[Afsckc-peacealert] KC AFSC Peace and Justice Alerts - September 16, 2010

Thu Sep 16 21:51:09 EDT 2010

KC AFSC Peace and Justice Alerts - September 16, 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>

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"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
~ Emma Lazarus
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Dear Peacemakers,

[cid:image004.jpg at 01CB55E0.E37063E0]<http://afsc.org/event/visions-peace-crossroads>I had the pleasure of making presentations to two very different, but both heartening, groups this past week. On Tuesday I shared some thoughts and hopes for peace with a retired clergy group, leaders who severed many congregations and ministered to those in need for many years but were still engaged and looking to make the world a better place. The second group was to the Learning Club an after-school program for children in inner-city KCK. Both groups brought their own passions and interests. The children participated in the "Lend Us Your Hands for Peace" art activity, listened attentively to the story of the evil and good wolves and took in the notion that the wolf that triumphs will be the one we feed. They dove into the art project picturing their hand, on creative and innocent pictures stating "Here is My Hand for Peace." It was good to see souls beginning their journey in life and those approaching the end both envisioning and expressing their dreams and hopes for a peaceful and just world.

Next Tuesday is the International Day of Peace. Please take some time to reflect and pray for peace. Review the other activities and lend your support where you feel moved.

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, Victor Dougherty and James Phalen; Poetry and Spoke Word by KS State Poet Laureate Caryn Mirriam Goldberg, Natasha Ria El-Scari, Miss Conception, Sahj Kaya and The Recipe; and Storytelling by Bro. John Anderson, Geneva Breenfield and Molly Postlewait.

We invite you to our planning meeting for the October 1 Visions of Peace at the Crossroads festival this Tuesday, September 21, at 6:45pm at the AFSC office, 4405 Gillham Rd, KCMO.

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--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>

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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: American Friends Service Committee; Community of Christ/Network Advocating Justice and Peace; Communiversity; Disciples Peace Fellowship; Heartland Presbytery Peace Committee; Iraq Veterans Against the War; KC Fringe; KC Iraq Task Force; kcactive.com, KC's News & Entertainment web site; KKFI-90.1FM; Muslim American Society -KC; People to People International; St. James Catholic Church (KC).

Endorsers: Central Baptist Theological Seminary; Citizens for Justice in the Middle East; Colonial Church UCC; Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL); PeaceWorks KC.

Participating Groups: Grace Covenant Church -Kairos; Greens of KC; Kansas City Anti-Violence Project; KC Metro MO NOW and Johnson/Wyandotte Counties NOW ; KC MoveToAmend Coalition; Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty; MO Association for Social Welfare; PROMO; Social Workers for Peace & Justice; Veterans for Peace.

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

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 21, 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 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 21, Tuesday, 7:00pm,"Sukkat Shalom: Building a Tabernacle of Peace" A jewish-Christian Dialogue on War and Peace with a special focus on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict with Rabbi Alan Cohen and Rev. Scott Myes at Avila University, Whitfield Hall, 11901 Wornall Rd., KCMO

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!

September 26, Sunday,from 5:00 to 8:00pm. Picnic In Paradise Sailboat Party a fundraiser for the American Friends Service Committee Gather at Paradise Cove at 5pm. Eating at 5:30pm. Sailing 6:30 - 8:00pm. See below for details and to RSVP

September 27, Monday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., A Community Conversation on Economic Security: How Should We Take Charge of Our Future? a project of the Midwest Democracy Project, a new election collaboration between the Kansas City Star and Kansas State University at The Star's Press Pavilion, 1601 McGee St., KCMO

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 1 - 7 Kansas International Film Festival features films on a variety of social justice and environmental issues from immigration, plastic pollution, slavery, genocide, genetically modified foods and religious fundamentalism. The festival takes place from. See www.kansasfilm.com<http://www.kansasfilm.com>  for more details or to buy festival passes or tickets to individual films. -at the Glenwood Arts Theatre, 95th and Metcalf in Overland Park

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)
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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

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Upcoming Community Conversation to Tackle Economic Uncertainty

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Sept. 15, 2010) - If you're concerned about the nation's economic future, you're invited to a different kind of community forum - one where participants will be responsible for coming up with solutions.
The event will be presented by the Kansas City Star's new election collaboration, the Midwest Democracy Project, on Monday, Sept. 27, in conjunction with Kansas State University.
"A Community Conversation on Economic Security: How Should We Take Charge of Our Future?" will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Star's Press Pavilion, 1601 McGee St.
Participants will approach tough issues in small groups, in a setting where everyone's voice is equal and no panel of experts will control the conversation.
"We think that there's not enough of this kind of discussion as contrasted with what we hear on talk radio, a lot of the political pundit shows and that type of thing," said David Procter, director of K-State's Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy, a partner in the public forums. "This is a chance for people to learn and engage in what it means to be involved in political discussion."
Ideas collected from the forum - along with input from similar forums across the country - will be reported to the non-partisan Kettering Foundation, which, in turn, will present its findings to members of Congress.
"It seems to us that this information is going to be communicated to the candidates who will be making public policy and who will have an impact on (participants') lives financially," Procter said.
To RSVP for the forum, go to mdpforum1.eventbrite.com.
And join the conversation online, too. The Star is looking for 20 people who attend the economic forum to share their thoughts and opinions - from the price of gas to government policy - on the newspaper's "Our Money" blog twice per week until Election Day.
If you can't make the Sept. 27 forum, another conversation on economic security will be held Oct. 20 at the Johnson County Public Library's central branch. A forum focused on a creating a mission for public schools in the 21st Century is scheduled for Oct. 11 at the Kansas City Library's central branch.

To RSVP: mdpforum1.eventbrite.com

Parking: Available in the Star's parking lot, located between Grand Boulevard and McGee Street on 16th Street.

Forum information: Call David Procter at 785-532-6868, send e-mail to dprocter at ksu.edu, or go to midwestdemocracyproject.org/forum.

More about MDP: The Midwest Democracy Project is a journalism experiment that aims to find new and better ways for citizens to get informed and engage in civic debate. The project provides a go-to source for trustworthy information as citizens vote on and discuss significant civic issues in our communities. Visit our website for the latest on election candidates and issues at midwestdemocracyproject.org. Join the discussion.
For information about MDP, contact Joel Walsh at 816-234-4328 or Anne Spenner, 816-234-4773.

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Go to http://www.kansasfilm.com/ for more information

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[cid:image008.png at 01CB55E0.E37063E0]<http://afsc.org/office/kansas-city-mo>
To download flyer go to: http://afsc.org/office/kansas-city-mo

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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
Action Alert - Call Your Senators -
With Your Help We Can Win the New START Treaty

Friends,

We won a very important vote today. A bi-partisan majority of the Senate Foreign Relations committee voted to urge ratification by the full Senate of the modest but important New START treaty between the U.S. and Russia.

Now we turn to you to help us win that full Senate vote. Given the political landscape, we need the vote to take place before the end of the year, either before the November election or during the lame duck session.

We need to ask for your help again. Urge your senators to call publicly for a vote on the treaty and to ask Senate leaders to schedule a vote. Urge your senators to vote "yes" on the new START Treaty. (Via e-mail, cut and paste this URL: http://www.capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=14700501&type=CO)

For those of you in Massachusetts, we need to inundate Senator Brown with phone calls, e-mail and other messages. In meetings this summer with Senator Brown's staff thus summer, we were told that he did not want to step forward and be "virtually alone" among Republicans in supporting the treaty. Now we can tell him he won't be alone. With the help of activists across Indiana, Tennessee and Georgia, we were able to win the votes of Senators Lugar, Corker and Isakson in today's Foreign Relations Committee vote, as well as of all the committee's Democrats.

In Boston you can reach Senator Brown's office at: 617-565-3170 and fax 617-723-7325. His phone in Washington, D.C. is 202-224-4543. And you can e-mail him via : scottbrown.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/emailscottbrown

Of course, many of us wish the treaty went further. When fully implemented the U.S. and Russia will still have more than 90% of the world's omnicdal nuclear weapons. But the treaty will make us safer by reducing the number of deployed U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons.

Most importantly, the treaty allows U.S. inspectors to monitor Russian nuclear weapons. It has already been nearly a year since U.S. on-site inspections of Russian nuclear weapons and facilities were suspended when the previous START Treaty expired. Without the mutual trust that comes with inspections, we risk a renewed and dangerous race between the two nuclear superpowers.

Finally, it should be noted that support for the treaty is not a peace movement initiative. It has the overwhelming support of military leaders and national security experts of both parties, including George Shultz, William Perry, Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, and many others.

Please contact your Senators today and ask them to call publicly for a vote on the New START Treaty.

For peace and survival,
Joseph Gerson
American Friends Service Committee

For more information please see:
http://afsc.org/resource/new-start-treaty-ratification-resources-and-links, and
http://www.fcnl.org/nuclear/index.htm

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New Iraq Veterans Against the War Campaign
Operation Recovery Announcement Coming October 7th -
In Commemoration of the start of combat in Afghanistan

The announcement for our first campaign is coming quick.

 We want Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans to tell us your story to benefit the research team in their work to identify what we can focus on to improve the way we take care of service members.  The survey can be conducted personally or over the phone with the research team or anonymously through a surrogate.  Let us know what will help you or others participate in this effort.

As part of the announcement we are devising a press release that could have some of this data included to build our case.  The announcement will have a national press release element and local action by our members and allies.  The time to plan is now and what you plan is based on the concerns of your community.  This does not have to be a grand release but contacting the media is encouraged and staging an activity, statement, or gathering is encouraged.  Let me know what you're planning so we can share it with each other.  One thought is to deliver a message to local leaders and allies in your area to sign a pledge that they will not participate in the deployment of traumatized service members.  Identify who would sign that pledge and work with you in this campaign but also challenge those will not and ask them why they will continue to commit our broken troops.

Good Luck,

Will Stewart-Starks
Iraq Veterans Against the War
Plains Regional Coordinator
562.587.2773

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"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

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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

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

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