Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Baltimore Activist Alert -- March 4 - 5, 2020

32] See the film "Indomitable Hope” – Mar. 4
33] Hearing: Commercial Water Billing – Mar. 4
34] Happy Hour for Clean Water – Mar. 4
35] Hopkins is Suing for Medical Debt -- Mar. 4
36] Systemic Racism in Baltimore – Mar. 4
37] Fighting Back Against Hate – Mar. 4
38] Bears Ears National Monument – Mar. 4
39] Debating the Green New Deal -- Mar. 4
40] Call Congress – Mar. 5
41] North Korea Domestic Security Challenges – Mar. 5
42] Support the Democracy Amendment Resolution – Mar. 5
43] Citizens Against Beltway Expansion – Mar. 5
44] Direct Action for Affordable Housing – Mar. 5
45] Celebrating Women's Influence -- Mar. 5
46] Tom Pelton at TU Galleries – Mar. 5
47] Wildlife on the Move Film Festival – Mar. 5
48] LOVING LIFE ON THE MARGINS – Mar. 5
49] "Worldmaking After Empire" – Mar. 5
50] Meet & Greet Bill Henry – Mar. 5
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32] –On Wed., Mar. 4 from 12:30 to 2:30 PM, you are invited to a focused private screening of the new film "Indomitable Hope.” The film tells the story of a Palestinian children’s trauma expert from Gaza, Ayman Nijim, who embarks on a multi-year journey to further his education and make a better life for his family. Ayman’s story brings a very personal focus to the tragedy and trauma of life in Gaza and the fierce determination of Gazans to survive, to demand their human rights, and to have the opportunity to thrive. The film casts a special light on the trauma of children in Gaza and Ayman's seven-year struggle to reunite with his wife and two children. This screening, a rough cut, which is 37 minutes, will be shown at Jerusalem Fund, 2425 Virginia Avenue NW, WDC 20037.

The purpose of the screening is to get your feedback, input and thoughts on the film to help the filmmaker, Ahmed Mansour, better tell the story for potential audiences before the last phase of editing begins. Ahmed was born and raised in Gaza and came to the US four years ago to do his graduate degree in film at NYU. A light lunch will be served at 12:30 PM, and the screening starts at 1 PM.  Go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/private-screening-of-indomitable-hopefilm-tickets-95654237399?ref=eattnewsrecs&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_algo&utm_content=baltimore-md.p2020_10&utm_term=eattnewsrecs&afu=219117122755&rank=2&recommended_events_quantity=5&aff=eattnewsrecs.
33] – On Wed., Mar. 4 from 5 to 6 PM, get over to a Legislative Investigations Hearing: Commercial Water Billing, hosted by Council President Brandon M. Scott at Baltimore City Hall, 100 Holliday St., Baltimore 21202. The Legislative Investigations Committee will hold a hearing on Commercial Water Billing. Information and an agenda for the hearing can be found here: https://baltimore.legistar.com/DepartmentDetail.aspx?ID=40401&GUID=98E3A402-6480-44DB-B43F-8E144BECF79F.  Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/2847090822025190/.

34] – On Wed., Mar. 4 from 5 to 8 PM, get over to a Happy Hour for Clean Water, hosted by Maria Jacobson and Starla Newman at Fare Well, 406 H St. NE, WDC 20002.  Help raise money for the Anacostia Watershed Society. AWS is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and restore the Anacostia River by bringing partners and communities together to achieve a clean and safe Anacostia River for the benefit of all living in its watershed and for future generations. The vision is to make the Anacostia River and its tributaries swimmable and fishable, in keeping with the Clean Water Act.  See https://www.facebook.com/events/2594141137495880/.

35] -- On Wed., Mar. 4 from 6 to 8 PM, hear about From Hopkins to the Court: Is Suing for Medical Debt Acceptable?  The event is hosted by Teachers and Researchers United and Coalition For A Humane Hopkins- CAHH at Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 1225 Cathedral St., Baltimore 21201. Johns Hopkins Hospital has filed over 2,400 lawsuits, since 2009, against their own patients, including their own employees. Many of these lawsuits resulted in wage garnishments and harassments from collections attorneys.

The amount patients have been sued for is less than 0.05% of JHH's annual operation revenue. Many of these patients would likely have qualified for free or reduced-cost care but were not informed of that option by JHH.  How can members of this institution ensure that it is accountable to the Baltimore community?  Hear from patients, JHU students and faculty, and JHH nurses about Hopkins's debt collection practices against low-income patients and what can be done to fight back! Enjoy free pizza! Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/1114497238895549/.

36] – On Wed., Mar. 4 from 6:15 to 8:30 PM, hear from Lawrence Lanahan about Systemic Racism in Baltimore, hosted by St. Vincent de Paul Church, 120 N. Front St., Baltimore 21202.  The Education and Enrichment Committee is continuing its exploration of racial justice in our society and in our hearts. Join in for a simple Lenten soup and salad meal at 6:15 PM, with Mr. Lanahan's presentation and discussion from 7 to 8:30 PM.  RSVP for planning purposes at 410-962-5078.

Lawrence Lanahan will speak to us about systemic racism as it exists in overt and covert ways within our country, state, and city. Lanahan's first nonfiction book, "The Lines Between Us: Two Families and a Quest to Cross Baltimore's Racial Divide", was released on May 21, 2019. Thus, his emphasis in this discussion will be on racism in Baltimore. His book will be available for purchase following the presentation and discussion. Lawrence Lanahan has worked in radio and print journalism for over a decade, including five years producing for WYPR, Baltimore's NPR station. At WYPR, he won a duPont Award for "The Lines Between Us," a year-long multimedia series about inequality. He writes songs and performs in Baltimore, sometimes with the band Disappearing Ink. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/568162560448975/.

37] – On Wed., Mar. 4 from 7 to 9 PM, get with Fighting Back Against Hate by Building Community Bonds, hosted by Tikkun Olam Women's Foundation of Greater Washington at Adas Israel Congregation, 2850 Quebec St. NW, WDC 20008. TOWF is proud to co-sponsor this exciting event along with Capital Jewish Museum and Adas Israel Congregation. Learn about the impact of white supremacy on women and girls. Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/2740589152695061/.

38] – On Wed., Mar. 4 from 7 to 9 PM, catch a Panel Discussion On Bears Ears National Monument, hosted by Patagonia, 3104 M Street NW, WDC 20007.  In 2017, President Trump issued presidential proclamations that reduced the size of Bears Ears National Monument by about 85 percent and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by half. Despite a pending lawsuit that challenges the illegal taking, in February 2020 the administration announced plans to open the 2 million acres in southern Utah to energy companies and ranchers. Join for a panel discussion about the fight for Bears Ears with activist Davina Smith and others. Sample offerings from HoneyFlower Foods and Patagonia Provisions, and take home some Patagonia Defend Public Lands swag. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/2514485688655990/.

39] – On Wed., Mar. 4 from 6 to 8 PM, check out debating the Green New Deal: Pathways for Climate Policy, hosted by McCourt E&E, Old North 205, Georgetown University. Join McCourt Energy & Environment for a timely panel discussion on the Green New Deal and the role of different policy solutions in addressing the climate crisis at scale. The discussion will be moderated by Zahra Hirji of Buzzfeed News and will feature several speakers. The panel features professionals across the political spectrum who are working in the energy transition, and have significantly different perspectives on potential pathways for decarbonization, including the Green New Deal and the CLEAN Future Act. A Q+A session will follow the panel. As usual, food and drink will be provided!  Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/223641832012347/.

40] –On Valentine’s Day, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian leaders held a moving prayer circle at Xeriscape Park in Brownsville, TX, calling for an end to Migration Protection Protocols and other cruel asylum policies. Doctors Without Borders released a report showing that over two-thirds of migrants fleeing Guatemala, Honduras, or El Salvador experienced the murder, disappearance, or kidnapping of a relative before their departure.  More than 600 asylum-seekers have been sent to Guatemala to request protection there, as part of “safe third country agreements.”  On March 5th, Call Congress.  Work to increase asylum acceptance and End the Remain in Mexico and other anti-asylum policies. Contact Lynn Tramonte, Interfaith Immigration Coalition, at 202-255-0551 / media@interfaithimmigration.org.

41] – On Thurs., March 5 from noon to 1 PM, hear about North Korea Domestic Security Challenges, UN Energy Sanctions and Re-Emergence of the Threat of Famine in Room 505, Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University, 1957 E Street, NW, WDC 20052. RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfUrjtsiGNHj_GzB3BwQlhTuu1aDjzWFnvacDKO6Wsfp8ThpA/viewform.

42] – On Thurs., Mar. 5 from 1 to 5 PM, attend the Senate Committee on Education, Health and Environmental Affairs, hosted by Get Money Out - Maryland, Inc. at 11 Bladen St., Annapolis 21401-1901. Your presence could make the difference for passing SJ2, the Democracy Amendment Resolution. The Committee defeated this measure by one vote last year. Come hear testimony.  Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/813074495843333/.
43] - On Thurs., Mar. 5 from 1 to 3 PM, attend a House Hearing: MDOT Promises Act of 2020, P3 process reform, hosted by Citizens Against Beltway Expansion, 6 Bladen St., Annapolis 21401-1912. The House of Delegates Environment and Transportation Committee has scheduled hearings on two bills backed by CABE--HB1249 - the MDOT Promises Act of 2020 and HB1424 - a public private partnership process and oversight reform bill.  Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/3095462180477871/.

44] – On Thurs., Mar. 5 from 5 to 8 PM, get with Direct Action for Affordable Housing & After School Programs, hosted by The Takoma Park Seventh-day Adventist Church.  Join the Takoma Park Church on the matters of affordable housing, after school programs for low income families and issues related to immigrant needs. To register or for more information call or email Pastor Daniel Xisto daniel.xisto@thetpchurch.org.  Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/189641739026032/.

45] – On Thurs., Mar. 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, get involved with Celebrating Women's Influence in Honor of Women's History, hosted by Sims for Baltimore at Terra Café, 101 E. 25th St., Baltimore 21218. Women have and will continue to play a vital role in the history of Baltimore. Celebrate the 100th year of women gaining the right to vote.  Network with these amazing women doing incredible things in and around Baltimore, while enjoying delicious food and drinks. RSVP at https://donate.fundhero.io/sims-for-baltimore.  Contact Paris at Paris@MellingerGroup.com or 410-727-0501.  See https://www.facebook.com/events/854063101710367/.

46] -- On Thurs., Mar. 5 from 6:30 to 7:30 PM,  hear from Tom Pelton at TU Galleries, Center for the Arts, Towson University, Towson 21252.  Hear Tom Pelton put the Environment (and especially the Chesapeake Watershed) "in Focus" in conjunction with our current Exhibition "Stacy Levy: Collected Watershed." Pelton is a national award-winning environmental journalist. He has hosted "The Environment in Focus" on WYPR since 2007. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/635114007051006/.

47] – On Thurs., Mar. 5 from 7 to 9:30 PM, check out Wildlife on the Move Film Festival, hosted by the National Wildlife Federation at the Landmark's E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW, WDC 20004.  This is Washington D.C.s first film festival to celebrate the art and science of wildlife crossing structures.  For many years, transportation planners and wildlife biologists have sought effective solutions to address wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) and the barrier effect of highways on wildlife movement. Habitat fragmentation limits the ability of migratory and transitory species to move from one area to another, and is undermining the genetic integrity of many increasingly isolated populations—threatening, in some areas, the extirpation of local populations of wildlife.

Unlike many large-scale environmental issues we face, proven solutions exist today. Creating a transportation system capable of co-existing with nature is within reach. Developed collaboratively by a team of engineers, ecologists, biologists, landscape architects and policy experts, wildlife crossing structures provide safe passage for animals, reconnect landscapes, and protect motorists.  See https://www.facebook.com/events/1552735708214085/.

48] –  On Thurs., March 5 at 7 PM, join the authors Suzanne Belote Shanley and Brayton Shanley on their nonviolent legacy tour as they read from their new book: LOVING LIFE ON THE MARGINS- THE STORY OF THE AGAPR COMMUNITY at the Jonah House Community, 1301 Moreland Ave., Baltimore.  Call 410-233-6238.  The authors are co-founders of The Agape Community, a lay Catholic residential community on 34 acres of land in Central Massachusetts Started 37 years ago, Agape has welcomed hundreds for retreats and rural immersions to learn contemplation, nonviolence, and sustainability. The community is involved in interfaith dialogue and practice, including witness and action against war and capital punishment, and has hosted gatherings to listen to those experiencing racial injustices. Order your book on the Agape website: www.agapecommunity.org or call (413)967-9369.

48] – On Thurs., Mar. 5 from 7 to 9 PM, Adom Getachew presents "Worldmaking After Empire" at Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 1225 Cathedral St., Baltimore 21201. Decolonization revolutionized the international order during the twentieth century. Yet standard histories that present the end of colonialism as an inevitable transition from a world of empires to one of nations—a world in which self-determination was synonymous with nation-building—obscure just how radical this change was. Drawing on the political thought of anticolonial intellectuals and statesmen such as Nnamdi Azikiwe, W.E.B Du Bois, George Padmore, Kwame Nkrumah, Eric Williams, Michael Manley, and Julius Nyerere, this important new account of decolonization reveals the full extent of their unprecedented ambition to remake not only nations but the world.

Getachew shows that African, African American, and Caribbean anticolonial nationalists were not solely or even primarily nation-builders. Responding to the experience of racialized sovereign inequality, dramatized by interwar Ethiopia and Liberia, Black Atlantic thinkers and politicians challenged international racial hierarchy and articulated alternative visions of worldmaking. Seeking to create an egalitarian post imperial world, they attempted to transcend legal, political, and economic hierarchies by securing a right to self-determination within the newly founded United Nations, constituting regional federations in Africa and the Caribbean, and creating the New International Economic Order. Getachew is the Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Political Science and the College at the University of Chicago.  Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/496196134372344/.

50] – On Thurs., Mar. 5 from 7 to 9 PM, get with the Meet and Greet with Bill Henry, hosted by Upper Fells Point Improvement Association, Wolfe St. and Gough St. Bill is running for Baltimore City Comptroller.  Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/248175226176013/.

To be continued

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 

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