Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace

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Monday, March 8, 4:00 - 5:30 pm, Henry Johnson Boulevard, International Women's Day Peace Demonstration,  This is a public demonstration for peace.  Women, as well as men and children are invited to join Women Against War in  this gathering.   Park in the small Municipal lot nearby between Central and Washington, on Washington Park roads, or at meters on Central or Washington.  Please wear red.  Sponsored by Women Against War. Contact Marcia at 283-5353 or Connie at 274-4863

Tuesday, March 9, 12:50-1:45 PM Afghanistan’s Heartbreak,    Afghanistan’s  Hope. Women Against War sponsors: Fahima Vorgetts  of Women for Afghan Women  Speaking with Slides  Pizza & Politics series.  Union College, Social Science104, 7:00 PM Mercy Center, 310 So. Manning Blvd. Sponsored by Women Against War, Opportunities to donate to the Afghan Well Project, postcards for Congress & literature will be available.  Free and open to the public.  For information:  Info@WomenAgainstWa r.org   518-426-0710 
 Additional  locations  and dates where Fahima Vorgetts will speak:  3/9, 7:00 pm,  Mercy Center, 310 So. Manning Blvd. & 3/10, 7:30 PM, The Plight of Women in the Afghan War. University at Albany, Humanities, Rm. 137  All events free and opn to the public. Opportunities to donate to the Afghan Well Project, postcards for Congress and literature will be available.

Wednesday, March 10,   7:30 PM. The Plight of Women in the Afghan War. Women Against War sponsors: Fahima Vorgetts  of Women for Afghan Women  Speaking with Slides.  University at Albany, Humanities, Rm. 137.  Co-sponsored by Women’s Studies/IRO, UUP   & Women Against War.  Opportunities to donate to the Afghan Well Project, postcards for Congress & literature will be available.  Free and open to the public.  For information:  Info@WomenAgainstWa r.org   518-426-0710

Saturday March 13. 8:00 pm.Sanctuary for Independent Media  3361 6th Avenue, Troy  NY Film: "Age of Stupid", Sanctuary for Independent Media  3361 6th Avenue, Troy  NY The film is a well crafted narrative & documentary film on the theme of climate collapse: http://ageofstupid.net  One of the main questions it asks is: "Why didn't we save ourselves when we had the chance?"  A reception provided by the Honest Weight Food Coop will also take place during that time. The reception/ tables will be from 7-8pm and the screening will begin at 8pm. The film will be followed by a facilitated discussion. Admission: by donation ($10 suggested, $5 student/low-income)

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Lecture Series on Iran at Russell Sage College & The College of Saint Rose Presented by Professor Mohammad Amjad, Formally of the Department of Political Science Azad University of Iran Tehran, Iran. Professor Mohammad Amjad, formally of the Department of Political Science Azad University of Iran  Tehran, Iran,  previously served as a faculty member in  the department of History and Political Science at The College of Saint Rose between 1989 and 1991.   His first book, Iran: from Royal Dictatorship to Theocracy was widely and favorably reviewed.  Additional writings have included  Strategies of Economic Development in South Korea and Iran (Markaz Asnad Enghelab Eslami, Tehran, 2005); American Government and politics (Samt Publishing House, Tehran, 2004);  Iran: from Royal Dictatorship to Theocracy (Translated by Hossein Moftakhari, Tehran, Baz Publishers.  Sponsored by The Sage Colleges, The Sherman David Spector Fund of the Sage Colleges, The College of Saint Rose

Monday, March 15th,  7:00pm  at Russell Sage College, Bush Memorial, 45 Ferry St., Troy, NY 12180 “The Iranian Presidential Election of 2009 and the Emergence of the Democratic Resistance” Presented by Professor Mohammad Amjad.  Iran Free and open to the public For more information contact: Dr. Steven A. Leibo at leibos@sage.edu

Tuesday, March 16th, 8:00 am, (morning talk discussion) at Sage College of Albany, 224 Campus Center, 140 New Scotland Ave., Albany, Azad University, Iran “Israel in the Mind of Iranians” Presented by Professor Mohammad Amjad.  Free and open to the public.  For more information contact: Dr. Steven A. Leibo at leibos@sage.edu

Monday, March 16th, 7:30 pm at The College of Saint Rose, Saint Joseph Hall Auditorium, "Iranian Nuclear Diplomacy and International Security". Free and open to the public. For more information contact: Dr. Keith Haynes at haynesk@strose.edu

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Sunday, March 21 at 4 p.m.The Iraqi Community Association, Iraqi Refugee Project and the Social Responsibilities Council of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany are co-sponsoring an Iraqi Spring Festival Celebration on Sunday, March 21 at 4 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Society Church, 405 Washington Avenue in Albany. The event will celebrate the arrival of spring by sharing a small part of Iraq’s rich cultural heritage including a demonstration of Chobi, which is an Iraqi folk dance, and a delicious Iraqi meal. Chobi is the Iraqi version of Debka, a lively folkloric dance which is popular in the region of the fertile crescent and the Levant and which is commonly danced at weddings and other festive occasions. Iraqi cuisine, whose history goes back thousands of years to the sophisticated cultures of ancient Mesopotamia, makes use of a wide array of mouth watering spices and is influenced by the culinary traditions of neighboring Turkey, Iran and the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine) as well. The Albany Capital District has an Iraqi community which has been growing rapidly over the past two years, and this social event is an opportunity for people in Albany to get  to know their new neighbors. A committee composed of Iraqis and Americans, which emerged from the efforts of the Iraqi Refugee Project, is in the process of establishing an Iraqi Community Association (ICA) for the Capital District. The spring festival event will be an opportunity for people to find out more about the ICA and its goals.This event is free and open to the public. For more information contact ICA at iraqi.community@ yahoo.com or call 518-392-9477.

Saturday, March 27th, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Emerson Hall of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, 405 Washington Avenue, Albany, NEW YORK STATE PRISONER JUSTICE CONFERENCE: A coalition of New York State prisoner justice activist organizations and individuals is coming together to plan the conference. All organizations and individuals active in New York State prisoner justice issues are invited to participate. The purpose of the conference is to bring together under one roof a wide range of New York State organizations and individuals working on  working on a diversity of prisoner justice issues to share ideas, information, energy, strategies, hope, and inspiration. There will be an overview of the issues that participating organizations are working on, time to strategize together to build a more effective movement for prisoner justice, and plans to continue collaborative work after the conference is over. e-mail: nysprisonerjustice@gmail.com phone: 518-434-4037   Pre-register at the following website:  http://www.nysprisonerjustice.org/contact/

Saturday, March 27, 6:45 pm, “My Name is Rachel Corrie” starring Courtney Day Nassar will be presented in the Beaudoin Theatre, Foy Hall at Siena College, 515 Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY.  Performance at 8:00 PM, preceded by a panel discussion at 6:45 PM.  General Admission: $10.  Students:  free with ID For tickets, phone the Siena box office 518-783-4242.  Co-sponsored by Upper Hudson Peace Action, the Palestinian Right Committee, American Jews for a Just Peace and the Creative Arts Department of Siena College. On the 16th of March, 2003, Rachel Corrie, 23, was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza as she tried to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home.  The play draws on Rachel’s journals, letters and e-mails to create a remarkable portrait of this extraordinary young woman.  

New Date TBA, Noon to 1:15 pm, The College of Saint Rose, St. Joseph Hall Auditorium, 985 Madison Avenue, Albany.  The College of Saint Rose Women and Gender Studies Committee  Presents:  Iraqi Women Refugees and Community Action in the Capital District. The capital district region serves as a relocation center for growing numbers of refugees from Iraq and other conflict areas across the world. Many who come are women and children who have spent years living in appalling conditions while awaiting relocation. Please join us in learning about the challenges they face in adapting to new lives here in the capital region and the community efforts being made on their behalf. Speakers:  Layheng Ting, Refugee Women Experience in Albany: A Lesson Learned from Emmaus’s Work ,  Ms Ting is the Executive Director of Emmaus Intervention Project with Refugees and Recent Immigrants. Emmaus’s mission is to help refugees and recent immigrants to achieve sustainable and fulfilling lives by providing family based English literacy classes and advocacy services for all ages of recent immigrants and refugees. Elaine Hills, The Causes and Human Costs of Targeting Iraq. Ms Hills is an anthropologist and epidemiologist who works with the Iraqi Refugees Project (IRP), a community-based coalition that works to: welcome newly resettled Iraqis to the Albany region; help Iraqis with their transition into life in a new culture; advocate for policies that promote the well-being of Iraqi refugees; and educate others about the great need for Iraqi refugee assistance.Co-sponsored by The Center for Citizenship, Race, and Ethnicity Studies (CREST),  College of Saint Rose Art Department,  Department of History and Political Science Admission is free and open to the public.

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Contingency Plan in Case of Overt Attack by US or Israel on Iran
 
  At the request of NEPAJAC, Women Against War's Iran Project has developed a contingency plan for a community-wide protest demonstration in the case of an overt attack by the US or Israel against Iran. Please share this plan immediately with your organization' s members and save it to send out again with a specific date if an attack occurs.

    *       When there is a news report (any time before 7 PM of that day) of an overt military attack by the US or Israel against Iran, the protest demonstration will occur on the following day. E.g., a news report before 7 PM on a Tues will trigger a demonstration on a Wed; a news report after 7 PM on a Tues or before 7 PM on a Wed will trigger a demonstration on Thurs.
    *       Demonstration at Wolf Road & Central Ave. from 5-6:30 PM.
    *      Dress all in black if you can.
    *      Bring a large print sign.
    *      Bring pots and spoons to bang and other noise makers.

   We have focused this demonstration on overt action because the US is already engaged in covert actions against Iran. A permit will not be required for this sidewalk demonstration, and we will ensure there is a plan to notify the media. We will bring our Iran banners, photos and a new banner urging calls to Congress. If a US blockade situation is developing, we will consult with other NEPAJAC members about an appropriate trigger for a response. Let's all keep working hard to prevent this demonstration from ever needing to happen! If anyone has questions, please contact Maud Easter, easter@nycap. rr.com.

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