[Afsckc-peacealert] KC AFSC Peace and Justice Alerts - September 9, 2010

Thu Sep 9 23:02:46 EDT 2010

KC AFSC Peace and Justice Alerts - September 9, 2010

ÿ
Educate Yourself. Share your knowledge. Take Action!
For information about the American Friends Service Committee,
contact us at 816 931-5256 or afsckc at afsc.org<mailto:afsckc at afsc.org>

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand
and what to stand for
- because unless we stand for something we shall fall for anything"
~ Peter Marshall
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[cid:image017.jpg at 01CB506A.BBB7A000]

[cid:image003.png at 01CB506A.747F8220]

Dear Peacemakers,

Yesterday once again some dedicated activists accepted arrest to expose the immorality and danger of building the KC Nuclear Weapons plant at the sites groundbreaking ceremony. Seven activists committed civil disobedience, blocking busses carrying dignitaries to the event. Click this link for coverage of the KC Plant groundbreaking and demonstrations.<http://ncronline.org/news/peace/activists-arrested-nuclear-weapons-plant-groundbreaking> There will be more actions to come and opportunities to provide support for the brave nuclear resisters.

Ironically after the arrests and several speeches warning of the nuclear nightmare construction of the plant risks, a local TV reporter noticing a "No Nuke Plant" poster taped on the large wooden plant development sign expressed concern that the tape would damage the sign. I am struck by how oblivious people can be, concerned about the possibility of marring some paint and seemingly unmoved by the danger of nuclear holocaust.

Refocusing on peace I encourage you to envision a peaceful and just world; to talk with others about what that looks like and then find ways, large or small to contribute to realize that vision. With all of the drama and headlining about burning sacred books, attacks and counter-attacks and other [cid:image018.png at 01CB506A.BBB7A000] <http://afsc.org/event/visions-peace-crossroads> crisis, it's  good to envision peace!

And we are excited about the progress on the Visions of Peace at the Crossroads festival... Performers on the festival stage will include: Music by Nicolette Page, Checkered Past and Victor Dougherty; Poetry and Spoke Word by KS State Poet Laureate Caryn Mirriam Goldberg, Natasha Ria El-Scari and The Recipe; and Storytelling by Bro. John Anderson.

We are pleased that students from the KC Art Institute and KC Academy of Learning, as well as, others are organizing legs of the Parade for Peace and the Peace Crawl workshops are being finalized.

We are also working on the Visions of Peace video interview project. You can help by volunteering or referring volunteer who would be good people to be video camera person/ interviewers during the festival. Contact me to volunteer or if you have someone to recommend - iharritt at afsc.org<mailto:iharritt at afsc.org>

Good news - After many assurances we learned at the end of last week that we were not going to be able to get a block closure permit for 19th Street, so we quickly had to find another site. Thankfully we have confirmed a new location, the parking lot south of 1811 Baltimore, KCMO. We thank Key Construction for making it available for your use.

We invite you to our planning meeting for the October 1 Visions of Peace at the Crossroads festival this Tuesday, September 14, at 6:45pm at the AFSC office, 4405 Gillham Rd, KCMO.

We will also need volunteers on the day of the festival helping to:

·         Set up 3-6pm;

·         Staff tables 6-9pm; and

·         Help clean up 9-10:30pm.

Contact us if you can help at Iharritt at afsc.org<mailto:Iharritt at afsc.org>  .

--Also a groups of educators is gathering to discuss forming an educators for social responsibility and peace groups. Contact me if you would like to be involved.

Thank you for your efforts.

Peace,
Ira Harritt
KC Program Coordinator
American Friends service Committee
816 931-5256
iharritt at afsc.org<mailto:iharritt at afsc.org>

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Click to see full-sized flyer<http://afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/documents/KC%20peace%20festival%20flyer%2010-1-10.pdf>

Click here for more information about Visions of Peace festival<http://afsc.org/event/visions-peace-crossroads>

Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the Visions of Peace at the Crossroads:

Sponsors, endorsers and participating organizations include: American Friends Service Committee, Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Citizens for Justice in the Middle East, Colonial Church in PV, Community of Christ/Network Advocating Justice and Peace, Communiversity, Disciples Peace Fellowship, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Grace Covenant Church -Kairos, Greens of KC, Heartland Presbytery Peace Committee, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Kansas City Anti-Violence Project, KC Fringe, KC Iraq Task Force, KC Metro MO NOW and Johnson/Wyandotte Counties NOW, KC MoveToAmend Coalition, kcactive.com, KC's News & Entertainment web site, KKFI-90.1FM, Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, MO Association for Social Welfare, Muslim American Society -KC, Outreach International, PeaceWorks Kansas City, People to People International, PROMO, Social Workers for Peace & Justice and Veterans for Peace.

Visions of Peace at the Crossroads
Know a performer who would make a great contribution to the festival?
Know a Crossroads business owner who should be involved?
Send them the links below and encourage them to contact us!

[cid:image019.png at 01CB506A.BBB7A000]

[cid:image008.png at 01CB506A.747F8220]<http://afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/documents/Invitation%20to%20Artists%20and%20Performers.pdf>

[cid:image009.png at 01CB506A.747F8220]<http://afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/documents/Invitation%20to%20Crossroads%20venues%20and%20galleries-%207-27-10.pdf>

[cid:image010.png at 01CB506A.747F8220]<http://afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/documents/Outreach%20flyer%207-29-10.pdf>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming Peace and Justice Activities
Click on link or scroll down for more information about the peace and justice activity

September 11, Saturday, 8:00pm, Interfaith Remembrance and Recovery From 911, Music, Speakers, Dance, Community Christian Church, 4601 Main, KCMO

September 14, Tuesday, 6:45pm, Planning Meeting for Festival for Justice and Peace. The "Visions of Peace at the Crossroads" festival will take place on 1st Friday October 1.  The planning meeting will work on developing festival activities, promotion and publicity, fundraising, etc. and planning for the Crossroads Peace Crawl to take place on October 16. The planning meeting is at the AFSC office, 4405 Gillham Rd., KCMO. Call 816 931-5256 for more information.

September 19th, Sunday, 3:00-5:00p.m., International Day of Prayer for Peace Gathering "Immigration in Kansas City," at First Central Church of the Brethren, 103 North 13th St, KCK. Presenters will include Judy Ancel, Ph.D., from UMKC followed by a time for questions.

September 16, Thursday, 7:00pm, 65 Years Since Hiroshima - witness a first-hand story from a survivor via videoconference from Japan, Whitfield conference Room, Avila University, 11901 Wornall Road, KCMO.

September 21, The International Day of Prayer for Peace 2010- "A Future and a Hope." On Earth Peace is inviting faith & community groups to prepare public prayer vigils, prayerful community walks, vespers services, rallies, public art displays, and events ranging from a few minutes to twenty-four hours of coordinated prayer for peace in the International Day of Prayer for Peace.

September 25-26, UNplaza Art Fair, sponsored by PeaceWorks Sat., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sun., noon to 5 p.m., at All Souls UU Church. Mark your calendar now. Come to this annual PeaceWorks fund-raiser and shop early for the holidays!

October 1, 6:00- 9:00pm, Visions of Peace at the Crossroads festival, 19th Street between Wyandotte and Baltimore, KCMO.

October 7, Tuesday, Eighth Anniversary of the Start of the War in Afghanistan, Mark your calendar. Planning is in process.

October 16, Saturday, 1:30 to 4:30, Peace Crawl in the Crossroads, choose from six peace and justice workshops taking place at three venues in the Crossroads followed by a Peace Networking hour! See below for more info.

October 29-31, 2010 Peace Colloquy with the theme "Children Cry, We Respond!"at Community of Christ Temple, 201 S. River Boulevard, Independence, MO (see below for details)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EVERY Sunday: Iraq Peace Vigil, 4pm, JC Nichols Fountain, 47th & Main, Streets, Kansas City, MO http://www.kciraqtaskforce.org/

EVERY Tuesday, JOIN THIS Peace Demonstration Every Tuesday between 5PM - 6 PM in the median strip on the south corner of the intersection at 63rd & Ward Parkway, Kansas City, Mo. For more information email '63rd Street Patriots' at  schwartzkatz at sbcglobal.net

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FROM PAIN TO PEACE:
Easing Suffering - Creating Sanctuary

[cid:image020.jpg at 01CB506A.BBB7A000]
Join us for
Interfaith Remembrance
and Recovery From 911
Saturday, September 11, 2010, 8:00pm
Community Christian Church
4601 Main, Kansas City, Missouri

Music, Speakers, Dance, Skylight over the Plaza
Participate in letting go pain and blame and embracing peace and hope.  This event is open to the public.  A freewill offering will be collected for Heart to Heart Int'l. Featured speaker is Dr. Jan Linn with Music by Musica Vocale and Dance by Tuesday Faust.  Go up on the roof top for refreshments. Presented by the Kansas City Disciples Peace Fellowship, http://dpfkc.faithweb.com

For information contact Jeff Hon (816-407-7756) or Ron Faust (816-468-1868)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[cid:image021.jpg at 01CB506A.BBB7A000]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[cid:image022.png at 01CB506A.BBB7A000]<http://afsc.org/office/kansas-city-mo>
To download flyer go to: http://afsc.org/office/kansas-city-mo
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2010 Peace Colloquy

October 29-31, 2010

The Temple

201 S. River Boulevard

Independence, Missouri, USA

Register Online<https://www.formrouter.net/forms@COFC/PC2010registrationONLINEform.pdf>!  (closes Thursday, October 28 at 5:00 p.m.)

Registration Form<http://www.cofchrist.org/peacecolloquy/2010/2010PCbrochureRegister.pdf> (PDF to mail)

The 2010 Peace Colloquy will run October 29-31 at the Temple in Independence, Missouri, with the theme "Children Cry, We Respond!"

This year's colloquy will focus on peace and justice for our children. Children are suffering the atrocities of war, poverty, malnutrition, and slavery. They lack access to clean water and air, shelter, education, and medical care. Come to the 2010 Peace Colloquy to help us consider how each is called to engage in peace and justice for our children.

Highlights will include presentation of the Community of Christ International Peace Award, workshops, keynote speakers, a prayer retreat, a children's program, and a youth retreat.

Including Friday, October 29, 7:30 p.m. Peace Award Ceremony (open to public) & Keynote: Three Cups of Tea-Greg Mortenson

Watch www.CofChrist.org/peacecolloquy<http://www.CofChrist.org/peacecolloquy> and future Heralds for more details.

-Brad Martell, Peace Colloquy co-director

News and Alerts

Published on Thursday, September 9, 2010 by Inter Press Service<http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52766>
Calls for Change of Strategy in Afghanistan Grow Louder

by Jim Lobe

WASHINGTON - Amid continued high levels of violence and a steady stream of reports of high-level government corruption in Kabul, a growing number of foreign policy specialists are urging President Barack Obama to reconsider his counterinsurgency (COIN) strategy in Afghanistan.

In a new report released here Wednesday, a bipartisan group of some three dozen former senior officials, academics, and policy analysts argued that the administration's ambitious "nation-building" efforts in Afghanistan are costing too much in U.S. blood and treasure and that, in any event, "(p)rospects for success are dim."

Calling for an accelerated timetable for reducing the U.S. military presence there, the "Afghanistan Study Group", which also urged intensified efforts to reach a negotiated solution with the Pashtun-based Taliban, echoed many of the points made in the latest strategic survey which was released by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London Tuesday.

More> http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/09/09-4

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"If I Had a Trillion Dollars" Youth Video Contest

****Deadline Extended to November 30, 2010****

The economic cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan reached $1 trillion on May 30, 2010.  Youth are affected by the ongoing cost of the wars and our federal budget priorities (budget cuts, future debt incurred) but are often not part of the conversation or the anti-war, pro-peace movement.  National Priorities Project and American Friends Service Committee are teaming up to make sure youth have a voice!

If you work with youth or in schools, this is a chance to get them involved in making a video with the theme "If I Had a Trillion Dollars!".  You can download the IHTD Outreach/FAQ packet and Curriculum by going to:  http://drop.io/ihtdmaterials<https://webmail.afsc.org/owa/redir.aspx?C=b68cf00cf42e49738b218ef832b1f895&URL=http%3a%2f%2fdrop.io%2fihtdmaterials>

The Rules:

*          Entries must be produced by youth between the ages of 13 and 23.

*          Due by November 30, 2010.

*          Must be between 1 and 3 minutes in length and address the $1 trillion price tag for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

First Prize - $500 and trip to Washington, DC to show video to home legislator

Second and Third prizes - Flip video cameras

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=118557224837620&ref=ts<https://webmail.afsc.org/owa/redir.aspx?C=b68cf00cf42e49738b218ef832b1f895&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.facebook.com%2fhome.php%3f%23%21%2fevent.php%3feid%3d118557224837620%26ref%3dts>

http://afsc.org/action/if-i-had-trillion-dollars-youth-video-contest

Contact Information:

 mzerkel at afsc.org<https://webmail.afsc.org/owa/UrlBlockedError.aspx>

312.427.2533

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We need your support to keep our life affirming peacemaking work alive.
Contribute. Volunteer. Spread the word!
Contact us and mail your tax deductible contribution to:
American Friends Service Committee
4405 Gillham Rd., KCMO 64110
(816) 931-5256

The information and events described in AFSC Peace and Justice Alerts are intended to educate and assist members of our community in becoming active in working for a more just and peaceful world. Inclusion of a listing does not necessarily imply that AFSC KC agrees with all points of view that will be represented at the event.

The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service.
Its work is based on the Quaker belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice

To subscribe or unsubscribe to this list go to:
http://list.afsc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/afsckc-peacealert

Ira Harritt
KC Program Coordinator
American Friends Service Committee
816 931-5256
iharritt at afsc.org

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://list.afsc.org/pipermail/afsckc-peacealert/attachments/20100909/c7862af4/attachment-0001.htm 