In 2007, a parody video urging people to protest the 2008 Republican National Convention prompted a massive undercover investigation by local police and federal agents on a group of Twin Cities-based organizers: the ironically-named RNC Welcoming Committee. The investigation culminated in armed raids of activist homes and meeting spaces; hysterical press conferences about curtain rods, cans of paint and other "weapons" uncovered during the raids; and the arrest of eight alleged ringleaders of a "criminal anarchist" plot. The eight were initially charged with conspiracy to commit riot in furtherance of terrorism. They aren't accused of committing any violence, nor did they make it to the protests. It appears their crime was to organize food, housing and communications for the thousands of people who converged on St Paul to resist the truly violent policies of the corporate and political elite.
How to respond to this prosecutorial lunacy? Make another parody, of course!
The case was slammed by the Duluth Central Labor Body and Duluth DFL, among others, as a "politically-motivated prosecution" and threat to civil liberties. In response, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner dropped the terrorism enhancement, but added another felony count of conspiracy to commit criminal damage to property. If convicted, Luce Guillen-Givins, Max Specktor, Nathanael Secor, Eryn Trimmer, Monica Bicking, Erik Oseland, Robert Czernik and Garrett Fitzgerald each face years in prison.
A full year and a half after the raids, the RNC 8 have finally been given a trial date of October 25. Please mark your calendars and consider traveling to St Paul to show your support! If the state is successful at prosecuting the RNC 8, any one of us who struggles for justice and peace could be next. For more about the case and to donate to the RNC 8 legal defense, visit rnc8.org.
Read more...
Monday, February 8, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Report from Kurdish north of Iraq
by Michele Naar-Obed
A child from the Zharawa IDP tent camp on the Iraq/Turkey border. The families in the Zharawa camp were displaced from their homes by Turkish bombing raids. Photo courtesy CPT.
Amazingly, both me and my luggage arrived safe and sound in Suleimaniya in the early morning hours of January 1. Every connecting flight landed and left on schedule. This is a rare event in my many travels back and forth.
I just wanted to send a few brief updates on what I've seen and learned so far. I visited the IDP tent camp in Zharawa. 6 families have decided to stay at the camp indefinitely. They are too afraid to return to their villages and they have nowhere to go in town. I don't know how many people are in each family but I saw children and elderly at the camp. They have a generator but no money for benzene to run it. The US military dug a well in July but they are still waiting for a pump. They think it will be finished in 2 weeks. Meanwhile, as of December 31, 2009, the UNHCR has stopped bringing in tanks of water. They have not had water brought in for the past 4 days. They are still in tents and not looking forward to snow and ice.
Many families are living in the town of Zharawa either crowding into relatives houses or in very cheap, small rental houses. Don't have those numbers yet.
Some families have returned to their villages and will stay there as long as they are safe. Don't know those numbers yet either. There has been some shelling but that has been limited to the outskirts of the villages. The last time there was extensive shelling inside the villages was August. Schools have reopened in the villages.
We had a long meeting with Kaka Haji. He is hoping to get a meeting with the new Prime Minister, Mr. Barham Salih. He believes Mr. Salih will hear and heed his plea for the needs of the villagers. However, after long discussions, he came to the conclusion that his government really doesn't care about the little people on the bottom. I assured him that this is not a phenomenon unique to the Kurdish government. Kaka Haji recognized the need for the little people to organize in order to make them just a wee bit bigger. CPT is considering offering them trainings in organizing and nonviolence. In the meantime, we are in the end stages of preparing a report for the international community and human rights organizations on the condition of the IDPs.
I had a chance to see Khaled Qader and the folks at the Rania Youth Center. Khaled has been busy preparing the Rania delegation for their trip to Duluth this spring. Still no affirmation from the Kurdistan government regarding their travel funds but they are living in hope which is amazing considering what they have been through.
I have a lot more catching up to do. I'm still taking a lot in and will have more to say as time goes on. That's it for now.
Peace, Michele
Michele Naar-Obed of Duluth's Loaves & Fishes Community has recently returned to Kurdish region of Iraq with the Christian Peacemaker Teams. The CPT has maintained a presence in Iraq since October of 2002, and is currently focused on accompanying displaced persons in the Kurdish border region and documenting human rights violations against civilian populations. You can read more of her reports at duluthcpt.net.
Read more...
A child from the Zharawa IDP tent camp on the Iraq/Turkey border. The families in the Zharawa camp were displaced from their homes by Turkish bombing raids. Photo courtesy CPT.
Amazingly, both me and my luggage arrived safe and sound in Suleimaniya in the early morning hours of January 1. Every connecting flight landed and left on schedule. This is a rare event in my many travels back and forth.
I just wanted to send a few brief updates on what I've seen and learned so far. I visited the IDP tent camp in Zharawa. 6 families have decided to stay at the camp indefinitely. They are too afraid to return to their villages and they have nowhere to go in town. I don't know how many people are in each family but I saw children and elderly at the camp. They have a generator but no money for benzene to run it. The US military dug a well in July but they are still waiting for a pump. They think it will be finished in 2 weeks. Meanwhile, as of December 31, 2009, the UNHCR has stopped bringing in tanks of water. They have not had water brought in for the past 4 days. They are still in tents and not looking forward to snow and ice.
Many families are living in the town of Zharawa either crowding into relatives houses or in very cheap, small rental houses. Don't have those numbers yet.
Some families have returned to their villages and will stay there as long as they are safe. Don't know those numbers yet either. There has been some shelling but that has been limited to the outskirts of the villages. The last time there was extensive shelling inside the villages was August. Schools have reopened in the villages.
We had a long meeting with Kaka Haji. He is hoping to get a meeting with the new Prime Minister, Mr. Barham Salih. He believes Mr. Salih will hear and heed his plea for the needs of the villagers. However, after long discussions, he came to the conclusion that his government really doesn't care about the little people on the bottom. I assured him that this is not a phenomenon unique to the Kurdish government. Kaka Haji recognized the need for the little people to organize in order to make them just a wee bit bigger. CPT is considering offering them trainings in organizing and nonviolence. In the meantime, we are in the end stages of preparing a report for the international community and human rights organizations on the condition of the IDPs.
I had a chance to see Khaled Qader and the folks at the Rania Youth Center. Khaled has been busy preparing the Rania delegation for their trip to Duluth this spring. Still no affirmation from the Kurdistan government regarding their travel funds but they are living in hope which is amazing considering what they have been through.
I have a lot more catching up to do. I'm still taking a lot in and will have more to say as time goes on. That's it for now.
Peace, Michele
Michele Naar-Obed of Duluth's Loaves & Fishes Community has recently returned to Kurdish region of Iraq with the Christian Peacemaker Teams. The CPT has maintained a presence in Iraq since October of 2002, and is currently focused on accompanying displaced persons in the Kurdish border region and documenting human rights violations against civilian populations. You can read more of her reports at duluthcpt.net.
Read more...
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Notes from the December NAWC Meeting
by Adam Ritscher
Notes from the December 13, 2009 Meeting of the Northland Anti-War Coalition
In attendance was Steve W., Coly W., Scott B., Joel K., Bob K., Margie N., Dan, Adam R., and Ron M.
1. SOA Report: Margie, Steve and Coly reported that 7 activists from UMD, 15 from CSS and several from the community (for a Twin Ports total of three dozen, plus several from Ashland) traveled down to this year's protest against the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia. There were about 15,000 at the protest. The Duluth Central Labor Body made a generous contribution to help defray travel costs for the Twin Ports delegation. There will be a report back about the SOA protest at the Jan. 14 Central Labor Body meeting, and community report back at a later date.
2. Emergency Protests: NAWC supported an emergency day after protest held on Dec. 2 called by Women in Black to protest Obama's escalation of the Afghan War. Despite being a last minute affair, 25 people showed up for the noon picket. The following Thursday, student activists held a skit protesting Obama's receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize in the morning at CSS, and in the evening at the intersection of Lake Ave. and Superior St. in downtown Duluth. Two dozen participated in the protest.
3. NAWC Fliers: Joel is going to head up an effort to draft some new fliers for NAWC to distribute.
4. Spring Plans: A plan was presented and approved that NAWC try to send a delegation to the next national anti-war protest in Washington D.C. on March 20. We're shooting to send a couple of van loads of local protesters. Leading up to March 20, we're also going to hold a series of Saturday pickets in Ashland, Superior and Duluth, and then a send off event for the D.C. caravan. Side by side with this we want to do a media blitz where we either take out signature ads in a couple of local alternative papers, and/or take out some radio ads. The March 20 protest will tentatively be followed by a year long petition drive to get an anti-war referendum on the ballot in the Twin Ports.
Students for Peace also announced that this Spring they're going to hold a Peace Art Gallery event, and the second of their annual Activist Summits. More info on both events to come.
5. Steering Committee: We decided to establish a new Steering Committee, empowered to make emergency decisions in between our monthly planning meetings. Joel K., Coly W., Ellie C., and Adam R. were elected to the new body.
6. Martin Luther King Project: The Unitarian church is going to be hosting a series of events around MLK weekend, in conjunction with other events around town. The church is also looking to start up an MLK themed book club. For more info contact Scot Bol at earthmannow@gmail.com
NEXT MEETING: Sunday, January 10 at 2pm in the library of the Duluth Unitarian-Universalist Church on College Street.
Read more...
Notes from the December 13, 2009 Meeting of the Northland Anti-War Coalition
In attendance was Steve W., Coly W., Scott B., Joel K., Bob K., Margie N., Dan, Adam R., and Ron M.
1. SOA Report: Margie, Steve and Coly reported that 7 activists from UMD, 15 from CSS and several from the community (for a Twin Ports total of three dozen, plus several from Ashland) traveled down to this year's protest against the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia. There were about 15,000 at the protest. The Duluth Central Labor Body made a generous contribution to help defray travel costs for the Twin Ports delegation. There will be a report back about the SOA protest at the Jan. 14 Central Labor Body meeting, and community report back at a later date.
2. Emergency Protests: NAWC supported an emergency day after protest held on Dec. 2 called by Women in Black to protest Obama's escalation of the Afghan War. Despite being a last minute affair, 25 people showed up for the noon picket. The following Thursday, student activists held a skit protesting Obama's receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize in the morning at CSS, and in the evening at the intersection of Lake Ave. and Superior St. in downtown Duluth. Two dozen participated in the protest.
3. NAWC Fliers: Joel is going to head up an effort to draft some new fliers for NAWC to distribute.
4. Spring Plans: A plan was presented and approved that NAWC try to send a delegation to the next national anti-war protest in Washington D.C. on March 20. We're shooting to send a couple of van loads of local protesters. Leading up to March 20, we're also going to hold a series of Saturday pickets in Ashland, Superior and Duluth, and then a send off event for the D.C. caravan. Side by side with this we want to do a media blitz where we either take out signature ads in a couple of local alternative papers, and/or take out some radio ads. The March 20 protest will tentatively be followed by a year long petition drive to get an anti-war referendum on the ballot in the Twin Ports.
Students for Peace also announced that this Spring they're going to hold a Peace Art Gallery event, and the second of their annual Activist Summits. More info on both events to come.
5. Steering Committee: We decided to establish a new Steering Committee, empowered to make emergency decisions in between our monthly planning meetings. Joel K., Coly W., Ellie C., and Adam R. were elected to the new body.
6. Martin Luther King Project: The Unitarian church is going to be hosting a series of events around MLK weekend, in conjunction with other events around town. The church is also looking to start up an MLK themed book club. For more info contact Scot Bol at earthmannow@gmail.com
NEXT MEETING: Sunday, January 10 at 2pm in the library of the Duluth Unitarian-Universalist Church on College Street.
Read more...
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Anti-war protesters gather in Superior
By Rich Kremer, 91.3 KUWS
December 17, 2009
Despite freezing temperatures, about 20 demonstrators gathered outside Congressman Dave Obey’s office in Superior today.Holding signs saying “Healthcare not Warfare” and “End War Now” members of the Progressive Democrats of America picketed along Tower Avenue, outside of Obey’s office. But this wasn’t your typical protest. It was more of a show of support since Obey is opposed to President Obama’s troop escalation in Afghanistan. Progressive Democrats spokesman Steve Carlson of Trego says the Democratic congressman has gone out on a limb on this issue and they’re out to help.
“We really wanted to come out here today primarily to get out the message of healthcare not warfare, to support Obey’s stance on this and to just tell him that we’re with you, we got your back on and keep it up.”
Carlson says Obey’s Share the Sacrifice, war tax is a step in the right direction but he doesn’t think it will pass.
“So what we’re going to need him to do is take it up to the next step and say no to war funding. Congress has the power to make war not the president of the United States.”
Jan Provost of Superior’s Grandmothers for Peace says money for the conflict in Afghanistan should be spent on health care and creating jobs.
“People are suffering in this country. We’re spending all that money on war and it’s just ridiculous, so that’s why we’re here. And it’s kind of a cold day for old ladies to be out but we’re committed.”
Sybela Yarish of Rice Lake has lived in Afghanistan. She says Afghan fighters have crushed empires before so the only winner in this war is the military industrial complex.
“It’s about money. It’s not about anything else but money and I don’t understand Obama with all his promises, why he’s chosen to hook up with that bunch of bandits.”
Obey is on record saying he would feel better if the U.S. begins to withdraw troops in 18 months but without better support from Pakistan and Afghanistan he doesn’t see that happening.
Read more...
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
RIP Tess Koenig
Iron Range native and Veteran for Peace Tess Koenig died in October at her winter home in California. Tess' Northland friends are invited to a memorial service on December 20, 2-4pm at the Friends Meeting House in Duluth (1802 E 1st St).Tess Koenig, Nurse, Mentor, Activist, Friend
By John Heid
(reprinted from the Winter 2009 Nukewatch Quarterly)
At sunset on a mid October Saturday, Tess Koenig died as she had lived — peacefully. There were no large font headlines in the Los Angeles Times the following morning. Amidst the fray of health care reform, H1N1, the housing market collapse, the World Series and war-withoutend, Tess passed as inconspicuously as a soft autumn breeze through a stand of northern white pine.
Her death gave me pause. Not because it was sudden. It wasn’t. Not because she was young. She wasn’t, except at heart. What provoked me was a simple query. “What is the
value of a singular life?”
In an American Idolized society chock full of air-brushed stars and super heroes, who counts? In a culture that mass markets the pleasure principle and militarizes identity — “be all you can be” — how does one stand?
Tess was one who found her bearings. Born on Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range between world wars, she knew something of modesty and making-do. She left the Range, but it never left her.
The so called “war effort” drew Tess into the service of caring for the wounded and ill as an army nurse and afterward, at the Veteran’s Hospital in West Los Angeles, she continued this work. Tess witnessed war from the vantage point of its victims. She came to understand in a hands-on way how war turns the moral order inside out.
In later years Tess was to become a proud member of Grandmothers For Peace and Veterans For Peace. Post war, she married another veteran later-to-become-peacemaker, Bob Koenig. The two became parents. Stories are told of their dual energies. Bob coached youth basketball and baseball. Tess attended the injured players and kept score. Tess always knew the score on the court and later in the courts.
In their retirement Tess and Bob metamorphosed. Their family widened. They went communal. This was how I came to know her… at the Loaves and Fishes Catholic Worker in Duluth, Minnesota. She prepared meals and faithfully attended peace vigils. Tess had the compassion to serve the hungry and the audacity to challenge the causes of their hunger.
In time I discovered that Tess (and Bob too) were known across the country. From Baltimore to LA, from Clam Lake, Wisconsin to Ft. Benning, Georgia. Tess knew who she was, and what she wasn’t. She lived life fully and by so doing helped others recognize what it means to do justice, to be fully human — warts and all.
Tess Koenig was not my heroine, but rather a mentor and friend. She eschewed the cul-de-sac mentality of the hero/heroine model, a model that panders to narcissism, a model of the impossible, the unattainable, the superfluous, a model antithetical to radical nonviolence.
Tess was down-to-earth, and roll-up-your-sleeves practical. This simplicity kindled a visionary spirit within her. She could delight in a pristine sunset over Lake Vermillion or the diamond in the rough visage of each guest sitting at the dining room table, as clearly as she could decry war.
The last time I called Bob and Tess, their answering machine still had the familiar message in her voice: “The Koenigs say bring ‘em home!” Tess’s last words. A fitting epitaph.
Read more...
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Hey Obama, Yes We Can; Troops Out of Afghanistan!
Despite the frigid weather, the crowd kept up their spirits with chants and drumming, circling the intersection for 45 minutes before marching to Canal Park. Channels 3 and 6 covered the protest on their evening newscasts. Keep reading for more pics courtesy Emily Flesch.
In a dramatic re-enactment of Obama's peace prize ceremony, the new Nobel Laureate walked over a human red carpet representing those who have died in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Colombia and Honduras because of his Administration's policies.
Traffic wasn't stopped, but it was forced to slow down as students circled the intersection in two groups, interrupting business as usual and challenging public apathy toward Obama's wars.
Read more...
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
March against the wars Thursday in Duluth!
Tell Obama: You've got your peace prize, now earn it!
NO escalation in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Colombia! Troops home now!
Thursday, December 10 at 4:30 PM
Meet up at the Minnesota Power Plaza in downtown Duluth
(Lake Ave and Superior St, next to the Christmas tree).
Even as he prepares for his Nobel Peace ceremony, President Obama is moving swiftly to escalate the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, okaying both a troop build-up and more deadly drone attacks. Barely noticed but equally alarming are his plans to station hundreds of US troops on the other side of the globe in Colombia - propping up a human rights-abusing regime and heightening chances for a regional conflict.
Student activists at UMD, CSS and LSC have called for an emergency march on Thursday - the day Obama receives his Nobel Peace Prize - to protest these war policies and let the community know that the anti-war movement is alive and well! Bring drums/buckets to help us make some noise, bring reflective gear and lights to keep safe, and bring friends! There won't be any speakers, but a NO BULL PRIZE guerrilla theater along the way. And be prepared to take it to the streets.
Read more...
NO escalation in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Colombia! Troops home now!
Thursday, December 10 at 4:30 PM
Meet up at the Minnesota Power Plaza in downtown Duluth
(Lake Ave and Superior St, next to the Christmas tree).
Even as he prepares for his Nobel Peace ceremony, President Obama is moving swiftly to escalate the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, okaying both a troop build-up and more deadly drone attacks. Barely noticed but equally alarming are his plans to station hundreds of US troops on the other side of the globe in Colombia - propping up a human rights-abusing regime and heightening chances for a regional conflict.
Student activists at UMD, CSS and LSC have called for an emergency march on Thursday - the day Obama receives his Nobel Peace Prize - to protest these war policies and let the community know that the anti-war movement is alive and well! Bring drums/buckets to help us make some noise, bring reflective gear and lights to keep safe, and bring friends! There won't be any speakers, but a NO BULL PRIZE guerrilla theater along the way. And be prepared to take it to the streets.
Read more...
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Photos from 10/2 vigil
On December 2, Women in Black and several other local peace groups held a vigil in downtown Duluth to protest Obama's escalation of the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Two dozen people took part. Here are a few photos taken by Richard Thomas.
Read more...
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Protest the Afghan War Escalation
Judging by the steady leaks coming from the White House, tonight President Obama is going to be announcing a massive escalation of the unjust U.S. war on Afghanistan. Nationally, the anti-war movement is coming together to oppose this. The three main national anti-war groups (the National Assembly, ANSWER and United for Peace & Justice) have all come out for local actions to show that we do not approve of Obama's decision. Dozens of cities and towns have answered that call.
Here in the Twin Ports there is going to be a peace protest on Wednesday (Dec. 2) at 12:15 at the corner of Lake Ave. & Superior Street in downtown Duluth. This protest is being spearheaded by Women in Black, but all groups and activists are welcome.
I urge all of you to stand up for peace, and show that we are not for Obama's troop surge. Bring ALL the Troops Home Now!
Read more...
Here in the Twin Ports there is going to be a peace protest on Wednesday (Dec. 2) at 12:15 at the corner of Lake Ave. & Superior Street in downtown Duluth. This protest is being spearheaded by Women in Black, but all groups and activists are welcome.
I urge all of you to stand up for peace, and show that we are not for Obama's troop surge. Bring ALL the Troops Home Now!
Read more...
Monday, November 23, 2009
15,000 people protest the SOA/WHINSEC
by Twin Ports SOA Watch
Some of the Northlanders at the protest. Photo: Margie Nelson.
As the mainstream media looked the other way, a major human rights gathering took place this weekend in Columbus, GA. Some 15,000 people from across the Americas converged there for three days of teach-ins, networking and a protest against the US Army's School of the Americas/WHINSEC. Resistance movement leaders and human rights activists from Haiti, Honduras, Mexico and Colombia joined us -- a stark, country-by-country reminder that the US is not only taking the wrong path in Afghanistan, but in this hemisphere, too.
Dozens of people from the Twin Ports and Ashland took part in the weekend's events, including our largest ever Duluth student delegation. Rachael Kilgour represented the Northland at the main stage of the protest and at an evening benefit concert in downtown Columbus, singing some of her own songs and protest standards. In addition to official SOA Watch events, Duluth activists also joined migrant workers picketing grocery stores in Columbus for fair wages and stopped along the way in Atlanta to protest Coca-Cola's collaboration with death squads.
Despite occasional threats and harassment by Columbus and military police, the event went largely as planned. Michael Walli of Duluth was arrested on Sunday after he and three others attempted to enter Ft Benning. He refused to post bail but was released on his own recognizance on Monday pending a January trial.
Thanks to the Duluth Central Labor Body, the St Scholastica Monastery, and CSS Student Senate for making it possible for Duluth-area students to take part in this incredible event. Look for a report-back sometime in December, but in the meantime you can check out the photos after the jump.
People begin to arrive at Ft Benning's main gate. The Honduran coup and pending
US-Colombia military agreement are at the forefront of everyone's minds.
Margie Nelson from CSS stands at the main gate. Three rows of fencing and
hundreds of MPs protect the base from those dangerous college students and nuns.
Big brother was watching.
The crowds swell to the thousands. The roots of SOA Watch are in Catholic resistance movements, including many nuns and priests who served as missionaries and were themselves imprisoned and tortured under brutal right-wing regimes in Latin America. While the protest has grown more inclusive over the years, many symbols of the that early movement -- including white crosses to commemorate the dead -- remain.
Read more...
Some of the Northlanders at the protest. Photo: Margie Nelson.As the mainstream media looked the other way, a major human rights gathering took place this weekend in Columbus, GA. Some 15,000 people from across the Americas converged there for three days of teach-ins, networking and a protest against the US Army's School of the Americas/WHINSEC. Resistance movement leaders and human rights activists from Haiti, Honduras, Mexico and Colombia joined us -- a stark, country-by-country reminder that the US is not only taking the wrong path in Afghanistan, but in this hemisphere, too.
Dozens of people from the Twin Ports and Ashland took part in the weekend's events, including our largest ever Duluth student delegation. Rachael Kilgour represented the Northland at the main stage of the protest and at an evening benefit concert in downtown Columbus, singing some of her own songs and protest standards. In addition to official SOA Watch events, Duluth activists also joined migrant workers picketing grocery stores in Columbus for fair wages and stopped along the way in Atlanta to protest Coca-Cola's collaboration with death squads.
Despite occasional threats and harassment by Columbus and military police, the event went largely as planned. Michael Walli of Duluth was arrested on Sunday after he and three others attempted to enter Ft Benning. He refused to post bail but was released on his own recognizance on Monday pending a January trial.
Thanks to the Duluth Central Labor Body, the St Scholastica Monastery, and CSS Student Senate for making it possible for Duluth-area students to take part in this incredible event. Look for a report-back sometime in December, but in the meantime you can check out the photos after the jump.
People begin to arrive at Ft Benning's main gate. The Honduran coup and pendingUS-Colombia military agreement are at the forefront of everyone's minds.
Margie Nelson from CSS stands at the main gate. Three rows of fencing andhundreds of MPs protect the base from those dangerous college students and nuns.
Big brother was watching.
The crowds swell to the thousands. The roots of SOA Watch are in Catholic resistance movements, including many nuns and priests who served as missionaries and were themselves imprisoned and tortured under brutal right-wing regimes in Latin America. While the protest has grown more inclusive over the years, many symbols of the that early movement -- including white crosses to commemorate the dead -- remain.
This die-in along the route of the protest commemorates the 700 women, men and children massacred in El Mozote, El Salvador by SOA graduates in 1980.
CSS and UMD students collect donations to support SOA Watch.
A puppet pageant commemorated the 20th anniversary of the murder of 6 Jesuit priests, their co-worker and her 16-year old daughter at the University of Central America in El Salvador.
The weekend ended with a solemn procession to commemorate the victims of SOA graduates. As the names of thousands of victims were read aloud from the stage, activists transformed Ft Benning's main gate into a memorial.
CSS and UMD students collect donations to support SOA Watch.
A puppet pageant commemorated the 20th anniversary of the murder of 6 Jesuit priests, their co-worker and her 16-year old daughter at the University of Central America in El Salvador.
The weekend ended with a solemn procession to commemorate the victims of SOA graduates. As the names of thousands of victims were read aloud from the stage, activists transformed Ft Benning's main gate into a memorial. Read more...
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Oberstar joins House in snubbing international humanitarian law
By a vote of 344 to 36, with 22 members voting "present", the US House of Representatives yesterday passed a non-binding resolution dismissing a UN report on war crimes committed during Israel's 2008 assault on Gaza. The report, authored by South African jurist Richard Goldstone, concluded that both Hamas and to a larger extent the Israeli Defense Forces violated international law by targeting hospitals, schools, UN buildings, homes, food stores and other infrastructure necessary for human survival during the 2008 war. Goldstone's conclusions are supported by both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, but the pro-war resolution passed by members of Congress (most of whom presumably have not bothered to read the report), "considers the `Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict' to be irredeemably biased and unworthy of further consideration or legitimacy."The resolution stands in a long line of "irredeemably biased" statements issued by Congress in recent years that both distort the facts on the ground and grant virtual impunity to Israel for any act of war against its neighbors or the people of the Occupied Territories. On November 4, a coalition of human rights groups issued their own statement calling on the UN General Assembly to endorse the Goldstone report, saying: "this is an opportunity for the UN General Assembly and the Security Council to send a clear message to Israeli and Palestinian leaders that civilians, regardless of their nationality, religious or ethnic background, are not legitimate targets of attack."
James Oberstar voted with the majority and Dave Obey voted "present." You can call Oberstar's office in DC at (202) 225-6211, or Duluth at (218) 727-7474 and express your disappointment.
Several Minnesota representatives showed the courage to stand up against the resoltion. Both Betty McCollum and Keith Ellison voted NO. Keep reading for McCollum's statement before the House.
Congresswoman Betty McCollumStatement in support of human rights and in opposition to H. Res. 867
November 3, 2009
Madam Speaker, this resolution harms U.S. national security interests in the Middle East and American leadership for human rights and humanitarian law. And, while the U.S. attempts to be an honest-broker in an Israeli-Palestinian peace process this resolution is blatantly biased and damages U.S. credibility.
This resolution seeks to hide the ugliness of the Gaza War by covering-up the violent excesses committed against innocent civilians by Hamas and the Israeli Defense Forces.
Why does the U.S. House want to reject an accounting of Hamas’s terrorism against Israeli civilians as if thousands of rockets were not fired at Israel ?
Why does this resolution want to deny that hundreds of Palestinian women and elders were needlessly killed by the IDF?
American made white phosphorus shells were used by Israel in civilian areas causing horrible burns to Palestinian children, yet this resolution refuses to seek the truth?
The report Congress is burying today was led by a former chief prosecutor for war crimes in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, a jurist of exceptional experience who has faced far tougher actors than his critics in this chamber, critics who have not held a single hearing or conducted a single fact-finding mission on the subject of his report.
There must be only one standard for respecting human rights, a single standard by which we must hold ourselves, our friends, and our adversaries accountable. Establishing situational standards for respecting human rights is dishonest and only encourages actions that destroy human dignity and life.
Therefore I agree with U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-moon who recently said at the Anti-Defamation League’s annual dinner that he is “a friend who is acutely aware of Israel 's security needs.” But on the issue of the Goldstone report Secretary Ban said, "When human rights are violated anywhere in the world we need accountability."
Today, I would ask my colleagues to vote for human rights and accountability by voting against this resolution.
Read more...
Vigil and Direct Action to close the SOA/WHINSEC
by Twin Ports SOA WatchWhat do the coup plotters in Honduras, death squads in Colombia, and union-busting security forces in Mexico have in common? They were all trained on the US taxpayers' dime at the School of the Americas/WHINSEC in Ft Benning, Georgia.
It would be difficult for us, with our training, to have a relationship with a leftist government. That’s impossible.SOA grad and Honduran Army Attorney Col. Herberth Inestroza,
justifying the military coup to the Miami Herald
Over the weekend of November 21-22, tens of thousands of people will converge at Ft Benning to say no to the SOA/WHINSEC and the repressive foreign policy it represents. We are closer than ever to passing legislation in Congress to close and investigate the school, and a strong showing at this protest is critical.
Our neck of the woods has always been well-represented at SOA protests, and this year will be no different. If you can join us, please do. If you can't, consider making a donation to offset costs for those who can.
(photo: Honduran general and SOA graduate Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, leader of the military coup that toppled democratically-elected President Manuel Zelaya).
RIDES to the Protest
* Students and staff at UMD and LSC ONLY, contact Steve at wickx079(at)d(dot)umn(dot)edu or 612-501-0269. Cars depart Friday a.m. and return Monday evening. Thanks to the Duluth Central Labor Body, travel and housing expenses per person will be minimal.
* Students and staff at St Scholastica ONLY, contact Signey at SOlson7(at)css(dot)edu. School vans depart Thursday and Friday, and return Monday evening. Only $20/person for travel and housing, thanks to support from Student Senate.
* Other members of the community, contact Joel at soawtwinports(at)riseup(dot)net or 218-340-4356 for carpool info.
DONATE
A big thanks to the Duluth Central Labor Body and CSS Student Senate for generously sponsoring student travel to the protest!
But please consider pitching in a few dollars to help defray travel expenses for other northlanders - they are spending a lot of time on the road and taking time off work to represent us in Georgia! Checks can be made out to Veterans for Peace, earmarked "SOAW", and sent to:
Veterans for Peace
c/o Andy Anderson
16 E St Andrews St
Duluth, MN 55803
Read more...
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Building Relationships in Rania - Nov 2
Duluth-Rania Friendship Exchange Project invites you to:
Building Relationships in Rania
with Michele Naar-Obed
Monday, November 2, 7pm
Zinema 2 Theaters
(222 E. Superior St, Duluth)
with Michele Naar-Obed
Monday, November 2, 7pm
Zinema 2 Theaters
(222 E. Superior St, Duluth)
Michele, a member of Christian Peacemaker Teams, has made numerous trips to Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan. She is the inspiration for a Duluth-area citizen-based trip to Rania, Iraq. That trip took place in May, 2009.
Michele will provide an update on the developments in the Duluth-Rania connection and will talk about her recent visit to a camp for internally displaced people.
There will be a short video presentation of the children at the IDP camp. This friendship exchange project will offer hope to those kids and they, as well as our kids, are our future and our chance for a better world.
Members of the May trip to Iraq will join Michele in her presentation: Brooks Anderson, Marv Heikkinen, Donna Howard, Arno Kahn, Tom Morgan and Salima Swenson
This event is free and open to the public. A social hour in the Zinema atrium will follow Micheles presentation. Beverages will be available for purchase from the Zinema.
With special support from: The Alworth Center for the Study of Peace & Justice at CSS and from Zeitgeist Arts.
Read more...
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Report on Oct. 17 March & Rally
"1-2-3-4, We Don't Want These Stinking Wars!" reverberated off the tall buildings in Duluth's downtown on Saturday, October 17, as a spirited band of about 100 protesters marched through the city. On a day when anti-war protests were held in more than 40 cities and towns across the nation, this spirited band marched to show their continued opposition to the ongoing U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. With the combined price tag of these two wars approaching $1 trillion dollars, and up to one million lives lost, we need to show that the anti-war movement is alive and kicking!
The Duluth protest started at the Clayton, Jackson, McGhie Memorial (which memorializes three African-Americans who were lynched in Duluth in 1920), where we held a moment of silence of Staff Sgt. Aaron Taylor, a local soldier who was killed in Iraq on Oct. 9 and whose funeral was held on the same day as the protest.
From the CJM Memorial we marched through downtown Duluth, and then up to the Civic Center where we held a rally on the steps of the Federal Building. Peter Provost of the band Clear greeted the protesters with some moving song-singing, and this was followed up by an impressive program of powerful speakers. The theme of the rally was "Fund Human Needs, Make Jobs Not War!", and this was woven into all of the speeches, which stressed what a tragic waste all of the war spending is, when we have so many social needs crying out for funding.
The speakers at the program were physician and health care activist Charles Gessert, Rev. Cathy Schuyler of the Duluth Congregational Church and CHUM, Scott Yeazle of the Twin Ports Action Coalition, Josie Johnson of Earth Action and Eric Blomstrom from Community Action Duluth. And the whole event was ably MCed by Ellie Connolly of the Northland Anti-War Coalition, who stressed the need to keep reaching out to our friends, neighbors and co-workers to build the anti-war movement.
Organized by the Northland Anti-War Coalition, the protest was also endorsed by the Duluth Central Labor Body, Veterans for Peace, Women in Black, Peace North, the Duluth Area Green Party, Grandmothers for Peace, Socialist Action, Lake Superior Greens, Duluth Unitarian-Universalist Peace & Justice Committee, UMD Students for Peace, CSS Center for Just Living, Twin Ports Action Coalition, Workers United Local 99, CSS Earth Action, Rice Lake People for Peace, the Nortland Center for Art & Ecopsychology and a host of individual activists and concerned citizens.
Special thanks to all of our wonderful speakers at the rally, and to Ellie for MCing. Thanks to Steve Wick and Josie Johnson for leading the chants during our march, and to Mujtaba Alwan, Chere Suzette Bergeron, Carl Sack, Linda Gokee and Bob Kosuth for being the rally marshalls. Thanks also to Mike Solon for the sound system, and to Colette Knudson and Gary Sorenson for being our press liasons. Labor World newspaper deserves a special shout for doing such a great job plugging the protest, as does the National Assembly to End the Iraq & Afghanistan Wars, which initiated the Oct. 17 national day of action. And finally, thanks to Scott Bol, Peter Krause, Joel Kilgour, and everyone else who helped organize this event.
Coming on the heels of our Oct. 5 candle light vigil to mark the anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, this fall has been a busy one for the Northland Anti-War Coalition. But much remains to be done to build a broad enough, and visible enough movement to bring these wars to an end. Towards that end NAWC would like to invite all anti-war activists throughout northern Minnesota and Wisconsin to a special strategy planning meeting on Nov. 8 at 2pm at the Duluth Unitarian Church. The struggle continues, and we could use your help and input on moving forward! Thank you to everyone who turned out on Oct. 5 and Oct. 17, and we look forward to seeing you on Nov. 8!
Read more...
The Duluth protest started at the Clayton, Jackson, McGhie Memorial (which memorializes three African-Americans who were lynched in Duluth in 1920), where we held a moment of silence of Staff Sgt. Aaron Taylor, a local soldier who was killed in Iraq on Oct. 9 and whose funeral was held on the same day as the protest.
From the CJM Memorial we marched through downtown Duluth, and then up to the Civic Center where we held a rally on the steps of the Federal Building. Peter Provost of the band Clear greeted the protesters with some moving song-singing, and this was followed up by an impressive program of powerful speakers. The theme of the rally was "Fund Human Needs, Make Jobs Not War!", and this was woven into all of the speeches, which stressed what a tragic waste all of the war spending is, when we have so many social needs crying out for funding.
The speakers at the program were physician and health care activist Charles Gessert, Rev. Cathy Schuyler of the Duluth Congregational Church and CHUM, Scott Yeazle of the Twin Ports Action Coalition, Josie Johnson of Earth Action and Eric Blomstrom from Community Action Duluth. And the whole event was ably MCed by Ellie Connolly of the Northland Anti-War Coalition, who stressed the need to keep reaching out to our friends, neighbors and co-workers to build the anti-war movement.
Organized by the Northland Anti-War Coalition, the protest was also endorsed by the Duluth Central Labor Body, Veterans for Peace, Women in Black, Peace North, the Duluth Area Green Party, Grandmothers for Peace, Socialist Action, Lake Superior Greens, Duluth Unitarian-Universalist Peace & Justice Committee, UMD Students for Peace, CSS Center for Just Living, Twin Ports Action Coalition, Workers United Local 99, CSS Earth Action, Rice Lake People for Peace, the Nortland Center for Art & Ecopsychology and a host of individual activists and concerned citizens.
Special thanks to all of our wonderful speakers at the rally, and to Ellie for MCing. Thanks to Steve Wick and Josie Johnson for leading the chants during our march, and to Mujtaba Alwan, Chere Suzette Bergeron, Carl Sack, Linda Gokee and Bob Kosuth for being the rally marshalls. Thanks also to Mike Solon for the sound system, and to Colette Knudson and Gary Sorenson for being our press liasons. Labor World newspaper deserves a special shout for doing such a great job plugging the protest, as does the National Assembly to End the Iraq & Afghanistan Wars, which initiated the Oct. 17 national day of action. And finally, thanks to Scott Bol, Peter Krause, Joel Kilgour, and everyone else who helped organize this event.
Coming on the heels of our Oct. 5 candle light vigil to mark the anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, this fall has been a busy one for the Northland Anti-War Coalition. But much remains to be done to build a broad enough, and visible enough movement to bring these wars to an end. Towards that end NAWC would like to invite all anti-war activists throughout northern Minnesota and Wisconsin to a special strategy planning meeting on Nov. 8 at 2pm at the Duluth Unitarian Church. The struggle continues, and we could use your help and input on moving forward! Thank you to everyone who turned out on Oct. 5 and Oct. 17, and we look forward to seeing you on Nov. 8!
Read more...
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Twin Ports Anti-War Protest THIS SATURDAY!
October 17 Duluth Anti-War March & Rally
NATIONAL DAY OF LOCAL ACTIONS TO END THE WARS
Saturday, October 17 is a national day of local actions against the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Around the country over 40 cities and towns will be holding protests, among them will be Duluth, Minnesota.
To give local citizens an opportunity to demonstrate their opposition to the ongoing wars this country is waging, we'll be holding a march and rally in downtown Duluth starting at noon. We'll be assembling at the Clayton, Jackson & McGhie Memorial at the corner of 2nd Ave. E. & E. 1st Street. From there we'll march to the Duluth Federal Building.
The theme of the protest is FUND HUMAN NEEDS: MAKE JOBS NOT WAR! The speakers will be talking about where we should be spending our tax dollars, as opposed to war and occupation.
Among the speakers at the rally will be Eric Blomstrom from Community Action Duluth, Scott Yeazle of the Twin Ports Action Coalition, Kathy Anderson of the Northland Anti-War Coalition, Rev.Cathy Schuyler of the Duluth Congregational Church and CHUM, Todd Erickson of Workers United Local 99, health care activist Charles Gessert and a spokesperson for the group Earth Action of the College of St. Scholastica. Ellie Connolly will be the MC and Peter Provost of the band Clear will be sharing some songs.
This event is being organized by the Northland Anti-War Coalition, and is endorsed date by the Duluth Central Labor Body, Veterans for Peace, Women in Black, Peace North, the Duluth Area Green Party, Grandmothers for Peace, Socialist Action, Lake Superior Greens, Duluth Unitarian-Universalist Peace & Justice Committee, UMD Students for Peace, CSS Center for Just Living, Twin Ports Action Coalition, Workers United Local 99, CSS Earth Action, Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice, Rice Lake People for Peace, the Nortland Center for Art & Ecopsychology and a host of individual activists and concerned citizens!
Read more...
NATIONAL DAY OF LOCAL ACTIONS TO END THE WARS
Saturday, October 17 is a national day of local actions against the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Around the country over 40 cities and towns will be holding protests, among them will be Duluth, Minnesota.
To give local citizens an opportunity to demonstrate their opposition to the ongoing wars this country is waging, we'll be holding a march and rally in downtown Duluth starting at noon. We'll be assembling at the Clayton, Jackson & McGhie Memorial at the corner of 2nd Ave. E. & E. 1st Street. From there we'll march to the Duluth Federal Building.
The theme of the protest is FUND HUMAN NEEDS: MAKE JOBS NOT WAR! The speakers will be talking about where we should be spending our tax dollars, as opposed to war and occupation.
Among the speakers at the rally will be Eric Blomstrom from Community Action Duluth, Scott Yeazle of the Twin Ports Action Coalition, Kathy Anderson of the Northland Anti-War Coalition, Rev.Cathy Schuyler of the Duluth Congregational Church and CHUM, Todd Erickson of Workers United Local 99, health care activist Charles Gessert and a spokesperson for the group Earth Action of the College of St. Scholastica. Ellie Connolly will be the MC and Peter Provost of the band Clear will be sharing some songs.
This event is being organized by the Northland Anti-War Coalition, and is endorsed date by the Duluth Central Labor Body, Veterans for Peace, Women in Black, Peace North, the Duluth Area Green Party, Grandmothers for Peace, Socialist Action, Lake Superior Greens, Duluth Unitarian-Universalist Peace & Justice Committee, UMD Students for Peace, CSS Center for Just Living, Twin Ports Action Coalition, Workers United Local 99, CSS Earth Action, Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice, Rice Lake People for Peace, the Nortland Center for Art & Ecopsychology and a host of individual activists and concerned citizens!
Read more...
Report on the Oct. NAWC Meeting
Minutes of 10/11/09 Meeting of the Northland Anti War Coalition
1) Attendance: Joel K, chair for the day; Gary S; Ron M; Ellie C; Dan M; Adam R; Carl S; & Peter K, recorder for the day.
2) Afghan 8th anniversary candle light vigil was held on 10/5. A very nice nite for 40 people who gathered at the Nat'l Guard base on Park Point & proceeded to Amazing Grace. Thank-you Ellie for the candles & Andy for the Vets for Peace float.
3) October 17 March & Rally - meet at Noon at the Clayton, Jackson, McGhie Memorial on 1st St for a hike down to Superior Street & back up to the Federal Building courtyard.
We'll have musical performers & speakers from a variety of perspectives on the topic of how resources could be used better for human needs rather than warfare.
4) November meeting will be on 11/8 at the Unitarian Church in Duluth. The meeting will focus solely on "How to Frame the Anti-War Message" and will be moderated by Donna Howard. This will provide a chance for NAWC to step back & evaluate where to from here.
5) CSS Refugee camp is under way this week on the grounds of St Scholastica. Students are spending the nites in tents to demonstrate solidarity with refugee situations around the world. Stop by to offer support as the nites are going to be cold!
6) UMD Students for Peace are planning an art oriented event for peace in the Spring.
7) Financial issues: Check book responsibility will be transferred to Carl from Peter.
We continue to be on the plus side of the ledger but have been putting quite a bit of effort (& funds) into promoting the upcoming rally as well as other activities so we will need to ask clearly for donations at the rally as well as send out a fund raising letter this winter.
8) Announcements-
A) Carl - National Protest on 3/20/10 in San Fran, L.A. & Wash DC. We will consider sending a bus to one of these & /or holding a local rally at that time.
B) Gary - Vets for Peace had a very good evening on 9/23 with Adam Schesch, A PhD field researcher on the topics of recent wars of revolution & resistance.
C) Carl - Acitvist Summit re: Palestine 11/21 from 9AM to 4 PM at the Duluth Freinds Mtg- Break the Bonds Coaliton members will be in Duluth at the Friends Mtg House to discuss a divestment campaign. NAWC voted to endorse this summit.
D) Ellie - Jubilee House - Center for Development in Central America - (Nicaragua) will host a presentation / dialogue & craft sale @ 7PM on Weds 10/21 @ Peace Church.
E) Bike ride w/ Mayor Don Ness & Jack Nelson Pallmeyer on 10/24 for International Day of Climate Action - 3:00 gather behind the DECC to ride thru Canal Park to Amazing Grace for a 4:00 PM teach-in 350twinports@ gmail.com or 340-4356
F) SOA watch is organizing vans to the School of Americas protests in Columbus Georgia. Leaving 11/19 Contact Joel K jrkilgour@yahoo.com
Read more...
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Report on Oct. 5 Afghan War Vigil
On Monday, October 5, the Northland Anti-War Coalition marked the 8th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan with a candle light vigil and march in Canal Park.
About 40 people gathered in front of the Army Reserve base on Park Point, lit candles, and marched, together with the Veterans for Peace float, to the Amazing Grace coffee house in Canal Park.
The somber event was meant to remind people of the thousands who have needlessly died in this ongoing conflict, and to renew calls for the war to be ended immediately.
After the march, there was an event inside the Amazing Grace honoring war resisters that featured singing by Rachel Kilgour.
Thanks to everyone who participated in this powerful and moving event!
Read more...
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Peace Cabaret October 27
Mississippi Civil Rights Project Fundraiser:Music and Performance
Tuesday, October 27
7:30-10pm
Carmody Irish Pub
308 E. Superior St, Duluth
$10 suggested donation
Welcome by Claudie Washington.
Barton Sutter, Rabbi Amy Bernstein, Mary Cameron, David Comer, Portia Johnson, and Claire Kirch read short pieces by Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, Fannie Lou Hamer, Stokely Carmichael, Sojourner Truth, and Barbara Jordan. Jazz by Perfectini.
This November, Duluth-based movement historian Sue Sojourner is returning again to Holmes County, Mississippi, after working there in the Civil Rights Movement for five years in the 1960s. This time the Oral History Center of the University of Southern Mississippi-Hattiesburg is holding a gathering for the surviving veterans of that Movement. The event uses a workbook Sue created on the Holmes Movement History as a memory catalyst. It will be a unique local-community-led oral history documentation project.
This fundraiser will help defray travel costs to Mississippi. It will also help Sue finish her memoir and catalog her historical collections for transfer to two archival institutions.
Sponsored by NAACP. For more info contact Ann Klefstad 218-525-3037. Donations are tax deductible.
Read more...
Remember the Refugee Week at CSS
For a week beginning October 11, the front lawn of the Science Building at the College of St Scholastica will be home to a tent city. Students with the CSS chapter of Amnesty International are living outside to draw attention to the global refugee crisis. The camp will be bustling with awareness-raising activities all week - teach-ins, movie nights, and even a comedian. All events are open to the public. Read more for a full schedule of events.
CSS Remember the Refugee Week
Schedule of events
Monday October 12th:
Bret Thiele, Coordinator—Litigation Progamme, and Mayra Gomez, Coordinator—Women and Housing Rights, from the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions will be speaking about the right to adequate housing. 6:00pm.
“City of God,” a film about the immense amount of gangs and violence in Rio de Janeiro. Capturing the looks of defeat and despair through his photography, a young boy is convinced to tell a story that nobody wants to hear but everyone should know. 7:30 pm.
Tuesday October 13th:
Panel Discussion with CSS Iraqi Refugees. Students from Iraq will be talking about the current refugee situation. 7:00pm.
Wednesday October 14th:
Simple breakfast to begin a 30 hour fast. If you are interested in joining students from St. Scholastica standing in solidarity with those who experience hunger on a daily basis, please join us at 9:00am.
Comedian Rob O’Reilly will be taking the stage to remind us that Refugees are no laughing matter. 7:00pm.
Thursday October 15th:
Soup and Discussion about the worldwide refugee crisis to finish our 30 hour fast. Please join us for great food and great talk! 6:00pm
Benefit Concert with St. Scholastica students Mike Legan and Sarah Hengel, featuring Duluth’s own Sara Thomsen. Come, listen to some great music, grab some dinner beforehand, and be generous as we pass the hat. 7:00 pm.
Friday October 16th:
Film Showing: “Gaza: the Killing Zone.” A British report on Israeli violence in Gaza against not only Palestinian civilians, but international aid volunteers and foreign reporters as well. 5:30pm.
Bob Kosuth will be talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 6:30pm
Candle-light vigil in remembrance of the refugees whom we honored during the week. 7:30pm
Read more...
CSS Remember the Refugee Week
Schedule of events
Monday October 12th:
Bret Thiele, Coordinator—Litigation Progamme, and Mayra Gomez, Coordinator—Women and Housing Rights, from the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions will be speaking about the right to adequate housing. 6:00pm.
“City of God,” a film about the immense amount of gangs and violence in Rio de Janeiro. Capturing the looks of defeat and despair through his photography, a young boy is convinced to tell a story that nobody wants to hear but everyone should know. 7:30 pm.
Tuesday October 13th:
Panel Discussion with CSS Iraqi Refugees. Students from Iraq will be talking about the current refugee situation. 7:00pm.
Wednesday October 14th:
Simple breakfast to begin a 30 hour fast. If you are interested in joining students from St. Scholastica standing in solidarity with those who experience hunger on a daily basis, please join us at 9:00am.
Comedian Rob O’Reilly will be taking the stage to remind us that Refugees are no laughing matter. 7:00pm.
Thursday October 15th:
Soup and Discussion about the worldwide refugee crisis to finish our 30 hour fast. Please join us for great food and great talk! 6:00pm
Benefit Concert with St. Scholastica students Mike Legan and Sarah Hengel, featuring Duluth’s own Sara Thomsen. Come, listen to some great music, grab some dinner beforehand, and be generous as we pass the hat. 7:00 pm.
Friday October 16th:
Film Showing: “Gaza: the Killing Zone.” A British report on Israeli violence in Gaza against not only Palestinian civilians, but international aid volunteers and foreign reporters as well. 5:30pm.
Bob Kosuth will be talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 6:30pm
Candle-light vigil in remembrance of the refugees whom we honored during the week. 7:30pm
Read more...
Thursday, October 1, 2009
October 5 Candlelight March and Vigil
October marks 8 years since the invasion of Afghanistan. 8 years of airstrikes and rising death tolls; 8 years of waiting for reconstruction and economic development assistance; 8 years and more than $200 billion of US tax dollars squandered on armed conflict.
Please join NAWC as we solemnly take stock of these losses and keep the pressure on to bring troops home now. The Obama Administration is thinking of escalating the conflict with tens of thousands more troops. As an anti-war movement, we have a narrow window of opportunity to influence the debate - it's time to get back on the street.
Read more...
Please join NAWC as we solemnly take stock of these losses and keep the pressure on to bring troops home now. The Obama Administration is thinking of escalating the conflict with tens of thousands more troops. As an anti-war movement, we have a narrow window of opportunity to influence the debate - it's time to get back on the street.
Monday, October 5
7 pm Candlelight march and vigil to end the war
Gather at the US Army Reserve at 1500 St Louis Avenue on Park Point in Duluth. Candles provided, consider wearing black or a black armband
8 pm Celebration of war resistance at Amazing Grace
Join CSS Amnesty International and Truth in Recruiting as we honor war resistance, past and present. Sing along to anti-war tunes with Rachael Kilgour (feel free to bring an instrument and a Rise Up Singing!); sign cards to US soldiers serving jail time for refusing to fight; and get to know your fellow activists.
Read more...
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