THIS WEEK'S EVENTS
SUNDAY, APR 5, 2009
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ACTION (union-busting at Rite Aid)
Action needed: Rite Aid union-busting
Companies aren't supposed to attack workers who want a
union, but Rite Aid and other employers are doing it
every day. When 650 workers at Rite Aid's distribution
center in Lancaster, CA, wanted to join a union to
address problems like sweltering heat in the
warehouse, the company threatened and fired them.
The federal government was preparing to charge Rite
Aid with 49 labor law violations, but let the company
off with a slap on the wrist. After workers prevailed
and voted to join the International Longshore and
Warehouse Union last March, Rite Aid continued the
attacks. Now the company is refusing to sign a first
contract and has hired an anti-union consulting firm
to guide the company through the decertification
process. This situation at Rite Aid is a perfect
example of why passing the Employee Free Choice Act is
so important.
We can't let Rite Aid succeed in its attempt to rob
their workers of their right to collectively bargain.
Please call or email today and tell Rite Aid CEO Mary
Sammons it's time for Rite Aid to do the right thing:
Respect workers rights, stop union busting, and sign a
fair agreement.
unionvoice.org
---------- Sunday----------
0405 Sun 1030am (ethics in govt spkr, Longy School)
Sunday morning, April 5 at 10:30AM
the ETHICAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON will have a program
titled:
ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT: DO THEY EXIST AND CAN THEY BE
LEGISLATED?
Longy School of Music, 33 Garden St., Cambridge (near
Harvard Sq.)
Program Speaker: Pam Wilmot, Executive Director of
Common Cause Massachusetts, accepts the Ethical
Society of Boston "Humanist of the Year" Award.
The public is very cynical about the ethics of
Government officials, and with good reason - the
newspapers are full of headlines of political
corruption. But do these headlines represent common
behaviors or exceptionally bad ones? Can better laws
create better ethics?
Info: goodmanjl@comcast.net
---------- Sunday ----------
0405 Sun 1100am (climate justice forum, CCB)
THE COMMUNITY CHURCH OF BOSTON
SUNDAY SPEAKERS FORUM presents...
Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 11:00am
RISING TIDE BOSTON
"Mobilizing for Climate Justice"
December 7-18, 2009 is the United Nation's 15th Round
of Climate talks know as COP 15. No one knows what COP
15 is, just like no one knew what the WTO was before
Seattle. Because the talk falls near the 10th
anniversary of the WTO Shutdown in Seattle it seems a
great moment to honor by rebuilding a grassroot
nonviolent direct action movement that can influence
the Obama Administration prior to COP 15.
Rising Tide Boston is a local climate justice group
that uses popular education and direct action to
address the climate crisis, not just as an issue of
carbon in the atmosphere, but as a symptom of
colonialism, capitalism, patriarchy, and other systems
of oppression. Over the past year, Rising Tide has
been involved in campaigns to bring an end to the
dirty and deadly coal industry. Recently, they helped
organize the largest civil disobedience for the
climate, as thousands of people risked arrest to
blockade the Capitol Power Plant, which fuels Congress
with coal and symbolizes a past that cannot be our
future.
Community Church of Boston
565 Boylston St. (Copley Square)
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.
DIRECTIONS/PARKING
The Community Church is located at 565 Boylston Street
in Copley Square, between Dartmouth and Clarendon
Streets.
Parking is available on Sunday mornings at the Back
Bay Garage (entrances on Clarendon Street or St. James
Ave.). We can provide a sticker to affix to your
parking receipt, and you will be charged $5.00 for 3
hours of parking.
By public transportation, take the Green line to
Copley or take the Orange line to Back Bay station.
Community Church is a 2-minute walk from either
station.
communitychurchofboston.org
---------- Sunday----------
0405 Sun 1500pm (climate crisis lecture, Harvard Med)
Dr. Russell A. Mittermeier, President of Conservation
International, will be delivering a talk: "Conserving
the World's Biodiversity: How the Climate Crisis Could
Both Hurt and Help" on Sunday, April 5 presented by
the Harvard Museum of Natural History.
The 2009 Roger Tory Peterson Memorial Lecture:
Dr. Russell A. Mittermeier
President, Conservation International
"Conserving the World's Biodiversity: How the Climate
Crisis Could Both Hurt and Help" Sunday, April 5 at
3:00 PM Science Center One Oxford St. Harvard
University
Tickets are required through the Harvard Box Office -
$6.00 general public, $4.00 Harvard ID, free to
Harvard undergraduates while supplies last
Center for Health and the Global Environment
Harvard Medical School
401 Park Drive, 2nd Floor East
Boston, MA 02215
617.384.8530
chge@hms.harvard.edu
chge.med.harvard.edu
---------- Sunday----------
0405 Sun 1630pm (HipHop + Celebs, KendallSqCinema)
Back by popular demand: "Slingshot Hip Hop"
Sunday April 5th 4:30pm
Kendall Sq. Cinema, One Kendall Sq. Cambridge
Director Jackie Salloum will be present. The Hip Hop
group DAM from Palestine will also be present at the
film. A short performance will follow the film and
Q&A.
DAM & Suheir Hammad
bostonpalestinefilmfest.org
---------- Sunday ----------
0405 Sun 1900pm (Korten: Beyond Bailouts, JP)
David Korten - "Beyond Bailouts: Transforming the
Economy"
presented by The Jamaica Plain Forum
Sunday, April 5th, 2009 7:00 - 9:00pm
FREE
First Church in Jamaica Plain, Unitarian Universalist
6 Eliot St.
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Today's economic crisis is the worst since the Great
Depression. However, as David Korten shows, the steps
being taken to address it do nothing to deal with the
reality of a failed economic system.
Korten identifies the deeper sources of the failure:
Wall Street institutions that have perfected the art
of creating phantom "wealth" without producing
anything of real value. Our hope lies not with Wall
Street, but with Main Street: in an economy that is
locally based, community-oriented, and devoted to
creating a better life for all.
His new book, The Agenda for a New Economy: From
Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth, will be available for
purchase and signing.
jamaicaplainforum.org
---------- Sunday----------
0405 Sun 1915pm (ElSalvador panel/slides, PaulistCtr)
Speakers Panel & Slide Show
Sun. April 5th @ 7:15pm (following Mass)
Paulist Center 3rd Floor Library
5 Park Street Boston 02108
Panel: FMLN Boston & election observers from Boston
CISPES, MLK Bolivarian Circle, Cambridge Sister City,
Independent Media Community
Slide show: National Lawyers Guild
On March 15th 2009 the Salvadoran people went to the
polls and elected Mauricio Funes, the FMLN candidate,
and in doing so they broke through 130 years of right
wing dominance in the country. The FMLN, the same
organization that fought a guerrilla war for many
years in the 1980's proved that they could win in the
political field as well. After years of civil war,
broken promises from the peace accords, and lies and
pressures from the US and ARENA supporters, the
Salvadorans decided to ignore fear and voted for a
change in their country.
This was probably the most observed election in the
history of Central America. Approximately 4,000
observers from many countries and international
organizations took part.
Join us when some of the observers from the Boston
area will be giving their impressions and observations
to the public this weekend.
cispes.org
---------- Sunday----------
0405 Sun 2030pm (Palest. music benefit, RylesJazzCamb)
Boston Palestine Education Project
Critical Breakdown & Boston Palestine Film Festival
present:
Suheir Hammad & DAM from Palestine
with The Foundation Movement.
Natural Bliss.
Re-up.
Blak Madeen.
A benefit for the Gaza Mental Health Foundation & The
Boston Palestine Film Festival
Sunday, April 5. 8.30 PM
Ryles Jazz Club. 212 Hampshire St., Cambridge
*all ages*
$25 suggested. $10 minimum.
This event will sell out. Buy your tickets now. No
surcharge:
bostonpalestinefilmfest.org/DAMBenefitTickets.html
Musicians:
http://www.foundationhiphop.net/
http://www.myspace.com/naturalbliss
http://the-reup.com/
http://www.myspace.com/blakmadeen
Sponsors:
http://gazamentalhealth.org/
http://www.bostonpalestinefilmfest.org/
---------- Sunday----------
MONDAY, APR 6, 2009
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Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú
Monday, April 6, 2009
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
UMass Boston, Campus Center Ballroom,
100 Morrissey Blvd Boston, MA
Dr. Rigoberta Menchú, Indian Rights Activist, 1992
Nobel Prize Laureate, and UNESCO, United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Goodwill Ambassador.
Dr. Menchú - who is also a world-renowned author,
presidential candidate in 2007 for the Encounter for
Guatemala party, and the head of her own international
foundation - will be addressing the public at UMass
Boston on recent events in the fields of Indigenous
Rights, Ethno-Cultural Reconciliation, and Citizen
Participation in the Americas.
Sponsors: The Office of the Chancellor and the Latino
Studies Program at the University of Massachusetts
Boston, and The Organization Maya Kiché of New
Bedford.
Contact: Gissell Abreu-Rodriguez,
gissell.abreu@umb.edu, 617.287.7132
drclas.harvard.edu/events/+umass__rigoberta
---------- Monday ----------
TUESDAY, APR 7, 2009
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0407 Tue 1000am (transgender equality lobby, StateHs)
Transgender Equality Lobby Day
Tuesday, April 7, 2009 10 am - 1 pm
Massachusetts Statehouse - Grand Staircase
Please come educate your legislators about the bill
"An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and
Hate Crimes" and the experiences transgender people,
family, friends, and allies face in Massachusetts
without statewide laws inclusive of gender identity
and gender expression. At 10 am we'll kick off Lobby
Day with a panel of speakers including policy makers,
transgender people, and family members, as well as
light refreshments and a short lobbying training. All
the necessary materials will be provided.
Please RSVP for this event at info@masstpc.org.
Sponsored by the Massachusetts Transgender Political
Coalition (MTPC)
Co-sponsored by: American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
of Massachusetts, Mass Lesbian and Gay Bar Association
(MLGBA), MassNOW, National Association of Social
Workers (NASW-MA), MassEquality, Massachusetts Gay and
Lesbian Political Caucus (MGLPC), Boston Alliance of
GLBT Youth (BAGLY), Gay and Lesbian Advocates and
Defenders (GLAD), The National Council of Jewish
Women, The Network/La Red, Massachusetts Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC),
Matahari: Eye of the Day, International Foundation for
Gender Education, Join the Impact MA, Greater Boston
PFLAG, East Coast FTM Group, Northampton, MA, AIDS
Action Committee, Family Equality Council, National
Lawyers Guild, Massachusetts Chapter, Fenway Community
Health and The Fenway Institute, Keshet, GLBT Youth
Support Project and Health Care of Southeastern Mass,
People to People, Dorrington & Saunders and
Associates, North Shore Alliance of GLBT Youth
(NAGLY), Massachusetts Jobs with Justice
For more information or assistance with locating your
legislators contact MTPC at info@masstpc.org or 617-
778-0519 or visit http://www.masstpc.org
massjwj.net
---------- Tuesday ----------
0407 Tue 1600pm (film "Trouble the Water", 26WestSt)
Join SEIU Local 615 for a special screening of award-
winning documentary "Trouble the Water"!
Tuesday April 7, 2009 at 4pm
SEIU Local 615
26 West St, 2nd Floor, Boston
"Trouble the Water" follows aspiring rap artist
Kimberly Rivers Roberts and her husband just before
and during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans through
their home videos and other archival footage as well
as following them upon their return. It is a powerful
that takes you inside Hurricane Katrina in a way never
before seen on screen. It's a redemptive tale of two
self-described street hustlers who become heroes. To
see more information about the film check out:
Suggested donation $10 for the SEIU Justice fund, but
no one will be turned away for lake of funds. The SEIU
Justice Fund was created to make it possible for
immigrant members, their families and others who are
not members of our local to support their interests
through civic participation, citizenship, literacy,
legal defense, legislation and other means.
Contributions to the fund will be used to fund non
electoral programs to support those ends. More
information about the discussion after the film will
come soon but for now mark the following in your
calendar:
RSVP: leave a message at (617) 878-7503
For more information on the event, contact SEIU 615
troublethewaterfilm.com
seiu615.org
---------- Tuesday ----------
0407 Tue 1730pm (conference planning mtg, PCCP)
Planning meeting for April 25 conference:
Tuesday, April 7th at 5:30 p.m.
Palestinian Cultural Center for Peace
41 Quint Ave. in Allston
We are organizing a conference "Boston Free Palestine
Conference: Strategies for Solidarity", to be held on
Saturday, April 25th, 2009 at UMass Boston.
Currently, we are in the planning stages of the
conference and we would love input on the types of
workshops and speakers you would like to see there.
The conference is open to the public and will discuss
activism on and off college campuses.
We are looking for people with all difference
backgrounds and experiences in organizing, please feel
free to join us and bring a friend on Tuesday, April
7th at 5:30 in the Palestinian Cultural Center For
Peace at 41 Quint Ave. in Allston (near the Harvard
Ave stop of Green line B).
Please email PalestineApril25@gmail.com if you would
like more information or contact Tom Arabia at (617)
970-2701 with any urgent questions.
Your presence will make a difference.
In Solidarity,
Boston Free Palestine Conference Committee
PalestineApril25@gmail.com
---------- Tuesday ----------
0407 Tue 1800pm (film "The Band's Visit", HKS)
You are invited to attend a film screening of...
The Band's Visit (Israel, 2007)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Weiner Auditorium
Taubman Building, Ground Floor
Harvard Kennedy School
When a music band comprised of members of the Egyptian
police force journeys to Israel to play at the
inaugural ceremony of an Arab cultural center, they
find themselves lost in the wrong foreign city. Winner
of numerous awards from Israeli and international film
festivals.
The film will be shown on Tuesday, April 7thd 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, John F. Kennedy School of
Government, You are invited to attend a film
screening of...
The Band's Visit (Israel, 2007)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Weiner Auditorium
Taubman Building, Ground Floor
Harvard Kennedy School
When a music band comprised of members of the Egyptian
police force journeys to Israel to play at the
inaugural ceremony of an Arab cultural center, they
find themselves lost in the wrong foreign city. Winner
of numerous awards from Israeli and international film
festivals.
The film will be shown on Tuesday, April 7thd 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, The Middle East Initiative,
John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard
University.
To view our full events calendar, visit our website at
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/middleeast
---------- Tuesday ----------
WEDNESDAY, APR 8, 2009
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7PM: Radical Film Night at the Lucy Parsons Center
Lucy Parsons Center
549 Columbus Avenue
Boston's South End
Telephone: 617.267.6272
Always Free
---------- Wednesday ----------
0408 Wed 0000 (10-day exploration of Venezuela)
April Delegation to Venezuela: Human Rights, Food
Sovereignty & Social Change
April 8 to 18, 2009
Start and end in Caracas ; visits to the states of
Guarico, and Yaracuy
Cost for Airfare: $ 870. A limited number of tickets
are currently reserved at this price!
Cost for Activities: $700. This will cover all
lodging, all transportation, and some meals for the
duration of the trip. Additional expenses will be
minimal.
The Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle of NY invites you
to join us in April for a 10-day trip to Venezuela
examining advances in food sovereignty and other
initiatives for social change. Start off in the
capital city of Caracas, then travel to four
additional states, including visits to newly formed
cooperative farms and rural development projects in
the countryside; community and national media outlets;
government sponsored social programs, including Mercal
markets and Barrio Adentro medical clinics, and much
more. Meet with farmers, community leaders, and
government officials. Sightseeing and visits to some
of the country's beautiful beaches and other natural
areas will also be included. Basic information is
below, and more information will be forthcoming.
Anyone interested should email:
cbalbertolovera@ gmail.com
as soon as possible. Space is limited.
This is an article on the Monthly Review about our
last trip to Venezuela.
monthlyreview.org/mrzine/magdoff040208.html
THURSDAY, APR 9, 2009
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0409 Thu 1730pm (Finkelstein, UMassLowell)
Norman Finkelstein at UMass Lowell - Gaza: Behind The
Massacre.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Ball Hall Room 214 (North Campus)
Lowell, MA.
Contact: wmirza@live.com
facebook.com/event.php?eid=56977193965&ref=ts
---------- Thursday ----------
0409 Thu 1900pm (author Salim Tamari, HarvCoop)
You are invited to attend.....
A presentation and book signing by Salim Tamari
For his book:
Mountain Against the Sea: Essays on Palestinian
Society and Culture
Thursday, April 9 7:00 - 8:00 PM
The Harvard Coop, Third Floor
1400 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Salim Tamari is the Director of the Institute of
Jerusalem Studies and a Sociology Professor at Birzeit
University. He is currently a visiting fellow at MIT.
His groundbreaking book on modern Palestinian culture
goes beyond the usual focal point of the 1948 war to
address the earlier, formative years of 1918-1948.
This event is open to the public.
Co-sponsored with the Outreach Center
at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies
To view our full events calendar, visit our website at
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/middleeast
---------- Thursday ----------
0409 Thu 1900pm (film "25000 Tents" + guest, Cambr)
Showing Thursday, April 9th, 7pm in Cambridge:
"Twenty-five Thousand Tents, Maybe More" (65 min)
This film documents the lives of thousands of
Palestinians - first refugees in Iraq - and now
stranded in detention camps in remote desert areas
between Iraq and Syria. They're living in tents that
offer little shelter against blinding sandstorms and
the biting cold of winter nights.
NOTE: This month we have a special guest!
Thaer Shafiq Ali will talk to us after the film.
Thaer, 39, is a Palestinian artist and human rights
activist who was born and grew up in Baghdad.
Syrian authorities have barred the Palestinians from
leaving the Tanaf refugee camp; journalists aren't
allowed to visit.
Denied Palestinian citizenship and their lawful right
to return to their former homes in Palestine - by
Israel, in flagrant violation of international law -
they are stuck in this no-man-s-land, in miserable
conditions; a people without a country, disposed of
their land and homes for over 60 years.
One refugee likens their situation to "Waiting for
Godot" or for divine intervention. But these
Palestinians refuse to accept that they won't one day
return home.
UN officials describe deteriorating health conditions,
with an increase in illnesses related to contaminated
water and skin afflictions caused by unhygienic
conditions. The refugees survive solely through
handouts from the UN and Arab humanitarian groups.
"We die a thousand times a day," said Wafaa Mazhar,
37, a mother of five.
Thaer's story is one of incredible courage. In 2005,
with violence escalating in Iraq against Palestinian
refugees, he begins plans to lead an exodus of
threatened Palestinian families to Syria, to ask for
refuge. Come and hear Thaer talk about his astounding
odyssey. A translator will be on hand.
Some of his paintings will be on display for sale.
243 Broadway, Cambridge
- corner of Broadway and Windsor,
- entrance on Windsor
Please join us for a stimulating night out; bring your
friends! Free film, free refreshments, & free door
prizes. [donations are accepted]
Why should YOU care? It's your money that pays for the
occupation & illegal Israeli settlements.
http://rule19.org/videos
Boycott Israeli products:
http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-israel.php
rule19.org
UPandOUT.org
AZAPOI.org
---------- Thursday ----------
0409 Thu 1900pm (film "Burning the Future", AshPubLib)
Thursday, April 9 at 7pm
"Burning the Future: Coal in America"
This film will be shown at 7:00 pm in the Community
Room, Ashland Public Library, 66 Front Street,
Ashland, MA, and is free and open to the public.
Viewers are invited to stay for discussion.
Coal burning generates 55% of the electricity in the
U.S. Long before supplies run out, either restriction
will be imposed on burning coal or the planet will be
uninhabitable. Thirty-six percent of U.S. global
warming emissions come from approximately 501 coal-
burning power plants. Every eleven and one-half days,
the explosive equivalent of the Hiroshima atomic bomb
is unleashed upon the mountains of southern West
Virginia and eastern Kentucky to blast off entire
mountain tops. Entire mountain ecosystems, fresh
water, wildlife, trees and plants are destroyed.
This isn't a remote story, unconnected to Ashland.
There are three coal burning power plants in
Massachusetts-Somerset, Salem, and Holyoke.
According to Bruce Nilles, Sierra Club's national coal
campaign director, "This film "burns through the
'clean coal' rhetoric, showing the harsh truth of the
coal story."
The Documentary Film & Discussion Series meets every
2nd Thursday and 4th Tuesday of the month for an in-
depth look at important topics of our day. The
discussions are often lively and thought-provoking.
All points of view are welcomed.
For more information, visit www.friendsoftheapl.com.
---------- Thursday ----------
0409 Thu 2000pm (Haiti/AIDS performances, Kresge/MIT)
MIT'S DRAMASHOP PRESENTS
ANTIRETROVIRALS AND WATER REFUGEES:
A LIVING NEWSPAPER ON HAITI
PERFORMANCES AND POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS
ON HAITI, POLITICAL THEATER, AND GLOBAL HEALTHCARE
Kresge Little Theater at MIT
April 9-11 and 15-17, 8 p.m.
A new puppet, object, and music spectacle about the
politics of global healthcare in Haiti premieres at
MIT's Kresge Little Theater for a two-week run from
April 9 to 17. "Antiretrovirals and Water Refugees: A
Living Newspaper on Haiti" looks at the past, present,
and future of Haiti in terms of the politics of global
healthcare, as refracted through the work of Paul
Farmer's Partners in Health organization and its fight
against AIDS. An updating of the 1930s activist
docudramas called Living Newspapers, this show
combines bunraku-style puppets, shadow theater, giant
puppets, toy theater, video and audio sampling, and
live brass music to consider the compelling global
nexus of culture and history that is Haiti. The
production will also feature a series of post-show
discussions about Haiti, healthcare, and the history
of American political theater.
Directed by MIT guest artist and puppeteer John Bell,
"Antiretrovirals and Water Refugees" is produced by
MIT's Dramashop, and features puppets designed by
Boston puppeteer Sara Peattie of the acclaimed
Puppeteers Cooperative. The production's wide-ranging
collective of designers and performers includes MIT
theater and visual arts students and staff, as well as
musicians, artists, and performers from the Boston
area.
Just as the 1930s Living Newspapers were an innovative
American theater technique that allowed performers and
audiences to consider the serious challenges of the
Depression in a thoughtful and highly entertaining
manner, "Antiretrovirals and Water Refugees" will
examine the story of AIDS in Haiti in terms of the
larger contexts of Haitian history and international
politics, from the stunning complexities of the
Haitian Revolution (the only successful slave
rebellion in history) to the development of post-
plantation agriculture, the United States invasion of
1915 (and its celebrated anti-hero, Smedley Butler),
the accession of "Papa Doc" Duvalier, and the violent
upheavals of the 1980s - all of which, as Paul Farmer
has pointed out, have had an effect on healthcare.
The success of Partners in Health's antiretroviral
program in helping Haitians with AIDS survive emerges
as a positive sign for the future possibilities of
global healthcare; but the persistence of the Haitian
spirit, as evidenced in the stories of a Haitian
family from the Central Plateau region, is the true
hero of the play.
A special feature of the "Antiretrovirals and Water
Refugees" performances will be post-show discussions
about Haiti, global healthcare, and the 1930s Federal
Theater Project. These include:
1. Thursday, April 9: Dr. Sonya Shin, physician
volunteer at Partners in Health since 1996, including
work in Haiti, Peru and Russia.
2. Friday, April 10: Hanna Shell, director (with
Vanessa Bertozzi) of "Secondhand (Pepe)": a 24-minute
tri-lingual film about the materiality of recycled
clothes that flow from the United States to Haiti.
The film will be shown in its entirety.
3. Wednesday, April 15: Kate Greene, Haiti Finance
Manager, Partners in Health.
4. Thursday, April 16: Susan Quinn, author of Furious
Improvisation: How the WPA and a Cast of Thousands
Made High Art out of Desperate Times.
John Bell is a member of the Obie-Award-winning
Brooklyn-based theater company Great Small Works, and
a Fellow at MIT's Center for Advanced Visual Studies.
Sara Peattie's designs for Puppeteers' Cooperative
puppet spectacles large and small have been a feature
of Boston's First Night Parades for many years, and a
central element in the creation of community-based
spectacles across the United States from Seattle's
Bumbershoot Festival to the Lincoln Center Out-of-
Doors Festival.
Detailed listings information:
"Antiretrovirals and Water Refugees: A Living
Newspaper on Haiti"
Thursday through Saturday, April 9-11;
and Wednesday through Friday, April 15-17
General Admission: $8, Students $6.
All shows at 8 p.m. Post-show discussions April 9,
10, 15, and 16 at 9:30 p.m.
Kresge Little Theater, 48 Massachusetts Avenue,
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
Tickets will be available 45 minutes before showtime
at the Kresge Little Theater boxoffice.
For advance tickets: http://dramashop.mit.edu/tickets/
Further ticket information email ds_tickets@mit. edu.
---------- Thursday ----------
FRIDAY, APR 10, 2009
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0410 Fri 1900pm (author on FBI's racist wars, LPC)
The FBI War On Tupac And Black Leaders: Author Talk
Fri Apr 10, 7pm
Lucy Parsons Center
549 Columbus Avenue (Boston's South End)
John Potash presents a discussion and slides about his
book "The FBI War on Tupac Shakur and Black Leaders."
He will present some 25 pictures in the book including
pictures of some of source documents. These range
from court papers to CIA documents obtained through
FOIA applications.
http://fbiwarontupac.com/
All LPC events are free and open to the public (though
donations are greatly appreciated). If you have any
questions, call us at (617) 267-6272.
Lucy Parsons Center
549 Columbus Avenue
Boston's South End
Telephone: (617) 267-6272
Email: lucyparsons@tao.ca
http://lucyparsons.org/
---------- Friday ----------
0410 Fri 1900pm (Womyn'sFightbackNetwork Potluck, JP)
Greetings Revolutionary Womyn,
WOMEN'S FIGHTBACK NETWORK
presents ....
WFN- POTLUCK- FRIDAYS are back!
Positive Energy ~ Revolutionary Dialogue ~ Good Food
An Evening of Food For the Body, Mind & Spirit
Join us Friday night, April 10 at 7:00 PM
Action Center
284 Amory Street, The Brewery in Jamaica Plain....
Join us in building a UNITED fightback movement led
by women, youth and the all the oppressed.
A militant movement led by women changes history!
Let's Brainstorm & Prioritize our next steps.....
STOP the War on Women at Home and Worldwide,
Call a Women's/Youth Speak Out in the streets..to
NSTAR HQ and Governor Patrick (Beacon Hill),
Heat and Lights Campaign:
The Moratorium on Utility Shutoffs is expected to end
in May and shutoffs will begin-
Reportback from WFN contingent on April 3&4 March on
Wall Street
STOP the racist attacks on Desegregation
Fight for Equal, Quality Education
MayDay and the Immigrant Rights Struggle
Obama's Aunt is under attack and facing deportation
REBEL-TRUTH Youth ConcArt and Film Series
bi-monthly WomYn Speak-n-Teach Political Education
Classes
These are just some of the ideas percolating....what
are yours?
Bring your ideas, your friends, and if possible, a
dish for the potluck.
Childcare available upon request
Please call 617-522-6626 by 4/9 if needed
Hope to see you Friday night!
Women's FightBack Network
Boston:
617-522-6626
wfn@iacboston.org
www.iacboston.org/wfn
National Office:
212-633-6646
www.iacenter.org
---------- Friday ----------
0410 Fri 1930pm (AMMGAZA Dr. Mehr, UMassAmherst)
"Gaza: Through Their Eyes"
A presentation by Dr. Ismael Mehr of the American
Medical Mission to Gaza (AMMGAZA)
Friday, April 10, 2009
7:30pm - 10:00pm
UMass Amherst - Campus Center Auditorium
Host: Muslim Students Association! (MSA)
On April 10th, Dr. Ismail Mehr of the American Medical
Mission to Gaza will be speaking at the Umass Amherst
Campus Center Auditorium. He traveled to Gaza with a
team of American doctors only a few days after Israel
completed "Operation Cast Lead", in which 1300 Gazans
were killed and 5000 wounded in an aerial assault and
land invasion. Dr. Mehr will speak about his
experiences during his ten day stay in Gaza, treating
the wounded from that war, and what he observed of the
destruction in Gaza. Is there evidence of civilians
being targeted? What evidence is there of illegal
chemical weapon use? Just how much are the people of
Gaza suffering? What can you do to help? Dr. Mehr will
provide insight into answering all these questions.
This event is not partisan in any way, it is merely
the eyewitness account of one man who has seen the
destruction first hand, rather than the pontificating
of arm-chair critics that we are used to hearing.
Light refreshments will also be served
Website for the American Medical Mission to Gaza
(AMMGAZA):
http://ammgaza.blogspot.com/
umassmsa@gmail.com
---------- Friday ----------
SATURDAY, APR 11, 2009
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0411 Sat 0900am (AfD regional conference, Newton)
Regional conference Saturday, April 11, 2009
ALLIANCE for DEMOCRACY Northeast Region
Citizen Action 2009
Maintaining Democracy:
Undermining the Corporate Agenda from the Bottom Up
SATURDAY APRIL 11, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Walker Center, 144 Hancock Street at Grove Street
Newton, Massachusetts
(Exit 22 off Rt I-95, 0.5 miles from Riverside Green
Line station.)
9:00 a.m. Coffee, Registration ($15, early-bird rate
of $5 by April 4)
12 noon Lunch, $12 with vegetarian option
5:30 p.m. Dinner, $14 with vegetarian option (Dinner
is timed to accomodate those attending David Griffin's
talk about 9/11---7pm at BU, Morse Auditorium)
CALL 781-894-1179 (AfD National Office, Waltham) to
REGISTER NOW!
We look forward to seeing you there.
David Whitty & Ruth Weizenbaum
Alliance for Democracy, NE Regional Representatives
Program:
We will hear from the following speakers, and engage
in dialogues about their topics:
a.. NANCY LEE WOOD (Bristol Community College):
Overview and Resource Depletion
b.. JILL STEIN (MCHC: Massachusetts Coalition for
Healthy Communities): Taking on the Climate Crisis --
Local, State, and National
c.. GARRET WHITNEY (Concord Climate Action Network)
The 350ppm Campaign
d.. Sustainable Community Initiatives: Reports from
Aperion and Green Drinks of Rhode Island
e.. MARY ROSSBOROUGH (Salem State College Lifelong
Learning Institute): The Economy -- Pitfalls and New
Directions
f.. DAVE LEWIT (Dispatch): Short- and Long-Range
Thinking and Action
g.. PAT McSWEENEY (Citizens for an Informed
Community): Militarism as a Tool for the Corporate
Agenda
h.. Radio hosts STAN ROBINSON & JOHN GREBE: The
Local and Larger Independent-Media Presence
i.. KATIE ROBBINS (Healthcare-NOW!): State
Legislative Initiatives
j.. BARBARA CLANCY (AfD Health Care Campaign):
Action Tools
k.. TONI SERAFINI (AfD) & SHERYL CRAWFORD (Mass
Vote): Electoral Issues
Additional Media Initiatives:
a.. COMMUNITY SHOWINGS/ACTIONS: David Whitty (Town of
Ashland), Joan Ecklein (Women's International League
for Peace & Freedom: WILPF), Sue Gracey (Boston Bio-
Weapons Lab, WILPF), The Raging Grannies
b.. COMMUNITY CABLE PROJECT: "OTHER VOICES": Ruth
Weizenbaum(Overview with distribution team), Jane Lynn
(Marlboro), Michael Bleiweiss (Methuen), Charlie
Phillips (Concord), Bob Datz (Brimfield), Cornelia
Sullivan (Boston), Joanna Herlihy (Cambridge &
Somerville): editing & filming work, Leo Immonen
(Wrentham)
c.. LETTER-WRITING
d.. WEB OPTIONS
e.. NEWSLETTERS
Alliance for Democracy
PO Box 540115, Waltham, MA 02454
781-894-1179
afd@thealliancefordemocracy.org
www.thealliancefordemocracy.org
---------- Saturday ----------
0411 Sat 1900pm (DavidRayGriffin on 9/11, BU MorseAud)
Time For a Second Look
"The New Pearl Harbor Revisited: 9/11, the Cover Up
and the Expose"
9/11 analyst/author David Ray Griffin to speak at
Boston University, April 11, 2009
Morse Auditorium, 602 Commonwealth Ave.
7pm (doors open at 6:30pm)
$5 (FREE for students and seniors)
No single proponent of alternative theories concerning
the events of September 11, 2001 has received more
attention - supportive and critical - than David Ray
Griffin. Dr. Griffin's appearance at Boston University
will be his first ever in Boston, after which he will
embark on his second European tour, where he will
present the most thorough, up-to-date and popularly
accepted alternative critique of the 9/11 story to
audiences in London, Brussels, Paris, Madrid,
Lausanne, Lucerne, Hamburg, Stockholm, Trondheim, and
Oslo.
The BU event is co-sponsored by the Boston University
School of Theology and the Boston 9/11 Truth
Committee.
(see video trailer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb_MzN5DWQc
David Ray Griffin is Professor of Philosophy of
Religion and Theology, Emeritus, at Claremont School
of Theology and Claremont Graduate University in
Claremont, California, where he remains a co-director
of the Center for Process Studies.
He has published (as author or editor) 34 books,
primarily in theology, philosophy, and philosophy of
religion, with special emphases on the problem of evil
and the relation between science and religion.
Seven of his books deal with 9/11: The New Pearl
Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush
Administration and 9/11 (2004), The 9/11 Commission
Report: Omissions and Distortions (2005), Christian
Faith and the Truth about 9/11: A Call to Reflection
and Action (2006), 9/11 and American Empire:
Intellectuals Speak Out (2006, co-edited with Peter
Dale Scott), Debunking 9/11 Debunking: An Answer to
Popular Mechanics and Other Defenders of the Official
Conspiracy Theory (2007), 9/11 Contradictions: An Open
Letter to Congress and the Press, and The New Pearl
Harbor Revisited: 9/11, the Cover-Up, and the Exposé
(2008).
In 2008 Griffin also made presentations on 9/11 at the
European Parliament and the Japanese Diet.
In his latest book, The New Pearl Harbor Revisited:
911, the Cover-Up, and the Expose, Dr. Griffin once
again invokes the tragic events of December 7, 1941,
laying out further evidence for why he believes the
attack of September 11, 2001 was an "inside job" - a
false flag attack that can be traced to the highest
levels of the US government. In defense of his thesis,
Griffin:
-points out the continued failure of the mainstream
press to investigate any of the questions and
anomalies which appear to contradict the official
account of 9/11, and claims the media dishonestly uses
the term "conspiracy theory" to prevent criticism of
the government's conspiracy theory involving 19
"radical" Muslims.
-deconstructs, using expert testimony, the National
Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) five
"crucial claims" about the World Trade Center (WCT)
collapses, showing that NIST, in fact, provides no
supporting evidence for any of its claims. He further
points out that NIST and the 911 Commission ignored
vast amounts of relevant evidence for controlled
demolition of all three WTC buildings (WTC 1, 2, 7)
that collapsed on 9/11, among which are the sudden,
symmetrical collapses at near-freefall speeds (in the
case of WTC7 into its own building footprint), pools
of molten metal under the debris pile for weeks
indicating temperatures considerably higher than jet-
fuel and office-materials fires could possibly
generate, and residue of explosives found in WTC dust.
-presents what he suspects to be motives that high
level government officials had for orchestrating the
9/11 attacks. Griffin contends that the 9/11
Commission suppressed any mention of these possible
motives, as well as the fact that key members of the
Bush Administration were signatories to the radical
plan drawn up in 2000 by the neo-conservative think
tank, Project for the New American Century (PNAC), for
increased militarization and global dominance. The
PNAC report suggested the necessity for a "New Pearl
Harbor" event to persuade the American public in favor
of its stated goals, hence, the title of Griffin's
first and latest exposé, The New Pearl Harbor
(Revisited).
Griffin's 9/11 books have been endorsed by Michael
Chossudovsky, William Sloane Coffin, Harvey Cox,
Richard Falk, Catherine Austin Fitts, David Griscom,
Jim Hightower, British MP Michael Meacher, Mark
Crispin Miller, Rosemary Ruether, Marcus Raskin, Paul
Craig Roberts, Peter Dale Scott, Gerry Spence, Lorie
Van Auken, Howard Zinn, and former CIA officials
Robert Baer, Bill Christison, and Ray McGovern.
Four of these books have been given special
recognition: The New Pearl Harbor and The 9/11
Commission Report: Omissions and Distortion received
the 2006 Helios Foundation Award for 2006. Debunking
9/11 Debunking was a Bronze Medal Winner in the 2008
Independent Publisher Book Awards. The New Pearl
Harbor Revisited was named a "Pick of the Week" in
2008 by Publishers Weekly.
His essays and interviews about 9/11 have appeared in
such disparate publications as Zion's Herald, Hustler
Magazine, Global Outlook, LA Times Magazine,
Conversations in Religion and Theology, Penthouse
Netherlands, Whole Earth Times, Tikkun, and Le Monde
Diplomatique.
During the week prior to his lecture in Boston, Dr.
Griffin will also give lectures in Wayne, PA, Vassar
College, Portsmouth and Keene, NH.
boston911truth.org
---------- Saturday ----------
FUTURE EVENTS
SUNDAY, APR 12, 2009
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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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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 and S703
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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