Baltimore Activist Alert May 22 – May 24, 2016

Baltimore Activist Alert May 22 – May 24, 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] Pray for Peace – May 2

7] “The Fragility of Goodness” – May 22

8] The Paris Commune – May 22

9] Restorative Justice – May 22

10] Pentagon Vigil – May 23

11] Breaking Through Power conference -- May 23 - 26

12] Citizen activists on trial in D.C. -- May 23

13] Marc Steiner on WEAA – May 23 – May 27

14] U.S. Relationship with Vietnam -- May 23

15] Film JOE HILL – May 23

16] VFP Lobby Days – May 24 - 25

17] School of Life celebration – May 24

18] Tackle climate and equity – May 24

19] Overseas Contingency Operations – May 24

20] Philadelphia Peace Vigil – May 24

21] Protest JHU drone research – May 24

22] Mailing Party – May 24

23] A NEW NEW DEAL– May 24

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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—410-323-1607 or mobuszewski at Verizon dot net.

6] – Interfaith Peace Partners are asked to pray at your Mosque, Synagogue, or Church this weekend for the Peace of Jerusalem. There is not a host congregation for a Peace Service on Sun., May 22. However, a Prayer for Peace will take place on Sun., June 22 at 7:30 PM at St. Ignatius Church, 740 Calvert St. , Baltimore.  Hosts are needed for Peace Services on Fri., July 22, Mon., Aug. 22 and Tues., Sept. 22.  A sample service can be provided, but each congregation can tailor its own service.   Check with your priest, minister, rabbi, imam, and ask if the house of worship can host a service. Charles Cloughen, Jr., Interfaith Peace Partners coordinator, can be reached at ccloughen@episcopalmaryland.org or at 410-321-4545.

7] – 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 May 22 the topic is “The Fragility of Goodness.” In her book, philosopher Martha Nussbaum explores the perils of trying to live ethically. Striving to be moral in an unpredictable world can be rewarding but also risky. Why does the quest for a good life make us vulnerable to being hurt? What is goodness, and how do we nurture it in ourselves? Why is living an ethical life worth the risk? Hugh Taft-Morales searches for answers to these questions and more. Call 410-581-2322 or email ask@bmorethical.org.

8] – On Sun., May 22 from 6 to 8 PM at the Harriet Tubman Solidarity Center, 2011 N. Charles St., Baltimore 21218, catch a panel discussion led by young activists: Lynae, Samuel and David to explore the historical significance of the Paris Commune. The Commune began on March 18 and was crushed on May 28. Also celebrate important birthdays: May 5 for Karl Marx, and May 19 for Malcolm X and Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese leader who defeated U.S. imperialism. Enjoy birthday cake and refreshments.  Some readings for background information will be posted, so sign up even if you aren't able to make it: https://www.facebook.com/events/1210968172271472/.

9] – Get over to the Capitol Innovation Forum- Restorative Justice: An Alternative to Mass Incarceration. It will take place at Busboys and Poets, 625 Monroe St. NE, WDC on Sun., May 22 at 6 PM.  What impact do social injustice and trauma have on crime rates? Explore the topics of restorative justice, implicit bias, and racial trauma. Panelists will include restorative justice practitioners, community organizers and activists, and those impacted by crime and racial profiling in the District. Purchase a ticket at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/capitol-innovation-forum-restorative-justice-an-alternative-to-mass-incarcearation-tickets-25136522014?mc_cid=162e66057f&mc_eid=fd33f01ff8.

   Come to Climate Change, Drought, and the US Relationship with Vietnam, a discussion on climate change and water management in Southeast Asia, which will be heard at the Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW, 8th Floor, WDC 20036, on Mon., May 23 from 3:30 to 5 PM.  RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18bD-AIvuAZ_ykeCbKuPFf43d6iF_xcbPleHnHCF-BKE/viewform.

10] -- 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., May 23, 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. 

11] – Breaking Through Power is taking place at DAR CONSTITUTION HALL 1776 D St. NW, WDC, on Mon., May 23 (all day) through Thurs., May 26 (all day).  Fifty years ago the publication of “Unsafe at Any Speed” sparked a serious awakening in our society that launched initiatives and organizations that have dramatically improved our personal health and safety, in the home, workplace, marketplace and the environment.  To celebrate this milestone, and to reflect and renew our civic spirit and resolve Breaking through Power is convening an unprecedented gathering of public interest organizers, advocates, experts, and concerned citizens for four days. There will be over 80 speakers on all issues from different backgrounds during the four days.  Register at https://www.breakingthroughpower.org/.

12] – Five citizen activists arrested January 12 at the U.S. Capitol  are scheduled for trial at 9 AM on May 23 in Courtroom 220, D.C. Superior Court, 500 Indiana Avenue NW, WDC 20001. Joy First, Malachy Kilbride, Joan Nicholson, Max Obuszewski [727-543-3227 or mobuszewski at verizon.net] and Eve Tetaz are facing two charges—blocking access and failure to obey, and are facing 90 days in jail if convicted.  These members of the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance tried to deliver a petition to the U.S. Capitol urging President Obama to deliver a Real State of the Union highlighting these issues--income inequality, warmongering and killer drone strikes and climate chaos.

13] – The Marc Steiner Show airs Monday through Friday fr6m 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.

14] – Come to Climate Change, Drought, and the US Relationship with Vietnam, a discussion on climate change and water management in Southeast Asia, which will be heard at the Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW, 8th Floor, WDC 20036, on Mon., May 23 from 3:30 to 5 PM.  RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18bD-AIvuAZ_ykeCbKuPFf43d6iF_xcbPleHnHCF-BKE/viewform.

    President Obama’s fast-approaching visit to Vietnam provides opportunities to discuss one of the most pressing challenges facing mainland Southeast Asia: water resource management in the context of drought, the impacts of climate change, and continued development of hydropower and rising tensions over water. Stimson’s Southeast Asia Program’s Deputy Director Brian Eyler will share his insights after recently returning from a regional conference on trans-boundary water management in Can Tho, Vietnam and meetings with policy-makers in Hanoi about the rising challenge of resource management in an increasingly unstable climate. Eyler will also share first-hand analysis of the severe drought currently affecting the Mekong Delta. Panelists will discuss how climate change and water management are becoming issues of national security in Vietnam and how the U.S. Rebalance to Asia provides new opportunities for the United States to engage on climate resilience and adaptation.

15] – As part of DC LaborFest see "Joe Hill" at the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, on Mon., May 23 at 7 PM. Join DC LaborFest and DC Industrial Workers of the World for a screening of the Swedish biopic about one of the movement's most beloved members and organizers. This 1971 film was lost and unavailable commercially for nearly four decades, until a restored and digitally remastered version was produced in 2015 by the National Library of Sweden. Directed by renowned Swedish director Bo Widerberg, the film -- which won the Jury Prize at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival -- is a dramatization of Hill’s life, depicting his arrival as a poor immigrant in New York in 1902, his involvement with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and his trial for murder on trumped-up charges. Despite many pleas for mercy, including two from President Woodrow Wilson, he was executed by firing squad in Salt Lake City, Utah, on 15 November 1915. Among his last words were the exhortation “Don’t waste any time in mourning. Organize...“ Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/117167132022914/.

16] – Veterans For Peace Lobby Days are Tues., May 24 starting at 9 AM and continuing through Wed., May 25 at 5 PM. The House and Senate are both in session. Sign up to participate: http://goo.gl/forms/OeOTYnrhUV.  RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/531072140400339/.  The focus of the visits will be on opposing the recent increase in spending on nuclear weapons, and on moving the Agent Orange Relief and Recovery Act. The third and final ask to all representatives and senators will be to publicly oppose hate speech throughout their upcoming campaigns. Besides the lobbying in Washington, D.C., others will do local lobbying. . Tickets are available at www.veteransforpeace.org.

17] – You are invited to the School of Life Annual Celebration on Tues, May 24 at 10:30 AM which will honor Patron Saint Mary at School of Life, 4217 East-West Highway, Bethesda. Call 301-654-6759. Mass will be said by Right Rev. Abbott James Wiseman, OSB, of St. Anselm’s Abbey in Washington, D.C. Mass will be followed by the ashram's interfaith prayers and songs. Then participants will honor the deceased ancestors, after which enjoy lunch. The celebration will close with a spiritual film after lunch. RSVP at shantiyoga2@schooloflife.org.

18] – SUSTAINING THE POLITICAL REVOLUTION-How Do We Tackle Climate and Equity in a Transformative Way? Come to the Institute for Policy Studies, 1301 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 600, WDC 20036, on Tues., May 24 from 12:30 to 2 PM.  In the U.S. and around the world, people are grappling with a massive transition from a fossil fuel, militarized, unequal Wall Street economy to a new economy that puts people and planet first. What are strategies to make the transition "just" for communities of color, for working people, and for the poor in ways that deepen democracy? Real, transformative solutions need to cut across issues instead of perpetuating silos. Join IPS experts to discuss how to promote equity in a finite planet. RSVP at http://act.ips-dc.org/site/Calendar?id=100601&view=Detail.

19] – President Barack Obama’s FY2016 budget request committed his administration to develop a plan to wind down all OCO-designated spending by FY 2020. The new budget deal, which provides temporary relief from caps set by the Budget Control Act of 2011, makes it even more important for President Obama and his successor to develop and commit to a credible plan to wind down OCO funding. Stimson’s new report, Overseas Contingency Operations: Long-term Impacts and Alternatives, addresses the long-term impacts of the use of the OCO designation on the Pentagon’s planning and provides a rationale for alternative options.

Release of Stimson’s new report is happening at The Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW, 8th Floor, WDC 20036 on Tues., May 24 from 2:30 through 4 PM.  RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1v5Bx9i1vwVpkvllIvlnsQ1Acbp8G_lxzN64EJYGzEaI/viewform.

20] – Each Tuesday from 4:30 - 5:30 PM, the Catholic Peace Fellowship-Philadelphia for peace in Afghanistan and Iraq gathers at the Suburban Station, 16th St. & JFK Blvd., at the entrance to Tracks 3 and 4 on the mezzanine.  The next vigil is May 24.  Call 215-426-0364.

21] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 33rd & North Charles Sts. join this ongoing vigil on May 24  from 5:30 to 6:30  PM. Call Max at 410-323-1607.

22] – There is a Mailing Party at the Washington Peace Center, 1525 Newton St. NW, WDC, on Tues., May 24 from 6 to 9 PM. Be there for friends, fun and pizza while stuffing envelopes for the spring mailing. Email darakshan@washingtonpeacecenter.org.

23] – At Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, on Tues., May 24 at 7:30 PM, in collaboration with the Labor History Book Club led by Bill Barry, Andor Skotnes, professor of history at Sages College, will discuss his new book “A New Deal for All?” Skotnes examines the interrelationships between the Black freedom movement and the workers' movement in Baltimore and Maryland during the Great Depression and the early years of the Second World War. Don't miss this fascinating piece of Baltimore organizing history! Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.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