DC Metro Action is a listing of local actions, entertainment, volunteer opportunities and the occasional rant on a wide range of socially just issues.
contact me at dcmetroaction@comcast.net
Action of the Day Many of these action alerts are found on the listservs and websites of organizations listed in our "Act Locally" section (Left).
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Religious Vigil Against Torture
Speak out against this country's torture policy and practices, and let our government, our country, and the world know that we oppose torture, whoever commits it – that the torture policy of this administration does not reflect the values of the American people. As many people as possible are being asked to stand shoulder to shoulder facing the Vice President's House along Massachusetts Avenue going south towards Dupont Circle. Come demonstrate quietly and peacefully with candles, flashlights, and signs on the sidewalk across from the house. Once you arrive, take your place next to the last person in line, on the sidewalk, facing the Vice President's House. A line will be created down Massachusetts Avenue as long as the number of people who have joined. This is a vigil – please, no shouting or chanting.
When: Wednesday, Dec. 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. Where: Massachusetts Avenue and 34th Street NW (Dupont Circle Metro, then transfer to an N2, 4 or 6 bus going up Massachusetts Avenue) More Info: Linda Gustitus at 202/363-3928
In July 2005, world leaders promised immediate and irrevocable debt cancellation for 18 countries. The International Monetary Fund is now backtracking on this commitment. This month, the IMF published its plan for implementing debt cancellation. Part of the plan is a final economic test that these countries must meet, even though these countries have already complied with decades of onerous conditions as requirements for debt cancellation.
The excuse the IMF is giving for the delay is that the six countries are said to be "off track" with IMF economic programs, despite recent favorable economic reviews by the IMF itself. This move threatens access to debt cancellation for six countries: Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Rwanda, Senegal and Nicaragua.
Despite the fact that these debts were largely illegitimate in the first place – the result of irresponsible lending to despotic regimes and for failed projects – these extremely impoverished nations have been paying the IMF at the expense of desperately needed investment in health, education and clean water. Further delays to debt cancellation will cost lives.
Join leading advocates for impoverished country debt cancellation and call on the IMF to not be the Grinch who stole debt cancellation. This takes place ahead of the IMF's Wednesday board meeting, which will finalize the details of a debt cancellation deal for 18 countries. Fully one-third of those promised debt cancellation are now in danger of being denied cancellation by the IMF.
If you can bring a car load of people, please RSVP so organizers can accommodate folks w/ample parking and rally items. RSVP directly to laborgrrl@hotmail.com or duchy@comcast.net.
When: Saturday, Dec. 17th at 11 a.m. Where: 8745 Branch Avenue, Clinton, MD (meet in the adjacent store parking lot (Safeway) at approx 10:30 a.m.; bring signs and banners)
While Washington's baseball fans and media think that the deal for a new stadium for the Nats is a good one – and a done deal – the RFK or No Way Coalition stands against the use of public funding for a Major League Baseball scam. The group says the proposed site in Southeast DC will lead to gentrification, disbursement of businesses and workers, low-paying seasonal jobs, increased traffic from the suburbs, more polluted runoff into the Anacostia River and a demoralized public.
The RFK or No Way Coalition is made up of community-based organizations and individuals who have been concerned about the baseball stadium deal since it was introduced by Mayor Williams in 2004. The mayor's office was not forthright in its estimation of cost overruns for a public-financed stadium in Southeast Washington – with the dispossession of homes and businesses, retrofitting a Metro station for crowd capacity, and moving and rebuilding a Metrobus depot among the major costs that were underestimated. Now we are facing the reality that costs will skyrocket $100 million to $200 million or more beyond the already $535 million public giveaway.
The DC City Council's economic development committee will hold a hearing on the proposed lease for the South Capitol Street baseball stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 10 a.m. in the council chambers. Here's a link to the lease agreement (it's 109 pages). The vote by the full council – which no longer has three of the seven members who voted in favor of public financing for this stadium – is scheduled to take place Tuesday, Jan 20, 2006. You can help inject some citizen oversight into this project by joining RFK or No Way for a press conference and a "speak out."
When: Thursday, Dec. 15, at 8:30 a.m. Where: City Council of the District of Columbia, just outside the front door (inside if too cold) of 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW More Info: Chris at 202/234-7075 or betterdeal4dc@yahoo.com
Make Policy Based on Human Needs, Not Agency Deadlines
Join with survivors of Hurricane Katrina, the People's Hurricane Relief Fund and Oversight Coalition, the Hip Hop Caucus, Up for Democracy, members of Congress, African-American clergy, progressive allies and concerned citizens to march in protest of FEMA, demanding that it continue to pay hotel bills for the many victims of Hurricane Katrina and treat our people with dignity.
When: Wednesday, Dec. 14 Where: Gather at 10 a.m. at the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station; march at 11 a.m. to FEMA (500 C St. SW) More Info: www.upfordemocracy.org
Celebrate International Human Rights Day by attending Amnesty International USA’s Mid-Atlantic Region’s event. It will be an afternoon of talks where you can learn about immigrant labor rights issues and the efforts of local immigrant communities to defend their rights, and performances by Quique Aviles (Sol y Soul), Bread and Roses and Luci Murphy and Friends.
When: Saturday, Dec. 10, from 1 to 4 p.m. Where: Marie Reed Learning Center (2200 Champlain St. NW, near the corner of 18th and Kalorama Streets)
Thousands of federal workers and their supporters will march to the White House to let President Bush know they strongly oppose new federal personnel rules that strip workers of their collective bargaining rights. The new National Security Personnel System would allow Department of Defense officials to override provisions in collective bargaining contracts for 650,000 civilian DoD employees.
This protest is part of a week of actions worldwide to shine a light on employers' efforts to thwart workers' freedom to form unions. Throughout this week, workers around the globe will hold rallies, town hall meetings, candlelight vigils and teach-ins to expose the obstacles they face when seeking to join a union at work and to showcase strategies for overcoming those barriers.
The events are part of a massive global mobilization to mark Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day, the anniversary of the 1948 ratification of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which includes workers' freedom to form unions.
Photo: Eleanor Roosevelt holds the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as a poster in English, in November 1949 at Lake Success, NY, which was then the location of the United Nations headquarters.(UN Photo # UN 23783)
When: Thursday, Dec. 8; gather at 11:30 am, rally and march at noon Where: AFL-CIO (815 16th St. NW, McPherson Square Metro) More Info: Kevin Byrne at 202/639-6232, kbyrne@aflcio.org or www.dclabor.org
On Wednesday, Dec. 7, more than 100,000 people will gather in private homes and nearly two dozen cities across the United States and Latin America for the 15th annual "Covenant House Candlelight Vigil for Homeless Kids" to bring international focus and a call to action on behalf of homeless and at-risk youths. You can be a part of this international effort by attending the Covenant House Washington Candlelight Vigil. Join hundreds of concerned citizens, elected officials and youth-focused agencies in renewing the covenant to protect and safeguard all children.
When: Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. Where: 2001 Mississippi Ave. SE More Info: Anne Stuecker at astuecker@chdc.org or 202/610-9600.
The Campus Antiwar Network (CAN) is the largest independent, democratic, grassroots network of students who oppose the occupation of Iraq and military recruiters in our schools at campuses all over the country. Since its formation before the war in Iraq began, the group's unapologetic opposition to the US government's project of conquest and plunder in the Middle East, along with its horrible consequences at home, has been unwavering.
CAN is calling for actions around the country to show the federal government that it cannot intimidate schools for kicking out military recruiters. On Tuesday, Dec. 6, the Supreme Court will hear FAIR v. Rumsfeld (brought by several universities), which will decide whether schools can ban military recruiters without losing federal funding. Currently, the government can cut off federal funding from schools that ban military recruiters. This policy forces schools to accept military recruitment, even though the military's anti-gay "don't ask, don't tell" policy violates university anti-discrimination policies.
On Dec. 6, when the Supreme Court hears FAIR v. Rumsfeld, students will hold protests at military recruiting stations, federal buildings and school administrative offices across the country, including San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and New York City. In Washington, DC, a demonstration will take place on the steps of the Supreme Court.
When: Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 1 p.m. Where: On the sidewalk in front of the Supreme Court steps on First Street (between East Capitol Street and Maryland Avenue; Capitol South Metro) More Info: Brian at 908/887-4461 or btier@gwu.edu
Join Capital Action, Eco-Women, SustainUS and other folks in the DC area for a night of buying meaningful holiday gifts of charity to support a variety of non-profit organizations. Meet some friends for happy hour, cross those items off your shopping list AND help people and communities in need at the same time!
Last year, some 120 "shoppers" purchased over 600 gifts of donations totaling more than $8,200, including 71 yoga sessions for seniors, 78 bed nets to prevent malaria in Tanzania, 22 bicycles for social workers in southeast Asia, and 38 transportation cards for victims of domestic violence. Also among the donations were therapeutic retreats for grieving children, GED and boat-building training for DC-area youths, and 22 gallons of paint for low-income families.
This year, choose from:
* A toiletries starter kit for someone moving out of a shelter ($8, from Green Door) * A hand-sewn Christmas stocking filled with necessities and small gifts for a homeless child ($40, from Capitol Hill United Methodist Church) * A holiday meal for a family living in poverty ($26, from Bread for the City) * An hour-long help session from a trained Katrina evacuee for another hurricane victim ($10, from Circle of Health International) * 25 percent of the annual salary for a village midwife in Tibet ($25, from Circle of Health International) * A cookbook for a trainee upon completion of a life-skills culinary training program ($10, from Through the Kitchen Door) * An electric mixer requested by a senior delivered on Christmas Day ($20, from We Are Family)
For each gift you will received a hand-inscribed card describing the gift and the organization for your recipient.
Volunteers are still needed as greeters, cashiers and calligraphers, and for on-street advertising. To volunteer, contact Sat Jiwan Khalsa at satjiwan@newdream.org.
When: Monday, Dec. 5, from 6 to 9 p.m. Where: The Front Page (1333 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Dupont Circle Metro, South Exit)
If you can't get to the Monday night event in Dupont Circle, here are some other DC-area alternative gift fairs:
DC When: Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Where: American University, Room 120, Mary Graydon Center More Info: figment@gmail.com
MARYLAND When: Saturday, Dec. 3, from noon to 4 p.m. Where: Takoma Park Presbyterian Church (310 Tulip Ave., Takoma Park) More Info: Gina Duffin at gina_duffin@yahoo.com
When: Sunday, Dec. 4, from 2 to 5 p.m. Where: Brookmont Church (MacArthur and Maryland Avenue, Bethesda) More Info: Sandy Robinson at granitesong@aol.com
When: Sunday, Dec. 4, 11 and 18, from 9:45 to 11:30 a.m. Where: Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church (3215 Powder Mill Rd., Adelphi) More Info: Laura Van Wie McGrory at LLVanWie@lbl.gov or 301/927-2776
VIRGINIA When: Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Where: Belmont Ridge Middle School (19045 Upper Belmont Pl., Lansdowne) More Info: Peggy Coleman at agf@saintgabriels.net or 703/779-3616
When: Sunday, Dec. 4, from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. and noon to 1:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 11 and 18, from noon to 1 p.m. Where: Ravensworth Baptist Church (5100 Ravensworth Rd., Annandale) More Info: Geneva Pope at dgpope7603@verizon.net or 703/569-4751
To learn more about alternative gift fairs, or to find one outside of the DC area, log in here.
DC Metro Action is published by Michael Schlesinger, a 32-year veteran of electoral and issue organizing who is committed to social justice and to increasing participation in the political process.
All original content (C) 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Michael Schlesinger
