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WNY Peace Center’s
Weekly News
April 20, 2011
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WNY Peace Center’s Taskforce Tidbits
Latin America Solidarity Committee Taskforce
Reminder for WNY Peace Center members and friends: Because of our annual fundraiser at Daemen College earlier this month, the Latin America Solidarity Committee will not have any (other) LASC event in April. See you on Monday, May 16th (details TBA).
War Resistors Support Campaign Taskforce
Please send a note/postcard to:
Patrick Hart
90351
830 Sadalu Road
Ft Leavenworth Kansas 66027
Note: there can be NO punctuation marks (i.e. periods, commas, semicolons etc) in either Patrick’s address, or your return address. Otherwise, your note will not be delivered.
We can send humans to the moon, fly spacecraft to intercept wondering comets, sequence the human genome, and make nano-machines, but no punctuation marks are allowed in the address (and return address) of your postcards and letters to military prisoners….
Patrick went AWOL to Canada and we became aware of his plight in March 2006. He returned to the US in August 2010 and was court-martialed several weeks ago, and was found guilty and is now serving time in Ft. Leavenworth.
Patrick’s mom and dad live in Buffalo and it would be great if you could just drop him a note saying we are thinking of him – that we will serve his time with him -- albeit from idyllic Buffalo NY.
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Riverside – Salem UCC/DC
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Sunday April 24th Easter Celebration. 4-6 p.m., Jon & Cathy will celebrate Easter at the Cottage, 3449 West River Road, Grand Island: "Growing in the Spirit" and Taize. And potluck following, of course. All welcome.
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Legislative Work to Do
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HR 780, Responsible End to the War in Afghanistan Act, Sponsored by Barbara Lee, with 56 cosponsors (including Rep. Louise Slaughter). Rep. Brian Higgins has not signed on, please encourage him otherwise.
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Allies in Peace and Social Justice Announce…
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Note: Other April events follow POEM events, which are listed as a group.
April: Peace on Earth Month (POEM) Events
General Info about POEM Events: www.peaceonearthmonth.org
Thursday April 21st Gasland. 7 P.M., Community Center on Grand Island (3278 Whitehaven Road, old Nike Base) with Quality Quest Coalition of Grand Island. This acclaimed documentary by filmmaker Josh Fox raises questions about the safety of hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas trapped in the Marcellus shale that underlies much of Pennsylvania and New York State.
Friday, April 22nd Good Friday and Earth Day: Anti-Drone Actions, Syracuse NY. (see below for details)
Friday, April 22nd Clean-up of Seneca Indian Park, where we had the ceremony planting a tree years ago, on Buffum Street in South Buffalo this Friday at 11:00 a.m. All are invited to help clean the park.
Saturday, April 30th, Gasland, 1:30 P.M. Burchfield Penney Art Center, Elmwood Ave. @ Buffalo State College, Buffalo NY. Discussion following DVD.
Saturday, April 30th, Lizzard Ball, 7 P.M. DNIPRO Ukrainian Center, 562 Genesee St., Buffalo NY. $15 general admission. $10 students, seniors, limited income. Proceeds benefit the Peace Education Fund, Riverside-Salem UCC/DC.
Other April Events…
Thursday, April 21st , Religious Freedom: An American Muslim Perspective, 6 P.M., The Ellicott Complex, room 170 Fillmore,University at Buffalo North Campus. The Buffalo Chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community cordially invites all to this free lecture.
Amjad Khan, a Harvard Law School graduate, is an outstanding speaker who has lectured on various topics concerning the Islamic world at several academic institutions, including the Harvard Divinity School, Carnegie Mellon University and Claremont McKenna College. His writings have appeared in various journals and newspapers, including the Harvard Human Rights Journal (where he served as Editor-in-Chief), Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. He currently serves as National Director of Public Affairs for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA.
Please RSVP by or phone # 716-371-9872.
You may look at North Campus Map and the Ellicott Complex by clicking at the following links:
http://www.buffalo.edu/buildings/maps/NorthCampus.pdf
http://www.buffalo.edu/buildings/maps/Ellicott.pdf
Sponsored by Buffalo Chapter Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
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Saturday, April 23rd, Blood Thirsty Vegans: Fund Raiser for the Arts, 9 P.M., Nietzsche's, 248 Allen St, Buffalo, NY.
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Monday, April 25th , Prisoners Are People Too Meeting. 6:30 P.M. – 8:30 P.M., Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street, Buffalo NY.
Our special guest speakers will be three women who were participants in a writing project several years ago at Paradise House, a halfway house for women in Buffalo. This writing project has had a lasting, positive impact for several women who found themselves in “paradise” as an alternative to incarceration. Reflecting on the project’s effectiveness, will be: Rev. Anne Paris, founder/director of Paradise House; Dr. Sharon Amos, Professor of English at the University of Buffalo’s Educational Opportunity Center; and Ms. Raquel Fairfax.
The documentary film being screened will be “Freedom Road” by filmmaker Lorna Ann Johnson. This film takes a look at a highly successful writing project, “Woman is the Word,” at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women (Women Make Movies, 2004), in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng are the sponsors of PRP2 programs. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438 or .
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Saturday April 30th , 34 years celebration of Latin American Cultural Association, 6 P.M. El Buen Amigo, 114 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo NY. Old friends and supporters will be gathering to celebrate the achievements of L.A.C.A. with an informal potluck dinner (bring your favorite dish to pass or dessert) and we will provide wine, sodas, teas, other beverages and special desserts. $ 25 adults, younger below 15 are free, with music, raffle, etc
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Sunday, May 1st , Defend Worker, Immigrant and Student Rights!, 2 P.M., Gather at Masten Park (on Best near Jefferson). March to Rally at Mattina Health Clinic, 300 Niagara St., (near Virginia) Join Families Afterward for Food and Discussion
Join fellow workers from Buffalo unions, anti-war and environmental activists, -community organizers, those fighting for prisoners’ rights and against police brutality, teachers, students and youth to March & Rally May 1, International Workers’ Day.
Sponsored by Buffalo Forum.
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Wednesday, May 4th , Helping Faith Communities to End Hunger, 5:30 P.M.- 7:30 P.M. Network of Religious Communities, 1272 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14209
Bread For the World 2011 Campaign to reform foreign aid with Rev. Derrick Boykin, New York State Jobs and the State Budget with Mark Dunlea of Hunger Action of NYS
Cost: $15/person (includes dinner)
Please Make checks payable to NRC and return by April 27th to: Food For All,1272 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14209. Conference sponsored by: Food For All, Bread for the World, and Hunger Action of NYS
For Additional Information call, Kelly Ann Kowalski at 882-7705
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Tuesday, May 3rd, New Voices from Other Lands, 7 P.M., Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, 341 Delaware Ave. Buffalo, NY.
Part of the PEN World Voices Festival 2011 author tour. Carsten Jensen from Denmark, author of We, the Drowned, will be joined for a reading and talk by Najat el Hachmi of Spain, author of The Last Patriarch, and Marcelo Figueras from Argentina, author of Kamchatka. More info:
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Wednesday, May 4th , Poet Michael Boughn, 7 P.M., Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, 341 Delaware Ave. Buffalo, NY.
Michael will read from his works. He is a UB graduate and editor of the long awaited magnum opus of poet Robert Duncan (himself no stranger to Buffalo--he taught here as a visitor, read from his works many times, and his papers are part of the UB Poetry and Rare Books Collection) for a reading, discussion and book signing. More info:
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Friday, May 6th , Clark Blaise, 7 P.M., Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, 341 Delaware Ave. Buffalo, NY.
Well-known Canadian-American writer Clark Blaise, long-time director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, will read from his just released story collection, The Meagre Tarmac; he will be joined by the acclaimed young Canadian short story writer Alexander MacLeod, reading from his new collection Light Lifting, one of the finalists for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, Canada's most prestigious literary award. . More info:
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Thursday, May 12th . Noam Chomsky. Lecture at Montante Cultural Center at Canisius College, Main St. Buffalo NY. 7 P.M. Fundraiser for the WNY Peace Center. For tickets, go to www.wnypeace.org. Limited seating. Member of the WNY Peace Ctr, $15, non-member: $25; if you are not a member and wish to become a member of the Peace Ctr at the $50 level, we will give you one free ticket. Or, make a check payable to the WNY Peace Center, put “Chomsky” in the memo line, and send it to: WNY Peace Center, 1272 Delaware Ave., Buffalo NY 14209.
If you are a member of the Canisius College community, prices are: $5 students; $20 faculty. Purchase tickets by going to: www.wnypeace.org
Sponsored by the WNY Peace Center and Canisius College Peace and Justice Studies Program, and Canisius College Amnesty International.
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Thursday, May 12th, Harvesting Justice Dinner, 5:30 P.M., First Unitarian Church of Rochester, 220 Winton Rd South, Rochester NY. This is Rural and Migrant Ministry annual fundraiser. More info: ruralmigrantministry.org
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Saturday, May 21st , Memorial for Photographer Milton Rogovin, 12 P.M. – 6 P.M., Upton Hall, Warren Enters Auditorium, Buffalo State College. Mini-retrospective of Milton’s photography, curated by the Birchfield-Penney Art Center. Memorial for Milton, 2 P.M. – 3:30 P.M., reception to follow.
Dear Friends,
We hope you will join us at the Memorial for our father, Milton Rogovin, who passed away peacefully on January 18, surrounded by friends, caregivers, and family. He was singing until the end! A formal invitation will be sent out in April
Peace NOW,
Mark, Ellen and Paula….
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June – for the entire month: Attend the Canadian School of Peacebuilding. Each year Canadian School of Peacebuilding (CSOP), an institute of Canadian Mennonite University, invites the peacebuilders of the world to gather in Winnipeg, Canada, for a selection of 5-day courses in June. Register today for courses on professional & personal development or for academic credit. We offer courses from local, national and international peacebuilders, to serve practitioners, professionals, activists, students, non-governmental organizations and faith-based groups. Consider learning with this international network in various approaches to peacebuilding, justice, reconciliation, conflict resolution and development - or join our email network today.
More info: http://www.cmu.ca/csop/index.html
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Ground the Drones
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WNY Peace Center member Tom Casey will be driving to Syracuse 4/21 at about 1 PM for talk by Kathy Kelly at night, staying at church over night if I get OK and participating in Friday march if anyone is looking for a ride. Call the Peace Ctr at 332-3904, if interested.
Thursday, April 21st , Ground the Drones - End the Wars: Evening Gathering and
Teach-In, 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm, St. Lucy's 432 Gifford St. Syracuse, NY 13204.
Community Pot Luck at 6 P.M., Keynote speaker Kathy Kelly at 7 P.M.
Friday, April 22nd, Ground the Drones - End the Wars: Walk and Rally of
Transformation, 9 A.M. – 4 P.M.
Gather at 9 A.M. at the Federal Bldg, 100 S Clinton St, Syracuse NY; walk to Art Rage by 11 A.M.: walk to Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Mattydale.
The Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars, a group of
concerned citizens from Buffalo, Rochester, Ithaca, Binghamton,
Syracuse, Rome and Albany, will end a week of education and action
protesting the Reaper Drones and the wars with a special day in
Syracuse. Although the day's Walk of Transformation begins at 9am, one
can join at any point.
Friday, April 22nd , Rally and Demonstration at Hancock Air National Guard Base Mattydale, NY (Outside Syracuse) 3 P.M. – 4 P.M., with Kathy Kelly, Brian Terrell, Elliot Adams of Veterans for Peace.
April 16th – April 21st Peace Walk from Rochester NY to Syracuse NY. Contact:
April 17th – April 21st Peace Walk from Ithaca NY to Syracuse NY, Contact: 607-277-6932, http://www.facebook.com/event.php ei=200059390008177
Friday, April 22nd , Walk of Transformation, begins 9:30 A.M. at Senator Schumer’s office in the Federal Building in Syracuse NY. Lunch at Art Rage Gallery, with Brian Terrell of Catholic Workers. Walk to Syracuse Hancock Field, Mattydale NY for the rally at 3 P.M.
Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used by the military for surveillance, targeted assassinations, and bombings. Drones used in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Yemen have killed hundreds of innocent civilians. Drones violate international and U.S. law on political assassinations. Intelligence used in drone target selection is notoriously unreliable. Domestic Drone use has begun on U.S./Canadian/ and U.S. /Mexican borders.
Hancock Air National Guard Base is a drone center, and if Sen. Schumer has his way, drone activity will increase. Currently operations include killing missions in Afghanistan as well as operator training, and maintenance of Reaper Drones. Accidents could occur in civilian air space, and the operation also brings Syracuse into “the War on Terror,” making it a potential target. The jobs generated are few, and drone operators suffer high rates of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
Contacts: Syracuse: (315) 472-5478, Rochester: (585) 415-5704, , Ithaca: (607) 277-6932, Buffalo: (716) 884-0582, http://upstatedroneaction.peaceworksrochester.org
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Hydrofracking and Other Fracking Nonsense
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Tuesday, April 26th, Pickaxe, 7 P.M. , 208 North St., Buffalo NY.
"Pickaxe" the story of communities in the Pacific Northwest that came together during the mid 1990's to stop the logging of old growth forests--ancient, irreplaceable ecosystems.
The purpose of the movie screenings is to witness the courageous resistance of oppressed people against environmental destruction, corporate domination and social injustice. The goal is to have people reconnect with recent history and contemporary struggles, in the process encouraging us to keep up our fight against hydrofracking specifically, corporate domination and environmental destruction in general, and all other forms of oppression.