Baltimore Activist Alert - June 28-30, 2013

Baltimore Activist Alert June 28 – July 4, 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] Tour de Peace – through July 3

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

7] Created Equal exhibit – through Aug. 31

8] Wildlife Rescue exhibit – through Sept. 2

9] D.C. Demonstration for the Gitmo Hunger Strikers – June 28

10] Justice for Palestine/Israel vigil – June 28

11] Demonstrate on the Four Year Anniversary of the Honduran Military Coup – June 28

12] Protest failure to investigate killer drone strikes – June 28

13] Silent peace vigil against torture – June 28

14] The Election Integrity Movement – June 28

15] Spiritualist speaks -- June 28

16] Discussion with Israeli Member of Knesset – June 28

17] Ballroom dancing – June 28

18] Israel’s Bedouin community – June 28

19] Breakfast with the Animals – June 29

20] Starvin’ for Justice – June 29 – July 3

21] Buy Nicaragua – June 29

22] Olney Peace vigil – June 29

23] West Chester, PA demo – June 29

24] Silent vigil at Capitol – June 29

25] Demonstration at Horsham Air Guard Station – June 29

26] Stop the Gap Deathtraps – June 29

27] Protest CIA assassinations – June 29

28] Rally to tell VP Biden: No KXL – June 29

29] Alzheimer’s – June 30

30] Peace and Pancakes – June 30

31] REAL Egyptian Revolution – June 30

32] JIDS Dialogue – June 30

33] Hiroshima/Nagasaki Peace Committee meeting – June 30

34] Pentagon Vigil – July 1



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] – 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.



6] – 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.



7] – 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.



8] – 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.



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. However, on June 28, as the hunger strike continues into 142 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.



10] – 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/.

11] – Demonstrate on the Four Year Anniversary of the Honduran Military Coup on Fri., June 28 from 12:30 to 1:30 PM at the World Bank, 1818 H Street NW. The event will include Street Theater organized by SOA Watch to remember the coup against President Manuel Zelaya, led by School of the Americas graduates. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/141148539415408/.

Also involved and concerned about the World Bank Role in Violence is Witness Against Torture. Visit www.witnessforpeace.org. Email owen@soaw.org or walker@witnessforpeace.org,

12] – On Fri., June 28 at 4 PM, gather at the U.S. Attorney's Office, 2100 Jamieson Ave., Alexandria to protest Killer Drone Strikes. Demonstrate outside Neil MacBride’s office. National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance members delivered a criminal complaint on May 21 to MacBride’s office. This petition called for an investigation of Obama, John Brennan and others involved in the CIA drone program. But the citizen activists have not received a response. Hence, there will be a demonstration against killer drone strikes. Email joyfirst5@gmail.com.



13] – There is a silent peace vigil on Fri., June 28 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 today’s vigil will focus on torture. Email campaign@nrcat.org or go to www.tortureisamoralissue.org.



14] – On Fri., June 28 starting at 5:30PM with a book signing, hear a distinguished panel to discuss issues raised in author Marta Steele's new book "Grassroots, Geeks, Pros, and Pols: The Election Integrity Movement's Nonstop Battle to Win Back the People's Vote, 2000-2008." Panelists include Mike Hersh (moderator), National Communications Coordinator of Progressives for Democratic Action (PDA); Rebecca Wilson (panelist), Co-Chair of SAVEourvotes.org; and Marta Steele (panelist). Steele is a grassroots writer and journalist as well as academic book and journal editor. Her educational background is in classical antiquity and linguistics. A graduate of Wellesley College (BA) and UCLA (MA), she has taught English, rhetoric, ancient Greek, and Latin at the college level. She has also worked fulltime as a newspaper reporter and magazine editor. As an activist since 2001, she has focused on peace, interfaith issues, and election integrity. She resides in Washington, DC, just hours away from her daughter Liza, a PhD candidate in sociology at Princeton University.



At 6 PM, hear a panel discussion: "Does your vote count? The Election Integrity movement and the battle over ballots" will be discussed at Busboys and Poets, 5331 Baltimore Ave., Hyattsville 20781. Go to http://www.pdamerica.org.



15] – You are invited to a talk “SPIRIT INTERVENTION IN OUR LIVES & THE SPIRITUAL REALM" on Fri., June 28 at 7 PM with Dr. Vanessa Anseloni, PsyD, PhD, at 4217 East-West Highway, Bethesda 20814. This is to continue with the Solstice celebration and days of powerful experiences and the presence of generous spirits working tirelessly for the health and spiritual healing of the members of the community and their families and friends.



Anseloni is a neuroscientist, psychologist and assistant professor at the University of Maryland. Fifth generation Spiritist, Dr. Anseloni is also the president and founder of the Spiritist Society of Baltimore and the Spiritist Society of Virginia. Vanessa Anseloni is a Spiritist medium and fraternal counselor, and coordinates spiritual treatments and workshops in the U.S. and worldwide. She is also the co-author of the book The New Generation with Divaldo Franco and the editor-in-chief of The Spiritist Magazine. RSVP at shantiyoga2@earthlink.net.

16] – On Fri., June 28 at 8:30 PM, join J Street DC Metro and Tifereth Israel for a discussion with Israeli Member of Knesset Adi Kol at Tifereth Israel, 7701 16th St. NW. Koll, who earned her PhD from Columbia, is part of an emergent, forward thinking wave in Israeli politics. She is a member of Israel's new Yesh Atid party, which made a return to peace negotiations a condition for its involvement in the new Israeli government.

With Secretary of State John Kerry working to get the parties back to the table, MK Koll will provide an Israeli perspective on what is at stake and an insider's perspective on how Israeli politics will influence the government's return to negotiations. Tifereth Israel also invites all attendees to a pre-event Shabbat dinner beginning at 7:30 PM. RSVP to http://act.jstreet.org/act/dc_062813.



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 June 28. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.



18] – On Fri., June 28 at 8 PM, you are invited to hear Amal Elsana Alh’jooj, director of North American Relations for the Arab Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation and the Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development (AJEEC-NISPED), at Mishkan Torah Synagogue, 10 Ridge Road in Greenbelt, Maryland. Ms. Alh’jooj will briefly describe the Bedouin community within the state of Israel, share her personal experiences growing up in that society, and discuss her efforts to promote women’s rights within the Bedouin community while at the same time working to create an atmosphere of equality, mutual understanding, and respect for both the Arab and Jewish populations in her home country.



A leader of Israel’s Bedouin community, Ms. Alh’jooj earned a BA in social work from Ben-Gurion University and a MA in community development from McGill University, where she is currently working on her doctorate. She is visiting under the auspices of the New York–based Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues, which is working to advance civic equality in Israel.



19] – Breakfast with the Zebras, Rhinos, and Ostriches at the African Journey on Sat., June 29 from 8:30 to 10 AM at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, 1876 Mansion House Drive. A same day entry to the park is included with the ticket price. Children under two are free, but they still require a ticket. Call 410-366-7102. Visit http://www.marylandzoo.org.



20] – From Sat. June 29 to Wednesday, July 3, join the annual Starvin’ for Justice Abolition of the Death Penalty Annual Fast and Vigil Events in Washington, D.C. Go to http://www.abolition.org/fastandvigil/.



21] – Barbara Larcom [mailto:barbara.larcom@gmail.com] invites you to a Saturday Sidewalk Sale: Paintings, Posters, Pottery & More from Nicaragua! Casa Baltimore/Limay and Nicaraguan Cultural Alliance will be at the sidewalk sale on the SW corner of Maryland Ave. and 27th St., Baltimore 21218 on Sat., June 29 between 10 AM and 2 PM. Each visitor will receive a FREE note card based on a Nicaraguan painting. Call 410-662-6292. Proceeds from Casa Baltimore/Limay sales will benefit aid and development projects in Baltimore's friendship community, San Juan de Limay, Nicaragua. See http://www.CasaBaltimoreLimay.org. Proceeds from Nicaraguan Cultural Alliance sales will benefit NCA's ongoing promotion of Nicaraguan culture within the United States, as well as provision of fair compensation to Nicaraguan artists for their work. See http://www.NCAfairtrade.org.



22] – 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 29. Call Chuck Harker at 301-570-7167.



23] – 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.



24] – There will be a peace vigil on the West Lawn of the Capitol at noon on Sat., June 29. 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.



25] – 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. On Sat., June 29 from noon until 2 PM, be at the demonstration at the Horsham Air Guard Station, site of the planned Drone War Command Center, Route #611/Easton Road & County Line Road, Horsham, PA. Visit www.brandywinepeace.com or call 610-544-1818.



26] – Stop the Gap Deathtraps on Sat., June 29 at 1 PM at 1120 Connecticut Ave. NW. Students, consumers, workers and community members will come together in cities across the world to demand that Gap and Wal-Mart put an end to deathtrap factories in their supply chains. There’s too much at stake for Gap and Wal-Mart to continue their business-as-usual approach to fire and building safety. That’s why labor rights advocates have declared an International Day of Action. Email Garrett Strain at garrett@usas.org.



27] – On Sat., June 29 at 3 PM, the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance and others will demonstrate against killer drones at the main gate of the CIA, 900 block of Dolley Madison Blvd., Langley, VA. At some point, a group will attempt to deliver a letter to John Brennan seeking a meeting to end the assassination program. Email mobuszewski@verizon.net. Visit http://october2011.org/blogs/kevin-zeese/antidrone-activists-file-war-crimes-complaint-against-obama-brennan-and-others. NCN R will follow up on an earlier delivery of a criminal complaint with an action of nonviolent civil resistance at the CIA. Call Max at 410-366-1637 if you need a ride.



28] – Rally to tell VP Biden: No KXL on Sat., June 29 from 5 to 7 PM at the Richmond Convention Center, 401 N. 3rd St, Richmond. The Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline would have major climate consequences for Virginia -- rising seas flooding Norfolk, hotter temperatures threatening our health and agriculture, and more severe storms wreaking havoc on our communities. The Obama administration needs to see that Virginians oppose the pipeline, and Vice President Biden is coming to Richmond to speak at a VIP dinner. RSVP at http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org/index.phpoption=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=302&Itemid=48&year=2013&month=06&day=29&title=rally-to-tell-vp-biden-no-kxl&uid=ce23ebfa2431d6c88a06e3214f668da9&catids=6
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29] – 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 noon. On Sun., June 30 the platform address is “Alzheimer's: Disease and Discovery” by Kate LaClair, BES member. Alzheimer's disease has become more prominent in the last several decades as more people live longer than ever before. Despite several decades of research, we remain unable to treat or cure the disease effectively, but new research is bringing exciting developments that could change the future for patients and their families. Learn more about some of the cutting edge research that is changing the way we approach Alzheimer's disease, and what insights it can give us into the foundations that make us who we are. Go to http://bmorethical.org/ or Twitter: @bmorethical or Facebook: http://fb.com/bmorethical/or email ask@bmorethical.org.



30] – 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.



31] – Get over to a Solidarity Protest for the REAL Egyptian Revolution at Lafayette Park by the White House at noon on Sun., June 30. Egyptians, activists, and allies of the revolution, please join our solidarity protest on June 30th 2013, as Egyptians rise up and call for a REAL revolution. This protest is simultaneous with over 15 million Egyptians who are demanding that the promises of the 2011 uprising be fulfilled. Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood betrayed the people and the revolution. The Egyptian revolution was stolen. It’s time to get it back! See https://www.facebook.com/events/542250445810873/.



32] – The next JIDS dialogue will involve some important topics on Sun., June 30 from 2:30 to 5:15 PM at the Islamic Center of Maryland, 19411 Woodfield Rd., Gaithersburg 20879. The session will be devoted to the subjects of violence and fanaticism. The two speakers are both experts in the field, there will be plenty of time for the community to weigh in on these subjects.



Rabia Chaudry will be giving a presentation on "Violent extremism and Issues Related to Radicalization among Muslims." Rabia is an attorney and President and founder of the Safe Nation Collaborative. Her firm provides Countering Violence Extremism (CVE) and cultural competency training to law enforcement, correctional, and homeland security officials, and national security and CVE training to Muslim communities and institutions.



Professor Jing Lin will be giving a talk entitled "The 'Angry Young Men' Today: Problems in Education and Culture, and Solutions." She is Professor in International Education Policy at University of Maryland. She received her doctorate from the University of Michigan, and has done extensive research on peace education and environmental education, which result in books entitled "Love, Peace and Wisdom in Education: Vision for Education in the 21st Century" (2006), "Educators as Peace Makers: Transforming Education for Global Peace" (2008), and others. She is the co-editor of two book series, one on Peace Education, and the other on Transforming Education for the Future. She teaches courses on Education for Global Peace, Ecological Ethics and Education, World Religions and Implications for Education, Culture and Education in a Global Context, Gender and Education, International Higher Education, and Modes of Inquiry. Jin will be joined in her presentation by one of her students at the University of Maryland. Immediately after the above dialogue is completed, there will be a meeting of the JIDS Social Action Committee. Go to www.jids.org.



33] – You are invited to attend a community-wide meeting to discuss the future of the Hiroshima/Nagasaki Peace Committee of the National Capital Area. For the past thirty-one years, the H/N Committee has spearheaded organizing the annual remembrance activities. The H/N Committee leadership has been meeting to discuss the pressing need to renew focus and energy. It is imperative that we include the broader community in these discussions. The meeting will be held on Sun., June 30 from 3 to 6 PM at the Mount Rainier Christian Church. 30th and Bunker Hill Rd, Mt. Rainier 20712. Call John at 703-822-3485.

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., June 24, and it is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker. Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or 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. 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