Baltimore Activist Alert -- December 14, 2020 to January 5, 2021

19] Count birds -- Dec. 14 – Jan. 5

20] Food Rescue -- Dec. 14

21] Understanding of Korean Comfort Women -- Dec. 14

22] Get out the vote in Georgia -- Dec. 14 – 15

23] Get Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff seats in the Senate – Dec. 14

24] National Jews for Refugees Assembly -- Dec. 14

25] Poor Peoples Campaign Monthly Meeting -- Dec. 14

26] CODEPINK’s first Peacemaker Salon -- Dec. 14

27] Jewish Voice for Peace celebrates -- Dec. 13 - 15

28] Our Revolution Weekly National Organize to Win Call -- Dec. 14

29] Get Money Out of Maryland – Dec. 14

30] Vanishing Media Freedoms across South Asia – Dec. 15

31] Protest JHU’s weapons research – Dec. 15

32] Celebrate Chanukah with Jews United for Justice – Dec. 15

33] An opportunity to enact changes in US foreign policy -- Dec. 15

34] Families Belong Together – Dec. 15  

35] Dismantling Anti-Semitism, Winning Justice – Dec. 15

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19] – Starting Mon., Dec. 14 through Tues., Jan. 5, bird lovers across North America will take part in Audubon’s 121st Christmas Bird Count. Visit this website to learn more about the history of the count and how every survey helps us better understand birds and the places they need  https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count?ms=digital-eng-email-ea-x-engagement_20201213_eng-email_climate-watch-winter-2021&utm_source=ea&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=engagement_20201213_eng-email&utm_content=climate-watch-winter-2021&emci=5fb2c5bb-3b3b-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=f4b95d8e-543d-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=2504878.

20] – On Mon., Dec. 14 from noon to 1:30 PM EST, participate in Food Rescue at Land of Kush, 840 North Eutaw St., Baltimore.  This Food Rescue will continue until Mon., Apr. 26. Food Rescue Baltimore is proud to partner with The Land of Kush each and every Monday to bring free vegan and plant-based food to the community. Bring a bag, take what you want, while supplies last. #KeepItFreshDay #MeatlessMonday. See https://www.facebook.com/The-Land-of-Kush-102096254517153.

21] - The GW Institute for Korean Studies [gwiks@gwu.edu] is hosting a Book Talk: "One Left," a Powerful Tale of Trauma and Endurance that Transformed a Nation’s Understanding of Korean Comfort Women.  The author is Kim Soom, and the translation is by Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton.  On Mon., Dec. 14 from 2 to 3:30 PM ET, join the Virtual Event via Zoom with the translators. Their translation of the first Korean novel to focus on the Korean “comfort women” of World War II will focus on the question of why it has taken 75 years for such a novel to be written, on the way in which author Kim Soom has interwoven the testimony of the surviving women with a fictional narrative taking place in present-day Seoul, and on broader issues of social justice, truth and reconciliation, and trauma and healing.  Check out https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gwiks-book-talk-one-left-registration-129476615041.

22] – The New Georgia Project is organizing volunteers to make calls to Georgia voters EVERY DAY through Election Day. Click here to sign up for a phone banking shift (or three) to help get out the vote in Georgia: https://www.mobilize.us/dailykos_2/event/363868/?link_id=1&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-wanna-make-mitch-mcconnell-utterly-irrelevant-heres-how-2&email_referrer=email_1012290&email_subject=who-controls-the-senate-is-coming-down-to-georgia-please-be-able-to-say-you-did-all-you-could-to-help-us-win-rsvp,  Make calls on Mon., Dec. 14 and Tues., Dec. 15 from 5 to 8 PM ET.  The calls will continue.

23] – Georgia’s voters must vote again on January 5 to decide two senate races that will determine which party controls the Senate. Help make sure Georgia’s voters have the info they need to vote. Using your own phone at home, you can make a difference in this historic election by joining thousands of SPLC volunteers in calling Georgia voters on Mon., Dec. 14 from 6 to 7 PM ET. Our Virtual Phone Bank will provide you with a complete script, the names and phone numbers of voters, and easy-to-follow instructions to record the results of your conversation. Sign up at https://action.splcenter.org/a/december-14th-splc-power-hour-virtual-phone-bank.

24] - This Hanukkah, on Mon., Dec. 14 from 6:30 to 7:30 PM ET, join HIAS for its first-ever National Jews for Refugees Assembly. This will be an opportunity for individuals, congregations, rabbis, organizations, and elected officials committed to refugees and asylum seekers to come together for an hour of learning and action. Light the candles together, so bring your hanukkiyah and get ready to celebrate a return to the values of welcome, dignity, and safety for all. Award-winning musician and educator, Shira Kline, will join in to infuse the gathering with music and celebration. Advance registration is required. RSVP https://www.hias.org/get-involved/events/national-jews-refugees-assembly.

25] - On Mon., Dec. 14 at 7 PM, attend the Maryland Monthly Meeting (2nd Monday) and participate in a discussion about MD labor policy, housing-evictions, and legislation. Regional breakout discussions will include local legislation and continue discussions about building the Faith Leaders base. Sign up at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvduCprDguH9K2DVb2GHvj_m9yAnTHEp4f?_x_zm_rtaid=ppbVu9BmSgSnjCQ6RDMv6Q.1607797032519.1d139565f10cd9b2ef25fe27194adf5b&_x_zm_rhtaid=

26] – Join the CODEPINK’s first Peacemaker Salon on Mon., Dec. 14 at 8 PM ET. This is a Peacemakers only event and will last about an hour.  Medea will give you an overview of the political landscape under Biden and where we have worries, where we will engage and what to keep an eye on, with time for you to ask questions and offer your own insights.  Some of the team will also be on to share what we have planned for 2021.  RSVP at https://www.codepink.org/12142020 for the private zoom link, and join our Salon for Political Discourse and peace forecast for 2021!

27] – Jewish Voice for Peace indicated that this is a lie --Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had labeled anti-Zionism, BDS, and the organizations that support BDS as anti-Semitic.  The best way to resist this dangerous and ridiculous lie is to be even more ourselves – even more vibrantly Jewish, even more staunchly anti-Zionist – and to show up even harder for Palestinian liberation.  That’s why this Hanukkah, you are invited to eight nights of events as a way for everyone a way to get engaged, be in community, and be in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. See the full schedule and sign up at https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/hanukkah-5781/?emci=14e8f14c-7d36-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=daed12a9-d038-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=237778.  Sign a light on abolition: the movement of activists and scholars trying to think beyond prisons as a tool to solve society’s problems. Whether you want to learn about the connections between the abolition movement and the movement for Palestinian freedom, experience performances, have a stronger understanding of the Torah, be in community with other anti-Zionist Jewish people of color, or deepen your Jewish practice, this is your chance. For example, on Night 4 check out A Very Unruly Hanukkah on Sun., Dec. 13 at 8 PM ET.  This is a night of live art, poetry, and performances! Night 5 is on Mon., Dec. 14 at 8 PM ET will be a Hanukkah party benefiting the work of the Adalah Justice Project, the Palestinian-led organization organizing towards Palestinian freedom and collective liberation. Night 6 is on Tues., Dec. 15 at 8 PM ET Dismantling Antisemitism, Winning Justice.  Join social justice movement and political leaders as they share what fighting antisemitism looks like to them and how it connects to their own liberation struggles. It will feature Rabbi Alissa Wise, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Peter Beinart, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, and Dr. Barbara Ransby.  This will continue through Thurs., Dec. 17.

28] –Join the Our Revolution Monday National Organizing Call on Mon, Dec. 14 from 8:30 to 9:30 PM ET.  Email info@ourrevolution.com. The special guests include Rep. Ro Khanna and Sen. Jeff Merkley.  To join tonight's call on Zoom see https://us02web.zoom.us/j/993867009.  Or join in on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/806447073112122/?event_time_id=806447079778788.

29] – Join the Get Money Out of Maryland Teleconference on Mon., Dec. 14 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.

30] – On Tues., Dec. 15 from 9 to 10:30 AM EST, check out Vanishing Media Freedoms Across South Asia, hosted by United States Institute of Peace. Across South Asia, an already challenging climate for free media appears to have further deteriorated in the past year. The 2020 World Press Freedom Index has seen India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka slip down the annual rankings, with all four South Asian countries in the bottom third worldwide. The challenges to free media in South Asia are myriad—particularly threats to journalists’ safety and freedom, repressive actions and overt censorship by governments, unravelling business models, and a chaotic online environment. In many cases, the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the threats that journalists and media outlets face as economic pressures have intensified and governments seek to further restrict media freedoms. Distinguished journalists from the region will shed light on the challenges of the past year, share personal insights from the ground, and discuss what we can expect from South Asian governments and media outlets going forward.  To watch this event live, visit https://www.usip.org/.../vanishing-media-freedoms-across...

31] – 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.

32] –  On Tues., Dec. 15 at 6 PM, celebrate Chanukah with Jews United for Justice.  Join for candle lighting, fun activities like sharing your favorite latke (potato pancake) and sufganiyot (doughnut) recipes, singing, and even some virtual dreidel playing. RSVP at https://jufj.org/event/chanukah-celebration/?emci=00abe7e1-a535-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=4b013bec-df38-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=3403859.

33] – On Tues., Dec. 15 at 7 PM, join a talk with political expert and DC insider, Josh Ruebner, the Senior Principal at Progress Up Consulting, a government relations firm for progressive causes. He was previously Executive Director of Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel, and an analyst for the Congressional Research Service. He is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and author of the books "Shattered Hopes: Obama’s Failure to Broker Israeli-Palestinian Peace, and "Israel: Democracy or Apartheid State?" With Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo exiting the White House, there is an opportunity to enact changes in US foreign policy.  Groups like the Democratic Majority for Israel spent tens of millions of dollars in the last election cycle, to unseat vocally pro-Palestinian lawmakers such as Ilhan Omar, and failed. Do these developments and the electoral victories of progressives including Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman signify a change in US outlook towards Palestine/Israel? Will this impact a Biden administration?  RSVP at http://masspeaceaction.org/event/josh-ruebner-on-palestine-biden-and-lobbying-congress/?emci=ccd1498a-9938-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=78b204a1-9e38-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=269591.

34] – Families Belong Together [info@domesticworkers.org] is hosting a call on Tues., Dec. 15 at 8 PM ET.  Learn how to get involved with Families Belong Together’s work for next year. You can RSVP here https://domesticworkers.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AWo2or9KQye2Tmx8UzQ1Mw?link_id=2&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-how-you-can-get-involved-in-2021&email_referrer=email_1019295&email_subject=are-you-joining-our-call-next-tuesday. Tens of thousands of refugees are stuck at the southern border because the Trump administration refuses to process their claims promptly, hundreds of families are trapped in ICE jails, thousands more separated from their families in detention centers running rampant with coronavirus, and an asylum system that has effectively been shut down. There is a ton of work ahead to right the wrongs of the Trump administration’s brutal immigration policies, but what works is citizen action.

35] – The Trump administration is making false accusations of antisemitism for political gain. To gain a better perspective, join in to Dismantling Anti-Semitism, Winning Justice: A Panel Discussion, on Tues., Dec. 15 at 8 PM ET.  The panel will explore how to fight back against antisemitism – and combat those who seek to wield charges of antisemitism to undermine progressive movements for justice.  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced yesterday that the State Department will designate the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement as anti-Semitic, and pledged to create a blacklist of organizations that support BDS. Learn how to combat this policy – and fight real anti-Semitism.  Here from Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 13th congressional district since 2019, Peter Beinart, Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York, a Contributing Opinion Writer at The New York Times, a CNN Political Commentator, Editor-at-Large of Jewish Currents, and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He writes the Beinart Notebook newsletter on substack.com, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, the Steve Charles Professor of Media, Cities, and Solutions at Temple University, and the host of BET News and the Coffee & Books podcast, and Dr. Barbara Ransby, a writer, historian, professor, and activist; an elected fellow of the Society of American Historians; and the John D. MacArthur Chair at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Register at https://act.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/mRhy-i-JA0SekWIMi4RQCA2?sourceid=1001263&contactdata=RrlrYqLI%2bYX9B2gn%2fKfGoZsnpqpd%2fCeZU27LdTWDbZ72wO5idSuZ%2fciBLut5UlOXEgYRsb1hSVyVSfXQsNMrfN79V5FLyaT2UCiB85lIJ1jnl2hjqgyEfxJMMeTvkUc%2bmjXZ%2bR54WjfqglUa0QWc1npc1RydieKqMf6z6SAXJ98IJs6iCnAXI4DY%2fEzySS29leh8Yq0jh9IroTEpTh7k943UAtemhW7mBKeXgl2%2bJaVetgIvtPy8IPv1YSN8nKreXtSU90CWv%2f6e0wgsINru7A%3d%3d&emci=d37c941c-b22a-eb11-9fb4-0003ff196a4c&emdi=5e6d7614-b82a-eb11-9fb4-0003ff196a4c&ceid=237778.

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