Baltimore Activist Alert - Nov. 17-18, 2013

Baltimore Activist Alert Nov. 17 – Nov. 23, 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] Vietnam Photograph Exhibit – through Feb. 23 6] Personalized Medicine – Nov. 17 7] Peace and Pancakes – Nov. 17 8] Twinning Weekend – Nov. 17 9] 'MR. PRESIDENT, I'M FREDERICK DOUGLASS' – Nov. 17 10] Heartbeat at Goucher -- Nov. 17 11] “Peacemaker of the Year " – Nov. 17 12] ADC cultural event – Nov. 17 13] Pentagon Vigil – Nov. 18 14] Marc Steiner on WEAA – Nov. 18 – Nov. 26 15] Stop Violence Against Ethiopians in Saudi Arabia – Nov. 18 16] Drones on the Hill – Nov. 18 17] Demand Sen. Schumer condemn killer drones – Nov. 18 ----- 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] – An-My Lê's photographs come to the Baltimore Museum of Art's Front Room. 21 Black-and-white and color photographs explore the roles of the military and war, showing tensions between nature and human influence and machinery. The exhibit runs through Feb. 23 at the Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive. Call 443- 573-1700. Go to http://artbma.org. 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. The platform address on Sun., Nov. 17 is “The Dawn of Personalized Medicine: Understanding Genomics, Epigenomics and Metagenomics for Individual and Public Health Advocacy” by Dr. Ben Busby, Professor and Chair, Department of Bioinformatics, FAES. Francis Collins, the director of the NIH, has stated that personalized medicine is likely to dramatically alter healthcare in the next few years. In this talk, Dr. Busby would like to tell you why he agrees with Dr. Collins and how individuals’ data can improve public health. Ben Busby is the Chair of the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Department at the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES), housed on the NIH campus, and a researcher in the field of evolutionary genomics. Ben is also a Baltimore Ethical Society Board member. Call 410-581-2322 or contact Kathryn Sloboda at katamui@gmail.com. Go to http://bmorethical.org/; Twitter: @bmorethical; or 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., Nov 17 at the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, JIDS will be holding the fourth annual Twinning Weekend event. This is the time when Jews and Muslims get together to explore commonalities and lovingly embrace differences. Visit www.jids.org. The event is hosted by the Muslim Community Center (MCC), 15200 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring 20905. The Youth are invited to arrive at 1:15 PM. The MCC Senior Program, featuring the JIDS’ Youth Social Action Twinning Weekend Program of “Connecting Across the Generations” (with speakers and a Youth Dialogue inclusive of Seniors). will begin at its customary time of 2:30 PM. 9] – On Sun., Nov. 17 at 3:30 PM, see a free Beacon Theatre Productions presentation of 'MR. PRESIDENT, I'M FREDERICK DOUGLASS': "Ex-Slave Challenges Lincoln" at the Peace Center of Delaware County, 1001 Old Sproul Road, Springfield, PA 19064. This is a one-act, 35-min. play based on writings of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. It will be followed by an open discussion on racism. The doors open at 2:30 PM for refreshments and fellowship. Donations are welcome. The play was written by Georgina Bard and Richard Hadley, and the dramatic action takes place after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln early in 1863, and the Union Army began to enlist African American men into service. The first colored regiment formed was the Massachusetts 54th. Frederick Douglass, an ex-slave, and well-known abolitionist writer and speaker of the day, was concerned that the men in the 54th have the same pay and privilege as the white soldiers in the Union Army. His meeting with the president in August of 1863, addressed these concerns, and what they might mean in regard to abolition of slavery and freedom in post Civil War America. The play's cast consists of Maurice Tucker as Frederick Douglass, Lawrence H. Geller as President Abraham Lincoln, and Adrianna Matthews as a fictional black servant girl who works in the White House. They will perform the play at the Peace Center, which is located at the Springfield Friends Meetinghouse (an historic stop on the Underground Railroad). Visit www.delcopeacecenter.org or call 610-544-1818. 10] – Heartbeat (www.heartbeat.fm) creates opportunities and spaces for young Israeli and Palestinian musicians to work together, hear each other, and amplify their voices to influence the world around them. The group will present a live concert and interactive story-sharing workshop in the Hyman Forum of the Goucher College Athenaeum at 3:30 PM on Sun., Nov. 17. Refreshments will be available following the concert. Support for this event comes from the Goucher College Social Justice Committee, Goucher Hillel, Amnesty International, and the Peace Studies department. Founded in 2007, Heartbeat unites Israeli and Palestinian youth to build trust and transform conflict through the power of music. Since 2007, over 100 youth musicians have come together through a Heartbeat's various programs. This event is free. On Sun., Nov. 17 from 4 to 6 PM meet a dynamic candidate for governor, Delegate Heather Mizeur, at "Meet the Candidate Forum" in Catonsville, 4 N Beechwood Ave. Heather announced her pick for Lieutenant Governor, Reverend Delman Coates, who has been a vocal advocate for social justice and community empowerment. The week before, she released her ten-point plan for economic growth, which the Baltimore Sun called "the most comprehensive" plan yet released by any of the candidates for governor. Email info@heathermizeur.com to RSVP! 11] – On Sun., Nov. 17 at 6 PM, join Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore for the sixth annual Peacemaker of the Year event at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Arlington, VA. Honor the courageous witness of the anti-nuclear Plowshares movement. Following Mass in OLQP’s Fr. Ray Hall the award will be given to Michael Walli of Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in Washington, D.C. The special guest is Dave Robinson, former Executive Director of Pax Christi USA. Make dinner reservations online at www.PaxChristiMetroDC.org and click on “Donate.” The suggested donation is $25 per person, Contact Jack McHale at jjmchale@verizon.net or 703-772-0635. 12] – Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee - cultural event: Arab Idols is taking place on Sun., Nov. 17 at 6 PM at Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St NW. The ADC is excited to present their third annual cultural event entitled "Turaath: Celebrating Arab Culture in America." This year's event is organized by ADC's Women's Initiative and will feature the 2013 Arab Idol winners; acclaimed Palestinian vocalist Mohammad Assaf, Syrian songstress Farah Youssef, and Lebanese vocalist Ziad Khoury. ADC is the largest Arab American grassroots organization in the United States. Since its founding in 1980, ADC has been committed to protecting civil rights, promoting mutual understanding, and preserving the Arab American cultural heritage. The ADC Women’s Initiative unites influential Arab American women with ADC’s mission to empower and celebrate the Arab American community. See http://lisner.gwu.edu/arab-idols-featuring-mohammad-assaf-farah-youssef-ziad-khoury. 13] – 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., Nov. 11, and it is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker. Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649. 14] – 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. 15] – Lobby Day: Drones on the Hill is happening on Mon., Nov. 18 at 9 AM in the Rayburn House, Independence Ave. SW & S. Capitol St. SW, WDC 20515. Join CODEPINK for a day of mingling with the monsters as they lobby some of their most pro-drone "representatives". There will be a training before we head out on Monday morning, as well as information and hand outs for those "representatives" that you visit. While they may not have the high cash-flow or fancy "gifts" offered by the military industrial complex lobbyists, they do have the power of a moral and committed group of human beings. Their power lies in our ability to be coordinated and unified, so come show your power with them on Monday and make your voice heard! Visit www.codepink.org/drones2013. 16] – Stop Violence Against Ethiopians in Saudi Arabia on Mon., Nov. 18 at 11 AM at 601 New Hampshire Ave. NW. Killing, beating and abusive actions toward Ethiopians is not acceptable by Ethiopians and it’s not a political issue -- it's a Global human rights issue. Wear black to the protest. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/473951149389166/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular. 17] – Members of the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance [NCNR] are gearing up for a visit to Congress on Monday, November 18 to express our disgust with killer drone strikes. We plan to go to Senator Chuck Schumer’s office at 1 PM to urge him to condemn killer drone strikes. Prior to going to Schumer’s office, we will meet in the food court at Union Station at 11 AM to prepare for the visit. Let us work together to end this unconstitutional, illegal and immoral assassination program. Join us in Congress on Monday to say We Will Not Be Silent! 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