Baltimore Activist Alert -- January 11, 2023

28] Case for Ukraine Retaking Crimea -- Jan. 11

29] Implications for U.S.-Japan Cooperation – Jan. 11

30] Voices from Japan -- Jan. 11

31] Join Poor Peoples Campaign – Jan. 11

32] Workers' Rights at the Supreme Court -- Jan. 11

33] Close Gitmo – Jan. 11

34] Report from occupied Palestine -- Jan. 11

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28] –On Wed., Jan. 11 at 8 AM, tune in to the Case for Ukraine Retaking Crimea [Online] hosted by the Atlantic Council, WDC.  The speakers are Debra Cagan, Transatlantic Leadership Network; Gen. (Ret.) Wes Clark, Former Supreme Allied Commander Europe; Leonid Gozman, Russian Opposition Politician and Commentator; and Andriy Zagorodny, Former Minister of Defense of Ukraine.  As Ukraine’s counteroffensives continue, top experts have argued that now is the time for Ukraine to retake Crimea. Should Ukraine aim for the liberation of Crimea in the coming year? RSVP at https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/the-case-for-ukraine-retaking-crimea/.

29] – On Wed., Jan. 11 at 8:30 AM, check out Disrupted Global Order: Implications for U.S.-Japan Cooperation [Online] sponsored by the Center for Strategic & International Studies, Washington, DC.  The speakers are Naoko Doi, The Institute of Energy Economics; Ben Cahill, Center for Strategic & International Studies; and Jennifer Gordon, Atlantic Council.  The CSIS Economics Program is partnering with the Japan Economic Foundation (JEF) to bring together Japanese and American experts to discuss an array of disruptions to the global economic order and how to enhance U.S.-Japan cooperation to deal with these challenges.  Visit https://www.csis.org/events/disrupted-global-order-implications-us-japan-cooperation.

30] – On Wed., Jan. 11 at 9:30 AM, get with Voices from Japan: Japan's Security Policy Transformation [Hybrid] sponsored by the Stimson Center, Washington, DC.  Hear from Itsunori Onodera, the former 12th, 17th, and 18th Minister of Defense of Japan, on Japan’s new security policy.  Register at https://www.stimson.org/event/voices-from-japan-japans-security-policy-transformation/.

31] – The Maryland Poor People's Campaign [maryland@poorpeoplescampaign.org] has 2023 Maryland legislative priorities.  Join the group on Wed., Jan. 11 from 11 AM to 1 PM ET in Lawyers’ Mall, State Circle in Annapolis for the opening of the Maryland General Assembly. Help greet the legislators as they enter the Capital building to start the 2023 Maryland General Assembly; and hand out a fact sheet with the MD PPC’s 2023 legislative priorities for this session. Go to bit.ly/mdppcEvents. 

32] – Demand Justice [volunteer@demandjustice.org] is holding a Digital Roundtable: Workers' Rights at the Supreme Court on Wed., Jan. 11 at noon ET. Experts from Communications Workers of America (CWA), Demand Justice, SEIU, and Harvard Law School's Labor and Work-Life Program will discuss the case and the impact that it could have on unions and workers' rights nationwide. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case challenging workers' right to strike. In this case, the Court is being asked to let employers sue their workers or their union if a strike costs a company -- undermining the whole point of a strike, which is to demonstrate the economic impact that workers can have. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/1716730143820/WN_FJWWdN-sQZ-kNSSw_nbPqw?link_id=1&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-jan-11-at-12pm-et-digital-roundtable-workers-rights-at-the-supreme-court&email_referrer=email_1780266&email_subject=digital-roundtable-workers-rights-at-the-supreme-court.

33] – The National Religious Campaign against Torture [nrcatlist@nrcat.org] on Wed., Jan. 11 at 1 PM ET is hosting a Close Guantanamo Rally at White House. The group is looking for a few additional individuals to participate in the visual of 35 people in orange jumpsuits. 35 men are still detained at Guantanamo. 23 of these men have never been charged with a crime, and 20 of them have been recommended for transfer. We can provide the orange jumpsuits. If you are willing to participate in this way, please email tmorrow@nrcat.org. All are invited, whether to be in the general audience or to join in the visual representation.

  Speakers will include Dr. Maha Hilal, Executive Director of Muslim Counterpublics Lab & member of Witness against Torture, and James Yee, former US Army Muslim Chaplain at Guantanamo Bay. This January marks 21 years since the Guantánamo Bay prison was opened as part of the so-called global “War on Terror.” Over 700 men and boys have been released, but there has been no measure of justice or accountability for their detention and abuse. Thirty-five Muslim men are aging, and hope to be reunited with their families before they die. The majority of the population has been cleared for release, and only a handful have been charged with a crime in the unjust military commissions system. None have received a fair trial, and more than 21 years later, there still has been no accountability for the 9/11 attacks.

   In addition to the in-person rally, you may want to attend a virtual rally later in the afternoon on Jan. 11 at 4 PM ET. Join us for Building our Power to Close Guantánamo: 21st Anniversary Virtual Rally. Register at https://amnestyusa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BlxSkTiBTh2YG5K2E0lvHQ?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=7a26488e-ab27-4607-a893-b140c7821e7d.

34] – UMKR [info@kairosresponse.org] thinks you will want to hear on Wed., Jan. 11 at 1 PM ET a report from United Methodist leaders on first-hand experiences with Israeli apartheid and Palestinian resilience in the Holy Land. Register at palestine.events/11Jan2023. Palestinian Christians have long called to us to "Come and See, Go and Tell" the stark reality of Palestine today, to dispel the world's misconceptions and mobilize the global church to be effective justice-seekers and peace-builders. United Methodists are answering that call with prophetic truth-telling.

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