Friday, October 21, 2016

Baltimore Activist Alert - October 21 - 23, 2016

38] The Case for Darfur conference – Oct. 21 – 23
39] Peace vigil at White House – Oct. 21
40] WIB peace vigils – Oct. 21
41] DCRAPP (Release Aging People in Prison) Coalition Meeting – Oct. 21
42] Black Lives Matter vigil – Oct. 21
43] BALTIMORE PALESTINE SOLIDARITY Monthly Film – Oct. 21
44] Immigration Film Festival – through Oct. 23
45] Building the Commune – Oct. 21
46] Ballroom Dancing – Oct. 21
47] “Day of Reflection” Oct. 22
48] West Chester peace vigil – Oct. 22
49] Movement Makers Fair – Oct. 22
50] "Doing Justice, Achieving Peace” – Oct. 22
51] Support independent candidates – Oct. 22
52] Stop Mass Incarceration – Oct. 22
53] The Baltimore Uprising – Oct. 22
54] Help pass Question J
55] Room for rent
56] Sign up with Washington Peace Center
57] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records
58] Do you need any book shelves?
59] Join the Global Zero campaign
60] Join the Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil

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38] – The Darfur Women Action Group 5th Annual Symposium on Women and Genocide in the 21st Century: The Case of Darfur will take place at 1313 New York Ave. NW, WDC 20005, on Fri., Oct. 21at 8 AM to Mon., Oct. 24 at 5 PM.  Darfur Women Action Group in partnership with Genocide Watch invite you to get involved in Building Strategies for Sustainable Change in Sudan.  For the past seven years, Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) has been working with its allies to bring awareness to the magnitude of the genocide in Darfur and, particularly, its impact on women.  Get to http://www.darfurwomenaction.org/projects/symposium-2016/.

39] – On Fri., Oct. 21 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, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Contract Art @ artlaffin@hotmail.com or at 202-360-6416. 

40] – On Fri., Oct. 14 from noon to 1 PM, join a Women in Black peace vigil. A vigil will take place in McKeldin Square at the corner of Light and Pratt Sts., and another will take place outside Roland Park Place, 830 W   . 40th St., across from the Rotunda.  Stay for as long as you can. Wear black. Dress for who knows what kind of weather. Bring your own poster or help with the "NO WAR IN MY NAME" banner.  When there are others to stand with, you don't need to carry the burden alone. Do this to be in solidarity with others....when everything around us says “Be afraid of the stranger.” Carpool and parking available at both locations. Just send an email that you need a ride [mailto:wibbaltimore@peacepath911.org].  Peace signs will be available. 

41] – Attend a DCRAPP (Release Aging People in Prison) Coalition Meeting at the BF Senior Wellness Center, 3531 Georgia Ave. NW, WDC 20010, on Fri., Oct. 21 from 3 to 4:15 PM. RAPP will share a bit about their work to get aging prisoners back to their families and communities. Come out to the next coalition meeting to learn more about this issue; and how you can help advocate for the release and return of aging people in prison to their families and communities. DCRAPP plans to usher in change. Email dcrappcampaign@gmail.com or go to www.rappcampaign.com.

42] – There is usually a silent 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. 21. Black Lives Matter.

43] – The BALTIMORE PALESTINE SOLIDARITY Monthly Film Series continues on Fri., Oct.  21 at 6 PM at Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St., Baltimore 21218.  Enjoy homemade Arabic food before and after the film. The suggested donation is $5, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. When I Saw You, a 2012 drama directed by Annemarie Jacir, showcases Tarek and his mother, Ghaydaa, who cross the border from Palestine to Jordan along with tens of thousands of other people.

44] – There is an Immigration Film Festival through Sun., Oct. 23.  On Fri., Oct. 21 at 6:30 PM at GALA Hispanic Theatre.  A ticket is $8 at the door.  The free Saturday afternoon films, including a PBS documentary about an "out" undocumented immigrant, Angy Rivera, will be followed by an expert panel on immigration myths, 3:30 PM at GWU's Jack Morton Auditorium.  The Saturday gala with film and filmmakers, also at GW, is $45.  Films at various churches can be seen at 6:30 PM on Sunday, and a ticket is $8 at the door. Go to http://www.Immigrationfilmfest.org.

45] – Building the Commune is an Author Talk with George Ciccariello-Maher at The Potter's House, 1658 Columbia Rd. NW, WDC, on Fri., Oct. 21 from 7 to 9 PM.  This is the official D.C. launch of Ciccariello-Maher’s “Building the Commune: Radical Democracy in Venezuela.”  The books travels through the many radical experiments of Venezuela, assessing how they have succeeded and failed, and how they are continuing to operate. Speaking to community members, workers, students and government officials, Ciccariello-Maher provides a balance sheet of these projects that movements throughout the world can look to for lessons and inspiration. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1766418760278858/.

46] – 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. 21. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.

47] –  Pax Christi Baltimore’s “Day of Reflection”  will happen on Sat., Oct. 22 from 9:30 to 11:30 AM with Tony Magliano  columnist for National Catholic Reporter,   at St. Vincent DePaul ,    120 North Front St., Baltimore.  Magliano’s talk is “Advancing the Kingdom of God in the 21st Century.”  A free will offering is requested. Call 443-846-5207 (cell).

48] – 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.

49] – Get over to the Movement Makers Fair: Linking Our Time, Skills, and Knowledge at the Washington Peace Center, St. Stephen's Church, 1525 Newton St. NW, WDC on Sat., Oct. 22 from 12:30 to 3:30 PM.  The DC TimeBank invites local change-makers to attend! Grassroots movements for justice are consistently underfunded, but that does not mean they are under-resourced! The DC activist community possesses a wealth of skill, talent, and knowledge. The Movement Makers Fair will help community organizers partner across silos and foster mutual exchange beyond the dollar. RSVP to Caitlin Duffy at dctimebank@gmail.com.  Visit www.dc.timebanks.org

50] – On Sat., Oct. 22 from 2 to 4 PM, take in a workshop called "Doing Justice, Achieving Peace: Challenging Ourselves to Implement the Exciting New UCC Resolution (and similar resolutions) on Palestine-Israel."  This two-hour workshop will be equally valuable for justice-minded folks from other churches who are looking for ways to implement their own church denomination's BDS resolutions and decisions.    

At the UCC's last General Synod in Cleveland, a comprehensive resolution was overwhelmingly passed committing the United Church of Christ (UCC) to several BDS and other specific actions designed to help bring about a just peace in the Holy Land.  But the landmark resolution also calls for implementation on the congregational and individual member levels, not just the national level. This event is taking place at Rock Spring Congregational Church, 5010 Little Falls Road, Arlington, VA 22207.  Doors will open at 1:30 PM for light refreshments.  This and two additional upcoming implementation workshops (Sat., Nov. 5 and TBA) are funded by a grant to Rockville United Church from the Potomac Association of the Central Atlantic Conference, UCC.  Contact Paul Verduin at phverduin@gmail.com at 301-518-5551.  RSVPs are optional, but appreciated!

51] –There are a number of independent local candidates who are not tied to the establishment machine.  One of them is Sharon Black for City Council President who is running as a socialist on a strong platform for real change.  See the Baltimore Campaign for Peoples Power’s latest video -- https://www.facebook.com/BaltimoreCampaignforPeoplesPower/?ref=bookmarks or https://youtu.be/rFZD8jQVZVQ.

Become a part of an outreach teams.  Come to Solidarity Saturday on Oct 22 from 10 AM to 2 PM and go door to door.  Meet at the Harriet Tubman Solidarity Center, 2011 N. Charles Street, Baltimore 21218.  If you are not able to hit the streets there are many other tasks such as phone banking that are crucial to the campaign or participating in sound cars.  Call or text 410-218-4835, if you would like to distribute flyers to friends or neighbors. POLL VOLUNTEERS are crucial.  Early voting begins on Thurs., Oct. 27 and lasts until the following Thursday.  Sign up for a slot during early voting or on November 8.  Again call 410-218-4835.  Go to www.BaltimoreCampaignforPeoplesPower.org.

52] – On  Sat., Oct. 22 at 6:30 PM at 2500 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE, WDC 20020, gather as part of a whole Month of Resistance called by the Stop Mass Incarceration Network. Resistance MUST happen across the country and around the world with powerful demonstrations nationwide. The number of black men and boys executed is a list which goes on and on.  Police brutality and executions are daily occurrences within the black and brown communities. Yet cops are almost NEVER punished for their crimes! Black and Latino people, especially the youth, are treated like criminals, guilty until proven innocent - if they can SURVIVE to prove their innocence!  Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/497985330409307/. Call 202-842-2873 or email admin@thepeacehousedc.org.

53] – There is a Book Talk on Sat., Oct. 22 at 7:30 PM in the Free School Classroom at Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201. KEVIN SHIRD PRESENTS UPRISING IN THE CITY.  This new book by local author & youth advocate, Kevin Shird, explores the unrest in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old young African American man who was injured in the back of a police transport vehicle and later died, sparking a difficult time in Baltimore. While describing the protests and violence, Shird draws on his own observations, experiences, and mindset as a Baltimore native and national youth advocate dedicated to helping inner city youth understand and escape the perils of street culture. He discusses how to break the cycle of problems that have plagued Baltimore for decades, suggesting solutions on how to relieve poverty and unemployment in a city where jobs have poured out for years. Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org.  

54] – United Workers is in the home stretch in the campaign to pass Question J = the affordable housing trust fund ballot initiative. There are two key outreach actions to educate voters about Question J: Email todd@unitedworkers.org to volunteer.

The group is looking for volunteers to cover key polling places with high "traffic". Here are shifts to cover: 7 to 9 AM, 9 AM to noon, noon to 2 PM, 2 to 5 PM and 5 to 8 PM.  In relationship to the polling station coverage (handing out lit to voters on their way in), there is a need for polling captains that will put up campaign signs in the early morning prior to the polls opening and trouble shoot issues that arise during the day.  Can you be a polling captain?  What shift(s) can you could take on? Can you volunteer to spend a couple of hours in a district simply putting the Question J literature in the door of targeted registered voters? Go to http://www.unitedworkers.org/.

55] – There is a furnished room for rent with private bath in a nice, quiet Lutherville neighborhood, not far from the light rail and 83, 15 minutes from Towson Town Center and various shops on York Road.  Rent, which includes cable, Wi-Fi, kitchen privileges and the use of washer and dryer, is $650 a month and the splitting of gas & electric bill. Call Lynn at 410-960-3008.

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

57] -- If you would like to get rid of books, videos, DVDs or records, contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.

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

59] -- 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.

60] – 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.

Come Sat., Oct. 22, to celebrate Philipos Melaku-Bello on his birthday at the White House Peace Vigil during his 1 to 10 pm shift in Lafayette Park. Philipos puts in 60-plus hours a week at what he calls the "William Thomas Memorial Vigil" because it was William Thomas who began the vigil on June 3, 1981. Philipos, a west coast musician, discussed life with Thomas every time he came to town and says (like many have) that Thomas inspired him. Thomas passed on January 23, 2009, but the day-and-night vigil was kept going for another seven years by his then-28-year colleague, Concepcion Picciotto, and helpers, some from the nearby Peace House at 1233 12th St NW where Philipos was helping and Connie took her breaks from the vigil. During her last months, Concepcion relied primarily on Philipos, and when she died January 25, 2016, he decided to keep the vigil going, and has done so, with the kind help of others, such as Ann Wilcox for a time, and Craig Thompson still, whose photos of midnight at the signs pop up from time to time. Come thank them, and if you have time, help them. If the vigil is to live it needs people who want it to enough to pitch in! Also, come see the new signs that George Ripley is building "to last." Bring musical instruments, drums, banners, flyers, cameras, and love.

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  

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