From the Institute for Southern Studies in Durham, a February 2007 announcement…

Next month, on the four-year anniversary of the Iraq war, the Institute will be releasing “North Carolina at War” – the first in-depth study of the costs of war on our state.

As you likely know, Gov. Mike Easley proclaims North Carolina to be “the most military friendly state in America. Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue recently launched a N.C. Military Foundation to lure more military contracts to the state. We’re already the home of Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, Blackwater International, and CIA torture flights (“extraordinary renditions”).

This report is the product of an exciting collaboration of youth and student writers and activists from across North Carolina, working in cooperation with staff from the Institute for Southern Studies. 

The media and politicians tell us how great it is to be a “military-friendly state” – but what about the costs? “North Carolina at War” will break the silence about the consequences of being a state dominated by militarism, offering a useful resource for faith, community and peace activists and others concerned about the endless drive to war.

Some of the highlights of “North Carolina at War”:

• A look at the players behind the N.C. Military Foundation, and what they stand to gain from luring in more military contractors;
• Profiles of North Carolina’s biggest war profiteers;
• An inside look at war recruitment by North Carolina’s own Jimmy Massey, a former military recruiter and founder of Iraq Veterans Against the War;
• In in-depth look at links between eastern North Carolina and CIA “torture flights,” which have made our state the target of international prosecutors;
• A comprehensive map of recruitment centers around the state, with data of counties targeted for military recruitment;
• A look at the impact on the civil rights of Muslims in North Carolina, from Azadeh Shahshahani, the state ACLU’s Muslim/Middle Eastern Community Outreach Coordinator;

By widely distributing the report to communities across the state, we hope the report will be a resource for activists and advocates, a catalyst for action and a source of information and education. We also hope it will help change the media and political debate about war in North Carolina.

We need your help to make this happen! We are hoping you will join us and help sponsor “North Carolina at War,” by doing two things:

1. Helping distribute “North Carolina at War” to your networks and communities; and,
2. Making a small sponsoring contribution to help us cover the costs of printing and distributing this valuable resource.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Elena Everett (919) 413.1276
elena@southernstudies.org

Thanks for your time and we look forward to hearing from you!

Institute for Southern Studies

www.southernstudies.org