Baltimore Activist Alert - September 28 - October 2, 2016

26] The Chevron Case – Sept. 28

27] Emancipated Palestinian Futures? – Sept. 28

28] Film SWEET DREAMS – Sept. 28

29] Write to aging prisoners – Sept, 28

30] Standing Rock news – Sept, 28

31] Chipotle will donate 50% to MD SPCA -- Sept. 29

32] ADC National Convention – Sept. 29 – Oct. 2

33] Help homeless animals -- Sept. 29

34] Peaceful Parenting and Peaceful Children course -- Sept. 29

35] U.S. Agenda for Nuclear Disarmament -- Sept. 29

36] Development Without Displacement art show – Sept. 29

37] Fears and immigration – Sept. 29

38] Conference on Turkey -- Sept. 30

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26] --- Amazon Watch invites you to a "Green Bag" presentation: The Chevron Ecuador Judgment, updates from New York and Canada, on Wed., Sept. 28 from 12:30 to 2 PM at Amazon Watch / CIEL Conference Room, 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, #1100, (Above Cosi, Dupont Circle South), WDC 20036.  "The Chevron case" is notoriously hard to follow: in the years since Chevron promised the Ecuadorian communities suing it in Ecuador that it would "fight until hell freezes over – and then fight it out on the ice," the already complex environmental case has suffered dozens of collateral attacks by Chevron lawyers in courts around the world, plus the communities themselves have moved to enforce their historic $9.5 billion judgment against the company in Argentina, Brazil, and Canada. Aaron Marr Page is Managing Attorney at Forum Nobis PLLC, a D.C-based public interest law firm dedicated to helping individuals and communities address issues of international law, human rights, and the environment in a variety of legal, policy, and public opinion forums. Page is also an adjunct professor of international human rights and environmental law at the University Of Maryland Carey School Of Law, a blogger, and a public defender in the District of Columbia.

Recently, the Second Circuit affirmed a deeply problematic federal district court decision from 2014 that, on the one hand, claimed to find "fraud" and "racketeering" by the Ecuadorian plaintiffs and their representatives, yet on the other hand expressly declined to enjoin enforcement proceedings in other countries. Around the same time, hearings began in just such an enforcement proceeding in Canada, where the Canadian Supreme Court, in an earlier ruling on a preliminary issue, has already said that hockey-loving Canada is a particularly appropriate venue for enforcement and putting an end to Chevron's "fight on the ice."

The vitriolic tone and salacious "facts" in the New York court decisions have raised questions in some minds about whether enforcement of the judgment is really possible in Canada, or anywhere. Aaron Marr Page, a long-time lawyer and public advocate for the Ecuadorians, will briefly summarize where the "facts" found by the New York courts came from, and why they cannot and likely will not be accepted without scrutiny by Canadian courts. Although the situation remains fluid, Page will briefly discuss what the Chevron case thus far might tell us about modern corporate accountability litigation and the new corporate playbook for resisting serious environmental and human rights claims.

27] – “Emancipated Palestinian Futures? Hard Lessons from the South African Dream Deferred” with Dr. Irene Calis is happening at The Palestine Center, 2425 Virginia Ave. NW, WDC, on Wed., Sept. 28 from 12:30 to 2 PM.  A light snack is served at 12:30 PM.  Dr. Calis will discuss how the frequent comparisons of Israel with Apartheid South Africa may obscure more fundamental questions Palestinians should be asking. From her recent base in today’s South Africa, where “whiteness” still lives on the back of “blackness,” she argues that the post-apartheid moment should alert Palestinians to take stock and reframe both the form of our campaigns and the terms of any proposed resolution. This requires asking qualitatively different kinds of questions, ones which concern not the nature of the apartheid state, but instead, the nature of our preferred future.  She is a political anthropologist whose research focuses on the politics of human suffering towards meaningful transformation in people’s everyday lives.  Her long-term fieldwork has involved living and working with Palestinian farming communities throughout the West Bank.  She holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science and has taught in diverse university settings across the globe including Rhodes University, South Africa, the University of Cambridge, UK, and the University of Hawai`i in Oceania.  RSVP at http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/events/upcoming/emancipated-palestinian-futures-hard-lessons-south-african-dream-deferred.

28] – On Wed., Sept. 28 at 6:30 PM, see the film SWEET DREAMS at  Queen Theater, 500 North Market St., Wilmington, DE.  The film celebrates a remarkable group of Rwandan women as they emerge from the devastation of the genocide to create a new future for themselves. It features a group of women, 60 strong, which form the foundation of a drumming group and an entrepreneurial start-up.

29] -- Show some Solidarity with Aging Prisoners by coming to The Potter's House, 1658 Columbia Rd. NW, WDC 20009, on Wed., Sept. 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.  Join DC Stampede and Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP) to write letters to elders who are incarcerated. RAPP will share a bit about their work to get aging prisoners back to their families and communities. RAPP will provide all the materials and a quick "how to" for writing to people in prison. It'll be a good chance to meet and hang out with other folks who are fighting for change. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1784362881841031/ or https://dcstampede.wordpress.com/ or dcrappcampaign@gmail.com orhttp://rappcampaign.com/.

30] – Standing Rock: Front Line Experiences & Visual Presentation takes place at 1525 Newton St. NW, WDC, on Wed., Sept. 28 from 7 to 9 PM. This evening will be a time to hear personal experiences of the Resistance and Prayer at Standing Rock by Teko Alejo and Gray Hawk. It will include a photo exhibition by Teko Alejo. Tekos' photos have been instrumental in expanding the international attention towards the efforts to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/152037805245708/.

31] --- All Chipotle Restaurants in Maryland will Donate 50% to MD SPCA on Thurs., Sept. 29! Make a food purchase at ANY Chipotle Restaurant in Maryland.

32] – The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee 36th Annual National Convention is happening at Washington Marriott Wardman Park, 2660 Woodley Road NW, WDC, from Thurs., Sept. 29 (all day) to Sun., Oct. 2 (all day).  They look forward to coming together as a community to discuss urgent issues affecting Arab Americans across the country. In anticipation of the General Election in November, the ADC will meet with a variety of policymakers, analysts and experts to discuss the role of Arab Americans in deciding the next President of the United States and anticipating the repercussions of major policy decisions announced by the candidates. Visit http://www.adc.org/event/adcs-36th-annual-national-convention/.

33] -- Join Tom Geddes and MD SPCA Urbanites in helping homeless pets on Wed., Sept. 28 from 6 to 8 PM at The BoatHouse in Canton, 2809 Boston St, Baltimore, MD 21224. The BoatHouse in Canton is the place to be, to meet one of Baltimore’s most successful young professionals, Tom Geddes, CEO of Plank Industries and right-hand man to Under Armour’s Kevin Plank! Tickets are $20 and are available at https://secure3.convio.net/mdspca/site/Ticketing;jsessionid=00000000.app362b?view=Tickets&id=100282&NONCE_TOKEN=254D9350FEE691BCA80A983BFEA1DFB2.

34] -- A Peaceful Parenting and Peaceful Children course is offered on Thurs,, Sept. 29 & Thurs. Oct. 6, from 6 to 7:30 PM at the Perry Community Center (childcare provided), 128 M St. NW, 2nd floor, WDC 20001.  Register at www.lffp.org/peace-academy.      

35] -- On Thurs., Sept. 29 from 3:30 to 5 PM, Lewis Dunn, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, will address "Redefining the U.S. Agenda for Nuclear Disarmament" at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, WDC 20036. RSVP at https://www.csis.org/events/redefining-us-agenda-nuclear-disarmamenthttps://www.csis.org/events/redefining-us-agenda-nuclear-disarmament.

36] --- Check out an art show called Development Without Displacement for a special closing event with a night of stories, music, performance and discussion on Thurs., Sept. 29 at the Chesapeake Arts Center, 194 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park, MD 21225, starting at 6 PM. RSVP at  http://www.unitedworkers.org/development_without_displacement_art_show_closing_event.  The show is about the work done every day to build leadership in the face of the overlapping crises in housing, environment, and jobs. The idea is to realize Fair Development in our City. Park in the rear of the arts center to enter the gallery and theater.  Stay in touch with United Workers at http://www.unitedworkers.org/.

37] – Hear a talk “FEARS: IMMIGRATION AND THE POLITICS OF DIVIDE AND CONQUER IN HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA” on Thurs.., Sept. 29 at 7:30 PM at Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201.
Writing about immigrant bashing in his hometown, Jamie Longazel brings into sharp focus the anti-Latino racism at the heart of national politics today. The Illegal Immigration Relief Act (IIRA), passed in the small Rustbelt city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania in 2006, was a local ordinance that laid out penalties for renting to or hiring undocumented immigrants and declared English the city's official language. The notorious IIRA gained national prominence and kicked off a parade of local and state-level legislative initiatives designed to crack down on undocumented immigrants.  

In his cogent and timely book, “Undocumented Fears,” Longazel uses the debate around Hazleton's controversial ordinance as a case study that reveals the mechanics of contemporary divide and conquer politics. He shows how neoliberal ideology, misconceptions about Latina/o immigrants, and nostalgic imagery of "Small Town, America" led to a racialized account of an undocumented immigrant "invasion," masking the real story of a city beset by large-scale loss of manufacturing jobs. Offering an up-close look at how the local debate unfolded in the city that set off this broader trend, the book makes an important connection between immigration politics and the perpetuation of racial and economic inequality.  Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org.  

38] --- The Middle East Institute is holding its 7th Annual Conference on Turkey at the Four Seasons Hotel, 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, WDC 20007, on Fri., Sept. 30 at 10 AM.  The Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute is pleased to assemble three expert panels to discuss the impact of the recent coup attempt on Turkey's internal political-military dynamics as well as the country's relations with its Western allies and regional partners.  Register now to attend this important conference at http://www.mei.edu/events/7th-annual-turkey-conference.

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