Father Ray Bourgeios graced Olympia Washington with several appearances, including one at Traditions Fair Trade Café, during a visit on April 10th, 2008.

Father Bourgeois delivered a wonderful presentation. He spoke for over an hour about his work with the School of Americas Watch movement.

The School of Americas is located on Fort Benning, in Georgia. The School has been renamed and is now called WHINESEC (Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation). The school's mission and objectives have not changed, however.

The school is actively involved in providing special training to the military forces of Latin American nations. Some of the military personnel that have studied at the School of Americas are known to have committed atrocities.

From the SOA Website: On November 16, 1989, six Jesuit priests, their co-worker and her teenage daughter were massacred in El Salvador. A U.S. Congressional Task Force reported that those responsible were trained at the U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA) at Ft. Benning, Georgia.

Please see www.soaw.org for more information.

The SOAW movement has grown from a tiny group of individuals into a national and international call to shut down the School of Americas.

photos on the flipside

From press release:

Olympia, WA - To commemorate the fifth anniversary of the bombing of Baghdad, Veterans for Peace Chapter 109 will host a rally in downtown Olympia to demonstrate the community's frustration with the ongoing war, occupation and U.S. casualties, which are nearing 4,000. "Each new death of a soldier or civilian was some mother's child." - Dennis W. Mills, PhD - U.S. Army 1966-69.

Members of the community will gather from 10:30 am to 12:00 noon on Saturday March 22nd, from the 4th Avenue Bridge in Olympia down to Percival Landing, bearing signs and stories to share. Supported by Operation Democracy Olympia, Thurston County Progressive Network, and many other individuals, businesses and organizations, this family-friendly event will prove to be compelling.

[via email:]

"'Sick Of It' - 4,000 Too Many - 5th/17th Year War Anniversary" Vigil
March 22nd 10:30 am - Noon

Event Description:
Sick of it - the war, the killing, the dying, the wasted resources and lives? Is 4,000 too many? 5th or 17th Year Anniversary of the Iraq War!!! The anniversary of so many sad events are happening in March. Let’s combine these events into one very VISIBLE vigil in Olympia! Bring your signs and your friends and join us from 10:30 until Noon in this family-friendly vigil.
Event Type: Vigil

Location:
500 West 4th Avenue

Directions:
4th Avenue Bridge and down to Percival Landing in Olympia

Organizing Sponsor: Veterans for Peace – Rachel Corrie Chapter 109

Note: after the Vigil, we are invited to join the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) for their “Soldier, Your’e Not Alone” activities near Fort Lewis.