".And A Little Child Shall LeadThem"

Uri Avnery
28.11.09

 

                                   

 “…And A Little Child Shall LeadThem”

 

THOMAS FRIEDMAN, the New York Times columnist, has an idea. That happens to him quite often. One might almost say - too often.

It goes like this: The US will turn its back on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The entire world will follow. Everybody is fed up with this conflict. Let the Israelis and the Palestinians sort out their problems by themselves.

 

Sounds sensible. Why must the world be bothered with these two unruly children? Let them kick each other as much as they like. The adults should not interfere.

 

But in reality this is an outrageous suggestion. Because these two children are not of equal strength. When an adult sees a 14-year old mercilessly mistreating a6-year old, can he just look on?

 

Israelis materially a hundredfold, indeed a thousandfold, stronger than the Palestinians. The fourth strongest army in the world (by its own estimate) dominates the life of a helpless people. The Israeli economy, with some of the most advanced technologies in the world, dominates a people whose resources are next to nil. A 42-year old occupation dominates every single corner of occupied Palestine.

 

This did not come about by a miracle. The huge gap between the strength of the two peoples has also been created by the support of the US for Israel.  Israel would not be where it is today without this political, economic and military underpinning.  Billions of dollars in annual aid, access to the most advanced weaponry in the world, the political immunity assured by the US veto in the Security Council and all the other forms of assistance have helped successive Israeli governments to maintain and intensify the occupation.

 

Friedman does not propose ending this support, which itself is a massive intervention in this conflict, and is given to the stronger side. When he suggests that the US withdraw from the conflict, he is actually saying: let the Israeli government do what it is doing – continue the occupation, set up new settlements, withdraw the land from under the feet of the Palestinian people, go on with the murderous blockade that denies the 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip – men, women and children –almost all the necessities of life.

 

This is a monstrous suggestion.

 

True, the prophet Isaiah (11:6) describes a situation where the wolf shall dwell with the lamb. (Israeli humor comments: No problem, provided a new lamb is brought in every day.) Now the prophet Thomas proposes to let the wolf and the lamb sort out their relationship between themselves.

 

BINYAMIN NETANYAHU could not wish for more in his wildest dreams. In the meantime he is satisfied with something less: President Obama’s acceptance of his latest trick.

 

And thus Netanyahu confronted the nation with a tortured face and told us about his inhumanly difficult decision: to suspend the building activities in the settlements.

 

The entire world applauded. How wonderful of Netanyahu to sacrifice his most sacred principles on the altar of peace. He has taken a stupendous step. Now it’s up to the Palestinians in their turn to respond with a grand gesture.

 

But something is wrong in this picture and needs explaining.

 

To return to the great Sherlock Holmes, who spoke about the curious incident of the dog in the night-time: “But the dog did nothing in the night-time!” he was told. “That was the curious incident,” the detective answered.

 

It could have been assumed that after such a dramatic announcement by the Likud leader, the settlers would let out a deafening roar. Riots in the streets of all the towns. Blocking of all roads in the occupied territories. A rebellion of the settlers in the cabinet and the Knesset.

 

But the dog did not bark. Not even a growl, just a token yelp. Culture Minister Limor Livnat opened her big mouth and declared that the Obama administration was “terrible”. That’s more or less all. The settler-minister Avigdor Lieberman even voted for the decision in the cabinet, and so did the ultra-extreme Likud minister Benny Begin, son of the late Prime Minister.

 

Begin even explained his curious behavior on TV: he had no reason to vote against. After all, it was only a gesture to appease Obama. It has no real content. Building “public structures” will go on (about 300 new ones were approved just this week). Building will be continued in housing projects whose foundations have already been laid (at least 3000 apartments in the West Bank). And, most

importantly: there will be absolutely no limitation to Jewish building activity in East Jerusalem, where building continues frantically in half a dozen locations in the heart of the Arab part of the city. And, besides, the suspension will last only for 10 months. Then, Begin promised, construction will be resumed in full swing.

 

That would not have appeased the settlers, if they did not know what every Israeli knows: that it is all phony. Building will continue everywhere, with the officials cooperating on the quiet and the army closing its eyes. It will be claimed that building permits had already been issued, that the foundations had already been laid. (In many places extra foundations have indeed been laid, just in case.) That’s the way it was in the past, under the governments of Labor and Kadima, and that’s the way it will continue now. This week it became known that in the whole of the West Bank, just 14 (fourteen!) government inspectors are supervising all building activity.  

In the same TV program, Yossi Beilin was sitting next to Begin. It might have been expected that he at least would expose the fraud, but no. Beilin lauded Netanyahu for his brave act and saw in it a promising new beginning. This way he rendered important assistance in winning over world public opinion and setting the mind of Israeli innocents at rest. It would be difficult to imagine a sadder example

of the collapse of the “Zionist Left”. The Geneva Initiative has turned into theJerusalem Deception.

 

The largest opposition party, too, joined the chorus. Tzipi Livni, who bears the impressive official title of “Leader of the Opposition”, mumbled something unintelligible and went back to sleep.

 

AND OBAMA? He capitulated again. After giving up his original demand for a total freeze of building in the settlements, he had no choice but to give in again. He reacted to Netanyahu’s shabby performance as if it were high drama.

 

Obama is in need of an achievement. It is being said that he has not achieved a single objective in the international arena. So here is an achievement. Netanyahu is freezing – sorry, restraining – sorry, suspending – settlement activity.

 

My father taught me in my youth that one must never give in to a blackmailer. After giving in once, one is condemned to giving in again and again, while the demands of the blackmailer grow and grow. After giving in to the pro-Israel lobby once, Obama will have to give in again and again.

 

One could almost pity him and his assistants. Such an impressive, such a tough, such an experienced group – and they are returning from Jerusalem like Napoleon’s army from Moscow.

 

We saw poor George Mitchell. The man who brokered peace between the murderous factions in Ireland came toJerusalem. Came again

and again and again. Came as the representative of the world’s one remaining superpower to tell Israelis and Palestinians what they have to do. He was tough. He dictated terms.

 

Israeli officials laughed at him behind his back. They are used to the likes of him.They have eaten them for breakfast. Remember William Rogers, Nixon’s Secretary of State and his peace plan? And the great Henry Kissinger? And even James Baker, who tried to impose economic sanctions on us? And Bill Clinton’s “Guidelines”? And the “vision” of George Bush? The political graveyard is full of American politicians who tried to impose limits on Israel, without being able or willing to use the necessary force. Welcome, George. Nice to see you, Hillary.

 

What is so pathetic is that Netanyahu is not even deceiving Obama. The American president knows full well that this is all play acting. He is very intelligent. He is not very courageous. For the mess of pottage of a pretended achievement he has sold his political birthright. Even George Bush managed to extract from Ariel Sharonan undertaking to dismantle all settlements set up after March 2001 (needless to say, not a single one was dismantled).

 

This is a great victory for Netanyahu, his second over Obama. Not yet the decisive victory, but a victory that bodes ill for the chances of peace in the near future.

 

NETANYAHU DID NOT even try to deceive the Palestinians either. He knew that this is impossible.

 

Every Palestinian understands Netanyahu’s announcement only too well. He has only to look out of his window to see what is happening. After all, Israel would not invest billions in new building if it had any intention of dismantling the settlements for peace within a year or two.

 

There is hardly a place in the West Bank where one cannot see a settlement on a hilltop, near or far. In some places, one can see two or three. If one approaches closer, one can see the building activity in full swing, the overt and the covert, the “legal” and the“illegal”.

And, most importantly: there is no Palestinian leader who could possibly agree to the continued building in East Jerusalem.

 

The construction of Jewish housing projects goes on while Palestinian homes are being destroyed, “archeological” digs continue as well as all the other activities designed to “judaize”Jerusalem. To put it more bluntly: making Jerusalem “Arab-free”.

 

When Obama capitulates to Netanyahu, there is nothing Mahmoud Abbas can do. When the Americans demand that the Palestinians answer Netanyahu’s “important” step with an important step of their own, it is nothing but a sad joke. The Americans help Netanyahu to put the ball into the Palestinian court, and with a pious rolling of their eyes ask why, after such a momentous Israeli gesture, the Palestiniando not agree to resuming the “peace process”.

 

But Abbas cannot start negotiations without a total freeze of the settlements, especially in Jerusalem. The only dialog between Israelis and Palestinians that is taking place now is with Hamas. The prisoner exchange deal is nearing the point of decision. The main remaining bone of contention is the freeing of the Fatah leader, Marwan Barghouti, who was sentenced to five life terms.

 

If the dealis clinched and Barghouti freed, it will be another humiliation for Abbas: it will be said that Hamas, not he, has achieved the liberation of the Fatah leader. The freed Barghouti will act to mend the split between Fatah and Hamas and will be a credible candidate for the presidency of the Palestinian Authority. Then, a new chapter of the conflict will begin.

 

IT IS worth reading the full text of Isaiah’s prophecy: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.”

 

The role of the little child, so it seems, falls to Obama. If he accepts, God forbid, Friedman’s advice and leaves the picture, the vision will turn into a nightmare. The Israeli government will increase the oppression, the Palestinians will turn to unbridled terrorism, the entire world will be dragged into bloody chaos.

 

Some advice.

 

    permlink: http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1259462045 

 

www.gush-shalom.org

 

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

 

"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

 

Amy Goodman and Canada's Olympic Paranoia

Amy Goodman and Canada's Olympic Paranoia

 

By Dave Zirin

Huffington Post

November 28, 2009

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-zirin/amy-goodman-and-canadas-o_b_372273.html

 

When it comes to independent, agitational journalism, the standard is Amy Goodman and her radio/television institution, Democracy Now! Goodman and her staff often find themselves accosted by officials, foreign and domestic. This happened again on Thursday. But it didn't happen in East Timor or Burma. Goodman was detained by our neighbors to the north.

 

Canadian border officials held Goodman in Vancouver for 90 minutes when she attempted to enter Vancouver to attend events launching her new book, Breaking the Sound Barrier . But the Canadian Border team didn't care what she was there to do. They wanted to know what she was going to say. They demanded to see her notes. They searched her car and surreptitiously checked her laptop. They returned her passport with papers demanding she leave the country within 48 hours.

 

What could possibly have led to this level of scrutiny?

 

They cared little that she was there to discuss the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq or the state of health care. The critical concern of the Canadian Border authorities was that Ms. Goodman would be discussing the 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver. This is not a joke.

 

In an interview with CBC News, Goodman recalled that the border agent "made it clear by saying, 'What about the Olympics?' And I said, 'You mean when President Obama went to Copenhagen to push for the Olympics in Chicago?' He said, 'No. I am talking about the Olympics here in 2010.' I said, 'Oh I hadn't thought of that,'

 

He said, 'You're saying you're not talking about the Olympics?' He was clearly incredulous that I wasn't going to be talking about the Olympics. He didn't believe me."

 

Ponder for a moment the Canadian state's paranoia wedded with arrogance. They moved quickly from concern that Goodman would be a critic of the games, to aghast that it would not be the centerpiece of her speech.

 

As Derrick O'Keefe, co-chair of the Canadian Peace Alliance said to me, "It's pretty unlikely that the harassment of a well known and respected journalist like Amy Goodman about whether she might be speaking about the Olympics was the initiative of one over- zealous, bad apple Canadian border guard. This looks like a clear sign of the chill that the IOC and the Games' local corporate boosters want to put out against any potential dissent."

 

In Vancouver, dissent is now the only obstacle to an Olympic-sized theft. The games stand to cost Vancouver, in the analysis of the Vancouver Sun, "$6 billion and counting so far." Local papers are starting to ask, "Could the Olympics bankrupt the City of Vancouver, or put it in a financial straitjacket for decades to come?"

 

But it's not just the economic theft.

 

Harsha Walia, member of No One Is Illegal and the Olympic Resistance Network, said to me, "In the lead-up to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, we have witnessed and been subjected to an increasingly fortified police state, including intimidation and harassment of activists by security and intelligence forces as part of an unparalleled $1 billion security and surveillance network. In contravention of basic rights, police have stated their plans to set up checkpoints, search people without cause, and erect security exclusion zones."

 

The Canadian government has leveled public housing, stifled civil liberties and harassed local activists. The last thing they want is someone like Amy Goodman telling the world.

 

"I am deeply concerned that as a journalist I would be flagged and that the concern -- the major concern -- was the content of my speech." said Goodman.

 

We need to see what happened to Ms. Goodman as a challenge to expose truth about Vancouver. Amy Goodman is just the tip of the iceberg. Let's make the 2010 Games the Titanic.

 

Dave Zirin is the author of "A People’s History of Sports in the United States" (The New Press) Receive his column every week by emailing dave@edgeofsports.com. Contact him at edgeofsports@gmail.com.

 

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

 

"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

 

Baltimore Activist Alert - Part II

Baltimore Activist Alert Nov. 27 – Dec. 18, 2009

 

27] March against corporate criminals – Nov. 30

28] Frances Fox Piven at JHU – Nov. 30

29] International Day of Solidarity – Nov. 30

30] Marc Steiner on WEAA – Nov. 30 — Nov. 26

31] Protest the death penalty – Nov. 30                     

32] MD Case benefit – Nov. 30

33] Benefit party – Nov. 30

34] BUPJ meeting – Nov. 30

35] Pledge of Resistance meeting – Nov. 30

36] The Exonerated -- Nov. 30

37] World AIDS Day – Dec. 1

38] Protest at Indonesian embassy -- Dec. 1

39] Coal protest – Dec. 1

40] Burma Week – Dec. 1-Dec. 5

41] Protest escalation – Dec. 1

42] Witness Against Torture vigil – Dec. 1

43] Tuesday peace vigil – Dec. 1

44] History of Afghan Struggle – Dec. 1

45] Film ROSENSTRASSE – Dec. 1

46] Ecolocity DC meeting – Dec. 1

47] Film HOTEL RWANDA – Dec. 1

48] Peace vigil in Philadelphia – Dec. 2

49] Chestnut Hill, PA vigil – Dec. 2

50] Chestnut Hill, PA vigil – Dec. 2

51] Breaking Rank class – Dec. 2—Feb. 17

52] WIB Towson vigil – Dec. 3

53] Israel/Palestine roundtable – Dec. 3

54] Film SHEER MADNESS – Dec. 3

55] First Thursday demo – Dec. 3

56] Women & Minorities in Hollywood – Dec. 3

57] Peace Action meeting – Dec. 3

58] Crabshell Alliance meeting — Dec. 3

59] WIB Frederick vigil – Dec. 4

60] Breaking Rank class – Dec. 2—Feb. 17

60] Justice Café – Dec. 4                                   

61] Film JOYEUX NOEL – Dec. 4                  

62] Simple Way presentation – Dec. 4

63] Spiral Thought – Dec. 5

64] Human rights dinner – Dec. 5

65] Film KING CORN – Dec. 18

66] Write Carl Kabat

67] Buy a red maple tree

68] Help available in buying a house 

69] Contribute to the Georgia Four defense fund

70] Join Global Zero campaign

71] War Is Not the Answer signs for sale

72] Publish your peace article

73] Click on The Hunger Site  

74] Join Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil

-------

27] – On Mon., Nov. 30, the 10th anniversary of the nonviolent shut-down of the WTO Seattle meeting, and one week before the UN Copenhagen climate negotiations, join a march beginning at 7:30 AM in Lafayette Park to give the climate criminals an updated taste of Seattle. Bring your drums, puppets, noisemakers and friends as we non-violently disrupt Monday morning rush-hour and demand Corporations out of Copenhagen! It concludes at 9 AM.

 

28] – Frances Fox Piven will speak on Mon., Nov. 30 at noon at 526 Mergenthaler Hall, JHU Homewood Campus.  As part of a Sociology Department seminar, she will discuss "The Prospects for A New New Deal."

 

29] – Join the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Mon., Nov. 30 from 2:30-4 PM on the American Univ. Quad, center of campus - southeast of Ward Circle.  From there, march to the Israeli embassy to call for an end to over 40 years of occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel, and the violence taking place in Gaza right now.

30] – The Marc Steiner Show airs Monday through Thursday from 5 to 7 PM on WEAA 88.9 FM, The Voice of the Community.  The call-in number is 410-319-8888, and comments can also be sent by email steinershow@gmail.com.  You can listen to interviews by Steiner through his Center for Emerging Media podcasts. Go to http://www.centerforemergingmedia.org.

31] – There is usually a vigil to abolish the death penalty every Monday from 5 to 6 PM, outside the prison complex and across the street from Maryland’s death row, at the corner of Madison Ave. and Fallsway in Baltimore.  The next vigil is scheduled for Mon., Nov. 30.  Call 410-233-0488.

 

32] – Maryland Case is holding a benefit to Recommit to repeal MD's death penalty on Mon., Nov. 30 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Petit Louis Bistro, 4800 Roland Ave. Email info@mdcase.org. Tickets start at $150.  Gifts are tax-deductible. The host committee includes Benjamin Civiletti, former U.S. Attorney General and Chair of the Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment, J. Joseph Curran, Jr., former Maryland Attorney General and Lieutenant Governor, Sen. Lisa Gladden, Sen. Jamie Raskin et al.

 

33] – Party like it's 1999! Celebrate People's Power and Direct Action on this 10th Anniversary of the Seattle WTO Protests. Attend the fundraiser for the Washington Peace Center and Funk the War on Mon., Nov. 30 from 7 PM to 1 AM at Chief Ike's Mambo Room, 1725 Columbia Rd NW [Adam's Morgan]. Music and VJ Set by ADCDJ. The suggested donation is at $5.

34] – Baltimore United for Peace and Justice will meet at 7 PM on Mon., Nov. 30 at the AFSC, 4806 York Road. The BUPJ agenda will focus on reviewing the forum on Thurs., Nov. 19 at Goucher College where Phyllis Bennis spoke and the forum on Sun., Nov. 22 in Howard County to get ready for the legislative session in Annapolis.  As this meeting ends, the Pledge meeting will begin. 

 

35] – The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore usually meets on Mondays at 7:30 PM at the AFSC, 4806 York Road [three blocks north of Coldspring Lane].  The next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 30, and the agenda will include an emergency demo when Obama escalates the war in Afghanistan, plans for a January action in D.C., and the First Thursday demo on Dec. 3.  Call Max at 410-366-1637.

 

36] – THE EXONERATED is being performed on Mondays at 7:30 PM through Dec. 14 at the Everyman [sic] Theatre, 1727 N. Charles St. This is Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen’s 2002 play, which shares six true accounts of wrongfully accused Death Row inmates and the deeply flawed U.S. justice system.  Call 410-752-2208. Go to www.everymantheatre.org.

 

37] – Tues., Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day. There will be a march and rally on Tues., Dec. 1 from noon to 2 PM starting in Lafayette Park and ending in Freedom Plaza.  The emphasis will be on the systems failure (mismanagement of resources, broken promises, and lack of vision) within the District, and there will be specific demands calling for stable housing, harm reduction services and mental health services. RSVP with your name and phone number to hivhousing.mwpha@gmail.com.

38] – On Tues., Dec. 1, noon to 1:30 PM, Amnesty International invites you to a peaceful rally in front of the Indonesian Embassy, 2020 Massachusetts Ave. NW, WDC to commemorate the 5^th year anniversary of the arrest and subsequent imprisonment of Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage. Come out to demand their immediate and unconditional release.  Arrested on Dec. 1, 2004, Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage are serving a collective prison sentence of 25 years for their participation in a peaceful flag-raising ceremony to commemorate Papuan independence in 1962. Visit www.amnestyusa.org/iar.

39] – "Down with King Coal!" is a rally to fight global warming and oppose more coal power in Maryland. It will to place in Preston Gardens Park, St. Paul St. and E. Saratoga St. across from Mercy Hospital, on Tues., Dec. 1 at 1 PM.  Go to http://www.environmentmaryland.org/action/global-warming/. Power companies are proposing new ultra high-voltage power lines to crisscross Maryland, carrying electricity from dirty coal plants in West Virginia. Maryland shouldn't be an enabler to an electricity company's attempt to produce more power from dirty sources. Support a clean energy future. Contact Alana Wase at 301.277.7111 or alana.wase@mdsierra.org.

 

40] – Goucher College Peace Studies Program and others are hosting Burma Week , an effort to raise awareness about the political situation in Burma, where the military dictatorship commits gross human rights violations. On Tues., Dec. 1 at 4:30 PM in Buchner Hall, there will be a Burma Background Panel; on Wed., Dec. 2 at 7 PM in Buchner Hall, there will be a discussion on the use of technology to empower the people; on Thurs., Dec. 3 at 6:30 PM in Kelley Lecture Hall see a screening of BURMA VJ, followed by a discussion; on Fri., Dec. 4 there is a Prayer for Humanity at 10:30 AM in the Huebler Memorial Chapel; and on Sat., Dec. 5, there will be An Afternoon of Burmese Song, Dance and Food in the Hyman Forum, Athenaeum at 2 PM. The performances are free, but food tickets must be purchased in advance for $4. Email sarah.sullivan@goucher.edu by Dec. 2. Contact Mary Wahl at mary.wahl@goucher.edu.

41] – On Tues., Dec. 1, there will be an Afghanistan Escalation Protest at the White House from 5 to 7 PM. Contact Pete Perry (pete4peace@gmail.com) or Pat Elder (PatrickElder@verizon.net). 

42] – On Tues., Dec. 1 at 5:30 PM, Witness Against Torture will continue its weekly vigil, each Tuesday, in Lafayette Park, H and 16th Sts., NW. Contact Helen Schietinger at h.schietinger at verizon.net.

 

43] – There is a vigil to say "War Is Not the Answer" each Tuesday since September 11, 2001 at 4806 York Road. Join this ongoing vigil.  The next vigil is Dec. 1 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM.  Call Max at 410-366-1637.

 

44] – A History of Struggle: War, Occupation and Afghanistan’s Women takes place at Maryland Institute College of Art on Tues., Dec. 1 from 7 to 10 PM in Falvey Hall, Brown Center, 1301 Mount Royal Ave.  The evening will begin with a film screening, followed by a panel discussion with filmmaker Kathleen Foster, humanitarian Fahima Vorgetts, psychologist Anne Brodsky and economist A.Ghanie Ghaussy. This is an opportunity to purchase Afghan handcrafts.  Contact Soheila Ghaussy at ghaussys@hotmail.com.

 

45] – On Tues., Dec. 1 at 7 PM in the ICC Auditorium, Georgetown Univ., the film "Rosentrasse" (directed by Margarethe von Trotta) will be shown. While countless Jews were sent to concentration camps for execution, Jewish husbands of Aryan wives were separated from their families and imprisoned in a factory on a street named Rosenstrasse. On that street these wives stood in protest until they were reunited with their men. The showing of the film is part of the Feminism and Social Justice series.

 

46] – There is a meeting of Ecolocity DC every Tuesday from 7 to 9 PM at the EMERGENCE COMMUNITY ARTS COLLECTIVE, 733 Euclid St. NW, WDC 20001.  It is for people who live in, or are interested in making D.C. a transition town starting with an intentional community that will encompass clean energy, freecycle, natural building, organic farming, community salvage, new urbanism, etc. The next meeting will be on Dec. 1. Go to http://ecolocity.ning.com.

 

47] – Paul Rusesabagina, a human rights activist and the real-life hero of the acclaimed film Hotel Rwanda, will speak at Goucher College on Tues., Dec. 1 at 8 PM in the Hyman Forum of the Athenaeum.  Contact Kristen Keener, kristen.keener@goucher.edu.

 

48] – Each Wednesday from 4:30 - 5:30 PM, the House of Grace Catholic Worker holds a weekly vigil for peace in Iraq outside the Phila. Federal Building, 6th & Market Sts. The next vigil is Dec. 2. Call 215-426-0364.

49] – Baltimore United for Peace and Justice and the Pledge of Resistance are calling for a demonstration on Wed., Dec. 2 at 5:30 PM outside the War Memorial Bldg. on Gay St. The demonstration is a protest against Obama’s plan to escalate the war in Afghanistan.  Email Max at mobuszewski at verizon.net.

50] – Each Wednesday, there is a peace vigil from 7 to 8 PM outside the Borders Book Store, Germantown Ave. at Bethlehem Pike in Chestnut Hill, PA. The next vigil is Dec. 2. Call 215-843-4256 or email nwgreens@yahoo.com.

51] – Starting Wed., Dec. 2 and continuing each Wednesday from 8 to 10 PM until Feb. 17, there will be a class Breaking Rank: Soldier-Led Resistance Movements at the Baltimore Free School, 1323 N. Calvert. St., and there is no charge. Attendees of the class will leave with an understanding of the importance of military resistance in the creation of successful social movements and ideas of ways to effectively participate as allies in the current soldier and veteran-led anti-war movement. The class will be facilitated by Ryan Harvey. To register, go to http://freeschool.redemmas.org/ or email ryanharvey@riseup.net.

52] – There is a WIB peace stand on Thurs., Dec. 3, noon-1PM in Towson at northwest corner of Washington & Chesapeake Aves., across the street from the post office, near the courthouse. Contact mbrainzo@aol.com. This vigil takes place on the first Thursday of the month.

53] – On Thurs., Dec. 3, the WEEKLY ROUNDTABLE SEEKING A JUST PEACE IN PALESTINE/ISRAEL takes place from 12:30 - 1:30 PM at Potter's House, 1658 Columbia Road NW, WDC.  Join a civil discourse which explores the history, issues, myths, realities, and truth of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Contact Alice Azzouzi at 202-232-5483.

 

54] – On Thurs., Dec. 3 from 4:15 to 6:45 PM at the ICC Auditorium, Georgetown Univ. see SHEER MADNESS (directed by Margarethe von Trotta), a tale of friendship and feminism around the relationship between two seemingly opposite women. Olga (Hanna Schygulla) is a professor of women's literature, Ruth (Angela Winkler) is a gifted and extremely reticent artist who is desperately fearful of the outside world. From their first meeting, they share a warmth and understanding that transcends the outside world. At 8 PM, von Trotta will speak in conversation with Robert Boyers, writer and publisher of Salmagundi.

 

55] – The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore hosts an End the War! End the Occupation! rally on Thurs., Dec. 3 from 5 to 6:30 PM in Mount Vernon at Centre & Charles Sts.  The Pledge gathers in Mount Vernon on the first Thursday of the month to protest the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Call Max at 410-366-1637.

 

56] – Erica Shelton, a writer and producer on the television show HawthoRNe, will give a lecture titled “Women and Minorities in Hollywood,” on Thurs., Dec. 3 at 7 PM in the Hyman Forum of the Athenaeum, Goucher College.  Contact Kory Dodd at kory.dodd@goucher.edu.

57] – PeaceAction Montgomery, meets every first Thursday, next on Dec. 3, at 7 PM at the Cedar Lane Unitarian Church, Room 16 in the basement, 9601 Cedar Lane, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-4099.

58] – The Crabshell Alliance will meet on Thurs., Dec. 3 at 7:30 PM in a private home.  Call Max at 410-366-1637 for directions.  Meetings will take place the first Thursday of the month.  The mission of the Crabshell Alliance is to stop the construction of new nuclear power plants in Maryland, promote clean, safe, sustainable, and affordable energy, and educate the public about the hazards of nuclear power.

 

59] – WIB holds a silent vigil mourning all violence, the first Friday of the month.  The next vigil is Dec. 4 from 12 noon to 12:30 PM, War Memorial Park, intersection of W. 2nd & N. Bentz Sts. in Frederick.  Please dress in black; no additional signs.  Call 301-834-7581 or email wibfrederick@mizmail.com.

60] –  Attend the UDC Justice Cafe from 6 to 10 PM on Fri., Dec. 4 in the Firebird Inn, Building 39, B-Level, 4200 Conn. Ave. NW, WDC 20008, which is hosted by the University of the District of Columbia David Clarke School of Law.  The suggested donation is $15, $10 for students and $5 for children. The event will feature food, music, poetry, an open mic session, tabling and more. One of the performers is Mike Bowers, guitar and vocals.  Go to http://www.mdbmusic.com/music.html. Contact Mike at mikehersh@mikehersh.com FOR A FREE TABLE.  Use the Van Ness UDC Metro Station (Red Line).

61] – On Fri., Dec. 4 watch JOYEUX NOEL, which is being shown as part of the "JUST-REEL” First Friday Free Film Series at the Peace Center of Delaware County, 7 PM,  1001 Old Sproul Road, Springfield, Delaware County. The evening will include light refreshments and an after-film discussion. It is co-sponsored by the Brandywine Peace Community. Call 610-544-1818. Go to www.delcopeacecenter.org.

 

Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, JOYEUX NOEL tells the story of the actual 1914 Christmas truce immortalized in the song "Christmas in the Trenches" by John McCutcheon. In 1914, World War I ("the war to end all wars") -- the bloodiest war in human history up to that time -- is well underway. On Christmas Eve, however, Scottish, German, and French troops pause from the carnage, and numerous sections of the Western Front call an unauthorized truce and peacefully meet each other on the battlefield.

 

62] – On Fri., Dec. 4 at 7:30 PM, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker House presents Shane Claiborne, activist and author living in inner city Philadelphia with the Simple Way Community. This monthly First Friday Clarification of Thought gathering is at 503 Rock Creek Church Rd NW, WDC 20010-1612.   Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-360-6416.

 

63] – On Sat., Dec. 5 at 1 PM, hear Victor Manuel Gavilan discuss Indigenous Spiral Thought, a complementary alternative for world peace at 4209 East West Hwy, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.  Gavilan is executive director of the Spanish School in Calgary, Canada and has written articles and a book indigenous philosophy and ways of thinking.  After the speaker's address share a hot vegetarian lunch.  Park by Bethesda Chevy Chase High School or get off the Metro at Red-line Bethesda stop. RSVP at shantiyoga2@earthlink.net or 301 654 4899x9. Go to www.schooloflife.org.

 

64] – On Sat., Dec. 5, from 6:30 to 9:30 PM, attend the 12TH ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS POTLUCK DINNER & commemorate the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Bring a main dish to share at the Florence Bain Senior Center, 5470 Ruth Keaton Way, Columbia, MD 21044.  There is ENTERTAINMENT by Los Quetzales, a Mexican dance ensemble, and Rumisonko, a Latin American folk ensemble.  Call Leslie at 410-381-4899 or e-mail cuba_is_hope@comcast.com.

 

65] – The Hiroshima-Nagasaki Commemoration Committee is hosting its latest FILM & SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS VIDEO SERIES. The theme is Poverty and its Manifestations.  The last film in the series is KING CORN [USA, 2077], and it will be shown on Fri., Dec. 18 at a private home.  If interested in seeing the DVD, RSVP to Max at 410-366-1637.

 

In KING CORN, producer and director Aaron Wolff follows the saga of Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, who move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from.  With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America’s most-productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil.  But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions.

 

Doors open at 7 PM, and the DVD starts at 7:30 PM.  There is no charge, and refreshments will be available.  A discussion will follow.

 

66] – Carl Kabat will return to court for a jury trial on Dec. 21-22. If convicted, he could face from three to 12 months in the Weld County Jail. Send mail to Carl Kabat, OMI, Weld County Jail, 2110 O St., Greeley, CO 80631.

 

67] – I bought two red maple trees for $10 each as part of the Trees for Baltimore program.  Buy a tree, plant it and contribute to saving the planet.  Call Max at 410-366-1637

 

68] – A progressive-thinking realtor is indicating that people of modest incomes can get assistance from both the state and federal governments in purchasing a home.  If you are interested in speaking with him about available programs, call Max at 410-366-1637.

 

69] – Larry Egbert and Nick Sheridan are in Baltimore awaiting further legal developments, and the "Georgia Four" is seeking contributions to a legal defense fund.  Go to www.finalexitlibertyfund.org to make a contribution.   Larry fell off his bike and has fractured his pelvis.  He is home for some months of recuperation. 

70] – 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.  

71] – WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER signs from Friends Committee on National Legislation are again for sale at $5.  To purchase a sign, call Max at 410-366-1637.

72] – Publish Your Peace Article. Daniel Frasier is soliciting peace articles for the biweekly series of commentaries Paths to Peace in the Frederick News Post Religion and Ethics section. For details, email path2peace07@yahoo.com.

 

73] – The Hunger Site was initiated by Mercy Corps and Second Harvest, and is funded entirely by advertisers.  You can go there every day and click the big yellow "Give Food for Free" button near the top of the page; you do not have to look at the ads. Each click generates funding for about 1.1 cups of food.  So consider clicking.  

 

74] – 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, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net

 

"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.