38] Support the Large Retailer Accountability Act – July 10
39] Middle East Peace Building -- July 10
40] Training for Social Action Trainers – July 10
41] Bradley Manning organizing meeting – July 10
42] "Institutional Roadblocks to Deterrence Stability in South Asia" -- July 11
43] Pre-Day Session on Big Data in Action – July 11
44] Want to find out more about CODEPINK? – July 11
45] Film TWO AMERICANS – July 11
46] Baltimore Data Day 2013 and Hackathon – July 12
47] CodePink needs help
48] Max is seeking a place to live
49] Support the Transform Now Plowshares
50] Drones Quilt Project
51] Support Red Emma’s in its move
52] Sign up with Washington Peace Center
53] Join Fund Our Communities
54] Submit articles to Indypendent Reader
55] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records
56] Do you need any book shelves or file cabinets?
57] Join Global Zero campaign
58] War Is Not the Answer signs for sale
59] Fire & Faith
60] Join Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil
38] – Turn out to support the Large Retailer Accountability Act on Wed., July 10 at 8:45 AM at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. The fight to make sure large retailers pay their employees fairly is in the home stretch! After passing the Large Retailer Accountability Act last Wednesday by an 8-5 margin, the D.C. City Council will be holding a second vote. Join DC Jobs with Justice at a rally and press conference to let the City Council know it is being watched. Afterwards, go inside for the 10 AM vote. Call 202-393-1044.
39] – Enjoy New Story Leadership Middle East Peace Building (SAIS) on Wed., July 10 at 9 AM at Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, 1740 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Each summer, New Story Leadership (NSL) brings 10 promising young adults from Israel and Palestine to Washington. "By training them to share their hopes in compelling narratives, they cease being the object of others' decisions, and emerge as authors of a new way forward. Email paul@newstoryleadership.org.
40] – The Trainers Network for July will hold a training for Social Action Trainers on Wed., July 10 at 6:30 PM at St. Stephens Church, 1525 Newton St. NW (just one block west and three blocks north of the Columbia Heights Metro, also accessible via H2, H4 & H8, S1, S2 & S4 , 52, & 54 buses). The theme this month will be teambuilding games! You should come ready to share any tools that a facilitator can use to bring a group closer together and able to work better in a team.
The DC Trainers Network monthly skillshare is a structured, interactive space where people can share skills and gain confidence in their training abilities and everybody is both a teacher and a learner. It strives to provide an inclusive practice space to experiment with different approaches for learning and teaching. This skillshare seeks to strengthen the D.C. activist community’s ability to meet the needs of progressive social movements. Email interns@washingtonpeacecenter.org.
41] – The Bradley Manning Support Network is hosting an Organizing Meeting on Wed., July 10 at 7 PM at the Peace House, 1233 12th St. NW (between M and N Sts NW). Bradley Manning has served 3 years in prison for releasing classified documents to the American Public and the world. These revelations have inspired people’s movements around the world including the Arab spring. Join other Manning supporters in educating the public about his case and actions, and placing pressure on the military by mobilizing for actions and organizing folks to attend the court martial. Email calni27@gmail.com.
42] – On Thurs., July 11 from 12:30 to 2 PM, Polly Nayak, independent consultant, and Lt. Gen. Vinay Shankar (retired), Council of the United Service Institution of India, will discuss "Institutional Roadblocks to Deterrence Stability in South Asia" at the Stimson Center, 1111 19th St. NW, 12th Floor, WDC. RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-jLKXCOIVH796XfjkxxUAJur2LSus3OLr6pw0T03GwQ/viewform.
43] – There is a Pre-Day Session on Big Data in Action on Thurs., July 11 with a Keynote and Discussion from 3 to 5 PM, followed by a Reception from 5 to 6:30 PM at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Baltimore Branch, 502 S. Sharp St., Baltimore 21201. Email bnia-jfi@ubalt.edu.
Baltimore Data Day is an annual workshop to help communities expand their capacity to use technology and data to advance their goals. At this 4th Annual Baltimore Data Day, community leaders, nonprofit organizations, governmental entities and civic-minded “hackers” will come together to see the latest trends in community-based data, technology and tools and learn how other groups are using data to support and advance constructive change.
44] – Want to find out more about CODEPINK? Come to a potluck dinner on Thurs., July 11 at 6 PM at Medea's house in Northeast D.C. Bring a dish or snack. Email Natalie at Natalie@codepink.org to RSVP. Let them know what you'll be bringing, and if you need Medea's address.
45] – On Thurs., July 11 at 7 PM see a screening of TWO AMERICANS, as the Baltimore Premiere is at the Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave., Baltimore 21224. Join the ACLU of Maryland, ACS Maryland Lawyer Chapter, and The Creative Alliance for the this film which highlights the story of 9-year-old Katherine Figueroa, who fights to save her parents from deportation, and with a community group, confronts the actions of Joe Arpaio, America’s Toughest Sheriff. Tickets are $12 ($7 for Creative Alliance members) and the film screening will be followed by a panel discussion with one of the directors Daniel Devivo. Call 410-276-1651. RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/483249128430880/.
46] – Baltimore Data Day 2013 and Hackathon, Community-Based Indicators in Action, is happening Fri., July 12 from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM at the University of Baltimore, Thumel Business Center, 11 W. Mount Royal Ave., Baltimore 21201. Email bnia-jfi@ubalt.edu.
47] – CODEPINK needs a new office and storage space! The group must vacate its current space by the end of August. Know of any office spaces? How about temporary space to store some of the supplies? The group is also looking for spare computers. Any help you can give is much appreciated. Contact tighecp@gmail.com.
48] – Max is seeking a place to live. Let him know of any possibilities. He can be reached at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.dot net.
49] – You can support the Transform Now Plowshares resisters by writing the judge and the prisoners. Greg Boertje-Obed, Michael Walli and Megan Rice are currently in the Irwin County Detention Facility in Ocilla, GA, awaiting their sentencing on September 23, 2013. The three were found guilty by a jury in Tennessee in May on two counts. Judge Amul Thapar revoked their pre-trial release saying they were technically guilty of a crime of violence and must be held.
Here are the addresses: Gregory Boertje-Obed 22090 Irwin County Detention Center 132 Cotton Drive, Ocilla, GA 31774 ***Michael Walli 4444, Irwin County Detention Center, 132 Cotton Drive, Ocilla, GA 31774. Megan Rice 22100, Irwin County Detention Center, 132 Cotton Drive, Ocilla, GA 31774. You must make sure to include your entire return address on the outside of the envelope. No staples or paperclips can be included in your mail; no oversized envelopes. Magazines and books must be sent directly from the publisher or bookstore/Amazon. Photocopies of brief articles are likely to be permitted (based on our past experience). If you include inappropriate material or fail to comply with these rules, your mail will not get through—it will be returned to you.
The second thing you can do is send a letter to Judge Thapar. We have suggested guidelines for your letter, and we are asking people to send their letter to Bill Quigley, lawyer for Mike Walli (address below), so they can be collected and delivered to the judge. If you want to send a copy of your letter to us, that would be great—our address is also below. Invite Judge Thapar to think about sentencing in light of the fact that this was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience intended to awaken the conscience of the nation, and no evidence was presented that it was an act of terrorism meant to harm anyone. You could write that you share the court's concern that Congress would write a law that wouldn’t allow a judge to distinguish between peace activists and terrorists, and are disturbed that the government defines the crime they stand convicted of as a violent "crime of terrorism.” As testimony of the defendants showed during trial, they carried out their action in a spirit of nonviolence and hope. Without making it the focus of the letter, you could mention that the action was carried out with the clear understanding of the illegality and immorality of nuclear weapons, and intent to uphold higher laws. Encourage him to consider downward departures from the high guidelines for the charges, and to use his discretion at sentencing to bring more justice into the situation by recognizing that the defendants are NOT violent terrorists as the government has implied through its interpretation of the crime; and remind him of the intentions of the three nonviolent activists: to follow the words of the prophet Isaiah to beat swords into plowshares, and build a safer and more secure world for all. Our purpose with these letters is not to reargue the case, nor is it to condemn nuclear weapons production—the judge is not engaging those issues at this time. Our purpose is to address the legal system’s distortion of the nonviolent action of the TNP resisters and to provide support to the judge for a sentencing decision that takes into account the nature of their action and their nonviolent behavior throughout their action.
Letters should be sent to US District Judge Amul R Thapar, c/o Professor Bill Quigley, Loyola Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice, 7214 St. Charles Ave., Campus Box 902, New Orleans, LA 70118. If you care to send a copy to OREPA that would also be appreciated--orep@earthlink.net or OREPA, PO Box 5743, Oak Ridge, TN 37831.
50] – The launch of the website to support the U.S. version of the Drones Quilt Project was developed to memorialize the victims of U.S. combat drone strikes. Leah Bolger has about 185 names, and at present there are over 40 completed blocks. Soon the blocks will be sown together to create panels of quilt blocks. She will create educational information about killer drones to accompany the quilts as part of a traveling exhibit. To support the project visit www.dronesquiltproject.wordpress.com. The completed blocks are shown on the web site. The web site also contains information about creating a block, anti-drone resources and endorsing organizations. Follow the project on Twitter: @dronesproject.
51] – Red Emma's has closed the location at 800 St. Paul St., and is reopening in a much larger new space on North Avenue in the fall. The collective is seeking your help. It's time to reinvent the project started in 2004 to build a self-sustaining progressive space in Baltimore, committed to providing a daily reminder that another world was possible and that there were people working in the city to build it. Here's how you can help: donate money, provide skilled help, and share these needs. Email john@redemmas.org or go to http://indiegogo.com/redemmas2.
52] – The Washington Peace Center has a progressive calendar & activist alert! Consider signing up to receive its weekly email: info@washingtonpeacecenter.org.
53] – Fund Our Communities campaign is a grass roots movement to get support from local organizations and communities to work together with their local and state elected officials to pressure Congresspersons and senators to join with Congresspersons Barney Frank and Ron Paul, who have endorsed a 25% cut to the federal military budget. Bring home the savings to state and county governments to meet the local needs which are under tremendous budget pressures. Go to www.OurFunds.org.
54] – MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD. Baltimore's Indypendent Reader is looking for individuals interested in creating media - written, photo, audio, or video - that relates to issues like...economic justice, race, prisons & policing, environment, gender & sexuality, war & peace and more! If you would like to create social justice media, then email indypendentreader@gmail.com. Visit http://www.indyreader.org.
55] – If you would like to get rid of books, videos, DVDs or records, contact Max at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.
56] – Can you use any book shelves? Can you use any file cabinets? Contact Max at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.
57] – Join an extraordinary global campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons: http://www.globalzero.org/sign-declaration. A growing group of leaders around the world is calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons and a majority of the global public agrees. This is an historic window of opportunity. With momentum already building in favor of Zero, a major show of support from people around the world could tip the balance. When it comes to nuclear weapons, one is one too many.
58] – WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER signs from Friends Committee on National Legislation are again for sale at $5. To purchase a sign, call Max at 410-366-1637.
59] – Go online for FIRE AND FAITH: The Catonsville Nine File. On May 17, 1968, nine people entered the Selective Service Offices in Catonsville, Maryland, and burned draft records in protest against the war in Vietnam. View http://www.prattlibrary.org/digital/.
60] – Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil takes place every day in Lafayette Park, 1601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 24 hours a day, since June 3, 1981. Go to http://prop1.org; call 202-682-4282.
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/.
"One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible. It may or may not be possible to turn the US around through nonviolent revolution. But one thing favors such an attempt: the total inability of violence to change anything for the better" - Daniel Berrigan
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