CONTENTS:
PHILLY AREA ACTION:
NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL ACTION:
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PHILLY AREA ACTION:
End gun violence Demo every first and third Tuesday 430 to 5:30 PM
Neighborhood Partners to End Gun Violence (NPEG), the newest Northwest Philly "chapter" of Heeding God's Call, had our "Call to Action" on Sunday and we are ready to take to the streets! We hope you will join us when we gather at Delia's Gun Shop this Tuesday,
Where: Delia’s Gun Shop, 6104 Torresdale Avenue, Philadelphia 19135. This is in northeast Philadelphia. From Roosevelt Blvd, go east on Cheltenham at Oxford Circle, then north on Torresdale.
Subsequent actions: Currently planned for every first and third Tuesday following, from 4:30 – 5:30 pm-same location.
What we will do: We will be a peaceful and prayerful presence. Most of the hour will be observed in silence as we hold our banner, our signs and placards indicating our hope and desire that Delia’s Gun Shop will sign the Code of Conduct, minimizing the likelihood that the guns they sell will be re-sold illegally on the streets and used in violent crimes.
Please help us swell our numbers and create a strong witness. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Peace. Rev. Linda Noonan, Co-Coordinator
Neighborhood Partners to End Gun Violence (NPEG) lindanoonan@mac.com 215-242-9321 ext. 5
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PHILADELPHIA IS HOSTING OUR OWN PUBLIC HEARING TUESDAY MARCH 8
Partnered with Clean Water Action, Protecting Our Waters, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Sierra Club of Southeastern PA, PennEnvironment
http://protectingourwaters.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/philadelphia-is-hosting-our-own-public-hearing-tuesday-
February 27, 2011 at 1:35 pm
Iris Marie Bloom
BREAKTHROUGH NEWS: PHILADELPHIA IS HOSTING OUR OWN HEARING to accept public comment to be transcribed and sent to the Delaware River Basin Commission. It's short and it's short notice but HERE IT IS: Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown has read more of this post (http://protectingourwaters.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/philadelphia-is-hosting-our-own-public-hearing-tuesday-march-8/)
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National Adoption Center Invites you to… LGBT Adoption Café (A FREE informational event)
Thursday, March 10, 2011 - 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Commodore Barry Club, The Irish Center - 6815 Emlen St., Philadelphia
Ever considered adoption? This event is for you!
• Hear a panel discussion with adoptive parents from the LGBT community and adoption agency representatives
• Talk to social workers
• Gather information from our adoption agency resource tables
• Complimentary light dinner (with RSVP)
Join us! Learn, network, and ask questions!
To RSVP: 215-735-9988 (ext. 304) or bvogel@adopt.org
The National Adoption Center expands adoption opportunities for children living in foster care throughout the United States, and is a resource to families and to agencies who seek the permanency of caring homes for children.
For more information: www.adopt.org/content/adoptcafe.html
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Green Party of Philadelphia www.gpop.org GREEN NIGHT OUT
Saturday, March 12, 7:00 pm
Enjoy an endless supply of vegetarian, kosher, Chinese food.
Discuss how too many Democrats have turned against Labor with Thomas Paine Cronin, retired president of AFSCME District Council 47. Please join us. GREEN NIGHT OUT will be open to the public, an exceptional bargain for only $25/person.
Singapore Vegetarian Restaurant
www.singaporevegetarian.com 1006 Race Street Chinatown, Philadelphia
For more information: 215-243-7103 or email gpop@gpop.org.
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NORTHWEST GREENS ANNOUNCEMENTS.
Always call or email to confirm that the event is still scheduled.
March 9, 16, 23, 30. Vigil for peace every Wednesday,
7:00-8:00 p.m. (in any and all weather) at the intersection of Germantown
Avenue and Bethlehem Pike in Chestnut Hill. Endorsed by Northwest Greens.
More information from 215-843-4256 and nwgreens@yahoo.com.
March 12. Speak Out Against Wars and Cutbacks, forum sponsored
by Philly against War, www.phillyagainstwar.org, 1:00 - 4:30 p.m., at the
Friends Center, 1501 Cherry Street in Philadelphia. More information from
267.994.9448 and phillyagainstwar@gmail.com.
March 12. GREEN NIGHT OUT with Thomas Paine Cronin discussing
how too many Democrats have turned against Labor, 7:00 p.m. at Singapore
Restaurant, www.singaporevegetarian.com, 1006 Race Street in Chinatown,
Philadelphia. $25/person admission includes all-you-can-eat full-course
vegetarian kosher Chinese meal. More information from 215-243-7103 and
gpop@gpop.org.
March 13. Concert with Marcel Khalife, Lebanese composer and oud
master, 4:30 p.m., Trinity Center, 22nd and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia.
Advance tickets ($30/person) from www.albustanseeds.org or 267-809-3668.
March 19. Resist the War Machine! International day of action on
the 8th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq,
www.answercoalition.org/national/news/march-19-2010-announcement.html.
National mobilization in Washington, DC. Endorsed by Northwest Greens. For
more information, please contact nmitchell_73@hotmail.com.
March 22. "Prospects of political settlement in Pakistan and
Afghanistan" with Dr. Hafeez Malik, 7:00 p.m. in the Lower Hall, Central
Baptist Church, 106 West Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, PA. No admission charge.
More information from the Main Line Peace Coalition, 610-527-4170 and
tjdugdale@comcast.net.
March 24. Green Party of Philadelphia, www.gpop.org, monthly
meeting, 7:00 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting, 100 East Mermaid Lane
in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. More information from 215-243-7103 or email
gpop@gpop.org.
April 1. "Night Catches Us" (2010, 90 mins, filmed in
Germantown), First Friday Free Film, 7:00 p.m. at the DE County Peace
Center, 1001 Old Sproul Road, Springfield, PA. More information from
610-544-1818 and contact@delcowagepeacejustice.org.
April 2. Silent Death Walk, noon, 12th and Market Streets in
Center City. Please wear black clothing. More information from 267-763-1644
ajd mvc@igc.org.
April 4. Time to Break Silence, demonstration for peace and
justice on anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
4:30 p.m., at Independence Mall, 6th and Market Streets in Philadelphia.
More information from Brandywine Peace Community, brandywine@juno.com and
610-544-1818.
April 6, 13, 20, 27. Vigil for peace every Wednesday, 7:00-8:00
p.m. (in any and all weather) at the intersection of Germantown Avenue and
Bethlehem Pike in Chestnut Hill. Endorsed by Northwest Greens. More
information from 215-843-4256 and nwgreens@yahoo.com.
April 9. Demonstrate Against Wars at Home and Abroad. National
mobilization in Union Square, New York City by United National Anti-War
Committee, www.nationalpeaceconference.org. Endorsed by Northwest Greens.
For bus information, please call 215-843-4256 or email nwgreens@yahoo.com.
April 22. Good Friday/Earth Day Nonviolent Action at noon at
Lockheed Martin, Mall and Goddard Boulevards (behind King of Prussia Mall)
in Valley Forge, PA. More information from Brandywine Peace Community,
brandywine@juno.com and 610-544-1818.
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[PJJP] Upcoming Events from Philly Solidarity Calendar -
This is the list of upcoming events in the Philadelphia area. Please feel free to distribute it WIDELY!
The calendar is now online! Check it out at the Philly BDS Coalition's
Website: http://www.phillybds.org/about/events/. You can refer people to this link, and/or add it to your Google Calendar
Solidarity Philly Calendar – Upcoming Area Events
Events: Vigil for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Organization: Build Bridges Not Walls
Date & Time: Every Friday, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Location: Outside the Israeli Consulate (19th & JFK Blvd), Philadelphia
Description: A one hour vigil in which participants distribute timely
information and interact with passerbys. Co-sponsored by the Catholic Peace Fellowship.
***
Event: Philly BDS Move to Action Night
Organization: Philly Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
Date &Time: Wednesday, March 9th, 7-9:30
Location: Lovers and Madmen Coffee Shop, 28 S. 40th Street
Description: Open Call to End Apartheid! Learn more about how to join
in with Philly BDS's work, and get involved with this growing
movement.
***
Event: The Goldstone Report: The Legacy of the Landmark Investigation
of the Gaza Conflict
Organization: Philly Chapter of the National Lawyer’s Guild
Date & Time: Saturday, March 12, 7:00 PM
Location: Wood Shoe Books, 704 South St., Philadelphia
Description: Evening with the three authors of “The Goldstone Report:
The Legacy of the Landmark Investigation of the Gaza Conflict”, Adam
Horowitz, Lizzy Ratner, and Philip Weiss.
***
Event: "A Concert with Marcel Khalife"
Organization: Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture and Trinity Center for Urban Life
Date & Time: Sunday, March 13th, 4:30
Location: Trinity Center at 22nd and Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA
Description: Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture and Trinity Center for Urban
Life are honoring MARCEL KHALIFE, acclaimed Lebanese composer, oud
master, and singer, who was named the UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2005
for his achievements as an artist and a humanitarian.
Admission: $30/person advance tickets Contact www.albustanseeds.org or 267-809-3668.
***
Event: Mazin Qumsiyeh
Organization: St. Asaph’s Church
Date & Time: Friday, March 18th, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: St. Asaph’s Church, 27 Conshohocken State Rd., Bala Cynwyd, PA
Description: The Church of Saint Asaph and the Middle East Study Group
of the Diocese of Pennsylvania present Mazin Qumsiyeh, author of
Popular Resistance in Palestine: A history of Hope and Empowerment.
***
Event: “To Shoot an Elephant” Screening
Organization: Temple Students for Justice
Date & Time: Thursday, March 26th, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Room 217-C, Student Center South, 13th St. and Montgomery Ave., Temple University
Description: A powerful and dramatic documentary on the Gaza massacre
of '08-'09, shown with full eyewitness coverage of what really
happened during the onslaught which left over 1400 Palestinians dead, most of them civilians.
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Michelle Alexander, Author of The New Jim Crow at Princeton with Cornell West FREE- Fri- Mar 25th
http://www.princeton.edu/africanamericanstudies/events/imprisonment/
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Second Annual NW Interfaith Green Fair (mark your calendar)
Sunday, May 1st, 2011
1-5 PM
Germantown Friends Meeting
47 Coulter Street. Philadelphia PA 19144
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A “Walking Dialogue” among, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus and Others-
8th Year's Theme: PLANTING SEEDS OF PEACE
SUNDAY MAY 22, 2011: 2 - 6 p.m.
Overbrook Farms Neighborhood near City Ave. & Lancaster Ave.
Scheduled Stops with Prayers, Music, Poems, Stories, Words of Wisdom
Starting at 2 p.m. at
* African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, 6361 Lancaster Ave., Phila, PA 19151 walking to
* Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship, 5820 Overbrook Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19131 walking to
* Overbrook Presbyterian Church, 6376 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19151
Refreshments and Fellowship at the final stop
Pre-Walk Gathering for people from downtown at 12.30 p.m. at Al Aqsa Islamic Society, 1501 Germantown Ave. A bus will transport people at 1.20 p.m. to starting point of the walk at African Episcopal Church. A bus will bring people back to Al Aqsa at the end, and it will accompany the walk for people who are unable to walk the distance.
~ More info about parking, transportation, inclement weather: www.interfaithpeacewalk.org ~
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Cheri Honkala announces she is running for Sheriff
She Wants To Be "The People's Sheriff" In Philadelphia By John Grant - This Can't Be Happening
http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/node/468
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NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL ACTION:
*On International Women's Day*
Join a Bridge Walk in your city on Tuesday, March 8th!* [ http://www.codepink.org/section.php?id=446 ]
This is a great time to engage in activism because this month, on March 8, we will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. Let's pay tribute to* the amazing Egyptian women [ http://www.codepink.org/section.php?id=445 ]* who braved tear gas and bullets to overthrow Hosni Mubarak as well as all the women throughout the Middle East who are engaged in epic struggles for their rights. We are partnering with Women for Women International in an international "*Join me on the Bridge*" campaign to link women in war-torn countries with women around the world. *It's easy to join or create an event in your area * [ http://www.codepink.org/section.php?id=446 ]--be sure to bring our "*Bring Our War $$ Home [ http://www.codepink.org/article.php?id=5701 ]*" signs, petitions, and messaging.
We can also create bridges with women in Iraq by taking our "Bring Our War $$ Home" message to events marking the *8th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq on March 19* [ http://www.codepink.org/section.php?id=446 ]. Don't forget to wear your *Bring Our War $$ Home* *tee-shirt!* [ https://codepink.myshopify.com/products/bow-h-tshirts ]
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Federico Santoyo writes: I just signed Slow Food USA's petition to save the bees.
Bees are dying off around the world - and it's getting serious. Without them, much of the food we eat would disappear, and the impact on the US economy and food prices would be severe. Scientists are suggesting agricultural pesticides are one of the main culprits, so I just told the Environmental Protection Agency to solve the mystery of what's killing our buzz (and food chain).
With the EPA under increasing pressure from the pesticide companies to do nothing about it,
Can you join me in building the buzz by signing the petition?
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5986/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5833
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How You Can Boycott the Kochs by Lauren Kelley / AlterNet
The backlash against the Kochs' influence in Wisconsin is gaining steam, with labor supporter starting to boycott Koch Industries' many products
(listed here) http://www.alternet.org/story/150078/how_you_can_boycott_the_kochs
Over the past few weeks, the billionaire Koch brothers and their front groups have steadily increased their involvement in Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's efforts to strip state workers of their collective bargaining rights. The Kochs' outsized wealth and influence are forces to be reckoned with; that's why we should all be grateful that a Koch backlash, including a boycott of Koch Industries' products, has started picking up steam.
Did the Kochs think no one would notice or care about the influence of AFP and Koch Industries in Wisconsin? If so, they were wrong. Word of a Koch Industries boycott is starting to spread around the progressive blogosphere.
There's also a Boycott and Defeat Koch Industries Facebook page that offers the same
information and more. As of Monday afternoon, more than
10,000 people had "liked" the page.
Here's the colossal list of products being boycotted:
Angel Soft toilet paper
Brawny paper towels
Dixie plates, bowls, napkins and cups
Mardi Gras napkins and towels
Quilted Northern toilet paper
Soft 'n Gentle toilet paper
Sparkle napkins
Vanity fair napkins
Zee napkins
Georgia-Pacific paper products and envelopes
All Georgia-Pacific lumber and building products, including:
Dense Armor Drywall and Decking
ToughArmor Gypsum board
Georgia pacific Plytanium Plywood
Flexrock
Densglass sheathing
G/P Industrial plasters (some products used by a lot of crafters)
FibreStrong Rim board
G/P Lam board
Blue Ribbon OSB Rated Sheathing
Blue Ribbon Sub-floor
DryGuard Enhanced OSB
Nautilus Wall Sheathing
Thermostat OSB Radiant Barrier Sheathing
Broadspan Engineered Wood Products
XJ 85 I-Joists
FireDefender Banded Cores
FireDefender FS
FireDefender Mineral Core
Hardboard and Thin MDF including Auto Hardboard,
Perforated Hardboard and Thin MDF
Wood Fiberboard
Commercial Roof Fiberboard
Hushboard Sound Deadening Board
Regular Fiberboard Sheathing
Structural Fiberboard Sheathing
(INVISTA Products):
COMFORELr fiberfill
COOLMAXr fabric
CORDURAr fabric
DACRONr fiber
POLYSHIELDr resin
SOLARMAXr fabric
SOMERELLEr bedding products
STAINMASTERr carpet
SUPPLEXr fabric
TACTELr fiber
TACTESSEr carpet fiber
TERATEr polyols
TERATHANEr polyether glycol
THERMOLITEr fabric
PHENREZr resin
POLARGUARDr fiber and
LYCRAr fiber
Release of The Whistleblower's Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Doing What's Right and Protecting Yourself.
This book finally answers that question: how do you blow the whistle the right way? Renowned whistleblower attorney and author Stephen M. Kohn, explains all major federal and state laws protecting whistleblowing. He relies on his 27 years of experience representing many of America's most important whistleblowers to set forth twenty-one basic rules that every potential whistleblower needs to know. The Whistleblower's Handbook is the authoritative reference for anyone who has ever wondered how they might blow the whistle -- and, once they've done so, how to prevail.
You can find out more about The Whistleblower's Handbook and order your copy ($16.95 plus shipping) to support the work of the National Whistleblowers Center by visiting our website http://www.whistleblowers.org/
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THE ROAD TO PEACE, ECONOMIC JUSTICE AND A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Based on discussions with UN diplomats and others from all nations, I believe that a tradeoff could be arranged to empower the UN to end war and help us deal effectively with other global challenges.
The key holdup to empowering the Security Council to fulfill its charter obligation to “keep the peace” is the structurally paralyzing unilateral veto system. Although the five veto wielding nations (US, Russia, China, UK and France) would be making a political concession if they replaced the veto system, the small nations of the world could make an equal concession by offering to accept a weighted voting system to replace “one nation one vote” in the UN General Assembly.
Not only would this tradeoff (i.e., the five Permanent Members give up their vetoes in return for weighted voting) make it possible to end war, but it would create the type of geopolitically realistic General Assembly voting system needed to coordinate our attempts to deal with global warming, the coming oil and fresh water crisis’ and to lay the groundwork for economic justice. Since multi-national companies are now able to force every nation to roll back their protection for workers and the environment by threatening to relocate to more business friendly nations, the only way to protect the environment and to offer “good news to the poor” is to work cooperatively at the global level.
Although the issue is global, it needs grass roots support (especially in the US since we are the key opponent of an empowered UN) to be taken seriously by the politicians. If you want to hear more or consider working on this issue, please write or call
BenFreeman6045@yahoo.com 484 422 8033
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* Diplomat: I can no longer represent Israel
Veteran diplomat Ilan Baruch quits, says he can no longer represent government; Israel's foreign policy is 'wrong,' he says, adds that blaming global anti-occupation views on anti-Semitism is 'simplistic, artificial'
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4036889,00.html
* The Middle East's Feminist Revolution By Naomi Wolff Globe and Mail (Canada)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/the-middle-easts-feminist-revolution/article1925427/
In both countries, women protesters were nothing like the Western stereotype: They were front and centre, in news clips and on Facebook forums, and even in the leadership. In Cairo's Tahrir Square, women volunteers, some accompanied by children, worked steadily to support the protests - helping with security, communications and shelter. Many commentators credited the great numbers of women and children with the remarkable overall peacefulness of the protesters in the face of grave provocations.
* Palestine and the Revolution: Lessons From Egypt by Mustafa Barghouthi
http://www.counterpunch.org/barghouthi03042011.html