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April 8, 2009
President Obama's Prague speech on Sunday was a remarkable departure from what we've been hearing for the last eight years. He commmited the U.S. to the long-range goal of "a world without nuclear weapons," and backed it up with more specific promises: a new START treaty with Russia by the end of the year; ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT); and strengthening of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Things have indeed changed. The game has moved to a new level, more chess than checkers. Obama is speaking our language and gives every appearance of agreeing with most of our goals. But a deeper look is in order. Obama didn't just choose to visit Prague at random. Just a week ago, we heard from our friend Jan Tamas, President of the Czech Humanist Party and leader of a Czech hunger strike against the planned installation of a U.S. "Star Wars" radar base outside Prague. Seventy percent of the Czech population oppose this base. Jan was elated. The Czech government has fallen, and both the Social-Democratic and Communist parties are now solidly lined up against the radar base. Obama's visit to Prague has to be taken in that context. Though his long-range promises sound terrific, he reinforced U.S. committment to the Star Wars base, linking the base to what he dubiously called the "real threat" of "Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile activity" and promising only that "the driving force for missile defense construction in Europe at this time" would be removed only "if the Iranian threat is eliminated." But as opponents of the base have repeatedly pointed out, any U.S. base in the Czech Republic would make it more, not less, of a military target. As for Iranian missiles, none are nuclear and none have a range beyond 500 km. Imagine the response if Obama had announced that the base would be discontinued. That would have been change we can believe in. Instead, he committed to maintaining and expanding the U.S. network of more than 700 international military bases. In response to the speech, Tamas and 46 Czech MP's, along with the League of Mayors Against the Radar and many other international signatories, wrote a open letter to Obama asking that he "listen to the voice of the vast majority of the Czech population and finally give up on Star Wars.” In your five minutes for peace this week, please sign the Czech petition against the Star Wars base, and tell Obama that it will take more than promises to dismantle the US nuclear weapons industry, and that you will reserve your applause for effective steps to do that. In Peace, John Bostrom and Cheryl Wertz Peace Action Fund of New York State info@panys.org 646-723-1749 |
Tuesday, April 14, 9:30 a.m.MIDTOWN NYC. Midtown North Precinct & Community Court, 314 West 54th St. GRANNY PEACE BRIGADE APPEARS IN CRIMINAL COURT Come support the Grannies at their Desk Appearance. www.grannypeacebrigade.org Friday April 17, 12 Noon - 1:30 p.m. CITY HALL PARK, Broadway& Park Place. GRANNIES' STOP JROTC PHONE-A-THON We'll be setting up shop just outside of City Hall Park and targeting City Council members, asking them to reject the $2.4M allocated in the current Department of Education budget for JROTC programs. EACH time we've gone out with this issue, the response has been terrific, so c'mon down. No cellphone? No problem. We'll have plenty of printed information to distribute, many people to inform. Join us afterwards for the post-Phone-A-Thon wrap-up over cheap eats. www.grannypeacebrigade.org Friday, April 17, 2009, 8:00 p.m. HEWLETT. Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, 1125 Broadway WHAT OBAMA NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT INTELLIGENCE with Melvin A. Goodman Melvin A. Goodman is a Senior Fellow and untitled director of the National Security Program at the Center for International Policy. He was Division Chief and Senior Analyst at the Office of Soviet Affairs, Central Intelligence Agency from 1966 to 1990 and a Senior Analyst at the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, State Department from 1974 to 1976. Sponsored by Five Towns Forum. Contact: Rochell Dorfman, (516) 623-5689. 
Saturday, April 11th, 2:00 – 8:00 p.m.SYRACUSE. Women's Info Center, 601 Allen Street UPSTATE UPRISE AGAINST THE IMF & WORLD BANK UPSTATE NY ANARCHIST CONSULTA. Hosted by the Syracuse Solidarity Network. Come to Syracuse to share information and strategies inpreparation for the upcoming meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB). There will be presentations about the IMF/WB, a variety of workshops, food, films, and networking. Come and help build a fighting anarchist community across this broken and angry expanse of stolen land called Upstate New York. Please RSVP by April 4th with how many people are coming, any food allergies or special needs, workshops that can be offered, if childcare is needed, and if overnight accommodations are needed. 
Saturday, April 11, 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30; Informational audience songfest starts 6:45 WHITE PLAINS. Walkabout Clearwater Coffeehouse, Memorial United Methodist Church, 250 Byrant Ave., Asbury Hall CHRISTINE LAVIN PERFORMS Singer, songwriter, knitter, baker, author, radio show host, sensitive New Age commentator, Christine Lavin brings her unique sensibility to the Walkabout Coffeehouse. TICKETS: $20 in advance online; $25 at the door; Children 6-12 $10; $15 at the door for students with ID. To order tickets up until 7:30 am the day of the concert, log onto: www.BrownPaperTickets.com/producer/5602. There is OPEN SEATING, plenty of parking, and fair-trade coffee and many homemade delicious desserts. Questions? 914-242-0374 or www.WalkaboutClearwater.org. Sunday, April 19, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. WHITE PLAINS. Asbury Hall, Memorial United Methodist Church, 250 Bryant Avenue. WESPAC FOUNDATION’S 27TH PEACE AND JUSTICE AWARD DINNER An evening to honor people in our community who are doing outstanding work for social, economic and racial justice: Victor Corona, Dr. Olivia Hooker and Nick Mottern. Keynote Speakers are Sheila Collins and Trudy Goldberg. RSVP by April 10 to info@wespac.org. Sliding scale contributions requested. Please consider a contribution even if you are unable to attend! www.wespac.org. Saturday, April 25, 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. SYRACUSE. NY State United Teachers Offices, Brittonfield Park, East Syracuse (just off 481, exit 7) PEACE ACTION OF CENTRAL NEW YORK’S 3RD ANNUAL PEACE CONFERENCE. “A Nuclear Free Future: Confronting Today’s Challenges to Nuclear Abolition” 
12:30 - 1:00 Registration
1:00 – 2:00 Activist Workshop with Linda Gunter, Andy Mager, Pam Jenkins, Jim and Jean Weiss.
2:00 – 2:30 Refreshments
2:30 – 4:30 Keynote speakers Linda and Paul Gunter from Beyond Nuclear with panelists
Congressman Dan Maffei and Larry Wittner, activist and author.
Price $15. For more information contact Peace Action of Central NY at 315-478-7442 or
info@peaceactioncny.org
Sunday, April 26th, 2:30 p.m. ELMSFORD. Greenburgh Public Library, Tarrytown Rd. OPEN PUBLIC MEETING ON THE ECONOMY Hosted by the Westchester Progressive Forum. 
Monday, April 27, 6:30 p.m. snacks, 7:00 p.m. programALBANY. First Unitarian Universalist Society, Emerson Hall, 405 Washington Ave. CONVERSATION WITH JOAN WILE & BARBARA WALKER FROM GRANDMOTHERS AGAINST THE WAR IN NYC. Come & Celebrate Granny Peacemakers! Joan Wile & Barbara Walker from Grandmothers Against the War in NYC share their protests, arrests, adventures, songs & why grannies oppose the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.Organized by GRANNIES FOR PEACE www.WomenAgainstWar.org. Many local peace groups hold regular events, vigils, "Honk for Peace" actions, etc. See our list: www.panys.org/ongoing.htm Going out of state? Check UFPJ's national Events Calendar: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/calendar.php. |