March 2002

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

Weekly Vigil for Justice with Peace, Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 pm; Copley Square, Boston; followed by organizing meeting, 6:45 pm, at Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston St; Coalition for Justice with Peace, 617/661-6130

Weekly Vigil for Peace at Park Street Station, Saturdays noon-2 pm; sponsored by the Boston Committee for Peace & Human Rights; for more information call Virginia Pratt at 617/464-7488

Women On Top Theater Festival, 3/8-31; Boston Playwrights' Theatre, 949 Commonwealth Ave, Boston MA 02215; for a full schedule of plays, stage readings, & lectures, & for info on accessibility for attenders with disabilities, call Centastage at 617/536-5981

Cambridge Forum Events, Wednesdays, 7:30 pm; First Parish in Cambridge, 3 Church St, Cambridge MA 02138; 3/13, "Making Every Vote Count?" with Kirk Wolter, National Opinion Research Center; 4/3, "Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word," with Randall Kennedy, Harvard Law School;
4/10, "Religion, Violence, & Women," with Rita Nakashima Brock (Harvard Divinity School) & Rebecca Ann Parker (Starr King School for the Ministry); 4/18, "Constantine's Sword: The Church & the Jews," with columnist & author James Carroll; 4/24, "Sally Hemings: An American Scandal" with author Tina Andrews

Chiapas Media Project, 3/16, 7 pm; Mama Gaia's Cafe, 401 Mass. Ave, Central Square, Cambridge MA; CMP director Alexandra Halkin will present videos produced by indigenous communities in Chiapas & Guerrero, Mexico, & will discuss the role of indigenous-produced media in the context of the current political situations in southern Mexico; sponsored by Tonantzin: Boston Committee to Support the Native Peoples of Mexico; contact Anna Utech, 617/629-2449

Life After Prison, 3/18, noon-1 pm; Washburn Lounge, Episcopal Divinity School, 99 Brattle St, Cambridge MA 02138; with Anne Marie Grant, mother, housewife, convicted felon; part of Feminist Liberation Theologies Luncheon Lecture Series;
617/868-3450 x356

The Challenge of Peace in the 21st Century, Tuesdays thru 4/23, 7-9 pm; Martin Institute Auditorium, Stonehill College, 320 Washington St., Easton MA; 3/19, "Cultures of Peace" with Elise Boulding; 3/26 "Models for Peace" with Sayra Pinco, Restorative Justice; 4/2, "Human Rights, Social Justice, & Activism" with Joanne Sheehan, War Resisters League; 4/16, "Peace: A Personal Journey" with Jimmy Tingle; 4/23, performance by Bread & Puppet; co-sponsored by the Martin Institute for Law & Society, Stonehill College, 320 Washington St, Easton MA 02357; 508/565-1131

Roots of War, Roots of Resistance: A Bi-weekly Series of Educational Forums; Cambridge Friends Meeting, 5 Longfellow Park (off Brattle St. near Harvard Square), Cambridge MA; 3/20, 7 pm, "Dangers of a Widening War: East African Perspectives" with Dan Connell, founder of Grassroots International; 4/10, 7 pm, "Dangers of a Widening War: The Middle East" with Dr. Elaine Hagopian, Professor Emerita, Simmons College; sponsored by American Friends Service Committee, 2161 Mass. Ave, Cambridge MA 02140; 617/661-6130

March for a New Spring, 3/20, 9 am-2 pm; This is the concluding day of a religiously based walk across Massachusetts designed to engage individuals, families, & communities about why the current catastrophe has happened & how best to move forward; walk with us, or join us for proclamations of commitment at 8 am, Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge; 9 am, Christ Church across from the Cambridge Common; 10:30 in Copley Square; noon at the State House; or 1:30 at City Hall, JFK plaza; contact the House of Peace, 1 High St, Ipswich MA 01938; 978/630-4752

The Human Cost of the War in Afghanistan, 3/21, 7 pm; Unitarian Church, 35 Church St, Watertown MA; with Marc Herold, author of the forthcoming September 11 & the US War: Beyond the Curtain of Smoke; sponsored by Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety; contact Carol Tierney at 617/924-5647

FTAA: Threat to the Americas, 3/23, 4-6 pm; location TBA; a public hearing on the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, with representatives of grassroots organizations in Latin America fighting the FTAA, & speakers on the effects of international trade agreements on the work & lives of people in Boston; contact Cassie Watters at Jobs with Justice, 617/524-8778; cassiefw@aol.com

Soul Survivors in Cambodia, 4/2, 6 pm; Harvard Info Center, Holyoke Center, Harvard Square, Cambridge MA; a beautiful slide presentation about the courageous people of Cambodia & how they rebuilt their lives following the genocide (1975-1979) & civil war; with author Carol Wagner; sponsored by Harvard Bookstore,
617/661-1515

Sex, Lies, & Nuclear Hazards: Women in the History of Radioactivity, 4/4, 7:30 pm; 12 Mudge Way (behind Town Hall), Bedford MA; readings form works by scientists, physicians, victims, & activists; sponsored by Lexington Area NOW; for more information, call Dorian Brooks at
781/862-2192; dorianb@bellatlantic.net

Take a Stand: Sixth Annual Benefit for the Boston Women's Fund, 4/6, 7 pm; John Hancock Hall, Boston MA; with singer Lucecita Benitez & author Maxine Hong Kingston; for information or to order tickets, contact BWF, 14 Beacon St #805, Boston MA 02108; 617/725-0035 x3009

Death & Taxes Resistance Festival, 4/13, noon; join us as we make our way from the IRS in Andover, MA to the Raytheon Weapons Plant (only a mile down the road); bring your own affinity groups, props (wheelbarrows filled with Monopoly money), signs & banners, musical instruments, drums, puppets, etc.; activists from out of town needing housing or interested in helping organize should contact Rose or Tennis with the Merrimack Valley Greens, POB 43, Lawrence MA 01842; 978/688-3569; lgi@igc.org

Sojourner Feminist Institute seeks Executive Director; SFI is the non-profit publisher of the Sojourner: The Women's Forum & does other educational & organizing work as well; letter & resume by 3/15 to Executive Director Search, SFI, 42 Seaverns Ave, Jamaica Plain MA 02130

Friends Meeting at Cambridge (in Longfellow Park, off Brattle Street) seeks part-time Facilities Manager; contact Sarah Satterthwaite at ssattert@earthlink.net

Commonwealth Coalition seeks summer interns for its WomenIN program, a collaboration of statewide women's organizations & women activists; letter & resume by 4/29 to Patricia Schroeder, CC, 37 Temple Place 5th floor, Boston MA 02111; 617/482-1567

Veterans for Peace Iraq Water Project will send a delegation to Iraq in late April; the primary purpose of IWP is to help rebuild municipal & rural water treatment plants damaged by war & sanctions; all members of delegations who are physically capable are asked to participate in moderate manual labor at the water plant work site as a token of solidarity with the local laborers & the people of Iraq; for more information contact Art Dorland, 1585 Coventry 7-C, East Cleveland OH 44118; or Email Tom Sager at tomsager@yahoo.com

Nonviolent Communication Workshops, Cambridge, MA; with Miki Kashtan, Julie Greene, & Pat Arcady; NVC is a language of compassion, a spiritual practice, & a tool for social change; Introductory Workshop
3/10, 9:30 am-4:30 pm; Intermediate Workshop 3/9-10, 9:30 am-4:30 pm both days; for those who can not attend longer sessions, there will be an introductory evening, 3/8, 7-9:30 pm; contact Lynn Lazar, 617/354-7348; lyslazar@earthlink.net; www.cnvc.org

Summer Activist Institute, four weeks starting 7/1, Boston MA; students ages 14-17 will learn about issues, organize actions, & become empowered, effective activists; Boston Mobilization, 971 Commonwealth Ave #20, Boston MA 02215; 617/782-2313; www.bostonmobilization.org

Resources on the Draft available from the Center for Conscience & War; Government officials have indicated, & CCW concurs, that a draft is still unlikely at this time; however, this could change, & the demand for information is still higher now than at any time since the Gulf War. CCW has many materials available, including The Draft Counselor's Manual ($25), & brochures on "Basic Draft & Registration Information," "Who is a Conscientious Objector?", "FEAT (Loans for Non-registrants)", & "Are Health Care Professionals Subject to the Draft?" & other topics; CCW, 1830 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC 20009-5706;
202/483-2220

War, Terrorism, & America's Classrooms, a special issue of Rethinking Schools; on teaching in the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy; encourages critical thinking about the all-important events facing our nation; while geared toward teachers, the articles include a variety of background perspectives useful for all audiences; order vol. 16, #2 for $7.50 from Rethinking Schools, 1001 East Keefe Ave, Milwaukee WI 53212; 414/964-9646; www.rethinkingschools.org

Human Face of War Posters show the faces of Afghani men, women, & children who have been orphaned or displaced by US bombing; available to download from www.peaceresponse.org/face.shtml

Voices for Peace (video), 25 mins; directed by award-winning filmmaker Robby Leppzer & narrated by Martin Sheen, this documentary chronicles the first national anti-war demonstrations in Washington DC & New York City following the September 11 attacks; grassroots peace activists, Nobel Peace laureates, a World Trade Tower rescue worker, & many more offer viewpoints not covered by the mainstream media; To order a copy or to find out about Robbie Leppzer's speaking tour this spring, contact Turning the Tide Productions at 800/557-6414; POB 864, Wendell MA 01379; www.turningtide.com

Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey (video); 117 mins; based on the biography by Brian Urquhart, this documentary takes an in-depth look at Bunche's early years, the events that shaped his world view, & the forces that powered an extraordinary career as scholar, civil rights activist, international peacemaker, & UN troubleshooter; narrated by Sydney Poitier, directed by award-winning filmmaker William Greaves; William Greaves Productions, POB 2044, Radio City Station, New York NY 10101-2044; 800/874-8314; www.williamgreaves.com

Youth & Militarism On-line, monthly on-line newsletter of AFSC's Youth & Militarism program; current issue includes "Cotton Candy, Fighter Jets, & Recruitment" & "Answers to Questions about Immigration & the Military"

Toxics Action 2002: 3/16, 8 am-6:30 pm; Curry Student Center, Northeastern University, Boston MA; for residents fighting pollution in our communities; keynotes by Pete Myers (Our Stolen Future) & Sheldon Rampton (Trust Us, We're Experts & Toxic Sludge is Good for You); sponsored by Toxics Action Center, 29 Temple Pl, Boston MA 02111; contact Sherry Ayres, 617/747-4362

Building Sustainable Organizations for the Protection of Maine Environments (workshop), 3/21, 9:15 am-4:30 pm; 11 King St, Augusta ME; with Andy Robinson; contact Cyndie Beneski at the Natural Resources Council of Maine, 3 Wade St., Augusta ME 04330; 800/287-2345 x211; www.maineenvironment.org

Spring Growth: A Conference on Organic Agriculture & Rural Living, 3/23; Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association Fairgrounds, Unity ME; followed on 3/24 by the Scion Exchange & Seed Savers Exchange; MOFGA, POB 170, Unity ME 04988; 207/568-4142; mofga@mofga.org

Help Organize Peace Earthwide (HOPE) Festival, 4/20, 10 am-4 pm; Brewer Auditorium, Brewer ME; with organizational fair with 60 nonprofit organizations, entertainment by Lynn Deeves, Dave Mallett, The Project, & Evergreen, children's program w/music & stories by Jennifer Armstrong, & more; sponsored by the Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine, 170 Park St, Bangor ME 04401; 207/942-9343; peacectr@gwi.net

No Star Wars: International Space Organizing Conference & Protest, 5/10-12; Berkeley, CA; with keynote by Rep. Barbara Lee; protest at Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale; contact Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, POB 90083, Gainesville FL 32607; 352/337-9274; www.space4peace.org

Ed Markey (MA) is circulating a sign-on letter in Congress, urging President Bush to pledge not to resume underground testing or develop new nuclear weapons; encourage your member of Congress to sign on to the letter immediately; for a copy of the letter, Email nuclear@wand.org; Congressional switchboard is 202/224-3121

Save Nevada's Yucca Mountain, which has been recommended by the DOE (& approved by President Bush) as the main burial ground for radioactive wastes from nuclear power reactors & bomb production across the country. Join the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability in Washington DC from 4/14-17 to oppose this action in meetings with members of Congress & the DOE; ANA, 1801 18th St NW, Washington DC 20009; 202/833-4668; www.ananuclear.org

Public Access Cable TV is a good outreach tool; contacti your local Cable TV station & ask them to broadcast any good educational videotapes you've seen; "Pakistan & India: Under the Nuclear Shadow" is an excellent & timely resource, & is now available (along with hundreds of others) from the American Friends Service Committee's Film & Video Library; contact Paul Shannon, AFSC, 2161 Mass. Ave., Cambridge MA 02140; 617/497-5273; pshannon@afsc.org

Kodak Kids Clean Air Campaign; According to the EPA, Kodak (located in Rochester, NY) is one of the largest polluters of cancer-causing chemicals in the US; we are pressuring Kodak to reduce its emissions of toxic chemicals including significant dioxin releases, as there are alarmingly high rates of cancer, especially among women & children, in the area surrounding Kodak Park; please join us in the battle for environmental & social justice here in New York; Citizens' Environmental Coalition, 33 Central Ave, Albany NY 12210; 518/462-5527; www.cectoxic.org

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