Baltimore Activist Alert - Feb. 24-25, 2014

Baltimore Activist Alert Feb. 24 – Mar. 2, 2014

"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] Marc Steiner on WEAA – Feb. 24 – Feb. 28
6] Understanding Islamic Law – Feb. 24 - 26
7] CEO-Worker Pay Ratios – Feb. 24
8] End Gun Violence – Feb. 24
9] Progressive Summit – Feb. 24
10] Israeli Apartheid Week – Feb. 24 – Mar. 2
11] Film ARISE – Feb. 24
12] Africa & the Struggle Against Imperialism – Feb. 24
13] “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” – Feb. 24
14] Shale Gas Drilling Safety Review Act – Feb. 25 & 28
15] Philadelphia Peace Vigil – Feb. 25
16] Protest JHU’s drone research – Feb. 25
17] Film THE WAY BACK – Feb. 25
18] "Mighty Times: The Children's March" – Feb. 25
19] Film THE SQUARE – Feb. 25
20] Film “Salt of this Sea” – Feb. 25
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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 mobuszewski at Verizon dot net. 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 mobuszewski at Verizon dot 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 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.

6] – The latest USIP Academy course is Understanding Islamic Law from Mon., Feb. 24 at 9 AM through Wed., Feb. 26 at 5 PM at the United States Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave. Though often maligned and misunderstood, Islamic law is one of the longest enduring and most widely subscribed systems of law in the world. Participants will also gain an in-depth understanding of selected aspects of Islamic constitutionalism, Islamic criminal law, and how classical and contemporary Islamic law comports with international human rights law. Go to http://www.usip.org/events/understanding-islamic-law.

7] – Get over to CEO-Worker Pay Ratios: Cutting-Edge Campaigns on a Critical Inequality Battleground on Mon., Feb. 24 from 10 to 11:30 AM at the Institute for Policy Studies Conference Room, 1112 16th St. NW, Suite 600. This is a discussion on the widening pay gaps on the global political stage and how promising initiatives can be built to narrow this economic divide. See http://www.ips-dc.org/events/ceo-worker_pay_ratios_the_next_executive_compensation_battleground.

8] – On Mon., Feb. 24 from 4 to 5 PM, End Gun Violence! Join the Washington Chapter of Heeding God’s Call at their second and fourth Monday of the month vigil at REALCO Guns, 6108 Marlboro Pike, District Heights, MD 20747. This is an effort to convince the gun shop owner to sign the 10-Point Code for responsible gun dealers based on the one signed with Wal-Mart by Mayors against Illegal Guns. According to the Post, Realco Guns in District Heights sold 86 guns linked to homicides within the last twenty years with 300 guns sold there being linked to non-fatal shootings, as of 2010. In that article Major Andy Ellis of the Prince George’s (MD) Police Department is quoted as saying, “I can only imagine how much lower our violent-crime rate would be if Realco sold shoes instead of guns.” See http://www.heedinggodscall.org/.

9] – You're cordially invited to the Progressive Summit in Annapolis with Maryland PDA and other progressive activists on Mon. Feb. 24 from 5 to 7 PM. Discuss legislation with state senators and delegates at the 4th Annual Progressive Summit. Go to the Maryland House of Delegates Office Building, Ways and Means Hearing Room, 6 Bladen St., Annapolis 21401. You can pay to park at the Navy Stadium, Rowe & Taylor, (Gate 5). Pay to park there, and then take the $2 shuttle. Many of the most important decisions for our families and communities are made at the state level. Discuss ways we can support pending legislation to raise the minimum wage, protect our rights and environment, invest in jobs creation and much more. Go to http://www.pdamerica.org. Join FOC, MoveOn, PDA and many other organizations discussing legislation with Maryland State Senators and Delegates. You MUST bring a photo ID to gain access to the House of Delegates Office building. Please RSVP on the PDA website:
http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1987/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=76020.

10] – Be at the Israeli Apartheid Week from Mon., Feb. 24 at 6 PM through Sun., Mar. 2 at 11:45 PM at American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. The events are hosted by the AU Students for Justice in Palestine. On Feb. 24 at 6 PM, hear a talk on Gaza with Eva Bartlett in Ward 104. On Feb. 25 see a screening of "Salt of This Sea" at 7:30 PM in Ward 1. On the 26th, catch the discussion on the Academic Boycott with an AU American Studies Association member at 5:30 PM in Ward 1. On the 27th, there is a- panel discussion on South Africa, Apartheid Israel, and the BDS Movement at 8 PM in Ward 1. On the 28th, enjoy a poetry performance and Q & A with Remi Kanazi. The time and location are to be announced. Finally, on Mar. 2, boycott the AIPAC 2014 conviction at 2 PM. See https://www.facebook.com/events/436693696459844/). Also check out https://www.facebook.com/events/653416314724047/654110544654624/.

11] – Beyond the Classroom presents ARISE on Mon., Feb. 24 at 7 PM at Calvert Hall, 1102 South Campus Commons, Building 1, University of Maryland, College Park 20742. This documentary captures the portraits and stories of extraordinary women around the world who are coming together to heal the injustices against the earth, weaves together poetry, music, art and stunning scenery to create a hopeful and collective story that inspires us to work for the earth. Narrated by actress and environmental activist Daryl Hannah, it is an ethnographic study of women from around the world who share a profound intellectual and spiritual understanding of what it takes to live in harmony with the environment. See http://www.beyondtheclassroom.umd.edu/.

12] – Africa & the Struggle Against Imperialism will be discussed on Mon., Feb. 24 at 7 PM at 2011 North Charles St., 1st Floor, Baltimore. From Libya to South Africa, to Egypt, South Sudan and beyond, endless imperialist exploitation and militarization is occurring in Africa. What is the role of the U.S. and other western countries across Africa? What is the political balance of forces? Why is self-determination crucial for people across Africa? How does one help these struggles to defeat imperialism from within the U.S.? Join Baltimore Workers World Party for the discussion. Call 443.221.3775.

13] – On Mon., Feb. 24 at 7:30 at the Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW, WDC 20016 (Cathedral Nave), there will be a panel discussion - the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” – with civil rights leader Julian Bond, Yale law professor Stephen L. Carter, Washington National Cathedral Dean Gary Hall, and U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey. The discussion will be moderated by Aspen Institute President and CEO Walter Isaacson. Tickets are $5 to $15. RSVP at http://www.nationalcathedral.org/events/Aspen20140224.shtml?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Aspen%202014%20-%20General%20(1)&utm_content=#.Uvj8kUJdU00.

14] – The Shale Gas Drilling Safety Review Act of 2014 [SB0745] will be heard in the Education, Health, & Environmental Affairs Committee on Tues., Feb. 25 at 1 PM. Senators Young, Pinsky, and Montgomery are co-sponsors and on the committee. The chair is Joan Carter Conway from District 43 – Baltimore. The Shale Gas Drilling Safety Review Act of 2014 [HB1122] will be heard in the Environmental Matters Committee on February 28 at 1 PM. Heather Mizeur is one of the main sponsors, but is not on this committee. Eleven of the co-sponsors are on the committee (out of 24) and Maggie McIntosh, a strong supporter of environmental issues, is the chair (from Dist 43-Baltimore).

The legislation will temporarily prevent state agencies from issuing fracking permits in Maryland until studies required by Executive Order are completed to assess human and environmental risk, that 18 months must have passed since the completion of the studies during which time drilling companies may not begin baseline testing, and the Dept. of Environment must have adopted fracking regulations that are protective of public health and the environment.

15] – Each Tuesday from 4:30 - 5:30 PM, the Catholic Peace Fellowship-Philadelphia for peace in Afghanistan and Iraq gathers at the Suburban Station, 16th Street & JFK Blvd., at the entrance to Tracks 3 and 4 on the mezzanine. The next vigil is Feb. 25. Call 215-426-0364.

16] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 34th & North Charles Sts. Join this ongoing vigil. The next vigil is Feb. 25 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Call Max at 410-366-1637.

17] – See the film “The Way Back” on Tues., Feb. 25 from 6 to 8 PM at Ward Building Room 2, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Afterwards, there will be a discussion/Q&A with Polish Siberian deportation survivor who will share her remarkable story of survival and escape. Polish Refreshments will be served. Email psoeboard@gmail.com.

18] –There is a documentary screening & discussion of "Mighty Times: The Children's March" on Tues., Feb. 25 from 6:30 to 8:45 PM at the Mt. Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. For more than 50 years, the youth of this country have always stepped up for civil rights. The WIN Women of Color Network invite you to a look back and discussion about youth movements going forward. The film tells the story of young people in Birmingham who marched and helped turn the tide for civil rights in 1963. After the screening, our panel discussion will attempt to link the crusade in 1963 to current youth movements. Go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/within-your-power-a-documentary-screening-discussion-of-the-childrens-march-tickets-9448951067.

19] – Don’t miss the documentary THE SQUARE on Tues., Feb. 25 from 7 to 9:30 at the Peace House, 1233 12th St. NW. The Egyptian Revolution has been an ongoing roller coaster over the past two and a half years. Through the news, we only get a glimpse of the bloodiest battle, an election, or a million man march. The film is an immersive experience, transporting the viewer deeply into the intense emotional drama and personal stories behind the news. It is the inspirational story of young people claiming their rights, struggling through multiple forces, in the fight to create a society of conscience. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/481639301946640/.

20] – View the film “Salt of this Sea” on Tues., Feb. 25 at 7:30 PM at American University, Ward Building, Room 1, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Directed by Annemarie Jacir, this is an independent film which depicts Soraya, a working class Palestinian-American woman, and her troubling experiences when she goes to Israel. This screening is free of charge. View https://www.facebook.com/events/682581528472619/.

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