May 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

Can We Make a Difference? (exhibit), 4/26-5/19; Gallery of Social & Political Art, 565 Boylston St, Boston MA 02116; Can we make a difference, as artists, as human beings engaged in struggles for truth, justice, peace, freedom? Opening reception 4/26, 5:30-7:30 pm; closing reception & panel, "How Do Artists Survive & Thrive?" 5/19, 3:30-5 pm; contact Idahlia Stanley, 617/244-5581; istanley@argento.bu.edu

"The Good War & Those Who Refused to Fight It" (film), 5/9, 7 pm; Central Square Branch Library, 45 Pearl St., Cambridge MA; as noncombatant medics under fire, medical guinea pigs, firefighters, attendants in mental institutions, & workers in Civilian Public Service camps, 37,000 conscientious objectors performed alternate service during World War II; film is one hour, followed by light refreshments & lively discussion; sponsored by New England War Tax Resistance, POB 397174, Cambridge MA 02139-7174; 617/859-0662

An Evening with Jimmy Tingle to Aid Victims of the War on Terror, 5/11, 8 pm; Roxbury Community College, Roxbury MA; $25; with singers Jamie McLaughlin & Dean Stevens, & other performers; proceeds will benefit programs working for peace & justice in Afghanistan, Israel, & Palestine; for tickets, contact American Friends Service Committee, 2161 Mass. Ave., Cambridge MA 02140; 617/661-6130

Colonial Rebel Quaker Mary Dyer (play), 6/1, 7:30 pm; Cambridge Friends Meetinghouse, 5 Longfellow Park, Cambridge MA; $15 suggested donation; with actress Jessa Piaia; Mary Dyer's practice of her Quaker beliefs led to her expulsion from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, & to her execution; the play dramatizes the last day of Mary Dyer's life before she was hanged on June 1, 1660; the program is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee, to examine the historical significance of the death penalty & how it has been applied to people unwanted by the dominant culture; proceeds to benefit AFSC programs for peace & justice; AFSC, 2161 Mass. Ave., Cambridge MA 02140; 617/661-6130

Walk With the Ones You Love, 6/9; in Maine towns & cities; a walk for safe communities for people of all sexual orientations; sponsored by Maine Speakout Project, POB 15303, Portland ME 04112; 207/879-0480

American Friends Service Committee Material Assistance Program seeks part-time intern to work for 12-month term; flexible start date; letter & resume by 5/16 to Annie Goglia, AFSC Material Assistance Program, 5 Longfellow Park, Cambridge MA 02138

American Friends Service Committee seeks Director & Associate Director for Third World Coalition; TWC is a nationwide program working to ensure that AFSC work & policies include the viewpoints of people of color; TWC also works externally to improve the quality of life in our communities; letter & resume due 5/17; for full descriptions contact Willa Streater, Human Resources Dept., AFSC, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia PA 19102

The Horizons Initiative seeks volunteers to work with young children who are living in family shelters & battered women's shelters; daytime & evening hours available; commitment of 2 hours per week for 6 months is required; volunteer training 5/20 & 21; THI, 90 Cushing Ave, Dorchester MA 02125; 617/287-1900; www.horizonsinitiative.org

Institute for Social Ecology Summer Programs; 5/31-6/21, "Sustainable Design, Building, & Land Use"; 5/31-6/14 "Arts, Media, Activism, & Social Change"; 6/28-7/27 "Ecology & Community; 8/2-10 "Economics, Philosophy, & Politics in the Age of Globalization"; 8/12-14 Science, Technology, the State, & Globalization; ISE, 1118 Maple Hill Rd., Plainfield VT 05667; 802/454-8493; info@social-ecology.org; www.social-ecology.org

Bike Tour for Sustainable Agriculture: A Fundraiser for Rural Vermont, 6/2, 9:30 am start; Montpelier VT; 50 & 100 km dirt road loops; Athletes for New Ideas, POB 296, Montpelier VT 05602; 802/249-1283; www.athletesfornewideas.org

Democracy Summer: Knowledge, Training, Action, 6/25-7/2; Washington, DC; A diverse gathering of youth from all over the country committed to tackling the most burning issues of our democracy; after this week, you will have mastered the knowledge needed to approach the issues, gotten extensive training in organizing, & put your skills into action; apply by 5/15 to Democracy Action Project, 733 15th S. #1020, Washington, DC 20009; 202/234-9382 x257; www.democracysummer.org

World Fellowship Center invites people from diverse backgrounds to exchange ideas in a peaceful, rustic setting; the "camp with a social conference" offers workshops on a variety of social & environmental issues, along with relaxing, fun activities for the whole family; for the summer schedule, WFC, POB 2280, Conway NH 03818-2280; 603/447-2280; www.worldfellowship.org

Humane Education Graduate Course: Paving the Way for a Sustainable, Compassionate Future, 7/15-19, 9 am-5 pm daily; Surry, ME; a unique 3-credit, graduate level course introducing Humane Education, which teaches critical thinking, inspires compassion, & promotes positive lifestyle choices; with instructors Zoe Weil & Rae Sikora; contact the International Institute for Humane Education's Center for Compassionate Living (IIHE/CCL) at 207/667-1025; iihe@compassionateliving.org

Woodbury College Weekend Mediation/Conflict Management Program; 1 year of practice-based classes held 2 weekends per month in Montpelier, VT culminates in a professional certificate; classes start in August; financial aid available; weekday option also available; free introductory sessions; Woodbury College, 660 Elm St, Montpelier VT 05602; 800/639-6039; www.woodbury-college.edu

Peace Studies & Peace Journalism in Costa Rica; a 10-week study course dealing with social justice, human rights, ethics in journalism, researching & documenting intolerance in media, researching & preparing articles for publication, & radio & news production; with elective Spanish language training; students live with a Costa Rican host family; session start date 9/1; sponsored by Radio For Peace International & the International Center for Human Rights in Media; RFPI, POB 025292, Miami FL 33102; 506/205-9092; www.rfpi.org/ipc.html

Compassionate Listening Project; trips to Germany, Israel & the West Bank, or Syria & Lebanon; the project provides an opportunity to advance reconciliation, help build the international constituency for Mid-East peace, & learn a powerful conflict resolution technique that will serve you in all aspects of your life; our 2-week journeys begin with training; through our daily practice in the field & group sessions with skilled trainers, participants come away with a deepened understanding of Compassionate Listening, which is applicable to all conflict situations from personal to international; CLP, POB 17, Indianola WA 98342; 360/297-2280; www.mideastdiplomacy.org

Delegation to Colombia, 7/29-8/11; an opportunity to witness firsthand the effects of School of the Americas training & US foreign policy in Colombia, & to hear from those directly affected; for application information, contact SOA Watch at 202/234-3440 or visit Witness for Peace at www.witnessforpeace.org

War Times is a new national peace publication, to appear bi-weekly in tabloid format, with content in English & Spanish; the paper aims to broaden & deepen the fight against the Bush program; to order copies of the excellent pilot issue or to get involved, contact EBC/War Times, 1230 Market St, PMB 409, San Francisco CA 94102; 510/869-5156; wartimes@attbi.com

Anti-Racist Peace Fund, established by the Haymarket People's Fund in response to the rising tide of racism & anti-immigrant bigotry in the aftermath of 9/11; funds to support community organizations whose work is directly affected by government's recent policy changes on poverty, human rights, & immigration; contact Palak Shah, Haymarket People's Fund, 42 Seaverns Ave, Boston MA 02130; 617/522-7676

Two Global Security Workshops for your congregation; "Global Security: Options Beyond War" examines alternative means to address terrorism & security; "Building Security at the Grassroots Level" invites participants to explore what makes for a secure world while seeking common ground with overseas grassroots organizations working for global security; 2 hours each; contact Phyllis Robinson at Grassroots International, 179 Boylston St, 4th fl., Boston MA 02130; 617/524-1400; phyllis_r@hotmail.com

Feminist Peace Network is a group of women from all parts of the world, of many different faiths, united in our commitment to building a peaceful, equitable & sustainable world. At the present time our membership is open only to women. To join our listserve, write to feministpeace@yahoo.com introducing yourself & saying why you are interested in joining. You do not have to give name & location, but you do have to affirm that you are a woman.

Nonviolent Warriors: Dave Dellinger & the Power of the People, an audio documentary on two compact discs; $24 plus $3 shipping; , including personal stories by Howard Zinn, Dennis Brutus, Norma Becker, Ralph DiGia, Arthur Kinoy, Frances Crowe, Staughton Lynd, & more; plus labor & protest songs, rare recordings & scenes from the Chicago Eight trial; Toward Freedom, POB 468, Burlington VT 05402-0468; 802/657-3733

Seeking the Truth About Poverty: A National Mobilization on Welfare Reform, 5/20-22, Washington, DC; a call to all people of faith to speak, act & pray on behalf of the poor; topics include the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) act of 1996 & strategies on advocating for the needs of the poor; Call to Renewal, 2401 15th St. NW, Washington DC 20009; 800/523-2773; www.calltorenewal.com

The Power of Nonviolence: Exploring Alternatives, 6/15-19; New York, NY; Join peacemakers from 40 countries in exploring the power of nonviolence to bring peace with justice to the world; outstanding speakers include Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire, Rev. James Lawson, Amber Amundson, Bruce Gagnon, & representatives from Colombia, Palestine, Israel, India, & Zimbabwe; workshops, nightly entertainment, youth program, nonviolence training, & much more; come for renewal, information, challenge, & hope! Fellowship of Reconciliation, POB 271, Nyack NY 10960; 845/358-4601; www.forusa.org

Women's International League for Peace & Freedom Triennial National Congress, 6/26-30; Plainfield VT; workshops, skills-building, strategizing; with guests the Ruckus Society, Bread & Puppet Theater; WILPF, 1213 Race St., Philadelphia PA 19134; 215/425-7501; www.wilpf.org

Reclaiming Our Children's Education: Uniting Families, Schools, & Communities, 7/25-28; Milwaukee WI; the National Coalition of Education Activists is a multi-racial membership organization & network supporting activists working for excellent & equitable public schools for all children; this conference gives us a chance to share materials & models for school changed & to develop greater understanding, trust, & unity so we can work together for better, more equitable schools; workshops will include "Understanding & Overcoming the Achievement Gap," "Zero Tolerance: Resisting the Drive for Punishment," "Exploring War & Peace in the Classroom," & more; 7/24 intensive pre-conference institutes; NCEA, POB 679, Rhinebeck NY 12572; 845/876-4580; www.nceaonline.org

World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education, 8/1-4, Alberta, Canada; looking to all indigenous practitioners to address all levels of empowerment; focusing on past, present & future cultural knowledge & practices to identify current needs & to strengthen future collaborations; WIPCE, 6940 Fisher Road SE #310, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2H 0W3; 403/212-2676; wipce@fnahec.org; www.fnahec.org/wipce2002

International Humane Education Symposium, 8/2-4; Surry ME; $75-200; the Symposium is an important step in co-creating the newly defined humane education movement that teaches about our relationships with other species, the Earth & all people; educators will have the opportunity to share their expertise, enhance their work & develop coalitions & networks that will lead to a stronger, more unified movement; International Institute for Humane Education, POB 260, Surry ME 04684; 207/667-1025; www.compassionateliving.org

International Women's Health Meeting, 8/12-16; Toronto, Canada; official languages are English, French, & Spanish; IWHM c/o Riverdale Immigrant Women's Centre, 1326 Gerrard St East, Toronto ON, M4L 1Z1; 416/465-6021; iwhm@lefca.com; www.iwhm-rifs.org

11 Days in September; the Shalom Center calls religious leaders & communities to set aside some part of the first eleven days of this coming September as a time for nationwide remembrance, reflections, & renewal; study guides, liturgies, & other materials will be available; for help in planning an event or to contribute financially to the organizing effort, contact the Shalom Center, 6711 Lincoln Dr, Philadelphia PA 19119; www.shalomctr.org

Stop Wrongful Executions; legislation has been introduced in the House & Senate (HR.1038/S.233) that would declare a moratorium on federal executions while a National Commission on the Death Penalty is established to review the administration of the death penalty at both the federal & state levels; you can read more about this legislation & send a free fax from our action alert at: www.aclu.org/action/dpmoratorium107.html

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Peace activist Doug Morrow of Rockford, IL, is seeking local activist assistance with a project that he started. He is working on a national directory of progressive, community-based organizations to form a formidable movement for change. While he has been able to identify a thousand sp far, he is asking that we assist in identifying progressive groups in the most rural of areas, particularly those with modest technology to work with. If you can help, please contact Doug Morrow at 6469 Ral Mar, Rockford IL 61109; 661/724/1161; doug_morrow@hotmail.com

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