Preparing for the SOA vigil and protest

As I make my final preparations to drive from Chicago to Columbus, Georgia for the Ignatian Family Teach-In and and the School of Americas (WHINSEC) vigil and protest, I will be posting links and information about how to get involved in the cause. Over the next week, I hope to also discuss with readers the story in U.S. Catholic as well as issues that I was not able to cover in the magazine.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts though conversations on the blog, and if you are attending the protest, you can meet me at the Ignatian Family Teach-In. I will have a table set up with copies of U.S. Catholic in the back of the conference center.

Here are some basic ways to get involved if you are interested in doing so:

The 2007 protest starts on this Friday, November 16, the exact day the Jesuit Martyrs and their two companions were killed in El Salvador. The SOA Watch website has plenty of information about planning your trip to Columbus, Georgia, including ride boards from around the country, hotel information, and event schedules.

There is also a list of local groups, who often host vigils held at the same time as the vigil in Columbus. Vigils are held throughout Latin America as well. (More on Latin American countries' involvement in the movement to close the SOA/WHINSEC will follow.)

If you are looking to do something more while you are in Georgia, volunteers for the protest/vigil are always needed. Donations, of course, are always welcomed, I'm sure!