June 2004

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

Pieces

EVENTS

Bread & Puppet Museum Open for the Summerdaily 10 am-6 pm through 10/31; Hundreds of puppets & masks, cheap art, preparations for performances, lots going on; B&P Farm, Rt. 122, Glover VT; 802/525-3031

Critical Breakdown Open Mic Night, 6-9 pm (sign up @ 5:30 pm), 6/20; Center for Latino Arts, 85 West Newton St, Boston MA; Critical Breakdown brings people together through Hip Hop, spoken word, & other forms of socially conscious performance; featuring DJ SunOne; sponsored by American Friends Service Committee, 2161 Mass. Ave, Cambridge MA 02140; for information call 617/312-9190

Howard Zinn: You Can't be Neutral on a Moving Train (film screening), 6/25; Coolidge Corner Theater, 290 Harvard St, Brookline MA; on 6/25 Howard Zinn will speak at the theater; CC, 617/734-2500

Soul of the Cello: A Benefit for the Agape Community, 6/26, 7 pm; First Universalist Church, Hardwick MA; Grammy winner Eugene Friesen plays a wide variety of music in an original program featuring poetry, stories, & intimate narrative to reveal new facets of the cello; Agape, 413/967-9369; peace@agapecommunity.org

GATHERINGS

Peacemaking in the 21st Century: Inner Peace, Outer Action, 6/18-20; Orono ME; annual conference of the University of Maine Peace Studies Program, creating a forum for those interested in peace issues in Maine & throughout the world; with Sulak Sivaraksa, Kathy Kelly, Colman McCarthy; the conference will observe the principles of the Earth Charter; for more information call the Peace Studies Program at 207/581-2609; to register, contact U of Maine Conference Services, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Orono ME 04469-5713; 207/581-4094

Bill Sutherland Training Institute for Africa Advocates, 6/23-27; Thurgood Marshall Center, Washington DC; this event is an opportunity for Africa advocates, economic justice organizers, students, & others to increase our ability to advocate for US-Africa policies that support peace & equality; for more information & an agenda, contact Roxanne Lawson, American Friends Service Committee, 1501 Cherry St, Philadelphia PA 19102; 215/241-7259

Rally & March to Bring the Troops Home Now! 6/26, 1 pm; Copley Square, Boston MA; No more deaths, no more torture, no more lies, no more billions for war; sponsored by United for Justice with Peace, 617/491-4857; www.justicewithpeace.org

Stopping War Where it Begins: Strengthening the Movement Opposing the Militarization of Youth, 6/25-27 (please note this corrected date); Philadelphia PA; a gathering of counter-recruitment activists; strategy sessions, resource sharing, training-the-trainer sessions, caucus & regional discussions, & an evening focused on the issues of lesbians, gays, & transgender people & the military; sponsored by the National Network Opposing the militarization of Youth, c/o American Friends Service Committee, 1501 Cherry St, Philadelphia PA 19102; 215/241-7176; www.youthandthemilitary.org

Sitting for Peace, Standing for Justice, 7/10-11; Amherst MA; New England Regional Conference of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship; a weekend of dharma teachings on the pressing issues of our time, organizing tools & skills training, & community & sangha; speakers include Alan Sanauke, Hilda Gutierrez, Kenneth Kraft, & Arinne Weisman; BPF c/o AFSC, 140 Pine St #10, Florence MA 01062; 413/563-5197; ne-bpf@bpf.org

The Stones Will Cry Out, 7/19-24; Towson MD; annual summer conference of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America; if you are called to wage peace in a warring world, join us to find companionship for the journey; with Obed Arango, Tim Wallis, & other speakers & music leaders; BPFNA, 4800 Wedgewood, Charlotte NC 28210; 704/521-6051; www.bpfna.org

Boston Social Forum, 7/23-25; University of Massachusetts Boston; through workshops, cultural events, plenary sessions, & convocations, we encourage progressive organizations of all kinds to showcase their best analysis of the present & ideas for the future; the goal of this event is for social movements to exchange information, network with one another, & form new alliances; www.bostonsocialforum.org

WERU Full Circle Summer Fair, 7/24-25; Blue Hill Fairgrounds, ME; music, information, speakers, & much more; for details contact WERU radio, 207/469-6600; www.weru.org

Democratic National Convention Protests, 7/26-29; for information on developing plans for action, visit the web site of United for Peace & Justice at www.ufpj.org

Organizing the Real Superpower: Fellowship of Reconciliation National Conference, 8/5-9; Los Angeles, CA; workshops, nonviolence training, youth programs, Muslim-Jewish peace walk, & more; FOR, POB 271, Nyack NY 10960; 845/358-4601; www.forusa.org

Burdock Gathering for a Free & Sustainable Maine, 8/10-17; Starks ME; workshops on direct action, skills sharing, & much more; Burdock, POB 1582, Portland ME 04104; 207/775-0270; www.burdockgathering.net

Northeast Organic Farming Association Summer Conference, 8/12-15; Hampshire College, Amherst MA; our theme is "breaking ground for the future with the wisdom of the past"; with Eliot Coleman, Vandana Shiva, & Ralph Nader; NOFA c/o Bill Duesing, POB 135, Stevenson CT 06491; www.nofa.org

Twin Oaks Women's Gathering, 8/27-29; Louisa VA; Workshops, dance, drumming, camping, creative activities; Women's Gathering, 138 Twin Oaks Rd, Louisa VA 23093; 540/894-5126; www.twinoaks.org

The World Says No to Empire, War, & Greed, 8/29; New York NY; March & rally at the Republican National Convention

Hope in Action: A Conference to Change the World, 10/1-3; Boston University, Boston MA; with Betty Burkes, Jon Wilson, Terry Tempest Williams, Hashim Garrett, Linda Latieri, & many more; sponsored by Hope Magazine; contact Hope in Action 2004, POB 160, Naskeag Rd, Brooklin ME 04616; www.hopemag.com

OPPORTUNITIES

American Friends Service Committee seeks Leadership Gift Officer in its Philadelphia office; apply by 6/30 to AFSC, 1501 Cherry St, Philadelphia PA 19102-1479; www.afsc.org

American Friends Service Committee seeks Program Assistant for Migration & Mobility, the office which oversees AFSC's work on immigrant & refugee rights issues; apply by 6/21 to AFSC, 1501 Cherry St, Philadelphia PA 19102-1479; American Friends Service Committee New England seeks Material Assistance Program Coordinator (3/5 time); this program (formerly known as the Clothing Center) tries to respond to the basic needs of the homeless, immigrant, & low-income population in the Boston area by distributing 2-4 tons of material aid each month to local shelters & other programs; for more information contact Phyllis Cohen, 617/661-6130; letter & resume by 7/19 to Phyllis Cohen, AFSC, 2161 Mass. Ave, Cambridge MA 02140; fax 617/354-2832

Diversity Leadership Institute for Youth, 8/6-9; Bates College, Augusta ME; Students of the DLI are dedicated to combating bias; our mission is to bring people together & reduce prejudice & hate in our schools & communities; sponsored by the Holocaust Human Rights Center of Maine, POB 4645, Augusta ME 04330; 207/282-5371; www.hhrc.org

White People Challenging Racism: Moving from Talk to Action, Tuesdays 6/15-7/13, 8-10 pm; Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle St, Cambridge MA; $25; this 5-part workshop welcomes everyone & focuses on white people's role in dismantling racism; using readings, videos, discussions, & role-plays, we'll develop strategies for effective action & practice them; facilitators Ted Cullinane, Pamela Goldstein, & Steve Saranga; register at www.ccae.org or at 617/547-6789

Pendle Hill High School Youth Camp, 7/11-18; Wallingford, PA; young people from diverse backgrounds across the country participate in service learning & leadership-building in a Quaker contest; for more information contact Barbara Johnson, Pendle Hill Conference Center, 338 Plush Mill Rd, Wallingford PA 19086; 610/566-4507 x149; www.pendlehill.org

The Boston Social Forum (see listing) seeks volunteer interpreters, housing for visiting activists, & folks to help with a number of tasks; like the World Social Forum, the BSF will bring together a wide range of peace & social justice organizations, activists, organizers, & thinkers to affirm that "Another World is Possible." To get involved, learn more, or offer hospitality, contact AFSC, 2161 Mass. Ave, Cambridge MA 02140; 617/661-6130

Help Start a Radio Station in Seacoast New Hampshire & Adjoining Maine Communities! Portsmouth Community Radio is coordinating this effort & seeks program ideas & proposals, volunteers, & funding, with the goal of being on the air as WSCA-FM later this summer; to get involved, contact program director Hilary Niles, 603/431-0401; www.wscafm.org

International Essay Contest for Young People; theme "Making the Most of My Qualities," open to young people through age 25; deadline 6/30; contest guidelines at ; sponsored by the Goi Peace Foundation & the World Peace Prayer Society; Boston contact is Penny Snider-Light at joyandlight@email.com

CAMPAIGNS

Precautionary Actions on School Hazards; the Center for Health, Environment, & Justice is organizing a "Back to School" day of action for August or September to mobilize national, state, & local groups to focus on environmental hazards in schools such as pesticides, indoor air quality 7 school siting issues; to get involved contact CHEJ, POB 6806, 150 South Washington St, Falls Church VA 22040; 713/237-2249; www.chej.org

Urge Congress to Eliminate Funding for New Nuclear Weapons. Continuing its drive to develop new, more usable nuclear weapons, the Bush administration has requested increased funding for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP) & the Advanced Concepts Initiative for new nuclear weapons. Last year, Congress cut half of the requested funds for the RNEP. This year, with your help, all funds for both the RNEP & the Advanced Concepts Initiative can be eliminated. For background information & sample letters, contact Friends Committee on National Legislation, 245 Second St NE, Washington DC 20002-5795; 202/54706000 x246; www.fcnl.org

Statement in Opposition to "No Communist Zone" Resolutions; VietUnity is a newly formed group of Vietnamese & Vietnamese Americans committed to the struggle for global peace, justice, & self-determination; VietUnity strongly opposes the recent passage of the "No-Communist Zone" resolution of the city of Garden Grove in California, believing that this resolution further increases divisions between the government of Viet Nam & our Viet community here, while diverting attention from greater domestic issues that our community should be uniting around; for more information email vietunity04@yahoo.com

RESOURCES

Impact-Are We on the Right Track? The Domestic War against Terrorism in Massachusetts, Nancy Murray, Fatema Gunja, Carol Rose; 36 pp; overview, personal stories, resources; published by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, 99 Chauncy St #310, Boston MA 02111; 617/482-3170; www.aclu-mass.org

September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows: Turning our Grief into Action for Peace, David Potorti et al.; $14.95 pb; 250 pp.; "…tells the story of how our group came together & how we have struggled to keep our losses from being used as a justification for further violence & terror"; essays from many members of the group; published by RDV Books/Akashic Books; available from your local bookseller or online distributor, or order at www.peacefultomorrows.org/book

Iraq on the Edge, a free booklet produced by Voices in the Wilderness; beautifully printed photographs taken in Iraq from 10/02-3/03, with quotations from a wide range of Iraqis & internationals; produced for free distribution at independent bookstores by VitW, 1460 West Carmen Ave, Chicago IL 60640; 773/784-8065

Inside the Pentagon Papers, John Prados & Margaret Pratt Porter; $29.95 + $3 shipping; the creation of the Pentagon Papers, how Nixon decided to resign, analyses of what secrets were at stake & the impact of the publication of the Papers on American politics, an up-to-date treatment of government secrecy cases since the Pentagon Papers, & the reflections of many participants in the affair; University Press of Kansas, 2501 W. 15th St, Lawrence KS 66048; 785/864-4155

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