Maureen Lavely recently returned from a trip to Fort Benning Georgia, and recounts her experience there as part of a Christian witness for peace:
I was privileged to attend the 25th gathering at the gates of Fort Benning, GA.to protest against the School of the Americas (SOA).
In November, 1990, a handful of human rights activists staged a hunger strike at the gates of Fort Benning in Columbus, GA, to commemorate the first anniversary of the massacre at the University of Central America in El Salvador, whose victims were murdered by Salvadoran soldiers trained at the School of the Americas (SOA) at Fort Benning. Research has shown that the SOA is the site of the most horrific training school for Latin American soldiers and police – over 70,000 to date, as well as unspeakable truths about US involvement in Latin America’s dirty wars. Returning to Fort Benning, year after year, the SOAW (School of the America’s Watch) was born.
The violence continues: in Honduras (military coup in 2009 )and in Mexico (43 students disappeared is 2014). And there is a direct link between militarization and migration.
I was introduced to this issue by a good friend who is a Dominican Nun. She no longer attends and my new “buddy” is a lady from Cleveland, Ohio I met at a mission trip to Jamaica, and we also went to the Borderlands (Arizona/Mexico) with Christian Peacemaker Teams.
I find it to be a powerful and meaningful experience and thank St. John’s for your understanding and support for my being THERE and not HERE (always) on the weekend before Thanksgiving. If you would like to know more, check out SOAW.org. Thanks! Maureen