ODOR Nat'l antiwar conference sets goals

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Young feminists meet WASHINGTON, D.C.-On Feb. 23, the day before the U.S.-led warmakers launched their ground assault on the people of Iraq, 350 antiwar activists from a broad range of national antiwar groups and local coalitions met here to plan future coordinated national activities.

The conference was called by the National Campaign for Peace in the Middle East, the group that initiated the Jan. 26 actions in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., which mobilized 500,000 people to "Bring the Troops Home Now."

Conference organizer and National Campaign Director Leslie Cagan affirmed at the outset that agreement had been reached in advance with the rival Coalition to Stop Clo sing Dai Mar 19. U.S. Intervention in the Middle East on projected dates for future actions. In that way, a repetition of the Jan. 19-Jan. 26 scenario of competing demonstrations was avoided.

Discussions had also taken place prior to the conference with a newly-formed coalition led by the Reverend Ben Chavis and with another coalition of African Americans against the war—thus paving the way for broader unity.

Few in attendance had any notion that the coming week would register a blitzkreig-type victory over a virtually defenseless nation. Instead, most expected a long and costly military confrontation. In light of the actual outcome of the war, the scale of the activities set by the conference (March 16 for local actions and April 6 for New York/San Francisco national demonstrations) has been modified by all concerned.

Most coalitions around the country will organize educational events on these dates, focusing on the still-continuing need to oppose U.S. military presence in the region and exposing the full extent of the horror perpetrated on the Arab people by the United States.

The San Francisco-based Mobilization to Bring the Troops Home Now, for example, has approved support for a local March 16 action at the Concord Naval Weapons Station to protest U.S. war policies. This action was initiated by the Pledge of Resistance, the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, and several other Bay Area groups. Other actions contemplated by the Mobilization include a march and indoor rally in defense of GI resisters, on April 6 in San Francisco.

In New York, both national coalitions have approved a March 16 protest at the United Nations.

After considerable discussion, the conference adopted four demands: "Stop the Bombing;" "Stop the War;" "Bring the Troops Home Now:" and "Money for Human Needs, Not War." It was also agreed to formulate another demand addressing the racist aspects of the U.S. war offensive.

While these demands received a near-unanimous vote, a proposal to add a demand for a "cease-fire," put forward by Charlene Mitchell of the Communist Party, was defeated. Less than a quarter of the conference participants voted in favor. Most who spoke in opposition to the demand saw it as cutting across the clear call to "Bring the Troops Home Now." It would imply, they said, that U.S. military intervention carried with it the right to negotiate On the weekend of Feb. 1-3, approximately 800 young women and their supporters from across the country converged on the city of Akron, Ohio, for the National Organization for Women's First National Young Feminist Conference.

Workshops and plenaries dealt with many aspects of the women's movement, including the issues of race, class, and sexual orientation. Over 20 resolutions were passed— dealing with reproductive rights, economic justice issues, health issues, legal issues, pornography, acquaintance/date rape, and many other topics that have a large imthe future of the Iraqi people.

The conference demonstrated the capacity of the broad antiwar movement to put aside past rivalries in favor of a united action plan based on clear demands opposing the U.S. war in the Middle East.

Most activists agree that the chief reason for the current public euphoria is the short duration of the war-with its correspondingly small number of U.S. casualties— and not the wholesale slaughter of the Iraqi people (the extent of which is largely unknown in this country).

It is clear, however, that the rapid rise of the antiwar movement is testimony to the deep-seated working-class frustrations with the quality of life in U.S. society. The need of the imperialist war machine to extend its domination in the Middle East should be seen as a sign of its inherent weakness, not its strength. I pact on the lives of young women.

A resolution was passed calling for a mass mobilization to confront the growing offensive against women's rights. Another resolution called for U.S. troops to pull out of Saudi Arabia.

The antiwar presence at the conference was very strong. Young feminists spoke passionately about their work to change the system in this country, a system that constantly feels the need to get involved in wars around the world.

Commitments were made calling for a Young Feminist Conference to be held every year.

-JENNIFER GOLDBERG