Baltimore Activist Alert - June 1 - 3, 2016

23] See a film about Palestinian & Syrian refugees – June 1

24] Facilitation workshop -- June 1

25] LGBTQ Community Meeting with Baltimore City Police – June 1

26] Youth addiction -- June 1

27] Innovation in Latin America – June 2

28] Humanitarian Summit – June 2

29] Protest World Vision – June 2

30] An immigrant’s story – June 2

31] Robots are coming – June 2

32] Financial Empowerment – June 3

33] Film THE GROUND TRUTH – June 3

23] – Check out Voices on Palestine: Summer Film Series 2016 at 2425 Virginia Ave. NW, WDC, on Wed., June 1 at 6 PM. “On the Bride’s Side” records the 2013 journey of five undocumented Syrian and Palestinian refugees who end up in Italy fleeing the war in Syria, and with the help of the filmmakers, continue on from Milan to Stockholm where they seek to attain political asylum. The refugees and their supporters travel as a fake wedding party complete with a bride in a white gown, hoping to avoid detection and arrest. Along the way they reflect on the treacherous experiences, risks undertaken, and those left behind in their search for better lives for themselves and their families.  Refreshments will be served at 5:30 PM. RSVP is requested: http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/events/upcoming/9170.

24] – Trauma Is In The Room: Tools for Facilitators and Accessible Trainings is a training at 1525 Newton St. NW, WDC, on Wed., June 1 from 7 to 9 PM. When we think about social justice work, we may not think about trauma. Similarly, when we think about facilitation, we may not be prepared for trauma to come into the room. Effective facilitation looks at the needs of participants holistically, as well as barriers to participants engaging fully with information, each other, the facilitators or the space. Trauma informed facilitation acknowledges that community members need practical tools for supporting participants and themselves who are impacted by trauma in order to promote safe and consensual training models. By examining ways that trauma shows up in our personal triggers, places of disagreement and insensitivity, disengagement and crisis, w can gain self-awareness and skills for safety planning that are flexible and respectful of diverse needs and boundaries. As we become more trauma informed facilitators, the spaces we relate to can become more accountable to trauma as a question of accessibility, anti-oppression and harm reduction. This skillshare will be facilitated by Amanda Lindamood (Director of Training & Community Engagement at DC Rape Crisis Center), Ella Jennings LCSW, and Corinn Marquis (Motivational Leader and Change Agent). Email Darakshan at Darakshan@washingtonpeacecenter.org or call at (202) 234-2000.

25] – On Wed., June 1 at 7 PM there will be a LGBTQ Community Meeting with Baltimore City Police at the Chase Brexton Health Care, 1111 N. Charles St.,  Call (410) 837-2050 or go to glccb.org.  Did you know that the Baltimore City Police Department has a LGBT Advisory Board? If not, get familiar. Organizers say this is a time to meet board members, ask questions, and get information. The police are supposed to be here to serve everyone. Help hold them accountable.

26] – YOUTH, ADDICTION, AND JUVENILE JUSTICE is the topic of discussion on Wed., June 1 at 7:30 PM at Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201.  Red Emma's. OSI-Baltimore hosts the second event in its “Talking About Addiction” series, a discussion about adolescents and addiction with experts in the field, advocates, and families that have been affected by addiction problems. Much of the public, along with advocates, healthcare providers, and even many in law enforcement, have come around to the idea that the War on Drugs has been a failure and that addiction should be treated as a public health problem, not a criminal justice issue. But research and policy around young people and addiction has been slower to reach the mainstream. Our guests will include Evan Elkin (above left), executive director of Reclaiming Futures, a Portland, Oregon-based organization established to build, run and test a six-step model that promotes new standards of care and opportunities in juvenile justice, and Dr. Hoover Adger (above right), a professor in adolescent health at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Elkin and Adger will be joined by families whose lives have been disrupted by adolescent addiction. Scott Nolen, director of OSI-Baltimore’s Drug Addiction Treatment program, will moderate the discussion. Go to https://www.osibaltimore.org/2016/05/next-in-our-talking-about-addiction-series-kids-addiction-and-juvenile-justice/. Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org.

27] – Fostering Innovation Ecosystems in Latin America is happening at One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, WDC, on Thurs., June 2 from 9 AM to noon.  Fostering innovation and entrepreneurship are critical to sustainable growth and competitiveness in the globalized economy of the 21st Century. This is especially true in Latin America and other emerging markets. The region has a number of well-known innovation hubs—Buenos Aires, Guadalajara, Santiago, to name a few—but Latin America generally lags behind other regions in global measures of innovation capacity. How can this be turned around? How can industry, educational systems, and governments better collaborate to improve the climate for innovation and entrepreneurial success? What are the needs, challenges, and obstacles that innovators face in different Latin American contexts? How can innovation “ecosystems” blossom and what ingredients have been lacking thus far? Join the Latin American Program at the Wilson Center in the sixth floor Flom Auditorium. RSVP at https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/fostering-innovation-ecosystems-latin-america.

28] – On Thurs., June 2 from 9:30 AM to 12:15 PM, join USIP and Oxfam America as they host a forum on the heels of the World Humanitarian Summit on how to strengthen the humanitarian system and increase the ability of national leaders and civil society organizations to avoid cycles of crisis, conflict and violence. The forum will be moderated by Kim Ghattas, Journalist, BBC and Howard LaFranchi, Journalist, Christian Science Monitor. Panelists include Nancy Lindborg, President, U.S. Institute of Peace, Ray Offenheiser, President, Oxfam America, Anne C. Richard, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, U.S. Department of State, Thomas Staal, Acting Assistant Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development, Fadi Hallisso, CEO and Co-Founder, Basmeh and Zeitooneh, Elizabeth Ferris, Senior Adviser to the U.N. General Assembly's High-Level Meeting on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants; Research Professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. A World on Fire: Strengthening Humanitarian Response will be held at 2301 Constitution Ave. NW, WDC. Contact Paul Johnson at 202-429-7174 or at pjohnson@usip.org to RSVP.

29] – Protest at World Vision against Racial, Muslim & LGBT Discrimination at 300 Eye St. NE, WDC, on Thurs., June 2 from noon to 2 PM. Protests resume against World Vision for discriminatory treatment against an African-American female employee, and Muslims and LGBT individuals who are fully banned from employment with the international charity organization.  Protests began in April during Emancipation Week, and will reconvene in June, in respect of the many groups affected by World Vision’s discriminatory practices, and correlating observances celebrated during the month which honor these groups: Juneteenth, Ramadan, and LGBT Pride.

African-Americans generally are grossly underrepresented at World Vision, which has 40,000+ employees; and receives a quarter-billion dollars annually in tax-payer funded federal grants. In 2014, World Vision reversed a decision to end its longstanding policy against employing LGBT individuals. Muslims also have long been excluded from employment at World Vision. Email silver_keith@aol.com; Twitter: @world_division

30] – Writers LIVE presents  Diane Guerrero and her book “In the Country We Love: My Family Divided” on Thurs., June 2 at 7 PM at the Central Library, Main Hall, 400 Cathedral St., Baltimore 21201. Guerrero, star of "Orange is the New Black" and "Jane the Virgin," shares her personal story of the plight of undocumented immigrants in this country. Guerrero was just 14 years old the day her parents and brother were arrested and deported while she was at school. Born in the U.S., she was able to remain in this country and continue her education, depending on the kindness of family friends who took her in and helped her build a life and a successful acting career.  She volunteers with the nonprofit Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and was named an Ambassador for Citizenship and Naturalization by the White House. Go to www.prattlibrary.org.

31] – While Alec Ross was working as Senior Advisor for Innovation to the Secretary of State, he traveled to 41 countries, exploring the latest advances coming out of every continent. From startup hubs in Kenya to R&D labs in South Korea, Ross has seen what the future holds. In “The Industries of the Future,” Ross shows us what changes are coming in the next ten years, highlighting the best opportunities for progress and explaining why countries thrive or sputter. He examines the specific fields that will most shape our economic future, including robotics, cybersecurity, the commercialization of genomics, the next step for big data and the coming impact of digital technology on money and markets. Ross blends storytelling and economic analysis to give a vivid and informed perspective on how sweeping global trends are affecting the ways we live. This is an essential book for understanding how the world works, now and tomorrow, and a must-read for business people in every sector.  He will speak on Thurs., June 2 at 7 PM at The Ivy Bookshop, 6080 Falls Road, Baltimore 21209.  RSVP at info@theivybookshop.com.

32] – Get over to FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT DAY at 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE, WDC, on Fri., June 3 from 9:45 AM to 4:30 PM.  Enjoy a day of panel discussions and hands-on workshops as you learn about the challenges of asset building policy, including the racial wealth gap, predatory lending, and financial inclusion, especially in regard to low-income communities and communities of color. There will be representatives from the following organizations: Deloitte, Corporation for Enterprise Development and Emerson Hunger Fellow from the Congressional Hunger Center...and many more!

33] –  The Hiroshima-Nagasaki Commemoration Committee, Baltimore Quaker Peace and Justice Committee of Homewood and Stony Run Meetings and Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility are continuing the FILM & SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS DVD SERIES.  The DVDs will be shown at Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St., Baltimore 21218, usually on the First Friday. At 7:15 PM, from January through June, a DVD will be shown with a discussion to follow.  There is no charge, and refreshments will be available. The series theme is CHANGE IS INEVITABLE.  

On June 3 see THE GROUND TRUTH [USA, 2006] Filmmaker Patricia Foulkrod examines the experiences of Iraq War veterans and the plight of the military. She documents stories of human wreckage arising from the horrors of war and the dehumanizing military training. Some ten veterans discuss how their time in Iraq changed their lives irrevocably.  Regarding basic training, they discuss desensitization and depersonalization. The accounts given for their experiences in Iraq highlight both physical and mental injuries. After they were discharged, they had adjust and adapt to a civilian world.  Of course, many of them are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and amputated limbs. Call 410-323-1607 or email mobuszewski at Verizon.net.

To be continued.  

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs