{news} Fw: AFSC-CT calendar 3-31-05

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----- Original Message ----- 
From: Kasha Ho 
To: Kasha Ho 
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 10:37 AM
Subject: AFSC-CT calendar 3-31-05


Friends, 
As we welcome in the beginning of springtime.

Please find below peace and justice events in the Connecticut area for the upcoming weeks.  

Following this calendar please read Bob Nave's report on the CT House vote yesterday on the Death Penalty Abolition Bill (60 votes for Abolition, 89 Against).

 

Kasha Ho'okili Ho

American Friends Service Committee

Hartford, Connecticut

phone: 860.523.1534

fax: 860.523.1705

 
Friday, April 1st 
ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE! 
DELEGATES FROM NEW ENGLAND REPORT BACK
7 PM
Charter Oak Cultural Center 
21 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford

Marela Zacarias, Muralist; Al Marder, Greater New Haven Peace Council; Arnie Alpert, New Hampshire Director, AFSC; And others..
Following the Q&A session with the speakers will be a conversation about the next steps for the Social Forum Movement in Connecticut. We want your viewpoint! Join us Friday, and join the Movement toward diversity and pluralism in "Another World"! Refreshments will be served
For further info call: Sarah Hambrick 860 644 5559

Friday April 1 
"Uncertain Soil: the Story of UN Peacekeeping"

7:30pm

Pax Educare

56 Arbor St, 2nd Floor, Hartford, CT

 

Pax Educare monthly film festival continues with a showing of "Uncertain Soil: the Story of UN Peacekeeping" at 56 Arbor in Hartford, second floor, 7:30.  The film was a project, in part, of the Academic Council on the United Nations". Donations for the viewing are welcome-suggested donation of $4-5.  This documentary explores the role of the DPKO in hot spots around the world. For more info: paxeducare at comcast.net

Monday, April 4
"Palestine, Peace, and Democracy:  The Road Ahead"

Dr. Hanan Ashrawi , Director, MIFTAH

7:00pm

Sterling Law Auditorium, Yale University

 

Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations Lecture Series on the Contemporary Middle East presents Dr. Hanan Ashrawi , Director, MIFTAH - The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue & Democracy, "Palestine, Peace, and Democracy:  The Road Ahead" Sponsored by The Edward J. and Dorothy Clarke Kempf Memorial Fund at Yale, the Yale Center for International and Area Studies, and the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. For more information, contact hala.nassar at yale.edu. (Donations appreciated, checks to YCIAS). http://www.yale.edu/ycias/cmes/events.htm

 
Monday, April 4
NEW LONDON TO RESIST MOCK TERROR ATTACK

A mock terror attack, planned by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,
will begin on April 4th, the anniversary of the assassination of Martin
Luther King, Jr. and go throughout the week.

This $16 million TOPOFF3 (for Top Officials) exercise will "depict a
complex terrorist campaign" in 5 venues: New London, New Jersey, London,
Canada, and "Interagency". One of the goals of the drill is said to be to
"test the psychological and economic impact of a terrorist
attack on the region." We refuse to be used in this way, as instruments of
the Department of Homeland Security's fear-mongering strategies.

The Southeastern Connecticut Peace and Justice Network invites you to join
us in a variety of activities during the week of the mock terror attack.
Attached, and on the website, is a full list of activities.

* We particularly encourage you to join us in New London on Monday.
Monday morning, we'll be reading King's "Beyond Vietnam" speech, which he
gave at Riverside Church on April 4, 1967. At 1pm on Monday, around the
time the "terrorists" attack, we'll go out into the community as Peace
Responders to create a presence of peace and nonviolence in the midst of
the mock attack.

* For those in Connecticut and Westerly, R.I. who cannot travel to be
with us in resistance here, we encourage you to vigil at your local
hospital on Monday afternoon and evening. All hospitals in Connecticut
will be "treating" mock victims during the afternoon and evening on
Monday. Contact War Resisters League if you can organize a vigil. Vigils
will be listed on the website as they are organized.

* Our resistance will take many forms throughout the day and week of the
attack. We will be creating a Fear Free Zone to be maintained throughout
the duration of the attack, Monday-Wednesday, April 4-6th, 8am-6pm, at
Union Plaza, State St, New London. Please check the website for a schedule.


* From noon to 1pm, Monday through Friday, a Sanctuary space is open at
First Congregational Church.


Please see the full list of activities, the Nonviolence Guidelines, and
other materials such as our Questions & Answers about the Mock Terror
Attack.


For more information, please visit www.riveredgerecord.org 

Contact War Resisters League, 860-889-5337, wrlne at peoplepc.com; St Francis House, 860-437-8890. stfrancishouse at mindspring.com. 

 

Tuesday, April 5
Sister Helen Prejean
4:30 pm
Saint Thomas More Chapel, Yale University

Sister Helen Prejean and CT's Antoinette Bosco will
hold a talk followed by a reception and book signing
of Sr Helen's recent "The Death of Innocents: An
Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions" and books
by Ms. Bosco.

For more info, including directions: 
http://www.yale.edu/stm/programs/prejean2005.html



Wednesday, April 6
Iraq: How We Got There and Where We Are Going - Scott Ritter
7:00pm

SBM Charitable Foundation Auditorium, AST.

Manchester Community Technical College
Manchester, CT

Scott Ritter, former U.N. weapons inspector to Iraq. Ritter is author of the books Endgame and Frontier Justice: Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Bushwhacking of America, and director of the documentary, In Shifting Sands: The Truth of UNSCOM and the Disarming of Iraq. Info: 860-512-2603.

 
Wednesday, April 6
Statewide Mayors for Peace Meeting

6:30pm

Church of the Holy Trinity, 381 Main St, Middletown, CT

 

Come and discuss the campaign to abolish nuclear weapons through local educational campaigns and contacting local mayors/first selectpeople and mobilizing for the May 1st demonstration in New York City in advance of the review for the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.  For more info: Joe Wasserman (860) 561-1897

Thursday, April 7
>From Soldier to Peace Activist

7:30 P.M.  

Trinity College Chapel, 300 Summit Street, Hartford

 

The Buddhist Peace Fellowship Connecticut Chapter and Trinity College will cosponsor a public talk and book signing by Claude AnShin Thomas, a Zen monk and the author of At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace.  Thomas will talk about his personal spiritual journey from assault helicopter crew chief in Vietnam to international peace activist and Zen monk.

 

Friday and Saturday, April 8,9
New England-wide AFSC Conference

"Hope and Hard Work: Another America is Possible"

Building 34, Vassar Street
MIT - Cambridge, Mass.

 

We have hope that another America is possible.  Together we can do the hard work to bring it into being.

Space is limited and registration will be on a first come first served basis. If you will need childcare, please contact us at (617) 661-6130 by April 1, 2005. Facilities are wheelchair accessible. Directions will be sent upon receipt of registration.

TUESDAY, APRIL 12
The Deepening Shadow of Nuclear Danger - Jonathan Schell

7:00 pm.

West Hartford Town Hall Auditorium

50 South Main Street, 3rd floor

 

Jonathan Schell, Journalist, Peace Fellow at The Nation Institute and author of The Fate of the Earth and The Unconquerable World.  Introduction by State Senator Jonathan Harris.

For more information contact Mims Butterworth 521-9506 or MimsBWorth at aolcom

 

Saturday, April 16
Christopher Weeramantry, Former Vice President of the World Court

2:00pm                     

Yale Law School, New Haven, CT



New England AFSC Speaking Tour for Christopher Weeramantry, Former Vice President of the World Court.  In the weeks leading up to the fundamentally important Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference, AFSC's Peace & Economic Security Program is hosting a speaking tour for Judge Christopher Weeramantry, former Vice President of the World Court. Justice Weeramantry is best known for his clear opinion in the Court's 1196 decision on the illegality of the use and threatened use of nuclear weapons.  For More Information Contact: Henry Lowendorf grnhpeacecouncil at sbcglobal.net



Sunday, April 17
Regional Report-Back from United for Peace and Justice Assembly in St. Louis

A Panel Discussion on Strategy & Perspectives for the Antiwar Movement 

2 p.m.

Church of the Holy Trinty, 381 Main St., Middletown, CT

 

Panelists:

Meg Scata, CT United for Peace; Kasha Ho, American Friends Service Committee; Wayne Coste, Coalition for Peace and Justice; Ashley Smith, Burlington Bring the Troops Home Now Committee.  Sponsored by CT United for Peace.  For more info: Meg Scata megscata at yahoo.com

Wednesday, April 20
An Evening with Amy Goodman.

7:00 pm.

Conard High School Auditorium, 110 Berkshire Road, West Hartford

 

Journalist, host of radio news program Democracy Now, and author of With Exception to the Rulers.

For more information all Kathy Hucks 561-8401 or kath4cats at hotmail.com

 


Connecticut Network to Abolish the Death Penalty
Hello Fellow Abolitionists,

 

Well, we have some good news.  We got 60 votes for abolition - which is amazing.  We were only 15 away from passing this bill, which is INCREDIBLE since we did this IN SPITE OF Michael Ross.  You should have heard the debate.  Those who spoke in favor of the death penalty made it almost exclusively about Michael Ross, completely missing our message, but those who spoke for abolition really used our literature and experiences.  Both Walter Everett and Toni Bosco were mentioned by name and two people quoted from the letters Toni has written to the legislators!!!!  All sorts of statistics were used by our allies - statistics that we have helped to provide.  I'm thrilled with this.  Then, on the way out of the chamber after the vote, I was talking to one of our new and hardest workers and she told me that her Representative voted against us, but he was REALLY struggling - which means that he can be turned - so we are now down to 14 people we need to target.  So, as you can see, whereas we lost the vote and there are some - especially in the press and our adversaries - who say that we lost big, I don't see it that way - I see it that we now have 2 years to sway 15 people to our side in the House - we have our work cut out for us, but it is very doable!!!  This is the most favorable vote to abolish the death penalty that has been seen and this bill also survived TWO committee votes - a true first in state history.  We are finally having the debate and this is fantastic!  (The vote was 60 in favor of HB 6012 and 89 against - the vast majority of republicans voted against while several democrats also voted against this bill.)

 

In the next day or two, we are going to post the members of the House and how they voted and it would be nice to call your Rep. and let him/her know that you thank them for voting for our bill OR thanking them for considering our position and ask to talk with them about their vote.  Explain to them that we will not drop this and this is only the beginning.

 

Well, that's all for now - many thanks to all who worked so hard on this impressive vote.  I say it was a VICTORY!!!

 

Best,

 

Bob



Robert Nave, State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator
Connecticut-Amnesty International
Executive Director
Connecticut Network to Abolish the Death Penalty
32 Grand Street; Hartford, CT 06106, www.cnadp.org
robertnave at cnadp.org 203-206-9854
www.DontKillInMyNameCT.org

 

 

 

 
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