CONTENTS
PHILLY AREA ACTION:
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL ACTION:
================================
Inauguration celebration in Philly Jan.20,
11 am-2 pm
Can't make it to Washington? Please join us!
(Neighborhood Networks, Granny Peace Brigade
Philadelphia, Philadelphia NOW, et al.)
Watch and celebrate the inauguration of Barack
Obama as
president of the United States.
The Fox and
Hound, at 1501
Spruce Street in Philadelphia
Tuesday, January
20th. 11 am to 2 pm, or later
Please forward widely. John Hogan 215-753-2657
&
Neighborhood Networks
Marlena Santoyo, 215-247-4385 Granny Peace
Brigade
Philadelphia
_______________________________________________________________
Saturday, January 17th / Honor King's
legacy, Stop the
War(s)!
Yes,
We Can!
Rally and Parade for Peace
Reception:
9am-10:30am at
William Way Center 1315 Spruce St
Rally: 11am -
Philadelphia
City Hall West side (15th & Market)
Parade to Barack
Obama's
People's Inauguration Train Launch Event (TBA)
(Time of rally and parade subject to change
depending on
President-elect Obama's schedule)
For more information: Brandywine Peace
Community
610-544-1818 brandywine@juno.com Penn Action 267-240-9819
rstelly@pennaction.org,
Coalition for Peace Action 609-924-5022 cfpa@peacaction.org
Posters & flyers to be downloaded, printed
and
distributed
-http://www.ufpj-dvn.org/Images_090117_demo.html
__________________________________________________
Saturday, January 17, 2009: Prevent
Gun Violence
March to Jericho,
leaving at 2:45 p.m. from Broad and Poplar,
marching to a
rally in front of a gun shop at 9th and Spring Garden at 3:30
p.m. This
is an interfaith event, organized by Father Paul Washington's
son.
This is an on-going interfaith effort. There are about 30
different
churches actively involved. Contact: (267) 519-5302 or
email them
at saturday@peacegathering2009.org.
________________________________________________________________
Herbal Workshop this Saturday, January 10th,
10-11:30 - Teas and Tinctures:
Some herbs are more effective used as a tea and
some as a
tincture. Tea making is a very healing and creative
practice. We
will learn which herbs to use, for how long to cook or steep them, how
to make
them taste good, and when to drink them. We will also cover the
simple
process of tincture making. Tinctures are a more concentrated
medicine
than tea, last longer, and are made with alcohol or can be alcohol
free.
They tend to be fairly expensive in stores, so we will learn an easy
and
affordable way to make tinctures for our specific needs.
$20 per class, or $100 for all 7 (please check
asarumbotanicals.com for other workshops) Classes will be held at
Sabina
Broadhead’s Acupuncture office, Mt. Pleasant Apartments (Mount Airy,
Philadelphia) Call or email Dorene to register or for more information
215.490.8323, dorene@asarumbotanicals.com
_________________________________________________________
Just back from Afghanistan: Peter Lems,
AFSC, Sun., at
Potluck/Program
"Afghanistan: Report on the 'Good War' "
Just back from Afghanistan: Peter Lems,
national staff,
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) will
speak this
Sunday, January 11, at the Brandywine Peace
Community
monthly potluck supper* and program, 4:30 p.m.,
University
Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut St. (37th &
Chestnut
St.)
Phila., PA. Program at 5:30 p.m.will include a
PowerPoint
presentation.
*Bring a main dish, salad, or dessert to share
for
potluck supper.
Join us Sunday, spread the word, and bring your
friends.
Find
out more about the war in Afghanistan and ways
to work
for peace.
Brandywine Peace Community
(610) 544-1818
brandywine@juno.com www.brandywinepeace.com
______________________________________________________________
Jamie and Stelle Sheller cordially invite
you to a
reception in support of:
Seth Williams, Esq.(Candidate for District
Attorney of
Philadelphia)
This is an opportunity to discuss with Seth his
impressive
public safety record and the programs, issues,
and
policies
that he believes will make our community a
safer place.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm 920 Morris Ave. ~ Bryn Mawr,
PA
19010
R.S.V.P. 610-520-2204 or stellesheller@yahoo.com
==============================================
ONGOING EVENTS (Daily/Weekly):
To contact members of Congress
a. Capitol Switchboard is 1-800-828-0498 or
1-866-340-9281 to call anyone in Congress.
b. Use the following excellent link: http://www.capwiz.com/ncec/home
_____
Mondays:
5-6 PM - Newtown Peace Vigil at the corner of
the Newtown
By-Pass, route 332, and the Newtown-Richboro Road.
For more information, call Sister Jean at 215-968-2262.
6:00-9:00 p.m. Weekly ACT UP
Meeting
St. Luke's Church, 330 S. 13th
St., Philadelphia, PA.
For info, email actupphilly@critpath.org
Tuesdays:
6-7 PM - Doylestown Peace Vigil at the
intersection
of State and Main in Doylestown.
All are welcome to join and we have signs to use if you wish.
7:00-9:00 p.m. Organizing Meeting,
Toviah
Thrift Shop Chestnut St.
(between 42nd & 43rd)
Call (215) 382-7251, box 1 for more info Sponsored by
Neighbors
Against
McPenntrification
Wednesdays:
4:30-5:30 p.m. Peace Vigil Federal Building,
601 Market
St., Philadelphia, PA
Sponsored by House of Grace Catholic Worker
For info, email brandywine@juno.com
.
5:00 p.m. Vigil for
Peace:
Unitarian Society of Germantown, 6511
Lincoln Dr.,
Philadelphia,
PA For
info, see http://www.northwestpeacecoalition.org.
7:00 p.m. Peace Vigil Germantown
Ave. &
Bethlehem Pike, Chestnut Hill,
Philadelphia, PA
For info, see http://www.northwestpeacecoalition.org.
Thursdays:
6-7 PM - Levittown Vigil for Peace and
Remembrance.
Meet/park at 1631 Edgely Road in Levittown and walk to
corner of Rt. 13 and
Edgely.
Sponsored by PA Action.
Call Robin at 267-240-9819 for more information.
Fridays:
NOON: Grandparents (Bubbies & Zaydes) for
Peace in
the Middle East
Plan to join us any Friday on S 15th Street above Locust.
Vigil and witness for justice and peace in Palestine/Israel.
4:30 p.m. Anti-war leafleting and
picket
Market & 11th Sts.,
Philadelphia, PA.
For info, email pawf@critpath.org
5:00 p.m. Vigil--Women in Black
Swarthmore Train Station, Park Ave. & Chester Rd., Swarthmore, PA
For info, email wibswarthmore@hotmail.com.
5-5:30 PM - Phoenixville Peace Vigil at corner
of Bridge
and Main in downtown Phoenixville.
5-6 PM - Honk for Peace on Final Friday
(every
month) at Broad and
Cherry/in front of the
Recruiters
Office. Stand with
signs and conviction until the war is finally
over-
remembering the American soldiers have who have died in Iraq and
scores
of Iraqis
whose
names will never be known.
Take your stand, lend your support, bring a sign.
With Celeste Zappala, Gold Star Families Speak Out
5-6 PM last Friday of each month. -
Code Pink
will pass out leaflets
outside Sen. Casey's
Philadelphia
Office at 20th and
Market Sts.
Saturdays:
10-11 AM - Sellersville Peace Vigil at Main St.
and
Temple Ave.
sponsored by Upper Bucks Coalition for Peace Action.
Call Angela at 215-257-1300 for more information.
11AM-Noon - Bryn Mawr Honk to Impeach Rally
will be held
at the
Lancaster Ave and Bryn Mawr Ave.
intersection
by
Ludington Library. Sponsored by Main Line
Citizens for
Impeachment.
Call Jane Dugdale at 610-527-4170.
Noon-1:00 p.m. Peace Vigil Rte. 38
&
Cherry Hill Mall Dr., Cherry
Hill, NJ
For
info, email
greatercamdenunitycoalition@yahoo.com
1:00-2:00 p.m. Protest at Ferber
Furs 1708
Walnut St., Philadelphia,
PA
For info, email phillyar@yahoogroups.com.
7:30 p.m.
Books
Through Bars Packing Cafe The A Space, 4722
Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia,
PA
Help pack books to send to
prisoners. Email info@booksthroughbars.org
Media- TV & Radio
M-F:
8 a.m., noon, 6 p.m., midnight, TV program
"Democracy Now" with Amy Goodman DUTV Ch. 54 on WYBE (Channel 20 or
35(Philly) in some areas; 3,48,62,99 in others. You can also listen
daily on
the internet at http://www.democracynow.org/
Mondays:
5:00-7:00 p.m. Radio Show: "Labor
to
Neighbor" with hosts Janet Ryder,
Pat Eiding & Pete Matthews 900 AM
WURD--215-634-8065.
Fridays:
9:30 PM - Bill Moyers Journal on PBS.
Veteran journalist Bill Moyers on PBS with public affairs interviews.
10:30PM - David Brancachio's NOW, on PBS
Saturdays:
10:00 a.m. to noon - "Talking Union" weekly
call-in radio show, 1340 AM
===========================
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL ACTION:
Urgent Pro-Peace Congressional Action Needed
Now
CALL YOUR REP. AND SENS. TODAY!: FREE
CALL-800-828-0498
SAMPLE SCRIPT:
Hi, my name is [first name] [last name] from
[hometown],
[state]. As a
(Jewish) constituent who supports Israel, I
urge the
Senator [or
Representative] to call for U.S. leadership in
establishing an immediate
ceasefire in Gaza and southern Israel by all
sides in
concert with the
international community.
If the
[Senator/Representative] intends to make a statement about the
crisis, I ask that it acknowledge the suffering
and
civilian injuries
and deaths on both sides.
I very much hope
that we
see an end to the hostilities very soon. Thank you.
After you have called, please email
dcoffice@btvshalom.org
<mailto:dcoffice@btvshalom.org> and
let us
know which Representative
and Senators you have contacted so that we can
tally our
contacts with each.
Several members of Congress have told us that
if every
Senator and
Representative receives at least 20 pro-Israel,
pro-peace
phone calls
from our supporters, it will make a significant
difference in how they
feel they can respond. Our members of Congress
need our
support to make
a statement that would truly be in the best
interests of
Israelis and
Palestinians. The U.S. must support
conflict
resolution, not escalation.
Please be one of those 20 (or more)! Call
your
Senators and
Representative immediately.
__________________________________________________
Life in Gaza: Video & Interview
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/519.html
-----------------------------------------
Gaza: On-Line Crisis Resource Center &
Action
Plans
As of this writing, over 540 Palestinians - at
least 30% unarmed
civilians - have been killed in Israel's assault on Gaza. Protests
demanding an
end to the attacks are ongoing, as are efforts to educate the public
about the
reasons for Israel's assault and the underlying nature of the
Israel-Palestine
conflict. War Times calls your attention to two places where you can
find
up-to-date, accessible information and analyses, as well as suggestions
about
how you can raise your voice:
1. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee (ADC)
has developed on online Gaza Crisis Resource Center at
http://www.adc.org
. This new tool, designed to serve as a primary source of
information,
incorporates several resources on the Gaza attacks including:
*A factual timeline of the events leading
up to the
Israeli attacks.
*Reliable articles on the situation in
Gaza.
*A list of UN responses and statements on
the
tragedy.
*A list of credible media sources.
*A continuously updated resource on the
numbers of
killed and injured.
*An instructive link on contacting the
media about
the tragedy in Gaza.
*An instructive link on contacting
elected
representatives including President-elect Obama.
*A list of protests, rallies, and vigils
taking
place nationwide.
Go to the online Resource Center at:
http://www.adc.org
2. The U.S.
Campaign to
End the Israeli Occupation has published a new downloadable fact sheet,
"Israel is Killing Palestinians in Gaza w/U.S. Weapons" as part of
its emergency campaign, "Take Action: End Israel's Attack on Gaza."
For the fact sheet and full information, go to:
http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1775
You can sign on to War Times/Tiempo de Guerras
e-mail
Announcement List (2-4 messages per month, including our Month in
Review
column) at
:http://www.war-times.org.
--------------------------
T-Shirts to support Gaza... [JVP Talk]
From:<dunyaalwan@gmail.com>
I'm in the West Bank and working with a friend
in Boston
to make some
t-shirts to support Gaza. They say "Gaza on my
mind" and "Our hearts are with you Gaza"
in English & Arabic.
>
> The idea is that it's important to
demonstrate
support for the
> people of Gaza as much as possible and
wearing the
shirts is one way. This
> is also a fundraiser and the shirts will
raise money
that will be sent to
> Gaza mostly likely to fund medical
supplies.
Please forward the link to the store:
http://247463.spreadshirt.com/-/-/Shop/
_________________________________________
Non-Violent Sign ideas for a Demonstration
I think that often the way these
demonstrations/counter-demonstrations
are perceived by the public and the press is that one side is "pro-
Israel" and the other side "pro-Palestinian." That's not a
helpful way to gain support or educate people.
Carry signs saying things like
"Stop all attacks on civilians." "Respect
International Law." "Human rights for all."
"Peace through negotiations." "Cease fire
now." etc. -to show that you/we are for peace, security and
justice for
both peoples.
______________________________________________________________
Vote for single payer on Obama's web site
Please use the Obama web site to vote your
support for
the single-payer position. The Obama transition team is soliciting
questions
from the public via their web site. Visitors may "vote" for the best
questions, which will then be responded to by the Obama team.
As of this
writing,
single-payer questions have been voted #2 and #3 under the "health
care" section. Please help us vote them to the top and send a strong
message to the Obama team and the new Congress that the American public
favors
single payer, not incremental band-aids.
http://change.gov/openforquestions
In addition, we encourage you to submit your
own
questions which will highlight the inadequacies of the Obama proposal.
Sample
questions are reprinted below the instructions which follow:
-----------------------------------------------
Instructions for Voting / Submitting Questions
1. Visit http://change.gov/openforquestions
2. Click the small "Sign In" text on the
right-hand side of the screen. Sign-in with your email and password on
the
right. (If you haven't signed-in before, just fill out the short form
on the
left.)
3. Under "pick a topic" on the left-hand side
of the screen, click "health care."
4. Questions will appear in a box in the
middle. Skip the
large question in the blue box and scroll down. Immediate below the
large blue
question will be leading questions. Two excellent ones should be near
the top:
"We all recognize the insurance industry is the
problem, not lack of insurance--what are you going to do about getting
single
payer (government) health care, as other progressive countries
throughout the
industrialized world have done?"
"What are the obstacles to implementing the
single-payer health care used in Canada, the United Kingdom, and
Australia?
With a growing number of unemployed or underemployed in 2009, will your
administration work towards single-payer as a goal?"
(Note: More good questions may have appeared by
the time
you read this. You may want to examine others if you have time)
5. To vote for these questions, click the small
"check" box beside it.
6. To Submit a question, click the "submit a
question" box at the bottom of the screen and type it in. Here are some
example questions:
Employer-based coverage continues to steadily
deteriorate, leaving millions without access to care due to costs and
hundreds
of thousands facing medical bankruptcy even though they're insured. Why
should
we use this defective system as the as the foundation of reform when
research
shows single-payer national health insurance could provide
comprehensive,
universal care for no more than we're paying now?
Subsidy and individual mandate schemes have
failed to
achieve universal coverage anywhere they've been tried…including most
recently in Massachusetts. Rather than reprising these mistakes,
wouldn't it be
better to move to a proven system - single-payer national health
insurance -
which has already afforded other industrialized countries healthier
populations
at lower costs?
Sincerely,
Quentin Young, MD, National Coordinator,
Physicians for a
National Health Program Physicians for a National
Health
Program
Phone (312)
782-6006 |
Fax: (312) 782-6007 www.pnhp.org | info@pnhp.org
________________________________________________________________________
Consumer Reports[R]/ GreenerChoices.org[SM]
/Products
for a Better Planet
In this issue:
- Consumers Union calls for BPA ban
- New ways to recycle your old TV
- Find first-rate deals at secondhand
shops
Find this information useful? Send this
newsletter to
your friends
by visiting the link below.
http://email.consumerreports.org/r/c/r?2.1.3JT.2Vr.11iVt4.CH%2afxi..T.Dptm.1RVe.MSMEfL00
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Consumers Union calls for BPA ban. In our
latest move to
protect the
public from the potentially harmful effects of
bisphenol-A, CU is
urging the FDA to ban the chemical in
children's products
while the
agency reevaluates its research. Get our
complete BPA
coverage.
http://email.consumerreports.org/r/c/r?2.1.3JT.2Vr.11iVt4.CH%2afxi..T.Dpta.1RVe.LQUEef00
--------------------------------------------------------------------
New ways to recycle your old TV. Combine the
holiday
shopping season
with Super Bowl Sunday and the upcoming digital
transition, and what
do you get? Millions of old TVs that should be
recycled.
Find out
where to recycle your TV.
http://email.consumerreports.org/r/c/r?2.1.3JT.2Vr.11iVt4.CH%2afxi..T.Dptc.1RVe.LWIEfB00
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Find first-rate deals at secondhand shops. The
slumping
economy might
spell trouble for retail, but resale is
booming. Find out
how and
where to seek out quality merchandise at
bargain prices.
http://email.consumerreports.org/r/c/r?2.1.3JT.2Vr.11iVt4.CH%2afxi..T.Dpte.1RVe.LbcEfD00
--------------------------------------------------------------------
GreenerChoices.org Newsletter is a FREE monthly
e-newsletter with
updates from Consumer Reports
GreenerChoices.org.
http://email.consumerreports.org/r/c/r?2.1.3JT.2Vr.11iVt4.CH%2afxi..T.Dptg.1RVe.MBQEfF00
Just click on the above links to find green
product
ratings, buying
guides, expert safety advice, and more. You can
read back
issues of
the newsletter in the Newsroom.
http://email.consumerreports.org/r/c/r?2.1.3JT.2Vr.11iVt4.CH%2afxi..T.Dpti.1RVe.MHEEfH00
_________________________________________________________________
Women Artists & Activists: Fabric of
Peace
The Regional Center for Women in the Arts is
producing an
art quilt.
The project is titled "The Fabric of Peace" -
Women artists communicate peace through global interaction.
If you would like to be part of this project,
contact my
friend, Valetta at R.C.W.A. and she will send you a 10"X10" fabric
swatch and information about participation. Contact:
valetta.rcwa@comcast.net.
===============
A Message From Rabbi Linda of Mishkan Shalom
Shalom-
I have been heartsick about Israel's attacks on
Gaza.
I've been reading
different points of view and have heard
arguments made in
every
direction. Yet one thing is extremely clear to
me. Israel
is not
behaving like the country I love. Israel is not
living up
to the values
of justice and compassion that I was raised to
believe it
would always
live by. And the acts that Israel has committed
during
the past few days
have been deplorable.
We know that there are people in Gaza who pride
themselves on
terrorizing Israel, on sending missiles, and on
causing
pain and
suffering. That too is deplorable. But I was
never taught
that we Jews
would respond to small acts of violence by
causing larger
ones, by
killing and injuring even more people, by
showing the
world that we are
'the toughest guys on the block'.
In one article I read yesterday, the analyst
explained
that by attacking
so harshly, Israel would guarantee that their
Arab
neighbors would once
again truly fear them; recently the fear has
not been as
great. This
felt like the saddest commentary imaginable.
What
happened to the
country I used to look up to, the one where
soldiers
cried if they
killed one person? Where is the goal of making
peace
being achieved by
Israeli soldiers bombing and killing hundreds
of men,
women, and
children? How can we turn away and say, "But
they
have hurt us as well"?
I strongly condemn the tactics of the
terrorists in Gaza
that frighten,
injure, and kill Israelis. But as a Jew, it is
my
responsibility to look
most closely at my own country. It is my
responsibility
to judge my own
people and to hold them accountable.
Each of us needs to make our own decisions
about Israel
and Palestine.
And most difficult, each of us needs to learn
to respect
each other's
decisions, however they may differ from our
own.
I need to stand up and make the statement that
I do stand
with those who
condemn the acts of the Israeli military in
Gaza. I will
attend the
rally this afternoon (4PM at the Israeli
Consulate, 1880
JFK Boulevard)
wearing a kippah so that everyone there knows
that we
Jews are able to
look at Israel honestly and critically. I have
a deep
love for Israel.
Because of that love, I cannot stand by and not
speak up.
I am a firm believer in the 'big tent'
philosophy for our
community.
Mishkan members are all free to see this and
every other
issue
differently. I do not expect everyone to see
things as I
do. I just want
to be clear about my own feelings of sadness
and anger. I
may see some
of you at the rally this afternoon. I hope to
have the
opportunity to
talk with anyone who would like to discuss this
situation
with me. There
are several programs on Israel/Palestine at
Mishkan
during the next few
months. I hope that our conversation at these
programs
and at other less
formal moments may be honest, respectful, and
heartfelt.
L’shalom,
Rabbi Linda Holtzman
_____________________
* Deepak Chopra | Nine Steps to Peace
http://www.truthout.org/010109A
"The following is a memo to Barack Obama from
Deepak
Chopra ... 'You have been elected by the first anti-war constituency
since
1952, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected after promising to end the
Korean
War. But ending a war isn't the same as bringing peace. America has
been on a
war footing since the day after Pearl Harbor, 67 years ago. We spend
more on
our military than the next 16 countries combined. If you have a vision
of
change that goes to the heart of this country's deep problems, ending
our dependence
on war is far more important than ending our dependency on foreign
oil.'"
* The Long March of the Cuban Revolution,
Ricardo
Alarcon de Quesada
Monthly Review
<http://www.monthlyreview.org/090101alarcon.php>
* Cynthia McKinney: We Lived to Tell the
Story;
Lebanon Rescued Us
We lived to tell the story. Karl's incredible
reporting,
just a portion of our story, can be seen on CNN at: