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The UJP community brunch is this Sunday in North Cambridge. We gather at 10:00 to eat and socialize. The formal meeting begins at 10:30. As summer approaches, we think it's a good time to take stock of this year's efforts -- what's been the focus of your community group's work, what's gone well, what's been difficult, where's your group headed in the months ahead. We'll do some collective reflection on how we can more effectively support each other work in the year ahead.
Other items :
-Iraq: Winter Soldier follow-up, supporting IVAW and MFSO initiatives
-Iran: No War on Iran Resolutions, the campaign to defeat the Iran Divestment
legislation;
-Connecting with war-at-home groups: the Welcoming MA campaign and Jobs with
Justice.
Russ Davis from Jobs with Justice will be at the meeting
-Report from UJP Coordinating Committee
Please let Vicky know if there are other items you'd like to add to the agenda
The prison industrial complex has been established through systems of violence. Behind the prison walls this violence continues to be perpetrated on an interpersonal level by guards, “health” services professionals, and prisoners. Violence ranges from denial of medication to sexual assault. We will look at ways this violence manifests and how to address it without giving more power or money to the incarceration industry.
Jason Lydon is the Congregational Director of the Community Church of Boston. He is also a Masters of Divinity Candidate focusing on abolition theology. Jason has been involved in anti-prison organizing for nearly 10 years. He currently runs a website (www.blackandpink.org) and works on issues affecting queer/transgender people in prison and survivors of sexual violence.
This open air environmentally-themed event will focus on urban sustainable
living and grassroots activism. The rides (15, 25, or 62 miles) require
pre-registration at Bikes Not Bombs
Biking is a great way to see parts of the Boston metro area that you
probably wouldn't have occasion to ride through otherwise. Author Bill McKibben will be a keynote speaker. Live music, food, and children's activities will add fun and celebration to information tables and educational presentations. Sponsored by Bikes Not Bombs.
617-522-0222
Is our government sold out by special interest dollars? Are we deluded into a limited set of issue positions through the dumbing down of political rhetoric and the monopoly of two political parties?
For many, the election reform platform is seen as a promising way to cleanse our election system and open up the democratic process to more voices. What are the policy proposals that constitute this platform, and how do we facilitate their passage through Congress and our state legislatures? Join Election Action and Symposium Books for a community forum on these exciting innovations that make our government more transparent, accessible, and fair. There will be special emphasis on Massachusetts, as we discuss current campaigns to pass Election Day Registration and National Popular Vote bills, as well as the dozens of organizations working on them.
Join us for a summer-long series of lunchtime discussions on nuclear abolition and arms control issues. Meeting every-other Wednesday through late August. For more information, contact the series convener, Shankar Mukherji.
Hear from the people who are experiencing it to learn what you can do to help homeowners and tenants facing eviction and help save our neighborhoods!
The number of foreclosure petitions has gone up tenfold this year and is only increasing. The situation is expected to hit crisis level this summer as payments on variable interest rate mortgages skyrocket.
FIGHT FOR ECONOMIC AND RACIAL JUSTICE!
Sponsored by:
Boston Tenant Coalition
City Life/Vida Urbana
Community Change, Inc.
Dorchester People for Peace
ACORN
United for a Fair Economy
For more information, call the BTC at 617-423-8609 or City Life/Vida Urbana at 617-524-3541.
The Voices Beyond Walls (VBW) initiative seeks to promote digital media expression among under served communities in Palestine. Since 2006, it has been conducting youth media workshops with children (aged 10-16 years) at youth community centers in Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and Jordan. Workshop facilitators work with children in small groups to teach the language of video/digital media and using technology, to help kids express imaginative stories in their lives and critical issues faced by themselves and their communities.
Over the past 2 years, a team of international volunteers have conducted 7 workshops with over 150 Palestinian youth in refugee camps near Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus, and Jenin in the West Bank and Baqa'a camp in Jordan. Working in small teams they have produced over 40 digital video shorts (between 3- 10 mins in length), weaving together original stories, drama, photography and video to express their own perspectives on Palestinian history, culture and life under occupation, as well as their dreams and aspirations.
Voices Beyond Walls is committed to creating a safe and engaging environment where Palestinian youth are free to express their hopes, fears and aspirations through the medium of digital video and to disseminate these works for audiences around the world.
Please join us in solidarity with the guestworkers brought from India post-hurricane Katrina to rebuild the Gulf area. These workers and many migrant workers from all over the world have been and are being exploited and enslaved and forced to work under inhumane conditions.
The Indian workers, however, have stood up and are on a hunger strike in Washington, D.C. to demand protection and reparations for what has happened to them (and all other workers affected).
Come hear some of the workers tell their story and explain what they are demanding from the U.S. and the Indian government as a matter of justice!
In solidarity,
MataHari: Eye of the Day, Jobs with Justice, Alliance for a Democratic and Secular South Asia, Cambridge Peace Commission, International Socialist Organization, MetroWest Immigrant Worker's Center, South Asia Center, South Asian Committee on Human Rights, South Asians Stepping in Solidarity, Boston May Day Coalition, and many others...
Sign the on-line petitions to:
1. Stop the Raids and Deportations, and
2. Demand that the U.S. sign the UN Convention on
Migrant Workers Rights
NOON: Support Tufts and Suffolk University Janitors.
March from 150 Tremont St. (Boston) to Tufts MedSchool
These universities have scheduled these pivotal negotiations to take place during the summer, so that they will be settled quietly without any student or community involvement. The workers are in critical need of student and community support in order to make their voices heard. Please join the janitors of Tufts and Suffolk universities as they march from 150 Tremont Street at the Suffolk University Law School to the Tufts Medical Center in Downtown Boston on at noon.
For more information contact Kevin.
6-8PM: Forum on the High Cost of Healthy Food
What can we do about it?
Waltham Public Library
735 Main Street, Waltham
A forum sponsored by the Massachusetts Public Health Association's Food and Nutrition Section, the Community Health Network Area (CHNA) 18, and Healthy Waltham
The forum will address the challenges of making fresh, healthy food available and accessible to all communities. It will frame the issues from the global to the local scale, while presenting successful community models that can be emulated.
Featured speakers include:
* Will Bullock, Urban Agriculture Community
Coordinator, Trustees of the Reservation
* Meg Coward, M.Div, Executive Director, Waltham
Fields Community Farm
* Mary Joan McClarney, MS, RD, Director of Food
Service, Somerville Public Schools
The event is free and open the public
For more information, or to RVSP (though walk-ins are
fine), contact Jhana Wallace, or call
617-230-4487
Refreshments will be provided by Haley House, a
nonprofit organization committed to mobilizing
resources to support people in their move toward
economic independence and meaningful lives.
Described by reviewers as "powerful" and "an instant classic," the 45-minute film Toxic Sludge Is Good For You illustrates how much of what we think of as independent, unbiased news and information has its origins in the board-rooms of public relations companies.
While advertising is the visible component of the corporate system, perhaps even more important and pervasive is its invisible partner, the public relations industry. The film illuminates this hidden sphere of our culture and examines the way in which the management of the public mind has become central to how our democracy is controlled.
Toxic Sludge Is Good For You tracks the development of the PR industry from early efforts to win popular American support for World War I to the role of crisis management in controlling the damage to corporate image. The film analyzes the tools public relations professionals use to shift our perceptions, including a look at the coordinated PR campaign to slip genetically engineered produce past public scrutiny.
Toxic Sludge Is Good For You urges viewers to question the experts and follow the money back to the public relations industry to challenge its hold on democracy.
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 events are often lively and thought-provoking.
Free and open to the public.
Viewers are invited to stay for discussion or to just
listen. Refreshments are served.
At Home in Utopia, What happened when radical labor built a house of its own. In the 1920s, thousands of immigrant Jewish garment workers put a new spin on the American dream by building four big, beautiful, cooperatively owned apartment complexes in the Bronx. At Home in Utopia is the story of the struggle for equity and social justice in the most radical of the houses - the United Workers Cooperative Colony, aka the Coops.
Check our website for future showing dates. For tickets in advance, call the MFA at 617 369-3306, or go to calendar/film and the date of your choice.
Questions? Contact Michal or Ellen at Filmmakers Collaborative, 781-647-1102
Do-It-Ourselves Urban Sustainability Skillshare Series
Growing your own vegetables is cheaper and healthier, and an alternative to the industrial agriculture that pollutes the environment, exploits farmers and farm workers, and disrupts local economies around the world. However, urban soil is usually contaminated with lead and other toxins. The urban farmer may need to use raised beds and bring in clean soil.
This workshop will provide a hands-on demonstration of how to construct a raised bed and give information about soil mixes and types of plants for sun versus shady environments. Participants with little carpentry experience will have an opportunity to practice with hand and power tools.
According to a recent report by the Pew Foundation, more than one of every 100 American Adults are behind bars. One in nine Black men (ages 20 - 34) is serving time, as is one in 36 adult Hispanic males. This talk will focus on how, in the last 30 years, the neo-liberal agenda has exploited fear of crime and used racism to create the conditions which drive the "war on drugs" and mass incarceration.
Lois Ahrens has been an activist and social justice organizer for more than 40 years. In 2000 she founded the Real Cost of Prisons Project, which brings together justice activists, policy researchers, artists and people directly experiencing the impact of incarceration to work jointly to end the U.S. Prison nation. The project has developed workshops, a website (www.realcostofprisons.org), a daily news blog and three comic books, soon to be anthologized and published. Lois has been involved in educating people with criminal records, those who hire them and the public about how to overcome/end obstacles created by laws and practices surrounding Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI). She also works to raise awareness and opposition to the building or expansion of jails in this state.
“Uncounted” is a new documentary film exploring the election fraud reported from the last few elections. This controversial feature length film by Emmy award-winning director David Earnhardt examines in factual, logical, and yet startling terms how easy it is to change election outcomes and undermine election integrity across the United States. Commentary is provided by noted computer programmers, statisticians, journalists, and experienced election officials.
(The film’s run time is approximately 81 minutes.)
This is an open and free event, light refreshments
will be served.
Sponsor: Framingham Democratic Town Committee.
A universal single-payer health plan has again been introduced in Congress by Rep. Conyers (D-MI), this time with the support of 90 other members, numerous unions, and independent groups.
HR676.org, PO Box 882122, Port Saint Lucie FL 34988
800-680-9310
info@HR676.org
Carlos Arredondo has traveled thousands of miles with his pick up truck decorated as a memorial to his son Alex who died in Iraq . I remember when I first heard about his action as a distraught father who set himself on fire when he heard the news of his son's death. An article about Carlos appears in the Nation. Since then, as a member of Military Families Speak Out, I have come to know and love Carlos and his wife Melida as two dedicated activists for peace. You can read about Carlos' actions for peace on Democracy Now!.
Carlos and Melida would have certainly had every right to sit back and mourn the death of their son. Instead they have taken every opportunity and often at great personal expense to remind people of the true cost of war. They have traveled to every demonstration, vigil, poltiical rally, memorial and meeting with politicians to tell their story of loss, and the deep concern they feel for others who have suffered or daily face the possible loss of a family member to this endless occupation of Iraq.
Many of you have met Carlos or heard of him. You have seen his hopefulness in the face of grief. Now it's time for all of us to help put his (OUR) truck back on the road where it belongs. $20 collected from one hundred people should do it! If the travel weary truck cannot be repaired one more time, the money will go to the down payment on a new or newer truck.
Please make out checks to Carlos Arredondo and send them to me so I can present them in a lump sum
Sarah Fuhro, 8 Abbott Road Natick, Ma 01760
Job Opening: Executive Director (posted 6/8/08)
The Peace & Justice Center in Burlington, Vermont seeks a skilled and inspiring leader with a passion for social justice. This position consists primarily of fundraising and staff supervision and requires knowledge and experience in the following areas:
Wendy Coe, Office Manager
Peace & Justice Center
21 Church St, Burlington VT 05401
802-863-2345 ext 3
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Wanted: Issue Campaign Organizing Consultant (Posted 5/25/08)
The Fair Economy Action Fund is seeking an experienced organizer for full or part-time work. Seeking organizer of national campaign to enlist support for progressive federal estate tax. Activities would be largely phone and internet work out of United for a Fair Economy office at Downtown Crossing Boston.
Qualifications: Outgoing personality, excellent phone and communication skills, experience with database and Excel spreadsheets; knowledge of federal budget and legislative process ideal.
Seeking commitment for summer and ideally for the fall of 2008. $20-30 per hour, based on experience. Organizer will be paid as temporary employee.
Contact:
Chuck Collins, Director, chuckcollins7@mac.com
or Lee Farris at United for a Fair Economy:
lfarris@faireconomy.org or call 617-423-2148 x133.
OUR SOURCE: Dr. Gordon Fellman
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Job openings on Camp Laurel Radio Staff for the summer of 2008.(Posted 5/25/08)
Complete application on-line at www.camplaurel.com
Call: 1-888-LAUREL-1
E-mail: staff@camplaurel.com
Camp Laurel is a private co-ed residential camp in Maine seeking radio staff for the summer of 2008.
Do you like music? Enjoy working with children? Any DJ experience? Teach campers the creative and musical side of on-air broadcasting. Our camp radio station is the home to camper radio shows throughout the day. Spin vinyl and conduct on-air interviews. Strong technical experience is NOT a requirement. We would be excited to speak with any individuals you believe are well-fit for a summer position at our camp. Please call me at 1-888-LAUREL-1, complete an application on-line at www.camplaurel.com or e-mail me at staff@camplaurel.com. Please feel free to forward this to members of your radio station, clubs or organizations, sororities, fraternities, teams and friends. We look forward to hearing from any interested applicants. Sincerely,From Environment Massachusetts
Massachusetts is tantalizingly close to taking an action that [assertedly] will slash our state's global warming pollution down to a size that can help cool the planet. Our Global Warming Solutions Act could land on Gov. Patrick's desk this summer -- but first we've got to win in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Please ask your representative to make passing the Global Warming Solutions Act his or her top priority this summer.We've already won in the Senate. In the House of Representatives, as of last night, 110 representatives, out of 160 total, have told us they'll vote for our bill. But with Beacon Hill being Beacon Hill, we're not ready to pop the champagne open quite yet -- especially with only 60 days left to go in the 2008 session.
Sign petition against US missile offense in Poland
In a few days, the US government will likely sign an agreement with the Czech Republic government allowing the US to place a radar satellite system in that country. The satellite system is part of the US "missile defense" installations designed to be placed in Poland.
We can join our voices in support of the Czech people to say "no" to a US radar system in their country.
Please add your voice to support this effort by signing the petition.
Understanding that this empire-building strategy by the US could lead to a new arms race which threatens the Czech people, the majority of whom oppose this project. The opposition which began with a few activist voices now includes over 70 percent of the population who oppose any US military presence in the Czech Republic.
Even thought the Czech President may sign the agreement, it has to be ratified by the Czech Parliament. And the situation is far from clear, because the government has a very small mandate - not even have a majority. They were only able to pass a confidence vote after seven months of negotiations, and thanks to some two members of parliament that didn't vote against them. So they have a very weak mandate, and it is far from clear how the vote will go.
The Czech people have asked for support from around the world to bolster their campaign. They are looking for a million signatures on their petition to take to the parliament to defeat the agreement.
Sign petition on McCain/Obama stmts to AIPAC
FROM Jewish Voice for Peace...
We are deeply concerned by statements that both Senator McCain and Senator Obama made at the AIPAC Conference. Please sign our petition calling on Senators Obama and McCain to moderate their stances in the interests of a peaceful future:
In particular:
1) Senator Obama declared that Jerusalem "must remain undivided." We believe the future status of Jerusalem must be negotiated.
2) Both Senators McCain and Obama promised enormous sums of unconditional military aid to Israel. We believe the U.S. must hold Israel accountable for using U.S. weapons against civilians.
3) Both Senators McCain and Obama continued to demand the exclusion of Hamas from the negotiating table. We believe peace agreement cannot be achieved without Hamas at the table.
Travel to Venezuela’s Andean region and learn Spanish with Global Exchange while seeing the Bolivarian Revolution. Both short-term and SEMESTER-ABROAD programs are available.
At the crossroads of a profound political and social transformation, Venezuela is a country in the international spotlight. The Bolivarian Revolution has caught the attention and imagination of people around the world and yet continues to be sorely misunderstood and misrepresented. Come get the perspectives of communities that are being affected by and pushing forward this political experiment to build a new model of society. Meet with rural agricultural workers, labor unions, community activists, human rights activists, journalists, government leaders, as well as opposition figures.
Global Exchange has partnered with the highly acclaimed language school, the Iowa Insitute, located in the beautiful city of Merida to provide a Spanish immersion program while giving students the unique opportunity to build ties with Venezuelan communities and social activists.
*Study in an intensive Spanish language program while
living with a local family in Merida, Venezuela, at
the foot of the Andes.
*Travel to educational and health care social programs
(the "missions") and dialogue with participants and
community leaders.
*Visit with members of cooperatives and community
organizations and learn about the efforts to create a
grassroots social economy.
Program Dates:
2008
July 3, 2008-July 20
July 31, 2008-August 17
2009
May 30-June 16
July 04-21
August 01-18
Cost: $1885
Prices Includes:
*Home stay accommodations
*Two meals per day
*Transportation to and from Merida
*Transportation to and from all programmed activities
*Intensive Spanish language classes five days a week
*Guides and translators
*All program activities and reading materials
*Honoraria to all host speakers, organizations and communities.
Contact the Venezuela Program Coordinator for more
information or call (415) 575-5524
Shirley Golub is running against Rep. Nancy Pelosi for the democratic nomination for that post.
Our so-called Democratic leadership is not only planning on lying down immediately for another $100 billion to senselessly squander in Iraq, they are talking about adding on another $70 billion of war profiteer booty, to save the White House from the trouble of throwing another foot stomping tantrum in the fall.
This is looking like the mother of all gutless
surrenders. And there is only one dynamic that can
possibly stop it. Nancy Pelosi MUST be
defeated in San Francisco in the June 3 primary, and
see it coming fast. And ONLY Shirley Golub can do it,
with contributions on the page above to run her
"Rubber Chicken" ad now.
Shirley's Rubber Chicken TV Ad
For those who many not be quite clear on this one point yet, Cindy Sheehan in running the November election in this district as an independent, but what we are talking about here is the June 3 Democratic party congressional primary.
Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
April 16, 2008
Dr. Al-Arian Faces Shocking Abuse in New Facility
Yesterday morning, Dr. Sami Al-Arian was transported
by immigration agents to the Hampton Roads Regional
Jail in Portsmouth, Virginia. Since arriving at the
facility, he has been subjected to numerous, shocking
abuses, even worse than those he experienced at a
detention center in Maryland.
Take Action: call 757-488-7500
And if you haven't already, sign the petition.
See also:"USA vs AL-ARIAN"
To everyone in the Boston area progressive community, After months of development and testing by a few dozen folks, Open Media Boston, the new progressive news, views and arts web portal, has just launched and is now ready for your participation. (Site is still labeled "beta.")
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
Bush's FY2009 budget request for $2.55 billion in military aid for Israel, a proposed increase of 9% over actual spending in 2007, now rests with the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.
This proposed increase in military aid to Israel is the first installment of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the United States and Israel in August 2007 to increase military aid to Israel by 25%, totaling $30 billion over the next decade.
Can you think of a better way to spend $30 billion instead of funding Israel's human rights abuses and illegal military occupation in violation of U.S. laws?
TAKE ACTION
Send a Personal Letter to Members of Congress on the
Appropriations Sub-Committee Challenging Military Aid
to Israel.
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
Mass. House Bill #4477, if passed, would finally make it illegal for drivers of motor vehicles in Massachusetts to use hand-held phones while driving (as in NY and elsewhere). This bill recently passed the House and now is languishing in the Senate and may not come to the floor for a vote unless you phone or send a message to your friends in various towns and cities to have them urge their state senators (617-722- 5551) to vote for this bill.
According to Senate Assistant Majority Leader Marian Walsh, what needs to happen is for senators to get many phone calls from their constituents in favor of this bill. Passing House #4477 is a matter of public safety. Please call your senator and what would make a significant difference is for you to contact your friends throughout Massachusetts so House Bill #4477 becomes law.
Ed O'Reilly (PDA-endorsed candidate who advocates for single-payer health care, impeachment, stopping our current wars, and marriage equality) seeks the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat now occupied by John Kerry.
In addition to making sure that Ed's name appears on the ballot, this is a great opportunity to identify new supporters and expand our network. So we really hope you can participate by gathering signatures from your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors.
To get on September's primary ballot Ed needs 10,000 signatures from registered Democrats and unenrolled (independent) voters. We need to file the signatures with city and town clerks no later than 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, on May 6, 2008.
Call the campaign (866-716-2008) and we will mail nomination signature forms for you to use.
U.S. war provocation against Iran: Another Tonkin
Gulf? Take Action NOW to Stop War on Iran!
The Bush Administration has initiated an extremely dangerous war provocation just off Iran's coast, in the Strait of Hormuz. With Bush on his way to the Middle East to mobilize a collection of oil-rich U.S. client states against Iran, the U.S. government is working overtime to create a phony public-relations incident to heighten tensions in the region and threaten a new war.
An aide to Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) says the Lieberman/Warner climate change bill (S. 2191) “would be the most historic incentive for nuclear in the history of the United States.” (E&E Daily, February 8, 2008)...
S. 2191 is expected to be debated on the Senate floor this Spring. Your help is needed.
For more information visit the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research and the Nuclear Information and Resource Service.
Congressman Robert Wexler's campaign office says that (unlike most of our Democratic Reps) he is pushing hard to force a committee hearing on Rep. Dennis Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment, recently introduced into the House of Representatives and referred to the Judiciary Committee.
This fight is not over. We must continue the pressure on our representatives or else Congress and its fellow lackey media will take no notice. That would be a historic mistake – one we must prevent Congress from making.
We stand at a critical juncture in our efforts. Forget all of those arguments that it is too late or that we have run out of time. You can’t run the clock out on our Constitution. Those of us dedicated to this fight – Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the online community, and millions of patriotic Americans – must keep the pressure on. Please continue to spread the word and help deliver accountability to the corrupt Bush-Cheney administration.Congressman Conyers needs a huge kick in the tail.
Please sign on to Congressman Robert Wexler's petition to help push the issue.
TOLL-FREE PHONE NUMBERS FOR THE U.S. CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD
US House of Representatives Web Sites
Another Day, Another FISA Veto Threat By The Bully In The White House
Yesterday, Bush again put the self interest of himself and his giant telecom criminal co-conspirators above our national security, by threatening to veto the FISA update bill unless we gave them all get out of jail free cards. And if Congress were to bend over yet again, he would still probably veto it to demand even more changes and/or defy other major provisions with a signing statement, as he so outrageously did with the recent defense bill.
We must be just as relentless as the criminals who are working overtime to gut our constitution. We have had two successful filibusters so far, and it looks like we're going to need a third. And we need strong opposition in the House too, for that is our last bulwark.
Tell your Congressional Representative to vote against this awful legislation, which has passed the Senate and returned to the House. The House has stood up to pressure to provide telecom immunity to date, so don't let them buckle to pressure from the White House and Senate.
S 1959 "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007" must be stopped at all costs. (It's already been approved by the House of Representatives by a HUGE majority.)
Pick up your phone and contact our US Senators' offices to instruct them to vote "NO" on S.1959, titled "To establish the National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism, and for other purposes".
If this bill is passed, and becomes law, your words and actions could be considered terrorism. S 1959 EVISCERATES FREE SPEECH, and empowers the govt. to declare ANYTHING they deem an "extremist belief system", instantly make you a terrorist, resulting in stripping of US citizenship, torture, and/or execution, with no habeas corpus rights, no ability to challenge even in the US Supreme Court.
What part of exercising power doesn't Harry Reid get? The Washington Post reports him "pleading" with the White House. And yet, it is his decision which version of the FISA bill to have the Senate consider, and by choosing to bring forward the bad one, he is knowingly forcing opponents of yet another "get out of jail free card" for Cheney cronies to get 60 votes to strip it out of the bill. Or filibuster yet again.
And what greater hero do we have than Dennis Kucinich, still standing strong as ever on every issue that matters. Here is his own leadership statement opposing telecom immunity.
And yet, even now, powerful corporations are pouring money into Dennis's district, to try to buy his seat out from under him by threatening him in his own primary. They are running malicious attack ads in heavy rotation. Please consider making a donation to Dennis now, to help him fight back.
Comcast has given us a glimpse of a world without Net
Neutrality, and it's a chilling sight.
An investigation by the Associated Press caught the
cable giant secretly inspecting online communications
and crippling users' ability to share information with
one another.
On 11-1-07, Free Press filed a legal complaint
demanding that the FCC take action to protect the free
flow of information on the Internet. By joining our
complaint, you can help stop Comcast and other
gatekeepers.
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
Action Alert: The Alliance for Democracy warns us to oppose Holt bill (HR 811). We call for a ban on the use of Direct Recording Electronic voting equipment (DREs) and to require the use of paper ballots.
AFD urgently calls upon all citizens to call their Representatives to demand amendments to rectify the defects in HR 811, specifically to ban the use of DRE voting machines and require the use of paper ballots in all elections in the United States.
1. DRE systems must be banned.
2. All voting must be by voter marks on a paper ballot.
3. All recounts must be by hand counting of paper ballots.
4. All elections must have a statistically significant verification.
5. All recounts at every level of government must be by hand counting.
6. All software must be subject to public disclosure.
7. No connections to the Internet should be allowed.
8. All election records should be available to the public.
Go to for on-line information and a link to a printable flier.
A call for all people of conscience
to donate to its Lebanon Palestine Emergency Relief Fund.
All donations will be used to help Palestinian and
Lebanese victims of the latest Israeli aggression.
Tel: 760-685-3243
Fax: 360-933-3568
E-mail link
We are happy to report that a new shipment of olive oil has arrived. The most recent harvest was excellent and per case prices are less than they were last year.
As with our previous shipments, this oil comes directly from the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees, PARC, a non-profit, non- governmental organization in the West Bank. PARC works with 15 different small cooperatives. This shipment comes from the Mazare' Al Nubani/ Ramallah and the Kufr Thulth, Jayous and Azzoun cooperatives. The labels are printed in the West Bank and the oil is bottled at the PARC bottling facility in Aram. 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 BRANCH OLIVE OIL DONATIONS
As with past shipments, a percentage of the proceeds of olive oil sales is donated back to organizations working directly with Palestinians. Past recipients include:
Palestinian Medical Relief Society Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions Birthright Unplugged American Friends Service Committee-Middle East Crisis Fund American Near East Refugee Aid Olive Harvest Coalition Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees Ibdaa Cultural Center International Solidarity Movement US OMEN Ta’ayush
THE IMPORTANCE OF OLIVE OIL TO THE PALESTINIAN ECONOMY
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. Olive trees, many of which are hundreds of years old, hold a deep significance in the culture and economy of the Holy Land. As the political and economic situation in Palestine continues to deteriorate, with increased restrictions on the mobility of people, goods and services, 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.
PARC assists at every stage of the olive oil production process, from helping farmers to reclaim rocky land, conserve water and implement sensible environmental practices (like re-cropping, dry-land farming and recycling of waste materials) to setting up regional labs for farmers to test their olive oil. PARC strictly monitors the quality of the oil, testing and re-testing it at its main laboratory to ensure that it meets all specifications. Extra-virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olives, 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.
Palestinian farmers traditionally care for their trees without the use of pesticides or sprays. PARC is currently working with international agricultural organizations to obtain organic certification for its olive oil, which should be finalized in the next few months. Because both light and heat are known enemies of olive oil, Olive Branch Olive Oil comes in a dark green glass bottle that is optimal for storage.
Available in 750ml bottles, by the case (12 bottles, $145), or more.
For ordering and other info, please email us at palestinebostonoliveoil@yahoo.com or call Susie at 781-648-6307.
Harvard's Palestine Solidarity Committee will be holding a vigil for Gaza from 11:45 am to 12:15 pm on the steps of Memorial Church in Harvard Yard. All who care for Palestine are invited to attend. Please wear black and spread the word widely.
These are the meetings where we decide on events and discuss strategies to end the war. Anyone is welcome -- from seasoned activists to beginners and we look forward to building a dialogue with anyone opposed to the war. Our main tenent is that we are independent of both the Democratic and the Republican Party, such that we can build an anti-war movement that survives elections and continues to oppose the war, regardless of which candidate is in office.
Meet briefly at the statue to exchange thoughts,
then walk silently around the Yard and nearby streets,
returning to the statue by 12:30pm.
Southeast corner of Rt 27 and 30 (nearest to Brooks Pharmacy).
Come for all or part. Bring a candle, lantern, or flashlight.
Organizer: Sandy Coy.
Join the Boston Tea Party Conference call,
Participant call in: 402-756-9100; Access code: 680903#
Socialist Alternative Radio, 91.5 FM Boston
listen anytime on the Web at WMFO.org. A democratic socialist, working-class view of politics and culture, including solidarity announcements, interviews, music, and more.
Write to us at BostonSAradio@aol.com.
Join a Friday fast and/or protest in solidarity with illegal detentions. The fast began in 2005 when Nobel Peace Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Adolpho Esquivel, (Argentina), along with others around the world, chose this method to seek the release of our unjustly detained and tortured brothers and sisters.
In Boston, local activists Susan McLucas and Phoebe Knopf have joined the Friday fast and will protest every Friday in front of the JFK Building from noon to one. The action, which is rooted in nonviolence, includes speakers, music, hand-outs and petitions to create public pressure to stop all illegal detentions and to try those responsible for the illegal treatment of thousands of detainees, most of whom are Arab and Muslim men. Susan and Phoebe will be wearing orange jumpsuits.