Brethren join annual rally against the School of the Americas.

Over 200 Church of the Brethren individuals from across the US gathered in Columbus, Ga., Nov. 20-21 to join more than 15,000 people at an annual rally against the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation--formerly the US Army School of the Americas. The school trains international military personnel, many of whom have committed documented atrocities against their own people. "Brethren came as individuals, college peace studies groups, as families, and as congregations, giving witness to their heritage and their faith," reported Amy Adkins of the General Board's Brethren Witness/Washington Office.

The Brethren Witness/Washington Office is only one of many groups that encourage their membership to seek political pressure to eliminate funding of the program. Phil Jones, Brethren Witness/Washington Office director "sees this event as an opportunity to give public witness to the statements and beliefs of Brethren in regards to the training of persons for violent military or guerrilla operations," Adkins reported. "Just last month a delegation of Brethren traveled to Guatemala and saw first hand the destruction and violence that was brought upon citizens of Guatemala by the hands of individuals trained at this school," Jones said. "One immediate step at ending this violence is the closing of this school that trains individuals to kill others."

With On Earth Peace, the office co-sponsored a Brethren Gathering at the rally where over 300 people met for fellowship, pizza, and music by the Brethren band Mutual Kumquat. The Brethren contingent also sponsored a booth, held a short worship service led by Matt Guynn from On Earth Peace, and joined a procession of mourning in symbolic remembrance of those whose lives have been lost at the hands of military personnel trained by the school.

Witnesses against the school began in 1990 following the killing of six Jesuit priests, their co-worker, and her teenage daughter in El Salvador. A US Congressional Task Force reported that those responsible for the killings were trained at the school. In 1997 a General Board resolution called for the closing of the school.

Source: 12/03/2004 Newsline