Calendar

9896
Nov
15
Wed
TEACH-IN on Health Care, Migrant Rights, Gentrification & the proposed A’s stadium at Laney @ Laney College Forum
Nov 15 @ 9:15 am – 9:00 pm

— two sessions — 9:15am-Noon & 6:15-9pm at the Laney College Forum. Both sessions will include guest speakers and breakout sessions for discussion. PLUS a mid-day rally + clubs & resources fair on the Quad starting at Noon

PREPARE & PROMOTE  Faculty: BRING YOUR CLASSES, &/or discuss the issues in class and ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO ATTEND.

INTERACT & DISCUSS  HOW DOES DEVELOPMENT IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES, and what kind of development will help PROTECT & PROMOTE our communities?

Does ‘profit’ have any legitimate role in healthcare? Is healthcare a human right? GET INFORMED & INVOLVED  What is “SINGLE-PAYER” healthcare?

How can we best PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF MIGRANT PEOPLE?

Updates on the A’s stadium proposal – and community efforts to block it!

GET INVOLVED WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS!

63901
Help Pass BAAQMD Toxic Emissions Rule
Nov 15 @ 9:30 am – 12:00 pm

A new clean air regulation is coming up for approval by the Air District’s Board of Directors, and it needs our support.

Rule 11-18 aims to reduce health risks from cancer-causing toxic air pollutants like heavy metals, diesel PM and benzene.  These are emitted by industry and disproportionately impact vulnerable Bay Area communities.  The regulation will mandate extensive risk screenings and health risks assessments (HRAs), incorporating recently adopted risk management guidelines and health risk values from the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA).  Once data is collected and analyzed, industries emitting high levels of toxics will be required to lower them.  This will mean reduced operation, system redesign, or installation of Best Available Retrofit Control Technology for Toxics.

The regulation requires the heaviest industrial polluters, like the Bay Area’s five refineries, to reduce their risk of causing cancer from the current level of 100 cases per million, down to 10 per million.  It covers hundreds of industries—about 1,000 Bay Area facilities, including  chemical and cement plants, foundries, hospitals, landfills, crematoria, sewage treatment and power plants.  Because of the rule’s wide application, the Air District is prioritizing certain facilities to complete the HRA process and submit their mitigation proposals.  Refineries will be required to do this by 2020.  Other facilities will have longer to comply.  Once procedures for mitigation by Best Available Retrofit Control Technologies are approved, then facilities are given an additional three to six years to complete implementation.

When adopted, this regulation will be the most health-protective regulation in the nation for toxic pollutants.

One key limitation of the proposal, however, is that the Air District and OEHHA currently have no baseline for developing a HRA for refinery particulate matter (PM 2.5).  This is currently under discussion within the Air District and its Technical Advisory Council.  Our support for the 11-18 rule-making process must include strong demands for complete transparency, as well as the involvement of frontline communities in  developing a health risk assessment for PM 2.5.

In spite of the generous timeline for compliance, the affected industries—led by Bay Area refineries—will strenuously oppose adoption of the rule, citing as usual the prohibitive cost and inconvenience of meeting the new standards.  They are expected to send large numbers of advocates to the adoption hearing to plead for delay or outright opposition.  We need to encourage the Board to do the right thing in spite of heavy industry pressure.   Please join us at the hearing to voice your support!

All of the documents related to Rule 11-18 can be found here.

 

63892
A brief history of crypto @ Eli's Mile High Club
Nov 15 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

With the DOJ recently bringing back the “Going Dark” debate, and now calling for “responsible encryption,” what does the Trump administration have to say about strong crypto? Do we know yet? Do they?

If there’s anyone who might be able to figure that out, it’s Riana Pfefferkorn.

As an attorney and legal fellow, Pfefferkorn is at the forefront of trying to make sense of new technology, surveillance policy and the thorny legal questions that emerge. She’ll explain how this problem emerged, and what the FBI has already done about it over the last decade.

Join Ars Technica editors Cyrus Farivar and Annalee Newitz in conversation with Riana at the next Ars Technica Live on November 15 at Eli’s Mile High Club in Oakland.

There will be plenty of time for audience questions, too. Doors are at 7 PM and the event starts around 7:30. Tickets are free, but please do RSVP with Eventbrite so you’re guaranteed a spot.

Riana Pfefferkorn is the Cryptography Fellow at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society. Her work focuses on investigating and analyzing the U.S. government’s policy and practices for forcing decryption and/or influencing crypto-related design of online platforms and services, devices, and products, both via technical means and through the courts and legislatures.

Prior to joining Stanford, Riana was an associate in the Internet Strategy & Litigation group at the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where she worked on online privacy, Internet intermediary liability, consumer protection, copyright, trademark, and trade secrets and was actively involved in the firm’s pro bono program. Before that, Riana clerked for the Honorable Bruce J. McGiverin of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.

Cyrus Farivar and Annalee Newitz are Ars Technica’s Senior Business Editor and the Senior Tech Culture Editor, respectively. Ars Technica Live is a monthly series spotlighting people who are working at the cutting edge of technology, science, and culture. It’s held the third Wednesday of every month at Eli’s.

63882
Nov
16
Thu
SleepOut to End Homelessness! @ Powell St. at the Cable Car Turnaround
Nov 16 @ 5:00 pm – Nov 17 @ 9:00 am

Join us for a #SleepOut to end homelessness!

Where: Powell Street Cable Car Turnaround by Powell BART
When: Thursday, 11/16 at 5pm

With the adult shelter waitlist at 1000+ people long and as the City continues to criminalize homeless people living in tents and on the streets, we invite all community members to join us for a #SleepOut to bring light to this issue. Bring your sleeping bag and your friends!

Note from Kelley… If you are looking for ways to contribute it would be great to bring food & drinks (water, coffee, hot cocco, etc). Hit me up if you would like to help!

63856
Single Payer Social With DSA @ Moxy
Nov 16 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Single-Payer Social, South Berkeley

 

In addition to canvasses, a critical part of each canvassing district’s monthly organizing are the social events, which create a more casual space to talk about the fight to decommodify healthcare. Come meet the wonderful comrades and neighbors in your district and socialize about socialism over a beer or some food.

63893
The People’s Study Group: Capitalism and Housing @ Omni Commons
Nov 16 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

The People’s Study group is a grassroots effort to reclaim Black and Brown peoples’ struggles against capitalism and create a collective analysis of our current situation. We will be exploring texts from past and current revolutionary movements and thinkers.

We live in the Bay Area, a region affected by skyrocketing costs of living and stagnant wages and opportunities.

A revolutionary social movement has to take into account the relationship between housing and capitalism; as anti-capitalists we have to dissect its devastating impact on working class communities of Color.

Talking about social change means talking about solutions; we want to struggle over how we think we can accomplish change in our community.

We will bring a short booklet that night to read and discuss. Reading in advance is not required but feel free to take a look beforehand:goo.gl/qhtgJH

We are also open to suggestions regarding other readings we could study.

The People’s Study Group is a new project of some residents of the Fruitvale District. We are not a large organization and will be asking for donations to cover the cost of the space.

If y’all have questions you can reach us at peoplesstudygroup@gmail.com

We are excited to talk and get stuff done!

63891
Building Solidarity Against Militarization @ EastSide Arts Alliance
Nov 16 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

A Panel on Political Prisoners and Incarceration from Palestine, the US and the Philippines, with Sahar Francis of Addameer (the Palestinian Prisoner Support & Human Rights Association)

The full panel will include speakers from:
Addameer
Critical Resistance
Freedom Archives
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
AnakBayan- East Bay
Malcom X Grassroots Movement

63917
Nov
18
Sat
Benefit for Survivors of Human Trafficking In India: A Screening of SOLD @ Fellowship Hall
Nov 18 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Blossomy Project Benefit for Survivors of Human Trafficking In India:
A Screening of SOLD and a performance by Kristi Williamson of Spoken Word Mystic Poetry, Song and Movement

soldBlossomy Project is a Berkeley based 501(c)3 working with trafficking survivors since 2004 in India and in 2016 expanded its reach to vulnerable communities in Thailand! The focus of Blossomy Project is empowerment through self expression.

Our programs include dance therapy, art therapy, music therapy and photography.
SOLD is a narrative film based on the true story of Lakshmi’s trafficking from rural Nepal to a brothel in Kolkata, India and highlights the brutality of child trafficking and the resilience of the human spirit. www.soldthemovie.com

Blossomy kristiKristi Williamson is brilliant performer who is passionate about archetypal exploration through cultural dance forms and ritual theater and will be presenting a piece that embodies her experiences working with survivors in India. Kristi has been working with Blossomy Project in Kolkata at a shelter home with over 100 girls since 2014 leading a one month workshop in partnership with the Tamalpa Art Corps program.
This event is generously being sponsored by BFUU and all proceeds go to benefit the empowerment of trafficking survivors and those vulnerable to human trafficking.

Lulu Dharma jewelry and tote bags will be on sale at the event for half price www.luludharma.com
Lite fare will be on offer. Free popcorn! $5 Raffle Tickets!
$20 minimum suggested donation at the door. More Information: www.blossomy.org

63925
Celebrate the Zapatista Revolution with new film: Zapatista Moon @ Omni Commons ballroom
Nov 18 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

CELEBRATE THE ZAPATISTA REVOLUTION
with a benefit screening of a new documentary film
ZAPATISTA MOON

Doors open @ 7:00, screening @ 7:30

The film will be followed by a roundtable discussion with:
* Amira Ali, artist, poet, filmmaker, founding member AfricaSpeak4Africa
* Laura Rivas, activist, member of Chiapas Support Committee
* Elizabeth Saez, Center for Latin American Studies, Stanford University

>
> Tamales & Aguas Frescas, Zapatista Artesanía & t-Shirts will be available.

A benefit to support educational projects in the autonomous Zapatista communities in Chiapas

Zapatista Moon narrates one man’s journey in Chiapas as he interacts with a historic Zapatista women’s gathering in 2007, questions men’s role and feels the impact of Zapatismo on the on-going struggle for gender justice & equity.

The film-showing will be followed by a roundtable of women who will review the film and discuss the dimensions of the struggle for women-based power and leadership of our movements and communities and the struggle to forge new relationships based on gender justice and equity.

The film highlights the December 2007 Meeting of Zapatista Women with the Women of the World. Our focus on indigenous women coincides with the current independent presidential candidacy of an indigenous woman on behalf of the Indigenous Governing Council, María de Jesús Patricio Martínez, Marichuy.

Sponsored by the Chiapas Support Committee
And endorsed by Liberated Lens
__________________________________________________________

For more information visit: https://chiapas-support.org/

63897
Discussion with Mark Bray, Author of ‘Antifa, the Anti-Fascist Handbook’ @ South Berkeley Senior Center
Nov 18 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

63884
Nov
19
Sun
 Hasta Muerte Coffee Grand Opening
Nov 19 @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

After years of plotting, Hasta Muerte Coffee  — a third-wave cafe, radical bookstore, and community events space — will hold its grand opening. While hip coffee shops are often thought of as gentrifying sources, the Hasta Muerte collective is working to actively subvert that notion. Its five members — who have experience in community organizing, activism, art, music, and bikes — were primarily drawn to coffee as a way to bring people together. Another element working in their favor is that three of them actually live in Fruitvale.

“The first step is offering coffee, community, and solidarity,” worker-owner Matt Gereghty said. After normal coffee-consuming hours, Hasta Muerte plans to organize cultural events like film screenings, workshops, and art shows — “things that are centered on holding down our various and vibrant cultural identities,” Gereghty said.

A small bookstore within the cafe is curated with an eye toward decolonizing struggles.

“What trends can history teach us about making it through the present moment and times to come? We want to add fuel to the flame of resilience and resistance,” Gereghty said.

There’s a conference room in the back, which Gereghty said Hasta Muerte plans to lend to community groups in need of meeting space. The main, 600-square-foot cafe space seats about 25 people and features a robust play area for kids.

Read more here

63934
Howard Zinn Book Fair 2017: The World We Want @ City College
Nov 19 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

This year has brought many hundreds of thousands of people to the streets to defend immigrants, fight for healthcare for all, defeat a Muslim ban, and provide a powerful voice against the racism, mysoginy and homophobia that brought Trump to office. This is the spirit that the Fourth Annual Howard Zinn Book Fair celebrates on Sunday, November 19th as we envision what “The World We Want,” might look like.

Over 140 Authors, Zinesters, Bloggers and publishers will gather for a jam-packed for a day of close to 60 readings, panel discussions and workshops exploring the value of dissident histories. In the spirit of the late historian Howard Zinn we recognize the stories of the ways that everyday people have risen to propose a world beyond empires big and small. There will also be a big room full of over 75 radical book sellers, publishers and community organizations.

Highlights include talks from:

  • Adam Hochschild, NY Times Best-Selling author of Spain in Our Hearts and King Leopold’s Ghost
  • Sekou Odinga, former Black Panther Party member and recently released political prisoner, author of In the Whirlwind
  • Rebecca Solnit, Harper’s contributing editor and author of The Mother of All Questions and Men Explain Things to Me will discuss What’s Next for the Resistance
  • Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz debuting her new book Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Ammendment..
  • Punk Icon, Michelle Cruz Gonzales, author of the Spitboy Rule: Tales of a Xicana in a Punk Band
  • Sasha Lilly, local activist, Pacifica Radio host and author/editor of numerous books including Capital and Its Discontents: Conversations with Radical Thinkers in a Time of Tumult
  • Radical strategies with important activists such as Mark Bray, Jovanka Beckles, Cindy Milstein, Kevin Van Meter, and Antonio Roman-Acala.
  • A five-session track dedicated to exploring what ‘Black Reconstruction In Our Time’ would look like based on the seminal writings of W.E.B. Du Bois.

The Howard Zinn Book Fair is brought to you by an all-volunteer team and the support of the City College of San Francisco Community: (Labor and Community Studies Department, Social Justice AA-T Program, Free City Outreach, American Federation of Teachers 2121 ) and Rainbow Grocery Cooperative, California Institute For Integral Studies, Green Arcade Books, Haymarket Publishing and AK Press.

FULL PROGRAM:  HERE
LIST OF EXHIBITORS:  HERE
IMPORTANT INFO AND LOGISTICS: HERE

63903
Answering the Call of Love: Immigration Policy and our UU Oakland Response @ First Unitarian Church of Oakland
Nov 19 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm


You are warmly invited to hear Miriam Noriega, once again, share important information with us. We will learn how UU Oakland can choose to effectively respond to current immigration policy.

Miriam Noriega is a seminarian and the coordinator of the Interfaith Movement 4 Human Integrity.

Special attention will be given to Accompaniment Teams who walk with Immigrants in need of direct support.

We will be forming an Accompaniment Team in early 2018.

Snacks will be served.

Come and be part of this work of  love and resistance.

63870
The Ecology Center Fall Film Series: Princess Mononoke @ Ecology Center
Nov 19 @ 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm

We are excited to announce our Fall Film Series at the Ecology Center! In an effort to open up our space to the community, while providing an accessible format for fostering discussions around the various climate issues we cover, we will be hosting free monthly screenings of select films at our Ecology Center store.

Check out a new film, or one of your favorites, with other members of the community for a fun-filled and family-friendly evening. All screenings are free and open to the public (and include free popcorn!).


Princess Mononoke (1997)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Rated PG-13
Runtime: 2:13

Kicking off the Ecology Center film series is Princess Mononoke, from legendary Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli team. This A classic animated film that explores the relationship between human activity and the environment through heavy symbolism to highlight the need for sustainable practices and greater consideration of the environment in day-to-day life. Miyazaki crafts a captivating tale of man vs. nature, where the exploitation of natural resources leads to the manifestation of deadly beasts that threaten an all out war between a mining village and the creatures of the forest.

Themes: Sustainability

Preview Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OiMOHRDs14

Future Showings and Event Links:

October 22nd: Chasing Ice

November 19th: King Corn

December 17th: Wall-E

63606
Green Sunday: What does North Korea Want, and Is There a Deal to be Made? @ Berkeley Art House Gallery
Nov 19 @ 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

What is North Korea’s goal in attaining nuclear strike capability; how does it seek to shape the balance of power in NE Asia; and how might it engage, as a nuclear state, in nuclear disarmament dialogs?  Paul Liem will discuss the origins of North Korea’s nuclear strategy; the present state of tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, and how it might resolve, for better or worse.  He will also share some observations about North Korean society and take questions and answers.

Paul Liem has been active on Korean peace and reunification issues for four decades and has visited North Korea in four different decades. In the 1970s he was a writer for The Korea Bulletin and editor of The Korea Commentary, both newsletters covering current events in North and South Korea. In the 1980s Mr. Liem assisted in sending delegations of progressive religious leaders, including members of the National Council of Churches, to North Korea. In the 1990s he served as advisor to the Berkeley Annual Reunification Symposia Series that hosted guest speakers from North and South Korea from 1991 to 1997. In 1992 Liem and other Korean American activists and artists organized a Korea American Arts Festival at the Oakland Museum among other venues, and in 2004 he served on the Korean American Centennial Committee that curated a multi-media oral history exhibit with the Oakland Museum celebrating 100 years of Korean immigration to the U.S. Liem is currently Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Korea Policy Institute (kpolicy.org) and a member of HOBAK (Hella Organized Bay Area Koreans), a dynamic and creative collective of Korean American activists working on peace and social justice issues in the Bay Area since 2009.

Breakout Groups
We were thrilled by your enthusiasm in Breakout Groups at Green Sundays a few months ago. To grow that energy, we’re trying Breakout Groups at the beginning of the County Council meetings after the 15 minute refreshment break that follows our Green Sunday programs. Which group will you roll with?
1. ELECTIONS (including endorsements, campaigning, ballot drives, voter guide)
2. More CONVERSATION re North Korea, AND Green Party ORIENTATION
3. OUTREACH (recruiting, social events, networking with other groups)
4. TECH (website, social media, newsletter, recording/broadcasting our events)
5. OPERATIONS (including Green Sunday plans, fundraising, working with state and national Green Party)

l.
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 7:45 pm; council meetings are always open to anyone who is interested. Please visit our website: https://acgreens. wordpress.com/

Express your green ideas and “like” us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/greenpartyofalamedacounty/

Participation and/or donations appreciated!  https://acgreens.wordpress.com/donate/

63894
Green Sunday: What does North Korea Want, and Is There a Deal to be Made? @ Art House Gallery
Nov 19 @ 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

What is North Korea’s goal in attaining nuclear strike capability; how does it seek to shape the balance of power in NE Asia; and how might it engage, as a nuclear state, in nuclear disarmament dialogs?  Paul Liem will discuss the origins of North Korea’s nuclear strategy; the present state of tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, and how it might resolve, for better or worse.  He will also share some observations about North Korean society and take questions and answers.

Paul Liem has been active on Korean peace and reunification issues for four decades and has visited North Korea in four different decades. In the 1970s he was a writer for The Korea Bulletin and editor of The Korea Commentary, both newsletters covering current events in North and South Korea. In the 1980s Mr. Liem assisted in sending delegations of progressive religious leaders, including members of the National Council of Churches, to North Korea. In the 1990s he served as advisor to the Berkeley Annual Reunification Symposia Series that hosted guest speakers from North and South Korea from 1991 to 1997. In 1992 Liem and other Korean American activists and artists organized a Korea American Arts Festival at the Oakland Museum among other venues, and in 2004 he served on the Korean American Centennial Committee that curated a multi-media oral history exhibit with the Oakland Museum celebrating 100 years of Korean immigration to the U.S. Liem is currently Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Korea Policy Institute (kpolicy.org) and a member of HOBAK (Hella Organized Bay Area Koreans), a dynamic and creative collective of Korean American activists working on peace and social justice issues in the Bay Area since 2009.
Breakout Groups
We were thrilled by your enthusiasm in Breakout Groups at Green Sundays a few months ago. To grow that energy, we’re trying Breakout Groups at the beginning of the County Council meetings after the 15 minute refreshment break that follows our Green Sunday programs. Which group will you roll with?
1. ELECTIONS (including endorsements, campaigning, ballot drives, voter guide…)
2. More CONVERSATION re North Korea, AND Green Party ORIENTATION
3. OUTREACH (recruiting, social events, networking with other groups…)
4. TECH (website, social media, newsletter, recording/broadcasting our events…)
5. OPERATIONS (including Green Sunday plans, fundraising, working with state and national Green Party…)
63920
Film Showing: National Bird. (Drone Warfare and Whistleblowers) @ Omni Commons ballroom
Nov 19 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

National Bird follows the dramatic journey of three whistleblowers who are determined to break the silence around one of the most controversial current affairs issues of our time: the secret U.S. drone war. At the center of the film are three U.S. military veterans. Plagued by guilt over participating in the killing of faceless people in foreign countries, they decide to speak out publicly, despite the possible consequences.

Their stories take dramatic turns, leading one of the protagonists to Afghanistan where she learns about a horrendous incident. But her journey also gives hope for peace and redemption. National Bird gives rare insight into the U.S. drone program through the eyes of veterans and survivors, connecting their stories as never seen before in a documentary. Its images haunt the audience and bring a faraway issue close to home.

Watch the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/186277306

We will be joined afterward for Q&A with Ines Hofmann Kanna, a co-producer on the film, and Lisa, one of the film’s subjects.

Please note that our screening time has changed for the winter: doors open at the Omni 6pm, film starts at 6:30pm.  Complimentary popcorn as always!

63776
Nov
20
Mon
48th Anniversary of the Alcatraz Occupation
Nov 20 @ 9:00 am – 12:30 pm

Join Indians of All Tribes Co-Founder Dr. LaNada War Jack on Alcatraz Island for the 48th Anniversary of the Alcatraz Occupation!

We have limited tickets for each boat leaving from Pier 33 starting at 9 am Please RSVP and we will give further instructions and coordination on the ferry.

Opening Ceremony by Ann Marie Sayers of Indian Canyon Nation

Morning Panel “Why We Took The Rock”

Film: End of the Line with Pearl Means www.endofthelinefilm.com

Afternoon Panel “Legacies of the Occupation”

The program will conclude with an honoring Indigenous Women’s Dance Dancing Earth & Eva Lopez Feat Desirae Harp & Kanyon Sayers-Roods

Join Indians of All Tribes Coalition for Part 2 of #IndigenizeTheBay events from Nov 20-23, 2017. We are looking to make this happen in a good way, including this visit to Alcatraz Island on the 20th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llVm4F84PpE

https://www.facebook.com/events/2109012252659572?%3Fti=ia

63904
Nov
21
Tue
All Eyes On the Sheriff @ Board of Supervisors Chamber
Nov 21 @ 9:30 am – 11:30 am

Over the past 10 years, the Alameda County jail population has decreased by half—so why is the sheriff’s budget increasing?

Under the sheriff’s “watch” there have been increasing deaths in the jails, abuse of people by sheriff’s deputies, and support of white supremacists from his department. Yet his budget continues to grow.

Meanwhile, people in power aren’t investing in the resources our communities really need—like jobs, healthcare, housing, education, and more.

Turn up with us before the Board of Supervisors meeting to tell county officials we demand transparency and accountability from the sheriff now! If the sheriff has nothing to hide, it’s time for audit.

Hosted by the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and the Justice Reinvestment Coalition.

 

63906
City of Oakland Annual Thanksgiving Dinner @ Oakland Marriot
Nov 21 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Serving seniors, low-income families and homeless residents.

63879