Calendar
Speaker: Andrew Feinstein
Andrew Feinstein, a former South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress will speak on
- Apartheid in South Africa before it was abolished vs. what is practiced by Israel, as a Zionist state.
- Antisemitism – what it is and its abuse by the defenders of Zionism.
- Israel in global arms trade, and how it serves imperial interests.
- What lessons of the struggle against apartheid in SA could be applied to the struggle against Zionism today?
Our Speaker, Andrew Feinstein, is a London-based activist, filmmaker, author, political scientist, and filmmaker. He is chairman of the AIDS charity Friends of Treatment Action Compaign and executive director of Corruption Watch UK
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Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oakland-greens-free-dinner-a-movie-discussion-series-tickets-786403252297?aff=erelpanelorg
Sausage Party is a 2016 adult computer-animated black comedy film directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan and written by Kyle Hunter, Ariel Shaffir, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg from a story by Rogen, Goldberg, and Jonah Hill. It stars the voices of Rogen (in a dual role), Kristen Wiig, Hill, Bill Hader (in a triple role), Michael Cera, James Franco, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Paul Rudd, Nick Kroll, David Krumholtz, Edward Norton, and Salma Hayek. The film follows an anthropomorphic sausage who lives in a supermarket and discovers the truth about what happens when groceries are purchased leading him on a journey with his friends to escape their fate while also facing a lunatic and malicious douche who wants to kill him.
The film’s animation was handled by the Vancouver-based Nitrogen Studios. It is the first computer-animated film to be rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). The film’s rough cut premiered on March 14, 2016, at South by Southwest, followed by its general theatrical release in the United States on August 12, 2016, by Columbia Pictures.
The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its story, voice acting and humor, though its animation and heavy use of profanity received some criticism. It grossed $141 million against a budget of $19 million, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated animated film at the time until it was surpassed by Demon Slayer: Mugen Train in 2020.
Plot: Unbeknownst to humans, a supermarket called Shopwell’s is filled with anthropomorphic grocery items that believe that the human shoppers are gods who take purchased groceries to a utopia known as the “Great Beyond”. Among the store’s groceries is a sausage named Frank, who dreams of living in the Great Beyond with his hot dog bun girlfriend Brenda and his friends Carl and Barry. The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVAcTZKTgmc
Join the Oakland Greens for this free community event, Sunday, February 25. The Oakland Greens Free Dinner & a Movie Discussion Series is normally a hybrid community discussion event. [[Get in-persxn & virtual tickets and information thru http://www.oaklandgreens.org/events These community engagement hybrid events are held the last Sunday of the month January thru October.]] Due to a medical emergency this event will now be online only.
This is a 21 and up event unless with parental supervision.
People’s Park is currently barricaded by stacked shipping containers topped with razor wire and guarded round-the-clock, following a midnight raid in early January by combined police forces from UC, CSU, Alameda County, San Francisco City and County and the California State Highway Patrol, organized by the UC Berkeley administration. Why? “The existing legal issues will inevitably be resolved, so we are taking this necessary step now to minimize the possibilities of conflict and confrontation, and of disruption for the public and our students, when we are cleared to resume construction,” said Chancellor Carol Christ (The Berkeleyan, January 16, 2024). Like others in the flood of official campus public relations communications with which students, faculty and staff have been inundated since the Chancellor’s 2017 announcement of plans to build student housing on the park, this response falls short of explaining why there is such fear of “conflict and confrontation” and such strong opposition to these plans, even from students whose interests the plans are supposed to serve.
For a broader range of perspectives on what was and is going on at People’s Park, Teach-Ins have been organized by UC Berkeley students (January 24) and by community groups (February 4). Please join us for the next one. There will be ample time for Q and A. Fiat Lux!
Presenters:
Harvey Smith, organizer of the People’s Park Historic District Advocacy Group and project advisor for The Living New Deal, UC Berkeley Department of Geography
Tom Dalzell, labor lawyer and author of The Battle for People’s Park, Berkeley 1969
Tony Platt, author of The Scandal of Cal: Land Grabs, White Supremacy and Miseducation at UC Berkeley and affiliated scholar at Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Law and Society
Steve Wasserman, publisher of Heyday Books and park activist since 1969
Sylvia T, recent UC Berkeley graduate, independent archival researcher and People’s Park defender
Sara Pech, Historic Preservation Club, a UC Berkeley student group
Representative from the Suitcase Clinic, a UC Berkeley student group
Moderator:
Kristin Hanson, Professor of English, UC Berkeley
Join the East Bay community as we honor the legacy of Martyr Aaron Bushnell, who courageously gave his life to protest the ongoing genocide. Let us reground ourselves in his final words and our rallying cry: Free Palestine. Free Palestine. Free Palestine
The global Insure Our Future campaign focuses on pressuring insurance companies to stop insuring fossil fuel projects. Join a global week of action to bring this demand to the streets.
Insure Our Future writes:
“In order to build a new fossil fuel project, companies need three things: permits, money and insurance. Without insurance, most new fossil fuel projects cannot go ahead, and existing ones must close. This makes insurance the Achilles heel of the fossil fuel industry. . . .
Insurance campaigning has already made new coal power plants almost uninsurable, threatening their viability, Coal companies are finding it increasingly difficult to access insurance cover even for their ongoing operations. Now we need your help to do the same for oil and gas expansion.”
The Oil and Gas Action Network is hosting the Bay Area action.
Please register in advance at
to receive your personal link to participate in this event online
One year ago, Pamela Price took office. She was elected Alameda County District Attorney on a reform platform that focused on rehabilitation and addressing police misconduct and corruption within the D.A.’s office. Less than 7 months later the recall campaign, part of a backlash to criminal punishment reforms and fear-mongering over crime by police and their political allies, began.
At this forum we will discuss what a criminal justice reform agenda looks like and examine the forces advocating a return to repressive measures that have never kept us safe. Our panelists are:
Walter Riley – civil rights attorney
Linton Johnson – Protect the Win Campaign
Please arrive early to place your order so that you do not miss any of the presentations.
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.
For more information email <info@sudssnackssocialism.org>
Speaker: Radhika Desai, International Manifesto Group.
Our program addresses the rapidly changing world order. This last year has been a time of summits: BRICS, G20, and G77 and the UN General Assembly. That these summits have been so hectic and have felt like such a whirlwind of events is because each marks the accelerated tempo of change on the international plain.
At the NATO summit in July, Zelensky failed to get even a timetable to get into NATO. The BRICS summit in Johannesburg in August admitted six new members. Then Putin hosted the vitally important meeting of the Eastern Economic Forum to showcase Russia’s own pivot to Asia, which was a friendly one. The Far Eastern economies are increasingly the dynamic center of the world economy. At the G77 plus China meeting in Havana, China restated its commitment to the development of the majority of humankind as the principle that should govern international relations. Then came the United Nations annual meeting in September.
Our speaker, Radhika Desai, is especially qualified to address these global changes. She is the convener of the International Manifesto Group (https://
Radhika Desai is Professor at the Department of Political Studies, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. She is the author of Geopolitical Economy: After US Hegemony, Globalization and Empire (2013), Slouching Towards Ayodhya: From Congress to Hindutva in Indian Politics (2nd rev ed, 2004) and Intellectuals and Socialism: ‘Social Democrats’ and the Labour Party (1994), a New Statesman and Society Book of the Month, and editor of Revitalizing Marxist Theory for Today’s Capitalism (2010), and Develop
The website for the Internationam Manifesto Group is:
Thee Intercept is coming to San Francisco!
Join me for a discussion on the progressive political movement at Book Passage Nico Pitney, my former colleague at HuffPost and co-founder and senior director of More Perfect Union, a nonprofit advocacy journalism organization, will moderate the conversation. Attendance is free and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
During the event, I will be discussing my new book,“The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution,” which explores the history and future of the progressive movement and takes a deep look at the role of AIPAC and the super PAC Democratic Majority for Israel in shaping the contours of political debate on Israel–Palestine.
I’m proud of it and I know that as a reader of The Intercept, it’s a book you’ll be glad you read. (I can’t guarantee you’ll enjoy it, though.)
I look forward to seeing you there.
Ryan Grim
D.C. Bureau Chief
Email strike.debt.bay.area@gmail.com a few days beforehand for the online invite.
For our February meeting we will be reading the first half (Chapters 1 -6) of How Infrastructure Works, Inside the Systems that Shape our World by Deb Chachra. (MIT Press) For our March meeting we will finish reading the book.
“A new way of seeing the essential systems hidden inside our walls, under our streets, and all around us.
Infrastructure is a marvel, meeting our basic needs and enabling lives of astounding ease and productivity that would have been unimaginable just a century ago. It is the physical manifestation of our social contract—of our ability to work collectively for the public good—and it consists of the most complex and vast technological systems ever created by humans.
A soaring bridge is an obvious infrastructural feat, but so are the mostly hidden reservoirs, transformers, sewers, cables, and pipes that deliver water, energy, and information to wherever we need it. When these systems work well, they hide in plain sight. Engineer and materials scientist Deb Chachra takes readers on a fascinating tour of these essential utilities, revealing how they work, what it takes to keep them running, just how much we rely on them—but also whom they work well for, and who pays the costs.
Across the U.S. and elsewhere, these systems are suffering from systemic neglect and the effects of climate change, becoming unavoidably visible when they break down. Communities that are already marginalized often bear the brunt of these failures. But Chachra maps out a path for transforming and rebuilding our shared infrastructure to be not just functional but also equitable, resilient, and sustainable. The cost of not being able to rely on these systems is unthinkably high. We need to learn how to see them—and fix them, together—before it’s too late.”
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, Jackson Rising Redux and The Feminist Subversion of the Economy.
Speaker: José Luis Granados Ceja
Our program is about the México Solidarity Project (https://mexicosolidarityproject.org/), which recognizes the 2018 presidential election of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) as a watershed moment. AMLO and his progressive Morena party offer the first opportunity to end the corruption, impoverishment, and subservience to US interests that has marked the 70 years of neoliberal dominance.
The project offers critical support for Morena, a left-leaning populist political party rooted in anti-neoliberalism and a staunch defender of national sovereignty. It is immersed in the social movements in México struggling for basic rights for workers and people in all marginalized groups. These voices for radical change sometimes line up with Morena and sometimes, as with the Zapatistas, do not. The project’s most basic goals are to promote people-to-people understanding across borders and to concentrate efforts to oppose the US dominance that undermines México’s national sovereignty.
Our speaker, José Luis Granados Ceja, is with the México Solidarity Project and is on the staff of Venezuelanalysis (https://venezuelanalysis.com/) and formerly with TeleSUR. He was born in Mexico City and spent his life migrating throughout the Americas. It was his experience as a migrant that led to his development of class consciousness at a young age. In 2005 he would travel to Venezuela to participate in the World Festival of Youth and Students, an experience that would change him forever and instill in him a passion for resisting imperialism and defending popular power.
In 2018, he realized his dream of returning to Mexico as writer and photojournalist to produce stories about the people of Latin America: workers fighting to improve the lives of their families and communities, thinkers teaching the world about how to secure justice, and activists on the frontlines of social change putting their beliefs into practice every day.
Some of José Lius’s articles:
Venezuela, Non-Aligned Movement Condemn Israel’s ‘Illegal’ Assault on Gaza, https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/venezuela-non-aligned-movement-condemn-israels-illegal-assault-on-gaza/.
Protests Against AMLO’s Reforms Reveal the Strongholds of Mexico’s Ancien Régime,
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/protest-mexico-amlo-ine/.
Latin American Leaders Reject US-Imposed Migration Policies at Palenque Summit, https://truthout.org/articles/latin-american-leaders-reject-us-imposed-migration-policies-at-palenque-summit/
LOGIN INFORMATION
Our Zoom room will be opened up as usual at 10:15 am for anyone to join and discuss technical matters, catch up with each other, say Hi, etc.. The program (and recording) will begin at 10:30 am and will end at 12:30pm.
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Ken Hammond is professor of East Asian and global history at New Mexico State Unive rsity. He holds a PhD in History and East Asian Languages from Harvard University. He lived in Beijing from 1982-1987, and has taught and travelled in China many times over the ensuing years. From 2007 until 2017 he was co-director of the Confucius Institute at New Mexico State. He has written numerous books and articles on early modern Chinese intellectual and cultural history, and is most recently the author of China’s Revolution and the Quest for a Socialist Future.
The talk will explore China’s efforts to achieve the stated objective of building an “ecological civilization” as part of the global struggle with climate change and planetary warming. I will discuss China’s achievements in alternative energy development and carbon emissions and the country’s commitments to meaningful environmental goals. I will also consider the problems facing the leaders and the people of China as they pursue these goals, including the efforts of the U.S. government to slow or stall China’s economic development, the questions surrounding population trends, and the balancing of raising material living standards while striving to reduce fossil fuel use, especially coal.
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Meeting ID: 880 8334 2274
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Ken Hammond is professor of East Asian and global history at New Mexico State University. He holds a PhD in History and East Asian Languages from Harvard University. He lived in Beijing from 1982-1987, and has taught and travelled in China many times over the ensuing years. From 2007 until 2017 he was co-director of the Confucius Institute at New Mexico State. He has written numerous books and articles on early modern Chinese intellectual and cultural history, and is most recently the author of China’s Revolution and the Quest for a Socialist Future.
The talk will explore China’s efforts to achieve the stated objective of building an “ecological civilization” as part of the global struggle with climate change and planetary warming. I will discuss China’s achievements in alternative energy development and carbon emissions and the country’s commitments to meaningful environmental goals. I will also consider the problems facing the leaders and the people of China as they pursue these goals, including the efforts of the U.S. government to slow or stall China’s economic development, the questions surrounding population trends, and the balancing of raising material living standards while striving to reduce fossil fuel use, especially coal
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.
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Meeting ID: 880 8334 2274
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STUDENT & COMMUNITY PANEL
Presented by: Hong Seng Campaign, Grad Students for Justice in
Palestine, People’s Park Berkeley, & Blackstone Divestment Campaign
Where is our tuition money going?
Learn about the UC’s unethical investments
and what WE can do about it.
The University of California, Berkeley is admired worldwide as a bastion of innovatiion and a hub for progressive thought. Far less known are the university’s roots in plunder, warfare, and the promotion of white supremacy. As Tony Platt shows in his latest book, The Scandal of Cal, these original sins sit at the center of UC Berkeley’s history.
Tony Platt is the author of thirteen books dealing with issues of inequality, power, and justice in American history. Platt, a longtime activist, is currently a Distinguished Affiliated Scholar at Cal Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Law & Society.
LOGIN INFORMATION
Our Zoom room will be opened up as usual at 10:15 am for anyone to join and discuss technical matters, catch up with each other, say Hi, etc.. The program (and recording) will begin at 10:30 am and will end at 12:30pm.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89531900427?pwd=mXg1rSZe3ONl4pfWlALW4ornc32Eez.1
NOTE: Our programs are all recorded and a link will be placed on our website soon after they are finished.
Join the Zoom
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Have you ever wondered how socialists should engage with elections? With the threat of Trump back in office in 2024 and a Democratic Party insistent on sacrificing Palestinian lives even if it means losing the presidency, the question has never been more urgent.
This Night School is a 101- and 201-level dive into the way socialists approach running for office and governing, which we call class-struggle elections. It’s geared toward new members and old heads alike. Bring a coworker, a mentee, or a friend! We’ll be joined by NYC DSA’s Zohran Mamdani from the New York State Assembly, plus EBDSA-endorsed Oakland School Board member Valarie Bachelor, who will talk about how they use their offices to build movements.
We encourage everyone to do the readings, but everyone is welcome regardless of whether they’ve done the readings.
Readings:
Class-Struggle Politicians Are Organizers First, Legislators Second, by Jack McShane, 2019 – https://socialistcall.com/2019/08/01/class-struggle-politicians-dsa-elections/
How a Grassroots Movement is Building Political Power: Notes From Richmond, California, by Mike Parker, 2020 – https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/11/26/how-a-grassroots-movement-is-building-political-power-notes-from-richmond-california/
Mike Parker on Political Action, 2021 – https://socialistcall.com/2022/01/20/mike-parker-electoral-strategy/
Palestine, labour activism and the US presidential elections, by Neal Meyer, 2024 – https://links.org.au/palestine-labour-activism-and-us-presidential-elections-interview-neal-meyer-bread-roses-dsa
Join us for a lively and informative discussion at the ROE V WADE: PROTECTING ABORTION RIGHTS PANEL event.
Our panelists, Liberty Crochet Mural Artists, TEACH (Training in Early Abortion for Comprehensive Healthcare) and other activists/practitioners will delve into the history, current status, and future of abortion rights in the US. Get ready to hear diverse perspectives and engage in thought-provoking conversations.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn and connect with others who are passionate about this important issue.
PANELISTS:
Flor Hunt (TEACH)
Kathryn Vercillo (Liberty Crochet Mural)
Ujjayini Sikha (WOMEN RISING Artist)
Tisha Kenny (Artist, activist and health care practitioner)
Dr. Cynthia Farner (OB/GYN)
More info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/roe-v-wade-protecting-abortion-rights-panel-tickets-859205295167