CONTENTS:

PHILLY AREA ACTION:

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL ACTION:

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PHILLY AREA ACTION:



BDS Discussion this Sunday for Friends of Middle East Peace: You are invited to attend a discussion on the subject of Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions as possible instruments for use as we seek a just and peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

3 pm this Sunday, Jan 10,

St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 22 E. Chestnut Hill Avenue, Chestnut Hill.



Hannah Schwarzschild of Philadelphia Jews for a Just Peace is making arrangements. Leila Barclay of the Ecumenical Working Group for Middle East Peace will lead discussion on Boycotts, Don Macay, Treasurer of the same group and a Pesbyterian, will steer the Divestment conversation, and Peter Doris, chair of the Episcopal Middle East Study Group, will moderate the discussion on Sanctions. There will be some Jewish participation.



Allen Bartlett [allen.jerrie@worldnet.att.net]

Chair, Ecumenical Working Group for Middle East Peace

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Films with Code Pink



Catholic Peace Fellowship, 1429 North 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122

St. Malachy Rectory, January 11: 6:30 pm- double feature

Free Admission! Refreshments! Discussion to follow

Save the Dates Every second Monday in 2010



Catholic Peace Fellowship Film Series Howard Zinn: You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train

Matt Damon narrates this biographical portrait of historian and activist Howard Zinn, now 86, author of the pivotal A People’s History of the United States, a popular alternative American history book that examines the story of this country from the standpoint of immigrants, minorities and working people. The documentary chronicles his commitment to social change through archival materials, commentary from Zinn and interviews with Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg, Tom Hayden and Alice Walker, among others.



America’s Bombing Policy:

Bill Moyers Journal takes a closer look at America’s history of and current policy on bombing, explores the ethics behind these assaults when civilians become the victims and asks: Does bombing work? Bill Moyers sits down with historian Marilyn Young, author of Bombing Civilians: A Twentieth Century History and former Pentagon official Pierre Sprey, who developed military planes and helped found the military reform movement.

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Upcoming Catholic Peace Fellowship Film Series

February 8: Pray The Devil Back to Hell (2008)

March 8: Iraqi Women: An Interview With Nadje Al-Ali, Untold Stories from 1948 to the Present

April12: Operation Homecoming

May 10: The Singing Revolution

June 7: Taxi to the Dark Side Contact:M. Dolores Vera [mailto:msm.vera@comcast.net]

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Come See “Why Are We In Afghanistan?”

a 28-minute film produced by members of US Labor Against the War



Monday, January 11, 5:30-7:00 PM

Pennsylvania Federation of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way/Teamsters

421 N. 7th St. second floor (betw. CallowhillSt. and Spring Garden St.)



Discussion following the film: Refreshments served.

Sponsored by Philadelphia Jobs with Justice

About the Film

This film looks at domestic pressures and geo-strategic interests that keep the U.S. in the region, and the long history of U.S. foreign interventions that forms the broader context for this war. Why Are We in Afghanistan? is an educational resource for communities, unions, veterans and active duty military, classes, and anyone who wonders why and what to do about it.



Written and directed by Michael Zweig, Steering Committee Member of US Labor Against the War. Illustrated by Mike Konopacki, labor illustrator

For more information contact John Braxton at morbraxton@aol.com or 215/724-1571

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Phone Bank for the Upcoming Hate Crimes Bill



Help jumpstart YOUR 2010 by volunteering next week to staff the

phones and engage our supporters across the state to pass

Pennsylvania's Hate Crimes Bill. We will be hosting TWO phone

banks at our Philadelphia office next week to educate and engage

Pennsylvania constituents in specifically targeted legislative

districts, and we need YOU!



WHAT: House Bill 745, an LGBT-inclusive Hate Crimes bill is

coming to a full floor vote in the Pennsylvania House of

Representatives in just a few weeks!



WHERE: Equality Pennsylvania's Philadelphia Office at 1211

Chestnut St. in Center City, Philadelphia Suite 605



WHEN: Wednesday, January 13, 5:30-7:30pm AND Thursday, January

14, 5:30-7:30pm



RSVP: to Mason by e-mail at mlane@equalitypa.org or by phone at

215-731-1447 x18 to sign up. As usual, dinner will be provided.

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The Peace Movement in the Age of Obama



Mel Packer, long-time peace activist, and member of the Green Party of Allegheny County, will be in Philadelphia the weekend of January 16-17. We have invited him to give a brief talk to the Green Party of Philadelphia about the future of the peace movement in the age of Obama.



When: Saturday, January 16, 2010, 7:30 PM

Where: Singapore Vegetarian Restaurant, 1006 Race Street



Tickets cost $30 and include a full dinner and a small donation to the Green Party of Philadelphia. Please RSVP to gpop@gpop.org.



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COMMITTEE ON RACIAL HEALING & WHOLENESS PROGRAM, SATURDAY, JANUARY 23:

Along with Chestnut Hill Monthly Meeting Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting is co-sponsoring a viewing of the award-winning film Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North. The film chronicles the journey of 10 descendants from the largest slave-trading family in US history as they retrace the Triangle Trade and reflect on the legacy of slavery in the US today. The showing will be in the Rufus Jones room of Friends Center (now on the first floor), 15th & Cherry, Phila. on Saturday, January 23 at 1PM. After the film, there will be a discussion facilitated by CPMM clerk Barry Scott with the film's ex. producer and co-director, Jude Ray.



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Grant Writer position available



The Philadelphia Unemployment Project is looking for a part time grant writer to research and complete grant proposals and prepare reports to funders. Please spread the word about the job opening. We are looking to hire someone in the near future. Contact me for more information.



John Dodds, Director

Philadelphia Unemployment Project

112 N. Broad Street, 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19102

215-557-0822 www.Philaup.org 215-557-6981(fax)

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NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL ACTION:



Take action on this w a heroic whistle blower!



I am profoundly concerned about the terrible injustice of the

Bradley Birkenfeld case outcomes and its impacts on future potential

whistle blowers. I feel deeply that the effect of the Bradley

Birkenfeld case will be very negative for national and international

anti-corruption movements. The message could hardly be clearer: If

you blow the whistle on wealthy customers, you will go to jail far,

far longer than all of them put together!

Birkenfeld voluntarily and energetically blew the whistle on a

very deliberate tax avoidance scheme by a Swiss bank and thousands of

very wealthy USers. Outcome? He gets a 40 month sentence - more

than all sentences to the guilty US tax avoiders put togetyher!

So here's the site and, below, info you'll find at the site.

http://www.whistleblowers.org/ - or, directly, go to the "take action" page:

http://www.capwiz.com/whistleblowers/issues/alert/?alertid=14501711&type=ML

From: Darien De Lu [mailto:conjoin@macnexus.org]

TAKE ACTION! Demand Attorney General Holder review Birkenfeld's case!

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2010 Delegations - Travel to Latin America



Travel to Latin America 2010 Delegations- Father Roy Bourgeois to El Salvador, Learn about ALBA in Venezuela, and Stand in Solidarity with the People of Honduras and Colombia.



El Salvador

Travel to El Salvador - land of martyrs, with Father Roy Bourgeois on an Oscar Romero Legacy Delegation, from March 19 to 26, 2010. Join Fr. Roy in events commemorating the 30th anniversary of Monseñor Romero´s assassination at the hands of SOA graduates. Walk in the footsteps of martyrs Ita Ford, Maura Clark, Fr. Ignacio Ellacuria, Celia Ramos and others. Accompany SOA Watch's Partnership America Latina (PAL) Coordinator Lisa Sullivan in visiting high level Salvadoran government officials in asking that El Salvador send no more soldiers to this school of assassins. For more information and to apply, write Lisa Sullivan at LSullivan@soaw.org

Click here to download the delegation flyer (pdf).



Venezuela

Come to Venezuela from April 9-18 on the anniversary of a people's victory in overturning a coup d'etat and learn about how the 8 member countries of ALBA are forging a new and exciting new economic model of cooperation and solidarity. Join SOA Watch's Lisa Sullivan in getting a different view from within of this country where she has lived for 25 years. Meet with Colombians in exile in Venezuela and hear from them and from Venezuelans about their concerns for US militarization along the Colombian border of Venezuela. For more information and to apply, write Lisa Sullivan at LSullivan@soaw.org



Honduras

Respond to the request of human rights leaders in Honduras to come to their country to help prevent further atrocities from taking place. World attention towards Honduras has diminished after US-approved November elections legitimized the June coup, while assassinations of resistance members has increased.

Leaders of the human rights community have requested a constant presence of international visitors to bring attention to this situation and help protect the lives of Hondurans. We are urging SOA Watch activists to join the Task Force on the Americas delegation to Honduras from March 13-20, 2010 (for more information write Dale Sorensen, geodale1@earthlink.net), a Quixote Center delegation (contact Jenny Atlee, jennya@quixote.org) or the January 24-31, 2010 Rights Action delegation (contact Grahame Russell, info@rightsaction.org)



Colombia

With over 10,000 troops trained at the school, Colombia is the SOA's largest customer and has the worst human rights record in Latin America. The 8th Day Center for Justice and Witness for Peace are organizing a delegation to Magdelena, Colombia from August 7-17, 2010. The delegation will focus on human rights, corporate abuse, military repression and internal displacement. Delegation participants will meet with community leaders, displaced persons, and human rights defenders.

For more information: Contact Erin Cox, Erin@8thdaycenter.org, 312 641 5151 or Ashley Valchek, Ashley@8thdaycenter.org or email wfpmagdelena@gmail.com.

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SOA Watch is a nonviolent grassroots movement that works through creative protest and resistance, legislative and media work to stand in solidarity with the people of Latin America, to close the SOA/WHINSEC and to change oppressive U.S. foreign policy that institutions like the SOA represent. We are grateful to our sisters and brothers throughout Latin America and the the Caribbean for their inspiration and the invitation to join them in their struggle for economic and social justice. We appreciate your interest!



Contact us.

SOA Watch, PO Box 4566, Washington, D.C. 20017, USA

Our telephone: (202) 234 3440