Friday, April 17, 2020

Baltimore Activist Alert -- April 17 - 18, 2020


46] Organizing 2.0 Conference -- April 17
47] Displacement during COVID 19 – April 17
48] Surveillance & the Fight against Covid-19 in Israel & the World – April 17
49] Food Rescue -- April 17
50] White House vigil – April 17
51] Fossil Free Fridays at Johns Hopkins University – April 17
52] Virtual Webinar: The Magical, Vital Vernal Pool – April 17
53] Protecting Voting Rights -- April 17
54] Virtual Rain Barrel Workshop April 17
55] Peace and justice vigil – April 17
56] One World: Together At Home – April 18
57] Commonsense on Syria – April 18
58] See a screening of “Disturbing the Peace” – April 18
59] Sierra Club’s Natural Places Committee meeting – April 18
60] Our Revolution Baltimore City/County meeting – April 18
61] Webinar with Marielos de León, Salvadoran union leader – April 18
62] Two Berrigan Books still in print
63] Emergency Demonstration against an attack on Venezuela or Iran  
64] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records
65] Do you need any book shelves?
66] Join the Global Zero campaign.
67] Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil
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46] – Netroots Nation [mailto:activist@netrootsnation.org] is hosting a virtual Organizing 2.0 Conference starting at 11 AM on Fri., April 17 through Sat. April  18  ending at 6 PM ET. Are you looking for guidance on how to pivot your organizing to fully online or improve the digital activism you’re already doing? The Organizing 2.0 Conference can help you. Go to  https://hopin.to/events/organizing20?ref=025023c6cc37&link_id=2&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-todays-the-last-day-to-submit-your-panel-or-training-idea&email_referrer=email_772489&email_subject=more-than-40-online-training-sessions.

47] – Displacement during COVID 19: an Urgent Humanitarian Imperative, hosted by Middle East Institute will take place on Fri., April 17 from 11 AM to noon.  Check out www.mei.edu. As COVID-19 continues to devastate global economies and health systems with no end in sight, refugees are among the world’s most vulnerable communities. Already facing tremendous challenges including loss of livelihoods, lack of citizenship, psychological trauma, and discrimination, displaced people in the Middle East must now contend with the pandemic and its devastation on the already-strained healthcare systems and economies of their host countries. Refugees are particularly susceptible to illnesses like COVID due to overcrowding in refugee camps, lack of proper sanitation, food, and water resources, and unprotected movement across borders. Meanwhile, the region’s conflicts, outbreaks of violence, and occupation continue, providing little relief in the most fragile environments.

   How are refugees in the Middle East withstanding the virus in countries such as Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan? How does the impact of the virus expose existing fragilities in and create new challenges for the region’s healthcare services, particularly for refugee camps, which suffer from overcrowding and lack of proper sanitation? Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/267573014262290/.

48] – On Fri., April 17 from 11 AM to noon, check out Surveillance & the Fight Against Covid-19 in Israel & the World, hosted by the Foundation for Middle East Peace.   Hear from several speakers in conversation with Peter Beinart.  The Israeli government has implemented new surveillance programs aimed at tracking the spread of the disease throughout Israel, and using collected data to enforce quarantines. While some of these techniques had previously been used by the Israeli military against Palestinians, the public introduction of such invasive and widespread domestic surveillance is raising global concerns regarding its future implications for privacy – in Israel and in democratic countries that may emulate Israeli policies. In parallel, and pre-dating the COVID-19 crisis, concern continues to grow about the role of Israeli companies in the development of new surveillance technologies – often based on tools developed by the Israeli military and tested on Palestinians in occupied territory — that in the hands of both governmental or private actors threaten privacy, political organizing, activism, and protest. Join in https://www.facebook.com/events/2265939900375814/.

49] On Fri., April 17 from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, come to the Grace Baptist Church, 3201 The Alameda., Baltimore 21218, for a Food Rescue. Bring a bag, bring a friend, and take delicious, nutritious, free rescued food. This will continue every Friday through Sept. 4.  See https://www.facebook.com/events/479389629278759/?event_time_id=479389689278753.

50] – The Dorothy Day Catholic Worker will host a peace vigil at the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, WDC, on Fri., April 17 at noon.  Contact the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker: 202-882-9649 or artlaffin@hotmail.com.

51] Check out Fossil Free Fridays at Johns Hopkins University by Refuel Our Future starting Fri., April 17 from 12:30  to 1:30 PM at 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore 21218.  It will continue at the same time on Fridays, April 17 and April 24. As forests burn, oceans rise, and communities are displaced, Johns Hopkins' Board of Trustees continues to invest in fossil fuel corporations that accelerate the onset of climate change by burning coal, oil, and natural gas and spreading disinformation about fossil fuels.  Join Refuel Our Future, Johns Hopkins' climate action group, in calling for divestment of the endowment from Carbon Underground 200 companies and reinvestment. The group indicates it will be demonstrating every Friday in front of Gilman until the Board of Trustees revisits and votes yes on divestment. See https://www.facebook.com/events/1797224763742089/?event_time_id=1797224880408744.

52] – On Fri., April 17 from 1 to 2 PM, get with a Virtual Webinar: The Magical, Vital Vernal Pool, hosted by the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area, 3748 Old Columbia Pike, Ellicott City 21043.  The webinar will be presented by Dr. Mark Southerland, a professional ecologist and Patapsco Heritage Greenway board member.  Learn about vernal pools, the threats they face, and actions governments and individuals can take to support local biodiversity.  Be sure to register so you are sent the webinar access link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1044362892611418/.

53] -- J Street [mailto:info@jstreet.org] is hosting Protecting Voting Rights Amid a Pandemic on Fri., April 17 at 1 PM ET. While the coronavirus pandemic should not be a political issue, with presidential primaries and the general election coming up, it could soon directly impact our politics. Sonia Gill, the American Civil Liberties Union's federal voting rights lead, and Bobby Hoffman, the ACLU's Deputy Director of Campaigns in their Democracy Division, will join J Stream to discuss the challenges already presenting at ballot boxes in Wisconsin and Florida, and the policies (such as vote-by-mail) that can protect voting access and electoral integrity in November. Sign up at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_niJnclSDRnOI0Le4dlL1oQ.
54] - On Fri., April 17 from 2 to 2:30 PM, attend a Virtual Rain Barrel Workshop, hosted by Herring Run Nursery and Blue Water Baltimore.  It will be Live on Herring Run Nursery's Facebook page with Nursery Manager, Rob Jenkins! Rob will show you how to make a rain barrel for your garden and answer your questions along the way. Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/919073968543247/.

55] – There is usually a silent peace and justice vigil on Fridays, from 5 to 6 PM, sponsored by Homewood Friends Meeting, outside the Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St.  The next scheduled vigil is on April 17. Black Lives Matter.

56] – Join Global Citizen, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations on Sat., April 18 for the world premiere of One World: Together At Home. Celebrate and support the heroic efforts of health care workers and others on the front lines of the global fight to end COVID-19.  Curated in collaboration with Lady Gaga, this multi-hour event will feature appearances by Alanis Morissette, Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong, Burna Boy, Chris Martin, David Beckham, Eddie Vedder, Elton John, FINNEAS, Idris and Sabrina Elba, J Balvin, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Kerry Washington, Lady Gaga, Lang Lang, Lizzo, Maluma, Paul McCartney, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan, Stevie Wonder, and more broadcasting from their homes.

Hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert, and with help from Sesame Street, this historic special will feature leading global health experts and world leaders alongside performances by the world’s top artists and comedians, broadcasting on ABC, BBC, CBS, and NBC, among others, and livestreaming across multiple platforms. Visit https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/connect/togetherathome/?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=US_Apr_6_2020_tah_launch.

57] – Helena Cobban is delighted to tell you that a 10-part webinar series "Commonsense on Syria" will continue with  Session 8 on Sat., April 18 at 1 PM and will feature Ms. Tima Kurdi and Dr. Omar Dahi in the timely discussion on Syria's refugees and internally displaced people, as part of the continuing "Commonsense on Syria" webinar series.

Kurdi is the author of “The Boy on the Beach,” an intimate account of the lives of her family and the cruel deaths of her two nephews, Alan and Ghalib Kurdi, and their mother Rehanna, on a beach in Turkey in 2015. In the book, Kurdi describes her childhood in 1980s Damascus and how as a young adult she had immigrated to Canada. Her father and five siblings were less lucky and since 2011 have suffered all the privations, displacement, and anguish that civil war has brought to Syria.

Dahi is an associate professor of economics at Hampshire College. His research interests include economic development, international trade, post-conflict recovery and critical security studies.  Sign in at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WZV_6U1KTjaJSXk71AyWEA Commonsense on Syria. Commonsense on Syria will hold two more sessions on April 22 and 25.

58] – See a screening of “Disturbing the Peace,” followed by a talk with singer/songwriter Noa (Achinoam Nini), film makers Steve Apkon and Marcina Hale, and the Combatants for Peace activists who star in the film. You can see the film on Sat., April 18 at 1 PM ET by going to https://www.disturbingthepeacefilm.com/screening?emci=ecde5784-9d7e-ea11-a94c-00155d03b1e8&emdi=243933ea-f97f-ea11-a94c-00155d03b1e8&ceid=8142762.  The live discussion will follow at https://zoom.us/j/95854556694?status=success.

59] – The Sierra Club’s Natural Places Committee is holding an ONLINE meeting on Sat, April 18 from  2:30 to 4:30 PM, organized by a Maryland Chapter. Contact Lily Fountain at lily.fountain@mdsierra.com and 301-442-5854.The vision/ long term aspirations are to explore, enjoy, and protect natural areas in Maryland. We value native biological diversity and diverse native habitats. Please join us for an online meeting to discuss our environmental justice-themed newsletter and spring landscaping with native plants tips, and share some pics of signs of spring. You are welcome to bring digital pics on your phone or computer to share in Zoom or send to a leader. To join our meeting YOU MUST REGISTER. It is no longer considered secure to publicly post the zoom web address.  For further instructions and questions, you can join the meeting early at 2pm by phone or computer-smartphone-tablet. RSVP here to be sent information on how to join by computer, tablet, smartphone, or phone. To join at the last minute or with any questions, call the meeting host Lily at 301-442-5854. 

60] -- Our Revolution Baltimore City/County will be meeting on Zoom on Sat., April 18 from 2:30 to 4:30 PM. Everyone will have a chance to check in, decompress, and grieve the traumatic events of recent weeks. Then there will be a transition to brainstorming about where to go from here, not just Our Revolution Baltimore, but in the context of the larger progressive movement as well. RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/1576497142514217/.

Here's the Zoom info, which is IMPORTANT. When you join, please put in enough of your name so that you can be recognized as a real, local person. Join the Zoom Meeting at https://zoom.us/j/91728957218?pwd=TTVlN1RyWEl5Y292NWFnR25HOExRdz09.  The Meeting ID is 917 2895 7218, and the password is 061584. Dial by your location at +1 301 715 8592 US. The Meeting ID is 917 2895 7218, and the password is 061584.

61] Tune in to a CISPES webinar with Marielos de León, Salvadoran union leader and water defense activist on Sat., April 18 at 3 PM ET. El Salvador is grappling with steep challenges that stem from decades of right-wing attacks on essential public services, from health care to clean water.  Learn about the important role of international solidarity (especially given U.S. and international funding for corporate control of local water systems!). Register at http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6099/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=89601.

62] –Two books by Fred Wilcox are still in print.  The first one is “Fighting the Lamb's War Skirmishes with the American Empire” by Philip Berrigan and Fred A. Wilcox with a FOREWORD by Tripp York.  It can be purchased by Wipf and Stock: https://wipfandstock.com/fighting-the-lamb-s-war.html.  It is a Memoir in paperback/ISBN: 9781532660078/240 pages/republished 8/21/2018/ Retail Price: $26.00/and Web Price: $20.80.

The second one is “Uncommon Martyrs The Berrigans, the Catholic Left, and the Plowshares Movement” by Fred Wilcox, who profiles members of this anti-war movement, whose Christianity compels them to acts of civil disobedience against the military industrial complex.  The ISBN is 0201522314/$6.50 for a hardcover, and it can be purchased at Powell's Books.  See https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/book-reviews/view/7094/uncommon-martyrs.

63] – The Trump Administration is again beating the war drums.  Most recently, the target is Iran.  Should the Trump administration initiate an act of war against Iran, consider joining us. It is a violation of U.S. law for the Trump Administration to attack a country that has not attacked us, as only Congress can declare war. The Trump administration is nevertheless beating the war drums for war against Iran and Venezuela. Should a war criminal, John Bolton, convince Trump to attack either of these countries, such a military strike would demand an immediate and unequivocal response from us to show that we will not tolerate his abuse of power.

Let's mobilize to show that we the people will not tolerate another military adventure, which would be bound to have profound negative consequences. If a military strike against Iran or Venezuela takes place, then meet at 33rd and N. Charles St., Baltimore 21218. If the attack is before 2 PM local time, then the event will begin at 5 PM, local time. If the attack occurs after 5 PM local time, then the event will begin at 5 PM, local time, the following day. Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.   

64] -- If you would like to get rid of books, videos, DVDs, records, tarps and table cloths, contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at comcast.net.

65] -- Can you use any book shelves? Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at comcast.net.

66] -- 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.

67] – 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.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.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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