Baltimore Activist Alert Sept. 29 & 30, 2013

Baltimore Activist Alert Sept. 29 – Oct. 5, 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] Immigration Reform! – through Oct. 18 6] Fall Worship Sacred Journeys -- Sept. 29 7] “Restoring Ethics to American Democracy” – Sept. 29 8] Peace and Pancakes – Sept. 29 9] Rep. John Lewis preaches – Sept. 29 10] Celebrate National Public Lands Day – Sept. 29 11] Delegate Heather Mizeur – Sept. 29 12] Hear Gar Alperovitz – Sept. 29 13] Hear Israeli Soldiers’ Testimonies – Sept. 29 14] Pentagon Vigil – Sept. 30 15] Marc Steiner on WEAA – Sept. 30 – Oct. 4 16] Iran & change – Sept. 30 17] Prolonged Israeli occupation – Sept. 30 18] The U.S.-Russian Relationship – Sept. 30 19] Documentary “SCHOOLING THE WORLD – Sept. 30 20] No Papers No Fear Ride for Justice – Sept. 30 21] Pledge of Resistance/Fund Our Communities meeting – Sept. 30 22] Paul Chappell speaks -- Sept. 30, Oct. 1 and Oct. 3 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 40 days of prayer, fasting and advocacy for Immigration Reform continues through Fri., Oct. 18! The Interfaith Immigration Coalition and Conference of Major Superiors of Men invite you to participate. Sign up at http://www.fastaction.us. 6] – On Sun,, Sept. 29, 8:45 AM to noon, the Montgomery County Interfaith Council (MCIC) is continuing its Fall Worship Sacred Journeys at the Universalist Unitarian Church of Silver Spring, 10309 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring MD 20903. To register, email to mcicmd@gmail.com. 7] – 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., Sept. 29 the platform address is “Restoring Ethics to American Democracy” by Jennifer Bevan-Dangle, executive director, Common Cause Maryland. “Politics appears to be the master art for it includes so many others and its purpose is the good of man. While it is worthy to perfect one man, it is finer and more godlike to perfect a nation.” (Aristotle) In our modern society, politics has become almost synonymous with a lack of ethics. Yet Aristotle spoke of politics as the highest calling and political engagement as a requirement for a truly ethical life. Join us as we reflect on two critical questions: Does living in a representative democracy create an ethical responsibility to engage in the political sphere? Is there hope for a return of ethics in our current government? Bevan-Dangel is responsible for implementing the organization’s policy campaigns and building the organization’s capacity. She holds a law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law and an undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University, and comes to Common Cause with a strong background in advocacy at the state and local levels, having worked for 1000 Friends of Maryland, Patuxent Riverkeeper, and Environment Maryland on a variety of land use and clean water reforms. Go to http://bmorethical.org/ or Twitter: @bmorethical or Facebook: http://fb.com/bmorethical/or email ask@bmorethical.org. 8] – 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. 9] – Guest Preacher Rep. John Lewis will be at the Shiloh Baptist Church on Sun., Sept. 29 at 10:45 AM at 1500 9th St. NW. Call 202-546-1299. 10] – Celebrate National Public Lands Day with a cleanup and celebration of Fort Hunt Park on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Alexandria, VA. Nestled along the Potomac River, the site was settled by native populations 8,000 years ago before becoming part of George Washington’s River Farm. A military fortress was constructed in the late 19th century and the park later became a top secret military intelligence installation during World War II known only as PO Box 1142. Today, Fort Hunt Park is a popular picnicking and recreational park. The Fort Hunt Park Community Day is on Sunday, Sept. 29 from 1 to 5 PM at Fort Hunt Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway, 8999 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, VA 22308, and you can join Friends of Fort Hunt Park, NPCA, and NPS. To RSVP, contact Ed Stierli at estierli@npca.org or 202.454.3339. 11] – There is a meet-and-greet on Sun., Sept. 29 in the Waverly neighborhood in Baltimore. Delegate Heather Mizeur is running for Governor of Maryland, and was recently endorsed by Baltimore City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke and actress Sonja Sohn. Attend the meet-and-greet from 1:30 to 3:30 PM at 3511 Old York Rd. and hear more about Heather's vision for Maryland! Email jeremy@heathermizeur.com. 12] – Get over to the Radical Bookfair Pavilion at the Baltimore Book Festival. Email bookfair@redemmas.org. Gar Alperovitz, author of “What Then Must We Do?” will be speaking there at 2 PM on Sept. 29. See http://www.baltimorebookfestival.com/schedule/event-detail/474/Gar-Alperovitz,%20What%20Then%20Must%20We%20Do. 13] – In the Langston Room, Busboys & Poets, 2021 14th St. NW, WDC 20009 on Sun., Sept. 29 from 6 to 8 PM, enjoy a book discussion as part of “Middle East Cafe: Breaking the Silence" hosted by Jewish Voice for Peace - DC Metro Chapter. Former IDF soldier Avner Gvaryahu of Breaking the Silence is on a US Tour to discuss the new book, Our Harsh Logic – Israeli Soldiers' Testimonies from the Occupied Territories, 2000-2010. Support for Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory—both internationally and within Israel itself—rests on the belief that the Israeli army’s presence in the West Bank and Gaza is essentially protective, aimed at safeguarding the country from terror. But Israeli soldiers themselves tell a profoundly different story. In this landmark work, which includes more than a hundred soldiers’ testimonies collected over a decade, what emerges is a broad policy that is as much offensive as defensive. In their own words, the soldiers reveal in vivid detail how key planks of the army’s program have served to accelerate Israeli acquisition of Palestinian land, cripple all normal political and social life, and ultimately thwart the possibility of Palestinian independence. Email william_simonds@comcast.net. 14] – 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., Sept. 30, and it is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker. Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649. 15] – The Marc Steiner Show airs Monday through Friday from 9 to 11 AM on WEAA 88.9 FM, The Voice of the Community, or online at www.weaa.org. The call-in number is 410-319-8888, and comments can also be sent by email to steinershow@gmail.com. All shows are also available as podcasts at www.steinershow.org. 16] – On Mon., Sept. 30 from 9 to 10:30 AM, Ramin Asgard, former director of the State Department's Iran office in Dubai, and Arash Ghafouri, consultant to presidential candidates in the 2013 Iranian election, will comment on "Reform Under Rouhani: Assessing Positive Change in Iran" at the Stimson Center, 1111 19th St. NW, 12th Floor, WDC. RSVP https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ioTVWmC-gGgOZ76D1RdOhzsuscHd61PnbHOBteMADi8/viewform. 17] – Catch a lecture on the Prolonged Israeli occupation and Palestinian child prisoners on Mon., Sept. 30 on 12:30 to 2 PM at The Palestine Center. Mr. Rifat Kassis and Mr. Brad Parker of Defense for the Children International - Palestine will discuss how Palestinian children are affected by Israel's prolonged military occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza. The presentation will focus on the widespread and systematic ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention. The process of arrest, transfer and interrogation will be described from a child's perspective where nearly 75 percent of children experience some form of physical violence. Based on DCI-Palestine's experience documenting abuses and providing legal aid to children charged in the Israeli military court system, the presentation will also highlight the dual legal systems operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the disparity between legal protections provided to Palestinian children and Israeli children. Practical recommendations to curb abuses will also be presented. RSVP at http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/ht/d/EventDetails/i/41680. 18] – On Mon., Sept. 30 from 2 to 3:30 PM, Gary Samore, Brookings Institute, Pavel Zolotarev, Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies, and William Tobey, Harvard University, will explore "The U.S.-Russian Relationship: Transcending Mutual Deterrence" at Brookings Institute, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW, WDC. RSVP https://www.cvent.com/events/the-u-s-russia-relationship-transcending-mutual-deterrence/registration-faa522bfb7dd4a2eabaa60caa61abb21.aspx. 19] – Beyond the Classroom presents the award-winning documentary “SCHOOLING THE WORLD: The White Man’s Last Burden” on Mon., Sept. 30 from 7 to 9 PM at 1102 South Campus Commons, Building 1,University of Maryland, College Park . If you wanted to change an ancient culture in a generation, how would you do it? You would change the way it educates its children. The United States Government knew this in the 19th century when it forced Native American children into government boarding schools. Today, volunteers build schools in traditional societies around the world, convinced that school is the only way to a “better” life for indigenous children. But is this true? What really happens when we replace a traditional culture’s way of learning and understanding of the world with our own? Beautifully filmed in the Buddhist culture of Ladakh in the northern Indian Himalayas, “Schooling the World” takes a challenging, sometimes funny, ultimately deeply disturbing look at the effects of modern education on the world’s last sustainable indigenous culture. 21] Pledge of Resistance/Fund Our Communities meeting – Sept. 30 20] – No Papers No Fear Ride for Justice is happening on Mon., Sept. 30 from 6 to 9 PM. To find out the location, visit http://vimeo.com/73141914. Last summer dozens of undocumented parents, workers and students set off on a bus tour across the southern part of the country on the 'No Papers No Fear Ride for Justice.' The Undocubus traveled from Arizona to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Charlotte, North Carolina to challenge anti-immigrant laws and peel away the fear that draconian immigration laws have imbedded in our community. Since returning home, riders and participating organizations have continued organizing and fighting deportations in our communities. The funds will go towards the costs of the bus tour - materials, food, transportation, etc. But before they hit the road again, they've got to get the bus running. Community members, mechanics, carpenters, artists have all committed to help. It was community support that made the tour successful the first time, it will be community that makes sure the Undocubus will be a vehicle for justice once again. 21] – The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore usually meets on Mondays at 7:30 PM, and the meetings take place at Max’s residence. There will be a meeting on Mon., Sept. 30. The proposed agenda will include preventing an attack on Syria, anti-drone activities, the next visit to the NSA on Sat., Oct. 5, the trial of the CIA Six a possible meeting with Rep. Cummings. Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski at verizon.net for directions. 22] – Paul Chappell will speak on Mon., Sept. 30 at Cedar Lane Unitarian Church in Bethesda, on Tues., Oct. 1 at Montgomery College, and on Thurs., Oct. 3 at American University. The following information is from the Cedar Lane UU website: On Monday evening, September 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the chapel, the Social Justice Council is sponsoring a talk by Mr. Paul K. Chappell, a West Point graduate and Iraq veteran who is now working as the Peace Leadership Director for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF). He lectures around the world to dispel the myths of war and share his ideas for using nonviolent methods and strategic and tactical planning to effect change in creating a culture of peace. His work is based on the work of Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King. His intelligence, message, scholarship and vision resonate strongly with Unitarians and he has been very well-received at the many UU churches where he has spoken. For an excellent interview that was recently published online see www.guernicamag.com/interviews/waging-peace/. 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