Sunday, January 16, 2011

ANTI TORTURE WORKSHOP Jan 17, 2011, Seattle

The Martin Luther King Celebration Committee presents the 29th annual region-wide Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration with Workshops, Rally, and March, theme "Many Voices United to Build the Beloved Community"

Monday, January 17, 2011,
starts at Garfield High School, 400 23rd Avenue at East Jefferson, Seattle
9:30 a.m. Workshops, see details of ANTI TORTURE WORKSHOP below
11 a.m.-noon. Rally
12 noon March to Federal Building, 2nd & Marion, downtown Seattle
~1:15 p.m. 2nd Rally at March end, time is approximate
Buses will return marchers to Garfield High School

Information: Eddie Rye, Jr., 206-786-2763, or Larry Gossett 206-296-1002 or larry.gossett@kingcounty.gov, or http://www.MLKseattle.org

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ANTI TORTURE WORKSHOP
Workshop "There Is No Torture in the Beloved Community"
(This is Workshop #13, and will be held in Garfield High School room 205.)

The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., often spoke of the Beloved Community, where conflicts would be resolved nonviolently with the goal of adversaries becoming reconciled. War crimes such as torture make continuing violence more likely and reconciliation less likely. Yet U.S. torture continues and torturers of prior administrations have not been held accountable. Besides being morally unacceptable, politically damaging, and ineffective, torture is illegal according to U.S. and international law. Panelists will present information about U.S. torture and lead a discussion of what we can do to end torture - a requisite step in building a truly Beloved Community.

Facilitator

Rob Crawford, co-founder of Washington State Religious Campaign Against Torture (WSRCAT), Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, UWTacoma, with specialty in 20th Century History. WSRCAT includes people of many faiths as well as humanists who oppose torture under any circumstance.

Panelists

David Marshall, Seattle attorney who has represented Guantanamo prisoners since 2006. Mr. Marshall has practiced law for 29 years and specializes in child abuse cases.

Bjoern Meinhardt, Pastor at Vashon Lutheran Church, and active member of WSRCAT

Jamal Rahman, Sufi Muslim leader of Interfaith Community Church who works extensively with Christian, Jewish, and Muslim groups to advance interfaith understanding, has participated in WSRCAT activism

These panelists will be joined by Prof. Jamie Mayerfeld with a brief update on WSRCAT's work on Guantanamo and by Tom Buchanan with a few words about solitary confinement as torture. Each will present a quick action participants can perform.

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