20] Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here
Exhibition - through Mar. 30
21] A World on Fire: Strengthening
Humanitarian Response – Jan. 26
22] Labor rights in Bangladesh – Jan. 26
23]
Philadelphia Peace Vigil – Jan. 26
24] Protest JHU drone research – Jan. 26
25] Native
Americans and radioactive pollution – Jan. 26 & 28
26]
Community needs – Jan. 26
27] Refugee webinar – Jan. 27
28] Book talk on Jesse Holland’s "The
Invisibles” – Jan. 27
29] The
Black Diaspora – Jan. 27
30] Film COWSPIRACY – Jan. 27
31] Film HANDS UP – Jan. 27
32] See the play SWEAT – Jan. 27
33] Protect public and environmental health
– Jan. 27
34] Student debt crisis – Jan. 28
35] Lobby for solitary confinement bills – Jan. 28
36] Land Trusts – Jan. 28
37] Film SALT OF THIS SEA – Jan. 28
38] Nuclear security – Jan. 28
39] People’s State of the Union – Jan. 28
40] Volunteer at Peace Center – Jan. 28
41] Peace group meets – Jan. 28
------
20]
– Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here Exhibition is a project that began as a call
from Beau Beausoleil in 2007 for writers which quickly moved on to incorporate
artists, artist books and now includes printmakers all who are responding
to bear witness to a tragic loss of a center of literacy and humanity in
Iraq. One of the purposes of this project is to let those in the Iraqi
Arts Community know that we will not let them endure the destruction of Iraqi
culture in silence, that we have a collective voice and we will use it. This
was a street of booksellers, printers, and readers. A street where people still
felt "safe" among all the words and books. How can we not see the
commonality between al- Mutanabbi Street and any street in the world that holds
a bookshop or cultural institution? This is the starting point: where language,
thought, and reality reside; where memory, ideas, and even dreams wait
patiently in their black ink.
A
diverse coalition of DC-area universities and arts and literary organizations
will present Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here DC 2016, a book arts and
cultural festival through Sat., Mar. 5 throughout the Washington, D.C., area.
Major exhibitions, programs, and events will commemorate the 2007 bombing of
Baghdad’s historic bookselling street, celebrate the free exchange of ideas and
knowledge, and stand in solidarity with the people of Iraq. Exhibitions of
artwork created in response to the bombing will be featured at multiple venues,
including the George Mason University School of Art Gallery, Atrium, Fenwick
Library and the Workhouse Art Center, Gelman Library and the Corcoran School of
Art and Design at The George Washington University, the Brentwood Arts
Exchange, Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, McLean Project for the
Arts, Northern Virginia Community College, Olly Olly Gallery, and the
Smithsonian American Art/Portrait Gallery Library.
The
exhibitions that are featured at the School of Art Gallery, the Fenwick
Library, the Mason Atrium Gallery, and the Workhouse Art Center (plus
partners) include three components: Letterpress Printed Broadsides; Artist
Books; and Absence and Presence (a call to printmakers).
Additionally, each gallery provides new interpretive documentary
materials, hands-on workshops, and panels and conversations that will be
built around the exhibitions. For a complete list of sites and dates and times
go to http://www.amsshdc2016.org/contact-us.html.
This
is a list of some of the sites. You can see the exhibit, for example, at
the Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St., WDC, through Wed., Mar.
30. It is entitled “Night and the Desert Know Me,” and the curators are
Shanti Norris and Spencer Dormitzer. The exhibit at the Brentwood Arts
Exchange, 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood, MD 20722, runs through Sat., Mar.
12 -- “Selections from Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here.” The curator of the
exhibit is Phil Davis. Also see the exhibit at the Tyler Gallery,
Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, 500 17th St. NW, WDC, through Sun.,
Mar. 20--“Al-Mutanabbi Street in Books, Prints & Poetry.” Enjoy a reception
on Fri., Mar. 4 from 1 to 2:30 PM. Also you can see this exhibit at the
Smithsonian American Art/Portrait Gallery, 750 9th St. NW, Room 2100, WDC
20001-4505 from Mon., Feb. 1 through Wed., Mar. 30 -- “Come Together: American
Artists Respond to Al-Mutanabbi Street.” The curator is Anne Evenhaugen, and a
reception on Mon., Feb. 1 from 5 to 7 PM.
21] –
On Tues., Jan. 26 at 9:30 AM come to the United States Institute for Peace,
2301 Constitution Ave. NW, WDC 20037, for A World on Fire: Strengthening
Humanitarian Response - The global humanitarian system is stretched to its
limits. The world faces the greatest flood of refugees since World War II, and
the United Nations is handling an unprecedented number of simultaneous crises.
Join US Institute of Peace and Oxfam America for a discussion of how the
international community can strengthen the humanitarian system and increase the
ability of constructive national leaders and civil society organizations to
withstand catastrophic events that can spur a cycle of crisis, conflict and
violence.
The humanitarian system has been weakened by shocks of growing intensity and
frequency. The gap between humanitarian needs and the system’s capacity to
respond is likely to widen as climate change triggers natural disasters that
disproportionately affect the world’s poorest people. Without the tools and
support to recover from such events, vulnerable populations risk getting caught
in a vicious sequence of calamity, conflict and collapse. The approaching
U.N.-sponsored World
Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in late May will give the
global community – including public and private donors, assistance
professionals, and national and local leaders in affected areas – a chance to
address and respond to the growing number of conflict-related and other
humanitarian crises. Speakers at the USIP-Oxfam forum will include Jemilah
Mahmood, a doctor and founder of MERCY Malaysia who until recently led the
Summit secretariat. The panelists will highlight innovations that could broaden
the current toolkit during crisis and strengthen the international system for
aid in the face of its expanding challenges. RSVP at
ttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-world-on-fire-strengthening-humanitarian-response-tickets-20131556026.
22]
– On Tues., Jan. 26 from 1 to 2 PM in the Cannon
House Office Building, Room 234, attend the launch of the International
Labor Rights Forum's report on worker voice and safety in Bangladesh's apparel
industry--Workers’ Voices and Safety in the Apparel Industry: Towards
a New Phase of Social Safety Reforms. Please join Representatives
Rosa DeLauro, Sander M. Levin, Jan Schakowsky, and Jackie Speier for a briefing
and discussion of strategies to protect workers’ right to have a say in their
safety. The presentations will include expert presentations on workers’ ability
to secure their safety at work.
Two
and a half years after the Rana Plaza building collapse and the launch of the
first industrial reform programs to address the pervasive fire and structural
hazards in Bangladeshi garment factories, workers report they will not be safe
without a voice at work. A new 100-page report Our, describes a chilling
web of social relations of intimidation and violence that spans factories and
apparel companies, workers’ communities, government agencies, law enforcement,
and even their families. The more than 70 workers interviewed for the report
spoke passionately about the ways they and their coworkers were silenced,
denied access to knowledge, excluded from meaningful participation in matters
of their own safety, sometimes violently and brutally, often more subtly.
Workers spoke about excessive production quotas and wages so low they are
effectively trapped in abusive conditions, and about sexual harassment and
abuse for which the victims are blamed. RSVP appreciated, but not required, to liana@ilrf.org.
23]
– 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 Jan. 26. Call 215-426-0364.
24]
– Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 33rd &
North Charles Sts. Join this ongoing vigil on Jan. 26 from 5:30 to
6:30 PM. Call Max at 410-366-1637.
25] –Hear
from people directly affected by the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle. Hear
from communities that will warn you about what is happening to their
communities from radioactive pollution. The panel presentation will include
members of the Sioux Nation, the Navajo Nation, and Acoma Pueblo. On Tues.,
Jan. 26 from 6 to 9 PM, there is a Meet and Greet in the La Casa Building with
the Environment & Social Justice Organization, 3166 Mount Pleasant St. NW,
WDC. The delegation of Native Americans will alert people to the impacts that
radiation poisoning from multiple local sources is having on their communities.
They call themselves the canaries in the coal mine and they want to warn us
about the invisible killer that they are experiencing. The delegation is as follows Harold One Feather – Standing Rock
Sioux Nation, Klee Benally – Navajo Nation, JD Buckley - Oglala Sioux Nation, Petuuche Gilbert – Acoma Pueblo, Charmaine White Face – Oglala Sioux Nation, Leona Morgan – Navajo Nation and Tommy Rock – Navajo Nation.
On
Thurs., Jan. 28 from 7 to 9 PM, hear them at the Nipponzan Myohoji Temple, 4900
- 16th St. NW, WDC. Email bhdefenders@msn.com
or go to http://www.cleanupthemines.org/contact/.
26]
– Come to the GW Progressive Student Union for Organizing Across Issues- A
Panel on Community Needs and the Intersections of Movements in Gelman Library
#702, 2140 H St. NW, WDC, on Tues., Jan. 26 from 7 to 8:30 PM. What
is community organizing? How do progressive movements intersect? Come hear from
organizers in the DMV working on a range of social justice issues about
community needs and the intersection of struggles. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/918511484923462/.
27]
– On Wed., Jan. 27 at noon you are invited to a live-streamed conversation
called “Overwhelmed: Syrian refugee crisis in context.” Raed Jarrar of AFSC
says If you’re like me, not a day goes by when you’re not reminded of the
tragedy and terror facing millions of Syrians. Women with babies strapped to
their backs, walking across international borders. Families are crying and cold
as they emerge from overcrowded rubber dinghies on the shore. People seeking
safety pressing against fences lined by armed guards. RSVP for the
webinar at http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50601/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=83947.
Also speaking are Layla Razavi, director of Human Migration and Mobility, who
coordinates AFSC’s immigrant rights programs across the U.S. and Giovanna
Negretti, AFSC’s Middle East regional director, based in Amman, Jordan.
28]
–Go to Busboys and Poets (14th and V), 2021 14th St. NW, WDC, on Wed., Jan. 27
at 6:30 PM for a book talk on Jesse Holland’s "The Invisibles: The untold
Story of African American Slaves in the White House." This is an
unconventional and eye-opening tour of D.C. in Black Men Built the Capital,
pointing out the many iconic buildings and monuments—including the Capital
Dome’s Statue of Freedom—constructed at least in part by enslaved men. In his
second book Holland, a longtime AP Washington correspondent who now serves the
organization as the race, ethnicity and demographics writer, focuses on the
many and far-reaching and often overlooked roles African Americans played in
the history of the White House. Ten of the first twelve presidents were slave
owners, and they brought slaves with them to the capital. Holland fleshes out
the lives of these men and women, recounts their experiences in the new
capital, and profiles the early chief executives’ attitudes on race. Contact
Susan Coll, at events@politics-prose.com.
29]
– Come to the UNION TEMPLE Baptist Church, 1225 W St. SE, WDC 20020, on Wed.,
Jan. 27 from- 6:30 to 8:30 PM to hear from the Working Group of
Experts on People of African Descent, a United Nations body of independent
experts dedicated to improving the human rights situation of the Black
Diaspora. Pan-African Community Action and Empower DC will host this DMV
Community Town Hall Meeting with the delegation to hear from the Black
community living in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area directly impacted by
issues like gentrification, police brutality, and gender oppressions. There
will be a special artistic performance by Tarica June [https://taricajune.bandcamp.com/].
Contact paca@protonmail.com or call
202-787-5229.
30]
– On Wed., Jan. 27 from 7 to 9 PM in the Duggan Room [lower terrace level of
the new church, which sits back from the road at 11701 Clopper Road,
Gaithersburg 20878, the Eco-Action Team's Green Screen at St. Rose
presents COWSPIRACY, a shocking yet sometimes humorous video,
depicting the "most destructive industry facing the planet
today." Art Milholland, M.D. Board Member of Chesapeake Physicians
for Social Responsibility, will guide a discussion of such questions
as How can I limit the emergence of drug resistant
bacteria or Why was Sister Dorothy Stang murdered while in the Amazon
Basin of Brazil? Come away with recipes for delicious meatless meals.
Email pmcuff@aol.com.
31]
– Go to GW Betts Theatre, 800 21st St. NW, WDC, on Wed., Jan. 27 from 7
to 9 PM to see HANDS UP by SimplyZinhle Productions which captures the
spirit of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, from Ferguson to Baltimore. Following
the documentary screening, there will be a panel discussion and Q&A
moderated by award-winning Washington Post investigative reporter, Cheryl
Thompson. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hands-up-king-week-documentary-screening-tickets-20696743517?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-source=cp&utm-term=listing.
32]
– On Wed., Jan. 27 at 7:30 PM be there for Union Night – Oregon Shakespeare
Festival’s World Premiere of SWEAT which takes place at Arena Stage, Kreeger
Theater. Performances will run through Sun., Feb. 21. A group of
close friends shares everything: drinks, secrets and laughs. But when rumors of
layoffs shake up the local factory, the fragile bonds of their community begin
to fray and a horrific crime sends shock waves across two generations. This
gripping world premiere by acclaimed Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage
(Ruined) explores America’s industrial decline at the turn of the millennium by
examining the inhabitants of one Pennsylvania town who still struggle to
reclaim what’s lost, find redemption and redefine themselves in a new
century. Call 202.488.4380 to
get your tickets.
33]
– Maryland’s 90-day legislative session has begun, and with more than 2,300
bills in line for drafting, this is definitely a year to pay close attention.
Learn about bills that will protect public and environmental health, and to
hear from and speak to Maryland law-makers. Natalie Burke, president of
CommonHealth ACTION, will speak on opportunities to address health disparities
in Maryland. Health in Annapolis Night is happening on Tues., Jan. 26 from 5 to
7 PM in the MILLER SENATE OFFICE BUILDING, 11 BLADEN ST., ANNAPOLIS
21401. RSVP at RCRehr@gmail.com.
34]
– On Thurs., Jan. 28 from 9 AM to 4 PM, the Young Invincibles will host student
debtors from across the country and provide them with information on student
loan repayment programs, how to use their debt story as an advocacy tool, and
hear from US Senator Elizabeth Warren about the future of student debt reform.
This is happening at the University of the District of Columbia- Union Station,
801 North Capital St. NE, WDC. The event was organized to inform the
public of the severity of the student debt crisis. The total student debt in
this country has surpassed 1.3 trillion dollars and has become the second
largest source of debt in the United States. The average college graduate is
currently graduating with just under $30k of debt and delinquencies on student
debt payments has risen greatly in recent years. Minorities from poor
socioeconomic backgrounds are carrying much of this student debt burden because
of the necessity of using loans to fund their higher education. Email Jasmin.Hicks@younginvencibles.org.
35] – On Thurs.,
Jan. 28 from 9:30 AM through 2 PM, attend Maryland
Advocacy Day in House Office Building, Room 406, 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis protect public and
environmental health. Register by contacting suzanneohatnick@comcast.net.
36]
– On Thurs., Jan. 28 from 11 AM to 1 PM, with a light lunch included, come to
the University of Maryland School of Social Work Auditorium, 525 W. Redwood
St., Baltimore 21201 and join the University of Maryland School of Law
Community Development Clinic, The University of Baltimore Community Development
Clinic, and the University of Maryland Social Work Community Outreach Service
to unveil the innovative findings of the Baltimore Housing Roundtable’s White
Paper Report! Community + Land + Trust describes how Baltimore’s
development policies have failed to create affordable housing and good paying
jobs for low-income residents and offers an alternative vision that prioritizes
human rights and human needs. The creation of community land trusts and a renewed
vacant housing initiative will create neighborhood-based institutions to drive
development, employ city residents, and create permanently affordable housing
that is equitable and inclusive. Harry Smith, Director of Sustainable Economic
Development & Dudley Neighbors, Inc will be speaking on a successful Land
Trust initiative in Boston. Explore innovative approaches to Baltimore’s
development challenges, learn from area experts, and enjoy a light reception!
RSVP at http://www.unitedworkers.org/community_land_trust_tools_for_development_without_displacement.
37]
– On Thurs., Jan. 28 from 12:30 to 2:15 PM, join
the Palestine Center at the Jerusalem Fund Jerusalem Fund, 2425 Virginia Ave.
NW, WDC 20037, for SALT OF THIS SEA, an award-winning classic by one of
the younger auteurs of Palestinian cinema, Annemarie Jacir, who is considered
the first Palestinian woman to direct a feature film. It is also her
first feature. Attendance is free and open to the public. "Sixty
years after her grandparents' exile from Jaffa, Soraya (Suheir Hammad) leaves
Brooklyn to live in her homeland. Discovering that her family's bank account
was frozen after the Arab-Israeli War, she becomes determined to reclaim her
birthright, through whatever means necessary. With the help of her
disillusioned lover Emad (Saleh Bakri) and his filmmaker pal Marwan (Riyad
Ideis), they plan on one big heist to settle the historical debt. Driving
through the countryside like an Arab (and pacifist) Bonnie and Clyde, Soraya
and Emad discover their roots while rejecting their status as exiles." Go
to http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/ht/d/EventDetails/i/57079.
38} – On Thurs., Jan. 28 from 2 to 3:30 PM,
check out "Energizing Nuclear Security: A Sensible Summit Proposal" with
five speakers at the Stimson Center, Eighth Floor,
1211 Connecticut Ave. NW, WDC. RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UBvDdfKwn0Tk_Hu67qZ4Sh-
39]
– At the DC Public Library-Mt. Pleasant, 3160 16th St. NW, WDC, on Thurs., Jan.
28 at 6:30 PM, tune in to the second annual People's State of the Union in
Washington, DC. Reflect on the urgent need for change and transformation in the
city and country. What are the stories that our elected leaders- from council
members to president- need to hear? How can we shift power by telling and
sharing our own stories? Join the People's State of the Union story circle!
This is a powerful way of coming together, getting to know one another, and
reflecting on the state of the community, country, and world. A free
toolkit is available at www.usdac.us/psotu.
Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/673486356087040/.
40]
– Volunteer with the Washington Peace Center, 1525 Newton St., WDC, on Thurs.,
Jan. 28 from 7 to 8 PM. As the New Year begins to pick up
speed, there are lots of opportunities for volunteers to get involved with the
Peace Center. Take part in planning the Activist Awards Grassroots
Gala, table at events, and support the local trainers’ network. Come to
the Spring Orientation! RSVP at Darakshan@washingtonpeacecenter.org
or calling 202-234-2000 - please include your general volunteering
availability.
41]
– 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., Jan. 28 at 7:30 PM. The agenda will include Freddie Gray & local
organizing, killer drones and Obama, an action at the State of the Union, the
refugees, the MLK march and the unending wars. Call 410-323-1607 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
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