Baltimore Activist Alert June 14 – 15, 2013

Baltimore Activist Alert June 14 – June 20, 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] Homage to Harriet – through June 23

6] Tour de Peace – through July 3

7] BUILD's 35 Years of Organizing -- through Aug. 31

8] Created Equal exhibit – through Aug. 31

9] Wildlife Rescue exhibit – through Sept. 2

10] Rally against FBI/NSA Spying – June 14

11] D.C. Demonstration for the Gitmo Hunger Strikers – June 14

12] Justice for Palestine/Israel vigil – June 14

13] Participate in a Blood Drive – June 14

14] Protest planned drone base – June 14

15] Genuine Progress Indicator – June 14

16] Silent peace vigil – June 14

17] Screening of "Enemy Alien" – June 14

18] Ballroom dancing – June 14

19] Foreclosure workshop – June 15

20] 2013 WALK FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN – June 15 - 22

21] Olney Peace vigil – June 15

22] West Chester, PA demo – June 15

23] Silent vigil at Capitol – June 15

24] Fresh Beets Benefit Concert – June 15

25] Music for Peace by Jewish and Palestinian Youngsters – June 15







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] – Homage to Harriet, works about and inspired by the life and legacy of Maryland-born abolitionist Harriet Tubman, continues through June 23 at Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, 830 E. Pratt St. Call 443-263-1800. Go to http://www.africanamericanculture.org/.



6] – From Thurs., Apr. 4 through Wed., July 3 follow the Tour de Peace across the country. Visit http://cindysheehanssoapbox.blogspot.com/p/tour-de-peace-road-less-taken.html.



7] – The Enoch Pratt Free Library, Central Library, 400 Cathedral St., hosts an exhibit Learning, Listening, Leading: BUILD's 35 Years of Organizing in Baltimore City, which documents the achievements of BUILD, featuring the leaders who made these changes possible, through Sat., Aug. 31. Call 410-396-5430. Go to http://www.prattlibrary.org/locations/central.



8] – Created Equal, an exhibit celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and the second inauguration of President Barack Obama, is on display through Aug. 31 at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Central Library, 400 Cathedral St. Call 410- 396-5430 or go to http://www.prattlibrary.org/locations/central.

9] – Wildlife Rescue is a new Maryland Science Center's travelling exhibit

. It allows for experiment and exploration of the science of how we can save Earth's ecosystems. Visitors to the exhibit will be introduced to the rescue efforts used by experts, have a chance to experiment with puppets and costumes, and learn survival. The exhibit at the Science Center, 601 Light St., will continue through September 2. Call 410-685-5225 or go to http://www.mdsci.org.

10] – Attend a Press Conference and Protest Rally against FBI/NSA Spying on Fri., June 14 at noon across from Upper Senate Building, Delaware Ave. & Constitution Ave. Join the Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition, Defending Dissent Foundation, CODEPINK, Washington Peace Center, Bill of Rights Defense Committee and many others to protest spying and to support Edward Snowden and all whistleblowers! It’s not enough to be outraged. Times like this require concerted, committed, and focused grassroots action! Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/394947703953205/.

11] – 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. However, on June 14, as the hunger strike continues into 128 days, the vigil will Support Guantanamo Hunger Strikers--Close Guantanamo & End Indefinite Detention. The men detained at the U.S. prison in Guantánamo are engaged in a large-scale hunger strike, which began in early February. The vast majority of the 166 prisoners have been held for more than 11 years without any charge or fair trial, with no end to their detention in sight. Demand that President Obama use his authority to close Guantánamo! See www.witnesstorture.org. Contact Art Laffin: artlaffin@hotmail.com.



12] – 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/.



13] – Participate in a Blood Drive on Fri., June 14 from noon to 6 PM at 453 New Jersey Ave. SE. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood – and it only takes 15 minutes of your time to make a donation that can literally save someone's life. As a part of the re-launch of their "Faith in Action" volunteer campaign, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is hosting a blood drive. Donors can sign up at www.redcrossblood.org with the sponsor code: 0531295.



14] – The monthly demonstrations at Horsham Air Guard Station (Easton & County Line Roads) will continue on the last Saturday of each month through September as part of the campaign to stop the planned drone command center announced to open by October 1. There is regular bannering/leafleting on the 2nd Friday of the month, from 4 to 5 PM at the SEPTA entrance, 15th & Market Sts. (NW corner), across from the west side of Philadelphia City Hall.



15] – On Fri., June 14 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, 700 Aliceanna St. As the first U.S. state to adopt a Genuine Progress Indicator, Maryland is at the leading edge of a national and global movement to rethink and reorient how we measure economic performance and social progress. At the heart of this movement is recognition that economic growth alone cannot deliver progress--indeed will not be possible at all--if we do not do more to support what really matters for our people and our future: improving family well-being, harnessing the power of our societal wealth through greater equity, and living more sustainably in our natural world. The Institute for Policy Studies' Genuine Progress Project and Demos, in cooperation with the Town Creek Foundation, are proud to welcome Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley for a special keynote dialogue in our second GPI in the States Summit, which is bringing leaders from around the country to Baltimore to learn about the Maryland GPI and other important new efforts in states such as Oregon and Vermont. Joining Governor O'Malley in this dialogue is Professor Jeffrey Sachs, director of Columbia University's Earth Institute and one of our country's leading thinkers on well-being measurement and sustainable economic growth. A RSVP is required for admission. Go to www.ips-dc.org. Email info@ips-dc.org.



16] – There is a silent peace vigil on Fri., June 14 from 5 to 6 PM outside the Cathedral of the Incarnation, University Parkway and St. Paul St. The vigil is sponsored by Homewood Friends and Stony Run Meetings, and was recently moved because of the construction on Charles St. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture is promoting June as Torture Awareness Month. TORTURE IS A MORAL ISSUE. So the weekly vigil on June 14, 21 and 28 will focus torture. Email campaign@nrcat.org or go to www.tortureisamoralissue.org.



17] – See a screening of "Enemy Alien" on Fri., June 14 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at The Jerusalem Fund, 2425 Virginia Ave. NW, WDC 20037. Call 202.338.1958. This first-person documentary is the gripping story of the fight to free Farouk Abdel-Muhti, a gentle but indomitable Palestinian-born human rights activist detained in a post-9/11 sweep of Muslim immigrants. Told through the eyes of the filmmaker, the grandson of Japanese Americans interned during World War II, this documentary takes on unprecedented intimacy and historical resonance. Attendance is free and open to the public. RSVP is required--http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/ht/d/EventDetails/i/38307.



18] – 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 June 14. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.



19] – Congressperson Elijah Cummings invites you to the annual Foreclosure Prevention Workshop on Sat., June 15 at Woodlawn Senior High School from 9 AM to 3 PM. More than 20 mortgage lenders, attorneys and counselors will be there to meet with you and reach solutions to your mortgage issues on the spot through one-on-one sessions. Register at http://cummings.house.gov. Call 410-685-9199.



20] – Get involved with the 2013 WALK FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN. KEEP FOSSIL FUELS IN THE GROUND. CLIMATE ACTION NOW. Contact Steve Norris at earthsun2@gmail.com. The Walk, led by elders and grandparents, welcomes and encourages participation from all generations. Walkers will gather on Sat., June 15 near Camp David, and over seven days travel 63 miles, arriving at the White House on Sat., June 22.



The walk dramatizes the need to liberate our children and grandchildren from fossil fuels, beginning this summer with the rejection of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Camp David is the point of origin, referencing President Eisenhower naming the retreat after his grandson David, and his work to liberate the world from the destructive effects of fascism, - just as we must now mobilize to confront climate change and liberate our children and grandchildren from fossil fuels. The actual walk starts in Camp Catoctin Mountain Park, a federal campground next to Camp David, with training and orientation on June 15. Located in the campground is Evergreen Chapel, where President Obama often worships. On Sunday the 16th, some walkers may respectfully attend services in the chapel, perhaps wearing green scarves. If President Obama and his family are present, we invite him, Michelle, their children and their grandmother to join our walk.



After church on the 16th the walk proceeds through several Maryland communities over the next six days. During the walk educational events, prayer services, teach-ins, listening circles, discussions, caravan performances, interviews and nonviolent protest activities take place in various parks, churches, town halls, theaters and at other venues in cities and towns along the way.



21] – 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 June 15. Call Chuck Harker at 301-570-7167.



22] – 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.



23] – There will be a peace vigil on the West Lawn of the Capitol at noon on Sat., June 15. 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.



24] – The Food and Faith Network presents the Fresh Beets Benefit Concert on Sat., June 15 at 7 PM at St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church, 1525 Newton St. NW. Proceeds from the concert will go to funding the Food and Faith Network's work to address food inequality and access issues in the D.C. area. The night will be a high-energy intro into how they are working to shape the sustainable food economy through faith-based Fresh Stops. BUY YOUR TICKETS at http://Quixote.org/FreshBeets. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/364762183625223/.



25] – Hear Passionate Music For Peace by Jewish and Palestinian Youngsters on Sat., June 15 at 8 PM at Busboys and Poets Cafe, 5th and K Sts. Hear songs of compassion and coexistence by members of HEARTBEAT [http://HeartBeat.fm/]. Look up https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1jxIeytuomnGnSBR-XLsFW8t1-CFdLTsVWR99PdKs6Ik.



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