The City Council will be voting on support for a
bill in the California legislature _Improving Sex Worker Health and
Safety_ (SB 233 [1]). The hearing will be in the Third Floor Council
Chambers.

US PROStitutes Collective is part of the Bay Area PPC steering committee
and has testified at several PPC hearings about the criminalization of
survival. Although PPC does not support specific pieces of legislation,
US PROS is supporting SB 233 because it aims to increase safety for sex
workers by prohibiting their arrest when they come forward to report
violent crime. The bill also prohibits the possession of condoms used
as probable cause to arrest someone for sex work.

Full agenda

Agenda items of special interest:

VII. R-02: Searches of Individuals on Probation and Parole
The Commission will review an amended version of R-02: Searches of Individuals on
Probation or Parole, and may vote on approving that version. Members of communities
directly impacted by the policy may share their experiences and views.

IX. Bey Case – Noticing the Federal Monitor
The Commission will discuss, and may vote on, a letter that will be submitted to the
Federal Monitor regarding new evidence in the Bey Case

XI. Police Commission Annual Report
Commissioner Edwin Prather will present the Commission’s annual report which is must
be submitted to the Mayor, City Council, and the public on or before April 17, 2019.

Movie Nights at Reem’s

The Arab Film and Media Institute and Reem’s are partnering to bring some of our favorite Arab films to Oakland. Screenings are free + the amazing team at Reem’s will be serving the full menu throughout the evening.  And that’s not all! There will be movie snacks (including za’atar popcorn!),

April 11: Refugee Stories
Far from a one-size-fits-all marking of “experience” so often depicted on Western media outlets when it comes to the plight of the refugee, this program of 5 powerful short documentaries spotlight the multitude of hues that should be considered when discussions of the refugee experience are had.

May 23: Shorts (Playful Pondering)
From dating drama in Bahrain and an abandoned Qatari cinemaplex, to wacky Lebanese nuns and land mine explosions, this eclectic mix of 6 whimsical, albeit socially-concerned short format narrative works will take viewers on a journey of humor, self-discovery, and provocation.

June 13: Seventeen
The Jordanian under-17 women’s soccer team prepares for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, hosted by Jordan in 2016. Coming from different backgrounds, each of the girls has faced a different set of challenges as a national team player. But now they come together to face their biggest challenge yet.

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We acknowledge that the Bay Area P2P training weekend takes place in occupied Ohlone territory.

The Promise to Protect is a commitment to resist fossil fuels where you live and prepare to take creative action along the Keystone XL pipeline route when called upon by Indigenous leaders.

*Make sure to RSVP at one of the links below to save your spot*

Saturday training: https://actionnetwork.org/events/bayarea-saturday?source=direct_link&referrer=group-standearth

Sunday training: https://actionnetwork.org/events/bayarea-sunday?source=direct_link&referrer=group-standearth

With millions of dollars being poured into fossil fuel projects each year and TransCanada planning to begin building the pipeline this June, we must be ready to mobilize and fight back to protect our land, water and climate.

This training will educate, empower, and elevate the voices and skills of community members to resist and push out extractive oil and gas companies. After the training, community members will be equipped with the knowledge and support necessary to organize their own actions to stop the fossil fuel industry and, if invited by Indigenous leaders, be prepared to take immediate action on the route of Keystone XL.

Never before have Indigenous and non-Indigenous allies come together to build power in this way. This is an exciting opportunity for those who are committed to stopping the Keystone XL pipeline and ending the extraction of fossil fuels in their communities.

Note: This training is meant to be fun, but also not to be taken lightly. There are a limited number of spots available, therefore you should only register if you are 100% committed to attending. Because there are limited spots, only confirmed participants will receive the location information for the training leading up to the event.

Host Contact Info: Isabella Zizi isabella@stand.earth

Register here.

Want to help build a better future for Berkeley?…..
Transition Berkeley wants you!

Curious about Transition Berkeley activities and projects? Wondering how you can be involved? Do you have ideas on how to help transform Berkeley into a more livable, equitable and sustainable place? Join us! And celebrate our 8th Anniversary and new nonprofit status! To build a better future, we have to act collectively and we have to act now! We’ll have light refreshments to share!

Questions: click here

Join us during the Promise to Protect training weekend for an evening art build to create imagery, messaging, and designs that support the fight to stop the proposed Bay Area refinery expansion.

Oil giant Phillips 66 wants to dramatically expand its San Francisco Bay marine terminal and refinery so it can process more toxic tar sands from Canada. This would threaten worker safety, degrade our climate, and worsen the quality of life for everyone living in the shadow of the Phillips 66 refinery— and the entire Bay Area. Tar sands oil is some of the dirtiest in the world, and beyond air quality concerns, even a single spill would be disastrous for communities that call the Bay home—or any community along the transport route that begins at Alberta’s tar sands in Canada.

Make art for a tar sands free SF Bay. Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting paint on. Food, drinks and childcare provided for all who make art to protect the bay with us on Saturday night.

This art build is located in a large indoor space near West Oakland BART station. Street parking is available and the space is ADA accessible.

We acknowledge that the Bay Area P2P training weekend takes place in occupied Ohlone territory.

The Promise to Protect is a commitment to resist fossil fuels where you live and prepare to take creative action along the Keystone XL pipeline route when called upon by Indigenous leaders.

*Make sure to RSVP at one of the links below to save your spot*

Saturday training: https://actionnetwork.org/events/bayarea-saturday?source=direct_link&referrer=group-standearth

Sunday training: https://actionnetwork.org/events/bayarea-sunday?source=direct_link&referrer=group-standearth

With millions of dollars being poured into fossil fuel projects each year and TransCanada planning to begin building the pipeline this June, we must be ready to mobilize and fight back to protect our land, water and climate.

This training will educate, empower, and elevate the voices and skills of community members to resist and push out extractive oil and gas companies. After the training, community members will be equipped with the knowledge and support necessary to organize their own actions to stop the fossil fuel industry and, if invited by Indigenous leaders, be prepared to take immediate action on the route of Keystone XL.

Never before have Indigenous and non-Indigenous allies come together to build power in this way. This is an exciting opportunity for those who are committed to stopping the Keystone XL pipeline and ending the extraction of fossil fuels in their communities.

Note: This training is meant to be fun, but also not to be taken lightly. There are a limited number of spots available, therefore you should only register if you are 100% committed to attending. Because there are limited spots, only confirmed participants will receive the location information for the training leading up to the event.

Host Contact Info: Isabella Zizi isabella@stand.earth

We will be going over one of Marx’s most famous texts: the 18th Brumaire! This class is open to all, and was created with the intention of bringing in folks who are unfamiliar with Marx. Come through!!

Note: The meeting space is up a flight of stairs.

The People’s Life Fund of the Northern California War Tax Resistance will hold a Granting Ceremony Sunday, April 14 at 3 PM in the Fellowship Hall. We’ll begin with a potluck, then have our ceremony. We will give away $15,000 – interest on resisted war tax money – to organizations doing peace and social justice work, who will describe their organizations and specific projects.

The PLF offers counseling/education on various forms of war tax resistance.  BFUU has long hosted this very inspiring and worthy event.

https://nwtrcc.org/resist/war-tax-resistance/
Co-sponsored by the BFUU Social Justice Committee

Venezuela is facing significant difficulties, and one of the worst is the widespread misinformation spread by governments and media.

Laura Wells and Roger Harris have traveled to Venezuela multiple times to see for themselves, and they will present critical information to counter the outright lies. They plan to save lots of time for Q&A, so bring your questions.

Both have served on the board of the Task Force on the Americas. They have participated in many Latin American delegations and report-backs. Laura is a long-time Green, and Roger is with the Peace and Freedom Party, so both appreciate the change in Venezuela since their two-party system lost its grip on the country when Hugo Chavez became president 20 years ago. With the changes have come big challenges, which we will discuss.

SPONSOR: Green Sundays are a series of free programs & discussions sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County and are held on the 2nd Sunday of each month. The monthly business meeting of the County Council of the Green Party of Alameda County follows at 6:45 pm; council meetings are always open to anyone who is interested. Please visit our website: https://acgreens. wordpress.com/

On March 15th, more than one million of our children marched worldwide to demand action on climate change. They told us we cannot carry on living as we have been living – and they are right. They told us we have to focus on what MUST be done rather than what is politically possible or there is no hope for them – and they are right. They told us we are stealing their future with every minute of our inaction – and they are right. On March 15th, one million children around the world told us we have less than 11 years to save them and all life from assured destruction this century… And our leaders told them to go back to school. Will you let that stand? We will not.

We are Extinction Rebellion, and we declare that when our children call us to action, we will answer!

Join us on April 15th to rise up for a living future. We will not gather to beg our leaders to care. We will gather to declare that change is coming, whether our governments like it or not. This is an emergency and it’s time we all started acting like it, adults included. So come out on April 15th as we raise our voices, our trumpets and cookware, bike bells, and boomboxes with the truth on lips! to declare this emergency for what it is and to demand that our governments worldwide do the same.

PLEASE BRING:
– As many additional people as possible.
– Noisemakers of every variety

TRAININGS:
– There will be 2 trainings for this demonstration: MARCH 31st & APRIL 7th. These will be posted as separate events, please look out for them.

Extinction Rebellion is a 100% non-violent civil disobedience movement aimed at nothing less than radical system change. Our rebellion is fueled by our love for humanity and for all life on earth. We face the greatest existential crisis in history, but we already have the solutions we need to prevent the suffering of billions, and we will not allow a lack of political will to bring about our extinction. Join us on April 15th and onward to Rebel for Life!

https://actionnetwork.org/forms/xr-bay-area-sign-up

“Do not go gentle into that good night.” Join @XRBayArea on April 15th, 4 PM, in the Union Plaza in San Francisco and demand #climatejustice! #GreenNewDeal pic.twitter.com/AVoBIpmCKm

— Sunrise Bay Area 🌅 (@sunrisebayarea) April 7, 2019

A 6-week series to help us develop a deeper analysis and to call attention to the kinds of changes needed in the City’s budget and policies.

4/15 – Housing
4/22 – Economy
4/29 – Education
5/6 – Public Health
5/13 – Neighborhood Life
5/20 – Public Safety

The first week’s workshop on the Housing Indicators is the first of a 6-week series to help us develop a deeper analysis and to call attention to the kinds of changes needed in the City’s budget and policies.

Join us for this deeper dive into the Equity Indicators Report for the City of Oakland. Released last year, it clearly shows the effects of white supremacy on our community. Oakland posted a failing score of 33.5 out of a possible 100 across all indicators. This was the lowest score of all cities that participated in this national study.

Carroll Fife, the founder of Black Women & Elected Leadership, the Executive Director of Oakland ACCE, and one of the founding members of Community READY Corps, will join us as a guest speaker to provide some deeper analysis of the report’s findings and point us to actual solutions that will advance racial justice and equity in our housing market.