Friday, October 30, 2015

Baltimore Activist Alert Nov. 1 - 3, 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 and 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] Fighting for Our Youth" – Nov. 1
7] “Economy, Spirituality & Climate Change on the Road to Paris" Nov. 1
8] Gender transformative communication – Nov. 1
9] The Day of the Dead – Nov. 1
10] Israeli military refusenik – Nov. 1
11] Pentagon Vigil – Nov. 2
12] Baltimore Green Forum – Nov. 2
11] Pentagon Vigil – Nov. 2
12] Marc Steiner on WEAA – Nov. 2 – Nov. 6
13] Walk the Earth in Safety – Nov. 2
14] The Iran Deal – Nov. 2
15] Film "Tall as the Baobab Tree" – Nov. 3
16] Global Frackdown letter – Nov. 3
17] Philadelphia Peace Vigil – Nov. 3
18] Film “Battle of Algiers” – Nov. 3
19] Vigil against JHU’s drone research – Nov. 3
20] Chronic Effects of Pediatric Pesticides – Nov. 3
21] Animal advocacy – Nov. 3
22] Human Rights Award – Nov. 3
23] Peace Academy course – Nov. 3
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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 410-366-1637.

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.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 ncnrnotices-subscribe@lists.riseup.net. You will get a confirmation message once subscribed.  If you have problems, please write to the list manager at ncnrnotices-admin@lists.riseup.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] – Janice and Max are looking to buy a house in Baltimore.  Let Max know if you have any leads—410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at Verizon dot net.

6] – 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 Nov. 1 the platform address is “Fighting for Our Youth" with Melissa Rock, Child Welfare Director, AYC. Ms. Rock’s talk will be about how Advocates for Children and Youth improves outcomes for Maryland's foster youth through policy advocacy. She will explain how they leverage their relationships with state agencies and use the state legislative process to improve the lives of foster children. Ms. Rock is the Child Welfare Director for Advocates for Children and Youth. She works with the statewide child welfare administrators and stakeholders to improve the experience of children and families involved with the abuse and neglect system. Call 410-581-2322 or email ask@bmorethical.org.

7] – On Sun., Nov. 1 from 5 to 7 PM hear a talk “Economy, Spirituality & Climate Change on the Road to Paris" with Alfredo Sfeir Younis at the School of Life / Shanti Yoga Ashram, 4217 East West Hwy,, Bethesda 20814.  REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED. RSVP at shantiyoga2@earthlink.net. Sfeir Younis (born 1947) is a Chilean economist, spiritual leader and healer, presently President of the Zambuling Institute for Human Transformation, founded in 2005 in Washington, DC. Before opening the Institute, he had a twenty-nine-year career at the World Bank where he was hired as the World Bank’s first environmental economist in 1976 and later was appointed Director of the World Bank Office in Geneva, Switzerland. He served as Special Representative to the United Nations and the World Trade Organization from 1996 to 1999. Call 240-483-9458.

8] – In the framework of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, and on the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) seeks to open a hemispheric debate to foster gender transformative communication, based on the exchange of good practices, with a view to driving changes in communications media attitude and practices. It is happening at the Organization of American States, 200 17th St. NW, WDC, on Mon., Nov. 2 from 9 AM to noon.  Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-right-to-gender-transformative-communication-el-derecho-a-la-comunicacion-promotora-de-la-tickets-18896407664.

9] – Get over to Lamont Park, Mount Pleasant St. NW, WDC, on Sun., Nov. 1 from 3:30 to 6 PM as D.C. artists get together for the annual celebration of the Day of the Dead/El dia de los muertos. This is an afternoon of remembrance, music, poetry and culture. The altar is being designed by artists Gabriela Lujan, Alfredo Herrera, Juan Lopez and Mauricio Lopez. Gather at the park and then at 4 PM walk down Mt. Pleasant in a colorful parade led by local musicians, then immediately come back to the park for an artistic program. Bring photos of your relatives that have passed away and add them to the altar. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/793631240747929/.

10] – Sahar Vardi served three prison terms in Israel for refusing to serve in an army of occupation. Now she is working to assist a new generation of Israelis who have chosen to resist through military refusal. At this event in Arlington, VA, on Sun., Nov.  1 from 5 to 7 PM, Sahar will discuss the current state of the refuser movement and the continued importance of military refusal as civil disobedience.  For twelve years, Refuser Solidarity Network has provided crucial financial and moral support to Israel's military refusers in the toughest of political circumstances. Meet Sahar and learn about the work of the RSN at a private apartment in Crystal City, VA, a block from the Crystal City Metro Station. The full address will be sent to those who RSVP.  The suggested donation is $10, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.  RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/833824536732415/833857130062489/.

11] -- 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., Nov. 2, 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. 

12] – 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.

13] -- Although significant progress has been made in the last fifteen years, thousands of people continue to be affected by landmines and explosive remnants of war. From preventing the safe use of land to inhibiting economic development and presenting risks of personal injury, these weapons impact all aspects of everyday life and pose humanitarian, security, and development risks around the world. You are invited to join the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs for the official launch of the 2015 To Walk the Earth in Safety report, hosted by the Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW, 8th Floor, WDC 20036, on Mon., Nov. 2 from 10:30 to 11:30 AM. The United States is the world leader in financing efforts to reduce these threats, and has contributed over $2.5 billion in mine action support and conventional weapons destruction programs since 1993. The report highlights the breadth of programs undertaken by the United States around the world. The event will feature a keynote address from Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller and introductory remarks from Ambassador Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr – former Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs and current Chairman of the Stimson Board of Directors. A panel discussion will follow. The event will also be joined by Puneet Talwar, Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs. Light refreshments will be provided.  RSVP https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11krb66Df-POQhfnW_OfO2NwAzzf2Gk_qFT5fEM78V0M/viewform.

14] -- The Iran Deal and the Future of U.S.-Iranian Relations with Ambassador Thomas Pickering, Distinguished Fellow, Brookings Institution, is happening on Mon., Nov. 2 from 4 to 5:30 PM at SIS [School of International Service], Room 300, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW, WDC 20016.  It is sponsored by the U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security program.  Ambassador Pickering will be speaking on the recent diplomatic achievement, the Iran Nuclear Deal. Go to http://www.american.edu/sis/calendar/?d=11/02/2015&h=89.

15] – At the University of Maryland, College Park, 1104 South Campus Commons, Building 1, on Mon., Nov. 2 from 7 to 9 PM, see a documentary "Tall as the Baobab Tree."  In a rural Senegalese village poised at the outer edge of the modern world, a teenage girl hatches a secret plan to rescue her 11-year-old sister from an arranged marriage.  A powerful voice from Africa’s young generation, the film poignantly depicts a family struggling to find its footing where questions of right and wrong are not always black and white.

Coumba and her little sister Debo are the first to leave their family’s remote African village, where meals are prepared over open fires and water is drawn from wells, to attend school in the bustling city. But when an accident suddenly threatens their family’s survival, their father decides to sell 11-year-old Debo into an arranged marriage. 

16] – President Obama and State Department officials will head to Paris next month to join other world leaders for the United Nations' Paris Climate Conference. Before they leave, send a message that climate leaders don’t frack! Join Americans Against Fracking at the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, WDC, on Tues., Nov. 3 at noon to deliver the Global Frackdown letter.  It is signed by hundreds of international, national, state, and local organizations, and urges President Obama and other global leaders to reject fracking and natural gas as a solution to our global climate crisis.

17] – Each Tuesday from 4:30 - 5:30 PM, the Catholic Peace Fellowship-Philadelphia for peace in Afghanistan and Iraq gathers at the Suburban Station, 16th St. & JFK Blvd., at the entrance to Tracks 3 and 4 on the mezzanine.  The next vigil is Nov. 3.  Call 215-426-0364.

18] –  In the Intercultural Center (ICC), Room 241, CCAS Boardroom, Georgetown University, 3700 O St. NW, WDC, on Tues., Nov. 3 from 5 to 8:30PM, see a screening of “Battle of Algiers.” From 7 to 8:30 PM, enjoy a discussion with Sohail Daulatzai, Film and Media Studies, African American Studies Program UCI. One of the most influential political films in history and directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, it vividly re-creates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/466362556904096/.

19] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 33rd & North Charles Sts. Join this ongoing vigil on Nov. 3  from 5:30 to 6:30  PM.  Call Max at 410-366-1637.

20] –  Maryland Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility are hosting An Overview of the Chronic Effects of Pediatric Pesticides, Poisoning and Policy Implications, an Educational Event and Dinner – CME (2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits) – on Tues., Nov. 3 at the MedChi Building, 1211 Cathedral St., Baltimore 21201. The guest speaker is Professor James Roberts MD, MPH, FAAP, of the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Roberts is co-lead author of the Pesticide Exposure in Children policy statement and technical report for the American Academy of Pediatrics. Following Dr. Robert’s presentation, Dr. Lorne Garrettson, Dr. Jerry Paulson and Julianna Simmons, MSPH, will participate in a panel discussion. Dr. Lorne Garrettson is Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at Emory University. Dr. Jerry Paulson is medical director for the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit Program Eastern Office, consultant to the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health & the Environment, and Professor Emeritus of the George Washington University Schools of Medicine and Public Health. Ms. Simmons is the Environmental and Occupational Health Program Manager for the Migrant Clinicians Network. From, 6 to 6:30 PM, network and enjoy inner.  Dr. Roberts will speak from 6:30 to 7 PM. Then from 7 to-8:30 PM, catch the panel discussion. The event is free, and you can register by email with paula@mdaap.org. Priority given to health care professionals.

21] – Mark your calendars, animal advocates! You're invited to special animal advocacy meetings across Maryland this fall to discuss hot topics—including puppy mills and dog fighting—and give you insider tips on how you can make Maryland a more humane state.

On Tues., Nov. 3 from 6 to 7:30 PM go to the Hyattsville Municipal Building, Mary Prangley Room, 4310 Gallatin St., Hyattsville.  This meeting will have a special focus on the local effort to repeal the Prince George's County pit bull ban. Delegate Barbara Frush and Adrianne Lefkowitz of the Maryland Dog Federation will join as guests. RSVP at http://www.aspca.org/fight-cruelty/advocacy-center/maryland-were-coming-your-town-fall?ms=em_ade_MD-advocate-for-animals-meetings-article-advocacy-alert-20151026&initialms=em_ade_MD-advocate-for-animals-meetings-article-advocacy-alert-20151026&utm_source=MD-advocate-for-animals-meetings-article-advocacy-alert-20151026&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=advocacy. Contact Chloe Waterman at chloe.waterman@aspca.org.

22] – The Guatemala Human Rights Commission is proud to announce that this year’s Alice Zachmann Human Rights Award will be presented to the community media group Prensa Comunitaria (Community Press).  GHRC selected Prensa Comunitaria for its commitment to grassroots journalism and its focus on documenting important community struggles that often receive little to no coverage in the mainstream media. According to its mission statement, the group aspires to create a space for debate on a range of social issues, with the goal of strengthening democracy in Guatemala. Prensa Comunitaria is a network of communicators – including analysts, photojournalists, reporters and investigators – who work at the community level to document stories that affect residents’ lives, often through the use of personal testimonies. The network has been hugely important in raising awareness about under-reported community movements, efforts to defend land and human rights, and prominent human rights legal cases.

One of Prensa Comunitaria’s regions of focus has been northern Huehuetenango, in the highlands of western Guatemala. The area has experienced growing social conflict over the past several years, particularly around mines and hydroelectric projects. Members of Prensa Comunitaria have provided in-depth investigations, analysis and coverage of local resistance movements, government repression and militarization, attacks against community radio, and the criminalization of community leaders from the region.

At St. Stephen's Church, 1525 Newton St. NW, WDC, on Tues., Nov. 3 at 6:30 PM, Lorenzo Mateo, a member of Prensa Comunitaria and an indigenous leader from Huehuetenango, will receive this year’s award on behalf of the organization. Lorenzo currently works with the Snuq’ Jolom Konob’ community radio station in Santa Eulalia, which has faced continued persecution and censorship. Journalism is a dangerous profession in Guatemala. The first six months of 2015 alone saw 59 documented attacks against journalists including the murder of three journalists within one week in March. In this context, correspondents from Prensa Comunitaria have continued to challenge the systems that seek to silence them. Their valuable work represents an ongoing effort to defend the right to freedom of expression and to freedom of the press.  Visit https://comunitariapress.wordpress.com/.

23] – The Peace Academy has four course offerings ranging from family peace-keeping strategies to nonviolent communication tactics. Each is to be conducted at The Perry School, 128 M St. NW, WDC, or interested parties can arrange a course at their particular sites. Registration can be completed online at www.lffp.org or by contacting MJ Park at mjpeace@gmail.com or 240-838-4549. Details for the first course is listed below.

On Tues., Nov. 3 from 7 to 8:30 PM, you could attend Course III: Peaceful Parents, Peaceful Children: Session II: Family Peacemaking Night: Potluck dinner, workshop with 'Win-Win' games and 'Peace Train.' The cost is $95 per family.

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 


Thursday, October 29, 2015

Baltimore Activist Alert - October 29 -31, 2015

57] Study Engels – Oct. 29
58] Return to Palestine – Oct. 30
59] Black Lives Matter – Oct. 30
60] March and vigil against domestic violence – Oct. 30
61] Aging prisoners – Oct. 30
62] Monthly Social Justice Gathering – Oct. 30
63] Celebrate womyn’s empowerment – Oct. 30
64] Ballroom Dancing – Oct. 30
65] Protest White Supremacy – Oct. 31
66] Call to Action – Oct. 31
67] West Chester peace vigil – Oct. 31
68] Anti-drone war base demo – Oct. 31
69] “WHY FAT IS A VERY HEALTHY FOOD” & “THE 13 KEY TO DEVELOP YOUR FEMININE ENERGY – Oct. 31
70] “Queer Rock Love” – Oct. 31
71] Check out OutRageous – Oct. 31
72] Donate to United Workers – Oct. 31
73] Sign up with Washington Peace Center
74] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records
75] Do you need any book shelves?
76] Join the Global Zero campaign
77] Join the Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil
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57] – You are invited to the final session in the study of Frederick Engels' classic, “The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State” on Thurs., Oct. 29 from 7 to 9 PM  at 810 Winston Ave., Baltimore 21212.   Refreshments will be served. 

Why study a book written in 1884 on the underpinnings of early human history as it developed into the class based society of today?  The answer, as stated in the introduction to Engels' book by Eleanor Leacock, is that although social sciences have examined many aspects of the human experience in the past 130 years, "the fundamentals of Engel's outline for history have remained valid." Join and seek to understand how the origin of the family, private property and the state informs the work we do today as the basis for a better (socialist) world tomorrow.  You are invited to the discussion of this summarizing chapter of Frederick Engel's classic even if you have not attended prior sessions. Call Margaret at 410-433-3269.

58] – Come to the Palestine Center, 2425 Virginia Ave. NW, WDC, on Fri., Oct. 30 from 1 to 2 PM to hear Ghada Karmi, who grew up in Britain following her family's exile from Palestine.  She is a doctor, author and academic who left her adoptive home in a quest to return to her homeland in 2005. She works with the Palestinian Authority, and gets a firsthand understanding of its bizarre bureaucracy under Israel's occupation.  In her book “Return, A Palestinian Memoir,” she takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the heart of one of the world's most intractable conflict zones and one of the major issues of our time. Visiting places she has not seen since childhood, her unique insights reveal a militarized and barely recognizable homeland, and her home in Jerusalem, like much of the West Bank, occupied by strangers. Karmi's encounters with politicians, fellow Palestinians, and Israeli soldiers cause her to question what role exiles like her have in the future of their country and whether return is truly possible.

59] – 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 scheduled vigil is on Oct. 30. Black Lives Matter. 

60] – Gather in Lamont Park, 3258 Mt. Pleasant St. NW, WDC, on Fri., Oct. 30 at 5:30 PM to participate in Domestic Violence Awareness Month in an event sponsored by Coalición Latina Contra la Violencia de Género. There will be a march, and then vigil at 7 PM at 18th St. and Columbia Rd. NW. 

61] – Go to the America's Islamic Heritage Museum, 2315 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE, WDC 20020, on Fri., Oct. 30 from 6 to 9 PM.  At American University’s 12th Annual Public Anthropology Conference, a dialogue was held on "America's Aging Prisoners." A follow up meeting in the framework of a public action forum will be held at the museum. Email shinet1@umbc.edu.

62] – On Fri., Oct. 30 at 6 PM @ Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, Come Together is a Monthly Social Justice Gathering.  This is a networking event that will allow for the community building that so many of us look to achieve. Mix, mingle, and network with other local activists and nation builders. Each month a different organization representing a variety of areas of social justice will come and present who they are, what they do, and how you can get involved. Optional donations will be collected each month for presenting organizations to show the strength that we have with our own resources! Come and finally meet your social media community face to face! Bring cards, flyers, a friend, and a smile! This is hosted by Qiara Butler who can be reached at qiarabutler at gmail.com. Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org

63] – Rising in Resistance! Join the Muslim American Women's Policy Forum and GABRIELA Washington, D.C. in celebrating womyn’s empowerment as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month at the Washington Peace Center, 1525 Newton St., WDC, on Fri., Oct. 30 from 7 to 9 PM. As immigrant women of color, they stand together to bring our voices to the forefront of gender oppression and other forms of violence. This event will also be a fundraiser for Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project, the largest social services provider for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors from API communities in DC.  You are encouraged you to wear purple in solidarity. The suggested donation is $10, but no one will be turned away.  Contact Darakshan Raja if you are interested in performing or have any questions at Darakshan@washingtonpeacecenter.org.

64] – 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 Oct. 30. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.

65] -- After the murders of nine African Americans in Charleston, SC by confessed killer Dylann Roof, who was inspired by the White Supremacist organization Council of Conservative Citizens, it has become more of an importance to oppose these types of hate groups that attempt to go under the radar and achieve power in government, academia and business. One of those organizations associated with the CCC has been organizing conferences in the Washington, DC area, and on Sat. Oct. 31 from 9 AM to 10 PM, the National Policy Institute (NPI), whose efforts, among others, included the promotion of eugenics, campaign to make the Republican Party exclusively white, and to build alliances with White Supremacists and Fascists in Europe, is going to hold a conference at the National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor, WDC.  The Press Club needs to know of that concern! Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1609411006003489/.

66] – On Sat., Oct. 31 from 9 AM to 3:30 PM, Call to Action-MD will sponsor a very special program: “Racism, Immigration, and the Latino Community: Raising Awareness and Changing Perceptions” at the BWI Hilton Doubletree Hotel. The conference will feature presentations by a host of notable presenters, including Jocelyn Pena Melnyk (Maryland Delegate and Chair of the Latino Caucus) and Sr. Ann Scholz SSND (Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Director of Social Mission).  Registration is $20. Contact Chuck Michaels [mailto:cwmichaels@igc.org].

67] –  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

68] – Brandywine Peace Community, on Sat., Oct. 31 from noon to 2 PM, urges you to experience Halloween in Horsham.  Stop the Horror from Horsham.  And it's called the Reaper, the MQ-9 Reaper killer drone. And in Horsham, PA, that means the drone war command center which the U.S. Air Force is readying at the Air Guard Station for remote-controlled Reaper drones and the launch of their Hellfire missiles against people, mostly innocents, on the other side of the world. Horsham Air Guard Station, is at Rt. 611/Easton Road & County Road, Horsham, PA.  Tricks or Treats of protest. White death masks, large MQ-9 Reaper drone replica, drone and human silhouettes, signs, large banners representing this protest campaign now in its third year  Wear black if you can or your themed costumes (if you wish).   Visit www.brandywinepeace/events or call (610) 544-1818.

69] – Come to THE SCHOOL OF LIFE, 4217 East-West Highway. Bethesda 20814 on Sat., Oct. 31 for a workshop “WHY FAT IS A VERY HEALTHY FOOD” by Leah Barr from 2:45 to 4:15 PM.  Then that evening at 7 PM there will be a talk “THE 13 KEY TO DEVELOP YOUR FEMININE ENERGY” by Alfredo Sfeir-Younis. Visit www.schooloflife.org.  Barr has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 20 years and holds multiple certifications. She is a clinical intern with The California College of Ayurveda. Contact her at _ leahbarr_DC@yahoo.com.  Sfeir Younis (born 1947) is a Chilean economist, spiritual leader and healer, presently President of the Zambuling Institute for Human Transformation, founded in 2005 in Washington, DC.

70] – On Sat., Oct. 31 at 4 PM @ Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, Paige Schilt presents “Queer Rock Love.” What happens when an introverted feminist academic tosses off her big black nerd glasses and succumbs to a brutal crush on a hard-rockin’ Texas boygirl? This is a deeply funny memoir that shatters the notion that queer life belongs in cities, that family is always heteronormative, that gender can ever be neatly settled, and that a good romance ends on your wedding day. Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org. 

71] – 2015 marks the return of OutRageous, the fall gala event for the GLCCB.  Keeping with tradition, and making its name proud, this year will feature thrills and chills in the Ghouls and Ghosts edition!  Join at the beautiful Chase Court for a night of dancing, performances, silent auction, and most importantly, community celebration! Get over to Chase Court, 1112 Saint Paul St., Baltimore, on Sat., Oct. 31 from 7 to 11 PM.

72] – Help Raise Money to Support a Fair Development Future.  The United Workers are training for its 3rd Annual Walk/Run & Children's Race on Sat., Oct. 31. Team Exercise Your Rights is a collective of United Workers leaders ranging from seniors to youth with a goal of raising $14,000. Sponsor Team Exercise your Rights by donating today. Your donation of $10, $25, $50, $100, $250, or more, will help sustain our fight for a Fair Development Future in Maryland. Go to https://unitedworkers.nationbuilder.com/teamexerciseyourrights. Email justsociety@unitedworkers.org.

73] -- The Washington Peace Center has a progressive calendar & activist alert! Consider signing up to receive its weekly email: info@washingtonpeacecenter.org.

74] -- If you would like to get rid of books, videos, DVDs or records, contact Max at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.

75] -- Can you use any book shelves? Contact Max at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.

76] -- 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.

77] – 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 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/.

“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

Evidence Mounts That U.S. Military Knew They Were Bombing an Active Hospital

WORLD
Evidence Mounts That U.S. Military Knew They Were Bombing an Active Hospital
Reporting raises new questions about potential war crimes in U.S. bombing of Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan
October 27, 2015
http://www.alternet.org/files/styles/story_image/public/story_images/hospital_bombing.jpg
MSF staff treat injured colleagues and patients in the hospital's safe room after the airstrike.
Photo Credit: MSF
The Associated Press provided new evidence Monday that the U.S. military knew that the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan was an active medical facility before they bombed it, bolstering the aid agency's charge that the attack—which killed at least 30 people—amounted to a war crime.
"A day before an American AC130 gunship attacked the hospital, a senior officer in the Green Beret unit wrote in a report that U.S. forces had discussed the hospital with the country director of the medical charity group, presumably in Kabul, according to two people who have seen the document," reports journalist Ken Dilanian.
In addition,  MSF spokesperson Tim Shenk told the AP that in the days leading up to the bombing, a U.S. official asked the aid agency whether their Kunduz hospital "had a large group of Taliban fighters in it." According to Shenk, the group "replied that this was not the case. We also stated that we were very clear with both sides to the conflict about the need to respect medical structures."
"Taken together, the revelations add to the growing possibility that U.S. forces destroyed what they knew was a functioning hospital, which would be a violation of the international rules of war," notes Dilanian.
But MSF executive director Jason Cone argued in a strongly-worded op-ed published Friday in the New York Times: "Assertions that armed Taliban combatants were on the grounds of our hospital have been discredited, both in this newspaper and elsewhere. Neither our staff members nor Kunduz residents reported seeing armed combatants or any fighting within the hospital compound before the airstrikes."
"Even if there had been 'enemy' activity within the compound," Cone continued, "the warring parties would still have been obligated to uphold basic tenets of the laws of war, including respecting the protected status of hospitals, understanding the nature of targeted structures, and factoring in the potential toll on civilians of any intended attack."
What's more, MSF says that it informed coalition and Afghan officials of its GPS coordinates before and during the attack—to no avail.
Therefore, MSF has charged that the bombing of the hospital—a protected space under humanitarian law—amounts to a war crime and only an independent probe can be trusted to reveal the truth about the attack. While the U.S., NATO, and Afghan authorities have launched their own investigations, MSF argues "it is impossible to expect parties involved in the conflict to carry out independent and impartial investigations of military actions in which they are themselves implicated."
Earlier this month, the group launched a petition calling on the U.S. to consent to "an independent international investigation into the events of October 3 by the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission (IHFFC), the only permanent body set up specifically to investigate violations of international humanitarian law." The missive has so far attracted nearly 325,000 signatures.
The AP reporting comes just days after MSF announced that the death toll from the attack "is still rising," with the number of known dead including 10 patients, 13 staff, and seven unrecognizable bodies.
Sarah Lazare is the Project Director of Courage to Resist, an organization that supports military war resisters.

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

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Baltimore Activist Alert - October 29 -30, 2015

46] Rethinking UN Security Council Resolution 1540 – Oct. 29
47] Animal advocacy – Oct. 29
48] Housing for All – Oct. 29
49] Burning a Buddhist Temple – Oct. 29
50] BUILD ONE BALTIMORE – Oct. 29
51] Film CHE – PART 1 – Oct. 29
52] Phyllis Bennis on ISIS – Oct. 29
53] Pledge of Resistance meeting – Oct. 29
54] Book STAND YOUR GROUND – Oct. 29
55] Peace vigil at White House – Oct. 30
56] Women in Pakistan – Oct. 30
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46] – There is a workshop, cosponsored by the Stimson Center and the Washington Foreign Law Society, in cooperation with ISS, entitled Nonproliferation in a Noncompliant World: Rethinking UN Security Council Resolution 1540 at the Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW, 8th Floor, WDC 20036, on Thurs., Oct. 29 from 9 to 11:30 AM.  RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1GiQiowSVWBSunkDjm47PgeEqIgPF2wbkk4a_DFXcFY0/viewform.

The U.N. Security Council adopted resolution 1540 in 2004 partly as a response to revelations about black market nuclear networks that affected proliferation and highlighted also the potential terrorism risks. The implementation of the resolution, which calls for criminalization of possession and transfer of weapons of mass destruction, is facilitated by the 1540 Committee, whose mandate was extended until 2021. The Security Council required a comprehensive review of the resolution in 2016. As part of this effort, former U.N. 1540 experts gathered their thoughts on the challenges related to implementing the resolution. This event will present some of these thoughts and solicit input from broader civil society on how efforts can be improved. In breakout groups, lawyers, researchers, policymakers, students, NGOs will be able to discuss among themselves and with the experts issues that may range from strategic trade controls to harmonization of criminal penalties to new approaches for capacity building. Resulting ideas will be shared with the Security Council’s 1540 Committee. Current & Former 1540 U.N. experts will be featured, including the work of the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and its forthcoming publication of the former experts’ ideas. Copies of the publication and a light breakfast will be available.

47] – Mark your calendars, animal advocates! You're invited to special animal advocacy meetings across Maryland this fall to discuss hot topics—including puppy mills and dog fighting—and give you insider tips on how you can make Maryland a more humane state.   On Thurs., Oct. 29 from 6 to 7:30 PM at the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS), 301 Stockholm St., Baltimore.  The special guests include Jen Brause of BARCS and Katie Flory of Maryland SPCA and the Baltimore Mayor's Anti Animal Abuse Commission. RSVP at http://www.aspca.org/fight-cruelty/advocacy-center/maryland-were-coming-your-town-fall?ms=em_ade_MD-advocate-for-animals-meetings-article-advocacy-alert-20151026&initialms=em_ade_MD-advocate-for-animals-meetings-article-advocacy-alert-20151026&utm_source=MD-advocate-for-animals-meetings-article-advocacy-alert-20151026&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=advocacy. Contact Chloe Waterman at chloe.waterman@aspca.org.

48] – Support CNHED’s efforts on behalf of affordable housing and community economic development in the District of Columbia and help raise 15% of their operating budget at Room & Board, 1840 14th St., WDC on Thurs., Oct. 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. This year’s event will celebrate CNHED’s successful Housing For All Campaign, and notably the $100 million for the Housing Production Trust Fund. It is through the lens of historic budget victories that CNHED envisions a bold approach to fostering just and equitable community development solutions that address the needs and aspirations of low- and moderate-income District residents.  To get information about ticket prices, go to https://www.cnhed.org/.

49] – There is a forum focusing on Buddhists on Thurs., Oct. 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM in GW Dworetzky Auditorium, # 103, Funger Hall, 2201 G St. NW, WDC.  The forum will provide a space for interfaith dialogue, with a particular focus on religious tolerance and the burning of Buddhist temples in Bangladesh. There will be a panel discussion followed by questions from the audience. Discuss the political, cultural, and religious implications of this conflict and ways that stakeholders in religious conflicts can overcome them.  The panelists will represent the U.S. State Department, the Islamic Society of North America, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, the Embassy of Bangladesh, the Hindu-American Foundation and a representative from a Buddhist Temple. The forum is co-sponsored by the Council of Churches of Greater Washington and the George Washington University Protestant Campus Ministry Association. Sign up for the event at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/forum-on-religious-liberty-the-burning-of-temples-in-bangladesh-tickets-19179020968.

50] – BUILD ONE BALTIMORE-- A City With Jobs; A City for Youth; A City that's Safe: A City that Votes; and A City for All.  Join BUILD at Zion Baptist Church, 1700 N. Caroline St., Baltimore 21213, to ratify this agenda on Thurs., Oct. 29 at 7 PM. Try to arrive at 6:45 PM.  BUILD is planning a city wide voter registration drive.  Vote to make change. 

51] – Come to The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, 1099 30th St. NW, WDC, on Thurs., Oct. 29 at 7 PM to see the film CHE, Part 1.  This month marked 48 years since the revolutionary hero Che Guevara was assassinated in Bolivia. In his honor, the Latin American Film Club is proud to present one of the most acclaimed movies about his life, a 2008 film directed by Steven Soderbergh and featuring Benicio del Toro. The film portrays events from the life of Ernesto “Che” Guevara that are unknown to many, from the beginning of the Cuban Revolution to two years after the overthrow of the dictator Batista. Professor Piero Gleijeses of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University will offer remarks after the film. Professor Gleijeses is an expert on Cuban and U.S. foreign policy. He wrote a book “The Cuban Drumbeat: Castro's Worldview,” published in 2009.

52] – Come to the Potter's House 1658 Columbia Rd. NW, WDC, on Thurs., Oct. 29 from 7 to 9 PM to hear Phyllis Bennis, a Fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies and of the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam. She writes and speaks widely on US wars and foreign policy and is the author of numerous books including “Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict” and “Before & After: US Foreign Policy and the War on Terror.” She plays a leading role in US and global movements against wars and occupation.  The US is back at war. A new version of what was once known as George W. Bush's “global war on terror” has become the central component of American foreign policy. The US/NATO assault on Libya in 2011, thousands of troops on the ground in Iraq, plans to keep combat troops in Afghanistan, drone wars rising in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and elsewhere—and now new air wars are underway against ISIS and others in Iraq, Syria and perhaps beyond.

In this newest addition to Interlink’s wide-ranging Understanding Global Issues series, Phyllis Bennis asks and answers the basic questions facing so many Americans: What is ISIS? Why are they so violent? Should Obama have kept troops in Iraq? Is ISIS the same as al-Qaeda? Can you really go to war against terror? How should the US respond to ISIS violence? What dangers lie ahead? Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1492429494386950/.

53] – The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore now meets on Thursdays at 7:30 PM, and the meetings take place at Max’s residence.  There will be a meeting on Thurs., Oct. 29 at 7:30 PM.  The agenda will include Freddie Gray & local organizing, killer drones and Obama, the Drone Report, the presidential debate, the oppression of the Palestinians and the unending wars. Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski at verizon.net.

54] – On Thurs., Oct. 29 at 7:30 PM @ Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, an Episcopal priest, presents “Stand Your Ground.” She is a professor of religion at Goucher College, who will speak about her new book on injustices perpetrated on the black community and her response as a mother, an African American and a person of faith.  Dr. Douglas examines the myths and narratives underlying a 'stand-your-ground' culture, taking seriously the social as well as the theological questions raised by this and similar events, from Ferguson to Staten Island. She has written at least four books. Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org

55] – On Fri., Oct. 30 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! This vigil will take place at the White House on Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Contract Art @ artlaffin@hotmail.com or at 202-360-6416. 

56] – Go to ICC 270, Georgetown University, 37th and O Sts. NW, WDC 20057 on Fri., Oct. 30 at 12:30 PM as author Anita M. Weiss will speak about her book “Interpreting Islam, Modernity, and Women's Rights in Pakistan.”  She analyzes the resultant "culture wars" that are visibly ripping Pakistan apart, as groups talk past one another - each confidant that they are the proprietors of culture and interpreters of religion while others are misrepresenting it.  Myriad constituencies are grappling with reinterpreting women's rights.  This book analyzes the Government of Pakistan's attempt to understand what constitutes women's rights. Visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/interpreting-islam-modernity-and-womens-rights-in-pakistan-with-dr-anita-weiss-tickets-19122441738

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 

Injustice in Las Vegas drone protester trials



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2015
Contact: Cres Vellucci, National Lawyers Guild of Sacramento
               916/500-4NLG(4654) nlgsacramento@gmail.com



Re: Las Vegas Trials of Anti-Drone Defendants
Judge Saragosa Should Have Recused Herself, DA Hasn't Cooperated;
Defendants Put at Risk in Multiple Trials Starting Next Week

LAS VEGAS, NVThe National Lawyers Guild has expressed serious concerns about the civil rights of 14 defendants scheduled for trial next week in Las Vegas, in part because of a lack of response from the District Attorney as well an obvious conflict-of-interest by the judge in the cases.

The people were arrested last March during an anti-drone demonstration at Creech Air Force Base, and are set to begin individual trials in Clark County Justice Court Monday (Oct. 26) through Wednesday. They face up to six months in jail each.

However, defendants report they have not received discovery (evidence) before trial other than the citations they received when arrested back in March. The district attorney  also has not provided a witness list as ordered by the court and required under the law.

As importantly, the NLG is questioning why the judge in the case did not voluntarily recuse herself. She was asked to do so by several defendants earlier this year at a pre-trial conference, and refused.

Judge Melissa Saragosa is a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force, serves as a military judge currently and previously prosecuted military personnel on 18 bases.

"No doubt, some of those prosecuted by Judge Saragosa had refused to obey orders, and that is precisely what protestors are asking drone operators at Creech AFB to do – disobey orders and not fly drones," said Cres Vellucci, the coordinator of the National Lawyers Guild in Sacramento, CA, home to one of the defendants, Barry Binks, a veteran.

"This is an absolute conflict-of-interest for Judge Saragosa, who works for the very complainants (Air Force) in this case. She should have recused herself. Most states, including Nevada, have adopted the American Bar Association's Model Code of Judicial Conduct, which suggests disqualification for judges who recognize the existence of a conflict of interest, or who encounter allegations of a conflict," said Vellucci.


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