Our civil liberties developed painstakingly by generations of historically great thinkers are vanishing at an alarming rate. The United States is more than losing its standing on the global stage as a democracy; it is relinquishing its stature as a country that abides by the rule of law.

Our panel of speakers sound the alarm and formulate ways for all of us to work together and make a difference.

Birgitta Jónsdóttir English
(Member of Parliament, Iceland – Pirate Party) Poetician, Director of the International Modern Media Institute, co-producer of the aerial weapons team, WikiLeaks “Collateral Murder” video, Bradley Manning supporter, and plaintiff-litigant in the NDAA case Hedges v. Obama.

Daniel Ellsberg was a high-level military planner who leaked the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret study of the Vietnam War becoming America's most well-known whistleblower. He is a founding board member of the Bradley Manning Support Network and the Freedom of the Press Foundation and plaintiff-litigant in the NDAA case Hedges v. Obama.

Norman Solomon
Journalist, media critic, anti-war activist, co-founder of Rootsaction.org, author of “War Made Easy.”

Nadia Kayyali
Legal Fellow with the Bill of Rights Defense Committee and Executive Vice President for the National Lawyers Guild

Moderator Bob Jaffe
Volunteer Attorney in the Hedges v. Obama case challenging the indefinite military detention provisions of the NDAA.

Our experts will address the paramount civil liberty issues of our time including the chilling effect of the military detention provisions of the NDAA - National Defense Authorization Act signed into law by Obama in January 2012. The panelists will also discuss other threats to civil liberties and what we can do to turn the erosion of these liberties around.

The panel will also create a platform for all of us to reflect and question the increasing government surveillance of its citizens including journalists and activist groups as well as the blatant violations of the Constitution by the US government with the supposed legal justification of war powers and state security. At an alarming rate whistleblowers are criminalized and overprosecuted for exposure of state corruption and illegality under the rubric of state security at the expense of hard won liberties. Other issues for discussion are the global militarization of our police forces and extra judicial assassinations .These profound shifts in the governments overreach on many fronts affects the lives of all of us even though they may appear to only affect the few. This interactive and co-creative discussion will highlight direct actions that each of us can engage to effect change wherever we
are.

$10 contribution request, all proceeds will go to support the Bradley Manning Legal Defense Fund, no one turned away for lack of funds

Sponsors include: ACLU Berkeley Chapter • Alameda County Against Drones (ACAD) • Aquarian Minyan • Bill of Rights Defense Committee• Cair Sfba • CodePink • National Lawyers Guild San Francisco Bay Area Chapter• Occupy Bay Area Jewish Contingent• Rootsaction.org • SF 99% Coalition