Baltimore Activist Alert - October 12 - 14, 2015

17] Iran Peace Accord Party – Oct. 12

18] Breast cancer die-in – Oct. 13

19] The Syrian Crisis – Oct. 13

20] Philadelphia Peace Vigil – Oct. 13

21] The Afro-Columbians – Oct. 13

22] Vigil against JHU’s drone research – Oct. 13

23] Grant information workshop – Oct. 13

24] Claiming Our Future – Oct. 13

25] Debate Watch Parties – Oct. 13

26] Peace Academy courses – Oct. 13

27] “The (Anarchist) Dog Walker” – Oct. 13

28] National day of action on climate – Oct. 14

29] Protest the NRA – Oct. 14

30] "Moving Towards the Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples as Partners in the Development Process" – Oct. 14

31] Three books on Vietnam – Oct. 14

32] Theology and climate change – Oct. 14

33] Laudato Si – Oct. 14

34] Christians living under Israeli occupation – Oct. 14

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17] – Come to the Iran Peace Accord Victory Party at Busboys & Poets, 5th and K Sts. NW, WDC, on Mon., Oct. 12 at 6:30 PM.  Peace groups worked long and hard (Peace Action since at least 2004 on this issue!) for diplomacy and against threats of war over concerns regarding Iran's nuclear program. We won! The peace accord supported by the international community withstood congressional chicanery and will be implemented. The promise is to keep the speechifying to a minimum and the celebration to a maximum! Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1612640302333361/.

18] – Join the #PINKISNOTACURE Die-In at the US Capitol Building, East Capitol St. NE & First St. SE, WDC, on Tues., Oct. 13 from 11 AM to 2 PM. This is an event to demand additional research funding to help save the lives of women and men living with metastatic breast cancer. Everyone will lay down on the west lawn of the US Capitol Building to represent the people who die every day of this disease. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/912441292131635/.

19] – On Tues., Oct. 13 from 3 to 4:30 PM, participate in the Witness in Washington Webinar - The Syrian Crisis, which is sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness – Compassion, Peace and Justice Ministries. As the situation in Syria deteriorates and the war escalates, more and more civilians are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Hear what the United States is doing in terms of humanitarian assistance as well as to hear from our partners on the ground in the region. Explore what you can do to help with the refugee crisis and how to do advocacy to end the root causes of the crisis. The list of presenters include Tim Eydelnant, coordinator of Humanitarian Assistance for Syria, Department of State and Rev. Fadi Dagher, general secretary,  National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon.  Register at https://pcusa.webex.com/mw3000/mywebex/default.do?nomenu=true&siteurl=pcusa&service=6&rnd=0.5751513266092974&main_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpcusa.webex.com%2Fec3000%2Feventcenter%2Fevent%2FeventAction.do%3FtheAction%3Ddetail%26confViewID%3D1754038348%26%26EMK%3D4832534b00000002b5c7c57b80fa6ab9047913d087bc654d181b80e2f9adc9ddc55ef8f56bc6035e%26%26encryptTicket%3DSDJTSwAAAAJNvHlZOi6RBFZ6sBbzTuTxmsHoWHp3hoYAURkYIQpn0w2%26%26siteurl%3Dpcusa.

20] – 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 Oct. 13.  Call 215-426-0364.

21] – In Colombia, the South American country named after Columbus by European colonialist and home to the third largest population of African people outside of Africa, the plight of Afro-Colombians has become even more daunting over the last twenty-five years with the “new” circumstances of internal armed conflict that has engulfed large portions of Afro-Colombian territory, paramilitary terror, and the free-trade agreement between the U.S. and Colombian. Hidden from headlines is massive displacement, state and paramilitary violence, assassinations of community leaders, disappearances and an invasion of traditional Afro-Colombian territories by U.S. and other European multi-national corporations who want the land that Afro-Colombians occupy and the minerals beneath the ground.  In response is incredible organizing and political education work on the ground in Riohacha, Colombia by the PCN (National Council of Palenques) that is part of its program to build resistance and should be seen as an international extension and expression of the Black Lives Matter movement.

At Sankofa Video, Books & Cafe, 2714 Georgia Ave. NW, WDC, on Tues., Oct. 13 from 5 to 7 PM, come to a unique video and discussion presentation with veteran Pan-African human rights activists Ajamu Baraka, who lives in Colombia, and Maurice Carney, co-founder and Executive Director of Friends of the Congo, both of whom attended the recent PCN’s IX National Council of Palenques gathering in August.  See http://www.ips-dc.org/events/black-resistance-in-colombia-a-contemporary-assessment/.

22] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 33rd & North Charles Sts. Join this ongoing vigil on Oct. 13  from 5:30 to 6:30  PM.  Call Max at 410-366-1637.

23] – The deadline for Research Associates Foundation (RAF) grant submissions is Friday October 23, 2015.  This is an excellent opportunity for Baltimore-based activists, both individuals and organizations, to get up to $2500 to fund transformative social change projects.  Go to www.rafbaltimore.org to see the guidelines and download applications. Come to an information session for prospective grant applicants on Tues., Oct. 13 at 7 PM at Terra Cafe, 101 E 25th St, Baltimore 21218.  Come early to grab a bite at the cafe, but this is not mandatory.  Session will be facilitated by RAF board members Lester Spence and Mike McGuire. Email info@rafbaltimore.org.

24] – On Tues., Oct. 13 at 7 PM, CLAIMING OUR FUTURE with Sister Joan Marie Steadman, CSC, executive director of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious is an informal conversation on the future of consecrated life. Refreshments will follow. The. Conversation will be held at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land, 1400 Quincy St. NE, WDC 20017.

25] – Attend a Debate Watch Party on Tues., Oct. 13.  There are more than 2,400 Debate Watch Party events already on the website http://map.berniesanders.com/#zipcode=21212&distance=50&daterange=all-events. Consider going to the Maryland Students for Sanders Debate Watch Party at Town Hall, Learning Commons, University of Baltimore, 1415 Maryland Ave., Baltimore 21201 on Tues., Oct. 13 at 7 PM.  Go to https://go.berniesanders.com/page/event/detail/4vftd. Or go the Hampden Democratic Debate Viewing Party, 3636 Keswick Road, Baltimore 21211 on Tues., Oct. 13 at 7 PM.  Visit ttps://go.berniesanders.com/page/event/detail/4vml8.

26] – 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.

Course I: Live Teach, Peace Teach has two more sessions: 2] Using multi-sensory tools to teach peacemaking on Tues., Oct. 13 from 7 to 8:30 PM; and 3] Disarming one's heart and resolving a conflict on Tues., Oct. 20 from 7 to 8:30 PM.  The cost is $45 per session.

27] – On Tues., Oct. 13 at 7:30 PM @ Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, Joshua Stephens presents “The (Anarchist) Dog Walker.” What happens when an angry radical finds himself (more) penniless (than usual) after one too many protests? Why, he becomes a dog walker, picking up the poop of Washington, DC's canine elite. It sounds like the setup to a joke, but it's also the absolutely true story of Joshua Stephens, a committed anarchist who spent ten years as a professional dog walker to DC's and New York's financial and political establishment. The book is a hilarious and charming memoir that explains once and for all how to deal with a pit bull who has just eaten a cat, how to have sex in a client's bed without the client noticing, and how to work for the man without losing your soul. It's also the story of how a group of activists joined together to form a successful business, their dog walking collective.  Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org. 

28] –  One year ago, 400,000 people made history at the People’s Climate March in New York City, bringing together a diverse coalition of citizens and organizations working for decisive action on climate change. Now that coalition -- the People’s Climate Movement -- is calling for a national day of action on climate to show political leaders at every level that people of all walks of life support climate action. Join a day of action to celebrate the tremendous progress made on climate change over the past year and work on this crucial challenge.  RSVP for an October 14 event in your area-- https://www.climaterealityproject.org/content/people-climate-movement?utm_source=email-PCM&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=24Hours.y.

29] – On Wed., Oct. 14 at 10 AM, attend the monthly NRA Gun Violence Prevention Vigil, held in remembrance of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings on Dec. 14, 2012.  Gather in front of the NRA Headquarters, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax 22030.

30] -- Amazon Watch invites you to a "Green-Bag Lunch" presentation: "Moving Towards the Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples as Partners in the Development Process" with Brian Keane, USAID, on Wed., Oct. 14 from 12:30 to  2 PM in the Amazon Watch / CIEL Conference Room, 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, #1100, (above Cosi, Dupont Circle South), WDC. This is an update from the US government's advisor on Indigenous Peoples' Issues. Keane will be discussing the work he has been doing to incorporate indigenous peoples' issues in to US foreign assistance strategies, policies, programs and projects. Before being appointed Advisor for Indigenous Peoples' Issues at USAID, he was director of Land is Life, a coalition of indigenous peoples from around the world that works to promote and protect indigenous peoples' rights at the local, national and international levels.

31] – On Wed., Oct. 14 from 6 to 8 PM, Myra Macpherson invites you to A BOOK PARTY TO CELEBRATE THREE IMPORTANT BOOKS ON VIETNAM at 2540 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Apt 108. Meet a fascinating author, DON BLACKBURN, who is visiting from Vietnam. Don will discuss his experience as a former combat veteran who returned to live and work in Vietnam with countless victims of Agent Orange. An English teacher, his two books of poetry and memoirs will astound you: “All You Have Given: Meditations on War, Peace and Reconciliation” and “Into the Heart: A new collection of poetry and story/memoirs.”

Purchase Don’s books and aid Vietnam victims, as half of the proceeds will go to aid Agent Orange victims and those injured by unexploded ordnance that continues to kill people in Vietnam years after the war. Please bring cash or check to pay, at these special prices of $10 and $15 a book. The third book is “The People Make the Peace: Lessons from the Antiwar Movement (Charlottesville, VA: Just World Books, 2015).

Here, RENNIE DAVIS and eight other U.S. activists discuss their risky wartime travels to North Vietnam to seek peace and their reflections upon revisiting the country in 2013. The book also includes a chapter Macpherson contributed, “The Endless Tragedy of Vietnam,” on U.S. veterans who are now working in Vietnam. You can get more information about this fascinating book at http://bit.ly/PMP-book. Credit cards will be accepted for purchase of this title. RSVP to mlmacpherson@me.com. `

32] – On Wed., Oct. 14 from 7 to 9 PM at St. Vincent DePaul Church, 120 N. Front St., Baltimore 21202, John Haught, Georgetown University, will make the connection between theology and climate change.  This is the second of three talks of the St. Vincent’s Speaker’s Series: The Cry of the Earth - How Pope Francis Calls Us to Action on Saving Our Common Home. 

33] – On Wed., Oct. 14 from 7 to 9 PM, A Closer Look, the first of a three part series discussing Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical,  Laudato Si (other sessions will be the following two Wednesday evenings, Oct. 21 and Oct. 28). Questions and discussion materials will be mainly drawn from Father Tom Reese’s, “A Readers’ Guide to Laudato Si,” National Catholic Reporter, The National Conference of Catholic Bishops and Interfaith Power and Light.  The discussion will be held at St. Rose of Lima parish, 11701 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg. 

34] – On Wed., Oct. 14 from 7 to 8 PM, Fr. Michael McDonagh will speak about the daily challenges faced by Christians living in Jerusalem under Israeli occupation. He will be at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, 4201 Albemarle St. NW, WDC 20016.  This the third of a four part series – Holy Land, Holy Hopes.

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