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).
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Anacostia Library Rally Postponed
"The threat of flash floods has sunk our plans Thursday at Anacostia Library and hence we have postponed until next Thursday, September 7, rain or shine.
"Bring your awakened spirit back from the vacation of the holiday weekend so to refocus on rallying to reopen our neighborhood library in Anacostia."
"There are still some things you can help with:
* Bring a gallon of water to the rally * We need peeps with cars * We need easy-to-setup-canopys * OUTREACH; can you make phone calls or send emails? Contact Robin Diener at The DC Library Renaissance Project at 202/387-8030 or rdiener@savedclibraries.org
The Anacostia Library has been closed since December 2004 in anticipation of rebuilding, but no ground has been broken. The mayor, city council and board of library trustees have not prioritized the interim services needed to serve the needs of the neighborhood, failing to recognize the important role libraries play in their communities.
Join with Green Party mayoral candidate Chris Otten, Empower DC, the Residential Association of Marbury Plaza, citizens of the Anacostia community, and library supporters from across DC in calling for the immediate reopening of the Anacostia Public Library. Bring your friends and family to the rally, which will have children's activities, reading time, music, open mike, and food and drinks.
Volunteers are needed. Can you spread the word by email or by flyer? Would you like to help read books to kids? Do you have a car? Contact Robin Diener at 202/387-8030 or rdiener@savedclibraries.org
Violent police repression of a recent protest in El Salvador has been called the worst human rights violation in that country since the 12-year civil war ended in 1992. Students who were peacefully speaking out against the rising cost of living were met with violence and the occupation of the "autonomous" university. The government is calling the students and the opposition party "terrorists" and is trying to rescind their freedom of expression. This government response, combined with recent evidence of death squad activity, are cause for concern that El Salvador could be returning to a violent past.
Voices on the Border is a small non-profit that works in solidarity with grassroots communities that build peace with justice in El Salvador. You can help them by attending this low-ticket fundraiser celebrating art, justice and community, with performances by DC Poets Against the War, Alfonso Velez and members of The.Blackout.District. The suggested donation is $20, which includes two drinks or food.
When: Friday, Aug. 25, at 8 p.m. Where: The Playbill Café (1409 14th St. NW)
"Darwin's Nightmare" is the stranger-than-fiction tale of two relentless killing machines: the Nile Perch which, over the course of a few decades, ate through everything that used to live in Tanzania's Lake Victoria; and the foreign capitalists who introduced that non-native fish in order to sell it to European consumers. Losing out to both of these were the local Tanzanians who once lived off the lake's bounty and now, literally, are left with bones and rotting carcasses.
Amosu, a senior policy analyst for Africa in OSI's DC office, seeks to facilitate links between OSI's Africa-based foundations, initiatives and grantees, and the international policy community in Washington, as well as share OSI perspectives on African issues and collaborate with other organizations in areas of joint concern. Amosu has broad experience in African affairs and has written and broadcast extensively on the most pressing issues affecting the continent.
When: Tuesday, Aug. 15, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Where: Busboys and Poets (2021 14th St. NW) More Info: Alisa at 202/234-9382 or email fpiffilms@gmail.com
Sweating in DC for your summer internship? Working 'til the wee hours of the night on social justice causes? Looking for a break on Thursday evenings to meet other activists and policy wonks, and learn a thing or two about a pressing international issue? Join Africa Action and the Student Global AIDS Campaign for a free summer film series! The screenings provide an opportunity for activists and other concerned people in the DC area to learn and discuss pressing issues around the continuing global AIDS pandemic.
This week's film, "A Closer Walk," is one of the first films to depict humankind's confrontation with the global AIDS epidemic. Subjects and story lines encompass the broad spectrum of the global AIDS experience and include people with HIV/AIDS from all walks of life; AIDS children and orphans and those caring for them; doctors, nurses, and social workers; human rights advocates; and prominent scientists, economists, researchers, government leaders, and NGO officials. The film's basic themes remain the underlying causes of AIDS; the relationship between health, dignity, and human rights; and the universal need for action, compassion, and commitment to counter what has become the worst plague in human history.
This screening of "A Closer Walk" will feature Mwiza Munthali of TransAfrica Forum and Diana Duarte of Africa Action as invited speakers.
When: Thursday, Aug. 10, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Where: TransAfrica Forum (1629 K St. NW, Suite 1100; Farragut North Metro) More Info: Evelyn Sallah at esallah@africaaction.org or 202/546-7961
This week's film, "The Take," is set in suburban Buenos Aires, where 30 unemployed auto-parts workers walk into their idle factory, roll out sleeping mats and refuse to leave. All they want is to restart the silent machines. But this simple act – the take – has the power to turn the globalization debate on its head. Armed only with slingshots and an abiding faith in shop-floor democracy, the workers face off against the bosses, bankers and a whole system that sees their beloved factories as nothing more than scrap metal for sale.
Take part in a post-film discussion with Aldo Caliari from the Center of Concern. Admission is free and open to the public.
When: Wednesday, Aug. 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. Where: Busboys and Poets (2021 14th St. NW, 3 blocks from the U Street Metro) More Info: Alisa at 202/234-9382 or email fpiffilms@gmail.com
This summer, we again will welcome the Hibakusha – the living survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings – to our community.
Most Hibakusha are in their 70s and 80s, and they fear that as the memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki fades, the likelihood that nuclear weapons will be used again will grow. They embrace the special responsibility to the world to tell their painful, deeply personal stories of hell on earth so that nuclear weapons are abolished and never used again.
The atomic bombings serve as a warning to humanity of the genocidal character of nuclear weapons, and illustrate the compelling need for international agreements for their abolishment. Each August we pause to remember the anniversary of the annihilation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and renew our commitment to realizing a world free from the threat of nuclear war. We seek to link our work for nuclear disarmament with our opposition to militarism, social injustice and environmental degradation.
In addition to hosting the Hibakusha, the Hiroshima/Nagasaki Peace Committee will be sending a community delegation to the World Conference Against A & H Bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, consisting of Michele and Rick Tingling-Clemmons, and youth delegate Anesa Sheila Mirza.
The Hiroshima/Nagasaki Peace Committee is entirely a labor of love. Volunteers are needed to provide transportation, post fliers, make banners and signs, and dozens of other tasks. Tax-deductible contributions are critically needed, but the most important contribution you can make is to participate actively in at least one of the commemoration programs.
What: Annual Hiroshima Remembrance "Prophetic Voice of the Hibakusha," with a children's program and survivor testimony When: Saturday, Aug. 5, from 6 to 9 p.m. Where: Constitution Gardens (just east of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial near the Reflecting Pool)
What: Annual Nagasaki Candlelight Vigil to mark the exact anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing When: Tuesday, Aug. 8, at 9:30 p.m. Where: Lafayette Park (16th and H Streets NW)
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
