Calendar
Save People’s Park
UCB Using “Housing Crisis” to Doze People’s Park.
• City of Berkeley told UC to LIMIT ENROLLMENT.
• UCB creates housing crisis by Uping Enrollment.
Build elsewhere in Berkeley, Save our greenspace, Save People’s Park!
If UCB gets their way, Berkeley will be covered with high-rises and hotels and the legacy of Berkeley’s historic contributions to the Free Speech, Anti War, and Community Democracy reduced to a bronze plaque. Don’t let that Happen!
• The Spirit of Democracy Lives on in People’s Park.
• The natural beauty of Berkeley’s People’s Park must never be smothered in concrete!
Website TBA ; FB: People’s Park Gardener’s or Destroy Oligarchy Forever!
Interested in local politics? Have you heard about the Democratic Socialists and wanted to find out more? Are you looking for a way to be involved in your community?
Come learn about the Democratic Socialists of America, San Francisco. Hear about our projects, our ballot measure, and ways that you can get involved. A better world is possible!
with Margaret Prescod, Pierre Labossiere, Devonte Jackson, Walter Riley, Leslie Mullin.
A report back of a recent delegation to Haiti with activists from Haiti Action Committee, BAJI-Oakland, and Global Women’s Strike. Come hear about the unbreakable resistance of the people of Haiti, who persevere in the face of US-orchestrated coups, stolen elections, violent repression and natural disasters worsened by corporate greed and government corruption.
Eyewitness accounts of the first graduation ceremony at the University of the Aristide Foundation [UniFA]; community education through radio; local food production; and grassroots mobilizations against corruption, repression and occupation.
We will share news about meetings with activists from Haiti’s popular movement including youth, agricultural workers, peasant movement leaders, human rights attorneys, school teachers, journalists/reporters, and market women. We hope you will join us!
A benefit for community radio in Haiti. Can’t make it? Donate at www.haitiemergencyrelief.org
Sponsored by Haiti Action Committee, BAJI-Oakland, Global Women’s Strike, Haiti Emergency Relief Fund, and La Pena Cultural Center.
Information, discussion & community! Monday Night Forum!!
OccupyForum is an opportunity for open and respectful dialogue
on all sides of these critically important issues!
Historical Context, United States Decline,
and the Corporate-Owned Media
We will examine the United States’ attempts to prevent its Global Hegemonic decline and the implications of that effort by situating United States foreign policy within “Historical Context.”
Current geo-political examples which need to be situated within “Historical Context” include: 1.) The United States violating the Iranian nuclear agreement by withdrawing from it; and, 2.) United States-North Korean relations, including the Trump administration pulling out of the scheduled June 12 summit.
This topic raises the following questions: 1.) What is meant by “Historical Context” and “Hegemony;” 2.) Why does the corporate-owned media (and the PBS News Hour) not situate United States foreign policy within “Historical Context;” and, 3.) What does situating United States foreign policy into “Historical Context” tell us?
To address these questions the talk will: 1.) Explain what is meant by “Historical Context” and “Hegemony;” 2.) Discuss the role of the corporate-owned media (and the PBS News Hour) in presenting “News” about United States foreign policy; 3.)Place the recent geo-political crises in “Historical Context,” with an emphasis on the Trump administration; and, 4.) Assess the geo-political contradictions that the United State policy operates in (and intensifies).
Professor George Wright taught Political Science at California State University, Chico from 1969 to 2003. He also taught History at Skyline Community College from 2004 to 2013. His major research includes United States Politics, International Political Economy, and the Politics of International Sport. He has a Ph.D. from the Department of Politics at the University of Leeds (UK).
Time will be allotted for announcements.
Donations to Occupy Forum to cover costs are encouraged; no one turned away
Meet local author Nancy Schimmel, who will discuss her work and read from her book, Occupella: Singing in the Lifeboats.
About the Book:
An account of the first year of Occupella, an activist song-leading group that grew out of song circles at Occupy Oakland and Occupy Berkeley formed by five professional singer-songwriters in 2011. Occupella is still busy leading songs at rallies, marches and meetings..
About the Author:
Nancy Schimmel is a veteran of the sixties peace movement and the women’s movement. her songs have been sung by Pete Seeger, Sally Rogers, and Grupo Raiz. She is working on a biography of her mother, Malvina Reynolds, who wrote “Little Boxes” and other songs.
The Privacy Advisory Commission provides advice to the City of Oakland on best practices to protect Oaklanders’ privacy rights in connection with the City’s purchase and use of surveillance equipment and other technology that collects or stores our data.
Agenda:
4. 5:15pm: Surveillance Equipment Ordinance – Oakland Department of Transportation/Vendor use of UAV/Drones. Review and take possible action on use policy and anticipated impact report.
5. 5:25pm: Illegal Dumping Project – a) staff update on project and District Attorney direct monitoring of video; b) discuss Surveillance Equipment Ordinance compliance next steps.
6. 5:30pm: Surveillance Equipment Ordinance – status update regarding department outreach for survey of existing equipment.
7. 5:45pm: Drug Enforcement Administration Memorandum Of Understanding – review and take possible action on staff proposed MOU.
8. 5:55pm: Surveillance Equipment Ordinance – “Large Scale Event” – discuss potential monitoring of Warriors championship parade.
9. 6:25pm: Surveillance Equipment Ordinance – Oakland Department of Transportation/Automated license plate reader proposal. Review and take possible action on use policy and anticipated impact report.
We are holding the event at OneFam Cafe to additionally highlight the tragic story being repeated too often across the City: Black people being pushed out of Oakland. Tony Coleman has been fighting to hold onto his 7th street spot. So we’ll show him some love and hear how we can support before diving into the evening’s topic.
This campaign is committed to building our platform in partnership with the community. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel. We want to uplift the amazing progressive grassroots work that is already happening.
Over the next few weeks, we will host People’s Assemblies on everything from public safety to education. Together we will imagine an Oakland with housing security, true public safety, sanctuary for all, and create a plan to get us there.
Our first People’s Assembly will focus on the arts, and the displacement of the very artists who make Oakland the place where everybody wants to be. Join us to dream about an Oakland where we recognize the contributions of artists to our shared culture, and support them so they can remain in the community they helped to create. We invite artists and culture keepers to join us for this critical conversation where we will explore:
– How are artists being pushed out of Oakland?
– What do artists need to stay in Oakland?
– What should the City of Oakland be doing to keep art and artists in the Town?
Light refreshments provided.
KPFA Radio 94.1FM & Project Censored present
Advance Tickets at:
Books Inc/Berkeley, Pegasus (3 sites), Moe’s, Walden Pond Bookstore, Mrs. Dalloway’s. East Bay Books
Wheelchair access
Medea Benjamin, one of America’s best-known and most effective activists,co-founder of Code Pink and Global Exchange, is the author of Drone Warfare and Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S—Saudi Connection. In 2012 she was awarded the U.S. Peace Memorial Foundation’s Peace Prize, and in 2014 the Gandhi Peace Award.
Now Medea has written the first general-audience progressive book on Iran’s history and politics, recounting Iran’s history from the pre-colonial period through the CIA-engineered coup that in 1953 overthrew the country’s democratic leadership, to its emergence as the only nation (other than Russia, of course) both Democrats and Republicans regularly denounce. Benjamin draws upon her firsthand experiences with Iranian politicians, activists and everyday citizens to provide a deeper understanding of the extraordinary complexities of Iranian society and the national role in the region.
In 1979 the Iranian Revolution brought a Shia theocracy to the 80 million inhabitants of the Middle East’s second largest country. In the decades since, bitter relations have persisted between the U.S. and Iran. Yet how is it that Iran has become the primary target of American antagonism, when Saudi Arabia – a regime far more repressive – has become one of America’s closest allies?
Tackling the contradictions in Iran’s systerm of government, its religion, and its citizens’ way of life, Inside Iran cuts sharply through the inflammatory rhetoric surrounding U.S.-Iranian relations to present a realistic and hopeful case for the two nations’ future.
Mickey Huff, Project Censored’s current director, is also president of the nonprofit Media Freedom Foundation. To date, he has edited or coedited eight volumes of Censored and contributed numerous chapters to these books. In addition, Mickey is at he frequent host of the Project Censored show aired on KPFA Radio.
KPFA benefit
There will be an informal get-together to celebrate:
– The awesome lawsuit victory in United State Postal Service v. City of Berkeley, validating Berkeley’s Historic District Zoning Overlay Ordinance!
– The long and so-far successful struggle to keep Berkeley’s historic and culturally important downtown Post Office preserved and operating!
We will gather on JUNE 8TH, 2018 at (where else?) THE SIDEWALK AND STEPS OF THE DOWNTOWN BERKELEY POST OFFICE, at 5:00 PM.
The principal gastronomic experience will be provided, while you’all are encouraged to bring your very own dishes, desserts and delights.
The gathering will be informal. Perhaps a (very) brief summary of the lawsuit victory and what might come next, followed by an open mic for anyone who wishes to speak briefly about the struggle or in memory our comrade John.
We look forward to good cheer, good conversation, reminisces and reuniting for all.
The West Oakland Community clinic offers donation based holistic healing modalities monthly, on the second Saturday.
We are committed to creating a safe space and affordable (even free) massage therapy and other therapies and services to those most marginalized in the community.
This month we will have:
Massage Therapy of various styles
Energy work
Cranialsacral
Australian Osteopathy
Narcan Kit training and Harm reduction (4 Pm- pick up kits anytime)
We always have a free VEGAN hot Meal.
There are other various donations at times- e.g traditional chinese medicine supplements.
You can pre-book a session (not required) by emailing us at:
westoaklandclinic@gmail.com
Email us to get involved or for all other inquires as well.
Hope to see you there!!!!
Mark your calendar and register on Eventbrite! pic.twitter.com/cBuCfwEVVk
— Coalition for Police Accountability (@oakcopoversight) May 23, 2018
June 9, 2018: 2-5pm
RSVP for location
https://www.surjbayarea.org/events/immigrant-solidarity-rapid-response-training
Join the Immigrant Liberation Movement and the Alameda County
Immigration Legal and Education Partnership for a special solidarity
training for immigrant freedom and justice in the East Bay. The need to
unify in support of migrants and their families is greater than any time
in recent memory. Participants will train in documenting and monitoring
ICE activity in real time, learn how to accompany immigrant families
impacted by ICE raids and other ways to strengthen existing local
immigrant defense and rapid response capacity.
The event is coordinated by the surj Anti-White Supremacist working
group and Kehila synagogue. Location in Oakland.
Free Food – Live Bands & Performances
OneFam and Bikes 4 Life have a rich history, but they are facing eviction unless we unite to defend it.
OneFam, located in West Oakland, is a community-based organization that utilizes a series of for-profit social enterprise businesses to support its non-profit mission. OneFam started years ago with Bikes 4 Life. It has since grown to include the other units on the property: the 7th Street Rev Cafe, and other land subleased for gardening projects. The goals of OneFam are as follows:
— Inspire community members to take part in politics by building a social justice movement with a diverse mix of artists and activists
— Raise the consciousness of young people and turn them into local leaders by creating a space for education and awareness about the issues of their community.
OneFam has roots in the Oscar Grant movement. Many meetings happened in OneFam spaces. OneFam is an amazing community organization. Unfortunately it has a troubled history with its property owners.
Help save 7th Street Culture! Come out for the BBQ block party!
#OneFam #DefendOneFam
This spring, teachers and other school workers in predominantly right-to-work “red” states organized together and struck for more education funding in confrontations with their state governments. They won unprecedented gains. What can we – in a “blue” state with collective bargaining rights like California – learn from their experiences? What challenges lie ahead? Join us for this critical discussion with key leaders and activists from West Virginia, Kentucky, and Arizona.
Speakers:
Rebecca Garelli – Middle School Math and Science Educator; Arizona Educators United Lead Organizer
Tia Edison – Elementary School Teacher, Jefferson County (Kentucky) Education Association Executive Board, Black Lives Matter
Barbara Boyd – Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
Nicole McCormick – Music Teacher PreK-5, Mercer County (West Virginia) Education Association President-Elect
This event is sponsored by the Oakland Education Association and co-sponsored by the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, the United Teachers of Richmond, the Peralta Federation of Teachers, and United Educators of San Francisco
Meet Local Author Lise Pearlman, who will discuss her work and read from her newest book.
About the Book:
Call Me Phaedra: The Life and Times of Movement Lawyer Fay Stender provides an inside view of activism during the McCarthy Era, the Civil Rights Movement, Free Speech Era, the rise of black power, and the Women’s Rights Movement. It chronicles the extraordinary life and career of Fay Stender, focused particularly on her work as a rare female criminal defense lawyer and ground-breaking prisoners’ rights advocate. The book focuses on Stender’s achievements and challenges representing two black revolutionary clients. Her work both won her international acclaim as a top Movement lawyer and propelled her to a tragic end. The saga of this feminine icon will fascinate those who lived through these eras as well as young adults today interested in the history of American activism and, particularly, women who challenged white-male monopoly power. Those who are working to change American society for the better today can draw valuable lessons from this important new biography and history book which reflects years of research, including access to several unpublished private collections and scores of exclusive interviews.
About the Author:
Lise Pearlman appeared in Stanley Nelson’s acclaimed 2015 film “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” as the country’s leading expert on the 1968 Huey Newton death penalty trial. Her first history book, The Sky’s The Limit: People v. Newton, The Real Trial of the 20th Century? [Regent Press 2012] won awards in the categories of law, history and multiculturalism. Pearlman was an undergraduate in the first class that included women at Yale University when Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale was tried for murder in New Haven. She then moved to the Bay Area where she attended Berkeley Law School and then clerked for California Chief Justice Donald White before practicing law in Oakland. From 1989-1995, she served as the first Presiding Judge of the California State Bar Court. Pearlman has spent almost all of her adult life in Oakland where the Newton trial took place and where she still resides. www.lisapearlman.com
Russia in the 20th century was the site of enormous upheavals the Bolshevik Revolution, the massive industrialization, the Great Patriotic War, the Cold War, the breakup of the Soviet Union, and the Yeltsin era. The Putin presidency (2000-present) poses particularly difficult political and theoretical problems for imperialists and Marxists alike. to review imperialism’s (U.S.) incessant lying attacks on ex-USSR/Putin, see this source;
https://consortiumnews.com/2018/02/06/understanding-russia-un-demonizing-putin
For 30 years Sharon Tennison, with high marks for her work in particular by some Leftists, talked to Soviets/Russians and U.S. Americans to try to bring them together, to prevent mutual atomic bombing. Her work took a surprising turn, one that needs examination by us. Her report is The Power of Impossible Ideas: Ordinary Citizens’ Extraordinary Efforts to Avert International Crises.
Two ICSS members will examine these factors from a Marxist perspective. Presentations by ICSS members Richard Fallenbaum, a retired tech worker, and Norma Harrison, a woman, mother, public school teacher, wife, electronics journey-one, Realtor.
On Sunday, June 10, 2018 at 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the MCLI office at 1715 Francisco Street, Berkeley, CA 94703. MCLI will be hosting a Potluck/BBQ. This will be a casual event and we encourage all MCLI supporters to come and bring friends, family, and colleagues.
This will be a great opportunity to socialize with friends and to meet the new board members and leadership, learn about new and ongoing work, and eat great food with others who care about human rights.
RSVP AT 510-355-7010
We document current events, make films together, steward an editing suite and share a film equipment library. We also host film screenings, often with local directors, and put on an annual short film festival for independent Bay Area filmmakers. Our goal is to make the digital filmmaking accessible – no overpriced college degree or certificate program required!
We are also a good group to reach out to if you’d like to screen a film at the Omni. We can be reached at liberatedlens@lists.riseup.net
We usually meet in the basement, unless otherwise noted.
EVERYBODY’S GOT A RIGHT TO LIVE: Education, Living Wages, Jobs, Income, Housing. ** RVSP http://bit.ly/PPCwk5 **
WEEK 5 of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. We are creating a Radical Revolution of Values by undertaking mass, nationally coordinated, civil disobedience, for six straight weeks.
12:30pm @ Rally and Direct Action launch at West Capitol steps
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50 years ago, Dr. MLK Jr. started the Poor People’s Campaign to spark a radical revolution of values across the nation. The campaign was intended to turn his dream, our dream, into a reality. Black, Brown, Yellow, Red, White, folks of every color where invited to band together across differences to build a Beloved Community across the nation. Weeks before the Campaign, King was assassinated. The original movement was unable to come to fruition.
The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is picking up where the movement stopped in 1968. Join us for our fourth week in a SEASON OF NONVIOLENT MORAL DIRECT ACTION. America is in a crisis of values. We must take nonviolent radical action to stand for the dignity of all people in our nation.
In the 5th week of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival we are fighting for Everybody’s Right to Live: education, living wages, and housing. In the richest nation ever to exist it is immoral for people to go cold or hungry. When 3 Americans own as much wealth as the bottom 50% of the countries population combined, we have a problem.
We can build a new American dream where everyone has a right to live a dignified life.
JOIN US MONDAY JUNE 11TH TO CONTINUE TO BUILD A MOVEMENT ACROSS THE NATION!
PLEASE NOTE: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO RISK ARREST TO JOIN THIS ACTION. We need all hands on deck!
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Schedule:
8:30am-9am: Arrive Sign-up for Nonviolent Moral Fusion Direct Action and support role training @ Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1300 N St, Sacramento 95814. If you are participating in Nonviolent Moral Fusion Direct Action, or supporting as a Marshal, Medic or Peacekeeper you must join this training. (even if you have already been trained!)
8:30am-12:00pm: Final Training for everyone planning on participating in the Direct Action or as a Marshal or Peacekeeper.
12:30pm: Rally at WEST CAPITOL STEPS
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VOLUNTEER: Are you able to help volunteer with set-up or take down of the campaign? The revolution requires the dishwashers and movers. http://bit.ly/PPCVOLUNTEER
FOR THOSE WHO NEED, FREE SIMPLE HOUSING IS OFFERED IN LOCAL CHURCHES. Fill in this form: http://bit.ly/PPCHOUSING
TRANSPORTATION
The Bay Area: Please fill out this form and local organizer will be in touch soon: http://bit.ly/2IwHBtX
Central California: Please fill out this form and local organizer will be in touch soon. http://bit.ly/2LbXt2t
As this is significantly larger zone to try and cover, we will do our best, but can’t be certain we will meet everyone’s needs. Please organize as much as you in your local communities to see what is possible with carpooling and transportation options.
If you have any questions please be in touch at california@poorpeoplescampaign.org
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Thank you for joining with us to launch a multi-year movement to transform the moral narrative of this nation!
Meet you at the Capitol!
This workshop will include:
– Know Your Rights training and how to practice your rights
– Resources specific for workers, employers, educators, students & faith groups to practice sanctuary
– What a sanctuary neighborhood is and tips & practices on how to organize your neighborhood
– Networking with others in your neighborhood
– Lawyers available for legal consultations for additional hour after the workshop (7:30 – 8:30 pm)
This training is organized by Bay Area Sanctuary Neighborhoods, a project initiated by Arab Resource & Organizing Center, Bay Resistance, Hand in Hand, Immigrant Liberation Movement, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, La Colectiva, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, PODER and Xicana Moratorium Coalition.
Sanctuary Neighborhoods brings together neighbors, schools, small businesses, workers, people of faith and congregations who have pledged to defend our communities from ICE. We are each others’ sanctuary.
Join us by coming to this workshop! RSVP here: bit.ly/sanctuary11