Baltimore Activist Alert February 9 – 13, 2015

Baltimore Activist Alert February 9 – 13, 2015

"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.

1] Books, buttons & stickers
2] Web site for info on federal legislation
3] Join Nonviolent Resistance lists
4] Buy coffee through HoCoFoLa
5] How can middle school students get involved?
6] Selfies for Daksh Sood
7] WPFW needs volunteers – Feb. 9 - 15
8] GMOM conference call – Feb. 9
9] Fossil fuel divestment -- Feb. 9
10] “From Moment to Movement” – Feb. 10
11] No JHU Drone Research -- Feb. 10
12] Phone Bank Party – Feb. 10
13] Dream Sessions – Feb. 10
14] Film “Salvador Dawning” – Feb. 10
15] IWW meeting – Feb. 10
16] “Iran Nuclear Talks” – Feb. 11
17] Muslimness – Feb. 11
18] Managing Conflict in a World Adrift – Feb. 11
19] See the Dalai Lama film – Feb. 11
20] Film STEALING A NATION – Feb. 11
21] Fair wage for all - Feb. 12
22] GMOM meeting – Feb. 12
23] DARWIN DAY – Feb. 12
24] See the film FOOD CHAINS – Feb. 12
25] See the film A RIVER THAT HARMS – Feb. 13
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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] – I spoke at the Crossroads Public Charter School recently. And a school representative asked how middle school students can be involved in social justice issues. If you have any ideas, let Max know at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at Verizon dot net.

6] – Selfies for Daksh Sood: Next steps for reuniting a 3-year-old child, barred from Canada, with his Ottawa parents. Canada has barred a 3-year-old child from ever living in Canada with his Ottawa parents, all due to an honest error in immigration paperwork. Over 6,000 people have signed a petition calling for Daksh Sood to be allowed into Canada to live with his parents. Sign at https://www.change.org/p/citizenship-and-immigration-minister-chris-alexander-allow-3-year-old-daksh-to-live-in-canada-with-his-parents?just_created=true.

If you have children of any age, why not take a picture of yourself with them holding the following sign: Kids Need Their Parents, Bring Daksh Sood to Canada. Post your picture on your own Facebook page with a link to this petition https://www.change.org/p/citizenship-and-immigration-minister-chris-alexander-allow-3-year-old-daksh-to-live-in-canada-with-his-parents?just_created=true.

Email your picture to Immigration Minister Chris Alexander (Minister@cic.gc.ca, Chris.Alexander@parl.gc.ca) and Prime Minister Stephen Harper (stephen.harper@parl.gc.ca), and blind copy the Rural Refugee Rights Network (tasc@web.ca). Cut and paste the text of the petition at https://www.change.org/p/citizenship-and-immigration-minister-chris-alexander-allow-3-year-old-daksh-to-live-in-canada-with-his-parents?just_created=true and add your names at the bottom, along with additional comments you feel moved to include. Be polite in your comments, as they all reflect on the family!

In Subject Line of your email, mention something about supporting Daksh Sood, your city, etc. (i.e. I'm in Toronto and support Daksh Sood, Kids Need Their Parents or Bring Daksh Sood Home to Canada, Family Reunification is Critical!) Email tasc@web.ca. Matthew Behrens, Rural Refugee Rights Network, can also be reached at 613-267-3998 or http://rrrncanada.blogspot.ca./.

7] – WPFW needs volunteers to answer phones and take pledges. Email volunteers@wpfw.org or call 202-588-0999 x360. Here are the shifts: Mon., Feb. 9 -- 9 AM to 1 PM, 1 PM to 5 PM and 5 to 9 PM; Tues., Feb. 10 -- 9 AM to 1 PM, 1 PM to 5 PM and 5 to 9 PM; Wed., Feb. 11 -- 5 to 9 PM; Thurs., Feb. 12 -- 9 AM to 1 PM and 5 to 9 PM; Fri., Feb. 13 -- 9 AM to 1 PM, 1 to 5 PM and 5 to 9 PM. Sat., Feb 1 4 -- 9 AM to 2 PM, 2 to 7 PM and 7 to 9 PM; and Sun., Feb. 15 -- 2 to 7 PM and 7 to 9 PM.

For volunteers, WPFW is located on 1819 L St. NW, right next to the Au Bon Pain. Use the Metro. Farragut North (Red Line) and Farragut West (Orange/Blue/Silver) are very close. After 5 PM on the weekdays and all day on the weekends, the building is locked, so you will have to call the pledge line to be let in the building at 202.588.9739.

8] – JOIN Get Money Out-MD’s WEEKLY STATEWIDE CONFERENCE CALLS on Mondays at 6:30 PM. Call 619-326-2772, Code #1136243. For the FEB. 9 call, the topics include: 1) Updates on recent meetings with legislators & events in Annapolis, including upcoming Senate hearing; 2) Area Captains' reports; and3) How to communicate effectively with state legislators and constituents. Go to http://www.getmoneyoutmd.org/.

9] – On Mon., Feb. 9 from 7 to 9 PM at the University of Maryland, College Park, South Campus Commons Building 1, Room 1102, hear from Ori Gutin, Director of Sustainability, Student Government Association (SGA), University of Maryland, College Park, and Dr. James Riker, director, Beyond the Classroom, University of Maryland, College Park. Fossil fuel divestment takes the fossil fuel industry to task for its role in the climate crisis. By naming this industry’s singularly destructive influence — and by highlighting the moral dimensions of climate change — the fossil fuel divestment movement seeks to challenge the fossil fuel industry's practices, while taking positive action to solve the global climate crisis.

Global Divestment Day (February 13-14, 2015) is a chance for fossil fuel divestment campaigns from around the world to stand together proudly and amplify a message that is growing around the world. While the fossil fuel divestment movement started here in North America, many of the existing campaigns in the United States and Canada are farther along in their campaigning — or simply taking a different tack — than campaigns elsewhere in the world! Come learn what is happening at the University of Maryland and other leading universities across the world to address this timely and pressing issue. Visit www.BeyondTheClassroom.umd.edu.

10] – The question is: What do we do now? How can we transition beyond the moments of Ferguson and New York into a robust movement at the local and federal level? One first step could be reforming our criminal justice system – but what does that entail? Join New America, in collaboration with Howard University, at 1899 L St. NW, Suite 400, WDC, on Tues., Feb. 10 at 4:30 PM for the launch of, “From Moment to Movement” a conversation and essay series on race and policy in America. RSVP at http://www.cvent.com/events/criminal-justice-and-racial-inequality/event-summary-65f88246410d4990b43e583379043712.aspx?i=97a12bdb-4c34-4996-8343-23d74ae91b7a.

11] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 33rd & North Charles Sts. Join this ongoing vigil on Feb. 10 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Call Max at 410-366-1637.

12] – There is a VIRTUAL GMOM PHONE BANK PARTY on Tues., Feb. 10 at 6 PM. CALL 619-326-2772, Code #1136243. Voters will be asked to contact their legislators. Learn how to use this proven technique that has been the key to success in Maryland and other states. See http://www.getmoneyoutmd.org/.

13] – Maximize Good is excited to be collaborating with Art in Praxis to participate in the #IHaveADream Dream Sessions at the IMPACT Hub DC - 419 7th St. NW, WDC, on Tues., Feb. 10 at 6:30 PM. Learn more about the grounding of the #BlackLivesMatter framework & movements, creating & dreaming. This project is part of the People Powered Movement's #Solidaritrees Campaign. Throughout the month of January, and now into February, people will gather to write their dreams of a just, loving, equitable & fun future on ribbons. The messages are subsequently being shared throughout the city. See https://www.facebook.com/events/485529328263201/.

14] – At Bloombars, 3222 11th St. NW, WDC 20010, on Tues., Feb. 10 from 7 to 9:30 PM, courtesy of the Washington D.C. Portuguese Meetup, commemorate Carnaval season with a film from Brazil...”Salvador Dawning” (2011, 54 min), by Kamau Hunter. It examines the Movimento Negro (Black Movement), for equal rights, in Bahia state, Northeastern Brazil. It is in Portuguese with English subtitles. Go to http://tinyurl.com/salvador-dawn-trailer. BloomScreen Indie Film Night is a weekly series of independent and foreign films, accompanied by discussions with filmmakers, experts and other guests. The suggested donation is $10. Proceeds support both the Washington Portuguese Language Meetup and BloomBars. Enjoy free organic popcorn.

“Salvador Dawning” captures the diverse perspectives of Afro-Brazilian mobilization from Brazil’s own Afro-descendant leaders, legislators, and activists while at the same time giving a glimpse of the hardships Afro-Brazilians face. Their struggles and victories provide invaluable lessons for us all. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/418339898317723/?ref=6&ref_notif_type=plan_user_invited

15] – On Tues., Feb. 10 at 7:30 PM in the Free School Classroom, Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, there is a Monthly IWW GMB Meeting. Just sign up for the OBU (One Big Union)! The Baltimore Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World urge you to come and pay your dues, sign up for a red card, and find out what the Wobblies are working on. Call 443-602-7585. Go to http://www.redemmas.org.

16] -- On Wed., Feb. 11 from 10 AM to noon, Ori Rabinowitz, author of "Bargaining on Nuclear Tests: Washington and its Cold War Deals," and Ariane Tabatabai, Georgetown University, will tackle "Iran Nuclear Talks: Truths and Tall Tales from Tehran and Tel-Aviv" at James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, 1400 K St. NW, Suite 1225, WDC 20005. RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1K-IqNo21VV-n4JL8OkC30RwiPClJlkXlxGA_fqDjepU/viewform?c=0&w=1.

17] – At Georgetown University, ACMCU, ICC #270, 3700 O St. NW, WDC 20057, on Wed., Feb. 11 at 12:30 PM hear Dr. Arshad I. Ali, Assistant Professor of Educational Research, George Washington U. Dr. Ali will elucidate how the figure of the Muslim helps develop a more robust discussion of racial otherness through examining intersectional formulations of Muslimness as an emergent racial identity. Through this research he will discuss local formations of Muslim identities and the ways macro political discourses and histories mediate the everyday practices of Muslim youth. As an example, he will consider the way the youth he worked with constructed the notion of ummah as a de-colonial challenge to national identity and traditional notions of race within the US cultural economy. See https://www.eventbrite.com/e/citizen-suspect-the-criminalization-of-muslim-youth-in-post-9-11-america-tickets-15352187807.

18] – On Wed., Feb. 11 from 2:30 to 5 PM hear about Managing Conflict in a World Adrift.The recent eruptions of violence in the Middle East, parts of Africa and Eastern Europe illustrate the high hurdles of conflict management amid rapidly shifting power dynamics. Join the U.S. Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave. NW, WDC 20037 for a discussion on how to address violent conflict in an era of increasing diffusion of power from central institutions to a range of smaller units. RafeSagarin, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona, will open the event with a keynote address on what we can learn from nature about the important role of institutions in adaptive approaches to conflict management. Then, Pamela Aall, senior fellow at Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) and senior advisor for conflict prevention and management at the USIP, will lead a lively and thought-provoking conversation examining these forces and potential approaches with one of her co-editors and two contributing authors of the new book, “Managing Conflict in a World Adrift” co-published by USIP and CIGI. The volume is the fourth in a landmark series by Chester A. Crocker, Fen Osler Hampson, and Pamela Aall. RSVP at http://www.usip.org/events_all.

19] – You can see “Dalai Lama Awakening,” a documentary narrated by Harrison Ford, at the Angelika Pop-Up Cinema, Union Market, on Wed, Feb 11 at 6:30 PM. Afterwards the director Khashyar Darvich will be at the Q&A. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/631971900264135 or www.DalaiLamaFilm.com/events.

20] – On Wed., Feb. 11 at 7 PM, watch “Stealing a Nation,” a documentary written and directed by John Pilger at the American University Mary Graydon Center 4, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW, WDC 20016. It tells the story of the Chagossian people—a group of people in the Indian Ocean forcibly exiled from their ancestral home in the late 1960s by the U.S. and the British governments. In the Chagossians’ place, the governments built one of the most strategically important U.S. military bases in the world on the island of Diego Garcia. Since that time, the Chagossians have been living in impoverished exile, fighting for their right to return home. Both governments have abdicated responsibility for their crimes. This film features interviews with Chagossians recounting their deportation and the years they have spent living in exile, fighting for justice.

The UNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation Clinic at AU’s Washington College of Law and the Anthropology of Militarism Clinic in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Anthropology jointly present this film, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A. The panel will feature Ali Beydoun, WCL professor and Director and Supervising Attorney at UNROW; Sean Goldhammer, UNROW clinic member; students from the Anthropology of Militarism Clinic; and David Vine, AU anthropology professor and author of “Island of Shame: The Secret History of the U.S. Military Base on Diego Garcia.”Refreshments will be provided. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/677769642334015/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular.

21] – Join Restaurant Opportunities Centers United at the newly opened Brookland Busboys and Poets, 625 Monroe St. NE, WDC 20017, on Thurs., Feb. 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM to celebrate restaurant workers and the One Fair Wage Campaign. They will share exciting news about the work that is being done in D.C. and nationally to end the two-tier wage system and achieve One Fair Wage for all workers. Go to http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=3924848ff96e3c034de80e4f9&id=dba56b3908&e=da4aee5b97.

22] – On Thurs., Feb. 12 at 6:30 PM, GMOM Baltimore City and County will meet at 1405 Berwick Rd., Towson 21204. Contact Joe Adams at joeadamsmd {at} gmail.com. Go to http://www.getmoneyoutmd.org/.

23] – Attend "Among the Creationists," a lecture to celebrate Darwin Day at 7:30 PM on Thurs., Feb. 12, his birthday, by Prof. Jason Rosenhouse at the Baltimore Ethical Society, 306 W. Franklin St. There is a potluck dinner at 6:30 PM. Prof. Rosenhouse will speak about some of his experiences socializing with creationists, talk about some of the different schools of thought within creationism, and also discuss why they feel so threatened by evolution. Rosenhouse is a professor of mathematics at James Madison University. After receiving his PhD from Dartmouth College in 2000, he spent three years at Kansas State University, working on issues related to public education. At that time, a conservative school board in Kansas had removed evolution from the biology curriculum standards. It was in this way that he developed an interest in evolution. He visited dozens of conferences and gatherings devoted to creationism. These experiences led to the publication of his book "Among the Creationists: Dispatches From the Anti-Evolutionist Frontline," published by Oxford University Press. See https://www.facebook.com/events/591722810972761/.

24] – On Thurs., Feb. 12 at 7:30 PM @ Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, see FOOD CHAINS. In this exposé, an intrepid group of Florida farmworkers battle to defeat the $4 trillion global supermarket industry through their ingenious Fair Food program, which partners with growers and retailers to improve working conditions for farm laborers in the United States. The screening is co-sponsored by The Baltimore Food & Faith Project and The Marc Steiner Show. Call 443-602-7585. Go to http://www.redemmas.org.

25] – The Hiroshima-Nagasaki Commemoration Committee, Baltimore Quaker Peace and Justice Committee of Homewood and Stony Run Meetings and Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility are continuing the FILM & SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS DVD SERIES. On Fri., Feb. 13 at 3107 N. Charles St., around 7:15 PM, THE RIVER THAT HARMS [USA, 1987] will be shown with a discussion to follow. There is no charge, and refreshments will be available. Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski at Verizon.net.

The series theme is CAN WE SAVE THE PLANET??? This illuminating film by Colleen Keane documents the largest radioactive waste spill in U.S. history - a national tragedy that received little attention. With the sound of a thunderclap, 94 million gallons of water contaminated with uranium mining waste broke through a United Nuclear Corporation storage dam in 1979. The water poured into the Puerco River in New Mexico - the main water supply for the Dine [Navajo] Native Americans that live along the river and a tributary of the major source of water for L.A. Dine ranchers, their children, and farm animals waded through the river unaware of the danger.

The movie tells the story of this tragedy and the toll it continues to take on the Dine, who lost the use of their water. To the Dine, this event is also a prophetic warning for all humanity. Diné NO NUKES is a Diné-led initiative to create a Navajo Nation that is free from the dangers of radioactive contamination and nuclear proliferation, including effects from past and proposed uranium mining and processing. This screening will be a fundraiser to help purchase Geiger counters for the Dine. Go towww.nonukesdine.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