Calendar
Come join your neighbors in connecting, learning and resource sharing!
This month’s theme is FOOD PRESERVATION – exploring all the ways people process fresh food to lengthen their shelf life, add extra nutritional benefit and just make things tasty!
The next event will be on Tues, Jan. 9th.
BRING: Some preserved foods and recipes if you would like to, things you have in abundance…some extra garden harvest, clothes, books, tools…
AND/OR: a dish or beverage to share (and your utensils/plate) or just your interest in building a resilient community – all are welcome!
(Note: please be responsible for taking items or food you bring if they are left at the end of the event)
Event sponsored by: Transition Berkeley
Some folks are organizing a unity response to the apparent destruction of the Lake Merritt menorah installation tonight. pic.twitter.com/oQBUVRvIGx
— Trash Night Heron (@hyphy_republic) December 13, 2023
The Tales of The Town screening and live performance will be another chance to checkout the unreleased movie Tales of The Town: The Film, as well as experience a live band performance of the film’s original score!
The film captures the landscape, and the people and their stories in a poetic tribute to generations of Oaklanders – both the living and our ancestors! The score was magically composed by Wax Roof, Andrew “Bear” Benford, Waymond Mckissick, Carl Nash, and Anthony Mills-Branch.
T
Speaker: Dan KovalikJoin Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85175860127?pwd=bfZRQOSMuhX9Pfm4qhPMOZMrmE9Ohm.1
Just back from the West Bank, international human rights advocate and lawyer Dan Kovalik will discuss the current situation in Palestine in light of historical developments. In addition to Gaza, the West Bank has been under ferocious Israeli attack and repression. The general population in the West Bank is experiencing increased Israeli settler violence with over 300 Palestinians murdered and 3000 arrested since October 7. Last month, our speaker visited Cairo with the first international solidarity delegation, which tried unsuccessfully to enter Gaza and bring humanitarian aid through the Rafah crossing.
Dan Kovalik has written extensively on international human rights and US foreign policy. He has lectured throughout the world on these subjects and frequently appears on RT. He is the author of books exposing the machinations of US imperialism in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Iran, and Russia, and an upcoming one on Palestine and Israel. Other books include a progressive case against cancel culture and how the US violates international law. He teaches international human rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He graduated from Columbia University School of Law. He then served as in-house counsel for the United Steelworkers, AFL-CIO (USW) until 2019.
In this video, Dan Kovalik is interviewed by George Galloway on the situation in the West Bank: https://twitter.com/moatstv/status/1734543611906363762?s=46
In this video, Dan Kovalik addresses the UN Security Council on threats to international peace and security: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k12/k128iiykjr.
Organizations: Peace Action of San Mateo County & Jewish Voice for Peace South Bay
On Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3289220486?omn=88635762762
In Gaza with the ceasefire’s end, we don’t know if or when more hostages and prisoners will be released, the killing will stop, and anything close to sufficient vital humanitarian aid will come in.
We hold out hope for some common sense and the elevation of human rights on both sides of the conflict – and steps that are truly needed to bring peace to the region and solace to its people. The temporary ceasefire was surely a clear demonstration that more diplomacy will go significantly further toward that goal than more fighting.
Jewish Voice for Peace has been at the forefront of those calling for such developments – both before and during the conflict – as well as a ceasefire.
On Sunday, December 17, Dorah Rosen of JVP’s South Bay chapter will join us on the Zoom platform – using words and images to address the current situation, as well as possible next steps toward a ceasefire, and options for a subsequent peaceful solution. She will bring her personal experience of spending time in the West Bank some years ago as a “witness-escort” with Community Peacemaker Teams – formerly known as Christian Peacemaker Teams. Dorah also visited Israel during that time, giving her a perspective on different sides of the situation.
We look forward to seeing you on Sunday the 17th for some constructive discussion about the tragic situation in Gaza, and what can be done.
ABOUT: Dorah Rosen, Jewish Voice for Peace South Bay
Dorah Rosen has been a member of JVP South Bay since 2011, and is active in other circles on the Israel-Palestine issue. She has also volunteered and advocated on behalf of the local indigenous Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, which stewards land in what we now call the South Bay and Monterey Bay Counties. Dorah is retired from the Santa Cruz Public Library System.
BAY AREA: we need you to show up and #PackTheCourt for the #BayBridge78!!
Last month, while President Biden was hosting cocktail parties in San Francisco, hundreds of people shut down the Bay Bridge to demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to US military aid to Israel. Now, 78 protestors are facing charges for their civil disobedience — arraignments begin on Monday, 12/18.
We’re packing the court for the #BayBridge78 all week in solidarity!
Join us for a press conference and rally on Monday, December 18 at 8:00 AM on the steps of 850 Bryant in SF. Wear your keffiyehs in solidarity as we demand the San Francisco District Attorney #DropTheCharges, and continue to call for a #FreePalestine!
Then, we’re packing the court Monday through Friday for the #BayBridge78. Show up to let the San Francisco District Attorney know: the Bay rises with Palestine! #DropTheCharges now!
* PRESS CONFERENCE + RALLY: Monday, 12/18 @ 8:00 AM 850 Bryant St, San Francisco
* PACK THE COURT: Monday-Friday, 12/18-12/22 – gather @ 8:30 AM, court begins @ 9:00 AM 850 Bryant St, San Francisco
#BayBridge78 #DropTheCharges #CeasefireNow #FreePalestine
Please join us to speak out against the use of dangerous scattershot munitions and the wide-open, unrestricted use of drones by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. This was pulled from the Board’s agenda last week by Supervisor Marquez.
BAN SCATTERSHOTS and REGULATE DRONE USE
names of the Palestinians killed by Israeli Military will be called in respect
bring a candle/tea light, flower or a snack to share (optional)
can write small notes to put on altar, join singing, flyer to distribute to your neighborhood
But not in Palestine, the birthplace of Jesus.
The Israeli onslaught against Gaza has killed upwards of 20,000 including 8,000 children. At least 300, including 72 children, have been killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank since October 7.
Palestinian Christians are united in their condemnation of Israeli atrocities. In Bethlehem, the town of Jesus’ birth, a scene representing “Christ in the Rubble” lies inside the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Pastor Munther Isaac explains, “It is impossible to celebrate when there is a massacre, a genocide, taking place in Gaza to our people. The idea was to send a message to the world that this is what Christmas looks in Palestine… Children being pulled from under the rubble, their homes destroyed while the world is celebrating.”
Join us to keep Palestine in our hearts during the Christmas season, hear from Palestinian Christians and US clergy about what they believe Jesus would do for Palestine, and learn how to keep taking action for a ceasefire during the holidays.
1. Call to Order, determination of quorum
2. Review and approval of the draft December 7 meeting minutes
3. Open Forum/Public Comment for non-agenda items
4. Federal Task Force Ordinance – OPD – Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
a. Review draft MOU and take possible action
Each person wishing to speak on items must fill out a speaker’s card. Persons addressing the Privacy Advisory Commission shall state their names and the organization they are representing, if any.
Members of the public can view the meeting live on KTOP or on the City’s website at https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/ktop-tv-10.
Comment in advance. To send your comment directly to the Privacy Commission and staff BEFORE the meeting starts, please send your comment, along with your full name and agenda item number you are commenting on, to Felicia Verdin at fverdin@oaklandca.gov. Please note that eComment submissions close one (1) hour before posted meeting time. All submitted public comment will be provided to the Privacy Commission prior to the meeting.
Please register in advance at
https://bit.ly/MiddleEast-24-01-06
to receive your personal link to participate in this event online
The Israeli Government responded to the October 7 attack by Hamas with collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza. The slaughter and destruction continues as the war expands in the region. American activists protesting Israel’s escalation and its support by the U.S. government are subjected to accusations of anti-semitism and repression of dissent.
Join our panelists to discuss the roots of the conflict and current developments in the Middle East and in the U.S.
Steven Zunes – Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of San Francisco, directed the program in Middle Eastern Studies
Lujain Al-Saleh – Arab Resource and Organizing Committee
[TBA] – representative from Jewish Voice for Peace
*Organizations listed for identification purposes only.
An open discussion will follow the presentations.
We will be accepting donations which will be divided among the sponsoring organizations.
This event is sponsored by the Alameda County Peace and Freedom Party,
the Alameda County Green Party and Bay Area System Change Not Climate Change.
The New Parkway is now hosting Drag Queen Story Time—Come for the hair, the glitter, the glamour, and the stories!
Drag Queen Story Time was created to be enjoyed by everyone; whether you’re a kiddo yourself or a kiddo at heart, this event is for you!
In order to allow seats for everyone, we are requiring one ticket per person over 1 year of age. Seating will still be limited, so please come prepared to share space with other groups and be generous with your story queen; they are only charging a nominal fee for this event!
SF Vote for Ceasefire Resolution! Join us to continue to demonstrate overwhelming support for #ceasefire. Monday, January 8 @ 9am Rules Committee Meeting and Tuesday, January 9 @ 1pm Full Board meeting and vote. Email Board of Supervisors: https://t.co/PEvWrq1bqu #SanFrancisco pic.twitter.com/7LnE5Jfj98
— AROC #FreePalestine (@AROCBayArea) January 5, 2024
If you’re joining virtually, you will receive a Zoom videoconference link.
Register: https://secure.ngpvan.com/tiKLTg2ck0iLJ4ABglXAWA2
Speakers:
Email strike.debt.bay.area@gmail.com a few days beforehand for the online invite.
For our December meeting we are reading the first half (through chapter 2) of The Feminist Subversion of the Economy. (Common Notions Press, Amazon). For our January, 2024 meeting we will read the remainder.
The political response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the pressures on the global capitalist economies has, once again, imposed the priority of markets over life. Add to this the climate crisis and, undoubtedly, the task of sustaining life continues to be privatized, made invisible, and feminized.We must ask: what does a dignified life look like, especially one that transforms the gendered labor divisions and a racialized, exploitative feminized care economy that falls mainly on the shoulders of women—from the household to the wider effects of the capitalist economy on social reproduction.
At the same time, these questions are intimately connected with considerations of our environment. The Feminist Subversion of the Economy makes the conection between patriarchy, capitalism, and ecological crisis—and rallies women, the LGBTQ+ community, and movements worldwide to center gender and social reproduction in a vision for a just ecology and economy.
Public intellectual, academic, and activist Amaia Pérez Orozco offers a vision beyond the myths of development (unlimited growth), wealth (accumulation of capital), and work (limited to waged labor) and, at the same time, accounts for the tasks, networks, and economic subjects that, materially and daily, guarantee that life keeps going.
Newly translated and updated in collaboration with Liz Mason-Desse, who has won a PEN translation award for her work on feminist economics, The Feminist Subversion of the Economy shows the urgent need to radically and democratically discuss what we mean by a dignified life and how we can organize to sustain life collectively.
Strike Debt Bay Area hosts this non-technical book group discussion monthly on new and radical economic thinking. Previous readings have included Doughnut Economics, Limits, Banking on the People, Capital and Its Discontents, How to Be an Anti-Capitalist in the 21st Century, The Deficit Myth, Revenge Capitalism, the Edge of Chaos blog symposium , Re-enchanting the World: Feminism and the Politics of the Commons, The Optimist’s Telescope, Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism, Exploring Degrowth, The Origin of Wealth, Mine!, The Dawn of Everything A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things, Beyond Money, Less is More, Cannibal Capitalism, Debt, the First 5000 Years , Poverty, By America, End Times, and Jackson Rising Redux.
Speaker: Immanuel Ness
For more than a century, a trend within Western Marxism has been to retreat from endorsing actually existing socialist projects such as the Soviet Union and retheorizing their significance in relation to capitalism. In this context, these scholars have begun to, in effect, reject imperialism as a driving force of capitalism, while obscuring the central regressive role of the US in particular.
Such re-theorization downplays the historical significance of actually existing socialism and especially socialist projects in the Global South, often by reframing them as part of global capitalism or global modernity. Recent versions of Western Marxism often conflate capitalism and modernity. The presentation explores the source of Western Marxism’s antagonism to socialism, especially socialism in the Global South. Our speaker contends that a new shift occurred in the 1980s and 1990s as Western Marxists began to focus on global capitalism and globalization.
Our speaker, Immanuel Ness, is a professor of political science at Brooklyn College (CUNY) and a visiting professor of sociology at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. A trade union organizer in the US and labor activist in the Global South, Immanuel Ness is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Labor and Society. He is chair of the New York Peace Council and of the International Committee of the PSC/CUNY, a labor union representing faculty at CUNY. He recently returned from a US Peace Council delegation to meet with the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament.
His many books, academic articles, chapters, and edited volumes handbooks focus on US imperialism, labor movements, and international migration.
His latest book is Migration as Economic Imperialism (Polity 2023), which focuses on Western financial imperialism and the oppression of the Global South.
His other books include Sanctions as War (Brill 2022) , Southern Insurgency: The Coming of the Global Working Class (Pluto 2016), and the Palgrave Encyclopedia of Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism (2014/2021).
ZOOM LINK
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85175860127?pwd=bfZRQOSMuhX9Pfm4qhPMOZMrmE9Ohm.1
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88083342274
The USA’s corporate oligarchy made the fateful decision to go for global empire during World War II. This led the US to rescue and repurpose Axis fascists so that the US could consolidate and rebrand the Anticommintern under US management. From this decision to go for global dominance flowed other fateful choices like the dropping of the atom bombs, the launching of the Cold War, the creation of the CIA, alliances with organized crime, the clandestine overthrow of foreign governments, and political assassinations. The deep state and tripartite state constructs were devised to allow us to name this new form of governance which essentially gives plausibly deniable veto power over democracy to an oligarchy of corporate wealth. Exceptionism describes this institutionalized abrogation of the rule of law. Today, the empire forged by the exceptionist deep state is tottering. With no effective democratic check on its power, the empires excesses have dialectically generated the forces which are now collectively bringing about the collapse of US global primacy. As such, this is an exciting – if dangerous – historical mo moment.
Aaron Good is a political scientist and an historian of the US Empire. His dissertation from Temple University was published by Skyhorse in 2022 under the title AmericanException: Empire and the Deep State. A documentary film based on the book is currently in production. Previously, Aaron Good worked on the 2008 Obama campaign in Missouri. Born and raised in Indiana, he has since lived and worked in Taiwan and Shanghai. He currently resides with his wife and son in the greater Philadelphia area where he has been a history and social science instructor. Currently, Aaron Good hosts the American Exception podcast on Patreon, and is co-host of Devil’s Chess Club with David Talbot and Bryce Green.
Green Sundays are a series of free public programs & discussions on topics “du jour” sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County and held on the 2nd Sunday of each month. The monthly business meeting of the County Council of the Green Party follows at 7:00 pm, after a 30-minute break. Council meetings are open to anyone who is interested.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88083342274
Meeting ID: 880 8334 2274
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How do you define “the border” when it comes to the migration of people? What comes to mind when the term immigrant/immigration is used? Do you start at colonization or at the natural borders defined by a people’s existence with the land? Join the Oakland Greens & special surprise guests, Monday, January 15 2024. Discussion starts at 6:30 PM PST and will end no later than 9:30 PM PST.
The Oakland Greens Townhall Discussion Series is a hybrid community discussion event. These hybrid community engagement events are held the 3rd Monday of the month, January thru October.