Calendar

Omni General Assembly

omni working group meeting

Come by our open Delegates Meetings every Thursday evening at 7pm! We’ll give space to brief announcements, updates from working groups, proposals up for consensus, and discussion around important issues. The schedule is created weekly at the following url: https://pad.riseup.net/p/omninom

Hosted by Richard Wolinsky

Over the past few centuries, as Western civilization has enjoyed an expanding geographic domain, Westerners have observed other cultures rarely, and then usually with scant interest in what they saw in us. What the Rest Think of the West, unprecedented in its scope, at last provides a rich historical look through the eyes of observant outsiders as they survey and scrutinize the politics, science, technology, religion, family practices, and gender roles of civilizations not their own. The book emphasizes the broader figurative meaning of looking west in the scope of history.

Focusing on four civilizations-Islamic, Japanese, Chinese, and South Asian-Laura Nader has collected observations made over centuries by scholars, diplomats, missionaries, travelers, merchants, and students reflecting upon their own “Wests.” The accounts variously express critique, adoration, admiration, and fear, and are sometimes humorous, occasionally disturbing, at times controversial, and always enlightening. Nader provides informative introductions to each of the selections.

“There are things that only outsiders can see, and the true promise of anthropology has always been to use such insights to allow human beings to understand more of their shared humanity, to understand how we are the same through our differences.”
-David Graeber, author of Debt: The First 5,000 Years

“Intellectual exchange between the West and Asia has long been one-sided, handicapped further by lack of translations. This superbly introduced and edited anthology, which shows the diverse ways in which visitors from Asia perceived modern Western society and culture, fills a big gap in our self-understanding.” -Pankaj Mishra, author of From the Ruins of Empire: The Revolt against the West and the Remaking of Asia

Join us for a night with Omar Barghouti, the co-founder of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Barghouti will be presenting on academia’s role in the struggle for freedom and justice in Palestine.

This event is open to the public and is free of charge!

**Refreshments will be provided as well**

Sponsored by Cal Students for Justice in Palestine, UAW 2865-Berkeley, Friends of Sabeel North America, Jewish Voice for Peace- Bay Area, and Middle East Children’s Alliance.

Come to the Long Haul this Friday for the Slingshot all night meeting and help us make the new issue! 8pm-midnight. Comrades and cookies.

— Slingshot collective (@Slingshotnews) September 14, 2015

Rummage Sale | Bake Sale | Lunch / Dinner | Live Music

Please come and donate to Omni Commons to help us cover our ongoing expenses and keep this common space thriving for positive social change!

Schedule:

10am – Open Rummage Sale + Bake Sale
12pm – Open Meal Service
All day until 8pm – Live Music / Performances

We need you to bring your friends, your enemies, and your frenemies—as long as you come to support Omni Commons, and most important to HAVE FUN!

This documentary follows Hector Salgado’s journey back to Chile where he confronts his former captors as a filmmaker. Following the 1973 coup in Chile, Hector Salgado was imprisoned, tortured, and exiled from the time he was 16- 19.

At the age of 16, Hector Salgado was imprisoned and tortured by the Chilean Military government led by Augusto Pinochet. He was held for three years before being sent into exile to the US, the financial and military sponsor of Chile’s military. Special Circumstances follows Salgado’s quest to confront his persecutors after several decades have passed.

The film was co-directed by Marianne Teleki.

*Who*: You–at ANY level of skill (newbs encouraged to attend)!
*What*: Work Party (fun, learning, labor, love)! — Also see TASKS list below!!!
*When*: *Sat 9/5 @ 12 noon* (And Every Saturday, FOREVER)!
*How*: With our bare hands, feet, noses, etc — plus tools and stuff!
*Why*: Omni Commons needs some serious elbow grease to get ship-shape, for the safety, accessibility, and delight of all!

*TASKS*
* Doors (re-hanging and installing closers)
* Carpentry in the basement
* Plumbing, tile, and other water-related activities
* Drywall ’til you drop
* Felt the feet of our ballroom furniture
* Protect our building from confused critters like pigeons!
* General cleaning / tidying / arranging / creativity / expression / explosions / excitement / activity!!!!!!!
* much much much more!

Please join your fellow volunteers, especially the zany and rambunctious
Building and Maintenance Working Group (woooohooooooooooooooooooooo)!

Matt Gonzalez, former SF supervisor and current attorney for Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez (immigrant accused of murder in the Pier 14 shooting) will join Mujeres Unidas y Activas to talk about contemporary immigration issues. What is at stake for immigrants rights in our community? What do we need to know about sactuary cities policies? What should we do in order to retain them? How the right-wing media is using this case for political revenge.

Please join Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant at a rally in Oakland for her re-election campaign! Mark your calendar now!

NEW! Richmond City Councillor and former Green Mayor, Gayle McLaughlin to speak alongside Kshama at this event!

From the streets of Baltimore to the growing movement for a $15 minimum wage, consistent protests are erupting against the endemic inequality and racism generated by Wall Street and their social system. With growing anger at the corporate policies of both main political parties, millions are looking for an alternative.

Since her election in 2013, Councilmember Sawant has led the opposition to the corporate agenda in the Pacific Northwest. An unapologetic fighter for working people, she refuses all corporate donations and accepts only the average worker’s wage, giving the rest of her salary back to social movements. Despite being a city councilmember, she has risked arrest in order to stand with workers fighting for a living wage in Sea-Tac and environmentalists blockading coal trains. Her re-election will inspire more oppressed people to fight for our rights, and it will prove again that it is completely possible to elect candidates who reject corporate cash.

Kshama Sawant has inspired movements across the country. That is why corporations across the country are funding her opponents’ campaigns. We in the Bay Area absolutely need to support her historic re-election. She cannot get re-elected without our active support. Mark your calendar, invite your friends, and join us at this rally and fundraiser!

(If you cannot join us on September 19th, please donate at http://www.kshamasawant.org/ )

Sponsored by All of Us or None, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children.

“From Civil Rights to Prisoners’ Rights. The Fight for our Human Rights Continues.:

Afrikatown Garden Workday
Come anytime, we will be out gardening with our community and neighbors! Bring plants, seeds, tools, etc if you have it!!

Special City Council #oakmtg on coal scheduled for Sep. 21, 2015, at 4:00 PM. Sponsored by @DanKalb @Kaplan4Oakland and CM Reid. #oakland

— Coal Free Oakland (@CoalFreeOakland) July 16, 2015

Special Council Hearing Re: Public Health and Coal scheduled for Sept 21st, 4PM- 6PM #OakMTg

— Abel Guillen (@Abel_Guillen) August 13, 2015

No further info.

Join us to fight for a livable wage for all Bay Area workers! We collaborate in principled reflection and action on what the Bay Area livable wage would be and where we are at on the right to a livable wage.

The Oakland Livable Wage Assembly builds Community and Power among those who seek higher wages and better work life conditions for area workers.

Our work together encompasses:

(1) The concerns of precarious, care and contingent workers,
(2) Campaigns to improve wages for low wage workers, and
(3) Efforts by unionized workers and unions to improve wages and quality of work life.

We share stories and information in an egalitarian and participatory way to build relationships and build the movement.

Oakland Livable Wage Assembly meets every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, 6:30-8:00 PM at the SEIU Local 1000 Union Hall, 436 14th Street #200, Oakland, CA

Please love and support one another ~ We have a duty to fight ~ We have a duty to win!

olwa.org

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1568668586707336/

 

The big banner and new placards will put attention on the horrendous noise at Pelican Bay SHU 24/7, caused by the ‘wellness checks’.
SLEEP DEPRIVATION = TORTURE
The architecture of the SHU at Pelican Bay amplifies the slamming of the pod doors, the guards clambering up and down the tiers as well as the beeper and wand action by guards. The interpretation of these wellness checks by Pelican Bay staffers is unacceptable. Turn out to hear the latest and sign up for our emergency response network.

Flying Over Walls will be hosting their Oakland LGBTQ+ Prisoner Letterwriting Night again in conjunction with Statewide Coordinated Actions To End Solitary Confinement – and discussing the recent Ashker v. Governor of California settlement, including what it means and what we are still fighting for.

As the SF Bay Area chapter of Black & Pink, our focus is to connect the non-incarcerated LGBTQ+ folks who participate in our events to B&P members in Northern California prisons.

Join Oakland Privacy Working Group to organize against the Domain Awareness Center (DAC), Oakland’s citywide networked mass surveillance hub, and other invasions of privacy by our benighted City Government, to support privacy ordinances now being considered by the Oakland City Council emerging from the effort to fight the DAC, oppose Urban Shield, fight against Predictive Policing, Stingray and help in other fights to preserve and restore our privacy around the Bay Area, in California and nationwide.

OPWG was instrumental in stopping the DAC from becoming a city-wide spying network, and its members helped draft the Privacy Policy that puts further restrictions on the now Port-restricted DAC.

Stop by and learn how you can help guard Oakland’s right not to be spied on by the government & if you are interested in joining the Oakland Privacy Working Group email listserv, send an email to:

oaklandprivacyworkinggroup-subscribe AT lists.riseup.net

For more information on the DAC check out

• DAC FAQ
• Oakland Wiki Domain Awareness Page
• Oakland Privacy WordPress

Film evenings begin with optional potluck refreshments & social hour at 6:30 pm,
followed by the films at 7:30 pm, followed by optional discussion after the films.

WE THE TINY HOUSE PEOPLE By Kirsten Dirksen

For a detailed description of this film, see this website.

This is journey into the tiny homes of people searching for simplicity, self-sufficiency, minimalism and happiness by creating shelter in caves, converted garages, trailers, tool sheds, river boats and former pigeon coops.

Basically, Dirksen made a documentary on people living in tiny houses. For around five years she was traveling the world and filming these segments.

Humanist Hall is wheelchair accessible around the corner at 411 28th Street

The BAPS General Meeting is where our core group of organizers come together to deal mostly with administrative issues, planning, fundraising, organizing the school, etc. We could use your help. Attending these meetings is how you become a member of the collective. For those looking to get involved with the school, this is a good place to start.

What happens at the General Meeting?

relevant announcements
collaborate and coalesce new visions of the school
distribute tasks and plan to take action
learn how to build collectivity, a commons