Georgia in November – the Annual SOAW Trip

Some say that Washington D.C. is the place to be in the spring, others say Florida in the winter, but most agree that the best place to be in the fall is Fort Benning, Georgia! Of course there is a specific time during the fall that Georgia really shines, and this year that weekend is November 19^th – 22^nd.  Oh, yeah, you can’t just go anywhere in Georgia it has to be the home of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (SOA/WHINSEC as most of you know it). 

SOA/WHINSEC is known to most as a Latin American military training base, and that’s pretty much just what it is. At SOA/WHINSEC only the best of the Latin American military are trained to “promote democracy” by torturing, raping, killing and disappearing truly goodhearted and hardworking citizens, priests, nuns and volunteers.

It is in Georgia that thousands of hands will converge to help lift the spirits of those who cannot lift themselves.  This year I hope to see lots of new faces, ready to bask in the sun and raise their voices to say “Presenté!” and “I am here for those who cannot be!”

This fall, join thousands to speak out in solidarity against the SOA/WHINSEC graduates who have been linked to the disreputable human rights abuses in Central and South America. Buses hired, hotel rooms reserved find out more about Georgia in November by contacting De’Anna at (412) 361-3022 ext. 7.

- Jill Bluhm is a student at LaRoche College finishing her certificate for teaching elementary education and is an active member of WPA-SOAW.