Baltimore Activist Alert - July 19 - 21, 2018

For sale a button calling Donald Trump Bully -- $2.

For sale BOY GENIUS, a book about Karl Rove, written by Lou Dubose, Jan Reid and Carl M. Cannon -- $2.

45] Quality of Life Committee – July 19

46] "The Case for a Maximum Wage" – July 19

47] Issue Campaigns at a Local Level – July 19

48] How Feminism Changed Women's Psychology – July 19

49] Civilian Review Board meeting -- July 19

50] Help out with the Youth Climate March -- July 20 - 21

51] WIB peace vigils – July 20

52] White House vigil – July 20

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45] – On Thurs., July 19 from 6 to 8 PM, get involved with the Quality of Life Committee, hosted by Communities United, 2221 Maryland Ave., 2nd floor, Baltimore 21218.  Tickets are at membershipdrive.secure.force.com.  Join the community - made up of returned citizens (ex-felons), users, ex-users, and the people who love them - to address issues that affect our lives daily. The goal is to combine the resources of returning citizens and those in recovery, so they can make a difference for themselves, families, and communities.  Tackle the barriers that affect us together! See https://www.facebook.com/events/250019822261583/.

46] – On  Thurs., July 19 at 6:30 PM, Sam Pizzigati will discuss his new book, "The Case for a Maximum Wage." at the Busboys & Poets, 14^th and V Sts.  NW, WDC Baltimore Ave.  Could capping top incomes tackle our rising inequality more effectively than conventional approaches to narrowing our vast economic divides? Progressive Cheverly members have had the opportunity to hear Sam discuss some of his previous books, including "Greed and Good Understanding the Inequality that Limits our Lives." See https://www.busboysandpoets.com/locations/?location=14th-v&venue=14th-v.

47] -- On Thurs., July 19 from 7 to 8:30 PM, get involved with Issue Campaigns at a Local Level, hosted by Take Action AAC at the Edgewater Community Library.  Do you have something you would like to see change at a local level? Have you ever wondered how to make that happen? Join Take Action Anne Arundel County to learn more about how to “cut an issue” and plan a campaign to make change happen locally. With recent events, the county has been affected by immigration policy and gun violence. If you care about these issues, join in to plan how we can act locally. By joining together, we can make a difference. Check out https://www.facebook.com/events/2093096187617817/.

48] – On Thurs., July 19 from 7 to 9 PM, hear about How Feminism Changed Women's Psychology, hosted by Village Learning Place, 2521 Saint Paul St., Baltimore 21218. Dr. Jessica Heriot, Ph.D, will be reading an excerpt from her groundbreaking book, “Riding the Second Wave: How Feminism Changed Women's Psychology and Mine.” This work details the psychological impact of the women’s liberation, starting with the author’s own discovery of the movement in 1969. A Q&A-style discussion and book signing will follow. Dr. Heriot will have books for sale at the event! Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/274077039997275/.

49] – On Thurs., July 19 from 7 to 10 PM, attend the Civilian Review Board Meeting at 7 E Redwood St., Baltimore 21202-1103. The Civilian Review Board holds a monthly meeting. See https://www.facebook.com/events/1899146786813383/.

50] – On Fri., July 20, in preparation for the Youth Climate March on Sat., July 21, there will be an art build around the D.C. area to celebrate the movement and earth through art. In any movement, it is important to have community building, because community is the best antidote to hopelessness. Through these art builds we are building our community and beautiful banners and signs for The Youth Climate March. Kallan Benson, local climate change teen activist, has a Parachutes for the Planet project which will be the central art installation for the Zero Hour events. On July 20 & 21 as a plea for broad, global action to protect our climate, Parachutes for the Planet will display over 100 round banners, hand-painted by youth from every permanently-settled continent of the globe.  She needs people each morning to unload and spread out parachutes, throughout the day to make sure none are lost or damaged, and to pack up at the end of each day. If you know of anyone who would like to help for any block of time on July 20 or 21, contact Kallan at releaf4us@gmail.com.

51] – On Fri., July 20 from noon to 1 PM, join a Women in Black peace vigil. A vigil will take place in McKeldin Square at the corner of Light and Pratt Sts.  STAY FOR LUNCH at Baba's Kitchen.  Warm-up, dry off, and enjoy a vegetarian chili lunch and lots of good conversation. Bring a side or topping for the chili.  There are still places at the table; invite a friend to come along with you.

  Another vigil is at Roland Park Place, 830 W. 40th St, Baltimore. 21211. However, if weather is iffy, contact Anne at awyattbr@gmail.com.  Lunch will take place at 1 PM at the RPP Café, 830 W. 40th St., Baltimore 21211.

  A third vigil will be in Chestertown, Kent County at Memorial Park at Cross Street and Park Row.  This vigil is looking for more peace bodies on the Eastern Shore.  Welcome to the network, Chestertown Women in Black.

Wear black. Dress for who knows what kind of weather.  Peace signs will be available. When there are others to stand with, you don't need to carry the burden alone. Do this to be in solidarity with others....when everything around us says “Be afraid of the stranger.” Carpool and parking available. Just send an email that you need a ride to: wibbaltimore@peacepath911.org.

52] – On Fri.,  July 20 from noon to 1 PM, join the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in a vigil urging the powers that be to abolish war and torture, to disarm all weapons, to end indefinite detention, to close Guantanamo, to establish justice for all and help create the Beloved Community! This vigil will take place at the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Contract Art @ artlaffin@hotmail.com or at 202-360-6416. 

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs

Stateless and Poor, Some Boys in Thai Cave Had Already Beaten Long Odds

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/10/world/asia/thailand-cave-soccer-stateless.html?nl=top-stories&nlid=60778621ries&ref=cta

Stateless and Poor, Some Boys in Thai Cave Had Already Beaten Long Odds

Image

Classmates of Adul Sam-on, one of the boys trapped in Tham Luang Cave, visited a tribute for the Wild Boars soccer team on Monday. Credit Lauren Decicca/Getty Images

By Hannah Beech

·         July 10, 2018

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·         MAE SAI, Thailand — Adul Sam-on, 14, has never been a stranger to peril.

   At age 6, Adul had already escaped a territory in Myanmar known for guerrilla warfare, opium cultivation and methamphetamine trafficking. His parents slipped him into Thailand, in the hopes that proper schooling would provide him with a better life than that of his illiterate, impoverished family.

    But his greatest escape came on Tuesday, when he and 11 other members of a youth soccer team, along with their coach, were all finally freed from the Tham Luang Cave in northern Thailand, after an ordeal stretching more than two weeks.

   For 10 days, Adul and his fellow Wild Boars soccer squad survived deep in the cave complex as their food, flashlights and drinking water diminished. By the time British divers found them on July 2, the Wild Boars and their coach looked skeletal.

   It was Adul, the stateless descendant of a Wa ethnic tribal branch once known for headhunting, who played a critical role in the rescue, acting as interpreter for the British divers.

Image

A video grab shows some of the members of a soccer team, with Adul Sam-on on the right, in a section of Tham Luang Cave. Credit Thai Navy Seals

   Proficient in English, Thai, Burmese, Mandarin and Wa, Adul politely communicated to the British divers his squad’s greatest needs: food and clarity on just how long they had stayed alive.

   When a teammate piped up in broken English, “eat, eat, eat,” Adul said he had already covered that point. In images released by the Thai Navy SEAL force, he had a huge grin on his gaunt face.

   On Tuesday, the border town of Mae Sai, where Adul lived at a church, finally had cause to celebrate, as the Wild Boars’ 18-day ordeal came to an end. In a three-day rescue mission, Adul and 12 others were safely extracted from the cave by a team of dozens of divers, doctors and support staff.

   The extraordinary rescue of the youth soccer squad has been a rare cause for cheer in a nation that has endured four years of military governance and a growing rural-urban divide.

  Mae Sai, where the Wild Boars play soccer, seems an unlikely place for a resurgence in Thai pride. Located not far from where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet in the Golden Triangle, Mae Sai is home to a population that has at times been skeptical of the Thai state and its institutions.

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Military personnel prepared to go into the Tham Luang cave complex last week. Credit Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters

   The Golden Triangle is a smuggling center, and a sanctuary for members of various ethnic militias that have spent decades pushing for autonomy from a government in Myanmar that routinely represses them.

   Three of the trapped soccer players, as well as their coach, Ekkapol Chantawong, are stateless ethnic minorities, accustomed to slipping across the border to Myanmar one day and returning for a soccer game in Thailand the next.

   Their presence undercuts a Thai sense of nationhood that is girded by a triumvirate of institutions: the military, the monarchy and the Buddhist monastery.

   After years of reputational decline because of an army coup in 2014 — one of a dozen successful putsches since the country abolished an absolute monarchy in 1932 — Thailand’s military has been handed an opportunity to burnish its image.

   Thai Navy SEAL divers became the faces of the rescue operation. And a retired Thai SEAL diver, Saman Gunan, 38, died during the effort to bring air tanks into the cave to aid in the rescue. On Monday evening, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha of Thailand, the nation’s junta chief, made his second visit to the cave site.

  “The military will score some points here,” said Rangsiman Rome, a student leader who has called for a restoration to democracy in Thailand, even as the military has repeatedly delayed elections and extended its rule. “They get the credit in this mission.”

    Thailand’s monarchy has also been buoyed by the outpouring of support for the 13 members of the trapped team.

   King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, who ascended to the throne in 2016, has engaged with the public more intensely during the caving crisis than at any time during his brief reign.

   The monarch’s 13-year-old son, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, wrote a card in German, wishing the rescue mission success, according to the Royal Household Bureau. Among other donations, the king contributed 2,000 raincoats to the effort.

   With the English he used to communicate with the British divers on July 2, Adul was crucial in ensuring the safety of the Wild Boars. He is the top student in his class at the Ban Wiang Phan School in Mae Sai. His academic record and sporting prowess have earned him free tuition and daily lunch.

Image

Onlookers cheered as a helicopter flew toward the cave on Monday to transport a rescued boy. CreditLauren Decicca/Getty Images

    After crossing into Thailand eight years ago, Adul’s parents dropped him off at a local Baptist church in Mae Sai, asking that the pastor and his wife care for him. A quality education was not available in Myanmar’s self-governing Wa region, where young boys can be in danger of getting dragooned into the local guerrilla force.

   At the Ban Wiang Phan School, where 20 percent of students are stateless and half are ethnic minorities, the principal, Punnawit Thepsurin, said the boy’s uncertain status — he has no citizenship papers from any country — had helped hone his strength. “Stateless children have a fighting spirit that makes them want to excel,” he said. “Adul is the best of the best.”

   At least 440,000 stateless people live in Thailand, many of whom are victims of Myanmar’s long years of ethnic strife, according to the United Nations refugee agency. Human rights groups say the true number could be as high as 3 million — in a nation of nearly 70 million — even though the Thai government has refused to ratify the United Nations convention guaranteeing rights for refugees.

   With little legal protection, undocumented workers in Thailand can be at the mercy of human traffickers or unscrupulous employers. But the Wild Boars provided a haven for stateless and Thai children alike. On weekends, the squad would often go on outdoor excursions in nearby jungles.

    While a sign outside the Tham Luang Cave warns that monsoon downpours can transform internal passageways into powerful rivers within a few hours, the boys had explored its caverns before. A forecast of rain on June 23 did not dissuade the team from its adventure.

Image

Divers testing the mini-submarine built by Elon Musk’s engineers to help rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded Thai cave. The capsule was built with SpaceX parts. In the end, the cave proved too narrow and rescuers said the sub was “not practical.” Credit Elon Musk, via Reuters

“They are at an age when they want to explore and learn new things,” said Nopparat Khanthawong, the team’s head coach, who did not join the fated expedition. “It’s natural for them to go to the cave.”

   Initially, there was some speculation whether Mr. Ekkapol, the 25-year-old coach who took the boys into Tham Luang Cave, might be criminally culpable for overseeing a trip gone wrong. But local officials quickly dismissed such talk.

   The parents of the Wild Boars have written letters supporting Mr. Ekkapol. “Coach Ek,” said Adul’s parents in a note dictated to an intermediary, “thank you for taking care of the boys and for helping them stay safe in the dark.”

    A stateless member of the ethnic Shan minority, Mr. Ekkapol has long experience caring for children. After his parents died in Myanmar when he was a young boy, he entered the Buddhist monkhood in Thailand for nearly a decade, a common option for orphans untethered from financial support.

   One of Mr. Ekkapol’s duties after he was ordained was taking care of younger novices, said Patcharadanai Kittisophano, a monk at the Phrathat Doi Wao temple, where the young coach now works as a custodian.

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A billboard reading “Welcome home, boys” in Chiang Rai Province on Monday.  CreditTyrone Siu/Reuters

  Mr. Ekkapol’s years of spiritual training paid off in other ways. “In the cave, he taught the boys how to meditate so they could pass the time without stress,” Mr. Patcharadanai said. “That helped save their lives.”

    While in the cave, Mr. Ekkapol sent out a note with navy divers apologizing to the boys’ parents for having led the team astray.

    “Ek must have been blaming himself,” said Prayuth Jetiyanukarn, the abbot of the Prathat Doi Wao temple, as he celebrated news of the whole team’s extraction from the cave. “He had to be mindful and conquer his doubts so he could be strong for the kids.”

  Mr. Nopparat, the head coach, said that Mr. Ekkapol had even withheld food and water from himself in the cave to provide for the boys.

   “He would rather die than lose a single Wild Boar,” Mr. Nopparat said. “That’s the kind of person he is.”

   As for Adul’s parents, they counseled the only one of their five children lucky enough to study in Thailand to be on his best behavior, even during the most traumatic of times.

   “After you come out of the cave,” they instructed their son in a note, “you have to say thank you to every single officer.”

Muktita Suhartono contributed reporting.

   A version of this article appears in print on July 11, 2018, on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Poor, Stateless and Used to Beating Long Odds.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs

Baltimore Activist Alert - July 18, 2018

MORE LOVE LESS CAPITALISM button for sale - $2

Book SLAVERY DEFENDED, ed. By Eric L. McKitrick for sale -- $1

37] Compost Demonstration – July 18

38] Will Pakistan's Youth be a Boom or Bust for its Democracy?  – July 18

39] Govans Elementary Community Space Meeting – July 18

40] Green Team 45 Volunteer Training – July 18

41] Speak out against Governor Hogan’s destructive highway expansion – July 18

42] Film “Race and Society in Nazi Germany and the US”-- July 18

43] Confront Corruption at the White House – July 18

44] Our Revolution monthly membership call – July 18

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37] – On Wed., July 18 from 11 AM to noon, there will be a Compost Demonstration, hosted by The Friends of Quiet Waters Park, 600 Quiet Waters Park Rd., Annapolis 21403.  Master Gardeners maintain the Composting and Native Gardens site at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis. They give hour-long compost demonstrations twice a month. The talks are given by those on the team that are Master Composters. Attendees receive a free compost bin, provided by the Anne Arundel County Department of Recycling and information (goodie) bag filled with printed materials explaining various ways of composting. Visit http://extension.umd.edu/anne-arundel-county/master-gardeners/composting-demonstrations-0.  Email QWPcomposting@hotmail.com.

38] – On Wed., Jul. 18 from 3 to 4:30 PM, the question is Will Pakistan's Youth be a Boom or Bust for its Democracy?  This event is hosted by the United States Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave. NW, WDC 20037.  Get tickets at www.usip.org. With over 44 percent of new voters between the ages of 18 and 35, Pakistan’s youth will play an important role in the upcoming elections and influence the future of the country’s democracy. To harness the power of Pakistan’s youth, a recent UNDP Human Development Report argues for a national focus on youth empowerment through education, employment, and meaningful engagement. Failing to do so could lead to youth anger and dissent, spelling disaster for the future of Pakistan. RSVP at https://www.usip.org/events/will-pakistans-youth-be-boom-or-bust-its-democracy.  See https://www.facebook.com/events/254690191961694/.

39] – On Wed., July18 from 5:30 to 7 PM, come to the Govans Elementary Community Space Meeting, 5801 York Road, Baltimore 21212. All are welcome. See https://www.facebook.com/events/535490996845701/.

40] – On Wed., July18 at 6 PM join the Green Team 45 Volunteer Training, hosted by Andy Ellis For State Delegate-MD 45 and Glenn L. Ross For State Delegate-MD 45 at 509 N. Milton Ave. Ross and Ellis will be hosting a volunteer training to get ready for our general election canvassing.  Attendees will learn about the campaign and canvassing, get an opportunity to practice and role play, and have the opportunity to sign up for shifts. Knocking on doors and meeting people where they are is a great way to spread the message about our grassroots campaign. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/228811037919062/.

41] -- Join us at these public workshops hosted by the Maryland Department of Transportation to speak out against Governor Hogan’s destructive highway expansion proposals! Go to https://www.facebook.com/SierraClubMaryland, Oppose the I-270 & Capital Beltway Expansion by attending a Public Workshop on Wed., July 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Clarksburg High School, 22500 Wims Road, Clarksburg 20871. 

42] – On Wed., July 18 from 7 to 9 PM, hear about Race and Society in Nazi Germany and the US, hosted by March on Washington Film Festival and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, WDC 20024. Get tickets at www.ushmm.org. This is From Swastika to Jim Crow. The film screening that explores the encounter between two peoples targeted by oppression, brutality, and forced segregation who were brought together by World War II and racism in their societies.  Having escaped Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Jewish scholars arrived in the United States only to face antisemitism at major universities. Many secured jobs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the South where they formed a special bond with students and communities. A panel discussion will follow the film screening.  Check out https://www.facebook.com/events/757002474688972/.

43] – On Wed., July18 from 8 to 9 PM, Confront Corruption at the White House, hosted by Pantsuit Nation in Lafayette Square, WDC. Join the candlelit vigil at the White House to confront corruption and demand democracy. Be part of a national movement to highlight the importance of protecting the Mueller investigation and to ensure that potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, obstruction of justice, and myriad financial crimes get fully investigated without interference

Bring candles, signs, and your friends. Speakers will include members of Congress, organizational leaders and grassroots activists who are working to hold the Trump administration accountable and create a democracy that works for everyone. These vigils, happening across the country, will also serve as the public launch of a new coalition effort known as the Declaration for American Democracy, an initiative to build support for a suite of reforms to create a political system that works for all of us, not just the privileged and the powerful. Seek out https://www.facebook.com/events/2246886865326447/.

44] – The Our Revolution is excited to announce that the monthly membership call will be through Zoom. This video conferencing software will provide this month’s call with visuals and interactive questions! RSVP below to join the Our Revolution Monthly Membership Call on Wed., July 18 at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT. July’s call will focus on class and race narratives in progressive politics, featuring Anat Shenker-Osorio of ASO Communications. For the past year, Ms. Shenker-Osorio, Ian Haney López, author of “Dog Whistle Politics, and Demos Action” partnered in an ambitious multi-phase project to build an effective new narrative on race, class, and democracy. Our Revolution President Nina Turner will introduce this month’s speaker. To best participate in this month’s call, join via computer or smartphone! Go to https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NYXWcrRmT7WMrzP6Wb1rTA.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs

Baltimore Activist Alert - July 16 - 17, 2018

18] Support Tom Drake

19] Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants – July 16 - 17

20] Plastic Pollution Coalition Monthly Meeting – July 16

21] "Energy Trends: Nuclear and Non-nuclear" – July 16

22] Baltimore County Green Party meeting -- July 16  

23] PeaceSeekers Meeting – July 16

24] CEOs vs Workers: Live Town Hall on Corporate Power – July 16

25] Get Money Out of Maryland conference call – July 16

26] EPA Hearing on the Science Censorship Rule -- July 17

27] Addressing Sexual Violence Through Peace Processes – July 17

28] "The Nuclear Security Summits" – July 17

29] Peace Vigil – July 17

30] No Drone Research DEMO – July 17

31] Poetry for Peace – July 17

32] Baltimore-Palestine Solidarity Film – July 17

33] Future of Conservation in America – July 17

34] "The Case for a Maximum Wage" – July 17

35] BLM Open House – July 17

36] Film THE INSULT – July 17

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18] – The U.S. government did its best to imprison Tom Drake with a sentence lasting decades -- because, after going through official channels, he shared unclassified information with a journalist to reveal multibillion-dollar corporate-profiteering Big Brother policies of the National Security Agency.  Obama’s Justice Department persecuted Tom Drake. Now the Trump administration is also waging war on whistleblowers. And Tom keeps speaking out against it.

Tom continues to travel and warn against the government’s illegal surveillance and ongoing assault on the Fourth Amendment. Meanwhile, he’s still struggling to get his financial head above water, several years after the prosecution -- although ultimately losing in court -- succeeded in wrecking his personal finances, putting him in massive debt and depriving him of any pension.  We hope you’ll take a minute now and make a tax-deductible contribution to help Tom Drake get back on his financial feet. A donation of whatever you can afford would be deeply appreciated. Half of every dollar you donate will go directly to Tom, while the other half will support the Whistleblowers Public Education Campaign that he chairs.  To make a tax-deductible donation in support of Thomas Drake and the Whistleblowers Public Education Campaign, go to https://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/6503/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=11671.

19] – Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants: What Congress, Federal Agencies and Communities Need to Know is a Congressional Briefing on Mon., July 16 from 2 to 3:30 PM at room HC-8, Capitol Visitor Center.  This will be followed by a Nuclear Waste Decommissioning Lobby Day on Tues., July 17 from 2 to 3:30 PM.  The National Grassroots Nuclear Waste Summit is working with Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) to host a briefing on the urgent need to safely decommission nuclear power plants, which are increasingly shutting down. The United States is facing a significant wave of nuclear plant closures for which it is unprepared. Most of the existing U.S. reactor fleet will inevitably close over the next two decades, as plants near the end of their operational lifespans. Decommissioning is the process of dismantling the closed plant and securing or removing radioactive waste while lowering the site’s residual radioactivity to safer levels. Getting decommissioning right is critical to communities’ health, safety, while getting it wrong could pose an existential threat.

Leading scientists, policy experts, NGO advocates, and local elected officials with experience of decommissioning will speak at the briefing. It will cover the impacts of decommissioning, current decommissioning options, waste storage vs. transport, thorny unsolved problems and best practices, how communities and states can and can’t weigh in on decisions, financing and liability, just transition for communities and workers, and how these should inform the fast-changing legislative and regulatory landscape. Briefers include Robert Alvarez, Senior Scholar, Institute for Policy Studies; former Department of Energy Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for National Security and the Environment, Geoffrey H. Fettus, Senior Attorney for Energy & Transportation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Mayor Al Hill, Zion, IL., Kevin Kamps, Radioactive Waste Specialist, Beyond Nuclear, and Bob Musil, President and CEO of the Rachel Carson Council, former Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility. RSVP at mannajo@clearwater.org or 845-265-8080 x 7113.

20] – On Mon., July16 from noon to 1 PM, get over to a Plastic Pollution Coalition Monthly Lunch Meeting at Oceana, 1025 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 200, WDC. Plastic Pollution Coalition Members and Prospective Members are invited to gather for a D.C.-area meeting and hear from Julia Grifferty, an international student using technology to integrate local activists into the global movement against plastic pollution. After experiencing isolation as an activist in the Middle East, she sought to bridge the digital divide between local and experienced activists around the world. She and an activist from Thailand co-founded Synchronize, a network building web-platform that connects all activists with the best practices, resources and opportunities to maximize their impact.  RSVP at coalition@plasticpollutioncoalition.org. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/2089059724699773/.

21] – On Mon., July 16 from 4 to 5 PM., Henry Sokolski, Institute of World Politics, will do a presentation "Energy Trends: Nuclear and Non-nuclear" at the Institute of World Politics, 1521 16th St. NW, WDC. RSVP https://www.iwp.edu/events/detail/energy-trends-nuclear-and-non-nuclear.

22] – On Mon., July16 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, come to the Baltimore County Green Party meeting at 320 York Road, Towson 21204-5121.  Get involved in the work for racial, ecological, and economic justice in Baltimore County, state-wide, nation-wide, and worldwide. See https://www.facebook.com/events/265738390866029/.

23] –  On Mon., July 16 at 7 PM, the next PeaceSeekers Meeting will take place at the  Pacem in Terris office, 401 N. West St., Wilmington, DE.  See http://depaceminterris.org/events/.

24] – On Mon., July16 from 7 to 8:30 PM, CEOs vs Workers: Live Town Hall on Corporate Power, hosted by Rebel HQ at the Congressional Auditorium - Capitol Visitor Center, WDC 20515.  The average cashier at McDonald's would have to work for 895 years to make what the company's CEO makes in one year. Disney's CEO gets over $400 million in compensation while Disneyland workers can't afford three meals a day. Amazon's CEO is the wealthiest man in the world while thousands of Amazon workers rely on public assistance to make ends meet.  The United States is the richest country in the history of the world, and yet due to outrageous levels of inequality there are millions of workers who live in poverty or can barely get by. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders has invited CEOs and workers from five major corporations—Amazon, Disney, McDonald's, Walmart and American Airlines—to hold a conversation on corporate power in America and how to move forward to create an economy that works for all people, not just a few at the top.  The town hall will be presented in partnership with digital media outlets act.tv, Good Jobs Nation, NowThis, TYT Network, Guardian US, ATTN:, Free Speech TV, The Nation Magazine, CREDO Mobile and MoveOn.  TO WATCH ONLINE, go to www.facebook.com/senatorsanders. TO ATTEND IN PERSON RSVP HERE: https://www.facebook.com/events/1158579600952016/.  Check out https://www.facebook.com/events/887214984737179/.

25] – Join the Get Money Out of Maryland Teleconference on Monday, July 16 from 8:30 to 9:30 PM.  Call 605-475-6711, code 1136243#.  Work only on brainstorming ideas for participation in the upcoming General Election. Early voting goes from Thurs., Oct. 25 through Thurs., Nov. 1 (8 days), and Election Day is Tues., Nov. 6. 

26] – On Tues., July 17 from 8 AM to 8 PM, there will be an EPA Hearing on the Science Censorship Rule, which is a dangerous proposed rule that would hamstring the EPA's ability to use scientific data to establish health-protective policy at William Jefferson Clinton East Building, Main Floor, Room 1153, 1201 Constitution Ave. NW. Register at aherzog@psr.org for guidance and background information to draft your statement.

27] – On Tues., July17 from 2 to 3:30 PM, the theme is Addressing Sexual Violence Through Peace Processes, hosted by Oxfam in Colombia at the United States Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave. NW, WDC 20037. Tickets are at www.usip.org.

Sexual violence is a crime against humanity and is commonly used as a systematic weapon of war against women and men. Research that illustrates the forms, frequency and context of sexual violence is critical to help build peace and prevent the recurrence of such violence. Join the U.S. Institute of Peace, Oxfam and the Latin American Working Group for a discussion on addressing sexual violence in peace processes using evidence from recent survey results from Colombia.  RSVP at https://www.usip.org/events/addressing-sexual-violence-through-peace-processes-view-colombia. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/207439742257177.

28] – On Tues., July 17 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM,  Sara Kutchesfahani, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation; Kees Nederlof, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Laura Holgate, Nuclear Threat Initiative, will offer opinions about "The Nuclear Security Summits" at the National Press Club, First Amendment Room, 529 14th St. NW, WDC. RSVP at econnolly@armscontrolcenter.org.

29] –  Each Tuesday from 4:30 - 5:30 PM, the Catholic Peace Fellowship-Philadelphia for peace in Afghanistan and Iraq gathers at the Suburban Station, 16th St. & JFK Blvd., at the entrance to Tracks 3 and 4 on the mezzanine.  The next vigil is July 17.  Call 215-426-0364.

30] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 33rd & North Charles Sts. Join this ongoing vigil on July 17 from 5:30  to 6:30 PM. Contact Max at mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net or 410-323-1607. 

31] – On Tues., July17 from 6 to 8 PM, check out the Poetry for Peace: Free Minds Congressperson John Lewis Fellowship, hosted by Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop at Pepco Edison Place Gallery, 702 8th St. NW, WDC 20001. Tickets are at freemindsbookclub.networkforgood.com. Join in for a special celebration of poetry and storytelling to announce the first recipient of the Free Minds Congressperson John Lewis Fellowship. This is a new opportunity for formerly incarcerated Free Minds members to use their poetry and personal journeys of change to connect with middle and high school students and community members to stop the violence.

Named in honor of Congressman John Lewis, one of the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, this fellowship will be a year-long position for a Free Minds member returning from jail or prison. The fellowship will promote nonviolence through a poetry-based community outreach program, On the Same Page: Free Minds Poetry in the Classroom and Community.  Also appearing will be renowned poet, educator, Harvard doctoral candidate, and author of Counting Descent, Clint Smith. James Allen, Free Minds Poet Ambassador and inaugural John Lewis Fellow, will also share his passion for the life-saving power of poetry and his work with DC area youth to stop violence. Previously incarcerated for five years, he is now dedicated to giving back to the community as a full-time Poet Ambassador. As the current Congressman John Lewis Fellow for 2018, James promotes healing and nonviolence at local schools and other community spaces through storytelling, creative expression, and lived experiences. The event will include hors d'oeuvres and drinks, free of charge. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/569669860095433/.

32] – On Tues., July17 from 6 to 8:30 PM, the Baltimore-Palestine Solidarity presents "Off Frame AKA Revolution Until Victory" at Homewood Friends Meeting, 3107 N. Charles St., Baltimore 21218. This film is a meditation on the Palestinian people's struggle to produce an image and self-representation on their own terms in the 1960s and 1970s, with the establishment of the Palestine Film Unit as part of the PLO. Unearthing films stored in archives across the world after an unprecedented research and access, the film begins with popular representations of modern Palestine and traces the works of militant filmmakers in reclaiming image and narrative through revolutionary and militant cinema. In resurrecting a forgotten memory of struggle, Off Frame reanimates what is within the frame, but also weaves a critical reflection by looking for what is outside it, or what is off frame.  There will be a brief group discussion, and homemade Arabic food will be available before and after the film.  The suggested donation is $5. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1666898636693272/.

33] –   On Tues., July17 from 6:30 to 8 PM, tune in to Dr. Gary Machlis  getting into The Future of Conservation in America, hosted by Busboys and Poet, 2021 14th St. NW, WDC 20009.  “A Chart for Rough Water” (University of Chicago Press, 2018), written with Jon Jarvis, the eighteenth director of the National Park Service, this candid and caring book about conservation has been described by Pulitzer Prize-winning scientist E.O. Wilson as “a call to action written with authority and passion” and by President Jimmy Carter as “a course for a new generation of conservation action and leadership.” Terry Tempest Williams, who wrote the forward for the book, calls it “a clarion call for citizen engagement…a visionary pragmatism that is clear, concise, and prescriptive.” Dr. Machlis will discuss contemporary conservation politics and the new book, and sign copies during the event.  The author is University Professor of Environmental Sustainability at Clemson University, and served as Science Advisor to the Director of the National Park Service during both terms of the Obama administration. In addition to working throughout the US National Park System, Dr. Machlis has worked in China on giant panda protection, on conservation and sustainability issues in the Galápagos Islands, Kenya, Cuba, Haiti, and in Eastern Europe. He lives in Central, South Carolina. See https://www.facebook.com/events/230049821143961/.

34] – On Tues., July 17 at 6:30 PM, Sam Pizzigati will discuss his new book, "The Case for a Maximum Wage" at the Busboys & Poets- Hyattsville, 5331 Baltimore Ave..  Could capping top incomes tackle our rising inequality more effectively than conventional approaches to narrowing our vast economic divides? Progressive Cheverly members have had the opportunity to hear Sam discuss some of his previous books, including "Greed and Good Understanding the Inequality that Limits our Lives." Go to https://ips-dc.org/events/author-events-the-case-for-a-maximum-wage/.

35] – On Tues., July17 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, get over to the BLM DC Open House, hosted by Black Lives Matter DC at the Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ, 3845 S Capitol St. SW, WDC 20032. Learn about BLM’s work and how you can get involved!  FREE food, childcare, and ASL Interpretation will be provided. No electioneering, petitions, or distribution of any other election material allowed.  Focus on https://www.facebook.com/events/2109270222663037/.

36] – On Tues., July 17 at 7 PM, come to the Pacem Summer Film Series to see the Lebanese film “The Insult” with discussant, Dr. Rob Abel, at the Westminster Church, 1502 W. 13th St., Wilmington, DE. Visit http://depaceminterris.org/events/.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs