Monday, April 23, 2012

[PDI] Actions from the Illinois Coalition for Justice, Peace, and the Environment

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Chicago Cuba Coalition

'Humor from My Pen' - Mar 9 to Apr 28 in Chicago
Start Date: Mar 09, 2012
End Date: Apr 28, 2012

Chicago will be hosting Humor from My Pen
(http://chicagocubacoalition.org/)
? an exhibit of political cartoons by Gerardo Hernandez (one of
the "Cuban Five").
The Exhibit opening is
Friday, March 9, 2012 from 6pm to 9pm.
Calles y Sueños gallery in Pilsen
1900 S. Carpenter, Chicago
and will run through April 28, 2012

Many of you know about the case of the Cuban 5 ? five Cubans
locked up for life in U.S. prisons for blowing the whistle on
"anti-Castro" terrorists operating out of Miami.
Their release is backed by former President James Carter, 10
Nobel Laureates, a wide range of U.S. celebrities (including Ed Asner,
Bonnie Raitt, Ed Asner, Danny Glover, and Jackson Browne), and also is
the single featured "Unfair Trial" in Amnesty International's latest
U.S. human rights report.

The opening will feature:
+ a solidarity celebration with victims and fighters against torture
and false imprisonment
+ appearances by Alicia Jrapko (Int?l Ctte. to Free the Five)
and Zoe Franklin (Chicago Council on Black Studies).

The exhibit is backed by an array of academic, artistic,
community, and political figures.

What's more, the exhibit will launch...

+ the First Annual Chicago Cuba Film Festival,
screening four movies, two of which are Chicago premieres.
+ a poetry event featuring Miguel Barnet,
president of Cuba's Writers and Artist Union.
+ other presentations and events,
(including a full-sized recreation of Gerardo's prison cell).

To view the full schedule of events and films, go to
http://chicagocubacoalition.org/

You can contact us at:
Chicago Cuba Coalition 312.952.2618
Calles y Sueños Gallery 773.208.0553 CYS_94@hotmail.com


Fellowship of Reconciliation, Chicago Chapter

Fellowship of Reconciliation Nonviolent Direct Action Training
Start Date: Apr 10, 2012
End Date: May 08, 2012

Stop NATO/G8 Nonviolent Direct Action Series
@ DePaul University Lincoln Park Campus
Session 1 Preparation: Undertaking the Nonviolent Commitment
Tuesday, April 10, 2012 6:30-9:30 p.m. DePaul LPC TBA
>> Understanding Nonviolence Overview
>> Assessing Risks: Personal, Legal, Medical
>> Why use direct action? What does it mean to be nonviolent?
Session 2 Planning for Direct Action
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 6:30-9:30 p.m. DePaul LPC TBA
>> How To Work in Affinity Groups: Roles, Jobs and Responsibility
>> Set and Discuss goals
>> Brainstorm effective tactics/ strategies
>> Coordination of a Larger Level-- Permitted Actions
Session 3 Simulation: Working with Others
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 6:30-9:30 p.m. DePaul LPC TBA
>> Rules of Engagement: Police, Press, and Pedestrians
>> Scenarios: Practice Nonviolent Communication
>> Scenarios: How to Defuse Violence by Other Protestors
Session 4 Simulation: Nonviolence in Repression
Tuesday, May 1, 2012 6:30-9:30 p.m. DePaul LPC TBA
>> Scenarios: Remaining Nonviolent in the Face of Repression
>> Scenarios: What to do When Facing Arrest
>> Medic Training: How To Protect and Treat ?Nonlethal? Repercussions
Session 5 Readiness
Tuesday, May 8, 2012 6:30-9:30 p.m. DePaul LPC TBA
>> Review: Concepts and Skills from Previous Workshops
>> Assessing Readiness: Ready for Direct Action?

FELLOWSHIP OF RECONCILIATION: Chicago Chapter
http://forusa.org/groups/local-chapters/chicago-for

Contact: Meghan Trimm 815-520-4333 mmmclaughlintrimm@gmail.com


Gay Liberation Network

Nobel Laureates SHOULDN'T IMPRISON Nobel Nominees
Start Date: Apr 23, 2012
End Date: Apr 23, 2012

12 noon
Monday, April 23
UIC Student Center
750 S. Halsted Street, Chicago

As part of their PR campaign for next month's NATO summit in
Chicago, Rahm Emanuel and President Obama have invited Nobel Peace
Prize winners to our city on April 23-25 to discuss issues of peace
and humanitarianism.

Many are very deserving of their prizes. Others are every bit as
guilty of violence and oppression as NATO itself, and deserve our scorn.

Currently one American Peace Prize winner, President Obama, is
hounding an American Nobel Peace Prize nominee for the latter's
pro-human rights activity.

Private Bradley Manning (aka Brianna Manning*) is facing life in
prison for allegedly exposing U.S. war crimes and a treasure trove of
secret documents showing U.S. alliances with dictators and other human
rights abusers around the world.

By any objective standard, Manning is a hero, and as such, twice
has been nominated for the Peace Prize. By any objective standard,
Obama has committed crimes at least as bad as his predecessor, and the
Nobel committee should revoke his prize.

Let's compare their humanitarian records:

-- President Obama has dramatically escalated the war in
Afghanistan, the longest war in U.S. history, resulting in the highest
number of deaths last year in the entire history of the war.

++ Manning allegedly exposed war crimes committed by U.S. troops
occupying and invading Afghanistan.

-- President Obama has greatly expanded the wars in Pakistan,
Yemen and Somalia, greatly increasing drone attacks and deaths during
each year of his presidency.

++ Manning allegedly exposed war crimes committed by U.S. troops
in Iraq, while Obama's Pentagon just asked $3 billion more for that
"ended" war.

-- President Obama has supported dictators in Egypt, Morocco,
Saudi Arabia and Yemen, military coups in Honduras and The Maldives,
and sends billions in arms to nuclear-armed Israel as it dispossesses
Palestinians of their land, holds them without charges and tortures
them in its prisons, and threatens war on Iran.

++ Manning allegedly exposed the dirty dealings that both
Democratic and Republican U.S. presidents have had with a host of
human rights abusers around the world.

-- President Obama has pushed anti-democratic measures on a host
of fronts, signing the NDAA which gutted habeas corpus, playing
judge-jury-and-executioner by assassinating people aboard,
aggressively supporting corporate and government intrusions on
personal privacy, deporting over 1 million immigrants, and attacking
whistle-blowers of all sorts.

++ Manning helped strengthen democracy by allegedly exposing the
crimes of our government. The Obama administration's response? The
removal of his clothes and extended periods of solitary confinement,
prompting even the British government to protest his treatment. As
Daniel Ellsberg, the ex-Marine who in 1971 leaked the Pentagon Papers
blowing the whistle on U.S. war crimes of the Vietnam era said, "The
treatment amounted to 'no-touch torture,' intended to demoralize
Manning so he would implicate Julian Assange"

Come to a protest on the opening day of the Nobel Laureates'
Summit in Chicago ? 12 noon, Monday, April 23 in front of the Student
Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago, 750 S. Halsted
Street. Demand that Nobel Laureate Obama stop persecuting Nobel
Nominee Manning!

To endorse this protest, or for more information, please email
the Gay Liberation Network at LGBTliberation@aol.com or Sugar at
SugarSolidarity@gmail.com

Please help support this action by joining the Facebook event
(http://www.facebook.com/events/356744131027476/) and inviting your FB
friends.

------------

*Lawyers have reported that Manning is Transgender and prefers
the first name Brianna. See here for more information:
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-12-17/us/us_bradlley-manning-hearing_1_bradley-manning-manning-s-article-gender-identity?_s=PM:US


American Friends Service Committee

The Power and Necessity of Nonviolence
Start Date: Apr 25, 2012
End Date: Apr 25, 2012

Nobel Laureates Mairead Maguire and Shan Cretin will discuss the
importance of non-violence in the struggle for peace and justice. With
the Arab Spring and Occupy movements using non-violence as a
cornerstone, and the Nato summit coming to Chicago, this topic is of
ugent relevance. Human rights and peace activist, Kathy Kelly of
Creative Non-Violence, will introduce the speakers.

Mairead Maguire was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for her
contribution to building peace through community-based reconcilliation
in Northern Ireland. She is the co-founder of Community of Peace
People and the Committee on Administration of Justice, a human rights
organization that has been actively involved in the attempt to free
political prisoners worldwide.

Shan Cretin is the General Secretary of American Friends Service
Committee. AFSC was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1947 for 300
years of Quaker efforts to heal rifts and oppose wars. Cretin,
co-founder of Los Angeles' Alternatives to Violence Project, served as
the Director of AFSC's Pacific Southwest Region for 7 years, focusing
on immigrants' rights, prison reform, food security, peace, and
demilitarization.

Kathy Kelly co-cordinates Voices for Creative Nonviolence,
www.vcnv.org, a campaign to end U.S. military and economic warfare.
Since May 2010, she has visited Afghanistan 4 times with small
delegations.

ADMISSION IS FREE.


Neighbors for Peace

Chicago Prepares for NATO: Un-Spinning the Media Bias
Start Date: Apr 28, 2012
End Date: Apr 28, 2012

An exciting afternoon of speakers and discussion will counter the
media bias which constantly conflates the word "protest" with
"violence."

Eric Ruder will present "A Short and Irreverent History of NATO"
Wade Hannom will discuss "Why is Nonviolence so Threatening"

Rosalie Riegle will describe citizen preparations for protest,
including an update on the permitted march scheduled for the week end
NATO arrives, workshops on the theory and practice of nonviolence held
throughout the city, and three educational teach-ins.

Plenty of time for questions and discussion. Free and open to the
public. Refreshments will be served.
The Power of Nonviolent Change--Introductory Workshop
Start Date: May 05, 2012
End Date: May 05, 2012

Come to explore the theory and practice of Nonviolent Social
Change. We will engage each other in discussions, role plays and small
group interactions to practice the Power of Nonviolent Change in our
daily lives and during the upcoming NATO protests.

Then after grabbing a quick lunch, stay for an afternoon
discussion of how nonviolenc can work on the streets of Chicago during
the NATO time.

Facilitated by Pace e Bene and the White Rose Catholic Worker and
are sponsored by Neighbors for Peace.
The Power of Nonviolent Change--Introductory Workshop REPEATED
Start Date: May 05, 2012
End Date: May 05, 2012

Can't attend the morning workshop? We're repeating it in the
afternoon. Explore the theory and practice of Nonviolent Social
Change. We will engage each other in discussions, role plays and small
group interactions to practice the Power of Nonviolent Change in our
daily lives and during the upcoming summit.

Facilitated by Pace e Bene and the White Rose Catholic Worker and
are sponsored by Neighbors for Peace.


Illinois Labor History Society

IL Labor History May 2012 Calendar of Action
Start Date: Apr 28, 2012
End Date: May 26, 2012


Illinois Labor History Society
May 2012 Calendar of Action

May Day: Haymarket Lives!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012, 11:00 AM
Haymarket Statue,
Randolph & Des Plaines
Join ILHS in at our annual May Day ceremony and commemoration of
the Haymarket martyrs, their fight for the eight-hour day and workers?
rights. Benedicto Martinez Orozco, a leader of the Mexican union
federation Frente Autentico de Trabajo, will preside over mounting a
plaque from our Mexican brothers and sisters in the FAT.
Then join the May Day demonstration assembling at Union Park at
12 noon and stepping off at 1:00 PM to march to Federal Plaza. This
event, initiated by Occupy Chicago, is sponsored by a host of local
unions and community groups.

Saturday, April 28
Jane Addams: Champion of Workers? Rights
9 AM to 12:30 PM
Hull House Museum,
800 S. Halsted
Panel discussion featuring ILHS President Larry Spivack.
Presentation of Jane Addams Children?s Book Awards.

Saturday, May 12
Honoring the Pullman Porters on National Train Day
Union Station, 11 AM - 4 PM
Visit the ILHS display booth at Union Station on Amtrak?s fifth
annual National Train Day. ILHS features the story of the porters in
the history of the railways.

Wednesday, May 16
Studs Terkel Centennial Celebration
6:00 PM - Newberry Library
60 W. Walton
ILHS is co-sponsoring this tribute to Studs Terkel, one of the
founders of our organization. A lively evening of speakers and
entertainment is planned.

Saturday, May 19, 8:00 PM
?This Land Is Our Land,? a centennial concert celebration of the
legendary Woody Guthrie
The Metro,
3730 N. Clark St.
ILHS is a proud co-sponsor of this all-star concert event
honoring the legacy of America?s working class troubadour. Tickets are
available on line at
www.metrochicago.com

Saturday, May 26
Fighting for Workers? Rights Yesterday & Today Commemoration of
the 75th Anniversary of the 1937 Memorial Day Massacre at Republic Steel
George Washington High School
3535 E. 114th St.
10 AM: Panel discussion
1:30 PM: Still Fighting Back Rally
Special guests include USW President Leo Gerard & Congressmen
Danny Davis & Pete Visclosky

Illinois Labor History Society, 28 E. Jackson, Suite 1012,
Chicago, IL 60604
* 312.663.4107 * www.illinoislaborhistory.org

Download Events flyer HERE:
http://icjpe.org/uploads/docs/ilhsmay2012flier.pdf


Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice

FILM-Tapped
Start Date: Apr 29, 2012
End Date: Apr 29, 2012

SAVE THE DATE

Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice Presents
FREE FILM SERIES
"Tapped?
Co-sponsored by the Oak Park Public Library
Veterans Room, Oak Park Main Library, 834 Lake Street, Oak Park
2 pm, Sunday, April 29, 2012

This showing of ?Tapped? is part of the One World Film Festival,
coordinated by Green Community Connections.



Don?t miss a free showing of the award-winning documentary film
?Tapped,? by filmmaker Stephanie Soechtig. TAPPED is an unflinching
examination of the big business of bottled water. The film raised the
question: Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right, or a
commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of
commerce?

From the producers of "Who Killed the Electric Car," this timely
documentary is a behind-the-scenes look into the unregulated and
unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the
one resource that ought never to become a commodity: our water.

From the plastic production to the ocean in which so many of
these bottles end up, this inspiring documentary trails the path of
the bottled water industry and the communities which were the
unwitting chips on the table.

?With style and verve and righteous anger, the film exposes the
bottled water industry?s role in suckering the public, harming our
health, accelerating climate change, and contributing to overall
pollution and increasing America?s dependence on fossil fuels. All
while gouging consumers with exorbitant and indefensible prices.? -
Peter Rothberg. The Nation.


Light refreshments are served. Open discussion will follow the showing.

The Film Series is sponsored by the Oak Park Coalition for Truth
and Justice and co-sponsored by the Oak Park Public Library. For
information, see www.opctj-event.org
or call 524 1230

For more on the One Earth Film Festival featuring over 30
compelling environmental film (Friday to Sunday, April 27-29, Oak Park
and River Forest), see:
www.greencommunityconnections.org/one-earth-film-fest


Voices for Creative Nonviolence

At A Global Crossroads: Turn Against War.
Start Date: May 01, 2012
End Date: May 19, 2012

Tentative schedule is as follows:
May 1, May Day Rally at in Madison and kickoff for the Walk
May 7-9, Walking through Milwaukee
May 12-13, Rest weekend at Racine (possible Mothers' Day action
in Racine), time for locals to go home and come back, if desired
May 18, Arrive at Wellington Church, Chicago
May 19, March to downtown Chicago, join up with permitted march
to NATO/G8 conference at McCormick Place.
For more information: contact Buddy Bell @ buddy@vcnv.org

Voices for Creative Nonviolence is putting together a Walk from
Madison to Milwaukee to Chicago during the month of May.

Please consider joining us for any segment of the Walk. Please
direct logistical concerns to buddy@vcnv.org
David Swanson: ?Lifting the Shadow of War.?
Start Date: May 19, 2012
End Date: May 19, 2012

David Swanson will speak and lead a discussion on the topic of
?Lifting the Shadow of War.?

Swanson will sign his books which include: Daybreak: Undoing the
Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union (2009) War Is A
Lie (2010) When the World Outlawed War (2011) The Military Industrial
Complex at 50 (2012)

Swanson helped plan the nonviolent occupation of Freedom Plaza in
Washington DC in 2011. In December 2011, The Hook newspaper in
Charlottesville, Va., named him a runner-up Person of the Year.
Swanson holds a master?s degree in philosophy from the University of
Virginia. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a
communications director, with jobs including press secretary for
Dennis Kucinich?s 2004 presidential campaign, media coordinator for
the International Labor Communications Association, and three years as
communications coordinator for ACORN, the Association of Community
Organizations for Reform Now.

for more information contact gerald@vcnv.org or call 773-559-9784

He blogs at http://davidswanson.org and http://warisacrime.org
and works for the online activist organization http://rootsaction.org

?David Swanson is a truth-teller and witness-bearer whose voice
and action warrant our attention.? ?Cornel West, author.

?The world needs more true advocates of democracy like David
Swanson!? ?Thom Hartmann, radio host.

?David Swanson will be remembered and well recognized as the
citizen who held up a lamp in the darkness and cried, as did good Tom
Paine: ?We have it in our power to begin the world over again.?? ?John
Nichols, columnist, The Nation.

?David Swanson predicates his belief that nonviolence can change
the world on careful research and historical analysis.? ?Kathy Kelly,
Voices for Creative Nonviolence.

?David Swanson?s War Is A Lie may be the most comprehensive
antiwar statement available in the English language.? ?Kevin Young,
Znet.

?Our times cry out for a smart, witty and courageous Populist who
hasn?t forgotten how to play offense. Luckily we have David Swanson.?
?Mike Ferner, President of Veterans For Peace.

?David Swanson, who has been a one-man wonder leading the charge
for accountability, writes a compelling narrative that inspires not
just outrage, but ACTION.? ?Medea Benjamin, Code Pink and Global
Exchange.

?David Swanson despises war and lying, and unmasks them both with
rare intelligence. I learn something new on every page.? ?Jeff Cohen,
founder of FAIR. ?David Swanson?s book is a masterful exposure of the
emergence of a monarch-like president coupled with an effete,
irresponsible, and constitutionally ignorant Congress.? ?Bruce Fein,
former Associate Deputy Attorney General.

?David Swanson has written a fascinating account of how peace
once became the law of the land. It is particularly pertinent in the
era of the Endless War, by giving encouragement and suggestions of a
path forward to those who want to give peace a chance.? ?Liz Holtzman,
former member of the U.S. Congress.

?Swanson?s book is far more uplifting and inspiring than
virtually any other book in its genre, as it devotes itself to laying
out a detailed plan for how American citizens ? through the activism
to which he has devoted himself ? can bring about a rejuvenation of
our political values.? ?Glenn Greenwald, Salon.com.

?David Swanson is an antidote to the toxins of complacency and
evasion. He insists on rousing the sleepwalkers, confronting the
deadly prevaricators and shining a bright light on possibilities for a
truly better world.? ?Norman Solomon, author of War Made Easy.


March 10th Movement

Chicago Spring Mayday! March for the 99 Pct!
Start Date: May 01, 2012
End Date: May 01, 2012

MAYDAY!
Occupations all across the globe will stand up and defend the 99%
on May 1st. In Chicago, we are organizing a massive gathering of
laborers, immigrants, students & more. JOIN US IN CHICAGO!

CALL TO ACTION: On May 1st, we will march for the 99%! JOIN US IN CHICAGO!

We are Workers. We are Students. We are Documented. We are
Undocumented. We are Occupiers.

They are Detaining Us. They are Shutting Down our Clinics. They
are Closing our Schools. They are Taking our Wealth. They are Busting
our Unions.

Come May 1st, we are on the March! Join Us!

We will be assembling at Union Park (1501 W. Randolph St.) at
12:00 PM and marching to Federal Plaza (230 S. Dearborn St.)

CALL TO ACTION: 1 de Mayo: Marcha por el 99%!

Somos Trabajadores. Somos Estudiantes. Somos Documentados. Somos
Indocumentados. Somos Ocupantes.

Nos Estan Denteniendo. Estan Cerrando nuestras Clinicas. Estan
Cerrando Nuestras Escuelas. Estan Quitando nuestra Riqueza. Estan
Quebrando nuestros Sindicatos.

¡Estamos en Marcha! ¡Únase!

Use these hasftags on Twitter:
#MAYDAY #ChicagoSpring #MAY1 #ChicagoBound #OChi

RSVP on the facebook event!
https://www.facebook.com/events/331802843528785


[Midwest Anti-War Mobilization]

The People's Summit in Chicago, May 12-13, 2012
Start Date: May 12, 2012
End Date: May 13, 2012

The People's Summit in Chicago, May 12-13, 2012
500 W Cermak Avenue

Join us for a historic weekend of panels and workshops dedicated
to the struggle for a better world!

While the G8 slinks off to Camp David to meet with President
Obama, NATO war makers are preparing to meet in Chicago on May 20-21.

By contrast, the People's Summit invites community groups, labor
unions, anti-racist organizers, Occupy activists, environmentalists,
faith leaders, immigrant rights activists and many more to a
grassroots, bottom-up forum of, by and for the 99 percent.

All those opposed to the NATO/G8 war and poverty agenda are
invited to attend the People's Summit either as a participant or
presenter, and then join the march on Sunday, May 20, beginning at 12
noon at the Petrillo Band Shell in Grant Park. Don't miss your chance
to be a part of history as people around the U.S. and the world engage
in solidarity actions with our May 20 march.

A better world is possible, and we have a responsibility to
become the change that we want to see in this world. See you at the
People's Summit and the May 20 march!

If you can't make it to Chicago, please consider a donation to do
your part toward making this event a success. We have decided to make
the event free of charge so as many people from all walks of life can
participate, but we need the financial support of those who can afford
to give it. Thanks!

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Malalai Joya, former Afghan member of Parliament and
internationally renowned opponent of NATO's occupation of Afghanistan;
Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rainbow/PUSH coalition; Reiner Braun,
International Coordinating Committee of the European No to NATO
network; Kathy Kelly, Voices for Creative Nonviolence; death row
prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal via speakerphone; Malik Mujahid, Muslim Peace
Coalition; Medea Benjamin, Code Pink; Col. Ann Wright (ret.), antiwar
activist

SCHEDULE
Saturday, May 12
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: Plenary 1
NATO/G8: Their Agenda of War and Austerity
11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.: Workshop Block 1
Lunch Break
2:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.: Workshop Block 2
4:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m.: Plenary 2
Building a Movement for the 99%
7:00 p.m.: Entertainment

Sunday, May 13, 2012
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: Plenary 3
An Injury to One is an Injury to All: Fighting Oppression to Unite the 99%
11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.: Workshop Block 3
Lunch Break
2:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.: Workshop Block 4
4:00 p.m. - 5 p.m.: Plenary 4
Our Alternative Vision: a World of Equality, Peace and Justice

Alternatives to a world of war and poverty.
The People's Summit
Sponsored by the Coalition Against NATO/G8 (http://cang8.org/),
Occupy Chicago (http://occupychi.org/) and many others.
March & Rally to Protest NATO/G8 on May 20
Start Date: May 20, 2012
End Date: May 20, 2012

Sunday, May 20, 2012
Noon rally at Petrillo Bandshell, (corner of Jackson and Columbus),
then march to McCormick Place, sight of the NATO summit
Join in a legal, permitted, family-friendly march and rally to
protest the policies of NATO!

At the invitation of the White House, military and civilian
representatives of the 28-nation US-commanded and largely US-financed
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are meeting in Chicago, May
20-21, 2012. We say:
Jobs, Healthcare, Education, Pensions, Housing and the
Environment, Not War!
No to NATO/G-8 Warmakers!
No to War and Austerity!

Among those scheduled to appear at the rally:
Jesse Jackson, Sr. ? Rainbow PUSH Coalition
Malalai Joya ? former member of Afghan Parliament
Reiner Braun ? ICC No to War ? No to NATO, Germany
Malik Mujahid ? Muslim Peace Council
Kathy Kelly ? Voices for Creative Nonviolence
Vijay Prashad ? author of ?Arab Spring, Libyan Winter?
Leah Bolger ? President, Veterans For Peace
Carlos Montes ? Committee Stop FBI Repression
Kari Fulton ? Environmental Justice Network
Larry Holmes ? International Action Center


Chicago Area Peace Action (CAPA)

May 18 & 19 - 99pct vs War and Injustice in Chicago
Start Date: May 18, 2012
End Date: May 19, 2012

Peace Action and the American Friends Service Committee have
initiated a network of peace, economic and racial justice and faith
groups (http://www.natofreefuture.org/who-we-are/member-groups/) to
convene a Counter Summit for Peace and Economic Justice on May 18 - 19.

Just prior to the NATO Summit meetings at McCormick Place in
Chicago we will gather at the People's Church on 941 West Lawrence
from Friday morning until Saturday afternoon.

While they discuss the Afghanistan war, we will map out campaigns
for a future free of wars, occupation and the costs of a militarized
foreign policy.

The conference will bring together representatives of the 99%
from the US and around the world who oppose the policies which
generate wars and impoverish our communities. Register now.

Find out more information on the NATO Free Future website.

Join the low volume announcement list to get updates on plenary
speakers and workshops.

Spread the word at events with a Counter Summit for Peace and
Economic Justice promo leaflet.

We will raise our voices with an alternative vision to NATO's
wars. One that is premised on diplomacy and international sovereignty.
Between now and May 18, you can invite speakers to come to your area
and be a part of the dialogue.

Check out the speakers bureau. In every region of the country
there are experts, historians and organizers who can come and speak at
events, or your own local Counter Summit for Peace and Economic Justice.

In the months leading to the NATO meeting and the G8 meeting at
Camp David, it is an opportunity for popular education about NATO and
the G8 and the impact on our communities. Educational materials and
events will be posted on the website.

Propose a workshop. The deadline is April 2. (Though the deadline
has passed, there is still an opportunity to submit a workshop
proposal). If you know an organization who could do a panel or
training or promote an ongoing grassroots campaign, fill out the
online proposal form.

Spread the word, and come to Chicago, May 18 - 19. Put a button
on your website to link with the NATO Free Future website.

Join Us!!


Iraqi Student Project DePaul Support

Kayak Iraq II: A fun fundraiser for ISP DePaul
Start Date: May 19, 2012
End Date: May 19, 2012

Welcome spring on the Skokie Lagoons and help ISP De Paul at the
same time by joining us for Kayak Iraq II from 1:00 to 3:00 on Sunday,
May 19, 2012. If you have a conflict that day, we are accepting
donations at
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/margaret-sents/kayakiraqii-1.

Kayak Iraq II is a two-hour guided Kayak-athon to raise money for
Hala?s 2012-13 expenses in her final year as a DePaul student. No
experience is needed to spend the afternoon with ISP DePaul on the
beautiful lagoons in Winnetka. Ask your families and friends to join
you and also to support the Kayak-athon. Last year Hala was able to
Kayak for the first time and we?re hoping she can join us again this
year, where we can almost promise it will be warmer than in 2011.

Visit our website at http://www.iraqidepaul.org to access the
registration form, an Offline Pledge Form, and a downloadable flyer.
Kayak rental fee is $20 if before April 10, $25 thereafter, free if
you bring your own kayak. After your registration is received,
Margaret Sents will send you instructions for soliciting on-line
donations from families and friends.

Questions? Contact Margaret at quieromom@aol.com or call her at
847-657-6807. See you on the water!




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Monday, April 16, 2012

[PDI] Fwd: Letter from Washington State supporters to Kucinich

*** SENT THROUGH PDI MAILING LIST ***
Hi all,

I just received an email informing me that Dennis Kucinich is considering a run for Congress in Washington State.

He has already collected a group of supporters who composed a letter listing three key reasons he should run,
one of which is his NEED Act!

But he needs AND DESERVES much more support if this effort is to be worthwhile. If you know anyone in Washington State,
please forward this to them,and please take time to follow the link in the following article and register your vote in support.

You can read the entire article here:
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/04/rep_dennis_kucinich_polls_supp.html#incart_hbx


Below is an excerpt about the third key reason for why Kucinich's voice is needed - and a paragraph on the the corporate media:

/The third benefit to the people of Washington State of returning you to
Congress is that you have proposed the NEED ACT which would restore a
full employment economy and create millions of jobs by taking back
control of the money supply from greedy and reckless Wall Street
bankers. We have four million workers in our State, but only three
million jobs -- for a real unemployment rate of 25%. Thousands of hard
working honest and highly skilled people here have lost their jobs,
their homes, their health care, their life savings and their hope.
Returning you to Congress to advocate for the NEED ACT is the best hope
we have for restoring jobs and stabilizing the economy here in
Washington State."/

/We understand that the corporate media has attacked you in the past and
will continue to attack you in the future. But we believe the voters are
getting wise to the fact that they are being manipulated. The issues you
have raised in your past campaigns, from Peace and Prosperity to
Protecting our Constitutional Rights, have not been issues that apply
merely to the people of Ohio -- but also to people in Washington State -
and to all the people in the United States. We are confident that the
majority of voters in our State would support your campaign once they
were made aware of your real positions on issues they care about./

-------- Original Message --------

Rep. Dennis Kucinich polls supporters on whether to run for Congress in Washington state
Published: Sunday, April 15, 2012, 10:30 PM
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/04/rep_dennis_kucinich_polls_supp.html#incart_hbx

Supporters of Dennis from Washington state want him to run for Congress there. They recently sent him a letter outlining three key
benefits to the people in the state if he was re-elected to Congress. You may be pleasantly surprised to read the third reason...


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Friday, April 06, 2012

[PDI] Actions from the IL Coalition for Justice, Peace, and the Environment

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Chicago Cuba Coalition

'Humor from My Pen' - Mar 9 to Apr 28 in Chicago
Start Date: Mar 09, 2012
End Date: Apr 28, 2012

Chicago will be hosting Humor from My Pen
– an exhibit of political cartoons by Gerardo Hernandez (one of the "Cuban
Five").
The Exhibit opening is
Friday, March 9, 2012 from 6pm to 9pm.
Calles y Sueños gallery in Pilsen
1900 S. Carpenter, Chicago
and will run through April 28, 2012

Many of you know about the case of the Cuban 5 – five Cubans locked up for
life in U.S. prisons for blowing the whistle on "anti-Castro" terrorists
operating out of Miami.
Their release is backed by former President James Carter, 10 Nobel
Laureates, a wide range of U.S. celebrities (including Ed Asner, Bonnie Raitt,
Ed Asner, Danny Glover, and Jackson Browne), and also is the single featured
"Unfair Trial" in Amnesty International's latest U.S. human rights report.

The opening will feature:
* a solidarity celebration with victims and fighters against torture
and false imprisonment
* appearances by Alicia Jrapko (Int'l Ctte. to Free the Five)
and Zoe Franklin (Chicago Council on Black Studies).

The exhibit is backed by an array of academic, artistic, community, and
political figures.

What's more, the exhibit will launch...

* the First Annual Chicago Cuba Film Festival,
screening four movies, two of which are Chicago premieres.
* a poetry event featuring Miguel Barnet,
president of Cuba's Writers and Artist Union.
* other presentations and events,
(including a full-sized recreation of Gerardo's prison cell).

To view the full schedule of events and films, go to
http://chicagocubacoalition.org

You can contact us at:
Chicago Cuba Coalition 312.952.2618
Calles y Sueños Gallery 773.208.0553 CYS_94@hotmail.com


CAPOW! Citizens Act to Protect Our Water

Don't Trust the 7 Billion Dollar Trust -
Start Date: Mar 29, 2012
End Date: Apr 18, 2012

DON'T TRUST THE $7 BILLION TRUST!

Mayor Emanuel wants us to trust him with the future of all of Chicago's
public assets. Today Rahm upped his private slush (oops I mean Investment)
fund to $7 Billion, you can read more here
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/29/us/private-aid-will-help-chicago-with-7-
billion-plan.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Rahm%27s%20investment%20Trust&st=cse

In announcing his plans for an Infrastructure Trust we were told "The
infrastructure trust is simply a financing tool. They won't have any control
over city assets. They won't be able to lease or sell. ... They're only there
to put together financing for projects we and the City Council decide to do."

In the March 1, 2012 press release announcing the plan, the mayor is
quoted as saying "Nothing is more crucial to our long-term competitiveness and
job creation than infrastructure. The Chicago Infrastructure Trust will bring
additional resources to stimulate public and private investment in our
infrastructure, create thousands of jobs for Chicagoans, and ensure that our
residents have a world-class quality of life."

Free money. Great projects. Thousands of jobs. Public-Private
Partnerships. World-class city. Where have we heard that before? How about in
the run-up to and the massive push behind Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics?

So how is THIS new privatization scheme going to work? You can download
the proposed ordinance here - http://tinyurl.com/TrustOrdinance. The mayor
calls the shots, as always. He appoints the five voting board members of the
Trust as well as its Chairman. The city (that's you and me) pony up $2,700,000
to get the project off the ground.

Perhaps most worrisome is Section 8, that says "To the extent that any
ordinance, resolution or order of the City is in conflict with the provisions
of this Ordinance, the provisions of this Ordinance shall be controlling." So
much for our elected City Council!

And what is the WHY behind all this? It's right there in the WHEREAS
sections of the ordinance:

"WHEREAS, a range of private investors and organizations, including
without limitation foundations, labor unions, public sector and private sector
pension funds, private equity funds, mutual funds and sovereign wealth funds
have demonstrated a growing interest in low-risk, long-term infrastructure
investments and it is in the best interest of the City to work collaboratively
with such investors and organizations in a transparent and strategic manner to
arrange required financing for a range of transformative infrastructure
projects."

Wouldn't we all like access to long-term, low or no risk investments! This
is the key to the whole scheme. We are going to buy some expensive debt. We
are all going to the payday loan store for a crippling loan that we will pay
for over the next several decades. Have you noticed Rahm never mentions how
much we will have to pay back or for how long?

Remember the parking meter scam. We got a little over $1 billion for the
75 year lease of our meters and MorganStanley will extract $11 billion over
the life of the deal. That's a no risk profit of $10 BILLION - a ten-to-one
return.

Professor Julie Roin, of the University of Chicago Law School, ripped into
the meter deal in an article for The Minnesota Law Review entitled
"Privatization and the Sale of Tax Revenues." She says "The underlying issue
stems from the temporal mismatch between the costs and benefits of the
contractual arrangement.....The amount of this obscured debt can be
substantial. "

Think of it this way - we want to buy some stuff for our city - say, a new
elevated line. We can self-fund this project by saving up and paying cash. Or
we can use our own credit card by going to the municipal bond market and
borrowing the money and then pay off that loan through taxes and fees. Or we
could start a Chicago public bank and lend the money to ourselves. This would
result in fairly low (and predictable) interest rates. Here, the cost of the
debt is low.

OR - we could use the corporate credit card and pay HIGHER INTEREST RATES
- higher because the financiers all need to extract profits. Just think of the
millionaire managers of MorganStanley the next time you have to park in
Chicago.

More Information on P3s can be obtained from Prof. John Loxley, Canada -
who wrote "Public Service - Private Profit" - An analysis of the claim that
private-public partnerships (called PPPs or P3s) reduce the building and
operating costs of public projects and services, this study examines a large
number of P3 case studies—from schools, bridges, and water treatment plants to
social services and hospital food services—and concludes the opposite: most
P3s are more costly to build and finance, provide poorer services, and are less
accessible than if they had been built and operated by public servants. The
book provides a clear explanation of what P3s are, the misleading accounting
procedures used by governments to make them appear more palatable, and how
many essential services are less accountable to citizens when private
corporations become involved.
Amazon link - http://www.amazon.com/Public-Service-Private-Profits-
Partnerships/dp/1552663388

Vimeo recording of Loxley presentation - 54 minutes -
https://vimeo.com/17952292

The Mayor isn't trying to foist this kind of scam on us, is he?


So who wants in? According to an article in The Bond Buyer, "Chicago has
nonbinding agreements from Citibank NA, Citi Infrastructure Investors,
Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets Inc., JPMorgan Asset Management
Infrastructure Group and Ullico to consider investing in projects." Wait a
minute. Aren't some of those entities the same ones the taxpayers bailed out a
while ago. Aren't they sitting on billions of dollars in cash and choking
small businesses and NOT helping home owners stay in their homes? Macquarie is
the firm that has our Skyway Bridge and will extract billions in profits from
it.

Haven't we been fleeced enough?
Author, Tom Tresser of IL Citizens for Public Banking


Here are some actions to take:

1) Please call your Alderman before it's too late and tell them that you
don't trust the Trust and neither should they! Find your Aldermen here:
http://chicago.legistar.com/People.aspx

Here are some questions to ask;

--Why would the Aldermen give their power away to Mayor Emanuel?

--How much are we going to have to pay for this private investment for how
long? And how are we going to pay for this; by hiking up CTA fares, from the
general budget, increased water rates?

--Why can't we continue to bond on the open market for our Infrastructure
needs, like we have been doing for decades? Per some news reports this Trust
may be paid an approximate 8% interest and Chicago is bonding at less than
that 4-6%, why should we pay 2-4% more for this private money?

--Don't we deserve an independent financial analysis of this investment
scheme?

--Don't we deserve public hearings, where citizens, and specialists in
finance and transit can testify about the projects being considered and the
need for this type of private investment, also on all of the alternatives to
this type of private investment?

Please let us know if you get any answers to your questions from the
Aldermen,
send us a quick note to drlora2@yahoo.com--thanks for making the call!


2) Please attend a rally to
Defend Public Transit
Wed, April 4th, 6pm
CTA HQ, 567 W. Lake St, Chicago.
Come on down with signs saying
"Don't trust the Trust, Fund Our Public Transit with Public $$$"


3) Come on down to the
City Council Finance Committee meeting on
Mon. April 16th at 9:00am,
2nd floor of City Hall,
and
The City Council meeting,
Wed, April 18th, 9:00am
2nd floor of City Hall
and ask the Aldermen to give us public hearings, an independent financial
analysis and answers to our questions!


Please do not let Rahm sell Chicago to his private investor buddies-
thanks!

Privatization Watch Illinois
IL Coalition to Protect the Public Commons
IL Citizens for Public Banking
www.Illinoispublicbanking.org


[Occupy Solidarity Illinois]

Occupy Chicago Launches the Chicago Spring April 7
Start Date: Apr 07, 2012
End Date: Apr 07, 2012

Come Together on April 7th to Launch the Chicago Spring!


Occupy Chicago put out the call and groups across Chicago fighting for
social and economic justice picked it up. The day starts with morning actions
in your neighborhood hosted by local groups which you can find here:
http://chicagospring.org/#!/Join_April_7th

1pm, we will meet at Jackson and Lasalle where we rally before heading to
the afternoon festival of art, education and empowerment. Many unscheduled
political and creative activities will be going on throughout the festival on
'the green' grass, including our massive community art project the 99% Wishing
Tree.
Here is the program of panel discussions, workshops, music and theater
Occupy Chicago is putting on:

Chicago Spring Stage
- "Education, Healthcare and Housing Are Human Rights!" Featuring:
Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. (Rainbow/PUSH Coalition), National Nurses United (NNU),
Sonja Rotenberg (Illinois Single-Payer Coalition), and Willie JR Fleming,
Loren Taylor and Toussaint Losier (Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign)
- "Everything You Wanted To Know About NATO But Were Afraid To Ask"
Featuring: Eric Slater (CANG8), John Beacham (Answer Chicago), Iraq Veterans
Against The War (IVAW)
- "Non-Violent Direct Action Against Oppression" Featuring: Mary Dean
(Voices for Creative Nonviolence), Ken Butigan (Pace e Bene), Rosalie Riegle
(War Resister's League), J. Wade Hannon.
The 99% Stage
- "Why This Isn't Scary: Anarchy, Communism, Socialism and The Black
Bloc"
- "Mayor 1%'s Budget of Austerity" Featuring: Mick Dumke (The Chicago
Reader), Nadana Carter (STOP), Librarian Activists (AFSCME Local 31)
- "This Is What a Police State Looks Like!" Featuring: Mick Dumke (The
Chicago Reader), Blaine Mineman (Amnesty International), Free Howard Morgan
Campaign (Free Howard Morgan)
Solidarity Stage
- "Political Economy Workshop: The Crisis of US Capitalism."
By CPEG (Chicago Political Economy Group)
- "Non-Violent Direct Action: Peace Maneuvers" By Ken Butigan (Pace e
Bene)
- "May Day: Histories of Immigration, Labor, and Struggle." By the
Occupy Chicago Labor Committee
Freedom Stage
- FM Supreme
- Linda Boyle
- And more
Occupy Improv!

-------------
After the festival, join us for a Freedom Feast at 5:30 made possible by
Food Not Bombs before our first General Assembly back at the Horse at 7pm as it
will be all Spring long.

During dinner, we will hear important and exciting announcements of new
Spring Campaigns and upcoming actions by:
- IVAW and NNU
- STOP
- Occupy the SouthSide
And party the night away!

Download handout here:
your link here...


Fellowship of Reconciliation, Chicago Chapter

Fellowship of Reconciliation Nonviolent Direct Action Training
Start Date: Apr 10, 2012
End Date: May 08, 2012

Stop NATO/G8 Nonviolent Direct Action Series
@ DePaul University Lincoln Park Campus
Session 1 Preparation: Undertaking the Nonviolent Commitment
Tuesday, April 10, 2012 6:30-9:30 p.m. DePaul LPC TBA
>> Understanding Nonviolence Overview
>> Assessing Risks: Personal, Legal, Medical
>> Why use direct action? What does it mean to be nonviolent?
Session 2 Planning for Direct Action
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 6:30-9:30 p.m. DePaul LPC TBA
>> How To Work in Affinity Groups: Roles, Jobs and Responsibility
>> Set and Discuss goals
>> Brainstorm effective tactics/ strategies
>> Coordination of a Larger Level-- Permitted Actions
Session 3 Simulation: Working with Others
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 6:30-9:30 p.m. DePaul LPC TBA
>> Rules of Engagement: Police, Press, and Pedestrians
>> Scenarios: Practice Nonviolent Communication
>> Scenarios: How to Defuse Violence by Other Protestors
Session 4 Simulation: Nonviolence in Repression
Tuesday, May 1, 2012 6:30-9:30 p.m. DePaul LPC TBA
>> Scenarios: Remaining Nonviolent in the Face of Repression
>> Scenarios: What to do When Facing Arrest
>> Medic Training: How To Protect and Treat "Nonlethal" Repercussions
Session 5 Readiness
Tuesday, May 8, 2012 6:30-9:30 p.m. DePaul LPC TBA
>> Review: Concepts and Skills from Previous Workshops
>> Assessing Readiness: Ready for Direct Action?

FELLOWSHIP OF RECONCILIATION: Chicago Chapter
http://forusa.org/groups/local-chapters/chicago-for

Contact: Meghan Trimm 815-520-4333 mmmclaughlintrimm@gmail.com


Near West Citizens for Peace and Justice

Film: Ethos, a Time for Change Sat Apr 14 in LaGrange Park
Start Date: Apr 14, 2012
End Date: Apr 14, 2012

NEAR WEST CITIZENS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE PRESENTS A FREE FILM:

ETHOS
A Time for Change

Saturday, April 14, 2012 2:30 PM
LaGrange Park Library,
555 N. LaGrange Rd
LaGrange Park

ETHOS - is all that we currently hold to be true. It is what we act upon.
It governs our manners, our business, and our politics.

Hosted by twice Oscar nominated actor and activist Woody Harrelson, Ethos
lifts the lid on a Pandora's Box of systemic issues that guarantee failure in
every aspect of our lives, from the environment to our democracy and our own
personal liberty. From conflicts of interest in politics to unregulated
corporate power, to a military industrial complex that just about owns our
government. We cannot change our system until we know how it works and this
film, with interviews from some of today's leading thinkers, will show you a
simple but powerful way to start making meaningful and sustainable change. We
can live in peace and justice in a clean environment and Ethos will show you
how.
2012 - 69 minutes. A discussion will follow the film.
Call Stephanie 708/772-3034 or e-mail sbilenko@sbcglobal.net for movie
info.

Download an event flyer here:
http://icjpe.org/uploads/docs/ethosthemovie.pdf

Sponsored by: Near West Citizens for Peace & Justice (NWCPJ), a group of
area residents who came together in opposition to war & occupation and their
disastrous consequences. Newcomers are welcome to our meetings. Please call
for locations. To learn more about us, please access our website,
www.nwcpj.org, email laurel@nwcpj.org or call 708/447-9577.


Neighbors for Peace

Tax Day Protest at Evanston Post Office
Start Date: Apr 17, 2012
End Date: Apr 17, 2012

It's Tax Day again! Please join Neighbors for Peace and the Coalition for
Peace, Justice, and the Environment as we leaflet against the bloated war
budget at the Evanston Post Office, Davis Street at Oak, from 8:00 am until 3:00

We need at least four people for each shift, starting on the hour. Please
email riegle@svsu.edu with the hour(s) you'd like to work.

All signs and flyers furnished, and there's a great new coffee shop open on
the corner where you can retire for a cuppa'. We're hoping our friends at
Occupy can supply some lively streets theatre. As you know if you've done this
before, Tax Day is a splendid opportunity to interact with people about our
bloated military budget and the impending wars in the Middle East.

Call Rosalie at 847-644-2281 or 847-492-1856 with any questions. Let's
make sure the left is heard about taxes this year! Don't give the space to the
Tea Party.

Step up and speak out for changes in our tax priorities. Support butter,
not bombs!
Chicago Prepares for NATO: Un-Spinning the Media Bias
Start Date: Apr 28, 2012
End Date: Apr 28, 2012

An exciting afternoon of speakers and discussion will counter the media
bias which constantly conflates the word "protest" with "violence."

Eric Ruder will present "A Short and Irreverent History of NATO"
Wade Hannom will discuss "Why is Nonviolence so Threatening"

Rosalie Riegle will describe citizen preparations for protest, including
an update on the permitted march scheduled for the week end NATO arrives,
workshops on the theory and practice of nonviolence held throughout the city,
and three educational teach-ins.

Plenty of time for questions and discussion. Free and open to the public.
Refreshments will be served.


American Friends Service Committee

Annual Bnefit and If I Had a Trilion Dollars Youth Film Festival
Start Date: Apr 18, 2012
End Date: Apr 18, 2012

Private Reception - 6 pm Young Chicago film makers fresh from AFSC
delegation to Washington DC will be presented with Speaking Truth to Power
awards and will share their experiences of speaking to Congressional members
thru their dynamic films. Light buffet by Hel's Kitchen will be served.

Film Festival - 7:30 to 9 pm Watch the films submitted by youth across the
country answering the question "What would you do with a trillion dollars
instead of spending it on war?"

$75 Private Reception&Film Festival $75, $40 Low Income/Student, $10 Film
Festival Only (please arrive by 7:15pm). Event proceeds benefit AFSC's "If I
Had a Trillion Dollars" youth film festival project. PLEASE RSVP by April 11,
2012. Register online
https://girstarcafecrm.org/civicrm/event/info?id=7&reset=1


Contact Info: Karen Light 312/427-2533 or klight @afsc.org


War Resisters League, Chicago Chapter

Confronting Injustice: A Training in Nonviolence
Start Date: Apr 21, 2012
End Date: Apr 21, 2012

This three-hour workshop, facilitated by Wade Hannon, an experienced
nonviolence trainer, will help paticipants prepare to be a nonviolent presence
at the NATO protests in May. Topics covered will include:

What is nonviolence? A brief theoretical overview
Concise history of successful nonviolent campaigns around the world
Interactive small-group discussions on nonviolence and the NATO protests
Role-playing to give specific training in nonviolent interactions with
hostile opponents
Know Your Rights briefing

Reservations and more information: roforpeace@gmail.com


Voices for Creative Nonviolence

At A Global Crossroads: Turn Against War.
Start Date: May 01, 2012
End Date: May 19, 2012

Tentative schedule is as follows:
May 1, May Day Rally at in Madison and kickoff for the Walk
May 7-9, Walking through Milwaukee
May 12-13, Rest weekend at Racine (possible Mothers' Day action in
Racine), time for locals to go home and come back, if desired
May 18, Arrive at Wellington Church, Chicago
May 19, March to downtown Chicago, join up with permitted march to NATO/G8
conference at McCormick Place.
For more information: contact Buddy Bell @ buddy@vcnv.org

Voices for Creative Nonviolence is putting together a Walk from Madison to
Milwaukee to Chicago during the month of May.

Please consider joining us for any segment of the Walk. Please direct
logistical concerns to buddy@vcnv.org


Chicago Area Peace Action (CAPA)

May 18 & 19 - 99pct vs War and Injustice in Chicago
Start Date: May 18, 2012
End Date: May 19, 2012

Peace Action and the American Friends Service Committee have initiated a
network of peace, economic and racial justice and faith groups to convene a
Counter Summit for Peace and Economic Justice on May 18 - 19.

Just prior to the NATO Summit meetings at McCormick Place in Chicago we
will gather at the People's Church on 941 West Lawrence from Friday morning
until Saturday afternoon.

While they discuss the Afghanistan war, we will map out campaigns for a
future free of wars, occupation and the costs of a militarized foreign policy.

The conference will bring together representatives of the 99% from the US
and around the world who oppose the policies which generate wars and
impoverish our communities. Register now.

Find out more information on the NATO Free Future website.

Join the low volume announcement list to get updates on plenary speakers
and workshops.

Spread the word at events with a Counter Summit for Peace and Economic
Justice promo leaflet.

We will raise our voices with an alternative vision to NATO's wars. One
that is premised on diplomacy and international sovereignty. Between now and
May 18, you can invite speakers to come to your area and be a part of the
dialogue.

Check out the speakers bureau. In every region of the country there are
experts, historians and organizers who can come and speak at events, or your
own local Counter Summit for Peace and Economic Justice.

In the months leading to the NATO meeting and the G8 meeting at Camp
David, it is an opportunity for popular education about NATO and the G8 and
the impact on our communities. Educational materials and events will be posted
on the website.

Propose a workshop. The deadline is April 2. (Though the deadline has
passed, there is still an opportunity to submit a workshop proposal). If you
know an organization who could do a panel or training or promote an ongoing
grassroots campaign, fill out the online proposal form.

Spread the word, and come to Chicago, May 18 - 19. Put a button on your
website to link with the NATO Free Future website.

Join Us!!


Iraqi Student Project DePaul Support

Kayak Iraq II: A fun fundraiser for ISP DePaul
Start Date: May 19, 2012
End Date: May 19, 2012

Welcome spring on the Skokie Lagoons and help ISP De Paul at the same time
by joining us for Kayak Iraq II from 1:00 to 3:00 on Sunday, May 19, 2012. If
you have a conflict that day, we are accepting donations at
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/margaret-sents/kayakiraqii-1.

Kayak Iraq II is a two-hour guided Kayak-athon to raise money for Hala's
2012-13 expenses in her final year as a DePaul student. No experience is needed
to spend the afternoon with ISP DePaul on the beautiful lagoons in Winnetka.
Ask your families and friends to join you and also to support the Kayak-athon.
Last year Hala was able to Kayak for the first time and we're hoping she can
join us again this year, where we can almost promise it will be warmer than in
2011.

Visit our website at http://www.iraqidepaul.org to access the registration
form, an Offline Pledge Form, and a downloadable flyer. Kayak rental fee is $20
if before April 10, $25 thereafter, free if you bring your own kayak. After
your registration is received, Margaret Sents will send you instructions for
soliciting on-line donations from families and friends.

Questions? Contact Margaret at quieromom@aol.com or call her at
847-657-6807. See you on the water!

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Tuesday, April 03, 2012

[PDI] Mayor Emanuel: Respect First Amendment Rights in Chicago

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Nancy Wade" <noreply@list.signon.org>
Date: Apr 3, 2012 1:39 PM
Subject: Mayor Emanuel: Respect First Amendment Rights in Chicago
To: <aquarianm@gmail.com>

Dear Daniel,

Occupy Spring is starting on Saturday. Chicago Mayor Emanuel and the
Chicago police must respect our first amendment rights to peaceful assembly
if Chicago is to be a world class democracy. However, *the police
department is arming for control and has given no information about plans
to respect the democratic rights of protesters.*

We are asking Mayor Emanuel to respect the rights of protesters to the
freedom of peaceful assembly. We request that the *guidelines recommended
by UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur, Mr. Maina Kiai, be followed in
Chicago.*

Please sign and pass along this request to *Mayor Emanuel: Protect Our
First Amendment Rights, show Chicago can be a World Class Democracy **
http://signon.org/sign/chicago-world-class-democrac-1?source=s.em.cr&r_by=1415825&mailing_id=3166
*

<http://signon.org/sign/chicago-world-class-democrac-1?source=s.em.cr&r_by=1415825&mailing_id=3166>Thank
you,

Nancy Wade
Organizer
First Amendment Freedom in Chicago

------------------------------

This message was sent to Daniel A. Stafford by Nancy Wade from the SignOn*.
*org system. MoveOn*.*org Civic Action sponsors SignOn*.*org, but does not
endorse specific campaigns or the contents of this message.

To unsubscribe or report this email as inappropriate, click here:
http://www.signon.org/unsub.html?i=3166-1415825-lFNzQr
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