Zeitgeist Movement Radio Address | Wed. 4/8

From: noreply@thezeitgeistmovement.com <noreply@thezeitgeistmovement.com> Subject: Zeitgeist Movement Radio Address | Wed. 4/8 To: wdavis@walterdavisenterprises.com Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 7:08 PM Friends, This Wednesday, 4/8/09, from 3:00-5:00pm will be our Bi-Weekly Radio Address. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Peter-Joseph http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=438&Itemid=952 First Hour: Peter will address the new "Teams" and "Projects" idea and also answer Forum questions. Second Hour: Jacque Fresco, along with Roxanne Meadows, will talk about the issue of how 'Environment Shapes Behavior'. Please tune in and tell other about it as well. In Solidarity, Peter -- If you do not want to receive any more newsletters, this link To update your preferences and to unsubscribe visit this link Forward a Message to Someone this link powered by phplist v 2.10.5, © tincan ltd

[SDCPJ] Volunteers needed for Earth Day April 19

We are looking for volunteers to help staff the Peace Coalition's
outreach table at this year's Earth Day, Sunday, April 19, in Balboa
Park. Earth Day hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you can do a 2 hour
shift, please let me know right away what time slot you would like.

This is a wonderful, fun event attended by thousands of people and is a
great way to spend the day! Come work a two-hour shift and spend the
rest of the day enjoying the exhibits and music! Thank you!

Carol

_______________________________________________
Sdcpj mailing list
Sdcpj@lists.quantumimagery.com
http://lists.quantumimagery.com/listinfo.cgi/sdcpj-quantumimagery.com

[SDCPJ] [Fwd: Civilians flee major airstrike in Pakistan]

[SDCPJ] Vigil For Robin Long tonight, Tuesday April 7, 4:30pm Miramar]

[SDCPJ] FW: [S.A.M.E.] PARTY ON UNIVERSITY TONIGHT 7PM TO CELEBRATE IOWA'S VICTORY!!!

Today the Iowa Supreme Court decided to BAN DISCRIMINATION against same-sex couples in their state!

What Iowa did, California can do!
Cuz if Iowa did it then WE CAN TOO!!!

THERE'S A PARTY ON UNIVERSITY TONIGHT at 7PM (meet @ Center St.) to celebrate the Iowa Supreme Court's Decision to BAN DISCRIMINATION against same-sex couples in their state. 


This is real short notice so we're gonna keep it real simple:  Encourage people to bring their equality signs and readiness for celebration.  No mics, no rally stage--but some of us with bring bullhorns, and everyone should be ready to chant

What Iowa did, California can do!
Cuz if Iowa did it then WE CAN TOO!!!

[SDCPJ] minutes 3/23/09 meeting

[Blackwater] Scahill: Obama's Blackwater? Chicago Mercenary Firm Gets Millions for Private "Security" in Israel and Iraq

Obama's Blackwater? Chicago Mercenary Firm Gets Millions for Private "Security" in Israel and Iraq By Jeremy Scahill, AlterNet Posted on April 2, 2009, Printed on April 2, 2009 http://www.alternet.org/story/134594/ On the campaign trail, Barack Obama's advisers said he "can't rule out [and] won't rule out" using mercenary forces, like Blackwater. Now, it appears that the Obama administration has decided on its hired guns of choice: Triple Canopy, a Chicago company now based in Virginia. It may not have Blackwater's thuggish reputation, but Triple Canopy has its own bloody history in Iraq and a record of hiring mercenaries from countries with atrocious human rights records. What's more, Obama is not just using the company in Iraq, but also as a U.S.-government funded private security force in Israel/Palestine, operating out of Jerusalem. Beginning May 7th, Triple Canopy will officially take over Xe/Blackwater's mega-contract with the U.S. State Department for guarding occupation officials in Iraq. It's sure to be a lucrative deal: Obama's Iraq plan will inevitably rely on an increased use of private contractors, including an army of mercenaries to protect his surge of diplomats operating out of the monstrous U.S. embassy in Baghdad. The Iraq contract may come as no surprise. But according to federal contract records obtained by AlterNet, the Obama administration has also paid Triple Canopy millions of dollars to provide "security services" in Israel. In February and March, the Obama administration awarded a "delivery order" to Triple Canopy worth $5.5 million under State Department contract SAQMPD05F5528, which is labeled "PROTECTIVE SERVICES--ISRAEL." According to one government document, the contract is scheduled to run until September 2012. (Another document says September 2009.) The contract is classified as "SECURITY GUARDS AND PATROL SERVICES" in Israel. The total value of the contract was listed at $41,556,969.72. According to a January 2009 State Department document obtained by AlterNet labeled "Sensitive But Unclassified," the Triple Canopy contract is based out of Jerusalem. According to federal records, the original arrangement with Triple Canopy in Israel appears to date back to at least September 2005 and has been renewed every year since. The company is operating under the State Department's Worldwide Personal Protection Program (WPPS), which provides for private security/military companies to operate on the U.S. government payroll in countries such as Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, and Israel. Triple Canopy, according to an internal State Department report, also worked under the program in Haiti, though that task order is now listed as "closed." In State Department documents the WPPS program is described as a government initiative to protect U.S. officials as well as "certain foreign government high level officials whenever the need arises." The State Department spent some $2 billion on the WPPS program from 2005-2008. Triple Canopy's Growing Footprint in Iraq Triple Canopy is hardly new to the Iraq occupation. Founded in Chicago in 2003 by "U.S. Army Special Forces veterans," the company won its first Iraq contract in 2004. In 2005, with its business expanding, Triple Canopy relocated its corporate headquarters from Obama's home state to Herndon, Virginia, placing it much closer to the center of U.S. war contracting. (On several U.S. government contracts, however, including the Israel security contracts, its Lincolnshire, Illinois address is still used.)  Along with Blackwater and DynCorp, Triple Canopy has had armed operatives deployed in Iraq on a major U.S. government contract since the early stages of the occupation. At one point during this arrangement, Blackwater was responsible for Baghdad (the largest share of the work), DynCorp covered northern Iraq and Triple Canopy southern Iraq. Triple Canopy also worked for KBR and other corporations. As of 2007, Triple Canopy had about 2,000 operatives in Iraq, but only 257 on the State Department contract. However, its new contract, which takes effect May 7, will greatly expand Triple Canopy's government presence in Iraq. (Meanwhile, Blackwater is scheduled to continue to work in Iraq under Obama through its aviation division and in Afghanistan, where it has security and counter-narcotics contracts. It also holds millions of dollars in other U.S. government contracts around the world and in the U.S. In February alone, the Obama administration paid Blackwater nearly $70 million in security contracts.) The Obama administration may have traded Blackwater for Triple Canopy in Iraq, but it is likely that some of Blackwater's operatives, too, will simply jump over to Triple Canopy to keep working as armed security guards for occupation officials. Like Blackwater, Triple Canopy has had its share of bloody incidents, among them  allegations that operatives have gone on missions where they shot at civilian vehicles, including one after a briefing where a team leader cocked his M-4 and said to his men, "I want to kill somebody today. ... Because I'm going on vacation tomorrow." (The man in question denied any wrongdoing). While Triple Canopy fired some employees for not reporting shooting incidents in Iraq, none have been criminally prosecuted in Iraq or the U.S. (For a full report on this and other incidents involving Triple Canopy, check out the great work of Washington Post foreign correspondent Steve Fainaru, author of Big Boy Rules.) Also like Blackwater, Triple Canopy has hired mercenaries from countries with atrocious human rights records and histories of violent counter-insurgencies. Among them: Peru, Chile, Colombia and El Salvador. In fact, in Iraq, Triple Canopy hired far more "Third Country Nationals" than Blackwater and DynCorp and has used more TCNs than US citizens or Iraqis. As I reported in my book, Triple Canopy used the same Chilean recruiter (who served in Augusto Pinochet's military) Blackwater used when it hired Chilean forces, including some "seasoned veterans" of the Pinochet era. In El Salvador, the company reportedly used "a U.S.-trained former paratrooper and officer of the Salvadoran special forces during the country's civil war" where the U.S. backed a brutal right wing dictatorship in a war that took the lives of some 75,000 Salvadorans. A Triple Canopy spokesperson reportedly said of the Salvadorans, "They've got the right background for the type of work we are doing." A Triple Canopy subsidiary in Latin America has also reportedly used a former CIA base in Lepaterique, Honduras as a training center. In the 1980s, the facility was used by the CIA and Argentinian military intelligence in training Contra death squads to attack Nicaragua. The base also served as the headquarters for the notorious Battalion 316, a CIA-trained Honduran military unit responsible for torture and disappearances. There is also cause for concern about Triple Canopy's attitude towards accountability for its forces in Iraq, particularly in light of new rules which, on paper, give Iraqi courts jurisdiction over contractor crimes. Blackwater has, at times, conspired with the U.S. State Department to whisk its forces out of Iraq when they are facing potential prosecution for alleged crimes committed in the country, as in the case of a drunken Blackwater operative who was alleged to have shot and killed a bodyguard to Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdel-Mahdi on Christmas Eve 2006. According to one Triple Canopy operative, "We were always told, from the very beginning, if for some reason something happened and the Iraqis were trying to prosecute us, they would put you in the back of a car and sneak you out of the country in the middle of the night." Another Triple Canopy operative said U.S. contractors had their own motto: "What happens here today, stays here today." The use of mercenaries by Hillary Clinton's State Department stands in stark contrast to her co-sponsorship as a Senator of a bill last year that sought to ban the use of such companies in U.S. war zones, specifically Iraq. Last February Clinton said, "The time to show these contractors the door is long past due." Now, Clinton will be relying on these hired guns for protecting her and her staff in various countries. It's hardly a surprise that Obama is continuing the use of mercenaries in Iraq and beyond (Triple Canopy itself maintains offices in Abu Dhabi, Nigeria, Peru, Jordan and Uganda); nevertheless, members of Congress -- whose actions when Bush deployed these private armies were too little, too late -- have a responsibility to investigate his use of companies whose profits are intimately linked to a continuation of war. Moreover, Obama's choice of this particular company should be investigated, both by the House and Senate, before May 7th when Obama's mercenaries become the official paramilitary force in Iraq. As for Triple Canopy's role in Israel, Obama's administration should explain exactly what these forces are doing on the U.S. government payroll. Jeremy Scahill, an independent journalist who reports frequently for the national radio and TV program Democracy Now!, has spent extensive time reporting from Iraq and Yugoslavia. He is currently a Puffin Writing Fellow at The Nation Institute. Scahill is the author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army. © 2009 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved. -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Blackwater mailing list Blackwater@citizensoversight.org To subscribe/unsubscribe/manage settings: http://citizensoversight.org/mailman/listinfo/blackwater_citizensoversight.org

[Blackwater] Moms of slain Blackwater contractors speak on anniversary

Powered by      SAVE THIS | EMAIL THIS | Close  Moms of slain Blackwater contractors speak on anniversary Story Highlights It's been five years since killings of four U.S. contractors in Falluja Victim's mom: "I want Blackwater exposed and out of business" Blackwater, renamed Xe, says it "continues to mourn" the loss of the four men Another mom: Both sides are losers in Blackwater suit By Thom Patterson CNN (CNN) -- Donna Zovko will have to wait to travel to Falluja to see where her son died in one of the Iraq war's most infamous attacks. "My dream was to go for the fifth anniversary, and that didn't come true," Zovko said this week while visiting friends in Boston, Massachusetts. "It's not that I'm afraid for me. But people with me on the trip would be in more danger." Tuesday marks five years since her son Jerry Zovko and three other civilian employees of the Blackwater private security firm were ambushed in Falluja on March 31, 2004. Gunmen attacked vehicles holding Zovko, Mike Teague, Wesley Batalona and Scott Helvenston and set the vehicles on fire. Shocking images beamed around the world showed Iraqis celebrating in front of charred bodies strung up on a bridge over the Euphrates River. The remains were dragged through the streets. Donna Zovko honors her son » "I didn't realize until way after the incident that he had been decapitated," said Helvenston's mother, Katy Helvenston-Wettengel, from her Florida home. "They cut his heart out. How can anybody be that hateful?" To identify his body, she said, investigators had to gather DNA samples from her son's children. A half-decade after the notorious attack, memories of the gruesome images have faded somewhat from the public eye, as the United States plans to reduce troop numbers in Iraq and a wrongful death suit brought by the four families heads to court-ordered arbitration. The families accuse Blackwater of failing to prepare the men for their mission that day. A 2007 House oversight committee report concluded that Blackwater "ignored multiple warnings about the dangers" and failed to supply armored vehicles, machine guns, sufficient intelligence or even a map. Blackwater responded by saying the experienced military veterans on the team "had all of the resources they needed" and were victims of a "well-planned ambush." In the days after the attack, Blackwater was largely silent beyond a statement that said, "We grieve today for the loss of our colleagues and we pray for their families." But the families said they ran into a stone wall trying to get details of what happened in Falluja. "For the next three months, they never returned my calls," Helvenston's mother said. "Our families were destroyed. We will never be the same." For Zovko, the suit is not about money or punishment. "I want to hear the truth," she said. "I want to know what my Jerry was doing before the mission. Why they didn't they have the maps? I want to know who he spoke to last." What makes this anniversary different from past years, she said, was an encounter this month in Boston with an Iraqi who claimed that he was at the scene of the attack shortly after the massacre. He offered Zovko new alleged details of the attack, which she says brought her comfort. The Iraqi man, whom she wouldn't identify, told her that the attackers did not appear to be targeting the motorcade containing her son and his three comrades. "We used to think maybe the attack was done on purpose," she said. The news made her feel like "I was lifted into the air," she said. "For me, it was good. I miss my Jerry more today than yesterday." The gruesome attack put the little-known North Carolina-based security company into the American lexicon and on the world stage. It also changed the course of the war. The House report called it a "turning point in public opinion about the war," which led to the first major U.S. offensive in Falluja. The fighting lasted three weeks, killing 36 U.S. service members, about 200 insurgents and an estimated 600 Iraqi civilians, according to the report. In the ensuing years, Blackwater and other private security firms in Iraq received hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. government contracts. Tactics used by the private security firms sometimes created ill will among Iraqis and Blackwater in particular was criticized, even by some in the U.S. military, for its allegedly reckless use of deadly force. Erik Prince, Blackwater's founder and former CEO, dismissed such allegations as "baseless" after his company was criticized by the Iraqi government for an incident in which its guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians and wounded others while protecting a U.S. State Department convoy in Baghdad on September 16, 2007. "To the extent there was the loss of innocent life, let me be clear that I consider that tragic," Prince said, adding that the Blackwater team "acted appropriately while operating in a very complex war zone" that day. Five ex-Blackwater security guards pleaded not guilty in January to charges of voluntary manslaughter stemming from their involvement in the shootings. A sixth pleaded guilty to voluntary and attempted manslaughter. That same month, the Iraqi government refused to grant the firm an operating license, and the U.S. State Department announced that it will not renew its contract. In the two months since the exit of the Bush administration, Prince has stepped down as CEO and brought in a new leadership team. The company has changed its name to Xe, but Prince is still chairman. "I think Blackwater's been punished enough," Zovko said, "but they will be punished more. It's time our government makes some rules and regulations about what civilian contractors can do in their wars." This week, Xe released a brief statement to CNN about the Falluja killings, saying the "sacrifices of these brave men have not been forgotten. On the five-year anniversary of their death, the company continues to mourn their loss. Our thoughts remain with their families and loved ones." Prince's promise Both mothers seem to be making a conscious effort to control their anger five years on. "I refuse to hate, but if I were gonna hate anybody, it would be Blackwater and Erik Prince," Helvenston-Wettengel said. "I want Blackwater exposed for who they are, and I want them out of business." Zovko said she relies on her Catholic faith to control her anger. In 2007, Prince told CNN he would be willing to meet with Zovko, but 16 months later, no such meeting has taken place. "He hasn't honored his promise, but I believe he will," Zovko said. "Sometimes I think he doesn't have a heart, but he really does." Zovko said she wants to ask Prince, "Where are my Jerry's three suitcases with personal things that I have never received?" Also, she said Prince promised to invite Zovko to Blackwater's headquarters in North Carolina to see memorial stones and trees that were planted honoring the victims. "That hasn't happened," Zovko said. Helvenston-Wettengel also said she'd like to meet with Prince. "I'd like to look him in the eye, yeah. I'd say, 'How can you live with yourself?' " CNN sought a response from Prince about his promised meeting with Zovko. Company spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said Prince had tried to meet with Zovko in early 2008 but was unable to "due to scheduling conflicts." Both mothers' sons went to Iraq after careers in the U.S. military. Jerry Zovko, a former Army Ranger, had gone as a security contractor to train Iraqi soldiers. When that contract ended in late 2003, he signed on with a different company, Blackwater, according to his mother. For Scott Helvenston, Iraq was just the final chapter of a colorful career for the former Navy SEAL, a life that included a job as a stuntman and consultant for Hollywood films. On the set of 1997's "G.I. Jane," shot in Jacksonville, Florida, Helvenston put Demi Moore through a rigorous training program, his mother said, even managing to grab a small role as an extra. A divorced father of two, Helvenston told his mother he would return from Iraq in two months, she said. "He was going to go over there and make a bunch of money and come back and give it to his ex-wife," she said. Zovko and Helvenston-Wettengel have become close friends in the years since the tragedy, but on this anniversary, the two mothers will not be together to share their support and grief with each other. "Traveling is getting to be troublesome for us both," said Zovko, who plans to remain near her home in Rittman, Ohio, to attend morning and evening masses at Cleveland's St. Paul Croatian Church. Helvenston-Wettengel also said she plans to attend church Tuesday in her hometown of Leesburg, Florida. Legal setbacks As for the families' wrongful death lawsuit against Blackwater, a federal judge in 2007 ordered that the case be taken out of the courts to be decided by a three-member arbitration panel. Senior U.S. District Judge James Fox sent the case to arbitration based on Blackwater's argument that the four victims had signed an agreement not to sue the company. A hearing is set for June 23. In court, Blackwater had argued that it was immune to such a lawsuit because, as an extension of the military, it cannot be held responsible for deaths in a war zone. At this point, Zovko said, both sides are losers. "I lost my son, and Blackwater lost the dignity of the company they thought they were." Helvenston said she wants the whole thing to just end, but events keep dragging it out. "They won't let me let it go." CNN's Wayne Drash contributed to this report. All AboutBlackwater USA • Iraq War • Cleveland   Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/31/blackwater.falluja.anniversary    SAVE THIS | EMAIL THIS | Close   Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article.     � 2008 Cable News Network -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Blackwater mailing list Blackwater@citizensoversight.org To subscribe/unsubscribe/manage settings: http://citizensoversight.org/mailman/listinfo/blackwater_citizensoversight.org

[SDCPJ] Peace Initiative in Kenya

For questions, please contact Rachel Clibborn rachelcl@cox.net 

San Diego Quaker Meeting

 

invites you to pot luck Friday, April 3^rd at 6pm

at

 

Church of the Brethren

3850 Westgate Place,

San Diego

 

There will be a presentation by the director of the Great Lake Peace Initiative in Kenya. She is also an Alternative to Violence facilitator. She will be speaking about the post election violence in Kenya.

 

All are invited; please bring a dish or juice to share.

 

Presentation will start about 6.30pm

 

Any questions please call:

Rachel Clibborn 619 697 4902

[SDCPJ] Reminder: John Halaka Film and BDS launch at 7pm tonight, 4 points sheraton

March 30th is International BDS Action Day!

ADC San Diego and San Diego Coalition for Justice in Palestine

invite you to attend the San Diego premier of 

Wounds of the Heart

An Artist and her Nation

A new documentary by John Halaka

Edited by Marissa Bowman

Music by Samer Totak and Nizar Rohana

Followed by discussion on the film by John Halaka and Nasser Barghouti

The San Diego Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP) will launch its local BDS campaign at this event.  

Monday March 30, 7pm

Four Points Sheraton

8110 Aero Drive, San Diego 92123

Flyer attached.  

[SDCPJ] ] BLACKWATER TEACH IN - April 2, 2009

BLACKWATER TEACH IN at Southwestern College is scheduled for 2pm, April 2, 2009 in Room 214 at the Southwestern College campus. Public is invited!
Presenter: Raymond Lutz, founder of Citizens' Oversight Projects Committee (COPs) and former candidate, 77th State Assembly District. Ray runs the web site http://www.StopBlackwater.net
Date: Thursday, April 2, 2009
Place: Room 214, Southwestern College, 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, CA 91910
Time: 2:00pm - 4:00pm


Invitation at Southwestern College by Christopher Martinez

ALSO PLACE ON YOUR CALENDAR!!
The Board of Trustees voted to renegotiate the contract with Blackwater, removing most of the ridiculous provisions of the prior agreement. Will likely come back before the Board of Trustees at the next scheduled (regular) meeting, April 15, (3rd Wed. this time) at the Coronado Unified School District Meeting Room, 201 Sixth St., Coronado, CA 92118. Please join us for rally/protest prior to the meeting at 6:30pm. The main meeting starts at 7pm.

--  --------------------------------------- Raymond Lutz, Coordinator Citizens' Oversight Projects (COPs) 1265 Avocado Blvd, Suite 104 (#335)             El Cajon (San Diego Cty), CA 92020 USA Voice 619-820-5321 http//www.CitizensOversight.org

[SDCPJ] Natural Beekeeping: Lecture and Workshop

Natural Beekeeping: Turning Crisis into Resurrection

Lecture and Workshop

with David Basile from Rudolf Steiner College

April 3 & 4, 2009 in National City, California

Friday Lecture, April 3, 7-9pm

"Turning Crisis into Resurrection"

The fate of civilization and humanity itself is highly dependent upon the tiny bee. Though her future looks bleak, there are holistic ways for us to resurrect her, and in so doing, ourselves.

Saturday Workshop, April 4, 9am-5pm

"The Way of the Honeybee –

Overcoming Crisis by Turning to the Spiritual Source"

By looking deeply into the life and ways of the honeybee, we will come to understand the natural wisdom expressed in her instincts. This will guide us to methods for respectfully restoring her sweet health. We will take a Biodynamic approach to the study of the honeybee, revealing a little of the meaning of Nature and our role as her stewards.

Suggested Donation, $10 for Lecture, $75 for Workshop. Please donate what you can to support this important work. All interested individuals welcome.

Limited seating. Please RSVP by calling Triena at

619-282-4358 or Martha at 619-306-6863.

For general information visit www.steinercollege.edu

[SDCPJ] George Galloway in San Diego and Orange Counties

 

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT For Immediate Release   Al-Awda to Host George Galloway in San Diego and Orange Counties   The San Diego, Orange County, Riverside, Los Angeles and San Bernardino chapters of Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition have the pleasure and honor of inviting you, your friends and family to come, meet and listen to long-time staunch advocate for the Palestinian cause, leader of the recent successful Viva Palestina Aid Convoy to Gaza, British Member of Parliament, author and talk show host:     The Honorable George Galloway MP As part of The Siege-Buster Tour of America 2009, we have organized two events in Southern California at which Galloway will be speaking:   San Diego Event - April 6, 2009   The first event, which is co-sponsored by Students for Justice in Palestine at UCSD, will be held in San Diego on April 6, 2009. This event will start 6:30 PM at The Arbor View Banquet Room, City of La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive, La Mesa, CA 91941. Arabic food/dinner and refreshments will be provided. The cost per person: $35.00 standard, $25.00 student with valid ID.   Orange County Event  - April 7, 2009   The second event will be held on April 7, 2009 starting 7:00 PM at the Embassy Suites Hotel Anaheim South, 11767 Harbor Boulevard, Garden Grove, CA 92840. Refreshments will be provided at this event (no food). The cost per person: $25.00 standard, $15.00 student with valid ID.   Reservations   We highly recommend advance reservations. Reserved tickets will be available for pick up at the registration desk of the relevant event.   To reserve by mail, simply address your check or money order to: PRRC PO Box 131352 Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA Please be sure to indicate how many individuals and students will be in your party. Reservations by mail must be received no later than April 3, 2009.   To make your reservation using your credit card, please go to http://al-awdasandiego.org/galloway.html (near the bottom of that page). Alternatively, call us Monday to Friday 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at 760-685-3243 with your credit card information.   Note: Parking is free and plenty at both venues. For more information, contact:   Al-Awda Chapters in Southern California The Palestine Right to Return Coalition PO Box 131352 Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA Tel: 760-918-9441 Fax: 760-918-9442 E-mail: info@al-awdacal.org WWW: http://al-awdacal.org

 

[SDCPJ] Photos: San Diego Stands Up for Peace at the 6th anniversary of War at Iraq

Thanks to all who came and all who care.

Now, we can hit the streets as before and hope to be heard, demand to be heard bc that's why they got elected.

Much Love.
Peace Up,
Michael Gomel

http://www.flickr.com/photos/boplication/sets/72157615653289849/

_______________________________________________
Sdcpj mailing list
Sdcpj@lists.quantumimagery.com
http://lists.quantumimagery.com/listinfo.cgi/sdcpj-quantumimagery.com

[SDCPJ] Reminder! March 21 - 1pm - 5th & University - Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine - End the wars and occupations

Join with the San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice (SDCPJ) on the sixth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq for a march and rally.

Saturday, March 21, 2009, 1 pm

5th and University (Hillcrest, San Diego)

 

END THE WARS ON
IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN

MONEY FOR JOBS, HOUSING, HEALTH CARE
EDUCATION AND PENSIONS
NOT FOR WARS AND OCCUPATIONS

END U.S. SUPPORT FOR THE
OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE

PROMOTE PEACE & JUSTICE FOR ALL
IN THE MIDDLE EAST

 

March to War Memorial, Balboa Park, for a 2:30 pm rally

Keynote Speaker: Cindy Sheehan

Music by Danielle LoPresti

Iraq: 142,000 US troops and 100,000+ mercenaries still in Iraq. President Obama says he intends to withdraw the troops. We need to let him know that we want all the troops and mercenaries out now.

Afghanistan: 35,000 US troops + 17,000 more on the way. 7+ years of war with no end in sight. We need to bring the troops home now.

Palestine: 1400 Palestinians killed in December/January, Gaza in ruins, the blockade continues, all made possible by US aid to Israel. We need to end US aid to Israel.

War spending: $1 trillion a year and growing, while teachers get pink slips and the depression deepens. We need money for jobs, healthcare and education, not for war and occupation.

Be there! Bring your friends, fellow activists, coworkers, and fellow students. Bring your signs and banners. Spread the word. Forward this email as widely as possible (or write and distribute your own).

Endorsers: Activist San Diego; Border Angels; Coalition for Justice in Palestine, San Diego; Committee Opposed to Militarism and the Draft; Communities of Conscience; International Socialist Organization, San Diego (ISO); Iraq Veterans Against the War San Diego (IVAW); Middle East Cultural and Information Center (MECIC); Military Families Speak Out, San Diego; National Lawyers Guild; Network of Spiritual Progressives; Peace Resource Center; Plan of Action in a Changing Era; Progressive Democrats of America, San Diego; Progressive Grandmothers for Political Action; Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities; Rouge Forum; San Diego Alliance for Marriage Equality; San Diego Area Pride at Work; San Diego Puppet Insurgency; Vets for Peace, San Diego; Vietnam Vets Against the War (VVAW) San Diego Chapter

San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice

www.sdcpj.org

---

Windows Live™ Contacts: Organize your contact list. Check it out.

---

Windows Live™ Groups: Create an online spot for your favorite groups to meet. Check it out.

---

Express your personality in color! Preview and select themes for Hotmail®. See how.

[SDCPJ] photos of Vets for Peace mark 6 yrs at War in Iraq

Vets for Peace gathered and bannered at Horton Plaza March 19 ... 6 yrs and counting ....

Peace Up,
Michael

http://www.flickr.com/photos/boplication/sets/72157615661739804/

_______________________________________________
Sdcpj mailing list
Sdcpj@lists.quantumimagery.com
http://lists.quantumimagery.com/listinfo.cgi/sdcpj-quantumimagery.com

[SDCPJ] [Fwd: THIS IS NOT A WALL-- update from Friendship Park]

[SDCPJ] Rally/Protest/Media event tonight time change

Yahoo! News Story - Attorney general signals shift in marijuana policy

Walter Davis, Jr. (caligentlman@yahoo.com) has sent you a news article.
(Email address has not been verified.)
------------------------------------------------------------
Personal message:

Attorney general signals shift in marijuana policy

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090319/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/medical_marijuana

============================================================
Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/

Yahoo! News Story - Former Bush aide gets 30 months in prison

Walter Davis, Jr. (caligentlman@yahoo.com) has sent you a news article.
(Email address has not been verified.)
------------------------------------------------------------
Personal message:

Former Bush aide gets 30 months in prison

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090318/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_aide_cuba

============================================================
Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/

[SDCPJ] Hoover high at the end of the week

We'll be reaching out to students of Hoover high this week

Educating on peace and giving students alternative info on the truth
behind joining the military.
We're focusing on promoting the Sat. 3/21 peace march.

If you can help out please reply to this e-mail. We'll be at Hoover
high in City Heights from 7:20 am to 8:05 am at the end of the week.

Please contact me if you can join a team and pass out flyers.
I'll send you the date and all the final details.

Many thanks for your work!
Stephanie
for SDCPJ high school leafleting project
619-237-8870

_______________________________________________
Sdcpj mailing list
Sdcpj@lists.quantumimagery.com
http://lists.quantumimagery.com/listinfo.cgi/sdcpj-quantumimagery.com

[SDCPJ] Phyllis Bennis on Iraq Withdrawal Plan and the Peace Movement

This article by Phyllis Bennis makes interesting reading:

"Contested Terrain: Obama's Iraq Withdrawal Plan and the Peace Movement
President Obama's speech to Congress was a good first step, but we still
have a lot of work to do to end the war in Iraq."

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/03/09-8

_______________________________________________
Sdcpj mailing list
Sdcpj@lists.quantumimagery.com
http://lists.quantumimagery.com/listinfo.cgi/sdcpj-quantumimagery.com

[SDCPJ] Veterans for Peace rally/protest Thursday, March 19

Iraq - 6 Years

Promote Peace & Justice in the Middle East

End the Wars in Iraq & Afghanistan

End U.S. Support for the Occupation of Palestine

Healthcare Jobs & Education - No More War & Occupation

Veterans For Peace will be hosting a rally & protest on the exact date of the sixth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, on March 19th, 2009 4:30pm to 7:00pm at Horton Plaza.  This will be from 4:30pm to 7:00pm, and will be held near the NBC 7/39 studios.  We will have banners & signs, and hope to get some media attention.

The Thursday event will be Veteran themed, and will also precede and help to announce a larger rally & protest on Saturday, March 21st:    Demonstrate  beginning at 1 p.m. at 5th and Broadway (Hillcrest);  March at 2 p.m. from 5th and Broadway to the War Memorial Building on Park Avenue for 2:30 p.m. Rally featuring Cindy Sheehan and other speakers.  Info:  www.sdcpj.org, 619-263-9301

[SDCPJ] FW: Join us to honor the war dead

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday March 21  1 to 2:30 PM Join Ground Zero Players  in a haunting, sacred honoring of the war dead on the 6th Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq   We are looking for up to 40 people to participate in a silent street theater production. You will represent one of the victims of this senseless war.  Please RSVP so we know how many people we will have. When we hear from you, we will send specific parking and staging area information.   This will be more effective if we have a significant number of people so please join us and bring friends! Wear white -- we'll provide accessories for all participants. This will be in the form of a tableau vivant –  a living painting -- standing silently in respect and honor of the victims. We will not speak or interact with the peace march participants who will arrive as we perform   RSVP to groundzeroplayers@yahoo.com   We will perform at the War Memorial Building area in Balboa Park, the location where the SDCPJ march will end for a 2:30 rally. The War Memorial Building is at the north end of Balboa Park at Park Blvd. and Zoo Drive, across from Roosevelt Middle School.   GroundZeroPlayers - in the streets and in your face since 1987 www.gzplayers.org

 

[SDCPJ] Reminder: Barack Obama and the Left, Sunday, March 15, 09 - Socialist Salon

TODAY: Barack Obama and the Left

Wars fester, Economy meltdown, Poverty spikes, Bailouts blunder,
Occupations continue, Corporation Collude...
What can we do to prevent a rightward drift?

- Socialist Salon -
Discussions with Lefties
on Burning Issues
Sunday, March 15, 4:30 - 7:00 pm

Location: 6142 Romany Drive, SD 92120
Home of Herb Shore & Virginia Franco
619-287-5535

Exit Fwy. 8 at College Ave. North on College, left on Del Cerro Blvd, right on Theta Place, left on Romany Drive. 6142 is third house on the right. (Bring light, potluck snacks if you wish)

San Diego Socialist Unity Network is holding a series of forums to encourage deeper political discussions, which look strategically at our movement, the path to social transformation & a new social order. We use this opportunity to tackle many major issues of our times from a non-sectarian, left perspective in a challenging yet relaxed setting. 

Barack Obama and the Left

Both Obama's record as a Senator and his campaign for President put him to the left of his post election media characterization as a "centrist." Clearly a massive grass roots support put him in office to accomplish goals well beyond where his short record stands today: Republican appointments to his cabinet and a compromised response to the economic crises.  A massive grass roots campaign can move his agenda back on track, but is it up to the task of a long-term struggle to do so?  Will we see the coalition of new voters, youth and labor doing the heavy political lifting to roll back the right's efforts to derail "change?" And, if so, when and in what manner? Will it include renewed efforts in the "red states" to bring support to a progressive agenda and possibly impact elections in November 2010?

Obama's speeches on the economy give hope that real change can come, but his announced policies on peace, Iraq and Afghanistan have been  disappointing.  We will discuss options for the left and the peace movement to move U.S. policy in the right direction.

We hope to see you on Sunday.

San Diego Socialist Unity Network regular meetings alternate with Socialist Salons on the 3rd Sunday of each month. 
The regular meetings are at the Activist Center, 4246 Wightman St., from 4:30-7 pm. You are invited to attend.

[SDCPJ] March 21 - 1pm - 5th & University - Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine - End the wars and occupations - Pass it on

Join with the San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice (SDCPJ) on the sixth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq for a march and rally.

Saturday, March 21, 2009, 1 pm

5th and University (Hillcrest, San Diego)

 

END THE WARS ON
IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN

MONEY FOR JOBS, HOUSING, HEALTH CARE
EDUCATION AND PENSIONS
NOT FOR WARS AND OCCUPATIONS

END U.S. SUPPORT FOR THE
OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE

PROMOTE PEACE & JUSTICE FOR ALL
IN THE MIDDLE EAST

 

March to War Memorial, Balboa Park, for a 2:30 pm rally

Keynote Speaker: Cindy Sheehan

Music by Danielle LoPresti

Iraq: 142,000 US troops and 100,000+ mercenaries still in Iraq. President Obama says he intends to withdraw the troops. We need to let him know that we want all the troops and mercenaries out now.

Afghanistan: 35,000 US troops + 17,000 more on the way. 7+ years of war with no end in sight. We need to bring the troops home now.

Palestine: 1400 Palestinians killed in December/January, Gaza in ruins, the blockade continues, all made possible by US aid to Israel. We need to end US aid to Israel.

War spending: $1 trillion a year and growing, while teachers get pink slips and the depression deepens. We need money for jobs, healthcare and education, not for war and occupation.

Be there! Bring your friends, fellow activists, coworkers, and fellow students. Bring your signs and banners. Spread the word. Forward this email as widely as possible (or write and distribute your own).

Endorsers: Activist San Diego; Border Angels; Coalition for Justice in Palestine, San Diego; Committee Opposed to Militarism and the Draft; Communities of Conscience; International Socialist Organization, San Diego (ISO); Iraq Veterans Against the War San Diego (IVAW); Middle East Cultural and Information Center (MECIC); Military Families Speak Out, San Diego; National Lawyers Guild; Network of Spiritual Progressives; Peace Resource Center; Plan of Action in a Changing Era; Progressive Democrats of America, San Diego; Progressive Grandmothers for Political Action; Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities; Rouge Forum; San Diego Alliance for Marriage Equality; San Diego Area Pride at Work; San Diego Puppet Insurgency; Vets for Peace, San Diego; Vietnam Vets Against the War (VVAW) San Diego Chapter

San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice

www.sdcpj.org

---

Windows Live™ Contacts: Organize your contact list. Check it out.

---

Windows Live™ Groups: Create an online spot for your favorite groups to meet. Check it out.

---

Express your personality in color! Preview and select themes for Hotmail®. See how.

[SDCPJ] Mon, Mar 16 @ 7PM: Resist the War- 2 SPECIAL GUEST FROM CANADA! Peace Rally March 21st; Blackwater update

Activist San Diego General Meeting ~  FOCUS ~ Resist the War - End the Occupations! Support Robin Long and all War Resisters! Stepping up the Pressure for Peace and Prosperity! Blackwater Out of San Diego! Monday, March 16th at 7 PM Joyce Beers Community Center Everyone welcome - Please join us. Activist San Diego's general meeting will focus will be on mobilizing for peace; Building Support for War Resisters by members of the US Military (a speaker on Robin Long's situation).  Local Vets for Peace and Robin Long supporters will discuss the campaign along with 2 SPECIAL GUEST FROM CANADA! Blackwater - An update on BW & Southwest College and their relocations in SD and their name changes. Building-up to March 21 rally/demonstration in San Diego:  Let's get organized and get the word out.  Help us phone bank too. SPECIAL GUESTS: Two prominent peace Parliamentarians from Canadian, Olivia Chow M.P. (NDP) and Borys Wrzesnewskyj (Liberal), critics of the war in Iraq, and Canada's immigration policies, will be in San Diego.  they will have just visited visit may correspond with the Mon. March 16th meeting- in which case they will certainly be attending. This meeting is endorsed and co-sponsored by: Vets For Peace - San Diego Board MFSO (Military Families Speak Out) - San Diego Peace Resource Center SD Coalition for Peace and Justice Activist San Diego Monthly Meetings are now the THIRD Monday each month, 7pm - LOCATION:  Joyce Beers Community Center, 1090 Vermont, one 1/2 blocks north of University, (just east of Trader Joe's in the Hillcrest Shopping Center.) Call ASD early on at 619-528-8383 or cell 619-871-9354 if no answer. Everyone welcome Please join us.

Designing the Future

This is great. We should make this a priority in our efforts. Walter - SDCommunityCoalition@gmail.com Sent to you by SDCommunityCoalition@gmail.com using Google's sharing button Designing the Future Oct 18, 2008 Here's what you can do next: View everything SDCommunityCoalition@gmail.com has shared publicly View everything shared by people you know

[SDCPJ] Stop Blackwater Protest Rally at Southwestern College 3/11/09 6:30 p.m.

Stop Blackwater Protest Rally at Southwestern College. Wednesday March 11th, 6:30pm. Put a stop to agreement between SWC and Blackwater to allow the firm to use on-campus conference rooms for mercenary recruiting. After the rally, attend Governing Board meeting at 7pm in Room 214 regarding agenda Item 12: "Reconsideration of Memorandum of Understanding with Blackwater Lodge and Training Center, Inc." The college is located at 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, CA 91910. Info: 619-820-5321

***********************************************************************************

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

March 3, 2009

Oversight Group “COPs” wants Blackwater Agreement with Southwestern College Pulled.

Agreement inappropriate in both form and process.

SAN DIEGO, CA (March 3, 2009) – The Citizens' Oversight Projects Cte (COPs) has submitted a four-page letter to the Board of Trustees of the Southwestern College District regarding the agreement between Southwestern College District and Blackwater Lodge and Training Center (recently renamed “Xe, Inc.”) which provides that the district can use Blackwater's shooting range in Otay Mesa in trade for fees for personnel to operate the range and Blackwater's use of on-campus conference rooms. COPs wants the agreement revisited and revoked.

The letter detailed 13 points regarding the Memorandum of Understanding No.4039.09 to support the position that the agreement was not processed correctly and includes provisions that should never appear in such agreements. In summary, it asserts that:

• The global poor reputation of Blackwater cannot be ignored. Such an agreement implies that the District approves of the reputation of Blackwater.

• San Diego has already had bitter experience fighting Blackwater's proposals, and they have been opposed by the community by a 2:1 margin.

• The Otay Mesa facility, where the shooting range under question is located, was developed without public review, under various pseudonyms, and using the Federal Courts to force the City of San Diego to approve occupancy permits.

• As a private for-profit organization, the public has no oversight of their facility nor what activities occur within it.

• The MOU claims there is no cost to the district, but it also states that Blackwater will be reimbursed for the use of personnel required to operate the range. This is in violation of the premise that such MOUs will not obligate the district.

• Provides that Blackwater will have use of on-campus conference rooms to give the impression that they are part of Southwestern College, and that their programs are approved, endorsed, sponsored, or even underwritten by the College. How and how much these conference rooms are used is not limited, apparently allowing Blackwater to setup a recruiting station for their private mercenary army on campus.

• The MOU includes a “gag-order” that prevented the District from adequately notifying the public of this proposal, and all statements must be approved by Blackwater.

• The NDA and Waiver (Exhibits A and B) were not in the agenda packet and are still not available for review, and the Arbitration clause is of concern.

• Law enforcement trainees would be taken to a facility of a firm that is interested in recruiting their own private army, mercenaries deployed internationally under the banner of Greystone Ltd, Xe, Inc. in guns-for-hire scenarios. This is certainly inappropriate.

• No open bidding process was used. Other mercenary firms may pay more to get on campus to recruit to these private armies. This agreement does not meet normal government procurement procedures.
  
  

“The agreement with Southwestern College District was formulated to avoid public scrutiny, and even includes a gag-order to keep Trustees quiet,” COPS coordinator Raymond Lutz said. “We already know of the character of this company and other private mercenary firms who are now desperate to establish new funding opportunities. Blackwater presents this agreement as a gift to the community, but that is far from reality. They are reimbursed and also gain access to the campus with an unspoken endorsement for on-campus mercenary recruiting. This agreement must be revoked.”

The letter was also endorsed by a number of organizations, including Activist San Diego, American Friends Service Committee – San Diego, Citizens Against Private Armies (CAPA), Peace Resource Center of San Diego, San Diego Veterans For Peace, and the Stop Blackwater Working Group of the San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice.

# # #

[SDCPJ] high school leafleting this week and next

The high school leafleting project will be at both Pt. Loma high
school and San Diego high school this week.

We are also hoping to leaflet the following locations next week!

Hoover high in City Heights
Cajon Valley in East County
and a north county school

If you can join us at one of these locations this week or next please
contact me and I'll send you the details about your team, when and
where to meet.

Thanks all for the support you provide. The student peace movement
is growing.
Check out this link with info on the coalition that partly formed as
a result of the leafleting and outreach of SDCPJ!
http://www.projectyano.org/educationnotarms/

Stephanie
619-237-8870

_______________________________________________
Sdcpj mailing list
Sdcpj@lists.quantumimagery.com
http://lists.quantumimagery.com/listinfo.cgi/sdcpj-quantumimagery.com

[SDCPJ] Anti-War/Pro-peace Art Exhibit

March 2009 will mark the 6th anniversary of the United State's invasion of Iraq. To draw attention to this, The Ray Street Annex  Open Studio Night will feature work related to the Iraq war, and other wars in general.

First, the work of Los Angeles photographer Stevi Carroll, this month's visiting artist. Carroll will be showing a selection of her anti-war and pro-peace photography taken at sites as various as a peace protest in Pasadena, CA to Hiroshima, Japan. Framed work, prints and cards will be available for sale.

Also featured: Anne Wolf will show a selection of her mixed-media memorial wall pieces, her "Patriot" silver belt, and will have memorial pins available for purchase (half of purchase price will be donated to Amnesty International).

Please stop by to see the art, and to support the effort to end this and all wars.

Reception, Saturday, March 14, 6-10 p.m., 3803 Ray Street, Suite 1A, corner of North Park Way and Ray Street.

More info: Anne Wolf, 619-488-7540, www.raystreetannex.com

[SDCPJ] high school outreach next week

Flyers advertising the March 21st peace rally, the news of the removal of weapons training on SD Unified high school campuses and an educational piece on Afghanistan will go out to schools next week.  

We need volunteers at the following schools!

Oceanside high

Pt. Loma high

San Diego high (downtown SD)

other school you'd like to reach?

Please reply ASAP!  We need to send letters to the district and so far we have incomplete teams for the schools listed above.

Attached is the leafleters guide which will outline the process of leafleting.  

Hope to hear from you...

Stephanie Jennings

for SDCPJ high school leafleting project

619-237-8870

[SDCPJ] [Fwd: Amazing Events for International Women's Day and Women's History Month!]