Resisting the US's Military Empire ; NOWAR2024 Conference

Our annual global conference, #NoWar2024: Resisting the USA’s Military Empire, is coming up this September 20-22, in time for the International Day of Peace. It is our first fully ‘hybrid’ conference spanning multiple continents — all sessions will be livestreamed on Zoom with in-person events in Sydney, Australia; Wanfried, Germany; Bogotá, Colombia; and Washington, DC, U.S. We’ll explore the impact of the network of U.S. military bases around the globe, and the powerful nonviolent campaigns to close bases. 

1. Bases are a form of colonialism, removing Indigenous people from their lands.From Panama to Guam to Puerto Rico to Okinawa to dozens of other locations across the world, the military has taken valuable land from local populations, often pushing out Indigenous people in the process, without their consent and without reparations. For example, the entire population of the Chagos Islands was forcibly removed from the island of Diego Garcia by the UK so that it could be leased to the U.S. for an airbase.
2. Bases cost an exorbitant amount of $$. Estimates of the yearly cost of U.S. foreign military bases range from $100 – 250 billion.
3. Bases exacerbate environmental damage and the climate crisis. The U.S. military is the biggest institutional consumer of fossil fuels and producer of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Yet, military emissions are exempted from climate agreements, like the Kyoto Protocol. The construction of bases has caused irreparable ecological damage, such as the destruction of coral reefs and the environment for endangered species in Henoko, Okinawa. Furthermore, it is well documented at hundreds of sites around the world that military bases leach toxic chemicals into local water supplies, which has had devastating health consequences for nearby communities. 
4. Bases impact the local economy and community. The rise in property taxes and inflation in areas surrounding U.S. bases has been known to push locals out. Research has consistently shown that when bases finally close, the economic impact is generally limited and in some cases actually positive — that is, local communities can end up better off when they trade bases for housing, schools, and other forms of economic development. Furthermore, throughout decades of a permanent U.S. military presence abroad, the military and its personnel have committed many atrocities, including kidnapping, rape, and murders of women and girls. American troops abroad are often afforded impunity for their crimes due to “Status of Forces Agreements” (SOFAs) with the host country. 
   
5. Bases heighten tensions and provoke war-making. The presence of almost 200,000 U.S. troops, massive arsenals, and thousands of aircraft, tanks, and ships in every corner of the Earth (over 900 bases in more than 90 countries and territories!) is a provocation to surrounding nations. Rather than deterring potential adversaries, U.S. bases antagonize other countries into greater military spending and aggression. Russia, for example, justifies its interventions in Georgia and Ukraine by pointing to encroaching U.S. bases in Eastern Europe. China feels encircled by the more than 250 U.S. bases in the region, leading to a more assertive policy in the South China Sea. With vastly more foreign military bases than any other country on Earth, the U.S. must lead the way in a reverse arms race.
   

Throughout 3 days of sessions at the #NoWar2024 Conference, we’ll hear from speakers from around the globe about the social, environmental, economic, and political impacts of U.S. military bases in their regions. We’ll also hear incredible stories of nonviolent resistance, with the aim of sharing effective strategies and tactics that communities can use to oppose militarism in their regions.

This September 20-22, join us virtually – or in-person in Australia, Germany, Colombia, and the U.S. – for the 3-day #NoWar2024 Conference to learn about the impact of the USA’s military base empire and how to nonviolently resist it.