Baltimore Activist Alert June 19 – June 22, 2015

Baltimore Activist Alert June 19 – June 22, 2015

"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 BNC, 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218.  Max Obuszewski can be reached at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski [at] verizon.net.

1] Books, buttons & stickers

2] Web site for info on federal legislation

3] Join Nonviolent Resistance lists

4] Buy coffee through HoCoFoLa

5] Two friends are looking to buy a house in Baltimore

6] Cyprus Friendship Program

7] Help out for a Honduras Relief Project

8] Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibition – through Aug. 16

9] “Underestimated: Our Not So Peaceful Nuclear Future” – June 19

10] Peace Vigil at the White House – June 19

11] Silent Quaker vigil – June 19

12] See the film DRONE -- June 19

13] Help Syrian People – June 19

14] Nakba Museum Project of Memory and Hope continues – through June 27

15] See the film AWAKE – June 19 &20

16] Occupy your workplace – June 19

17] Ballroom Dancing – June 19

18] West Chester, PA demo – June 20

19] World Refugee Day Street Festival 2015 – June 20

20] The Bernie Sanders Campaign – June 20

21] See the film THE THROWAWAYS – June 20

22] “Report on the 2015 AHA Conference” – June 21

23] Fair Food bike tour – June 21

24] Enjoy an evening with writer Suad Amiry –- June 21

25] Pentagon Vigil – June 22

26] Marc Steiner on WEAA – June 22 – June 26

27] WAT resisters go on trial – June 22

28] Shared Water Resources in a Warming World: Conflict and Cooperation – June 22

29] “Under the Bus: How Working Women Are Being Run Over” – June 22

30] Palestinians suffering in Syria – June 22

31] Black Liberation Movement – June 22

32] Pray for Peace –- June 22

33] Pledge of Resistance/FOC meeting – June 22

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1] – Buttons, bumperstickers and books are available.  “God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions” stickers are in stock. Donate your books to Max. Call him at 410-366-1637.

 

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

 

THE NOTICES LIST will include only notices of NCNR actions and related information and is open to any interested person to subscribe.  It will be moderated to maintain focus & will include periodic notices about getting involved in NCNR national organizing.  To join the NOTICES List, send an email message to mobuszewski at Verizon dot net.

 

4] – You can help safeguard human rights and fragile ecosystems through your purchase of HOCOFOLA Café Quetzal. Bags of ground coffee or whole beans can be ordered by mailing in an order form. Also note organic cocoa and sugar are for sale.  For more details and to download the order form, go to http://friendsoflatinamerica.typepad.com/hocofola/2010/02/hocofola-cafe-quetzal-order-form-2010.html. The coffee comes in one-pound bags.

 

Fill out the form and mail it with a check made out to HOCOFOLA on or before the second week of the month.  Be sure you indicate ground or beans for each type of coffee ordered.  Send it to Francine Sheppard at 5639B, Harpers Farm Rd., Columbia 21044. The coffee will arrive some time the following week and you will be notified where to pick it up. Contact Francine at 410-992-7679 or FrancineMSW@aol.com.

 

5] – Two friends are looking to buy a house in Baltimore.  Let Max know if you have any leads—410-366-1637 or mobuszewski@verizon.net.

 

6] – Since a civil war in 1974 the island of Cyprus has been divided in two with a United Nations patrolled border. Turkish/Muslim Cypriots are in the north. Greek/ Christian Cypriots are in the south. Animosities and prejudices run deep. Experts believe that Cyprus is at a crossroads between renewed conflict and becoming an example in the Middle East of how two such cultures can live in peace.

 

The Cyprus Friendship Program, based on the successful model that helped build peace in Northern Ireland, brings over a Muslim and Christian teen to stay with an U.S. host family for the month of July (or ½ month if paired with another host family). This bonding experience in a neutral environment almost always results in a strong friendship. Programming here and after their return to Cyprus turns them into peace builders who are trained in how to influence their peers.  The teens are chosen for their maturity, leadership potential, and English speaking ability. You choose the gender and age (from 15 to 17). To learn more contact Tom McCarthy at 301-774-7069 or Thomas.McCarthy@RaymondJames.com.

 

7] – Shari Morris is selling Orioles ticket vouchers to raise money for a Honduras Relief Trip. Orioles ticket vouchers cost $15 per ticket and are good for any Classic (orange) or Select (brown) games.  All seats are located within the lower reserve area (1st base line, 3rd base line, left field and right field).  For each ticket sold, the nonprofit group earns $5.  All vouchers must be exchanged at the box officer on or before the game you select.  Contact Shari at shari622@gmail.comI or at 410-688-4424.

 

8] – Come to American University, Katzen Arts Center, Third Floor, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW, WDC 20016-8031to see the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibition. Go to http://www.american.edu/calendar/?id=6383062.

 

See the Maruki Panel exhibit. Six of the world-famous panels will be exhibited outside Japan for the first time in many years. There will also be a display of artifacts from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as 24 of the All Souls Church Honkawa School Children's drawings.  See the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibition through Aug. 16. In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the attacks, this powerful show will include 20 artifacts collected from the debris of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as 6 large folding screens that depict the horrors of the event. The 1995 Nobel Peace Prize nominees, Iri and Toshi Maruki, created a total of 15 screens over 32 years from 1950. This exhibition, made possible by the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, is meant to deepen understanding of the damage wrought by nuclear weapons and inspire peace in the 21st century. Call 202-885-1000.  Email museum@american.edu. Admission is free, and the exhibit hours are Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 AM to 4 PM.

 

9] – On Fri., June 19 from noon until 1:30 PM, Henry Sokolski, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, Tod Lindberg, Hoover Institution, Dov Zakheim, Center for Naval Analysis, will hold a book launch of “Underestimated: Our Not So Peaceful Nuclear Future” at the Hudson Institute, Sixth Floor, 1015 15th St. NW, WDC. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/underestimated-our-not-so-peaceful-nuclear-future-tickets-17251637111.

 

10] – On Fri., June 19 from noon to 1 PM, join the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in a vigil urging the powers that be to abolish war and torture, to disarm all weapons, to end indefinite detention, to close Guantanamo, to establish justice for all and help create the Beloved Community! The vigil takes place at the White House on Pennsylvania Ave. NW.  Contact Art @ artlaffin@hotmail.com or at 202-360-6416.

 

11] – There is usually a silent peace vigil on Fridays, from 5 to 6 PM, sponsored by Homewood Friends and Stony Run Meetings, outside the Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St.  The next vigil is on June 19. Black Lives Matter. 

 

12] – Go to the AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring on Fri., June 19 at 6:15 PM for the D.C. premiere of DRONE at American Film Institute's film festival, AFI Docs. The film has won numerous awards after its wide release in Europe, including The Most Valuable Documentary of the Year by Cinema for Peace in Berlin. After this success in Europe, the filmmakers are excited to bring the film to an American audience. Go to http://www.dronethedocumentary.com/.

 

13] – On Fri., June 19 at 6:30 PM, join #Iftar4Syria, a four city annual iftar benefiting the four most critical areas of need in Syria: health, education, food and rehabilitation. All proceeds from the iftars will go to providing help and hope to Syrians in need through Syria Relief and Development's well-established and effective projects throughout Syria and for Syrian refugees in neighboring countries. Each iftar will feature dinner, guest speakers and an evening of hope with friends, family, volunteers and the entire community helping Syrians in need. Be at 12025 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, Fairfax, VA.  Go to http://www.eventbrite.com/e/iftar4syria-washington-dc-tickets-16637878342.

 

14] – The Nakba Museum Project of Memory and Hope debuted on June 13and will continue through Sat., June 27 at the Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Road NW, WDC 20009.  The exhibit, Reclaiming the Lost Future, features a comprehensive exhibition about the flight and expulsion of Palestinians in 1948, photographs of nonviolent resistance and everyday life in the West Bank and Gaza; paintings by Palestinian artists living in refugee camps; and eyewitness testimonies and interviews with Palestinian refugees that highlight their struggles, loss, and undying resilience. See the exhibit Monday-Wednesday 10 AM to 3 PM and Friday and Saturday 3 to 9 PM. 

 

  On Fri., June 19 at 6:30 PM see “On the Side of the Road,” a documentary.  On Sat., June 20 at 6:30 PM attend “It’s what we do,” a play about the occupation.” On Sat., June 27 at 6:30 PM participate in Auction night.  ADMISSION IS FREE. Email nakbamuseumproject@gmail.com or visit www.nakbamuseumproject.com.

 

15] – See a film at the Shanti Yoga Ashram, Center for Harmony, 4217 East-West Highway, Bethesda 20814 on Fri., June 19 at 7 PM and Sat., June 20 at 5 PM. The screening of AWAKE! THE LIFE OF PARAMHANSA YOGANANDA is part of the Solstice Celebration & the International Day of Yoga.  The event is Metro Accessible: Red-Line Bethesda. RSVP at Email shantiyoga2@earthlink.net.

 

16] – On Fri., June 19 at 7:30 PM,  listen in on a conversation with workers who are occupying RR Donnelly factory in Argentina at Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201. When the giant, Chicago-based multinational printing company RR Donnelly decided that it'd make financial sense to have its Argentinian subsidiary declare bankruptcy and shut down its factory, they didn't have any plan for the workers who would lose their jobs.  So the workers came up with one of their own: occupy, resist, and produce!  Since August of last year, the workers of the RR Donnelly plant have been self-managing their own operations in the occupied factory as a worker cooperative, transforming social and gender relations in the workplace and putting the factories printing presses into the service of the movement.  Join in for a discussion of the background of the struggle at RR Donnelly and a special skype conversation with the workers in Argentina. Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org. 

 

17] – There is an opportunity to participate in ballroom dancing, usually every Friday of the month, in the JHU ROTC Bldg. at  8 PM.  Turn south on San Martin Dr. from the intersection of Univ. Parkway and 39th St.  Drive on campus by taking the third left turn. The next dance will be June 19. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.

 

18] –  Each Saturday, 11 AM – 1 PM, Chester County Peace Movement holds a peace vigil in West Chester in front of the Chester County Courthouse, High & Market Sts. Go to www.ccpeace.org. Email ccpeacemovement@aol.com. 

 

19] – The World Refugee Day Street Festival 2015 is happening in the 400 block of Conkling St. (between Eastern Ave. and Bank St.) on Sat., Jun 20 from noon to 3 PM.  It is FREE!  The festival is produced by Creative Alliance, Baltimore Resettlement Center, International Rescue Committee, BCCC Refugee Youth Project, Lutheran Social Services NCA Baltimore, World Relief, and Baltimore Community Foundation! The annual international family showcase celebrates Baltimore as a home to talented refugees and immigrants of all ages. Enjoy dance, music and art activities for the whole family! Food, hand-made jewelry and crafts will be sale, but CASH ONLY. RSVP at 410-276-1651 or info@creativealliance.org.

 

20] – The next Nation Magazine Discussion Group meeting will focus on the Bernie Sanders campaign for the Democratic nomination for President. Gather at the Cleveland Park Public Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave., WDC on Sat., June 20 from 3 to 5:30 PM.  Andrea Miller from Progressive Democrats of America and Bahram Zandi from the US Green Party will lead the discussion.  Miller is the executive director of People Demanding Action, the civic arm of the Progressive Democrats of America and the former PDA Co-Executive Director.  Zandi is a native of Iran who joined the Green Party in 2000 during the Nader campaign and is co-chair of the International Committee for the US Green Party. To join the discussion, you must read the discussion paper.  Email Bob Griss at anjinsan@geotrees.com.

 

21] – See the award winning film "THE THROWAWAYS" at St. Matthew's Catholic Church Hall, 5401 Loch Raven Blvd., Baltimore 21235 on Sat., June 20 at 7 PM. The message of this documentary film, a personal exploration of the devastating impact of police brutality and mass incarceration on the black community, speaks directly to the national movement to fight against a wave of police killings of black people in the U.S.  and is even timelier at this moment in Baltimore's history. As Fr Joe Muth, pastor at St Matthew's Catholic Church, recently commented, "I previewed the Throwaways Documentary and found it very timely and am confident that it will inspire the right discussion we all must have. While it was filmed in Albany, NY, it could have been in Cleveland, Ferguson, NYC, or yes, even Baltimore. Although the screening is free, donations are appreciated. Visit http://calltoactionmd.org.

 

22] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 306 W. Franklin St., Suite 102, Baltimore 21201-4661, meets on Sundays, and generally there is a speaker and discussion from 10:30 AM to noon. On June 21, the platform address is “Report on the 2015 AHA Conference,” Kathleen Wilsbach and Emil Volcheck report on the 2015 American Humanist Association (AHA) Annual Conference held in Denver, Colorado, May 7–10. Hear highlights from the largest annual conference in the Humanist movement. The conference featured two powerful events on race and justice, the annual meeting of the AHA Feminist Caucus, inspiring award winners such as 19-year-old Isaiah Smith, a scholarly talk on anti-atheist prejudice, an activist for education in Nepal, an offshoot of Sunday Assembly called “THRIVE,” and much more. June 21st is World Humanist Day, so celebrate! Call 410-581-2322 or email ask@bmorethical.org.

 

23] – On Sun., June 21 from 3:30 to 5:30 PM, gather in Dupont Circle, WDC.   When many people think about the food movement, what comes to mind is likely an $8 jar of artisanal sauerkraut, or a waiter getting grilled about the locality, diet, slaughter, and general happiness of a chicken. But there's another side of the movement for a better food system -- food justice movements that connect the quality and affordability of the food we eat with the living and working conditions of the farmers, farmworkers, servers, cooks, and other food system workers that we rely on to set the table.  Join DC Fair Food for a bike tour of sites and local organizations working for food justice in DC and beyond. The ride will start at Dupont Circle and end at Three Part Harmony Farm with an outdoor community meal. They are asking for sliding scale donations of $10 or more to support both the farm and youth organizing in solidarity with farmworkers. See https://www.facebook.com/events/1462336347415563/.

 

24] – Enjoy an evening with Writer Suad Amiry at BUSBOYS @ 5TH & K, 1025 5th St. NW, WDC on Sun., June 21 from 6 to 8 PM.  Amiry, founder of the Riwaq Center for Architectural Conservation (www.riwaq.org), will read from her book, “Golda Slept Here,” A raconteur par excellence, she will also discuss her previous books (“Sharon and My Mother-in-Law,” “Menopausal Palestine,” and “Nothing to Lose but Your Life”) and recount her journey from architect to writer. Suad’s books will be available for sale. Go to http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/book-talk-with-writer-suad-amiry.

 

25] -- 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 Mon., June 22, 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 begin 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. 

 

26] – The Marc Steiner Show airs Monday through Friday from 10 AM to noon on WEAA 88.9 FM, The Voice of the Community, or online at www.weaa.org.   The call-in number is 410-319-8888, and comments can also be sent by email to steinershow@gmail.com. All shows are also available as podcasts at www.steinershow.org.  

 

On the Marc Steiner Show, people of opposing views actually listen to each other; on the video linked below, you see the humanity of Freddie Gray's neighbors and friends.  I think the Marc Steiner Show is important for Baltimore, and important for our racial divide in other towns in our country too.  The Show is on an expansion drive; can you contribute?  See https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-build-center-for-emerging-media#/story.

 

27] – Come to Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Courtroom 116, 500 Indiana Ave. NW, WDC 20001on Mon., June 22 at 9:30 AM to support Witness Against Torture (WAT) activists who are on trial before Magistrate Judge Karen Howze. This will kick off Torture Awareness Week (June 21 to 28).  The eleven WAT members were arrested on January 12 in the Senate gallery. Janice Sevre-Duszynska is one of the defendants.

 

 Another eleven activists were arrested in the Capitol Visitor’s Center on behalf of those who have been detained, tortured and murdered by our government. WAT was responding to the Senate's Torture Report and the continued suffering of our Muslim brothers at Guantanamo. Go to http://www.witnesstorture.org/blog/2015/05/05/come-to-dc-for-torture-awareness-week-wat-members-on-trial-for-witnessing-in-the-capitol/.

 

28] – Attend a discussion on Shared Water Resources in a Warming World: Conflict and Cooperation on Mon., June 22 from 10 to 11:30 AM at the Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW, 8th Floor, WDC 20036.   RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1nYv6qvv5OksCVlGxyysBEJ1r5eTh9u0mAnQJzLpWSRA/viewform.

Growing populations, rising resource demands, and mounting environmental pressures are putting increasing strains on global water supplies. From the Middle East to the Sahel and South Asia, stresses on the world’s crucial transboundary river basins—those shared by two or more nations—are stoking tensions and stirring conflict. Continuing global climate change will exacerbate the challenges confronting policy makers, altering river flows in every populated basin on Earth by 2050.

Meeting these emerging threats to the planet’s common water resources will require increased dialogue and collaboration among all riparian nations. How can international water diplomacy, multilateral development agencies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders help build cooperative governance structures, institutions, and practices to ensure global water security in the 21^st century? In a panel discussion co-hosted by the Stimson Center and the Wilson Center, water policy experts and practitioners will explore innovations, insights, and impediments to the cooperative management of shared rivers around the world. The conversation will include discussion of a new book on “Transboundary Water Management and the Climate Change Debate” by Anders Jägerskog and colleagues, and the findings of a new Stimson Center study of civil society initiatives to promote water cooperation in international river basins.  

 

29] –  Laws enacted to ensure women’s rights at work are failing millions of working women, including temps, farm workers, employees of small businesses, immigrants and others. In a powerful response to Sheryl Sandberg’s advice that women “lean in,” Caroline Fredrickson outlines the legislative compromises that have turned what should be a safety net for women workers into a sieve. That sieve denies huge numbers of women the minimum wage, maternity leave, health care, the freedom to form unions and protection from harassment and discrimination. Fredrickson, president of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy and a senior fellow at Dēmos, will discuss her eye-opening book “Under the Bus: How Working Women Are Being Run Over” and sign copies on Mon., June 22 from 12:30 to 2:30 PM at AFL-CIO, 815 16th St. NW, WDC. Visit https://actionnetwork.org/events/under-the-bus?source=email&amp.

 

30] – On Mon., June 22 from 1 to 2 PM, the Palestine Center, 2425 Virginia Ave. NW, WDC 20037, invites you to a panel briefing with Wesam Sabaaneh, founder & director, Jafra Foundation for Youth and Development, and Nidal Bitari, senior programs manager, People Demand Change. Prior to the current crisis in Syria, Palestinian refugees lived in a moderately safe and accepted position in Syrian civil society, relative to their treatment as refugees in nearby host countries. This panel will address the socio-economic situation of Palestinian refugees in Syria before, during and after the current crisis. Yarmouk camp sits at the apex of this predicament. These panelists will discuss the Palestinian civil society in Syria, the roles of the PLO and the Palestinian Liberation Army, the siege on Yarmouk camp and the ensuing humanitarian crisis, and the impact of ISIL’s arrival on Yarmouk camp. Call 202-338-1958 or email info@thejerusalemfund.org. See http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/ht/d/RegisterForEvent/i/52605.

 

31] – The #BlackLivesMatter Movement has helped to revitalize the Black Liberation Movement in general and the Black Left specifically. The Black Left includes significant historical figures such as WEB DuBois, Huey Newton, Angela Davis, Amiri Baraka and many more. It is important that this generation know what the Black Left is and its ideological contributions to Black Liberation. Come out to this political education session led by young veteran activists (Eugene Puryear, Jennifer Bryant & Benjamin Woods) at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW, WDC on Mon., June 22 from 7 to 9 PM.

 

32] – Pray for Peace at 7:30 PM at the St. Ignatius Church, 740 Calvert St., Baltimore on Fri., June 22.  Contact Charles Cloughen, Jr., Interfaith Peace Partners coordinator, at ccloughen@episcopalmaryland.org   or 410-321-4545.

 

33] – The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore usually meets on Mondays at 7:30 PM, and the meetings take place at Max’s residence.  The next meeting is on June 22. The proposed agenda will include Witness Against Torture activities, anti-drone activities, Freddie Gray, John Sarbanes/Ben Cardin, the annual July 4 visit to the NSA, the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Commemoration and a September action in D.C. Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski at verizon.net.

 

To be continued.

 

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.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