Thursday, February 25, 2016

Baltimore Activist Alert - February 25 - March 30, 2016

36] Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here Exhibition - through Mar. 30
37] Nuclear Smuggling – Feb. 25
38] Clean energy – Feb. 25
39] Joining ISIS – Feb. 25
40] End Trafficking – Feb. 25
41] Fair Budget – Feb. 25
42] Meet the candidates for mayor – Feb. 25
43] Peace group meeting – Feb. 25
44] Hyperghetto – Feb. 25
45] Sexual Violence in Kenya – Feb. 26
46] Peace vigil at White House – Feb. 26
47] WIB peace vigil – Feb. 26
48] Black Lives Matter – Feb. 26
39] Joining ISIS – Feb. 25
49] Ballroom Dancing – Feb. 26
50] Muslim women suffering – Feb. 27
51] Celebrate the life of Concepcion Picciotto – Feb. 27
52] Donna Edwards Day of Action – Feb. 27
53] Sign up with Washington Peace Center
54] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records
55] Do you need any book shelves?
56] Join the Global Zero campaign
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36] – Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here Exhibition is a project that began as a call from Beau Beausoleil in 2007 for writers which quickly moved on to incorporate artists, artist books and now includes printmakers all who are responding to bear witness to a tragic loss of a center of literacy and humanity in Iraq. One of the purposes of this project is to let those in the Iraqi Arts Community know that we will not let them endure the destruction of Iraqi culture in silence, that we have a collective voice and we will use it. This was a street of booksellers, printers, and readers. This was a street where people still felt "safe" among all the words and books. How can we not see the commonality between al- Mutanabbi Street and any street in the world that holds a bookshop or cultural institution? This is the starting point: where language, thought, and reality reside; where memory, ideas, and even dreams wait patiently in their black ink.

A diverse coalition of DC-area universities and arts and literary organizations will present Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here DC 2016, a book arts and cultural festival through Sat., Mar. 5 throughout the Washington, D.C., area. Major exhibitions, programs, and events will commemorate the 2007 bombing of Baghdad’s historic bookselling street, celebrate the free exchange of ideas and knowledge, and stand in solidarity with the people of Iraq. Exhibitions of artwork created in response to the bombing will be featured at multiple venues, including the George Mason University School of Art Gallery, Atrium, Fenwick Library and the Workhouse Art Center, Gelman Library and the Corcoran School of Art and Design at The George Washington University, the Brentwood Arts Exchange, Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, McLean Project for the Arts, Northern Virginia Community College, Olly Olly Gallery, and the Smithsonian American Art/Portrait Gallery Library.

 The exhibitions that are featured at the School of Art Gallery, the Fenwick Library, the Mason Atrium Gallery, and the Workhouse Art Center (plus partners) include three components: Letterpress Printed Broadsides; Artist Books; and Absence and Presence (a call to printmakers). Additionally, each gallery provides new interpretive documentary materials, hands-on workshops, and panels and conversations that will be built around the exhibitions. For a complete list of sites and dates and times go to http://www.amsshdc2016.org/contact-us.html

This is a list of some of the sites.  You can see the exhibit, for example, at the Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St., WDC, through Wed., Mar. 30.  It is entitled “Night and the Desert Know Me,” and the curators are Shanti Norris and Spencer Dormitzer.  The exhibit at the Brentwood Arts Exchange, 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood, MD 20722, runs through Sat., Mar. 12 -- “Selections from Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here.” The curator of the exhibit is Phil Davis.  Also see the exhibit at the Tyler Gallery, Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, 500 17th St. NW, WDC, through Sun., Mar. 20--“Al-Mutanabbi Street in Books, Prints & Poetry.” Enjoy a reception on Fri., Mar. 4 from 1 to 2:30 PM.  Also you can see this exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art/Portrait Gallery, 750 9th St. NW, Room 2100, WDC 20001-4505 through Wed., Mar. 30 -- “Come Together: American Artists Respond to Al-Mutanabbi Street.” The curator is Anne Evenhaugen.

37] – On Thurs., Feb. 25 from noon to 1 PM,  Orde Kittrie and Louise Shelley, George Mason University, will address "Nuclear Smuggling" at George Mason University, Founders Hall, Room 113, 3351 Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA. Visit http://traccc.gmu.edu/events/upcoming-events/.

38] – At 419 7th St. NW, WDC, on Thurs., Feb. 25 from noon to 2 PM, join the Coalition for Non-profit Housing and Economic Development for the monthly meeting, on Financing Building Improvement with DC PACE, to learn ways to reduce energy costs while increasing the value of your buildings through the District’s Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing Program. Get excited for a walk through of cases studies of closed projects, and projects in development, to explain specific benefits of using PACE for affordable housing and neighborhood development.  Call 202.745.0902 or email info@cnhed.org.

39] – On Thurs., Feb. 25 from noon to 1:30 PM, the Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute (MEI) and the Conflict Management Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Rome Auditorium, 1619 Massachusetts Ave. NW, WDC, are pleased to welcome Charles Lister, Anne Speckhard, and Ahmet Sait Yayla in a discussion about why people take up arms with the Islamic State (ISIS). Its declaration of a caliphate and its glorification of violence in pursuit of its aims have drawn adherents across the socioeconomic spectrum, from the United States and Europe to the Islamic world. Who are the people being recruited as ISIS militants, and why do they join? This expert panel will examine the allure of ISIS in Europe, Turkey, and the Arab world and effective strategies to stem its growth. Go to http://www.mei.edu/events/recruiting-jihad-allure-isis.

40] – There are 4.5 million people trapped in forced sexual exploitation globally estimates International Labor Organization. This symposium contributes to The McCain Institute’s efforts to raise awareness to #EndTrafficking. It will take place at THOMAS JEFFERSON BUILDING, U.S. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 10 First St. SE, WDC, on Thurs., Feb. 25 at 1 PM. Panel I is Leadership in Action, and Panel II is Human Trafficking Conversation Series, as well as an Art Exhibit. One speaker is John F. Clark, president and chief executive officer of The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Tina Frundt, founder of Courtney’s House, Ann Wilkinson, director of Mentor Services of My Life My Choice, and more. RSVP at events@mccaininstitute.org. Go to https://www.mccaininstitute.org/events/upcoming/human-trafficking-symposium?mc_cid=3459cb8264&mc_eid=2ca43b10e0.

41] – Get over to Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School, 4301 13th St. NW, WDC, on Thurs., Feb. 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM as Mayor Bowser just announced three important opportunities for D.C. residents to weigh in on the major budget decisions being made this year. The DC Fair Budget Coalition is organizing folks to turn out to make sure the Mayor hears loud and clear what its budget priorities are!  Get to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1S82NOV6uGZ6GFiyuoLbaKgsiNyKjoLHg3OYmiZcbzJM/viewform?edit_requested=true.

42] – Citizens Planning and Housing Association is hosting a Mayoral debate on transportation issues on Thurs., Feb. 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Real News Network, 231 N. Holliday St., Baltimore 21202. This is near City Hall at the intersection of Holliday and Saratoga Sts. Doors open at 6 PM; the event begins promptly at 6:30 PM.  Other partners to the debate are 1000 Friends of Maryland, the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance, and Transit Choices. What will our next mayor do to improve transportation for Baltimore City? Now is the time for a serious discussion with the candidates for mayor about how we can have a world class transit system in Baltimore.  The main room for this event is currently full.  If you'd like to register for the overflow room with camera feeds so that attendees can see and hear the forum live, RSVP at  https://www3.thedatabank.com/dpg/308/mtgdetail.asp?formid=meeting&caleventid=26233. Attendees in this location will NOT be able to ask questions of the candidates. Contact CPHA at rich@cphabaltimore.org or 410-539-1369 x101.  Visit www.cphabaltimore.org.

43] – The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore now meets on Thursdays at 7:30 PM, and the meetings take place at Max’s residence.  There will be a meeting on Thurs., Feb. 25 at 7:30 PM.  The agenda will include Freddie Gray & local organizing, killer drones and Obama, an action at the State of the Union, the refugees, lobbying Rep. Sarbanes, Bernie’s phone, Annapolis legislation, Naomi Klein and the unending wars. Call 410-323-1607 or email mobuszewski at verizon.net.

44] –   On Thurs., Feb. 25 at 7:30 PM come to Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, Eric Tang presents “Unsettled: Cambodian Refugees in the NYC Hyperghetto.”  Tang will explore themes from his new book, including the relationship between immigrant communities and African Americans as they experience common and distinct forms of state violence taking shape in America’s inner cities. Tang’s research sits at the intersection of two issues that define the current moment: the international refugee crisis and the resurgent movement against police violence in the urban United States. Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org.

45] – Come to the Dirksen Senate office building, room G-11, bounded by Constitution Ave., C St., First St., and Second St. NE, and it adjoins the later Hart Senate Office Building, WDC, on Fri., Feb. 26 at 10:30 AM for a Congressional briefing in collaboration with Senator Richard Blumenthal:  Reproductive Rights in Crisis: Post-Rape Care and Controversy for Survivors of Sexual Violence in Kenya. Light refreshments will be served. The briefing will highlight key findings from a report on widespread sexual violence during Kenya's 2007/2008 post-election crisis. RSVP to Devan Shea at dshea@genderhealth.org.

46] – On Fri., Feb. 26 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! This vigil will take place at the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Contract Art @ artlaffin@hotmail.com or at 202-360-6416. 

47] – On Fri., Feb. 26 from noon to 1 PM, join Women in Black peace vigil. This vigil will take place at the corner of Light and Pratt Sts.  Stay for as long as you can. Wear black. Dress for who knows what kind of weather. Bring your own poster or help with the "NO WAR IN MY NAME" banner.  When there are others to stand with, you don't need to carry the burden alone. Do this to be in solidarity with others....when everything around us says Be afraid of the stranger.

48] –There is usually a silent peace vigil on Fridays, from 5 to 6 PM, sponsored by Homewood Friends and Stony Run Meetings, outside the Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St.  The next scheduled vigil is on Feb. 26. Black Lives Matter. 

49] – 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 Feb. 26. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.

50] – The Muslim American Women's Policy Forum (MAWPF) is excited to launch a series of events centering the experiences of Muslim women with structures of violence and how they intersect with Islamophobia. Moreover, these events are focused on educating and raising awareness for the larger DC social justice and activist communities where Muslim women's voices have been marginalized and erased.  Come to St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church, 1525 Newton St. NW, WDC, on Fri., Feb. 26 from 7 to 9 PM for a workshop on how Black Muslim women experience anti-Black racism, Islamophobia, gender-based violence, and xenophobia. This event will include a panel, followed by smaller group discussions. See https://www.facebook.com/events/1518117388494516/.

51] –   Gather at Luther Place, 1226 Vermont Ave. NW, WDC, on Sat., Feb. 27 at 10 AM  to celebrate the life of Concepcion Picciotto, who carried on the longest continuous act of political protest in the United States, advocating for peace outside the White House for decades.  After the celebration in the church, the organizers invite attendees to march to Lafayette Park. The march will begin at noon.  Parking for the service will be available at Washington Plaza Hotel for $5 with a voucher, which can be obtained at the church before the service. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1142308055786964/.

52] – Donna Edwards for Senate Day of Action is on Sat., Feb. 27 at 10 AM at the Baltimore Office, 11 East Mount Royal Ave., 1st Floor, Baltimore 21202. Volunteers across the state will be coming together -- and what you do now couldn't be more important. In a race this close, every vote could be the difference. RSVP at 240-696-2104 or email Sian Lewis at Sian@donnaedwardsforsenate.com.

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

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

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

56] -- 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.

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 

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