Baltimore Activist Alert -- November 30 - December 1, 2020

18] Make Calls for Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.  – Nov. 30

19] US MILITARISM ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT – Nov. 30

20] Join the New Georgia Project for a phone bank -- Nov. 30

21] The Biden administration and China, Russia and Korea -- Nov. 30

22] Get Money Out of Maryland – Nov. 30

23] Maryland State Legislator Meetings – Dec. 1

24] Missile and Nuclear Insecurity in East Asia -- Dec. 1

25] Outside Bread for the Journey Soup Kitchen – Dec. 1

26] Protest JHU’s weapons research – Dec. 1

27] Alas, Cantos y Colores expedition – Dec. 1

28] Sunrise Movement Baltimore meeting – Dec. 1

29] Discuss Consent Decree – Dec. 1

30] Montgomery County Racial Equity & Policing Team Meeting -- Dec. 1

31] War, Peace, and the Supreme Court -- Dec. 1

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18] – Make Calls for Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.  The presidential election may be over (Donald Trump’s refusal to concede notwithstanding), but control of the US Senate hangs in the balance, pending the results of two runoff elections in Georgia, the nation’s newest battleground state. Early voting starts December 14, and Special Election Day is January 5, 2021. The Sierra Club will be making phone calls in support of Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, whose races could determine the fate of President-Elect Biden’s ambitious green agenda. Sign up to call Georgia voters at https://www.mobilize.us/sierraclubbattleground/event/272291/?utm_source=insider&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter. The available times are Mon., Nov. 30 from 3 to 6 PM EST.  Then on Tues., Dec. 1 from 3 to 6 PM and 6 to 9 PM EST.  The calls will continue Wed., Dec. 2 from 3 to 6 PM and 6 to 9 PM EST through Tues., Jan. 5 from 6 to 9 PM EST.

19] – Hear about AFRICOM: US MILITARISM ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT on Mon., Nov. 30 at 4 PM ET.  Register for this ZOOMINAR at https bit.ly/africomwebinar.  Explore the scope and reach of AFRICOM, and the struggle to get US military forces out of Africa. The United States Africa Command, or AFRICOM, was established in 2007. The United States government claimed that part of AFRICOM's mission was to promote peace and security in Africa. Yet in the years since its inception AFRICOM has launched military strikes in African countries, and has faced accusations that some of its activities have amounted to war crimes.  Professor Horace G. Campbell, an internationally-known peace and justice activist, holds a joint Professorship in the Department of African American Studies and the Department of Political Science at Syracuse University. Kerry McLean is an international human rights lawyer who has lived and worked in East, West, Central and southern Africa. This event is sponsored by the National Lawyers Guild and the International Association of Democratic Lawyers.

20] – Can you help CPDAction win Georgia? Join the New Georgia Project for a phone bank on Mon., Nov. 30 and Tues., Dec. 1 from 6 to 8:30 PM ET to help register voters for this critical double run-off election! Sign up now: https://www.mobilize.us/cpda/event/363574/?ms=POL_EMAIL_SIGNUPc4_11192020&emci=3321f2a8-e129-eb11-9fb4-00155d03affc&emdi=b18c414b-802a-eb11-9fb4-0003ff196a4c&ceid=447376.  Email CPD Action <info@cpdaction.org>. The phone bank will continue on Thurs., Dec. 3 and Mon., Dec. 7.

21] - Will the Biden administration change policy when it comes to China, Russia and Korea? Jodie Evans, Hyun Lee and John Feffer explain Cooperation or Cold War on Mon., Nov. 30 from 7 to 8:30 PM. The former Vice President is just as committed to U.S. hegemony and to the “pivot to Asia”, the new military, economic, diplomatic and soft-power Cold War with China. Biden is also aiming to revitalize U.S.-European alliances aimed at Russia. President-elect Biden may extend the New START Treaty with Russia and has signaled an openness to cutting some nuclear weapons, but Biden is hardly a nuclear abolitionist. The “modernization” of the US nuclear arsenal is threatening a new arms race with Russia and China. Will Biden recognize the dangers and change course?  Register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEvd-6uqzwoH9E1PjxpjpS2C1iUmftXAHL9?emci=8a4a593b-e629-eb11-9fb4-00155d03affc&emdi=bada527f-262f-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=269591.

22] – Join the Get Money Out of Maryland Teleconference on Mon., Nov. 30 from 8:30 to 9:30 PM.  There are two ways to join the conference: Dial 1 929 205 6099, and then use meeting ID: 512 862 260. Or Click on your device if you have downloaded the app from Zoom. The focus will be on organizational sign-ups, public relations, and logistics for lobbying in Annapolis.

23] - Throughout the fall, the group Jews United for Justice has been learning about issue priorities and its state legislators. On Tues., Dec. 1 through Mon., Dec. 21 attend Maryland State Legislator Meetings.  For example, people from District 43 will meet with its state representatives on Thurs., Dec. 3 to discuss an agenda for the 2021 session of the Maryland General Assembly. Begin with a prep session at 6:30 PM, before meeting virtually with legislators from 7 to 8:15 PM. From 8:15 to 8:45 PM, there will be a debrief session. You will receive call-in instructions via email after you RSVP at https://jufj.org/jufj-district-meetings-2021/?emci=70fe8123-7f2e-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=e3ba679e-852e-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=3403859#1604680421685-0ece2280-92de.

24] – Check out Missile and Nuclear Insecurity in East Asia on Tues., Dec. 1 from noon to 1:30 PM.  The speaker is Masako Ikegami, Ph. D., Professor, School of Environment and Society, Tokyo Institute of Technology.  Register at https://mit.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6Um61UbXTKOoGsI9NWOwNQ. The world is facing an unprecedented crises on several fronts. Lack of leadership by the United States has intensified many flash points around the world including nuclear threats and the abandonment of arms control negotiations, bio-safety, climate change, food insecurity, instability and tensions in the East, and increased pressure from nationalists and extremists at home and abroad. This Tuesday seminar series will capture a subset of these critical issues facing humanity and the planet.

25] – On Tues., Dec. 1 from 1:30 to 2 PM, check out Outside Bread for the Journey Soup Kitchen individual lunches given out by Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in Baltimore.  This Tuesday soup kitchen will until Dec. 1. The church is at 2424 McElderry St., Baltimore 21205.  Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/602052220539690/?event_time_id=602052307206348.

26] – There is a Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" at 33rd and N. Charles Sts. on Tuesdays from 5 to 6 PM. Contact Max at mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net or 410-323-1607.  You may consider contacting President Ron Daniels and telling him that the university should reject all military contracts, including those for killer drone and nuclear weapons research.  The president’s mailing address is Office of the President, 242 Garland Hall, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Maryland 21218.  You can also reach his office by Phone: (410) 516-8068, Fax: (410) 516-6097 or email: president@jhu.edu.

27] – Get over to a Webinar on Tues., Dec. 1 from 6 to 7:30 PM ET and hear a discussion on the launch of the Alas, Cantos y Colores expedition, which will retrace the footsteps of renowned ornithologist Frank Chapman (pictured below packing specimens) during his 1910-1915 explorations across Colombia. Alas, Cantos y Colores is a Colombian-led initiative to incorporate historical and modern data to understand the impact of human activities on bird communities over the last 110 years, in order to better predict and prevent future impacts on biodiversity. The discussion will be moderated by Ambassador Francisco Santos (Colombian Ambassador to the USA) and will feature three panelists: Dr. Joel Cracraft from the American Museum of Natural History will shed light on the historical context of Chapman’s expeditions, Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela from the Humboldt Institute will focus on the modern-day, Colombian-led expeditions retracing Chapman’s steps, and Geoff LeBaron from Audubon will look at Chapman’s long-lasting legacy related to the Christmas Bird Count and recent efforts to build out bird-based tourism in Colombia. Register at https://act.audubon.org/a/caminando-con-chapman?ms=digital-eng-email-ea-x-engagement_20201125_iap-webinar-invite_world-migratory-bird-day-latinx-heritage-month&utm_source=ea&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=engagement_20201125_iap-webinar-invite&utm_content=world-migratory-bird-day-latinx-heritage-month&emci=05f7218f-7c2e-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=5d7d7c76-612f-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=2504878&contactdata=wsZEqx2q6%2bhcmRHTTTG%2fp0AC%2fMTGpli5n1hKyafqohvIVZ9e6u0tAMH%2fLEOINi%2b4gl8G5DSGv6h1ponEs1n3QsyqPFzXOLzRD3rroagUFNno984Xks3LDSs1SZVSVH%2b%2bl%2bMK8iJgF6BOiUhKUM1UCyQwg3sZC%2bEgwzdak4C1xMxk2m8iSC5MMFbma9TgVALyd0le%2f8AyiZQwmnWbe%2fnGR%2bliA4p52D2bDwcPzAixpPPLXa3mdA3ULndt8Y6Kxnrtter.

28] – The Sunrise Movement Baltimore is holding its last hub meeting of the year on Tues., Dec. 1 at 6:30 PM. Reflect on 2020 and gear up for the year ahead. Register  at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAsf-ytrTIpGNatcW0qWSLUWBhoLvi1Y6JL?link_id=6&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-take-action-tuesday-protect-renters-transit-equity-and-more&email_referrer=email_1003759&email_subject=take-action-tuesday-protect-renters-transit-equity-and-more.

29] – On April 7, 2017, the City of Baltimore and the Department of Justice (DOJ) entered into a Consent Decree, which is a court enforceable agreement to resolve DOJ's findings that it believed the Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) had engaged in a pattern and practice of conduct that violates the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, and certain provisions of federal statutory law. The Baltimore City Consent Decree website is: https://consentdecree.baltimorecity.gov/. Behavioral Health System Baltimore (BHSB) is providing a virtual opportunity to learn about the Baltimore City Consent Decree on Tues., Dec. 1 from 7 to 8:30 PM. Visit https://files.constantcontact.com/dab7619c001/b5c67b3a-42a7-40d0-8107-08ad568055ef.pdf.

30] – Jews United for Justice are urging you to attend the Montgomery County Racial Equity & Policing Team Meeting on Tues., Dec. 1 from 7 to 8:30 PM ET.  You will receive call-in instructions via email after you RSVP at https://jufj.org/event/mc-policing-mtng-dec-2020/?emci=70fe8123-7f2e-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=e3ba679e-852e-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=3403859.

Our Revolution is investing in organizing in black communities being targeted heavily by racist GOP voter suppression tactics.  RSVP for a virtual organizing meeting on Tues., Dec. 1 at 8:30 PM ET to hear from Nina Turner, Killer Mike, and Councilman khalid about what it’s going to take to win Georgia and save our democracy.  RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/ourrevolution/event/364525/?akid=839.8252965.epZyGG&rd=1&t=8.

31] –War, Peace, and the Supreme Court with Professor Samuel Moyn will take place on Tues., Dec. 1 from 7 to 8 PM.  Join in for a conversation with Yale historian and legal expert Samuel Moyn and discuss the history of US wars, "forever" wars, the legal doctrines that supposedly justify wars, US war criminals, liberal Democratic interventionism, conservative war hawks, and more. With recent developments in the Supreme Court, hear from Samuel about why it’s a just cause to disempower the Supreme Court. Register here https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIufuGhpzstHNxRUUWup3MRNwoxuPmovopa?emci=cc240b68-6c2e-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=5f4f1f63-712e-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=269591. Moyn is Henry R. Luce Professor of Jurisprudence at Yale Law School and Professor of History at Yale University. He is also a fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Baltimore, MD 21212.  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