May 2001

Views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of the AFSC.

Peace Vigils, at Newport War College in Providence RI, Tuesdays 7-9 am; at Undersea Warfare Center, Thursdays 3:30-5 pm, Middletown RI; Rhode Island Mobilization for Peace & Justice, POB 23157, Providence RI 02903-4102; 401/273-4650

Sexing the Body: Gender Politics & the Construction of Sexuality (reading), 5/10, 6 pm; New Words Bookstore, 186 Hampshire St, Cambridge MA 02139; Is it a boy or a girl? Author Anne Fausto-Sterling jumps headlong into a different kind of gender war--the one over the very meanings of "male" & "female"; wheelchair accessible; 617/867-5310

Report Back from Israel/Palestine, 5/10, 7-9 pm; $10; First Parish Church, 3 Church St, Cambridge MA 02138; meet with a delegation who travelled to the West Bank, Gaza Strip, & Israel to discuss human rights & peace; 617/349-4694

Remember the Women of Iraq on Mother's Day, 5/11-13; at religious institutions around New Hampshire, we will honor the mothers who have lost children or have themselves been killed by sanctions & bombing in Iraq; please voice your concern at your house of worship, whether with a statement or a moment of silence; to make this a successful media event, let us know in advance of your plans to participate, no matter how "small" the act; Peace Action New Hampshire, POB 771, Concord NH 03302; 603/228-0559; info@nhpeaceaction.org

Mothers' March/Marcha de las Madres, 5/12, 11:45 am; March from the Boston Common at Park Street to honor the labor of low-income mothers & to protest the public policies & private greed that harm all families! Food, speakers, puppets, political theater; Working Massachusetts, 145 Tremont St, Boston MA 02111; 617/482-4471 x19; wkgmass@aol.com; en espanol, Jeannette 617/522-0582

AFSC Tag Sale to benefit the Material Aids Program, 5/12, 9:30 am-2:30 pm; Cambridge Friends Center, 5 Longfellow Park, Cambridge MA; clothing & household items may be contributed for sale by 5/3 at the Friends Center on Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10 am-5 pm; AFSC, 2161 Mass. Ave, Cambridge MA 02140; 617/661-6130

100 Years of Lesbian Writing, 5/12, 7-9 pm; $50; Brattle Theater, 40 Brattle Street, Cambridge MA; Lesbian poets & musicians paying tribute to past lesbian writers with music, comedy, readings, & poetry; Astraea Lesbian Action Foundation, 116 E 16th St, New York NY 10003; 212/529-8021 x14; www.astraea.org

Million Mom March Rally, 5/13, 1-3 pm; Boston Common (at the bandstand), Boston MA; bring your friends & family & learn about how to advocate for sane gun laws in Massachusetts & the US; speakers will include Mayor Thomas Menino, Senator Cheryl Jakes, & survivors of handgun violence; Middlesex County Million Mom March, POB 862, Natick MA 01760; 508-655-9724

Community Church of Boston Events; Sundays, 11 am; Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston St, Boston MA 02116; 5/6, Challenging the Media Part IV: The Corporatization of Public Radio; 5/13, "Ordinary Heroines: Low-income Women in a Wealthy Nation," with Deborah Belle; 5/20 The Campaign on Contingent Work, with Tim Costello; 5/27, "Turning Vision into Action: A Walk to the Planned Fenway Urban Village," with Rev. David Carl Olson; 6/3, Challenging the Media Part V (conclusion of this series); 617/266-6710; commchurch@igc.org

20th Century Parents with 21st Century Kids: A Natural Plan for Parenting? 5/14, 7 pm; Thoreau Institute, 44 Baker Farm, Lincoln MA 01773; with Randy Rolfe, grandniece of Helen & Scott Nearing, homeschooling parent & parenting author, & founder of the Institute for Creative Solutions; for reservations contact Jayne Gordon at 781/259-4712; jayne.gordon@walden.org; www.walden.org

Old Wine in Old Bottles: Noam Chomsky on the First 100 Days of the Bush Administration, 5/15, 7 pm; $10; 3 Church St, Cambridge MA 02138; Boston Mobilization, 971 Commonwealth Ave, Boston MA 02215; 617/782-2313

Ethics & Ecosystems: Making Science Matter, 5/16, 7 pm; Museum of Science, Boston MA; Can traditional ethical & policy frameworks help us make environmental decisions that have an impact on global ecosystems? sponsored by the Cambridge Forum, 3 Church St, Cambridge MA 02138; 617/495-2727; www.cambridgeforum.org

Nickel & Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in Boom-time America--A Reading by Barbara Ehrenreich, 5/17, 6 pm; New Words Bookstore, 186 Hampshire St, Cambridge MA 02139; Millions of Americans work full-time, year round, for poverty-level wages. In 1998, social critic Barbara Ehrenreich decided to join them. This chilling view of how "prosperity" looks from the bottom is her report; wheelchair accessible; 617/867-5310

A Palestinian Christian's Perspective on Peace in Palestine/Israel; Mitri Raheb, Palestinian Lutheran pastor in Bethlehem, Palestine, will speak at three events: 5/18, 7:30 pm, University Lutheran, 66 Winthrop St, Harvard Square, Cambridge MA; 5/19, 7:30 pm, St. John's Episcopal Church, 679 Farmington Ave, West Hartford CT; 5/20, 7 pm, Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 555 Pleasant St, Worcester MA; sponsored by Search for Justice & Equality in Palestine/Israel, POB 3452, Framingham MA 01705-3452; 508/879-0777; search25@aol.com

Gay/Straight Youth Pride, 5/19, noon; march from Copley Square through the streets of Boston to a festival at the MDC Hatch Shell; followed by 21st annual BAGLY Prom (Boston Alliance of Gay & Lesbian Youth); BAGLY, POB 814, Boston MA 02103; 617/227-4313

MCAS, Privatization, & the FTAA: The Real Agenda Behind High Stakes Testing in our Schools, 5/22, 6:30-8:30 pm; Central Square Branch Cambridge Public Library, 45 Pearl St, Cambridge MA; with Jackie & Jonathan King; wheelchair accessible; sponsored by AFSC, 2161 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge MA 02140; 617/661-6130

Influence & Inspiration: Roxbury Artists 2001, 6/1-7; Museum of Our National Heritage, 33 Marrett Rd, Lexington MA; this exhibit pays tribute to essential artistic relationships & collaboration by exhibiting the work of current Roxbury artists along with the art of their mentors, protégés, & muses; Gallery talk 6/2, 2:30 pm; Roundtable Discussion, 6/5, 7-9 pm; Bridges Program, 8 White Pine Way, Lexington MA 02421;
781/861-8893

Peacework Magazine seeks Data Entry Volunteer; Peacework is a national peace & justice magazine dedicated to the movements for nonviolent social change, published monthly by the American Friends Service Committee; we need someone to help with data entry in our subscriber database, approx. 10 hours/month; contact Phyllis Cohen, AFSC, 2161 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge MA 02140; 617/661-6130; pcohen@afsc.org

American Friends Service Committee seeks Director of Regional Development for New England; letter & resume by 5/11 to Phyllis Cohen, AFSC, 2161 Mass Ave, Cambridge MA 02140

Equity Trust seeks Executive Director, Program Officer, & Office Manager; Equity Trust is a growing organization that works with land reform & community development finance; ET, 539 Beach Pond Rd, Voluntown CT 06384; 860/376-6174; equitytrust@aol.com

New Hampshire World Fellowship Center Summer Program, 6/29-9/4; bring your family & enjoy beautiful scenery, good company, & discussions & lecture series on Globalization, West Africa, Cuba & Colombia, The Politics of Food, & many other topics; films, musical performances, hikes, children's programs; for a full summer schedule, contact WFC, POB 2280, Conway NH 03818-2280; 603/447-2280; worldf@landmarknet.net; www.worldfellowship.org

ANYTOWN New England, 6/24-30 & 7/29-8/4; North Andover MA; sponsored by the National Conference for Community & Justice, this is a week-long summer residential program in which 60 high school youth from across Massachusetts learn first-hand about issues of diversity & inclusion & how they can become leaders in their own communities in the fight against bias, bigotry, & prejudice; youth leaders & teachers are invited to nominate students to participate; nominations for session 1 due 5/21; nominations for session 2 due 6/4; NCCJ, 38 Chauncy St #812, Boston MA 02111; 617/451-5010; www.nccj.org

Leadership Training Programs for Young People, Summer 2001; pamphlet prepared by the National Youth & Militarism Campaign, American Friends Service Committee, 1501 Cherry St, Philadelphia PA 19102-1479; 215/241-7176; available on-line at www.afsc.org/youthmil.htm

A Battle for the Rainforest: Three Summer Reforestation Brigades; The Nicaragua Network will lead trips to Bluefields & La Pita del Carmen 6/12-7/3, & to Laguna de Apoyo 7/25-8/15; join Nicaraguan communities that have undertaken bold sustainable agriculture & reforestation projects; the experience is challenging & rewarding; Nicaragua Network, 1247 E St SE, Washington DC 20003; 202/544-9355; nicanet@afgj.org; www.infoshop.org/nicanet

Vallecitos Mountain Refuge, a contemplative center & wilderness ranch for the public interest & nonprofit community in Carson National Forest, Taos, NM; fellowships available to pay for 2-week residencies; 50% of fellowships are awarded to people of color; for more information & fellowship applications, VMR, POB 3160, Taos NM 87571; refuge@vallecitos.org; www.vallecitos.org

The Rural Lives Project seeks submissions of stories from people who are a "minority" in a small, rural community in Maine; any life experience is helpful, & experiences can relate to sexual orientation, race, or any other difference; contact Maine Rural Network, 51 Shore Rd, Standish ME 04084; 207/642-2015; nomad@watchic.net

Global Exchange Reality Tours to Cuba, India, Northern Ireland, & Palestine; for more information, contact Global Exchange, 2017 Mission Street #303, San Francisco CA 94110; 415/255-7296; www.globalexchange.org

Medical School Scholarship Program at The Latin American School of Medical Sciences, Havana Cuba; 250 scholarships for medical school tuition, room, & board for African-American, Latino, & Native American youth ages 18-25; Pastors for Peace, 402 W 145th St, New York NY 10031; 212/926-5757;www.ifconews.org

Arctic Drilling Won't Solve our Energy Woes! Don't be fooled by the "energy crisis" as a rallying cry to open our nation's last protected refuges to oil drilling. Increasing our reliance on fossil fuels will only prolong the problem & exacerbate global warming. Urge your senators to vote against S.388, the National Energy Security Act, which would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, weaken air pollution standards for power plants, & give more subsidies to the coal, oil, gas, & nuclear industries; ask that they support S.411 instead, which would designate a portion of the Refuge as wilderness; 20/20 Vision, 1828 Jefferson Place NW, Washington DC 20036; 800/669-1782; www.2020vision.org

Support Security & Justice for East Timor; The Bush administration is still formulating its policies toward East Timor & Indonesia. Ask your senators & representatives to co-sponsor Senate Concurrent Resolution 9 & House Concurrent Resolution 60, "condemning the violence in East Timor & urging the establishment of an international war crimes tribunal"; also ask them to maintain & expand restrictions on US military assistance to Indonesia; East Timor Action Network, 48 Duffield St, Brooklyn NY 11201; 718/596-7668; www.etan.org

The Peacemaker; this journal of the Peacemakers organization, published from the late 1940s through the 1970s, documented an important & often overlooked dimension of the pacifist tradition in America; 20 complete sets of the magazine are available, part of the legacy of Ernest Bromley; to request a set or to learn more about the Peacemakers archives, contact Chuck Matthei, Equity Trust Inc., 539 Beach Pond Rd, Voluntown CT 06384; 860/376-6174; equitytrust@aol.com

Yes to Coexistence, No to Violence; free bumper sticker available from the Resource Center for Nonviolence; message appears in English, Arabic, & Hebrew; RCN, 515 Broadway St, Santa Cruz CA 95060; 831/423-1626

Latinos in Maine, 5/11, 8 am-4 pm; Luther Bonny Hall, University of Maine, Portland; first annual conference of the Maine chapter of the League of United Latin American Citzens (the first Hispanic civil rights group in the US, founded in 1929); panels on workplace rights, amnesty, education, & health; LULAC, 169 Ocan St #209, Portland ME 04106; John Connors at 207/767-3642; johnconnors@hotmail.com

Human Rights for Women: A Pan-American Dialogue, 5/18-20; Buffalo NY; focusing on women in political & grassroots leadership, women's health, & economic empowerment for women; speakers include Charlotte Bunch; contact Patricia Shelly, Institute for Research on Women & Gender, University of Buffalo, 216 Harriman Hall, Buffalo NY 14214; 716/829-3451

Experiencing Goodness in Ourselves: An Extended Weekend with John Calvi, 5/25-28; Pendle Hill Conference Center, Wallingford PA; Beyond self-acceptance & self-esteem is that sense of goodness in the core of our being; the implications for personal power, capacity for healing work, & a deeper spiritual seeking are great; this weekend will focus on ways of knowing this goodness within ourselves; PH, 338 Plush Mill Rd, Wallingford PA 19086; 610/566-4507; www.pendlehill.org

Surround the White House for the Antinuclear Vigil's 20th Anniversary, 6/3, noon-dark; We will gather in Lafayette Park to celebrate the continuing existence of the antinuclear vigil outside the White House, 24 hours a day since June 3, 1981; Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil, Proposition One Committee, POB 27217, Washington DC 20038; 202/462-0757; http://prop1@prop1.org

Training for Change, in Philadelphia PA, offers workshops that "water the grassroots"; 6/5-6, Adventure-based Learning; 6/8-10, Creative Workshop Design; 6/12-17, Advanced Training of Trainers, learn the art of emergent design, explore group dynamics, increase your ability to cross cultural barriers, & more! Sliding scale fees for all workshops; TfC, 4719 Springfield Ave, Philadelphia PA 19143; 215/729-7458; peacelearn@igc.org; www.trainingforchange.org

Healing the Wounds of Murder, 6/7-9; Boston College, Chestnut Hill MA; first national gathering for murder victims' family members opposed to the death penalty; featured guest speaker Sister Helen Prejean; sponsored by Boston College & Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation, 2161 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge MA 02140; 617/552-0985; www.mvfr.org

Stop the Star Wars Fraud! Congressional Education Day, 6/10-12; Washington DC; learn about the Star Wars Missile Defense & plans for generation of nuclear weapons, as well as initiatives toward global abolition of nuclear weapons; contact Project Abolition, 109 E Clinton #10, Goshen IN 46528; 219/535-1110; for transportation from Boston, call Peace Action at 617/354-2169

Intensive Training of Trainers for Activists Working for Social & Economic Justice, 6/13-17 (Salt Lake City UT) & 10/10-14 (Loveland OH); offered by United for a Fair Economy, these Institutes will prepare people to lead UFE's engaging Growing Divide workshop (Utah) or the faith-based version (Ohio), & help build support for a national campaign to reduce economic inequality; UFE, 37 Temple Place, Boston MA 02111; 617/423-2148 x15; www.ufenet.org

Summer Forum on Iraq, 6/16-19; Washington DC; forum on Iraq, advocacy training, andmeetings with representatives; topics include sanctions, Bush's Iraq policy, andhuman rights in Iraq; registration due 6/4; contact Education for Peace in Iraq Center, 1101 Penn. Ave SE #203, Washington DC 20003; 202/543-6176; www.saveageneration.org

Cuba Friendship Caravan, 6/16-7/12; honoring Cuba's achievements in energy and transportation alternatives; participate in a bike trip through Cuba & visit scenic towns, visit alternative energy sites, & improve the living conditions for the people of Cuba; Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization/Pastors for Peace, 402 W 145th St, New York NY 10031; 212/926-5757; www.ifconews.org

Cobsook Gathering, 6/18-29; Edmunds ME; 2 weeks of courses designed to inspire, challenge, & unite; sponsored by Cobsook Community Learning Center & the Institute for People's Education & Action, 107 Vernon St, Northampton MA 01060; 413/585-8755

Center for Popular Economics Summer Institutes, 7/22-28; Amherst MA; week-long intensive courses in 2 tracks, US Economy, & International Economy; this year, a special extracurricular track in The Real Cost of Prisons is also available; register by 6/15; sliding scale tuition, scholarships available, free child care provided; CPE, POB 785, Amherst MA 01004; 413/545-0743; www.populareconomics.org

Action Alert from the United Church of Christ Justice & Peace Ministry: Urge Congress to oppose inclusion of a Charitable Choice provision in the budget reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Likely to be attached to HR1 and S1, it "does not protect the rights of children who receive social services and provides no accountability with regard to how federal funds are being spent."