Baltimore Activist Alert March 5, 2016

Baltimore Activist Alert March 5, 2016

"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 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski [at] verizon.net.

1] Books, buttons and stickers

2] Web site for info on federal legislation

3] Join Nonviolent Resistance lists  

4] Buy coffee through HoCoFoLa

5] Two friends are looking to buy a house in Baltimore

6] Summit on Saudi Arabia – Mar. 5

7] Social Ministry Convocation – Mar. 5

8] West Chester peace vigil – Mar. 5

9] Anti-drone vigil – Mar. 5

10] Money in Politics – Mar. 5

11] One DC meeting – Mar. 5

12] Mayoral debate – Mar. 5

13] Story of Radiation – Mar. 5

14] Bernie Phone Banking – Mar. 5

15] Protest racist conference – Mar. 5

16] Turkey’s attack on the Kurds – Mar. 5

17] Grass Roots Project – Mar. 5

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1] – Buttons, bumperstickers and books are available.  “God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions” stickers are in stock. Call Max at 410-323-1607.

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.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 ncnrnotices-subscribe@lists.riseup.net. You will get a confirmation message once subscribed.  If you have problems, please write to the list manager at ncnrnotices-admin@lists.riseup.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] – Janice and Max are looking to buy a house in Baltimore.  Let Max know if you have any leads—410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at Verizon dot net.

6] – Make your way to Washington, D.C. Starting at 8 AM on Sat., Mar. 5 through and Sun., Mar. 6 at 5 PM for the Summit on Saudi Arabia and US-Saudi ties, hosted by CODEPINK, Historians Against War , The Nation Magazine, Institute for Policy Studies, Peace Action, and many others. Go to the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law, 4340 Connecticut Ave. NW, WDC and learn about the new wave of hostilities unleashed by the January 2 Saudi execution of prominent Shia cleric Nimr Al-Nimr shows how critical it is for us to understand the dynamics of Saudi politics and its effects throughout the Middle East.

The cost, from $20 to $100 on a sliding scale, includes lunch. The keynote speakers are Chris Hedges and Vijay Prashad, and representatives from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the Gulf Institute, and the National Iranian American Council.  Go to www.codepink.org/2016saudisummit. Email Aida at aida@codepink.org.

7] – On Sat., Mar. 5, the Baltimore Archdiocese Social Ministry Convocation is at Seton-Keough High School! The Convocation starts with registration ($10) at 8:15 AM, and the Welcoming and Opening Prayer starts at 9 AM. The convocation will feature a variety of workshops, display tables, and of course fellowship. The conference will end at 3:30 PM. Paul Chappell is returning for his standing room only workshop that he gave last year. The theme for this year is “Care for Our Common Home.” The keynote speaker will be Carolyn Woo, Ph.D., President and CEO of Catholic Relief Services.

8] – 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.

9] –   On Sat., Mar. 5 from noon to 1PM, join the Center City Anti-War/Anti-Drone Silent Death Walk/Vigil. Gather at 12th & Arch Sts across from Phila Convention Center. Wear black. Signs and white masks will be provided. RSVP to Marge Van Cleef at 267-763-1644. This march occurs the 1st Sat. of the month. Protest drone war terror & the drone war command center in Horsham.

10] – Wendell Potter and Nick Penniman will discuss” Nation On The Take: How Big Money Corrupts Our Democracy And What We Can Do About It” on Sat., Mar. 5 at 1 PM at Politics and Prose. The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision only crystallized the inordinate role fundraising has come to play in the political process. In their thorough investigation of how money has changed the character of politics, Potter, award-winning author of “Deadly Spin,” senior analyst at the Center for Public Integrity, and senior fellow on health care at the Center for Media and Democracy and Penniman, former Washington Monthly publisher, past director of the Huffington Post investigative fund, and current executive director of Issue One, detail how the shift of focus from issues to donors’ interests has stymied action on climate change, health care, and much more; further, they offer suggestions for how citizens can make themselves be heard. Go to http://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/wendell-potter-and-nick-penniman-nation-take-how-big-money-corrupts-our-democracy-and.

11] –  Attend the 2016 ONE DC Annual Membership Meeting at the Thurgood Marshall Center, 1816 12th St. NW, WDC, on Sat., Mar. 5 from 2 to 5 PM. What is the people's vision for 2016 and beyond? What is ONE DC's financial standing? How did ONE DC win in 2015? How can you as a member get involved? Join them to find out! All are welcome, but only members who are up to date on their annual dues will be eligible to vote in elections for new members of ONE DC's Shared Leadership Team. Membership dues and donations are used to build a people's movement funded by the people. Join ONE DC and support them in building power with long time DC residents to organize for an equitable city. Visit http://www.onedconline.org/annualmeeting?utm_campaign=annualmtg2016&utm_medium=email&utm_source=onedctrac.

12] – On Sat., Mar. 5 from 3 – 6 PM attend From the Grassroots to City Hall: 2016 Baltimore Mayoral Debate organized by Baltimore United for Change.  Hear a dialogue with the top Mayoral Candidates for Baltimore City in the 2016 election at Coppin State University, James Weldon Johnson Auditorium, 2500 West North Ave., Baltimore 21216.  Go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/from-the-grassroots-to-city-hall-2016-baltimore-mayoral-debate-tickets-21604677171.

13] – Hear from Timothy J. Jorgensen about his first book “Strange Glow: The Story of Radiation” at Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, WDC, on Sat., Mar. 5 at 3:30. Jorgensen, associate professor of radiation medicine and director of the Health Physics and Radiation Protection graduate program at Georgetown University, combines science and narrative history to trace how this complex and dangerous form of energy transfer has come to be an accepted part of daily life. Marking the fifth anniversary of the Fukushima catastrophe and the 30th of the Chernobyl disaster, Jorgensen looks back to the Curies’ surprise discovery of radioactivity and Wilhelm Roentgen’s formulation of X-rays, describes how radiation works, how it harms, and how we can make informed and safe choices. See http://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/timothy-j-jorgensen-strange-glow-story-of-radiation.

14] –   Phone bank for Bernie on Sat., Mar. 5 from 5 to 8 PM at 111 Edgewood Road, Towson 21286. Go to https://go.berniesanders.com/page/event/detail/4lzf.  Get Out the Vote For Bernie! Phone bank for Bernie on Sun., Mar. 6 at 10 AM and at 10 AM on Mon., Mar. 7 at 1274 Rossiter Ave., Apt. 1a, Baltimore 21239. RSVP at https://go.berniesanders.com/page/event/detail/4gp55.

15] –   Get over to the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, WDC, on Sat., Mar. 5 from 5 to 10 PM. The racist far-right think-tank National Policy Institute is scheduled to hold its winter conference titled "Identity Politics." Challenge the far-right "thought leaders" who are spreading white supremacist ideas that drive racial discrimination, violence, and institutionalized racist policy. President of NPI, Richard Spencer, calls for both "peaceful ethnic cleansing" in order to protect European culture and forced sterilization to reverse the alleged "degenerative" effect of a growing "non-white" population.  This protest is being organized by an ad hoc coalition of anti-racist activists. The demonstration will now begin at 5 PM, and participants are asked to gather outside the Federal Triangle Metro Stop in the courtyard at the top of the elevator just outside the metro. See https://www.facebook.com/events/964438843591550/.

16] – On Sat., Mar. 5 at 7:30 PM come to Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, for STATE OF SIEGE IN TURKEY: WAR ON KURDS AND ACADEMIC FREEDOM. With the recent escalation in Turkey's war on Kurds and extension of military operations in Syria, it is time to talk about what's happening in Turkey. Kurdish cities and towns are besieged and controlled by military forces. Indefinite curfews deprive civilians from access to the most essential needs, including shelter, food and health services.  More than two hundred civilians have been killed since August 2015. Meanwhile dissenting voices in Turkey are increasingly silenced. A call to end the war by academics has been received with blacklisting of faculty members by the Turkish state. Time and again locally elected representatives of Kurds are charged with terrorism. This event will overview these recent developments in Turkey.  The speakers are Nazan Üstündağ, Boğaziçi University, Mehmet Yüksel, People's Democratic Party (HDP), and Serra Hakyemez, Johns Hopkins University Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org.

17] – Enjoy the Third Street dance theater- Grass Roots Project at 3225 8th St. NE, WDC, on Sat., Mar. 5 at 8 PM.  Unveiling the third street-dance theater company by Rennie Harris, Grass Roots Project takes on social and political issues inspired by the culture and style of the West Coast. The company reclaims the universality of hip-hop narratives through a community focus and a diverse ensemble of dancers from all genres, ages and backgrounds. Come fifteen minutes before show time for a pre-show discussion led by Dance Place co-Director, Deborah Riley! Go tohttp://www.danceplace.org/performances/rennie-harris-grass-roots-project-from-denver-co/.

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