Local Events

Local Events

• Celebrate May Day 2006- On May 1st walkouts at schools and workplaces across the US will take place in solidarity with immigrant com- munities under attack by Congressional legislation. These walkouts invoke the powerful tradition of May Day - the socialist celebration of international working class solidarity. Once again US immigrants are taking a leadership role in the struggle for social and economic justice, just as they did at the birth of May Day in Chicago a hundred and twenty years ago. The Socialist Party USA joins in the celebration of May Day and condemns the Democratic and Republican Parties for militarizing our borders and failing to protect the rights of all workers. Callous and ineffectual immigration policies are exacerbating racism in the US and creating an underclass of super-exploited workers, all in the service of corporate profits. The Socialist Party furthermore rejects assimilationist policies and attitudes which marginalize and criminalize the diverse heritages of immigrants and people of color. Experience teaches us that only militant industry-wide labor action can challenge corporate power and win better wages, hours and working conditions. Nevertheless, the global inequalities that compel migrants to seek risky, back-breaking, low wage labor in the US cannot be resolved within the constraints of modern capitalism. In the tradition of May Day we call for the abolition of capitalist systems of ownership and trade, and the creation of a truly democratic society where production fulfills human need, not profit. In a world riddled with war and underdevelopment, we also add racism, militarism and imperialism to the list of global cancers which must be uprooted as prerequisites to peace and justice. The Socialist Party encourages all members and affiliates to take part in the May Day call for “No Work, No School, No Buying, No Selling” and for members and affiliates to take part in local May Day actions. A list of actions can be found on the Socialist Party USA website www.sp-usa.org and on http://www.nohr4437.org/.
• Brooklyn: News of Worker Rights March.-
  
  Marching IWW workers and their Allies.
  

  A "briefing" From the Feb. 19th Brooklyn Foodstuffs Workers Rally, via the IWW local 460 union.

  ---

  Yesterday, the IWW and Make the Road by Walking marched through the industrial areas of Brooklyn and Queens for hours in below-freezing conditions, demanding justice for fired workers. Major news organizations such as Telemundo (Channel 47), News12 (video link), WBAI - "Building Bridges", and El Diario covered the event. Additionally, the Socialist Party posted pictures And there are great photos at Next Left Notes.
  For background info, check out: Not Without a Fight: NYC's food warehouse workers unionize
  If you would like to support the campaign, please send financial contributions to New York Industrial Workers of the World, P.O. Box 8266, J.A.F. Station, New York, NY 10116. Or, you can contribute on-line through PayPal by making a payment to iww-nyc@iww.org, at www.paypal.com. You can also sign up on PayPal for a monthly, automatic payment in any amount that's manageable for you.
  For more information, please visit www.wobblycity.org, or email iww.nyc(at)gmail. com.
• Oaxacan Magonista + IWW Activist to Give Talk/Film Showing- Fresh from the people's battle in Oaxaca, two anti-authoritarian eyewitnesses will discuss what theyexperienced on the ground as well as thoughts for carrying the struggle forward. The pair's activities centered on Santa Lucia del Camino, which was where beloved journalist Brad Will was murdered. Footage of the street battles in Oaxaca will be screened. Much work remains to be done in Oaxaca and NYC on many fronts, so please join us. The event is free and everyone is welcome: Alfonso Pérez of CIPO - RFM, (Consejo Indígena Popular de Oaxaca - Ricardo Flores Magón); CIPO is a Oaxacan Magonista organization that was very active at the barricades and in the assemblies; www.nodo50.org/cipo/ Eric Larson of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a chronicler of the street battles in Oaxaca; www.iww.org Facilitator: Daniel Gross, Organizer- IWW Starbucks Workers Union; www.StarbucksUnion.org Sunday, February 25 1-3pm Where: Sixth Street Community Center 638 E. 6th St. between Aves B & C in Manhattan L train to First Avenue or F train to Second Avenue Free of Charge, Everyone is Welcome Espanol y Ingles Hosted by the IWW Starbucks Workers Union (NYC) November 1, 2006 Dispatch from Oaxaca: "Priistas are planning to remove CIPO [grassroots indigenous organization] out of the neighborhood by force! This part of Santa Lucia is enemy territory. It is near Barricade Three, the Príista attack of last Friday, and the site of Brad Will's murder. It's also where the CIPO house is located. When the Príistas first set up their barricades, some were directly in front of the CIPO house, one using materials that had been propped up against the outside wall. Now, less than a week after Brad Will's murder, some of the same Príistas have agreed to "dislodge" CIPO from the neighborhood. If history, recent and distant, teaches us anything, their method will be violence. It is important that they know that acts of violence will not go unseen, even in this small neighborhood that they control." _______________________________________________
• disTHIS! Self Preservation: The Art of Riva Lehrer- March 7 @ disTHIS! Self Preservation: The Art of Riva Lehrer

  Preservation: The Art of Riva Lehrer

  ---

  When: Wednesday, March 7 Time: 6:30 to 9pm. Screening starts promptly at 7pm. Where: DCTV @ The Firehouse, 3rd Floor Screening Room 87 Lafayette St (between Walker & White) Closest subway stops: N/Q/R/W, J/M/Z, or 6 to Canal Street. DCTV is located two blocks South of Canal Street in New York City. Self Preservation: The Art of Riva Lehrer PLUS ... A slideshow of Riva’s latest work and audience discussion with the artist will follow immediately after the screening! About the film: Sharon Snyder's gallery tour of artist Riva Lehrer's exquisite portraits shines a sharp focus on Lehrer’s “Circle Series” which features expressionistic portraits of powerful, successful, creative friends and scholars with disabilities. Each extraordinary portrait is shown in depth with fascinating insights provided by the artist and her subjects. Lehrer is a major talent and significant disability cultural artist; SELF PERSERVATION provides the disTHIS! audience a welcome cinematic opportunity to revel in her substantial gifts. About Riva Lehrer: Lehrer is on the faculty of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She was recently awarded the first annual Wynn Newhouse Award for artists of excellence, which comes with a cash award of $50,000. Lehrer was selected from a group of eighteen nominees by a committee of persons respected in the arts community. Newhouse, a respected art collector, created the award to draw attention to the work of the most talented artists with disabilities and to expose the art world -- and the public -- to their important contributions. Over the years, Lerher has explored the schism between "normal" and "different" in her art with powerful results. Says Lehrer, "Disability and art are natural partners. In order to have a good life with a disability, you have to learn to re-invent your world almost hour by hour. You discover ways to re-imagine everything, and how not to take the average answers to everyday questions. There is a great deal of creativity in disability if you decide that "reality" is just a raw material for you to mould. So many times, these re-inventions have been the keys to open new doors for everyone." Riva’s recent work can be reviewed at her website: http://www.RivaLehrer.com A slideshow of Riva’s latest work and audience discussion with the artist will immediately follow the screening. Don't miss out! The ever-popular, always rousing audience discussion will follow the screening. All disTHIS! movies, talkback sessions and related events are free and open to the public. $5 Suggested donation. Film is open captioned and there will be ASL interpretation provided at the post-screening discussion. Space is wheelchair accessible. Snacks are provided and there is a cash bar for drinks, but space is limited! Call 212.251.4092 to reserve YOUR seat or email: Lawrence@dnnyc.net

  ---

  About us: The disTHIS! Film Series is a project of the Disabilities Network of NYC and is hosted by ConnecTV. We are made possible, in part, by the generous support of The Christopher Reeve Foundation. On the first Wednesday of the month, every month, we showcase cutting edge independent and international short, documentary and feature films with disability themes beyond clichés that audiences members are unlikely to see elsewhere. Movies screened as a part of disTHIS! are always provocative; never quite what audiences expect. A magical, mystical place where plot pulverizes pity, character trumps charity and direction and dialogue beat out diagnosis. The disTHIS! Film Series: No handkerchief necessary, no heroism required. This is disability through a whole new lens. For more information and to sign up for regular email updates, please visit: http://disthis.org Be sure to friend us on MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/disthisfilmseries
• Join the SP at the NYC Grassroots Media Conference-
  
  "Media and Movements Beyond Borders"
  

  Feb 24th: Media & Movements Beyond Borders: 4th annual grassroots media conference

  Join SP Members and friends this weekend at the 4th annual grassroots media conference at the New School in Manhattan.

  ---

  Saturday February 24th, 2007 New School University 65 Fifth Avenue (at 13th Street) http://www.nycgrassrootsmedia.org/conference Some of the over 40+ workshops include:
  • Solidarity, Not Charity: A Youth Media Workshop on Katrina
  • Grassroots Media and Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards Development
  • Our World Our Mic: Creating Youth Radio Documentaries
  • Prometheus Radio Project and the global community radio movement
  • Crossing the Border: Hip Hop liberation, revolution and resistance
  • On Public Access and the State of Media: Policies That Affect Us All
  • Dead Trees: Small Magazines and Newspapers in the Digital Age
  • Black-Community Radio and Media Reform
  • Slingshot Hip Hop: From Brooklyn to Palestine
  • Art & Activism: the NYC Ghost Bike project
  • Youth exploring the Root Causes of Migration
  • Podcasting 101: Creating Your Own Podcast
  • NODE 101 - learning how to make a videoblog
  • Engaging workers through media
  • New York's Wireless Future
  • Youth Debate Concerns over Internet Filters, Sex Ed & Free Expression
  • We are all in Darfur, and Nairobi, & Johannesburg: The African perspective
  Don't miss our all day grassroots film festival, our special youth lounge, and our Friday evening networking party. Join us for the 4th Annual NYC Grassroots Media Conference, where we will strategize how media can be used as a tool to achieve social justice across boundaries and beyond borders. Register today! www.nycgrassrootsmedia.org

  ---

• JC, NJ: Journal Sq Anti-War Vigil, FoodNOTBombs, & Clothing distribution- SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25th 12 noon-1pm "STOP THE WAR SUNDAYS" ---The VIGIL CONTINUES to GROW! This week Jersey City Peace Movement will be joined by two other progressive organizations: --Jersey City FOOD NOT BOMBS AND --North Jersey FAIR FOOD ALLIANCE for a 1pm FREE "SHARING" of FOOD, CLOTHING and ITEMS Same location as above (Journal Square Fountain) for more inmormation: http://www.myspace.com/jcfnb jcfnb@lists.riseup.net
• Farmworkers' Grassroots Resistance in the US:- Farmworker Resistance--Upcoming NYC Presentation **Please Forward Widely** Farmworkers' Grassroots Resistance in the US: Human Rights, Migration, and Globalization The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is a grassroots worker organization made up of over 3,000 members largely of Mexican, Guatemalan, and Haitian origin working in the agricultural and other low-wage industries in southwest Florida. The CIW is an award-winning example of grassroots resistance to the harsh labor and living standards immigrant workers face. These presentations are an opportunity for students and community members to learn how they can join in the struggle for labor and human rights for immigrant workers. Farmworkers' Grassroots Resistance in the US: CELESTE ESCOBAR, an immigrant and grassroots organizer based in Florida and currently working with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. . ALL ARE WELCOME! BLUESTOCKINGS BOOKSTORE When: Monday, March 5th, 7pm Where: 172 Allen Street between Stanton and Rivington (1 block south of Houston and 1st Avenue) What: A discussion about the exploitation of farmworkers in the US and their struggle to better their working conditions. Sponsored by: Fair Food NYC (with a special thank you to Bluestockings for the space!) If you have any further questions about the above presentations or the local campaign for farmworker rights, don't hesitate to email us at fairfoodnyc (at) gmail.com Hope to see you soon! -- Fair Food NYC www.fairfoodnyc.org http://www.myspace.com/fairfoodnyc www.ciw-online.org www.sfalliance.org
• Free Screening and Discussion: "Engendering Colonialism:"-
  
  Click For PDF of Flyer
  
  Free Screening and Discussion: "Engendering Colonialism: The Effect of 100 Years of U.S. Colonialism on Women in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and The Philippines"

  ---

  Join us for a free screening and discussion of "Engendering Colonialism: The Effect of 100 Years of U.S. Colonialism on Women in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and The Philippines," looking at 100 years of U.S. colonialism and its impact on the women of Hawai'i, Cuba, the Philippines and Puerto Rico - and their resistance to it. Presented by the Socialist Party USA Greater NYC Local, GABRIELA Network USA, and the The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign, in observance of IWD (International Women's Day). WHERE AND WHEN Sunday, March 25th, 2007 at 3pm 339 Lafayette Street (between Bleecker & Bond), Manhattan, NYC 3rd Floor (up flight of stairs), AJ Muste Room Take 6 train to Bleecker Street or F/V train to Broadway/Lafayette The event will be preceded by SPNYC's monthly meeting at 1PM
  • More about the Film: www.prairiefire.org/video.shtml
  • More info on SPUSA's IWD Events: intwomensday.pdf
  About the Presenters:
  • Socialist Party USA Greater NYC Local - http://www.spnyc.org
  • GABRIELA Network USA
  • The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign
  • Hawaii Solidarity Committee
  FREE! (preceded by the SPNYC meeting at 1PM in same location)

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  .

• Left Forum 2007- The SP Local will be tabling at the Left Forum. Come by and say hello. Left Forum 2007 Forging A Radical Political Future Friday, March 9 through Sunday, March 11 at Cooper Union (Third Avenue and East Seventh Street, New York City) For the complete program or other information please visit http://www.leftforum.org
• GABRIELA Network IWD Event- Hi all, SPNYC is partnering with GabNet on an upcoming International Women's Day event; they've got an event of their own that folks may be interested in - info below. Please pass the word! Thanks. Peace, Ari ************************************* STOP THE (WOMEN) KILLINGS! As of February 2007, 832 community organizers, activists, church leaders and journalists have been victims of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regime. 83 of these victims are women. For International Women's Day, Join GABRIELA Network NYNJ in... A Discussion with Attorney Tina Foster of the International Justice Network Tina Foster was part of an international all-female lawyer's group who went on a fact-finding mission to the Phillpines in June 2006 to research the human rights situation in that country. She is now banned from returning by the Philippine government. THURSDAY, 8 MARCH 2007 6:30 PM -8:30 PM GABNet NATIONAL OFFICE 4 WEST 43RD ST. 2ND FLOOR (btwn. 5th & 6th Ave.) RSVP at nynj@gabnet.org refreshments will be served GABRIELA Network is a US-Philippine women's multicultural mass solidarity organzation, est. 1989 PO Box 403 Times Square Station NY, NY 10036* 212.592.3507 * www.gabnet.org * www.myspace.com/gabnetnynj
• North Jersey SP IWD Food & Clothing Distribution Day (3/4)- Join the Northern New Jersey Socialist Party on Sunday March 4th for our International Women’s Day Food and Clothing Sharing at Journal Sq. in Jersey City Socialist Party of Northern New Jersey members will bring an International Women’s Day Food & Clothing Sharing to the regular Jersey City Peace Movement anti-war vigil at Journal Sq. Date: Sunday March 4, 2007 When: 12 noon- 1:30 pm Where: Journal Sq. – Jersey City NJ Info/RSVP: Call Greg at 201-803-7574 or e-mail info@njsocialistparty.org The plan: Local members will join other volunteers at the home of Greg & Andrea Pason 92 E Hunter Ave. Maywood NJ at 11 am to make sandwiches and cook vegan food. We’ll then carpool to Journal Sq. to join the on-going Jersey City Peace Movement at their weekly 12 noon vigil. The local will also distribute International Women’s Day leaflets and Fair Food fliers, coats, blankets and food. Greg Pason Northern NJ Socialist Party www.njsocialistparty.org
• Join the Socialist Party for These Coming Events-
  
  
  
  • March 4th: North Jersey SP IWD Food & Clothing Distribution Day in Jersey City
  • March 5th: Fair Food NYC, Human Rights, Migration, and Globalization: Celeste Escobar.
  • March 8th: For International Women's Day, Join GABRIELA Network NYNJ: STOP THE (WOMEN) KILLINGS!
  • March 9th-11th: Left Forum 2007
  • March 17th: (DC) March on the Pentagon
  • March 18th: (NYC) March to End the War
  • March 19th: (NYC) Decentralized Antiwar Actions Throughout the City
  • March 25th: Monthly SP Members Meeting, 1pm
  • March 25th: Film an Discussion: "Engendering Colonialism", 3pm
  Check back here, or subscribe to our mailing list for details as they appear!
• March w/ JCPM in This SUN. March 11th St. Pat's Parade --12noon @ Lincoln Park!- March w/ JCPM in This SUN. March 11th St. Pat's Parade --12noon @ Lincoln Park! Greetings Activists, THIS SUNDAY: MARCH 11th 2007 MARCH WITH JERSEY CITY PEACE MOVEMENT in the 45th ANNUAL ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE Meet up at 12 noon at LINCOLN PARK (near Lincoln Statue) on Kennedy Blvd. in Jersey City We will march behind the banner, "PEACE NOT WAR". PLEASE EMAIL US AT jcpeacemovement@hotmail.com IF YOU WILL ATTEND SO WE CAN GROUP TOGETHER
• 3/24:Benefit to Support Fair Food NYC and the Starbucks Workers Union-

  The people, united, will never be defeated--and they will have a *crazy* good time....

  Fair Foodistas,

  *Join us on Saturday for a night of music, art, food and fun to benefit two wonderful organizations in NYC.*

  What: Benefit to support the Starbucks Workers Union and Fair Food NYC

  The Starbucks Workers Union has been working tirelessly to organize underpaid, overworked folks against the trendy coffee monster, Starbucks. Starbucks is using everything in its power to fight the organizing attempts and these workers are sticking their badass necks out anyway and could use some solidarity.

  Fair Food NYC organizes with the Coalition Of Immokalee Workers, a group of outta hand farmworkers in southern Florida who are changing the way companies view farmworkers in their supply chains and are, one by one, demanding that mega corporations like Taco Bell and McDonalds own up to their responsibilities and pay them what they deserve.

  When: Saturday March 24th
  2 o'clock: Art Making
  We'll be making posters, banners, puppets, and creative signage for upcoming actions--come lend a hand!
  4 o'clock: BBQ ($5/plate)
  Don't worry, they'll be veggie stuff too
  6 o'clock: Music Starts ($5-$7 suggested donation at the door)

• Clean Clothes and Fair Food : NYC April 27-28th-

  A Conference to Promote Justice in Factories and Fields

  Columbia Law School, New York City | April 27-29, 2007

  Organized by SweatFree Communities & the Alliance for Fair Food

  • Register for the conference here
  • Sponsor this conference here
  • Save the date flyer here

  Building off the success of SweatFree Communities' past three annual conferences and the growing power of the Alliance for Fair Food, SweatFree Communities and the Alliance for Fair Food have teamed up to hold a joint conference to advance worker justice in factories and fields.

  The conference will provide information and skills to support communities, groups, and individuals in creating more socially responsible economic models that ensure the human rights of workers. Through strategies such as worker organizing, selective government procurement, corporate pressure, consumer education, and solidarity relationships, it is possible to contribute toward a more just economy at local and national levels, impacting not only workers in this country but also communities and workers around the world.

  The human rights crisis in Florida’s fields is the same as the crisis in garment sweatshops worldwide: grueling, dangerous work with no right to overtime pay, no health insurance, no sick leave, no paid vacation or pension, and no right to organize in order to improve these conditions.

  It does not have to be this way either in the fields or in the factories.

  The Alliance for Fair Food works in partnership with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers which recently won a landmark agreement with Taco Bell, establishing the following fair labor principles: retail food giants are responsible for working with farm workers to end the farm worker poverty their purchasing practices have created; food supply chains must be transparent; and farm workers must lead the struggle for the protection of their own rights through their own organization.

  Working with partners in dozens of U.S. communities, SweatFree Communities similarly links the purchasing practices of governmental institutions and large apparel brands with the welfare of sweatshop workers. Campaign partners have won sweatfree government procurement policies with strong enforcement measures, including independent investigations of human rights abuses at supplier factories and citizen oversight of policy implementation. In all, over 170 school districts, cities, counties, and states in the United States have adopted sweatfree procurement policies.

  Please join us for this important event! Email conference (at) sweatfree.org or call 413-586-0974 to find out more or to register. Visit www.sweatfree.org/conference for online registration and updates.

  http://www.allianceforfairfood.org/2007conference.html

• 3/31 JUSTICE NOW!: ORGANIZING IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES-

  Join us for an historic roundtable discussion on the new era of immigrant justice Organized by the NYU Immigrant Justice Collective*

  When: Saturday, March 31, 2007 12 - 3 PM
  Where: Judson Memorial Church's Assembly Hall, 239 Thompson St.

  Free and Open to the Public; Refreshments Provided.
  Wheelchair accessible; ASL translator available upon request; please RSVP below

  Justice Now!: Organizing Immigrant Communities is an open roundtable forum that will bring together cultural workers and activists from diverse movements-- including immigrant rights, labor rights, youth activism, and queer rights-- who are actively working to build new models for immigrant justice organizing. This roundtable will examine questions such as detention, deportation, profiling, borders, torture, and surveillance. We believe in using this space to highlight the intersectional, interstitial, and intervening issues within immigrant justice organizing that are often collapsed under the sometimes reductive banner of "immigrant rights." This roundtable discussion will be an opportunity to brainstorm collectively and share best practices and dynamic strategies that respond to the immigration crisis defining our political times.

  FEATURING community organizers from:

  Make the Road By Walking/Se Hace El Camino Por Andar

  Asociaciïon Tepeyac de New York

  Queers for Economic Justice

  CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities

  New York Taxi Workers' Alliance

  New Immigrant Community Empowerment

  Audre Lorde Project

  SPONSORS:

  Judson Memorial Church Program in American Studies, Department of Social and Cultural Analysis, NYU Asian/Pacific/American Studies Institute, NYU

  CONTACT US:

  WEBSITE: http://immigrantjusticeroundtable.blogspot.com EMAIL: immigrantjustice@gmail.com

  * NYU Immigrant Justice Collective is composed of first year graduate students in American Studies, Department of Social and Cultural Analysis: Leticia Alvarado, Maxime Berthemy, Juan Jos� Bermudez de Castro, Sven Cvek, Joanna Dee, Lezlie Frye, Ronak Kapadia, Devin Murphy, and Lena Sze
  _______________________________________________

• Refusing to Pay for the War Workshop- Refusing to Pay for the War Workshop Basic workshops on how to refuse to pay the taxes that fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be help on March 21 (Wednesday) and April 5 (Thursday). Both are at 7 pm, 339 Lafayette St. (at Bleecker St.) in Manhattan. For more information, contact 718-768-7306 or email us. Sponsored by National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee and NYC War Resisters League. http://www.nwtrcc.org/
• May Day: A Day of Action and Solidarity!-
  
  
  May Day is Workers' Day! It's our day to celebrate our history, our struggle and our power. New York City has a full day of events happening in every borough. The SP-USA local will join the giant Union Square march at four, to Federal Plaza/ Foley Square, then meet up at the Muste building (339 Lafayette, corner of Bleeker) for a gathering and free showing of "¡Gigante: Despierta!" at 8pm. The Industrial Workers of the World are gathering early for a bus trip out to the opening of The Gilberto Soto Memorial Workers Center in Elizabeth, then to pickets in Chinatown, then to the 4pm march. All the details follow!

  ---

  New York, NY: May Day Rally & March EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL WORKERS END THE RAIDS & DEPORTATIONS NO WORK, NO SCHOOL, NO SALES, NO BUYING Rally & March Tuesday May 1 4:00 pm Union Square Park 14 St. & Broadway (take # 4/5/6/L/N/Q/R/W trains to Union Sq.) Marching to Federal Plaza/ Foley Square (Site of the African Burial Ground)

• Mass March & Rally on Aug. 25th- Newark NJ- Mass March & Rally on Aug. 25th- Newark NJ The Socialist Party of New Jersey is a member organization of the Peace & Justice Coalition, a coalition of over 125 organization in New Jersey. It is also a diverse, POC led coalition which has brought over 400 people to the last two mass- meetings. The SP New Jersey hopes that folks in the NJ can join us at this rally in August. In Unity, Greg Pason - SPNJ THE PEACE & JUSTICE COALITION CALL TO THE PEOPLE'S MARCH FOR PEACE, EQUALITY, JOBS & JUSTICE (draft call) Unjust War & Profound Social Crisis The immoral and illegal U.S. war in Iraq must be brought to an end and the U.S. government must begin to concentrate on solving the dire economic and social problems in the United States. In Iraq, since the beginning of the unjust and unnecessary U.S. invasion and occupation, more than 3,300 U.S. troops have been killed, 30,000 wounded and amputeed and one third suffer from post-traumatic stress. More than half a million Iraqis have died, and more than a half trillion dollars has been spent on this war with no end in sight. In fact, the world is in imminent danger of the war spreading and becoming a general Middle East conflict. In the U.S., another type of war is going on, a war on our communities. The Bush administration has decreased domestic spending for education, health care, housing, employment, veterans' care and other social programs. Our civil liberties, civil rights, human rights and voting rights are being violated and taken away. The ranks of the poor and working poor continue to swell, millions remain unemployed and millions more are without health insurance. Racism, racial inequality and police brutality are on the rise. Working people are struggling paycheck to paycheck, many in the so-called middle class are losing ground and the gap between the rich and the rest of us is wider than it has ever been. Immigrants are being harassed and deported without due process and used as scapegoats to distract us from the real issue of the struggle for a just economic system. The numbers of people imprisoned and detained are exploding. Environmental pollution and global warming threaten our very existence. A Time to March It is time for a revolution of priorities. We must end this unjust war now and focus the energy and resources of our nation on solving our problems at home! Towards that end, this urgent call goes out to people across the nation to rise up and participate in The People's March for Peace, Equality, Jobs, and Justice, which will take place Saturday, August 25, 2007 in Newark, New Jersey. The purpose of the march is to demand an immediate end to the U.S. war in Iraq, and the realization of racial equality, social and economic justice in the United States. The goals of The People's March are to demonstrate the profound grassroots opposition to the U.S. war and occupation in Iraq that exists at the grassroots level, bring pressure to bear upon the government to end the war now, educate people about the war and its impact upon our communities in the U.S. and organize and mobilize people around a peace and justice agenda that will link the struggle against the war in Iraq to the struggles against injustice at home. March for Peace Now is the time to put the nation on a new course. If this war is to end and our social problems are to be seriously addressed then all of us who want peace and justice must act now. On August 25th, let us march together for peace. We will march for an end to war abroad and an end to the war on our communities. We will demand an immediate end to the U.S. war in Iraq and the closing of U. S. military bases there, the return home of all U.S. troops now, adequate care for the troops upon their return, the cutoff of funding for the war in Iraq and the redirection of those funds towards domestic and social programs. We will also demand an end to the war in Afghanistan and that no future wars be initiated against Iran or other countries. March for Human Rights We will demand the restoration and preservation of human rights, constitutional rights and civil liberties, which continue to be steadily eroded. We will demand an end to the use of torture, extraordinary renditions (secret abductions), secret trials and prisons, indefinite detentions, denial of the right of habeas corpus, racial profiling, use of banned weapons, and further violations of the Geneva Conventions and international law against individuals whether they are U. S. citizens or residents, or citizens of other countries. We will demand that the detainee facility at Guantanamo Bay be closed, and that the PATRIOT, Homeland Security and Military Commissions acts and the unlawful expansion of presidential power be repealed. We will call for justice and freedom for all political prisoners. March for an End to Violence We cannot call for an end to the war in Iraq while ignoring the war that is going on in the streets of the United States. Violence is engulfing communities throughout the nation. There is a state of emergency in many cities and towns. Every year thousands die from gun-related and other forms of violence in our country. When we march on August 25th, we will call for unity in the community, peace in our streets and an end to the violence that pervades U.S. society. We will demand and end to the flow of illegal drugs and guns into our communities. And we will demand and end to the grinding poverty and other economic and social conditions that drive so many towards drugs, crime, violence and death. March for Equality On that day, let us march for equality. We will demand an end to all forms of discrimination, oppression and violence. We will once again demand an end to police brutality and the establishment of truly empowered police review boards. We will call for the protection and expansion of civil liberties, human rights, civil rights, voting rights, democratic rights, women's rights, affirmative action, and immigrant rights. We will demand equal voting rights and representation for District of Columbia residents. We will demand reparations for the descendants of Africans enslaved in the United States and the passage of H.R. 40, the Conyers reparations bill. March for Jobs and Justice On that day, let us march for jobs and economic justice. We will demand the redirection of funds for the war towards education, healthcare, housing, employment, Medicaid, Medicare, social security and other domestic programs. We will demand the creation of jobs program that pays a living wage, an increase in the minimum wage and health care for all. We will demand an end to the exploitation of undocumented immigrants by workers who want to undercut the ability of all workers to earn a living wage and an end to raids on immigrant communities and to the stealth deportations that separate and destroy families. Let us march for the right of all workers to be organized and represented by unions, without fear of retribution by their employers for participating in union activities. We will demand affordable housing, environmental justice and an end to poverty, unemployment and homelessness. We will demand the environmental clean-up and reconstruction of the Gulf Coast and its communities and justice, housing, jobs, and the right of return for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. March for Accountability On that day, let us march to demand accountability. Those responsible for the disaster caused by the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq and the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe must be held accountable. We will call for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney for their handling of the Iraq war and the mishandling of the Hurricane Katrina crisis. March of History The march is being held on August 25th to coincide with the 44th anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and with the second anniversary of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe, which killed many and left hundreds of thousands displaced and devastated due to of the failure of the federal government to adequately respond to their needs. Marching in Newark also enables us to connect this event to the 40th anniversary commemoration of the 1967 Newark Rebellion, a major event in the struggle for racial justice. March for A Just Society and Peaceful World The People's March is sponsored by The Peace & Justice Coalition, which is comprised of more than 100 diverse grassroots organizations. The coalition calls upon everyone who wants peace, equality, social, economic and environmental justice to join the march and fill the streets of Newark on August 25th. We call upon all people of good will across the country, from all walks of life to join us on that day. We especially call upon historically oppressed communities, including African Americans, Latinos, Asians, Indigenous and other peoples of color who have been among those most opposed to this war to join us and make their opposition visible. On August 25th, let us march in the spirit of unity, determined to keep the pressure on until the war in Iraq is ended and the ideal of a more just society and a better world for all is finally realized.
• First Meeting: SP-USA Discussion Group- "AN END AND NEW BEGINNINGS" - SP-USA Discussion Group - Meeting 1 Hi all! Here is the info on the first meeting of the discussion group. If you have any problems finding the materials please email or ring me (718 869-2279). The meeting is scheduled for the SP office on Tuesday 23 Oct. at 7:00p. See you then.
  Peace,
  Billy
  

  AN END AND NEW BEGINNINGS

  • Howard Zinn, “Beyond the Soviet Union,”
    www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/1999-09/2zinn.htm
  • Bertell Ollman, “America Beyond Capitalism: A Socialist Stew Prepared for Liberals and Conservatives,”
    www.nyu.edu/projects/ollman/docs/america_beyond_capitalism.php
  • Demo Opposing Mukasey: Monday- EMERGENCY Demo Opposing Mukasey - Monday @ Schumer's Office
    
    From our friends at
    THE WAR RESISTERS LEAGUE

    From our friends at The WAR RESISTERS LEAGUE
    *****Please Circulate*****
    No Excuses for TORTURE!
    

    The Judiciary Committee will be voting on the nomination of Mukasey for Attorney General this Tuesday.

    
    
    Join Us Outside Sen. Chuck Schumer's NYC Office to say:
    
    NO TO WATERBOARDING AND ALL FORMS OF TORTURE!
    NO TO UNLIMITED PRESIDENTIAL POWER!
    NO TO DETAINING PEOPLE WITHOUT CHARGE!
    
    WHAT: We will leaflet and hold a silent vigil
    WHEN: from 11am-1pm, Monday November 5th
  • CENSORSHIP exhibition opening - this thursday- CENSORSHIP exhibition opening - this thursday ---From Ari Moore --- Hullo friends, Please forgive the mass email - there's an art show called CENSORSHIP opening this Thursday that I thought you'd like to hear about. CENSORSHIP, opening this Thursday, November 8th (6-9pm) at Brecht Forum, will feature music performances, interactive sessions, works on paper and canvas, and multimedia displays by an incredible international group of 27 artists. It's being put on by freeDimensional, an amazing non-profit organization I've been working with for nearly two years now. They've been pouring heart and soul into this thing for months, and it promises to be a great show. If you're in the city, I hope you'll check it out (yet more details and directions below). And whether you can come or not, whether you're in NYC or elsewhere, please feel free to pass this info on - we can really use the support!
  • North American New Humanist Forum, NYC- Come see the SP-USA table at:

    The North American New Humanist Forum,

    November 16-18, 2007, in New York City. Registration is free on their website, along with details. Opening (friday the 16th) at El Museo Del Barrio Teatro Heckscher 1230 5th Avenue, at 104th Street Plenary Sessions and working tables at Hunter College School of Social Work 129 East 79th Street, at Lexington Ave From Their Website:
    "How do we map out a new direction for our region, one that is guided by principles of non-violence with respect for diversity and with real democracy? Can we imagine a united North America that transcends national boundaries by building upon the best qualities of our peoples and cultures?" "As humanists, we believe this is possible and the time for it is now."
  • Film showing of "The Trial: The Untold Story of the Cuban Five"- Dec. 1 (Saturday) New York, NY Event details: 1199 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Labor Center Auditorium 6:30 p.m. 310 W43rd St. (btwn. 8th-9th Ave.) Take the A,C, E, 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, S, or W Trains to 42nd St. and Times Square Suggested Donation: $10 (no one will be turned away for lack of funds) PROCEEDS GO TO A SPECIAL HOLIDAY COMMISSARY GIFT FOR THE CUBAN 5!! The Program also will consist of a short Legal Update, Update from the Canadian Conference to Free the Cuban 5, and several campaign updates. Light refreshments will be served. Sponsored by: The Popular Education Project to Free the Cuban 5 For more information contact: freethecubanfive@hotmail.c
  • Support Victor Toro, NYC Activist Fighting Deportation- Support Victor Toro, NYC Activist Fighting Deportation See the SP-NYC statement in support of Victor Toro.

    ---

    SAT 12/8: Support Victor Toro, NYC Activist Fighting Deportation sabado 8 dic: Apoyemos a Victor Toro, activista peleando su deportacion

    La Lucha Sigue! The Struggle Continues!

    [texto en espanol sigue al ingles]
    • Saturday, December 8, 2007 6pm-11pm
    • Fundraising party for Victor Toro, NYC Activist Fighting Deportation with
    • live music (Los Chamanes, Rebeldiaz) and DJ Laylo International
    • suggested donation: $10 food/drinks, dancing, music & conversation- -and no speeches!
    • At Martin Luther King Jr Labor Center, 310 W. 43rd St in Manhattan (between 8th & 9th Aves, A/C/E to 42nd St-Port Authority)
    • LEFT FORUM 2008- Save the date! LEFT FORUM 2008 will take place March 14-16 at The Cooper Union, New York City. This year we are excited to present many speakers who are new to Left Forum audiences, from around the world and right here in New York City, as well as many who are joining us again: Naomi Klein, Grace Lee Boggs, Tariq Ali, Staughton Lynd, Billionaires for Bush, Mahmood Mamdani, Adam Hochschild, Jeremy Scahill, David Harvey, Max Elbaum, Stanley Aronowitz, Frances Fox Piven, Bill Fletcher, Jr., Patricia McFadden, Patrick Bond, John Bellamy Foster, Michael Albert, Carlos Vilas, Dennis Brutus, Deepa Fernandes, and many more will participate. The theme of Left Forum 2008 is Cracks in the Edifice. What is the nature of the emerging crises in global political economy? How can the Left confront its current challenges to build stronger anti-capitalist movements? If another world is possible, what will it look like? We will be adding several movement-building workshops to our program, and plan to examine1968 after 40 years.
    • Street Theatre for Single-Payer Healthcare- The Private Health Care Must Go! Coalition presents... "Claim Denied! Oink! Oink!" Street Theatre for Single-Payer Healthcare Our street theatre includes a short skit that spells out the problem with our for-profit healthcare system and lays the blame where it belongs -- the greedy for-profit health insurance companies. Union Square Saturday April 26th 12:00p - 2:00p Don't Miss It! More info: info@phimg.org Flyer suitable for printing is attached and available on our website: http://www.phimg.org/V2/ The Private Health Insurance Must Go Coalition (PHIMGC), is a growing and diverse New York City-based non-partisan organization focused on education, legislative advocacy and direct action in the fight for Single Payer healthcare reform and HR-676.
    • Street Theatre for Single-Payer Healthcare- The Private Health Care Must Go! Coalition presents... "Claim Denied! Oink! Oink!" Street Theatre for Single-Payer Healthcare Our street theatre includes a short skit that spells out the problem with our for-profit healthcare system and lays the blame where it belongs -- the greedy for-profit health insurance companies. Union Square Saturday April 26th 12:00p - 2:00p Don't Miss It! More info: info@phimg.org Flyer suitable for printing is attached and available on our website: http://www.phimg.org/V2/ The Private Health Insurance Must Go Coalition (PHIMGC), is a growing and diverse New York City-based non-partisan organization focused on education, legislative advocacy and direct action in the fight for Single Payer healthcare reform and HR-676.
    • Coalition Against Privatization meeting- The next meeting of the Coalition Against Privatization will be held on Friday May 2nd at 6:30p in the A. J. Muste Institute, 339 Lafayette St. buzzer #11. The meeting will feature an update on the GHI-HIP privatization and report-backs on plans for the May 9th demo

Some rights reserved: 2006                                                                                                 :::                                                                                                [Admin Login]