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February 10, 2010
Alert #244
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Dear Peace Activists, Despite, or perhaps because of, three rounds of international sanctions against Iran, Tehran continues to rattle its saber on a nuclear enrichment program, using petroleum product sanctions as proof of its need for nuclear energy. This week, Members of Congress and many of our international allies are loudly pushing for a fourth round of sanctions against Tehran. We must see this setback as a lesson about the real ineffectiveness of sanctions. It is increasingly apparent that the international sanctions placed against Iran are detrimental to our hope of achieving a nuclear-weapons-free world and serve to encourage just the behavior we are seeking to limit. Tehran won't take our posturing about nuclear disarmament seriously when the Obama administration just upped the U.S. nuclear weapons budget to $7 billion. Disarmament has to work both ways. We must focus on negotiations with Iran and continue to engage in high-level diplomacy. Only through diplomatic means can we hope to see any real change in Iran's policies. More and stronger U.S. sanctions against Iran will only make diplomacy more difficult. During your 5 minutes for peace this week, contact our Senators. Ask them to support the Obama administration’s call for diplomacy and negotiations with Tehran. The U.S. must practice what it preaches. Only that - not sanctions - will get the world finally on a realistic, achievable path toward nuclear disarmament. In Peace,
Marianna Greene |
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Saturday, February 20 @ 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. UPPER WEST SIDE. Goddard Riverside Community Center, 593 Columbus Ave. @ 88th St. PEACE ACTION NEW YORK STATE 2010 ANNUAL MEETING 
How can we achieve peace in 2010? How do we strengthen the peace movement? Join us for answers, information,
and training sessions to improve your activist skills. Build new alliances and learn new ways to generate
positive, peaceful change!
 Thursday, February 11, 7 p.m. UPPER EAST SIDE. Unitarian Church of All Souls, 1157 Lexington Ave at 80th Street, Manhattan GAZA FREEDOM MARCH REPORT BACK Featuring participants Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Co-founder of Shomer Shalom Network for Jewish Nonviolence; Michael Ratner, President of the Center for Constitutional Rights and attorney for Guantanamo detainees, Mr. Ratner traveled to West Bank following Cairo; Felice Gelman, Leader of New York delegation to Cairo; and Laurie Arbeiter, Artist/Activist, member of The Critical Voice; co-creator of the WE WILL NOT BE SILENT campaign. Admission is Free; Donations appreciated. Refreshments served at 6:30 pm. Sponsors: Peace & Justice Task Force, Unitarian Church of All Souls. Saturday, February 15, 5:15 p.m. CHELSEA PIERS. Pier 60, 23rd Street and Hudson River. GRANNY PEACE BRIGADE: RETIRE G.I. JOE! Heads up parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles et al! The Toy Industry folks (not our kids' best friends) are in town. They make too many toys that promote war and violence, and this has got to stop. On February 13th the Toy Industry Association will reveal the 2010 toy picks at their 10th annual "Toy of the Year Awards" Ceremony at the Chelsea Piers. Hasbro has been nominated in two categories. Please join us to greet the attendees as they file into the awards ceremony. We'll tell Hasbro and the rest that it's time to RETIRE G.I. JOE - ALL WAR TOYS MUST GO! We'll bring banners, song sheets and flyers. Bring your very welcome self, a flashlight if you have one, and let's tell toy makers to promote peace, not war. See below for followup event on Monday. Monday, February 17, 11:30 a.m. JAVITS CENTER. TOY FAIR. Meet at northeast corner of 34th street and 11th Ave GRANNY PEACE BRIGADE: RETIRE G.I. JOE! See event above. Join us on Monday to tell the folks attending the Toy Fair at the Javits Center that it's time to retire toys that promote war and violence. Monday, February 15, 7:00 p.m. CHELSEA. Revolution Books, 146 W 26th St “VIEW FROM A GRAIN OF SAND” FILM Q&A WITH DIRECTOR A moving 2006 documentary on the lives of three Afghan women and how international interventions, war and the rise of political Islam have stripped Afghan women of their freedom over the last thirty years. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Meena Nanji. Sponsored by World Can't Wait. Suggested admission: $10. Wednesday, February 24 - 6-8 p.m. UNION SQUARE EAST. The Nation, 33 Irving Place RECEPTION IN SUPPORT OF STUDENTS FOR A NEW AMERICAN POLITICS PAC The Nation and Katrina vanden Heuvel invite you to a reception in support of Students for a New American Politics PAC to help elect progressive leaders of today while training those of the future. To RSVP please contact Rhiannon Bronstein at rhiannon.bronstein@snappac.org or by phone at (206) 778-6404. Support Students for a New American Politics PAC at http://snappac.org/contribute/ Sunday, February 28, 1:00 p.m/ UPPER EAST SIDE. Reidy Friendship Hall, All Souls Unitarian Church, 1157 Lexington Ave at 80th FILM SCREENING OF "KING CORN" The Peace and Justice Task Force and the Ethical Eating Group invite you to a film screening of King Corn (2006 - 90 minutes). Engrossing and eye-opening, KING CORN is a fun and crusading journey into the digestive tract of our fast-food nation. Fueled by curiosity and a dash of naiveté, college buddies Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis return to their ancestral home of Greene, Iowa, to find out how the modest corn kernel conquered America. With the help of real farmers, powerful fertilizer, government aid, and genetically modified seeds, the friends manage to grow one acre of corn. Along the way, they unlock the hidden truths about America's modern food system. Light refreshments will be served. Free event – donations appreciated. Sunday, March 21, 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. UPPER WEST SIDE. Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive PUBLIC HEARING: TRUTH COMMISSION FON CONSCIENCE IN WAR 
The Truth Commission on Conscience in War, a national gathering of community and religious leaders,
advocacy groups, and artists, will receive personal testimony from veterans and briefings from expert
witnesses about moral and religious questions facing soldiers both before and during combat,
moral and religious criteria of just war, international agreements governing the justification
and conduct of war, and limits of military regulations on Conscientious Objection.
Truth Commission proceedings will launch conversations about just war, international law, and
greater freedom of conscience for our nation's service members, conversations led by the
Commissioners. The Public Hearing will be followed by a Private Session for Commissioners
on Monday, March 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Riverside Church and Union Theological Seminary.
For more information see www.conscienceinwar.org.
Wednesday, February 24, 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. HEMPSTEAD. Hofstra University, Leo A. Guthart Theater, Axinn Library CHALMERS JOHNSON & U.S. MILITARY POLICY Part of the International Scene Lecture Series entitled A Citizen’s Guide to U.S. Forgeign and Economic Policies. Includes a DVD screening of Chalmers Johnson, with commentary by Paul Fritz, Professor of Political Science at Hofstra University. Presented by Hofstra’s Departments of Economics, History, and Sociology, in cooperation with The Center for Civic Engagement, Long Island Teachers for Human Rights, and the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives. Admission is free. For more information, please contact Hofstra’s Department of Economics at (516) 463-5595, or the Long Island Alliance at (516) 741-4360. Wednesday, March 3, 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. HEMPSTEAD. Hofstra University, Leo A. Guthart Theater, Axinn Library AMERICAN ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND WEALTH DISPARITY Part of the International Scene Lecture Series entitled A Citizen’s Guide to U.S. Forgeign and Economic Policies. Includes commentary by Max Fraad Wolff, Professor of Economics at The New School for Social Research. Presented by Hofstra’s Departments of Economics, History, and Sociology, in cooperation with The Center for Civic Engagement, Long Island Teachers for Human Rights, and the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives. Admission is free. For more information, please contact Hofstra’s Department of Economics at (516) 463-5595, or the Long Island Alliance at (516) 741-4360. Wednesday, March 17, 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. HEMPSTEAD. Hofstra University, Leo A. Guthart Theater, Axinn Library RESPONDING TO TERRORISM: SHOULD THE WAR ON TERROR BE A WAR? Part of the International Scene Lecture Series entitled A Citizen’s Guide to U.S. Forgeign and Economic Policies. Includes commentary by Chris Hedges, Pulitzer Prize-winner reporter, and author of Empire of Illusion: The End of and the Triumph of Literary Spectacle. Presented by Hofstra’s Departments of Economics, History, and Sociology, in cooperation with The Center for Civic Engagement, Long Island Teachers for Human Rights, and the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives. Admission is free. For more information, please contact Hofstra’s Department of Economics at (516) 463-5595, or the Long Island Alliance at (516) 741-4360. Wednesday, March 24, 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. HEMPSTEAD. Hofstra University, Leo A. Guthart Theater, Axinn Library WHO DECIDES ABOUT WAR AND PEACE? HOW DOES THE PUBLIC INFLUENCE FOREIGN POLICY? Part of the International Scene Lecture Series entitled A Citizen’s Guide to U.S. Forgeign and Economic Policies. Includes commentary by Howard Dean, former presidential candidate, and Carolyn Eisenberg, Professor of History at Hofstra University. Presented by Hofstra’s Departments of Economics, History, and Sociology, in cooperation with The Center for Civic Engagement, Long Island Teachers for Human Rights, and the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives. Admission is free. For more information, please contact Hofstra’s Department of Economics at (516) 463-5595, or the Long Island Alliance at (516) 741-4360. Wednesday, April 14, 11:15 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. HEMSTEAD. Hofstra University, Leo A. Guthart Theater, Axinn Library THE FEDERAL BUDGET IN CRISIS: CHOICES WE FACE Part of the International Scene Lecture Series entitled A Citizen’s Guide to U.S. Forgeign and Economic Policies. Includes commentary by Jo Comerford, Executive Director of the National Priorities Project. Presented by Hofstra’s Departments of Economics, History, and Sociology, in cooperation with The Center for Civic Engagement, Long Island Teachers for Human Rights, and the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives. Admission is free. For more information, please contact Hofstra’s Department of Economics at (516) 463-5595, or the Long Island Alliance at (516) 741-4360.  Wednesday, February 10, 7:00 p.m. SYRACUSE. Nottingham High School, 3100 E. Genesee St. TELL THE ODONDAGA COUNTY LEGISLATURE TO VOTE YES TO BAN HYDRO-FRACKING ON COUNTY-OWNED LANDS Public Lands Are for the Public – Not for Private Profit! On Tuesday, February 2, the Onondaga County Legislature is going to vote on a resolution to ban the controversial drilling technique known as hydro-fracking from use on county lands. YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED - MAKE A PHONE CALL IMMEDIATELY! Call the Legislature and urge your legislator to say "YES" to protecting Onondaga County’s water, air, land, and public health by prohibiting hydro-fracking on county lands. Save Our Open Space, Protect Water, and Demand Clean Air for All of Onondaga County! Your call is important, and every one counts. Please take 5 minutes to call the Legislature. PHONE NUMBER: (315) 435-2070, call ASAP on Monday, and tell them your name and your address. For more information about CCE’s hydro-fracking campaign, visit: www.citizenscampaign.org/hydrofracking and read the Onondaga County resolution. Thank you for taking action. Together we make a difference! Thursday, February 11, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. DELMAR. Bethlehem Public Library, 451 Delaware Ave. BNP FORUM: IMMIGRATION ISSUES DISCUSSION WITH MELANIE TRIMBLE Melanie Trimble, Director of the Capital Region Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union will discuss current U.S. Immigration Policy, various pending proposals, and the position of the American Civil Liberties Union. Melanie will discuss what we can do to support comprehensive immigration reform and review some of the most important issues. From ACLU literature: "Documented and undocumented immigrants alike face abuses of civil rights and liberties on a day-to-day basis. With twelve to fifteen million undocumented immigrants nationwide and up to one million in New York State, we face an ongoing human rights crisis that demands a solution." Information: 466-1192. Saturday, February 13, 1:00 p.m. GENESEO. Omega Restaurant, 4182 Lakeville Rd (Rte 20A) NEXT REGULAR GVCP MEETING Please join us at 1:00 p.m. for lunch. The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, February 13, 7:00-9:00 p.m. ALBANY. Albany Friends Meetinghouse, 727 Madison Ave JOYCE AJLOUNY OF THE RAMALLAH/FRIENDS SCHOOL ON THE WEST BANK 
Come hear Joyce Ajlouny, Director of the Ramallah/Friends School located in the West
Bank/Palestine, about 15 miles north of Jerusalem. She will describe her personal challenges, as well
as those of the school community of students and teachers, which result from living and working under a
military occupation. Joyce will also speak about the important impact that the school has had on the
community throughout its 140 year history as a leading school in the Middle East. Donations to RFS as
well as Joyce’s ministry account will be welcomed. Free and open to the public.
Refreshments and Q & A will follow the presentation. For more information call 518-766-2992.
Sunday, February 14, 3:00 p.m. ALBANY. Meet at Central Ave & Wolf Rd WAR BREAKS GRANNIES’ HEARTS: GRANNIES FOR PEACE 5TH ANNUAL VALENTINE’S DAY DEMONSTRATION Grannies will vigil with banners, signs & large broken hearts at this busy intersection until 3:30 p.m. Then we will proceed into Colonie Center – wearing pinned-on signs with broken red hearts & the message WAR BREAKS GRANNIES’ HEARTS. We’ll stroll through the Center singing All We Are Saying Is Give Peace a Chance. Dot Richards & Sue Clark are in charge of this event & need to know numbers to plan for. Please contact Dot to let her know you can participate by Wed, Feb 3rd. wrichard@nycap.rr.com 478-2220. Wear something red (for outside wear & with your coat off). Bring your grandchildren & children if you can. Please come help make props for this demonstration: Friday, February, 5, 1:30 PM, First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, 405 Washington Ave., Albany Saturday, February 20, 2010, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. BUFFALO. SEIU Office, 974 Kenmore Avenue WNYPC ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Includes a Board & Budget Vote. Saturday, February 20, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. NEW ROCHELLE. Main Street and Memorial highway, New Rochelle WOMEN IN BLACK VIGIL Followed by conversation with Mike Levinson and others about the situation in Gaza. Sunday, February 21, 2010, 1:00–5:00 p.m. STONY POINT. Stony Point Center, 180 East Main Street SHOMER SHALOM OPEN HOUSE The Community of Living Traditions at Stony Point Center is a multifaith residential community dedicated to nonviolence and peace advocacy in study and practice. It celebrates the opening of the Shomer Shalom House. Shomer Shalom is a network of Jewish individuals committed to the Torah of Nonviolence. Shomer Shalom embraces a compassion centered, eco-kosher, wildly creative, human rights honoring, inter-generational, multi-cultural, queer embracing, text studying, ceremonial making, peace activist vision of Judaism. 1-3 PM Meet, greet and schmooze, 3 PM Affixing the mezuzah with prayers from CLT multifaith partners, 3:15-4:00 PM Teachings from The Torah of Nonviolence with Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, and Islam and nonviolence with Rabia Terri Harris, and 4-5 PM Enjoy CLT hospitality and a delicious meal. 
Monday, February 22, 7:00 p.m.NEW ROCHELLE. New Rochelle Public Library, 1 Library Plaza “RETHINK AFGHANISTAN” FILM & DISCUSSION Sponsored by Peace Action New Rochelle, Westchester Peace & Justice Coalition, CodePink Westchester. For more information, please call Ted de Soyza at 914 235-1744. If you want to help with publicity, or know of another venue where this important film could be screened, please contact Ted. Saturday, March 20, 1 a.m. ALBANY. East Garage. Bus to Washington, DC BUS TO SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY IRAQ MARCH ON WASHINGTON March 20 is the seventh anniversary of the criminal war of aggression launched against Iraq. The demonstration will demand the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan and Iraq. Instead of war, we will demand funds so that every person can have a job, free and universal health care, decent schools, and affordable housing. The 7th Anniversary of the war in Iraq is the time to make our voices heard. A bus will be leaving from the East Garage in Albany at 1 AM on March 20 and return to Albany after the demonstration on March 21 around 1:00 AM. Seats are $60 each. There will be partial scholarships available. Reserve a bus seat today. Reservations must be received by March 10. Checks made out to "BNP", can be sent to, BNP, PO Box 473, Delmar, NY 12054 (please include name(s) of bus riders , phone and e-mail address with check). Donations also accepted. Additional Bus Information. Sponsored by several national anti-war groups and coalitions, including the National Assembly. More Information: Joe Lombardo at 439-1968  Many local peace groups hold regular events, vigils, "Honk for Peace" actions, etc. See our list: www.panys.org/ongoing.htm  Saturday, March 20 Washington DC SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY IRAQ MARCH ON WASHINGTON March 20 is the seventh anniversary of the criminal war of aggression launched against Iraq. The demonstration will demand the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan and Iraq. Instead of war, we will demand funds so that every person can have a job, free and universal health care, decent schools, and affordable housing. The 7th Anniversary of the war in Iraq is the time to make our voices heard. Sponsored by several national anti-war groups and coalitions, including the National Assembly. Going out of state? Check UFPJ's national Events Calendar: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/calendar.php . |