Activism

The Purpose Prize
A $100,000 prize for people in their encore careers who are inventing new ways to solve social problems.

Ten people over the age of 60 will win in 2010. Nominate yourself or someone you know. Deadline: March 5.

5 tips for nominating someone for The Purpose Prize

1. Learn about past Prize winners to see what we look for. (Click here for a list of 2009 winners.)
2. Nominate someone (possibly you) who switched careers, is tackling a social problem and has plans to expand.
3. Tell a story: What was the "Aha!" moment that propelled your nominee in a new direction?
4. Describe the nominee's impact. What has your nominee accomplished that others should know about?
5. Listen to this podcast for tips on how to create a winning nomination. Read more.

By John Marty, Minnesota State Senator, Candidate for Governor

If 21st Century Progressives led the 19th Century Abolition Movement, we'd still have slavery, but we'd have limited it to 40 hour work weeks, and we'd be so proud of the progress we'd made.

In earlier eras of U.S. history, progressives believed they could fight injustice and move society forward, and they did so. Today however, many progressives have lost faith in their ability to affect significant change. Many are content simply to tinker with problems, whether the issue is getting living wages for work, ending poverty, or removing toxins from our food supply.

"Brownbaggers Not Teabaggers!" | Press Release
Vigils Against War Funding Spread Across Nation

Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) organized "brownbag" lunch vigils against war funding at noon on Wednesday, January 20th, at the district offices of 22 members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

On February 17th, PDA will be joined by CODEPINK, AfterDowningStreet, Democrats.com, the California Nurses Assn./National Nurses United, and United for Peace and Justice in holding brownbag vigils outside (or inside) at least 36 congress members' offices.

Brownbaggers are demanding commitments to vote against more money for war. Slogans on their posters include: "Healthcare not Warfare," "Corporations out of Politics," "Bailout Main Street not Wall Street," and "Brownbaggers not Teabaggers".

Vigils have been planned in the following districts: AZ-5, CA-6, CA-9, CA-10, CA-18, CA-22, CA-23, CA-40, CA-42, CA-45, CA-46, CA-48, CA-50, CA-53, FL-9, FL-10, FL-17, ID-01, IN-9, MA-1, MA-2, MA-3, MA-10, MI-9, NY-18, NY-28, OH-13, OH-17, PA-02, PA-7, PA-15, WA-2, WA-3, WA-6, WI-3, WI-7. These are almost all at noon on Wednesday the 17th, but a few are at odd times, so check the details: http://tinyurl.com/brownbagvigil

Brownbaggers are asking members of the House to publicly commit to voting No on any bills that fund wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Yemen, and to publicly urge their colleagues and the House leadership to make the same commitment. As lesser steps in the same direction, PDA is encouraging congress members to cosponsor HR 2454, calling for an exit strategy from Afghanistan, and HR 3699, prohibiting any increase in the number of U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan. Congress members' commitments are tracked at http://defundwar.org

"We have to choose between jobs and wars," said PDA's national director Tim Carpenter. "The American people are on one side, but our so-called representatives in Congress are on the other. The Supreme Court is busy increasing corporate control of our elected officials. We need to be busy enforcing the people's control before it is too late."

"Without wasteful war and military spending," said PDA's deputy director Laura Bonham, "we could have healthcare, jobs, housing, education, retirement security, environmental sustainability, diplomacy and foreign aid. No longer will we take seriously anyone's claim to support these things while voting to fund more war."

Click "Read more" below to view larger image.

From David Dees:

This art is free to use for "non-profit" individual purposes, blogs, and websites. I encourage you to openly distribute to others with the hope it will educate, enlighten, deprogram, and at least, entertain. For "profit" magazine, book, or websites use please inquire at davodees@hotmail.com.

All material Copyright©2006-2009, David Dees

Artist David Dees' message: In my art, you will occasionally see a 'Z' symbol over a star of David. This simply represents the political movement called Zionism which has co-opted Judaism and uses it as a shield to hide behind. Both myself and Rense.com are PRO-Jewish, but extremely ANTI-Zionist. Those who attempt to smear my art as 'anti-semitic' are fools and frauds. The unspeakable, hideous genocidal acts of Zionism and the geopolitical social and economic deception and deceit it uses to con and dupe the masses shall be exposed. I also support organizations like Jews Against Zionism as you can see in my archives. If you have any sincere questions about Zionism and related issues, by all means read the material at any Jews Against Zionism internet site and the archives at Rense.com. Truth Does Not Fear Investigation. - David Dees

Guam may host Army fast ships
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno | Pacific Daily News

Guam is one of several areas being considered as a station for up to a dozen high-speed catamaran-style military ships each capable of transporting more than 300 people per ship, according to an Army Environmental Command announcement.

Hawaii, San Diego and Seattle are also being considered, according to the command’s announcement, which was issued as an advertisement in the Pacific Daily News to solicit public comments.

A cooperative effort between the Navy and the Army, the Joint High Speed Vehicles, or JHSVs will be used for fast intra-theater transportation of troops, vehicles and equipment, according to an earlier Defense Department announcement of the program on defenselink.mil.

“JHSVs will be capable of transporting 700 short tons (within) 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots, and can operate in shallow-draft ports and waterways, interfacing with roll-on/roll-off discharge facilities, and on/off-loading a combat-loaded Abrams Main Battle Tan k,” according to the Defense Department.

These ships all give commanders the ability to roll on a company with full gear and equipment, or roll on a full infantry battalion if used only as a troop transport, haul it intra-theater distances, then move their shallow draft safely into austere ports to roll them off, according www.defenseindustrydaily.com.

Initial uses of the high-speed vessels have led to a $1.6 billion program called the Joint High Speed Vessel, which could involve up to 10 ships, according to defenseinustrydaily.com.

The Army Environmental Command notice for public comment says up to 12 Joint High Speed Vessels will be stationed. Read more, submit comments.

By Dave Lindorff

There were two points in President Obama’s State of the Union address that provoked resounding and universal applause in the chamber from the assembled senators and representatives of both parties. One point was when the president said he wanted to start his job-creation program “in small businesses, companies that begin when an entrepreneur takes a chance on a dream, or a worker decides its time she became her own boss.” The other point was when he said, “While we're at it, let's also eliminate all capital gains taxes on small business investment; and provide a tax incentive for all businesses, large and small, to invest in new plants and equipment.”

McKinney To Receive Munich American Peace Committee Peace Prize | Press Release

"Clearly, the MAPC gave more thought to the significance of those whose struggle for peace is based on principle . . . than did the Nobel Peace Committee that rewarded our President for war."

Former Congresswoman and 2008 Green Party Presidential Nominee announced today that she has been invited to participate in an International Peace Conference scheduled to take place in Munich, Germany on February 6 - 7, 2010 while the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meets in the same city to plan war. McKinney, a long-time proponent of abolishing NATO, is scheduled to speak on February 6 at a rally to protest the NATO "security" conference. After the rally, McKinney will participate in the International Peace Conference whose schedule and call to demonstrate against NATO war policies are included below.

Included in McKinney's program is a meeting with the Munich American Peace Committee (MAPC) which will present to McKinney its third annual award, "Peace through Conscience," during the ceremonies of the Munich Peace Conference on the evening of February 6, 2010. The MAPC Peace Prize is normally awarded by the previous year's winner. In McKinney's case the honors will be done by André Shepherd, a U.S. Army deserter from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and asylum seeker in Germany. Said McKinney of her selection for the award, "I am humbled to be so recognized. Clearly, the MAPC gave more thought to the significance of those whose struggle for peace is based on principle and an unshakable commitment, despite the personal sacrifices required, than did the Nobel Peace Committee that rewarded our President for war." McKinney continued, "In this way of thinking, peace is now war, lies are now truth, and ignorance is strength."

McKinney calls on Americans across Germany to converge on Munich and protest U.S. and NATO war policies. McKinney will meet with American ex-patriots in multiple meetings while in Munich.

So, Where Is The Peace Movement?
By Steve Fine

Our Neighbors for Peace and Justice, San Fernando Valley weekly peace vigil has been running continuously in Studio City, California, since November of 2002, which makes it one of the oldest in the Los Angeles area, if not the country. But as a vigil, it is not unique, rather one of thousands that rose up spontaneously during the lead up to the Iraq war, as average people from all walks of life came together on the local level to protest. In the process, the people at our vigil who kept coming formed bonds of friendship and camaraderie that have sustained us through thick and thin.

For those who are unaware of the vigils movement, a quick definition: A neighborhood peace vigil is a rally with signs, banners and candles held on a weekly basis at the same location, most commonly organized by one or two people who are not professional activists. (Nor are they dupes of corporate financed astro-turf grassroots propagandists, the right wing equivalent.) Each “vigil” is independent, since they are neighborhood based, and yet, they all do the same thing; thus each becomes a model for expanding to more areas. In the Los Angeles area during the lead up to the Iraq War the expansion was so sudden and explosive that there was an attempt to establish a coordinating network. Something similar needs to be created now on a national level, but this time it would be to nurture the growth of a vigils’ revival via an online service that could provide an organizational framework in which each group becomes part of a dynamic grassroots mobilization. The goal would be to force into the mainstream a debate about war spending and the domination of militarism over our government.

During the Bush years and continuing to this day, the media’s tendency to ignore the neighborhood vigil’s call for peace has been all but guaranteed while they have lavished coverage upon the slightest belch coming from the right. So it’s not surprising we are not the first thing that comes to peoples’ minds when they think of the peace movement. Still the corner, as we call our location in Studio City, continues to get its message across to thousands of motorists every Friday night. And like many other vigils we also put on community forums and coordinate with other groups’ activities. So we do have an impact at the local level, which is the whole point.

We’ve become such a well-known fixture in the community that everyone in the valley knows us. This is something other long-standing peace vigils can attest to around the country. So never minimize the impact one small vigil can have even when there isn’t a coordinating structure on a national level. In short, we keep the movement alive while others try to figure out if it even exists.

Mainstream Media Embraces Stop The War on Bliar Inquiry Day | Stop The War

Many thanks to every one who braved the appalling weather to join the "Bliar" protest last Friday, when the arch war criminal Tony Blair gave evidence to the Chilcot inquiry. We estimate -- calculating over a whole day of protest that began at 8am and ended ten hours later - that around 1000 people attended.

For once the anti-war movement could have no complaints about the media coverage. It was extensive across print and broadcast media and most of it was sympathetic. Dozens of interviews were given to national, international and local news sources, and virtually all the national newspapers had online picture galleries of our activities on the day.

One explanation for this unusual media response was given by the Mail on Sunday, which published an astonishing poll showing that after Blair's Chilcot appearance, 8 in 10 people in Britain still think he lied in taking the country to war and 30 percent think he should be prosecuted for war crimes. The Mail's conclusion was that our demonstration reflected the views of the vast majority in Britain:

On February 3, activists from across the country will be on Capitol Hill to tell members of Congress to reject the PATRIOT Act unless serious reforms are included. If you can't come to Washington, add your name to this petition. We'll deliver the petition and signatures to each Congressional office we visit. This petition campaign is initiated by the Bill of Right Defense Committee, which will compile the final petition list (your name, city and state will be shared with BORDC).

We, the undersigned, write to urge President Obama and members of Congress to reject the PATRIOT Act in its current form, rather than extend its expiring provisions without imposing meaningful protections to ensure transparency and enable oversight going forward.

When the Act was originally passed, civil liberties advocates decried it, both for the inadequate congressional process exploring its sweeping changes to longstanding law—including some that federal courts have since held unconstitutional—and also for giving the government the authority to invade the privacy of law-abiding individuals without meaningful checks and balances. The Act has been in place for nearly a decade, and its implementation has repeatedly demonstrated that those fears were, and unfortunately remain, well-founded. Read the rest of the petition, sign.

Today, in the hopes of finally seeing justice, we are petitioning the United States Supreme Court to hear Mr. Arar’s extraordinary rendition case and we urgently need you to take action.DescriptionIn 2002, Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen, was detained at JFK airport while on his way home to Canada from abroad. He was interrogated, detained in the U.S. for 2 weeks, denied his right to go to court and then secretly rendered to Syria where he was tortured and held in a grave-like underground cell for over ten months. He was never charged with a crime.  You can learn more about Mr. Arar’s case by clicking here.

In a disturbing decision last November, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed CCR’s civil case Arar v. Ashcroft in a 7-4 decision.  In a strongly worded dissent, Judge Guido Calabresi wrote, “I believe that when the history of this distinguished court is written, today’s majority decision will be viewed with dismay.” We are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review Maher Arar’s case and allow him his day in court.  No one should ever be rendered to torture and those who have suffered at the hands of the U.S. government are entitled to redress.

You can help CCR fight for justice for Maher Arar. Tell Attorney General Eric Holder to stop defending the Bush administration’s wrongs and urge him to:

• Acknowledge the wrong done to Maher Arar in a public apology;
• Remove Maher Arar from the US Terror Watch List;
• Appoint outside special counsel to investigate and prosecute crimes relating to Maher Arar’s rendition;
• Remedy the harm done to Maher Arar; and
• Ensure that the US does not send anyone to torture or arbitrary detention.

Click here to write to Attorney General Holder. Thank you for standing with us in the ongoing fight against torture and impunity.

NEW YORK PEACE GRANNIES TO MARK 1000TH AMERICAN DEATH IN AFGHANISTAN AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER | Press Release

As the American military death toll nears the 1,000 mark in Afghanistan, anti-war grandmothers and their supporters are preparing in advance to mark the grim occasion. The grannies held special commemorations for the 3,000th and 4,000th American death in Iraq, and now are planning to perform the same heartbreaking task for those unfortunate soldiers sacrificed to the war in Afghanistan.

"Perhaps most of the public is not much concerned with these wars and their casualties, but the peace grannies always have been, are now and will continue to be until they are stopped," said 94-year-old Lillian Pollak, an active member of the Granny Peace Brigade, one of the organizers of the event. "We will publicly acknowledge the carnage in the hope that we will awaken citizens to the fact that the wars are still being waged with their resultant unjustified death and destruction -- not only of our own young people but of countless innocent civilians. We must not let up in our efforts to end these immoral occupations."

Please be advised that a special memorial will be held the day AFTER the 1,000th fatality is announced. People are asked to meet at 5:30 p.m. at the site of the regular Wednesday Rockefeller Center Grandmothers Against the War vigil -- the west side of Fifth Ave. between 49th and 50th Sts. They will vigil there for approximately one hour and then slowly walk to the recruitment center in Times Square for a short appearance. The grannies will be joined by Veterans for Peace, who regularly stand with them on Wednesdays, and other loyal followers.

It is requested that people bring candles and flashlights. Names of the dead will be read. Celebrated persons in in the arts and government have been invited to eulogize the lost lives.

The count is as of this date (Feb. 1) 977, so it is likely that the 1,000th death will occur within the next month or two. Those who plan to attend are asked to be vigilant in observing the count so that they can participate at the right moment.

Regretfully, the casualties continue to mount in Iraq, as well, though not to the extent they have in the past. American deaths there now total 4,375. Hopefully, the U.S. will have pulled out before the total reaches the dreaded 5,000. Rest assured, the indomitable grannies will continue their non-stop efforts to make this a reality.

DATE: The day AFTER the 1,000th American casualty is reached in Afghanistan
TIME: 5:30 - 6:30 P.M.
PLACE: West side of 5th Ave. between 49th and 50th Sts. -- then walk to Times Square Recruiting Center, 44th and Broadway

###

CONTACT: Joan Wile -- 917-441-0651

What I Have Learned Doing Civil Disobedience for Single Payer
by Carol Paris | Common Dreams

Note: During President Obama's recent visit to Baltimore, Drs. Margaret Flowers and Carol Paris attempted to deliver to an explanation of why Single-Payer is comprehensive and cost-effective, and better serves the needs of the nation's patients and doctors. They were prevented from delivering their message to the President, despite his invitation that if someone has a better plan than the one cobbled together in Congress he "wanted to hear it." ~Chip :)

"People should go where they are not supposed to go, say what they are not supposed to say, and stay when they are told to leave." --Howard Zinn

Well, that quote pretty well sums up "what to do." But my biggest challenge is "how." Specifically, how do I neutralize some pretty powerful fear?

I was scared Friday when I joined Margaret Flowers to attempt to deliver a message to the President. My thoughts raced. We're talking secret service.

"How do I get myself into these things?"

"This is crazy."

"This is pointless."

"I can't even make sensible statements; I know what I want to say but I'm so nervous."

"Other people are so much more knowledgeable and speak so much more eloquently."

"But I am doing it!"

We stood in front of the Harbor Hotel in Baltimore clutching a banner that read "Letting you know. Medicare for all" and Margaret's letter for the President written in response to his appeal for solutions to health reform. The hotel manager, police and secret service surrounded us and asked us to move.

If you watch the video, you'll see that there was a point, a moment, which felt suspended in time, when Margaret looked at me and I looked at her and we both knew "we ain't goin' across the street." Read more.

An Appeal on "Closing Gitmo"

Given that human rights organizations and activist groups want rights restored, not abuses moved from one location to another,

Given that said organizations are independent of and not legally bound in subservience to the Democratic Party,

Given that the funding to close Gitmo and move that particular illegal death camp to Illinois will be included in the "emergency war supplemental",

Given that this will likely lead all the Republicans in the House to vote No on $33 billion for wars, wars that involve murder and torture and lawless imprisonment, all on a larger scale than what happens at Gitmo,

Given that we then need only 40 Democrats to vote No to block the war funding,

Given that with the resources of human rights groups for once turned against the supreme international crime of aggressive war we could win over 40 Democrats,

Given that we had 32 last June and 34 in December and the public is turning further against the wars,

Given that many have publicly committed to voting No already at http://defundwar.org ,

Given that the public is increasingly understanding the need to choose between wars and jobs,

Given that a clean break with imperialism would open many new doors in our struggles for civil rights and the rule of law,

It is at least worth asking:

WILL ORGANIZATIONS THAT OPPOSE TORTURE OPPOSE OR SUPPORT THE $33 BILLION WAR BILL?

In Solidarity,

David Swanson

PS: You can't be neutral on a moving train.

By David Swanson

Last June we were handed an opportunity to block the funding of our illegal, murderous, counterproductive, catastrophic, and hated wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The president insisted on an off-the-books "emergency supplemental" bill, and the Senate added an IMF bailout to the bill, leading all the Republicans in the House to commit what for years they'd called treason: they all voted No on war money.

So, we only needed 39 Democrats to vote No, and we could have stopped the thing, at least temporarily. We had a week-long knock-down drag-out fight, with the White House telling freshmen Democrats they would be "dead to us" if they didn't vote Yes. And we still persuaded 32 Democrats to vote No.

Remembering Howard Zinn (1922 - 2010)
By Stephen Lendman

Distinguished scholar, author, political scientist, people's historian, activist, and son of blue-collar immigrant parents, Zinn was born on August 24, 1922 in Brooklyn, New York and died in Santa Monica, CA of a reported heart attack while swimming on January 27. He's survived by two children, Myla Kabat-Zinn and Jeff Zinn, and five grandchildren.

He was 87, and a valued guest several times on The Lendman News Hour and Progressive Radio News Hour. He'll be sorely missed.

Writing in CounterPunch on January 28, journalist, author and activist Harvey Wasserman called him "above all a gentleman of unflagging grace, humility and compassion."

Interviewed on Democracy Now, his former student, author Alice Walker, said "he had such a wonderful impact on my life and on the lives of the students of Spelman and of millions of people....he loved his students."

On the same program, Noam Chomsky spoke about Zinn during the Vietnam war period saying:

His book, The Logic of Withdrawal "really broke through. He was the first person to say - loudly, publicly, very persuasively - that this simply has to stop; we should get out, period, no conditions; we have no right to be there; it's an act of aggression; pull out."

He "not only wrote about (it) eloquently, but he participated in" anti-war efforts to end the war, for civil and worker rights, and "any significant action for peace and justice. Howard was there. People saw him as a leader, but he was really a participant. His remarkable character made him a leader...."