Baltimore Activist Alert - May 30 -June 1, 2014

34] Vigil for peace at White House – May 30
35] Vigil for Justice in Palestine – May 30
36] Myth and Rhetoric of the Turkish Model – May 30
37] Silent peace vigil – May 30
38] Trifecta Resista – May 30 – June 1
39] From the Streets to the Rooftops – May 30
40] Ballroom Dancing – May 30
41] D.C. Green Festival – May 31 – June 1
42] Olney Peace vigil – May 31
43] West Chester, PA demo – May 31
44] Charles Village Festival --- May 31 – June 1
45] Silent peace vigil – May 31
46] Remember John Patrick Judge – May 31
47] Stop the Drone War Command Center – May 31
48] Speak out against Cove Point – May 31
49] 3rd Annual Charm City LGBT Film Festival – May 31 – June 1
50] Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense -- May 31


34] – On Fri., May 30 from noon to 1 PM, join the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in a vigil urging the powers that be to abolish war and torture, to disarm all weapons, to end indefinite detention, to close Guantanamo, to establish justice for all and help create the Beloved Community! The vigil takes place at the White House on Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Contact Art @ artlaffin@hotmail.com or at 202-360-6416.

35] – A vigil for Justice in Palestine/Israel takes place every Friday from noon to 1 PM at 19th & JFK Blvd., Philadelphia, across from Israeli Consulate. It is sponsored by Bubbies & Zaydes (Grandparents) for Peace in the Middle East. Email cswartz@pil.net. Go to http://phillyjewishpeace.org/.

36] – Myth and Rhetoric of the Turkish Model: Changing Notions of Marginality in Turkey is the topic at the Elliot School, Voesar Conference Room, Suite 412, 1957 E St. NW on Fri., May 30 from 3 to 4:30 PM. Dr. Sengupta will discuss the Turkish Model or the Turkish Developmental Alternative, which was promoted in the Central Asian Republics immediately following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The Model emphasized the ideal of a "secular, democratic, liberal society" as a model for the post-Soviet Turkic world and in the process encouraged a "Turkic" rhetoric that emphasized connection between the two regions based on a common ancestry. This presentation questions the myth and rhetoric of a model that emerges in the face of transitions and recedes as alternatives emerge from within. See http://www.elliottschool.org/events/calendar.cfm?fuseaction=ViewMonthDetail&yr=2014&mon=5#2478.

37] – There is usually a silent peace vigil on Fridays, from 5 to 6 PM, outside the Cathedral of the Incarnation, University Parkway and St. Paul St. The vigil, sponsored by Homewood Friends and Stony Run Meetings, reminds us that War Is Not the Answer and that there is the need to stop torture. However, on May 23 the focus will be on closing Guantanamo.

38] – Join Trifecta Resista, 3 days, 3 sites, 3 issues. See www.Facebook.com/TrifectaResista orwww.PeaceWorksKC.org. From 5:30 PM on Fri., May 30, through Sun., June 1help create a climate of peace and resist a climate of fear. On Friday, the home base will be DeLaSalle Education Center, 3737 Troost, Kansas City, MO., where there will be a gathering for supper, training and input. On May 31, at 10 AM, call for a pardon for whistle-blower Chelsea Manning at Fort Leavenworth, where she’s serving a 35-year sentence. At 3 PM, resist the making of nuclear weapons parts and the resultant contaminants at Bannister Federal Complex in Kansas City. On Sunday resist drone warfare at the entry to Whiteman AFB near Knob Noster, MO. Gather at nearby Knob Noster State Park at noon before holding a rally from 1 to 3 PM. Participants will include three leaders of Voices for Creative Nonviolence: Kathy Kelly, Brian Terrell, and (from the UK) Maya Evans. RSVP to Peace Works-KC at 816-561-1181.

39] – From the Streets to the Rooftops: Resistance Past and Present will be examined at the New Community Church, 614 S St. NW on Fri., May 30 at 6 PM. This panel-discussion will showcase past and present efforts to fight displacement, with an emphasis on local struggles in DC. Panelists will use video, presentations, and storytelling to give insights into their organizing successes and lessons. Go to http://www.onedconline.org/resistance_past_present.

40] – There is an opportunity to participate in ballroom dancing, usually every Friday of the month, in the JHU ROTC Bldg. at 8 PM. Turn south on San Martin Dr. from the intersection of Univ. Parkway and 39th St. Drive on campus by taking the third left turn. The next dance will be May 30. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.

41] – Get over to the D.C. Green Festival on Sat., May 31 & Sun., June 1 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt Vernon Pl. NW, WDC 20001. This is Green Festival's ten-year anniversary in D.C., with hundreds of the country's premier green businesses and organizations under one roof. Order your tickets at www.greenfestivals.org. Inspiring speakers will include Alisa Gravitz, Amy Goodman, Washington Post food editor Joe Yonan, and Justen Garrity of Veteran Compost. Local fermentation experts "Number 1 Sons" will bring vegetables from the Dupont Circle FRESHFARM Market to create a special Green Festival pickle.

And at the Green America booth, campaigns director Elizabeth O'Connell will hold special screenings of "Who Pays the Price? The Human Cost of Electronics," the film behind a new campaign to stop Smartphone sweatshops. You'll find organic food and drink, live music and performances, green fashion shows, a yoga pavilion, fun activities in the Green Kids' Zone, and more.

42] – Friends House, 17715 Meeting House Rd., Sandy Spring, MD 20860, hosts a peace vigil every Saturday, 10:30 to 11:30 AM, on the corner of Rt. 108 and Georgia Ave. [Route 97] in Olney, MD. The next vigil is May 31. Call Chuck Harker at 301-570-7167.

43] – Each Saturday, 11 AM – 1 PM, Chester County Peace Movement holds a peace vigil in West Chester in front of the Chester County Courthouse, High & Market Sts. Go to www.ccpeace.org. Email ccpeacemovement@aol.com.

44] – The 18th Annual Charles Village Festival will be held Sat., May 31 and Sun., June 1 at the Wyman Park Dell, Charles and 29th Sts., Baltimore. Max will be there selling books, buttons, bumperstickers, vinyl, videos, DVDs and CDs. Email mobuszewski at Verizon.net or call 410-366-1637.

45] – There will be a peace vigil on the West Lawn of the Capitol at noon on Sat., May 31. Look for the blue banner with the message, "Seek Peace and Pursue It.--Psalms 34:14." The vigil lasts one hour and is silent except when one responds to the occasional questions. Go to http://www.quaker.org/langleyhill/seekpeace.htm or email seekpeacevigil@yahoo.com.

46] – Remember John Patrick Judge, who passed at the age of 66, just as he had lived – with courage in the midst of pain. An internationally acclaimed researcher, writer and speaker, as well as a lifelong anti-militarist anti-racist activist, and community organizer, Judge died on April 15 due to complications from a stroke suffered in early March. He will be remembered at the National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW on Sat., May 31 at 1 PM. REMARKS will be made by Philip Fornaci, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Patti Ambers Crawford, Paul Magno, Patrick Elder, David Ratcliffe and others; and musical tributes will be performed by Richard Ochs, Barry Kissin and others. RSVP to Marilyn Tenenoff at marigoldediting@yahoo.com.

47] – What if it was YOUR CHILD killed in a drone strike? Stop the PA Drone War Command Center at the Horsham Air Guard Station, Route #611/Easton Road & County Line Road, Horsham, Montgomery County, PA. The demonstration takes place on the last Saturday of the Month. The next demo is on Sat., May 31, noon to 2 PM. Stand-up, Speak-Out, Continue the Demand! It is your choice: Schools or Million$ for PA Drone War Command Center. Contact the Brandywine Peace Community at 610-544-1818 or http://www.brandywinepeace.com/events/.

48] – On Sat., May 31 from 1 to 6 PM, speak out against Cove Point at Patuxent High School, 12485 Southern Connector Blvd, Lusby, MD. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released its draft Environmental Assessment of the proposed liquefied natural gas export facility at Cove Point. We know that the facility would endanger communities, increase climate pollution, and drive "fracking" for natural gas across Maryland, but — incredibly — the assessment finds that the mammoth project would have no "significant" impacts on the environment or human health. Testifying will be a key way to show FERC the widespread, deep opposition to Dominion's fracked gas export plan. Email jon@chesapeakeclimate.org.

49] – As part of the 3rd Annual Charm City LGBT Film Festival at the Creative Alliance at The Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave., Baltimore 21224, on Sat., May 31 at 4 PM see a film “Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia.” The cost is $12, but members get in for $7. Director Nicholas Wrathall did this 2013 documentary, 89 mins., about a 20th century figure who had a profound effect on literature, film, politics, historical debate, and the culture wars. Anchored by intimate one-on-one interviews with the man himself, this film is a fascinating and wholly entertaining portrait of the last lion of the age of American liberalism. Commentary by those who knew him best blends with footage from Vidal's legendary on-air career to remind us why he will forever stand as one of the most brilliant and fearless critics of our time. Gore Vidal's professional life spans more than 50 years of American politics and letters. Email info@creativealliance.org.

As part of the 3rd Annual Charm City LGBT Film Festival at the Creative Alliance at The Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave., Baltimore 21224, on Sun., June 1 at 4 PM see a film "Fire in the Blood." The cost is $12, but members get in for $7. This intricate tale of "medicine, monopoly and malice" tells the story of how Western pharmaceutical companies and governments aggressively blocked access to affordable AIDS drugs for the countries of Africa and the global south in the years after 1996 - causing 10 million or more unnecessary deaths. The director of this 2013 film, 87 mins., is Dylan Mohan Gray from India. It is also the inspiring story of the improbable group of people who decided to fight back. Shot on four continents and including contributions from global figures such as President Bill Clinton, Bishop Desmond Tutu and economist Joseph Stiglitz, this film is the never-before-told true story of the remarkable coalition which came together to stop 'the Corporate Crime of the Century' and save millions of lives. Email info@creativealliance.org.

50] – On Sat., May 31 at 8 PM, join Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America in Kensington for a house party in Montgomery County! Learn how you can be a part of this incredible movement of women bringing about real gun sense! It’s also a great opportunity to get to know other women in the chapter. RSVP to maryland@momsdemandaction.org for more details.

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