Baltimore Activist Alert -- February 1, 2022

23] Make meet FCNL's new general secretary – Feb. 1

24] Protest JHU’s weapons research – Feb. 1

25] Text voters in Baltimore for Logan Endow – Feb. 1

26] Phone bank for Brooke Lierman – Feb. 1  

27] Celebrating the Power of the Black Press Then and Now. – Feb. 1

28] Discuss Biden’s approach to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – Feb. 1

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23] – Jim Cason, FCNL [fcnlinfo@fcnl.org] is inviting you on Tues., Feb. 1 at 4 PM ET to meet FCNL's new general secretary. The new FCNL’s General Secretary, Bridget Moix, will engage in conversation with top lobbyists, Diana Ohlbaum and Amelia Kegan. You’ll get a chance to ask questions as they discuss opportunities for action and reasons for hope. Register at https://act.fcnl.org/event/quaker-welcome-center-events-watch-home_attend/2613/attend/?action_id=4343175&akid=21626.152065.szpBt9&ar=1&rd=1.

Lawmakers have so far failed to pass voting rights legislation and the Build Back Better Act may be taking longer than expected, but there remains enormous momentum in Congress to reduce child poverty, address the climate crisis, end wars, and more.

 Rooted in its faith and history, FCNL remains persistently hopeful about its long-term advocacy and vision for the peaceful, just, and sustainable world we seek.  Go to: www.fcnl.org/qwc-stream.

24] – Join us on Tues., Feb. 1 from 4 to 5 PM ET for a demonstration outside Johns Hopkins University at 33rd and N. Charles Sts. to protest its weapons contracts. Contact Max at mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net or 410-323-1607. This vigil takes place each Tuesday.  

  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, and 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.

25] –  On Tues., Feb. 1 from 6 to 8 PM ET, Progressive Maryland is asking you to text some voters in Baltimore for Logan Endow. Endow is running for delegate in Baltimore City District 43B.  Sign up at https://www.mobilize.us/progressivemarylandneweraproject/event/437643/?followup_modal_context=newsletter.  This will continue every Tuesday through June 28.

26] – Madison [madison@brookelierman.com] is alerting you to an opportunity on Tues., Feb. 1 from 6 to 7 PM ET and Thurs., Feb. 3 from 6 to 7 PM ET for a Phone Banking Power Hour! Gather on zoom and help make over 2,000 calls for Brooke Lierman, the candidate for comptroller. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/brookeliermanforcomptroller/event/397560/.

27] – PHIL PORTLOCK [the3rdeye72@gmail.com] is urging you to attend on Tues., Feb. 1 at 6:30 PM ET Celebrating the Power of the Black Press Then and Now.  The keynote speaker is Dr. Ben Chavis.  Email dcblackhistory.org.

Join the Zoom meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/7546763851.  The Meeting ID is 754 676 3851 or call 301 715 8592 with the same Meeting ID.

28] – Marcy Winograd [winogradteach@gmail.com] wants you to join CODEPINK on the Tuesday Capitol Calling Party on Feb. 1! Capitol Calling Parties take place the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 8 PM ET. Join the Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85449481333 with a Meeting ID: 854 4948 1333. Or call 301 715 8592 with a Meeting ID: 854 4948 1333. Mobilize for peace legislation! This special call is the first event of the special series on foreign policy, which is being co-hosted with Massachusetts Peace Action. Discuss Biden’s approach to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, 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

US’s Support for Invasions Should Disqualify It From Leading on Russia-Ukraine

https://truthout.org/articles/uss-support-for-invasions-should-disqualify-it-from-leading-on-russia-ukraine/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=4fbc067b-12b9-44b8-b855-9a0a17cf412b

NEWS ANALYSIS

POLITICS & ELECTIONS

US’s Support for Invasions Should Disqualify It From Leading on Russia-Ukraine

President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office of the White House, on September 1, 2021, in Washington, D.C.BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Stephen Zunes, 

 January 26, 2022

The United States and Russia are heading toward a dangerous showdown over Ukraine, as the U.S. has 8,500 troops on high alert, ready to deploy to Eastern Europe should Russia invade Ukraine, and a new round of arms shipments have begun arriving in Ukraine.

On the one hand, Russia’s ongoing occupation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, its support of armed insurgents in eastern Ukraine and threats of further military action against that country must be challenged by the international community — though not through war. Unfortunately, the United States is in no position to take any leadership in strategy or action against Russian aggression.

Just as U.S. military action in the greater Middle East in the name of protecting Americans from ideological extremism and violence in the area has ended up largely encouraging ideological extremism, Russia’s actions in the name of protecting Russians from far right Ukrainian ultranationalists — a small but well-armed minority in that country — will likely only encourage that militant movement as well. The United States, therefore, needs to avoid any actions that could encourage dangerous ultranationalist tendencies among either Russians or Ukrainians. Polls show most Russians are at best ambivalent about the Kremlin’s moves in Ukraine. Provocative actions by the United States would more likely solidify support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s illegitimate actions.

Ukraine is seeking international military support in part because it no longer has a nuclear “deterrent.” Ukraine gave up the nuclear arsenal it inherited from the Soviet Union as result of the 1994 Budapest Treaty signed by Russia, Ukraine, the United States, France, Great Britain and China. In return for Ukrainian disarmament, the treaty guaranteed the country’s territorial integrity and provided assurances that signatories would not engage in threats or use of force. Putin has violated that agreement, thereby leading many Ukrainians to seek protection under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Cold War alliance which would require NATO members to come to Ukraine’s defense if attacked.

There are quite a number of reasons why having Ukraine join NATO would nevertheless be a bad idea. Indeed, it was the eastward expansion of NATO, violating the promise made to Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989, which is partly responsible for Russia’s resurgent reactionary nationalism that made possible the rise of Putin. As a country which has been invaded from Europe via Ukraine on four occasions, having Ukraine as part of NATO — which was ostensibly formed to defend Western Europe from the USSR — is unnecessarily provocative, particularly since it was originally formed back in 1949 as a supposedly defensive alliance against a superpower which no longer exists.

Just as NATO members and the Soviet Union during the Cold War agreed that countries like Finland and Austria could develop their own democratic systems as nonaligned nations free from threats of foreign aggression, a similar agreement could potentially defuse the current crisis. The Biden administration appears to have rejected that potential compromise, however, by going on record in support of granting Ukraine NATO membership.

At the same time, the United States is correct in asserting that Russia has no right to determine whether another country can or cannot join NATO or any other military alliance, even if that country is located on its border. The Biden administration is also correct in noting the absurdity of the Kremlin’s claims that Ukraine is somehow a threat to the larger and more powerful Russia.

However, the same could be said of Cuba and Nicaragua in relation to the United States. In recent decades, the United States has attacked both countries, as well as invading tiny Grenada and supporting coups in Guatemala, Chile, and elsewhere due to those governments’ strategic and economic cooperation with Moscow. Washington insisted that these countries — far smaller and weaker than Ukraine and not even sharing a border with the United States — were national security threats requiring the president to declare extraordinary powers to protect the country. Indeed, the United States has intervened militarily as far away as Africa and Central Asia to topple governments that were allying with Moscow.

The United States maintains strict sanctions on Cuba and Nicaragua today, as it does Venezuela. For many years, Americans could be jailed simply for spending money in Cuba as tourists and the U.S. refused to even recognize the Cuban government until barely a decade ago. (Though the restricted political rights and civil liberties in those countries have often been cited as justification for Washington’s hostility, the close relationship the United States has had with far more repressive dictatorships in the Middle East and elsewhere makes clear that it was not these leftist countries’ systems of government that were the impetus for U.S. actions.)

President Biden has correctly pointed out that pre-emptive war, as Russia is threatening against Ukraine, is illegal. International law does not allow any country to invade another simply because they fear it might eventually become a threat. However, then-Senator Biden used that very reasoning — the possibility of a future threat — in supporting the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. Indeed, even after the U.S. takeover of that oil-rich country and the failure to find any of the “weapons of mass destruction” he claimed that Iraq had reconstituted after a UN-led disarmament process, Biden still defended the invasion on the grounds that Iraq might have nevertheless become a threat sometime in the future.

As with the United States during the Cold War, Russia’s hostility toward Ukraine is not simply about potential foreign alliances. Russia may perceive Ukraine’s democratic government (as imperfect as it indeed is) as a “threat” to its increasingly autocratic system — similar to the U.S.’s intervention against socialist governments (as imperfect as their forms of socialism may have been) due to perceived “threats” to the U.S.-driven global capitalist order.

Likewise, Russia’s claims that the limited amount of U.S. aid to Ukrainian liberal opposition groups was somehow responsible for the 2004-2005 and 2013-2014 popular uprisings against unpopular pro-Russian governments are as ludicrous as the U.S.’s claims that the limited Soviet aid to leftist opposition groups was responsible for the socialist revolutions in Central America, Southeast Asia, Southern Africa, and elsewhere. Though both Moscow and Washington have certainly sought to take advantage of such uprisings to advance their geopolitical agendas, it is wrong to deny agency to the people of those countries who put their bodies on the line in challenging their corrupt and repressive governments.

Biden is correct in noting that countries cannot unilaterally change international boundaries or expand their territories by force, and that such acts of aggression, such as Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, are clearly illegal under international law. However, the Biden administration has upheld the Trump administration’s decision to formally recognize Israel’s illegal annexation of Syria’s Golan Heights (seized in 1967) and Morocco’s illegal annexation of the entire nation of Western Sahara (conquered in 1975), the only country in the world to do so. U.S. government maps show these conquered lands as simply a part of the occupying powers with no delineation between these countries’ internationally recognized borders and their occupied territories, demonstrating that the United States does not necessarily support upholding these international legal norms.

The international community must certainly take nonmilitary actions to deter further Russian aggression and end the occupation of Crimea. However, given that the United States is led by an administration which has demonstrated that it does not actually oppose such aggression on principle, the United States is in no position to lead any international effort in defense of international law and the right of self-determination.

Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.

 Stephen Zunes is a professor of politics at the University of San Francisco. His most recent book, co-authored with Jacob Mundy, is Western Sahara: War, Nationalism, and Conflict Irresolution (revised updated expanded second edition, Syracuse University Press, 2022)

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, 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

 

 

Baltimore Activist Alert –January 30 – February 1, 2022

Baltimore Activist Alert –January 30 – February 1, 2022

"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 Max Obuszewski, BNC, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Max Obuszewski can be reached at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net.

1] Books, buttons and stickers

2] Web site for info on federal legislation

3] Get involved with NCNR   

4] Volunteer with a Catholic Worker house  

5] Max is looking for tips on a garage or a storage suggestion.

6] House cleaner needed

7] Welcome an Afghan Family to Baltimore!

8] A friend needs a house or an apartment to rent

9] Will the Truth Set You Free? – Jan. 30

10] Knock on Doors for Brooke – Jan. 30

11] Global Town Hall – Jan. 30

12] PDA Town Hall – Jan. 30

13] Phone bank for Jessica Cisneros – Jan. 30

14] Voter Protection Phonebank – Jan. 30 - 31

15] Protest at the Pentagon – Jan. 31

16] Build Better Back action - Jan. 31

17] Help advocate for bird protections – Jan. 31

18] Support progressive candidate in PG County -- Jan. 31

19] Hear from Trita Parsi – Jan. 31 

20] Take Action on Yemen – Jan. 31

21] Urgent Online Gathering on Ukraine – Jan. 31

22] Make calls with the DNC – Feb. 1  

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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 U.S. wars.

  To join the ORGANIZING List, please send your name, group affiliation, city and email address to mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.  Different local chapters of a national organization are encouraged to subscribe.  

4] - Suzanne Fontanesi and Jeff Ross are in the beginning stages of renovating the basement of their house for purposes of bringing in a volunteer (targeting young adults in discernment mode), starting next fall. They are trying to grow a Catholic Worker House in Irvington (West Baltimore). In a nutshell, there is a lot that a volunteer could do in that neighborhood/Baltimore, in addition to prayer and daily community living and in addition to plugging into all the good work that people are already doing in and around Baltimore (and beyond).  If you think you might know of anyone who might be interested in starting a conversation with them about becoming such a volunteer/community member, please contact Jeff/Suzanne at 443-690-6872.

5] – Max is in need of a garage or a storage space.  Any suggestions would be welcome.  Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.

6] – Is there a woman in the Baltimore area who does house cleaning?  This assignment would be on an irregular basis with several hours per week.  Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.

7] – St. Matthew, Blessed Sacrament, and the IOSC are partnering to welcome an Afghan Family to Baltimore! Are you interested in serving our new immigrant family? If you are interested, you will be trained in how you may serve, you will be guided and scheduled at your convenience by the Lead volunteer coordinator, you may also make donations through the IOSC to assist the family in the transition process in order to: Purchase food & Purchase clothes for winter and other necessities. Contact the IOSC at info@IOSCbaltimore.org, call the office at 410-323-8564 and leave a message for Nathalie.

8] – A friend, Brendan Walls, has to move out of a rented home on March 1.  So he is looking for housing and wants to live south of the Baltimore beltway, east of US 95 and north of Route 214.  Do you know of a house or apartment in the Annapolis area with as much peace and quiet as I can get for no more than $1800 a month? He does not mind pet sitting, house sitting, keeping someone company or community living.  Let me know if you have a lead on a home or apartment for Brendan to rent.  Thanks for giving this your consideration.

9] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 2521 St. Paul St., Baltimore 21218, meets on Sundays, and generally there is a speaker and discussion at 11 AM.  On Sun., Jan. 30, the subject is “W.E.B. Du Bois: Will the Truth Set You Free?”  The author of the address is Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois, who spoke to a group at the New York Society for Ethical Culture on February 7, 1949. This very timely address pertains especially to the need to face facts about enslavement and racism and to acknowledge the contributions of people of African descent – and it points out numerous places where that facing of fact has not occurred.

  Dr. Du Bois’ words pertain especially to the resolution passed at the  AEU Assembly in 2017, “Toward Repairing the Harm of Racism” which states: “Therefore, we affirm efforts to study the lasting effects of the heritage of enslavement and racial discrimination especially on living African Americans, but also on other people of color, and on American society as a whole. We also affirm efforts to study ways that such lasting negative effects can be repaired, and to be involved in actions to repair such effects.”  The Zoom link is at HTTPS://US02WEB.ZOOM.US/J/89193335697.

10] – There is a Literature Drop for Brooke in Montgomery County on Sundays from 2 to 4 PM EST starting at Panera Bread, 8541 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring 20910. Join a canvass and share Brooke's vision to transform the Comptroller's office to work for every Marylander. Once you sign up the team will follow up with everything you will need to knock on doors! This will continue through Feb. 27.  Sign up at https://www.mobilize.us/brookeliermanforcomptroller/event/397526/?followup_modal_context=email_post_shift_future_timeslots_other_events.

11] – Metta Spencer [project@tosavetheworld.ca] wants you to come to a Global Town Hall on Sun., Jan. 30 from 2 to 4 PM ET.  Project Save the World holds a monthly Town Hall, and you can join this one at https://zoom.us/j/9108970203.

12] – Alan Minsky for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to know that the Sunday PDA Town Hall, Jan. 30 at 4 PM ET, will include John Nichols and PDA-Endorsed Candidate Greg Casar (TX-35).  John Nichols' brand new book, Coronavirus Criminals and Pandemic Profiteers, is dedicated to PDA's co-founder and political director Steve Cobble, who died in early 2021 in South Texas. Greg Casar is running for Congress in Texas, and a victory by Greg in the March 1st primary will revive the great Texas progressive tradition that Steve and PDA always sought to rekindle. Sign on at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tceuhrzsvHdymeeZRwb-i7X50FJa-HMR4.

13] – Help out on Sundays and Wednesdays through the end of February (times vary). On Sun., Jan. 30 from 4 to 6 PM ET. Phone bank for Green New Deal champion Jessica Cisneros in Texas’ 28th Congressional district! Sign up at https://www.mobilize.us/sunrise2022/event/428089/?emci=6d0ae0cc-ff76-ec11-94f6-c896650d4442&emdi=3402a187-0977-ec11-94f6-c896650d4442&ceid=177631.

14] – Join the Voter Protection Phonebank with Common Cause. Work together to demand bold changes to our alleged democracy to create a government that represents all of us, not big corporations or special interests. Call constituents in Republican states to connect them to their Senators to hold them accountable for blocking voting rights. On Sun., Jan. 30 from 4 to 6 PM and 6 to 8 PM ET and on Mon., Jan. 31 from 4 to 6 PM and 6 to 8 PM EST, connect with voters. Register at https://www.mobilize.us/commoncause/event/376178/.

15] – 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 Jan. 31 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 begins 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.  

16] –Olivia, CODEPINK [info@codepink.org] reminds us that real people need real relief, not empty promises and unmet needs.  While it's still the compromise, there are elements of Build Back Better that ensure health for our families and our environment. On Mon., Jan. 31 from 7 to 10 AM ET, help create a vision for the society we aim to be a part of – one that includes support for families, healthcare for all, a sustainable environment, and much more. And do it in the middle of a downtown street!  Hold accountable the powerful actors who are blocking progress on the people’s agenda. Email olivia@codepink.org for more details about gathering in Black Lives Matter Plaza, WDC.

17] – The National Audubon Society [audubonconnect@audubon.org] is inviting you to a Town Hall on Mon., Jan. 31 at 6 PM ET.  Meet the new CEO, Dr. Elizabeth Gray, and learn how you can help advocate for bird protections. After so many wins for birds in 2021, hit the ground running this year to do even more! Hear the latest on federal policy goals and what YOU can do to make them happen. Register at https://act.audubon.org/a/2022-policy-advocacy-town-hall?ms=digital-eng-email-ea-x-engagement_20220124_(nas)_2022_town_hall_evite_-_1.24_resend&utm_source=ea&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=engagement_20220124_(nas)_2022_town_hall_evite_-_1.24_resend&emci=a147b123-247d-ec11-94f6-c896650d4442&emdi=c5234559-357d-ec11-94f6-c896650d4442&ceid=2504878&contactdata=a3kaDsU%2fkxY%2bMVCWRHNGCSpqLY4klgPvbAg16aQGuqSfSXJbrVpQb6VnwVwNPxP0EmmnU50MERpXqKHZCSKMwdjcZwujuu5Pi2QzBxxkLh4LRz9C7uFtDr%2bWSzAIWm8ZgwEJDvdfq3oCu%2fNCIdEvWx%2fSzNW%2fvMfFLLrMcZbnFtBBbV3ShojbID0Z9pKeNM9vBF1Axed71LR4wx0rdU956HlAxtFa51eDkRnN4mqX8KLgXsCa6zSDU7r2qRODIh%2flfkc%2byS0qwAiwHZBfYokfpA%3d%3d.  Dr. Elizabeth Gray, Audubon's new CEO, will be joined by Marshall Johnson, Chief Conservation Officer, Justin Stokes, Deputy Chief Conservation Officer, and other experts to share what is going on in the halls of Congress and with the Administration this year.

18] – Krystal Oriadha, Progressive Maryland’s endorsed candidate, is running to represent Prince George’s County Council District 7.  Check out a virtual campaign launch event on Mon., Jan. 31 from 7 to 8:30 PM ET. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvfuqgqD8rHdIDn7_s0RsTvZZJ5uR16ICx?emci=75252f36-6a7d-ec11-94f6-c896650d4442&emdi=f5eb43e2-6e7d-ec11-94f6-c896650d4442&ceid=136680.

19] – Massachusetts Peace Action [info@masspeaceaction.org] wants you to know about an event on Mon., Jan. 31 at 7 PM ET.  Trita Parsi will present a Better Way in the Middle East. With decreased U.S. presence in the Middle East, diplomatic efforts in the region have rapidly increased, fostering talk and cooperation. The Baghdad dialogue, as it is known, has allowed Middle Eastern nations to stand on their own, shedding their dependence on the U.S. and American military involvement.   He will discuss his article, in which he details the importance of such independent diplomacy and the unfavorable alternative of the Abraham Accords both for the U.S. and Middle Eastern nations.  Register to attend at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcud-2gpj4tH9Z8SmvwwWYj8js2mINqMiQE?emci=c02b9efc-847f-ec11-94f6-c896650d4442&emdi=9885ce78-5380-ec11-94f6-c896650d4442&ceid=269591.

20] – Marcy Winograd [winogradteach@gmail.com] wants you to join the CODEPINK Call-In to the Capitol on Mon., Jan. 31 at 8 PM ET. Take Action on Yemen--Join CODEPINK for a Call-In to Introduce a Yemen War Powers Resolution.  Urge your House Rep to introduce a Yemen War Powers Resolution to cut off funds for Saudi Arabia's destruction of Yemen. RSVP at https://www.codepink.org/yemenaction2. Recently, the Saudi-UAE coalition attacked Yemen's communication infrastructure, leaving all of Yemen without connection to the internet. Initial reports of Saudi-led strikes have high civilian casualties. People in the U.S. need to take action now. Attendees will be briefed on the situation on the ground at the beginning & given all the tools and language for taking action. Email at danaka@codepink.org.

21] – David Swanson <david@davidswanson.org> wants you to come to an Urgent Online Gathering on Ukraine on Mon., Jan. 31 at 8:30 PM ET. The speakers are Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director of The Nation magazine, columnist for the Washington Post; Ann Wright, retired U.S. Army colonel, retired diplomat, author, activist; Vladimir Kozin, member of Russian Academy of Military Sciences, speaking from Moscow; Norman Solomon, co-founder and national director of RootsAction.org, author, activist; and the moderator, David Swanson, campaign coordinator of RootsAction.org, executive director of World BEYOND War. Sign up at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WegCqDFpQ06OxxjbvxsEwA.

22] – Make Calls virtually any time with the DNC National Call Crew – on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Call to voters in battleground states to build strength for the 2022 Midterms. Please email digitalorganizing@dnc.org. Sign up for calls on Tues., Feb 1 from 2 to 3 PM EST, 3 –4 PM EST,  4 to 5 PM EST, 5 to 6 PM EST, 6 to 7 PM EST, and 7 to 8 PM EST. Go to https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/388091/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_most_popular_virtual.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, 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

Baltimore Activist Alert -- January 28 - 29, 2022

68] White House peace vigil – Jan. 28

69] Celebrate Data Privacy Week – Jan. 28

70] Voter Protection phone banks – Jan. 28 & 29

71] Thomas Paine: Architect of Cooperative Individualism – Jan. 28

72] Birdwatching at Patterson Park – Jan. 29

73] Knock on doors for Brooke – Jan. 29

74] Knock on doors for Brooke – Jan. 29

75] Virtual Summit for Liberation – Jan. 29

76] Honor Desmond Tutu -- Jan. 29

77] Get over to the food pantry – Jan. 29

78] Reducing Threat of Nuclear War: Rebuilding a Broader Movement – Jan. 29

79] Brendan Walls is seeking a home/apartment to rent

80] Tell JHU president to renounce nuclear weapons contracts

81] Read Dave Eberhardt’s book "For All the Saints- a Protest Primer"

82] Do you need a doctor?

83] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records

84] Do you need any book shelves?

85] Join the Global Zero campaign.

86] Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil

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68] – The Dorothy Day Catholic Worker will host a peace vigil at the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, WDC, on Fri., Jan. 28 at noon.  Contact the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker: 202-882-9649 or artlaffin@hotmail.com.

69] – Celebrate Data Privacy Week with the Ridenhour Prizes on Fri., Jan. 28 from 2 to 3 PM ET. Join POGO and The Ridenhour Prizes for the first-ever Fireside Chat on Data Privacy in a Connected World. Fireside Chats are a monthly series of intimate conversations with past and current Ridenhour honorees on the pressing issues of our time and the way forward in building a more just vision of society.  POGO’s Senior Policy Counsel Jake Laperruque will be joined by Thomas Tamm, winner of the 2009 Ridenhour Truth-Telling Prize for his work in exposing the government’s warrantless wiretapping program to the New York Times; and Harlo Holmes, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Director of Digital Security at Freedom of the Press Foundation. Register at https://www.crowdcast.io/e/data-privacy-in-a/register?emci=2ae79c84-1a7e-ec11-94f6-c896650d4442&emdi=cf14b951-2e7e-ec11-94f6-c896650d4442&ceid=246313.

70] – Join in on Voter Protection phone banks with Common Cause on Fri., Jan. 28 from 4 to 6 PM ET and call constituents in Republican states to connect them to their Senators to hold them accountable for blocking voting rights and on Sat., Jan. 29 from noon to 2 PM, 1 to 3 PM and 6 to 8 PM ET to call Arizona voters to connect to them Sen. Sinema to tell her they disapprove of her decision to protect the filibuster. Register at https://www.mobilize.us/dfadcoalition/event/376178/?followup_modal_context=newsletter.

71] – Check out Thomas Paine: Architect of Cooperative Individualism at 6:30 PM EST on Fri., Jan. 28.  In this webinar, Edward Dodson presents the story of Paine’s emergence from obscurity in England to become one of history’s most insightful observers of the human condition. A link to join will be provided via email before the start of each session. Visit https://www.hgsss.org/thomas-paine-architect-of-cooperative-individualism/.

72] – Join a Birdwatching Tour of Baltimore’s Patterson Park on Sat., Jan. 29 from 8 to 9:30 AM ET. Sign up at https://patterson.audubon.org/events/birdwatching-tour-patterson-park-1. Meet at the fountain, closest to E. Lombard St. and S. Patterson Park Ave.  Over 200 bird species have visited Patterson Park, an important migratory stopover in Baltimore City! Audubon experts will lead in search of avian friends! No experience necessary. If you would like to borrow binoculars, please email baltimore@audubon.org.

73] --On Sat., Jan. 29 from 10 AM to noon ET, knock on doors for Brooke Lierman for Comptroller in Baltimore County starting at 3820 Fernside Road, Randallstown 21133.  This will continue until Feb. 26.  Sign up at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/397538/. Canvass the community and share Brooke's vision to transform the Comptroller's office to work for every Marylander. Once you sign up the team will follow up with everything you need to knock on doors!

74] – Knock on Doors for Brooke Lierman in Prince George's County on Sat., Jan. 29 from 10 AM to noon.  Meet at Dunkin' Donuts, 4705 Crain Hwy., Upper Marlboro, MD 20772.  Register at https://www.mobilize.us/brookeliermanforcomptroller/event/433175/.

75] – The Interfaith Immigration Coalition [media@interfaithimmigration.org] is urging to join in on Sat., Jan. 29 from noon to 6:15 PM ET for a Virtual Summit for Liberation. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/immigrants-for-liberation-building-power-to-dismantle-deportation-cys-tem-tickets-219445055067.  The summit theme is Immigrants for Liberation: Building Power to Dismantle the Deportation Cys-tem.  In order to continue building momentum to end the harm of detention and deportation, We Are Home and Fair Immigration Reform Movement are bringing together impacted community leaders and partner organizations for a virtual summit. The summit will feature plenary sessions and breakout workshops for participants to share and strategize together to fight detention and deportation in their communities and at the national level.

76] – On Sat., Jan. 29 at 1 PM ET, join a Celebration of the Life and Witness of Desmond Mipilo Tutu: Patron of Sabeel International. Sabeel and Friends of Sabeel will hold a memorial service (online) to celebrate the life and dedicated service of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who for many years was the International Patron of Sabeel. Visit https://www.fosna.org/the-fosna-blog/antisemitism-is-sin-period.

77] – On Sat., Jan. 29 from noon to 2 PM EST, get over to the Food Pantry and Food Donation Center at First and Franklin Presbyterian Church, 210 W. Madison St., Baltimore. This Food Pantry is open every Saturday. Get a grocery bag – breakfast, jelly and peanut butter (a good source of protein) for lunch, the makings for a balanced dinner such as beans and rice, pasta and sauce, soup, vegetables, fruit, and a paper goods. Also added is a little fun food, such as popcorn or cookies, for everyone enjoys a treat.  Contributions of shelf stable foods can be brought to Reid Chapel every Saturday between noon and 2 PM. If shopping is difficult for you, monetary donations earmarked food pantry may be sent to the church.  How else can you help? Volunteers are needed to help collect and distribute food. Contact the church office to volunteer. You can also help by spreading the word to those you know who are facing food insecurity. See https://www.facebook.com/firstfranklinbaltimore.

78] -- Jonathan King, Massachusetts Peace Action [info@masspeaceaction.org] wants you to sign up for a webinar on Sat., Jan. 29 from 2 to 6 PM ET.  Sign up for Reducing the Threat of Nuclear War: Rebuilding a Broader Movement at https://secure.everyaction.com/BvZwDcZyKEKbYeL6a7qWpg2.  Jean Athey will chair a panel discussion Paths Forward at 3 PM.  With Congress appropriating funds for new and upgraded nuclear weapons and delivery systems, the need to counter these misguided policies has become acute. The 2022 Conference will follow the general pattern of previous conferences, but with increased emphasis on coordinating efforts of advocates, and expanding outreach to organizations and constituencies outside the world of nuclear disarmament advocates.  

79] – A friend, Brendan Walls, has to move out of a rented home on March 1.  So he is looking for housing and wants to live south of the Baltimore beltway, east of US 95 and north of Route 214.  Do you know of a house or apartment in the Annapolis area with as much peace and quiet as I can get for no more than $1800 a month? He does not mind pet sitting, house sitting, keeping someone company or community living.  Let me know if you have a lead on a home or apartment for Brendan to rent.  Thanks for giving this your consideration.

80] -- This is A PLEA TO CONVINCE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY TO OBEY INTERNATIONAL LAW. The world reached a historic milestone on January 22, 2021: The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons [TPNW] entered into force and become binding international law -- https://www.icanw.org/the_treaty.

  Prevent Nuclear War/Maryland has called attention to the growing danger of nuclear war and the outrageous $1.7 trillion dollars we are spending to upgrade the nuclear arsenal. On July 18, 2017, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, a U.S. Navy - affiliated research center received a seven-year, $92 million contract to continue its systems engineering and research-and-development services for the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. Help convince JHU to renounce nuclear weapons contracts. Contact the president, Ron Daniels, to urge him to reject all nuclear weapons contracts: Office of the President, 242 Garland Hall, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Maryland 21218.  Call his office at (410) 516-8068 or email president@jhu.edu.

81] – David Eberhardt was a member of the Baltimore Four with Father Philip Berrigan, Tom Lewis and Rev. James Mengel.  The group poured blood on draft files on October 27, 1967.  They would be convicted and sentenced to prison. Dave has written a book "For All the Saints- a Protest Primer"- documenting the Baltimore Four action and many others up to and including the most recent Plowshares action – Kings Bay Plowshares 7.  Phil Berrigan’s wife, Elizabeth McAlister, is a member of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7. 

Dave just printed the 5^th edition of the book which is available for $25 by sending him a check: Dave Eberhardt, 4 Hadley Square North, Baltimore, MD 21218. You can contact him at mozela9@comcast.net. He prefers that you DO NOT order the book from Amazon. Image 1 of 2 for FOR ALL THE SAINTS: A PROTEST PRIMER. David Eberhardt; Image 2 of 2 for FOR ALL THE SAINTS: A PROTEST PRIMER; and FOR ALL THE SAINTS: A PROTEST PRIMER.  This is a self-published book printed in 2017 with updates.

The price is $25 for a Spiral Bound, and Signed. This edition being what the publisher calls “The 4th edition (or first edition 4th state?)  of this book (with “final” additions) has been printed by the firm of FEDEX numbered 150-200, signed by the author, February 2017.”This is copy 187 and is numbered and signed by David Eberhardt on the title page.~~While the bibliographical information is a bit head-spinning, this is an engaging memoir by David Eberhardt recounting his involvement with the Brothers Berrigan in the protests against the Viet Nam war, and his subsequent time as an inmate at the Lewisburg Federal Prison. There is Near Fine binding: Item #291479.  

82] – Yousef Zarbalian [mailto:yzarbali@gmail.com] started his own medical practice in December before the pandemic hit. It is called East-West Medicine and Rheumatology, and its website is EastWestMD.com.  Yousef is licensed in Maryland and Virginia. He is doing primary care as well as rheumatologic care (focusing on joint problems and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and sjogren's).  He is offering telemedicine visits, and he has very reasonable rates for uninsured individuals.  He makes use of herbs (which can be sent directly to patients from the herbal dispensary) as well as prescribing medications to their local pharmacy if needed.  

83] -- If you would like to get rid of books, videos, DVDs, records, tarps and table cloths, contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at comcast.net.

84] -- Can you use any book shelves? Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at comcast.net. 

85] -- Join an extraordinary global campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons: http://www.globalzero.org/sign-declaration. A growing group of leaders around the world is calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons and a majority of the global public agrees.  This is an historic window of opportunity.  With momentum already building in favor of Zero, a major show of support from people around the world could tip the balance. When it comes to nuclear weapons, one is one too many.

86] – A Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil takes place every day in Lafayette Park, 1601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 24 hours a day, since June 3, 1981. Go to http://prop1.org; call 202-682-4282.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

“One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible. It may or may not be possible to turn the US around through nonviolent revolution. But one thing favors such an attempt: the total inability of violence to change anything for the better" - Daniel Berrigan