Baltimore Activist Alert June 26 - 28, 2016

Baltimore Activist Alert June 26 - 28, 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] A Timebank – June 26

7] See the film "THE OCCUPATION OF THE AMERICAN MIND -- June 26

8] Torture Survivor Awareness Week Celebration -- June 26

9] OneLoveOnePulse Benefit Show – June 26

10] Pentagon Vigil – June 27

11] Little Friends for Peace Summer Peace Camp -- June 27 – July 1 

12] Marc Steiner on WEAA – June 27 – June 31

13] Protection of Civilians – June 27

14] MDE Fracking Regulations Public Meeting #2 -- June 27

15] Challenges for Health Equity: Racism and Capitalism – June 27

16] Social Movements and the Surveillance State -- June 27

17] “The Way to the Spring” – June 27

18] Host a showing of Josh Fox’s new film – June 27  

19] "U.S. Nuclear Weapons in the Twenty-First Century" – June 28

20] "The Iran Nuclear Deal After One Year" – June 28

21] Philadelphia Peace Vigil – June 28

22] Protest JHU drone research – June 28

23] New Sierra Club Volunteer Orientation – June 28

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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] – 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. Baltimore is launching a time bank called LetsBMore.  A time bank helps people exchange services that are counted as hours, not dollars.  It is a reciprocal way of sharing our skills and talents while building community.  BES is having a workshop on June 25, which will be an introduction to the time bank and a chance to meet other people participating in the time bank. Go to http://www.meetup.com/bmorethical/events/231522646/. Call 410-581-2322 or email ask@bmorethical.org.

7] – On Sun., June 26 at 2 PM at the Howard County East Columbia Library, 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia 21045, catch a screening of  "THE OCCUPATION OF THE AMERICAN MIND: Israel’s public relations war in the United States." This is a powerful, unforgettable documentary produced by Media Educational Foundation and narrated by Roger Waters, former Pink Floyd member.  It features commentary by Phyllis Bennis, Max Blumenthal, Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein, Peter Hart, Amira Hass, and others.

  The event is sponsored by the Committee for Palestinian Rights. CPR is a group of concerned members of the Howard County community who come from diverse backgrounds but share a commitment to opposing the tragic denial of justice, dignity and human rights to the Palestinian people that is a direct result of the military occupation of their lands by the state of Israel.  Email CPR_Maryland@yahoo.com   

8] –  The Torture Survivor Awareness Week Celebration continues at Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW, WDC, on Sun., June 26 from 6 to 10 PM. Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC) is hosting activities for International June Survivors Week. The theme is “We Will Not Be Silent.” Email Kelsey@tassc.org for more information.

9] – On Sun., get over to OneLoveOnePulse Benefit Show from 9 to 11 PM at The Depot, 1728 N. Charles St. Call (443) 324-5190 or email depotbaltimore.com.  The cost is $5. All of the proceeds raised from this event will go toward the official GoFundMe for families of the victims of the Pulse nightclub attack. Sample drinks from the special drink menu, take part in a raffle and enjoy a drag show.

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., June 27, 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] – Send Your Kids to the Little Friends for Peace Summer Peace Camp from Mon., June 27 through Sat., July 1 at the Unitarian Universalist Church, Arlington, VA.  Register at http://www.lffp.org/uuca-cit-registration.html.

12] – 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.

13] –  Challenges and Opportunities for the U.S. Government to Improve the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict is happening on Mon., June 27 from 3:30 to  5 PM at the Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW, 8th Floor, WDC 20036. RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1hlWXPAMRfc3xNQEkvcsWfbpWblM7wTVLrDcwxda9AYM/closedform.

To mark the Washington, D.C. launch of Protection of Civilians, a comprehensive volume published by Oxford University Press, the Stimson Center will host a discussion examining how the U.S. government can advance the protection of civilians agenda. Panelists from inside and outside the U.S. government will explore how the government has engaged through bilateral diplomatic channels and multilateral institutions to prevent and respond to violence against civilians in conflict zones. The panel discussion will be followed by a reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres. This event will be held under the Chatham House Rule.

14] – Get over to the MDE Fracking Regulations Public Meeting #2 on Mon, June 27 from 5:30 to 8 PM, as called for by the Sierra Club, Maryland Chapter, at Montgomery Park, first floor conference room, 1800 Washington Blvd, Baltimore 21230. The event organizer is Zack Gerdes who can be reached at zack.gerdes@mdsierra.org or (301) 717-1972. At 5:30 PM, join activists for a rally outside the building to call for a ban on fracking! Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1736927296521242/. At 6 PM, head inside for a meeting with MDE to discuss fracking regulations that they are developing! We want to tell MDE how dangerous fracking is and that the people of Maryland want it banned!

15] –  Challenges for Health Equity: Racism and Capitalism will be discussed at the Watha T Daniel Shaw Library, 7th & Rhode Island Ave. NW, WDC, on Mon., June 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. How deeply are racism and capitalism intertwined? Can we defeat one without defeating the other? This workshop will include a panel and small groups to address how slavery and racism built the wealth of business, how intentional policies on housing, incarceration, voting created unequal playing fields, and how revolutionary change can lead to an anti-racist society. Come out to this event to further develop ideas about what we can do in our personal and work lives to build a movement for racial justice. Email kpomeran@gwu.edu or phone 202-994-3623. RSVP here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/challenges-for-health-equity-racism-and-capitalism-tickets-25999876330.

16] –  Social Movements and the Surveillance State will be discussed at the Mt Pleasant Neighborhood Library, 3160 16th St. NW, WDC, on Mon., June 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.  The event is cosponsored by the Bill of Rights Defense Committee/Defending Dissent Foundation, DC Jacobin, and DC National Lawyers Guild.  Throughout the history of the United States, social movements have faced law enforcement harassment, infiltration, and surveillance. Frequent revelations about not only new targeting of social movements, but also new surveillance technologies can paint a bleak picture for the possibility of social change. Yet, throughout history social movements by pushing back have been able to curtail the surveillance state. Come learn about the history of government efforts to police and disrupt dissent, as well as how activists today are breaking out of their issue silos to stand in solidarity against the surveillance state and how you can get involved both nationally and locally in Washington, D.C. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/136964166708259/.

17] –  Catch a book event “The Way to the Spring” at Busboys & Poets, 2021 14th St. NW, WDC, on Mon., June 27 from  6:30 to 8:30 PM.  Join Politics and Prose for a discussion with Ben Ehrenreich to present his new book “The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine.” Ben Ehrenreich first started reporting from the West Bank in 2011 on an assignment for Harper’s magazine. He went back again for the New York Times the following year, which resulted in a powerful, much talked-about cover-story for the magazine. Eventually he moved to Ramallah, and started writing his book.  In cities and small villages alike, a group of unforgettable characters shared their lives with Ehrenreich and made their own case for resistance and resilience in the face of life under occupation. Blending political and historical context with deeply human stories, the book makes clear that conditions on the ground are changing and getting worse, in an accelerating dynamic that should provoke the conscience of us all. Go to http://www.ips-dc.org/events/way-to-spring/.

18] – Josh Fox's new film documentary is unlike any other you've ever seen on climate change. In HOW TO LET GO OF THE WORLD AND LOVE ALL THE THINGS CLIMATE CAN'T CHANGE, Josh continues in his deeply personal style, investigating climate change – the greatest threat our world has ever known.  Amazon Watch accompanied Josh and his crew to the Peruvian and Ecuadorian Amazon to meet with environmental defenders and witness firsthand the environmental and human toll of oil extraction in the region. What you will see in the film is incredibly moving and inspiring. 

Traveling to twelve countries on six continents, the film acknowledges that it may be too late to stop some of the worst consequences and asks, what is it that climate change can't destroy? What is so deep within us that no calamity can take it away? Sign up to host a LET GO AND LOVE House Party Screening on Mon., June 27 when the film debuts on HBO at https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/627-let-go-and-love-screenings-live-chat-w-josh-fox?utm_source=Amazon+Watch+Newsletter+and+Updates&utm_campaign=b81a59589b-2016-06-29-how-to-hp&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e6f929728b-b81a59589b-339956126&mc_cid=b81a59589b&mc_eid=2091d9eb0c. Following the 9 PM EST, Josh will host live video chats with house parties across the nation. 

19] – On Tues., June 28 from 10 to 11:15 AM, Brad Roberts, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; and George Perkovich, Carnegie Endowment, will address "U.S. Nuclear Weapons in the Twenty-First Century" at the Carnegie Endowment, 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW, WDC. RSVP http://carnegieendowment.org/events/forms/?fa=registration&event=5297&lang=enonline.

20] – On Tues., June 28 from 3 to 4 PM, Barbara Slavin, Atlantic Council; and Kate Gould, Friends Committee on National Legislation, will tackle "The Iran Nuclear Deal After One Year." This webinar is sponsored by Women's Action for New Directions. RSVP at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1993370976011939587.

21] – 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 June 27.  Call 215-426-0364.

22] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 33rd & North Charles Sts. join this ongoing vigil on June 27  from 5:30 to 6:30  PM. Call Max at 410-323-1607.

23] – There is a New Sierra Club Volunteer Orientation on Tues., June 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, organized by the Sierra Club, Maryland Chapter, in Suite 102, 7338 Baltimore Ave., College Park 20740. Contact Laurel Imlay at laurel.imlay@sierraclub.org or (301) 277-7111. The Sierra Club offers volunteers opportunities to make a huge difference for the environment from political to policy to getting outdoors in nature, but it’s not always easy to navigate the club. This event will give you an overview of the Sierra Club’s primary issues, history, structure, and concrete upcoming ways to get involved.  RSVP at https://sierra.secure.force.com/events/details?id=70131000001iK86AAE&formcampaignid=70131000001iIVFAA2&data=0a73ac2a6bb856cace2158a759913301951b49fd9bf2c2d4fc1b1b4b5470a0832068189c4571adbfa20bba2a368827a4.

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