Baltimore Activist Alert - Part 1

Baltimore Activist Alert Mar. 15 – Mar. 21, 2013


"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 & stickers

2] Web site for info on federal legislation

3] Join Nonviolent Resistance lists

4] Buy coffee through HoCoFoLa

5] Thousand Little Brothers exhibit – through Mar. 23

6] Jerusalem Fund Gallery exhibit – through Apr. 12

7] Film "Harvest of Empire– The Untold Story of Latinos in America" – Mar. 15 - 23

8] Environmental Film Festival – through Mar. 24

9] White House vigil – Mar. 15

10] WIB Roland Park vigil – Mar. 15

11] Justice for Palestine/Israel vigil – Mar. 15

12] Silent peace vigil – Mar. 15

13] March Out Hunger and Homelessness Fundraiser – Mar. 15

14] Play “How I Learned to Drive” – Mar. 15 - 16

15] Greek Anti-Fascists Tour -- Mar. 15

16] Becoming nonviolent peacemakers – Mar. 15

17] Ballroom dancing – Mar. 15

18] Deferred Action Clinic – Mar. 16

19] Olney peace vigil – Mar. 16

20] West Chester, PA demo – Mar. 16

21] Occupy the Workplace – Mar. 16

22] Silent vigil at Capitol – Mar. 16

23] Threats to food supply – Mar. 16

24] Antonia Randolph at Red Emma’s – Mar. 16

25] FCNL Lobby Training – Mar. 16

26] “Realizing the Potential of Refugee Resettlement in Baltimore” -- Mar. 17

27] Peace and Pancakes – Mar. 17

28] "5 Broken Cameras" – Mar. 17

29] “Cycles of Life, Death and Rebirth” – Mar. 17

30] Save the Post Office – Mar. 17

31] Labor Seder 2013 – Mar. 17

32] Red Emma’s meeting – Mar. 17

33] RACE – play and panel discussion – Mar. 17



34] Pentagon Vigil – Mar. 18

35] Rally for Immigrant Women, Youth, and Families – Mar. 18

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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] – Thousand Little Brothers is a multimedia exhibition by Hasan Elahi, a former subject of a post 9/11 FBI investigation. Comprised of over 50,000 images, including some of his financial data, communication records, and transportation logs, Elahi's exhibit comments on current investigatory techniques. The exhibit will continue through March 23, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 AM to 5 PM at the Maryland Art Place, 8 Market Place, suite 100. Call 410- 962-8565 or visit http://www.MDartplace.org.



6] – "Undefeated Despair: Precarity, Public Art, and Solidarity in Palestine and Lebanon" continues through Fri., Apr. 12 at 6 PM at The Jerusalem Fund Gallery, 2425 Virginia Ave. NW, WDC 22037. This exhibit brings together examples of work from three mural projects coordinated by Break The Silence Media and Arts Project. Based in San Francisco, BTS/MAP works in the intersection of trauma, memory, creativity, resilience and resistance, aims to engage people on multiple levels through murals, video, art/research, multi and trans media projects to see and imagine new possibilities, think critically and organize to reveal hidden histories and the connections between struggles for social justice globally. Visit http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/ht/d/sp/i/9242/pid/9242.



7] – Starting Fri., Mar. 15 through Sat., Mar. 23 "Harvest of Empire– The Untold Story of Latinos in America" will be showing at the Majestic Theater, 900 Ellsworth Dr., Silver Spring, MD. Screenings are 11:30 AM, 2:15, 5, 7:45, 10:30 PM and 12:45 AM. On Friday, writer Juan González, directors Eduardo Lopez and Peter Getzels, and producer Wendy Thompson will appear for a Q&A following the 5 and 7:45 PM screenings. On Saturday and Sunday, Lopez, Getzels and Thompson will appear for a Q&A following the 5 and 7:45 PM screenings. Go to http://harvestofempiremovie.com/ai1ec_event/majestic-theater-silver-spring-md/?instance_id=.



This is part of the official Washington, D.C. premiere of the film, which is adapted from the book of the same name by Gonzalez, producer of Democracy Now. At a time of heated and divisive debate over immigration, Onyx Films is proud to present this feature-length documentary that reveals the direct connection between the long history of U.S. intervention in Latin America and the immigration crisis we face today.



8] -- The 21st annual Environmental Film Festival continues through Sun., Mar. 24. With 190 films (and most of them are free!) there's something for everyone of every age. The theme of this year's festival, a variety of films focus on the vital role of rivers in our global environment, such as "Lost Rivers," which journeys into the vast underground museum of hidden river networks, and "Amazon Gold," which documents a trip down the Madre de Dios River to reveal the savage unraveling of the pristine Amazon rainforest as narrated by Sissy Spacek and Herbie Hancock. Email info@saveourenvironment.org. Go to http://www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org/.



9] – 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.

10] – There is also a noon Women in Black vigil on Mar. 15 at Roland Park Place, 830 W. 40th St. Call 410-467-9114.



11] – A vigil for Justice in Palestine/Israel 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/.

12] – There is a silent peace vigil on Fri., Mar. 15 from 5 to 6 PM outside Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St. Placards say: "War Is Not the Answer." The silent vigil is sponsored by Homewood Friends and Stony Run Meetings.

13] – March Out Hunger and Homelessness Fundraiser which benefits Angels Helping Angels, and includes silent auction, jazz music, speakers, wine and light fare on Fri., Mar. 15 from 6 to 9 PM at Humanim - American Brewery, 1701 N. Gay St. Go to http://www.humanim.com.



14] – “How I Learned to Drive,” directed by Rain Pryor and Mike Zemarel, is a play written by Paula Vogel. It explores issues of sexual abuse in a Maryland family. See the production on Fri., Mar.15 and Sat., Mar. 16. The performances are at 7 PM at the Wright Theater, University of Baltimore, 21 W. Mount Royal Ave.



15] – The North American Tour of Greek Anti-fascists comes to Red Emma's, 800 St. Paul St. on Fri., Mar. 15 at 7 PM. Hear from some of the people on the front lines on the fight against the Greek fascists, who are on tour to raise money for legal support in the face of state repression. Sofia Papagiannaki has studied computer science in University of Crete and works as a software developer. She is active in anti-authoritarian movement and several other initiatives specialized in ecological issues, such as committee of solidarity to Chalkidiki (against the mines of gold) and initiative for the waste management in Attiki.



Vangelis Nanos studied music technology and acoustics at the Technological, Educational Institute of Crete. He participated in student movements from 1995 to 1999 (school occupations against school reform). Vangelis is currently active in the free social center Nosotros in Athens, the Antiauthoritarian Movement of Athens, the pirate radio station Entasi FM, the B-Fest festival, the occupation of the Botanical Garden in Petroupoli and the antifascist struggle (patrols).



Pavlos was born and raised in Athens Greece. He has remained very involved with the struggles in his home country, specifically with the magazine Eutopia (http://www.eutopia.gr), the Greek group of libertarian communists (http://eleftheriakoi.blogspot.gr) and the Steki of Pikrodafni (http://steki-pikrodafni.gr). He currently resides in Littleton CO. Call 410-230-0450 or email info@redemmas.org.



16] – On Fri., Mar. 15, from 7 to 9 PM, join the first Maryknoll Mission Forum of 2013, “Becoming nonviolent peacemakers: A virtue ethic for Catholic Social Teaching and U.S. policy,” with Eli McCarthy, PhD, director of justice and peace for the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM). It will be held at Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers, 1233 10th St. NW, WDC (closest Metro: Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center, Green/Yellow lines).



Eli will speak on his new book, “Becoming nonviolent peacemakers: A virtue ethic for Catholic Social Teaching and U.S. policy”. This will be an opportunity for rich sharing and conversation about some of the core practices that can respond to critical issues that our church and nation face today. After Eli’s presentation, there will be a Q&A/conversation. RSVP at ogc@maryknoll.org or 202-832-1780.



17] – 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. 15. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.

18] – Clinica de Accion Diferida/ Deferred Action Clinic is on Sat., Mar. 16 from 10 AM to 2 PM at Huntington Community Center, 5751 Liberty Dr, Alexandria, VA 22303-1513. Help the students (DREAMERs) reviewing their paperwork, filling out forms for deferred action and to apply for a work permit. Go to http://www.casademaryland.org/get-involved-mainmenu-102/dream-deferred-action/1939. Contact Casa de Maryland at http://www.facebook.com/n/.



19] – 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. [Route 97] in Olney, MD. The next vigil is Mar. 9. Call Chuck Harker at 301-570-7167.



20] – 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.

21] – On Sat., Mar. 16 at 11:45 AM at DuPont Circle, 1 DuPont Cir NW, Occupy the Workplace: March in Solidarity with Greek Workers and attend a miniconference & party. Show your support for the Greek working class- with special guests from the Greek antifascist movement! The march will be followed by a mini-conference on the economic crisis in Greece, the worker takeover of the VioMe factory in Thessaloniki, and resistance to the rise of a neo-fascist right. The event is sponsored by DC IWW and co-sponsored by Positive Force, Chesapeake Earth First!, and DC Anarchist Alliance. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/448196501919430/.

22] – There will be a peace vigil on the West Lawn of the Capitol at noon on Sat., Mar. 16. 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.

23] – GMOs and Food Politics: Current Threats to Our Food Supply and Consumer Rights is happening on Sat., Mar. 16 from 4 to 6:30 PM with Alexis Baden-Mayer, political director for the Organic Consumers Association. The talk will be at the Northern Virginia Whole Foods Nutrition Meetup Group's Nutrition & Health Series at Browns Chapel, 1575 Browns Chapel Rd., Reston, VA 20194.

This will be the first program on food politics since the series began last February. Alexis will open the program with an overview of the issues threatening our food supply. Following an open discussion, excerpts from the documentary, "Genetic Roulette," will be shown. "Genetic Roulette" presents the long-term health risks of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in our food supply. RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/WholeNutrition/events/105923832/.

24] – Antonia Randolph will be at Red Emma's Bookstore and Coffeehouse, 800 St. Paul St. on Sat., Mar. 16 at 7

PM. She presents “The Wrong Kind of Different: Challenging Diversity in American Classrooms” and will address the question, how can multiculturalism go wrong? She will discuss how teachers treat students from various racial and ethnic backgrounds. Call 410-230-0450 or go to http://www.redemmas.org,

25] – The Friends Committee on National Legislation is holding its Spring Lobby Weekend. This is a Call To Action on Climate Change. Contact Hannah Solomon-Strauss at 202-903-2506. On Sat., Mar. 16, participants will be arriving late afternoon or evening. On Sun., Mar. 17, registration will take place at the United Methodist Building, 100 Maryland Ave NE, WDC, followed by a 9 AM breakfast. Panels and briefings will go until 5 PM. On Mon., Mar. 18 starting at 8 AM, all events occur at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 212 East Capitol St., WDC. The day ends at 4:30 PM. On Tues., Mar. 19, staging is at the FCNL office, 245 2nd St NE, W DC. Begin with breakfast at 8 AM. Then there are all-day lobby visits on Capitol Hill. Register at http://fcnl.org/events/slw/.



26] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 306 W. Franklin St., Suite 102, Baltimore 21201-4661, meets on Sundays, and generally there is a speaker and discussion from 10:30 to 11:30 AM. On Sun., Mar. 17, enjoy the platform address – “Realizing the Potential of Refugee Resettlement in Baltimore” by Kevin Meadowcroft, community integration program manager, International Rescue Committee. Up until about the 1920s, Baltimore’s shores saw the arrival of tens of thousands immigrants, including many Jewish refugees fleeing czarist pogroms in Russia. Over the past decade, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has renewed that tradition by resettling thousands of refugees in Baltimore City and the surrounding areas. Those refugees, fleeing war and persecution in their home countries, are eager to start anew here and in turn offer vast potential for the future of Baltimore City. Meadowcroft will discuss the services the IRC provides refugees and talk about the efforts being made to integrate them into the civic and economic life of the City.



He has spent more than a decade working with refugee and immigrant populations in Baltimore. Before joining the IRC, he oversaw an education program serving more than 1,100 refugees a year. Go to http://www.bmorethical.org. Call 410-581-2322 or email ask@bmorethical.org.



27] – Join the Kadampa Meditation Center for Peace and Pancakes on Sundays at 10:30 AM at KMC Maryland, 2937 North Charles St. All are invited to participate in guided meditation and chant praying for world peace. There will be a talk based on Buddhist thought followed by brunch. Call 410- 243-3837. Brunch is $5.



28] – The Committee for Palestinian Rights, Howard County, Maryland, will show the 2013 Oscar-Nominated Documentary "5 Broken Cameras" on Sun., Mar. 17 at 2 PM at East Columbia Library, 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia 21045. An extraordinary work of both cinematic and political activism, the film is a deeply personal, first-hand account of nonviolent resistance in Bil’in, a West Bank village threatened by encroaching Israeli settlements. Shot almost entirely by Palestinian farmer Emad Burnat, who bought his first camera in 2005 to record the birth of his youngest son, the film was assembled by Burnat and Israeli co-director Guy Davidi. Structured around the violent destruction of each one of Burnat’s cameras, the filmmakers’ collaboration follows one family’s evolution over five years of village turmoil. Burnat watches from behind the lens as olive trees are bulldozed, protests intensify, and lives are lost. “I feel like the camera protects me,” he says, “but it’s an illusion.” The documentary won the World Cinema Directing Award, 2012, Documentary, Sundance Film Festival.



Leading the audience discussion after the film will be Laila El-Hadded, author of “Gaza Mom: Palestine, Politics, Parenting, and Everything In Between” and co-author of “The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey.” El-Haddad is also a talented blogger, political analyst, social activist, and parent-of-three from Gaza City. She is a contributing author to “The Goldstone Report: The Legacy of the Landmark Investigation of the Gaza Conflict” and a policy advisor with al-Shabaka, the Palestinian Policy Network. Email CPR_Maryland@yahoo.com.



29] – You are invited to the Art Spirit Light Exhibit at the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW, WDC 20016 (near Tenley Circle). The opening reception is on Sun., Mar, 17 from 2 to 4 PM. Sandra Wasko-Flood, Living Labyrinths for Peace, Inc., will be exhibiting her light box series based on the “Cycles of Life, Death and Rebirth.” The Art Spirit group, which she founded in 1985, explores the relationship between art and spirituality. Other exhibiting members are Lorraine Arden, Martha Johnson, Susan Pearcy, Judith Simmons, and Terry Svat. E-mail waskoart@gmail.com or phone 410-243-1189. Go to www.livinglabyrinthsforpeace.org.



30] – On Sun., Mar. 17 at 2 PM in Martinsburg, WV, MARCH & RALLY TO SAVE THE POST OFFICE! The next few months are critical for "Saving Our Postal Service." The assault includes ending Saturday Delivery/5-Day Service, ending Door to Door and Curbside Service, closing 99 Sorting Facilities including Cumberland, MD & Martinsburg, WV consolidating these into Baltimore, MD, reducing hours of operation at 13,500 Rural Post Offices. FREE transportation will be provided from Baltimore, Frederick and Hagerstown. Call 410-857-9405.

31] – Let My People Go Home Sick: Labor Seder 2013 takes place on Sun., Mar. 17 from 5:30 to 8 PM at Adas Israel Synagogue, 2850 Quebec St. NW. Each spring, the Labor Seder brings together the Jewish, activist, labor, and nonprofit communities to celebrate the freedom story of the Exodus by connecting it to present-day labor and social justice struggles in our region. Enjoy light refreshments (vegetarian and kosher-certified). There is an $18 admission ~ $10 children, students, limited income ~ $36 families. The Seder will feature singing, discussion, food and action. We’ll hear the stories of workers who lack paid sick days and responsible business owners who provide paid sick leave, read from an original Haggadah, and take action to support workers’ rights. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/500403760001260/.

32] – 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. 17. There is no meeting on the first Sunday of the month. Call 410-230-0450. If you would be interested in volunteering or becoming a collective member of 2640, send an email to 2640@redemmas.org.

33] – “Race & the Law: How Far Have We Come” is happening on Sun., Mar. 17 at 8 PM at the D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. See a staging of the David Mamet play RACE, followed by a panel discussion. For tickets to the 8 PM performance click https://www.boxofficetickets.com/go/date?id=1397365. The panel discussion, beginning at 9:30 PM, will include civil rights attorneys reflecting on the social advancements achieved through the courts during the heyday of the Civil Rights Movement and the work still to be done, in a contemporary landscape. The moderator will be Nan Aron, founder and president of The Alliance for Justice. The panelists are Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, delegate to the United States Congress representing the District of Columbia, Lynn French, an attorney who teaches the History of the Civil Rights Movement at University of Virginia, Jim Murphy, who worked with the Department of Justice in Mississippi monitoring marches, demonstrations and school desegregations, William L. Robinson, the Olie W. Rauh, professor of law, founding Dean of the District of Columbia School of Law, and John C. Brittain, professor of law at the University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law. Visit https://www.boxofficetickets.com/go/date?id=1397365.

34] – 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.18, and it is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker. Keep Space for Peace signs will be held at this vigil. Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649.

35] – Rally for Immigrant Women, Youth, and Families on Mon., Mar. 18 from 9:30 AM to noon at Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. Immigrant women, youth, and movement leaders will unite on Capitol Hill and lift their voices to demand immigration reform that works for women and families and that advances equality, health, education, family unity, and justice. National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) would be thrilled if your staff, activists, and partners would join them for the day’s activities, whether in-person or online! Contact Natalie D. Camastra at Natalie@latinainstitute.org.

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