Houston: Peace or Wars Without End? US Foreign Policy: A Conference to Explore Our Choices

Blowback and US foreign policy have put America and the world in jeopardy.

A left-right convergence of progressive Democrats, Greens, Libertarians, and Republicans is issuing a call to participate in a foreign policy conference, to be held at TSU in the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs Building, in conjunction with TSU's Thurgood Marshall School of Law.  The conference theme is "Peace, or Wars without End - a Conference to Explore Our Choices".  Experts from the left and right will be coming together to question the overuse of U.S. military forces to (attempt to) solve conflicts.

Speakers and workshop leaders

We've already confirmed these speakers:

• David Swanson - an activist, blogger and author, labor activist, former press secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2003-2004 Presidential campaign, active in the movement to indict George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for war crimes - see WarIsACrime.org.  He now also hosts Talk Nation Radio, which airs on several Pacifica radio stations and their affiliates.

• Col. Lawrence Wilkerson -a retired United States Army Colonel and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. Wilkerson has criticized many aspects of the Iraq War, including his own preparation of Powell's presentation to the UN. He appears as a frequent Republican commentator on The Ed Show with Ed Schultz on MSNBC commenting about the problems with Republican Party. Also see his interview "Who Makes US Foreign Policy?"
   
• Dr. Robert Jensen, professor of journalism at UT Austin, activist, and speaker. Jensen writes for popular media, both alternative and mainstream. His opinion and analytic pieces on such subjects as foreign policy, politics, economics, and ecology have appeared in newspapers, magazines, and web sites all over the world. He contributes to local organizing in Austin, TX, through his work with the Third Coast Activist Resource Center, which offers educational resources and organizes community events about U.S. policy around the world; and 5604 Manor, a progressive community center that brings people together to make positive social change.
   
• Ann Wright is a former United States Army colonel and retired U.S. State Department official, who was one of three State Department officials to publicly resign in direct protest of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. She has written many articles in the Huffington Post and elsewhere about US misuse of our military as well as of domestic issues.  She will be joining us by teleconference.
   
• Marilyn White - Human rights activist who has worked for peace and justice in Latin America with School of the Americas Watch, Witness for Peace, CodePink and the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship.
  
  
• Daniel McAdams, Executive Director of the Ron Paul Institute, served as the foreign affairs, civil liberties, and defense policy advisor to U.S. Congressman Ron Paul, MD (R-Texas) from 2001 to 2012. From 1993-1999 he worked as a journalist based in Budapest, Hungary, and traveled through the former communist bloc as a human rights monitor and election observer.

Register now for the conference

Discount pre-registration is $30, by April 20 (deadline subject to change, depending on requirements of the caterer).  Late registration (after that date) is $40.  Students may register for free.  Others of limited income may pay what they wish, but everyone should pre-register so we can order enough food for everyone for lunch.   Please register at this conference registration link.

Program Booklet Ads

Ads in the program booklet for the conference will allow you, your organization, or business to get some recognition, while helping to make the conference affordable to everyone.  You can choose from full page to classified-size ads.  To buy an ad, go to this form: https://secure.jotformpro.com/hpjc/program_ad

Location, Getting There, Parking:

The Conference will be at Texas Southern University, building 151, on this TSU campus map.  This is the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs Building, just south of the corner of Tierwester and Cleburne St.  See Google map below.

You can get there via Metro bus routes 29, 30, 52, 68, and 80.  If you drive, paid visitor parking is available in the East Side Parking Garage for $3 for all day.  This garage is across Cleburne St. from the School of Public Affairs Bldg, on the north side of Cleburne St.  The visitor parking entrance is via Tierwester St.  You might be able to park for free on the street, but watch for no parking zones.

WE INVITE YOUR PARTICIPATION.