Baltimore Activist Alert Aug. 15 – Aug. 16, 2013

Baltimore Activist Alert Aug. 15 – Aug. 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] BUILD's 35 Years of Organizing -- through Aug. 31 6] Created Equal exhibit – through Aug. 31 7] Wildlife Rescue exhibit – through Sept. 2 8] U.S.-Republic of Korea Nuclear Cooperation Agreement” – Aug, 15 9] Task Force to Reduce Alcohol Outlet Density – Aug. 15 10] Washington Lawyers Committee study – Aug. 15 11] Conversation with Barbara Ehrenreich – Aug. 15 12] Close Gitmo – Aug. 16 13] Justice in Palestine/Israel – Aug. 16 14] Permaculture Convergence – Aug. 16 15] Silent peace vigil against gun violence – Aug. 16 16] Wine & Wag Happy Hour – Aug. 16 17] Free Pussy Riot Solidarity Concert – Aug. 16 18] Bradley Manning plays – Aug. 16-17 19] Ballroom dancing – Aug. 16 20] Olney Peace vigil – Aug. 17 21] West Chester, PA demo – Aug. 17 22] Silent vigil at Capitol – Aug. 17 23] Confrontation & Organizing for Power – Aug. 17 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 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. 6] – 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. 7] – 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. 8] – On Thurs., Aug. 15 from 2 to 3 PM, Mark Holt, Congressional Research Service, will address "Challenges for Congressional Action on Extending the U.S.-Republic of Korea Nuclear Cooperation Agreement” at SAIS, Rome Building Auditorium, 1619 Massachusetts Ave. NW, WDC. RSVP to Alan Ahn at alanahn@thegabi.com. 9] – Citizens Planning and Housing Association, Inc. [CPHA] is forming a Task Force to Reduce Alcohol Outlet Density to ensure that the City Council supports legislation that will improve the health and safety of communities. The first meeting will be on Thurs., Aug. 15 at 6 PM at CPHA, 3355 Keswick Road, Suite 200, Baltimore 21211. Do you represent a community or a group of residents and want to join the task force? Contact Michael Snidal at 410-539-1369, x. 109 or Michael@cphabaltimore.org. 10] – On Thurs., Aug. 15 at 7 PM at All Souls Church, 16th & Harvard Sts. NW (Columbia Hgts. Metro), there will be a 'town hall' featuring the authors of the Washington Lawyers Committee study showing racist arrest patterns in D.C. and folks involved in organizing around it. Speakers will include Phil Fornaci (study author), Seema Sandandan (ACLU), and Perry Redd (former Statehood-Green candidate for City Council and a former prisoner). Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/414506012003187/. 11] – Enjoy a Conversation with Barbara Ehrenreich on Thurs., Aug. 15 from 7 to 9:30 PM at Lamont St. Collective, 1822 Lamont St. NW. Known for her 2001 book “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America,” she has explored many of the major issues of today-- from unemployment to affordable housing to economic social justice -- as well as the social attitudes that beguile us into buying into the American myth or help to liberate us through collective joy and celebratory resistance. Refreshments and child care will be provided. RSVP with your name and number in your party to lamontstreetcollective@gmail.com. The suggested donation is $5, but no one turned away due to lack of funds. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/711493155544522/. 12] – On Fri., Aug. 16 at noon, join a White House Vigil, north side on Pennsylvania Ave., to Support the Guantanamo Hunger Strikers--Close Guantanamo & End Indefinite Detention! No More War! No More Torture! It will be Day 191 of Hunger Strike, and Over 50 Detainees are Still on Hunger strike. Thirty nine are being Force-Fed. The vigil is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker and Witness Against Torture. See www.witnesstorture.org. 13] – 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/. 14] – Learn from the Most Sustainable Place in the World with Cuban Permaculturist/Environmental Educator Roberto Perez on Fri., Aug. 16 from noon to 1 PM at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Bring a brown bag lunch, and drinks will be provided. And later at the Plymouth Congregational UCC Church, 5301 N. Capitol St. NE, participate in a Community Reception from 6 to 8 PM. There is a suggested donation from $10 to $25. This is a benefit for scholarships at the Eleventh International Permaculture Convergence. Call 202-939-4000 or email mjtobin@wm.edu. 15] – There is a silent peace vigil on Fri., Aug. 16 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. War Is Not the Answer. End gun violence. 16] – On Fri., Aug. 16 at 5:30 PM come to the ASPCA, 3300 Falls Rd. Baltimore 21211 for the final Wine & Wag Happy Hour of the season—fun for people and their companions! Fun runs, paw paintings, cold beverages and delicious pizza from California Pizza Kitchen. Order your tickets for only $10 at http://mdspca.kintera.org/wag. Purchase tickets at the gate for $15. Proceeds help the homeless animals at the MD SPCA. 17] – Get over to the Free Pussy Riot Solidarity Concert on Fri., Aug. 16 at 6 PM at the Russian Embassy, 2650 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Oppression thrives in silence. Demand that Russian authorities free Pussy Riot and respect human rights! Join local D.C. artists and Amnesty International USA in a punk protest outside the Russian Embassy! Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1398309563725686/. The 7th Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival is taking place from Fri., Aug. 16 at 6 PM through Sun., Aug. 18 at 6 PM at the Goethe Institute, 812 Seventh St. NW. The Film Festival tackles issues of the African diaspora such as racism, police brutality, immigration, and preserving culture. Go to http://transafrica.org/events/2013/8/16/7th-annual-african-diaspora-international-film-festival-wash.html. 18] – There will be a special staged reading of a play about Bradley Manning in his own words written by Claire Lebowitz from documentary sources. The readings will take place at 7:30 PM on Fri., Aug. 16 and Sat., Aug. 17 with a panel discussion to follow on Saturday. The ticket price is $20 (no one turned away), and the site is 1810 16th St. NW, WDC 20009. Bradass87 is a compelling political drama, examining the motivations of WikiLeaks whistleblower, 25 year old PFC Bradley Manning who is currently facing life in prison for exposing the truth about the government’s conduct overseas--the source Collateral Murder video, the Iraq and Afghanistan War Logs, the Guantanamo Files and the State Department Cables. The play is made up of primary source material: chat logs that led to his arrest in Iraq, transcripts from his ongoing trial at Fort Meade, and quotes from Daniel Ellsberg, Hilary Clinton, Barack Obama, Julian Assange and other notable voices. Go to www.Bradass87.wordpress.com or @Bradass87ows or facebook.com/Bradass87play. 19] – 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 Aug. 16. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725. 20] – 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 Aug. 17. Call Chuck Harker at 301-570-7167. 21] – 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. 22] – There will be a peace vigil on the West Lawn of the Capitol at noon on Sat., Aug. 17. 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] – Confrontation & Organizing for Power is the theme to be explored on Sat., Aug. 17 from 2 to 4 PM at the Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Public Library, 1630 7th St NW (7th & Rhode Island Ave, – Shaw Metro Station). Is CONFRONTATION a useful & necessary tool of organizing for power, or simply “impolite?” Join us to hear directly from Empower DC’s top “TROUBLEMAKERS” about its experiences and discuss the role of confrontation in community organizing. RSVP to Daniel@empowerdc.org / 202-234-9119 x 104. 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