'The Deadly Connection: Endless War and Economic Crisis' - Bruce Gagnon speaks in Washington state

The Washington speaking engagements are part of Gagnon’s West Coast speaking tour that began in Los Angeles in April.

(POULSBO, WA) - “The Deadly Connection: Endless War and Economic Crisis” is the subject of Bruce Gagnon's six-city tour of Washington State.

International peace activist and organizer Bruce Gagnon comes to Washington State April 23 to April 30, 2012 to engage local communities around the theme “The Deadly Connection: Endless War and Economic Crisis.”

Gagnon is the Coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, and long-time member of Veterans For Peace.

Having recently returned from demonstrations in South Korea protesting the construction of a huge US Navy base on Jeju Island, Gagnon will speak on U.S. expanding militarism, as well as the impact of militarism on the economic crisis here at home. He will stress the need to promote the conversion of the military industrial complex to sustainable production if we hope to have the slightest impact on climate change. These and similar issues are contained in his book Come Together Right Now: Organizing Stories from a Fading Empire.

During his presentation in Boonville, California on April 14th, Gagnon described a national economy increasingly dependent on weapons production, moving other job-producing industries to other nations. He described how only a united grassroots effort to convert from making missiles and warships to funding industries focused on energy conversion can reverse the U.S. military expansion leading to global war, depression, and environmental catastrophe.

The Washington speaking engagements are part of Gagnon’s West Coast speaking tour that began in Los Angeles, California on April 1st and ends in Tacoma, Washington on April 30th. Washington stops include Olympia, Walla Walla, Bellingham, Seattle, Redmond and Tacoma. See full Washington schedule below.

Monday, April 23 – Olympia– To be determined, Contact: Holly Gwinn Graham, hollygg@msn.com

Tuesday, April 24 – Olympia– 6:30 PM, Traditions Café, 300 5th Avenue Southwest, Contact: Holly Gwinn Graham, hollygg@msn.com

Wednesday, April 25 – Walla Walla - 7:00PM, Whitman College, Olin Hall Room 130, Contact Jennifer Doering, doerinje@whitman.edu

Thursday, April 26 - Bellingham - 4:00 PM, Western Washington University, Arntzen Hall, Contact Gene Marx, 253-653-4423

Friday, April 27 – Bellingham– 7:00 PM, Mt. Baker Theatre's Encore Room, 104 North Commercial Street, Contact Gene Marx, 253-653-4423

Saturday, April 28 – Seattle- 7:30 – 8:00 AM, Interviewed by Mike McCormick on KEXP, 90.3 FM, Mind Over Matters.

Sunday, April 29 – Seattle - 4:00 pm, University Temple United Methodist Church, 1415 Northeast 43rd Street, Contact: Leonard Eiger (for Seattle and Redmond events), subversivepeacemaking@gmail.com

Monday, April 30 – Tacoma - 12:30 – 1:30pm, University of Washington, Tacoma, Carwein Auditorium, 1551 Broadway, Contact: Rob Crawford, crawford@u.washington.edu

Also on April 30^th, Gagnon will join South Korean artist and peace activist Gillchun Koh in a protest at the Seattle Korean Consulate at 4:00 PM opposing the construction of a new naval base on Jeju Island. The new base will serve U.S. Navy Aegis destroyers that are part of the missile defense system the U.S. is deploying around the globe. It was recently announced that the price of the Aegis destroyers, that are an integral part of this system, will jump in cost from $1.5 billion each up to between $4 and 7 billion.

Seattle events sponsors include Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action, Veterans for Peace (Seattle Chapter), United Nations Association, Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation, University Temple United Methodist Church, The Alliance for Democracy and the Abe Keller Peace Education Fund.

Between 1983–1998 Bruce was the State Coordinator of the Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice and has worked on space issues for 29 years. In 1987 he organized the largest peace protest in Florida history when over 5,000 people marched on Cape Canaveral in opposition to the first flight test of the Trident II nuclear missile.

He was the organizer of the Cancel Cassini Campaign (launched 72 pounds of plutonium into space in 1997) that drew enormous support and media coverage around the world and was featured on the TV program 60 Minutes.

Bruce has traveled to and spoken in England, Germany, Mexico, Canada, France, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Japan, Australia, Scotland, Wales, Greece, India, Brazil, Portugal, Czech Republic, South Korea, and throughout the U.S.

He has also spoken on many college campuses including: Loyola University, Drake University, Syracuse University, Cornell University, University of Michigan, Cal Poly State University, University of Pittsburgh, California Institute of Technology, University of Oregon, University of Alaska Anchorage, Marquette University, Brown University, Hunter College, University of Arkansas, University of Florida, Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia), University of Maine, and the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (India).

Project Censored (from Sonoma State University, CA) named a story on space weaponization by Bruce as the 8th Most Censored story in 1999. Again in 2005, Project Censored picked an article on space issues by Bruce as the 16th most censored story of the year.

Bruce has been featured by artist Robert Shetterly in his collection of portraits and quotes entitled Americans Who Tell The Truth. In 2006 he was the recipient of the Dr. Benjamin Spock Peacemaker Award.

Bruce initiated the Maine Campaign to Bring Our War $$ Home in 2009 that spread to other New England states and beyond. This campaign makes the important connections between endless war spending and fiscal crisis throughout the U.S. In 2011 the U.S. Conference of Mayors passed a Bring Our War $$ Home resolution – their first entry into foreign policy since the Vietnam War.

His articles have appeared in publications like: Earth Island Journal, National Catholic Reporter, Asia Times, Le Monde Diplomatique, Albuquerque Journal, Sekai Journal (Japan), CounterPunch, Space News, Z Magazine, and Canadian Dimension. Bruce put out a new version of his book in 2008 called Come Together Right Now: Organizing Stories from a Fading Empire.

He is a member of the National Writers Union (UAW Local # 1981 AFL-CIO) and writes a popular blog called Organizing Notes.

In 2003 Bruce co-produced a popular documentary video entitled Arsenal of Hypocrisy that spelled out U.S. plans for space domination. Another of his videos, shot in 2009, was entitled Review of Obama's Foreign Policy. Both videos have been widely shown on Free Speech TV.

He is also host of a public access TV show called This Issue that currently runs in 13 Maine communities. (This show can also be seen from the GN’s website.) Bruce also co-hosts a weekly radio show at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.

In 1968 Bruce was Vice-chair of the Okaloosa County (Florida) Young Republican Club while working on the Nixon campaign for president.

Bruce is a Vietnam-era veteran and began his career by working for the United Farm Workers Union in Florida organizing fruit pickers. Bruce is an active member of Veterans for Peace.