Baltimore Activist Alert - July 14 - 16, 2014

34] Immigration crisis webinar – July 14
35] Solitary confinement – July 14
36] Pledge of Resistance/Fund Our Communities meeting – July 14
37] Role of Media in the Israeli-Palestinian Landscape – July 15
38] Philadelphia Peace Vigil – July 15
39] No Drone Research at JHU – July 15
40] Prayer vigil commemorating the Trinity test – July 15 - 16
41] Congressperson Keith Ellison will sign and discuss his book – July 15
42] Film “Killer of Sheep” – July 15
43] Re:Imagining Our Stories with Center for Story-Based Strategy – July 16
44] Health Impact Assessment Workshop – July 16

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34] – At 4 PM EST on Mon., July 14, join the Mennonite Central Committee’s Webinar on the Unaccompanied Children Humanitarian Crisis. Experts from Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Church World Service and the Jesuits will talk about root causes, current policy state of play as well as how we can respond both through service and advocacy. The call in number is 805-399-1000 code 104402. The link to the visual portion of the webinar will be sent out the morning of July 14th. RSVP at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dGpsTlBuM0tyQWNIVUdjbVV6ZG9GcVE6MQ.

35] – The ACLU of Maryland invites you to a discussion of solitary confinement on Mon., July 14 in Greenbelt. Long-term solitary confinement is cruel, expensive and ineffective. Isolation creates and exacerbates symptoms of mental illness in prisoners, undermining successful re-entry into society and jeopardizing public safety. Even through prisoners are deprived of liberty, they are still entitled to basic human rights.

The event is at the New Deal Cafe, 113 Centerway, Greenbelt, will begin at 6:30 PM with dinner, and the cost is $25 in advance, $30 at door, and $15 for students. The free discussion with Ajmel Quereshi, staff counsel at the ACLU National Prison Project, and Sonia Kumar, staff attorney at the ACLU of Maryland will follow at 7:30 PM. PURCHASE DINNER TICKETS at https://www.aclu.org/secure/md_new_deal_cafe_event?etname=MD_event_solitary_confinement_talk&etjid=1469594. Contact Meredith Curtis at curtis@aclu-md.org or call 410-889-8555 to RSVP for dinner. Checks, PayPal, or credit cards over the phone will be accepted. This event is co-hosted by the Prince George's and Montgomery County Chapters of the ACLU of Maryland. Go to www.aclu-md.org.

36] – 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., July 14. The proposed agenda will include the appeal of the conviction of the CIA Five, anti-drone activities, including the arrests at the NSA on May 3, and the prison sentence of Mary Anne Grady, the Cove Point rally in D.C., and the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Commemoration. Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski at verizon.net for directions.

37] – On Tues., July 15 from 4 to 5 PM (EST), Churches for Middle East Peace presents a national briefing for peace presentation by Suhad Babaa, who is the director of programming at Just Vision, titled “The Power of Your Attention: The Role of Media in the Israeli-Palestinian Landscape.” The dial-in number is 1-646-307-1300, and the access code is 693031.

38] – 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 St. & JFK Blvd., at the entrance to Tracks 3 and 4 on the mezzanine. The next vigil is July 15. Call 215-426-0364.

39] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 33rd & North Charles Sts. Join this ongoing vigil on July 15 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Call Max at 410-366-1637.

40] – Wednesday, July 16 marks the 69th Anniversary of the entrance into the human condition of murder by nuclear energy. At the Trinity Site in the New Mexico desert, the first atomic bomb in the history of the world was exploded. For the last 25 years on that day a prayer vigil has been held for twenty four consecutive hours (6 PM on July 15 to 6 PM on July 16). Consider praying for an end to nuclear weapons during this day. Contact Emmanuel Charles McCarthy at ecmecm4913@gmail.com.

41] – On Tues., July 15 from 6:30 to 8 PM, Congressperson Keith Ellison will sign and discuss "My Country 'Tis of Thee: My Family, My Faith, Our Future" at Busboys and Poets, 5th & K Sts. in the Cullen Room. The first Muslim to be elected to Congress speaks out about what divides U.S. citizens—and what can bring us together. As a former Catholic who converted to Islam, Ellison is the first Muslim elected to Congress—from a district with less than 1 percent Muslims and 11 percent Blacks. With his unique perspective on uniting a disparate community and speaking to a common goal, Ellison takes a provocative look at the United States and what needs to change to accommodate different races and beliefs.

42] – At 3222 11th St. NW, WDC, on Tues., July 15 from 7 to 9 PM, see the film “Killer of Sheep” (1979, 83 min), written and directed by Charles Burnett. Set in the Watts area of Los Angeles, a slaughterhouse worker must suspend his emotions to continue working at a job he finds repugnant, and then he finds he has little sensitivity for the family he works so hard to support. This experimental film is one of the most acclaimed films by an African-American filmmaker, with a style that has been compared to Italian neorealism. The discussion will be lead by Chris Rue, of DC Moving Pictures – a movie screening project dedicated to showcasing great movies and great filmmakers at local spaces in and around the District. Get https://www.facebook.com/events/245349902255673/.

43] – Join Bread for the City, Healthy Affordable Food for All, DC Place Matters & Service to Justice for the first workshop in a three part series called: Re:Imagining Our Stories with Center for Story-Based Strategy. The workshop will be held at Bread for the City SE Center, 1640 Good Hope Rd. on Wed., July 16 from noon to 2 PM. Certificates will be given for attendance at all three trainings. Bus tokens will be available. Contact Joni at 202-553-7248 or jpodschun@breadforthecity.org.

44] – On Wed., July 16 attend a Health Impact Assessment Workshop from 1:30 to 3:30 PM. The workshop will be at the Baltimore Community Foundation Conference Room, 2 East Read St., 8th floor, and can be used as a tool for policy-making and environmental health advocacy. This event is co-sponsored by Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility. RSVP to twhitehouse@psr.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