[SDCPJ] [Fwd: MAY DAY - A SPECIAL Day for workers]

[SDCPJ] Sign up by May 6 for Work-a-thon for Peace & Social Justice

 

 

 (Please note: The deadline is May 6 to register for this event and help two very important local peace organizations.)

 

Annual

2009 WORK-A-THON FOR
PEACE and SOCIAL JUSTICE

Saturday, May 16

THERE ARE TWO WAYS YOU CAN HELP:

1. VOLUNTEER for a day to help construct the new Friends Center in San Diego, an exciting project that combines environmentalism, peace activism and social justice organizing. The environmentally friendly, energy-efficient building will house the Peace Resource Center, Friends Meeting and AFSC U.S.-Mexico Border Project, and also provide meeting space for other community organizations and projects. To volunteer, complete and return the registration form that can be downloaded here:

http://www.prcsd.org/pdf's/Workthfl09.pdf

2. SPONSOR a volunteer worker. Your donation as a sponsor will give encouragement to those donating their labor and also benefit two organizations financially: the Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities and Peace Resource Center. Send your check made out to “PRC/Work-a-thon”, and we will match your donation with a worker. Mail it to: Peace Resource Center, 3850 Westgate Pl., San Diego, CA 92105.

For more information, visit www.prcsd.org, email info@prcsd.org or call 619-265-0730.

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Coalition Events

Please take a few moments to become aware of some important events. Please foreward to your constituents. Ask them to send it out to their mailing lists. If you have not already, join us at http://www.meetup.com/sdcommunitycoalition. Thanks! Walter 760-917-1251 We have upcoming events that need your support.   See Brief video here:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0c1xfCoSs4     Movie Night - Afghanistan Before the War 7PM at 8Teen Cultural Center, 3925 Ohio Street, San Diego, 29 April 2009. See documentary on Afghanistan before the wars with Russia and the United States.     Technology Class Saturday, 2 May 2009 1000 AM to 2 PM, 8Teen Cultural Center....3925 Ohio Street.   Learn about Internet TV, Blogging, Facebook, YouTube, Alternative Media. $20.00 donation includes a meal...no one turned away.     Progress in San Diego TV show - See Pamela Perkins and Nancy J. Mitchell of Human Communication Institute along with Raymond Lutz of the Citizens' Oversight Project Committee.   Volunteer for our TV crew....we need your help! See the simulcast at www.helloworld.com/videoconsultant. If you want to be part of the crew, you will need to be at COX Communications in El Cajon at 6:30 PM. Call me to get directions, information and instructions (required).         See Raymond's Democracy Now Video            NJ Mitchell grew up in a small town forty miles east of Orlando Florida the eldest of six children. She traveled the United States playing semi-Professional softball for 17 years which includes many individual and team trophy awards. She has her MBA complimented with a degree in communication. Since then, opportunity has knocked twice more, first at the Human Communication Institute, LLC and then in the Entertainment Industry. She is a Company Principal, VP of Operations & Marketing and brings to the professional HCI team a special brand of organization, motivation, personal coaching and team confidence building skills. Secondarily, she manages the HCI, LLC practitioner PASS IT ON Film project and is the R&D Manager of the Diversity Works Magazine. She can also be seen in a few movies and HBO shows if you look hard enough. She is a student at Van Mar Academy Hollywood. (Ivan Makota). She received the National Campaign Billboard for Mother's Against Gun Violence (Photography: Jeffery Lamont Brown). She is also apart of the large Mural at Encinitas Beach Mobil Gas Station (Artist Kevin Anderson). She is active with the San Diego Film Festival SDFF. Her passions are to jump through hoops until she sees the lights come on in a child's eyes, to sit at the feet of recorded history - our elderly and you can find her studying scholarly spiritual works in nature with a hot cup of fresh brewed coffee. Her hobbies are play by play calling NBA games (favorite team the Miami Heat), international travel with friends, research work, writing and sharing notes about thoughts that invade her mind and beg to be remembered. Have a wonderful day. It's always your choice! We encourage you to visit our site   www.hci-global.net and contact us to create a specific communication training support program for your team. Co-Host NJ Mitchell, Human Communication Institute, LLC practitioner     P amela S. Perkins, M.A., Founder & CEO of the Human Communication Institute, LLC www.hci-global.net is a graduate of the well-renowned University's of North Carolina Chapel Hill and New York University. Pamela has over 20 years of experience as a Human Communication Management Specialist, Professor of Communication, Corporate Training Consultant, Lecturer, and academia and corporate curriculum developer. Pamela is a featured practitioner in the Film; Pass It On along with Visionary Dr. Michael Beckwith, Motivation Speaker Les Brown and Productivity Consultant Denis Waitley. She has made Guest Appearances on KPBS, MTV, NBC, Cox TV, Voice of America, Talk Radio WHCR 90.3 FM New York and Big Media USA - Smart Talking Women Inc. Her current list of clients include: San Diego State University, Urban League San Diego, San Diego City College, SD Health and Human Services, EMBRACE Program, SD Black Engineers, Qualcomm, and SD KPBS, to name a few. She is currently Editor-in- Chief of Diversity Works Magazine and a contributing writer for the Personal Development Magazine www.hciglobal. com/pdmagazine Her cultural studies are extensive and includes an international post with The Instituto Italiano, Florence , Italy. Past Co-Director of the prestigious World Cultures Program, Pamela produced, directed and facilitated cross-cultural programming for audiences and participants from around the globe. Specializing in Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Nonverbal and Intercultural Communication practices, she is creator of the HCI Communication Staircase. Author of the Spring, 2008 hardcover New York Time review release of: The Art and Science of Communication: Tools for Effective Communication in the Workplace, publishers John Wiley & Sons www.wiley.com her unique and effective approach to healing the communication environment has positively affected the lives of thousands. Co-Host Pamela S. Perkins, M.A, Human Communication Institute, LLC, Founder & CEO Please forward this email to all of your constituents and encourage them to join the San Diego County Community Coalition http://www.meetup.com/sdcommunitycoalition   Walter Davis 760-917-1251

Fwd: Coalition Events

Please take a few moments to become aware of some important events indicated below. Please foreward to your constituents. Ask them to send it out to their mailing lists. If you have not already, join us at http://www.meetup.com/sdcommunitycoalition.

Thanks!

Walter 760-917-1251

 

We have upcoming events that need your support.

 

See Brief video here:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0c1xfCoSs4

 

 

Movie Night - Afghanistan Before the War 7PM at 8Teen Cultural Center, 3925 Ohio Street, San Diego, 29 April 2009. See documentary on Afghanistan before the wars with Russia and the United States.

 

 

Technology Class Saturday, 2 May 2009 1000 AM to 2 PM, 8Teen Cultural Center....3925 Ohio Street.

 

Learn about Internet TV, Blogging, Facebook, YouTube, Alternative Media. $20.00 donation includes a meal...no one turned away.

 

 

Progress in San Diego TV show - See Pamela Perkins and Nancy J. Mitchell of Human Communication Institute along with Raymond Lutz of the Citizens' Oversight Project Committee.

 

Volunteer for our TV crew....we need your help! See the simulcast at www.helloworld.com/videoconsultant. If you want to be part of the crew, you will need to be at COX Communications in El Cajon at 6:30 PM. Call me to get directions, information and instructions (required).  

 

 

 

See Raymond's Democracy Now Video

    

  NJ

Mitchell grew up in a small town forty miles east of Orlando Florida the eldest of six children. She traveled the United

States playing semi-Professional softball for 17 years which includes many individual and team trophy awards. She has

her MBA complimented with a degree in communication. Since then, opportunity has knocked twice more, first at the Human

Communication Institute, LLC and then in the Entertainment Industry. She is a Company Principal, VP of Operations &

Marketing and brings to the professional HCI team a special brand of organization, motivation, personal coaching and team confidence

building skills. Secondarily, she manages the HCI, LLC practitioner PASS IT ON Film project and is the R&D Manager

of the Diversity Works Magazine. She can also be seen in a few movies and HBO shows if you look hard enough. She is a student

at Van Mar Academy Hollywood. (Ivan Makota). She received the National Campaign Billboard for Mother's Against Gun

Violence (Photography: Jeffery Lamont Brown). She is also apart of the large Mural at Encinitas Beach Mobil Gas Station (Artist

Kevin Anderson). She is active with the San Diego Film Festival SDFF. Her passions are to jump through hoops until she sees the

lights come on in a child's eyes, to sit at the feet of recorded history - our elderly and you can find her studying scholarly spiritual

works in nature with a hot cup of fresh brewed coffee. Her hobbies are play by play calling NBA games (favorite team the

Miami Heat), international travel with friends, research work, writing and sharing notes about thoughts that invade her mind

and beg to be remembered. Have a wonderful day. It's always your choice! We encourage you to visit our site

 

www.hci-global.net

and contact us to create a specific communication training support program for your team.

Co-Host NJ Mitchell, Human Communication

Institute, LLC practitioner

 

 

P

amela S. Perkins, M.A., Founder & CEO of the Human Communication Institute, LLC www.hci-global.net is a graduate of

the well-renowned University's of North Carolina Chapel Hill and New York University. Pamela has over 20 years of experience

as a Human Communication Management Specialist, Professor of Communication, Corporate Training Consultant,

Lecturer, and academia and corporate curriculum developer. Pamela is a featured practitioner in the Film; Pass It On along with

Visionary Dr. Michael Beckwith, Motivation Speaker Les Brown and Productivity Consultant Denis Waitley. She has made Guest

Appearances on KPBS, MTV, NBC, Cox TV, Voice of America, Talk Radio WHCR 90.3 FM New York and Big Media USA - Smart

Talking Women Inc.

Her current list of clients include: San Diego State University, Urban League San Diego, San Diego City College, SD Health and

Human Services, EMBRACE Program, SD Black Engineers, Qualcomm, and SD KPBS, to name a few. She is currently Editor-in-

Chief of Diversity Works Magazine and a contributing writer for the Personal Development Magazine www.hciglobal.

com/pdmagazine Her cultural studies are extensive and includes an international post with The Instituto Italiano,

Florence , Italy. Past Co-Director of the prestigious World Cultures Program, Pamela produced, directed and facilitated cross-cultural

programming for audiences and participants from around the globe.

Specializing in Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Nonverbal and Intercultural Communication practices, she is creator of the HCI

Communication Staircase. Author of the Spring, 2008 hardcover New York Time review release of: The Art and Science of

Communication: Tools for Effective Communication in the Workplace, publishers John Wiley & Sons www.wiley.com her unique

and effective approach to healing the communication environment has positively affected the lives of thousands.

Co-Host Pamela S. Perkins, M.A, Human

Communication Institute, LLC, Founder & CEO

Please forward this email to all of your constituents and encourage them to join the San Diego County Community Coalition

http://www.meetup.com/sdcommunitycoalition

 

Walter Davis

760-917-1251

[SDCPJ] UPDATE: Freedom For Palestine! Seventh Annual International Al-Awda Convention

Having trouble viewing this email? http://al-awda.org/convene7.html

FREEDOM FOR PALESTINE! Growing our Global Movement Seventh Annual International Al-Awda Convention Embassy Suites Hotel Anaheim South 11767 Harbor Boulevard Garden Grove, California 92840 May 22-24, 2009 Among the featured speakers: George Galloway, British Member of Parliament William Ramsey Clark, Former US Attorney General Ghassan Ben Jeddo, Al-Jazeera Beirut Burea Chief and Talk Show Host Yvonne Ridley, Viva Palestina UK, Respect Party, Press TV and Free Gaza Movement Khaled Dawoud, Al-Jazeera Arabic NY-based Correspondent Ron Kovic, author of Born on the 4th of July and joint leader of Viva Palestina USA Cindy Sheehan, anti-war activist Fernando Suarez del Solar, anti-war activist Dr. Jamal Nassar, Specialist in Middle East Politics and Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at CSUSB Dr. Hatim Kanaaneh, Galilee Society and Ittijah founder and author of 'A Doctor in Galilee' Strategy & tactics discussions: Activist panels will include experts in the following campaigns: Viva Palestina USA; Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions; Refugee Support; Student/Youth Activism; Al-Awda Educational Resources; Chapter building and registration among others.   Youth program includes educational sessions such as Palestine 101 and learning Dabke.   Film screenings to include the widely-acclaimed award-winning "Salt of This Sea" by Annemarie Jacir, starring Suheir Hammad and Saleh Bakri and "Amreeka" by Cherien Dabis, starring Nisreen Faour.   Dinner Banquet with Keynote address, Fundraising, plus Dabke Contest! Convention Information Program: http://al-awda.org/convention7/program.html Speakers: http://al-awda.org/convention7/speakers.html Reservations: http://www.al-awda.org/convention7/reserve.html Venue: http://www.al-awda.org/convention7/venue.html Sponsorship: http://www.al-awda.org/convention7/sponsor.html Flyer: http://al-awda.org/convention7/2009color.pdf (color)           http://al-awda.org/convention7/2009bw.pdf (b&w) Advertising: http://www.al-awda.org/convention7/ads.html Exhibitors: http://www.al-awda.org/convention7/table.html Hotel Accommodation: http://www.al-awda.org/convention7/hotel.html This year's convention is hosted by twenty seven local and national organizations. For a listing, see http://www.al-awda.org/convention7/hosts.html   For other information, visit: http://al-awda.org/convention7/index.html and keep revisiting that page as it is being updated regularly   JOIN US to work together to bring the days of RETURN closer!    DON'T DELAY! RESERVE YOUR PLACE TODAY! Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition PO Box 131352 Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA Tel: 760-918-9441 Fax: 760-918-9442 E-mail: info@al-awda.org WWW: http://al-awda.org   Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition (PRRC) is the largest network of grassroots activists and students dedicated to Palestinian human rights. We are a not for profit tax-exempt educational and charitable 501(c)(3) organization as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States of America. Under IRS guidelines, your donations to PRRC are tax-deductible.

Forward email Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition | PO Box 131352 | Carlsbad | CA | 92013

[SDCPJ] THIS SATURDAY (4/25) La Otra SD & the Free Skool present: Mayday Dinner and a Movie!

please forward widely

On Saturday, April 25, we'd like to invite you to the City Heights Free Skool Cafe, a dinner and movie that is part of La Otra San Diego's May 1st Film Series (http://otrasd.insurreccion.org). Food will start at 6 pm. There will be vegan enchiladas, beans and rice available for $5 ($4 if you bring your own plate and silverware).

We will be showing Bread and Roses at 7 pm, a movie about the victory of Justice for Janitors, a union of predominantly immigrant workers who clean the skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles. /// http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_Roses_(film) ///

City Heights Free Skool
4246 Wightman St, SD
Directions/Map http://tinyurl.com/freeskoolmap
(619) 528-8383
http://cityheightsfreeskool.org
cityheightsfreeskool@riseup.net

Don't forget to check out the other film in La Otra San Diego's May 1st Film Series, Gigante Despierta, which will be shown at Cine en el Barrio, a monthly event organized by Colectivo Zapatista. It will take place on Thursday, April 30 at 6:30 pm at Chicana Perk in Sherman Heights (http://chicanaperk.com). This documentary is a compilation of footage from all over the United States of the historic 2006 May 1st immigrant rights demonstrations (http://gigantedespierta.org).

And of course the annual May 1st Immigrant Rights March will be be starting at City College at 2:30 pm on Mayday. We will be marching to Chicano Park...See you there!

amor y solidaridad,
la eskuela libre

[SDCPJ] NO Mtg. 4/27; next mtg. May 11

We will not hold our regular 4th Monday meeting on April 27; we will
resume our regular meeting schedule of 2nd and 4th Mondays on Monday,
May 11, 7 p.m., 3850 Westgate Place, SD 92105.
_______________________________________________
Sdcpj mailing list
Sdcpj@lists.quantumimagery.com
http://lists.quantumimagery.com/listinfo.cgi/sdcpj-quantumimagery.com

2009 Tommie Awards Tonight, 5:30pm

Thanks to you, our many progressive allies, who have contributed to our grassroots organizing, GOtV efforts, listening campaigns, and public forums on progressive principles, Progressive San Diego has grown and blossomed! Last summer, we formed EMPOWER San Diego, a 501(c)3.

Come Celebrate Our Progressive Community with

EMPOWER, a New Non-Profit Organization,
at the
2009 Tommie Awards
Recognizing activists working toward an equitable, sustainable San Diego/Tijuana Region
Thursday, April 16th
5:30pm Doors Open
Local, Sustainable Food/Live Music by the Marcia Forman Band
Award Ceremony and Farewell to Tommie Watson

At the home of Linda and Carlos LeGerrette
1359 Grove Street | San Diego, CA 92102

We thank these sponsors for their contributions:
Big Kitchen, Garden of Eden Organics, La Milpa Organica and Old World Deli.

Schmooze with:

Tommie Watson
Outgoing Executive Director, Progressive San Diego & EMPOWER San Diego

Annie Lorrie Anderson-Lazo, Ph.D.
Incoming Executive Director, EMPOWER San Diego

Emily Serafy Cox
Incoming Development Director, EMPOWER San Diego

& All the Recipients of the 2009 Tommie Awards

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EMPOWER San Diego, a non-profit 501(c)(3) education organization, will continue to support the efforts of residents and communities working together for an equitable, just and sustainable society.

Progressive San Diego, a non-partisan political action committee that works to create more equitable and sustainable society in the San Diego region by promoting progressive candidates and policies.

For More Information Contact: Emily@EmpowerSanDiego.org

[SDCPJ] Reminder of event: Israel's War Crimes in Gaza, Sunday April 19, 6 pm

National Lawyers Guild, San Diego Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP), American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Middle East Cultural and Information Center (MECIC), Activist San Diego, and San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice (SDCPJ) 

Invite you to a lecture on: 

Israel's War Crimes in Gaza 

The legal case 

Speaker:  Radhika Sainath

Video footage of Gaza war crimes investigation

Download flyer:  http://cjpsandiego.org/img/SainathApril19Flyer.pdf

Radhika Sainath is an attorney at Hadsell Stormer in Los Angeles, California, where she specializes in civil rights, housing and human rights law. She recently returned from a 7-day National Lawyers Guild delegation to Gaza to investigate potential Israeli war crimes during the December 27 invasion. Prior to becoming an attorney, Ms. Sainath organized low-wage workers with the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (now UNITE HERE). From 2002-2003, Ms. Sainath lived and worked in the West Bank, where she worked with Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent resistance groups. Ms. Sainath traveled to Pakistan in January 2008 -- days after Bhutto's assassination -- on an NLG fact-finding mission to assess the status of the judiciary and the prospect of free and fair elections. Ms. Sainath received her J.D. from the University of California Berkeley, School of Law and her B.A. in political science and sociology from the University of California, San Diego. Sainath is an editor of Peace Under Fire: Israel/Palestine and the International Solidarity Movement (Verso 2004).  

Sunday April 19 2009, 6 PM 

Four Points Sheraton 

8110 Aero Drive, San Diego, CA 92123 

Free event (donations welcome); free parking 

For more information: 858-459-4650 or 619-840-1945 

[SDCPJ] 10 Things to do to Oppose the War in Afghanistan

>From the Nation Magazine, April 27, 2009

The war in Afghanistan is a quagmire bordering on a catastrophe. With a current price tag of $2 billion a month, this drawn-out conflict took the lives of 155 American soldiers and 2,118 Afghan civilians last year--the bloodiest year of the war to date. Western airstrikes alone killed 522 civilians, fueling hostility toward the United States and causing more Afghans to join and support the Taliban insurgency that has spread into Pakistan. President Obama has escalated our military presence by committing an additional 17,000 US troops and 4,000 trainers to work with Afghan security forces. Where is the public outcry? The Nation and Z.P. Heller, editorial director of Brave New Films, have put together a list of things you can do to oppose the war:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090427/ten_things?rel=hp_currently

[SDCPJ] [Fwd: MAY DAY! MAY 1st, 2009!]

[SDCPJ] ASD 4/20 GENERAL MEETING

Activist San Diego

420

GENERAL MEETING

4.20.09

Monday 7:00 PM

 

    Topic: Marijuana Prohibition & Legalization

  As the war on weed rages on:

• What are the facts?

• What are our rights?

• What forces are really driving prohibition and who stands to gain?

What can we do about:

• The persecution of medical marijuana caregivers?

• Legalizing marijuana?

• Protecting our civil liberties?

• The racial profiling involved in drug-related arrests?

• The disproportionate incarceration of marijuana users?

• Who's getting rich from it?

Confirmed Speaker to date:

Dion Markgraaf - Member Americans for Safe Access

 

Joyce Beers Center

1230 Cleveland St., Hillcrest

Activistsandiego.org

619-528-8383

 

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[SDCPJ] Peace Building Conference April 24-25

 

Join the San Diego Council of Hostelling International USA for

“Peace-ing Communities Together”

A Gathering for Emerging Leaders

 

In the midst of major world challenges, something profound is being reborn—a recognition that ordinary people with concern, vision and commitment can make significant contributions to changing the world.  And young people are at the precipice of this shift.

 

Join young adults (ages 18-30) from around San Diego and other parts of the United States for a gathering on April 24-25, 2009 for "Peace-ing Communities Together," the second annual Hostelling International-USA Peace Building Conference in San Diego.

 

This event will bring together a diverse community of young adults who share a passion for creating positive change.  Through interactive conversations and workshops, participants will discover their personal strengths, develop leadership skills, inspire others, and create an action plan for the future.  We will use cutting-edge leadership and facilitation techniques to engage and focus the participants with integrative tools for deep listening and quiet reflection.  If you are ready to embrace your leadership and become a committed, active citizen, do not miss out on this amazing opportunity!

 

The conference will be held as part of a weekend of peace building events, including a “World Café” dinner on Friday evening, keynote address by “creative activist” Joey Borgogna, and the San Diego City College Conference for Peace Education and Activism on Sunday.

Registration for the entire weekend is only $35 including all meals.  

 

For complete details and registration information, please visit www.peacebuildingsandiego.org. 

 

 

 

 

Tiffany Olson

Event Coordinator

Hostelling International USA, San Diego Council

739 4th Ave. Suite 203

San Diego, CA 92101

Office: 619-338-9981 Ext. 15

Cell: 619-851-2993

Fax: 619-525-1533

http://www.sandiegohostels.org/

http://www.sandiegomidnightmadness.org/

 

 

 

Our mission: To help all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and its people through hostelling.

 

[SDCPJ] [Fwd: Silent Vigil - Save Friendship Park - Wednesday, 4/15 12 noon]

[SDCPJ] Defeat AB 351, demilitarize California schools

[Californians should act on this ASAP. If we get just 1/3 of the state Assembly to vote against this bill, we will defeat it and then be able to eliminate JROTC from many, if not most, schools in the state. PLEASE CONSIDER that letters to legislators that emphasize the physical education aspect and health needs of students will be more effective than letters that make political and moral arguments against JROTC. -Rick Jahnkow, COMD www.comdsd.org]

 

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, NOW:
http://www.NoMilitaryRecruitmentInOurSchools.org

Defeating AB 351 is key to winning the fight to get the military out of our schools. Please communicate immediately with your Assembly representative. Let them know that you expect them to oppose AB 351. This bill could be voted on at any time, so the time to ACT is NOW.

The most effective and quickest way to communicate with your Assembly person is to fax them a letter. If you represent an organization, let them know. If you can't fax a letter, then call their office. Follow that up by putting a letter in the mail, or sending an email, or both.

If you don't know who your Assembly representative is, or need contact information, check your local telephone book, or check online at http://www.assembly.ca.gov.

You will find attached a sample letter which you can print, fill out, and fax. Use it to help you craft your message. Feel free, of course, to add your own comments, or draft your own letter -- but... ACT NOW!  Let us know what your Assembly person tells you.

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JROTC, Physical Education and Assembly Bill 351

The San Francisco Board of Education voted over two years ago to phase out the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps. JROTC is scheduled to end this June at all seven San Francisco high schools.

JROTC is run by the Pentagon and their hand-picked military instructors. It is one of their primary military recruitment programs, aimed at 14 and 15 year old students. Ending this program in San Francisco will be a tremendous victory for those who believe that students this young should be getting a well-rounded education and learning critical thinking skills, not being subjected to military indoctrination, or the military's discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

JROTC and Physical Education. The military has historically been allowed to give physical education (PE) credit to JROTC cadets, enticing freshmen and sophomore students into the program. But bipartisan efforts in Sacramento in recent years have tightened up PE standards and curriculum, to counter the growing decline in physical fitness among youth. These new PE standards led State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell to issue a statement last year declaring that "JROTC programs do not fulfill California Education Code requirements for physical education."

San Francisco stopped giving PE credit to JROTC cadets this school year. Enrollment in the program has dropped from a high of 1,600 to about 500.

The Pentagon and its allies want to overturn the school board decision to phase out JROTC. San Francisco School board members Jill Wynns and Rachel Norton have introduced a resolution to keep the military program. But this resolution does not have the votes to win.

The fight turns on the PE credit issue. The school board will not restore JROTC if the program does not have PE credit, because the school district would be forced to pay one million dollars per year for just a handful of JROTC cadets. So this fight has moved to Sacramento. Three bills have been introduced in the Assembly in an attempt to turn the tide in the Pentagon's favor.

The most immediate threat is AB 351. This bill would reverse the bipartisan effort to fight the decline in physical fitness among our youth, and would dangerously weaken PE standards in California. It would allow school boards to ignore the health and safety of our youth, and allow them to grant PE credit to JROTC cadets.

AB 351 is now before the state Assembly, and could be voted on at any time. It is classed as an "urgency" bill. This means that it takes effect immediately upon being passed by both the Assembly and the Senate, and signed by the Governor. This also means that it requires a two-thirds majority to pass. The Pentagon is in a big hurry to save its San Francisco program before it ends in June.

This is a fight we can win, but it needs the help of every concerned person in California, right now.

---

MORE ON AB 351:

State law requires that physical education (PE) credit only be given for classes that include PE curriculum and are taught by credentialed PE teachers. AB 351 creates several exemptions to this standard, allowing school districts to give PE credit to JROTC cadets, and to certain other classes that don't meet PE standards, such as marching band, drill team, color guard, and cheer leaders.

JROTC curriculum is controlled entirely by the military, not by school districts. In addition, JROTC instructors, all retired military officers, need only a high school diploma or G.E.D.

AB 351 is sponsored by Mary Salas (D-San Diego), Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco), and Michael Duvall (R-Yorba Linda). Salas is from San Diego, the most military of cities in California. Duvall is a Republican from Orange County. On the same day he signed onto this bill, Duvall introduced two other bills, one to "provide equal access to military recruiters at public school career fairs," and another to make it illegal to use "the names of fallen soldiers on political paraphernalia [think T-shirts] without the consent of the next of kin."

Ma is from San Francisco, but AB 351 is opposed by San Francisco's other Assembly representative, the popular Tom Ammiano. Ma recently made news by calling school board members who won't vote to restore JROTC "renegades." JROTC is opposed by almost the entire elected Democratic Party leadership in San Francisco, despite Ma's insulting and incendiary rhetoric.


OTHER STATE BILLS:

AB 554, authored by Warren Furutani (D-Long Beach), goes AB 351 one better, allowing JROTC cadets to skip not only PE classes, but also art and foreign language studies. Furutani's bill is currently scheduled for a hearing before the Assembly Education Committee on April 22. More on this bill soon...

Assemblywoman Ma has also introduced AB 223. This bill would require San Francisco to keep the JROTC program. It would make San Francisco the only city in the nation required by law to have JROTC. Ma's bill is a clear violation of local control of schools. The state should not be telling individual school districts what electives they must offer. Even many JROTC supporters oppose Ma's bill. It is currently waiting for a hearing before the Assembly Appropriations Committee, and has a good chance of being killed there.

---

MILITARY OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS!
http://www.NoMilitaryRecruitmentInOurSchools.org
NoJROTC@yahoo.com
510-326-1961

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A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps!

[SDCPJ] Important report on National Lawyers Guild delegation to Gaza: April 19

The complete report of the National Lawyer Guild's Gaza delegation is available at www.nlg.org/NLGGazaDelegationReport.pdf.

 

[SDCPJ] Toxic waste behind Somali piracy

 
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2008/10/2008109174223218644.html

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Zeitgeist Movement Radio Address | Wed. 4/8

From: noreply@thezeitgeistmovement.com <noreply@thezeitgeistmovement.com> Subject: Zeitgeist Movement Radio Address | Wed. 4/8 To: wdavis@walterdavisenterprises.com Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 7:08 PM Friends, This Wednesday, 4/8/09, from 3:00-5:00pm will be our Bi-Weekly Radio Address. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Peter-Joseph http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=438&Itemid=952 First Hour: Peter will address the new "Teams" and "Projects" idea and also answer Forum questions. Second Hour: Jacque Fresco, along with Roxanne Meadows, will talk about the issue of how 'Environment Shapes Behavior'. Please tune in and tell other about it as well. In Solidarity, Peter -- If you do not want to receive any more newsletters, this link To update your preferences and to unsubscribe visit this link Forward a Message to Someone this link powered by phplist v 2.10.5, © tincan ltd

[SDCPJ] Volunteers needed for Earth Day April 19

We are looking for volunteers to help staff the Peace Coalition's
outreach table at this year's Earth Day, Sunday, April 19, in Balboa
Park. Earth Day hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you can do a 2 hour
shift, please let me know right away what time slot you would like.

This is a wonderful, fun event attended by thousands of people and is a
great way to spend the day! Come work a two-hour shift and spend the
rest of the day enjoying the exhibits and music! Thank you!

Carol

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[SDCPJ] [Fwd: Civilians flee major airstrike in Pakistan]

[SDCPJ] Vigil For Robin Long tonight, Tuesday April 7, 4:30pm Miramar]

[SDCPJ] FW: [S.A.M.E.] PARTY ON UNIVERSITY TONIGHT 7PM TO CELEBRATE IOWA'S VICTORY!!!

Today the Iowa Supreme Court decided to BAN DISCRIMINATION against same-sex couples in their state!

What Iowa did, California can do!
Cuz if Iowa did it then WE CAN TOO!!!

THERE'S A PARTY ON UNIVERSITY TONIGHT at 7PM (meet @ Center St.) to celebrate the Iowa Supreme Court's Decision to BAN DISCRIMINATION against same-sex couples in their state. 


This is real short notice so we're gonna keep it real simple:  Encourage people to bring their equality signs and readiness for celebration.  No mics, no rally stage--but some of us with bring bullhorns, and everyone should be ready to chant

What Iowa did, California can do!
Cuz if Iowa did it then WE CAN TOO!!!

[SDCPJ] minutes 3/23/09 meeting

[Blackwater] Scahill: Obama's Blackwater? Chicago Mercenary Firm Gets Millions for Private "Security" in Israel and Iraq

Obama's Blackwater? Chicago Mercenary Firm Gets Millions for Private "Security" in Israel and Iraq By Jeremy Scahill, AlterNet Posted on April 2, 2009, Printed on April 2, 2009 http://www.alternet.org/story/134594/ On the campaign trail, Barack Obama's advisers said he "can't rule out [and] won't rule out" using mercenary forces, like Blackwater. Now, it appears that the Obama administration has decided on its hired guns of choice: Triple Canopy, a Chicago company now based in Virginia. It may not have Blackwater's thuggish reputation, but Triple Canopy has its own bloody history in Iraq and a record of hiring mercenaries from countries with atrocious human rights records. What's more, Obama is not just using the company in Iraq, but also as a U.S.-government funded private security force in Israel/Palestine, operating out of Jerusalem. Beginning May 7th, Triple Canopy will officially take over Xe/Blackwater's mega-contract with the U.S. State Department for guarding occupation officials in Iraq. It's sure to be a lucrative deal: Obama's Iraq plan will inevitably rely on an increased use of private contractors, including an army of mercenaries to protect his surge of diplomats operating out of the monstrous U.S. embassy in Baghdad. The Iraq contract may come as no surprise. But according to federal contract records obtained by AlterNet, the Obama administration has also paid Triple Canopy millions of dollars to provide "security services" in Israel. In February and March, the Obama administration awarded a "delivery order" to Triple Canopy worth $5.5 million under State Department contract SAQMPD05F5528, which is labeled "PROTECTIVE SERVICES--ISRAEL." According to one government document, the contract is scheduled to run until September 2012. (Another document says September 2009.) The contract is classified as "SECURITY GUARDS AND PATROL SERVICES" in Israel. The total value of the contract was listed at $41,556,969.72. According to a January 2009 State Department document obtained by AlterNet labeled "Sensitive But Unclassified," the Triple Canopy contract is based out of Jerusalem. According to federal records, the original arrangement with Triple Canopy in Israel appears to date back to at least September 2005 and has been renewed every year since. The company is operating under the State Department's Worldwide Personal Protection Program (WPPS), which provides for private security/military companies to operate on the U.S. government payroll in countries such as Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, and Israel. Triple Canopy, according to an internal State Department report, also worked under the program in Haiti, though that task order is now listed as "closed." In State Department documents the WPPS program is described as a government initiative to protect U.S. officials as well as "certain foreign government high level officials whenever the need arises." The State Department spent some $2 billion on the WPPS program from 2005-2008. Triple Canopy's Growing Footprint in Iraq Triple Canopy is hardly new to the Iraq occupation. Founded in Chicago in 2003 by "U.S. Army Special Forces veterans," the company won its first Iraq contract in 2004. In 2005, with its business expanding, Triple Canopy relocated its corporate headquarters from Obama's home state to Herndon, Virginia, placing it much closer to the center of U.S. war contracting. (On several U.S. government contracts, however, including the Israel security contracts, its Lincolnshire, Illinois address is still used.)  Along with Blackwater and DynCorp, Triple Canopy has had armed operatives deployed in Iraq on a major U.S. government contract since the early stages of the occupation. At one point during this arrangement, Blackwater was responsible for Baghdad (the largest share of the work), DynCorp covered northern Iraq and Triple Canopy southern Iraq. Triple Canopy also worked for KBR and other corporations. As of 2007, Triple Canopy had about 2,000 operatives in Iraq, but only 257 on the State Department contract. However, its new contract, which takes effect May 7, will greatly expand Triple Canopy's government presence in Iraq. (Meanwhile, Blackwater is scheduled to continue to work in Iraq under Obama through its aviation division and in Afghanistan, where it has security and counter-narcotics contracts. It also holds millions of dollars in other U.S. government contracts around the world and in the U.S. In February alone, the Obama administration paid Blackwater nearly $70 million in security contracts.) The Obama administration may have traded Blackwater for Triple Canopy in Iraq, but it is likely that some of Blackwater's operatives, too, will simply jump over to Triple Canopy to keep working as armed security guards for occupation officials. Like Blackwater, Triple Canopy has had its share of bloody incidents, among them  allegations that operatives have gone on missions where they shot at civilian vehicles, including one after a briefing where a team leader cocked his M-4 and said to his men, "I want to kill somebody today. ... Because I'm going on vacation tomorrow." (The man in question denied any wrongdoing). While Triple Canopy fired some employees for not reporting shooting incidents in Iraq, none have been criminally prosecuted in Iraq or the U.S. (For a full report on this and other incidents involving Triple Canopy, check out the great work of Washington Post foreign correspondent Steve Fainaru, author of Big Boy Rules.) Also like Blackwater, Triple Canopy has hired mercenaries from countries with atrocious human rights records and histories of violent counter-insurgencies. Among them: Peru, Chile, Colombia and El Salvador. In fact, in Iraq, Triple Canopy hired far more "Third Country Nationals" than Blackwater and DynCorp and has used more TCNs than US citizens or Iraqis. As I reported in my book, Triple Canopy used the same Chilean recruiter (who served in Augusto Pinochet's military) Blackwater used when it hired Chilean forces, including some "seasoned veterans" of the Pinochet era. In El Salvador, the company reportedly used "a U.S.-trained former paratrooper and officer of the Salvadoran special forces during the country's civil war" where the U.S. backed a brutal right wing dictatorship in a war that took the lives of some 75,000 Salvadorans. A Triple Canopy spokesperson reportedly said of the Salvadorans, "They've got the right background for the type of work we are doing." A Triple Canopy subsidiary in Latin America has also reportedly used a former CIA base in Lepaterique, Honduras as a training center. In the 1980s, the facility was used by the CIA and Argentinian military intelligence in training Contra death squads to attack Nicaragua. The base also served as the headquarters for the notorious Battalion 316, a CIA-trained Honduran military unit responsible for torture and disappearances. There is also cause for concern about Triple Canopy's attitude towards accountability for its forces in Iraq, particularly in light of new rules which, on paper, give Iraqi courts jurisdiction over contractor crimes. Blackwater has, at times, conspired with the U.S. State Department to whisk its forces out of Iraq when they are facing potential prosecution for alleged crimes committed in the country, as in the case of a drunken Blackwater operative who was alleged to have shot and killed a bodyguard to Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdel-Mahdi on Christmas Eve 2006. According to one Triple Canopy operative, "We were always told, from the very beginning, if for some reason something happened and the Iraqis were trying to prosecute us, they would put you in the back of a car and sneak you out of the country in the middle of the night." Another Triple Canopy operative said U.S. contractors had their own motto: "What happens here today, stays here today." The use of mercenaries by Hillary Clinton's State Department stands in stark contrast to her co-sponsorship as a Senator of a bill last year that sought to ban the use of such companies in U.S. war zones, specifically Iraq. Last February Clinton said, "The time to show these contractors the door is long past due." Now, Clinton will be relying on these hired guns for protecting her and her staff in various countries. It's hardly a surprise that Obama is continuing the use of mercenaries in Iraq and beyond (Triple Canopy itself maintains offices in Abu Dhabi, Nigeria, Peru, Jordan and Uganda); nevertheless, members of Congress -- whose actions when Bush deployed these private armies were too little, too late -- have a responsibility to investigate his use of companies whose profits are intimately linked to a continuation of war. Moreover, Obama's choice of this particular company should be investigated, both by the House and Senate, before May 7th when Obama's mercenaries become the official paramilitary force in Iraq. As for Triple Canopy's role in Israel, Obama's administration should explain exactly what these forces are doing on the U.S. government payroll. Jeremy Scahill, an independent journalist who reports frequently for the national radio and TV program Democracy Now!, has spent extensive time reporting from Iraq and Yugoslavia. He is currently a Puffin Writing Fellow at The Nation Institute. Scahill is the author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army. © 2009 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved. -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Blackwater mailing list Blackwater@citizensoversight.org To subscribe/unsubscribe/manage settings: http://citizensoversight.org/mailman/listinfo/blackwater_citizensoversight.org

[Blackwater] Moms of slain Blackwater contractors speak on anniversary

Powered by      SAVE THIS | EMAIL THIS | Close  Moms of slain Blackwater contractors speak on anniversary Story Highlights It's been five years since killings of four U.S. contractors in Falluja Victim's mom: "I want Blackwater exposed and out of business" Blackwater, renamed Xe, says it "continues to mourn" the loss of the four men Another mom: Both sides are losers in Blackwater suit By Thom Patterson CNN (CNN) -- Donna Zovko will have to wait to travel to Falluja to see where her son died in one of the Iraq war's most infamous attacks. "My dream was to go for the fifth anniversary, and that didn't come true," Zovko said this week while visiting friends in Boston, Massachusetts. "It's not that I'm afraid for me. But people with me on the trip would be in more danger." Tuesday marks five years since her son Jerry Zovko and three other civilian employees of the Blackwater private security firm were ambushed in Falluja on March 31, 2004. Gunmen attacked vehicles holding Zovko, Mike Teague, Wesley Batalona and Scott Helvenston and set the vehicles on fire. Shocking images beamed around the world showed Iraqis celebrating in front of charred bodies strung up on a bridge over the Euphrates River. The remains were dragged through the streets. Donna Zovko honors her son » "I didn't realize until way after the incident that he had been decapitated," said Helvenston's mother, Katy Helvenston-Wettengel, from her Florida home. "They cut his heart out. How can anybody be that hateful?" To identify his body, she said, investigators had to gather DNA samples from her son's children. A half-decade after the notorious attack, memories of the gruesome images have faded somewhat from the public eye, as the United States plans to reduce troop numbers in Iraq and a wrongful death suit brought by the four families heads to court-ordered arbitration. The families accuse Blackwater of failing to prepare the men for their mission that day. A 2007 House oversight committee report concluded that Blackwater "ignored multiple warnings about the dangers" and failed to supply armored vehicles, machine guns, sufficient intelligence or even a map. Blackwater responded by saying the experienced military veterans on the team "had all of the resources they needed" and were victims of a "well-planned ambush." In the days after the attack, Blackwater was largely silent beyond a statement that said, "We grieve today for the loss of our colleagues and we pray for their families." But the families said they ran into a stone wall trying to get details of what happened in Falluja. "For the next three months, they never returned my calls," Helvenston's mother said. "Our families were destroyed. We will never be the same." For Zovko, the suit is not about money or punishment. "I want to hear the truth," she said. "I want to know what my Jerry was doing before the mission. Why they didn't they have the maps? I want to know who he spoke to last." What makes this anniversary different from past years, she said, was an encounter this month in Boston with an Iraqi who claimed that he was at the scene of the attack shortly after the massacre. He offered Zovko new alleged details of the attack, which she says brought her comfort. The Iraqi man, whom she wouldn't identify, told her that the attackers did not appear to be targeting the motorcade containing her son and his three comrades. "We used to think maybe the attack was done on purpose," she said. The news made her feel like "I was lifted into the air," she said. "For me, it was good. I miss my Jerry more today than yesterday." The gruesome attack put the little-known North Carolina-based security company into the American lexicon and on the world stage. It also changed the course of the war. The House report called it a "turning point in public opinion about the war," which led to the first major U.S. offensive in Falluja. The fighting lasted three weeks, killing 36 U.S. service members, about 200 insurgents and an estimated 600 Iraqi civilians, according to the report. In the ensuing years, Blackwater and other private security firms in Iraq received hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. government contracts. Tactics used by the private security firms sometimes created ill will among Iraqis and Blackwater in particular was criticized, even by some in the U.S. military, for its allegedly reckless use of deadly force. Erik Prince, Blackwater's founder and former CEO, dismissed such allegations as "baseless" after his company was criticized by the Iraqi government for an incident in which its guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians and wounded others while protecting a U.S. State Department convoy in Baghdad on September 16, 2007. "To the extent there was the loss of innocent life, let me be clear that I consider that tragic," Prince said, adding that the Blackwater team "acted appropriately while operating in a very complex war zone" that day. Five ex-Blackwater security guards pleaded not guilty in January to charges of voluntary manslaughter stemming from their involvement in the shootings. A sixth pleaded guilty to voluntary and attempted manslaughter. That same month, the Iraqi government refused to grant the firm an operating license, and the U.S. State Department announced that it will not renew its contract. In the two months since the exit of the Bush administration, Prince has stepped down as CEO and brought in a new leadership team. The company has changed its name to Xe, but Prince is still chairman. "I think Blackwater's been punished enough," Zovko said, "but they will be punished more. It's time our government makes some rules and regulations about what civilian contractors can do in their wars." This week, Xe released a brief statement to CNN about the Falluja killings, saying the "sacrifices of these brave men have not been forgotten. On the five-year anniversary of their death, the company continues to mourn their loss. Our thoughts remain with their families and loved ones." Prince's promise Both mothers seem to be making a conscious effort to control their anger five years on. "I refuse to hate, but if I were gonna hate anybody, it would be Blackwater and Erik Prince," Helvenston-Wettengel said. "I want Blackwater exposed for who they are, and I want them out of business." Zovko said she relies on her Catholic faith to control her anger. In 2007, Prince told CNN he would be willing to meet with Zovko, but 16 months later, no such meeting has taken place. "He hasn't honored his promise, but I believe he will," Zovko said. "Sometimes I think he doesn't have a heart, but he really does." Zovko said she wants to ask Prince, "Where are my Jerry's three suitcases with personal things that I have never received?" Also, she said Prince promised to invite Zovko to Blackwater's headquarters in North Carolina to see memorial stones and trees that were planted honoring the victims. "That hasn't happened," Zovko said. Helvenston-Wettengel also said she'd like to meet with Prince. "I'd like to look him in the eye, yeah. I'd say, 'How can you live with yourself?' " CNN sought a response from Prince about his promised meeting with Zovko. Company spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said Prince had tried to meet with Zovko in early 2008 but was unable to "due to scheduling conflicts." Both mothers' sons went to Iraq after careers in the U.S. military. Jerry Zovko, a former Army Ranger, had gone as a security contractor to train Iraqi soldiers. When that contract ended in late 2003, he signed on with a different company, Blackwater, according to his mother. For Scott Helvenston, Iraq was just the final chapter of a colorful career for the former Navy SEAL, a life that included a job as a stuntman and consultant for Hollywood films. On the set of 1997's "G.I. Jane," shot in Jacksonville, Florida, Helvenston put Demi Moore through a rigorous training program, his mother said, even managing to grab a small role as an extra. A divorced father of two, Helvenston told his mother he would return from Iraq in two months, she said. "He was going to go over there and make a bunch of money and come back and give it to his ex-wife," she said. Zovko and Helvenston-Wettengel have become close friends in the years since the tragedy, but on this anniversary, the two mothers will not be together to share their support and grief with each other. "Traveling is getting to be troublesome for us both," said Zovko, who plans to remain near her home in Rittman, Ohio, to attend morning and evening masses at Cleveland's St. Paul Croatian Church. Helvenston-Wettengel also said she plans to attend church Tuesday in her hometown of Leesburg, Florida. Legal setbacks As for the families' wrongful death lawsuit against Blackwater, a federal judge in 2007 ordered that the case be taken out of the courts to be decided by a three-member arbitration panel. Senior U.S. District Judge James Fox sent the case to arbitration based on Blackwater's argument that the four victims had signed an agreement not to sue the company. A hearing is set for June 23. In court, Blackwater had argued that it was immune to such a lawsuit because, as an extension of the military, it cannot be held responsible for deaths in a war zone. At this point, Zovko said, both sides are losers. "I lost my son, and Blackwater lost the dignity of the company they thought they were." Helvenston said she wants the whole thing to just end, but events keep dragging it out. "They won't let me let it go." CNN's Wayne Drash contributed to this report. All AboutBlackwater USA • Iraq War • Cleveland   Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/31/blackwater.falluja.anniversary    SAVE THIS | EMAIL THIS | Close   Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article.     � 2008 Cable News Network -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Blackwater mailing list Blackwater@citizensoversight.org To subscribe/unsubscribe/manage settings: http://citizensoversight.org/mailman/listinfo/blackwater_citizensoversight.org