To subscribe to weekly events newsletter or to have progressive events for peace and justice added to this list, please contact cmhammond11@att.net.
Take Action to Support the Nuclear Ban Treaty! Honduras has become the 50th country to ratify the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This means that the treaty has reached the number needed to go into effect. This will start on January 2022 according to the United Nations. 122 countries out of the 193-member UN General Assembly have expressed support and 84 have signed the treaty. Write your representatives and tell them to support this effort! According to the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres this development, “represents a meaningful commitment towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons.” But this is only the beginning. Countries with nuclear weapons, including the United States, Russia, and China, have shown opposition to the treaty which aims to destroy all nuclear weapons and ban new ones. The countries that possess nuclear weapons, the US, Russia, the UK, China, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel have not signed the treaty. Changing perspectives in nuclear countries is incredibly important in the movement for nuclear disarmament. Citizens and residents of nuclear powers need to use their voices to support the elimination of these dangerous weapons. Tell your representatives that you want them to push for the United States to join the treaty!
Events and Meetings:
Monday, February 10, 2025, 5:00 PM. Grassroots Election Protection Coalition/ALLIANCE 4 GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY. Weekly zoom meeting. Register here.
Monday, February 10 – Thursday, February 13, 2025, 3:00 PM. Power Half-Hour for Gaza: Channel grief & outrage into action to stop a genocide. Now into the second year of genocide in Gaza, we are overwhelmed with sorrow and outrage. There are no words to describe the devastating pain of the past year in which the Israeli military has killed over 45,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including more than 20,000 children. The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court have both declared that Israel must stop the genocidal acts being committed on the Palestinian people. And the U.S. government is actively supporting the Israeli military as it wreaks devastation on the over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and B'Tselem have declared that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people of Gaza. We continue to come together as a political community in our daily half-hour to take action, Monday through Friday, for the past year. Join us as we take collective action to demand an arms embargo to Israel, immediate end to the genocide, a lasting ceasefire and an end to Israeli siege, apartheid, occupation, and oppression of Palestinians and Lebanon. All are welcome. All are needed. Register here.
Monday, February 10, 2025, 7:00 PM. Peace & Justice Conversations: Dynamic Community Resistance in West Africa. In West African cities, urban poor families and communities must struggle every day to survive -- not just to live on meager day-to-day incomes, but to tenaciously resist and mitigate the dynamics that threaten their very shelter and livelihoods. This conversation looks broadly at over a decade of work supporting multi-pronged community resistance to mass forced evictions, and dives deep into the struggle of the Otodo Gbame community in Lagos, whose true story of resistance from 2016-2017 inspired the co-production of The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos, which recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Massachusetts Peace Acton. More information and registration here.
Monday, February 10, 2025, 2:00 PM. Can Trump and Iran reach a verified nuclear peace agreement? The National Iranian American Council is hosting an X/Twitter Space to discuss a pressing question: With Trump’s maximum pressure memorandum and Khamenei’s public signals against talks, can negotiations move forward? Join us for a conversation with: Jamal Abdi, President, NIAC, Moderator, Kelsey Davenport, Director for Nonproliferation Policy, Arms Control Association, Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President, Quincy Institute, Barbara Slavin, Distinguished Fellow, Stimson Center, and Ryan Costello, Policy Director, NIAC We’ll break down the latest developments and what they mean for U.S.-Iran relations. https://x.com/i/spaces/1MYxNwZEXkVKw/peek.
Monday, February 10, 2025, 7:00 PM. Understanding Hamas Book Launch and Discussion. Helena Cobban be speaking about JWE's Understanding Hamas book, alongside the great Palestinian nonviolence leader Jonathan Kuttab, at American University. This event will be livestreamed on the Youtube channel of Jonathan's organization, Nonviolence International.
Monday, February 10, 2025, 7:00 – 8:30 PM. Sunrise Cbus Full Hub Meeting. Join Sunrise Cbus for an in-person full hub meeting! This will be a chance to check in with one another and discuss new roles and goals for the next 3 months. We are a youth-led advocacy group dedicated to pushing for environmental justice in our communities. More information here: Sunrise Columbus. Location: Columbus Metropolitan Library, Main Branch, 96 S Grant Ave, Meeting Room 1B, Columbus, 43215. Register here.
Monday, February 10, 2025, 8:00 PM. ADC Emergency Know Your Rights Town Hall. President Trump is ramping up his attack on student’s rights through two separate Executive Orders that suppress freedom of speech in regards to pro-Palestinian sentiment. These Executive Orders will target the most marginalized: visa holders and visa hopefuls. Non-U.S. citizens who are engaged in pro-Palestinian spaces both in-person and online may be subject to these Executive Orders and their potential immigration consequences. The Ara-American Anti-Discrimination Committee will be hosting virtual town halls to provide additional guidance for those interested. Register here.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025. 2:00 PM. Testimony & People needed against SB1 bill at Ohio Statehouse. SB1 is a bill trying to dismantle Higher Education in Ohio. It includes attacks on collective bargaining, striking and tenure, it bans classes that they consider diversity, equity & inclusion and a professor can take no position on “controversial beliefs” including climate change, immigration, abortion and marriage. Testimony can be submitted until Monday 2/10 at 2pm either written or for in-person testimony. A hearing will be held at the Statehouse on Tuesday 2/11 at 2pm to present in-person testimony. The public is also welcome to attend and show our resistance! Below is a link to information on submitting testimony. If you are a professor, student or concerned about our colleges and universities please consider making your voice heard through testimony. You can also contact your Ohio representatives and those that sit on the Higher Education Committee. How to submit testimony.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 7:00 PM. Conversation with Reverend John Wagner. Jewish Voice for Peace Central Ohio hosts Reverend John Wagner who will be speaking about his recent protective presence trip to the West Bank and the work of the United Methodist Church in Palestine. Reverend Wagner is a founding member of United Methodists for Kairos Response and served as its first convenor. He later served as Steering Committee Co-chair. He first visited Israel/Palestine in 2008 and was able to see the Israeli occupation up close. He was especially moved by the Palestinian Christians he met, but also the Palestinian Muslims and Israeli Jews he heard who are speaking out for a just peace. His last trip to the region was late summer 2024 with an interfaith group of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. They prayed at the border of Gaza and visited villages in the West Bank that were under attack. John attended Earlham College and got his M.Div. at Yale Divinity School. He has served churches in Indiana and Ohio for the last 42 years. He and his wife JoAnn have three daughters and two grandchildren. All are welcome. There will be a question-answer-time following his presentation. Facebook Event. Register here: http://bit.ly/3WQSue5.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 7:00 – 8:00 PM. Oil & Water Don't Mix Campaign Call. Join Oil & Water Don't Mix for our monthly campaign call. On our campaign calls, we share updates from recent developments on the fight to shut down Line 5, as well as opportunities for you to get involved in the campaign. You'll be able to meet organizers and volunteers who are working together to shut down America's most dangerous pipeline. Register here.
Tuesday, February 11, 2024, 7:00 PM. The Palestine Exception - Film Screening & Panel. Virtual screening and talkback with Social Work for Palestine, the Network to Advance Abolition in Social Work, the USA Palestine Mental Health Network, and the upEND Movement. Register here.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 11:00 AM. Kumi Now. Kumi Now is an online gathering every with a guest activist on the ground exploring issues of critical relevance to the Palestinian people and how you can get involved. Register here.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 1:00 – 1:30 PM. Episcopal Church Immigration Updates. Due to the number of executive orders, immigration raids, and other policy changes, Episcopal Migration Ministries is scheduling weekly immigration calls. EMM will share updates and resources and will be joined by the Office of Government Relations and the Chief Legal Officer. Spanish interpretation will be available. Register here.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 6:00 PM. Fair Districts All Volunteer Huddle. Join Fair Districts leaders and volunteers for a monthly meeting. Second Wednesday of the month. Register here.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 8:00 PM. Medicare for All National Strategy Call. Join the Nurses' Campaign to Win Medicare for All and activists from across the country to discuss our organizing plans for the first half of 2025. We'll outline our plans to prepare for the reintroduction of Medicare for All legislation in Congress, as well as how we plan to fight back against the threat of health care cuts under the current administration. We'll hear from National Nurses United President Cathy Kennedy and several other special guests. This call will last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Register here.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 PM. When Safety Nets Shrink. Columbus Metropolitan Club meeting. The Big Idea: Looming cutbacks in government funding could impact some of Central Ohio’s most vulnerable populations, including immigrants and refugees. What role will innovation and collaboration play in helping to offset their negative effects, including partnering with private donors, seeking alternative funding streams, and forming advocacy networks—to help fill financial shortfalls? Featuring Michael Corey, Executive Director, Human Service Chamber of Franklin County; Dr. Seleshi Ayalew Asfaw, President & CEO, Tewahedo Social Services; Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin; Elizabeth Brown, President & CEO, YWCA Columbus, and with moderator Lisa Courtice, President and CEO, The United Way of Central Ohio. Currently sold out, but the program is available online at CMC Livestream channel.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 5:30 – 7:30 PM. Veterans for Peace Central Ohio Chapter meeting. Location: Columbus Metropolitan Library, Northside Branch, 1423 N. High St., meeting room 2. Columbus 43201.
Thursday, February 13, 2025, 10:00 AM. Syria’s Transitional Government: Challenges, Prospects, and Global Implications. Arab Center Washington DC is convening a panel of experts to discuss the myriad challenges facing Syria in this transitional period, assess the prospects for success in instituting a democratic and inclusive government, explore the impact of regional and global dynamics, and offer policy recommendations for Syria and other actors. How will the new government ensure the protection of the rights of all Syrians? Who will be included in the temporary governing council and the constitution writing process? How will al-Sharaa and other HTS government appointees reconcile their Islamist roots with the rights of Syria’s many minority groups? How can democratic institutions be built to prevent a return to authoritarian rule? How will the new government handle state records, including human rights violations and corruption? What economic reforms are needed to support reconstruction and the needs of the Syrian people? How will the new government address other armed groups and the autonomous Kurdish forces and prevent renewed conflict? What mechanisms will ensure transitional justice for Syrians? How will the new government deal with external interventions and presence including from Turkey, Russia, Iran, and Israel? How will the US and European countries, who maintain sanctions on Syria and designate HTS a terrorist group, deal with the new government? Register here.
Thursday, February 13, 2025, 8:00 PM. ACLU's February People Power Action Call! One month into the new administration, our fight for civil rights is more urgent than ever. From birthright citizenship to gender-affirming care, we're already seeing attacks on our rights- and we need to come together so we can fight back. Join the ACLU People Power Action Call to take stock of where we are, learn about how the ACLU is responding, gain important information regarding your own rights, and learn how you can help fight for civil liberties. Now is the time to get involved. Register here.
Thursday, February 13, 2025, 7:00 PM. The Other Side of the Wall: West Bank Stories of Colonization and Sumud. While the world has rightly been riveted to the 470-day genocide in Gaza, settler attacks, ethnic cleansing, and looming annexation in the West Bank have been “under the radar.” Beth Brockman and Ron Shive will share eye opening stories and insights to move us, focus our attention, and ignite our activism. Register here.
Thursday,
February 13, 2025, 10:00 – 10:30 AM. Churches for Middle East Peace
Weekly Briefing. Please join us on Zoom for a
weekly briefing on current news regarding the Hamas and Israel War.
You will hear from CMEP Staff and other experts. Register
here.
Friday, February 14, 2025, 12:00 PM. Action Hours Cease Fire Now. Join AFSC staff every Friday to hear updates from Gaza. Then, take action with us as we contact Congress and call for a permanent cease-fire, arms embargo on Israel, and humanitarian access for Gaza. Our elected officials need to keep hearing from us! For over a year, AFSC’s team in Gaza has provided food, water, and other life-saving aid to hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians. Register here.
Friday, February 14, 2025, doors open at 5:30 PM, show time 6:00 PM. Film Noir Theatre: A Black History Month Film Series. Each Friday, there will be a double feature, two films written by, produced by and/or directed by African Americans. Before the screening, there will be a brief introduction and vintage cartoons. Everyone is welcome; however, in general, these films are not for children under the age of 14. Admission and parking are free. Hot dogs, popcorn, pop and hot chocolate will be available for purchase. Location: St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church Annex, 638 E. Long St. The annex is directly across the street from the church. More information here.
Saturday, February 15, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 PM. Weekly Rally for Peace. Location: East North Broadway and High St., Columbus.
Sunday, February 16, 2025, 11:00 AM. “W. E. B. Du Bois and the Question of Palestine” with Michael B. Burawoy. One of the remarkable features of the life and work of W. E. B. Du Bois was its global reach, but he approached international relations as a critic of US imperialism. This left him with several blind spots not least in relation to the question of Palestine. What can we learn from his limitations? How can we use Du Bois' pioneering scholarship on the US to give a fuller picture of globalization, the history of Israel/Palestine, and today's war in the Middle East? Michael Burawoy is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley where he is a sociologist who has conducted studies of class and race in Africa, Soviet and post-Soviet countries as well as in the United States. Community Church of Boston. Join on YouTube or on Zoom. Meeting ID: 813 5181 3462.
Sunday, February 16, 2025, 3:30 – 6:30 PM. Eyes on Sudan: Understanding, Solidarity, and Action. Join CAIR-Ohio, in partnership with The Sudanese Youth Leadership Association (SYLA), North and South Sudanese Association (NSSA), and Sudanese American Community Development Organization (SACDO), for an in-person teach-in. Together, let’s stand for Sudan and amplify the call for action. Be part of an evening filled with meaningful conversation, refreshments, and community as we commit ourselves to justice. Location: CAIR-Ohio Columbus Office, 4985 Cemetery Rd, Hilliard
Sunday, February 16, 2025, 11:00 AM. African Liberation, The Struggle Against Colonialism and Palestine with Chairman Omali Yeshitela. Omali Yeshitela is Chairman of the African Socialist International and the African People’s Socialist Party and Leader of the Uhuru Movement. Community Church of Boston. Join us on YouTube or on Zoom. Meeting ID: 813 5181 3462.
Sunday, February 16, 2025, 3:00 PM. Voices from the Holy Land Online Film Salon: "Made Homeless in the West Bank: Lawfare, Demolition, and Land Theft." In an ongoing policy of ethnic cleansing, Israeli authorities uproot fruit trees, raze farmland, destroy rainwater reservoirs and irrigation systems, and demolish homes. Meanwhile increasingly emboldened Israeli settlers — protected by soldiers — taunt families and vandalize property. The ultimate goal is to force Palestinians off the land. With the world’s attention diverted by the war on Gaza, displacement of West Bank Palestinians has increased dramatically in the past year. Our Salon will focus on Israel’s aggressive use of lawfare in its campaign of ethnic cleansing, the longstanding efforts of Palestinians to nonviolently resist, and the role of allies. Register for a discussion of the activities and the effects of Israel's actions with: - Bruno Sorrentino: London-based filmmaker specializing in longitudinal documentaries; co-director, Rooted in the West Bank - Eid Suleiman Hathaleen: Artist and human rights activist living in Umm al Khair, occupied South Hebron Hills - Jeff Halper: Israeli-American anthropologist, author, lecturer, and political activist; founder of Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) Our moderator will be Mouin Rabbani, Co-Editor of Jadaliyya and researcher, analyst, and commentator. NOTE: After you register, you will immediately get an Approved response - BUT then look in your email for an email From: Zoom with the word "Confirmation" at the end of the subject line...there you'll find the link and password to watch the film in advance of the Salon event. Register here.
Monday, February 17, 2025, 07:30 PM. Green Party Acton Webinar: Covert Action and Endless War. How the U.S. Exports Violence. The bellicose foreign policy of the U.S. continues to fuel instability and war worldwide in misguided efforts to attain global hegemony. In Europe, the Mideast, and the Pacific, U.S. covert and overt actions are undermining political stability and endangering peace. The webinar will explain how this process works, review the historic record, and address the dangers posed by continuation of covert and overt U.S. actions that harm other nations and threaten our own national security. Panelists: Matthew Hoh has been a Senior Fellow with the Center for International Policy since 2010. Butch Ware is a lifelong activist and educator specializing in the history of empire, colonialism, genocide and revolution. He is an associate professor of History, Black Studies, and Islamic Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Daniel Kovalik, a human rights lawyer and author, is a strong critic of U.S. interventionist foreign policies. Dr. Jill Stein was the Green Party candidate for President in 2024, 2016, and 2012. Madelyn Hoffman is an environmentalist and peace activist. Noura Khouri is a U.S. born Palestinian human rights activist and community organizer. Register here.
Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 8:00 PM. Book Group: Palestinian Walks: Notes on a Vanishing Landscape by Raja Shehadeh. Human rights lawyer and writer Raja Shehadeh has lived in Ramallah on the West Bank since his family fled Jaffa in 1948. A peace activist of independent temper, he has seen at first hand the horrors of occupation. For many years he has found comfort in walking, following an Arab custom of roaming freely, at will, wherever the spirit takes you. In this book, we accompany Raja Shehadeh on six walks taken in the West Bank between 1978 and 2006. When he first began walking in Palestine, he was not aware that he was traveling through a vanishing landscape. Subsequently, his hikes became less than bucolic and sometimes downright dangerous. That is because the landscape he traverses is now the site of a tense standoff between Palestinians and Israeli settlers. Register here.
Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 7:00 – 8:30 PM. The Urgency of Peace Negotiations to End the Ukraine War. This webinar on the Ukraine/Russia war takes place only days before the war’s third anniversary. Retired Army Lt. Colonel Daniel Davis will discuss the urgency of peace negotiations before Ukraine loses even more territory and soldiers to Russia, and to prevent the risk of the war escalating into a far more dangerous one — even nuclear war — between the US/NATO and Russia. Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis (retired) is a senior fellow and military expert at Defense Priorities and host of the Daniel Davis Deep Dive show on YouTube. He served for 21 years, including deployments to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the author of The Eleventh Hour in 2020 America. Colonel Davis gained some national notoriety in 2012 when he returned from Afghanistan and published a report detailing how senior U.S. military and civilian leaders misled the public and Congress into believing the war was going well while, in reality, it was headed toward defeat. His work on defense and foreign affairs has been published in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and other major media outlets, and he is a frequent guest commentator on NBC News, BBC, Fox News, Fox Business News, CNN, and other television networks. Massachusetts Peace Action. Register here.
Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 8:00 PM. Third Tuesdays: Protect, Resist, and Build with AFSC. Are you looking for ways to support your community while advocating for lasting social change? Join the American Friends Service Committee monthly webinar series every third Tuesday of the month. You'll hear directly from AFSC staff and partners and learn concrete ways we can all take action for migrant rights, economic justice, and peace. Register here.
Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 1:00 PM. Trump’s second term: NATO, War, and the Economy. Donald Trump has returned to the presidency demanding that NATO nations increase their military spending to 3%, possibly 5% of GDP, and threating massive tariffs. His commitments to NATO remain uncertain, as does his administration’s approach to the Ukraine War and possible ceasefire-related diplomacy. His “America First” agenda includes a $100 billion increase in the Pentagon’s already gargantuan budget. What are the implications for Euro-American relations with Russia, for NATO or pressures for an independent European military, for the U.S., European, and world economies? How should U.S. and European peace movements respond? Campaign for Peace Disarmament and Common Security. Speakers: Niamh Ni Bhriain, Reiner Braun, and Michael Klare. More information and registration here.
Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 7:00 – 8:30 PM. U.S.-China Nuclear Rivalry and the Taiwan Question. In the last five years, nuclear tensions between the U.S. and China have accelerated dramatically driven by a series of factors, including the severe deterioration of cross-Strait relations. This presentation will summarize thinking on both sides of the Pacific regarding the current state of this nuclear rivalry and its relationship to the Taiwan issue. Prof. Goldstein will also answer questions about his Asia trip during the winter holiday that took him to northeast China, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, and also South Korea. Lyle J. Goldstein is the Director of the China Initiative and Visiting Professor at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. At Brown, he is investigating the costs of great power competition with both China and Russia in association with the Costs of War Project at Watson. Massachusetts Peace Action. Register here.
Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 6:30 PM. Urgent Action for Migration Rights. The rights of immigrants are under immediate threat in the United States. Since January 20, executive actions and congressional legislation have destroyed any semblance of a just and humane migration system - violating the rights of any immigrant residing in or attempting to find safety in this country. In response to these widespread threats to the dignity and worth of all people, how can Friends live out our call to love our neighbors without exception? Friends Committee on National Legislation. Register here.
Saturday, February 22, 2025, 12:00 – 2:00 PM. Ramp Up for Repro In person meeting. Our monthly Ramp Up for Repro trainings will further acquaint you with political advocacy tactics, repro lingo, and help you find the best way to get involved. Every month, we'll dive into movement ecology, abortion messaging, the current landscape of abortion access, and provide next steps for you to take action!
The majority of the content of this training does not change between sessions, with the exception of current events and policy updates. Location: Columbus TBA. Register here.
Sunday, February 23, 2025, 5:00 PM (check in from 4:00 PM). Rooted in Hope. Fundraiser Event. Palestine Children’s Relief Fund Columbus Chapter. Event includes relief update, Columbus Youth Dabke, Fundraising dinner, guest speakers, and silent auction. Ticket price is $100. Location: Hilton at Easton, 3900 Chagrin Dr., Columbus, Ohio. Tickets and more information here.
Sunday, February 23,
2025, 11:00 AM. “W. E. B. Du Bois and
the Question of Palestine”
with Michael B. Burawoy. One of the remarkable features of the life
and work of W. E. B. Du Bois was its global reach, but he approached
international relations as a critic of US imperialism. This left him with
several blind spots not least in relation to the question of Palestine. What
can we learn from his limitations? How can we use Du Bois' pioneering
scholarship on the US to give a fuller picture of globalization, the history of
Israel/Palestine, and today's war in the Middle East? Michael
Burawoy is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley
where he is a sociologist who has conducted studies of class and race in
Africa, Soviet and post-Soviet countries as well as in the United States. Community Church of Boston. Join us on YouTube or on Zoom. Meeting ID: 813 5181 3462.
Sunday, February 23, 2025, 12:00 PM. Simply Living Presents: Join or Die. Join or Die is a film about why you should join a club — and why the fate of America depends on it. Follow the story of America's civic unraveling through the journey of Robert Putnam, whose legendary "Bowling Alone" research into American community decline may hold the answers to our democracy's present crisis. As always, we appreciate your support, which allows us to bring you educational events like our film series, Sustainable U. classes, garden tours, and more. Our host once again is. Doors are at 11:30 if you want to have lunch before the show, and the screening will start between 12:15 and 12:30 when the lobby/bar area clears out. Location: Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse, 3055 Indianola Ave., Columbus 43202. Tickets. Facebook.
Monday, February 24, 2025, 6;00 PM. Eradication Gaza: How to Remember and Forget Genocide. A discussion with Prof. Omer Bartov. As we've been witnessing a genocide in Gaza for the past 15 months, it's timely to reflect on the politics of the use of the word "genocide", and the use and misuse of the memory of the Holocaust in WW2. Prof. Bartov will also expand our thinking about the development of Zionism over time: as a settler colonization effort, as a mechanism for helping Jewish refugees and as an ideological national movement. Massachusetts Peace Action. Register here.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 PM. Lessons from Anti-Apartheid Struggles: Past and Present. From the United States to South Africa to Palestine, anti-apartheid movements have mobilized communities to rise up against legal systems of racial injustice and oppression. Join the AFSC for a conversation with anti-apartheid activists and liberation theologians Rev. Wendell Griffin, Rev. Dr. Allan Boesak, and Palestinian activist Shadia Qubti about the contours of apartheid across countries, how anti-apartheid movements can learn from one another, and how we can continue to build international solidarity to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes against the Palestinian people like we do other apartheid regimes. Register here.
Wednesday, February 26, 2025, 12:00 – 1:15 PM. Africa 140 Years After the Berlin Conference: A Faith-Based Perspective on the Colonization of People, Resources, and Land. Did you know that on February 26, 1885, European powers reached an agreement to divide Africa in an event known as the “Scramble for Africa”? By 1900, these powers had claimed nearly 90 percent of the continent’s territory. This webinar will explore the conference itself, the impacts of colonialism and its mindset, and the ongoing consequences that persist today. Specifically, it will address: The theft of land and resources, and the “new scramble for Africa,” resulting in the displacement of people, disruption of traditional land use, and ecological degradation. Predatory capitalism, the disparate impact of World Bank interest rates on the unresolvable debt of African countries, and how these continue to shape global inequalities. Global Ministries’ responses to ensuring human rights, dignity, economic prosperity, and justice for all. Our call to action in response to 140 years of systemic pillaging and destruction of African people, societies, and their wealth. Register Now!
Thursday, February 27, March 27, April 24, 2025, 7:30 PM. Veterans For Peace's Democracy & Peace Working Group for this important 4-part webinar series cosponsored by Move to Amend. Each session will start with Why we need the "We the People" Amendment, a 4-minute video narrated by Peter Coyote. February 27: Discuss U.S. Constitution: Pull the Curtain. March 27: Discuss A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing; Help! I'm Colonized and I Can't Get Up! April 24: Discuss Our Corporate Elite and the Constitution, AIPAC's War on Democracy, Bring Back the Corporate Death Penalty, and where to go from here? Join us to see how different, joyful and more successful our work would be in a democracy...and how a little fire prevention will reduce the number of fires we have to fight! For more information, contact Mike Ferner at mike@veteransforpeace.org. Register here.
Sunday, March 2, 2025, 11:00 AM. Examining the Movement Beyond Native Land Acknowledgement. Make a Reparation Pledge when selling your home which is on stolen land with Lewis Randa. Join Lewis Randa of The Peace Abbey Foundation to hear about a way to address historical injustices to Native Peoples. By integrating reparations into home sales, we foster needed support for indigenous, marginalized communities as we prosper and financially benefit from the sale of stolen land. If you've found Land Acknowledgement Statements empty and hollow, consider making your actions speak louder than words. https://nativelandreparation.org/. Lewis Randa is a Quaker, pacifist, vegan, educator, and social change activist. He is the founder and director of The Life Experience School for children with disabilities; The Peace Abbey, an Interfaith Center for the study and practice of Nonviolence and Pacifism; The Pacifist Memorial, a national monument honoring pacifists throughout history; The Veganpeace Animal Sanctuary, a safe haven for animals that have escaped from slaughterhouses following the rescue of Emily the Cow; Stonewalk, a global peace walk that involves physically pulling a two-ton memorial stone for Unknown Civilians Killed in War (Documentary shown on PBS), and many others. Community Church of Boston. Join on YouTube or on Zoom. Meeting ID: 813 5181 3462.
Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 7:00 PM meeting (6:30 PM social). Clintonville Are Progressives Meeting. Location: Columbus Metropolitan Library, Whetstone Branch, 3909 N. High St., Columbus 43214.
Tuesday, March 4, 11, 18, 2025, 8:00 – 9:30 PM. Zionism, Anti-Zionism, And Antisemitism with Professor Joel Beinin. In this series, we will explore a range of Jewish and non-Jewish understandings of Zionism, Anti-Zionism, and antisemitism. Long before Oct. 7, 2023, their definitions have been debated, politicized and weaponized for divergent purposes. Jews have never had a unified understanding of these terms or agreement about the political projects connected to them. This series will explore these differences and their implications for our current circumstances. Please register below. The course is $36.00, with an option to donate an additional $36.00 to help support our Israel/Palestine programs. Register here.
Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 7:00 – 8:30 PM. War is Not Justified by Party Politics. Why have our movements for peace, justice and the environment let party politics lead us into a pro-war position? Why does party politics lead us to support wars, or at least not oppose them, purely on the basis of which party is conducting them? This growing polarization is leading us to support or oppose other critical policies as well, purely on the basis of what party those policies are identifies with — rather than a rational and moral assessment of the issue at hand. This webinar looks at the contrast between the bi-partisan militarism of the United States, on the one hand, and the starkly different governing philosophies of the two parties, on the other. A critique of the Labor Movement’s relationship to this problem offers a long-term case-study, but one also increasingly relevant to the environmental movement, and even the peace movement. The current setback for the Democrats offers us a chance to reflect on what our core values are and how we navigate our relations with party politics going forward. Massachusetts Peace Action. Register here.
Wednesday, March 5, 2025, 7:00 – 8:30 PM. Seeking Women’s Health Justice: Activating Our Resources in Challenging Times. Panelists will discuss a broad perspective of ways to address the anti-woman, anti-minority, anti-immigrant, and anti-LGBTQ policy regulations. This will include a national appraisal of efforts to combat restrictive laws and executive orders; analyses and viewpoints to counter economic challenges; and the public health response to inhumane dictates. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) is an activist, a legislator, a survivor, and the first woman of color to be elected to Congress from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., MPH is currently a Distinguished Professor at Hunter College, after serving as a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Chris Chanyasulkit, PhD, MPH is a public health practitioner, advocate, keynote speaker, and master connector who speaks both nationally and internationally about public health; literacy; civic engagement; and racial, gender, and health equity. Massachusetts Peace Action. Register here.
Thursday, March 6, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Statehouse Symposium - Migration of Oilfield Brine. Buckeye Environmental Network has put together a big statewide meeting at the State Capital to hear from workers affected by oilfield brine and what grassroots activists are doing to protect their community. Show up to tell our State Legislature this issue needs to be addressed! This is a family friendly event, but RSVP is required to be accounted for in serving lunch! Questions – call or text Anton at 216-716-0647. Register here.
Monday, March 24, 2025, 7:00 – 8:00 PM. A New Generation of Nuclear Lies: Small Nuclear Reactors and Nuclear Plant Reopenings. Join Professor M.V. Ramana, author of Nuclear is not the Solution: The Folly of Atomic Power in the Age of Climate Change (2024) and Paul Gunter, spokesman on nuclear reactor hazards and security concerns for Beyond Nuclear, as they explain why the arguments that are representing nuclear power as renewable “green” energy are tired old lies in shiny new clothing. They will explain why the Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) being aggressively touted as a safe alternative for the future are unsustainably expensive, untested, and a long way from development. They will expose how and why both political parties are heavily subsidizing both SMRs and the industry's proposed reopening of decommissioned nuclear facilities domestically and internationally, all at the taxpayers' expense. And they will reveal that, far from being any kind of solution to the climate crisis, nuclear power's comeback would be an unmitigated environmental disaster that would come at the expense of truly renewable sources of energy that are available to us today. Linda Pentz Gunter of Beyond Nuclear will moderate. Bring your questions! Massachusetts Peace Action. Register here.