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The Independent Broadcast Information Service, in
cooperation with WMBR, Cambridge presents:
"RADIO with a VIEW"
Sun. 11/02/08 10am - 12noon
Listen: WMBR, Cambridge 88.1FM and www.wmbr.org (live
webcast & archive)
Guests and topics:
--> Pre-election, post-partisan, quasi-rational,
pseudo-scientific MEGA MIX...
--> A few days before the election, we're joined by
JOSEPH GERSON, Director of Programs and the Peace &
Economic Security Program for the American Friends
Service Committee in New England.
--> Businesswoman and author MARGARET TROST talks
about her transformational experiences in Haiti and
her efforts to feed children there. [Interview
conducted 10.21.08 with "Haiti Focus" producer Jacques-
Antoine Jean]
"Grace Notes" with Grace Ross.
Produced by Marc Stern & Dave Goodman for I.B.I.S. and
the world!
Over and over again elections are stolen by those in power and "the people" are unable to rise up and demand accountability. People in Roxbury and people in Beacon Hill are supposedly being represented by the same people in governmental decisions. With each bill, act, and executive order that gets passed we watch our ability to control our lives disapate. In a global context the G8, WTO, IMF, and others have more control over our lives as those in elected power represent the interests of government. James will look at a broad historical and global perspective to remind us that, "voting just encourages them."
James Herod is a long-time activist/organizer in anarchist communities and author of Getting Free: Creating an Association of Democratic Autonomous Neighborhoods as well as a number of other papers on anarchist revolutionary praxis.
6-8PM: Community Unity Rally
Roxbury Community College
Media Arts Center
(Roxbury Crossing Stop on the Orange Line)
Vote No on Question #1
Supporters/Endorsers: Boston Tenant Coalition ▪
BPON ▪ Chinese Progressive Association ▪
Dominican Development Center ▪ Hyde Square Task
Force ▪
Jobs With Justice ▪ Massachusetts
ACORN ▪
MAHA ▪ MIRA Coalition ▪
Mass
Senior Action Council ▪ MassVote ▪
One
Massachusetts ▪ Union of Minority Neighborhoods
unionvoice.org
Dear Friends,
Doris "Granny D" Haddock has many friends on both
sides of the political aisle, as do I.
Doris endorses Sen. Barack Obama for the Presidency,
even though she walked 3,200 miles across the US to
drum-up support for Sen. McCain's campaign finance
reform bill.
During that effort, she and I had occasion to work
with Sen. McCain. The McCain article run by Rolling
Stone, linked below, is worth reading because it is
the truth.
Here is the story link:
Dennis Burke
New England Reform School
Cobb Meadow Road
Dublin, NH 03444
Election Day Project: Election Defense Alliance needs YOUR HELP conducting Independent Citizen Exit Polls as a Check on Electronic Voting Machines.
Volunteers are Needed on Election Day for This Vital Project. Massachusetts citizens are needed in southern New Hampshire for a citizen-run independent exit polling project (EVEP) on Election Day.
The polling sites are not far from the border and are near major highways. The data obtained will be analyzed on Election Night and serve as a measure of the legitimacy of the officially announced election outcomes. We need your help.
In the past two presidential elections, Edison- Mitofsky, the polling company that runs the official exit polls commissioned by the media consortium, has released only adjusted data that conform to the announced election outcomes. They have withheld the raw data -- much as the electronic voting vendors withhold the real vote data.
This EVEP project is essential to validate the official vote counts. Our raw data, which we hope you will help us collect, as well as the analysis and the full protocol, will be made fully available to the public. The citizen-managed polls will be run by a strict protocol and training will be provided.
Shifts will probably average 4-6 hours.
1. Volunteers are needed to hand out questionnaires, asking voters to fill them in and deposit them in a locked box.
2. Other volunteers are needed for data entry.
3. Can't help in person? Can you help with a DONATION?
Can you help us with this important project to assure
an honest election? If so, please sign up immediately
at ElectionDefenseAlliance.org/EVP. Also please
contact NH Coordinator Elaine at
For questions: Ryan Herlinger, Project Coordinator
Sally Castleman, National Chairperson
Call (now) for UN Election Observers!
A coalition of U.S. pro-democracy organizations today petitioned the members of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations for international election observers for the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
Representatives of No More Stolen Elections!, True Vote, Liberty Tree, Global Exchange, and the Economic Human Rights Project filed the petition seeking international observers with embassies in Washington, DC on Thursday, October 30, 2008, and the New York City offices of the UN on Friday, October 31, 2008. The embassies we visited included those of UN ECOSOC member nations New Zealand, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, France, United Kingdom, and Sweden.
We want to make sure that if the election results are contested, steps have been taken so that the U.N. is able to participate in ensuring the integrity of the U.S. election.
Petition to which to add your name: nomorestolenelections.org
7PM: A Post Election Community Forum:
"Where Do We Go From Here?
Media Arts Auditorium
Roxbury Community College
1234 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA
After an historical presidential election; the great Wall Street financial crisis, ripoff and Governmental Bailout; state governmental budget cuts; the war in Iraq and Afghanistan; a new cold war with Russia; Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Gustave; The Jena 6; Massive housing foreclosures; Police abuse; Youth violence; a Health Care system that don't serve all the people (especially the poor); and a public educational system that is failing...
How can we bring change that will benefit our communities? What must we do with a new president in the White House?
contact: Tmenelik@yahoo.com or call 617 287-6255
"I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today - my own government.." April 4th, 1967 "A Time To Break The Silence" Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Olympics are now ended. Have human rights improved as promised by the Chinese leaders? Faced with ever growing, cascading crises--earthquake, economic embargo by the West, Tibetan uprising, pollution--how has current leadership responded? Is there viable democratic opposition in China today that could advance its agenda? And, what is the role of the international community?
Jianli Yang, who earned a PhD from both Harvard and UC Berkeley, is a survivor of the Tiananmen Square massacre and a five-year prison term in China when he returned in 2002 as an advocate after graduating from Harvard.. This spring, he walked from Boston to Washington D.C. to increase public awareness of China's human rights abuses. In July, he was violently turned away and nearly arrested when he attempted to carry his message to the Olympics Games.
Cambridge Forum is taped and edited for public radio
broadcast. Edited CDs are available to the public by
contacting 617_495_2727. Select forums can be viewed
in their entirety on demand by visiting our website at
Voices Beyond Walls: Youth Videos From Palestine 2006-
2007- showing and discussion.
Lisa Nieves Traveled to Palestine this summer to work
with youth making these short films, depicting their
lives in their own words and images.
This film is sponsored by DOWN (Dinners on Wednesday
Night) and is a potluck. Please feel free to bring
food to share.
::Films::
1. The Necklace - El Oqd / 2007 / 7:42 min: A group
of teenagers living in Aida refugee camp, Bethlehem
reenact the arrest of one of their friends who is 15
years old and being held without trial in an Israeli
prison. The boy's best friend holds onto a necklace,
a symbol of his friend and the hope for his return.
The film highlights the issue of Palestinian child
prisoners in Israeli jails but emphasizes that
friendship extends beyond all borders and barriers.
2. Victory- Nasr / 2007 / 7:36: Each of the players
on a Palestinian basketball team explains why he or
she wants to "win for Palestine." They recall their
experiences living under occupation but resolve to
work together to win the game.
3. Nablus Tragedy- Masat Nablus / 2006 / 6:50 min:
Two girls from Balata camp, Nablus bring the viewer
through their city. The narrator, Sondoz, explains
how Israeli incursions and Palestinians' inability to
maintain their city have destroyed the landscape. The
audience never sees the faces of the girls as they
walk; they imitate the famous Palestinian cartoon
figure, Hanthala, who is always depicted with his back
to the audience, in resignation of all that occurs
around him.
4. Wishing to be a Bird- Ana Asfour / 2006 / 1:42
min: The short film describes a young girl's
experience of catching a bird with her friends- and
coming to identify with the bird. Using a combination
of drawings, still photographs, and narrative, the
film uses the symbol of the bird to express the dream
of being free to see a world full of both happiness
and sadness.
5. Dreams of Jerusalem- Ahlam el Quds / 2007 / 8:00
min: Three best friends perform an act of resistance
to fulfill their deep longing to visit Jerusalem- Holy
City of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish faiths. In
reality, they are not allowed to enter Jerusalem
because they are Palestinian. The film features the
girls' paintings of Jerusalem hung on Israel's
separation wall. This narrative is set to a famous
song about Jerusalem by Fayrouz (the Lebanese artist).
6. Theater of Stones- Masrah el Hejra / 2007 / 5:55
min: A school boy in the Jenin refugee camp recounts
his life with a friend, interspersed with scenes of
actual footage of an Israeli military incursion into
Jenin. The film contextualizes stone-throwing as a
form of resistance among young boys. The last scene
takes place in the Freedom Theater, a youth arts
center in the camp started by an Israeli woman. The
film juxtaposes the reality of life under occupation
with theater, leaving the viewer to decouple the act
of resistance from performance.
7. Memories of Nakba- Zikrayat el Nakba / 2006 / 3:28
min: Using drawings and real archival photos, the
film explores the Nakba or "Catastrophe" in 1948, the
year Israel became a state and thousands of
Palestinians were removed from their homes.
8. Hope of Freedom- Amal el Horaya / 2007 / 8:30 min:
A Palestinan grandmother tells her grandson about her
experience of the Nakba in an intimate interview. The
children from Aida camp, Bethlehem reenact her account
and become transplanted into their history, weaving
together past, present, fiction and nonfiction.
9. Palestinian Mother- Um Filistine / 2007 / 5:39
min: The story illustrates a comical situation where
three brothers individually try to entice their mother
to vote for their own political party (Hamas, Fateh
and PFLP) in the upcoming Palestinian elections. The
film humorously explores the subject of sectarian
divisions fragmenting Palestinian society in recent
times, and a mother's insistence on the strength of
Palestinian unity despite it all.
10. Return Our Happiness, AeedouLana Saadateena,
2007, 8:47 min: The film tells a story of a birthday
party set against the tensions and restrictions of
everyday life in occupied territory. Although the
friends try to celebrate like children anywhere, their
party is inevitably disrupted by circumstances beyond
their control.
6:30-8:30PM: GHANA FILM: "EMMANUEL'S GIFT"
with Bikes Not Bombs
Screening at the City Year Headquarters
287 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02116
Tickets are $7-$15, sliding scale and available for purchase online at bikesnotbombs.org/node/419, or by phone: 617-522-0222, or at the door.
The film "Emmanuel's Gift" tells the story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, a physically challenged athlete who rode a bicycle across Ghana with one leg in his campaign advocating for the rights and abilities of the physically disabled in Ghana. Emmanuel's campaign influenced the Government of Ghana to pass a Disability Rights Law that protects the rights of the physically disabled. Emmanuel went on to establish the Emmanuel Education Foundation and Sports Academy for the Physically Challenged with the financial support he received from the international community. He has been the winner of numerous awards including the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and the prestigious Casey Martin Award offered each year by Nike corporation. His leadership in bringing dignity and inspiration to the growing international movement for the rights of the disabled has led his people on to a new paradigm in Africa, one that challenges the stigma of poverty and self-deprecation that has pushed disabled individuals into the destitution of begging and marginalization on the fringes of society.
With donated bicycles from Boston and the support of hundreds of local volunteers and donors, Bikes Not Bombs is co-sponsoring the development of a retail shop to be collectively managed by physically challenged people in Koforidua, Ghana. Join us for an inspiring film and discussion about this endeavor.
BNB is undertaking this project in partnership with a foundation in Ghana created by an extraordinary man, Emmanuel Yeboah. The First Look Pictures documentary, Emmanuel's Gift (trailer and photos here: www.emmanuelsgift.com) by Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern, is narrated by Oprah Winfrey. Following Emmanuel's struggles and achievements, it gives a background for this new project.
For insightful updates and beautiful photos, please check out the blog of David Branigan, BNB staff in Ghana: bikesnotbombs-eefsa.blogspot.com
...and his photos page at
A five minute documentary on BNB, "One Peace at a Time" by Allegra Anderson, will open the evening, and a discussion with Carl Kurz, BNB's founder and International Programs Director, will follow the screening of "Emmanuel's Gift."
Special thanks to City Year for generously allowing BNB to take advantage of their hi-tech, new, green media space.
Please contact arik@bikesnotbombs.org or 617-522-0222 x100 if you are available to help distribute flyers! Full info and a map at bikesnotbombs.org/node/419
Over the last decade, millions of votes have disappeared. A nation can be stolen without guns or tanks. A nation can be stolen vote by vote. Filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman shines a spotlight on the gritty reality of the last decade's most egregious incidents of U.S. electoral insecurity. Directed by Dorothy Fadiman, featuring Greg Palast the film brings together dramatic behind-the-scenes stories related to the election of November 2, 2004. The heart of the story is a candid assessment of ways in which privatized election systems, disenfranchisement of certain populations and vulnerable voting technology are impacting our democracy.
FOLKS THIS SCREENING TAKES PLACE TWO DAYS AFTER THE
ELECTION. IF YOU KNOW OF FRAUD THIS TIME AROUND
IMMEDIATELY GO TO
Extended informal discussion after the film. NEW THIS SEASON. AFTER THE FILM FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION WE WILL BE MEETING AT ANDALA 286 FANKLIN STREET FOR COFFEE, TWO BLOCKS FROM LIBRARY
There is an inexpensive parking garage next to the library and some parking on the street. Pearl Street is just off Mass. Ave in Central Square.
Contact: 617-244-8054
A British report on Israeli violence in Gaza against not only Palestinian civilians, but international aid volunteers and foreign reporters as well.
In 2003, Dispatches reporter Sandra Jordan and producer Rodrigo Vasquez risk their lives to reveal the shocking level of daily violence and murderous hate in the Gaza Strip.
Within hours of arriving Sandra and Rodrigo are shot at and tear-gassed by Israeli troops breaking up a memorial service for Rachel Corrie, an American peace activist crushed by an Israeli Army bulldozer two days before.
That sets the tone for a five-week stay in which they document the shooting by Israeli troops of the British peace campaigner Tom Hurndall, and the death of James Miller, the award-winning cameraman who worked extensively for Channel 4, killed as he filmed Israeli troops bulldozing Palestinian homes.
The Dispatches team reveals what life is like in what has become a fully blown war zone.
Please join us for a stimulating night out; bring your friends! Free film, free refreshments, & free door prizes. [donations are accepted]
Food, Fuel, and the Future: Sustainable Strategies for Healthy Communities
Massachusetts Public Health Association
Annual Meeting & Expo
8:00 am - 2:15 pm
Royal Plaza Hotel, Marlborough
Keynote Speaker: Jim Hightower
Former Agriculture Commissioner, State of Texas, and
New York Times best-selling author
The event will also include:
* John Auerbach, Commissioner of Public Health, State
of Massachusetts
* Greg Watson, Senior Advisor for Clean Energy
Technology, Massachusetts
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
* Linda C. Degutis, President, American Public Health
Association
Contact: Kara Keenan at MPHA
For more information, or to register, visit mphaweb.org
."A FAR CRY" ORCHESTRA BENEFIT CONCERT
for bikesnotbombs.orgBikes Not Bombs
Friday November 7th
Doors at 6:30, music at 7:00
at English High School Auditorium
144 McBride Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
(near the Green St T station)
Come out for an evening of classical music to support
Bikes Not Bombs! A great big thanks to A Far Cry for
coming to us and offering this amazing benefit. The
November 7th concert will feature Handel's Concerto
Grosso op.6 in Gm, Tchaikovsky's Serenade, and
Golijov's Last Round.
Hailed by the Boston Globe as "one of Boston's most
promising classical music groups," A Far Cry is
making waves, experimenting with how music is
performed and heard. A tightly-knit group of 17 young
professional musicians, A Far Cry formed in early
2007, seeking the freedom and flexibility of a string
quartet as well as the power and beauty of an
orchestra. Their high level of musicianship has
drawn Boston Symphony Orchestra members to join them
as soloists for select pieces. For more info see
."A FAR CRY".
Operating with rotating leadership and no conductor, A
Far Cry is generating interest not only in the
concert hall, but also with its innovative model. All
artistic decisions are made by vote as a collective,
and the musicians take care of ALL the behind-the-
scenes work, from booking concerts to exploring the
means of fundraising.
A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, A Far Cry is
also committed to social change and harmony, donating
proceeds from concerts to homeless shelters in the
Boston area, and partnering with other non-profits
such as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. A Far Cry's
2008-09 season holds engagements at the Yellow Barn
and Kneisel Hall Festivals, concerts from Minnesota to
Florida, and a growing hometown series in Boston.
Their newest benefit concert will support Bikes Not
Bombs on November 7th.
a href=http://youtube VIDEOS OF "A FAR CRY"
* Respighi: Ancient Airs and Dances - Italiana - Part 1 -
* Respighi: Ancient Airs and Dances - Italiana - Part 2 -
* Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #3 - mvt 1+2 -
* Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #3 - mvt 3 -
* Mozart: Divertimento #3 - mvt 1 -
* Mozart: Divertimento#3 - mvt 2 + 3 -
-
* Bartok: Divertimento for Strings - mvt 3
* Britten: Lachrymae with Roger Tapping - Part 1 -
* Britten: Lachrymae with Roger Tapping - Part 2 -
A FAR CRY's website: A FAR CRY.
(You can buy tickets there.)
DIRECTIONS:
* English High School Auditorium is at 144 McBride St.
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
* Very close to the Green Street T station.
Are you worried about the economy? What's the real story behind the housing mortgage meltdown? Wondering how the new President will manage our financial affairs? Have you been mystified by the so-called experts who use obscure jargon to paint a rosy picture of "free trade," corporate bail-outs, and wage stagnation? You are not alone.
Arthur MacEwan, aka "Dr. Dollar," has been a member of the faculty of the UMass Economics Department since 1975. He has taught courses on economic development, macroeconomics, the economics of education, Latin America, American economic history, and Marxist economics. From 1968-75 he was a faculty member at Harvard University.
Read Arthur's latest article, "The Greed Fallacy" at dollarsandsense.org.
Presented by The Jamaica Plain Forum & Cosponsored by Dollars & Sense, and United for a Fair Economy
The Jamaica Plain Forum is a series of community conversations on the great issues shaping our neighborhood and our planet. Please join us for our free events, including films, discussions and workshops.
Discussion and coffee to follow the lecture. Free admission. Donations for a Sacco Vanzetti Memorial Monument to be placed in Boston’s North End will be gratefully accepted.
David Rothauser will introduce the lecture with readings from the letters of Sacco and Vanzetti.
Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were two Italian- born immigrants, workers, and anarchists, who were tried and convicted in 1921 for the armed robbery and murder of two payroll guards. After 7 years of legal appeals and international protest, the two men were finally executed on August 23, 1927 in Boston for a crime that many felt they did not commit and by a judicial system that was patently biased and unjust. In his lecture Howard Zinn will indicate the relevance of the Sacco and Vanzetti Case for America today.
Howard Zinn is a historian, playwright, and social activist. He was a shipyard worker and Air Force bombardier before he went to college under the GI Bill and eventually received his Ph.D. from Columbia University. He has taught as a tenured professor at Spelman College and Boston University, and has been a visiting professor at the University of Paris and the University of Bologna. He has received among others, the Thomas Merton Award, the Eugene V. Debs Award, the Upton Sinclair Award, and the Lannan Literary Award.
David Rothauser is the writer/producer of the docudrama, "The Diary of Sacco and Vanzetti" aired on WGBH-TV in 2004 and 2005.
The Sacco and Vanzetti Commemoration Society, the sponsor of this event, seeks to preserve the memory of Sacco and Vanzetti and to honor their efforts in trying to radically change the society they lived in. We wish to bring out their place in the history of radical Massachusetts, to help draw useful connections between the struggle of Sacco and Vanzetti and similar struggles today, and to inform our community about their living legacy, We stand against the death penalty, the persecution of political dissidents, as well as the persecution and scapegoating of immigrants. We hope that by raising a monument to Sacco and Vanzetti in Boston’s North End, a bronze bas- relief by the American sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, the same Borglum noted for his iconic sculptures of four American presidents in the hills of South Dakota, we can keep these issues fresh in the minds of our city, our state, and our nation.
The Dante Alighieri Society is conveniently located near Kendall Square, on the corner of Hampshire Street and Cardinal Medeiros Avenue. The Kendall Square / MIT stop on the MBTA Red Line is within ten minutes walking distance from the Center. Limited parking is available.
Contact: Sergio Reyes
Sacco and Vanzetti Commemoration Society
617-290-5614
Saturday, November 8, 2:15 PM
"Postcard from Lebanon"
a new documentary by Jocelyn Ajami (2008, 35 min.)
Director present.
Museum of Fine Arts (Remis Auditorium), Boston
(MFA parking and admission charges are substantial;
use MBTA, borrow member card from local library)
In 2006, six weeks after the war between Israel and Lebanon, a group of American political leaders and journalists visited Lebanon to assess the destruction. Postcards from Lebanon is an eyewitness report of their visit and underlines some of the consequences of war, including the impact of cluster bombs on civilians.
We are showing Postcard From Lebanon during Action Week Against Cluster Bombs and we welcome your attendance.
Tickets available Online: mfa.org or by calling the box office: 617 369 3306 (Or at the door)
SHORT SYNOPSIS: In 2006, six weeks after the war between Israel and Lebanon, a group of Americans visited Lebanon. Postcard From Lebanon is an eye witness report of this visit and underlines some of the consequences of war, including the legacy of cluster bombs. What price war? 35 minutes, Video.
TITLE AND DESCRIPTON: Postcard from Lebanon, The title refers to a 10 day time frame, in October of 2006, six weeks after the war between Israel and Lebanon when a delegation of Americans including Arab American leaders, congressional staffers, clerics and journalists visited Lebanon, particularly South Lebanon, to assess the destruction in the aftermath of the war. The director had no affiliation with any of the members of the delegation. This 35-minute program gives a basic framework of the aftermath of the 34-day war between Israel and Lebanon including interviews with major Lebanese officials juxtaposed to the facts on the ground and to the destruction of South Beirut and Southern Lebanon. These interviews will leave many questions unanswered as a springboard for discussion. The program will also ask fundamental questions regarding the effects of war, in particular the legacy of cluster bombs on civilians. A portion of the program will highlight a press conference with Chris Clark, program manager for the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Center, South Lebanon.
POSTCARD FROM LEBANON was shown at The Dublin Diplomatic Conference by The Cluster Munition Coalition on Wednesday, May 28, 2008, at Filmbase, Dublin, Ireland. We were able to show the film and campaign against cluster munitions during the conference in Dublin through a grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. On May 30, 2008, 107 nations adopted an international treaty banning cluster bombs.
CLUSTER BOMBS: HELP US BAN THEM!
ON MAY 30, 2008 in Dublin, Ireland over 107 nations adopted an international treaty banning cluster bombs. The USA was not among them. This is the most significant humanitarian disarmament treaty of the decade.
Cluster bombs are weapons that are designed to deploy and release submunitions over a widespread area. They are non-discerning weapons with an indiscriminate kill radius. Also, they fail to explode 5% to 40% of the time and become landmines. They pose unacceptable harm to civilians. At least 30% of the victims are children.
These weapons were first used in World War II and we (the US) used them in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. More then 30 years later, today, these bombs are still exploding and killing people because of their "dud" rate. Had we signed a treaty in 1973, we could have saved thousands of lives. The United States is the greatest producer, stockpiler and manufacturer of cluster bombs. Over 30 years ago we dropped 250 million bomblets on Laos they are still exploding. So far, thousands people have been killed.
Unfortunately, in 2006 when Israel dropped 4 million bomblets on Lebanon, more than 300,000 submunitions became landmines and one million were projected to be cleared . This was the most extensive use of cluster bombs since the Gulf War and it catalyzed the initiative towards drafting a treaty banning cluster bombs.
BUT NOW, 107 nations have adopted the treaty to ban cluster bombs forever and although the US has not endorsed the treaty, Senators Leahy (Vermont) and Feinstein (California) have championed a resolution to have the US sign the treaty. Help us raise awareness on this topic.
JOCELYN AJAMI, PAINTER, FILMMAKER, BIOGRAPHY
(617) 266-0190
Director, Jocelyn Ajami, is a multi-faceted filmmaker.
Ajami was an abstract painter for many years when she turned to writing and producing video in order to reach a wider audience with socially conscious work. Among her award winning videos are JIHAD, a short informational on the true meaning of the word, OASIS OF PEACE which chronicles the efforts of a community in Israel where Jews and Palestinians coexist; GYPSY HEART a bittersweet story featuring dancer, Omayra Amaya., and QUEEN OF THE GYPSIES, the first international biography of Romani dancer and genius, Carmen Amaya. Queen of the Gypsies has won four awards including Best Documentary, North America at the Latino Film Festival, San Francisco.
Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Ajami speaks five languages. She holds BA degrees in French literature and in Studio Art from Manhattanville College and MA degrees in Art History and Painting from Rosary College. She was awarded a Leadership Foundation Fellowship from the International Women’s Forum in Washington DC in 1996 and has received major grants from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and the Mass Council for the Arts. In conjunction with her screenings, Jocelyn Ajami is a fee paid speaker on issues of leadership, conflict management and Romani culture. She is a member of Latin Roots, The Gypsy Lore Society and the Radius of Arab American Writers.
7PM: Immigration, the Economy, and the Election
David L. Wilson (co-author with Jane Guskin) of
The Politics of Immigration: Questions and Answers
(Monthly Review Press)
The Democracy
Center,
45 Mt. Auburn Street,
Harvard Square,
Cambridge, MA
The Boston Radical Education Project presents David L.
Wilson speaking on what the election results mean for
the struggle for immigrant rights, how the economic
crisis may affect the struggle, and what strategies
the movement should adopt in light of the election and
the economy. You will have a chance to discuss
questions and concerns you may have about immigration
policy and issues, and to learn how to answer anti-
immigrant arguments you hear.
Sliding scale suggested donation $5-10; no one turned
away for lack of funds. Books will be available for
purchase.
Information & Sponsor:
Boston Radical Education Project,
(617) 491-2876,
repboston@gmail.com.
TELL THE GEORGIA GOVERNOR, LEGISLATURE, PARDONS AND PAROLE BOARD, BUSH, OBAMA, MCCAIN, CONGRESS AND THE MEDIA: STOP THE EXECUTION OF TROY DAVIS.
Online Form: Troy Davis Petition Link
Your messages will go to hundreds of public officials, including the Governor of Georgia, the entire Georgia legislature, each member of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, the full Georgia Congressional delegation, as well as President Bush, Senators Obama and McCain, Congressional leaders, U.N. Secretary- General Ban, and national and local media representatives.
The new feature documentary STEALING AMERICA: Vote by Vote is available online - FREE to view, FREE to download!
"STEALING AMERICA: Vote by Vote does for American democracy what An Inconvenient Truth did for global warming."
Why is this film a "must see"? Inaccurate vote counts, illegal purging, improbable machine errors, and more have led millions of people to believe that recent national elections were stolen. Look at the evidence in this film and decide for yourself.
Will the 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION be stolen?
Watch STEALING AMERICA Vote by Vote by OSCAR- nominated, EMMY-winning filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman Narrated by Peter Coyote.
With the election less than a month away, now is the time to make sure that every vote is cast and counted!
In 2000 and 2004, the right-wing machine went national with voter intimidation, misinformation, and other manuevers to steal elections. Possible illegal attempts to remove or block registration are underway right now in six states. Now is the time for the antiwar movement to join election activists in communities to protect the vote. Check with local chapters of NAACP, ADC, AFL-CIO, and the ACLU for efforts already underway (see contact info below).
Resources:
Vote Early. And encourage others to do so! Thirty states allow early voting; check if yours is one here. Early voting flags registration problems, which can then be addressed before November 4th. In addition, your time can be freed up to help get people to the polls and to be a poll monitor on Election Day.
Register. In some states, there is still time for people to register to be able to vote in this election. Check the deadline in your state here.
Poll Monitor. Staffing the polls allows you to be a resource for voters needing assistance and to deal with problems when they occur. Volunteer here or here to be poll monitor in your respective area.
Join election protection efforts in swing states. Help staff election protection phones: 1-866-OUR-VOTE and, in Spanish, 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA. Or sign up here.
Legal Assistance on November 4th. Voters have the right to complain on Election Day if they are not allowed to cast their ballot for the candidates of their choice. If they call 1-866-OUR-VOTE or, in Spanish, 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA, they will get legal assistance.
Write letters to the editors now, giving the numbers listed above to call if voters have problems. State that stolen elections will not be tolerated. Tell your Congressperson and Senator that you take this threat to our vote seriously. Let them know that you expect them to object to the vote count in any state where there are clear examples of election fraud.
If you have helped register new voters, ask them to confirm their registration before Election Day. Most of this can be done online. Be sure everyone has the number to call if they encounter problems on Election Day. Remind people how important it is to call when problems occur, ideally before leaving the polling station!
Consider seeking or providing civil disobedience training for election protection volunteers. If there is conflict, it is important to be able to respond in a way that does not fuel the right-wing's desire to discredit our efforts. Thousands of people were involved in acts of nonviolent civil disobedience to secure the right to vote for all. Check here for more information on nonviolent civil disobedience training, resources, and networking.
Participate in local gatherings on November 5th to review and evaluate the process to make improvements for even better election protection during the 2010 election cycle.
For additional information and tips visit:
ACLU
AFL-CIO voter protection campaign
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Election Defense Alliance
Election Protection - massive national effort by civil
rights lawyers
Just Vote 2008
NAACP
Native Vote
No More Stolen Elections
Poll workers for Democracy
Steal Back Your Vote - a comic book piece to help
Video the Vote
Take A Free Impeachment Play DVD As The Pen's Way Of Saying Thanks To You
Although most are preoccupied with the general election right now, impeachment is STILL on the table in OUR hearts and minds, and just after Nov. 4th we are on it again full bore.
The entry of a donation amount is NOT required for the form submission to go through. You can even watch the entire play from end to end on line at this same page.
Impeachment Play DVD and Video .
From Carol Wolman, Green Party candidate for Congress
(California District 1):
As the election approaches, my campaign is going well.
Although no Green has ever been elected to Congress, I
have a chance because of the terrible mess the two
major parties have made of the economy. People are
scared and disgusted, and want major changes.
My pitch is that Greens in Congress will help move the
next president in the right direction, toward a
sustainable environmental/energy policy and an
economic policy that strengthens the middle and
working classes. Stopping all present and future wars
is a high priority. We need to be cooperating with
other countries to solve global problems, not fighting
with them.
To get this message to the voters one more time, I
need $500 to buy 30 second TV spots on major stations
throughout my huge district. The spot is ready, and
each showing costs $10-$25, so $500 will cover the
area well.
My opponent, incumbent Blue Dog Mike Thompson, has
consistently voted for developers, banks, credit card
companies, and the war machine. He pretends to be
progressive in this very progressive district, but
when his vote counts, he's to the right of Pelosi.
Mike has raised $1.5 million for this campaign, I've
raised about $5000.
I appreciate your help and support.
Donations may be made by credit card on line.
or sent to:
Carol Wolman for Congress
c/o James F. Houle
7130 Black Bart Trail
Redwood Valley, CA 95470
Maximum allowed by the Federal Elections Commission is
$2300 per person. If over $49, please send your
address, occupation and employer to jfh@rwwifi.net,
as required by FEC rules.
Peace, Carol Wolman, MD
Green Candidate for Congress, CA District 1
Coordinator, New Broom Coalition
Chair- Impeach Bush-Cheney
A quick note about why Cuba turned down US aid offer: US aid was conditioned on accepting an inspection by a USAID team. Spain, Brazil, and many other countries have offered aid without any conditions; only the US plays politics with human suffering. And all the aid that the US had to offer is $100,000 (initially) when much smaller countries like Timor Leste have offered $500,000 and without any conditions. The Cuban government rejected the aid as hypocritical and asked that Cuba is allowed to buy food and construction materials using credits offered by private business willing to do so, like any other country does (The Bush administration introduced a legislation that requires that Cuba buys from US business only with cash).
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.
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
Also sign on to a Simple Statement On Nuclear Power and Climate Change .
On Nov. 4th, you will be asked to vote on eliminating the state income tax ("Question One"). In light of that, we are asking you to choose what should be cut in the case that this reckless initiative passes. Please take a moment to give us your opinion!
I would cut….
Vaccinations for children (they are too healthy already!)
Meals for the elderly (can't they cook for themselves?!)
Wage and hour enforcement (Let's trust bosses to obey the law!)
Water purification (I like to drink my water leaded!)
Road maintenance (pothole avoidance and bridge collapses make the commute interesting!)
School funding (We is learning our kids too good now!)
Caring for the developmentally disabled (Survival of the fittest!)
EMTs (cut down on hospital waiting times!)
Public Universities (All our kids should be going to Harvard anyways!)
Snow Removal, (car sledding is fun for the whole family!)
None of the Above- Cutting our Income Tax is going to make a bad situation worse!
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
We all know Cindy Sheehancan win, but how do we prove it to the rest of the world?
With the general election a mere two months off, two things are clear in the Congressional race in San Francisco, where Cindy Sheehan is bravely challenging Nancy Pelosi there.
1) Sheehan has very broad support in the district, otherwise she would not have achieved the amazing feat already of collecting and getting verified over 10,000 nominating signatures from her S.F. constituents to put her on the ballot as an independent, and
2) The corporate media will go out of its way to ignore the race unless we put it right in their face.
USALONE believes what Cindy really needs now is a serious POLL in her district, which we believe would show how strong she is running, even winning, right now. Please make a donation if you can to help finance engaging a major polling company to do this.
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.
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:
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
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.
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.
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
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.