Pieces
November 99

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; contact Rhode Island Mobilization for Peace & Justice, POB 23157, Providence RI 02903-4102; 401/273-4650

Discipline or Diplomas? Race & Public School Reform, 11/8, 6:30 pm; Brown University, Sayles Hall 105, Providence RI; with Libero Della Piana (Applied Research Center), Vijay Prashad (Trinity College), & Shakira Abdullah (Direct Action for Rights & Equality); for information, call 401/351-6960; sponsored by Colorlines, 3781 Broadway, Oakland CA 94611; 510/653-3415; www.colorlines.com

The Future of Nuclear Power: Revitalized or Moribund, 11/8, 7 pm; MIT, 77 Mass. Ave., Room I-135, Cambridge MA; with Paul Gunter, director of Reactor Watchdog Project; sponsored by SHAVE, MIT, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge MA 02139; 617/623-4100The Silencing of Maya Women, from Mama Maquin to Rogobert Menchu, 11/10, 4 pm; Radcliffe's Bunting Fellowship Program, with Peace Fellow Victoria Sanford; 34 Concord Ave., Cambridge; 617/495-8212

Singing Out for Peace & Justice, 11/11, 7:30-9:30 pm, with special children's hour 6:30-7:30; First Parish Church, 3 Church St. (Harvard Square), Cambridge MA; songs of peace, justice, & struggle with Taproot, Donnel Patterson, Ruth Hamilton, & more; sponsored by Cambridge Peace Commission, 51 Inman St., Cambridge MA 02139;617/349-4694

Missed Opportunities: Alternatives to Violence in Yugoslavia & Beyond, 11/14,
4 pm; Second Congregational Church, Greenfield VT; Veteran's Day program with Bojana Mladenovic, human rights activist & philosophy professor, & Eric Gordy, author of The Culture of Power in Serbia; sponsored by Traprock Peace Center, 103A Keets Rd., Deerfield MA 01342; 413/773-7427

Ethical Society of Boston Events: 11/14, 10:30 am, "The Militia Movement & the 2nd Amendment" with James Corcoran, Simmons College journalism professor; 11/21, 10:30 am, "Media Mergers & the Message" with Joe Bergantino, investigative reporter & instructor at Boston College; Ethical Society, Longy School of Music, 1 Follen St., Cambridge MA 02138; 617/739-9050

Brunch with Jimmy Tingle and Dollars & Sense, 11/14, 11:30 am-2:30 pm; Cambridge MA; $25 adults, $5 children; celebrate the 25th anniversary of D&S, still the only progressive magazine focused on economic issues; award to National Jobs with Justice & the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative; for tickets contact D&S, 1 Summer St., Somerville MA 02143-9986; 617/628-8411

Newport Peace Festival 2000 Planning Meeting, 11/14; Providence Friends Meeting House, Providence RI; contact Phil Edmonds at 401/273-4650

Community Church of Boston: 11/14, 11 am, Lewis Randa on the Boston-Washington "Stonewalk"; 11/21, 11 am, "Globalism & the World Trade Organization," United for a Fair Economy; Community Church, 565 Boylston St., Boston MA 02116; 617/266-6710; commchurch@igc.org;www.commchurch.org

Violence & the American Dream: Why Are We Such a Violent Society & What Can We Do About It? 11/16, 7 pm; Cushing Hall 001, Boston College, lower campus; James Gilligan, author & former director of mental health at Mass. Department of Corrections, discusses the role of shame in generating violence; sponsored by Boston College Against the Death Penalty, BC Lower Campus, Newton MA 02267; 617/552-4551

Crisis in the Vermont Health Care System, 11/16, 7:30 pm; North Congregational Church, St. Johnsbury VT; Dr. Deborah Richter will discuss the inefficiency of private health care, & show that Vermont's budget can cover the 58,000 uninsured Vermonters; North Country Coalition for Justice & Peace, 186 Overcliff Rd, St Johnsbury VT 05819;802/748-3663

Withdraw US Bases! (video premiere)
11/18, 7 pm; Cambridge Public Library, 45 Pearl St, Cambridge MA; an evening on US militarism in Okinawa & Japan; sponsored by Cambridge Peace Commission, 51 Inman St., Cambridge MA 02139; 617/349-4694

Zine Fest! Featuring Zines by & about Girls & Women, 11/19, 7 pm; New Words Bookstore, 186 Hampshire St., Cambridge MA 02139; contact New Words for information on this & other events in the series "cultureshock: women making arts, politics, power, & change" held third Friday each month; 617/876-5310

No Logo: Solutions for a Sold Planet, 11/19, 7:30 pm; 42 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge; $4; author Naomi Klein will speak about the growing resistance to consumer culture; Cambridge Center for Adult Education, POB 9113, Cambridge MA 02238-9113;
617/547-6789

Citizen Soldier: The Story of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (film), 11/19, 7 pm, discussion to follow; part of film series; Peace & Justice Center, 170 Park St., Bangor ME; 207/942-9343.

The Traumatization of Art: Focus on Cambodian America, 11/20, 5-9 pm, Cambridge MA; a panel discussion that explores the effects of trauma on art in the Cambodian community; Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., Cambridge MA 02141; 617/577-1400

The Tragedy of Oslo: The View from Palestine, 11/21, 3 pm; Parish Hall (Unitarian Universalist), 6 Eliot St., Jamaica Plain MA; a panel discussion on human rights, daily life, & prospects for peace; with Shawqi Issa & Jennifer Moorehead, Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights & the Environment; co-sponsored by AFSC, 2161 Mass Ave, Cambridge MA 02140;
617/661-6130

23rd Annual Sacco-Vanzetti Award for Contributions to Social Justice, 11/28,
11 am; Community Church of Boston; with Pete Seeger; Community Church, 565 Boylston St., Boston MA 02116;
617/266-6710; commchurch@igc.org; www.commchurch.org

Vermont Action Alert! Livable Wage Public Hearing, 11/30, 7-9 pm; State House, Montpelier VT; come support a living wage for workers; North Country Coalition for Justice & Peace, 186 Overcliff Rd.,
St. Johnsbury VT 05819; 802/748-3663

Say No to the WTO! 12/1, 5 pm; Federal Reserve Bank near South Station, Boston; rally & march against the World Trade Organization, a group of transnationals against protection for workers' rights & environmental controls; sponsored by United for a Fair Economy, 37 Temple Place, Boston MA 02111; contact Russ Davis, 781/641-7480

Earth Day 2000 Kickoff: New Energy for a New Era, 12/9, 8 pm; Unitarian Meeting House, 50 Bloomfield Ave, Hartford CT; with Denis Hayes; environmental exhibits open at 6:30 pm; People's Action for Clean Energy, c/o Joanne Babic, 51 Hickory Lane,
W. Hartford CT 06107; 860/693-4813; 105674.3447@compuserve.com

Family Values: Kinship & the Culturalization of Capitalism, 12/15,
4 pm; The Bunting, 34 Concord Ave, Cambridge MA; with Miranda Joseph; brown bag lunch discussion follows 12:30-2 pm the next day; 617/495-8212; www.whatever.org

Ten Years After the Wall: Trends in Post-Cold-War US Security Policy, 11/11-12; American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 135 Irving St., Cambridge MA; We will examine how & under what influences US military & security policy have changed, & assess the direction of current policy; free; pre-registration required; learn more & register at www.comw.org/pda/nsymp.html, or call Project on Defense Alternatives at the Commonwealth Institute, POB 398105, Cambridge MA 02139; 617/547-4474; comw@comw.org

New England War Tax Resisters Gathering, 11/12-14; Equity Trust, Voluntown CT; for information contact Maine WTR, POB 776, Monroe ME 04951; 207/525-7776

Deep Diversity: The Role of the Humanities in Building Community,
11/13-14; Sheraton Hotel, Burlington VT; an opportunity to join in broadening the basis of talk, thought & vision in community development; Vermont Council on the Humanities, 802/888-3183; 200 Park St., Morrisville VT 05661; info@vermonthumanities.org; www.vermonthumanities.org

Introduction to Worker Cooperatives, 11/17 & 12/15, 7-9 pm; Burlington VT; a workshop that explores the history of worker cooperatives, investigates the intricacies of co-op membership, & describes methods for establishing new co-ops; with Don Jamison, Director of the New Leaf Cooperative Enterprise Program at the Burlington Community Land Trust; BCLT,
802/660-0640; POB 523, Burlington VT 05402; donjam@together.net

Care for the Caregiver: Staying Strong, Avoiding Burnout, 11/20, 10 am-4 pm (with Quaker meeting for worship 9-9:30 am); A relaxing, restorative day in which we will learn about disciplines of spirit, thought, body, & heart to help you stay graceful in your giving work; with John Calvi, a Quaker healer who has worked for 17 years with sexual abuse survivors, victims of torture, & people living with AIDS; pre-registration required with Kristen Porter, AIDS Care Project, 140 Clarendon St., Boston MA 02116; 617/859-3036 x23; kporter@aidscare.org

Becoming a 21st Century Quaker--Spirituality & Social Concern in a Changing World, 12/3-5, $195; Wallingford PA; explore opportunities for fresh advocacies of truth, face the troubles of this time, & come away empowered to do practical witness; with George Lakey; Pendle Hill, 338 Plush Mill Rd., Wallingford PA 19086;
800/742-3150; www.pendlehill.org

US Cuba 2000 Conference: A New Conversation for the Millennium, 12/3-5; Cobo Hall Center, Detroit MI; network on issues of food & medicine sales legislation, economic development, opposition to the US blockade, & more; National Network on Cuba, POB 39188, Redford MI 48239; 313/561-8330; us@cwix.com

Actions Speak Louder: A Conference for Young Leaders, 12/7, 8:30 am-3 pm; Christian Science Center, Boston MA; the conference will connect young leaders with one another & offer insights into how we can transform awareness into action, talking into doing, & how young people can make a difference fighting prejudice! Teachers & youth leaders invited to bring groups of students; sponsored by the National Conference for Community & Justice,
15 Broad St. #505, Boston MA 02109; to register call Melissa at 617/227-9155Millennium 2000: Walking the Ways of Peace, 12/29/99-1/2/00; Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas & Nevada Test Site; New Year's Eve party at midnight for 1000 people to join in a candlelight procession onto the test site; Nevada Desert Experience, POB 4487, Las Vegas NV 89127-0487; 702/646-4814; nde@igc.apc.org.

Action Alert: Stop "NAFTA for Africa"; The African Growth & Opportunity Act, moving swiftly through the Senate, would allow transnational corporations to skirt many existing environmental & workers' rights laws, while providing many of these companies with huge tax breaks at the expense of US workers; please call your senators today to oppose these proposals! Capitol Switchboard is 202/224-3121; for information contact Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, 215 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington DC 20003; 202/454-5196; www.tradewatch.org

Enforce Pesticide Reforms: Urge Al Gore & your Representative to get the EPA to enforce the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, which requires a tenfold margin of safety for children when reviewing or approving pesticides; 20/20 Vision, 227 Concord Rd, Lincoln MA 01773; 781/259-0692; www.2020vision.org

Help Fight Police Racism; Ask your Congress member to support the Traffic Stops Statistics Act (which encourages police departments to keep ethnic data on traffic stops), support similar legislation if it is pending in your state, & petition your police agencies to collect this data voluntarily ; ACLU, 125 Broad St., New York NY 10004; 212/549-2585; www.aclu.org/action/dwb106.html

Boycott Kraft, owned by Philip Morris, the world's largest tobacco corporation, guilty of public-policy manipulation & targeting youth & minorities with its advertising; for a "Boycott Kraft" bumper sticker & flyer, contact INFACT, 256 Hanover St., Boston MA 02113; 617/742-4583; www.infact.org

Label Genetically Manipulated Foods! Rep. David Bonior (D-MI) is distributing a letter to fellow congress members calling for the FDA to enforce the Food Drug & Cosmetic Act & require that genetically engineered foods be labeled; the September Consumer Reports found "that genetically engineered foods are already on supermarket shelves--in baby formulas, tortilla chips, drink mixes, taco shells, veggie burgers, muffin mix, & more." Contact www.house.gov/writerep OR www.senate.gov; for more information, Organic Consumers Association,
860 Highway 61, Little Marais MN 55614; 218/226-4792; info@organicconsumers.org; www.organicconsumers.org

Beacon Hill Friends House, Quaker residential community, seeks live-in Assistant Director; Inquiries to BHFH, 6 Chestnut St., Boston MA 02108; 617/227-9118; www.bhfh.org

Peace & Justice Center seeks Program Coordinator for Racial Justice & Equity Project; for information, contact Peace & Justice Center, 21 Church St., Burlington VT 05401; 802/863-2345; peacejustice@igc.org; www.igc.org/pjc

Snake River Alliance seeks Campaign Coordinator for "Back from the Brink: A Campaign to Take Nuclear Weapons Off Alert"; SRA is an Idaho-based grassroots peace & justice organization, but campaign is a national coalition effort & job location is flexible; application deadline mid-November; for information contact Beatrice Brailsford, 208/234-4782; srabb@earthlink.net; to apply, send letter, resume, 3 references, & writing sample to Hiring Committee, SRA, 310 E. Center St., Pocatello ID 83201

Resist, a national foundation committed to radical social change, seeks staff fundraiser & 5 board members; resume & references by 11/15 to Hiring Committee, Resist, 259 Elem St., Somerville 02144

American Friends Service Committee seeks Program Coordinator, Africa Region; Team Leader, Community Work with Disabled People Project (Cambodia); Central America Quaker International Affairs Representative; varied application deadlines; for information contact Human Resources Dept., AFSC, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia PA 19102-1479; 215/241-7107; www.afsc.org

The Senesh Fellowship is awarded biennially to support Third World women doing graduate work in areas of interest to the International Peace Research Association; nominations due 1/15; for application & information, contact Linda M. Johnston, IPRA Foundation, Institute for Conflict Analysis & Resolution, George Mason University, Fairfax VA 22030-4444, USA; 703/993-1300; ljohnst3@gmu.edu

PeaceWriting International Writing Awards; $500 prize for best full-length, unpublished book manuscript in each of 3 categories (non-fiction, fiction/poetry, & writing for young people); deadline for submissions 12/1; for guidelines, International Writing Awards, 2582 Jimmie, Fayetteville AR 72703-3420; 501/442-4600; jbennet@comp.uark.edu

Martin Luther King, Jr. Arts & Writing Contest; the theme is "MLK Jr. & the New Millennium: Moral Purpose or Material Wealth?"; Poster contest for grades 1-5, arts & writing contest for grades 6-12; open to all New Hampshire students, deadline 12/8; MLK Arts & Writing Contest c/o John Angelo, Memorial High School, 1 Crusader Way, Manchester NH 03103

The Long Road Home: a slideshow about post-war Bosnia. The Long Road Home is a presentation about the return of refugees to the Bosnian town of Kozarac. The slideshow, given by peace activist and writer Claire Schaeffer-Duffy, focuses on the domestic destruction and the role women play in reconstruction. To arrange for a presentation of The Long Road Home, contact: Claire Schaeffer-Duffy, Saints Francis & Therese Catholic Worker, 52 Mason St., Worcester MA 01610; 508/753-3588

Child Soldier Advocacy Video, 7 min, $7 each; links the issue of child soldiers to broader militarization of youth; useful for classrooms, cable-access shows, & discussions; AFSC, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia PA 19102; 215/241-7176

Arms Sales Monitor, published bi-monthly by the Federation of American Scientists Fund; uses government sources to provide concrete, accessible reporting on US military training & arms sales; current issue explains history of US military support for Indonesia in East Timor; FAS Fund, 307 Massachusetts Ave. NE, Washington DC 20002;
202/675-1016; www.fas.org/asmp

Common Ground on Abortion Clinic Activism, Marilyn Cohen & Karen Prior, 52 pp.; two feminists with opposing views on abortion have collaborated to create a meaningful, respectful dialogue & explore the areas where they agree; Program on the Analysis & Resolution of Conflicts, 410 Maxwell Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse NY 13244; 315/443-2367; www.maxwell.syr.edu/parc/parcmain.htm

Transforming Teacher Unions: Fighting for Better Schools & Social Justice, Charney & Peterson, eds., 145 pp.; single copy $12.95 pb; reduced bulk rates; s&h 10% of total; examines teacher unions & connects labor history, classroom reform, community work, & urban social justice; includes resource & study guides; Rethinking Schools, 1001 E Keefe Ave., Milwaukee WI 53212;
800/669-4192; www.rethinkingschools.org

US International Drug Control Policy: A Guide for Citizen Action, Laurie Freeman, 12 pp.; describes current US policy, alternatives, grassroots action, & the new Drug Free Century Act, & provides sample letter & resources; excellent brief history & analysis of current situation in Colombia; Washington Office on Latin America, 1630 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC 20009; 202/797-2171; wola@wola.org

Trading Books for Soldiers: The True Cost of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, Philip Clark, 20 pp; $3 ea. or $2 ea. for 10+; illustrates how local school districts around the nation subsidize military programs, often at the expense of educational programs; AFSC, National Youth & Militarism Program, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia PA 19102; 215/241-7176; www.afsc.org/youthmil.htm

AFSC's National Youth & Militarism Program Web Site; provides youth with alternatives to fighting; training, organizations, internships, upcoming events, & on-line newsletter; www.afsc.org/youthmil.htm

Rats in the Grain: The Dirty Tricks of the "Supermarket to the World" Archer Daniels Midland, James Lieber, 326 pp; illustrated, $24 hb+$3.75 s&h; examines the history of bribery, price-fixing, & cover-ups involving ADM; Four Walls Eight Windows, 39 W. 14th St. #503, New York NY 10011; 800/788-3123; www.fourwalls-eightwindows.com

Crisis in Iraq: Understanding US Motives Behind Economic Sanctions & Confrontation (audiotape); $11; in this January '99 speech Noam Chomsky puts together facts on US aggression against Iraq & explains US motives as related to US Middle East & economic policy; includes question & answer session; Radio Free Maine, POB 2705, Augusta ME 04338; 207/622-6629; www.radiofreemaine.com

Faith & Life Press publishes many good resources for exploring peace issues with congregations & youth groups, including Decide for Peace, a guide for personal bible study & reflection on conscientious objection; F&L, POB 347, Newton KS 67114-0347; 316/283-5100; orders 800/743-2484; www2.southwind.net/~tcmc/flp

The November edition of The Ecologist magazine will focus exclusively on the legacy of nuclear energy--arguably the most poisonous industry in human history. For your copy, send a check or postal order for $6 to: The Ecologist, 1920 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley CA 94709

Correction

Some time ago we asked our friend J. Kates to send Peacework a poem, and he emailed one to us last month. We admired it and printed it. It turns out that we also thoroughly misunderstood what it was we had--taking the 4th grader who composed the sentence Kates used as a headnote to be the poet, marveling that "one so young..." Kates was wry and gracious in his gentle rebuke, which we print here along with the poem itself, now properly attributed.

"You asked me for a poem of mine. It never occurred to me that you would take the fourth-grade writer of the headnote to be the poet! It sort of distorts the fun of the whole thing, if you think that the fourth grader INTENTIONALLY misspelled ëprey.' Oh well. Such are the vicissitudes of rushing into print in a hurry. Wherever Shiran Goldner is now, he must be flattered to think it was assumed that, at such a young age, he was familiar with the standard Protestant hymnal as well as with formal metrics. Alas, the work was the poem of a man in his late forties. Next occasion, though, in spite of my advanced age, let's take our time!

Stay well, Jim"

REST 8.6.8.8.6

"Some birds are preditors at day and pray at night."

--Shiran Goldner, 4th grade,
Nashua, NH

O Lord of forest, lake and field,
Of raptor and of rapt,
We are the killer and the killed,
By daylight hunters in the wild,
Still learning to adapt.

O wind and wing of our belief,
You know each sparrow's fall,
Great overshadow, tree of life,
Protective, stern, eternal cliff,
And shelter for us all--

O Lord who, watching over us,
Designed the falcon's flight,
Forgive the hunger of our days,
The tickle in our blood-stained claws,
And keep us safe tonight.

--J. Kates

The title of this poem is the metric signature of the hymn-tune (otherwise known as "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind") to which the poem is written.