NEW YORK PEACE NETWORK Alert #258

Featured Events

Sunday, June 6, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
UNION SQUARE EAST. DANAL, 59 5th Avenue.
BENEFIT CELEBRATING JUDY LERNER'S
50 YEARS OF ACTIVISM

Join us for hors d'oeuvres, wine, beer and soda as we honor Judy Lerner, founding member of Women Strike For Peace in 1961, leader of a delegation to the 17th Anti Atomic and Hydrogen Bomb Conference in Hiroshima, Japan in 1971, Board Member of the Center For Constitutional Rights for over 20 years, and currently a member of the National Board of Peace Action and Chair of the International Committee of Peace Action at the UN. Speakers: Gloria Steinem, Liz Abzug, Iris Freed, Paul Hoeffel, Michael Ratner. Moderator: Cora Weiss. The event is to benefit DPI / NGO Executive Committee and Peace Action. Make checks payable to "DPI / NGO Executive Committee." Amounts above $40.00 are tax deductible. Please mail checks to Janet Salazar, 333 Central Street, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865.

Tuesday, June 8, 6:00 - 11:00 p.m.
LOWER EAST SIDE. East Fourth Street Theatre, 83 East 4th St.

AN EVENING WITH NOAM CHOMSKY; BENEFIT PERFORMANCE OF "PROPHECY"

6:00 p.m.: Wine Reception. You will have the opportunity to meet and speak with Noam Chomsky. 7:30 p.m.: Private performance of Prophecy. 10:00 p.m.: Talk-back with Noam Chomsky. Cast of Prophecy: Kathleen Chalfant, 2-time Obie, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Award winner, Tony nominee; George Bartenieff, 4-time Obie winner (Acting & Producing), Drama Desk; Najla Said, Author of Palestine, her one-woman play; co-founder of Arab-American theater collective Nibras; André De Shields, 2-time Tony, 4-time Drama Desk, Audelco and Obie winner; Brendan Donaldson. Wine reception only: $100. All three parts: $150. RSVP ASAP to kitty@panys.org or call Kitty Reddington, 646-723-1749.

New York Metro Area Events

Monday, June 1, 3:00 p.m.
TIMES SQUARE. Assemble at 47th St. and 7th Ave.
PROTEST OF GAZA RELIEF FLOTILLA INCIDENT
Sponsored by Jewish Voices for Peace and other concerned organizations.

Monday, June 7, 7:30 p.m.
GREENWICH VILLAGE. NYU, Skirball Center, 566 La Guardia Place (at Washington Square South).
BLUEPRINT FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
Culture Project's fusion of theater, film, journalism and debate. Tickets: www.skirballcenter.nyu.edu.

Thursday, June 10, 4:00 p.m.(start)
BROOKLYN. Start: St. Mark's Catholic Church, Ocean Avenue and Avenue Z.
End (with food!): 2812 Voorhies Ave (between 28th and 29th St)
7TH ANNUAL CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM PEACE WALK
Join Jews, Christians, Muslims, and all people of good will, as we walk together in a spirit of peace. Questions? E-mail tomnmartinez@gmail.com.

Friday, June 11, 8:00 p.m.
HEWLETT. Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, 1125 Broadway
AFGHANISTAN AND THE BUSINESS OF WAR
Speaker: Christopher Vongsawat. Our speaker joined the Army in 1998 and was commissioned in 2004 as an Ordnance Officer in the NY National Guard. In 2008 he was deployed to Afghanistan as a military advisor to the Afghan National Army where he helped train Afghan soldiers, including Afghan Lieutenants. Chris was discharged from the US Army as a conscientious objector in December 2009, ending over ten years of service. Sponsored by Five Towns Forum. Contact: Rochell Dorfman(516) 623-5689.

Sunday, June 13, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.
GREENWICH VILLAGE. Casserly Hall, St. Joseph's Greenwich Village Church, Sixth Avenue and Washington Pl.
ANNUAL PEACEMAKER AWARDS RECEPTION. Pax Christi Metro New York (PCMNY) invites you to help come honor Peacemakers at their annual Awards Reception. There will be international refreshments, live music, and prizes. Donations will benefit the work of PCMNY. Contact PCMNY for further details and to register at nypaxchristi@igc.org, www.nypaxchristi.org, or 212-420-0250.

Thursday, June 24, 6:30 p.m.
UPPER EAST SIDE. Reidy Friendship Hall, All Souls Unitarian Church, Lexington Avenue at 80th St.
FIRST DO NO HARM: THE ROLE OF MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS IN U.S.-SPONSORED TORTURE
Light refreshments will be served.

Upstate Events

Saturday, June 5, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
BEACON. The Home of Connie Hogart and Art Kamell, 20 Harsook Lane.
FUNDRAISING PARTY: PASTORS FOR PEACE TO CUBA!
IFCO / Pastors for Peace 21st Friendshipment Caravan to Cuba. $20 Requested Donation

Sunday, June 6, 1:00 p.m. for lunch, 1:30 meeting
GENESEO. Omega Restaurant, 4182 Lakeville Road (Rt 20A)
MONTHLY MEETING, GENESEE VALLEY CITIZENS FOR PEACE

Saturday, June 12
GENESEO
DISTRIBUTE FREE BUMPER STICKERS
Call Hank Stone at 585-624-3673 to schedule a two-hour shift.

Saturday June 12, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
WOODSTOCK. 5 Library Lane
THE GREENING OF CUBA
Come and Learn. Public forum and Discussion

Sunday, June 13, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
GRAND ISLAND. Riverside-Salem UCC/DC, "The Cottage", 3449 West River Road
TALK: PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO
By Karima Amin and Chuck Culhane

Sunday, June 20, 4:00 p.m.
GRAND ISLAND. Riverside-Salem UCC/DC, "The Cottage," 3449 West River Road
FILM: THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD

Monday, June 21, 7:00 p.m.
BUFFALO. Network of Religious Communities, 1272 Delaware Ave
LASC COFFEEHOUSE ON PASTORS FOR PEACE FRIENSHIPMENTS TO CUBA
Featuring a film and a guest speaker who has been a caravanista.

Sunday, June 27, 4:00 p.m.
GRAND ISLAND. Riverside-Salem UCC/DC, "The Cottage," 3449 West River Road
MUSIC IN THE WOODS
With Nan Hoffman, Joe Tumino, Tom & Kathy DeLoughry, Mary Bieger Bring chairs and blankets, if you can. Potluck following.

Sunday, July 4, 6:30 p.m.
BUFFALO/FORT ERIE. Americans meet at Front Park, Buffalo.
Canadians meet at Mather Arch, Friendship Festival, Fort Erie, Ontario
ACROSS THE BORDER
Hands Across the Border is a Peace Initiative started in 2009 by the Binational Friendship Festival of Fort Erie and Buffalo. The action is establishing a pattern to be followed into 2012 - 2014: The Bicentennial in which we celebrate 200 Years of Peace between our Countries.

July 23 – 25
ALBANY.
Crowne Plaza Hotel, 10 Eyck Plaza, State and Lodge Streets
NATIONAL PEACE CONFERENCE: BRING THE TROOPS HOME
SCHEDULE:

Friday evening, July 23: Panel discussion on “Strategies & Tactics in the Struggle to End the Empire’s Wars and Occupations”; Presentation of Action Proposal
Saturday, July 24: Keynote Speakers; Workshops; Lunch panel on Government Repression, Defense of Political Prisoners, and Guantanamo Detainees; Plenary Discussion of Action Proposal, Amendments & Resolutions
Saturday evening, July 24: Public Forum with speakers & cultural performances
Sunday, July 25: Plenary Discussion and Vote on Action Proposal; Workshops

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

NOAM CHOMSKY, Internationally renowned political activist, author, and critic of U.S. foreign and domestic policies, MIT Professor Emeritus of Linguistics
DONNA DEWITT, President, South Carolina AFL-CIO; Co-Chair, South Carolina Progressive Network; Steering Committee, U.S. Labor Against the War; Administrative Body, National Assembly to End the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and Occupations

ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS: Joel Kovel, Dahlia Wasfi, Leila Zand, Cheri Honkala, Medea Benjamin, Kathy Kelly, Michael Ferner, Kevin Martin, Michael McPhearson, Nada Khader, Larry Holmes, David Swanson, Glen Ford, Blanca Missé, Pam Africa, Cindy Sheehan, Fahima Vorgetts (partial list)
Each person attending the conference will have voice and vote. Attendees will have the opportunity to amend the action proposal submitted by conference co-sponsors, add demands, and submit resolutions for consideration by the conference.
Cosponsoring National Organizations: After Downing Street, Arab American Union Members Council, Bailout the People Movement, Black Agenda Report, Campaign for Peace and Democracy, Campus Antiwar Network, Code Pink, International Action Center, Iraq Veterans Against the War, National Assembly to End the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and Occupations, National Lawyers Guild, Peace Action, Peace of the Action, Progressive Democrats of America, The Fellowship of Reconciliation, U.S. Labor Against the War, Veterans for Peace, Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, World Can’t Wait.
Get more info and register at www.nationalpeaceconference.org.

Ongoing Events

Many local peace groups hold regular events, vigils, "Honk for Peace" actions, etc.
See our list: www.panys.org/ongoing.htm

Out of State and National Events

Tuesday, June 1, 9:00 - 10:00 p.m.
CONFERENCE CALL BRIEFING • Call 218-936-4141 - access code 5849756
AFGHANISTAN UPDATE BY DAVID WILDMAN

Join us for a conference call briefing by David Wildman, Executive Secretary for Human Rights & Racial Justice at the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church and co-author of the new book Ending the US War in Afghanistan: A Primer. David has just returned from Afghanistan. He will give an update on the humanitarian situation - especially in Badakshan in the north where there are almost no Taliban activities yet some of the poorest communities who get hardly any aid; realities facing women in rural villages where no Taliban are present (they are confined to home and hardly seen because it's conservative society). He will also reflect on President Karzai's recent visit to DC; he managed using words only to get everything he wanted and US had previously refused. David will also speak about hard targets and soft targets of the Taliban in the leadup to the Kandahar offensive. We will then open the call for people's questions and comments. Questions sent in advance to ufpjafghanistan@gmail.com will be asked first. The briefing is sponsored by the UFPJ Afghanistan Working Group. Please forward this notice to those interested. If you are planning to attend, please email Cole Harrison or call 617-466-9274 (rings home & cell) so that a rough count can be obtained in advance.

All Summer
NEW MEXICO and other locations.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOMB's DISARMAMENT SUMMER.
Think Outside the Bomb, the largest youth-led anti-nuclear network in the US, is organizing Disarmament Summer near Los Alamos, New Mexico, in partnership with the Tribal Environmental Watch Alliance, TEWA Women United, the Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment, Products of Atzlan youth group, and the Southwest Indigenous Uranium Forum. For further information please check out www.thinkoutsidethebomb.org, call (408) 676-TOTB (8682), or email Rebecca Riley, totbchicago@gmail.com or Lisa Putkey, lisaputkey@gmail.com.

Friday, June 11 - Monday, June 14
WASHINGTON DC. Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 212 East Capitol Street NE (Capitol Hill)

NATIONAL CONFERENCE: "A PROGRESSIVE VISION AND STRATEGY FOR THE OBAMA YEARS: OVERCOMING FEAR AND CORPORATE POWER WHILE BUILDING "THE CARING SOCIETY"
Convened by Tikkun Magazine & the Network of Spiritual Progressive Conference
Speakers: Congressmen Dennis Kucinich; Keith Ellison; Sister Joan Chittister; David Korten; Rabbi Michael Lerner; Rev. James Forbes; environmentalist Bill McKibben; Rev. Graylan Hagler; Medea Benjamin of Code Pink; Jeremy Ben Ami of J Street; Marianne Williamson.
For more information visit: www.spiritualprogressives.org, or call 510-644-1200.

Tuesday, June 22 - Saturday, June 26
DETROIT.
U.S. SOCIAL FORUM
"Not a conference but a space to come up with the peoples’ solutions to the economic and ecological crisis." Self-Organized Workshops; People's Movement Assemblies; Plenaries; Work Projects & Work Brigades; Detroit Expanded (DEX); USSF Village & Canopies; Arts & Culture - Performances, Exhibitions, Film Festival; Children's Social forum & Youth Camp; Detroit Local Orgnaizing; International Participation; Direct Action; Open Space; Tours; Grassroots Fundraising.

Going out of state? Check UFPJ's national Events Calendar: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/calendar.php .