Weekly Activist Alert - State of Our Union
STATE OF OUR UNION
Action: Tell Obama and Congress to Open Haiti's Borders
Cause: Support Haitian Earthquake Relief!
Resource: Create an Online Action for your Cause
Article: State of the Union Preview: Obama Pitches Some (Good and Bad) Clintonism
Events:
We 1/27 - Fight for Public Transit
We 1/27 - Ending The US War In Afghanistan; A Talk with Phyllis Bennis
We 1/27 - DC Metro Social Forum: Core and Committee Groups Meeting
We 1/27 - Teach-in about Yemen
Th 1/28 - Jerusalem: The Key to Israeli-Palestinian Peace?
Fr 1/29 - Funk the Warming: Down with the Fossil Hawks
Sa 1/30 - Gaza & the Palestinians
We 2/3 - Stand Up to Homophobia and Hate from the US to Uganda
STATE OF OUR UNION
Hey D.C.,
On Wednesday January 27, 2010, President Barack Obama will make his first State of the Union address. Many progressives anticipate a continuation of Afghanistan plan Obama unraveled at his last address to the nation, and consequently are taking action. Additionally, there is also anxiety around the recommended strategy in Haiti that promises more military occupation than reconstruction assistance.
Many from all over the country will be demonstrating on January 27. Many more will be at home watching with crossed fingers and disbelief at what is about to unfold. We hope part of your activities include taking action by writing President Obama and Congress (see Take Action column), attending the many the events listed below and supporting progressive organizationsfor Haiti relief.
Featured WPC Resource this week...
Create an Online Action for your Cause
If you have an Action, you can now fill out this form on our website and we will create an online action for your organization and create an alert. These actions are letters to elected officials to put political pressure and encouraging our readership to sign on to the letters.
Appreciate this service? Please DONATE to support the movement for a more just and peaceful world.
EVENTS
Fight for Public Transit
Wednesday, January 27
5:30pm
Metro's Jackson Graham Building Headquarters
600 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC, 20001
The Metro Board voted at its January 7, 2009 meeting to hold a public hearing on Wednesday, January 27, to seek public comment on possible actions to eliminate a $40 million gap in the current fiscal year budget.Transit riders and advocates, plan to be there on January 27 to fight for public transit!
READ MORE
Ending the US War in Afghanistan:
A Talk with Phyllis Bennis in Conversation with Andy Shallal
Wednesday, January 27
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Busboys & Poets
2021 14th St., NW
Washington, DC 20009
Was Afghanistan ever a "good war"? And will President Obama's plan and escalation of US troop presence in Afghanistan work? Join us for this in-depth discussion with co-author, Phyllis Bennis and Andy Shallal of Busboys and Poets on the pending issues around the war. And get your signed copy of this timely and compelling work.
This event is co-sponsored by Teaching for Change, Washington Peace Center, Interlink Publishing, Peace Action, Busboys & Poets, and Institute for Policy Studies.
Please RSVP to netfa@ips-dc.org or by calling 202-787-5229
READ MORE
DC Metro Social Forum: Core and Committee Groups Meeting
Wednesday, January 27
6:30PM
Empower DC Office - 1419 V St, NW
On the Green/Yellow Line - U St-Cardozo Metro station
The USSF will provide space to build relationships, learn from each other's experiences, share our analysis of the problems our communities face, and bring renewed insight and inspiration. It will help develop leadership and develop consciousness, vision, and strategy needed to realize another world.
READ MORE
Teach-in About Yemen
Wednesday, January 27
7:30PM - 9:00PM
Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church
1525 Newton Street NW
Washington, DC 20010
READ MORE
Funk the Warming: Down with the Fossil Hawks
Friday, January 29
Starting at Noon
Party on K St.; kick-off TBA
Fossil Hawks are the war-making corporate climate criminals and the politicians who serve them. They are the mining companies, energy companies, weapons manufacturers, military logistics companies, and mercenaries who profit from resource wars and lobby to sabotage US and UN environmental regulation. Many are at the top of the 122 companies responsible for 80% of global CO2 output. They are diversified corporations and lobbies invested in war and environmental exploitation.
READ MORE
Jerusalem: The Key to Israeli-Palestinian Peace?
Thursday, January 28
11:00AM - 12:30PM
2255 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC
Americans for Peace Now, Project Engage (an initiative of the Kairos Project), and the Foundation for "Middle East Peace invites you to a discussion on:
Jerusalem: The Key to Israeli-Palestinian Peace?" with Danny Seidemann and Gregory Khalil
READ MORE
Gaza & The Palestinians
Saturday, January 30
6:30PM - 8:30PM
1731 Grandin Rd
Roanoke, Virginia 24015
An on-going war between the Palestinians in Gaza and the state of Israel has existed since the Second Initifada in September 2000. What is to be done? The Christian Peacemaker Teams have placed violence-reduction teams in crisis situations and militarized areas around the world, including Gaza and the West Bank, at the invitation of local peace and human rights workers. CPT understands violence to be rooted in systemic structures of oppression and is committed to undoing oppressions as part of their violence reduction work.
READ MORE
Stand Up to Homophobia and Hate from the US to Uganda
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 2:45pm - Thursday, February 4, 2010 2:45pm
Full Equality Now DC rises in solidarity with LGBTQ Ugandans targeted by homophobic legislation being drafted by members of the "The Family," a U.S.-led right wing group with more than 10,000 cells worldwide.
Protest The Family's Homophobic and Right Wing Agenda!
READ MORE
Featured Article:
State of the Union Preview: Obama Pitches Some (Good and Bad) Clintonism
Posted January 25, 2009 on www.alternet.org
If reports are accurate, we're going to see the best and the worst of Clintonian governance during the State of the Union speech.
First, a bone to those Blue Dogs - who have been just swell this whole year - and an attempt, perhaps, to take some of the sting out of those oh-so-accurate charges of socialist perfidy emanating from Wingnuttistan:
President Obama will call for a three-year freeze in spending on many domestic programs, and for increases no greater than inflation after that, an initiative intended to signal his seriousness about cutting the budget deficit, administration officials said Monday.
Actually, it'd basically be a freeze on transportation spending and a few other totally unnecessary programs (yes, that's sarcasm) - air-traffic control, education, etc.
READ MORE
See you in the streets!
Chioma, Hazal & Sonia
Washington Peace Center
