Photo by Ellen Shub

PEACE NEWS is a place to post current peace-related events which might be of interest to the FUSN congregation: forums, lectures, concerts, benefits, conferences, workshops. With news of violence everywhere, we need to focus on efforts to make peace, whether large or small, and spread the word.

Email your notices to Holly Zeeb (hollyzeeb@rcn.com) and they will be posted here.

Tuesday, May 13, 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Amnesty International monthly meeting.
Physicians for Human Rights Office, 2 Arrow Street, Suite 301 (Near Harvard Square in Cambridge).
A photo slideshow by Scott Langley from a photo documentary project (and possibly video too if time permits).  Scott will also lead a discussion about the current state of the death penalty in the U.S. Regular Amnesty business will also take place before and after this presentation, so there will be other opportunities to learn about other human rights work going on locally.

Saturday, May 17, 9 am-4pm
SPEAKING PEACE: AN INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP ON COMPASSIONATE, NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION
based on the work of Marshall Rosenberg and taught by Gail Carroll
at First Unitarian Society in Newton, 1326 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02465

WOULD YOU LIKE TO

Join us for an introduction to Nonviolent Communication (NVC), a language of compassion that can dramatically improve all of our relationships, from personal to professional. The NVC process can be used in a wide variety of real-life situations. By understanding and acknowledging the human needs that underlie everyone's words and actions, we can create a shared basis for connection, cooperation, and peace.

VOLUNTARY SLIDING SCALE: $50-$75. SPACE IS LIMITED SO REGISTER EARLY
Bring a bag lunch or order lunch at registration. Snacks and drinks provided.
For further information email Holly Zeeb: hollyzeeb@rcn.com
Send checks made out to Gail Carroll to Holly Zeeb,
26 Dexter Road, Newtonville, MA 02460
.
Gail Carroll began actively studying Non-Violent Communication in 2003 and is a 2006 graduate of the Bay Area NVC’s year-long LeadershipTraining. She has studied closely with Miki Kashtan for three years and is an assistant trainer at the 2008 BNayNVC Leadership Training.  Her interest in NVC began as a parent wanting to be more conscious about how and what she communicated to her daughter.  She has discovered that NVC supports her work, at home, and in understanding herself more fully.

Wednesday, May 21, 7:00 PM
Forum and Discussion How to Build an Empire and Destroy a Community: US Military Bases Around the World
St John’s United Methodist Church, 80 Mt. Auburn Street, Fellowship Hall, Watertown

For more information contact: www.watertowncitizens.org, E-mail:
mail@wtertowncitizens.org or Phone 617-926-8560.

Tuesday, June 24, 7:00 PM  at the Newton Library
A fund-raising event sponsored by Newton Dialogues on Peace and War
for the benefit of two local attorneys, Dorris Tennant and Ellen Lubell who have been working to represent a prisoner being held at Guantanamo. Save the date.
 
On line: Winter Soldier Testimony
A local member of Veterans for Peace has compiled a 53 minute high quality video of the Winter Soldier hearings. The videos can be viewed at http://smedleyvfp.org/page27/page27.html. A set of videos on DVD with the full 3 days of testimony to be available from Iraq Veterans Against the War some time in the next few weeks, but until then, you might want to have a look at this video online. Many of us were unable to find any place to watch the original event or for other reasons couldn't watch them live -  this video shows some of the more compelling parts of the testimony.

Nonviolence Study Group suggests:
that you read Paul Rasor's article in the May-June UU World, "Prophetic Peace". It's a good starting point for thinking about the Study-Action issue FUSN will need to be voting on next year.

Thursdays, 5-6 p.m.
Join our Weekly Vigil
Location: Corner of Beacon and Centre Streets, Newton Centre
We have signs and candles. Please come. “Never underestimate the power of an enraged citizenry.” This vigil has been held every Thursday since July 11, 2002.

Gold Star Mom Asks: What will you do in '08? by xofferson
By a Gold Star Mother, who lost a son in Iraq, writing on the Out of Iraq Bloggers Caucus blog:

What did you do in 2007 to end the war? Did you act? Did you contact your legislator? Did you write a letter to the editor? Did you pick up the phone? Did you participate in a rally or a protest? Or were your days filled with inaction?

Were you indifferent when you heard of our young men and women's souls were leaving this earth from the sands of Iraq? Were you affected by the death and displacement of so many Iraqi's who never asked that this fight be brought to their land? What did you do to stop the war/occupation? Did you think it isn't your problem? Did you think nothing you did would matter or did you just not care?

Were you silent about the injustice of this pointless and endless war? Were you silent when your voice could have been heard and counted? Were you silent because it was easier that way or did you just not care?

What will you do in 2008?

Newton Dialogues on Peace and War is supporting the "Appeal for Redress", a petition to Congress from active duty service men and women to withdraw our armed forces and bases from Iraq.  The petition reads:

As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq . Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home

Their web site is:  http://www.appealforredress.org/

A group from the Appeal will publicly present their petition and active duty signatures to members of Congress on Monday, January 17 at 3:30pm.  A good way to support them would be for each of us to let our congressman and senators know that we'd like them to support the Appeal by being present January 17.  Calls to their office are most effective and emails are also useful.  Contact information is below.  It takes just a few minutes; please do it now.

Senator Ted Kennedy:  
        phone:  (202) 224-4543      email: http://kennedy.senate.gov/senator/contact.cfm
Senator John Kerry:
        phone:  (202) 224-2742       email: http://kerry.senate.gov/v3/contact/email.html
Cong. Barney Frank:
        phone:  (202) 225-5931       email: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Here's a sample message:
I urge you to publicly declare your support of the Appeal for Redress, a petition from active duty service men and women for the US to withdraw from Iraq.  I'd especially appreciate it if you'd participate in the presentation to Congress of their signatures at 3:30pm  January 17, on the Independence Avenue steps of the Rayburn Office Building.

One can also support this courageous effort by making a donation on their web site.
 
Linda
 
Linda Nathanson
Newton Dialogues on Peace & War
Check our Web site for updates and information.
http://www.newtondialog.org/

Resources

The Iraq Veterans Memorial.
This memorial was conceived as a place to honor the servicemembers who lost their lives over the past four years during the Iraq War. By watching the videos, you will have the opportunity to learn about these heroes from those who knew them best -- their family, friends, and fellow servicemembers. Each man and woman represented in the memorial had attributes and qualities that made them unique, but they all have one thing in common - they were truly loved and are deeply missed.

Watch the Iraq Veterans Memorial 
You can also download the memorial in high or low quality.

Over 500 groups, bloggers, and individuals have signed up to host the memorial on their websites and send the link to their members. We encourage you to share this link with everyone you know. There will be some local events and screenings of the memorial which are listed on the website. http://iraqmemorial.org 

Thank you to our partner groups and everyone who has given us help and guidance on this project.

Sincerely,
Jim Miller and the team at Brave New Foundation

PEACEMAKING CONGREGATIONAL STUDY ACTION ISSUE
To get resources and find out more about either the Peacemaking Congregational Study Action Issue (CSAIs), other CSAIs, or Statements Of Conscience (SOCs), go to the Commission on Social Witness (CSW) web site: http://www.uua.org/csw/index.html

The Massachusetts Campaign for a U.S. Department of Peace
To download a pdf file of their most recent newsletter and read about the recent and upcoming activites of the Massachusetts Department of Peace Campaign (http://www.madop.org). Go to www.thepeacealliance.org to learn more about the national campaign.

War Times/Tiempo de Guerras
 is a free tool for peace activists. A few copies of the fall 2006 in-print issue are still available. Write distribution@war-times.org by Nov. 12 to order a bundle (multiples of 25 please).
 
You can also view or download every article in the issue at http://www.war-times.org and sign up for War Time's email list offering regular updates. For news of ongoing peace activism by hundreds of groups, sign up for action alerts from United for Peace and Justice at http://www.unitedforpeace.org