Baltimore Activist Alert -- December 21, 2022

31] Defining Ukraine While Defying Russia – Dec. 21

32] Free immigrant women – Dec. 21

33] Global Silent Minute – Dec. 21

34] Help end anti-Palestinian racism -- Dec. 21

35] Washington’s New National Security Strategy – Dec. 21

36] Community Meeting & Chanukah Candle Lighting – Dec. 21

37] Watch THE LETTER – Dec. 21

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31] – On Wed., Dec. 21 at 10 AM, attend online More Than War: Defining Ukraine While Defying Russia. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has displaced millions and caused tremendous hardship and dislocation. But Ukrainians have pushed to strengthen their national identity while under threat from Moscow and make their country better even during war. Some businesses have managed to attract investment when others said it was impossible; Ukraine’s civil society has pushed through real reforms to curb corruption; Ukrainian cooks astonish world audiences with their clever new riffs on old recipes; and writers and literary figures have moved from the novel to the newspaper to capture societal changes.

 What have Ukrainians been doing to maintain their national identity and a semblance of everyday life during the war? What stories of everyday heroism and ingenuity inspire a nation during this time of crisis? The Atlantic Council is hosting Melinda Haring, deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center as the moderator of a panel discussion with Yuriy Fylyuk, chief executive officer of Promprylad.Renovation, Yevhen Hlibovytsky, partner at Ukrainian consulting firm Pro.mova, acclaimed Ukrainian author Andrei Kurkov, and Mykhailo Zhernakov, co-founder of DEJURE Foundation. RSVP at https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/more-than-war/.

32] – The Shut down Berks Coalition [shutdownberks@gmail.com] hopes you will join the demonstration on Wed., Dec. 21 at noon at an ICE office, 114 N. 8th St., Philadelphia 19107.  Free Them All. No immigrant women in prison in PA. RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/683558749839794. Participants are encouraged to wear a mask given it's flu season. If you need to social distance, alternatively feel free to circle the building in your vehicle to honk in.

33] – On Wed., Dec. 21, the fourth anniversary of the Global Silent Minute, the theme is undeniable. Truth that arises from a reconnection through the Heart with the Chalice of Humanity. Re-orient to truth through silence. This live-stream event begins 15 minutes prior to Silent Minute: 3:45 PM ET. Get the Zoom link at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88244497104?pwd=WHRobXFHdHFTTk9wUTBvcHJwekN6dz09&eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=a72df9dd-0143-46dd-944b-083d57d4f39a#success.

34] – Melissa Nussbaum Freeman [info@jewishvoiceforpeace.org] wants you to join in on Wed., Dec. 21 at 4 PM ET to help end anti-Palestinian racism on the fourth night of Hanukkah. Light the candles and rededicate ourselves to the long-haul work of ending anti-Palestinian racism in Jewish communities. Register at jvp.org/4thNight.

35] – Washington’s New National Security Strategy: Seeking to Reinforce U.S. Hegemony will be discussed on Wed., Dec. 21 from 7 to 8 PM EST. The catastrophic Ukraine War is about much more than Ukraine. As the recently released U.S. National Security Strategy tells us, “The post-Cold War era is definitely over, and competition is underway between the major powers to shape what comes next.” The war is a primary front in the global competition for power and privilege. Even as Russia finds itself increasingly on the defensive, the current moment bears a deeply disturbing resemblance to the period before the First World War that ushered in the “American Century” and the Soviet revolution: competition between rising and declining imperialist powers, arms races with new technologies, complicated alliance structures, economic competition and cooperation, wild card actors, and territorial disputes.

Joseph Gerson, president of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security, and board member of Massachusetts Peace Action, will analyze President Biden’s National Security Strategy document, released in October, in the context of current developments.  Read Gerson’s article at https://masspeaceaction.org/washingtons-new-national-security-strategy-seeking-to-reinforce-u-s-hegemony/. Register to attend. https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtd-GvpzsvHNdr8T4lctVvdbQb08G4Vl_u.

36] – Molly Amster [info@jufj.org] is inviting you on Wed., Dec. 21 at 7:30 PM to a Jews United for Justice Maryland Community Meeting & Chanukah Candle Lighting. The Maryland Center on Economic Policy (MDCEP) will present on budget advocacy! MDCEP’s training will cover how folks can advocate effectively on budget issues, especially in light of the state’s new budget process this year. You will receive call-in instructions via email after you RSVP at https://jufj.org/event/md-meet-12-21/?emci=b0d99887-7476-ed11-819c-000d3a9eb474&emdi=512574e5-7e76-ed11-819c-000d3a9eb474&ceid=3403859.

37] – Watch "The Letter" at 8 PM on Wed., Dec. 21 at 8 PM ET on PBS. Go to https://www.theletterfilm.org/watch/. The Letter tells the story of a journey to Rome of frontline leaders to discuss the encyclical letter Laudato Si’ with Pope Francis. The exclusive dialogue with the Pope, included in the film, offers a revealing insight into the personal history of Pope Francis and stories never seen since he became the Bishop of Rome.

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