Seminars:
Antiwar Literature in Historical Context
(Michael Sirmons)
We will examine antiwar fiction (Mark Twain's "The War Prayer") and poetry from the Revolutionary War through the Vietnam War (especially World War I poetry: Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, e. e. cummings). The program will include excerpts from Benjamin Britten's opera "War Requiem." Contains graphic imagery and language. Handouts will be included.
Dissent and propaganda/Politics and delusion: Challenges and choices at the
end of the empire
(Robert Jensen)
When governmental and corporate institutions have at their disposal the sophisticated tools developed in the Delusional Revolution of the 20th century (the third of the great revolutions in human history), what does it mean to dissent? What risks do those of us with privilege really take when we speak and assemble in the United States today? Is the public expression of dissent meaningful in the contemporary world, or has it become just another spectacle? Are there other channels for progressive energy that are potentially more effective? And, what does this mean for the political choices we must face in the coming years as the power of the U.S. empire fades? These are the troubling questions that Robert Jensen will address in his discussion of freedom of conscience in the 21st century in the most affluent society in the history of the world. What does freedom mean in a mass-marketed/mass-mediated/mass-medicated society?
Confronting the Powers That Be: Principalities Without and Within
(Hart Viges (US Army 2001-2003) and Doug Zachary (US Marines 1968-1970))
Viges and Zachary, both military veterans discharged "Honorably" as Conscientious Objectors, are sensing and proposing a shift in our collective and individual consciousness to one that will see ourselves as At One With Each Other and as integrated pieces of the overall life system on Earth. They share a belief that humanity is engaged in an evolution of our consciousness that will lead to new personal identities, new belief systems, and new institutions. They are hopeful that these changes in the way we see and describe the world and our place in it will lead to a more wide-spread Freedom of Conscience and to the eventual elimination of war as well as many other forms of alienation and oppression.
Hart is President of the Austin chapter of the Iraq Veterans Against the War and Doug is President of the Austin chapter of Veterans For Peace. Together they recently launched a discussion with rural and small-town Texas citizens regarding "Christ and Empire: Then and Now." They are both engaged in outreach activities with active-duty military personnel, encouraging soldiers to ask themselves deep questions regarding their conscience and their relationship with the State.
Workshops:
Movement and Meditation: Releasing the Creative Spirit
(June Wink)
The movement will seek to heal the ancient split between physical and spiritual that fractures our being and sets us at odds with our bodies. We will explore new ways to release depths of feeling and creativity in relationship to ourselves, others, and the divine. This is a movement experience for everyone regardless of age, sex, physical ability or disability. It is an invitation to those of you who have not explored movement before. It is an invitation to you who feel uncomfortable moving. We focus on our own experiences; we will not be watching or judging the experience of others. The approach is gentle with some meditative background music. You will be encouraged to find your own natural way of moving. You will be encouraged to move because it is enjoyable, not because it will be good for you in the future. Participants are asked to wear loose fitting comfortable clothing.
Panel Discussion:
What leads us to be Conscientious and Where is Conscientious Objection leading?
(Tomas Heikkala, Ray Gingerich, Mike Nordstrom, Thad Crouch)
Panelists will reveal personal experiences, values, feelings and deep questions that lead to nonviolence and various forms of conscientious objection, including objecting to war tax resistance and selective conscientious objection. There will also be a discussion on how non-military communities and congregations can creatively support CO's and even become CO's themselves. Participants be given tools to examine their own values and sparks for their imaginations for living conscientiously and envisioning a future of conscientious individuals and communities.