Washington Peace Center

End mandatory JROTC training in our city's schools

2006-05-07T09:45:00.000-04:00

The D.C. Public School system is spending $2.1 million annually on a JROTC program. It is believed to be the system's most expensive program. JROTC is mandatory in seven public schools in D.C.

On May 2, the D.C. Anti-War Network (DAWN) formed a Working Group to tackle this issue and end mandatory JROTC training in our city's schools. To become involved contact Pete Perry at pete4peace@gmail.com. This group will work closely with John Judge and other local activists who have been working hard to end the militarization of our youth.

Pete Perry <pete4peace@gmail.com>

Damu Smith Passes from our arms into God's

2006-05-05T11:48:00.000-04:00

Damu Smith was the first to receive the Washington Peace Center lifetime achievement at the first annual Washington Peace Center Awards Night last December.

Damu gave the Awards Night a rousing speech to inspire all in the fight for peace and justice

As he was leaving the Awards Night event, he stopped to smile for the camera with his daughter Asha.

The Life of Damu Smith is a testimony of consistency and commitment to social justice...

Damu Smith, an environmental, social justice and peace advocate, died today succumbing to cancer. They say that everyone is replaceable -- Damu proves that claim to be wrong. He was a powerful and unique spokesperson whose leadership will be greatly missed.

Damu Smith was born in 1952 in St. Louis, Missouri to Sylvester and Vernice Smith. Together with his three brothers and sister, the family lived in the Carr Square Village housing project until Damu was seventeen. In the book Diamond: A Struggle for Environmental Justice in Louisiana's Chemical Corridor, Smith told author Steve Lerner: "I grew up in a working-class, lower-income family. My father was a fireman and an air pollution inspector and my mother was a licensed practical nurse. So I was born of working-class parents. My mother and father went through a lot of difficulties at times...and sometimes it resulted in us going on welfare... I mention this because much of what I am today has been shaped by the fact that I grew up in not wretchedly poor surroundings, but we struggled. I know what it is to go to school without heat at home and study by candlelight and not have enough money to get adequate clothes... I grew up under food stamps and welfare and government handout cheese and milk and meat and all that... So I have great sensitivity to the plight of poor people."

As a high school student, Smith attended a Jesuit-run, after-school program for "disadvantaged male youth". As part of that program he went on a field trip to Cairo, Illinois to Black Solidarity Day rallies where Damu listened to speeches by Amiri Baraka, Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Julian Bond, Nina Simone and Jesse Jackson, and he toured Black neighborhoods where white supremacists had sprayed houses with gunfire. Damu recalls, "Seeing those bullet holes...that changed my life." As a freshman student at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, and president of the Organization of Afro-American Students, Smith led a protest and takeover of the school's administrative offices demanding a Black studies program. It was while at St. John's that Smith changed his name to Damu Amiri Imara Smith. In Swahili, Damu means blood. As he has stated, "The blood that I am willing to shed for the liberation of my people." Amiri means leadership: "The leadership I must provide in the service of my people." And Imara means strength: "The strength and stamina I have to maintain in the struggle." In 1973, Smith moved to Washington, DC to attend Antioch College's Center for the Study of Basic Human Problems, and to be "close to the action." And as they say, the rest is history.

Extending over more than thirty years, his activism has included vigilance in the fight against apartheid in South Africa as Executive Director of the Washington Office on Africa and co-founder of Artists for a Free South Africa. Damu has worked to expose gun violence, police brutality and government injustice through his work with the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice, the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the National Wilmington 10 Defense Committee, and the National Black Independent Political Party. He has worked to effect peace and a freeze on nuclear weapons as Associate Director of the Washington Office of the American Friends Service Committee, and advocated for environmental justice as National Associate Director and national toxics campaigner for Greenpeace USA.

Smith became the first coordinator for environmental justice for the Southern Organizing Committee for Economic and Social Justice, and in that capacity visited forty towns and cities in nine states in 1991 and 1992 experiencing first hand how chemical dumping and other environmentally toxic corporate practices impact the health and lives of poor and African American communities. He also organized Toxic Tours in the South for Greenpeace, taking celebrities such as Alice Walker, Haki Madhubuti and others to an area in Louisiana called "Cancer Alley" because of its toxicity. Damu was instrumental in helping grass roots organizations confront Shell Oil about its dumping practices and to force a PVC plant out of Norco, Louisiana, a campaign that has been dramatized in a Lifetime cable channel movie. In 1999, in a move that changed the face of the environmental movement, Smith coordinated the largest environmental justice conference ever held, the historic National Emergency Gathering of Black Community Advocates for Environmental and Economic Justice. This gathering led to the formation of the National Black Environmental Justice Network (NBEJN), the first ever national network of Black environmental justice activists, of which he is currently executive director.

Damu is also the founder of Black Voices for Peace, a group dedicated to mobilizing the Black community in concert with people of goodwill of all races and nationalities to protest US military aggression in Iraq and elsewhere around the world, and to lobby for redirecting the billions of dollars the Bush administration is spending on global U.S. military operations and support of the Israeli government's occupation of Palestinian land to funding for universal healthcare and access, for education, jobs, housing, environmental protection, equal justice, reparations and other critical human needs.

While participating in a Palm Sunday peace march this year in Palestine, Damu fainted and had a seizure. Tests completed in the Palestine Authority and in US hospitals have confirmed the presence of stage four cancer of the colon, which has spread to his liver. Throughout his life, Damu has been victorious in many, many struggles for human rights and justice. And he will be triumphant in this, his latest battle against cancer. With the love of his twelve year old daughter, Asha, the support of family and friends all over the world and all of you and faith in God, Damu says he is confident that, "I can overcome this... I am overwhelmed by the love."

William Sloan Coffin dies at age 81

2006-04-14T13:14:00.000-04:00

I remember William Sloan Coffin from his antiwar activism on the Yale campus in the mid-60s. I was not a Yale student. I was a high school student in the New Haven suburbs actively supplementing my learning with anything politically enlightening. I often found myself on the Yale campus soaking up all the radicalism I could find. While on that quest, I came across lectures and rallies many times where Reverend Coffin was the center of activities.

About a year ago while flipping channels on the television, I came across someone interviewing him. Again, he gave me something to hold onto. He was talking about getting old, and said, "Nowadays, when I bend down to pick something up, I feel like I gotta look around to see if there is anything else that needs picking up while I'm down there."

His presence here on earth will be missed, but because he did his job so well, his words and character will live on.

-- posted by Nancy Shia

The following is the National Council of Churches article about the passing of William Sloan Coffin:

New York, April 13, 2006 -- The Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Jr., who died Wednesday at 81, "was no ordinary man and he leaves no ordinary hole," said the general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA.

"To my generation, he was a hero," said the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar last night.

Recalling Coffin's comment to his former Yale student and Watergate conspirator Jeb Stuart Magruder that he had "lost his moral compass," Edgar said, "That is what Bill Coffin was for many of us: our moral compass."

Edgar recalled Coffin's long career as a civil rights leader, peace activist, pastor and ecumenist.

From 1977 to 1987, Coffin was pastor of The Riverside Church in Manhattan. The church is directly across the street from The Interchurch Center that houses the National Council of Churches New York office, and Coffin was pastor and friend to many NCC staff. In 1979, when U.S. embassy personnel were taken hostage by radical students in Iran, Coffin and NCC President M. William Howard led a delegation to Teheran to conduct Christmas services for the hostages.

"Bill never lost an opportunity to witness for peace," Edgar said.

The full text of Edgar's statement follows:

William Sloane Coffin Jr. was no ordinary man and he leaves no ordinary hole. He was full of mystifying contrasts that made him endlessly fascinating and difficult to describe. He was a CIA agent who became an international peace activist. He was a scion of old money, but he made his life with the ordinary. He was a legendary liberal but a life-long friend of George H.W. Bush. He could be righteously angry at injustice or war mongering, but masked it behind a Cheshire cat grin. He could be prophetically stern, but riotously funny. He could intone profound theological insights, but sweeten them with his working class New York accent.

To my generation, Bill Coffin was a hero. When he was chaplain of Yale University in the sixties, he organized freedom rides in the South and by 1967 was leading students in civil disobedience against the Vietnam War. When one of his students – the future pastor, Jeb Stuart Magruder – became entangled in Watergate, Bill told him he had lost his moral compass. That is what Bill Coffin was for many of us: our moral compass. He once said, “God loves you the way you are, but he knows you can do better.”

Bill never lost an opportunity to witness for peace. In 1979, during the Iran hostage crisis, he and National Council of Churches President M. William Howard led an NCC delegation to Iran to bring Christmas worship to the U.S. hostages.

He was pastor of Riverside Church from 1977 to 1987. People who worshipped at Riverside in those years say his most memorable sermon may have been the Sunday after his son was killed in an automobile accident. He rejected the notion that his son's death, or any other tragedy, was God's will. “God,” he said, “is crying, too.” When Bill left Riverside, it was to become president of SANE/FREEZE (now Peace Action), the largest peace and justice organization in the United States.

Bill Coffin led a full and remarkable life, and he would not want us to think of his death as premature or tragic. But that doesn't make it any easier to think of a world without him. We can allow ourselves a few tears. And we remember, in our grief, Bill's assurance that God is crying, too.

DC Immigrants March for Inalienable Rights

2006-04-10T22:18:00.000-04:00

(c) 2006
shia photos
all rights reserved

On Monday, April 10th, people began gathering as early as noon in Malcolm X Park at 16th and Euclid Streets, N.W. The march was scheduled to step off at 4pm. The mood was upbeat, almost festive, thanks to the sounds and vibes of the Rhythm Workers Union, and many others who brought song and dance to rally and demonstration. While the Rhythm Workers Union played on the north side of the park, Arabs and Arab-Americans gathered on the south side to march in solidarity, along with bringing closer attention to the rightwing abuse of Arab and Muslim immigrants.

At the same time, People for the American Way were passing out American flags to people entering the park at 16th near Florida Avenue. The weather was beautiful. Immigrant families with small children gathered with longtime community activists to march to the mall for immigrant rights

Going down 16th Street, the march took up all lanes. Traffic was stopped from I Street, NW to Euclid Street, NW along 16th Street. Chants and slogans expressed determination of people living and working here to stay here.

The symbol most prevalent in the march was the American flag. The message is we are all Americans. We are a country of immigrants.

This is a call for justice from those who heretofore have been kept silent due lack of "immigration status". The time is now for them to claim that status. This sleeping giant has been awaken. The message is simple and just: No human being should be called “illegal”.

Support Affordable Housing,

2006-03-29T23:20:00.000-05:00

Attend The Public Hearing

Friday, March 31, 2006
5:00 pm
District Building – 1350 Penn. Ave., NW 5th Fl.

It’s Election Time & Everybody’s trying to get money from landlords and developers!

Protect Tenants
Say NO To the Mayor’s Pro-LandLord Bill “Rent Control” Bill
Because It will:
1. It will lead to higher rent increases.
2. It has fewer protections for tenants from illegal rent increases.
3. It gives you less time to challenge a rent increase.
4. It limits your right to a rent refund based on housing code violations, even if those violations are very serious.
5. It erases a very good court decision for tenants (the Sawyer decision). The Sawyer case says tenants can undo rent increases if the landlord did not file on time. The new law would get rid of that rule.
6. It says landlords do not have to file any notice of important information, like changes in ownership or management of the building.
7. It lets landlords take very high rent increases any time there is a vacancy.

Call EmpowerDC for more info & Action (202) 234-9119

"Fighting for the Soul of America"

2006-03-28T04:11:00.000-05:00

It sure was a colorful day today on the west lawn of the U.S. capitol. DC had its immigrant demonstration, and it did not disappoint. They gave away free t-shirts and free water, and made everyone welcomed in their midst. It was more like a party than a demonstration.

3 years of war, too many dead-- DC holds rally, march and press conference

2006-03-18T20:18:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, March 18th, people gathered at 2-2:30 pm across the street from Vice President Cheney's house on Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Aside from the organizers, the first group to show was the press.

Organizing for the event was not an easy task. Organizers began meeting weekly in January in the basement of the Mt. Pleasant Library. The first roadblock was to obtain a permit for the place to rally. When activist Pete Perry went to the police for the permit, he learned that ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and Racism) had already asked for permits everywhere DC rallies are normally held. After a long discussion about where a march should go, the organizers decided on starting at Cheney's place because of Cheney's integral part in the war in Iraq.

Kit Bonson of the Washington Peace Center and Malachy Kilbride of DC AntiWar Network were two of the hardest working organizers that made the event happen.

Before kicking off the march, several speakers took the mike to rev up the crowd. One was the Reverend Graylan Hagler, pastor of the Plymouth Congregational Church. The Rev was great at revving.

After the speeches, the march went down Massachusetts Avenue. It was led by Daniela Shia on her scooter, carrying an ANSWER sign. Following Daniela, were banners of pink and black, indicating our friends from Code Pink and the anarchists were there..

When the march reached its destination in Dupont Circle, the rally was starting around the fountain at the same time a press conference was beginning on the grass in the southeast corner of the park. One of the speakers at the press conference was Tariq Khan, a George Mason University student and an Iraq war veteran who faced criminal charges for speaking out against recruiters on his campus. The university eventually dropped the charges against him. Tariq spoke about supporting the troops when they want to become consciencious objectors or go AWOL in order to leave the service of this war.

It was a great march down Massachusetts Avenue, a beautiful day in Washington, D.C. Speaking against the war in Iraq at this time made a lot of sense.

(c)2006
nancy shia
shia photos
nancy@upcloseandpolitical.com

DC HipHop Caucus and Congress people push for Katrina bill

2006-03-14T20:44:00.000-05:00

by nancy shia (c)2006
nancy@upcloseandpolitical.com

On Tuesday, March 14th, 10,000 Katrina survivor families were scheduled to be evicted from hotels in Mississippi and Louisiana. The same day, several congress people, civic leaders, and Katrina survivors held an 85-minute press conference in Congress (2226 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.), addressing the dire situation for many survivors and legislation proposed to address the needs of survivors. HR 4197’s stated purpose is “to provide for the recovery, reclamation, restoration and reconstruction of lives and communities and for the reunion of families devastated by Hurricane Katrina and to address the issues of poverty exposed by Hurricane Katrina.”

The bill was introduced by Representative Melvin Watt from North Carolina on November 2, 2005 and referred to the House Budget Committee on the same day. It is still in the House Budget Committee with no hearings scheduled to get it out of committee and onto the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. The 62 co-sponsors of the bill are John Barrow [D-GA], Sanford Bishop [D-GA], Robert Brady [D-PA], Corrine Brown [D-FL], George Butterfield [D-NC], Julia Carson [D-IN], Donna Christensen [D-VI], William Clay [D-MO], Emanuel Cleaver [D-MO], James Clyburn [D-SC]. John Conyers [D-MI], Joseph Crowley [D-NY], Elijah Cummings [D-MD], Artur Davis [D-AL], Danny Davis [D-IL], Eni Faleomavaega [D-AS], Chaka Fattah [D-PA], Harold Ford [D-TN], Barney Frank [D-MA], Charles Gonzalez [D-TX]. Al Green [D-TX], Raul Grijalva [D-AZ], Luis Gutierrez [D-IL], Alcee Hastings [D-FL] Michael Honda [D-CA] Jesse Jackson [D-IL] Sheila Jackson-Lee [D-TX] William Jefferson [D-LA] Eddie Johnson [D-TX], Stephanie Jones [D-OH], Carolyn Kilpatrick [D-MI], Dennis Kucinich [D-OH], Barbara Lee [D-CA], John Lewis [D-GA], Cynthia McKinney [D-GA], Kendrick Meek [D-FL], Gregory Meeks [D-NY], Juanita Millender-McDonald [D-CA], R. Bradley Miller [D-NC], Gwen Moore [D-WI], Eleanor Norton [D-DC], Major Owens [D-NY], Donald Payne [D-NJ], Charles Rangel [D-NY], C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger [D-MD], Bobby Rush [D-IL], Janice Schakowsky [D-IL], David Scott [D-GA], Robert Scott [D-VA], Bennie Thompson [D-MS], Edolphus Towns [D-NY], Debbie Schultz [D-FL], Maxine Waters [D-CA] Diane Watson [D-CA], Lynn Woolsey [D-CA], Albert Wynn [D-MD].

Pastor Ron Weegar (at right) from Gulfport Louisiana spoke of the pain and misery many Katrina survivors are still experiencing.

An important highlight of the bill would give Katrina survivors the right to vote in satellite voting operations much like what our government recently provided for Iraqis and Afghanis living in this country but wishing to vote in their home country’s elections.

Several speakers explained how the upcoming elections scheduled in April in New Orleans are in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which requires certain states (including Louisiana and Mississippi) to “preclear” changes in electoral process. Hurricane Katrina dispersed over 300,000 survivors among 44 states. The voting process moving forward at this time disenfranchises all these survivors unless they are able to physically return to New Orleans to vote.

While the press conference was winding down, about 200 people marched from the U.S. Capitol to the White House for a rally and vigil. The rally took place in Lafayette Park across the street from the White House. To the dismay of the marchers, they were greeted in the park by U.S. Park Police who were intent on imposing every little park regulation they knew against the people gathering. Bicyclists were not allowed to park their bikes to park benches. Camera people were not allowed to use their tripods. To the delight of all those present, the organizers of the event passed out t-shirts supporting HR 4197 and the inalienable rights of Katrina Survivors.

The highlight of the afternoon was Courtney Dove singing her original song “On the Rise”. Courtney’s voice rivals Tracy Chapman’s, and it is indeed DC’s loss that she left here to go live in New York City.

One of the most moving speeches was from Damu Smith, who got up off the radiation table at a local hospital to come to the park to speak. Damu recalled the days of the antiapartheid struggle in DC, when Congresspeople and celebrities would routinely get arrested at the South African embassy protesting against apartheid. The effort to secure equality and human rights for Katrina survivors will take a consistent concerted long-term effort in Washington in order to exert the necessary pressure on the rightwing establishment to make these changes happen.

Anti-Immigrant Congressional Action : A Frightening Possibility

2006-03-10T23:58:00.000-05:00

by Thomas Gomez

Over the summer the New White Power Movement launched an offensive. That offensive began in Hearndon, VA with a group calling itself the Minutemen harassing immigrant workers. Almost overnight other Minutemen chapters sprang to life nationwide in order to give the impression of a spontaneous mass movement demanding action on immigration.

In fact there was nothing spontaneous about the White Power Campaign. It had probably been conceived in Hearndon two years ago at the Hyatt Regency, host to the American Renaissance Conference funded by the New Century Foundation. Even earlier the White Power Movement had successfully organized a demonstration in 2002 that had drawn 6,000 people in Monroe, NC....

Darby Hickey at Free Speach Radio News has been on this since the anti-immigrant campaign first came out in Hearndon, few others in Left media have (I believe I may have refered to the Monroe demonstration in a piece on the mostly white Anarchists building a counter-cultural movement in Ashville amidst the supporters of Eric Rudolph that aired on WPFW in 2003).

Another Latino activist however, understood the danger this movement posed immediately...having spent his adolescent years in war torn El Salvador (he prefers not be known by name and no longer grants interviews, having already received threats against his life). While local residents in Hearndon itself tried to diffuse what they perceived as a tense situation developing over cultural differences in a rapidly expanding community, he called in the troops, organizing militant Anarchist youth in the white Community to defend the undocumented immigrants against harassment. His approach was, and is, blatantly confrontational. With this there can be no dialog, only conflict. His group has been composed almost entirely of anti-racist whites, and their intervention was non-violent but confrontational. They call these new Klansmen what they are. After having initially embraced the 'brave' Minutemen.... corporate media made this new Anti-Fascist Action group the flavor of the day.

The turning point here in my opinion came when a Washington Post reporter is attempting to interview him and one of the 'brave' Minutemen rushes over screaming that Latino immigrants have come to the US to 'Rape White Women and Deal Drugs!' Unfazed he shoots back 'You have built your 'Empire' (the 'Invisible Empire') through slavery and genocide. This country is NOT yours, and it never will be!'

Next came Minuteman leader Gilchrist's demo on the 8Th of this month, intended to get Senate Bill 4437 out of the Judiciary Committee chaired by Arlen Spector. The debate had now polarized to the point where Bill White and his above ground Nazi organization felt compelled to show up (along with a lone Klansman). For these hardliners the Duke strategy is bullshit, the time to call this a White Power Movement is NOW! The three racist groups came to blows and had to be separated by the cops. The Minutemen demanding Mass Deportations Now, the Nazi's demanding the Genocide of all Non-Whites, and the Klansman demanding the repeal of the 13Th Amendment! There was literally nothing for the counter demonstrators to do, as the Minutemen's Legislative supporters in the Senate, and Gilchrist, tried to claim they were not racist. It was a disaster, a vote on getting 4437 to the full Senate was postponed 6 weeks until the end of March.

Immediately after that disaster Enrique Morones and the Immigrant Caravan arrived in DC to protest 4437, asserting our humanity with a banner proclaiming proudly "We Are Workers, Not Criminals", and denouncing the fact that 4,000 people died on the border last year trying to enter this country to work at some of the most brutal, degrading, and low-paying jobs in this nation. There were literally more reporters than people by now.

The following week was the American Renaissance Conference itself. By now corporate media was all over this. Gilchrist and his organization issued a statement denouncing the conference they themselves had emerged from. Very few people were fooled. As the New Anti-Fascists organized counter demonstrations, I continued working the email trying to enlist the support of Civil Society. Originally only MALDEF and Casa De Maryland were admitting they were aware of the threat and actively working to do something about it by lobbying. Now everyone was doing the same.

A wave of Xenophobia has swept the Congress though. Even George W. Bush is being forced to bow down by his right. They don't need him anymore. Latino Civil Society organized buses for the actions on the 7Th. A crowd of some 40,000 predominately Latino immigrants gathered yesterday at the US capitol to oppose 4437. Friends say it was the largest Latino Mobilization in memory, almost all local people organized by community based organizations...It indicates the Latino community is not unaware of what is happening in the Senate or the forces driving it. If 4437 were to leave Spector's Judiciary Committee unchanged I fully expect Immigrant Civil Society will be swept aside by Race Rioting across the country on a scale not seen since the 'Zoot Suit' rioting of the '40's.

The legislation in its current form criminalizes 1.5 million immigrant children, denies funding to service providers who serve undocumented immigrants, and strips citizenship from people born in this country who have lived here their whole lives if their parents lacked legal residence at the time they were born...The last poll numbers I had showed it had 59% popular support. As the old song goes "I think we're in for nasty weather..."

The coverage in the Post this morning

{Immigrant Bill Sends Chill Through Rally (The Washington Post)
By Paul Schwartzman, Page A06, March 08, 2006}

downplays the seriousness of 4437 getting out of committee. The BBC, the whole Continental press corp, Japanese television all covered this. Latinos alone are now 13.5% of US society. If the Duke bill leaves committee, and the US adopts a mass deportation policy on immigration expect a rerun of the most turbulent period of the '60's. While Latinos may be in the front on this Hattians, Jamaicans, Africans, Indians will all be hit hard. Where is the broader Left on this?

Iraqi Women Lead March for Pink Power on International Women's Day

2006-03-10T13:48:00.000-05:00

About 500 multinational women and a few men gathered near the Iraqi embassy in a park behind a church on 18th Street, N.W., in Washington, D.C, . The march was led by Iraqi women whom Code Pink brought to DC to help educate Americans on the evils of the war paid for with our tax dollars.

Native American chants were made while the women formed a circle and faced the four corners of the earth.

Sporting her new hot pink arm sling acquired the previous day from an action at the United Nations, Cindy Shehan spoke of the profound losses war causes.

Across the street was one lone counterprotester, a "pale-skinned" woman waving the American flag and holding a sign that denounced Code Pink.

In addition to multinational, the beings who gathered were multidimensional. Many were puppets who tried to blend into the crowd, as if they were one of us, and they were.

After the rally and speeches, a sea of pink, carrying signs and banners in Arabic and in English, gathered in the middle of 18th Street, walked to the Iraqi Embassy to deliver a letter, and then marched downtown to the White House.

(c) 2006 Shia photos/All rights reserved.
Washington Peace Center Blog

Statement of the Union

2006-02-11T00:24:00.000-05:00

photo by Shia (c) 2006 -- creative commons

The photo was taken at the protest of the State of the Union, Tuesday night, 31 January at 9pm.

The former head of FEMA spoke today, Friday, February 10th, in front of Congress, exposing the lies and spin of the Bush Administration during the days and months after the gulf coast hurricanes. How long will it take people to realize if the country prosecutes a war abroad, there can never be security at home?

Criminalizing the Homeless

2006-01-13T02:43:00.000-05:00

A report on the criminalization of homelessness was released on Wednesday, January 11, 2006 in the law offices of Covington and Burling in Washington D.C. The report was prepared by the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP). The report is called “A Dream Denied: The Criminalizaton of Homelessness in U.S. Cities”.

The report cites the 20 meanest cities in the U.S. and bases this rating on ordinances and laws the mean city imposes against homeless people for performing life-sustaining acts in public spaces. In addition to the 20 meanest cities, the report discusses 75 other cities imposing constitutionally questionable policies on the homeless. Washington, D.C. was not one of the 20 meanest cities, but it was on the list of cities that need to improve their approach to the issue of homelessness.

The report can be found at: nationalhomeless.org/publications/crimreport/index.html

There are no anti-loitering laws in DC. These laws were declared unconstitutional in D.C Superior Court in 1968. There is one Drop-in center. It runs from early morning until 3:30 pm in a church in downtown DC. Homeless people can get a shower, clean up, and get a meal there. This drop-in center serves about a hundred people a day. The population living in the streets in D.C. is approximately a thousand.

There are many types of “mean” laws applied to homeless people. Some prevent feeding the homeless where they congregate. DC police often impose this type of law on those who feed homeless people in Dupont Circle. When successfully applied, this law imposes a fine and possible jail time for a violation for feeding the homeless.

When a city doesn’t offer minimal care to its most vulnerable residents, that city is not doing the minimum a government should do to care for its people. Many among the homeless population in this country are U.S military veterans. Sadly, the veteran homeless population grows with more people returning from Iraq. Human services officials in cities that have laws and ordinances on the books which adversely affect the quality of life of their homeless population should read the report to see what simple programs can be implemented to ease the unnecessary burden that is put on the criminal justice system for criminalizing life-sustaining activities of the homeless. Jailing is a lot more costly than sheltering.

By Nancy Shia
January 2006

Criminalizing Homelessness -- where it's worst

2006-01-08T23:52:00.000-05:00

News Conference Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Contact: Michael Stoops from NCH (202) 462-4822
or Melanie Mullen from NLCHP (202) 638-2535

PRESS CONFERENCE AND CALL BY NATIONAL ADVOCACY GROUPS ON LAWS CRIMINALIZING HOMELESSNESS

New Study Finds 20 Meanest Cities and Constructive Alternatives to a “Dream Denied”

WASHINGTON, January 6, 2005 – The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) and the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP) will release their 2006 report tracking the escalating trend of criminalizing
homelessness in 224 U.S. cities.

The report also ranks the top 20 meanest cities in the country based on a number of factors, including the number of
anti-homeless laws in the city, the enforcement of those laws, the general political climate toward homeless people in the city, and the city’s history of criminalization measures.

A Dream Denied focuses on specific city measures from 2005 that have targeted homeless persons, such as laws that make it illegal to sleep, eat, or sit in public spaces or placing restrictions on providers serving food to poor and homeless persons in public spaces.

The report also includes information about constitutional challenges to laws and practices that criminalize homelessness, as well as models for more constructive approaches to homelessness.

WHEN: Wednesday, January 11, at 10 AM EST

WHO: Michael Stoops, Acting Executive Director, National Coalition for the Homeless; Washington, DC
Maria Foscarinis, Executive Director, National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty; Washington, DC
Tulin Ozdeger, Civil Rights Attorney, National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty; Washington, DC

After brief remarks, the panelists will take questions.

WHERE: Law Offices of Covington & Burling, LLP – 12th Floor Conference Room, Report to 11th floor for entry 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004-2401 Accessible from Metro Center and Federal Triangle stops.

CALL IN: 1-703-788-0600 - PASSCODE: 504892
or 1-888-338-7820 - PASSCODE: 504892

CONTACT: For more information contact Melanie Mullen: mmullen@nlchp.org or Michael Stoops: mstoops@nationalhomelessness.org, and receive a pre-release Executive Summary.

News Conference Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Contact: Michael Stoops from NCH (202) 462-4822
or Melanie Mullen from NLCHP (202) 638-2535

The report documents criminalization issues in the following 95 cities and includes a comprehensive listing of criminalization laws in 224 cities across the country including:

Albany, CA
Albany, OR
Albemarle, VA
Allentown, PA
Anchorage, AK
Ashland, OR
Athens, GA
Atlanta, GA
Augusta, GA
Augusta, ME
Austin, TX
Baltimore, MD
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The Night Before Christmas in Iraq 2005

2005-12-22T20:37:00.000-05:00

The Night Before Christmas in Iraq 2005

By John Hall
12/16/2005 8:44:08 PM Molokai Island Times

http://www.molokaitimes.com/articles/5121620448.asp

'Twas the night before Christmas and here in Iraq,
Little sister had shrapnel removed from her back.

The napalm had given young Jamal such a scare,
That he climbed up the chimney with soiled underwear.

While mom in her birka and I with prosthesis,
Dragged our war-torn old bodies through Jamal's scattered feces.

The children were nestled in a corner of the basement,
While the baby played with severed limbs and shell casements.

When out in the dirt there arose such a ruckus,
Mama cried with despair: "Allah, don't let them **** us!"

The scattered deposits of depleted uranium,
Burned my retinas and scorched the remains of my cranium.

When what to my wondering eyes came to view?,
But Airforce One, filled with death and a crew.

With a little old pilot who strutted his tush,
I knew that it could be nobody but Bush.

Then up to the housetop his coursers they came,
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name.

On Rumsfeld, on Rove, on Delay and Libby,
Now Wolfowitz, Cheney, Gonzalez and Rice!

To the top of the mosque, past the broken down wall;
Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!

As empty words that before the Mideast Holocaust fly;
In a well-armed Stealth Bomber mount to the sky.

And then on the roof came the stomping of heels;
And exploding grenades of eight Navy Seals.

As I drew in my head and was hobbling away;
Down the chimney came George, with Jamal in his way.

He was dressed in Armani from his smirk to his swagger;
On a mission from God, with a sharp bloody dagger.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his mayhem;
And, with white phosphorus bombs, gave us illumination.

He arrested our grandma and winked at Karl Rove,; As he
smart-bombed our house, up the chimney he rose.

He hopped in the cockpit and said, "Let's get movin';
Mission's Accomplished!...Gawd, I'm so groovin' ".

But I heard him exclaim 'ere he flew out of sight:
"This sure beats snortin' coke, or the buzz from Bud Light!"

Molokai Island Times
PO Box 482123
Kaunakakai, Hawaii 96748
808.553.4443

Responding to the President’s Address on Sunday

2005-12-21T11:28:00.000-05:00

Sunday night, President Bush completed a campaign to persuade public opinion to support his war policy with a brief address on national television. In it he asked the American people, including his critics, for understanding and patience as the Iraq war continues.

In the course of his persuasion campaign, Bush has repeated many of the discredited assertions that the public has already grown weary of hearing. He has continued to insist on “staying the course” in Iraq, a course that offers neither “victory” nor departure, but only additional US military fatalities, which he has virtually promised and begged us to tolerate. More, it is a course in which US government conduct will continue to antagonize the people of Iraq and the Middle East with destructive consequences there and here.

There, US presence has meant as many as one hundred thousand dead, (overwhelmingly non-combatants), destruction of a modern industrial society, summary detention and torture. Here, the commitment of national resources to war has robbed our society of so many possibilities, retarding our capacity to advance health policy, education policy and all manner of social well-being and wrecking our capacity to respond usefully to a natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina.

Moreover, by crafting an endless “war on terror” replete with an ever-changing “enemy,” invasion, torture and spying on our own society’s dissenters, the Bush administration has gone far in fulfilling George Orwell’s 1984 Big Brother prophecy, making a mockery of the ideals of freedom and democracy in the process. Not only is this conduct a mirror-image of the extreme authoritarianism it criticizes in Saddam Hussein, for example, but it returns us to police-state tactics and their inevitable abuses that we thought we’d left behind after the Nixon administration collapsed in disgrace 30 years ago.

We should not be surprised. After all, some of the chief figures responsible for cultivating the current national security mentality and policy, Richard Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, learned their craft in the same Nixon administration, (as did Bush’s father) and have now brought the same into the 21st century to discredit our country – again.

Despite his tough posturing and his appeal to the American people to bear with him, Bush’s administration has shown itself a far greater threat to our country than any foreign government or terrorist organization, destroying from within what outsiders can’t possibly attack - our society’s ideals and even its soul. Like the Nixon regime before it, the disastrous Bush regime needs to exit – stage right – and now!

Paul Magno, Co-ordinator

Peace and Justice Awards Night a Big Success

2005-12-04T17:39:00.000-05:00

The Washington Peace Center held its first annual Peace and Justice Awards Night on Saturday December 3rd, to honor the myriad of activists in the region who have worked tirelessly all year for the causes of peace and justice. The event drew over two hundred people from many corners of our community. Approximately 65 awards were given to activist leaders, student leaders, and a few institutions. The event took place at the Foundry Methodist Church at 16th and P Streets, N.W. in Washington, D.C.

One award went to Catalina Talero who has been teaching violence avoidance to some "hard core" youth in the Latino Community of Northwest Washington, D.C. Catalina's success in reducing violence in DC earned her a Washington Peace Center Award for her nonviolence teaching. She now teaches at the Cesar Chavez Public Charter School, which also received an award for being the most supportive school faculty to the Washington Peace Center.

Also receiving an award was Jennifer Harbury, a Harvard-educated attorney who has worked tirelessly to expose torture and its use by our government. What an honor it was for the Washington Peace Center to have Jennifer Harbury at the first annual peace and justice awards.

Another awardee tonight was Nikolas Schiller, who got the Everywhere Man award. Nik is literally all over the city in his quest and zeal to be doing something for peace and justice. He was especially instrumental this year in his assistance to Operation Ceasefire, which was also recognized as an important event of the year. Adam Eidinger, the founder of OpCeasefire received an award for his work to make an amazing concert happen on the mall in September.

The two keynote speakers this year were Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now" and Damu Smith, founder of Black Voices for Peace. Damu got the "Lifetime Commitment to Peace and Justice" Award. It was stated tonight that Damu started his activist career when he was seventeen years old. His lifetime work has included fighting environmental racism in the 80s, fighting for the freedom of the Wilmington 10 in the 70s, working for Greenpeace in the 90s, and being a strong voice for peace and against the war in Iraq since the war started.

Amy Goodman was her usual captivating self, but never more captivating than when she sat on the floor with her own video camera capturing the speech of Damu on tape.

The Washington Peace Center was very lucky to have both Amy and Damu, thanks to the hard work of Mkwasi Mcharo, the new WPC co-coordinator.

The house was rocked with entertainment from the DC Guerilla Poetry Insurgency, known as "the guerillas".

Also top billing was the Rhythm Workers Union.

The RWU included a guest appearance from Daniela and the Willets (above), a youthful trio who did percussion and dancing, and showed everyone in the room the reason why they are fighting for peace and justice.

After a great time of speeches and entertainment, the time to give the awards came. This was definitely the low point of the evening, due to lack of coordination and preparation. Many of the awardees expected their name to be called, and then to go up and receive an award. Alas, it was not to be. It was done in groups, designated by colors -- a reminder of the Homeland Security Administration's attempts to color-code national security. Order broke down into chaos when one awardee took the mike to sing something out of tune. All the awardees were given certificates off on the side with as little fanfare as possible.

Infoshop was given the award for best activist bookstore.

With the first annual Washington Peace Center Awards Night having such great keynote speakers, and with so many of the awardees truly deserving recognition of their work for peace and justice, this bodes well for the future of this as an annual event. It is sure to be one that the entire activist community looks forward to every year to see who among us will be recognized for their contributions to peace and justice.

Article and photos by (c)2005 shia, all rights reserved. For more information call the Washington Peace Center at 202-234-2000.

Stand Up For Democracy and Environmental Justice In Honduras

2005-11-21T23:44:00.000-05:00

The people of Honduras deserve a better life.
Manifestacion Contra La Corrupcion del govierno de Honduras

Illegal logging in Honduras is destroying the rainforest there.

Rampant corruption in the Honduran government is allowing massive illegal logging to occur, even in "protected" parks such as the world-renowned Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve.

Manifestación Contra La Corrupción

The upcoming Honduran presidential election on November 27th gives us a chance to voice our support for true democracy and condemn corruption and deforestation! We need YOUR HELP - please join us in mobilizing for this demonstration. Let's make it clear that the global community will not support the spread of corruption!

For more information or to RSVP, please call us at

202-667-4400 or email tanya.hon (at) fieldworksonline.com

See the report on the Honduran Illegal Logging Crisis at

www.eia-international.org/files/reports112-1.pdf

Please come out and help us tell the Government of Honduras to end the illegal logging.

WHERE: The Honduran Embassy

3007 Tilden Street, N.W. Up the hill from the Van Ness Metro Stop.

WHEN: Tuesday, November 22 from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm.

The people of Honduras do not benefit from the logging industry. Their homes are often made from corrugated steel, or sometimes even grasses.

Report Back on CounterRecruitment Action

2005-11-17T23:00:00.000-05:00

That was a very funny scene, albeit quite cold.
Spirits were high, really high, on both sides,

The negative side was the Freepers,

Loud and in your face obnoxious, accusing everyone they thought would think differently from them, of being a communist. They yelled anti communist slogans. They held the kind of signs up that reminded you of when your mother told you, "Sticks and stones --- " They were high strung and all white, and mostly loud and clueless.
They like to demean others and laugh and make fun of them. Poor fellas. Imagine having a mind that narrow.
It was nice of them to show up at the counterrecruitment demonstration and double the number of people who came.

Demonstration at Silver Spring Recruiting Station

2005-11-15T15:37:00.000-05:00

(Read Carefully)

The U.S. Army offers exciting careers and excellent benefits for young men and women. Although the job market may be tough for recent high school graduates, a career in the infantry is an exciting and lucrative option!

Infantry enlistees attend Infantry OSUT (One Station Unit Training), which combines Army Basic Training and Infantry AIT (Advanced Individual Training), all in one free 13-week course. The training takes place primarily in the field, with some classroom training. The reality is, though, that infantry training never really stops! Whether taking part in squad maneuvers, target practice or war games, Infantrymen are constantly working to keep their skills sharp and are in a constant state of preparedness. It is an exciting way of life.

During that training, Infantry enlistees are allowed to list their specific infantry job preferences. Upon graduation from OSUT, Infantry enlistees are assigned to one of the following Infantry specialties:

Infantryman (11B)
Indirect Fire Infantryman (11C)

Helpful attributes include:

Ability to work as a team member
Readiness to accept a challenge and face danger
Ability to stay in top physical condition
Willingness to slaughter innocent civilians
Interest in light weapons and ground tactics
Ability to remain calm in stressful situations

The job skills you learn as an Infantryman are teamwork, discipline and leadership that will help you with any career you choose. The skills you acquire during your training will most certainly prepare you for a future civilian career in federal, state and local law enforcement. People depend on police officers and detectives to protect and defend their lives and property.

Join the US Army!
www.goarmy.com

The DC Antiwar Network and the National Youth and Student Peace Coalition are calling for a demonstration in front of the U.S. Armed Forces Recruiting Center located at 8202 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland Thursday, November 17 from 5:00 pm. to 7:00 pm.

----

The station is located three blocks from the Silver Spring Metro at the intersection of Silver Spring Ave. and Georgia Ave. From the South Side Metro Exit, walk one block east on Bonifant St. to Georgia Avenue, then right 2 blocks to the recruiting station. Driving on Georgia Ave. from DC, the recruiting station is on the left, about two blocks past East-West Highway (Rt. 410).

- Col Pat Elder
(Peace Army)

Direct Action at the American Enterprise Institute

2005-11-09T23:39:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday November 9th 2005, there was a protest rally outside the office of the American Enterprise Institute because Iraqi Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi was scheduled to speak at AEI at 2:00 pm. About 30 people participated in the rally demonstration and the same amount of press was there to cover the rally and the speech by Mr. Chalabi.

Chalabi is notoriouis for his role in the start of the war in Iraq. Before the war, he was an exile in this country and had the ear many a neocon upstart, when he claimed there were twenty secret WMD sites in Iraq that just never existed. Chalabi has proven himself to be a smooth operator with questionable ethics. He was convicted in Jordan of embezzlement in Jordan. He has been on and off the take of American taxpayers' dollars for many years. He is one who has profited substantially from the war in Iraq.

The demonstrators read a letter to Mr. Chalabi, carried signs and held banners, and shouted slogans as people passed by in the street or on their way inside to hear what Chalabi had to say.

Because We Care--WPC's next door neighbor

2005-11-09T13:06:00.000-05:00

Because We Care sponsored a health and wellness seminar yesterday. They called it, “A Holistic Approach to Managing Stress and Cardiovascular Disease,” the Lottie B. Matthews Annual Health Education Program. Because We Care is a healthcare teaching service. The Washington Peace Center shares the 3rd floor of the Flemming Center with Because We Care.

The seminar was attended by many student nurses from Howard University, in addition to many other interested people. This seminar should be required for everyone with a body that needs to be taken care of. Our healthcare system is broke, and it can’t be depended on to work for us. The message of the seminar was we have to do the work of health maintenance for ourselves.

First speaker was Coy Dunston. Mr. Dunston started researching natural remedies when his mom was stricken with cancer, and his knowledge of healing herbs and remedies has expanded since then. He runs the Secrets of Nature Health Food Centers at 3923 South Capitol Street, S.W., which has a restaurant and health food store. He suggested that a completely meatless diet is the way to prevent a lot of disease from entering your body.

The second speaker was Dr. Patricia Davidson, who works in Cardiology and Hypertension at the Washington Hospital Center. Dr. Davidson suggested that a meatless diet is the best way to prevent heart disease, but if you must have meat, go with the least complex meats, like fish (fresh water is better) and chicken.

The third and last seminar was about stress, or “distress” as Dr. Cubie Bragg called it. He is a licensed social worker and psychologist at Bowie State University. Dr. Bragg spoke about what influences the stress in one’s life and how to eliminate it. He ended his session with a short meditation.

The last speaker was Robert Moment, who was there to talk about financial health. Mr. Moment’s message was to work your dream. Mr. Moment is an author on business strategy, and he passed out his business card to everyone and welcomed questions.

To end the seminar, everyone got up and joined hands in a circle, and Reverend Anderson said a prayer for the health of everyone.

Peace and Justice Awards Flyer-Please distribute widely

2005-11-09T00:52:00.000-05:00

Get your tickets while they last.

Justice for Guantanamo Detainees: End torture of the hunger strikers--Demonstration at the Justice Department

2005-11-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

In July 2005, prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay military detention center for so-called terrorist detainees began a hunger strike. Since that time, over half of the detainees have participated in the hunger strike. As of September 1, 2005, almost a hundred and fifty detainees were participating in the strike, some who stopped eating, and others stopped eating and drinking.

Some of these prisoners have been force fed in a cruel and unusual manner. It is not that these prisoners are not afforded the same civil rights we in the US are supposed to have. It is that the way they are force-fed is torturous. Large tubes, the thickness of a finger, were forcibly shoved up the nose and down into the stomach, with no anesthesia provided for this procedure. Some detainees would vomit up blood, while shackled from head to toe, and taunted by their keepers.

On Tuesday, November 2nd, there was a demonstration in front of the U.S. Justice Department at 8th and Pennsylvania, NW in support of the fasting detainees of Guantanamo. Victims of torture spoke, along with ministers, an imam, and a rabbi. The demonstration was initiated by the Center for Constitutional Rights, who is working hard for justice and an end of torture for the detainees in Guantanamo Bay. More information about their cases and the extended hunger strike can be found at www.ccr-ny.org.

Article by Nagosh Naito (c)2005 all rights reserved

Thank you Rosa Parks

2005-11-06T17:48:00.000-05:00

1913-2005

On a visit to Arlington at the women's pavilion

2005-11-04T13:18:00.000-05:00

The exhibit of Faces of the Fallen will be coming down in a week. It is an art show of images of American military men and women who made "the ultimate sacrifice" in Afghanistan or Iraq before November 11, 2004. The show would be almost twice as big if it included all the military killed up till now. There would not be enough room in the Women's Pavilion to host it.

Looking at these images, you couldn't help but notice loose change (pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters) as well as notes, letters, flags, and photos, placed on space around the soldier's image. Most heartwrenching are the pictures of the fallen soldier's children -- children who will not have the experience of growing up with their parent -- you see here what war does to families.

As I looked at the images, a Pacific Islander (by appearance) woman approached me and said, "You lost a son?" When she said that, I felt my heart move and felt deep sorrow. She told me she lost her son, and she was looking for his image in the show. I told her they were arranged by date killed. She told me he was shot in the head in Iraq in March 2004, but he died in Walter Reed Hospital. She was able to see him before he died, and she seemed grateful for that. He was her youngest child, never married, but had plans to be married when he returned from Iraq. Her sadness was palpable. Her grandson, she said, would be leaving for Iraq in a month or two. Why does she have to sacrifice more than others in our society? What is the sacrifice for? She did not say she understood why he died. She just felt the deep loss of her youngest child.

There is a sameness in feeling when visiting the Vietnam Memorial Wall and visiting the Faces of the Fallen Art Show. Friends and relatives of the fallen soldier leave mementos for the world to know they existed, and people loved them.

The last day for Faces of the Fallen is scheduled for November 11th, 2005. The famililes of the fallen soldiers will get the art images of their fallen soldier when the show breaks up.

For peaceworkers all over the DC area and beyond, the show is an important show to see.

(c) 2005 Nia Shancy
All rights reserved
niashancy@yahoo.com

First Annual DC Peace and Justice Awards -- Nominations Please

2005-10-24T17:03:00.000-04:00

Sponsored by the Washington Peace Center

A call to the activist and education communities of Washington:
Please help us decide who should be given an award for their special contributions to the work of peace and justice in Washington, D.C.

Nominate someone or an organization you know who has worked hard this year to bring the world closer to a lasting peace and righteous justice. Tell us what they did and why they deserve recognition for their work. Share their work in a paragraph or two and come to the festivities on December 3rd at the Foundry Methodist Church at 16th & P, N.W.

Send these nominations to:
wpcawards@yahoo.com

Thanks for all you do for peace and justice.

How Many More Must Die? Go to Memorial Bridge After 2000th Troop Death

2005-10-24T10:26:00.000-04:00

How Many More Must Die? Go to Memorial Bridge After 2000th Troop Death (for more see http://www.dawndc.net)

All too soon, the number of US troops dead in Iraq will stand at 2000. Military Families Speak Out have called for actions when that regrettable moment comes to pass. The DC Anti-War Network (DAWN), in support of this call to action, and in strong support of the idea that the deaths of the 100,000, 150,000?, 200,000? dead Iraqis be remembered as well, call on us all to take action when that sad moment happens. Please go to the Memorial Bridge, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery (which is the nearest metro), and meet on the Virginia side of the bridge (south corner) at 6PM the evening following the announcement of the 2,000th death (if the death is announced before 9AM that day, the action will be that evening; if it is announced after 9AM, it will be the following evening – we will let you know). Many will be wearing black. We also will be providing signs.

“How many more must die before you take action?”

That is the theme guiding our particular action. As we struggled with how we should prepare for this action, we noted how sick it made us feel inside that we were planning for an action for the 2,000th US soldier to die knowing full well that some of those soldiers are still alive. Unfortunately, US policies in Iraq guarantee that the 2,000th death will be a reality, and so we are forced into the most cynical position of planning for an action while some who will be dead live right now. Furthermore, besides those 2,000 deaths, the figures at the time of this call’s posting show 15,120 US troops wounded, countless others returned home as casualties due to sickness or other reasons. Furthermore, this says nothing about the numbers of Iraqis
killed. Since April 28 of this year, 5,610 Iraqis have died as a result of this war, and that counts only those who have been verified through primary sources, a number we must reasonably believe is well below the actual number. It’s been a year since the Lancet medical journal estimated that more than 100,000 Iraqis had died in Iraq as a result of the war, and so we have no idea how many have died since then. What’s more, how many Iraqis have been wounded? How many are sick? How many lives have been shattered? We know that whether we consider the number of US troops dead or wounded, or the total number dead or wounded, the number is far too high. This war was wrong to start with, based on lies and misinformation, is wrong today as the death toll mounts, and will be wrong tomorrow. How many more must die before we can tolerate this no more?

How many more must die before you take action?

Please join us as we ask that question to motorists crossing the Memorial Bridge, and more importantly, please join us after this action ends. We need to convince people not to stand idly by as perpetual war rages on. We must take heart that the majority of people believe that this war was a mistake, but it won’t be enough until that majority stands with us in perpetual action. The Senate voted 97-0 this month for another $50 billion for Iraq war funding, even after 300,000 people took to the streets on September 24. These senators cannot be counted on to take on the Bush Administration. They also cannot be counted on to take action if we show up for one mass action and then go home. If they are going to listen, our action must be sustained. It really is up to us!

First Annual WPC Awards and Recognition Night, Dec. 3, at Foundry Methodist Church

2005-10-21T14:11:00.000-04:00

This is the space in Foundry where we'll have this fantabulous event. We'll be decorating the morning of the 3rd. If you have any decoration ideas, please email them to wpcawards@yahoo.com.

Join us for an evening of fun, frolic and food, poetry, posters and prizes, with lots of music and dancing, and help us recognize those in our community who have worked selflessly and hard all year for peace, justice and unity in our community.
Saturday, December 3rd, 2005 6-9pm
Foundry United Methodist Church
16th and P Streets, N.W.
Washington, D.C.

Admission: $10 in advance; $12 at door.

For advance tickets, fill out form below and return it to:
Annual Awards Dinner
Washington Peace Center
1426 9th Street, N.W. 3rd floor
Washington, D.C. 20001

Name: _______________________________
Address: ________________________________
_________________________________
Email: ________________________________
Number of tickets ($10each): _____
Amount enclosed: ______________

The Washington Peace Center is a 501c(3) grassroots community organization working to foster peace, justice and harmony in the DC community. All contributions are tax deductible. All donations are welcomed.

Genocide Against the American Indian, Destruction of the Buffalo, and Imperialism in Iraq

2005-10-15T02:23:00.000-04:00

A talk by Jim Macdonald, board member of the Washington Peace Center and founding member of DC Antiwar Network

Jim gave a talk at the Flemming Center Wednesday evening, October 12th, to bring into focus the similarities between the destruction of the American Indians and the buffalo and the U.S. aggression in Iraq. The talk can be found in a powerpoint presentation in the following url, or click on the subject of this Washington Peace Center blog entry.

http://images.indymedia.org/imc/washingtondc/media/application/2/october12genocidedestructionandimperialismslideshow.pdf

Joan Baez at Operation Ceasefire

2005-10-10T02:06:00.000-04:00

(c) 2005
nagosh naito

The lineup was getting crowded a little over a week before the concert was to take place, and they were still waiting on word from Donovan and Joan Baez, two icons from the 60s. Donovan was almost a sure thing, we were told. Joan Baez was not. She needed to be called. I volunteered to call her and had a number for a Code Pink woman who knew how to contact her. On the first call she told me Joan wanted to come to DC for the antiwar/global justice demonstrations, but she had a prior commitment. I asked if I could call again to find out if she’s available. I’d have to wait until after the weekend to know if Joan Baez could perform at Operation Ceasefire. After I failed to call her on Monday, I found out Tuesday that Joan Baez was part of Operation Ceasefire.

Her performance did not disappoint. Her voice is as beautiful as ever. How nice it was to draw up images of the 60s where she performed to an audience with much purpose and determination to end a war. I remember her in Lafayette Park in February ’75, a month or two before the war finally ended. She sang and Daniel Ellsberg spoke there. Gerald Ford was president. How nice it is to see and hear her still singing songs to end wars and injustices. Joan performed early in the concert, at about 3:30pm. She went after Congresswoman Maxine Waters spoke.

Donovan never appeared. We’ll have to get him for the next antiwar concert..

Kennedy Center features China

2005-10-02T23:24:00.000-04:00

(c) 2005 all rights reserved wepaste@yahoo.com

Culture abounds.

The month of October at the Kennedy Center is devoted to the country of China.

Today they had the Chinese National Acrobatic Team. They were amazing. Here's the proof.

Did you know that China owns much of the U.S. debt? As we go further into debt with paying for the war in Iraq, and as natural disasters demand more of our resources, we borrow on our children's future. We are borrowing from China. U.S. economists hope China's economy tanks, or at least the value of the yuan tanks, as we go further into debt. If the yuan tanks, our debt is less. Funny how government economists can play with our children's future relying on a country we've traditionally not trusted, and worse.

If peace comes through cultural contacts, China must be one of the richest countries in the world. The performance of the Chinese acrobats at the Kennedy Center today was superb.

Camp Casey Washington D.C.

2005-10-02T01:56:00.000-04:00

Camp Casey broke camp on Tuesday, the day after four days of action were over. Camp Casey was the manifestation of the Cindy Sheehan Bring 'Em Home Bus Tour. It was a place for the media to get a story. There were grieving parents and grandparents who lost a child in the war in Iraq. There were also veterans and active duty military who hung around to have their say on the state of affairs for people in the military.

Camp Casey is traveling the country. It's a place for those who've lost something in the war to grieve openly and share their loss. Casey was the name of Cindy Sheehan's son who lost his life in Iraq. Maybe it's this open catharsis of the pain of war that caught on to make the cause of antiwar so popular.

Paul Magno puts in 24-hour day "at the office" on Monday

2005-09-30T17:56:00.000-04:00

(c)2005 shia article/isis photo Exclusive to Washington Peace Center

On Monday, September 26th from 6:00 a.m. to Tuesday 6:30 a.m., Washington Peace Center co-coordinator Paul Magno broke all existing records for consecutive hours worked for the Washington Peace Center. Paul worked with a group of religious and secular people who agreed to be arrested for their opposition to the war in Iraq. Paul helped facilitate these arrests and ease tensions between police and the arrestees. He was especially effective in helping the police deal with the elderly and infirm dissenters.

Accompanied the entire time by his daughter Sarah Magno, the dynamic duo arose before the sun to help with the civil disobedience at the Pentagon planned by members of the War Resisters League. Forty-eight people were arrested there. After that action, Paul and Sarah accompanied the group of people who assembled at the Foundry United Methodist Church. From there, they marched to the White House, and there 378 people were arrested. After the arrests, Paul and Sarah went to Anacostia pollice processing center where the arrestees were taken. Paul and Sarah shuttled people back to the city after their processing. Most people paid a fine and forfeited getting their money back. Paul and Sarah stayed until the last arrested person was processed out and then went home to crash.

This was the dance with planned mass arrests. Unplanned mass arrests are supposed to be a thing of the past in DC. There were none in the four days of intense protest and dissent we came through in September.

New Independent Media Cafe Open for Business In Petworth

2005-09-30T10:49:00.000-04:00

Four blocks north of the Georgia Avenue/Petworth Metro Station on the Green Line, the Al Fishawy internet cafe had its grand opening last night at 4126 Georgia Avenue, N.W. It is the brainchild and result of much hard work of Ryme Kalthouda and the DC Radio Coop. The DC Independent Media Center helped finance the clean-up and set up the computer equipment. The media segment of the cafe holds almost a dozen computers, hooked up to allow independent media makers to upload their stories and images to websites all over the world.

The entertainment was a variety of local music activists, also known as artivists and folktivists. Mitch/Midge Potts, also known as Maioan Person led off with examples of his folktivism. He was followed by many others, including Laurelle Blair with a riveting poem on what is happening today in America, Kristen Arant with her spellbinding drumming, and Mark Nickens with his soul-reaching soul music.

There was also an a poster show of Shia posters. Well-known for her PIG Art photography, Shia displayed some of her postered images of Rumsfeld, Bush and Ashcroft. The show will last a month. Others are invited to submit their work for display at the cafe.

Some folks used the computers in the background while others danced in the foreground. It was a good time with good people. When I left the cafe earlier in the day with my son, he said, "San Fran has a lot of these." It looks like Washington is finally trying to keep up with San Francisco in activism. After the great success of the days of activism this month, and the opening of this cafe, Washington's looking good for all Peace Activists.

(c) 2005 Exclusive to Washington Peace Center

Young Women's Drumming Empowerment Project

2005-09-29T09:57:00.000-04:00

The Young Women's Drumming Empowerment Project performs in DC

The She Poets of the Rizing Moon in Djembes (drums) have curves.

In a colossal final performance at the DC Arts Center, the six women and their leader Kristen Arant in the Young Women's Drumming Empowerment Project gave the audience more than what they came to see. The performance was accentuated by audience participation in percussion, and two women in the audience were asked to joint the performers in Afrikan dance.

After four performances in the past two weeks at the DC Arts Center, the Young Women's Drumming Empowerment Project is going on the road.

If you'd like to interview them or book them, please contact Kristen Arant at kristen@youngwomendrum.org or call the Washington Peace Center at 202-234-2000. Their website is www.youngwomendrum.org.

Die-In at U.S. Capitol

2005-09-16T14:35:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, September 13th, a group of one hundred die-ers slunk to their deaths in front of a railroad car labeled as carrying toxic chemicals. These 100 die-ers represented the number of deaths that would occur if the railroad car were to experience an accident that would release its toxic chemical contents into the air.

(c) 2005 Exclusive to Washington Peace Center

Unity Meeting Comments

2005-06-29T14:05:00.000-04:00

On Monday, June 27th, the Washington Peace Center and the DC Anti-War Network (DAWN) hosted, and Reverend Graylan Hagler facilitated, an historic meeting of local and national anti-war and other peace and justice organizations. The theme of this meeting was Unity, particularly focusing on the current anti-war movement leading up to and beyond actions that will take place the weekend of September 24th in Washington, D.C. We would like to hear comments from everyone who attended or wanted to attend this meeting about (a) why they attended, (b) what they feel was accomplished, and (c) what we need to accomplish in the future. To comment, click on the word "comments" at the end of this message.

Internship Information

2005-06-29T13:51:00.000-04:00

The Washington Peace Center is a multi-issue, grassroots, and anti-racist organization working for nonviolent social change in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Working as an intern at the Peace Center gives you an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in political organizing and involves you in educational activities sponsored by the Peace Center and other local & national groups. You are an integral and important part of the Peace Center's vital work.

Washington Peace Center Blog

2005-06-29T12:49:00.000-04:00

The Washinton Peace Center now has this active blog for conversation about current events. Visitors to the website will be able to make comments enabling them to take a more active role in the Washington Peace Center.