Thursday, April 2, 2020

Baltimore Activist Alert -- April 2 - 4, 2020


55] Covid-19 and Human Rights
56] A nationwide letter-writing campaign
57] The Joy of Birds
58] National Political Education call – April 2
59] We Want Bernie Team Conference Call – April 2
60] Virtual Seder training session – April 3
61] White House vigil – April 3
62] Telephone town hall about the economic relief available – April 3
63] Urge the city to appeal incinerator ruling – April 3 - 4
64] Fire Drill Friday – April 3
65] Peace and justice vigil – April 3
66] Coronavirus Time Bomb – April 3
67] Poor Peoples Campaign event – April 3
68] Media Coverage of War in Syria April 4
69] Fighting racism during a coronavirus crisis -- April 4
70] Two Berrigan Books still in print
71] Emergency Demonstration against an attack on Venezuela or Iran  
72] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records
73] Do you need any book shelves?
74] Join the Global Zero campaign.
75] Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil
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55] -- Amnesty International has developed a 15-minute virtual course — perfect for middle school-aged students and adults alike — that explores how COVID-19 is affecting human rights. Register at https://academy.amnesty.org/learn/course/external/view/elearning/164/COVID-19&HumanRights.  Through videos and interactive quizzes, you can learn how you can take action to promote solidarity.

56] Indivisible is launching a partnership with VoteFWD. It’s a nationwide letter-writing campaign to reach voters in key states before the 2020 election to maximize impact and increase turnout. Indivisible is encouraging groups to hold digital letter-writing parties so that Indivisibles can continue connecting with their communities but from the safety of their own homes. Many groups are already utilizing the VoteFWD tool, and now there is a nationwide launch. Click here to check out the new letter-writing resource for more ways to plug into the movement digitally: https://indivisible.org/resource/write-letters-voters-votefwd?akid=58468.839288.qgCoX-&rd=1&t=8.

57] Audubon Maryland-DC recommends spending time in nature to help folks seek solace, the governor’s stay-at-home decree makes this difficult. For now, you can immerse yourself in Audubon’s The Joy of Birds when your spirits need a boost -- https://www.audubon.org/joy-of-birds?utm_source=ea&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=advocacy&emci=d82dd62f-4874-ea11-a94c-00155d03b1e8&emdi=ba9e72e3-e174-ea11-a94c-00155d03b1e8&ceid=2504878.

58] The Maryland Poor People's Campaign on Thurs., April 2 from 8:30 to 9:30 PM will host an online National Political Education call. Click here to register:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkvCynGleppr5pvrhz4XQG7Btx_suqyp9labxuLtzfug2PMw/viewform?link_id=8&can_id=908a3cc20e48ef8817e13e96bfe064c5&source=email-ppc-ncmr-were-changing-the-narrative-around-covid-19&email_referrer=email_763531&email_subject=ppc-ncmr-were-changing-the-narrative-around-covid-19.  You must RSVP for access information.

59] – We Want Bernie Team Conference Call on Thurs., April 2 at 9 PM ET. To get on the call, dial 605-313-5148 and use Participant Code: 914389.  Please RSVP so we're sure to have enough lines set aside -- mikefox@pdamerica.org.  Invite all your Bernie loving friends!  

60] - If you're planning on holding a virtual Seder to connect with friends and family this year, please join J Street for a virtual Seder training session on Fri., April 3 at noon ET. The training will run through strategies for building and engaging communities online, and share how to use the J Street Haggadah.  Go to https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUudO-tqD0jL1FmVAC9VgS5fUxzUOmJqA.

61] – The Dorothy Day Catholic Worker will host a peace vigil at the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, WDC, on Fri., April 3 at noon.  Contact the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker: 202-882-9649, artlaffin@hotmail.com.  

62] – On Fri., April 3 at 12:30 PM, Congressperson John Sarbanes is holding a telephone town hall to share information about the economic relief available to Marylanders and Maryland small businesses impacted by the coronavirus crisis. ​​​​​​​​​​​Officials from the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Maryland Department of Labor will help answer your questions and point you to helpful resources.​​​​​​​​​​ You can livestream the event at https://sarbanes.house.gov/live.

63] – The Energy Justice Network informed me that a federal judge struck down the Baltimore Clean Air Act. This law, passed unanimously by city council last year, would have forced two large waste incinerators in the city to close by this September because they refused to meet modern pollution standards. One of them is the city's largest air polluter -- the Wheelabrator ("BRESCO") trash incinerator. The judge got it wrong. Federal and state laws clearly allow local governments to pass stronger clean air laws. Urge the city to appeal. JOIN the Network for one of these online Zoom meetings to learn more about what happened and how you can help. On Fri., April 3 from 2 to3 PM go to https://us04web.zoom.us/j/938458841.  On Sat., April 4 from 2 to 3 PM, visit https://us04web.zoom.us/j/717098566. 

64] – Building on the momentum gained over the last five months, Fire Drill Friday will continue virtually on Fri., April 3 at 2 PM. Jane Fonda  will be joined by friends, actors, activists, youth, Indigenous leaders, climate experts, and representatives from impacted and underrepresented communities. Together, we will keep the pressure on politicians to adopt a Green New Deal, end new fossil fuels, and enact a just transition to a renewable economy that protects workers and communities.

65] – 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 3. Black Lives Matter.

66] – Pacem in Terris is launching a series of virtual community dialogues on a variety of issues related to peace, justice, and nonviolence. The sessions will take place via Zoom, and will include a special guest speaker, and center on a key question related to peace and justice. The first Community Conversation is scheduled for Fri., April 3 at 7 PM via Zoom, and the Special Guest is Carl Gibson, Journalist and Author.  His topic is Can Policy Be Violence? His recent article entitled, "Millions of Uninsured Americans Like Me Are a Coronavirus Time bomb" was published on February 28th in The Guardian. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-conversation-can-policy-be-violence-tickets-101100947656.

67] On Fri., April 3 from 7:30 to 8:30 PM, the B'nai Keshet synagogue in New Jersey is hosting a virtual event with Rev. Liz Theoharis. Register at https://forms.gle/eWtcVVZ5ZbgutrgV9.

68] Helena Cobban is delighted to tell you that a 10-part webinar series "Commonsense on Syria" will continue with  Session 4 on Sat., April 4 at 1 PM and will feature Max Blumenthal and possibly another panelist, talking about Western media's role in Syria. Blumenthal is a journalist, author, blogger, and filmmaker. He was awarded the 2014 Lannan Foundation Cultural Freedom Notable Book Award for his book Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel (2013). He is the founder and publisher of The Grayzone, an investigative news-site. https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WZV_6U1KTjaJSXk71AyWEA.

69] --   On Sat., April 4 from 4 to 5 PM, remember the Dr. King anniversary - Fighting racism during a coronavirus crisis, hosted by the Peoples Power Assembly and Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice. This is a National Webinar Press Conference. To register go to https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iwA-RdACRO6K-0p9CAH61w. Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/209115390391418/.

70] – 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.

71] –   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.   

72] -- 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.

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

74] -- 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.

75] – 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 the 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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