Thursday, March 5, 2009

Baltimore Activist Alert - Part 1

Baltimore Activist Alert Mar. 5 – April 4, 2009

 

"I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours.

The initiative to stop it must be ours." -Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Friends, this list and other email documents which I send out are done under the auspices of the Baltimore Nonviolence Center.  Go to www.baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com.  If you appreciate this information and would like to make a donation, send contributions to BNC, 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218.  Max Obuszewski can be reached at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski [at] verizon.net.

 

The Baltimore IndyMedia Center publicizes peace-related events. Go to http://www.radicalendar.org/group/_baltimore.

 

1] Books, buttons and stickers

2] Web site for info on federal legislation

3] Join Nonviolent Resistance lists  

4] Max is seeking housing/peace house is available

5] Chuck Michaels needs help with transportation

6] Buy Mankekolo’s book

7] Buy coffee through HoCoFoLA

8] Witness Against Torture 100 Days Campaign – through Apr. 30

9] First Thursday protest of the war – Mar. 5

10] Angela Davis speaks – Mar. 5

11] PeaceAction Montgomery meeting – Mar. 5                      

12] WIB Inner Harbor peace vigil – Mar. 6

13] WIB Roland Park vigil – Mar. 6                    

14] White House vigil – Mar. 6                     

15] Global Security Agreement -- Mar. 6

16] Support The Congo demo – Mar. 6

17] Silent vigil at Homewood Friends – Mar. 6

18] Eco/Justice Café – Mar. 6

19] Vigil at Walter Reed – Mar. 6

20] CATCH A FIRE film – Mar. 6

21] Vegan dating – Mar. 6

22] Ballroom dancing – Mar. 6

23] Human Rights delegation to Guatemala – Mar. 7-15                        

24] Olney vigil to end the war – Mar. 7                           

25] Peace vigil in Chester, PA – Mar. 7

26] Peace vigil at Capitol – Mar. 7

27] Peace Meal – Mar. 7

28] African Service – Mar. 8

29] Bridge peace vigil – Mar. 8

30] Poetry & Power – Mar. 8

31] Bethesda peace vigil – Mar. 8

32] CONSTANTINE’S SWORD film – Mar. 8

33] Red Emma’s needs volunteers – Mar. 8

34] International Women’s Day concert - Mar. 8

35] Pentagon vigil – Mar. 9

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1] – Buttons, bumperstickers and books are available.  “God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions” stickers are in stock. Call Max at 410-366-1637.

 

2] – To obtain information how your federal legislators voted on particular bills, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/.  Congressional toll-free numbers are 888-818-6641, 888-355-3588 or 800-426-8073.

 

3] – THE ORGANIZING LIST will be the primary decision-making mechanism of the National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance [NCNR].  It will be augmented by conference calls and possibly in-person meetings as needed.  It will consist of 1 or 2 representatives from each local, regional, or national organization (not coalitions) that wishes to actively work to carry out the NCNR campaign of facilitating and organizing nonviolent resistance to the war in Iraq.

 

To join the ORGANIZING List, please send your name, group affiliation, city and email address to donmuller@msn.com.  Different local chapters of a national organization are encouraged to subscribe.  

 

THE NOTICES LIST will include only notices of NCNR actions and related information and is open to any interested person to subscribe.  It will be moderated to maintain focus & will include periodic notices about getting involved in NCNR national organizing.  To join the NOTICES List, send an email message to ncnrnotices-subscribe@lists.riseup.net. You will get a confirmation message once subscribed.  If you have problems, please write to the list manager at ncnrnotices-admin@lists.riseup.net.  

4] – Max is in need of housing.  If you have any leads, please call him at 410-366-1637.  Note that there may be an opportunity for two or three people to move into a “peace house.”  If interested, call Max.

5] – Chuck Michaels is now home, and he will continue his recovery through out-patient therapy.  He is doing very well, speaking well and regularly, getting around well, and also now has permission from his doctor to be left alone, that is unattended, as needed.

The big need going forward over the next few weeks is transportation for a portion of each day to the Sky Neurological Rehabilitation CenterPomona Square, 1700 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville 21208 - just inside the beltway. On a weekly basis, the web site at Caring Bridge will post the specific times that Chuck needs transportation assistance in getting to therapy. Go to http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/chuckmichaels.  Call Jaymie at 240-475-0041 if you wish to help with Chuck's transportation to rehab.     

 

6] – Rev. Dr. Mankekolo Mahlangu-Ngcobo has returned to live in Baltimore, and is writing her autobiography.  Consider purchasing her book" One A Day: Spiritual Vitamins. Be ready with daily Spiritual Vitamins from January 1 to December 31 in 2009.”  Send a donation of $10 with $3 shipping and handling to 3315 Mondawmin Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21216.

7] – You can help safeguard human rights and fragile ecosystems through your purchase of HOCOFOLA Café Quetzal. Bags of ground coffee or whole beans can be ordered by mailing in an order form. For more details and to download the order form, go to http://friendsoflatinamerica.typepad.com/hocofola/fair_trade/index.html.

Be sure you indicate ground (G) or bean (B) for each type of coffee ordered. Make the check out to HoCoFoLA and send it with your order form to HoCoFoLA, PO Box 94, Columbia, MD  21045. Contact Pat McLaine at 410-964-0960 or pamcl@aol.com.  The coffee will arrive some time the following week and you will be notified where to pick it up.

8] – Witness Against Torture continues its 100 Days Campaign.  Go to www.100dayscampaign.org.   Groups have taken on each week through Apr. 30, and there will be daily vigils at the White House from 11 AM to 1 PM.  As well, there will be organized activities from film screenings to lectures and community meetings.  These activities are designed to mobilize people concerned about torture and keep sustained pressure on our elected officials to close Guantanamo with deliberate speed.  Witness Against Torture will have a team in D.C. for the duration of the campaign and will provide logistical support to all participants.  Call Carmen Trotta at 202 277 9869.           

9] – The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore hosts an End the War! End the Occupation! rally on Thurs., Mar. 5 from 5 to 6:30 PM in Mount Vernon at Centre & Charles Sts.  The Pledge gathers in Mount Vernon on the first Thursday of the month to protest the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Call Max at 410-366-1637.

10] – Angela Davis speaks on “Feminism, Anti-Racism and Abolition Democracy" at the Women's Center at Towson U.'s University Union --Potomac Lounge (2nd Floor) on Thurs., Mar. 5 at 6 PM. Call 410-704-2051 or email pfreeman@towson.edu.

11] – PeaceAction Montgomery, meets every first Thursday, next being Mar. 5, at 7 PM at the Cedar Lane Unitarian Church, room 16 in the basement, 9601 Cedar Lane, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-4099.

12] – Women In Black sponsor a peace stand/vigil on Fri., Mar. 6 from noon-1 PM at the Inner Harbor, corner Pratt and Light.  Everyone welcome, wear black if you can.  See http://www.peacepath911.com/ or write wibbaltimore@hotmail.com or call 410-467-9114.

13] – There is also a noon vigil on Fri., Mar. 6 at Roland Park Place at 830 W. 40th St.  Call 410-467-9114. 

 

14] – A peace vigil takes place every Friday from noon to 1 PM on Pennsylvania Ave., by the press gate to the White House. It is organized by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker. Call 202-882-9649.

 

15] – On Fri., Mar. 6 at 12:30 p.m., David Franz, Ronald Lehman, William Burns, Rose Gottemoeller, Orde Kittrie, and Kim Savit will discuss the release of Global Security Engagement: A New Model for Cooperative Threat Reduction at National Academies, 500 Fifth St., NW, Keck 100, WDC. RSVP to Rita Guenther at rguenther@nas.edu or 202-334-2359.

16] – There is a peace vigil to support the Congo every Friday, 4:00 to 6:30 PM at the Rwandan Embassy, 1714 New Hampshire Ave, NW.  Call the Rwandan Embassy at 202-232-2882 and register your concern about Rwanda's aggression towards the Congo.

17] – There is a silent vigil on Fri., Mar. 6 from 5 to 6 PM outside of Homewood Friends Meeting, 3107 N. Charles St., in opposition to war with Iraq. Placards say: "War Is Not the Answer." The silent vigil is sponsored by AFSC, Homewood Friends and Stony Run Meetings.

18] – Attend the monthly Eco/Justice Cafes at UDC 's Firebird Inn, 4200 Connecticut Ave., NW, Van Ness/UDC Red Line West exit--Building 39, B-Level, first Fridays from 6 to 10 PM. The Cafes are a reincarnation of the 90s MetNet Eco/Justice Coffeehouses. They feature great food, music, poetry, a dozen or so tabling organizations and more. The aim is to bring together a wide variety of activists from environmental and social justice groups for fun and networking.  A $15 donation is requested ($10 for students, $5 for kids under 12). The next Cafe will be on Mar. 6, followed by "First Fridays" on 4/3, 5/1 and 6/6. 

TABLE SPACE IS AVAILABLE for no charge. Contact GalinaSergen@yahoo.com to reserve your table or TO VOLUNTEER. Hosted by the University of the District of Columbia David Clarke School of Law, the District's public interest law school, go to http://www.law.udc.edu/?page=AFJ.

 

19] – SHED LIGHT ON US WAR CASUALTIES: FROM THE FRONT LINE TO THE BACK DOOR of Walter Reed Army Medical Center (North Gate), every Friday night, from 7 to 9 PM in the middle of the 7100 block of Georgia Ave., NW. Call 202-441-3265. Go to http://www.codepinkalert.org/Local_CODEPINKs_Washington_DC.shtml. 

 

20] – CATCH A FIRE [2006], directed by Philip Noyce, will be shown on Fri., Mar. 6 at 7 PM as part of the Just-Reel First Friday Film Series at the Peace Center of Delaware County.   The film stars Tim Robbins as a torturer for the South African government and Derek Luke as a freedom fighter.   This thriller depicts the real-life story of Patrick Chamusso.   The screenwriter is Shawn Slovo, the daughter of the late South African Communist Party leaders Joe Slovo and Ruth First. The peace center is at 1001 Old Sproul Road (just behind the Car Wash at the corner of Sproul Road & Old Marple Road) in  Springfield, PA.  For directions, go to www.delcopeacecenter.org.  Call 610-544-1818.

 

21] –  The Yabba Pot Café, 2431 St. Paul St., is sponsoring Vegan Speed Dating on Fri., Mar. 6 at 7:30 PM.  The cost is $5 to participate.  If you need your good fortune read - Sistah Althea will be in the corner giving five minute reading for only $10.  Call 410-662-TOFU.

 

22] –  There is an opportunity to participate in ballroom dancing, usually every Friday of the month, in the JHU ROTC Bldg. at 8 PM.  Turn south on San Martin Dr. from the intersection of Univ. Parkway and 39th St.  Drive on campus by taking the third left turn.  The next dance will be Mar. 6. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.

 

23] –  The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA invites you to join an EDUCATIONAL DELEGATION TO GUATEMALA,  Mar. 7-15, to learn about …US Trade Policy and Migration: Why do 40,000 Guatemalans leave their homes and head  to the US each year?  Explore the root causes of migration: the effects of US trade policy, the impact of migration on communities and families, the story of deportees, and the transformation to an export economy. This trip will be led by Amanda Martin (Director) and Kelsey Alford-Jones (Program Associate). Contact Amanda Martin at amartin@ghrc-usa.org or 202-529-6599.

 

24] – Friends House, 17715 Meeting House Rd., Sandy Spring, MD 20860, hosts a peace vigil every Saturday, 10:30 to 11:30 AM, on the corner of Rt. 108 and Georgia Ave. in Olney, MD.  The next vigil is Mar. 7. Call Chuck Harker at 301-570-7167. 

 

25] –  Each Saturday, 11 AM – 1 PM, Chester County Peace Movement holds a peace vigil in West Chester in front of the Chester County Courthouse, High & Market Sts. This vigil has been the target of counter-demonstrators and harassment from the "Chester County Victory Movement" but has grown and persisted.  Go to www.ccpeace.org.

26] – There will be a peace vigil on the West Lawn of the Capitol at noon on Sat., Mar. 7. Look for the blue banner with the message, "Seek Peace and Pursue It. --Psalms 34:14." The vigil lasts one hour and is silent except when one responds to the occasional questions. Go to http://www.quaker.org/langleyhill/seekpeace.htm or email seekpeacevigil@yahoo.com.

27] – On Sat., Mar. 7 at 1 PM, Global Coalition for Peace invites you to a Peace Meal at 4209 East West Hwy., Chevy Chase, MD 20815.  The program starts with interfaith prayers and possibly songs, followed by blessing of the food ceremony, then the speaker's address along with a hot vegetarian lunch. Park by Bethesda Chevy Chase High School. The site is Metro accessible on Red Line, Bethesda stop. There is no charge.   Lynn Miller will talk about taking sustainable steps.   She runs Miller Strategic Marketing, a firm dedicated to helping environmentally aware companies with marketing and strategy challenges. RSVP by e-mailing Durga at shantiyoga2@earthlink.net.  Go to www.schooloflife.org.

28] –  On Sun., Mar. 8, the KALAFONG AME CHURCH invites you to a Prayer for Africa at 11 AM at the HISPANIC SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST DAY CHUCH, 5100 Edmondson Ave., Baltimore 21229.   Contact Rev. Dr. Duane Rawlings at realministr@aol.com.  Go to www.orgsites.com\md\kalafong-ame-mission-church/index.html.

29] – Maryland Bridges for Peace welcomes you to stand for peace Sundays from noon (or thereabouts) to 1 PM on the Spa Creek Bridge in Annapolis.  Contact Lucy at 410-263-7271 or mdbridgesforpeace@toadmail.com. Signs are not allowed to be on a stick or pole.   If there is interest, people will be standing on the Stoney Creek Bridge on Fort Smallwood Road in Pasadena [410-437-5379 or magicalgodmom@aol.com]. Go to http://BridgePeace.blogspot.com/.

30] – The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation is hosting Poetry and Power with Palestinian Suheir Hammad on Sun., Mar. 8, International Women's Day, at 3 PM at Busboys and Poets, 14th & V Sts., WDC.  The Gaza Accountability Project is part of the US Campaign to End Israeli Occupation.  Come and support this fundraiser.  Email uscampaign@mail.democracyinaction.org.

31] – Every Sunday until Nov. 3, from 4:30 to 6 PM at the corner of Woodmont and Bethesda Aves., near Barnes & Noble and the Landmark Theaters, there will be a peace vigil organized by Bethesda Friends. Everyone welcome to participate!  

32] – The Brandywine Monthly Potluck Supper & Program is the 2nd Sunday of the month starting at 4:30 PM with a potluck dinner at University Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut St., Phila., PA. Bring main dish, salad, or dessert to share. The program begins at 5:30 PM.

On Sun., Mar. 8, there will be a viewing of CONSTANTINE'S SWORD, based on the book of the same name by James Carroll, columnist, author and former Catholic priest. It is an astonishing exploration of the dark side of Christianity, following James Carroll on a journey of remembrance and reckoning. Call 610-544-1818 or go to www.brandywinepeace.com.  

 

33] – Red Emma’s needs volunteers.  Stop in to the weekly Sunday meeting at 7 PM at 800 St. Paul St. or email info@redemmas.org.  The next meeting is Mar. 8. Call 410-230-0450.

34] – On Sun., Mar. 8, Holly Near and emma's revolution/Pat Humphries & Sandy O will perform in Alexandria, VA. Admission at the door is $25, but $20 in advance.  This is a benefit concert for RPJ Affordable Housing.  The concert starts at 7 PM at the Church of the Resurrection, 2280 North Beauregard St., Alexandria, Virginia 22311.  Call 703-501-6061 to attend this International Women's Day Concert.  You can join the revolution at www.emmasrevolution.com.

35] – There is a weekly Pentagon Peace Vigil from 7 to 8 AM on Mondays, since 1987, outside the Pentagon Metro stop.  The next vigil is Mon., Mar. 9, and it is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker.  Call 202-882-9649.

To be continued

 

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net

 

"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

 

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