Thursday, November 10, 2011

Baltimore Activist Alert - Part 1

Baltimore Activist Alert Nov. 10 – Nov. 16, 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.

 

Tune into the Maryland Progressive Blog at http://mdprogblog.org.

   

1] Books, buttons and stickers

2] Web site for info on federal legislation

3] Join Nonviolent Resistance lists  

4] Buy coffee through HoCoFoLA  

5] Occupy Freedom Plaza – Oct. ??

6] Occupy Baltimore -- Oct. ??

7] Book talk THE DEAL FROM HELL – Nov. 10

8] Ethical Action at Moveable Feast – Nov. 10

9] Dunning Lecture – Nov. 10

10] End death penalty in Maryland – Nov. 10

11] WOMEN, WAR, & PEACE -- Part 1 of 5 – Nov. 10

12] The play AFTERMATH – Nov. 10

13] Pro Bono Consulting – Nov. 11

14] White House vigil – Nov. 11

15] WIB Inner Harbor vigil – Nov. 11

16] WIB Roland Park vigil – Nov. 11

17] Justice for Palestine/Israel vigil – Nov. 11

18] Discussion with an Indonesian Political Prisoner's Daughter -- Nov. 11  

19] VFP Commemoration of Armistice Day -- Nov. 11

20] Silent vigil at Homewood Friends – Nov. 11

21] Film on coup in Honduras – Nov. 11

22] WOMAN ART REVOLUTION – Nov. 11

23] Good Jobs For All – Nov. 11

24] Honor Bishop Gumbleton – Nov. 11

25] King/Brandow concert – Nov. 11

26] Ballroom dancing – Nov. 11

27] Farmer's Market – Nov. 12

28] Pilgrimage for an Action for Jobs and Justice -- Nov. 12

29] Weigh to Shop – Nov. 12

30] FOC meeting – Nov. 12

31] Olney peace vigil – Nov. 12

32] West Chester, PA demo – Nov. 12

33] Witness for Peace Speaker Tour – Nov. 12

34] Silent vigil at Capitol – Nov. 12

35] Underground Railroad Puppet Show – Nov. 12

36] MUPJ meeting – Nov. 12

37] Honor Mary Benns – Nov. 12

38] Human Rights dinner with Brian Willson – Nov. 12

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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. The coffee comes in one-pound bags.

 

Fill out the form and mail it with a check made out to HOCOFOLA on or before the second week of the month.  Be sure you indicate ground or beans for each type of coffee ordered.  Send it to Adela Hirsch, 5358 Eliots Oak Rd., Columbia, MD 21044.  Be sure you indicate ground (G) or bean (B) for each type of coffee ordered. The coffee will arrive some time the following week and you will be notified where to pick it up.  Contact Adela at 410-997-5662 or via e-mail at adela4peace@verizon.net.

 

5] – The occupation of Freedom Plaza, 14th & Pennsylvania Ave. NW, continues as U.S. troops, contractors and mercenaries remain in Afghanistan now for an 11th year.  The idea is to make the space a Tahrir Square, Cairo or Madison, Wisconsin.  NONVIOLENTLY resist the corporate machine by occupying Freedom Plaza to demand that U.S. resources be invested in human needs and environmental protection instead of war and exploitation.  Stop the Machine! Create a New World! Go to http://october2011.org/.

 

6] – Occupy Baltimore continues at McKeldin Square, Pratt and Light Sts.  General assemblies take place at 8 PM each evening.  Sign up at http://groups.google.com/group/occupy-baltimore/.  Ask for the digest or you get hundreds of emails. 

 

7] – Jim O'Shea, a former editor at the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, is going to talk about his new book "The Deal From Hell," which recounts the Time Mirror and Tribune Media Company merger and the fallout that ensued. RSVP at jwogan2@jhu.edu. He will speak on Thurs., Nov. 10 from 4 to 5:30 PM in Gilman Hall, JHU Homewood Campus. 

 

8] – On Thurs., Nov. 10 at 5:45 PM, there will be an Ethical Action at Moveable Feast, 901 N. Milton St. The Baltimore Ethical Society pitches in at Moveable Feast, the Milton Avenue-based charity that provides nutritious food to people with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. RSVP with Lisa Alderson at lialderson@gmail.com. Call 410-327-3420 or go to http://www.mfeast.org.

 

9] – On Nov. 10 at 7 PM, there will be a book sale and signing at St. Mary's Seminary, 5400 Roland Ave., Baltimore 21210-1994 with Dr. Miroslav Volf, Yale Divinity School.  At 7:30 PM, Volf will give a lecture "Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?" The author of 19 books, he may be best known for his 1996 book EXCLUSION AND EMBRACE: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation.  Call 410-864-4200 or email ei@stmarys.edu or go to www.stmarys.edu/ei.

 

10] – On Nov. 10 at 7:30 PM, join a session to learn about the campaign to end the death penalty and what Marylanders can do to effect change in our State -- The Culture of Life and the Death Penalty.  In 2005, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a call for our nation to abandon the use of the death penalty and move one step closer to building a culture of life.  Presenters include Sr. Kathie Uhler, OSF with the Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty and Jane Henderson with Maryland Citizens Against State Executions.  Light refreshments will be provided.  The session will be held in the St. Patrick's school cafeteria, 4101 Norbeck Road, Rockville.  Contact Richard DeBona at rdbstpats@verizon.net or 301-924-2284 ext. 26. 

 

11] – WOMEN, WAR, & PEACE -- Part 1 of 5: "I Came to Testify" will take place on Thurs., Nov. 10 from 7:30 to 9 PM at the  Radical Expression Infospace, 5525 Illinois Ave. NW, WDC.  This is the moving story of how a group of 16 women who had been imprisoned and raped by Serb-led forces in the Bosnian town of Foča broke history's great silence – and stepped forward to take the witness stand in an international court of law. Their remarkable courage resulted in a triumphant verdict that led to new international laws about sexual violence in war.  Parental discretion is advised and those under 16 should arrive with a guardian. This is part of a 5-part screening of WOMEN, WAR, AND PEACE. Refreshments will be provided, and admission is on a sliding scale from $1 to $10.

 

Women, War & Peace is a bold new five-part PBS television series challenging the conventional wisdom that war and peace are men's domain. The vast majority of today's conflicts are not fought by nation states and their armies, but rather by informal entities: gangs and warlords using small arms and improvised weapons. The series reveals how the post-Cold War proliferation of small arms has changed the landscape of war, with women becoming primary targets and suffering unprecedented casualties. Yet they are simultaneously emerging as necessary partners in brokering lasting peace and as leaders in forging new international laws governing conflict. With depth and complexity, Women, War & Peace spotlights the stories of women in conflict zones from Bosnia to Afghanistan and Colombia to Liberia, placing women at the center of an urgent dialogue about conflict and security, and reframing our understanding of modern warfare. Featuring narrators Matt Damon, Tilda Swinton, Geena Davis and Alfre Woodard, Women, War & Peace is the most comprehensive global media initiative ever mounted on the roles of women in war and peace.

 

12] – On Thurs., Nov. 10 and Fri., Nov. 11 at 8 PM, catch the play AFTERMATH which reveals the stories of Iraqi civilians driven from their country by the chaos and violence of the Iraq War. In 2008, playwrights Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen interviewed some 35 people who had fled to the relative safety of Jordan - a cross-section of lives interrupted - and crafted their conversations to be portrayed onstage by a nine-member cast of Arab-American actors in a theatrical event that peers into the heart of darkness to find our shared humanity. It can be seen at the Kay Theater, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Univ. of Maryland.  Tickets are $35 with discounts for seniors, students and youth.  Buy tickets at  http://claricesmithcenter.umd.edu/2010/c/performances/performance?rowid=13663.

 

13] – There is a "Pro Bono Consulting Lounge" on Fri., Nov. 11 from 9 AM to 5 PM at the Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA.  You can register as a volunteer to provide technical support or consulting services to community organizations at http://bit.ly/vol2011. Or, if you're involved with an organization, of any type, that could use some free consulting, you can register at http://bit.ly/npo2011. 

 

14] – A peace vigil takes place every Friday from noon to 1 PM at Lafayette Park facing the White House.  Join the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker and friends. Contact Art Laffin: artlaffin@hotmail.com.   

 

15] – Every Friday from noon to 1 PM, Women in Black, Baltimore, host a vigil at Pratt and Light Sts. in the Inner Harbor. Peace signs will be available. See http://www.peacepath911.com/ or write wibbaltimore@hotmail.com or call 410-467-9114.

 

16] – There is also a noon vigil on Nov. 11 at Roland Park Place at 830 W. 40th St.  Call 410-467-9114.

 

17] – A vigil for Justice in Palestine/Israel (now in its 8th year) takes place every Friday from noon to 1 PM at 19th & JFK Blvd., Philadelphia (across from Israeli Consulate.  It is sponsored by Bubbies & Zaydes (Grandparents) for Peace in the Middle East. Email cswartz@pil.net. Go to http://phillyjewishpeace.org/.

 

18] – Join ETAN for a discussion with an Indonesian Political Prisoner's Daughter on Fri., Nov. 11 from 12:30 to 1:30 PM at Amnesty International USA, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, WDC, 5th Floor Large Conference Room.  The discussion will be with Audryn Karma, daughter of Indonesian prisoner of conscience Filep Karma, who was jailed for raising a flag.  He is serving 15 years in prison and is a prominent advocate for the rights of Indonesia's Papuan population. He was arrested for taking part in a peaceful flag raising ceremony on Dec. 1, 2004.

 

Audryn is the elder of Filep Karma's two daughters. After obtaining her undergraduate degree in dentistry from the University of Pajajaran, Bandung, West Java, in 2010, Audryn is currently practicing her internship to pass the state licensing exam before becoming a professional dentist. Contact Ulana Moroz Senenko, IAR Campaigner for Asia, at umoroz@aiusa.org or 202-544-0200 ext. 8586.

 

19] – Commemorate Armistice Day with Veterans For Peace on Fri., Nov. 11 from 1:30 to 4 PM. Assemble at the park (corner of Viers Mill Rd. and Rockville Pike, 200 hundred yards from the Rockville Metro Station.  After a few speeches, set out at 2 PM, stopping one block away at a military recruitment office just at the time (2:10 PM) when Richard Montgomery HS students get out of school.  After a few speeches on counter-recruitment, march 1/2 mile to the County Council HQ, 100 Maryland Ave. There talk about last month's aborted antiwar resolution, as the council members caved to pressure from Lockheed-Martin. Email Ellen Barfield at Ellen4pj@yahoo.com or call 410-908-7323.

 

20] – There is a silent vigil on Fri., Nov. 11 from 5 to 6 PM outside of Homewood Friends Meeting, 3107 N. Charles St., in opposition to war in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. Placards say: "War Is Not the Answer." The silent vigil is sponsored by AFSC, Homewood Friends and Stony Run Meetings.

 

21] – There is a Human Rights Film Series at Georgetown Univ. starting on Fri., Nov. 11 at 6:15 PM at ICC, 115 Georgetown Univ.  "Quién dijo miedo, honduras de un golpe…" ["We are not afraid, inside the coup in Honduras…"] is a film by Katia Lara.  On June 28, 2009 there was a brutal coup d'état: the army abducted President Zelaya in Honduras. René, actor and syndicalist, joined the National Resistance Front against the coup d'état. The unprecedented happens: people who resist despite media bias and repression, stand up for their rights. The film will be presented by Rodolfo Pastor, a former Honduran official during the Zelaya administration. It is free. 

 

22] – Through intimate interviews, art, and rarely seen archival film and video footage, "Women Art Revolution" reveals how the feminist art movement used free speech and politics in an art that radically transformed the art and culture of our times on Fri., Nov. 11 at 7 PM in Lecture Hall Room 238, Towson Univ., 8000 York Road. The screening is followed by a panel discussion with local artists Stephanie Barber, Zoe Charlton, Laure Drogoul and Jenny Graf Sheppard. The event is free.  Call 585-737-5061 or go to http://towson.edu.

 

23] – Observe a discussion on Economic Justice and Good Jobs for All: A Progressive Vision on Fri., Nov. 11 from 7 to 9 PM. It will feature Rep. JOHN CONYERS of Michigan, founding member of Congressional Black Caucus, ELISEO MEDINA, International Secretary-Treasurer, Service Employees International Union; DSA Honorary Chair SARITA GUPTA, executive director, Jobs with Justice, JOHN NICHOLS, Washington Correspondent, The Nation, and others. The discussion will take place at St. Stephen's and The Incarnation Church, 16th & Newton Sts. NW, WDC.  Use the Columbia Heights (Green, Yellow Lines) Metro. Contact Bill Mosley at billmosley@comcast.net or 202-360-5414. The event is part of DSA's National Convention. Go to www.dsadc.org.

 

24] – On Fri., Nov. 11 at 7:30 PM, the Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church will present its 2011 Hans Küng Rights of Catholics in the Church Award to Bishop Thomas Gumbleton at the BWI Best Western, 6755 Dorsey Road, Elkridge, MD 21075 with a reception to follow. Bishop Gumbleton will be offering remarks on "Vatican II and the Rights of Catholics."  The public is welcome. Donation at the door is $10. Call 877-700-ARCC or email arcc@arccsites.org.

 

25] – On Fri., Nov. 11 at 7:30 PM, catch the CHARLIE KING AND KAREN BRANDOW CONCERT at the Carroll Cafe at Seekers Church, 276 Carroll St. NW - across from the Takoma Metro Station.  Email jessetoons@aol.com. The requested donation is $15, and $10 for students.

 

26] – 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 Nov. 11.  Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.

27] – Go to the West Baltimore Farmer's Market for fresh fruits, vegetables, breads and other treats every Saturday from 8 to noon.  CPHA has worked with the West Baltimore Marc TOD and Transit Inc. (WBMTTI) to establish a Farmer's Market at the West Baltimore Marc Train stop at Smallwood Road at Franklin and Mulberry Sts.  Since opening in June, over 300 people buy fresh groceries there every Saturday morning. WBMTTI will continue to include the community in the transit-oriented developments on the west side and continue to improve the area around "the highway to nowhere" until it becomes the highway to somewhere. Go to www.cphabaltimore.org.

 

28] – Progressive Maryland is urging you to participate from 9 AM to noon on Sat., Nov. 12 for the Act for Jobs & Justice along the future Red Line.  RSVP to Kate@Progressivemaryland.org. Call 301-494-4998.

 

Rep. Elijah Cummings and Sen. Ben Cardin are expected to join a march for jobs along the proposed rapid transit Red Line.  West Baltimore congregations and community groups, organized by BRIDGE, are planning a Pilgrimage for Jobs and Justice.  It begins at 9 AM at Edmondson Ave. and Cooks and it will end at noon at the West Baltimore MARC commuter rail station at Franklin and Smallwood Sts. Rep. Elijah Cummings will address the crowd in a stop at the Edmondson Village Shopping Center at 9:15 AM. Staff from the office of Sen. Ben Cardin will listen to testimony at a field hearing at St.Bernardine Church Hall at 10 Am. Senator Cardin has been invited.  The three-mile walk will end by noon at the West Baltimore MARC commuter rail station.  This will be an opportunity to get food from the Farmers Market and celebrate an address by a representative from the White House.

 

BRIDGE, congregation-based organization for social justice, has lobbied for jobs and community input in the proposed Red Line development. Speeches along the way will address the need for job training and opportunity in West Baltimore, improved public transportation, and community planning to heal the damage done to the neighborhood by the failed highway "road to nowhere." Speakers will also address the legacy of segregation that has marked Baltimore's

neighborhoods and continues to limit African Americans' access to jobs, particularly in the construction industry. Speakers will call for federal spending on infrastructure and job creation. Contact Maureen Daly at maureen.daly4@verizon.net or 410-235-1669.

 

29] – The Weigh to Shop at the Green Spring Station allows Our Daily Bread to present a week-long food drive to support it through the holiday season. It takes place starting Sat., Nov. 12 through Sat., Nov. 19 from 10 AM to 6 PM. The Green Spring Station is at 10749 Falls Road.  Go to http://greenspringstation.com.

 

30] – There is a Fund Our Communities steering committee meeting on Sat., Nov. 12 at 10 AM at 2305 Gold Mine Road, Brookeville, MD.  The main order of business will be to discuss the next steps as a coalition and to get organized for the Dec. 3 meeting. RSVP to Jean Athey at jeanathey@verizon.net so that she can have available enough vittles.

 

31] – 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 Nov. 12. Call Chuck Harker at 301-570-7167. 

 

32] –  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. Go to www.ccpeace.org. Email ccpeacemovement@aol.com.

 

33] – Witness for Peace is organizing a speaker tour "U.S. Military and Economic Violence in Nicaragua: Roots of Migration" featuring Uriel Antonio Carazo García.  Few people can speak to the impacts of U.S. military and economic policy like Uriel Carazo, a coordinator and founding member of The Promoters of Peace and Development (Red de Promotores de Paz y de Desarrollo) in Nicaragua. As a result of the U.S. backed Contra war in Nicaragua in the 1980s, Uriel was forced to migrate to Honduras. Later he was deeply involved in a broad movement in his country against the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and facilitated community-level dialogue on its potential impacts. Needless to say he is well acquainted with the ties between U.S. foreign policy and how it pushes and pulls people to migrate.

 

Migration and its root causes have been an integral part of the post-war reconciliation process. The Peace Promoters have found that most Nicaraguans, no matter their political leaning or past military involvement - Contra or Sandinista - are facing many of the same issues. Working closely with families as a conflict mediator, a lawyer, and a disability rights activist, Uriel has increasingly come across a single issue: migration. He will talk about this migration, and the large systematic dynamics behind it, especially in terms of Nicaragua's often-contentious relationship with the United States. On Sat., Nov. 12 at 11 AM, he will be at Occupy Philadelphia, City Hall, Philadelphia, PA. Email wfpma@witnessforpeace.org.

 

34] – There will be a peace vigil on the West Lawn of the Capitol at noon on Nov. 12. 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.

 

35] – Underground Railroad, Not a Subway is a Child Theater Program about the story of an enslaved boy escaping to the north to find his freedom. It features Schroeder Cherry and his puppets for kids ages 6 - 10.  There is no charge for the event on Sat., Nov. 12 at 1 PM at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, 830 E. Pratt St.  Call 443-263-1800 or go to http://www.africanamericanculture.org/.

 

36] – There is a Maryland United for Peace and Justice meeting on Sat., Nov. 12 from 4 to 6 PM at Christ the King Episcopal Church, 1930 Brookdale Ave., Woodlawn, MD  21244.  Please note after the meeting, pizza will be delivered. Bring a snack or drinks to share.  Go to http://www.ctkepiscopal.org/. Email phamm001@earthlink.net.

 

37] – There is a Mary Gresham Birthday Dinner for the long-time activist Mary Benns, the former chair of the Baltimore Anti-Apartheid Coalition.  If interested, email Mankekolo@aol.com.  The event will take place at Outback Steakhouse, 15101 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, MD 20707. Call 770.354.5377.

 

38] – On Sat., Nov. 12 from 6:30 to 9:30 PM, attend the 14TH ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS POTLUCK DINNER In memory of Dennis Livingston - Celebrating Peacemakers and Activists for Human Rights, Bain Senior Center, 5470 Ruth Keaton Way, Columbia, MD 21044.  There is a potluck dinner, a raffle, a silent auction and a speaker. Bring a main dish to share.

 

Brian Willson is a Viet Nam veteran whose wartime experiences transformed him into a human rights activist. He gained renown as a participant in the 1986 veterans fast on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.  On Sep. 1, 1987, he was run over by a U.S. Navy munitions train while engaging in a nonviolent protest of weapons shipments to El Salvador, Central America.  Since the 1980s he has continued with his efforts to educate the public about U.S. policies of war while striving to "walk his talk" on two prosthetic legs and a three-wheeled hand cycle.  His book, Blood on the Tracks: The Life And Times of S. Brian Willson, documents his journey from high school athlete and Viet Nam commander to hand cycling peace activist and writer. Go to http://bloodonthetracks.info/.

 

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. 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

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