Monday, April 4, 2011

Baltimore Activist Alert

Baltimore Activist Alert Apr. 4 – Apr. 10, 2011

 

"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] Buy coffee through HoCoFoLA  

5] Used stamps for humanitarian causes

6] Bring the World Home continues        

7] SOA WATCH Days of Action -- Apr. 4-11

8] WE ARE ONE – Apr. 4

9] HELLHOUND ON HIS TRAIL – Apr. 4

10] Right-Wing Israeli Polity – Apr. 4

11] Break the Silence – Apr. 4

12] Marc Steiner on WEAA – Apr. 4 – Apr. 7

13] Protest the death penalty – Apr. 4       

14] Wal-Mart Truth Tour – Apr. 4       

15] Healthier Eating – Apr. 4       

16] Pledge meeting – Apr. 4

17] Minority Rights in Israel – Apr. 5

18] Living in the Crossfire – Apr. 5

19] East Africa Peacebuilding – Apr. 5

20] War Is Not the Answer demo – Apr. 5

21] Brian Kahn's new book – Apr. 5

22] Greek Revolt – Apr. 5

23] Tree spiking – Apr. 5

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1] – Buttons, bumperstickers and books are available.  "God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions" stickers are in stock. Donate your books to Max. Call him 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. The White House Comment Email is accessible at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.


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] – 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. Also note organic cocoa and sugar are for sale.  For more details and to download the order form, go to http://friendsoflatinamerica.typepad.com/hocofola/2010/02/hocofola-cafe-quetzal-order-form-2010.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 Nancy Meier, 10 Pepperdine Circle, Catonsville, MD 21228.  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.

 

5] – Brad Hathaway spearheads an effort to sell donated used stamps to raise money for different humanitarian causes around the world. Go to www.mattapoisettquakers.org, and click the link for the stamp ministry.  Carefully clip canceled postage stamps and send to Quaker Missions, PO Box 795, Mattapoisett, MA 02739. Send no small flag stamps or Liberty Bell Forever stamps.

 

6] – Catch the "Bringing the World Home" exhibit in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps!  The exhibit is in the UMBC Library Rotunda through the end of the semester and consists of 5 display cases featuring photos and artifacts from UMBC's faculty, staff and students who have served in the Peace Corps, including many current and alumni Shriver Peaceworker Fellows.  The center case features pieces from the Peace Corps founding era (a tribute to Sarge Shriver!) and the surrounding case highlight experiences from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, and the Americas.  If you are coming from off campus, give Joby Taylor a call at (410) 455-6398, and he will give you a tour.

 

7] – The Latin America Solidarity Coalition is supporting the School of the Americas Watch Days of Action beginning Mon., Apr. 4 through Mon., Apr. 11.  U.S. attempts to secure military bases around the hemisphere are being met with grassroots resistance. While the U.S. has backed coups and coup-attempts in order to crush social movements in Honduras, Bolivia, Haiti and Venezuela in recent years, those very same movements are resisting and organizing in the face of repression.

SOA Watch is gathering in the heart of the empire: Washington, DC. It will be a week of direct action, street theater, lobbying and the 5th Latin American Solidarity Coalition Conference. Get involved in a fast for justice in the Americas, film screenings, lobby days, street art and street theater as well as a march and direct action at the White House to Close the School of the Americas and to Resist U.S. Militarization on Sun., Apr. 10.

 

Starting on Apr. 4 at 9 AM through Apr. 10 at 9 AM, Father Roy Bourgeois will carry out a liquids-only Fast for Peace and Against Militarization. Call 202-234-3440 or write to nico@soaw.org with the subject line "Fast for Peace" to sign up to participate in the fast with Fr. Roy. You are welcome to do the fast in your own community.

 Father Roy will fast at the following locations: Apr. 4 – 9 AM to 5 PM at the White House; Apr. 5 - 7:30 to 9:30 AM at the Capitol South metro station, 355 First Street, SE. Then 10 AM to 5 PM on the Capitol grounds (location to be determined); Apr. 6 – 9 AM to 5 PM at the White House; Thurs., Apr. 7 – 9 AM to 5 PM at the White House; Apr. 8 - At the Pentagon joining in on "Operation Disarmageddon;" Apr. 9 - fasters will join the LASC Conference; and Apr. 10 - breaking fast at the March and Rally on the White House to Close the SOA and End U.S. Militarization.  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Go to http://www.soaw.org/take-action/lobby-days/1653-how-to-do-a-juice-fast.

On Fri., Apr. 8, SOA Watch will join the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance for a march and resistance at the Pentagon. Go to www.SOAW.org for updates on the Friday and Sunday demonstrations.

There will be an opportunity to lobby in the halls of Congress to ask our representatives to sign a Dear Colleague letter to urge President Obama to shut down the SOA/WHINSEC. Contact
asnow@soaw.org if you can lobby.

The Latin America Solidarity Coalition will host a conference on Apr. 9 & 10 to Build a Stronger Movement to End US Militarism and the Militarization of the Americas Click.  To register, go to the LASC web page: www.LASolidarity.org.

8] On Mon., Apr. 4 from 11 AM to 12:30 PM, Join the "WE ARE ONE" day of solidarity and stand together with working people in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and other states where politicians backed by corporate CEOs are trying to take away the rights.  Tell the Koch Brothers to start creating new jobs and stop destroying the middle class!  On Apr. 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in Memphis, where he stood with sanitation workers demanding the fundamental right to bargain collectively and pursue their dream of a better life.  Meet at 11 AM at the U.S. Treasury Departments, 15th St. & Pennsylvania Ave. NW, and then march to Koch Industries, 600 14th St. NW. Contact David LeGrande at legrande(at)cwa-union.org.

 

9] On Mon., Apr. 4 at noon at Venable Baetjer Howard Moot Court Room, Univ. of Baltimore, 1415 Maryland Ave., Hampton Sides will discuss his book HELLHOUND ON HIS TRAIL: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. AND THE International Hunt for His Assassin.  Call 410-837-6164.  Go to www.lawubalt.edu.   

 

10] On Mon., Apr, 4 from 12:30 to 2 PM, there will be a discussion Right-Wing Israeli Polity: Implications for the Arab Minority led by Jafar Farah, director of the Mossawa Center, and Amal Elsana Al Hjooj, co-executive director of the Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development. The event is at the Jerusalem Fund.  RSVP http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/ht/d/RegisterForEvent/i/28074.

11]  The Brandywine Peace Community is gathering on Mon., Apr. 4, anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at 4:30 PM at Independence Mall Visitors Center, 6th & Market Sts., Phila. For 'A TIME TO BREAK THE SILENCE' demonstration for Peace, Justice, and the Environment. Visit www.brandywinepeace.com or call 610-544-1818. 

12] – The Marc Steiner Show airs Monday through Thursday from 5 to 7 PM on WEAA 88.9 FM, The Voice of the Community, or online at www.weaa.org.   The call-in number is 410-319-8888, and comments can also be sent by email to steinershow@gmail.com. All shows are also available as podcasts at www.steinershow.org 

 

13] – There is usually a vigil to abolish the death penalty every Monday from 5 to 6 PM, outside the prison complex and across the street from Maryland's Super Max Prison, at the corner of Madison Ave. and Fallsway in Baltimore.  Recently death row was moved out of Baltimore, but it was decided to continue the vigil. The next one is scheduled for Mon., Apr. 4. Call 410-366-1637.

 

14] The International Labor Rights Forum's Wal-Mart Workers Truth Tour is in D.C. on Mon., Apr. 4 at 6 PM at the Gelman Library at George Washington U. Come hear workers from across Wal-Mart's supply chain, from Bangladesh to the U.S., speak about what it is like to work for Wal-Mart. Email Trina Tocco at trina.tocco@ilrf.org.

 

15] Mark Rifkin, dietician, will be at Whole Foods, 1330 Smith Ave., to discuss healthier eating on Mon., Apr. 4 at 6:30 PM.  Call 410-443-0842.  Go to www.wholefoods.com.

 

16] – The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore usually meets on Mondays at 7:30 PM, and the meetings now take place at Max's residence.  The next meeting is scheduled for Apr. 4.  The agenda will include a report on the April 8 action at the Pentagon, Apr. 9 in NYC, the Fund Our Communities Conference and the Mayors Conference in Baltimore in June.  Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski at verizon.net for directions.

 

17] Minority & Civil Rights in Israel: Working Towards a Shared Future is a discussion to be held on Tues., Apr. 5 from 9 to 11 AM hosted by the American Task Force on Palestine and other groups at Choate Room, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW, WDC. It will feature Jafar Farah,  Amal ElSana Al Hjooj, Einat Hurvitz, director of Legal & Public Policy Dept., Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), Dr. Alla Shainskaya, chairwoman, "Our Heritage, Charter for Democracy," and Tammy Karsavina, legal expert, Tmura Center, the Israel Antidiscrimination Legal Center. RSVP at info@atfp.net or 202-887-0177.

 

18] – Living in the Crossfire is on for Tues., Apr. 5 from 10:30 AM to noon at the Washington Office on Latin America, 1666 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 400, WDC.  LIVING IN THE CROSSFIRE: Favela Residents, Drug Dealers, and Police Violence in Rio De Janeiro is an exhaustive study of the violence that touches the daily lives of Rio de Janeiro's favela residents caught in the crossfire between police officers and the drug traffickers that control the favelas.  This book provides vivid accounts from favela residents, human rights activists and policy makers and offers an analysis of public policies to address this grave problem while pointing out the underlying social and economic problems that exacerbate the situation.

 

The authors will be at the book launch to lead a discussion: Maria Helena Moreira Alves is retired from the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, and is an author of State and Opposition in Military Brazil; and Philip Evanson is associate professor emeritus in the Department of History and the former Director of the Latin American Studies Center at Temple University. RSVP to Ana Goerdt at agoerdt@wola.org.

19] – On Tues., Apr. 5 at 5 PM, catch a talk on Catholic Peacebuilding in East Africa addressed by John Katunga, Catholic Relief Services' (CRS) regional technical advisor for peacebuilding and justice in east Africa. He provides technical guidance and assistance to CRS peacebuilding and justice programs in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Eritrea. The event is held at the Berkley Center, Georgetown U., 3307 M Street, NW.  Visit http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/events/catholic-peacebuilding-in-east-africa.

20] – There is a vigil to say "War Is Not the Answer" each Tuesday since September 11, 2001 at 4806 York Road. Join this ongoing vigil.  The next vigil is Apr. 5 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM.  Call Max at 410-366-1637.

21] Be at Busboys & Poets Bookstore, 5th & K Sts. NW on Tues., Apr. 5 from 6:30 TO 7:30 PM for the launch of "The Charlie Rose of the West," Brian Kahn's new book (and response to Glenn Beck's COMMON SENSE.  America's extreme Right falsely claims the Founding Fathers as allies for their radical agenda.  The book launch is sponsored by Teaching for Change.

22] The editors of the Occupied London blog & journal are coming to the U.S.  One stop will be Baltimore on Tues., Apr. 5 at 2640, 27th & St. Paul Sts. at 7 PM.  The discussion will focus on "Reflections on the December Insurrection, the Economic Crisis, and Ongoing Struggles in Greece and beyond." This is a multimedia presentation by Antonis Vradis and Dimitris Dalakoglou, editors of an anarchist journal and members of the antagonist movement in Greece and the UK. This event is part of a tour celebrating the release of Occupied London's book "Revolt and Crisis in Greece: Between a Present Yet to Pass and a Future Yet to Come," published by AK Press. Go to www.akpress.org. 

23] The co-founder of Rainforest Action Network, Earth First! and Ruckus Society, Mike Roselle, teamed up with environmentalist journalist Josh Mahan to write TREE SPIKER: From Earth First! to Lowbagging, My Struggles in Radical Environmentalism Action.  The book will be discussed on Tues., Apr. 5 at 7 PM at Red Emma's, 800 St. Paul St.  Call 410-230-0450.  Go to www.redemmas.org.

To be continued.


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