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Event Archive
Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba
Sunday, June 15, 5:30 p.m.
First Churches, downtown Northampton
The Caravan to Cuba bus will stop in Northampton to
collect passengers and donations, and to hold a dinner
festival with music and fun. This year, the Caravan
needs music equipment in addition to the usual
embargoed humanitarian aid. Contact Ruth at 256-4881 to
find out exactly what's needed.
The Iraq Moratorium
United for Peace and many other organizations are
calling for actions on the third Friday of every month.
The Moratorium started September 21, 2007 and is
planned to continue until the war stops.
Local Moratorium Actions for Moratorium #10: June 20, 2008
- Vigil, noon - 1:00 p.m.: meet in front of Edwards
Church, State Street and Main Street. Activities
depend on weather and inclination, and have included
singing, marching, and sidewalk chalking.
- If you are planning any other local actions, let us know! [e-mail]
For more information, visit the Iraq Moratorium web site.
The Human Cost of War and Chemical Weapons
Rescheduled
Wednesday, April 30, 6:00 p.m.
East Lecture Hall, Franklin Patterson Hall, Hampshire College
Talk by Drs. Shahriar Khateri and Mohammad Soroush, founders of The Iranian Society for Chemical Weapons Victims Support, to raise awareness of the costs of poison gas and of war in general. Sponsored by PSR.
IMMIGRANT RIGHTS MAY DAY RALLY
Thursday, May 1, noon - 2:00 p.m.
Amherst North Common
Rally for immigrant rights with speakers, poetry, music, and a speak-out. Demand an end to the racist scapegoating of immigrants:
- Stop letting ICE tear families apart
- Immigrants' rights are workers' rights!
- Immigrants are human beings
- Equal protection before the law
Mothers Day March for Peace and Justice
Sunday, May 11, 11:45 a.m.
Meet at Bridge Street Elementary School
~ Take back the day! ~
Mothers Day was intended as a peace demonstration.
This year we focus on the children of the world and
those who care for them. Start at Bridge Street School,
11:45 a.m., march to the Hestia mural on Masonic
Street.
Eight Arrested Blocking Gate of Westover AFB
Claudia being arrested |
Eight local peace activists, including Northampton
Committee to Stop the War in Iraq founding members
Claudia Lefko, Kathleen Winkworth, and Frances Crowe,
staged a dramatic, high-profile protest at the gate of
nearby Westover Air Force Base. Dressed in Middle
Eastern clothing, they blocked the main gate of the
Base until they were arrested for "disturbing the
peace."
[More...]
Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan
Now Being Rebroadcast on Valley Free Radio
The 1971 Winter Soldier Investigation was a public
hearing put together by Vietnam Veterans Against
the War to publicize U.S. war crimes in Vietnam.
Iraq Veterans Against the
War has organized similar hearings for March 13-16
in Washington to publicize today's version of that
inhumanity in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The hearings are being re-broadcast in their
entirety on WXOJ Valley
Free Radio. They will air segments during most syndication slots. Thanks to WXOJ, and thanks to
Sally Weiss for encouraging them.
Five Years Too Many
Rally and Silent March
Wednesday, March 19, 7:00 p.m.
Steps of City Hall, Downtown Northampton
It's been five years, 4,000 troops killed, a million
Iraqi dead, trillions of taxpayer dollars paid to
defense contractors, and billions in oil extorted from Iraq.
Had enough? Join us for speakers, music, and a
silent march starting at City Hall on the fifth
anniversary of the start of the war.
Local Moratorium Actions for Moratorium #6: February 15, 2008
- Black armbands are being distributed at our movies and vigils and will be worn on Moratorium Day.
- Special vigil/march, noon - 1:00 p.m.: meet in front of Edwards Church, State Street and Main Street
- If you are planning any other local actions, let us know! [e-mail]
The Iraq Moratorium
United for Peace and many
other organizations are calling for actions on the
third Friday of every month. The Moratorium started
September 21, 2007 and is planned to continue until the
war stops.
Planning Meeting for Valley-wide Coordination
Saturday, January 5, 2-5 p.m.
Edwards Church, 297 Main Street, Northampton
Contact Paki Wieland or Randy Kehler for more information.
Local Moratorium Actions for Moratorium #5: January 18, 2008
- Black armbands are being distributed at our movies and vigils and will be worn on Moratorium Day.
- Special vigil, noon - 1:00 p.m., in front of Edwards Church, State Street and Main Street
- If you are planning any other local actions, let us know! [e-mail]
For more information, visit the Iraq Moratorium web site.
Prevent War on Iran Planning Meeting
Thursday, January 3, 7:30 pm
Edwards Church, 297 Main Street, Northampton
The Pioneer Valley Coalition to Prevent War on Iran invites
you and members of your group to join us for a Planning
Meeting to plan education, advocacy and a February 10
Valley-wide meeting to speak with our elected officials.
More...
Local Moratorium Actions
For Moratorium #4
December 21, 2007
Black armbands are being distributed at our movies and vigils and will be worn the 19th
Special vigil, noon - 1:00 p.m., in front of Edwards Church, downtown Northampton
If you are planning any other local actions, let us know! [e-mail]
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Local Moratorium Actions
For Moratorium #3
November 16, 2007
Black armbands are being distributed at our movies and vigils and will be worn the 19th
Special vigil, noon - 1:00 p.m., in front of Edwards Church, downtown Northampton
Five short films made in Iraq by Iraqis, as part of our regular film series.
If you are planning any other local actions, let us know! [e-mail]
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Human Rights: The True Road Map to Peace
Sunday, October 21, 2007
11:30 AM - 2:00 PM
At the home of Joe Levine and Louise Antony
Directions: 549-3630
Brunch followed by a presentation and discussion with
Dr. Jeff Halper, Coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against
House Demolitions (ICAHD) and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize
Nominee. The event is free, but donations to support the
work of ICAHD will be most appreciated.
October 27: National Mobilization to End the War in Iraq
Regional Demonstration at Boston Common
October 27, 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Buses are being organized from N'ton and UMass
On Saturday, October 27th, people from all walks of life will gather
in Boston for a massive New England regional demonstration, part of a
nationally coordinated day of protest against the war in Iraq called by
United for Peace and Justice. Regional demonstrations will be held in
10 cities around the country. The New England event will start with a
rally at the Boston Common bandstand starting at Noon, followed by a
march from 2:00 to 3:00 PM.
Battlefield without Borders: Iraqis in Crisis
An Afternoon with Kathy Kelly and Activist-Poet David Smith-Ferri
Sunday, October 28, 2:00 p.m.
Edwards Church, 297 Main Street, Northampton
Internationally renowned antiwar activist, Kathy Kelly,
and poet David Smith-Ferri will speak about Iraq and the
Iraqi people in prose and poetry. They will invite you to
the heart of the Iraqi people and the crisis they face.
Kathy will discuss the consequences of war — for Iraqis,
for Americans, for the environment — and call us into a
campaign of sustained resistance. David will read from his
newly released volume of poetry, Battlefield
without Borders produced by Haley's Publishing of
Athol, MA.
Donations will be accepted, and David's book will be
for sale to benefit the Iraqi Children's Art
Exchange, which connects children in the U.S. to Iraqi
children in the Middle East, and the Direct Aid
Initiative, which provides aid directly to Iraqis in Amman
and, shortly, in Damascus. (All but $2 of the sale of each
book will go to the projects.)
This public event is sponsored by the Northampton
Committee to Stop the War in Iraq, the Western Mass AFSC,
and The Pioneer Valley Interfaith Peace and Justice
Coalition.
[Flyer]
The Cold War in the Middle East and the new Cold War
Thursday, November 15, 4:00 p.m.
Robert Crown Center, Hampshire College, Amherst
Free and open to the public
Dr. Rashid Khalidi is the featured speaker in Hampshire
College's 10th annual Eqbal Ahmad Lecture Series. Khalidi
has been the Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies in the
history department and Director of the Middle East
Institute at Columbia University since 2003. He is also
editor of the Journal of Palestine Studies.
Pastors for Peace Report
Tuesday, September 18, 7:00 p.m.
Edwards Church, downtown Northampton
The local caravanistas who traveled to Cuba are
presenting a report back on the Pastors for Peace Caravan
to Cuba. EVERYONE is invited! We will give first-hand
account of our experiences, and invite discussion on the
U.S. and Cuba today.
Protest W in K'port
Sunday, July 1
Protest Rally and March when Bush meets Putin in Kennebunkport
Saturday, August 25
Major protest with Cindy Sheehan, many others
President Bush will be in town. Camp Casey will be set
up. Camping is available by reservation at
protestcamping@gmail.net. Join Cindy Sheehan, retired
Colonel Ann Wright, Melida Arredondo, Congressman Dennis
Kucinch, along with musicians Inanna, Pat Scanlon and
Band, and the Indigo Girls. More info at http://www.kportprotest.org.
Local buses will be available. Tickets are available from the AFSC at 584-8975, or e-mail protestbus@northamptoncommittee.org
with questions.
[Flyer]
Hiroshima/Nagasaki Remembrance Week
There are many activities in the Pioneer Valley,
starting with our 8/3 film and ending with our 8/10 film. Two highlights:
- The annual New England Peace Pagoda walk, 8/7-9, is open to everyone
- Traditional lantern floating ceremony, Willow Lake, Look Park, Thursday 8/9, 7:45 p.m
For a full schedule, see http://westernmassafsc.org/calendar/AUG3TO9.HTM
U.S.-Cuba Pastors for Peace Caravan
Saturday, June 30
First Churches, downtown Northampton
Welcome the Caravan to Northampton! The welcome
event will feature Cuban food, music, dancing, and
learning about the impact of U.S. policy on Cuba.
Donate to the care package! The Caravan will be
taking humanitarian aid to Cuba. Call 625-9543 or 587-0247
for information about supplies needed.
[More info]
Community-University Solidarity Brings Victory!
Four weeks ago, the University of Massachusetts announced its plans to award Andrew Card with an honorary degree at graduate commencement. Students, faculty, and staff quickly began organizing to oppose this decision.
Yesterday, at graduate commencement, the anti-war movement made its voice heard. This was a victory made possible not only by members of the UMass Amherst campus, but by peace-loving people throughout the Pioneer Valley. Community organizations actively participated in the efforts to convince the university administration to rescind the offer. When that failed, they took time out of a Friday afternoon, arriving at commencement in all their colors to demonstrate the real values of western Massachusetts.
Read more...
Traprock and other YouTube videos
Protest UMass's Award of an Honorary
Degree to Andrew Card Updated
The University of Massachusetts plans to award an
honorary degree to Andrew Card, the founder of the White
House Iraq Group, which was responsible for "marketing"
the Iraq war to the American people.
As a central planner of an illegal war, Card is a war
criminal, not a "person of great accomplishment and high
ethical standards who exemplifies the ideals of the
University of Massachusetts."
Bring all your creative energy to help us remind UMass
of its values! Remember that graduate students deserve our
respect. Honor them while holding Card and the UMass
administration accountable!
MARCH
Tuesday, May 22, 12:30 p.m.
Whitmore Administration Building (UMass) to Amherst Commons
A march will take place on Tuesday, May 22
(not Monday, as we published in our Saturday flyer), at
12:30 p.m., from UMass's Whitmore administration
building to the Amherst Commons. Our first rally brought
200 people; our second rally had 400. Third time's the
charm!
STAND-OUT ON COMMENCEMENT EVE
Thursday, May 24, evening rush hour
Intersections at UMass or your town
Make signs and stand on
highly trafficked intersections on the UMass campus or in
your town during the evening commute. Suggested
slogans: "Honor Students, Dis Card"; "Honor Education, Not
War Criminals"; "No Degree for Andrew Card"; "Protest
Tomorrow at UMass, 12:00," etc.
DEMONSTRATE AT COMMENCEMENT
Friday, May 25, 12:00 p.m.
Press Conference, 1:00 p.m.
Mullins Center, UMass
| Please remember that
the graduate students and families deserve our respect. Let's make it clear that
we are honoring students while we protest
Card! |
The ceremony begins at 2:00, but 12:30 - 2:30 is the
key time, because that's when people will be entering the
Mullins Center. There will be a press conference at 1:00
p.m. We encourage your most creative, nonviolent
responses. Signs, banners, songs, drums, puppets, and
street theater are all very welcome. The RAGING GRANNIES
will sing. People in orange jumpsuits will perform street
theater. Please stay as long as you can: commencement will
last several hours.
Note that students, faculty, and members of the
commencement audience will be taking action inside the
center. We are committed to preserving the ceremony for
the graduate students and disrupting only the portion that
focuses on Card.
[Flyer]
G.I.s Speak Out!
• End the War • Just Treatment for Veterans
Sunday, May 6, 2:00 p.m.
Undercroft Room, Christ Church Cathedral
State and Chestnut Streets, Springfield
[Directions]
Free and Open to the Public
Jonathan Hutto Sr., co-founder of Appeal for
Redress, the online anti-war petition campaign
organized by active-duty GIs, will speak on the campaign
to end the war in Iraq and ensure just treatment for
returning veterans. Followed by a discussion.
Sponsored by the ARISE Peace Committee, the Northampton
Committee to Stop the War in Iraq, AFSC, SAGE, and
Traprock Peace Center. For further information, phone
413-584-6425 or 413-320-2283.
Emergency Vigil Against Supplemental Funding
5:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 2
Steps of City Hall, Northampton
Bring signs, noisemakers, and friends
Congress and Bush are at a standoff: Bush needs another
$100 billion emergency funding for the war, and Congress
has approved, but attached a timetable for ending the war.
Today - the day after Bush's veto - we will protest to demand
that Congress stand firm or even increase its demands.
Rally For A Livable Climate
Nationwide Day of Climate Action
Saturday, April 14, noon - 2:00 p.m.
Pulaski Park, downtown Northampton
Rain location: First Churches
Music, puppets, speakers and information! For more info: http://events.stepitup2007.org/events/show/179
Western Massachusetts Social Forum
Saturday, April 14, 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 15, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
School of Management Building, UMass
Attend workshops, build relationships and share
experiences to help build the movement towards social
justice.
For more info, and to register: http://westernmassafsc.org/wsf/wsf.html.
Torture And Detention Without Trial: An Educational Forum
Frida Berrigan and Buz Isenberg will speak about Guantanamo Bay Prison, torture, rendition, black sites and what can be done about them.
Wednesday, April 25, 7:00 p.m., Helen Hills Hills Chapel, Smith College
Mystical Activism/Active Mysticism
Paki Wieland, member of the Northampton Committee to Stop the War in Iraq, will share stories of her recent experiences in the intentional community at Auroville, India (http://www.auroville.org/).
Monday, April 9, 7:00 p.m., in the Parlor of First Churches, Main Street, Northampton
Isreal/Palestine Events
Knowledge is the Beginning
Film followed by a talk with Miriam Said. Film about a
joint Palestinian Israeli-youth orchestra created by
Edward Said and Daniel Barenboim.
Tuesday, April 10, 7:00 p.m., West Lecture Hall, Franklin Patterson Hall, Hampshire College
The Alexander River Restoration Project as a Bridge between
Israelis and Palestinians
Talk by project planner Amos Brandeis
Wednesday, April 11, 4:30 p.m., Franklin Patterson Hall, Hampshire College
Palestine and Israel: Roots of Conflict, Prospects for Peace
Talk by Norman Finkelstein
Wednesday, April 11, 7:30 pm, Student Union Ballroom, UMass
Iraq Veterans Against the War:
The Case for "Troops Out Now!"
Thursday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m.
UMass Campus Center room 911-915
Join anti-war veterans from Iraq Veterans Against the War for a panel and open discussion on the case for immediate withdrawl from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sponsored by the Campus Anti-War Outreach Caucus of the UMass Anti-War Coalition, and the UMass International Socialist Organization, and the Northampton Committee to Stop the War in Iraq
Saturday, March 17:
Fourth Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq
Four Years of Occupation, 16 Years of War
• Northampton: March, Rally, and Candlelight Vigil - Refreshments Afterwards
We are sponsoring a march starting at 7:00 p.m. at
Bridge Street Elementary School. We will march to the Unitarian Society on Main Street for a brief rally, then spread out along Main Street for a candlelight vigil.
Afterwards, join us for refreshments at Edwards Church, at
297 Main Street. We will have materials on-hand for people to write letters to Congress.
Click the poster at right to view a larger copy. For printing, it is available in high resolution in either Color TIFF (2.9M) or B&W TIFF (168K) formats. Please e-mail with any questions or problems.
• Washington, D.C.: ANSWER March on the Pentagon
The justice group ANSWER is sponsoring a march on the Pentagon . Overnight buses are available, see the Western Mass. AFSC Calendar for further information or contact Nick Camerota at 413-896-5219 or email wmassiac@hotmail.com.
Father Nabil Haddad • Northampton Brownie Troop 438
The Iraqi Children's Art Exchange Project
Learn how they came together amid chaos to start a
school in Jordan for Iraqi refugee children. Appearing
with the 1,000 Cranes Project from Mass MOCA, including a
performance of Sadako and
the 1,000 Paper Cranes.
Saturday, March 3, noon - 2:00 p.m.
Edward's Church, Main & State, Northampton
Ending the War in Iraq: Is Impeachment Necessary?
Public Forum with Cindy Sheehan, John Bonifaz
Sponsored by Progressive Democrats of America
| Greenfield Friday | Northampton Saturday |
March 10, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Greenfield Middle School
195 Federal Street
|
March 11, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
First Churches
Main & Center Streets
|
Raging Grannies at South Hadley Recruiting Station
Join the Raging Grannies for cookies, songs, and discussion.
Wednesday, February 7, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. (rain date February 21).
Big Y Mall, junction of rte 33 and rte 166, South Hadley
D.C. Protest
A major peace demonstration is taking place in Washington, D.C. this Saturday, January 27.
If you are going, you might be able to find us
at 11:00 a.m. on the Mall side of the administration
building of the Smithsonian.
If you can't make it to D.C., be sure to stop by our regular
vigil from 11:00 a.m. to noon in front of the Courthouse
at King & Main.
Emergency Protest to Stop the Escalation
Thursday, January 11, 5:30 p.m.
City Hall Steps
There will be an emergency rally to stop the Bush/McCain
"surge" of additional troops into Iraq at 5:30 p.m.
Thursday (tomorrow) on the steps of City Hall. For more
information, see http://americasaysno.org or
http://westernmassafsc.org.
This protest comes on top of a previously scheduled
protest against Guantanamo (see below).
Protest on the 5th Anniversary of Guantánamo
Thursday, January 11, noon
In front of First Churches
Gothic & Main, downtown Northampton
January 11 marks the fifth anniversary of the first
arrivals of prisoners at the U.S. detainment camp at
Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The prison is the best-known of
America's secret detention sites, where people are brought
without any due process and tortured, in violation of both
the U.S. Constitution and the Geneva Convention.
The protest is sponsored by the Pioneer Valley Coalition
Against Secrecy and Torture.
Yet Another Grim Milestone
Tuesday, January 2, 3:00 p.m.
Federal Building
1550 Main Street, Springfield
On New Year's Eve 2006, the number of U.S.
servicepeople killed in this senseless war of greed passed
3,000. Arise for Social Justice is holding a vigil in
which all the names of the fallen will be read.
The Words of Rachel Corrie
Friday, December 15, 7:00 p.m.
Media Education Foundation
60 Masonic Street, Northampton
A one-woman play based on a series of e-mails to her
family from 23-year-old American peace activist Rachel
Corrie, who was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer
while defending a Palestinian family's home.
Northampton Committee Anniversary
Events
The Northampton Committee to Stop the War in Iraq has been
vigiling (first against sanctions) since 1998.
MARCH: Saturday, December 16, 10:45 a.m.
Join us on Saturday, December 16, for a brief march to
our usual Saturday vigil. We will start at 10:45 at the Bridge
Street School.
EXHIBITION: Mon., Dec. 11th through Mon., Dec. 18th
There will be a week-long retrospective exhibition of
materials used by the Northampton Commmitee to Stop the
War in Iraq at the APE Galleries, on the third floor of
Thorne's marketplace. At the conclusion of the exhibition,
the materials will be donated to the University of
Massachusetts Archives, which is documenting political
activism in the Valley.
Join us at the opening reception, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 5:30-7:30
p.m., APE Galleries, Thorne's Market, Northampton.
Reel Stories for Veterans Day
The Veterans Education Project and the Northampton Independent Film Festival present:
The Ground Truth
Thursday, Nov. 9, 7:00 p.m.
Pleasant Street Theater, Northampton
$8-15 donation or NIFF pass
Moving testimony by veterans about their experiences in Iraq.
When I Came Home
Friday, Nov. 10, 2:00 p.m.
Academy of Music, Northampton
$8 ($7 student or senior) or NIFF pass
Neglect and PTSD lead a new generation of vets to the street.
What Is Happening in New Orleans One Year After Katrina?
Talk by Malik Rahim of Common Ground Collective
Thursday, Oct. 26, 7:00 p.m.
First Churches, downtown Northampton.
Jerusalem Women Speak: Three Women, Three Faiths, One Shared Vision
Ghada Ageel, Shireen Khamis, & Rela Mazali
Wednesday, October 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Franklin Patterson, West Lecture Hall, Hampshire College, Amherst.
Free, accessible and open to the public.
Alternatives to Wars in the Middle East
Presentation by two members of Combatants for Peace, Yonatan Shapira (former member of the Israeli Air Force) and Bassam Aramim (former member of Fatah)
Monday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Browsing Room, Neilson Library, Smith College
Protest at Textron Headquarters
Thursday, October 5, 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Textron Headquarters, Wilmington, MA
Leave Northampton at 9:00 a.m.
Cluster bombs are deliberately indiscriminate, designed to kill over the widest possible area. Even the newer designs leave behind unexploded bomblets, which can maim and kill for years after a war is over. Protest this horrendous weapon at its source, right here in Massachusetts. We will meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Gazette parking lot on Conz street. E-mail us for more information.
More Info:
Press Release
Human Rights Watch Backgrounder
Textron Cluster Bomb Brochure
The World Can't Wait!
One-day General Strike
Wednesday, October 5
No Work! No School! No Shopping!
The World Can't Wait has called a one-day strike for Wednesday, Oct. 5.
Si Kahn in Concert
Democracy Activist and Singer/Songwriter
Saturday, Sept 16, 8:00 p.m.
Unitarian Society
120 Main Street, Northampton
See Si Kahn at a benefit concert for the Greensboro Justice Fund. Call 413-584-1079 for ticket information.
A Different 9/11:
Marking The 100th Birthday of Nonviolence
September 11, 2006
Peace Fair
Saturday, September 9th
12:00 noon to 4:00 pm
Unitarian Society, Main Street, Northampton
Gandhi proposed his plan for nonviolent resistance a
hundred years ago, on September 11, 1906. Commemorating
this moment will help to free us from the cycle of
violence, and to remind us that we are the agents of
such a change.
Events being planned include a Peace Fairin
downtown Northampton on Saturday, September 9. We will
also be screening A Force More Powerful: A Century of Nonviolent
Conflict, a six-part, three-hour PBS documentary
featuring case studies of successful nonviolence. The
screening will take place September 1 and 8 as part of our
Friday Night Film Series.
More information:
[Event Web Site]
[Event Report]
[Event Pictures]
The Current Crisis in the Middle East
Panel Discussion To Be Followed by Q&A
Wednesday, July 26
7:00 pm, Lyman Hall, First Churches
129 Main Street, Northampton
Panelists: Carolyn Oppenheim (Freelance journalist),
Vijay Prashad (Trinity College), Sayers Rudy (Amherst
College), Mary Wilson (UMass/Amherst).
Organized by the Western Mass. Palestine Action
Coalition, the Northampton Committee to Stop the War in
Iraq, the American Friends Service Committee and the
UMass Anti-War Coalition.
DARFUR:
An Open Discussion on Intervention, Regime Change, and the Politics of Genocide
Thursday, July 6, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Neilson Library Browsing Room, Smith College
Panel discussion with IAC Director Sara Flounders, Smith Antropology professor Elliot Fratkin,
human rights investigator keith harmon snow, researcher
Dimitri Gram, and UMass Antropology Professor Enoch Page.
[Flyer]
Stand Up With Lt. Watada
National Day of Action
Support his courageous resistance!
Tuesday, June 27, noon to 1:00 p.m.
Steps of Northampton City Hall
210 Main Street
On June 7th, 2006, U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ehren
Watada became the first U.S. commissioned officer to
publicly announce his opposition to the Iraq war and
his intent to refuse to deploy with his unit to
Iraq.
To demonstrate our support for Ehren, and his
courageous stand, we will participate in a National Day
of Action on June 27th to support Ehren as he
officially resists deployment this week.
Web site: http://www.thankyoult.org/
City Council Resolution to Impeach
A nationwide movement is underway to pass resolutions
of impeachment at local levels. Northampton's City
Council has been considering a resolution to impeach,
and is slated to present it to the full City Council at
its Thursday, June 1 meeting. Please phone in your
support, and attend the meeting. Public comment is 7:15
p.m.
City Council phone #s:
http://www.northamptonma.gov/gsuniverse/httpRoot/council/
Resolution text:
http://www.northamptoncommittee.org/statements/2006-04-28-Impeach.html
Nationwide movement information:
http://www.impeachbush.tv/index.html
City Council Resolution to Impeach
ACTION ALERT!
Community Forum on Impeachment
Monday, May 15, 7:00 p.m.
Little Theater, Northampton High School
The Northampton City Council is convening a community forum to discuss a local resolution to impeach! Please come and voice your support. The current text of the resolution is available at our site here or at the City Council website as a Word document here. If you can't come, please phone in your support on Monday (find the number here).
MOTHER'S DAY FOR MOTHER EARTH
Annual Mothers Day Peace & Justice March
Sunday, May 14, noon to 2 p.m.
Families, individuals, groups, organizations for
peace & justice: come to the Annual Mothers Day Peace
& Justice March. Meet at the Bridge Street School
at 11:45. March downtown at 12:00 for a speakout of
prose, poems, & song.
Sponsors: Northampton
Committee to Stop the War in Iraq, Nonotuck Community
School Child Care Advocacy Comm., SAGE, Green-Rainbow
Party Amherst, Social Workers for Peace and Justice,
CORI Education Project, Amherst Women In Black,
Nuclear Weapons Abolition Task Force, Hamp./Franklin
CCPAX, American Friends Service Committee, ARISE for
Social Justice, WMass Indymedia, Connecticut Valley
Coalition for Women's Lives, Social Justice Committee
of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst
Northampton Pride Parade
Annual Parade and Festival
Saturday, May 6, 12:00 noon
March starts at Lampron Park (near Bridge Street Elementary School), assembly at 11:30 a.m.
[Web site]
United for Peace and Justice
MARCH FOR PEACE, JUSTICE AND DEMOCRACY
Saturday, April 29
New York City
Assemble at 22nd Street and Broadway at 10:30 a.m.
March at noon down Broadway to Foley Square. Grassroots
action festival, 1:00-6:00 p.m., Foley Square. More details:
http://www.april29.org
http://www.unitedforpeace.org
Western Mass. Week Against War
Marking Three Years of War and Occupation in Iraq
Events are being planned all across the valley by
various groups to mark the third anniversary of war in
Iraq. Some of the events have been coordinated into a web site dedicated to the event at
wmass-3years.org. The web site has a poster you can download and print.
Additional listings can be found at the Western
Mass. AFSC's trusty calendar, and the national AFSC has set up a
nationwide
listing.
The Northampton Committee is directly sponsoring two of the Week Against War events:
No Go Solo: Coffee, Muffins, Rides, and Peace!
We are kicking off No Go Solo,
an ongoing campaign to combat the culture of single-occupancy automobiles, with a meet-up at Sheldon Field [map] during the morning commute.
Join us Wed. or Thu., March 15-16, any time between 7:30 and 9:00 a.m. at Sheldon Field. We will have coffee, muffins, and information about ridesharing, public transportation, and other alternatives.
Candlelight Vigil
We will hold a community-wide
candlelight vigil for people to mark the anniversary
and express some of their feelings.
Join us Sunday, March 19, 6:00-7:00 p.m., downtown
Northampton. If possible, bring candles and signs.
Artists for Justice: Peace Be Upon the World
A solidarity event immediately following the candlelight vigil on Sunday, March 19. With Professor Michael Thelwell, speaker, and Puerto Rican poet Magdalena Gomez in a duo performance with Palestinian percussionist Michel Moushabeck.
The event will take place at First Churches, downtown Northampton, in Layman Hall (side door to
church). Doors will open at 7:00 pm, after the vigil.
[Flyer]
Emergency Regional Town Meeting
Restore the Rule of Law!
A discussion with Congressman Richard E. Neal (D-Massachusetts),
Former Congressman Bob Barr (R-Georgia), and Massachusetts ALCU Director
Carol Rose about the astonishingly dictatorial Bush/Cheney policies of:
- Torture
- Domestic Spying
- Secret Arrests
- And more...
Thursday, March 23, 7:00 p.m.
Veritas Auditorium, Elms College, Chicopee
Sponsored by the Massachusetts American Civil Liberties Union.
International Women's Day, March 8
February 15 is the third anniversary of the largest anti-war protest in
history. Worldwide, fifteen million took to
the streets in an effort to stop the Iraq war before it
began.
On February 15, 2006, women in Western Massachusetts
marked the day by dropping in on Congressman Richard
Neal's Springfield office to urge him to sign on to the
Global Call for Peace in Iraq and to issue a
statement calling for the war's end.
On March 8, International Women's Day, we will
return. We invite him to meet with us and read his
statement in front of his office in the Federal
Building in Springfield at 12:00 noon.
Please show your support for the Global Call, and
for Congressman Neal's endorsement of it, by joining us
on March 8, 12:00 noon, in front of the Federal
Building in Springfield. Please bring a sign if you like.
[Flyer] [Sign the Global Call]
Constitution Vigil
Local civil liberties and human rights group are holding a vigil against the Bush administration's use of torture and its telltale disregard for due process and domestic spying laws.
Join us Wednesday, February 22 at 6:00 p.m. at King and Main Streets in downtown Northampton to decry these policies. We can all imagine the cost of inaction. We must demand that lawmakers stop Bush from driving our country further toward dictatorship and inhumanity.
This vigil is being held in solidarity with MoveOn's call for vigils specifically against domestic spying.
 Hope and Action in Wartime:
A Discussion with Kathy Kelly
Meet author and humanitarian Kathy Kelly, founder of Voices in the Wilderness,
an anti-sanctions group that has committed civil disobedience over 70 times in bringing medicine and other humanitarian supplies to Iraq.
Saturday, February 11, 7:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room, Smith College
Center for Popular Economics and SAGE present:
What's the Connection: Globalization, Wal-Mart, the Iraq War, the Health Care Crisis, Privatization?
The doctrine of neoliberalism runs like a thread through many of today's problems of poverty and war. The Center for Popular Economics will detail its effects on us, on the developing world, and on the environment; as well as the global mushrooming of opposition to the policy.
Thursday, Feburary 9, 7:00 p.m. Grace Church Parish Hall, 14 Boltwood Avenue, Amherst
[More]
State of the Union: Bring the Noise
The group World Can't Wait has called for noisemaking protests during Bush's State of the Union address this Tuesday, January 31 at 8:00 p.m. Local WCW organizers have listed a protest for Northampton at City Hall. Bring the noise and drown out Bush's lies!
[See the Listing]
A Report from Israel/Palestine: The Faculty for
Israel-Palestine Peace Delegation
A presentation by Peter Titelman, Katherine Baker, and
Yoav Elinevsky. Sunday January 29, 2006 at 3:00 at the
Media Education Foundation, 60 Masonic St.,
Northampton. Free, accessible and open to the public.
Information: 584-1299. Sponsored by Middle East Peace
Coalition of WMass and the Faculty for Israel-Palestine
Peace.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Circle
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Western Massachusetts AFSC is organizing Circles - discussions among small groups of friends or acquantances about the relevance of King's vision today. The Northampton Committee to Stop the War in Iraq is sponsoring one such Circle at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, January 16, at the Media Education Foundation, 60 Masonic Street in downtown Northampton. The circle is open; we will be discussing King's Riverside Speech, which participants should read ahead of time.
Also on Monday, January 16, these Circles will be recognized during the traditional community-wide celebration organized by the 2006 AFSC MLK Committee. The event will take place at the First Churches at 1:00 p.m., which will be half an hour after the Northampton Committee's Circle ends (the venues are only 200 meters apart).
[Flyer]
[AFSC MLK Day Page]
Northampton Committee Seventh Anniversary March
Vigil, March, Drumming, and More
Help mark our anniversary with a special vigil on Saturday, December 17, 11:00 a.m. We will meet at in front of the County Courthouse on Main & King Streets — our weekly vigil spot — then do a sidewalk march around downtown. We will have drummers, and the Raging Grannies will make an appearance.
After the vigil, stay for the Greensboro Justice Fund's Human Rights Day event (below).
Flyers:
[PDF]
[JPG]
Greensboro Justice Fund Human Rights Day Observance
Street theater, songs, and readings in front of First Churches in downtown Northampton on Saturday, December 17 from noon to 2:00 p.m. — immediately following the Northampton Committee's anniversary march and vigil next door.
[Flyer]
UMass Week on the War
November 7 - 12
Sponsored by Students Against the War
Dozens of peace-related events at UMass, including:
The full schedule is available at http://www.studentsagainstthewar.com/weekonthewar.htm.
Home from Iraq Now!
Home from Iraq
Now! is a statewide campaign to bring the
Massachusetts National Guard home and keep it home. It
consists of a ballot initiative, town and city council
resolutions, and a state hearing.
The current focus is in gathering 100,000 signatures
by November 15 to place a binding initiative on the 2006
ballot. The initiative has been certified and needs
your help now in gathering the signatures and
spreading the word.
Please visit http://homefromiraqnow.org/help.shtml
to find out how you can help.
September 24: March on Washington
Massive March, Rally, and Festival; Three Days of Action
Travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in the
next national-scale protest. The main September 24
protest will be followed by two days of activity. Full
details are available at United
for Peace.
Buses are in short supply, but there is still a
chance you could get a seat. Contact the Western Mass.
September 24 DC Mobilization at wmassmobe@hotmail.com
or by calling 413-587-0059.
If you need a ride or have a ride to offer, you can
also contact AFSC's ride board at
http://www.westernmassafsc.org/rideboard.html.
Many Western Massachusetts participants are planning
to meet at 11:00 at the Traprock Peace Center's tent
complex. This will be in with other informational
booths and tables that will be set up around "the
ellipse," which is the large park behind the White
House where the rally will be held.
[AFSC Flyer]
Florence Guard Deployment Draws Action
An Iraq deployment from Florence's National Guard
unit is expected mid-summer. In response, local peace
and justice groups are taking action.
Expanded Vigil
We have expanded our weekly vigil to Florence
starting June 3. Please join us Saturday at 11:00 a.m.
at the grassy triangle on the south side of Main St.,
just west of Maple. The tone of the vigil is quieter
and more focused than usual. A contingent of the
Northampton vigil will remain at its usual place in
front of the Courthouse.
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Local groups are also campaigning to increase
awareness of conscientious objection, and of the
options and resources available to people who discover the military
life to be unacceptable. The booklet Getting Out: A Guide to Military
Discharges describes many of these.
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July 23, 2005: DSM Day
A full day devoted to the Downing Street
Minutes
Help mark the the 3rd anniversary of the infamous
Downing Street meeting - the meeting whose minutes
plainly show the Bush administration lying about Iraq's
threat in order to push the case for war. The justice
group After
Downing Street has called for local actions to
raise awareness of the DSM.
Progressive Democrats Bringing John Bonifaz to
Northampton Town Meeting
John Bonifaz will lead a DSM Day town meeting in
Northampton. Mr. Bonifaz is the co-founder of After
Downing Street and the author of Warrior-King: The
Case for Impeaching George Bush. The event is
sponsored by the Western Massachusetts chapter of the
Progressive
Democrats of America, a group dedicated to building
a progressive caucus within the Democratic party.
The meeting will be held Saturday, July 23, 4:00
p.m., at the Media Education Foundation, 60
Masonic Street in Northampton.
[Flyer (2-up)]
Woolsey Resolution
A push is on for congress to adopt the Woolsey
Resolution, which calls on the President to begin an
immediate withdrawal of our forces from Iraq. Here is a
petition we have been using.
[PDF]
[DOC]
A Conversation with Congressman Richard Neal
About the Iraq War and Other Issues
Friday, June 3, 10:00 a.m.
Media Education Foundation
60 Masonic Street
Plans have come together for a meeting with
Congressman Richard Neal on Friday morning, June 3rd.
This was a hard-won event. As you may recall, members
of the Northampton Committee occupied Congressman
Neal's office to request this visit (story). Our turnout now will
complete the demonstration.
We want Congressman Neal to see that his
constituents are active and interested, that we expect
him to step up his efforts to promote peace and
justice, and that we will support and encourage him
when he takes a stand against the Republicans.
[Flyer]
How it went: Neal played to a full house of about 100 people from the community. Every question involved the war.
Mother's Day Justice and Peace March and Rally
Mother's Day in the United States was first proclaimed in 1870 in Boston by Julia Ward Howe. Howe's "Mother's Day" was a call for pacifism and disarmament. In keeping with that spirit, two dozen local activist groups hold an annual peace and justice march through Northampton, followed by a rally. This year's march is Sunday, May 8.
Marchers are encouraged to bring signs depicting women of peace and justice they would like to honor, and, if desired, to say a few words about that person at the rally's open mike. The march is planned for 12:15 p.m. at the Bridge Elementary School, thence to John M. Greene Hall on Elm Street, then back downtown to the Hestia Mural on Masonic Street, where the rally will take place.
[Flyer]
[Commentary]
Save the Filibuster!
Emergency Rally to Stop the Judicial Takeover
Wednesday, April 27, 4:30 p.m., Northampton City Hall
In the next 5 days, the Republican leadership is planning to pull the trigger on the "nuclear option" - a scheme to break the rules of the Senate, end the filibuster - thereby seizing absolute power over judicial appointments - and stack the courts with extreme right-wing judges. Overnight, some of our most treasured rights, like the 40-hour work week, basic environmental protections, and the right to privacy, would be in danger. We must act. Here is what to do:
- Call our Senators! Even though Massachusetts Senators will vote against the change, they need to be able to count your support.
- If you know people in states with swing votes, have them call their Senators. The swing votes are: Olympia Snowe (Maine), Susan Collins (Maine), John Sununu (New Hampshire), John W. Warner (Virginia), Chuck Hagel (Nebraska), Gordon H. Smith (Oregon) and Arlen Specter (Pennsylvania). They are feeling intense pressure from radical Republicans and need support to buck that pressure.
- Come to the Save the Filibuster! emergency rally this Wednesday afternoon.
Colonel Ann Wright: Reflections on Iraq and U.S. Foreign Policy
Col. Wright is a veteran with 15 years in the Foreign Service and 30 in the U.S. Army. She resigned her post over the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq, and participated in the documentary film, "Uncovered: the Truth About the Iraq War." She will be in Northampton to reflect on Iraq and U.S. foreign policy on Thursday, April 21st, 7:00 p.m., at the First Churches, 129 Main Street.
[Flyer]
Northampton Committee Occupies U.S. Congressional Office,
Wins Town Meeting for Northampton
In a surprise move on March 29, the Northampton Committee to Stop the War in Iraq occupied the Springfield office of U.S. Congressman Richard Neal, and began reading the names of Americans and Iraqis killed as a result of the war. The action was in response to Rep. Neal's recent vote to approve the latest $80-billion round of supplemental appropriations to continue the war.
The Committee requested and was granted a town meeting with Rep. Neal on the subject of the war. Save the date of June 4. Further details will be announced as they become available.
[Read More]
March 19-20, Anniversary of the Invasion: The World Says Stop the War!
March 19-20 marks the two-year anniversary of the U.S. bombing and invasion of Iraq. Major protests are scheduled in New York, San Francisco, and in cities and towns across the world. Two years into the war, and in the first days of Bush's second term, your turnout is more critical than ever.
Sunday, March 20, 6:00 p.m. Candlelight Vigil in Downtown Northampton
Join us all along Main Street from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for a candelight vigil. Then gather at Edwards Church (Main & Elm) for refreshments from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
[Flyer]
March 19, New York City: National Protest in Central Park
ANSWER is sponsoring a large demonstration in Central Park's East Meadow at noon. Buses are available; e-mail wmassiac@hotmail.com or call Catherine at 413-587-0059.
March 19, Northampton: "Shocking and Awful" Short Film Marathon
Shocking and Awful is a series of thirteen half-hour documentaries comprising independent footage about the war and the occupation. They will be presented consecutively starting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 19 at the Media Education Foundation, 60 Masonic Street in Northampton. The films will be shown in groups of 3 starting at 1, 3, 5, and 7 p.m.
[Detailed Schedule]
[Flyer]
Rasmiyahs Ring: Photographs And Childrens Art From Baghdad, January 2004
An exhibit by Claudia Lefko all February at the Hosmer Gallery, Forbes Library, 20 West St., Northampton. Gallery Hours: Mon. 1-9, Tues. 9-6, Wed. 9-9, Thurs. 1-5, and Fri. - Sat. 9-5. [Hi-res flyer (1.6M)] Special events:
- Rasmiyah's Ring: Stories from the Exhibit: Wednesday, February 2nd, 7:00 in the Coolidge Room
- Opening Reception: Saturday, February 5th, 2:00 - 4:00.
Counter-Inaugural Demonstration, January 20, Washington, D.C.
Planning Meeting on Friday, January 7, 4:00 p.m.
Consider traveling to Washington, D.C. for a national-scale protest opposite the January 20 presidential inauguration. Many peace groups from towns across the U.S., including ours, are organizing buses to Washington, D.C. for the event.
We are having a planning meeting for the bus trip on Friday, January 7, at 4:00 p.m., at the Edwards Church, State Street and Elm Street, Northampton. If you would like to find out more, please contact us at info@northamptoncommittee.org or by phone at 584-0068.
Christmas Peace Vigil
This year, Christmas falls on our weekly vigil day, Saturday. As peace fills our neighborhoods on that day, why not come out and demonstrate our appreciation of peace? It will be a smaller vigil, but all the more special for having its meaning mingled with the Christmas spirit. Join us at the usual time and place, Saturday, December 25, from 11 a.m. to noon in front of the courthouse.
Northampton Committee Sixth Anniversary Actions
Saturday, December 11, 2004 marks six years of weekly vigils by the Northampton Committee to Stop the War on Iraq (formerly the Northampton Committee to Lift the Sanctions on Iraq). We will mark the occasion with a special four-way convergence march. Gather at one of four locations around the city at 10:30 a.m. to be part of the march, or meet us for the vigil at its usual time and place.
[March Details]
[Statement]
[Flyer]
Veterans' / Armistice Day Vigil
We will vigil in front of the County Courthouse (King & Main Streets, downtown Northampton) from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. The first hour of the vigil will be silent. Bring drums or pails to make noise during the second hour.
At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the guns on the Western Front fell silent, "the war to end all wars" was over, and Armistice Day had its origin in the hope for permanent peace. Thirty-six years later, when it was clear that world war would be our way of life rather than a distant bad memory, Eisenhower renamed Armistice Day to Veterans' Day.
Today we mark Armistice Day looking toward that future day when the guns may again fall silent, this time for real. We mark Veterans' Day with sorrow for young families destroyed, for young minds bent around the violence they have seen. Most of all, we choose to act on this Armistice/Veteran's Day to declare that the current world war into which our country is leading the world must be resisted by all nonviolent means available.
"Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train"
Come to a special screening of an inspiring film biography of the historian, activist and author of the trailblazing retelling of American history, "A Peoples History of the United States".
Sunday, November 7, 4:00 and 7:00 p.m., at Wright Hall, Smith College. Students free. The suggested dontation for non-students is $5-10. Discussion to follow.
[Flyer]
[Announcement]
[More Info]
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