Baltimore Activist Alert Oct. 6 – Oct. 8, 2013

Baltimore Activist Alert Oct. 6 – Oct. 12, 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] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 306 W. Franklin St., Suite 102, Baltimore 21201-4517, meets on Sundays, and generally there is a speaker and discussion from 10:30 to noon. On Sun., Oct. 6 the platform address will be presented by Hathaway Ferebee, executive director, Baltimore’s Safe and Sound Campaign. She will present facts about the State of Maryland’s decision to build a new jail for youth charged as adults. These facts support redirection of the funds toward alternatives that will produce better outcomes for less public expense while maintaining public safety. The facts reveal what Ms. Ferebee calls “the glaring insanity of the state’s decision to build another jail despite what is known and counter to the common good.” The talk will focus on the persistence of the status quo that harms African Americans, destroys whole communities and is, in theory but not action, decried by advocates, universities and elected officials. Ferebee has served as executive director of the Safe and Sound Campaign since its inception in 1996. The Campaign builds sustainable funding for opportunities for Baltimore’s children, youth and families. Through community organizing and public private financial contracts, the Campaign has enabled the reallocation of millions of state dollars from programs that don’t work to those that do. Call at 410-581-2322, or contact Kathryn Sloboda at katamui@gmail.com. Go to http://bmorethical.org/. Twitter: @bmorethical Facebook: http://fb.com/bmorethical/. 7] – 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. 8] – On Sun., Oct. 6 at 6 PM at Busboys and Poets, 1025 5th St. NW, James Tooley will sign and discuss ”The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themselves.” In conjunction with the release of the book's paperback edition, Tooley will discuss the extraordinary changes in educating the poor that have occurred since the book was published, as well as his experiences as a cofounder of both Omega Schools, a chain of low-cost private schools in Ghana, and Empathy Learning Systems, an educational service company that runs a chain of inexpensive private schools in Hyderabad, India. Go to http://www.busboysandpoets.com/. 9] – 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., Oct. 7, and it is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker. Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649. 10] – 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. 11] – There is an Interfaith Prayer Service at the Rally for Tibet on Mon., Oct. 7 from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Lincoln Memorial and in Lafayette Park. The Tibetan-American communities in the United States, with support from the Office of the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, are organizing the rally in solidarity with Tibetans inside Tibet at a difficult time. Urge President Obama to speak up for the rights of the Tibetan people and act for a just solution in Tibet. Call 202-785-8591 or email tencho.gyatso@savetibet.org. Go to http://rallyfortibet.org/ 12] – Love Like the Prophet: Ending Domestic Violence in Our Community is happening on Mon., Oct. 7 from 7 to 9 PM at Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW. KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights is excited to announce the return of its Love Like the Prophet: Ending Domestic Violence in Muslim Communities event series. Throughout the month of October, KARAMAH's jurists will collaborate with local mosques and other prominent community leaders to discuss and promote the Prophet's (PBUH) tradition of love and harmonious families. The speakers will provide a scholarly perspective on the Prophet's model of relationships in Islam, focusing on ways to discuss problems, take action, and resolve conflicts. The scholars, jurists, and community leaders will also discuss available social services in our communities. In the process, we hope to bring awareness to the issue of domestic violence and ways to strengthen the true core of the Muslim Ummah, which is the family. RSVP https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07e89bpyec4974aece&oseq=&c=&ch=. 13] – Check out a Film Series: Alternative Histories. Imagine a world in which computers run our lives, food comes only in processed packets, and authoritarian governments pit people against each other in bloody battles. Wait, that sounds too familiar. Towson University professors present films dealing in worlds that are almost real to us, that start from a real point in history and go off on an alternate track. Some of the films are "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Robocop" and "Battle Royale." Each week a different professor introduces the film, and each screening is followed by a discussion. The films will be shown on Mondays at 7:30 PM through Nov. 25 at Towson University, 8000 York Road. See http://www.towson.edu. 14] Pledge of Resistance/Fund Our Communities meeting – Sept. 30 14] – 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., Oct. 7. The proposed agenda will include anti-drone activities, the visit to the NSA on Sat., Oct. 5, the trial of the CIA Six, a possible meeting with Rep. Elijah Cummings and a visit to Sen. Barbara Mikulski’s office to demand a copy of the “classified” torture report. Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski at verizon.net for directions. 15] – On Tues., Oct. 8, the Supreme Court will hear McCutcheon v. FEC, which may lead to the scrapping of all aggregate candidate and party contribution limits for corporations and the ultra-rich. This could be a nail in the coffin of republican democracy in the USA. Get Money Out – Maryland wants to Make Your Voice Heard. At 7:15 AM, gather at Baltimore’s Penn Station. After taking the Marc Train, gather at 9:30 AM be at the Supreme Court. Train fare is $14 round-trip or $7 for seniors. 16] – Women, Money, Power Summit is happening on Tues., Oct. 8 at 8:30 AM through Wed., Oct. 9 at 4 PM at the Capital Hilton Hotel, 1001 16th St. NW. The Summit will start with the first General Assembly Session featuring Randi Weingarten, American Federation of Teachers President; Terry O'Neill, National Organization for Women President; and Melanie Campbell, Black Women's Roundtable President. These critical leaders will discuss how to end the War on Women and its attacks on women's health, voting rights, teachers, food stamps, and our wallets. Visit http://feministmajority.org/women-money-power/2013WomenMoneyPower/default.htm. 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