Baltimore Activist Alert November 16 – 18, 2014

Baltimore Activist Alert November 16 – 18, 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] Can you donate a kidney?
6] Gather at McKeldin Square when decision is made in Michael Brown case
7] Thriving Changemakers Summit – Nov. 16
8] BES discussion on BNotes – Nov. 16
9] Peace and Pancakes – Nov. 16
10] Restorative Justice – Nov. 16
11] Get Money Out of Maryland meeting – Nov. 16
12] Book talk “Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of a Revolution” – Nov. 16
13] Film THE RIVER THAT HARMS – Nov. 16
14] Film THE SQUARE – Nov. 16
15] Colonial Jerusalem -- Nov. 16
16] Pentagon Vigil – Nov. 17
17] Crises in foreign policy – Nov. 17
18] Israel/Palestine -- Nov. 17
19] Marc Steiner on WEAA – Nov. 17 – 21
20] Book talk “In the City of Gold and Silver” – Nov. 17
21] AU divest – Nov. 17
22] Demobilizations in Colombia – Nov. 17
23] Stop Tahoe Resources – Nov. 17
24] Film "The Revolutionary Optimists" – Nov. 17
25] Nicaragua Today – Nov. 17
26] Pledge/FOC meeting – Nov. 17
27] Housing for All – Nov.18

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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 Francine Sheppard at 5639B, Harpers Farm Rd., Columbia 21044. The coffee will arrive some time the following week and you will be notified where to pick it up. Contact Francine at 410-992-7679 or FrancineMSW@aol.com.

5] – A relative – or sort of relative – of the Berrigans by the name of Michael Moore has an ex-wife suffering from renal failure and is on dialysis four times each day. Her only hope is to receive a kidney from a donor. Her name is Mary Ann Nowak, and she can be reached at 760-632-5462 or by email at bunnykimhm@hotmail.com. Anyone willing to be tested or who has already been tested and is able to donate a kidney would give new life to this woman. Many thanks for any and all consideration you can give. Thanks for reading, for caring, for considering--Liz McAlister.

6] - At McKeldin Square, Light & Pratt Sts., Baltimore, from 4 to 6 PM, there will be an immediate response protest when the Ferguson Grand Jury makes its decision whether to indict Darren Wilson in the murder of Michael Brown. Please note that the date on this event may not be the day that the Grand Jury comes out with a decision. Sign up and stay tuned. Indict Darren Wilson -- End Police Terror from Baltimore to Ferguson. https://www.facebook.com/events/1540153256197483/?ref=6&ref_notif_type=plan_user_invited.

7] - The Thriving Changemakers Summit continues through Sun., Nov. 16 at 2 PM at the New Organizing Institute, 1133 19th St. NW, Suite 850, WDC. This transformational leadership training will give tools and skills to bring clear vision, focused action, and greater fulfillment for those who work for social change — and to empower others to do the same. See http://coachingforsocialchange.org/summit/.

8] - Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 306 W. Franklin St., Suite 102, Baltimore 21201-4661, meets on Sundays, and generally there is a speaker and discussion from 10:30 AM to noon. On Sun., Nov. 16, hear “Fostering Economic Justice In An Unjust World” by Jeff Dicken, founder and chair, Baltimore Green Currency Association. In this time of rising inequality and the commercialization of human interaction, how can we recapture and defend our humanity? One step toward greater equality came when the Baltimore Green Currency Association established the BNote as a local, complementary currency that helps level the economic playing field between independent local businesses and national chains. Over 220 Baltimore businesses accept the BNote, with over 35,000 BNotes in circulation. Can efforts at localization and the introduction of a neutral local currency, such as the BNote, help us take greater control of our own economy? We will explore the true nature of money and the high value of keeping our purchasing local to the greatest extent possible. Call 410-581-2322 or email ask@bmorethical.org.

9] - Join the Kadampa Meditation Center for Peace and Pancakes on Sundays at 10:30 AM at KMC Maryland, 2937 North Charles St. All are invited to participate in guided meditation and chant praying for world peace. There will be a talk based on Buddhist thought followed by brunch. Call 410- 243-3837. Brunch is $5.

10] – At the Perry School, 128 M St. NW, WDC, on Sun., Nov. 16 from 1:30 to 5:30 PM, the DC Peace Team is hosting an intro. training on restorative justice. This event is open to the public and anyone wanting to learn more about restorative justice is warmly welcomed. Donation request is $15-$40 sliding scale, though no one will be turned away. This is an interactive workshop led by energetic trainers with years of experience as both practitioners and scholars in the field. The facilitators are Matthew Johnson, currently the Director of Programs at the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County (http://www.crcmc.org), and Agnetha Hansgardh, who has worked with the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County since 2008, most notably as the Director of the Youth Restorative Justice Initiative (YRJI) and its Community Conferencing, In-School Mediation, and Dialogue Circle programs. See http://washingtonpeacecenter.org/node/13427. Contact Eli McCarthy at eli_trinity@hotmail.com or 510-717-8867.

11] – Get Money Out of Maryland founding meeting in Western Maryland is happening on Sun., Nov. 16 from 2 to 4 PM at the Frederick County Library, C. Burr Artz Trust Conference Room, 110 E. Patrick St., Frederick 21701. The C. Burr Artz Public Library does not promote or endorse the views of the meeting sponsor or presenters. Contact Bill Conner at annapolis13315 {at} gmail.com. Go to http://www.getmoneyoutmd.org/.

12] -- In the party room of the Garfield Building, 5410 Connecticut Ave. NW, WDC, on Sun., Nov. 16 at 6 PM, catch the book talk “Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of a Revolution” by Mary Gabriel, which was nominated for a National Book Award. A Washington Post reviewer called it “a thrilling story, heroically researched, with passages on every page so startling, exact, moving or perceptive that I wanted to quote them all.” This is biography from below — telling the life and career of Karl Marx from the perspective of his wife and children and putting the history of Marxism in the contexts of a family history. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/279937542206700/?ref=6&ref_notif_type=plan_user_invited.

13] -- Enjoy a film screening & discussion about uranium mining. The discussion will include experts and activists fighting the Nuclear Fuel Chain from Cradle to Grave. What can we learn from the history and what is at stake with uranium at this moment? On Sun., Nov. 16 from 7 to 9 PM at Busboys & Poets, 5th & K Sts, 1025 5th St. NW, WDC 20001, see the film "The River That Harms" (Dir. Colleen Keane, 45 mins, 1987, United States). Use the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro. Donations are greatly appreciated to support anti-uranium activism on the ground!

This film documents the largest radioactive waste spill in U.S. history - a national tragedy that occurred on Diné (Navajo) lands that received little attention. With the sound of a thunderclap, 94 million gallons of radioactive waste broke through a United Nuclear Corporation storage dam in 1979 and poured into New Mexico's Puerco River, the main water supply for the Diné people and a tributary of the major source of water for Los Angeles, California. To the Diné people, this event impacted their lands, their health and their economy and sends a prophetic warning for all humanity.

The evening is co-sponsored by Beyond Nuclear, Nuclear Information & Resource Service, Diné No Nukes, sloths against nuclear state, and Physicians for Social Responsibility. Contact Kevin Kamps at kevin@beyondnuclear.org or 240-462-3216. See www.busboysandpoets.com.

14] – At the Angelika Theater, 550 Penn St. NE, WDC, on Sun., Nov. 16 from 7 to 9:30 PM, Fusion: RiseUp presents a special screening of THE SQUARE followed by a conversation with producer Karim Amer. The Egyptian Revolution has been an ongoing rollercoaster over the past two and a half years. Through the news, we only get a glimpse of the bloodiest battle, an election, or a million man march. At the beginning of July 2013, we witnessed the second president deposed within the space of three years. THE SQUARE is an immersive experience, transporting the viewer deeply into the intense emotional drama and personal stories behind the news. It is the inspirational story of young people claiming their rights, struggling through multiple forces, in the fight to create a society of conscience. Email avalon@prcollaborative.com.

15] – On Sun., Nov. 16 at 7:30 PM @ Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, catch Thomas Abowd talk about his book “Colonial Jerusalem: The Spatial Construction of Identity and Difference in a City of Myth - 1948-2012.” The book explores a vibrant urban center at the core of the contemporary Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and shows how colonialism, far from being simply a fixture of the past as is often suggested, remains a crucial component of Palestinian and Israeli realities today. “Colonial Jerusalem” illuminates everyday life under Israel’s several decades’ long military occupation, a brutal form of rule defined by Apartheid-like processes and conditions similar to the former South Africa. It examines how both national communities are progressively divided by walls, checkpoints, and separate road networks in one of the most segregated cities in the world. Drawing upon recent theories on racial politics, colonialism, and urban spatial dynamics, Colonial Jerusalem analyzes the politics of myth, history, and memory across an urban landscape integral to the national cosmologies of both Palestinians and Israelis. However, the book insists on detailing the disparities of power between a US-backed and armed Israeli state and the stateless and colonized Palestinians. Call 443-602-7585. Go to http://www.redemmas.org.

16] -- There is a weekly Pentagon Peace Vigil from 7 to 8 AM on Mondays, since 1987, outside the Pentagon Metro stop. The next vigil is Mon., Nov. 17, and it is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker. Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649. The vigil will be outside the Pentagon's south Metro entrance and in the designated "protest zone" behind bicycle fences across from the entrance to the Metro. By Metro, take Yellow Line and get out at the "Pentagon" stop. Do not go to the Pentagon City stop! Go up south escalators and turn left and walk across to protest area. By car from D.C. area, take 395 South and get off at Exit 8A-Pentagon South Parking. Take slight right onto S. Rotary Rd. at end of ramp and right on S. Fern St. Then take left onto Army Navy Dr. You can "pay to park" on Army Navy Dr., and there is meter parking one block on right on Eads St. Payment for both of these spots begin at 8 AM. No cameras are allowed on Pentagon grounds. Restrooms are located inside Marriott Residence Inn on corner of S. Fern and Army Navy Dr.

17] -- On Mon., Nov. 17 from 8:30 AM to 1 PM, attend the Economic and Security Future - Economists for Peace and Security, Bernard L. Schwartz Symposium. As national attention pivots away from the mid-terms, EPS will present a packed and provocative tour of the major issues immediately ahead. This symposium will assess the economic outlook, including for growth, jobs and wages, and open up discussion of the major challenges facing the country and this administration in its final two years. On the global front, it will address the deepening crisis in Iraq and Syria, and the tensions with Russia and in the Far East. Damon Silvers, policy director for the AFL-CIO and former Vice Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel on the TARP, will deliver the keynote address. There will be three panels, with participation from many of America's most distinguished policy economists and security specialists, including James Galbraith, Steve Clemons, Allen Sinai, William Hartung and Michael Lind. It will be held at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, WDC. Email registration@epsusa.org.

18] -- On Mon., Nov. 17 from 9 AM to noon, there is a faith symposium on Israel/Palestine at the Howard University School of Divinity, 1400 Shepherd St. NE, WDC. Faith and community leaders will give first-hand witness accounts, discuss why this is a critical issue for the black church, and present resources for education, awareness, and action steps for peace and justice. Featured speakers are Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright of the Trinity United Church of Christ, Dr. Mark Braverman of Kairos USA, and Mr. Phillip Farah of the Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace. Space is limited, so RSVP mahenderson4288@gmail.com. There will be a continental breakfast from 8 to 8:45 AM, so indicate if you wish to attend the breakfast or just the symposium.

19] – The Marc Steiner Show airs Monday through Friday from 10 AM to noon 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.

20] – Get over to Georgetown University, 3700 O St. NW, WDC, on Mon., Nov. 17 at 12:30 PM, hear a book talk by author Kenize Mourad's—“In the City of Gold and Silver,” the story of Begum Hazrat Mahal, an orphan who became a renowned poet, married the ruler of the Indian state of Awadh, and went on to lead Muslims and Hindus in the Mutiny of 1857 against the British East India Company. Copies will be available at the event. Space is limited, so RSVP at http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=024c52ddc6ac7c38b0dc7af59&id=e159af7f53&e=80f735122c. Lunch will be served.

21] – On November 21, the American University Board of Trustees is finally taking a vote on divesting its endowment from the fossil fuel industry. After two years of campaigning and engaging with students, faculty, and staff, Fossil Free AU is pleased that the Board of Trustees is taking this step. Now is the time to demand with one voice that AU live up to its mission and values, and take a stand for a just and sustainable future.

In the AU Quad, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW, WDC, at 1 PM on Mon., Nov. 17, hundreds of students, faculty, alumni and community members will gather for the largest action Fossil Free AU has ever organized. Hear from student leaders and faculty allies about the need for climate justice and the importance of divestment. Vote YES to divest the endowment from climate destruction and injustice. See https://www.facebook.com/events/1475603802728398/?ref=6&ref_notif_type=plan_user_invited.

22] – On Mon., Nov. 17 from 2:30 to 4 PM, attend Demobilizations in Colombia: An Evolving Process at the U.S. Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave. NW, WDC 20037. Peace talks between the government of Colombia and the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC-EP) have entered their 30th cycle in Havana and exploratory talks continue with a smaller insurgency group, the National Liberation Army (Ejército de LiberaciónNacional, ELN). Three provisional agreements have now been reached with the FARC on three of five substantive agenda items. The peace negotiators are now discussing the remaining two items on their agenda--victims and the end of the conflict, including the terms of demobilization, setting aside of arms, and reintegration (what internationals refer to as demobilization, disarmament and reintegration (DDR).

This event, co-sponsored with the Colombia Committee for Human Rights and the Center for Latin American Studies at Georgetown University, will feature three speakers who have gone through the demobilization process under previous peace agreements. The panelists will discuss the evolution of Colombia's DDR programs, the strengths and weaknesses of Colombian approaches to DDR, and anticipated opportunities and challenges for future demobilizations in Colombia as part of a peace process. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/demobilizations-in-colombia-an-evolving-process-tickets-14068853319.

23] – A Nevada-based mining company, Tahoe Resources, has been at the center of conflict and violence in Guatemala over mining. The government has been cracking down on protests and opposition to the expansion of mining and persecuting leaders of the community using trumped-up false charges and arrests. CEO Kevin McArthur claims that the strongest support for the project comes locally. The company also emphasizes its commitment to respect and sustainability. But the reality on the ground is dramatically different.

Teresa Muñoz is part of the local movement that defends the rights to life and a healthy environment from the threats posed by Tahoe Resources’ mine in Guatemala. As a reprisal for her peaceful activism, she was wrongfully accused of several crimes and had to go into hiding for 7 months until the charges were lifted. Hear the story at Oxfam America, 1100 15th St. NW, Suite 600, WDC, on Mon., Nov. 17 at 5:30 PM. Contact Alex Blair, Oxfam America, at 202.777.2929.

24] – Beyond the Classroom presents a film "The Revolutionary Optimists," a character-driven and highly cinematic documentary that reveals the work of Bengali visionary, Amlan Ganguly on Mon., Nov. 17 from 7 to 9 PM at 1102 South Campus Commons, Building 1, College Park 20742. Call 301-314-6621 or email at btcinfo@umd.edu. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/717440305005650/?ref=6&ref_notif_type=plan_user_invited.

25] – Casa Baltimore-Limay, a friendship-city project linking Baltimore, MD, with San Juan de Limay, Nicaragua, for the past 29 years, and Art of Solidarity, MICA’s Nicaragua Summer Intensive, present Nicaragua Today: Our Inspiration and Challenge on Mon., Nov. 17 at 7 PM at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Main Building, Room 210, 1300 W. Mt. Royal Ave., Baltimore 21217. The presenters are Maria Gabriela Aldana Enriquez, MICA faculty and director of Art of Solidarity, a cultural-exchange and community arts program for filmmakers and artists in Nicaragua; Paul Baker Hernandez, a New Song vocalist and guitarist on US tour from Managua, Nicaragua, formerly with Nicaragua Network, now director of Echoes of Silence, promoting world interdependence; and Dalila Cedeño Quintero, organizer/ promoter of potable water and agriculture programs in Limay, Nicaragua. The moderators are Leslie Salgado, coordinator of Howard County Friends of Latin America (HoCoFoLA), and Mike McGuire, Baltimore activist in local and Latin American issues. Contact Casa Baltimore/Limay at 410-662-6292 or info@CasaBaltimoreLimay.org. See www.artofsolidartiy.org or email maldana@mica.edu. The Ric Pfeffer Lecture Committee of Research Associates Foundation funded this event.

26] – 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 may be on Mon., Nov. 17. Check with Max, as the meeting may be postponed or moved to MICA. The proposed agenda will include anti-drone activities, including getting a drone law passed in Baltimore’s City Council, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Ukraine, lobbying Rep. Sarbanes, a march from the EPA to the Pentagon, and a talk about ISIS. Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski at verizon.net for directions.

27] – Be at the John A. Wilson building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, WDC, on Tues., Nov. 18 at 9 AM as the D.C. Council will vote on whether to support $100 million a year for the Housing Production Trust Fund. With a strong Trust Fund, the District can end chronic homelessness, support first-time homeownership, preserve affordable apartments and build new affordable homes. Come out for Housing For All! See https://www.facebook.com/events/942679665761950/?ref=6&ref_notif_type=plan_user_invited.

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