CONTENTS:
PHILLY NEWS:
EVENTS OCCURRING EVERY WEEK:
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL ACTION:
================================
UPCOMING GRANNY PEACE BRIGADE PHILADELPHIA EVENTS:
Saturday, November 11, 2006: Grannies join Vets for America at
"Arlington North," a display of tombstones one for each soldier who has
died in Iraq. We hope Grannies will arrive at 2:30 PM, sing two
of their songs and then sing again at 3:45 PM. Wear
your T-shirts. Nina is the coordinator. Please contact her
if you are coming. ninahuizinga@yahoo.com
Thursday, November 16, 2006: Grannies will attend a meeting at
the University of Pennsylvania Women's Center (3642 Locust Walk) and
attend the gathering there between 12 Noon and 2 PM. The Women's
Center invited Sonia Sanchez and Sonia invited all of us. Be
prepared to sing. Sonia is the coordinator. Let Lois
know if you are coming at ldurso@mtholyoke.edu.
Sunday, November 19, 2006: Grannies will attend a meeting at the
Northeast for Peace and Justice at the Holy Spirit Lutheran Church,
Robbins and Loretto Streets. Pot luck is at 6 PM; Meeting is as 7
PM. Be prepared to sing. Marlena is the coordinator.
Please contact her if you are coming. marlsan@cavtel.net
Wednesday, November 22, 2006: This is the busiest travel day of
the year. Grannies will hand out invitations to their upcoming
Dec. 1 trial to passersby downstairs at Suburban Train Station from 5-7
PM. We will also be singing. Please let us know if you plan
to be there. Contact Lois.
Friday, November 24, 2006: Grannies join Military Families
Against the War on Broad and Cherry Streets from 5 to 6 PM.
* THE GRANNY PEACE BRIGADE Philadelphia
TRIAL
December 1st, starting at 8:30 AM - continuing till it's over, at
1401 Arch St. We will need people there to carry signs, hand out
flyers, sing, speak with people about opposition to the war, act as
"runners" to our supporters about how things are going in the court
room down to the demonstrators.
Granny Peace Brigade
Philadelphia Website
http://GrannyPeaceBrigadePhiladelphia.org
_____________________________________________________
The Prophetic Call for Peace on
Veteransâ?T/Armistice Day
Saturday, November 11, 2006, 2:15 to 3:00 PM
Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Front Street between
Spruce & Delancey)*
Meditative walk, 2-2:15 PM,
from the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Pennâ?Ts Landing to the
Memorial
Come experience a specially created reading/chanting (haftarah) of the
prophets, both ancient and modern. Shoshana Bricklin combines texts
from the Biblical prophets and more contemporary prophetic voices and
chants them in both English and Hebrew with the traditional
cantillation. Join in this stirring ritual as we re-dedicate ourselves
and our communities to become healers as we actively work for peace at
home and throughout the world.
This ceremony is part of The
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (JRF) 41st Convention. In
case of inclement weather, we will meet in the Washington B room at the
Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Pennâ?Ts Landing, 201 W. Columbus
Blvd., where the Convention is taking place.
Endorsed by (list still in
formation): Congregation Mishkan Shalom, Jewish Voice for
Peaceâ?"Philadelphia Chapter and The Shalom Center. For info:
sbricklin@comcast.net or 215-990-3513.
______________________________________________
Sunday, November 12 - "REMEMBERING LEBANON..."
Farah Marie Mokhtareizadeh is an Iranian- American student at the
University of Pennsylvania, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative
Nonviolence and a member of the Camden Community House in Camden,
NJ.
Brandywine Peace Community
Monthly Potluck Supper* & Program
(2nd Sunday of the month, except for August)
University Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut St., Phila., PA
4:30PM - Potluck Supper (*bring main dish, salad, or dessert to
share) 5:30PM - Program
- Brandywine Peace Community 610-544-1818
brandywine@juno.com www.brandywinepeace.com
____________________________
Kissinger demo 11/14
Irvine auditorium at penn
(34th and spruce)
Tuesday, november 14, at 7
pm.
The International Socialist Organization (ISO) and Penn Against
War(PAW) are
cosponsoring a protest of Kissinger.
Kissinger is a war criminal
and major player in every imperialist crime
of his time--from his role in Vietnam and Cambodia, Chile and the coup
against
Allende, US support for the Shah of Iran, and now as an advisor to
Bush. He
should be on trial, not an honored speaker.
-John Leslie
-nopasaran36@hotmail.com
===================
EVENTS OCCURING EVERY WEEK:
Thursday
6:00-8:00 p.m. Workshop: "Build Your Own Computer"
Nonprofit Technology Resources, 1524 Brandywine St., Philadelphia, Pa
$25 per session To register, call 215-564-6686.
7:00-9:00 p.m. International Concerned Friends & Family of Mumia
Weekly Meeting
4601 Market St., 5th floor, Philadelphia, PA For info, call
215-476-5416.
Friday
4:30 p.m. Anti-war leafleting and picket
Market & 11th Sts., Philadelphia, PA For info, email
pawf@critpath.org
5:00 p.m. Vigil--Women in Black
Swarthmore Train Station, Park Ave. & Chester Rd., Swarthmore, PA
For info, wibswarthmore@hotmail.com.
6:00-8:00 p.m. Mt. Airy Community Computer Center Open Access (&
Tues.)
Offers free computer access to the community
Mt. Airy Presbyterian Church lower level, 17 East Mt. Pleasant Ave.,
Philadelphia, PA
For info, call 215-247-0870.
Saturday
noon-1:00 p.m. Peace Vigil
Rte. 38 & Cherry Hill Mall Dr., Cherry Hill, NJ Info,
greatercamdenunitycoalition@yahoo.com
1:00-2:00 p.m. Protest at Ferber Furs
1708 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA For info, email
phillyar@yahoogroups.com.
Tuesday
5:30-7:00 p.m. Speak Out of Turn Poetry Workshop
Aspace, 4722 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, PA
Sliding scale fee $7-10. For info, call 215-435-6621.
7:30 p.m. Books Through Bars Packing Cafe
The A Space, 4722 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, PA
Help pack books to send to prisoners. Email info@booksthroughbars.org
Wednesday
4:30-5:30 p.m. Peace Vigil Federal Building, 601 Market St.,
Philadelphia, PA
Sponsored by House of Grace Catholic Worker For info, email
brandywine@juno.com .
5:00 p.m. Vigil for Peace
Outside Unitarian Society of Germantown, 6511 Lincoln Dr.,
Philadelphia, PA
For info, see www.northwestpeacecoalition.org.
6:00 p.m. Movement Class taught by Sophia Hoffer-Perkins
A-space, 4722 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, PA
Sliding scale donations For info, call 215-727-0882.
7:00 p.m. Peace Vigil
Germantown Ave. & Bethlehem Pike, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA
================================
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL ACTION:
A Mandate for Peace! United for Peace and Justice November 8th,
2006
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/
By all accounts, yesterday's elections were a
referendum on the war, and the results were crystal
clear: The voters overwhelmingly want peace.
For the antiwar movement, yesterday was a huge victory.
By voting out pro-war candidates and making Iraq the
central issue in the elections, we have translated
antiwar sentiment into political power and made
ourselves a force to be reckoned with. Congratulations
to all of you who have contributed so much to bring us to this point.
But this is only the first step. Now comes the more
crucial one: We must make sure that our new
Representatives implement the will of the people and
get our troops out of Iraq. We must keep the pressure on.
NO HONEYMOON FOR CONGRESS We need to be in touch with
our Representatives right away -- especially those who
ran on an antiwar platform -- to let them know that the
peace movement expects them to take immediate action to
bring the troops home. Our friends at the new Mandate
for Peace campaign will be gathering outside Rep.
Pelosi's office in San Francisco tomorrow, Nov. 9, to
demand that she speak up for the antiwar majority.
Let's keep the momentum going.
1. Find your Representative's contact information:
*If the incumbent was reelected in your district, you
can find his or her contact information through
http://www.congress.org
*
If you have a newly elected representative, you'll need
to act extra quickly to contact them. Use Google,
GoodSearch or another internet search engine today to
find the campaign website and/or campaign office for
your Representative-elect -- most will be shut down in
a matter of days.
2. Call or write your Representative right away to
congratulate them on their victory and tell them that
you're counting on the newly elected Congress, in its
earliest days in office, to pass legislation requiring
the prompt removal of all U.S. troops from Iraq and to
discontinue funding for military purposes in Iraq
except the safe withdrawal of all U.S. forces.
Ideally, you should also request a face-to-face meeting
with your new member of Congress, which is one of the
strongest ways to communicate this message. If you do,
be sure to bring participants from various
constituencies in your community who share your
opposition to the war. Do an online search beforehand
for any polls that show the strength of antiwar
sentiment in your community, and bring detailed
information from the National Priorities Project about
the staggering financial cost of the war to your area.
If you do meet with your Representative, please send a
reportback to congress@unitedforpeace.org
3. Send a personal email to friends, neighbors, and
coworkers in your Congressional district and urge them
to contact your Representative with a similar message.
Include the contact information you've found through
your online research.
4. Forward this action alert widely, to people all
around the country, and post it on websites and blogs.
There can be no honeymoon for this new Congress. People
are dying in Iraq every day, the chaos worsens, the
costs continue to escalate. Join United for Peace and
Justice and our friends and allies in the Mandate for
Peace Campaign in making sure that the clamor for peace
at the polls turns into real action for change.
http://www.mandateforpeace.org/article.php?list=type&type=181
__________________________________________________
The Tide is turning; Let's Celebrate!
What a time for celebration! We have a new House of Representatives!
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, hailing from one of the most anti-war
districts in the country, is the new Speaker of the House. Most likely
the Senate has also changed hands. AND, best of all, Donald Rumsfeld is
out. The liars, manipulators, and warmongers are starting to lose their
grip on this country. And much of this tidal wave of change is due to
you and to all of us in the peace movement, so let's take a moment to
thank each other.
In our CODEPINK family, we
want to thank the dozens of local groups who gathered hundreds of shoes
representing Iraqis who have died, and brought them to key races
throughout the country to say " Walk in their Shoes: Vote for a Change
of Course. "
We want to thank the over 1,000 peacemakers who stood outside
churches, movie theaters, shopping malls, farmers markets and concerts
collecting pledges for Give Peace a Vote. Kudos to those who held house
parties showing the films Iraq for Sale and Ground Truth as a way to
educate and motivate their friends to take action.
Of course, many of you have
been working to educate and motivate Americans to oppose this war for
the past four years! We want to thank those of you who came out again
and again to the peace rallies and vigils, who lobbied their
congressional offices, who did sit-ins and risked arrest to show the
depth of your convictions. Think of all those times we stood out in the
cold, in the rain, in the broiling heat, often in small numbers,
feeling insignificant and marginalized. Your persistence--our
persistence--is starting to pay off.
We also want to thank the soldiers turned war resisters, the
military families speaking out against the war, and the whistleblowers
inside the government. They inspire us with their courage and deep
sense of patriotism. We want to thank the Iraqi women who took the risk
of coming to the United States on our Listen to Iraqi Women speaking
tour, traveling from city to city to tell their heart-wrenching stories
of life in Iraq today and why they want our troops to leave. All these
efforts have moved the American public from passively accepting this
war to vigorously demanding a new policy.
Sure, we've got LOTS more to
do. The Democrats will be reluctant to call for the troops to come home
and to cut off funds for further war making. The new Secretary of
Defense will pretend there is truly a strategy for "victory" in Iraq,
rather than a strategy for ending the occupation and promoting an Iraqi
reconciliation plan. But the tide is turning, and we must pause to
celebrate what we have accomplished.
So in this month of Thanksgiving, why not take a moment this week
to thank someone in your community who has worked for peace? Perhaps
it's a person new to activism who needs some encouragement, or an
old-timer who serves as a role model to you. Perhaps it's a local
member of the press who has truly helped educate the public, or maybe a
family member who has supported you in YOUR activism. Just look around
and you'll see someone deserving of a nice call or note, some flowers
or chocolate-whatever way you want to say thanks.
And please accept our thanks
and gratitude for your love and support,
Andrea, Anedra, Dana, Farida, Gael, Gayle, Jodie, Laura, Liz, Medea,
Nancy, Patricia, Rae, Samantha, and Sonia ..
P.S. Don't forget to forward this message and thank the person!
____________________________________________________________________
Support the Palestinian Olive Harvest
Adam Horowitz, American Friends Service Committee/
actioncenter@afsc.org
View this email as a web page. http://support.afsc.org/site/R?i=0H6NBQ0KT2y1BAg41nsLQQ..
The fall is the time of the yearly Palestinian olive harvest
season-generally a time of great community activism, where people of
all ages from Palestine, Israeli peace and justice groups, and
international volunteers join farmers as they reap their harvest. This
year's olive harvest will provide an economic boost to a community
whose population faces growing poverty since international aid has
been suspended and Israeli closure policies block the movement for
Palestinian goods.
Delegation Update:
As part of our ongoing Ziyarat az Zeitoun project, the AFSC and
Interfaith Peace-Builders are sponsoring a delegation of 14 people
from the U.S. and Canada to Israel and Palestine during the olive
harvest. As I write, they have been in the region for almost a
week. You can read reports from the delegation on the AFSC web
site at:
(http://support.afsc.org/site/R?i=HiFzrgCQ57yJyQaB1_ed7w..
)
Buy Olive Oil:
Also, you do not have to travel to Palestine to support the olive
harvest. Help support farmers by buying fair trade Palestinian olive
oil through AFSC's online store.
- If not available now, try again in a few days.
(http://support.afsc.org/site/R?i=Tr29SNV7HQaFoZry3evLhg..
)
======
Contact the White House about Violence in Gaza
Please continue to contact the U.S. government, especially ahead of the
November 14th meeting between President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert, and ask that President Bush promote dialogue and
negotiation as a way to resolve the crisis in Gaza.
For talking points for your call and useful phone numbers, see our
online Action Center at:
(http://support.afsc.org/site/R?i=Sll1u7l4MyU58ETzkkmpsQ..
)
=====
Learn about the Right of Entry Campaign
In the last several months Israel has increasingly rejected requests
for visas for people attempting to enter the occupied Palestinian
territories. This policy has been primarily directly towards
Palestinians, and it has also affected non-governmental organizations
who work in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
However, a growing campaign
is working to overturn the policy. The
Campaign for the Right of Entry/Re-Entry to the Occupied Palestinian
Territories has already had several small victories including
pressuring the U.S. government to intervene on behalf of U.S. citizens
that have been denied entry to the Palestinian territories.
Please follow the link below to read "Ramallah Friends School Hit by
Denial of Entry Policy":
(http://support.afsc.org/site/R?i=eFU0Hdw6IPTVacchM7YBqQ..
)
American Friends Service Committee
http://support.afsc.org/site/R?i=qk0-p7SxOS-L5vft4a93HA..
________________________________________________________
Vigil to Close the SOA/ WHINSEC- November
17-19, 2006- Together We'll Shut it Down!
This November 17-19, thousands will gather at the gates of Fort
Benning, Georgia for the Vigil to Close the School of the Americas!
Following on the heels of our first vote in Congress in seven years,
this year's Vigil is shaping up to be a powerful time for movement
building and an effective tool in the campaign to close the SOA/
WHINSEC.
-HOTELS: Contact Alyson Hayes at the Columbus Visitors Bureau with any
questions at 1-800-999-1613.
________________________________________________________________
Saturday, November 18, 2006 BUY LOCAL
DAY www.buylocalday.org
Big box stores like Wal-Mart and the Gap are steamrolling their way
into cities and towns throughout the country, pushing down wages and
forcing small, local businesses to close because they cant compete with
these mega-companies predatory practices. But theres something we can
do!
What if on just one day every year millions of American consumers voted
with our dollars in favor of locally owned and operated businesses,
instead of big-box, chain stores?
Why Buy Local?
Local businesses produce more income, jobs, and tax receipts for local
communities than big box stores do.
Local businesses are more likely to utilize local ads, banks and other
services.
Local businesses donate more money to nonprofits and are more
accountable to their local communities.
Supporting local businesses preserves the economic diversity of our
communities and the unique character of our neighborhoods.
Supporting local businesses is good for the environment, because it
cuts down on fuel consumption. Buying locally produced goods reduces
the need to ship goods from thousands of miles away and also cuts down
on the distances shoppers travel.
*And dont forget to also buy Fair Trade, organic and green!
ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH, LETS BUY LOCAL!
Lets send a message on November 18th, the Saturday before Thanksgiving,
that we support our hometown businesses and oppose the negative impacts
of chain stores and big box stores on our communities. Many communities
have already organized citywide buy local days, but this year, we will
bring together cities throughout the country to make this a national
effort. We hope youll join us!
HERES WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Visit <http://www.buylocalday.org/downloads/Organizing
Tips for Buy Local Day AB edit.doc> for Buy Local Day resources,
including downloadable flyers and window signs, tools for organizing in
your community, events in your area, and much more!
*Organize a Buy Local Day in your city or town.
Create a coalition of local business owners, Fair Trade, organics and
green economy advocates, anti-big box activists, environmental groups,
and others. Together you can spread the word about Buy Local Day in
your community, create lists of local businesses that consumers can
reference, and carry out some of the outreach and PR ideas below and at
http://www.buylocalday.org
*Get your city government to officially declare November 18, 2006 Buy
Local Day in your community. Download a copy of the Portland Buy
Local Day city ordinance at http://www.buylocalday.org
*Organize a press conference.
Bring together local bookstore owners, farmers market vendors, and
others to promote Buy Local Day at a press conference in November.
*Distribute flyers.
Hand out flyers about Buy Local Day in front of big chain stores every
Saturday before November 18th and on November 18th. You can download a
general flyer at http://www.buylocalday.org <http://www.buylocalday.org>
or create something specific to your community. For example, why not
ask local businesses to offer special discounts or community-oriented
events on that day? Then the events and discounts can be listed on a
flyer that advertises Buy Local Day.
*Post Buy Local Day Posters and window signs.
Free, downloadable Buy Local Day window signs are available at http://www.buylocalday.org
<http://www.buylocalday.org> . You can ask
local businesses to hang them in their windows. We also have beautiful
Buy Local Day posters available, that can be put up either in shop
windows or on telephone polls or other public advertising spaces. To
request posters, email dominique@globalexchange.org.
*And dont forget to also buy Fair Trade, organic and green!
Fair Trade certification guarantees that producers of the product earn
a fair price, and thus a decent living. Fair Trade also ensures that
products arent made using forced or exploitative child labor, and it
promotes production techniques that wont harm the environment. Organic
food is food produced without fertilizers, pesticides or genetically
modified organisms. Organic methods promote more sustainable and
environmentally sound agricultural practices. And green companies
nationwide are working to bring sustainability into every aspect of
their businesses.
National Buy Local Day sponsors include Cities for Progress, Co-op
America, Democracy Unlimited, Global Citizen Center, Global Exchange,
Liberty Tree Foundation, Organic Consumers Association, Progressive
Democrats of America, Social Ventures Network, and others.
________________________________________________________________________
* Amy Goodman Launches Weekly Column * Ask your
newspaper to carry it!
Amy Goodman has a new nationally syndicated weekly newspaper column
called
³Breaking the Sound Barrier.² Ask your local newspaper to
carry it today! If
you'd like to see the column in your paper, call, write a letter, or
send an
email to the Op-Ed editor. The paper should contact King Features.
Read her first column, which appeared in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/291047_amy05.html
Amy's column this week is the election of the first socialist to
the U.S.
Senate, Bernie Sanders. Ask your paper to carry it.
________________________________________________
* +$250,000 Reward For Evidence of Election Fraud
http://act.actforchange.com/cgi-bin7/DM/y/eqs50NRAfx0COb0BRiF0E5
Washington, Nov. 7 -- MoveOn.org Political Action is offering a
$250,000 reward for new material evidence leading to a felony
conviction for an organized effort of partisan voter suppression or
electronic voting fraud.