Friday, September 20, 2019

Baltimore Activist Alert -- September 18 - 19, 2019


16] Why Democracy Matters for Muslim-Majority – Sept. 18
17] Resolve 2019 Global Forum – Sept. 18
18] Avoiding Failure in Afghanistan – Sept. 18
19] Parole Reform Sept. 18
20] Naomi Klein in D.C. Sept. 18
21] Carroll County Poor Peoples Campaign meeting – Sept. 18
22] Shut Down D.C. meeting – Sept. 18
23] Liberal Democracy? – Sept. 18
24] Eidinger v Evans Birthday Extravaganza – Sept. 18
25] The Nuclear Spies – Sept. 18
26] Talk About Climate, Talk About Race – Sept. 18
27] The Nuclear Ban Treaty – Sept. 19
28] Adapting to New Climate Realities – Sept. 19
29] Access To Employment – Sept. 19
30] Yappy Hour – Sept. 19
31] Community Climate Meeting – Sept. 19
32] Racial Equity in MoCo – Sept. 19
33] Segregation still divides – Sept. 19
34] A Night with Asylum Seekers – Sept. 19
35] Communities United Committee Night – Sept. 19
36] Poster-making party – Sept. 19
37] One Person, One Vote – Sept. 19
38] Fusion Centers – Sept. 19
39] Plastic Bag Survey – Sept. 19
40] CLIMATE STRIKE KICKOFF Sept. 19
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16] – On Wed., Sept. 18 from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, get over to the 20th Annual Conference: Why Democracy Matters for Muslim-Majority, hosted by The Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy – CSID in the Copley Formal Lounge, Copley Hall, WDC 20007. See https://www.facebook.com/events/2346511175581083/.

17] – On Wed., Sept. 18 from 9 AM to 5 PM, come to Resolve 2019 Global Forum, hosted by the United States Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave. NW, WDC 20037.  Get your tickets at www.usip.org. Despite progress in countering violent extremism, it still poses challenges that have grown more lethal and complex as new actors and conflicts arise. To face these emerging trends, policymakers and practitioners require global insights—grounded in research—into sources of resilience and vulnerability. The annual RESOLVE Global Forum will bring together top scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to reflect on past efforts, explore prevailing myths, and discuss strategies to recalibrate the way forward in addressing violent extremism.

RESOLVE’s mission is to provide insights into violent extremism around the world, elevate local voices and analysis, and increase connectivity between research, policy, and practice. The rise in violent extremism globally lends urgency to reflect on and highlight successful approaches, refocus research and practice, and find areas for collaboration. The full-day public event, which features a series of panel discussions and TED Talk-style presentations with leading experts, will aim to reset priorities and understand the contemporary challenges to countering violent extremism. RSVP at https://www.usip.org/events/resolve-2019-global-forum. See https://www.facebook.com/events/932607950466432/.

18] – On Wed., Sept. 18 from 10:30 AM to noon, get with Avoiding Failure in Afghanistan: Prospects for US Engagement, hosted by Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies in Dupont Circle, WDC 20009. Check out https://www.facebook.com/events/3584796464879301/.

19] – Join Marc Steiner on Wed., Sept. 18 from 6 to 7:30 PM at The Real News Network (TRNN), 231 Holliday St., Baltimore 21202, for a conversation on parole reform. A short film will be followed by a panel discussion. The event is hosted by the Justice Policy Institute. Also attending will be members of "the Unger class," a cohort of people -- which includes TRNN Executive Producer Eddie Conway -- who received life sentences in trials tainted by unconstitutional jury instructions. The historic Unger decision resulted in the release of almost 200 people from Maryland prisons who had served an average of more than 30 years.  It also created a natural case study from which other states can learn.  Data on how the Ungers have fared offers a unique look at how states can safely and effectively provide meaningful opportunities for release through reentry planning. It also provides a comprehensive examination of the high cost to warehouse individuals versus the cost of safely returning them back to their families and communities. Email talk@steinershow.org. See https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-story-that-needs-to-be-told-maryland-parole-and-the-ungers-tickets-70282991319.

20] – On Wed., Sept. 18 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM, hear Naomi Klein & Rev. Lennox Yearwood, hosted by Shut Down DC-Climate Strike at the Friends Meeting of Washington, 2111 Florida Ave. NW, WDC 20008.  They will join the final mobilizing meeting before the Shut Down on September 23rd. See https://www.facebook.com/events/507315563149530/.

21] – The Carroll County Regional Coordinating Committee of the Poor Peoples Campaign will meet on Wed., Sept. 18 from 6 to 8 PM at the Westminster Library, 50 East Main St., Westminster. See what is going on in Carroll County and how you can be involved!

22] – On Wed., Sept. 18 from 6 to 8:30 PM, join the Shut Down DC-Climate Strike Orientation & Spokes Council Meeting at the Friends Meeting of Washington, 2111 Florida Ave. NW, WDC.  Youth leaders from around the world have called for a climate strike and global week of action from September 20th-27th. They have been taking the lead so far, but now they are calling on all of us to take action. In Washington, DC, answer the call and build on the momentum of the youth climate strikes in a major way by shutting down D.C. on Sept. 23.

Affinity groups will be formed to take responsibility for shutting down business as usual. If this is your first meeting, come at 6 PM so you can get up to speed on the action plan and organizing structure so you can hit the ground running when the spokes council meeting starts at 7 PM.  The Shut Down DC spokes council is the organizing and decision making body of the ShutDownDC action. It’s open to anyone but priority is given to coordination and joint decision making between working groups and affinity groups that have been working to make ShutDownDC. Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/1251858704985070/?event_time_id=1251858708318403.

23] – On Wed., Sept. 18 from 6:30 to 7:30 PM, the DIS University will examine Liberal Democracy and Drivers of Exclusion, hosted by The Baltimore Museum of Art.  Is liberal democracy an oxymoron? Can "liberalism" and "democracy" coexist? Join a discussion on the social and political frictions that arise from the interaction between these concepts.  Lester K. Spence, Ph.D, author of "Knocking The Hustle: Against the Neoliberal Turn in Black Politics" and Associate Professor of Political Studies and Africana Studies at Johns Hopkins University, will be joined in conversation with media theorist McKenzie Wark, whose work examining liberalism and democracy is featured in the DIS: A Good Crisis exhibition currently on view at the BMA. The discussion will be moderated by artist and organizer Lee Heinemann.

A Good Crisis will be open from 5 to 6:30 PM, and the event's first 50 guests will receive a free DIS U travel mug.  Get with the pop-up coffee shop and bookstore presented by Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse and Thread Coffee Roasters. See https://www.facebook.com/events/2401116273506374/.

24] – On Wed., Sept. 18 from 6:30 to 10:30 PM, check out Eidinger v Evans Birthday Extravaganza, hosted by Recall Jack Evans at 2448 Massachusetts Ave. NW, WDC 20008-2804.  Join the Committee to Hold Jack Evans Accountable for Adam Eidinger's birthday fundraiser.  In order to raise funds for the campaign to Recall Jack Evans, there is a required donation of $10, a suggested donation of $51, and for those with the resources to spare, a maximum donation of $500. Check out https://www.facebook.com/events/1374973616011514/.

25] – On Wed., Sept. 18 at 6:30 PM, attend a book talk about The Nuclear Spies with Vince Houghton at the International Spy Museum, 700 L'Enfant Plaza SW, WDC 20024.   Visit https://www.spymuseum.org/calendar/detail/the-nuclear-spies/2019-09-18/.  TICKETS ARE $10, BUT MEMBERS OF THE INNER CIRCLE GET IN FOR $8.  When the Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb in 1949, the US was taken by complete surprise.   Literally. American intelligence services had overlooked the signs that the Soviets were about to go nuclear. How did they miss this bombshell? Especially after their spectacular success gathering information about the Nazis’ plan for a nuclear weapon during WWII. Spy Museum historian/curator Vince Houghton reveals the triumphs and the spectacular failures of the US’s mid-20th century scientific intelligence pursuits in his new book The Nuclear Spies. Houghton will sit down with Spy Museum curator/historian Alexis Albion for a discussion of the fraught period when weapons and military capabilities surged exponentially and intelligence agencies desperately sought to keep up. Guests will have a chance to see nuclear intelligence artifacts from Houghton’s personal collection.

26] – On Wed., Sept. 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, catch Why You Can't Talk About Climate Without Talking About Race, hosted by Arch Street United Methodist Church, 55 N. Broad St., Philadelphia 19107.  Tickets are at salsa3.salsalabs.com.  A generation ago, Black, Brown, and low-income communities alerted the world to environmental racism: more toxins, fewer jobs, more pollution, and less voice in Black and Brown communities. Today, we’re seeing these same disasters multiplied by climate crisis. Join POWER’s Climate Justice and Jobs team in looking at Climate Crisis through an anti-racist lens. Imagine community building by envisioning an economy that puts people and the planet first. Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/388985858476488/.

27] – On Thurs.,  Sept. 19 at 10 AM, catch The Nuclear Ban Treaty - The Path Forward at the Perry World House - University of Pennsylvania Campus, Philadelphia.  This is sponsored by the Coalition for Peace Action with multiple speakers. Go to https://www.peacecoalition.org/chapters-2/1039-the-nuclear-ban-treaty-the-path-forward.html. This is a day-long conference about nuclear issues. In the morning, there will be workshops, and there will be an afternoon keynote and panel discussion. One of the speakers will be Dr. Elaine Scarry, author of “Thermonuclear Monarchy,” and Joe Cirincione, Ploughshares Fund President. If you would like to carpool from Princeton, email cfpa@peacecoalition.org.

28] On Thurs., Sept. 19 from 12:15 to 1:45 PM, go to Adapting to New Climate Realities: Doing More, Better, and New, hosted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), 1201 I St., WDC 20005.  Lunch will be available starting at 11:45 AM. The Global Commission on Adaptation seeks to highlight the adaptation challenges confronting poor people, notably poor farmers whose livelihoods are fragile and dependent on the weather and launch a year of action to begin rising to meet this challenge. In this seminar, IFPRI researchers advance paths towards meeting the adaptation challenge by doing more, better, and new. Register for this FREE event at https://adaptingtonewclimaterealities.eventbrite.com.  See https://www.facebook.com/events/2398867427048173/.

29] – Regional Economic Study Institute Roundtables continue with the third event -- Access To Employment on Thurs., Sept. 19 at 3 PM at 7400 York Road, Suite 301, Towson. With Baltimore and its perceived, and real social ills atop national news of late, the Regional Economic Study Institute at Towson University has scheduled five roundtables on challenges facing the city and region and how to address them. RSVP at http://www.engagetu.com/2019/08/07/resi-to-host-roundtables-on-disparities-in-baltimore-city/.

30] – On Thurs., Sept. 19 from 5 to 8 PM, there is a Maryland SPCA Yappy Hour at Cafe Hon, 1002 W. 36th St., Baltimore 21211.  Grab your fur-less pals and enjoy mouth-watering food and drink specials. A portion of the proceeds will benefit homeless and unwanted animals at the MD SPCA. Tag a friend! Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/375480413352800/.

31] – On Thurs., Sept. 19 from 6 to 8:30 PM, get over to a Community Climate Meeting with CleanChoice Energy, hosted by the League of Conservation Voters and CleanChoice Energy at Busboys and Poets Takoma, 235 Carroll St. NW, WDC 20012.  RSVP at https://bit.ly/2MGGtFB!

Bring your energy bill with you so that you can sign up for clean energy on the spot! Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1333789073463526/.

32] – On Thurs., Sept. 19 from 6 to 9 PM, come to a  People's Forum: Racial Equity in MoCo, hosted by Impact Silver Spring at VisArts, 155 Gibbs St., #300, Rockville 20850.  Right now, elected officials are drafting racial equity legislation for Montgomery County. The legislation, if done right, could actualize values and make a serious dent in the persisting inequities in this county. Individuals who will be affected most by a county racial equity policy are strongly encouraged to attend.

Interpretation and a light dinner will be provided. The event is organized by the Montgomery County Racial Equity Network, which seeks to ensure that Montgomery County develops policies that make concrete, tangible, and measurable changes to eliminate racial inequities and injustices in our communities. The Network is made up of individual community activists, as well as local, community-focused organizations for whom racial equity is a priority. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/2398646230389269/.

33] – On Thurs., Sept. 19 from 6 to 7:30 PM, catch up with The Lines Between Us: At School and At Home with Lawrence Lanahan, hosted by the Poverty & Race Research Action Council at 740 15th St. NW, Suite 300, WDC 20005.  Doors open at 5:30 PM, and light refreshments will be available. A livestream will be available here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/PRRAC/videos/.  DC's own Kramerbooks will be on-site selling copies of "The Lines Between Us: Two Families and a Quest to Cross Baltimore's Racial Divide" by Lawrence Lanahan.

Segregation continues to divide American neighborhoods and public schools. School desegregation plans have been dismantled, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently moved to weaken the Disparate Impact standard, one of the most powerful legal tools available to counter residential segregation and other forms of discrimination. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/419881468875913/.

34] – On Thurs., Sept. 19 from 6:30 to 8 PM, get over to A Night with Asylum Seekers: Storytelling, hosted by The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW, WDC 20009.  Tickets are at www.phillipscollection.org.  The Asylum Seeker Assistance Project (ASAP) invites six clients to the Phillips for an evening of storytelling followed by an audience Q&A. The stories will focus on the theme of "hope."  ASAP is the first and only nonprofit exclusively dedicated to serving the estimated 50,000 asylum seekers living in the D.C. Metro region. Through direct services, education, and community support, ASAP empowers asylum seekers to rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose. Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/2358272521156972/.

35] – The Communities United Committee Night is happening on Thurs., Sept. 19 with a potluck at 6 PM, followed by the meeting at 6:30 PM at 2221 Maryland Ave., Baltimore 21218. Call 4210-513-9001 or go to www.marylandcu.org.

36] –  Sojo is teaming up with Young Evangelicals for Climate Action to host a free poster-making party in D.C. on Thurs., Sept. 19 from 7 to 10 PM at Sojourners, 408 C St. NE, WDC 20002.  There will be lots of food, poster-making supplies, music, and good company.  Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/2959628754110191/.

37] – On Thurs., Sept. 19 from 7 to 9 PM, get over to One Person, One Vote: The Challenge of American Democracy, hosted by the ACLU of Maryland and Maryland Institute College of Art, Falvey Hall - MICA Brown Center, 1301 West Mount Royal Ave., Baltimore 21217.  Tickets are at action.aclu.org. Hear a discussion of the threats and opportunities facing our democracy. Discuss the many recent voting rights threats that have gained steam under the Trump administration. Address how racist legacies of the past, like the Jim Crow holdover idea of linking the right to vote to incarceration, continue to threaten democracy today.  MAKE SURE you RSVP HERE -> http://bit.ly/2mfFGQ7. See https://www.facebook.com/events/901326373578056/.

38] – On Thurs., Sept. 19 from 7 to 10 PM, Brendan McQuade will discuss his book  “Pacifying the Homeland: Intelligence Fusion and Mass Supervision” at Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 1225 Cathedral St, Baltimore, Maryland 21201.  The United States has poured over a billion dollars into a network of interagency intelligence centers called “fusion centers.” These centers were ostensibly set up to prevent terrorism, but politicians, the press, and policy advocates have criticized them for failing on this account. So why do these security systems persist? Pacifying the Homeland travels inside the secret world of intelligence fusion, looks beyond the apparent failure of fusion centers, and reveals a broader shift away from mass incarceration and toward a more surveillance- and police-intensive system of social regulation.

Provided with unprecedented access to domestic intelligence centers, Brendan McQuade uncovers how the institutionalization of intelligence fusion enables decarceration without fully addressing the underlying social problems at the root of mass incarceration. The result is a startling analysis that contributes to the debates on surveillance, mass incarceration, and policing and challenges readers to see surveillance, policing, mass incarceration, and the security state in an entirely new light. See http://redemmas.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/events/2142090602752291/.

39] – On Thurs., Sept. 19 from 7 to 8:30 PM, participate in a Training for Plastic Bag Survey in Frederick County, organized by the Catoctin Group of the Sierra Club at C Burr Artz, Children’s Room, 110 E Patrick St., Frederick 21701. Contact Kerri Hesley at khesley@comcast.net or (301) 730-3339. Help conduct a survey of the types of bags used by shoppers in about 20 grocery stores in Frederick County in several grocery chains (Food Lion, Giant, Giant Eagle, Safeway, Wegmans, and Weis Markets). The volunteers will observe and record shoppers’ bag choices for one hour at each store exit – reusable bags, plastic bags, paper bags, and unbagged merchandise. The survey is observational and does not involve contact or interviews with the shoppers.  If you’d like to volunteer to conduct the survey at a grocery store near you, all volunteers who wish to participate in data collection must take the training.

The survey will take place over three weekends in September and October, with the results presented at the Catoctin Sierra Club's fall meeting on October 5th. The results will be used to advocate for local and state-wide legislation to reduce use of single use plastic bags and raise use of reusable bags.

40] – The CLIMATE STRIKE KICKOFF is happening on Thurs. , Sept. 19 at 7:30 PM at Johns Hopkins University, Remsen Hall, Room 101, 3400 N. Charles St. Baltimore 21218.  The screening of "The Reluctant Radical" is designed to energize everyone to get out in the streets. Check out https://www.thereluctantradicalmovie.com/.

To be continued

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.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

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