A National Strategy Conference for
War Tax Resistance

October 7th to 9th, 2005

Brooklyn, New York
St. Vincent Ferrer Church
1603 Brooklyn Avenue
(East 37th St. & Glenwood Rd.)

also, WTR Counselors’ Training
Monday, Oct. 10, 2005

ommitted peace and justice activists are converging on Brooklyn (NY) Oct.7-9, 2005, for a national strategy conference to broaden the network of people who refuse to pay for war. The purpose of the conference will be to develop more effective and creative methods of war tax refusal in order to extend its reach in the United States, while providing additional support for existing individuals and groups across the country deeply engaged in war tax resistance. If more people refuse to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this will tighten the screws of nonviolent resistance against the U.S. war machine.

We will critically look at strategies and campaigns that have worked well in the past and what we can do to improve them. We will brainstorm new ideas and techniques. We will see what can be done to encourage other constituencies to adopt this tactic for their communities. We will identify the roadblocks to resistance (e.g., fear of the IRS) and attempt to address them. And we will celebrate our ability to take away the government's control of how our tax money is spent.

We hope you will join us!

Our registration deadline has passed,
but please call 718-768-3420 if you are interested
in coming, and we will try to accommodate you.

L O G I S T I C S

LOCATION: The conference will take place at St. Vincent Ferrer Church, in Brooklyn, New York. The church is in the East Flatbush neighborhood, near Brooklyn College. It is in an economically and ethnically diverse neighborhood, near many small businesses and two subway lines. There is parking on the street, in a neighborhood of small homes. Location for the counselors' training on Monday will be announced later. Except for those with special needs, we will not pick people up at airports. There are a variety of options including bus, subway, and taxi from each airport. JFK is the closest airport to St. Vincent Ferrer.

HOUSING: There is some housing at the church (mostly floor space) with full baths available. We will also attempt to find housing in homes for as many as possible, but if you are someone who can find your own housing in New York, that will be very helpful to the organizers. Please return your registration early - especially if you need housing.

MEALS: The conference begins with dinner on Friday and ends with lunch on Sunday. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served on Saturday. All meals are at the meeting place, with simple, vegetarian menus. Everyone will be asked to share in preparation or cleanup.

COSTS: We are asking a $20-$50 sliding scale to cover the cost of the weekend, which we will try to keep low. For those who come for part of the weekend, please pay what you can. If necessary, we may take up a collection during the weekend to cover unexpected expenses.

P R O G R A M

• 4:00 - 6:00 pm   --   Arrival and Registration
  
• 6:00 pm   --   Dinner
  
• Evening   --   "Highlights 0f 60 Years of War Tax Resistance"
  Plus special guests Rev. Billy and members of the “Stop Shopping Choir”
  
  Whether you've been involved for 1 month or 5 decades, plan to briefly share a highlight through story, song, pictures, or articles. Tell us about a creative action, a special interaction, a campaign that influenced your resistance and with an eye and ear to how these highlights can inform our strategies for the future. Bring your favorite banners, scrapbooks, or articles for display.

• "WTR Timeline" and "How I Got Started Resisting War Taxes"
  What can we learn from our first steps in WTR?
  
  
• "Perspectives on the WTR Movement from Young Allies"
  A panel of young adults share ideas and concerns about war tax resistance practices and organizing. Small group discussions follow.
  
  
• "Organizing Models for Our Movement"
  Short presentations followed by small groups on each model. Sample models include: Conscientious objection education to draft-age youth; national campaigns; wtr techniques - breaking through the "all or nothing" mindset; building support from non-wtr's, such as the Appeal to Conscience; "I Will Not Kill" FOR campaign; using famous people to build wtr. Other models may be presented (briefly). Followed by small groups on each model.
  
  
• Music and fun

• "Carrying it Forward"
  What has inspired us from this gathering? What are the ideas we want to take home and develop? How can NWTRCC facilitate the ongoing work on these strategies?
  
  
• Conference ends with lunch
  
  
• 2:00 - 5:00 pm   --   NWTRCC Coordinating Committee Meeting - all invited. Our Fall business meeting will be held right after the conference program to pass a budget for the new fiscal year, set objectives for the next year, and continue to develop proposals and processes for transferring conference ideas into our future work.

• WTR Counselors' Training, Location: TBA
  Time: Approximately 9 am - 2 pm