual United National Antiwar Coalition conference.

This will be the first year the conference is held in the South.  Attending will be the largest number of African-American militants in UNAC’s history. It is especially important that UNAC, one of the largest progressive coalitions in the U.S., gathers its forces in the South this year. This is not only because the South is a hotbed of racist violence — historically and today — but also because anti-racist forces in the South have been waging successful campaigns against bigotry and white supremacy in the enemy’s stronghold. Workers World Party delegates look forward to greeting them and celebrating their victories.

Workers World Party is organizing two workshops to contribute to the discussion. The first is titled “Even Bernie wants to bomb Syria: Challenges to anti-imperialist and anti-war organizing today.” It will examine the theoretical basis of what imperialism actually is, which countries are imperialist, and how anti-imperialists can shape the anti-war movement and take their politics to the streets. Also discussed will be the economic forces behind the big business media and why critical coverage of U.S. wars is increasingly disappearing.

The second workshop is called “Skills and strategies for being in the streets: Tactics and organizing defense and security against Trump forces.” This discussion will look at the changing conditions for organizing protests under Trump’s administration.  It will take up how activists can defend themselves and the multinational working class against state repression and paramilitary violence, while mounting an effective fightback against racism, xenophobia, sexism, anti-LGBTQ bigotry and war.

Onward to Richmond!