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The Justice School provides peace and justice education for children and youth (ages 6 -14). We are the Community Church of Boston's Sunday school. This program is free of cost, although donations are gladly accepted. New comers are welcome.
Our first class of the new school year will start at 10:45 AM on September 7th 2008. We will meet on the third floor of the Community Church of Boston. The Church is Located at 565 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116, in Copley Square.
Come join us for a fun field trip to the Boston Common for the MSPCA-Angell: Walk for Animals. Please bring a bagged lunch to eat after the walk. Students and their family members are welcome!
***But What is the Justice School?***
Unlike traditional Sunday schools this education program is not focused on a particular religious faith. Our goal is to help young people have faith in themselves as activists, team leaders, group members, students and agents of positive change.
We hope you will join us in creating a proactive peace and justice community for young people. Each Sunday is filled with fun and interesting activities. Our students use skits, art, games and books as tools for learning. Our class also goes on field trips and meets with local social justice organizers.
If you are interested in joining us feel free to show up, we meet each Sunday, usually at 11:00 AM (although our first class will start earlier, 10:45 AM) and finish our class around 12:45 PM.
If you have any questions you can contact JooYoung Choi (Justice School Director). 617-553-4259
After a long time away from one another we come back together to celebrate our community, tell stories of our summer, and inspire ourselves about the season to come. Please remember to bring a stone, shell, or water symbolic of or from your adventures this summer. As September is Back-to-School themed, Jason's talk will be on the impacts of Divinity School in his life, from his mother and step-father meeting at BU Divinity School to the implications Jason's enrollment in Divinity School has on the Community Church.
Hear:
Alyson Kennedy
Socialist Workers Party candidate for
Vice-President of the U.S.
The socialist candidates say “The Democrats and
Republicans serve the bosses. Working people need our
own political party, a labor party built out of a
fighting union movement. We need class independence in
the political arena to fight for solutions to the
mounting assaults we face—from racist and sexist
discrimination on and off the job, to rising inflation
and stagnating wages.”
Hear Alyson Kennedy speak about:
Why working people need a labor party
Supporting unionization and cost of living increases
for all workers
Opposing the bipartisan wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,
bring the troops home now
Legalization for immigrants, stopping the raids and
deportations
Opposing government spying and harassment
By train, take the blue line to Maverick Station and walk down Meridian about 5 blocks to Bennington, by Liberty Plaza.
Suggested Donation: Program $7, Brunch $5 Translation into Spanish available
STS Special Event
WINNER of the Special Jury Award for Documentary Features, Independent Film Festival Boston
A panel discussion with Professor Galison and Robb Moss will immediately follow the film.
>From the film's website:
In a single recent year the U.S. classified about five times the number of pages added to the Library of Congress. We live in a world where the production of secret knowledge dwarfs the production of open knowledge. Depending on whom you ask, government secrecy is either the key to victory in our struggle against terrorism, or our Achilles heel. But is so much secrecy a bad thing?
SECRECY"saves": counter-terrorist intelligence officers recall with fury how a newspaper article describing National Security Agency abilities directly led to the loss of information that could have avoided the terrorist killing of 241 soldiers in Beirut late in October 1983. Secrecy guards against wanton nuclear proliferation, against the spread of biological and chemical weapons. Secrecy is central to our ability to wage an effective war against terrorism.
Secrecy corrupts. From extraordinary rendition to warrant-less wiretaps and Abu Ghraib, we have learned that, under the veil of classification, even our leaders can give in to dangerous impulses. Secrecy increasingly hides national policy, impedes coordination among agencies, bloats budgets and obscures foreign accords; secrecy throws into the dark our system of justice and derails the balance of power between the executive branch and the rest of government.
This film is about the vast, invisible world of government secrecy. By focusing on classified secrets, the government's ability to put information out of sight if it would harm national security, Secrecy explores the tensions between our safety as a nation, and our ability to function as a democracy.
Please join us on Monday, September 8, at 4:00 pm in MIT's Bartos Theater (E15-070 at 20 Ames Street) for this very special event.
Contact Debbie Meinbresse (meinbres@mit.edu) for further information.
Brief bios on Peter Galison and Robb Moss can be viewed at the film's website.
PLEASE NOTE: This film will kick off the STS fall 2008 colloquium series on "Cold War Knowledges: A New Look" (see the STS website for a complete listing).
After enduring over 2 1/2 years of having our loved one in jail and prison, we have decided it's time to hit the road and start screaming from the rooftops about Eric and his case. We only regret that it has taken us this long... but circumstances demanded restraint, and our energies were focused on the struggle for Eric's freedom. But now we can wait no longer. Eric has suffered enormous injustices at the hands of the state -- and we want to do everything we can to make sure that people don't forget about Eric, that they understand how his case was created, and to ensure that people learn what they can from our experiences these past 2 1/2 years.
To that end, we are putting together a speaking tour to educate folks about Eric's case, which we will use as a lens through which to study the basic concepts of entrapment, the use of informants, and government repression in general. Unfortunately, these tools of the state are becoming more and more prevalent, and it's imperative that people understand how they work.
David Bacon will share first-hand observations on how the United States' trade and economic policy sets off a domino effect which ends in high immigration rates. In seeking to create a favorable investment climate for large corporations, socioeconomic conditions are created that displace communities and set migration into motion. Trade policy and immigration are intimately linked, Bacon argues, and are, in fact, elements of a single economic system.
David powerfully traces the development of illegal status back to slavery and shows the human cost of treating the indispensable labor of millions of migrants—and the migrants themselves—as illegal. He also analyzes NAFTA's corporate tilt as a cause of displacement and migration from Mexico and shows how criminalizing immigrant labor benefits employers.
Award-winning photojournalist David Bacon spent thirty years as a labor organizer and immigrant rights activist. His articles appear in The Nation, American Prospect, the Los Angeles Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Bacon hosts a weekly radio show on KPFA-FM in Berkeley, California
David's new book "Illegal People: How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants" will be available for purchase.
(1) "Eyes on What's Inside: The Militarization of Guerrero" (2005, 34 min.) MEXICO Director: Carlos Efrain Perez Roja (Mixe) In Spanish with English subtitles.
Violence against indigenous women has been a result of the occupation of Guerrero by military forces. This documentary explores the experiences of two Me'phaa women, victims of sexual abuse, who have had the courage to speak out.
Frances Moore Lappé is the author or co-author of sixteen books. Her 1971 bestseller Diet for a Small Planet continues to awaken readers to the human-made causes of hunger and the power of our everyday choices to create the world we want. Today, Lappé and her daughter Anna Lappé lead the Cambridge-based Small Planet Institute, a collaborative network for research and popular education to bring democracy to life. In September of 2007, the Institute's publishing arm released Lappé's newest book, Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity, Courage in a World Gone Mad.
A benefit for Peacework magazine
And please - spread the word!
6 PM Reception.
With a $50 contribution, receive a free copy of
Frances Moore Lappé's newest book, Getting a Grip:
Clarity, Creativity, Courage in a World Gone Mad -
while supplies last!
$35 sliding scale.* High-school-age, $5.
To reserve your seats, call 617-661-6130 or mail a
check payable to AFSC-Peacework to us at Peacework,
AFSC, 2161 Mass. Ave., Cambridge MA 02140.
You can also RSVP using Facebook
For more info visit PeaceWork Magazine
or email Sara Burke.
SPARKS! In Holliston is hosting Senator Karen Spilka at its next Movie Night.
Senator Spilka has chosen the timely movie "Recount" and will lead our discussion following the film.
Contact info: shellyis@gmail.com.
Followed by an open discussion.
Admission is free and open to all.
>From FHF: "Across the globe we are building, editing and contributing to a growing body of knowledge and tools at everyone’s fingertips. Volunteers in leaderless organizations contribute to online initiatives and articles. Software developers spend their free time collaborating with complete strangers. Amazingly, these efforts are creating products of extraordinary quality, sometimes better than that of large for-profit organizations.
"Why do we do it? Why does it work? Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales joins journalist Christopher Lydon to address these questions, where “Web 2.0” will take us next and how Objectivist Philosophy guides his vision."
A sensation at the 2007 Rome Film Festival last Fall, new Italian-directed documentary film “ZERO - AN INVESTIGATION INTO 9-11” (English version)
Starring: Gore Vidal and Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo
Directed by: Francesco Trento
"What results is a sequence of contradictions, gaps
and omissions of stunning gravity".
(Italian daily newspaper Il Corriere de la Sera)
“The importance of this film can not be overstated, if
its thesis is correct, the justification for declaring
the war on terror is built on a series of outrageous
lies.”
-La Repubblica
“The bomb at the Festa del Cinema di Roma is called
Zero. An incendiary documentary. The rhythm is
breathtaking. The filmmakers entertain and inform with
the same dramatic force”.
-Il Messaggerro
If you want to get a deeper understanding of what happened on 9/11/01, including and beyond the collapse of Building #7, attend the premier showing, discussed below, of the brilliant Italian documentary film "Zero".
This event will be a fundraiser to retire the remaining debt which was incurred in bringing the "911 Truth Science Symposium" to Boston this past December. In order to continue to present programs of such high caliber Boston 911 Truth needs your support to clear these debts now and to lay a firm financial foundation for future public programs. Admission will be $10 and we will "pass the hat" as well for those of you who feel called to give above and beyond that amount.
For more information email vgmrem@gmail.com or phone 617-965-6552
Viewers are invited to stay for discussion or to just
listen. Refreshments are served.
Monsanto's controversial past combines some of the
most toxic products ever sold with misleading reports,
pressure tactics, collusion, and attempted corruption.
The company now races to genetically engineer-and
patent-the world's food supply, which profoundly
threatens our health, environment, and economy.
Combining secret documents with first-hand accounts by
victims, scientists, and politicians, this widely
praised film exposes why Monsanto has become the
world's poster child for malignant corporate influence
in government and technology.
"The World According to Monsanto" is directed by
French filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin. Since her
directing debut in 1989, Ms. Robin has received 20
awards for her investigative documentaries filmed
around the world. She spent three years working on The
World according to Monsanto, beginning with four
months of intensive internet research examining
declassified documents, leaked internal files,
scientific studies, trial transcripts, articles, and
first-hand accounts of whistleblowers. The film
debuted in Europe in February 2008, and has since been
shown in 15 countries and purchased by 20
international channels. Her accompanying book, which
came out at the same time, became an immediate
bestseller in French, and is being translated into 10
languages.
Contact:
Cynthia Whitty
Phone: 508-881-6297
For 10 Years Five Innocent Men Have Been Unjustly Imprisoned in the U.S. But the media has wrapped this case in a curtain of silence. We need to break that Silence.
The Cuban Five are five Cuban nationals - Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, René González and Antonio Guerrero - who are in U.S. prisons, serving four life sentences and 75 years collectively, after being arrested September 12, 1998 and wrongfully convicted in U.S. federal court in Miami in 2001. They were accused of conspiracy to commit espionage against the U.S. and other related charges. But the Five were here fighting terrorism, monitoring the actions of CIA funded, Cuba-American terrorist groups based in Miami, in order to prevent attacks on Cuba. Over 3,000 Cubans have been killed in such attacks. The Five collected no classified information nor possessed any weapons and saved an untold number of lives.
A further injustice is that on 9 separate occasions, the U.S. government has denied entry visas to Adriana Perez and Olga Salanueva to visit their imprisoned husbands, Gerardo and René. It has been almost 10 years since the couples last embraced. Their visitation rights must be respected! Please get involved today!
A printable version of the flyer with graphics is available by going to july26.oro and clicking on the "See flyers" link.
For information about the National Free the Five Demonstration in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, Sept. 13th, go to nyfreethefive.org or call (917) 887-8710 in NYC.
written by
Barry Brodsky
Dean B. Kaner
Eric Small
directed by
Bridget Kathleen O’Leary
Boston Playwrights’ Theatre
September 5-21
“The Boys of Winter is a powerful play with
timeless social and political relevance.”
(Michael Chiklis, actor, The Shield, Fantastic Four)
"The Boys of Winter," antiwar play written by Barry
Brodsky, Dean B. Kaner, & Eric Small; directed by
Bridget Kathleen O’Leary.
[*September 5th benefit performance for Veterans For
Peace and Iraq Veterans Against The War.]
Boston Playwrights’ Theatre
949 Commonwealth Ave., Boston.
Convenient to the Green Line (B train)
[detailed directions at
www.bu.edu/bpt/directions/index.html];
wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: $20, $10 for students / seniors / veterans /
first responders; group rates available. Box Office
opens one hour before each show (cash or credit cards
only). For advance tickets, log onto
www.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/2692 or call 866-811-4111
(toll free).
The Boys of Winter is a memory play about a Vietnam veteran reflecting on his youth in the Midwest of the 60’s while reconciling demons in the present. Clearly there is a parallel to returning veterans from Iraq and the tragic lessons of Vietnam, never learned and repeating themselves 40 years later.
The Boys of Winter delves into the lives of what could be any young man or woman compelled or forced to head out and “defend this nation” by fighting on foreign soil. If and when they return, it is a matter of debate as to whether these soldiers and their loved ones are actually able to move on in a positive manner from their combat duties. The Boys of Winter wrestles with the lessons learned from our nation’s Vietnam experience. The playwrights are keen on provoking current audiences into becoming more aware of those who are now returning in droves from Iraq and Afghanistan. Instant recall about our current engagement should not only be triggered when we’re driving under an overpass decorated with signs of “welcome home.”
The 7pm screening will be followed by conversation, led by MIT Prof. Jonathan King, about the issues raised in the film and the current nuclear threat.
Co-Sponsored by the Technology and Culture Forum at MIT, the MIT Nuclear Weapons Abolition Initiative and the MIT Lecture Series Committee
Full day Sat Sept 13 and Half day Sun Sept 14 Andover, Massachusetts
Registration details available at war-crimes.info. Registration fee is $125.00, which includes 3 meals and conference materials.
We've lined upnearly 20 great speakers - law professors, lawyers, prosecutors, journalists, authors and activists. Among them, Vincent Bugliosi.
We need your help to get the word out about the event!
"The common sense of mankind demands that law shall not stop with the punishment of petty crimes by little people. It must also reach men who possess themselves of great power and make deliberate and concerted use of it to set in motion evils which leave no home in the world untouched."
* * *
"The Charter of this Tribunal evidences a faith that the law is not only to govern the conduct of little men, but that even rulers are, as Lord Chief Justice Coke put it to King James, 'under God and the law.'"
* * *
"And let me make clear that while this law is first applied against German aggressors, the law includes, and if it is to serve a useful purpose it must condemn aggression by any other nations, including those which sit here now in judgment."
(from Opening Statement of The Chief Prosecutor, Supreme Justice Robert H. Jackson, at Nuremberg)
"The same disaster has now happened twice in forty years, in Viet Nam and Iraq. It must never happen again. As at Nuremberg, we need to take steps to insure that leaders will never do it again."
PRESENTERS (subject to change):
Francis Boyle, University of Illinois College of Law; his book: Breaking All the Rules: Palestine, Iraq, Iran and the Case for Impeachment. Vincent Bugliosi, author of "PROSECUTING GEORGE W. BUSH FOR MURDER"
Vincent Bugliosi, author of "PROSECUTING GEORGE W. BUSH FOR MURDER"
Harold Burbank, Attorney
Colleen Costello, Human Rights USA.
Benjamin Davis, attorney and author of "Refluat Stercus: A Citizen's View of Criminal Prosecution in U.S. domestic courts of high-level U.S. civilian authority and military generals for torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" and "A Citizen Observer's View of the U.S. Approach to the 'War on Terrorism'"
Joshua Dratel, Esq. and Co-Editor of "THE TORTURE PAPERS"
David Lindorff, Journalist and author of "THE CASE FOR IMPEACHMENT"
Laura Rotolo, American Civil Liberties Union
Christophe Pyle, former investigator for Senator Sam Ervin's Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights
Philippe Sands, author of "THE TORTURE TEAM"
David Swanson, Washington Director of Democrats.com and of ImpeachPAC.org
Peter Weiss, Center for Constitutional Rights
Lawrence Velvel, Dean, Massachusetts School of Law
Ann Wright, author of "DISSENT" who resigned from the U.S. Foreign Service on March 19, 2003, arrested many times for confronting our war criminals
For more information:
Jeff Demers or 978-681-0800.
This event is an ACLU of Massachusetts conversation
with:
- Eric Alterman, The Nation
- Ellen Hume, MIT Center for Future Civic Media
- Callie Crossley, Program Manager for the Nieman
Foundation for Journalism, Harvard University
- Emcee: Barry Nolan, veteran TV journalist
Among the questions to be discussed:
- WHO is demanding real answers about civil liberties
in this election year?
- WHAT can we hope for from investigative reporting
given the increasing risks faced by whistleblowers?
- WHEN will the Fourth Estate assume the role of "last
line of defense" for democracy when Congress fails to
exercise a check against the executive's power grab?
- WHERE can we find the best media coverage of key
constitutional issues?
- WHY does the "war on terror" framework continue to
hamper an independent media's willingness to take
risks seven years after 9/11?
- HOW do we take advantage of opportunities offered by
new media to keep
the government responsive to the people?
- Charges against Amy Goodman still hold; Nicole Salazar and Sharif Abdel Kouddous could still be charged with FELONY RIOT
ACTIONS Requested:
CONTACT THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE - DEMAND THAT ALL CHARGES OR POTENTIAL CHARGES BE IMMEDIATELY DROPPED:
Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner
janet.hafner@co.ramsey.mn.us and
susan.gaertner@co.ramsey.mn.us
(cc: dropthecharges at democracynow.org)
651-266-3079
Susan Gaertner for Governor
info at susangaertner.com
(cc: dropthecharges at
democracynow.org)
(612) 978-8625
(612)804-6156
St. Paul Mayor Christopher B. Coleman
chris.coleman@ci.stpaul.mn.us
Bob.Hume@ci.stpaul.mn.us
sara.grewing@ci.stpaul.mn.us
(cc: dropthecharges at democracynow.org)
Make your voice heard in the Ramsey County Attorney and St. Paul Mayor’s offices. Demand that they drop all pending and current charges against journalists arrested while reporting on protests outside the Republican National Conventions.
For updates tune in to Democracy Now! on WZBC 12-1pm each weekday or view DN's website.
In early August, 10 senators (five Democrats and five Republicans) released a “compromise” energy plan to allow for some offshore oil drilling. The group has been dubbed the Gang of 10. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has indicated he is likely to allow a vote on an energy bill in September. However, the Gang of 10 have not yet put their compromise into legislative form, so there is no bill number or exact language. While the Gang of 10’s plan has been widely reported on, few have noticed that their plan includes $80+ to $160+ Billion in new subsidies for the nuclear power industry.
In the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has indicated she too is likely to allow a vote on some sort of energy bill in September. Again, no specific bill language has yet been announced. However, a group of predominately Republican House members have introduced what they call the “All of the Above” energy bill (HR 6384) which would include about $120 billion in new nuclear subsidies.
NIRS has suggested citizen lobbying to stop this
horrible nonsense.
Email contact: nirsnet@nirs.org
phone: 301-270-6477
This November a binding referendum question repealing the Massachusetts income tax will be on the ballot. If passed, this referendum would cut state revenue by more than 12 billion dollars, almost 40 percent of the state budget. Local communities would need to raise property taxes and/or cut back on vital public services such as education, emergency response personnel, fire fighters and police offices.
Fact sheet downloadable from votenowquestionone.com
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
Cindy Sheehan is making a courageous run for the Congressional seat in San Francisco, to challenge Nancy Pelosi, who has done nothing but cave in to the Bush/Cheney criminal war agenda, while the approval rating of Congress drops into single digits for the first time ever.
But FIRST Cindy needs to get on the ballot, and to do that as an independent she still needs another 6,000 petitions signatures in the next couple weeks.
Even with her many valiant volunteers, you can really help now by making a donation to put more paid signature gatherers for Cindy Sheehan on the street to give the voters of San Francisco a pro-courage choice. Help put Cindy safely over the top with enough margin of petition signatures that they cannot keep her off the ballot.
Cindy Sheehan Petition Donations
In one month, the Free Gaza Movement will sail on a mission of civil resistance: breaking into the prison that is Gaza.
We are students and teachers, human rights observers and aid workers, lawyers, medics, activists - parents and grandparents. We are Americans and Europeans, Israelis and Palestinians, Australians, South Africans, and more. We are of all ages and backgrounds. Collectively, we have years of experience volunteering in Gaza and the West Bank. Because of our human rights work, the state of Israel has banned many of us from re-entering Palestinian areas. Because of the ongoing blockade, the rest of us find it almost impossible to enter Gaza at all. Despite deteriorating conditions, the great need for international assistance, and the invitations of our Palestinian partners - the Israeli Government will not allow us into Gaza to help. Will you help?
We must break the siege of Gaza. Conditions there are already catastrophic. We have to raise international awareness about the prison-like closure of Gaza and deeply pressure Israel and the international community to lift the blockade and end the Occupation. As people of conscience our actions must be commensurate with the crisis.
We've tried to enter Palestine by land. We've tried to arrive by air. Now we're getting serious. We're taking a ship. Please look into your hearts and ask yourselves if the collective punishment and virtual imprisonment of one and a half million human beings can ever be justified. If your answer’s “no,” then we want your help this August when we break into Gaza and try to break out of this siege.
If you’d like more information, or if you can donate money or medical supplies (such as hearing aids), please visit their website at FreeGaza.org.
Boston Palestine Film Festival
Asking for contributions now.
Festival is October 4 thru 12, 2008.
2007: With over 40 films, BPFF brought authentic
Palestinian perspectives, experiences and culture to
venues as prestigious and diverse as the Museum of
Fine Arts, Coolidge Corner Theatre, Kendall Square
Cinema, Harvard Film Archive, Harvard University and
Boston College. BPFF featured several US premieres
and included appearances by many noted international
filmmakers. Please visit BPFF online to view the
substantial coverage we received in the Boston Globe,
the Boston Phoenix and on WBUR, a local affiliate of
National Public Radio—to name just a few media
outlets.
2008: This year’s festival is every bit as exciting
and compelling as last year’s. We are now finalizing
our 2008 program for this coming fall, October 4th-
12th. We hope that we can count on your support to
build on the achievements of last year,
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
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 statements 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.
Global Exchange Delegations to Venezuela. Here are planned events in 2008:
Democracy, Development, and Regional Integration- A New Vision for the Americas
August 09 - 19, 2008
Labor, Land Reform, and Agriculture
September 06 - 16, 2008
Health and Healing
October 04 - 14, 2008
Popular Democracy : Observing the 2008 Regional Elections
November 15 - 25, 2008
Democracy, Development, and Regional Integration- A New Vision for the Americas
December 05 - 15, 2008
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
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.
Ed Received 22.5% of the vote at the June Primary Nomination vote to qualify for the fall primary (15% minimum required). For further information, call the campaign at 866-716-2008.
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.
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.
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
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 farming cooperatives. 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. PARC recently received the top BIOL award for excellence in olive oil in a competition in Puglia, Italy which included 300 participants from Italy and abroad.
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 continues to deteriorate, 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.
We hope that you will continue to support us in this endeavor, as it is more important than ever to help sustain the Palestinian economy. On our most recent trip to the region in June 2008, we found that conditions are worse than ever, with unrelenting, tightening restrictions on movement making life incredibly difficult.
Harvard's Palestine Solidarity Committee will be holding a vigil for Gaza from 11:45 am to 12:15 pm on the steps of Memorial Church in Harvard Yard. All who care for Palestine are invited to attend. Please wear black and spread the word widely.
These are the meetings where we decide on events and discuss strategies to end the war. Anyone is welcome -- from seasoned activists to beginners and we look forward to building a dialogue with anyone opposed to the war. Our main tenent is that we are independent of both the Democratic and the Republican Party, such that we can build an anti-war movement that survives elections and continues to oppose the war, regardless of which candidate is in office.
Meet briefly at the statue to exchange thoughts,
then walk silently around the Yard and nearby streets,
returning to the statue by 12:30pm.
Southeast corner of Rt 27 and 30 (nearest to Brooks Pharmacy).
Come for all or part. Bring a candle, lantern, or flashlight.
Organizer: Sandy Coy.
Join the Boston Tea Party Conference call,
Participant call in: 402-756-9100; Access code: 680903#
Socialist Alternative Radio, 91.5 FM Boston
listen anytime on the Web at WMFO.org. A democratic socialist, working-class view of politics and culture, including solidarity announcements, interviews, music, and more.
Write to us at BostonSAradio@aol.com.
Join a Friday fast and/or protest in solidarity with illegal detentions. The fast began in 2005 when Nobel Peace Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Adolpho Esquivel, (Argentina), along with others around the world, chose this method to seek the release of our unjustly detained and tortured brothers and sisters.
In Boston, local activists Susan McLucas and Phoebe Knopf have joined the Friday fast and will protest every Friday in front of the JFK Building from noon to one. The action, which is rooted in nonviolence, includes speakers, music, hand-outs and petitions to create public pressure to stop all illegal detentions and to try those responsible for the illegal treatment of thousands of detainees, most of whom are Arab and Muslim men. Susan and Phoebe will be wearing orange jumpsuits.
On this day, Friday and from there on!, we hereby declare the
establishment of a new DeMilitarized Zone where all those who wish can
congregate to denigrate and repudiate the war machine and celebrate the
growth of the new movement from coast to coast willing to oppose the war and opression in
this country and around the world. Bring your signs, and minds, let's
chalk, talk, play music, paint art with caring and sharing and declaring
that we are "chilling *against* the villins" in this zone to show our
independence!!!!!
We declare our solidarity with the people of the Middle East who share
the misfortune of living on top of the largest oil reserves on the
planet which is the reason behind the current war on Iraq. We declare
our condemnation of those who support this criminal war commanded by
criminals who promote a criminal ideology with criminal intent and
crimes against humanity. We repudiate with prejudice the general assault
on our rights: abuses, excuses, jailings, raids, lies, spies,
xenophobia, torture, extraordinary rendition, and the general police
state system that says we must stand together and support this
generalized oppression. We are no longer the silent generation but are
now willing to Stand Apart and against the mass murdering villins who
are doin the real killin. Join us in the DMZ!!
Chillin against the villin's!!!
Our *DMZ* and our Independence.