Andrea Egypt of the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice (MECAWI), speaking at a Detroit Social Forum gathering on June 16, 2007. (Photo: Abayomi Azikiwe).
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
A Michigan Peace & Social Justice Organization
Money for our cities, not for war!
Bring the troops home now!
Photo Link to MLK Day March, Jan. 15, 2007
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53911892@N00/368766178/
Photo Link to May Day March:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53911892@N00/481690480/
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What MECAWI Believes
The Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice is a group of peace, civil rights, anti-war, anti-imperialist and other social justice activists from various walks of life and personal backgrounds. Our basis for unity is rooted in our shared vision of a world where peace and social justice are the guiding political forces. Membership in the organization is voluntary and open to all those who share our views of ending imperialist wars and economic exploitation of the poor and working people of the United States and around the globe.
As an organization our primary work is centered around the following objectives:
-to share information and knowledge on the underlying causes and consequences of war, racism, gender oppression and other social injustices;
--to serve as a mobilizing center to activate, organize and empower the people to effectively change the society in which they live and work;
-to foster hope and optimism about the day-to-day struggles of the people;
-to supports the right of all oppressed peoples to self-determination against imperialism and national sovereignty.
Historical Record
MECAWI was formed in September of 2002, months before the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The organization was formed in response to the escalation of the Bush administration's propaganda--making false claims about weapons of mass destruction and about a serious threat from the former government of Saddam Hussein.
This organization has met every week since its formation. Some of the early activities included organizing demonstrations in the Detroit area against the impending war. We held a statewide anti-war activists' meeting in December of 2002. We transported hundreds of people to the large anti-war demonstrations in Washington, D.C. and New York in October of 2002, January of 2003, March 2003, September 2003(all in the nation's capital) as well as the Republican National Convention demonstrations in August of 2004.
On February 15, 2003, one month prior to the invasion of Iraq, we mobilized over 5,000 people in downtown Detroit saying no to war. On July 3, 2004, MECAWI organized the "Youth March Against War" down Woodward Avenue featuring speakers from various middle schools, high schools and colleges around the state.
In November of 2005, MECAWI organized a "National Conference to Reclaim Our Cities" which linked the ongoing occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan to the deepening crises in the urban areas across the United States. Participants came from as far away as the Bay Area and the Gulf region, which had just been devastated in the aftermath of Katrina.
MECAWI initiated the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Demonstration and Rally in downtown Detroit in January of 2004. 2008 will represent the fifth annual MLK Day March which is now organized by a metropolitan-wide planning committee. The demonstration is one of the largest social justice, peace and anti-racist gatherings during the year in the Detroit area.
Along with Iraq and Afghanistan, MECAWI has continued to work against U.S. foreign policy in Haiti and Somalia. In Haiti, the Bush administration invaded the country in February of 2004 and kidnapped the democratically-elected government of Jean Bertrande-Aristide forcing him into exile in the Central African Republic.
MECAWI organized two mass meeting in the aftermath of the Haiti invasion and has continued to host educational forums on this Caribbean nation. In April of 2007 filmmaker Kevin Pina was hosted by MECAWI where he screened his new film documenting the human rights violations commmitted by the U.S., France and Canada under the banner of the United Nations.
In regard to U.S. aggression in the Horn of Africa, MECAWI has demonstrated against the Bush administration's engineered invasion in December of 2006 of Somalia. In regard to southern Africa, we have defended the government of Zimbabwe against the destabilization efforts of the United States and Britain.
During 2006, MECAWI mobilized a demonstration of 2,000 activists in solidarity with the people of Lebanon in downtown Detroit amid the Israeli invasion and bombing of that country. Also we made several trips to Benton Harbor to support Rev. Edward Pinkney who was being railroaded for his political actions against racism in that southwest Michigan city.
In addition, MECAWI assisted in the formation of the "Stop the War Slate" that ran candidates on the Green Party ticket for local and statewide offices. The slate received tens of thousands of votes based on its anti-war and social justice platform.
For May Day 2007, MECAWI assisted the Latino community in spearheading the huge immigrant rights demonstration in southwest Detroit which drew over 15,000 people. During 2007, MECAWI made a formal appeal to the governor of Michigan to declare an economic state of emergency accompanied by a moratorium on foreclosures, utility shut-off and evictions.
MECAWI will continue to work for the ending of war, racism and all forms of social injustice. For more information contact us at the sources below:
MECAWI
Phone: (313)680-5508
e-mail: info@mecawi.org
URL: http://www.mecawi.org
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Meetings are always open to the public every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
5922 Second Avenue
Detroit, MI 48202
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