Pieces

Events

Biojustice 2007, 5/4-5/9; Boston, MA; a week-long celebration of sustainable food & alternatives to corporate healthcare; Biojustice is being developed by a wide coalition of public interest groups, activists, farmers, scientists, & concerned citizens, working together in response to the biotechnology industry's international convention scheduled in Boston the same week; we will kick off on 5/4, 7 pm, at the Old South Church in Copley Square with "International Farmers Speak Out" with Anna Lappé, Ignacio Chapela, representatives of international farmers' movements, & music; for a full schedule of events visit www.biojustice2007.org

Wake up the Earth Festival, 5/5; Jamaica Plain, MA (parade begins at 11 am at Center St. & South St., finishes at Stony Brook T stop); speakers, music, tables, kids' games; for more info call Hope at 617/522-4634 or visit www.spontaneouscelebrations.org

The Sounds of Arab Classical Music featuring The Bassam Saba Ensemble, 5/8, 7 pm; National Heritage Museum, 33 Marrett Rd (at intersection of Route 2A & Mass. Ave.), Lexington, MA; $25 ($20 for students & seniors); Bassam Saba is a world-renowned instrumentalist, conductor, & composer; proceeds will support relief & reconstruction efforts in Lebanon as part of the "Boston to Lebanon" campaign (www.bostontolebanon.com); wheelchair accessible; for program information call 781/762-4160; for museum info & directions see www.monh.org; tickets may be purchased at the door or at http://web.mit.edu/lebanon/www/events/upcoming/SabaConcert0507/index.html

Mother's Day Peace Celebration, 5/10, 6:30 pm; Old South Meetinghouse, 310 Washington St, Boston MA; $25 ($10 for students, seniors, unemployed); Help us celebrate the 25th anniversary of Women's Action for New Directions, with special guests Kate Taylor, Meredith Sheldon, & John Sheldon; for more info, 781/643-6740; peace@wand.org

Voices of Men (play), 5/12, 7 pm; Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston St. near Copley Square; Ben Atherton-Zemon's acclaimed one-man play uses humor & celebrity male voice impressions to bring the topics of sexual assault, domestic violence, & sexual harrassment & objectification to audiences in a way that minimizes male defensiveness; join us for an evening of enlightening entertainment, community building, & helping stop violence against women in our city; sponsored by the Boston chapter of the National Organization for Men Against Sexism, www.nomasboston.org

Quakers in Palestine & Israel (slide show), 5/13, noon-2:30 pm; Cambridge Friends Center, 5 Longfellow Park, Cambridge MA; What do Quakers, the Religious Society of Friends, have to do with Israel-Palestine? By following some of the activities in the Ramallah Friends School & the American Friends Service Committee's youth work in Gaza & the West Bank, photographer Skip Schiel shows how this small but effective group has made a difference; A benefit for the Levant Photo Project of Skip Schiel & the Ramallah Friends School (suggested donation: what you can afford). Including a potluck lunch & a sale of photos on various subjects by Skip Schiel. For more information, call 617/441-7756, or email skipschiel@gmail.com

Mothers Walk for Peace, 5/13, Fields Corner, Dorchester, MA; sponsored by the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, the walk honors families & friends -- particularly mothers -- who have lost children to murder or to prison, affirms its commitment to healing & peace through nonviolence, & celebrates the seeds of positive change at the heart of community. This is a fundraiser for the Institute, & all are encouraged to participate, getting sponsorship from their workplace or faith community or recruiting their own walk teams. Registration, 7am. The 3.6-mile walk starts promptly at 8:30 & ends by 10:30. Pledge sheets, registration & info about the Institute: www.louisdbrownpeaceinstitute.org, or call 617/825-1917

AFSC-CT Annual dinner featuring Anthony Arnove, 5/19, 5:30-9 pm; Polish National Home, 60 Charter Oak Ave, Hartford, CT; Arnove is the author of Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal; we'll also honor CT activists; , 860/523-1534, www.afsc.org/ct

Celebrate The Children of Resistance, 6/19, 7:30 pm; John Hancock Hall, 180 Berkeley St, Boston MA; $30-100; a fundraiser for the Rosenberg Fund for Children, which since 1990 has provided support for the children of targeted progressive activists & targeted activist youth; with Angela Davis, Eve Ensler, David Strathairn, Howard Zinn, Martin Espada, Charlie King, Sofia Snow, & others; RFC, 116 Pleasant St #348, Easthampton MA 01027; 413/529-0063; www.rfc.org

Gatherings

The World Says No to Israeli Occupation! 6/10-11; Washington, DC; The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation & the United for Peace & Justice Coalition are sponsoring this mobilization to mark the 40th anniversary of Israel's illegal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem, & Gaza Strip. Under the banner, "The World Says No to Israeli Occupation, we will hold a massive rally, teach-in, & grassroots lobbying day; for details on event locations & times, & for help with affordable transportation & housing options, visit www.endtheoccupation.org

Quaker Initiative to End Torture (QUIT) 2nd Annual Conference, 6/1-3; Greensboro NC; QUIT is the spiritual work of Quakers to end torture. Minutes of support for this new work have come from numerous Monthly & Yearly Meetings to declare that torture is always immoral, illegal, & abhorrent. We began with a conference held in June 2006 for education leading to action. We will begin in the silence of worship, waiting upon that leading to surrender our worldly obstacles, & continue in reverence, as the work is large & will take more than good intentions or a mere generation. Keynote by Alfred McCoy; for more information visit www.quit-torture-now.org

Grassroots Organizing Workshops (GROW), 6/8-10; World Fellowship Center near Conway, NH; a weekend for new & experienced grassroots organizers in ME, NH, & VT to learn more about creating grassroots social change; for more info call Larry Dansinger, 207/525-7776 or rosc@psouth.net

Why Dialogue? (& when, & how, & where?) A Conference for Community Groups, Researchers, Teachers, & Students, 6/15-16; New York, NY; We will consider the place of dialogue in democratic & global societies, examine the uses of dialogue in education, negotiation, & conflict resolution, examine the challenges in engaging in dialogue, & provide forum for networking; sponsored by the Network for Peace through Dialogue, 212/426-5818; www.networkforpeace.com

Building Our Political Movement for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, 6/16-19; Washington DC; Brit Tzedek will bring hundreds of activists together from across the US for the National Grassroots Leadership Training Institute (6/16-17), offering an evening plenary & day of intensive workshops, trainings & networking opportunities; this will be followed by our third annual National Advocacy Days (6/18-19), with a day of political briefings & trainings on the Hill from policy experts & government officials, an evening reception with members of Congress, & a day for you to meet with your own Senators & Representatives & urge them to support our pro-Israel, pro-peace message! Registration will be available for each event separately or for both events at a discounted price. For more information, contact Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, The Jewish Alliance for Justice & Peace, 11 E. Adams Street #707, Chicago IL 60603; 312/341-1205; www.btvshalom.org

US Social Forum, 6/27-7/1; Atlanta GA; come to connect with others, share your story, gain leadership skills, get inspired, link with a global movement that is changing the world; www.ussf2007.org

As the Powers Fall: Sustaining Our Faith & One Another as Empire Crumbles, 7/23-7/28, Berea, KY; This Baptist Peace Fellowship Peace Camp is a week of challenge & sustenance, gathering & nurture, training & fun, community & learning, protest & art, music & worship, a wekk to renew your focus, your energy, your work, your spirit; Rev. LeDayne McLeese Polaski, BPFNA, 4800 Wedgewood Dr, Charlotte NC 28210, 704/521-6051; www.bpfna.org

Campaigns

Ministry of Love; The goal of this blog is to collect 315 copies of George Orwell's 1984 and send one to every member of Congress who voted for the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (aka the Torture Bill or the Detaineee Bill), which suspends the centuries-old writ of Habeas Corpus for anyone deemed by George W. Bush to be an "enemy combatant," meaning his administration can detain you indefinitely without access to a court and torture you if they like. We can be reached at unpersons@gmail.com

Opportunities

Nonviolent Peaceforce seeks volunteers for rapid response short-term deployment in Guatemala; human rights defenders in Guatemala need protection for the next 10 months -- before, during, & after the national elections in the fall. Candidates sought who speak fluent Spanish, have some background in Latin America or nonviolent peacekeeping, & can volunteer for at least 3 months. In-country training & orientation in accompaniment will be provided in the Guatemala context. NP's Team Coordinator in Guatemala is Betsy Crites, former Executive Director of Witness for Peace. To apply, contact Gilda Bettencourt at 415/751-0302; gbettencourt@nvpf.org

Resources

Teaching the Civil Rights Movement: Three New Lesson Plans featuring Eyes on the Prize; Facing History & Ourselves offers a series of lessons whose purpose is to look at one particular approach to responding to injustice, that of nonviolence; it is our hope that students come away from these three lessons understanding the ways individuals & groups can apply the philosophy & practice of nonviolence to inform contemporary struggles against violence & injustice. The lessons are available at www.facinghistory.org. Facing History & Ourselves is an international educational & professional development organization whose mission is to engage students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, & antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more humane & informed citizenry. FHO, 16 Hurd Rd, Brookline MA 02445; 617/232-1595; www.facinghistory.org

Taking Up Dr. King's Challenge: A Year of Reflection, Education, & Action; The American Friends Service Committee offers ideas & resources for organizing during this year leading up to April 4, 2008, the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination (resources include a compilation of Peacework articles by & about Dr. King); visit www.afsc.org/mlk