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TJR EVENT ARCHIVE |
Virginia Pratt has been working as a foreclosure prevention counselor with a local non-profit agency for about seven years. During this time, she has witnessed a massive surge in at-risk homeowners seeking help. She has also noticed patterns of abuse, predatory lending and racial discrimination-or what one might term "reverse red-lining" in Boston's poorest neighborhoods.
As someone on the frontlines of the foreclosure epidemic, Virginia can discuss its roots and consequences plus local initiatives to reverse the toxic trend. Current treasurer of Community Church, her past experience includes HIV prevention and education, as well as work with ex-offenders in re- entry programs.
JOIN US on Sunday, March 1st, at rallies outside of three Massachusetts coal plants to call for an end to the deadly use of coal and start building a secure green future!
The next day, authors/activists Wendell Berry and Bill McKibben will be joined by thousands of people -- young and old alike -- in the largest mass civil disobedience for the climate in US history at the Washington DC coal plant that powers Congress with dirty energy (www.capitolclimateaction.com). Please join us locally to help put an end to the unsustainable and destructive use of coal that is harming our health, fueling war and endangering our climate.
Help us spread the word and send the message to the powers-that-be that a rapid phase-out of all coal- powered plants is needed NOW! We are planning legal demonstrations, and ask that all participants respect the call to refrain from civil disobedience on March 1.
Organizers and Endorsers: Mass.Coalition for Healthy Communities (MCHC) / Secure Green Future (SGF), Toxics Action Center, Clean Air Coalition, Clean Water Action, Green Action Citizens v. Coal, HealthLink, Massachusetts Global Action, Peace Institute at Salem State College, North Shore Colombia Solidarity Committee, United for Justice with Peace.
Contact Eli Beckerman at 617-821-1453.
Combatants for Peace is a group of Israelis and Palestinians who were actively involved in the cycle of violence in their area. Today they cooperate and commit themselves to the following: They no longer believe that the conflict can be resolved through violence. They believe that the blood bath will not end unless they act together to terminate the occupation and stop all forms of violence. They call for the establishment of a Palestinian State, alongside the State or Israel. The two states can exist in peace and security one by the other. They will use only non violent means to achieve their goals and call for both societies to end violence.
Tour sponsors: Sept. 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, the Rebuilding Alliance, and Peace Abbey of Sherborn, MA.
Enjoy a fun & relaxing evening brimming with local
music, fantastic Salvadoran food, & refreshing
beverages to send off boston cispes delegates in
style.
Suggested Donation: $10
Music By: Fluttr Effect, The Grass Gypsys, Gary
Backstrom, Dean Stevens, Chris Eastburn, Mary
Casiello, avi Jacobs, Joseph Ziemba, and more.
Support Cambridge Sister Cities Project, Boston
CISPES, and Lawyers Guild delegates, all off to
monitor the March 15th elections. Hear first-hand
reports from the January 18th municipal and
legislative elections in El Salvador and the current
situation leading up to March presidential elections.
Delegates:
Matthew Andrews
Alana Epstein
Julia Finkelstein
David Grosser
Paul Peckham
Catherine Hoffman
Judy Somberg
Emily Achtenberg
Phyllis Ewen
Sponsored by Cambridge-El Salvador Sister City
Project, Boston CISPES, National Lawyer¹s Guild
For more info, contact cispes:
Tel: 617.576.1709
Email: boscispes@speakeasy.net
www.cispes.org
Be part of the largest mass civil disobedience for the climate in U.S. history.
You know there is a climate crisis. You know we have to solve it. It’s time to take our action to the next level.
With a new administration and a new Congress, we have a window of opportunity. But we have to open it — together.
On March 2, join thousands of people in a multi-generational act of civil disobedience at the Capitol Power Plant — a plant that powers Congress with dirty energy and symbolizes a past that cannot be our future. Let’s use this as a rallying cry for a clean energy economy that will protect the health of our families, our climate, and our future.
This will be a peaceful demonstration, carried out in a spirit of hope and not rancor. We will be there in our dress clothes, and ask the same of you.
It’s time to take a stand on global warming. We can’t wait any longer for the changes we KNOW we can, and must, make today.
Now is the time... RSVP NOW! Action Guidelines
FACEBOOK EVENT LINK
Featuring:
Leila Farsakh
Author, teacher of Political Science at UMASS Boston,
recipient of Cambridge Peace Commission Peace and
Justice Award
Paul Atwood
Author, teacher of American Studies at UMASS Boston
Salma Abu Ayyash
Palestinian Rights Activist
The recent Israeli onslaught of Gaza is just one more
reason why we need to stop the U.S. government from
giving Israel military aid. Come discuss the history
of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the role the U.S.
plays in the Middle East, specifically in supporting
Israel.
Let's organize to stop U.S. aid to Israel!
Directions to UMASS Boston: Take Red Line T to
JFK/UMASS. From T station take shuttle bus to Campus
Center.
This is the first annual Apartheid Week in Boston, We
are excited to have Boston College students and
University of Massachusetts Boston students hosting
events at their schools. We have many other colleges
and community groups planning events. Apartheid
Awareness weeks are taking place in more than 40
cities across the globe (the number of cities is
growing daily). This year, IAW happens in the wake of
Israel's barbaric assault on the people of Gaza. There
is a full week of lecture, stand outs and other events
throughout the Boston area. See
http://www.itisapartheid.org/getthefacts for fact
sheets on Israeli Apartheid.
If you want to post an event or get in touch with us,
email: info@itisapartheid.org
Sponsors :
Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights
Visions of Peace with Justice Israel/Palestine
ADCMA The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts: International Socialist
Organization;
Muslim Student Association;
Queer
Student Center
UMASS Boston Anti-War Coalition
(chapter of Campus Anti-War Network)
The Secret History of the American Empire. Former Economic Hit Man John Perkins goes behind the scenes of the current geopolitical crisis and offers bold solutions to our most pressing problems. Drawing on his own experiences as well as interviews with other EHMs, jackals, CIA operatives, reporters, businessmen, and activists, Perkins reveals the conspiracy of corruption that has fueled instability and anti- Americanism around the globe, with consequences reflected in our daily headlines. Having raised the alarm, Perkins passionately addresses how Americans can work to create a more peaceful and stable world for future generations.
"A New Day in Old Sana'a" is the story of Tariq and Bilquis, two young lovers who are prohibited by family and tradition to be married. Tariq is made to confront his family's wishes with his own desire for choice and the unknown possibilities of love.
The film will be shown on Tuesday, March 3rd from 6:15 to 8:00 pm. Complimentary pizza and soft drinks will be available starting at 6:00.
Co-Sponsored by the Outreach Center at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Contact: middle_east_initiative@ksg.harvard.edu
Duncan Kennedy, Carter Professor of General Jurisprudence, Harvard Law School
Stephen Walt, Belfer Professor of International Relations, Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Noam Chomsky, Professor of Linguistics (Emeritus), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Irene Gendzier, Professor, Political Science Department, Boston University
Alice Rothchild, MD, Author, Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience
Hosted by: The Muslim Law Students Association
Co-Sponsors: Human Rights Law Association, National Security Law Association, South Asian Law Students Association, Asian-Pacific American Law Students Association, Latin American Law Students Association, Women's Law Association, J. Reuben Clark Society
RSVP Recommended due to limited space.
"Don't need you" is a documentary film that tells the story of the origins of Riot Grrrl in the American independent music scene of the 1990s, and how this feminist movement evolved into a revolutionary underground network of education and self-awareness through music, writing, activism, and women-friendly community. The film gives audiences a chance to meet key figures in the development of Riot Grrrl and see for themselves how these women have changed the history of music and feminism forever. The film features one-on-one interviews interspersed with rare, archival materials, including original Riot Grrrl fanzines, flyers, and photographs, as well as seldom seen footage from pioneering Riot Grrrl bands like Bikini Kill, Heavens to Betsy, and Bratmobile. - description from urban cowgirl productions
"In Between" is a semi-autobiographic al one man show that portrays the complexities and contradictions inherent in Palestinian-Israeli identity. On the precipice between two cultures stands Ibrahim Miari. In Between recalls his childhood in Acco, memories of his Jewish and Palestinian grandmothers, of war, and of the struggle to shape and understand his own multi- faceted identity - a struggle further complicated by his imminent marriage to a Jewish American woman.
APARTHEID: "From South Africa to Israel/Palestine - Making the Connections"
Featuring: Nancy Murray, President, Gaza Mental Health Foundation, member of Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights and US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
Exhibit, 11-3pm
This exhibit, put together by the Boston Coalition for
Palestinian Rights, illustrates the parallels and
connections between Israel and South Africa. It
documents how the UN Convention on the Suppression and
Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid applies to
Israeli practices in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories.
Directions to UMASS Boston: Take Red Line T to JFK/UMASS. From T station take shuttle bus to Campus Center.
Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights Visions of Peace with Justice Israel/Palestine ADCMA The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee of Massachusetts University of Massachusetts: International Socialist Organization; Muslim Student Association; Queer Student Center and UMASS Boston Anti-War Coalition (chapter of Campus Anti-War Network)
Jointly sponsored by the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs is located at 1737 Cambridge Street, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02138.
For more information about this event, please contact Elizabeth Lawler at 617-495-3816 or elawler@wcfia.harvard.edu
Award ceremony and public discussion moderated by Journalist Callie Crossley
Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University presents Gwen Ifill, recipient of the 2009 Louis P. and Evelyn Smith First Amendment Award; moderated by Callie Crossley.
Followed by an open discussion and book signing. Admission is free and open to all. Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington Street (corner of Milk St.), Boston, MA. Wheelchair accessible and conveniently located near the State St. and Downtown Crossing stops on the MBTA.
Join us for a conversation with author Daniel Faber based on his book, "Capitalizing on Environmental Injustice: The Polluter-Industrial Complex in the Age of Globalization" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2008). "Capitalizing..." is a comprehensive assessment of the environmental justice movement, examining the achievements and challenges confronting the movement, along with an emphasis on new strategies of environmental problem-solving and innovations in environmental policy.
On the faculty of Northeastern University, Daniel Faber has studied environmental injustice and called attention to radical inequalities. For example, in 2001, Faber found that "If you live in a community of color in Massachusetts, for example, the chances are 19 times higher that you live in one of the 25 most environmentally-burdened communities in the state." He is also an expert on corporate influence over public policy.
EVENT FOLLOWED BY A WINE-&-CHEESE-STYLE RECEPTION.
[Note: This event was re-scheduled from January 15, 2009]
This event is sponsored by Massachusetts Global Action.
Prof. Chomsky is an Institute Professor emeritus and professor emeritus of linguistics at the MIT. He is considered the father of modern linguistics. Since the 1960s, Prof. Chomsky has become known more widely as a political dissident, anarchist, and a libertarian, socialist intellectual. Beginning with his opposition to the Viet Nam War, he established himself as a prominent critic of U.S. foreign and domestic policy.
The First Parish in Malden, Universalist is located at Elm and Pleasant Streets (Route 60), three blocks west of the Malden Center MBTA Orange Line Station. For more information, call 781-322-0474 or 781-662-7299.
From Boston and points west: Follow Route 60 east (exit 32 off Route 93) to Malden Center. Cross the Fellsway West and Fellsway East. First Parish is the large stone church on the left next to the Beebe Elementary School (and before the Malden business district).
From the North Shore: Follow Route 60 west (exit off Route 1) to Malden Center. Go through the business district and past the Malden Center T station. First Parish is the large stone church on the right next to the Beebe Elementary School.
Free parking is available in the lot between the church and the Beebe Elementary School. Turn north at Highland Ave at the small park with a statue of a Spanish-American War soldier. Then bear right onto Elm Street. Use the entrance on the Elm Street side of the building.
"In Between" is a semi-autobiographic al one man show that portrays the complexities and contradictions inherent in Palestinian-Israeli identity. On the precipice between two cultures stands Ibrahim Miari. In Between recalls his childhood in Acco, memories of his Jewish and Palestinian grandmothers, of war, and of the struggle to shape and understand his own multi- faceted identity - a struggle further complicated by his imminent marriage to a Jewish American woman.
"In Between" is a semi-autobiographic al one man show that portrays the complexities and contradictions inherent in Palestinian-Israeli identity. On the precipice between two cultures stands Ibrahim Miari. In Between recalls his childhood in Acco, memories of his Jewish and Palestinian grandmothers, of war, and of the struggle to shape and understand his own multi- faceted identity - a struggle further complicated by his imminent marriage to a Jewish American woman.
Meet on the Northeastern University side of Ruggles and then process to the commuter bus area, which will be a spot with good visibility. We will have have relevant signs and hope others will join us with signs along the lines of "We say NO to Israeli Apartheid."
Sponsors :
Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights
Visions of Peace with Justice Israel/Palestine
ADCMA The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts: International Socialist
Organization;
Muslim Student Association;
Queer
Student Center
UMASS Boston Anti-War Coalition
(chapter of Campus Anti-War Network)
CUBAN ART COMES TO BOSTON Celebrate the opening of our new gallery in Boston's South End. Join us for wine, Cuban delicacies, and artwork from the island never before seen in the United States.
Featuring new works by Edel Bordon & Luis Rodriguez NOA
On Friday, March 6, at 7 PM, former Palestinian fighter Bassam Aramin and former Israeli soldier Yaniv Reshef, members of the Jerusalem-based Combatants for Peace, speak at the church as part of their U.S. tour.
Combatants for Peace is a movement of more than 600 former Israeli soldiers and former Palestinian fighters who now work together using nonviolence to build justice and peace. Mr. Aramin lost his ten-year- old daughter to an Israeli soldier¹s rubber bullet. Mr. Reshef lives in range of Gaza missiles.
Visit rebuildingalliance.pbwiki.com for the complete tour schedule.
The Combatants for Peace tour is sponsored September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, founded by family members of those killed on 9/11; The Peace Abby, located in Sherborn, a multi-faith retreat center; and The Rebuilding Alliance, a nonprofit organization that rebuilds homes and communities in regions of war and occupation.
Behind the layoffs, foreclosures and bankruptcies, lurks the danger of an ever-deepening economic crisis. The scale of federal bailouts and the less debated but much bigger guarantees to bankers boggles the mind. Just last year it was argued that single-payer health care costs at $120 billion was too expensive... That was then! How are we to make sense of all of this? Richard Krushnic's presentation will get us started on the topic. Come join the conversation as we think about economic alternatives beyond Keynes and other messiahs.
Can you imagine this scenario: a Palestinian fighter and an Israeli soldier laying down their weapons and coming together to work for peace?
Two Combatants for Peace representatives are coming to Boston to receive the "Courage of Conscience Award" at the Peace Abbey in Sherborne, MA on March 13. Please join us on March 7 for what promises to be a fascinating discussion with Guy Elhanan and Bassam Aramin.
Combatants for Peace is a group of Israelis and Palestinians who were actively involved in the cycle of violence in our area. The Israelis served as combat soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces and the Palestinians were involved in acts of violence in the name of Palestinian liberation. We all used weapons against one another, and looked at each other only through weapon sights; however today we cooperate and commit ourselves to the following:
We no longer believe that the conflict can be resolved through violence.
We believe that the blood bath will not end unless we act together to terminate the occupation and stop all forms of violence.
We call for the establishment of a Palestinian State, alongside the State of Israel. The two states can exist in peace and security one by the other.
We will use only non violent means to achieve our goals and call for both societies to end violence.
Donations will be requested to cover travel expenses for the Combatants for Peace.
Tour sponsors: September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, The Rebuilding Alliance, Peace Abbey of Sherborne MA.
Event sponsors: Cambridge United for Justice with Peace, Somerville/ Medford United for Justice with Peace, Cambridge Peace Commission, Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East.
"In Between" is a semi-autobiographic al one man show that portrays the complexities and contradictions inherent in Palestinian-Israeli identity. On the precipice between two cultures stands Ibrahim Miari. In Between recalls his childhood in Acco, memories of his Jewish and Palestinian grandmothers, of war, and of the struggle to shape and understand his own multi- faceted identity - a struggle further complicated by his imminent marriage to a Jewish American woman.
Social activist and best-selling historian Howard Zinn introduces his favorite film, the searing political epic Burn! (1969), at the Coolidge Corner Theatre on Monday, March 9 at 7 p.m, as part of the theatre’s 75th-anniversary celebrations.
Gillo Pontecorvo, the acclaimed director of The Battle of Algiers, explores colonialism and insurrection in Burn! Sir William Walker (Marlon Brando) is called to the fictional island of Queimada to instigate an uprising of black slaves against Portuguese rule in order to benefit British sugar traders. Years later, when the same rebels whom Sir William had incited grow to be too powerful, he is called back to destroy the movement he had helped spawn. As Walker, Brando gives a complex, intelligent portrayal of a man who is both gentleman and scoundrel, revolutionary and colonialist. Brando often remarked that he did some of his best acting in Burn!
Howard Zinn has long been active in the civil rights, civil liberties, and anti-war movements, and has written extensively on all three subjects. He is professor emeritus in the Political Science Department at Boston University and has also taught at Spelman College in Atlanta. Zinn is the author of more than 20 books, most notably A People's History of the United States. First published in 1980, A People’s History has sold more than one million copies, making it one of the bestselling history books of all time. Zinn has also written three plays: Daughter of Venus, Emma, and Marx in Soho. He is the subject of the 2004 documentary biopic, Howard Zinn: You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train.
Tell the Obama Administration and Congress: End the Bush Administration's Frame Ups Designed to Politically Assassinate Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner and Other Progressive elected Leaders
Sign online petition at www.iacboston.org/chuckturnerpetition.html
View youtube video of Ramsey Clark press conference defending Chuck Turner at: www.youtube.com/user/IACBoston
For more info and to donate to Chuck's defense, go to www.supportchuckturner.com
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation How You Can Sustain the US Campaign
To generate more momentum and bring us closer to our goal, we need sustained support. That's why we're asking you to join our Olive Branch Club and make a regular monthly tax-deductible contribution of $5-$200 per month.
IMEMC (Internal Middle East Media Center) seeks urgent funding and/or logistical support to maintain its operations.
One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. it is simply too painful to acknowledge ~ even to ourselves ~ that we've been so credulous: Carl Sagan
Here is a must see hour-long BBC film that effectively makes the case that the "war on terror" is a blatant scam to keep people fearful, politicians powerful and provide an effective smokescreen for the implementation of the New World Order. A must see video.
After watching this film you will always cringe when you hear the phrase "The War on Terror " and recognize it as both a bamboozle and scam perpetrated by the prince of darkness himself, Richard Perle, as well as Tony Blair and the Cheney/Bush crime syndicate in order to accomplish their global neocon objectives.
From U.S. Rep John Conyers: A Serious Reformer Needed for Surgeon General
Earlier this month I raised concerns about the trial balloon floated for Surgeon General, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
The doctor is a health commentator for CNN who dispenses medical advice with a breezy style appropriately suited to the brief two-minute segments of television. While he has earned praise for his television persona, there are undeniable drawbacks that would limit his effectiveness as an advocate for the comprehensive health care reform this country urgently needs.
The TV Doctor has close ties to the pharmaceutical and health care industries and for not disclosing the sources of his speaking fees which command up to $50,000 per appearance.
His strong criticisms of reform beg the question whether his cozy relationships with the health care industry would compromise his ability to lead the U.S. Public Health Service and serve as a vocal advocate for change.
Please Act Now. Demand a Serious Reformer for Surgeon General.
Too many questions linger about the qualifications of Sanjay Gupta for him to lead our Public Health Service. Thank you again for your commitment to a better democracy.
Your Friend,
John Conyers, Jr.
If you could help end modern-day slavery in Florida's fields with an email, would you?
Click here to take action today!
Even as we continue putting the pieces together for a major campaign calling on food service providers to take responsibility for farmworker exploitation, the latest case of slavery in Florida's fields - and Florida Governor Charlie Crist's deafening silence in response - compels us to take action in a different way today.
Please visit the SFA site (sfalliance.org) today and read the below message from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to find out more about this important action alert and to take action now.
Obama's nominee for Deputy Secretary of Defense, the chief operating officer of the Pentagon, is a lobbyist for Raytheon.
William Lynn, is due $1.5 million in payouts for his work lobbying for the defense industry. This revolving door has to stop. We need to break the military-industrial complex and stop having defense contractors and their lobbyists working on the inside of the Pentagon.
Please take two steps:
Write the Armed Services Committee and tell them to reject the nomination. The message - no defense contractor lobbyists inside the Pentagon.
Write President Obama and urge him to withdraw the nomination and replace it with an independent voice who will look critically on the bloated military budget.
Our task is bigger than ending the Iraq and Afghanistan wars - it is to challenge the military- industrial complex that has resulted in a military budget as big as the whole world combined. The nomination of William Lynn is an opportunity to say no to lobbyists inside the Pentagon.
Kevin B. Zeese, Executive Director
Voters For Peace
From Progressive Democrats of America:
"Healthcare, NOT Warfare"
And from Truth & Justice Radio:
"Single Payer, NOT extending Medicare"
Conversion to Single Payer should be included in the
"stimulus" package as it would increase health care
jobs, lower costs for employers, and cost a tiny
fraction of the $700-900 billion stimulus package.
It is estimated that 60% of home foreclosures are due
to a health care crisis on the part of a home owner.
[COMMENT FROM STAN: One person at PDA has bought
somebody's claim that the best way to do this is to
incrementally extend Medicare to all ages (i.e.,
descend the age requirement slowly). It comforts him
that this idea is showing some support in Congress and
the Executive branch. This is frightening. We know
that extending Medicare is NOT the best way. For many
reasons, we need 100% Single Payer, NOT more Medicare.
Medicare, with its thicket of substantial exclusions,
deductibles, copays, gaps, limits, provider
writedowns, privatization scams, and regressive
financing scheme, would be the WRONG way to go.
Congressmembers supporting Medicare extension should
be regarded as dangerous.]
PDA asks that we read the article
linked here.
PDA board member Norman Solomon points out in another
article (
We say "Healthcare NOT Warfare" and ask you to join
our campaign. The time has come to redirect
unnecessary and wasteful military spending to meeting
human needs.
PDA's suggested petition
asks to prioritize "Healthcare NOT Warfare."
In 2008, dozens of local and state parties passed
resolutions supporting single-payer healthcare, and
rejecting the occupation of Iraq. With our allies,
PDA successfully amended the 2008 Democratic Party
Platform to include "guaranteed health care for every
man, woman, and child" and "everybody in, nobody left
out." We hope to pass more resolutions to support
"Healthcare NOT Warfare" at the local and state
Democratic conventions, and in cities, counties, and
states across the country.
Do you know about the Fusion Center?
It knows about you.
Please take a moment to ask your state legislators to co-sponsor Senator Harriette Chandler's new bill -- An Act Regarding the Commonwealth Fusion Center and Other Intelligence Data Centers -- filed on behalf of the ACLU of Massachusetts.
So what is the Fusion Center anyway?
In the aftermath of 9/11, then-Governor Mitt Romney enlisted Massachusetts in a national plan to centralize and expand the government's ability to collect and retain detailed information on ordinary Americans, for the professed purpose of preventing terrorism.
Without public debate, Romney established the Commonwealth Fusion Center, a multi-agency data-mining hub which enables federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to comb through information about Massachusetts residents and engage in domestic intelligence collection beyond the bounds of ordinary criminal investigations.
Take action now! Find and contact your legislators. Urge them to support Senator Chandler's bill to provide oversight of the Commonwealth Fusion Center.
Historically, unregulated database-driven policing has led to broad surveillance of completely lawful activities, including protected First Amendment activity -- and it's happening again in Massachusetts in 2009.
The Fusion Center operates today with virtually no independent oversight, without adequate privacy protections, and without necessary protections for constitutional rights. With your help, we can -- and must -- shine a light on the Fusion Center's operations and insist that any intelligence operations in Massachusetts be conducted in keeping with established civil liberties principles.
The ACLU of Massachusetts Legislative Team
The Employee Free Choice Act is critical to our economic recovery. Good union jobs helped build America's middle class. This legislation will rekindle the American Dream by leveling the playing field and empowering workers to form unions and bargain for a better life.
That's why greedy CEOs are terrified of this bill. One top executive has called it "the demise of a civilization." And they're fighting with underhanded tactics, misleading ads, shady front groups and, of course, big budgets.
But we can win if enough of us get involved. Members of Congress have a weeklong break this month, and we've planned hundreds of lobby meetings at their home offices. Imagine those workers handing over our petition and being able to say, "Two million people support the Employee Free Choice Act."
a href=http://freechoiceact.org>Move us closer to 2 million signatures--it just takes one minute.
Disgrace for Democracy, Israel is detaining right now 40% of the Palestinian MPs who represent the people
Disgrace for Democracy: 51 Palestinian MPs and Ministers are Detained in Israeli prisons along with 11.870 Palestinian citizens
A serious crime and new political slap in the face for democracy is committed by the Zionist system against representatives of the Palestinian people by the abduction of the Palestinian ministers and MPs. The latest of which was the arrest of MP Ahmed al-Haj from the city of Nablus on 16/12/2007. Al-Haj is over Seventy-years old.
Earlier on the 10th MP Dr. Maryiam Saleh Minister for Women in the Palestinian government has been abducted too. Dr Mariyam is a member in the Legislative Council from Ramallah governorate.
The Minister of Palestinian Prisoner is in prison since many years... for the fifth time.
There are more than 11,870 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, 117 of them are mothers. Some give birth while chained, and their children are forced to live in the cells where they do not live their childhood or play or go out.
I don't have to tell you about lack of healthy conditions, or medical negligence. Some prisoners are denied warm clothes sent to them by their families. They are held in 30 different prisons, and detention centers. 1189 prisoners are schools, collage, and universities students of both genders, 330 of the detained are children. Not only the students were detained, but their teachers too, there are 107 Palestinian teachers in Israeli prisons. 1150 Palestinian prisoners suffer acute illnesses.
A large number of the detained are denied visits by family members.
Thousands of Palestinian detainees in the Negev desert prison and other detention camps such as Ofer prison near the town of Ramallah, Hawara, Qadumim, Megiddo, Nafha, Beer Sheva, Ashkelon and other prisons are shivering from the cold under waves of rain and snowfall coming from northern regions of the world especially that some are detained inside tents made of cloth surrounded by walls open to the cruel cold of the desert, living in wet tents caused by snow falls and rain, sleeping on boards made of wood which gets soaked wet.
Soon, April 17th is the International day of prisoners. I hope you can join in denouncing what the Israeli government is doing to those prisoners, and demand their release to join their families.
Do not rely on journalism to get the news, journalists were the first to be attacked and harassed so that you do not know what was going on.
The records documented 1147 aggressive attacks on journalists by the Israelis. Only between 28th of September 2000, and 31st of March 2007.
Please sign the petition and buy those prisoners some happiness.
We are hoping to get at least 11.000 signitures, one for each prisoner, and present this petition to International Human Rights bodies like Amnesty International, and United Nations. Please Circulate this petition to all the people you can get the message through to them. It is about time we show solidarity for each other on human level.
Sponsored by:
Iqbal Tamimi Creator of Palestinian Mothers Network
The Best Way To Light A Fire For Federal Prosecutions of Bush And Cheney Is To Get Collateral State Actions Going.
We have completed compiling a database of the current contact information for every state district attorney, for EVERY county in the country. And we have put it all together into an easy one click lookup function to help organize contacting your nearest state prosecutor, to call on THEM to step up to the plate, to stand up for justice and accountability, by prosecuting George Bush and Dick Cheney for their crimes.
In particular, renowned former prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi has laid out a compelling case for charging both Bush and Cheney with the premediated murder of American service men and women, for starting a war with Iraq on patently false pretenses. By using this new lookup page you can instantly get the mailing address, phone, fax, and in many cases also the email of your local prosecutor. This action is SO critical we have dedicated our entire main site homepage to it.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We are not asking anyone to file a formal criminal complaint yourself. Common sense tells us that state prosecutors will only act, in the exercise of their OWN discretion, if they believe there is a non-frivolous case to bring. But by speaking out, we can let them know there is community support for them to do so.
Israel's recent war on the occupied Gaza Strip brought death and destruction to Palestinians, and a windfall for war profiteers. Around the world, people are standing up and saying "No more" by boycotting and divesting from corporations that profit from Israel's human rights abuses. The people of Stockholm have severed their contract with the transit/waste removal corporation Veolia due to Veolia's involvement with Israel's settlements, and British Telecom company FreedomCall has ceased their cooperation with Israeli counterpart MobileMax due to the war on Gaza.
Join this growing global movement for boycotting, divesting from and sanctioning (BDS) those who support Israel's military occupation of Palestinian territories by becoming an organizer for our Hang Up On Motorola campaign. Motorola makes a lot more than cell phones - they also make at least four products that directly support Israel's occupation of and assaults on Palestinians. This is why we've created a tool-kit for boycotting Motorola until its products are no longer used by Israel to abuse Palestinian human rights.
Why Motorola?.
Bomb Fuses: Motorola Israel sells fuses that the Israeli Air Force uses in its MK-80 series of bombs. On July 30, 2006, during its war on Lebanon, the Israeli Air Force dropped an MK-84 bomb on an apartment building in Qana, Lebanon, killing at least 28 civilians.
Communication Devices for Occupation: Motorola's $100 million "Mountain Rose" communication system enhances the efficiency of Israeli occupying forces. Patterns of human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories include, but are not limited to, the killing and injuring of civilians, torture, extra-judicial assassinations, deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure, acts of collective punishment, and economic warfare.
Surveillance Devices for Israel's Illegal Wall: Motorola supplies the "Wide Area Surveillance System" (WAAS) to monitor and maintain Israel's illegal wall, constructed in violation of the July 2004 International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion. This wall is perhaps the strongest symbol of Israeli Apartheid, carving the West Bank into Bantustans. Surveillance Devices for Israel's Illegal
Settlements: Motorola has made $93 million providing radar detection devices and thermal cameras for 47 illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. Israel's confiscation of Palestinian land, its illegal settlements, illegal wall, and continued occupation would not be possible without Motorola's compliance.
The truth is buried about Israel's occupation of Palestine through sophisticated repetition of irrelevant rhetoric, distorted shuffling of time and placement of people's histories and other devious ways of keeping many afraid to form an opinion or act on outrage.
Well, here's a good cure for that - pick up a copy of Occupation 101 and you won't have to worry about being on any fences in regards to this issue. This highly informative video documentary will keep your mind attentive and clear all cobwebs in the brain by getting to the root cause of violence from the occupier and resistance from the occupied, all embellished with current examples and very pertinent comparisons to Apartheid South Africa.
A thought-provoking and powerful documentary film on the current and historical root causes of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Unlike any other film ever produced on the conflict - 'Occupation 101' presents a comprehensive analysis of the facts and hidden truths surrounding the never ending controversy and dispels many of its long-perceived myths and misconceptions.
The film also details life under Israeli military rule, the role of the United States in the conflict, and the major obstacles that stand in the way of a lasting and viable peace. The roots of the conflict are explained through first-hand on-the-ground experiences from leading Middle East scholars, peace activists, journalists, religious leaders and humanitarian workers whose voices have too often been suppressed in American media outlets.
The film covers a wide range of topics -- which include -- the first wave of Jewish immigration from Europe in the 1880's, the 1920 tensions, the 1948 war, the 1967 war, the first Intifada of 1987, the Oslo Peace Process, Settlement expansion, the role of the United States Government, the second Intifada of 2000, the separation barrier and the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as well as many heart wrenching testimonials from victims of this tragedy.
Tripoli Productions, DVD, NTSC all regions, 1.5 hour
plus bonus features.
leftbooks.com
From our activist friend Sandy Coy, who runs a weekly vigil Thursday afternoons in Wayland:
I am writing to ask activists, as well as my family and others who are not political activists, to join me in a simple action to launch what the whole world hopes will be a fresh start in a better direction. I feel I must write after reading a book today that one of my children gave me for Christmas, "Poems from Guantanamo: The Detainees Speak."
Most of the detainees do not know these poems were saved, declassified (much of their writing still has not been), translated and published. But it has happened, through the persistent work of many volunteer legal advocates. In these poems, the goodness of many souls and their hope in God and their fellow men for justice comes through. Some of the poems moved me to tears of both sorrow and shame.
But tears for them or anyone unjustly imprisoned will do no good. Doing something as simple as writing a brief card can actually help people who are being unjustly imprisoned.
How? When prisoners receive volumes of international mail, their jailers know they have lost the cover of anonymity. This leads to better treatment for the prisoner and ultimately their release, just to get the public spotlight to go away.
So, here's what I am asking of myself, my family and of you, which shouldn't take more than a few minutes:
Write out one or more cards for selected prisoners of conscience from any of 12 countries (one is a Guantanamo detainee) identified by Amnesty International.
This card to a prisoner of conscience is probably going to mean more than any other card we sent this year.From the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between
People (via our correspondent Mazin Qumsiyeh):
So far hundreds of civilians have been killed in Gaza.
Five sisters in one family, four other children in
another home, two children on a cart drawn by a
donkey. Universities, colleges, police stations,
roads, apartment buildings were all targeted. The UN
Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied
Palestinian areas issued a statement that "The Israeli
airstrikes on the Gaza Strip represent s evere and
massive violations of international humanitarian law
as defined in the Geneva Conventions, both in regard
to the obligations of an Occupying Power and in the
requirements of the laws of war."
Twenty-five things to do to bring peace with justice:
1) First get the facts and then disseminate them.
Here are some basic background information
The Lucy Parsons Center is proud to demonstrate that an all-volunteer, collectively-run radical bookstore and community center can survive in the capitalist United States, but the majority of our income comes from book sales and most of that goes straight to pay our landlord and bills.
That's why we need you! Without support from our community, we could not continue to function.
As the year draws to a close we are asking you to pledge to support the Lucy Parsons Center in 2009. We want 100 new monthly supporters kicking in $5 a month to help ensure our ability to offer radical books, talks, workshops, movies, meeting spaces, and whatever else you want to see happen as we work to build the better world.
100 supporters sounds like a lot and we are challenging ourselves to meet this goal. On the other hand, $5 a month isn't that much. It's the price of a beer with tip, less than a falafel, and come January less than the priority mail postage you'd have to pay to order the books you can ONLY find at the LPC over the internet.
Lucy Parsons Center
549 Columbus Avenue
Boston's South End
Telephone: (617) 267-6272
Email: lucyparsons@tao.ca
From Lexington Global Warming Action Coailtion LGWAC
In an 11th hour, blatant, political move that is similar to the one Ted Stevens tried to pull in 2005, on December 12, Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN) launched an effort to derail Cape Wind (proposed windfarm of 130 turbines in Nantucket Sound off Massachusetts).
Oberstar sent a letter to Commandant Thad Allen of the Coast Guard "requesting" an extraordinary and unprecedented review of the Coast Guard's OK as regards navigation hazards.
Oberstar's letter comes at the request of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, a group backed and fronted by Bill Koch, CEO of Oxbow. Oxbow's primary businesses are the mining and marketing of energy and commodities such as coal, petroleum coke, oil production, and composite pipe manufacturing. The Alliance's central mission is to stop Cape Wind, no matter what it takes, and has spent well over $15 million dollars, primarily on lawsuits, lobbying efforts and deliberate public relations campaigns promoting fearmongering and misinformation.
So we need you to help resist this maneuvering, and here's how.
ACTIONS:
1. Call Chairman Oberstar's offices
Washington DC: (202) 225-6211
Duluth, MN: (218) 727-7474
Tell him he should withdraw his request to the Coast
Guard Commandant.
2. Call the Coast Guard's public affairs office:
Telephone: (202) 372-4620
Tell them you support their efforts and to stand up to
Oberstar's bullying and that the American people
support Cape Wind and clean renewable energy.
3. Hit up Commandant
Thad Allen on his Facebook page
Tell him you support him and will join him in standing
up to Oberstar's bullying and that the American people
support Cape Wind and clean renewable energy.
Please call right away.
The damage from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike persist in Cuba. Tens of thousands homes need to be rebuilt, while building supplies remain limited due to the US Embargo. The following contacts can be used to assist Cuba in its continued reconstruction.
The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) in Jerusalem has been informed that its request for re-funding has been rejected, in high probability because of pressure brought to bear by right-wing Israeli neo-cons who have campaigned obsessively against our funding while threatening publicly to close us down.
Tax-deductible donations needed.
We have quietly been working away at TecsChange in Roxbury to refurbish computers. We recently sent one of our bigger shipments of 15 computers to a series of radio stations in Oaxaca, Mexico.
We work most Thurday evenings and Saturday afternoons
(1pm to at least 4 PM, usually longer)
We have one day a week where daytime volunteers come in. Presently it's Mondays but it might change soon.
Please call if you are interested.
TecsChange Office
617-442-4456
Doris Tennant and Ellen Lubell (of Newton) are representing a Guantanamo prisoner pro bono, so they are providing their time at no charge. However, their costs, including their own travel and that of a translator, translator fees, and Freedom of Information Act requests, are running at least $20,000 for this year, and will likely continue at that same pace or more. Most of the other attorneys who are representing Guantanamo detainees are members of large law firms that can cover these types of expenses, but in their case the two of them are the firm.
If you would like to make a contribution to help them defray costs, it would be much appreciated. Please make your check payable to "Tennant Lubell Detainee Fund." Your contribution will NOT be tax-deductible, but they promise to put it to good use to help provide fundamental legal rights to a man who remains in indefinite detention.
Doris Tennant, Esq.
Tennant Lubell, LLC
288 Walnut Street, Suite 500
Newton, MA 02460
617-969-9610, X 101
Fax: 617-969-9611
Just a friendly reminder that the holidays are coming and what better gift to give than a bottle of fairly traded extra-virgin olive oil from Palestine. We have plenty of oil available and should be able to fill all orders for the holidays. Think about buying a case of oil and instead of bringing a bottle of wine to your next dinner party, bring a bottle of olive oil instead!
We now ship anywhere in the continental US; please see
our website for details . Olive Branch Olive Oil
comes directly from the Palestinian Agricultural
Relief Committees (PARC)
Olive oil is the backbone of the Palestinian agricultural economy. Eighty percent of cultivated land in Palestine is planted with olive trees, and the olive harvest provides between 25 to 50 percent of a farming family's annual income. As the political and economic situation in Palestine worsens, olive oil has become a matter of basic survival for many Palestinian families. Buying this oil is a constructive and tangible way to help alleviate poverty and build peace.
Olive Branch Olive Oil is extra-virgin and comes in 750 ml (25 ounce) green glass bottles. Produced from the first pressing of the olives, extra- virgin olive oil contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil. Unopened bottles of olive oil are generally good for up to two years, and should be kept in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Palestinian farmers traditionally care for their trees without the use of pesticides or sprays.
Olive Branch Olive Oil is an outgrowth of a 2003 effort by Middle East peace activists in the Boston area to support Palestinian farmers. Since then, it has evolved into an ongoing volunteer project to create a U.S. market for Palestinian olive oil. Our goal is to make a tangible difference in the lives of the farmers and their families.
Any funds that are raised above and beyond the cost of the oil, importing fees and administrative and marketing costs are re-invested in purchasing more oil. Out of that amount, 15% is donated directly to worthy projects in Palestine. Past donation recipients include:
Gush Shalom Emergency Relief Convoy
Badil
Palestinian Children's Relief Fund
Gaza Community Mental Health Program
Zochrot
Palestinian Medical Relief Committees
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
Birthright Unplugged
American Friends Svc. Comm. Middle East Crisis Fund
American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA)
Olive Harvest Coalition
Union of Palestinian Women's Committees
Ibdaa Cultural Center
Grassroots International
Taayoush
How to Order
On our website with PAYPAL
or send a check to P.O. Box 1064, Arlington, MA 02474.
Each case contains twelve (12) 750ml bottles.
Prices for local pick-up in Arlington or Cambridge:
Case price $170/case
Bulk price for 7+ cases: $150/case
Bulk price for 10+ cases: $145/case
Case price shipped within continental US: $195/case
3 Bottles shipped within continental US: $65/3 bottles
For more information.
Harvard's Palestine Solidarity Committee will be holding a vigil for Gaza from 11:45 am to 12:15 pm on the steps of Memorial Church in Harvard Yard. All who care for Palestine are invited to attend. Please wear black and spread the word widely.
These are the meetings where we decide on events and discuss strategies to end the war. Anyone is welcome -- from seasoned activists to beginners and we look forward to building a dialogue with anyone opposed to the war. Our main tenent is that we are independent of both the Democratic and the Republican Party, such that we can build an anti-war movement that survives elections and continues to oppose the war, regardless of which candidate is in office.
Meet briefly at the statue to exchange thoughts,
then walk silently around the Yard and nearby streets,
returning to the statue by 12:30pm.
Southeast corner of Rt 27 and 30 (nearest to Brooks Pharmacy).
Come for all or part. Bring a candle, lantern, or flashlight.
Organizer: Sandy Coy.
Join the Boston Tea Party Conference call,
Participant call in: 402-756-9100; Access code: 680903#
Socialist Alternative Radio, 91.5 FM Boston
listen anytime on the Web at WMFO.org. A democratic socialist, working-class view of politics and culture, including solidarity announcements, interviews, music, and more.
Write to us at BostonSAradio@aol.com.
Join a Friday fast and/or protest in solidarity with illegal detentions. The fast began in 2005 when Nobel Peace Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Adolpho Esquivel, (Argentina), along with others around the world, chose this method to seek the release of our unjustly detained and tortured brothers and sisters.
In Boston, local activists Susan McLucas and Phoebe Knopf have joined the Friday fast and will protest every Friday in front of the JFK Building from noon to one. The action, which is rooted in nonviolence, includes speakers, music, hand-outs and petitions to create public pressure to stop all illegal detentions and to try those responsible for the illegal treatment of thousands of detainees, most of whom are Arab and Muslim men. Susan and Phoebe will be wearing orange jumpsuits.
On this day, Friday and from there on!, we hereby declare the
establishment of a new DeMilitarized Zone where all those who wish can
congregate to denigrate and repudiate the war machine and celebrate the
growth of the new movement from coast to coast willing to oppose the war and opression in
this country and around the world. Bring your signs, and minds, let's
chalk, talk, play music, paint art with caring and sharing and declaring
that we are "chilling *against* the villins" in this zone to show our
independence!!!!!
We declare our solidarity with the people of the Middle East who share
the misfortune of living on top of the largest oil reserves on the
planet which is the reason behind the current war on Iraq. We declare
our condemnation of those who support this criminal war commanded by
criminals who promote a criminal ideology with criminal intent and
crimes against humanity. We repudiate with prejudice the general assault
on our rights: abuses, excuses, jailings, raids, lies, spies,
xenophobia, torture, extraordinary rendition, and the general police
state system that says we must stand together and support this
generalized oppression. We are no longer the silent generation but are
now willing to Stand Apart and against the mass murdering villins who
are doin the real killin. Join us in the DMZ!!
Chillin against the villin's!!!
Our *DMZ* and our Independence.