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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, November 27, 3:00 PM. Power Half-Hour for Gaza: Channel grief & fear into action to stop a genocide. Every Monday – Friday. Many of us are grieving, angry, scared and confused. Wherever you are, you are needed urgently now to act to stave off imminent genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. As we hold the devastating pain of the last few days, in which thousands of Palestinians and Israelis have been killed, we are terrified. The U.S. government is rushing to send more weapons to the Israeli military as it wreaks devastation on the over 2 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza. We must act together to demand the U.S. immediately de-escalate to prevent imminent genocide after 75 years of Israeli military occupation and apartheid. Invite your friends to this daily power-half hour to take action in political community. -Call on Congress to demand they stop fueling violence -Get messaging resources and pointers for having the hard conversations with people in your life -Intervene in the media narrative beating the drums of war against Palestinians Come to channel grief and fear into action to stop the bloodshed. All are welcome. All are needed. URGENT: We need all hands on deck now to act. If the Zoom room is full, join us here: https://www.youtube.com/@JewishVoiceforPeace/streams. Register here.
Monday, November 27, 2023, 5:00 PM. Grassroots Election Protection Coalition/ALLIANCE 4 GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY. Register here.
Tuesday, November 28, 2023, 12:00 PM. J Street Ohio Community Gathering. We’ll be joined by Senator Sherrod Brown and Rabbi Steve Segar to connect, grieve and process what has happened and what is continuing to happen in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. Register here.
Tuesday, November 28, 2023, 5:00 – 6:00 PM. Central Ohio Poor Peoples Campaign Meet and Greet. The Poor Peoples Campaign is a revival of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1968 Poor Peoples Campaign. Sandwiches, light refreshments, and children’s activities. Plans for 2024 include a rally at the Ohio Statehouse on March 2 and June 15 march on Washington. All are welcome. Location: Bethany Presbyterian Church, 206 N. Garfield Ave., Columbus 43203.
Tuesday, November 28, 2023, 11:00 AM. Kumi Now: The Kairos Document. In 1985, theologians around Soweto, South Africa issued the first Kairos Document. Twenty-four years later, theologians in Palestine issued a like-minded document. This week, as the world observes International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the Kumi Now community is focusing on spreading the message of the Kairos Palestine Document, bringing Christians and non-Christians together to stand for justice and peace everywhere. Join us this Tuesday as we discuss what we can do to carry on the message of the Kairos Palestine document. Our guest will be Peter Shambrook of the Balfour Project. Register here.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 7:00 – 9:00 PM. THE URGENCY OF DISARMAMENT. International Action To Prevent Nuclear Confrontations & War. The Treaty for Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is a critically important vehicle in the struggle to prevent nuclear war and to create a nuclear weapons-free world. But it’s not enough! With the tectonic geopolitical changes and intensifying confrontations between great and lesser nuclear powers and proliferation pressures from Seoul to Tehran, and arms racing with nuclear “modernization”, cyber, AI, and other high-tech weaponry, we respond to the urgency of the moment. Join us for a uniquely important forum which will feature the following panelists. Israeli disarmament and peace activist Sharon Dolev will be replacing her Middle East Treaty Organization colleague Emad Kiyaei in our Urgency of Disarmament Forum. As a result of State Department paranoia, Emad has not received his visa to join forums taking place inside and outside the United Nations during the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons 2 MSP. Watch on zoom here.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 1:00 PM. How to Take Action on Palestine Solidarity Day. Join us on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People for a webinar with movement leaders on how you can show up and take action for Palestine. There is no more important moment than now to stand in solidarity. With about 15,000 Palestinian people killed by Israel across Gaza, we must continue pressuring U.S. and international leaders and societies to demand a total ceasefire now. Our voices are powerful. We have watched just how the world has shown up in the millions for Palestine these last few weeks. We are more powerful when we move together for our collective liberation. Hear from Palestinian analysts like Mohammed El-Kurd, Jehad Abusalim, Noura Erakat, and the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR), as well as movement leaders like Aja Monet, Krystal Two Bulls, and Macklemore who are taking a stand on Palestine across movement spaces. Register here.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 5:30 PM. Palestine, National Liberation & Socialism. Join PSL for a public study on the Palestinian struggle for national liberation, internationalism, and the quest for a socialist future. Location: Northside Library, 1423 N. High St., Columbus.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 7:00 PM. Nationwide Virtual Vigil. You are invited to join UNRWA USA on November 29th, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, for a nationwide virtual vigil. Let's unite cities across the United States in solidarity with Gaza, to reflect on our shared grief and reiterate our calls for an immediate ceasefire to let Gaza live. The vigil will feature poignant remarks from a number of Palestinian speakers, moving performances, and reflective poetry readings. Register here.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 8:00 – 9:30 PM. Understanding Christian Zionism: a teach-in
with JVP and SURJ. What is Christian Zionism, how is it showing
up in this moment, and why is understanding it important in our efforts to
demand a ceasefire and an end to the violence in Gaza? Join SURJ and Jewish
Voice for Peace for a mass teach-in about Christian Zionism. We’ll hear from an
expert panel– Palestinian Christian activist Jonathan Brenneman, Jewish
researcher and writer Aiden Orly, and scholar of pentecostalism and the
Christian far right Elle Hardy– who will share their analysis of how we got
here and how our strategies to demand a ceasefire and fight for Palestinian
liberation can be aided by a deeper understanding of the forces we’re up
against. Live ASL interpretation will be available on the call. If the Zoom
reaches capacity, we will be livestreaming on SURJ and JVP’s Facebook pages.
Register to receive the recording if you’re unable to make the call. Register
here.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 2:00 PM. Black Lives Matter; Palestinian Lives Matter. A Discussion with Rev. Graylan Hagler. Rev. Graylan Hagler is a prophetic voice for the oppressed from Black, Latinx, and other marginalized US communities experiencing racism in the U.S. to Palestinians living under Israel’s brutal apartheid system. He is the founder and director of Faith Strategies LLC, which engages in political ministry. Graylan served as Senior Minister of Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, Washington, D.C., for 20 years. Presently Co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, Washington DC; Co-chair, Black Homeownership Strike Task Force; senior advisor to Fellowship of Reconciliation USA; and very active in the Palestine solidarity movement. REGISTER HERE.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 7:00 PM. Emerging World: The Evolution of Consciousness and the Future of Humanity. Join Us as We Plan for the Q&A with author Roger Briggs on Tuesday Dec 5th. Learn about the SHIFT to a Planetary Culture. Too busy to read the book? You can watch the Youtube presentation by the author and you can join us in a special Q&A with Roger Briggs when we meet on Tuesday, December 4th. Register by sending an email to Chuck@SimplyLiving.org. Put Emerging World in the subject line to receive the Zoom link. NOTE: The book is available on the Planet Project website here. You may also find used copies of the book or both print and digital versions are on Amazon.
Thursday, November 30, 2023, 10:00 – 10:30 AM. A briefing on current news regarding the Hamas and Israel War. Please join Churches for Middle East Peace on Zoom for a weekly briefing on current news regarding the Hamas and Israel War. Hear from CMEP Staff and other experts. Register here.
Thursday, November 30, 2023, 12:00 PM. Israel’s War in Gaza: The Humanitarian Crisis and Prospects for Peace. The SETA Foundation in Washington DC is pleased to convene a panel of experts to discuss Israel’s war in Gaza and the prospects for achieving peace between Israel and Palestine. Register here.
Thursday, November 30, 2023, 12:30 PM. Mondoweiss Donor briefing with Mohammed El-Kurd. Join us for a conversation with Mohammed El-Kurd, renowned poet and Mondoweiss Cultural Editor. Time will be limited. Mondoweiss continuously provides updates from Palestine, incisive analysis, and coverage for the underreported international solidarity with the Palestinian people. If you are able, please help us push back against hateful, dehumanizing rhetoric with accurate, contextualized reporting and videos. Register here.
Thursday, November 30, 2023, 2:00 PM. “Shabiha Forever”: The Syrian Regime’s Creation, Control & Use of Militias Since 2011. The Syrian regime’s well-documented violent suppression of domestic opposition over the past 12 years began with a widespread reliance on loyalist militias when the regular security forces proved insufficient to the task. Syria’s central state played a key role in founding and supporting multiple militia groups beginning in 2011. Yet after bolstering the size and capabilities of these pseudo “non-state” armed groups, the regime reversed course, controlling, merging, and disbanding them in later years. The state’s militia policy has resulted in the growth of symbiotic relationships between the security apparatus and local warlords, producing a complex web of patronage networks tied to illicit economies, international actors, and local politics. Middle East Institute. Register here.
Thursday, November 30, 2023, 6:30 PM. The War in Gaza: Where Are We? Why Are We Here? and Where In God's Name Could We Be Going? A Conversation With Alice Rothchild and Jonathan Kuttab. We invite you to a conversation with Alice Rothchild (physician, author, activist, filmmaker) about what she has been hearing on the ground in Gaza, in particular from the medical community. We will then turn to Jonathan Kuttab (international human rights attorney) to speak briefly about what brought us to this unfolding genocide and what, if anything, we might see beyond it--not simply for a ceasefire and ongoing "facts on the ground" but towards authentic transformation on the ground. FOSNA – Friends of Sabeel North America. Register here.
Thursday, November 30, 2023, 8:00 PM. A Night with the Experts. Exploring Tritium Dangers
Health & Ecosystem Risks of Internally Incorporated Radionuclides. Dr. Arjun Makhijani
President and Co-Founder of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research. Tritium has been generally regarded as one of the less dangerous radionuclides based on its cancer risk for adult people notably males. Dr. Makhijani argues that harms to pregnant women, mitochondrial DNA damage, early failed pregnancies and serious birth defects are all harms that indicate tritium poses far greater dangers than has been realized. This points to tightening exposure standards including drinking water concentration limits. Register for the webinar here.
Thursday, November 30, 2023, 10:00 AM. Assessing America's Response to the Gaza Crisis: The White House, Congress and the American Public. The war on Gaza is having devastating consequences for Palestinians, Israel, the region, and the world. Perhaps more than any other crisis in recent years, this moment has reverberations across the globe. How has the United States responded to this moment? How can we assess the responses from the White House, the US Congress, and US public opinion? What do these different responses tell us about the United States and its ability to pursue its stated objectives of peace and stability in the region and beyond? What are the consequences of this moment for American foreign policy? Register for the webinar here. The webinar will also be available via livestream on our website. More information here.
Thursday, November 30, 2023, 6:00 PM. Petition Booklet Circulation Training. Learn the ins and outs of circulating petition booklets for the Citizens Not Politicians campaign. Register here.
Friday, December 1, 2023, 12:00 PM. AFSC Action Hour – Ceasefire Now. Join AFSC staff every Friday at to hear updates from Gaza. Then, take action with us as we contact our elected officials and call for an immediate cease-fire and humanitarian access to Gaza. Our elected officials need to keep hearing from us. Register here.
Sunday, December 3, 2023, 4:00 PM. PDA Sunday Progressive Town Hall. Join Progressive Democrats of America every Sunday as we discuss how we win with progressive policy positions and progressive candidates. You'll leave energized and organized! Register here.
Sunday, December 3, 2023, 8:00 PM. Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal: Action and Evidence Meeting. Join the coordinators of the Tribunal to learn how to take action in your community confronting the Merchants of Death. In almost every community there is a weapons maker, a Merchant of Death. Organizing and taking action locally is crucial. This meetup session will not only provide you with the evidence against the weapons makers, but also generate ideas about what to do in your local community. Be informed. Be an active partner. Take nonviolent action locally. Let your voice be heard. They are using your tax dollars and using the name of your country to commit War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity. Help put an end to it. Register here.
Sunday, December 3, 2023, 5:00 - 7:00 PM. Redbird Books to Prisoners. We collect, pack, and send books to Ohio prisoners every 1st and 3rd Sunday. Location: Thirdhand Bike Coop, 979 East 5th Ave, Columbus.
Monday, December 4, 2023, 1:00 PM. Ohio’s New Cannabis Legalization Law: A Virtual Discussion. Please join the Marijuana Policy Project for a LIVE virtual discussion about what's next after voters passed Issue 2 at the ballot to make Ohio the 24th legalization state. Karen O'Keefe, MPP's Director of State Policies, will be joined by Ohio State Rep. Juanita Brent and Tom Haren, Spokesperson of the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol (CRMLA) to speak about the details of Ohio's legalization law — and the challenges it will face in implementation. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and his allies in the state legislature opposed the legalization measure that passed with a strong majority on November 7, and now prohibitionist lawmakers are seeking revisions and burdensome regulations that would undermine the will of voters and severely weaken legalization in the Buckeye State. FREE Livestream Simulcast on Facebook, X/Twitter, and YouTube.
Tuesday, December 5, 2023,8:00 PM. Reconstructionists Expanding Our Conversation on Israel-Palestine. Rabbi Dev Noily, Rabbi Alissa Wise, and Morriah Kaplan will speak on Tuesday, December 5 on a panel entitled “What Changed? What’s Next?” The vicious Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and Israel’s brutal response may mark a pivotal moment in the trajectories of Israel/Palestine, the greater Middle East, and North American Jewish and Palestinian and Muslim communities. How have these events affected us already? What can we expect in the near future? What does it mean to be a progressive North American Jew in these new circumstances? How can Reconstructionist values guide us in this moment? Where can the movement for a just, democratic future of equality between Palestinians and Israeli Jews go next? What kind of relationship between North American Jewry and Israel/Palestine should we embrace? Rabbi Dev Noily serves as senior rabbi at Kehilla Community Synagogue in Oakland, CA, in the Lisjan Ohlone territory of Huchiun. Rabbi Alissa Wise is a West Philadelphia-based organizational consultant, community organizer, educator, and ritual leader with over two decades of movement-building experience. She is currently organizing Rabbis for Ceasefire, a group comprised of rabbis from Conservative, Reform, Modern Orthodox, Reconstructionist, and Renewal communities speaking out with one voice to fulfill the most sacred obligation in Jewish tradition – pikuach nefesh, saving a life. Rabbi Alissa is the former Deputy Director of Jewish Voice for Peace. She graduated from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2009. Morriah Kaplan serves as the Managing Director of IfNotNow, a movement of American Jews organizing the Jewish community to reject US support for Israel’s systems of occupation and apartheid, and towards a vision of equality, justice, and a thriving future for all Palestinians and Israelis. She has served as IfNotNow's national spokesperson, appearing on BBC World, Al Jazeera, and multiple Jewish and mainstream news outlets. She grew up at Havurah Shalom, Portland’s Reconstructionist community, which instilled in her a deep sense of social justice which led her to anti-occupation organizing. Register here.
Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 10:00 AM. Petition Booklet Circulation Training. Learn the ins and outs of collecting signatures for the Citizens Not Politicians fair districts ballot initiative. Register here.
Wednesday, December 6, 2023, 8:00 PM. Building Momentum for Nuclear Weapons Abolition After the 2MSP: Next Generation Perspectives. Join Back from the Brink and next generation leaders for a virtual roundtable debriefing the Second Meeting of States Parties (2MSP) to the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and an update on BftB’s plans for 2024 and how you can get involved to help build momentum for nuclear abolition here in the United States. Register here.
Wednesday, December 6, 2023, 6:00 PM. Torture In Our Name: A Moral Call to End Solitary Confinement. Join the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) and the Multifaith Initiative to End Mass Incarceration (EMI) Torture In Our Name: A Moral Call to End Solitary Confinement, Nationwide virtual film screening and panel discussion. The 35-minute NRCAT-produced film, Torture in Our Name, highlights the resilience of individuals who have survived solitary confinement and their successful efforts, in collaboration with religious allies, to advocate for a ban on this practice in U.S. prisons, jails, and detention centers. Watch the film online any time prior to the panel discussion (a link to view the film will be provided with your registration confirmation) and then participate in the panel discussion on December 6th. The December 6 panel will feature firsthand accounts from faith community leaders and survivors of solitary confinement, including: -NRCAT's Executive Director Rev. Ron Stief, -NRCAT's Director of U.S. Prisons Program Johnny Perez, -EMI's National Executive Director Rev. Devon Jerome Crawford. Register here.
Thursday, December 7, 2023, 8:00 – 9:00 PM. Greenpeace National Volunteer Call. Every first Thursday of the month, we'll be hosting monthly calls for volunteers nationwide to highlight our national priorities, provide info sessions on our campaigns, have space for guest speakers both inside and outside of Greenpeace, and mobilize for the month's call to action. Register here.
Tuesday, December 12, 2023, 7:00 – 8:30 PM. Health Equity Workshop: Americans with Disabilities. A continuation of our Health Equity Workshop series, please join us to discuss the disparities in health outcomes among persons with disabilities, their barriers to care, and how a single payer healthcare system would help to alleviate some of those barriers. We are joined by Dr. Amanda Hinson-Enslin, an assistant professor in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences of the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University, who will lead our discussion. We will also be joined by a panel of persons with disabilities who will share their stories of interacting with the US healthcare system. ASL interpreters and closed captioning will be available. Register here.
Tuesday, December 12, 2023, 3:00 PM. Petition Booklet Circulation Training. Learn the ins and outs of collecting signatures for the Citizens Not Politicians fair districts ballot initiative. Register here.
Tuesday, December 12, 2023, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. Webinar: How Wealth Rules. CELDF's, Ben G. Price, will lead a lively and engaging discussion on his award-winning book, How Wealth Rules the World: Saving Our Communities and Freedoms from the Dictatorship of Property. Please read part 9 prior to the webinar discussion. Register here.
Wednesday, December 13, 2023, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM. Join Indivisible Central Ohio friends to help prep holiday gift baskets for families in Franklin County at the St Stephen's Christmas Cares, Unions Share Prep Session. Location: 1500 E 17th Ave, Columbus. Limited slots available. SIGN UP HERE.
Thursday, December 14, 2023, 7:00 PM. Max Blumenthal on Gaza and Israel. Max Blumenthal joins us live at the Community Church of Boston to give us a talk about the war in Gaza and respond to Q&A. Join us live in person at 565 Boylston Street, 2nd floor, or virtually on Zoom. Max Blumenthal is a journalist, author, and documentary film maker. Some of his works include the books "Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel", and "The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza." On November 9th, we will screen Max Blumenthal and Dan Cohen's film Killing Gaza. Register here.
Sunday, December 17, 2023, 3:00 PM. Voices from the Holy Land Online Film Salon: "Humanity in Gaza." Since October 7, Israel has dropped the equivalent of two nuclear bombs on Gaza, killing and wounding tens of thousands, displacing 1.5 million, and creating conditions on the ground that inevitably lead to more death, injury and disease. Yet this humanitarian catastrophe is not the first Gazans have endured. The majority of the population are refugees displaced from their homes in the 1948 Nakba. Forty percent of today’s Gazans are under age 15. In their lifetime they have seen five Israeli bombing campaigns on their homes, not to mention the deadly force Israel used against Gazans participating in the primarily nonviolent border protests of 2018-2019. How does this affect the physical and mental health of the people of Gaza, particularly the children? How many generations will this damage remain? Panelists will explore Gaza’s cycles of trauma, recovery, and re-traumatization, centering on three short films: "Gaza: A Gaping Wound"; "So They Know We Existed"; and "Heroes of Gaza: The Extraordinary Doctors, Living & Working in a Warzone." Register below and join us on December 17 at 3:00 PM Eastern for a discussion of the impact of this trauma. 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 links and passwords to watch the films in advance of the Salon event. More information and registration here.
Tuesdays, January 10 – March 14, 2024, 8:00 PM. A History of Palestine and Israel. Join us on Zoom for a 10-week course entitled “A History of Palestine and Israel,” taught by Joel Beinin, Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History and Professor of Middle East History, Emeritus at Stanford University. Each class is 90 minutes. This will be an opportunity to grapple with the history, engage with difficult ideas, and process complex questions in a respectful environment. Among the questions the course will address are: How did Jews in Eastern Europe come to embrace Zionism in the late 19th century? What was Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel)/Palestine like before the beginnings of modern Zionist settlement? What kind of Jewish state was established in 1948? Why did it find itself in repeated wars with its Arab neighbors? Why haven't efforts to resolve the conflict since the first peace agreement – the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian Peace Treaty – succeeded? Before retiring in 2019, Joel taught Middle East history for 35 years at Stanford University. He is one of the organizers of the “Reconstructionist Expanding Our Conversation About Israel-Palestine” and is a member of Havurah Shalom in Portland. He has taught versions of this class several times in congregations in Portland. Registration is required. The course fee is sliding scale $36-$72 for the series. Please be in touch if you need scholarship money.