Sisters of Saint Joseph
Protest the School of the Americas
November 16-18, 2007,
Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga

On the weekend of November 16-18, over 20,000 people gathered outside the gates of Fort Benning, near Columbus, Ga., to call for the closing of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, formerly known as the School of the Americas (SOA). Military personnel from Latin America and Central America trained at the SOA have used what they learned to terrorize and torture their own people and people who stand with the poor and oppressed.

Alissa Pineda, from Mount St. Mary’s College (Los Angeles), was one of the student speakers on Friday night, November 16, at the "Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice." Alissa is from El Salvador and spoke on the topic, "El Salvador: Then and Now." Alissa shared the story of her two aunts being kidnapped from their home in El Salvador and murdered.

On Sunday morning, November 18, Sisters of St. Joseph, Associates, partners in ministry, students from Mount St. Mary’s College, and friends from throughout the Federation gathered for prayer and to be together for the Memorial Service and Solemn Funeral Procession at Fort Benning. Four of the Mount students are from Central America and the crosses they carried had the names of their murdered relatives and friends of their parents who were murdered.

Activists have been gathering outside the gates of Fort Benning every year since 1990. In recent years, student involvement has swelled the overall attendance at Fort Benning. Every Jesuit school in the nation and many other Catholic schools send large delegations. With the close vote in Congress, the strong turnout of so many committed young people, and the promise of many Latin American leaders not to send troops to the SOA, all gained new hope to press on with nonviolent efforts for change.

Please be attentive and responsive to upcoming legislative efforts calling for the closure of the School of the Americas. For more information: www.soaw.org. During the weekend, a thousand people attended the premiere of an excellent new film, "On the Line," (available on DVD at www.onthelinefilm.com)featuring Martin Sheen and Susan Sarandon.