Baltimore Activist Alert Mar. 24 – Mar. 30, 2014

Baltimore Activist Alert Mar. 24 – Mar. 30, 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 – Mar. 24 – Mar. 28
6] Environmental Film Festival – through Mar. 30
7] "Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race" – through Apr. 30
8] Human, Soul & Machine: The Coming Singularity – through Aug. 31
9] Reclaim Our Country – Mar. 24
10] Human Rights at American University – Mar. 24 - 28
11] Demonstration for Sane Gun Reform – Mar. 24
12] How Zionism and Palestinian Nationalism Can Coexist – Mar. 24
13] End Gun Violence – Mar. 24
14] See the film "Inequality for All" – Mar. 24
15] Eliminate the Pentagon's Slush Fund WEBINAR – Mar. 24
16] Pledge of Resistance/Fund Our Communities meeting – Mar. 24
17] Walk for a New Spring – through Apr. 8
18] Introduction to Census Bureau Data – Mar. 25
19] Protection from Violence as a Human Right – Mar. 25
20] Commission on Sustainability meeting – Mar. 25
21] Philadelphia Peace Vigil – Mar. 25
22] Suffragist Memorial Association dinner – Mar. 25
23] Condemn drone research at JHU – Mar. 25
24] “The General's Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” – Mar. 25
25] Men and Women in War and Peace – Mar. 26 - 28
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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 22nd Annual Environmental Film Festival continues through Sun., Mar. 30 in theaters in Washington, D.C. Call 202-342-2564. For scheduling and venue information, go to http://dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org. And most of them are FREE!

Get an award-winning look at the tough and adaptable animal inhabitants of Africa's extreme southeastern desert from rhinos to giraffes to spiders at the DC Premiere of “Africa: Kalahari.” Celebrate 150 years of wild beauty with “Yosemite: A Gathering of Spirit” by renowned film makers Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan. Educate and entertain your little ones with “Nature Unfolds,” a series of 7 animated shorts for kids ages 4 and up, and “With My Friends,” a series of three animated shorts for kids aged 2-5 years. Explore the wild world right outside your door in eye-opening macro detail at the world premiere of “Backyard Bugs” – suitable for all ages.

You can also join David Attenborough, the beloved narrator of many of the world's finest nature documentaries, on a personal journey in “Attenborough: 60 Years In the Wild, Our Fragile Planet,” follow in the footsteps of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on their historic first ascent to the summit of Mt. Everest (in 3D!) in “Beyond the Edge,” or get a bird's eye view of the island of Taiwan in “Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above.”

7] – The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's production, "Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race" will be exhibited at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library at University of Maryland, Baltimore, Frieda O. Weise Gallery, 601 W. Lombard St. The exhibition will feature photos, films, testimonials and other documentation of Nazi racial experimentation and theories. The exhibit will continue through April 30. Call 410-706-7545. See http://hshsl.umaryland.edu/gallery/.

8] – See the exhibit Human, Soul & Machine: The Coming Singularity, which
delves into the various ways technology affects lives through the perspective of inventors, futurists and 40 plus visionary artists. The intent is to bring new thoughts on artificial intelligence, robotics, genetics, nanotechnology, 3D printing, and big data, and you can see it through August 31 at the American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Call 410-244-1900. Go to http://avam.org. A ticket costs $20.
9] – March to Reclaim Our Country on Mon., Mar. 24 at 8 AM at the Capitol (West front grassy area). Raise awareness on fiscal responsibility and civil liberties. This independently-organized protest will continue to the National Mall area en route to the White House before returning to the Capitol for the duration. Call or email Joey Robinson at 228-383-5050 or marchtoreclaimourcountry@gmail.com.
10] – Participate in Human Rights across American University 2014 from Mon., Mar. 24 at 9 AM through Fri., Mar. 28 at 7 PM. A week of activities and interactive discussions on human rights themes at home and aboard, organized across the AU campus. A variety of events will be held each day with internationally-known activists, AU alumni, and experts from across the world. See http://www.wcl.american.edu/humright/center/HumanRightsAcrossAU2014.cfm.
11] – There is a White House Demonstration for Sane Gun Reform on Mon., Mar. 24 from 11 AM to 1 PM at the North Side of The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Gun violence is a public health issue -- the AMA and AARP recognize this! How About you, Congress? This Monday a concerned group of citizens are coming together to demand common sense legislation on gun violence prevention and safety. They are calling on Congress to recognize this is a public health emergency. Contact Helen Ramsey at helen.ramsey1@gmail.com.
12] – Crossing the Divide: How Zionism and Palestinian Nationalism Can Coexist will be discussed on Mon., Mar. 24 from noon to 1:30 PM at the Carnegie Endowment, Choate Room (1st Floor), 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Arik Ascherman is an U.S.-born Israeli Reform rabbi and co-founder and president of Rabbis for Human Rights. As a human rights activist, he has participated in numerous protests to defend Palestinians against Israeli settler violence. Ascherman grew up in Erie, PA and attended Harvard University.
Zakaria Sadeh is a Palestinian resident of Jit and has been involved in cooperative human rights work with Israelis for many years. He began as a volunteer with Physicians for Human Rights and is now a field researcher for Rabbis for Human Rights, a rabbinic voice of conscience in Israel, defending human rights of marginalized communities within Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The organization was founded in 1988, and today has over 100 members, including ordained Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Renewal rabbis as well as some rabbinical students. It is also supported by Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist Rabbinical organizations in North America and the UK. Email info@fmep.org or call 202.835.3650.
13] – On Mon., Mar. 24 from 5 to 6 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/.
14] – See the film "Inequality for All" on Mon., Mar. 24 at 5 PM at Hart Auditorium, Georgetown Law Center, 600 New Jersey Ave. NW. War on Poverty anniversary film program will show the documentary. It will be followed at 7 PM by a post-screening discussion about the legacies of the War on Poverty, and the challenges of legal and political anti-poverty advocacy, with Professor Peter Edelman, Georgetown Law Center, Antonia Fasanelli, executive director, Homeless Persons Representation Project and chair of the ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty, Patty Mullahy Fugere, executive director, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, Joseph McCartin, director, Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor and professor of History, Georgetown University. Call 202-662-4043.
15] – Eliminate the Pentagon's Slush Fund WEBINAR is happening on Mon., Mar. 24 at 7 PM ET hosted by the American Friends Service Committee. Connect at bit.ly/pentagonslush. It's time to stop the budget gimmicks and be honest about our bloated Pentagon budget. After years of using war spending as a slush fund to avoid fiscal discipline, it's time to cut wasteful spending and bring our tax dollars home. Express yourself at http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/eliminate-the-pentagons?source=c.url&r_by=10152812. The webinar will feature Stephen Miles from Win Without War. This is part of our education effort leading up to the Global Day of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS).
16] – The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore usually meets on Mondays at 7:30 PM, and the meetings take place at Max’s residence. The next meeting will be on Mon., Mar. 24. The proposed agenda will include a report on the appeal of conviction of the CIA Five, the legislative issues in Annapolis--GMO labeling, anti-BDS, drone surveillance, Futures Commission, anti-fracking--anti-drone activities, including the Spring Actions, and the visit to Rep. Sarbanes’s office. Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski at verizon.net for directions.

17] – Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo [For peace...for the people...for the earth...] is the chant by Nipponzan Myohoji from the New England Peace Pagoda used on the 13th Annual Walk for a New Spring began on Feb. 21 in Leverett, MA, and will conclude on Apr. 8 in Wash., D.C. On Mon., Mar. 24 the walk will be in Camden, NJ. Visit http://www.brandywinepeace.com/events/. On Wed., Mar. 26, the peace walkers will be at a Potluck Supper & Program at 6 PM at the Peace Center of Delaware County, 1001 Old Sproul Road, Springfield, PA. See www.delcopeacecenter.org or call 610-544-1818.

18] – An Introduction to Census Bureau Data takes place on Tues., Mar. 25 from 10 AM to noon at 1627 K St. NW, Third Floor, WDC 20006-1708. The U.S. Census Bureau is the leading source of quality, timely and relevant information about our nation’s people and economy. The Census Bureau releases statistics annually about your community for more than 69 indicators. Its web site provides access to this data using several online tools. Go to http://grantspace.org/Classroom/training-calendar/Washington-DC/from-statistics-to-story-telling-an-introduction-to-census-bureau-data-2014-3-25-washington-dc.

19] – The topic for discussion is "Protection from Violence as a Human Right," and it will be heard on Tues., Mar. 25 at noon at the Kay Spiritual Life Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Lauren Walker and Liz West are Organizing and Advocacy Fellows with the International Justice Mission. They will discuss violence against the poor as an impediment to development in an international context. A pizza lunch will be provided. RSVP to kslc@american.edu.

20] – Get over to the Commission on Sustainability meeting on Tues., Mar. 25 from 4 to 6 PM at the Baltimore City Planning Department Boardroom, 8th Floor, 417 E. Fayette St., Baltimore 21202. The meeting takes place on the fourth Tuesday. Email tammym@cphabaltimore.org or visit http://www.baltimoresustainability.org/about/commission.aspx.

21] – 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 Mar. 25. Call 215-426-0364.

22] – Have a dinner with Turning Point Suffragist Memorial Association (TPSMA) on Tues., Mar. 25 from 5 to 8 PM at the Greene Turtle, 900 N. Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22203. The TPSMA is a volunteer group dedicated to honoring the lives of these courageous women who fought for the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment. The TPSMA seeks to raise awareness and funds to create a memorial that will reflect the strength of these women and the significance of their struggle. The memorial will be located (near the site of the original Occoquan Workhouse) in the Occoquan Regional Park, which is operated by the Northern Virginia Park Authority. The first "Suppers for Suffragists" is a fundraising event. A percentage of the night's profits will be donated to the TPSMA. Go to https://www.facebook.com/Suppers4suffragists or contact turningpoint@suffragistmemorial.org. To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/suppers-for-suffragists-fundraising-dinner-tickets-10702961847?ref=estw.

23] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 34th & North Charles Sts. Join this ongoing vigil. At the next vigil on Mar. 25, however there will be a commemoration of Fukushima from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. The tragic nuclear accident occurred March 11, 2011. Call Max at 410-366-1637.

24] – Hear Miko Peled on the Palestine/Israel Conflict on Tues., Mar. 25 from 7:30 to 9:30 PM at GMU Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA), 4400 University Dr., Fairfax, VA 22030. Peled, an Israeli peace activist and author, will be sharing his perspective on the Palestine/Israeli conflict. His lecture will be derived from his 2012 book, “The General's Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” an account of how he, "the son of an Israeli General and a staunch Zionist, came to realize that "the story upon which I was raised...was a lie." The book, he has said, is based largely on long conversations with his mother, on a thorough reading of "everything my dad had ever written," and on material about his father's career in the Israeli army archives. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1419922501592935/.

25] – Men and Women in War and Peace is available from Wed., Mar. 26 from 9 AM through Fri., Mar. 28 at 5 PM at U.S. Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave. NW. Men and women experience war differently, so it is essential to understand the dynamic impact of gender roles in conflict and post-conflict settings. Participants will practice applying a “gender lens” to peace processes and conflict prevention scenarios. Using a practical example of gender analysis and the inclusion of gender in peacebuilding, participants will apply a core set of gender analysis skills to a real-world scenario and develop their own action plans. Go to http://www.usip.org/events/men-and-women-in-war-and-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