Asheville Hosts War Tax Resistance Conference May 3-5

Lena Lane takes a stand in Asheville

Asheville Area War Tax Resisters, the Courtyard Gallery and the New South Network of War Resisters are hosting NWTRCC) National Gathering in Asheville May 3-5.  It will be held at the Flood Fine Arts Center in the Phil Mechanics Building at 109 Roberts Street. The event is featuring workshops about War Tax Resistance, panels and keynote addresses by Cindy Sheehan and author David Swanson. A complete schedule of events and registration form with dates and times can be viewed at the NWTRCC event site.  

Lydia & Jim

Organizers Coleman & Clare

 NWTRCC grew out of a National Action Conference in September 1982 called by the War Resisters League and the Center on Law and Pacifism. Today NWTRCC is supported by more than 45 national and local affiliate organizations along with a nationwide network of individual counselors and activists. NWTRCC has a small office in Brooklyn, NY and much of the work is done by volunteers. National Coordinating Committee meetings are held twice a year to discuss the needs of the movement, and to provide information about alternative war resistance methods to regional public audiences.The meetings are rotated to different parts of the country, thus making it possible for more local groups and individuals to be involved in the national war tax resistance network.

 David Swanson will present the keynote address on Friday May 3rd, 8pm at the Flood Fine Arts Center, in the River Arts District, 109 Roberts St. His presentation titled, "Lessons from an Overlooked Anti-War Movement" will center around thoughts from his various publications including War is a Lie.

Cindy Sheehan's keynote address on Saturday May 4th, 8pm at the Flood Fine Arts Center, will detail examples of why War Tax Resistance IS Courage using material from her popular podcast titled Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox. How to go about refusing to pay taxes for war will be part of the program allowing for the audience to begin to think about alternative methods for resisting taxes going to the military. 

Earlier on Saturday May 4th, Bill Ramsey of the Conscience and Military Tax Campaign (CMTC) fund and other alternative funds from around the country, will present checks from redirected war taxes to worthy organizations providing services to the underserved. This presentation begins at 10am at the Federal Building in Downtown Asheville and continues with a picket walk against the theft from the poor to the Phil Mechanics Building in the River Arts District at 109 Roberts St.

 Following lunch, the conference continues on Saturday at the Phil Mechanics Building with a series of concurrent workshops that begin at 1:30pm and repeat at 2:45pm. Audiences can chose between the following workshops:

"What you Don't Spend You don't Have to Earn--A Simple Life." Presented by redmoonsong a war tax resister since 1968.

War on Earth! Environmental Impact: Atomic Appalachia & the Militarized Southeast 
Presented by Clare Hanrahan and Coleman Smith of New South Network of War Resisters

 Social Media 101—Public Relations and Social Media Integration Presented by Ty Hallock, Top Floor Studios

 The War Crimes Times “News A Press That's Free Would Print”. Presented by Kim Carlyle - Editor of the War Crimes Times, a quarterly print publication of Veterans for Peace.

 "Reservations and Resistance: a conversation on what holds us back and what moves us forward as war opponents and war tax resisters." Presented by David Swanson and Bill Ramsey 

and War Tax Resistance 101 Presented by the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee. The basics of how to refuse to pay for war.

 A panel presentation from 4pm to 5pm in the Flood Gallery of the Phil Mechanics Building.

How Militarism Impacts the Work We Do- 4pm-5pm Panel
Discussion with activist members of the Firestorm Workers Collective, Beloved Community Center, Earth First!, Migrant and Immigrant Rights Organizations, Blove from the Peace Garden, and others about how militarism impacts their goals and objectives.

 Two final workshops follow from 5:15pm to 6:15pm: Alliance Building Q&A and How do we build Alliances Across Movements?

 News from the International Conference of War Tax Resisters Presented by David Gross, the NWTRCC representative at the International Conference on War Tax Resistance and Peace Tax campaigns in Bogota, Columbian

 At 8pm Cindy Sheehan gives her keynote address in the Flood Gallery at the Phil Mechanics Building. “War Tax Resistance IS Courage”

 On Sunday, May 5th, the conference concludes with a NWTRCC business meeting from 9am-12N where the public is invited to attend. To register for the entire conference, go to  http://www.nwtrcc.org/gatheringMay2013.php The cost for all events is $15.00. The public is invited to attend any of the programs and workshops without registration by making a donation.

 The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) is a coalition of groups from across the U.S., that has been providing information and support to people involved in or considering some form of war tax resistance (WTR) for the past 31 years.