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List of Recent Past
Boston Events

1/2003 - Present
9/2002 - 12/2002
1/2002 - 8/2002
7/2001 - 12/2001
1/2001 - 6/2001
10/2000 - 12/2000


CREATING A NEW SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC AGENDA IN A TIME OF CRISIS

Tuesday January 22, 6:30-8:30pm, Cambridge Public Library, 45 Pearl Street in Central Square.

The coming together of corporate globalization, world recession and the impact of September 11 has put working people in the U.S. and around the world in great jeopardy. Job insecurity and unemployment, disappearing retirement plans, shredded safety nets, massive tax cuts, the housing crisis, inadequate wages, skyrocketing costs of health care, privatization of public services and attacks on the environment are threatening the very existence of populations and the ecology in many nations. This forum will look at the shape the economic crisis is taking in the U.S. It will address the question of why economic insecurity is growing and what forms it is taking. But it will also briefly look at the forms the crisis is taking in the "global south" and some responses grass roots organizations are making. Given the inability of the political institutions nationally and statewide to address peoples' needs, it will propose ideas for a new agenda based on forging a new social contract.

With Jason Pramas from the Campaign on Contingent Work and analysts from Grassroots International and Jobs with Justice. Admission Free, Wheelchair Accessible, Food Provided.

Info: 617-497-5273 (Paul Shannon), bostonglobalaction.net/forum.html

Click here during event to see live broadcast through real player:
http://real21mt.audiovideoweb.com/ramgen/encoder/bb01live1015/live.rm


FIGHTING POVERTY, OR FIGHTING THE POOR?
The World Bank and IMF in South Asia

Saturday January 26, 1-4:30pm, Cambridge Public Library, Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St.

An afternoon of speakers and discussion on the impacts of IMF and World Bank policies on South Asia including Manzoor Ejaz and Rajiv Rawat and a presentation of the film, "Lifting the Veil"

As South Asia stands on the brink of war, possibly even nuclear conflict, it is imperative that we critically examine the role played by economic policies imposed by international financial institutions on South Asia in intensifying poverty and environmental degradation, and consequently, destabilizing the region further.

Sponsored by: Bangladeshi Student Association at MIT, BankBusters/Boston Global Action Network, Friends of the Narmada, PAKSMIT (Pakistani Student Association at MIT), Sangam (Indian Student Association at MIT), South Asia Center.

Info: Jaspal Singh, 617-497-0316, [email protected] (Bankbusters)


FILM SHOWING: LIFE & DEBT

Sunday January 27, 7:30pm, Coolidge Corner Theatre, 209 Harvard St., Brookline (617-734-7500) followed by discussion with filmmaker Stephanie Black, and closing night reception.

Don't miss the amazing new documentary "Life and Debt" (http://www.lifeanddebt.org) that finally comes to Boston.

Jamaica - land of sea, sand and sun. And a prime example of the complexities and dangers of economic globalization for the world's developing countries. LIFE AND DEBT is an unapologetic look at the "new world order" from the point of view of Jamaican workers, farmers, and government and policy officials who see the reality of globalization from the ground up. With music by Mutabaruka, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, Sizzla, Bob Marley, Buju Banton, Yami Bolo.

The movie is remarkable because it not only deals with all of the human and labor rights, environmental and economic policy issues deftly but also because it works artistically, while getting to the root of the issues in ways the can be understood at many levels.

Part of the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival (January 24-27). Full schedule available online at: http://www.hrw.org/iff


A YEAR IN THE STREETS

Tuesday, January 29, 7pm, MIT Room 3-133.
http://whereis.mit.edu/bin/map?locate=room_3-133

A YEAR IN THE STREETS is a video about a new generation of activists rising to expose the conflict between human rights and neo-liberal economic globalization. From the WTO protests in Seattle to the Bush inauguration in January 2001 and beyond, the film-makers criss-crossed the United States, providing a street-level view of the clash between activists who see a need for urgent radical change and a state apparatus that seems increasingly to be engaged in the repression of free speech and free assembly.

Featuring panelists:

  • Randy Shadowalker,
    Cascadia Media Collective, Oregon
  • Sarah Babb,
    Department of Sociology, U. Mass. (Amherst)

The event is open to all; admission is free; food and light refreshments will be provided. Hosted by the MIT Western Hemisphere Project, [email protected], http://web.mit.edu/hemisphere/


MASSACHUSETTS CONFRONTS THE RECESSION: A SPEAKOUT FOR FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE IN THE ECONOMY

Saturday February 2, 2-5pm, Faneuil Hall, Boston.

Across the state, working people and retirees are facing tough times. Thousands of people are being laid off, losing their healthcare and retirement benefits. Worse, there is virtually no safety net left to protect Massachusetts families: social services have been cut and unemployment and welfare benefits have been rolled back. Meanwhile, CEOs are getting big bonuses, and companies and the wealthy are getting hefty tax breaks. Our intention is to bring together those hard hit by the economic downturn to testify and begin to draw links between their struggles, from laid off hotel workers, to Polaroid retirees who have lost their healthcare, to social service workers who have lost their funding, and welfare recipients cut-off due to time limits. We will be inviting state political leaders to listen to these testimonies. Come speak out and demand jobs, healthcare, and vital public services.

Sponsored by the Massachusetts Workers’ Rights Board.

Info: Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, 617-524-8778, [email protected].

And plan now to attend a special follow-up conference (info below).


THE WORLD PREMIERE OF "OCCUPATION"
A film about the Harvard Living Wage Campaign

Saturday February 2, 7 and 9pm, Harvard Film Archive.

DIRECT ACTION 8PM, RECEPTION 10PM

Directed by Maple Razsa and Pacho Velez

SUPPORT SEIU NEGOTIATIONS... CELEBRATE OUR COALITION... CONTINUE THE STRUGGLE!


FORGING A NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT:
Join other activists to reflect and strategize to build a board-based movement for economic justice in Massachusetts.

February 9, 9-4:30pm, Sever Hall, Harvard Yard, Harvard University.

After a "boom" decade of growing inequality, we find ourselves in a serious recession with a safety net. The conference will facilitate strategizing within our own organizing sectors and across different sectors, including:

  • Labor 
  • Welfare/Safety Net 
  • Housing 
  • Contingent/precarious work 
  • Healthcare 
  • Immigrant Rights 
  • Global Justice 

As a broad coalition of activists, we want to plan for spring mobilizations and build the connections to organize against the massive lay-offs, welfare restrictions, spiralling homelessness, loss of health care, temping of the workforce, dismantling of immigrant rights in partnership with similar struggles across the world.

For more information or to register, call 617-482-4471 x19 or email [email protected].

Bring $5 for lunch, call in advance for childcare or translation beyond Spanish and Portuguese.


WHERE ARE WE HEADING? TALK WITH HOWARD ZINN Sunday February 10, 2002, 3-5pm, First Parish Church in Cambridge, Harvard Square, corner of Mass. Ave and Church St.

Talk on US foreign policy, terrorism, and global security.

Benefit for the Alliance for Democracy sponsored by North Bridge Alliance Tickets: $10 in advance; $15 at the door.

Checks may be made out to "Alliance for Democracy Benefit" and sent to North Bridge Alliance, PO Box 447, Lincoln MA 01773 For credit card payment or for more information, please call 781-894-1179.


FANNIE LOU HAMER LECTURE ON ECONOMIC JUSTICE:
Social Justice in the 21st Century: What's It Going to Take?

Tuesday February 12, 6:30pm-8:30pm, Boston Research Center, 396 Harvard St., Harvard Square, Cambridge.

A Lecture by Linda Stout, Project Director of Spirit in Action. Stout founded the Piedmont Peace Project in a conservative region of North Carolina in 1984, weaving together a powerful network of poor whites and blacks. In her lecture, Stout will challenge men and women to act from a place of positive vision in community and work life. She will suggest new possibilities for connecting across cultural, spiritual, and organizational boundaries to build an inclusive movement for social transformation that emerges from the margins into the mainstream.

Co-sponsored by the Wellesley Centers for Women and the Boston Research Center.

Info: BRC, http://www.brc21.org, 617-491-1090.

LIBERTIES AND LIVELIHOODS AT RISK!
HOW IS THE WAR ON TERRORISM AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITIES?

Wednesday February 13, 7-9pm, Central Congregation Church of Jamaica Plain 85 Seaverns Ave. (Green St. T station on the Orange Line; parking opposite the Church on Elm St.)

The Jamaica Plain Action Network invites you to attend a community forum on civil liberties, labor, and immigrant rights in the aftermath of 9/11. Speakers include:

  • Nancy Murray, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), on civil liberties and the USA Patriot Act 
  • Luz Rodriguez, Center to Support Immigrant Organizing (CSIO), on labor and immigrant rights in the aftermath of 9/11 

The speakers will be followed by an open community discussion with the participation of additional panelists.

In English and Spanish; simultaneous translation provided.
Info: 617-522-5189, [email protected].


MOYERS SPECIAL REPORT: TRADING DEMOCRACY

February 21, 8pm, on WGBH 2 and everywhere around Boston.

Trading Democracy is a special program about Chapter 11 of NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), which allows corporations to sue governments for "anticipated lost profits." This little-known provision has already forced the government in Canada to overturn an important environmental law, has forced a Mexican state to allow a toxic waste dump, and may force California to overturn one of its critical environmental protections.

The Boston Global Action Network FTAA Task Force is organizing several house parties around town that evening, in which people can watch the program and then hold a discussion about the issues raised. Come and learn about this shocking situation and what you can do about it. Talk to your friends and neighbors to find out about their concerns and ideas for action.

CAMBRIDGE (CENTRAL SQUARE)
Contact Hardeep or Jaspal at 617-497-0316

SOMERVILLE (SOMERVILLE/CAMBRIDGE BORDER)
Contact Paul at 617-661-4628

SOMERVILLE
Contact Micha at 617-718-9285 vm#3

NEWBURYPORT
Contact Sarina at 978-462-5678

ROXBURY/JAMAICA PLAIN
Contact Catherine at 617-983-0089

DORCHESTER
There will probably also be a house party in Uphams Corner, but we are working out some final details. If you are interested in attending that house party, please contact Catherine at 617-983-0089 listed above, and say that you're interested in the Dorchester party.


THE GLOBAL ECONOMY'S IMPACT ON STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT: THE NEED FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS GLOBALIZATION BILL

Tuesday February 12, 6:30-8:30pm, Cambridge Public Library, 45 Pearl Street in Central Square.

WTO. NAFTA. GATT. FTAA. IMF: This alphabet soup of global economic institutions and agreements seems far removed from our everyday life. But the fact of the matter is that these entities, far beyond the control of average citizens, will be having a major impact on the economic security, sovereignty and quality of life of all residents of Massachusetts. State Representative Byron Rushing has introduced legislation that would require the state government to study the impact of global trade agreements on the people of Massachusetts. The goal is to encourage a public discussion on the content of such agreements.

Admission Free, Wheelchair Accessible, Food Provided.

Info: 617-497-5273 (Paul Shannon) - http://bostonglobalaction.net/forum.html


LIFE AND DEBT AT THE BRATTLE WITH DIRECTOR STEPHANIE BLACK

Friday February 22, 7:30pm and 9:30pm, The Brattle Theater, One Brattle Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. Director STEPHANIE BLACK will be present to speak and answer questions.

Also showing February 23-28, 5:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm.

A critically acclaimed documentary film on Jamaica's struggle with the IMF, World Bank, and globalization. With music by Bob Marley, Mutabaruka, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, Sizzla, Buju Banton, Yami Bolo.

"As Stephanie Black's powerful documentary 'Life and Debt' illustrates with an impressive (and depressing) acuity, globalization can have a devastating impact on third world countries. The movie offers the clearest analysis of globalization and its negative effects that I've ever seen on a movie or television screen." - New York Times film critic Stephen Holden.

Spoonsored by: The Brattle Theater, BankBusters, Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, Global Exchange

Info: The Brattle Theater 617-876-6837, http://www.brattlefilm.org, Jobs with Justice 617-524-8778, [email protected], BankBusters [email protected], http://www.bostonglobalaction.net/bankbusters.


AFRICA VS. GLOBALIZATION: FILMS BY BEN CASHDAN

Monday February 25, 7pm, Science Center C, Harvard University.

Ben Cashdan returns to Boston with new footage from Porto Alegre and his own clear analysis of the impact of globalization on South Africa. Cashdan is an engaging speaker. He interacts with his films (and his audience) as they screen. Cashdan documentaries are especially valuable for the clear links that they make between local struggles over land, housing and basic services and broader debates over economic policy and globalization. The films muddy neat distinctions yet sound a clear call for reflective debate and informed action.

Info: Amy at [email protected]


ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE: CONVERSATIONS IN A TIME OF TERROR 

Tuesday February 26, 7pm, Northeastern U. Curry Ballroom (Ruggles T Stop on the Orange Line).

A Presentation on an anthology of writings about 9/11 by Jeremy Glick, editor and activist. Jeremy will speak about his personal experiences with editing this new book and about the loss of his father who worked in the WTC. A question and answer period will follow his talk. ASL interpreter will be provided.

Web Site for Book: http://www.anotherworldispossible.net

Sponsored by the NU Progressive Student Alliance (http://www.psa.neu.edu).


INT'L DAY OF ACTION TO GET STARBUCKS TO GO GE-FREE!

Wednesday February 27.

Last spring's efforts to get Starbucks to meet a list of demands related to Fair Trade and GE Foods has resulted in some great partial victories, but the fight continues. The Safe Foods Campaign will once again be joining international efforts to get Starbucks to remove GE ingredients from their products and start brewing Fair Trade coffee.

***** Volunteers are needed to help with the planning for the Starbucks event. If you can give a few hours during the month of February, email [email protected].


RESPECTFUL CLOSING CEREMONY OF "REFUGEES EVEN AFTER DEATH"

Saturday March 2, 2pm-4pm, Cambridge Multicultural Center, 41 Second St., Cambridge (East).

The Photographic Exhibition by Jonathan Moller, "Exhumation of Massacre Victims in Nebaj, Guatemala 2001"

Featuring:

  • Message from the author residing in Denver, CO 
  • Report back about Massacre commemoration in Ixcan, Guatemala by a Needham Church delegation 
  • Jose Sotz, exiled union leader from Guatemala, reflecting on the past Violence and Hopes for Peace 
  • Poems, Music 
  • Refreshments 

Sponsored by the Guatemala Committee of Boston.
Info: Rene Van Rompay at 617-696-2116.


THIRD ANNUAL FIESTON DE LAS AMERICAS DANCE FUNDRAISER

Saturday March 9, 6pm, English High School (144 McBride St., JP, near Green St. T and Doyle's Cafe).

City Life/Vida Urbana is pleased to announce the Third Annual Fieston de las Americas dance fundraiser.

Featuring:

  • Performances of folkloric and popular dances of the Americas 
  • Elaborate Latin-American/Caribbean buffet dinner 
  • Dance Party with DJ Maceito 

Tickets: $20 in advance / $25 at the door. Reduced rates are available for limited income on request.

For more information or to reserve tickets: (617) 524-3541 or [email protected]


SOUTH END PRESS 25TH ANNIVERSARY LECTURE SERIES

Monday March 11 & 18, 7pm, Unitarian Church, 3 Church St., Cambridge (Harvard Square).

MARCH 11: Noam Chomsky on "MANUFACTURING CONSENT IN THE TIME OF WAR"

MARCH 18: Howard Zinn on "WAR, TERRORISM, AND THE MEDIA"

Free and open to the public.
Info: http://www.firstparishcambridge.org


MASSACHUSETTS JOBS WITH JUSTICE TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY DINNER

Thursday March 14, 6pm, Suffolk Downs, Boston.

Join Us In Celebrating the Power of Solidarity! Jobs With Justice honors:

  • The Charleston 5 Dockworkers 
  • The Brockton Nurses 
  • The Harvard Living Wage Campaign 
  • With a Special Tribute to the life of John O'Connor 

Special Guest Keynote Speaker: Ken Riley, President, International Longshoremen's Association Local 1422

For the past ten years Massachusetts Jobs With Justice has helped to keep alive the spirit of solidarity in the Massachusetts labor movement, while building lasting alliances with community organizations and others committed to workers' rights. At our annual dinner this year we are honoring three struggles from this past year that we think exemplify the power of solidarity. The dockworkers in South Carolina and the Harvard Living Wage Campaign both garnered national support and attention, while the Brockton Nurses' courageous strike helped to define the struggle for quality healthcare. Finally we will have a special tribute to the life of longtime Jobs With Justice supporter John O'Connor. I hope you'll join us at this inspiring event.

The dinner is also a major fund-raiser for Massachusetts Jobs With Justice and we hope we can count on your continued support. Join our honorees, their supporters, and many others for an evening of music, fun, solidarity, and short speeches.

Please contact Jobs with Justice at 617-524-8778, [email protected] for individual and table ticket prices.


SIXTH INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY

Friday March 15, 7pm, Lucy Parsons Center 549 Columbus Ave., Boston.

Sabate Anarchist Collective (NEFAC-Boston) presents a lecture and discussion with Noel Ignatiev, co-editor of Race Traitor and former Boston Copwatch organizer and Jamey Suarez, from the Criminal Justice Program at the American Friends Service Committee.

March 15 marks the sixth year of this international day of protest and solidarity against police brutality. This date was chosen because on March 15th, two children aged 11 and 12, were beaten by the Swiss police.

This day of denouncing police brutality is also an opportunity to create and strengthen ties between groups that work directly or indirectly against State brutality around the world. It permits the creation of an indispensable international solidarity in the fight against police forces that collaborate world-wide and are extremely well organized.

We have the responsibility to act and support all victims of State force.

Info: [email protected], http://flag.blackened.net/nefac, 617-267-6272.


VOICES OF INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN MEXICO

Saturday March 16, 7pm, Mama Gaia's Cafe - 401 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. (Intersection of Main St., Columbia St. and Mass. Ave., slightly off Mass. Ave.)

The series of short films, produced by indigenous filmmakers from the states of Chiapas and Guerrero, Mexico, include:

  • The Silence of the Zapatistas 
  • The Sacred Land 
  • Defending the Forests 
  • Education in Resistance 
  • Producing Fair Trade Organic Coffee in the Highlands of Chiapas 

CMP director Alexandra Halkin will be present to discuss the roles of indigenous-produced media in the context of the current political situations in southern Mexico.

Free admission. Delicious food and beverages can be purchased at the Cafe.

Sponsored by Mama Gaia's Cafe, 617-441-3999, http://www.mamagaiascafe.com, Tonantzin: Boston Committee to Support the Native Peoples of Mexico, 617-629-2449, Chiapas Media Project, http://www.chiapasmediaproject.org, 773-583-7728.


VOICES OF RESISTANCE: JUSTICE FOR THE AMERICAS

Saturday March 23, 3:30-6pm public hearing, St Anthony's Parish, 100 Arch St. (near Downtown Crossing).

The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) is an attempt to extend the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to the entire western hemisphere. It would harm workers, farmers, indigenous peoples, the environment, public services, and democratic sovereignty while shifting more power into corporate hands. In essence, the FTAA would create the foundation for a vast sweatshop zone across the hemisphere.

Opposition to this corporate project is growing, in Latin America, the Caribbean, North America, and here at home in Boston.

This Spring, Boston will host leaders of social movements from Mexico, Brazil and the United States, who together with local activists will present testimony on the effects of corporate globalization on their communities and ours -- and how the FTAA will make things worse.

Find out about plans for fighting the FTAA and how you can join the movement to stop it!

The day will be dedicated to Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, murdered by El Salvador's death squads on March 24, 1980.

Download:

Flyer (190kb)
Handbill (195kb)

Info: Catherine Benedict, [email protected], Cassie Watters, Jobs with Justice, 617.524.8778, [email protected].


THE HUMAN COST OF THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN

Thursday March 21, 7pm, First Parish of Watertown (Unitarian Univeralist), 35 Church Street, Watertown.

A community forum with Professor Marc Herold of the University of New Hampshire, who has monitored Afghan civilian casualties since the U.S. bombing began on October 7 and estimates that more than 3,500 men, women and children died as a result of US bombing.

Co-sponsored by Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety and Waltham Concerned Citizens. Free admission, wheelchair-accessible.

Info: 617-924-6547, http://www.walthamconcernedcitizens.org.


FORUM ON COMMUNAL VIOLENCE IN INDIA

Saturday March 30, 2pm, MIT 4-231.

Several hundred people have perished in the communal violence in Gujarat and other places in India. All reports indicate that this violence was premeditated and well planned by all parties concerned.

The hooligans continued their mayhem while the agencies of the state just looked on. This Forum is being organized to discuss and exchange views on various aspects of communal violence in India.

Contact: Hardip Mann 617-497-0316 [email protected], Rajesh Kasturirangan 617-258-7904 [email protected], Samudra Vijay 617-577-5768, Javed Sultan [email protected]


ARGENTINA: THE FAILURE OF NEO-LIBERALISM

Saturday March 30, 7-9pm, Mama Gaia's Community Center 401 Massachusetts Avenue, Central Square, Cambridge.

Presentations by:

  • PROF. CLAUDIA KAISER-LENOIR, Romance Languages Dept., Tufts University 
  • RAFAEL MEDINA, Videographer and Cultural Worker. Eyewitness account of this recent trip to Argentina 

Both presenters are native Argentines. Followed by Argentine Music at "Noche Latina" after 9pm.

Sponsored by Latinas & Latinos for Social Change and co-sponsored by the Latin American Action Coalition (AFSC, Colombia Vive, CISPES, Labor Council for Latin 

American Advancement (Mass. Chapter), Tonantzin, BankBusters, LFSC)


NATIONAL SLAP STUDENT LABOR DAY OF ACTION

Thursday April 4, 4:30pm, Holyoke Center, Harvard Square.

On, the 34th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Boston SLAP joins students at 70 campuses across the country, to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who died fighting for workers' rights in Tennessee.

Join Boston SLAP, the Harvard Workers Center, the Harvard Living Wage Campaign and SEIU Local 254 to keep the dream of Dr. King alive:

  • Demand Harvard to force subcontractors to sign their union contract so that 400 custodians can get their raise! 
  • Launch living wage campaigns at BC, Brandeis, Simmons and Emerson, and the support campaign for Justice for Janitors! 


COMMUNITY FORUM ON TERRORISM AND WAR IN COLOMBIA

Saturday April 6:

FORUM: 1pm-5pm, Unitarian Universalist Church - 6 Eliot St., Jamaica Plain (At the monument where Centre St. and South St. - 10 minute walk from Green St. T or Forest Hills T Orange line)

While the US government is fighting a "War on Terrorism", why are they training terrorists at the same time?

  • Join us for a community discussion about: 
  • The School of the Americas 
  • The war in places such as Colombia, Afghanistan and Iraq 
  • The "war" on our own communities as we struggle for decent wages, housing and health care 
  • How to put people before profit 

Join the movement to fight back against the Bush administration's plans for war in Colombia! Video on Latin American realities, theatre and hip-hop. No speeches over
10 minutes! Food and beverages provided.

Info: Mark Pedulla 617-524-3541 x313 or Dave Burt 617-422-7428.

FOOD & MUSIC: 6:30pm, Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston Street in Copley Square.

Afro-Colombian activists Nimia Vargas and Marino Cordoba give first-hand accounts of the persecution of civilians by all sides in the war. They also discuss efforts for community development, land rights, and cultural autonomy. Includes food and live Colombian music. Suggested $15 donation.

Please make reservations at 978-441-9488 or [email protected].

Sponsored by Colombia Vive and the Community Church of Boston.


DEFENDING THOSE WHO GIVE THE EARTH A VOICE

Saturday April 6 & 20, 12pm, Peet's Coffee in Harvard Square.

When someone kills many people, he is guilty of genocide. Someone who kills a lot of trees is guilty of ecocide. When I see a tree cut down, it wounds me inside."
-- Rodolfo Montiel Flores

Like many other around the world, Mr. Montiel Flores, a Mexican farmer, has spent time in prison and been tortured due to his environmental activism. He was released last November along with a fellow activist Rodolfo Cabrera following the assasination of his lawyer and long-time human rights advocate Digna Ochoa.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL and the SIERRA CLUB have come together in a one-of-its-kind collaboration - "Defending Those Who Give the Earth a Voice." The human rights and environmental challenge of the next decade will be to defend the people who defend the environment - to fight for the rights of citizens worldwide who risk their lives by speaking out to protect our planet.

There is also a campaign for the passage of International Right to Know law by Congress which would mandate that US-based mutinational disclose their environmental and labor practices in their facilities abroad, as they have to do domestically.

To help us out with these campaigns locally, we need an hour or two of your time to put up campaign flyers on three upcoming Saturdays:

Please check out the following websites for more information, or call Annette at 617-492-5597 with questions.

DEFENDING THOSE WHO GIVE THE EARTH A VOICE
http://www.defendtheearth.org

INTERNATIONAL RIGHT TO KNOW CAMPAIGN
http://www.irtk.org


SHOWING OF UPROOTED: REFUGEES OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

Monday April 8, 7pm, Kirkland House, Junior/Senior Room, corner of JFK St. and South St., Kennedy School of Government, Harvard U.

Directions: http://map.harvard.edu/level2/2KennedySchool.shtml

Through the voices and experiences of immigrants to the United States, Uprooted (28min., 2001) explains "where the people go" when the global economy forces them from their homelands. The voices of immigrants are featured as opposed to academic "experts" on globalization. Beautifully filmed and movingly told, Uprooted shows whose backs contemporary corporate globalization rests on: people of color, working people, and people from the global South.

Uprooted is a production of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights with the Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights and Caminante Cultural Work. It's represents a great educational tool to help non-immigrants make a human connection with the refugees of the global economy.

Eunice Choe of of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights will be on hand to discuss the film.

More about the video: http://www.nnirr.org/get/get_video.html
Info: Albert Cho, [email protected], 617-504-5794.


SWEATSHOP WARRIORS: IMMIGRANT WOMEN WORKERS TAKE ON THE GLOBAL FACTORY

Tuesday April 9, 7pm, Lucy Parsons Center, 549 Columbus Avenue in Boston's South End.

Please join Miriam Ching Yoon Louie, author of Sweatshop Warriors, as she highlights the voices of the pioneers of the growing anti-sweatshop movement: immigrant women workers!

In her up-close and personal look at these extraordinary women worker-activists, Miriam Ching Yoon Louie records the voices of these working-class heroines sounding the charge for the anti-WTO legions. Sweatshop Warriors highlights the role played by workers' centers in pioneering new methods for winning victories against global capital. The women reflect on gender and class conflicts within their families, their unions, and their ethnic communities, documenting the power that can be unleashed when women workers break through patriarchal and racial silencing to solve their problems. Sweatshop Warriors examines the practices and policies that propel women, men, and children into dangerous and poorly paid jobs and celebrates successful campaigns against Levi-Strauss, Donna Karan, and restaurants in Los Angeles' Koreatown, among others.

Info: 617-267-6272.


SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE MURDER OF COCA COLA WORKERS

Monday April 15, 7pm, Ticknor Lounge, Boylston Hall, Harvard Yard.

Hear from Coca-Cola workers from Colombia, Zimbabwe, the Philippines, and Guatemala when they pay a visit to Boston on their way to the Coca-Cola shareholders' meeting in NYC.

Coca-Cola bottling workers in Colombia, South America have been kidnapped, tortured and murdered. It's not the first time. Coca-Cola bottling workers and union leaders were assassinated in Guatemala in the late 1970s. The terror continued until international pressure forced Coke to act responsibly and ensure safety at the plant. However, conditions in Guatemala have deteriorated. Coke has turned over bottling operations to the same company they use in Colombia.

Coke continues to ignore reports that brutal violations of human rights are committed every day against workers who produce and distribute their products around the world. From Zimbabwe to the Philippines, Coke is shirking its responsibility. Even in the United States, workers who produce Coca-Cola's Minute Maid juices endure extreme acts of intimidation, retaliation and harassment. Coke has turned a blind eye.

Join together to Tell Coca-Cola: STOP THE KILLINGS, PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS, AND RESPECT WORKERS' RIGHTS

Sponsored by International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), IBT Local 25, IBT Local 122, Jobs with Justice, Harvard Trade Union Program, & Harvard Progressive Student Labor Movement

Info: Jobs with Justice at 617-524-8778, [email protected]


CRISIS IN COLOMBIA: SLIDE SHOW AND DISCUSSION BY PHOTOJOURNALIST JIM HARNEY

Tuesday April 16, 6:30-8:30pm, Cambridge Public Library, 45 Pearl Street in Central Square.

For over 20 years, Jim has travelled in Central America, Chiapas, Northern Ireland and now Colombia photographing people facing war and poverty. He only recently returned from Colombia after a harrowing stay in contested areas.

Admission Free, Wheelchair Accessible, Food Provided.
Info: 617-497-5273 (Paul Shannon), bostonglobalaction.net/forum.html


HOPE'S EDGE: THE NEXT DIET FOR A SMALL PLANET

Thursday April 18, 7pm, Cabot Center, Asean Auditorium, Tufts University - Medford Campus.

Anna and Frances Moore Lappe will share their journey to five continents offering a framework for reexamining the way we think about our global predicament and new reason for hope. Books will be available for purchase before and after the event. Free and open to the public.

Info: [email protected] or visit: http://dietforasmallplanet.com.


April 21-22, Boston, MA

Teach-in and Cultural Program:Sunday April 21, 1-5:30pm, Boston University, College of Arts and Sciences 725 Commonwealth Ave. (BU Central green line T stop)

A forum with speakers, videos and workshops on: War and Human Rights Abuses in Colombia, The IMF and World Bank, How Militarization Helps the World Bank/IMF Agenda and How to Resist These Institutions and Policies.

March and Rally:

Monday April 22, 4pm, a march from Holyoke Ctr. Plaza, Harvard Sq. to Cambridge City Hall, followed by a rally outside City Hall, demanding that Cambridge adopt the World Bank Bond Boycott.

Events are in solidarity with protests in Washington DC against the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank, and against the School of the Americas and U.S. military aid to Colombia.

Sponsored By: Latin American Action Coalition (Colombia Vive, American Friends Service Committee, Latinas and Latinos for Social Change, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (Mass. Chapter), Committee In Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, Tonantzin), BankBusters/ Boston Global Action Network, Cambridge Eviction Free Zone, United for Justice with Peace, MA Jobs with Justice, Harvard Initiative for Peace and Justice, Al Awda, Umass Boston Human Rights Working Group, July 26 Coalition, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, National Lawyers Guild MA Chapter

For more information, to endorse, or volunteer call or email: Mario Davila (AFSC) 617-661-6130, BankBusters 617-755-0795, [email protected], Gabe (LCLAA) 617-787-8761, [email protected].


April 19-22, Washington, DC.

Come to Washington DC April 19-22 for an extravaganza of events and make your voice heard for global justice.

The World Bank and IMF will host another round of meetings in Washington D.C. April 20-21. These meetings come in the wake of the economic crisis in Argentina, where the free-market policies pushed around the world by the World Bank and IMF unraveled into real human suffering. They also come after the collapse of the multinational-corporate-giant Enron - a model of the abuses and strength of corporate power. The Mobilization for Global Justice calls on activists from around the country to converge in Washington, DC April 19-22 and make your voice heard.

The protests against the World Bank and the IMF will take place in solidarity and cooperation with the mass mobilization against the US Intervention in Colombia and the School of the Americas (SOA) and the April 20 March on Washington to Stop the War at Home and Abroad.

Please visit:

BOSTON BUSES

The AFSC is chartering buses for the "Stop the War" Rally on April 20 and the Colombia demonstration on April 21. You can attend both events by signing up for the two-day option. Buses leave Boston at 11pm on Friday, April 19 and return to Boston early Monday, April 22. These tickets cost $65.

You must arrange your own accommodation – check under 'Coming to DC' at http://www.a20stopthewar.org for suggestions.

Please make checks payable to AFSC Peace Special and send, together with this your name, organizational affiliation, address, email, and phone number, to:

American Friends Service
Committee Peace and Economic Security Program
2161 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140.

Payment needs to reach AFSC by Thursday, April 4. You will then receive confirmation by e-mail. Info: AFSC 617-661-6130, [email protected].


CARIBBEAN WOMEN ARTISTS: EXPRESSING/RESISTING GLOBALIZATION.

Thursday April 25, 6pm, MIT 3-270.

Panel includes: artist Marilene Phipps, Brandeis Professor Faith Smith, novelist and Harvard lecturer Patricia Powell, and novelist and MIT alumna Nelly Rosario, moderated by Professor Odile Cazenave.


CELEBRATE! AN EVENING OF MUSIC AND DANCE TO BENEFIT INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN CHIAPAS, MEXICO

Friday April 26, 7:30pm, Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center 41 Second St., Cambridge, MA

Featuring:

  • Renowned singer/composer Mili Bermejo and partner Dan Greenspan, celebrated for weaving together Jazz and Latin American music 
  • Harvard Ballet Folklorico de Aztlan 
  • Beautiful Mexican crafts for sale 

Admission: $15.

Proceeds will go to indigenous communities rebuilding from civil conflict in southern Mexico.

CMAC is near the Lechmere T/bus stop, green line Parking on street and in paid lot next to Cambridge Galeria Mall For directions call CMAC, 617-577-1400 or visit http://www.cmacusa.org CMAC is wheelchair accessible.

Sponsored by: Tonantzin: Boston Committee To Support the Native Peoples of Mexico 617-629-2449, [email protected] and the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center, http://www.cmacusa.org


A POETRY READING CONSCIOUSNESS-RAISING FOR ULALO

Saturday April 27, 7-9pm, University Lutheran Church, 66 Winthrop Street, Harvard Square

Recipients of numerous awards for their dedication to human dignity, South African poet/activist Dennis Brutus and African American poet/activist Askia Toure, joined by local Black writer and community leader Margie Shaheed, will lead us in looking at the deeper causes, and how we can move to stem the flood of death in South Africa from AIDS today.

Your tax-deductible donations will go to support Ulalo's current work supporting rural South African women's organizing efforts on AIDS. Ulalo is a Swahili word meaning "bridge". Ulalo is building a bridge to rural African women fighting AIDS.

Suggested donation: $10

Info: 617-864-9642 x4 or visit: http://www.purevisual.com/ulalo


AN EVENING WITH POLITICAL COMIC JIMMY TINGLE - AND MORE!

Sunday April 28, 5:30-8:00pm, Heritage Hall (Knights of Columbus), 177 Bedford Rd. (Rte 4/225), Lexington (just off of Route 128, Exit 31).

Enjoy thought-provoking entertainment with political humorist Jimmy Tingle, and meet the Alliance's new Executive Coordinator, Nick Biddle. There will be hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, and contemporary folk rock with Ken Selcer.

Tickets: $30 (An Alliance for Democracy Benefit Event)

To order by credit card, please call 781-894-1179 Or write a check to "Alliance for Democracy Benefit" and send it to Alliance for Democracy, 681 Main Street, Rm 16, Waltham MA 02451


RALLY AGAINST GLOBAL AIDS

Sunday April 28, 1-5pm, City Hall Plaza.

Join thousands of students and community members in the largest student-led rally in America to combat the global AIDS crisis!

DEMANDS:

- $2.5 billion for global AIDS funding - Reinstate the $10 million cut from the Massachusetts AIDS budget

Organized by Student Global AIDS Campaign, Partners in Health, Multicultural AIDS Coalition, Black HIV/AIDS Coalition, Physicians for Human Rights.

Info: http://www.rallyagainstaids.org


DEMONSTRATE AT THE STATE HOUSE TO DEMAND A JUST STATE BUDGET

Tuesday April 30, 12pm-4pm, Boston Common Grandstand.

Many Voices * One Message * A Coalition for a Humane State Budget

Why? Because the legislature is considering more than $2 Billion in cuts to the new state budget.

Why? Because these cuts disproportionately affect people of color: services to the elderly, affordable housing, public health, substance abuse rehab, job training, day care and after school programs, even school breakfast programs.

Why? Because you CAN make a difference.

Info: Union of Minority Neighborhoods 617-983-9596.


Full Events Schedule

Wednesday May 1

10:30am: Revolutionary May Day March, assemble at Park Street T Station.
12:30pm: Anarchist Book Fair, Curry Student Center, Northeastern University.
3:30pm: Rally for Immigrant Workers and Rights, Boston Commons Bandstand.
7:00pm: "Occupation" w/ Howard Zinn, Coolidge Corner Theatre.
7:00pm: Revolutionary Music Festival, Buzz Club - 67 Stuart Street.

Thursday May 2

10:30am: Festival Del Pueblo Cultural Gathering, Arlington St. Church.
4:00pm: Revolutionary Music Festival, Arlington St. Church.
7:00pm: "American Standoff" w/ Director Barbara Kopple, Coolidge Corner Theatre.

Friday May 3

3:00pm: Revolutionary Music Festival, Berwick Institute, 14 Palmer Street, Roxbury.
6:30pm: "Labor Classics Night", Coolidge Corner Theatre.

Saturday May 4

10:00am: PGA Northeastern Caucus Meeting, Northeastern Law School.
11:00am: Wake Up the Earth Parade, assemble at Centre St., Jamaica Plain Monument.
1:00pm: Wake Up the Earth Festival, Stonybrook T Station Park.
2:00pm: "Bread and Roses", Vault Auditorium, Emerson College, 216 Tremont St.
4:30pm, 7:00pm, 9:30pm: Environmental Film Night, Coolidge Corner Theatre.

Sunday May 5

10:00am: Tour of Museum of Work and Culture, Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
12:00pm: Convergence Against Capitalism, Roxbury Crossing, Roxbury.
7:00pm: Gender Issues at Work Films, Coolidge Corner Theatre.

Saturday May 11

10:00am: Boston Labor History Tour, Boston.

Saturday May 18

10:00am: Tour of the Lowell Mills, Lowell.

See web sites for more information:

Red and Green of May Day
Wake up the Earth Festival
Labor Film Festival
Labor History Tours

Legalization/Immigrant Rights March

Festival Del Pueblo


BRAZIL'S LANDLESS WORKERS MOVEMENT SPEAKING TOUR

MULTIPLE PRESENTATIONS:

May 2, 7pm, MIT Room 4-231, Cambridge (http://web.mit.edu/hemisphere/directions). Info: Dhanesh at [email protected] (MIT Western Hemisphere Project).

May 3, 4pm, Grassroots International - 179 Boylston Street, 4th Floor, Jamaica Plain. Info (RSVP): 617-524-1400 or email [email protected]

May 3, 7pm, Brazilian Immigrant Center - 139 Brighton Avenue, Suite 7, Allston. Info: Fausto at 617-783-8001

Grassroots International is very pleased to present the New England Speaking Tour of WANUSA PEREIRA DOS SANTOS from Brazil's Landless Workers Movement (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra - MST).

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Wanusa Pereira Dos Santos is a 25-year old MST leader from the state of Espirito Santo. She is a member of the National Committee on Political Education for the MST and came out of the student movement in Brazil.

ABOUT THE MST: The MST, one of Grassroots International's partners in Brazil, is the largest social movement in Latin America with an estimated 1.5 million members. Since its inception in 1985, it has helped 300,000 landless Brazilian families gain title to land the size of Massachusetts.

Info: http://www.grassrootsonline.org.


NORTHEASTERN PGA REGIONAL GATHERING

Saturday May 4, 10am-1pm, Northeastern Law School (Room TBA).

Since the cataclysmic events of last September, the ruling class has launched a dramatic worldwide assault on popular movements, and many good folks have seen their work suffer as a result. At the same time though, people and groups who had previously been unlikely to work together are finding welcomes from unfamiliar quarters as today's political reality sinks in, and the necessity of united struggle gains universal currency. Alliances are forming around the globe, of common people struggling alongside their neighbors for a sane and sustainable future.

As hundreds of activists descend on Boston for the Festival Del Pueblo, the main goal of this gathering is to establish a lasting regional PGA network in northeastern North America. While we are all committed to a decentralized, autonomous structure of any PGA network, many have recognized the need for a less ephemeral infrastructure, which we can utilize as a reliable tool in our organizing.

Info on directions, housing, etc.: http://www.festivaldelpueblo.org or at the Lucy Parsons Center at 617-267-6272.


OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM TO LEAVE U'WA LAND!

5/7 - It has been a dramatic week for the U'wa, their supporters and everyone working for peace and justice in Colombia. Amidst several US policy decisions that will escalate the violence in Colombia, comes Occidental Petroleum's announcement that they are returning the Siriri oil block, which is located on U'wa land, to the Colombian government. What this means is that the words that so many of us have written on banners, said in press releases, and chanted at numerous demonstrations -- OXY OFF OF U'WA LAND! - are coming true! [more from Patrick Reinsborough]

  • Full text of the U'wa communique from the traditional authorities of the U'wa peoples. 
  • Press release by Amazon Watch, Action Resource Center, Project Underground, Rainforest Action Network. 
  • Article on Alternet. 
  • U'wa Campaign Info. 


CELEBRATE MOTHER'S DAY AND MOTHER EARTH.... WOMEN SAY NO TO GMO'S AND YES TO ORGANIC AND LOCALLY GROWN FOOD

Tuesday May 7, 7-9pm, Simmons Coll. - 300 The Fenway, main Bldg 3rd Fl.

- Doreen Stabinsky. With a PhD in genetics, this leading scientific advisor to Greenpeace will talk about GE corn contamination in Mexico and the environmental and political consequences of genetically engineered food.

- Martha Herbert, MD, PhD. A Pediatric neurologist and brain development researcher at MGH and a board member of the Council for Responsible Genetics, she will be discussing health dangers associated with GE foods.

- Sue Andersen, Organic Farmer: Owner of the Good Earth CSA in Westboro, MA, she will explain why GE crops have the potential to wipe out organic as we know it and how local food security is the way for the future.

Sponsored by Simmons Community Outreach, Boston Women's Health Book Collective, Boston Ecofeminist Action, Harvest Co-op, Amythest Chiropractic, Clean Water Fund and Greenpeace.

Info: Greenpeace at 617-868-5079, [email protected] or CWA at 617-338-8131, [email protected]

For general campaign information visit: http://www.truefoodnow.org or http://www.cleanwaterfund.org/safefoods


SEARCH FOR PEACE: OCCUPATION, WAR AND POSSIBILITIES FOR ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE

Wednesday May 8, 7pm, Cambridge Friends Meeting House 5 Longfellow Park (off Brattle Street, 10 min. walk from Harvard Square) Cambridge.

With:

Leila Farsakh, Researcher at Harvard's Center for Middle Eastern Affairs and the Trans-Arab Research Institute, and

Sara Roy, Senior Research Scholar at Harvard's Center for Middle Eastern Studies

Leila Farsakh and Sara Roy are political economists who have long been engaged with and studied the Palestinian and Israeli struggles for peace with justice and security. Leila Farsakh is Palestinian, and her work has ranged from serving on the staff of the OECD in Paris, and the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute in Ramallah to her work at Harvard and role in organizing the Boston Committee for Palestine Rights. Since 1985, Dr. Roy has researched and written extensively on the Palestinian political economy, with a focus on Gaza. Her recent research has included the Palestinian Islamic movement and its de-radicalization in the period immediately prior to the second Palestinian uprising. In addition to her academic work, she consults with international organizations, the U.S. government, and private voluntary organizations.

Admission Free. Wheelchair Accessible.

Info: Joseph Gerson, 617-661-6130 / [email protected].


SEMINAR SERIES ON A FORCE MORE POWERFUL

Studies in Mass Nonviolent Social Movements Adapted from the Peter Ackerman, Jack Duvall PBS Series.

First and Third Thursdays, 6:30-8:30pm, AFSC Offices, 2151 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge (Near the Porter Square T).

The 1st Thursday of the month will consist of a video presentation followed up by the 3rd Thursday of reading and discussion. Sponsored by Boston-Cambridge Alliance for Democracy and the AFSC Peace and Economic Security Program.

Preregistration & reading required. Space is limited. Info: Brit at Eckhart 617-722-2637x2, [email protected]


MOTHERS STILL MARCH FOR SURVIVAL AND JUSTICE: FIGHT STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT AT HOME!

Monday May 13, 11:30am-2pm, gather at JFK Building, Goverment Ctr., march to 600 Washington St. (DTA Welfare Office).

On May 13, low-income women will lead the 9th Annual Mothers' March, protesting the slashing of the social safety net through welfare reforms, budget cuts, and the disappearance of decent jobs. These trends in the US mirror similar processes often imposed by the World Bank, IMF, and free trade treaties around the world, especially in the Global South. It's all part of the same global Race to the Bottom, and our struggles are stronger when we link up and act together.

So please join mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and everyone else who feels similarly for the 9th Annual Mothers' March. As the effects fo the recession linger and Congress debates reauthorization of TANF (welfare "reform") this summer, the moment is crucial! The solidarity of the global justice movement can help to make this event something truly special.

Speakers include: Many women struggling to escape poverty and jump through the hoops of welfare "reforms"; Bobby Haynes, Mass. AFL-CIO President; Meizhu Lui, United for a Fair Economy; John Templeton, President, SEIU Local 509; Diane Dujon, Mass. Welfare Rights Union; and others; the Raging Grannies and Class Acts perform.

Sponsored by the Low-Income Welfare Organizing Collaborative (and many other groups and unions).

Info: 800-939-4600 or e-mail [email protected].


LIVING AND DYING IN OCCUPIED PALESTINE: WHAT HOPE FOR THE FUTURE?

Grassroots International is very pleased to announce a series of talks by Dr EYAD EL SARRAJ, Palestinian psychiatrist and human rights activist.

Monday May 13, 6-7:30pm, Spontaneous Celebrations - 45 Danforth St., Jamaica Plain. Sponsored by Jamaica Plain Action Network.

Wednesday May 15, 2pm, Kresge Building, room G-2 Harvard School of Public Health 677 Huntington Ave., Boston. Sponsored by FXB Center for Health and Human Rights.

Wednesday May 15, 7-9pm, Christ Church, Zero Garden Street in Harvard Square, Cambridge. Sponsored by the Boston Committee for Palestinian Rights and the Gaza Mental Health Foundation Inc.

Donations for the work of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program will be most welcome. 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Eyad el-Sarraj is the founder and director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) in the Gaza Strip and the Secretary General of the Independent Palestinian Commission for Citizens Rights.

The GCMHP was established in 1990 to provide counseling and psychological care for a population traumatized by decades of military occupation. Its clinics have treated one in ten residents of the Gaza Strip, including ex-political prisoners who have endured torture, and thousands of children who have experienced high levels of violence and trauma. It has also organized a path-breaking Women's Empowerment Project and offers training programs in mental health and human rights.

Eyad el-Sarraj has criticized the human rights practices of both Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). He was arrested twice in 1996 by the PA for condemning torture and the violation of human rights.

Dr. el-Sarraj, who has published extensively on the issues of peace, civil society, human rights and psychiatry, received the Physicians for Human Rights Award in 1997 and the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights in 1998.

Info: 617-524-1400 or [email protected].


RALLY FOR A FAIR CONTRACT FOR AMETEK WORKERS!

Wednesday May 15, 4-5pm, Wilmington Ametek Plant, 50 Fordham Rd., Exit 39 (Concord St.), Off Rt. 93N, 3 Exits past Rt. 128, Left at 1st Light after Ramp.

Light Refreshments, Music.

Union members at IUE-CWA Local 201 are fighting for a new contract at Ametek Aerospace in Wilmington. Key issues are health care for retirees, job security, and health care and benefits for laid off members.

Ametek has shipped work to Reynosa, Mexico, under NAFTA, and Local 201 is fighting to defend the jobs and living standards of the workers who remain in Wilmington.

Help Local 201 achieve a fair settlement! For more info. call Jeff Crosby at 781-598-2760.


COME MEET 6 YOUNG SOUTH AFRICAN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ORGANIZERS

Project X-Change Kick Off

Sunday May 19, 4-6pm, Spontaneous Celebrations - 45 Danforth St., Jamaica Plain. (Get off at Stony Brook Station on the Orange Line. Walk up Boylston Street and make the second right on Danforth Street.)

From May 19-June 8 2002, six young South African activists will visit communities of color around the US as part of Project X-Change, an environmental justice youth exchange. The South African youth will meet youth of color organizing for environmental justice in the US to learn from the struggle for justice in the US and also to share their organizing experiences in South Africa. Boston is the first of seven stops that include Jackson (Mississippi), Cancer Alley (Louisiana), San Antonio (Texas), El Paso (Texas), Los Angeles (California) and Bay Area (California).

The six activists will talk about their experiences in South Africa and share their struggles for environmental justice. Please join us for our kick off event in Boston. Dinner and music will be provided.

Organized by the South African Exchange Program on Environmental Justice (SAEPEJ), South Africa Development Fund (SADF) and Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE).

For more information and to RSVP please contact Ravi Dixit at 617-522-0604 or email [email protected].


WORLD BANK PRESIDENT COMES TO TOWN

James Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank, has been chosen as the commencement speaker at MIT graduation on Friday, June 7. A major protest is planned in Cambridge on that day, building on the momentum of the passage of the World Bank Bond Boycott in Cambridge last month. Here are the details:

DEMONSTRATION: Friday June 7, 7:30am, March towards MIT at 8am SHARP.

Gather on the park/traffic island in the middle of Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, in between Gloucester and Hereford St., by the statue. (Close to intersection of Mass. Ave. and Commonwealth Ave.; Hynes Convention Center stop on Green B, C, and D lines, or #1 bus.)

Info: 617-755-0795, [email protected]
http://www.bostonglobalaction.net/bankbusters
http://commence.mit.edu

HOUSING: If you are coming from out of town and need a place to stay, please contact Catherine 617-983-0089, [email protected] If you are a local and would like to offer housing, also contact Catherine.

There also are several events leading up to the June 7 protest:

ARTMAKING SESSIONS: Saturday June 1 & Sunday June 2, 12-5pm, MIT 4-153. Make banners, signs, puppets, piggies, buttons, help with a mailing, or whatever you want, to make the protest festive.

COMMUNITY FORUM: Tuesday June 4, 7-9pm. MIT community forum. Twenty students have been selected by lottery to meet with James Wolfensohn. Let them know the questions you would like Wolfensohn to be asked.

FILM SHOWING: Wednesday June 5, 3:30/5:30/7:30/9:30pm, Brattle Theatre. "Life and Debt" showing again at the Brattle Theater in Harvard Square, Cambridge. If you haven't already seen it (or even if you have), check out this fabulous film on Jamaica and the World Bank and IMF.

CONCERT: "Chant Down Babylon", Thursday June 6, 7pm, MIT 54-100. Show of Life and Debt, followed by Q&A with director Stephanie Black & Concert w/ Yami Bolo, acclaimed reggae musician, featured on the Life and Debt soundtrack. This event is free. Info: 617-285-4167.

Download 11"x17" flyer 


NEW FILMS: NOT FOR SALE & ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE

Sunday June 2, 4-6pm, MIT Room 2-105.

Not for Sale/ No se Vende
2 minutes

Global trade agreements expand what corporations can own and control - from things like machines to knowledge and even living creatures. What does this mean for the environment, our food supply, and human rights? In this new documentary, farmers, indigenous people, and anti-globalization activists advocate for a world where life is not a commodity but something to be treasured and protected. With beautiful footage from the head waters of the Amazon, farms in Washington and Iowa, as well as India and Peru, plus glimpses of the Seattle WTO protests, NOT FOR SALE brings this global issue into focus with stories of everyday people. Commentary provided by Vandana Shiva, Anuradha Mittal [Food first], Debra Harry [Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism] and others.

Another World is Possible: Impressions of the 2002 World Social Forum
24 minutes

What if 51,000 people from 131 countries put their heads together to discuss what is wrong with the world and how to work together to change it? In early 2002, public officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations, indigenous nations, farmers, and labor, including 11,000 young people, gathered in Porto Alegre, Brazil for the World Social Forum. Called in response to the elite gathering of the World Economic Forum, this week of workshops, panel discussions and high-spirited demonstrations was an inspiration for those attending. This international event, covered extensively in other parts of the world, was virtually ignored by the U.S. press. Another World is Possible presents a sampling of the issues and events at this enormous and creative gathering.

Produced by Seattle Area independent TV journalists, Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young of Moving Images, http://www.movingimages.org (Bullfrog Films)

Info: Linda Setchell at 617-338-8131 or [email protected]


LOS GLOBOFOBICOS: THE ZAPATISTAS AND FAIR TRADE PROTESTS IN NORTH AMERICA

Photographs by Josh Reynolds

Until June 5, Someday Cafe - 51 Davis Sq., Somerville. 
A photographic exploration of the at the anti-globalization movement from the highlands of Chiapas to the St. Lawrence Seaway. A first-hand look at the civic unrest that has accompanied the re-structuring of international trade.

Josh Reynolds an author and freelance photographer. He is a regular contributor to publications including The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, the Associated Press, USA Today, Greenpeace photo services, and Offshore Magazine.

The show's title, Los Globofobicos is the derogatory term the Mexican press applied to this movement, reclaimed here because both catchier, and since it implies fear, rather than simple rejection -- more accurate than the "anti-globalization" label applied in the U.S.

Info: Someday Cafe 617-623-3323, Davis Square T stop, red line

Josh Reynolds, [email protected], http://www.joshreynoldsphoto.com


UN WORLD FOOD SUMMIT

June 10-13, Rome, Italy.

The World Food Summit (10-13 June, Rome) offers unique opportunities and challenges to those of us who seek to feed the world while preserving the planet. In theory, the world leaders gathered at the Summit could make agreements which would end all but the small proportion of hunger which is related to unavoidable circumstances. In reality, the interests of corporate agribusiness will probably ensure that false solutions such as more trade liberalization and more factory farming receive the most support... unless we take effective action.


REPORT ON CHIAPAS

Saturday June 22, 7:30pm, Mama Gaia's Cafe Community Room - 401 Massachusetts Ave. Central Square, Cambridge.

Come hear the latest news. Tonantzin members will report on their May visit with Zapatista communities and other indigenous and human rights groups in Chiapas, Mexico.

  • Slide presentation 
  • Crafts for sale 
  • Join us after the report for Noche Latina at the Cafe 
  • live music, delicious food 

Sponsored by Tonantzin: Boston Committee to Support the Native Peoples of Mexico 617-629-2449; http://www.geocities.com/tonantzinboston

Hosted by Mama Gaia's Cafe, http://www.mamagaiascafe.com


G8 MOBILIZATION NEWS

June 21-28, Kananaskis, Alberta:

As of May 28, plans for a Solidarity Village near the site of the G8 summit in the Canadian Rockies have fallen through, with local organizers now shifting to help coordinate events and mobilize together for a convergence in Calgary.

They will strive to blend much of the original programming of Solidarity Village into events and smaller venues in and around the city of Calgary, and smaller venues are coming out of the woodwork.

Coordinating Site: http://www.g8.activist.ca/ & http://solidarityvillage.cjb.net

June 26-27, Ottawa, Ontario:

Organizing around the "Take the Capital" campaign is taking on new urgency with plans in and around the summit venue being scaled back due to security pressures.

A three day community teach-in in advance of the days of action will take place on June 14, 15 & 16 at the Ottawa Public Library and the University of Ottawa.

Coordinating Site: http://www.takethecapital.net/
Info: 613-788-3310 or [email protected].


WORKERS COME FIRST AND CORPORATE GREED HAS GOT TO GO!

Wednesday July 31, 12:00-1:30pm, Gather at the Sam Adams Statue at Faneuil Hall on Congress St and march to Fidelity Investments headquarters at 82 Devonshire St.

Join AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka and UNITE President Bruce Raynor as they lead a march from Faneuill Hall to the Corporate Offices of Fidelity Investments to tell them that:

Fidelity is the major investor in Stanley Tools. It was once the largest union employer in Connecticut, organized by the International Association of Machinists. But it has consistently laid off workers while it moves its manufacturing of tools overseas. Now Stanley wants to incorporate in Bermuda so it does not have to pay US taxes! What's more, the janitors (SEIU) that clean the building of Fidelity do not have access to full time jobs and family health care. This is a prime example of the kind of corporate-driven globalization we oppose.

BGAN has endorsed this demonstration (this is our second go at Fidelity -- they were a important investor in Occidental Petroleum, before protests forced them out) -- please come out during lunch and help to make it a success!

Info: Local AFL-CIO at 617-557-5488 x3.


BOSTON.INDYMEDIA.ORG NETWORKING PARTY

Thursday August 1, 7-10pm, Mama Gaia's Community Room - 401 Mass. Ave. Central Sq. , Cambridge

An opportunity for activists and independent journalists to come together. Come discuss how to make Boston's Independent Media Center a stronger resource for drawing attention to the news often ignored by the mainstream media. The event will also be a time to get to know each other personally. Food and light entertainment provided. 

Info: [email protected] or [email protected].


ORGANIZING FOR RADICAL CHANGE

Four days of collaborative exchange, reflection, and vision for organizers and activists

August 18-21, Wheelock Mountain Farm in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom (Greensboro, VT)

In 2001, activists from around Vermont came together to struggle against free trade under the banner of the Mobilization for Global Justice. VT MGJ, in concert with Action for Social and Ecological Justice (ASEJ) and ACERCA (Action for Community and Ecology in the Regions of Central America) have initiated Strategy and Skill-Share Sessions: Organizing For Radical Change at the Wheelock Mountain Farm in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.

In a time of war, racism, biotech foods, private prisons, media empire, environmental destruction, crackdowns on civil liberties, corporate control, and neoliberalism, organizing is often daunting work. As organizers in the struggle against so-called `free trade' who are working for social justice and an ecological future, we are creating a space for skill building, strategizing, and networking. We're making time for important discussions reflecting on the past, assessing the present, and building a vision for the future of our movement and our world.

We invite you to join us in a four-day retreat to rejoice, relax, recharge, and reinvigorate our selves and our struggle.

Wheelock Mountain Farm is a tax-exempt non-profit organization located on 600 acres of farm and woodland, in Wheelock Vermont. It's mission is to preserve and protect the ecological integrity of this land, to act as an educational resource and training facility for social change activists, and to contribute to the empowerment and participation of residents in the life of Vermont's many communities through education and non-violent action.

What to Bring:

Camping gear, biodegradable soap, bug repellent, towel, sun screen, appropriate outdoor clothing, notebook, propaganda, musical instruments, a willingness to learn and share, etc.

Children are invited and welcome and will have a wonderful time out on the farm!

For More Info and Updates:

Tel: 802.863.0571
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.asej.org

Please RSVP with a completed application form and a check or money order (made out to Vermont MGJ) for $10 a day per person. This money will help us provide food for all participants and donate money to Wheelock Mountain Farm for use of the facility. Everyone who attends will also be expected to help out at least one shift in the kitchen. If you are not attending the whole day or not sleeping at the Farm, costs are as follows: Breakfast $2, Lunch $3, Dinner $4. Meals for a whole day $5. To attend workshops for a day $2. If you are unable raise these funds please contact us. No one will be turned away!

IMPORTANT: SPACE FOR THIS EVENT IS LIMITED. YOUR SPOT WILL BE RESERVED UPON RECEIPT OF PAYMENT FOR THE DAYS YOU ANTICIPATE ATTENDING ($10/DAY)

You may RSVP by obtaining an application form from [email protected], filling it out electronically, and sending it along with the check or money order of $10/day to:

Vermont Mobilization for Global Justice
PO Box 5602
Burlington, Vermont 05401 USA


GLOBAL ECONOMIC JUSTICE VIDEO FESTIVAL

Friday August 30 through Sunday, September 1, Coolidge Corner Theater, 290 Harvard St., Brookline (Coolidge Corner stop on the Green C Line).

A fundraiser to support the local mobilizing for the September 28-29 protests in Washington DC against the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank.

All shows $5-$15 sliding scale.

For more info on the festival, contact BankBusters:
617-755-0795, www.bankbusters.org, [email protected]

FRIDAY AUGUST 30, 7pm & 9pm

Not for Sale/ No se Vende (32 minutes, 2002)

Global trade agreements expand what corporations can own and control. What does this mean for the environment, our food supply, and human rights? NOT FOR SALE brings this global issue into focus with stories of everyday people.

Another World is Possible: Impressions of the 2002 World Social Forum (24 minutes, 2002)

In early 2002, public officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations, indigenous nations, farmers, and labor gathered in Porto Alegre, Brazil for the World Social Forum, called in response to the elite gathering of the World Economic Forum. Another World is Possible presents a sampling of this enormous and creative gathering. Both films produced by: Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young.

Info: www.movingimages.org

SATURDAY AUGUST 31, 7pm & 9pm

Deadly Embrace: Nicaragua, the World Bank and the IMF (30 minutes, 1996)

"Deadly Embrace" documents the current neo-liberal economic order as it "embraces" Nicaragua. "A powerful and entertaining documentary that effectively humanizes critical economic issues." --David Wildman, The Boston Globe. Director Liz Canner will be present to answer questions.

Uprooted: Refugees of the Global Economy (28 min., 2001)

A compelling documentary about how the global economy has forced people to leave their home countries. UPROOTED presents three stories of immigrants who left their homes after global economic powers devastated their countries. A production of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

Info: www.nnirr.org

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 7pm & 9pm

Narmada: a Valley Rises (86 minutes, 1994)

This film documents a march by farmers and indigenous people against a partially World Bank-funded dam, which would displace 160,000 people. This march was instrumental in forcing the World Bank to withdraw from the project. But the struggle against the Government of India goes on. Produced by: Ali Kazimi.

Info: www.socialdoc.net/kazimi


TEACH-IN FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE

Thursday September 5, 6:30-9pm, Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston St., Copley Sq.

You are invited to an exciting, informative, and interactive evening, as community members come together to learn more about the Justice for Janitors Campaign, hear from local janitors and a panel of speakers about its far-ranging local and global ramifications, and actively brainstorm action steps and ways to engage the broader community.

Sponsored by Service Employees International Union, Local 615 and No Ordinary Time.

Co-sponsored by: The Haymarket's People's Fund, Resource Generation, Community Change, Inc., The Cambridge Peace Commission, MA Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice

Info: [email protected], 617 524-2999


THE STRUGGLE FOR LAND AND FREEDOM IN LATIN AMERICA

Friday September 20, 6pm-9pm, Jackson Mann Community Center, 500 Cambridge St. Brighton-Allston Bus # 57, 64, & 66 to Union Sq. or B green line to Harvard Ave.

With:

Estuardo Remache, ECUARUNARI Federation of Peoples of the Quichua Nationality of Ecuador.

The indigenous movement in Ecuador is currently at the center of the movement to roll back neoliberal economic policies in that country and across the continent.

Salete Carollo, MST, Landless Peasant Movement, Brazil.

The MST is a large rural and increasingly urban social movement which has mobilized some 1.5 million people and has enabled 300,000 previously landless families to gain access to land and self-reliance.

Sponsored by: LATIN AMERICAN ACTION COALITION
Info: 617-661-6130 (AFSC) or 617-787-8761 (LCLAA)

© 2003
Boston Global Action Network

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