Baltimore Activist Alert - June 24 - Aug. 10, 2014

39] Support the ERA – July 24
40] Remember the Nigerian school girls – July 24
41] BDS talk – July 24
42] Baltimore supports the Palestinians – July 24
43] Howard County supports the Palestinians – July 24
44] New Story Leadership presentation – July 24
45] Dave Zirin at Red Emma’s – July 24
46] Vigil for peace at White House – July 25
47] Vigil for Justice in Palestine – July 25
48] Support the children – July 25
49] International Day of Quds – July 25
50] Silent peace vigil – July 25
51] Ballroom Dancing – July 25
52] Peace between North & South Korea – July 26
53] Olney Peace vigil – July 26
54] West Chester, PA demo – July 26
55] Silent peace vigil – July 26
56] Protest at proposed drone base – July 26
57] Hiroshima-Nagasaki Commemoration – August 6 & 9
58] Save the date! - Aug. 10
59] Ronda Cooperstein on social media
60] Sign up with Washington Peace Center
61] Join Fund Our Communities
62] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records
63] Do you need any book shelves or file cabinets?
64] Join Global Zero campaign
65] War Is Not the Answer signs for sale
66] Join Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil
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39] –Rally with Progressive Democrats of America, ERA legislation sponsors Reps. Jackie Speier and Carolyn Maloney, and other civil rights / equal rights activists on Thurs., July 24 from 9 to 10:30 AM in front of the Supreme Court, 1 First St. NE, WDC 20543. The closest Metro stops are Union Station (Red Line) and Capitol South (Blue/Orange Lines). The rally will support the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) legislation.

We're getting closer and closer to full legal and economic equality! PDA organizers and allies achieved historic breakthroughs in Illinois and Virginia, pushing for successful ERA ratification votes in one house of their state legislature. Illinois is poised to become the first state in decades to ratify the ERA, meaning only two more states would be needed for ratification! Today, women and girls--and in some circumstances men and boys--lack basic protections against discrimination on account of sex. Therefore, Progressive Democrats of America and coalition allies call upon the Congress of the United States to issue a Declaration of Equality by quickly passing Senate Joint Resolution 15 and House Joint Resolution 113 to remove the time limit for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and facilitate ratification by 3 additional states. We the women and men of America need the Equal Rights Amendment to guarantee equal protection under law and constitutional defense against discrimination on account of sex. Go to http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1987/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=1290137. It states: Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

40] – Get over to the Nigerian Embassy, 3519 International Ct. NW on Thurs., July 24 at noon for a 100-day rally to honor the over 220 school girls who were kidnapped and are still being held by terrorists. Wear red and bring home-made signs if you can. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1494674324103516.

41] –The 2005 call from Palestine Civil Society for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel has gained unprecedented momentum within the international community in recent years. Since 2005, universities, academic groups, banks and faith based organizations have all joined the BDS movement. On Thurs., July 24 from 1to 2 PM at The Palestine Center, 2425 Virginia Ave. NW, Lena Ibrahim and Andrew Kadi will provide personal testimony why a grassroots BDS movement in solidarity with Palestinian Civil Society is a new means by which people can put pressure on the U.S., Israel, and the international community to achieve justice in Palestine. This comes in light of yet another failed state-sponsored peace process and escalation of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

This is the first installment of the Summer Intern Lecture Series, titled "Palestine Abroad: The Role of the International Community in the Palestinian Issue.” Call 202.338.1290.

42] –Support the Palestinians on Thurs., July 24 from 5:30 to 7 PM at 33rd and St. Paul St. The Israeli assault on Gaza has left more than 500 people dead. The killing is entering its third week, so come out to demonstrate to show Baltimore stands in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.

43] – Join the Committee for Palestinian Rights and be at a vigil to protest this atrocious war that has rapidly taken so many civilian lives. Meet at Broken Land Pkwy. and Little Patuxent Pkwy., on Thurs., July 24 at 5:30 PM. Bring signs and join Howard County Peace Action.

44] – On Thurs., July 24 from 6 to 8 PM at the Ritz Carlton, 1150 22nd St. NW, the New Story Leadership will present its class of 2014, featuring inspiring presentations from young leaders from Israel and Palestine who are living and working together this summer in Washington, D.C. Young voices throughout the world have decisively spoken up for change, demanding new leadership, greater freedom and the right to choose their own futures. Now the young generation in the Israeli - Palestinian conflict zone also wants to act for change, and to engage you in this new conversation by sharing their stories and their hopes for peace. These narratives demonstrate what this emerging generation of young leaders from the Middle East is doing about their future and the future of their region. There will be a reception afterwards. RSVP at nikki@newstoryleadership.org.

45] – On Thurs., July 24 at 7:30 PM @ Red Emma's Bookstore Cafe, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, Dave Zirin will present the theme of his book “Brazil's Dance with the Devil, The World Cup, the Olympics, and the Struggle for Democracy. The people of Brazil celebrated when it was announced that they were hosting the World Cup and Olympics. This caused large protests the country hadn't seen in decades. This book, relying on field work from the most dangerous corners of Rio to the halls of power in Washington, D.C. examines how sports and politics have collided in spectacular fashion. Call 443-602-7585. Go to http://www.redemmas.org.

46] – On Fri., July 25 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.

47] – 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/.

48] – On Fri., July 25at 3 PM, the presidents of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras will be meeting with President Obama and Vice-President Biden at the White House to discuss the dire situation facing refugee children. Join together to call on Obama to uphold and defend the legal rights of children, ensure that families can be reunited and protected here in the U.S., and to take responsibility for U.S. economic and military policies in Mexico and Central America that helped create this crisis.

Join the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, the Guatemala Human Rights Commission, the Central American Resource Center, Sisters of Mercy-Institute Justice Team, School of the Americas Watch and other allies at the White House. Contact Alexis at 202-521-2510 ext. 205 or alexis@cispes.org.

49] – On International Day of Quds, people of conscience gather to express solidarity with all the oppressed human beings of the world, and particularly the innocent civilians of Palestine who are victimized by the oppressive and racist Zionist regime. All peace loving people are invited to voice their opposition to the unjust and illegal occupation of the great Al-Aqsa Mosque and the usurpation of the Holy Land by the Zionist regime. March from the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C. at 3:15 PM on Fri, July 25. Proceed down Massachusetts Ave. to Dupont Circle where the rally will take place. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1441072739503951/.

50] – 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 July 25 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.

51] – 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 July 25. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.

52] – At the Foundry, 16th and P Sts. NW on Sat., July 26 from 10 AM to 12:30 PM, Washington-area United Methodist churches, including several Korean-American congregations, will be uniting to sponsor a march and rally in Lafayette Square. Clergy leaders bringing this vigil together include Mark Harrison of the UMC Greater Board of Church & Society, Rev. We, representing the Korean congregations, and Rev Ben Roberts of Foundry UMC are among the clergy leaders of this vigil. The march will proceed from Foundry to Lafayette Square, at 10 AM, and the peace vigil will begin at 11 AM. The vigil will feature prayers for peace, cultural performances, and several speakers on the topic of Reconciliation between the Koreas. Contact Ann Wilcox at 202-441-3265 or at Ann1Wilcox@gmail.com.

53] – 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 July 26. Call Chuck Harker at 301-570-7167.

54] – 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.

55] – There will be a peace vigil on the West Lawn of the Capitol at noon on Sat., July 26. 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.

56] – Stand against U.S. military action in Iraq and the engulfing fires of war...the threat of air strikes and drone attacks commanded from the continental U.S. and sites like the one being established in Horsham, PA. Iraq is on the brink of drone strikes. Don't add fuel to the fires in Iraq! Stand against the drone war command center in Horsham as each day brings us closer to it being fully 'operational': remote controlled killing. Is this what we've become? NO! We can do better.

Demonstrate to Stop the Drone War Command Center at the Horsham Air Guard Station on Sat., July 26 from noon to 2 PM at Route 611/Easton Road and County Line Road, Horsham, PA. The vigil takes place on the last Saturday of the month. This month do a 'DIE-IN' (people fall to the ground and lie motionless) in symbolic witness, demonstrating the consequence of U.S. drone strikes and the worldwide whirlwind of violence and war. Bring a stuffed toy doll for a memorial to the innocents killed in Gaza, Iraq, drone strikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen. The U.S. Senate voted 100 - 0 to support Israel's invasion of Gaza - a week earlier the House of Representatives passed a similar resolution. Unconditional US support, and the U.S.'s $3 billion in military aid each year, makes Israel's attack on Gaza possible. Brandywine Peace Community can be reached at 610-544-1818 or http://www.brandywinepeace.com.

57] – For the 30th year, the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Commemoration Committee will gather to remember the atomic bombings of Japan on August 6 & 9, 1945, which killed more than 200,000 people. Other organizations involved in this year’s commemorations are the Baltimore Quaker Peace and Justice Committee of Homewood and Stony Run Meetings, Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility, Crabshell Alliance and the Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore.

It is our duty to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used again and that nuclear abolition becomes reality. Taking this to heart, members of the Transform Now Plowshares, Sister Megan Rice, Greg Boertje-Obed and Michael Walli, are in federal prisons serving long sentences for their May 2013 disarmament action at the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex in Knoxville, TN.

On Wed., Aug. 6, gather at 33rd and N. Charles Streets from 5:30 to 6:30 PM to protest Johns Hopkins University’s weapons research, including a swarming drones contract, and call for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the closing of nuclear power plants. Then go to the Bufano Sculpture Garden on Johns Hopkins Homewood campus, where the Hibakusha, survivors of an atomic bomb explosion, will speak. The guests are Mr. Toshiyuki Mimaki, Hiroshima Hibakusha born March 15, 1942 and vice president of Hiroshima Prefectural Hidankyo, and Ms. Fumie Kakita, Nagasaki second-generation Hibakusha born October 12, 1953, who is the assistant secretary general of Nagasaki Council of A-bomb Sufferers. Then enjoy dinner at Niwana Restaurant, 3 East 33rd Street.

On Sat., Aug. 9, starting at 5 PM, there will be a potluck dinner at Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St. At 6:30 PM, the Baltimore Labor Chorus will perform. Then Meher Hans, a high student will explain her concern for the atomic bombings of Japan, and Tim Whitehouse, executive direct of the Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility, will discuss the activities of the local PSR chapter. Finally, participants will share through verse, poetry or song why s/he is moved to dissent against nuclear weapons and power and killer drone strikes.

On Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, we welcome performances by musicians and poets. Let us know if you will perform. Call Max at 410-366-1637 or email him at mobuszewski at Verizon.net.

58] – SAVE THE DATE!!!!! Get over to "Family Fun" night to raise funds for Dr. Mutulu Skakur and the development of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to free our Political Prisoners/Prisoners of War. It will take place at Skateland North Point, 1113 Old North Point Rd., Baltimore 21222, on Sun., Aug. 10 from 4:30 to 7:30 PM. Admission is $10 which includes skate rental. Contact Abdul-Jabbar at 610.621.0699 (Maryland State Jericho). Go to http://mutulushakur.com/site/.

59] -- Ronda Cooperstein has taken to social media, and is recording her opinion pieces on You Tube. Check out her latest essay - THE WASHINGTON POST WITH TOAST: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ffj-Scno-5Q.

60] -- The Washington Peace Center has a progressive calendar & activist alert! Consider signing up to receive its weekly email: info@washingtonpeacecenter.org.

61] -- Fund Our Communities campaign is a grass roots movement to get support from local organizations and communities to work together with their local and state elected officials to pressure Congresspersons and senators to join with Congresspersons Barney Frank and Ron Paul, who have endorsed a 25% cut to the federal military budget. Bring home the savings to state and county governments to meet the local needs which are under tremendous budget pressures. Go to www.OurFunds.org.

62] -- If you would like to get rid of books, videos, DVDs or records, contact Max at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.

63] -- Can you use any book shelves? Can you use any file cabinets? Contact Max at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.

64] -- Join an extraordinary global campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons: http://www.globalzero.org/sign-declaration. A growing group of leaders around the world is calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons and a majority of the global public agrees. This is an historic window of opportunity. With momentum already building in favor of Zero, a major show of support from people around the world could tip the balance. When it comes to nuclear weapons, one is one too many.

65] -- WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER signs from Friends Committee on National Legislation are again for sale at $5. To purchase a sign, call Max at 410-366-1637.

66] – A Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil takes place every day in Lafayette Park, 1601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 24 hours a day, since June 3, 1981. Go to http://prop1.org; call 202-682-4282.

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/.

"One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible. It may or may not be possible to turn the US around through nonviolent revolution. But one thing favors such an attempt: the total inability of violence to change anything for the better" - Daniel Berrigan