Baltimore Activist Alert May 5 – May 11, 2014

Baltimore Activist Alert May 5 – May 11, 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] Human, Soul & Machine: The Coming Singularity – through Aug. 31
6] Marc Steiner on WEAA – May 5 – May 9
7] Interfaith Immigration Coalition webinar – May 5
8] Film "La Source" – May 5
9] Meet the Progressive Neighbors' endorsed candidates – May 5
10] Pledge of Resistance/Fund Our Communities meeting – May 5
11] 2014 Hate Crimes Summit – May 6
12] Wage Theft Rally – May 6
13] Celebration of the People for Fairness Coalition – May 6
14] Hisham B. Sharabi Memorial Lecture – May 5
15] Philadelphia Peace Vigil – May 6
16] "No Drone Research at JHU" – May 6
17] Documentary “The Truth About Our Kids” – May 6
18] Hatha Yoga class at Shanti Yoga Ashram – May 6
19] Catch the “Irreplaceable” film screening – May 6
20] “Citizen Strangers: Palestinians and the Birth of Israel’s Liberal Settler State” – May 6
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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] – 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.

6] – 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.

7] – On Mon., May 5 at 4 PM, What can the Obama administration do for immigrants? RSVP for the Interfaith Immigration Coalition webinar at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGpsTlBuM0tyQWNIVUdjbVV6ZG9GcVE6MQ#gid=0. The call-in number is 805-399-1000, and the code is 104402. Every day, on average, more than 1,000 individuals are deported from U.S. The Obama administration has the authority to change deportation policies and provide relief, similar to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, for a greater number of our undocumented community members.

8] – See the film "La Source" on Mon., May 5 from 7 to 9 PM at University of Maryland, 1104 South Campus Commons, Building 1, College Park. Beyond the Classroom is doing a film series. This film, narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda, Crash), tells the uplifting story of Josue Lajeunesse, a Haitian Princeton janitor who returns to his country after the devastating 2010 earthquake to revive his lifelong dream to bring what is most fundamental to his village’s survival; clean water. See https://www.facebook.com/events/list.

9] – Meet the Progressive Neighbors' endorsed candidates – for State General Assembly, County Council and Executive, Board of Education, and more on MON., MAY 5 at 7 PM at the SILVER SPRING CIVIC BUILDING, One Veterans Plaza – Fenton and Ellsworth. Enjoy opening remarks by State Senator JAMIE RASKIN (District 20) and County Councilmember MARC ELRICH who will speak on “A Progressive Vision for Montgomery County After the June 24th Primary.” Progressive Neighbors' endorsements for the June 2014 primaries can be viewed at www.progressiveneighborsmd.org/2014_june_primary_endorsements. Its web site is www.progressiveneighborsmd.org. Call 301-587-5559 or email pn4change@gmail.com.

10] – 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., May 5. The proposed agenda will include a report on the appeal of conviction of the CIA Five, anti-drone activities, including the Spring Actions, the May 3 demo at the NSA and the Wedding at the White House and the May Day demo. Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski at verizon.net for directions.

11] – On Tues., May 6 from 8 AM to 3:30 PM, the 2014 Hate Crimes Summit will be sponsored by the Maryland Coalition Opposed to Violence and Extremism (COVE) in cooperation with several co-sponsoring organizations. The summit will present the statewide “Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide – Mass Violence in Public Places” at the Towson University West Village Commons Building, 424 Emerson Drive, Towson 21252.

The Coalition Opposed to Violence and Extremism, (COVE), was established in 1979 as an alliance of public and private civil rights organizations, law enforcement, religious, human relations, and educational organizations in Maryland and the Washington, DC area. The Summit registration fee of $35 includes two meals, materials, and free parking at Towson’s West Village Garage. (A special promotional offer exists for first responders and students currently enrolled in related college majors.) Register online at http://hatecrimessummit.eventbrite.com.

Kai Jackson, National Correspondent for Sinclair Broadcasting WJLA-TV, (formerly of WJZ-TV), will serve as Master of Ceremony at the event. The 2014 Hate Summit Keynote Speaker will be Kristina Anderson, who was wounded but survived the Virginia Tech University massacre, while thirty-two other students and faculty lost their lives. Chief William McMahon, Howard County Police Department will lead the Afternoon Plenary Session in an in depth discussion of lessons learned from the recent Columbia Mall shootings.

12] – Join the Wage Theft Rally on Tues., May 6 at 9 AM at John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Everyone deserves fair pay for a day’s work! Workers in the District are organizing and fighting back against the all too common practice of wage theft. After months of hard work, there is a first vote on a bill before the city council, called the Wage Theft Prevention Act which will strengthen protections against wage theft in the city. Chamber lobbyists have come out in strong opposition to the bill, and will be fighting to weaken the bill. Join workers and allies for a rally in front of the D.C. Council before going inside for the first vote on the Wage Theft Prevention Act. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/234122366783297/.

13] – Be at the 6th Year Anniversary and Celebration of The People for Fairness Coalition on Tues., May 6 from noon to 1 PM at Miriam's Kitchen, 2401 Virginia Ave. NW. Over the last 6 years The People for Fairness Coalition has been striving to end homelessness through Advocacy and Peer Mentoring Outreach. Since 2008, they have seen tremendous success as well as daunting defeats but we still fill the gaps, plug the holes and demand the best case situation out of the worst case scenario. They will continue to press the button, dig the ditch and spin the wheel until homelessness ends, but they need your help to broaden their work, build new platforms and strategize for the future. RSVP to Albert Townsend alberttownsend@ymail.com.

14] – Hear the Hisham B. Sharabi Memorial Lecture with Ambassador Clovis Maksoud on Tues., May 6 from 12:30 to 2 PM at The Jerusalem Fund, 2425 Virginia Ave. NW. Ambassador Clovis Maksoud will discuss the life and work of Hisham Sharabi, his dedication to precision, and will also address how he believes Sharabi would view the current state of the question of Palestine and the broader Middle East today. An RSVP is required: http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/.
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 May 6. Call 215-426-0364.

16] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 33rd & North Charles Sts. Join this ongoing vigil on May 6 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Call Max at 410-366-1637.

17] – On Tues., May 6 from 7 to 9 PM at the Silver Spring Civic Center, Just Kids presents an original documentary “The Truth About Our Kids,” which examines Maryland's practice of automatically charging youths as adults through the experience of four individuals who have experienced this practice. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with experts in juvenile justice. Admission is free and refreshments will be provided. The Truth About Our Youth was produced by Just Kids, produced, filmed, and directed by the Megaphone Project, and is supported in part, by a grant from Open Society Institute-Baltimore. Reserve a seat at http://justkidsmaryland.org/events/.

18] – You are invited to join a new Hatha Yoga class at Shanti Yoga Ashram, starting this Tues., May 6. The class will meet from 7 to 8:15 PM each Tuesday until June 10. Drop-ins are welcome, but registration is encouraged at shantiyoga2@earthlink.net. The pre-registered fee is $66. The class meets at 4217 East West Hwy., Bethesda 20814.

19] – Catch the “Irreplaceable” film screening on Tues., May 6 at 7:30 PM at the AMC Mazza Gallerie 7, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Join host and executive director of Focus on the Family, Tim Sisarich as he meets with experts from around the globe to define the concept of family and determine if family is still meaningful in modern society. On the journey he hopes to discover why all humans have a yearning to be part of a family and looks at the forces that can contribute to its breakdown. Additionally, this compelling documentary will include a panel discussion who will investigate the implications family has for all of humanity. Go to http://www.fathomevents.com/event/irreplaceable/more-info/theater-locations.

20] – Shira Robinson presents “Citizen Strangers: Palestinians and the Birth of Israel’s Liberal Settler State” on Tues., May 6 at 7:30 PM at Red Emma's, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201. Discuss the historical dimensions of the Israel/Palestine relationship with a local author who is an associate professor of history and international affairs at George Washington University. Following the 1948 war and the creation of the state of Israel, Palestinian Arabs comprised just fifteen percent of the population but held a much larger portion of its territory. Offered immediate suffrage rights and, in time, citizenship status, they nonetheless found their movement, employment, and civil rights restricted by a draconian military government put in place to facilitate the colonization of their lands. Citizen Strangers traces how Jewish leaders struggled to advance their historic settler project while forced by new international human rights norms to share political power with the very people they sought to uproot.

For the next two decades Palestinians held a paradoxical status in Israel, as citizens of a formally liberal state and subjects of a colonial regime. Neither the state campaign to reduce the size of the Palestinian population nor the formulation of citizenship as a tool of collective exclusion could resolve the government's fundamental dilemma: how to bind indigenous Arab voters to the state while denying them access to its resources. More confounding was the tension between the opposing aspirations of Palestinian political activists. Was it the end of Jewish privilege they were after, or national independence along with the rest of their compatriots in exile? As Shira Robinson shows, these tensions in the state's foundation—between privilege and equality, separatism and inclusion—continue to haunt Israeli society today. Call 410-230-0450. Go to http://www.redemmas.org.

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