THIS WEEK'S EVENTS
SUNDAY, MAR 22, 2009
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Dr. Aviva Chomsky will discuss how U.S. laws have
excluded different groups of people from full rights
over time, and how those excluded from rights have
served as a cheap labor force that has supported what
we think of as an "American standard of living." Dr.
Chomsky is Professor of History and Coordinator of
Latin American Studies at Salem State College and
author of "They Take Our Jobs! and 20 Other Myths
about Immigrants"
All Sunday Platform Meetings are held at 10:30 A.M. at
33 Garden St. in Cambridge, Massachusetts and are open
to the public. The building is accessible by car or
public transportation.
---------- Sunday----------
How is Christianity implicated in the rise of American
imperial power and what are the roles of religion in
the global civil society? This talk seeks to reclaim
the prophetic tradition for our time by introducing
the work of progressive religious thinkers.
Kwok Pui Lan is the William F. Cole Professor of
Christian Theology and Spirituality at the Episcopal
Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. She is the author of
Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology, and
coeditor of Empire and the Christian Tradition.
LUNCH ON SUNDAYS, 12:30PM
On Sunday after our morning programs, we have lunch
with one another in the Guatemala Room (3rd floor),
prepared by our cook Luis Alonso Guzman. Enjoy a
delicious lunch with friends! A small contribution is
requested to help cover lunch expenses.
---------- Sunday----------
1-4PM: Climate Leadership Workshop
Cambridge Innovation Center, One Broadway, 14th floor
Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA
Requested Donation: $15
Contact: Vanessa Rule
Scientific research suggests very alarming climate changes, and that we are nearing “tipping points”. Paleoclimatic records suggest that we need to take strong, immediate action. How do we effectively communicate the climate challenge, mobilize stronger action by more people, and help our communities make the transition to safe, clean, renewable energy?
At this workshop you will receive training, background information, and electronic access to a Sustainability Institute PowerPoint presentation that you can use as you wish. The resources and the training have been developed to help community leaders:
¨ Describe the latest climate science and what it means for our lives and the world;
¨ Summarize criteria for solutions that can sustain human civilization and earth’s ecosystems;
¨ Identify common emotions and reactions people have to the science, and share experience on how to respond effectively;
¨ Engage more people in education and action.
We’ll discuss approaches and strategies for reaching different populations. You’ll receive updates on advocacy and action campaigns from the MA Climate Action Network.
Many thanks to Cambridge Innovation Center for generously donating use of their space! This workshop is made possible by a generous grant to the Sustainability Institute and community volunteers.
Presenters:
Philip Rice, Ph.D., Sustainability Institute (www.sustainer.org). Dr. Rice directs the Our Climate Ourselves program of the Sustainability Institute, developing tools to help leaders communicate emerging climate science and solutions. He conducts workshops for sustainable development practitioners from around the world, and for colleges and universities, NGOs, and businesses. He works with SI's Climate Interactive Project helping to design web interface for a climate computer simulator/model being used by governments and organizations involved in the 2009 international climate treaty negotiations.
Tina Clarke, tinaclarke2@comcast.net, 413-863-5253. Tina Clarke has been a Campaign Director for Clean Water Action and an advocate, educator, consultant, and director of nonprofit programs since 1985. She led a national citizen advocacy training program for 16 faith denominations, and directed Greenpeace USA's citizen activist network. She provides consulting and training on citizen-based energy solutions and is a certified Transition Towns Trainer (www.transitiontowns.org).
To register: Email vanessarule@gmail.com If you have questions, please call Vanessa at 617-628-2571. Please bring cash or a $15 check made out to Somerville Climate Action to the event. Scholarships available.
Co-sponsored by the Sustainability Institute, Clean Water Action, First Parish Cambridge (Unitarian Universalist),
Cambridge Green Decade Coalition, Greenport, Mass Climate Action Network, Somerville Climate Action
Directions:
VIA THE T - Take Red Line to Kendall Square, Cambridge. One Broadway is across the street.
BY CAR
---------- Sunday----------
MONDAY, MAR 23, 2009
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10:30A-NOON: People's Movements (India):
The State and Civil Society
Medha Patkar
MIT Building 54-100
Known and loved by millions of villagers and urban
poor throughout India and the world over, Medha Patkar
is the founder of the Save the Narmada Movement and
the National Alliance of People's Movements. After
earning an M.A. in Social Work, she worked with
voluntary organizations in Bombay slums for 5 years as
well as in the tribal districts of Gujarat state. She
left her position on the faculty of Tata Institute of
Social Sciences, as well as her unfinished Ph.D., to
found an alliance with the millions of villagers who
are uprooted and made homeless by the Sardar Sarovar
Dam and other large dams along the Narmada River of
Central India. Among India's most dynamic activists,
her uncompromising insistence on the right to life and
livelihood has compelled the post-Independence
generation in India and around the world to revisit
the basic questions of natural resources, human
rights, environment, and development. Despite many
police beatings and jail terms, she continues to
believe in the inherent goodness of people and the
democratic system. She has served as a Commissioner to
the World Commission on Dams, the first independent
global Commission constituted to inquire on the water,
power and alternative issues, related to dams, across
the world.
Open to the general public
Sponsor(s): Association for India's Development - MIT,
The South Asia Forum at MIT
For more information, contact:
Nikhil Mittal
857 928 5463
---------- Monday ----------
This LexGWAC presentation will feature Mark Weissflog
from KW Management, who installed the Lexington High
School solar panels. Mark will talk about alternative
energy options for homeowners.
---------- Monday ----------
Director Greg Greene takes us "through the looking
glass" on a journey of discovery - a sobering yet
vital and ultimately positive exploration of what the
second half of the Oil Age has in store for us.
---------- Tuesday ----------
WEDNESDAY, MAR 25, 2009
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NOON-1:30PM: UNDERSTANDING PALESTINE AND ISRAEL: HISTORY MATTERS
ELAINE C. HAGOPIAN
Professor Emerita of Sociology, Simmons College, Boston.
Community Change Library on Racism
14 Beacon Street, Room 605
Boston MA 02108
RSVP 617-523-0555 or email us.
Please bring your lunch. Beverages will be provided.
$5 contribution requested.
Hagopian was Visiting Professor and Distinguished
Lecturer at the American University of Beirut and the
American University in Cairo respectively. She served
with UNESCO and UNICEF in the Middle East. She was
awarded two Fulbright-Hays Faculty research Grants for
research in the Middle East.
The first in our series UNDERSTANDING PALESTINE AND
ISRAEL, this discussion will cover the origin and
evolution of the conflict, highlighting the pre-and
post 1948 war up to the present, including the
emergence of Hamas's dispute with the Palestinian
Authority and its Fatah component. The two-state and
one-state solutions will be explained and evaluated.
Woven into the talk will be the impact of the conflict
on the development of racism and discriminatory acts
against Arabs and Muslims in this country.
The current public discourse around race assumes that
we live in a color-blind society where the American
Dream is attainable by all individuals who work hard
enough. This deeply flawed discourse obscures the
racial disparities in employment, education, criminal
justice, housing, health care, etc. and provides a
powerful but faulty rationale for leaving our systems
and institutions the way they are. The issues
presented at the Community Change Brown Bag Discussion
Series are concrete examples of the structural racism
that affects the lives of all, most acutely
communities of color. The 2009 Series places these
issues in their social/historical context and gives
attendees a truthful discourse, as well as ways to put
that discourse into action, in order to challenge
institutional and systemic racism.
---------- Wednesday ----------
7PM: The Fight for Workers' Rights and Justice
A Speech by Kim Bobo
Rapaporte Treasure Hall, Brandeis University
Reception to follow
Renowned social justice leader and organizer Kim Bobo
will speak on the Brandeis campus.
Kim Bobo is the founder of Interfaith Worker Justice
in Chicago, Illinois, a network of people of faith
that calls upon our religious values in order to
educate, organize, and mobilize the religious
community in the United States on issues that improve
wages, benefits, and conditions for workers, and give
voice to workers in low-wage jobs. Her recent book,
Wage Theft in America: How Millions of Working
Americans Are Not Getting Paid And What We Can Do
About It, was released in November 2008. It is the first
and only book to document the wage theft crisis in the
nation and propose practical solutions for addressing
it.
Kim will speak about her life's work in organizing and
mobilizing people of all backgrounds to work together
to effect social change. She firmly believes in the
value of cross-cultural and interreligious
communication. Kim's words will be inspiring to all
who attend the event, and participants will have time
to ask her questions after her remarks.
This event is co-sponsored by the Louis D. Brandeis
Legacy Fund for Social Justice, the Brandeis Labor
Coalition, the Brandeis Chaplaincy, BUILD (Brandeis
University Interfaith Leadership Development) Fellows
Program, the Legal Studies Program, the Social Justice
and Social Policy Program, the Peace, Conflict, and
Coexistence Studies Program, the International Center
for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life, and Cooperative
Metropolitan Ministries.
For more information, contact Raquel Rosenblatt at
Brandeis ext. 64022 or Rosenblatt@brandeis.edu
---------- Wednesday ----------
7PM: Radical Film Night at the Lucy Parsons Center
ISEDUC Presents The Case Of Monsenor Romero
Lucy Parsons Center
549 Columbus Avenue
Boston's South End
Telephone: 617.267.6272
Always Free
ISEDUC (Salvadorean Initiative of Education and Culture) presents and discusses The Case of Monsenor Romero, is a documentary made and edited for UCA production, that portrays the story of Monse?Romero life’s, the Salvadoran Archbishop that was murdered during the civil war in El Salvador in the 1980, how he changed his attitude and took the Optional Preferential for the Poor. It explains why he got the title of the “Voice of the Voiceless”, and depicts the struggle among the clergy and the support of the most vulnerable in the country, and how he was murdered. The video is a great tool to learn more about his legacy.
ISEDUC (Instituto Salvadoreno de Educacion y Cultura) presenta y discute El Caso Monsenor Romero, es un documental hecho y editado por Producciones UCA que presenta la historia de la vida de Monsenor Romero, el Arzobispo Salvadorenuien fue asesinado durante la guerra civil en El Salvador en el anio 1980, como el cambio su actitud y tomo le Opcion Preferencial por los pobres. Porque se le dio el titulo de “la Voz de los sin Voz”, la lucha que tuvo entre el clero y el apoyo de los mas vulnerables del pais, y como fue asesinado. El video es una buena herramienta para aprender mas de su legado.
---------- Wednesday ----------
THURSDAY, MAR 26, 2009
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"Eat locally" has become the new moral mantra for
citizen gastronomes concerned about global warming,
corporate agriculture, and the dissolution of
community. So quickly and broadly has the movement
spread that even Wal-Mart touts locally-grown produce
on its enormous shelves. But how much do food miles
matter? And what does this cavalcade to the farmers'
market say about our fears and hopes as a culture
faced with overlapping crises? Is buying "local"
necessarily ethical, or is it more complicated than
that? Join us for a lively conversation - and some low-
food-mile nibblies! - on this hot topic.
Speakers:
David Pimentel, Cornell University
Susanne Freidberg, Associate Professor of Geography,
Dartmouth College
Steve Johnson, Owner and Executive Chef, Rendezvous
Restaurant
Moderator: Steven Shapin, Franklin L. Ford Professor
of the History of Science, Harvard University
Christina English
---------- Thursday ----------
7PM: Revolution in the United States:
Why It's Necessary, Why It's Possible, How Can We Get
There
42 SEAVERNS AVE. JAMAICA PLAIN
We live in a time of horror and hope. There is the
horror of a country mired in endless war and marked by
incredible inequality. But there is also hope that
things can change. For socialists, the fight for
change today is part of a struggle for revolutionary
change in the future. Join us for a discussion on why
revolutionary change in the US is necessary and
possible, what a revolution could look like and what
we can do today as part of that struggle.
Boston - International Socialist Organization
For more info call 617-648-0561
or email isoboston@yahoo.com
---------- Thursday ----------
FRIDAY, MAR 27, 2009
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10th National Student Labor Week of Action (NSLWoA)
"Resist and Reclaim our Future"
This week is sponsored by:
MEChA, SLAP, SFA, USAS, USSA, YCL, YDC and Farmworker
Awareness Week.
This year's NSLWoA from March 27th to April 4th will
feature actions on college campuses and in cities
across the country. This year - in a time of political
transition and national economic turmoil - we also
want to ensure students and workers have a role in
shaping the economic recovery and building a future in
which student and labor issues are prioritized rather
than ignored. We invite you to participate once again
in the NSLWoA and join us as we demand:
- Living wages for all campus employees and the
passage of the Employee Free Choice Act University
codes of conduct that support workers' rights both on
campus and overseas
- Development of "green jobs" that support workers in
our communities and promote a healthy environment
- Access to higher education for all and the passage
of the DREAM Act
- Fair wages & working conditions for the people who
grow our food and harvest our crops
Download an organizing manual from www.unionvoice.org
that will serve as a great resource for planning
actions on your campus and in your community. The
manual includes fact sheets, sample organizing
timelines, press release templates, and other tips on
how to launch successful, student-led actions. A
materials request form is at the end of manual, so
please fill it out and we will send you documentaries
on worker's rights, posters, buttons, T-shirts, and
other cool stuff to publicize and support your
activities. Feel free to reproduce and share this
manual widely.
To hear what is happening around the country and share
what you are doing during this amazing week join our
conference call tomorrow Wed @ 8pm est - RSVP to
maria@jwj.org for details.
---------- Friday ----------
4-5PM: Immigrants' Rights are Human Rights RALLY
Everyone has the right to liberty, freedom of
movement,
and the right not to be arbitrarily
detained!
Boston City Hall
1 City Hall Square Government Center
The Speakers: Larry Cox, Executive Director, Amnesty
International USA, Eva Millona, Executive Director,
MIRA Coalition Joshua Rubenstein, Northeast Regional
Director, Amnesty International USA Alice Wolf, MA
State Representative Rocio Saenz, President, Local
615, SEIU Laura Rotolo, Massachusetts American Civil
Liberties Union Register today! 2009 AGM: Seizing the
Moment, Building the Movement March 27-29, 2009 -
Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers
Today, more than 300,000 men, women and children are
detained by U.S. Immigration authorities each year.
They include asylum seekers, torture survivors,
victims of human trafficking, longtime lawful
permanent residents, and the parents of US citizen
children. The use of detention as a tool to combat
unauthorized migration denies our international human
rights.
www.massjwj.net or call 617-524-8778
---------- Friday ----------
2 day Conf: New Strategies for the Obama Era: Are We Ready?
A New England Wide Conference that brings together
Young People with Older Activists concerned about
Peace, the Climate Crisis, The Economic Crisis and
Social Justice
March 27-28 @ Tufts University
Please Register Now!!
Featured Speakers Include: Noam Chomsky, Bill Fletcher
Jr., Phyllis Bennis, Emily Kawano, Arjun Makhijani,
Raed Jarrar, Anna Galland, William Moomaw and Tom
Hayden
You are invited to an exciting, and what we think will
be a truly remarkable, New England-wide peace, social
justice and environmental sustainability conference.
It is being organized by the American Friends Service
Committee and Tufts University's Peace and Justice
Studies Program, and is co-sponsored by United for a
Fair Economy, City Life/Vida Urbana, Teen Empowerment,
United for Justice with Peace, Mass. Jobs with
Justice, The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
and Mass. Peace Action. It will be held at Tufts
University, Friday March 27 and Saturday the 28th,
with a youth caucus continuing into Sunday the 29th.
Please note: For the Bill Fletcher and Noam Chomsky
plenary session on Friday evening at 6pm, the first
250 people to register will get into the main hall
with Bill and Noam. Those who register later will have
the pleasure of seeing them on video in the next room.
On Saturday we have a bigger hall so we will all be
together with the speakers.
While we feel a sense of relief and achievement with
Barack Obama's election and fledgling presidency, we
also know with the economic crisis, the escalating war
in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the ongoing war in Iraq
and growing military budget, as well as the rapidly
increasing dangers of global warming, there is a lot
that our popular movements must do if we are to have
the change we need.
As you can see from our list of speakers and resource
people, we have assembled an extraordinary range of
people to work with us in providing essential
background information and charting strategies for
peace, economic recovery and justice, and creation of
a sustainable environment. Friday evening discussion
sessions and a wide range of Saturday focused
workshops (see below) will complement in depth plenary
sessions Friday evening, Saturday morning and Saturday
afternoon.
It is also worth noting that this will be an inter-
generational conference, bringing together students
and young activists as well as those with years of
experience.
Workshop speakers & resource people include:
Foreign & Domestic Policies for Real Security:
Alternatives to the "War on Terror" and 21st Century
Imperialism
Joseph Gerson & Zia Mian
The Majority Agenda: >From Concept to Action
Mark Solomon, Suren Moodliar and Paul Shannon
Building a Youth and Student Movement for the Obama
Years
Anna Galland
Counter Recruiting
Sam Diener, Robert Dove & Alex Fried
Economic Crisis 101: Background for Understanding the
Causes, Consequences and opportunities of the U.S. and
Global Economic Crisis
Emily Kawano
Funding the New New Deal: From the Pentagon Budget to
the People's Budget
Greg Speeter and Jo Comerford
Introduction to the Peace Movement 101: History,
Overview, and Effectiveness
Paul Joseph
Introduction to the Environmental Movement 101:
History and Overview
Dale Bryan
Labor's Agenda for the Obama Years
Russ Davis
No Nukes: The Dangers of Nuclear Power Plans,
Alternatives and Popular Movements
Erin Placey, Others TBA
Is It Plausible to Reclaim Our Communities Within the
Framework of a Green Economy?
Eduardo Suarez, Darlene Lambos, Kalila Barnett, Jon
Weissman
Bridging the Gaps: Models for Inter-Racial, Multi-
Class Organizing for Justice and Peace
Mike Prokosch Daryl Wright, Becky Pierce
For a Non-Nuclear, Non-CO2 Future
Arjun Makhijani
G.I. Organizing and Resistance
IVAW & MFSO
Israel, Palestine & the Arab World - Background,
Alternatives and Advocacy
Phyllis Bennis, Martha Yager & Omar Baddar
Is a Humane & Just Immigration Reform Possible During
the Economic Crisis? Immigrant Organizers Speak Out.
Panel & Discussion
Patty Montes, Jenneatte Huezo, Gabriel Camacho
Influencing Beltway Politicians & the Democratic Party
Tim Carpenter, Shelagh Foreman
Fighting Foreclosures: Keeping families in their home
James Brooks, Melanie Griffiths
Lessons for Today from the New Deal
Larry Friedman
New Technologies for Peace & Justice Organizing
Anna Galland and Suren Moodliar
Obama and the Bomb: 21st Century Nuclear Weapons
Dangers and the Promise of Abolition
Joseph Gerson
From Activism to Organizing: How to Build Youth Power
Camilo Viveiros
Understanding and Resisting the Continuing Iraq War
Raed Jarrar, Nancy Lessin and Paul Shannon
Link to detailed information about the conference, including a
registration form.
---------- Friday ----------
Featuring
BROADCAST LIVE
RIDERS AGAINST THE STORM
CATCH WRECK
Come support the people of Gaza at this critical time!
After months of blockades denying food, medical
supplies, and fuel, and the invasion and bombing of
Gaza by the Israeli Occupation Forces killing over
1400 people, Gaza is still under siege. Palestinians
are still dying from the brutal repression and the
blockades are still in place. The Zionist government
continues to wage genocide on Palestinians, and
Palestinians continue to resist. It is crucial now
that they receive aid from abroad in solidarity with
Palestinian resistance and survival.
In an effort to support this, The Qawem Coalition will
host a night of music, food, and information on March
27th, at 7PM. All funds raised will go as direct
financial aid to families in Gaza. The night will
feature performances by Broadcast Live, a hip hop band
from Albany committed to social justice and community
empowerment,as well as Riders Against the Storm, and
Catch Wreck.
Please join us in solidarity with the people of Gaza
and broader Palestine, and enjoy good music and
Palestinian food while learning more about the
situation in Gaza today.
For people wishing to either buy tickets (or a group
of tickets) to the fundraiser before the event or to
just make a general donation to families in Gaza, you
can send checks made out to NECDP and please put in
comments section: "Qawem Benefit for Gaza". Please
specify whether you are purchasing tickets or just
making a general donation. Your tickets will be held
at the door.
Please mail to the following address ASAP:
NECDP
PO Box 681
East Boston, MA 02128
The Qawem Coalition is a coalition of organizers from
many different struggles who have come together in
solidarity with the people of Palestine and their
resistance.
More info: qawem@riseup.net
---------- Friday ----------
Featuring:
James Circello, Sergeant, U.S. Army, 2001-2007, AWOL
April-November 2007, "Operation: Iraqi Freedom"
veteran
Priscilla Lounds, Specialist, U.S. Army, 1986-1989
Just last month alone, 5,000 jobs were lost across the
state of Massachusetts. The unemployment and home
foreclosure rates in Roxbury and Dorchester are five
times higher than the city average. Several Boston
public schools are closing and college students face
skyrocketing costs. In too many neighborhoods,
military recruiters outnumber college recruiters.
Thousands in Boston, and millions across the country,
are struggling daily. All the while, nearly $1 billion
is spent yearly on prisons and the police in the
Boston area, and the Pentagon war budget exceeds $1
trillion dollars annually.
Please join us to hear from veterans their perspective
on the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the
struggle of working people in the U.S. and discuss how
we can fight back and win real change.
Meet James:
James enlisted in the Army in September 2001 and was
deployed with the 173rd Airborne Brigade during the
2003 invasion of Iraq. His experience there
strengthened his occupation to the so-called "War on
Terror." In 2007, rather than accept deployment to
Afghanistan, James went AWOL for 8 months, speaking
out against the war along the Gulf Coast to Hurricane
Katrina survivors.
Of his experience in Iraq, James writes: "...the truth
about what the United States government has done to
the country of Iraq became more apparent. Open waste
water flowed through neighborhood streets where
children played soccer. Families were thrown out of
their homes with simple accusations from others.
Vehicles were taken on sight by the military if
individuals couldn't provide proper documents claiming
they own the vehicle.
James is active with Iraq Veterans Against the War
(IVAW) and the Veterans and Service Members Task Force
of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, in Washington D.C.
Meet Priscilla:
Priscilla joined the army at 22 because she had a dead-
end job and no money for college. After three years of
experiencing widespread racism and sexism, she refused
to continue in the army and received an honorable
discharge.
Of her time in the Army, Priscilla says: "I
experienced firsthand how the command strategically
pits one soldier against the other based on race,
nationality, religion and gender."
Today, Priscilla is active with the Veterans and
Service Members Task Force of the A.N.S.W..E.R.
Coalition, in Connecticut.
Hosted by: The Party for Socialism and Liberation
(PSL) - Boston. The PSL is a member group of the
A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition.
For more information:
857.334.5084
Boston@SocialismandLiberation.org
PSLWeb.org
---------- Friday ----------
SATURDAY, MAR 28, 2009
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9AM-NOON: Neighborhood Weatherization Party
Followed by food and networking
97 Sheridan St., Jamaica Plain
Organized by BostonCAN (Boston Climate Action Network)
with support from Boston Workers Alliance and the
Nexus Center
Learn home weatherization skills while making new
friends. Volunteer tradespeople will lead teams of
neighbors doing hands-on work to seal air leaks and
insulate. You'll be helping to stop global warming
too.
Free and open to the public but sadly not wheelchair
accessible.
Please pre-register by emailing:
bostonclimateaction@gmail.com
or calling Loie at 617-278-1885,
so we can make sure we have enough tradespeople to
train everyone. Kids are welcome too but we need to
know their names and ages so we can arrange childcare
on site or near by.
---------- Saturday ----------
2 day conf: One State for Palestine/Israel:
A Country for All Its Citizens?
March 28 and 29, 2009
University of Massachusetts in Boston. NO FEE.
Announcement and Invitation to an International
Conference
Trans Arab Research Institute (TARI), an independent
American think tank registered in the state of
Massachusetts, and the William Joiner Center for the
Study of War and Its Social Consequences of the
University of Massachusetts are convening an
international conference to undertake a critical
assessment of the current status of the two state
solution to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and to
explore the logic and feasibility of a one-state
solution based on equal citizenship for Palestinians
and Israelis.
We believe that this conference is timely and relevant
to the challenges facing Palestinians and Israelis.
The two parties, supported by many international
efforts, have been seeking to resolve their conflict
and achieve peace based on a two state solution for
more than 15 years. Yet they are still far from
achieving this goal. Their visions differ
irreconcilably to date, and the obstacles to a
peaceful and just resolution of the conflict have
multiplied. The impact of the Israeli assault on Gaza
has further complicated the pursuit of a just
solution. Leading scholars from Palestine, Israel, the
US, Canada and Europe will take part in the
discussions in the two-day program examining paths to
a just and lasting resolution of the current conflict.
The two sponsoring institutions invite you to attend
what promises to be a noted event. Since places are
limited, we ask those wishing to attend to register in
advance. Admittance to all conference functions are
restricted to registered individuals, space
permitting. There are no registration fees. Come,
listen & participate in this unique event.
For program, speaker bios, schedule, registration (no
fee), special hotel rate, etc.:
---------- Saturday ----------
11AM: Rally to Save our Community
Bank of America, 1 State St in Lynn
March to the bank at 10 am,
from VFW Post 507, 90 High Rock St in Lynn
FREEDOM TO JOIN UNIONS! Pass the Employee Free Choice
Act. END CORPORATE WELFARE AND CORRUPTION! FORECLOSURE
MORATORIUM! Keep tenants and home-owners in their
homes. RE-NEGOTIATE MORTGAGES!
For a video about the Employee Free Choice Act go to:
www.nslaborcouncil.org
Are you sick and tired of the banks getting bail out
money and using it against us? Did you know that Bank
of America took our tax dollars and is now using it to
fund anti-Employee Free Choice groups? We are calling
on them to be responsible to our communities, and use
our tax dollars money to go into foreclosure
prevention instead of employee repression.
Everyone is invited! Spread the word far and wide.
When Labor and Community Fight Together, We Win
Together!
Please let Rosa know that you are coming at 781-595-
2538 or northshorelaborcouncil@gmail.com
More Info: www.massjwj.net or call 617-524-8778
---------- Saturday ----------
7:30PM: Coffeehouse for Peace, People and the Planet
Benefit for Veterans for Peace and Arlington/Lexington
United for Justice with Peace
Calvary United Methodist Church
(this church is not affiliated with groups)
300 Mass. Ave. Arlington
(Linwood St. or Foster St. stop on MBTA bus #77 - ample free parking in area.)
$10.00 suggested donation
Performers include: Pat Scanlon and Band, folksinger
Chris Nauman, poet Dorian Brooks, storyteller George
Capaccio and piano interludes during breaks with Lily
Heckard.
For more information: 781-648-6756
---------- Saturday ----------
6-9PM: "Oppression and Pleasure" (Opening Reception)
exhibition featuring visual art by Kate Millett
curated by Heide Hatry
[suggested donation $10]
Pierre Menard Gallery
10 Arrow St., Cambridge
Exhibition runs 22 March through 12 April.
Regular gallery hours, which are free and open to the
public: open daily, 12-8 pm.
Pierre Menard Gallery is proud to announce an
exhibition of selected visual art works by Kate
Millett, including drawings, print and sculptures.
Although Millett is best known as a pioneer of the
modern feminist movement, author of the groundbreaking
classic Sexual Politics, she has lived and practiced
as an artist throughout her life and has been the
subject of a number of shows in both museums and
private galleries. Like her nuanced, articulate,
diverse and provocative writings, Millett's visual art
spans a broad range of interests, media, styles and
tones, from elegant minimalist nudes to thoughtful
fluxoid constructions and neo-dada whimsy to austere,
impersonal and often quite large-scale constructions,
in which her insight into the politics of the human
condition and the inhumanity of politics are ever in
evidence.
Millett's artistic vision is as distinctive and humane
as her literary voice, ranging over betrayal, loss,
injustice and even murder without abandoning love,
honor, hope and joy.
Background information:
Visual artist, feminist writer, and activist Kate
Millett runs an art colony for women in Poughkeepsie,
NY. Some of her visual art work can be viewed at
www.katemillett.com.
Catharine MacKinnon specializes in sex equality issues
under international and constitutional law. She
pioneered the legal claim for sexual harassment and,
with Andrea Dworkin, created ordinances recognizing
pornography as a civil rights violation. She is
currently on the faculty at University of Michigan Law
School.
Heide Hatry is a visual artist and curator.
More info: www.heidehatry.com.
The Pierre Menard Gallery was founded in 2006 by John
Wronoski, proprietor of the well-known international
rare book firm, Lame Duck Books (founded 1984).
For more information, 617-868-2033
or www.pierremenardgallery.com
---------- Saturday ----------
FUTURE EVENTS
SUNDAY, MAR 29, 2009
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2PM: "Oppression and Pleasure", an exhibition
Public Conversation/Book Signing
With Kate Millett & Catharine MacKinnon
[suggested donation $10]
Pierre Menard Gallery
10 Arrow St., Cambridge
Pierre Menard Gallery is proud to announce an
exhibition of selected visual art works by Kate
Millett, including drawings, print and sculptures.
Although Millett is best known as a pioneer of the
modern feminist movement, author of the groundbreaking
classic Sexual Politics, she has lived and practiced
as an artist throughout her life and has been the
subject of a number of shows in both museums and
private galleries. Like her nuanced, articulate,
diverse and provocative writings, Millett's visual art
spans a broad range of interests, media, styles and
tones, from elegant minimalist nudes to thoughtful
fluxoid constructions and neo-dada whimsy to austere,
impersonal and often quite large-scale constructions,
in which her insight into the politics of the human
condition and the inhumanity of politics are ever in
evidence.
Millett's artistic vision is as distinctive and humane
as her literary voice, ranging over betrayal, loss,
injustice and even murder without abandoning love,
honor, hope and joy.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Boycott of Israeli Products and Services
(1) IDENTIFYING RETAIL PRODUCTS MADE IN ISRAEL
Examine the UPC ("Universal Product Code") section of the product's label. (This is a bar code with 10-12 numeric digits at bottom.) If the FIRST THREE DIGITS are 729, the product is made in Israel. (The "7" will appear to left of the leftmost bar in the bar code.)
HTTP://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-israel.php
(2) LIST OF COMPANIES WITH CONNECTIONS TO ISRAEL:
26 prominent companies with links to info
http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-israel.html#list
(3) BRANDS & LABELS TO BOYCOTT:
123 prominent brands and labels with links to info
http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-brands.html
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Resist Frame Up of Councilor Chuck Turner
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
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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.
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IMEMC (Internal Middle East Media Center) seeks urgent
funding and/or logistical support to maintain its
operations.
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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.
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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.
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Stop Modern Day Slavery in Florida
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.
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Oppose nomination of Raytheon lobbyist, William Lynn as Secetary of DOD
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
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Support Single Payer Healthcare, HR 676
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 (), "nearly one in six Americans has no
health insurance, and tens of millions of others are
woefully under-insured--while the war in Iraq
continues to further skew the U.S. government's budget
priorities."
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.
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Ask Your State Senator to Support Fusion Center Oversight Bill
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
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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.
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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
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Contact local District Attorneys to prosecute Bush/Cheney
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.
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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.
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Film: "Occupation 101"
A "Must See" That Untangles the Web of Lies
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
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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.
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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
2) Contact local media. Write letters to editors
(usually 100-150 words) and longer op-eds (usually 600-
800 words) for local newspapers. But also write to
news departments in both print, audio, and visual
media about their coverage.
In the US you can find
media listings in your country using search engines
like google.
3) Contact elected and other political leaders in your
country to urge them to apply pressure to end the
attacks. In the US, Contact the State Department at
202.647.5291, the White House 202-456-1111 the
Egyptian Embassy 202.895.5400,
embassy@egyptembassy.net and the Obama Transition
Team 202-540-3000 (then press 2 to speak with a staff
member).
4) Organize and join demonstrations in front of
Israeli and Egyptian embassies or when not doable in
front of your parliament, office of elected officials,
and any other visible place (and do media work for
it).
5) Hold a teach-in, seminar, public dialogue,
documentary film viewing etc. this is
straightforward: you need to decide venue, nature, if
any speakers, and do some publicity (the internet
helps).
6) Pass out fliers with facts and figures about
Palestine and Gaza in your community (make sure also
to mention its relevance to the audience: e.g, US
taxpayers paying for the carnage, increase in world
instability and economic uncertainty).
7) Put a Palestinian flag at your window.
8) Wear a Palestinian head scarf (Koufiya).
9) Wear Black arm bands (this helps start conversations with people).
10) Send direct aid to Gaza through the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
11) Initiate boycotts, divestments and sanctions at
all levels and including asking leaders to expel the
Israeli ambassadors (an ambassador of an apartheid and
rogue state).
See Palestinian call.
12) Work towards bringing Israeli leaders before war
crime courts (actions along those lines in courts have
stopped Israeli leaders from traveling abroad to some
countries like Britain where they may face charges).
13) Calling upon all Israelis to demonstrate in front
of their war ministry and to more directly challenge
their government.
14) Do outreach: to neighbors and friends directly.
Via Internet to a lot of others (you can join and post
information to various listservs/groups).
15) Start your own activist group or join other local
groups (simple search in your city with the word
Palestine could identify candidate groups that have
previously worked on issues of Palestine). Many have
also been successful in at bringing coalitions from
different constituencies in their local areas to work
together (human rights group, social and civil
activists, religious activists, etc).
16) Develop a campaign of sit-ins at government
offices or other places where decision makers
aggregate.
17) Do a group fast for peace one day and hold it in a
public place.
18) Visit Palestine (e.g. with Siraj Center for Holy Land Studies).
19) Support human rights and other groups working on
the ground in Palestine.
20) Make large signs and display them at street
corners and wherever people congregate.
21) Contact local churches, mosques, synagogues, and
other houses of worship and ask them to take a moral
stand and act. Call on your mosque to dedicate this
Friday for Gaza actions.
22) Sign petitions for Gaza, e.g.
Gaza: Stop the Bloodshed Petition.
23) Write and call people in Gaza.
24) Work with other groups that do not share your
political views (factionalism and excessive divisions
within activist communities allowed those who advocate
war to succeed).
25) Dedicate a certain time for activism for peace
every day (1 hour) and think of more actions than what
is listed above.
For support and contacts of people in Gaza or to
volunteer, please contact the Palestinian Center for
Rapprochement Between People, via gaza@imemc.org, or
call 989-607-9480 (from the US and Canada) or 972 2277
2018 (from other places).
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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
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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.
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Opportunities to Assist Cuba!
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.
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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.
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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
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Help Support Pro Bono Attorneys for Guantanamo Prisoners
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
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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) , a non-profit,
non-governmental organization in the West Bank. PARC
is a member of the International Fair Trade
Association, and is the only Palestinian organization
that has received the Palestine Standards Institution
certification for its olive oil.
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.
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EVERY SUNDAY
---------- Every Sunday----------
12-1pm Amherst Peace Vigil
Town Common, Amherst
For more, contact Mark Watkins
---------- Every Sunday----------
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1:30pm Cambridge Peace Vigil
Mass. Ave., and Garden St., next to Cambridge Common.
---------- Every Monday ----------
11:45AM-12:15PM: Vigil for Gaza
Memorial Church in Harvard Yard
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.
---------- Every Monday ----------
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.
---------- Every Tuesday----------
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Tuesday Weekly Anti-War Vigil 5:30-6:30pm Copley Square
---------- Every Wednesday----------
NOON-12:30 PM: Harvard-Cambridge Walk for Peace
Starts at John Harvard Statue, Harvard Yard.
Every Wednesday. All are welcome.
Meet briefly at the statue to exchange thoughts,
then walk silently around the Yard and nearby streets,
returning to the statue by 12:30pm.
---------- Every Thursday----------
5-6 PM: Antiwar Vigil in Newton
Corner of Beacon and Center Streets, Newton Center
Organizer: Newton Dialogues on Peace and War
---------- Every Thursday----------
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5:30-6PM: Wayland Anti-War Vigil (weekly)
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.
---------- Every Thursday----------
5-6 PM: Veterans for Peace vigil
West Side Rotary, Augusta, Maine
---------- Every Thursday ----------
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9 PM: 911 Researchers Conference Call
Join the Boston Tea Party Conference call,
Participant call in: 402-756-9100; Access code: 680903#
---------- Every Friday----------
7-9 AM: Socialist Alternative Radio in Boston
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.
---------- Every Friday----------
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Noon-1PM in front of JFK Federal Building, Boston.
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.
---------- Every Friday----------
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12:30 PM: Women in Black Vigil
Lithgow Library, Augusta, Maine
---------- Every Friday----------
4:30-6 PM: Protest AIPAC - every Friday
Kennedy Sch of Govnt
79 JFK St, Harvard Sq, Cambridge
Organized by AntiWar League
---------- Every Friday----------
6-8PM: *Chillin Against the Villins*
DeMilitarized Zone*
Corner of Mass ave and Boylston st!!!
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.
---------- Every Saturday----------
Saturday Anti-War Vigils
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- 11-11:30am Weston, Old Boston Post Rd at School St
Traffic island with flowerpot, Contact person: Mary Shaw
- 11-11:45am Quincy City Hall
- Noon-1pm Natick Center (Rt 27 & 135)
- Noon-1pm Sudbury Town Hall
- Noon-1pm Coolidge Corner, Brookline Peace Works
- 12:30 PM Needham Center on the Green
- 1-2pm Park Street T station
---------- 1st & 3rd Saturday----------
11A-NOON:
1st Saturday of Month
Corner of Main & Moody Streets, by the Common.
Parking: On-street or the lot on Center St.
3rd Saturday of Month
Corner of Moody and Pine Streets, by Watch City Brewery.
Parking: On-street or Embassy Theatre lot on Pine Street
Useful Links (alphabetized)
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