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Past Events 2009: 

Solidarity Committee- Film:  "Surplus:  Terrorized into Being Consumers"

 The Solidarity Committee of the Capital District continues its 2009-2010 film series with the documentary, "Surplus:  Terrorized into Being Consumers" (2003, 52 minutes).  Shot in the United States, India, China, Italy, Sweden, Hungary, and elsewhere, this very unusual film explores the superficial nature of what has become the major freedom encouraged in many societies:  the freedom to consume.  Directed by Italian-Swedish filmmaker Eric Gandini and edited by Swedish music composer/editor/percussionist Johan Söderberg, "Surplus" shows why the purchase of goods does not necessarily lead to happiness.  A post-film discussion will be led by Brooke Newell of the NY Citizens Trade Campaign. 
This film-showing—co-sponsored by Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace and Upper Hudson Peace Action—will take place at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, located at 405 Washington Avenue (across the street from the downtown SUNY campus). Admission is free, and free refreshments will be provided by the Honest Weight Food Coop.  Everyone is welcome to attend. Information:  466-1192

Battle in Seattle (2007, 98 minutes)   This dramatization of the 1999 protests of the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle.  This drama features actors  Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin, Connie Nielsen and Michelle Rodriguez. Most of us know how the protested ended but this dramatization is sure to spark discussion.  Roger Ebert:  ".... "Battle in Seattle" makes a case for the way the WTO punishes Third World nations, allows the dumping of surpluses that drive workers away from jobs and is managed for the benefit of fat-cat nations. " After the film,  Brooke Newell of the NY Citizens Trade Campaign will lead a discussion and talk about the  2009 Trade Act.   Information 466-1192

Tuesday, December 1st, 7:00 p.m. Roger Bacon Hall 202 (Key Auditorium), Siena College.  Scott Ritter and Dr. Larry Wittner on Nuclear Weapons Dangers Today. Scott Ritter has had an extensive and distinguished career in government service. He is an intelligence specialist with a 12-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps including assignments in the former Soviet Union and the Middle East. Rising to the rank of Major, Ritter spent several months of the Gulf War serving under General Norman Schwarzkopf with US Central Command headquarters in Saudi Arabia, where he played an instrumental role in formulating and implementing combat operations targeting Iraqi mobile missile launchers which threatened Israel. In 1991, Ritter joined the United Nations weapons inspections team, or UNSCOM. He participated in 34 inspection missions, 14 of them as chief inspector. Ritter resigned from UNSCOM in August 1998, citing US interference in the work of the inspections.   He is the author of many books, including “Iraq Confidential: The Untold Story of the Intelligence Conspiracy to Undermine the UN and Overthrow Saddam Hussein” and most recently “Target Iran: The Truth About the White House’s Plans for Regime Change.”  Lawrence S. Wittner is Professor of History at the State University of New York/Albany, and a former president of the Peace History Society.  His books include Rebels Against War (1969, rev. ed. 1984), Cold War America (1974, rev. ed. 1978), and American Intervention in Greece (1982). His most extensive project was an award-winning, scholarly trilogy entitled The Struggle Against the Bomb (1993-2003).  In June 2009, he came out with an abbreviated version:  Confronting the Bomb:  A Short History of the World Nuclear Disarmament Movement.  He has also edited or co-edited four other books, co-edited the scholarly journal Peace & Change, and written about 200 published articles and book reviews. A Presentation in Concert with Psychology 490 Seminar: Political Psychology (a Problem-Based Service Learning Course) Co-sponsored by:  School of Liberal Arts/Peace Studies, The Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy Bonner Service Leaders Program, Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace.  Mr. Ritter and Dr. Wittner also will be signing their most recent books, which will be for sale at the event.  For further information, contact Dr. Mo Hannah (Hannah@siena.edu) 

Local Peace Groups call for Action on Escalation of Afghanistan War, Wednesday, December 2

Obama is scheduled to make the announcement  at West Point Tuesday night!

Join us in in Albany at the intersection of Wolf Road and Central Avenue on   Wednesday, December 2,  for a 5 p.m. to 6:30  p.m. picket line in front of the Colonie Shopping  Center.  We have  signs calling for an end to the Afghan war, or bring your own. The protest is being organized by Tom Paine Chapter of Veterans for Peace, Women Against War, Upper Hudson Peace Action, and Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace.  Please share this plan immediately with your organization' s members. We invite other regional groups to join us as co-sponsors,  so please spread the word.

  8 Years of War in Afghanistan, How Many More?

CONTACTS:
 Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace, Joe Lombardo at 518 439-1968 or jlombard@nycap. rr.com
Veteran for Peace, Dan Wilcox at  518 482-0262 or dwlcx@earthlink. net
Women Against War, Maureen Aumand at 518 869-6674 or maumand@nycap. rr.com

Solidarity Committee- Film: "

The Solidarity Committee of the Capital District continues its 2009-2010 film series with a showing of the outstanding five part film , "Rethink Afghanistan" (2009, 75 minutes).   Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Robert Greenwald—whose screen credits include "Outfoxed," "Wal-Mart," and "Iraq for Sale"—this film exposes the true costs of the military occupation of Afghanistan, the daily struggles facing U.S. soldiers, and the hardships endured by Afghan civilians.  At this time when the U.S. role in Afghanistan is being debated among government officials and the public, "Rethink Afghanistan" could not be more timely.  A discussion after the film screening will be led by Connie Frisbee Houde, who recently returned from a visit to Afghanistan. This event—co-sponsored by Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace, Upper Hudson Peace Action, and Women Against War. Admission is free, and free refreshments will be provided by the Honest Weight Food Coop.  Everyone is welcome.  Information:  466-1192

Kathy Kelly:  Pot Luck Dinner and Silent Auction Fundraiser
Friday, November 13, 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Delmar Reformed Church
386 Delaware Ave, Delmar, NY 

Please join Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace and Kathy Kelly for a pot-luck dinner.  Please bring a dish to share. This event will be a fund-raiser for Kathy as she continues her peace work in the Middle East. There will be a suggested donation of $10.00 per person (more if you can, less if you cannot) and we will be having a silent auction as well. If you have a book, CD, DVD, baked goods or services you would like to donate for the silent auction, they will be greatly appreciated. A number of local merchants are donating gift certificates for this event. This will be a fun, delicious and interesting evening as Kathy shares her recent experiences. We look forward to seeing you all on November 13th! Please rsvp to Leslie Hudson 768-4676 or cathudson@att.net

BNP  Film:  Soldiers of Conscience
Tuesday, November 10,  6:45 -9:00 pm
Bethlehem Public Library
451 Delaware Ave., Delmar NY 12054

Paola Gutierrez Galindo will speak on Why We Migrate: Stories of Mexico's Displaced.
 Friday, October 23 at 7:00pm
SUNY Albany, HU 113
1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222

The immigration debate, now heating up again, has revolved around border walls, deportations, and policies that have proven not only inhumane, but ineffective at resolving the undocumented migration crisis. Surprisingly lacking from this debate is one essential question: why? Why do millions of Latin Americans make the unlikely decision to leave their communities and cross a dangerous desert in order to live in a country with increasingly draconian anti-immigrant laws? Why did the number of Mexicans who made this decision double after the implementation of the U.S.-pushed North American Free Trade Agreement? To shed some light, Paola Gutierrez Galindo is coming from southern Mexico to tell stories of her family members, of her neighbors, of the vast majority of her community who now live as immigrants in the U.S. Paola will untangle the complex factors, including concrete U.S. economic policies, that have pushed person after person to abandon her community and come live among ours.  Witness for Peace MidAtlantic Speaking tour. Information:  Jackie:   jhayes09@hotmail.com

The Solidarity Committee of the Capital District continues its 2009-2010 film series with a showing of the outstanding documentary, "The War at Home" (1979, 100 minutes).  Nominated for an Academy Award and widely considered one of the most important political films ever made, "The War at Home" vividly chronicles the anti-Vietnam War movement of the 1960s and early 1970s.  Through a powerful combination of rare archival footage and interviews with students, community leaders, Vietnam veterans, and participants from all points of view, this film shows how the movement for peace grew into a genuine people's revolt.This film-showing—co-sponsored by Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace and Upper Hudson Peace Action—will take place at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, located at 405 Washington Avenue (across the street from the downtown SUNY campus). Admission is free, and free refreshments will be provided by the Honest Weight Food Coop.  Everyone is welcome to attend. 

Film: The Reckoning; the Struggle for the International Criminal Court
with filmmaker Peter Kinoy  
Friday, October 16, 7 PM
WAMC Linda Norris Auditorium
339 Central Ave., Albany 

 Late in the 20th century, in response to repeated mass atrocities around the world, more than 120 countries united to form the International Criminal Court (ICC)—the first permanent court created to prosecute perpetrators (no matter how powerful) of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. The Reckoning follows dynamic ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo and his team for 3 years across 4 continents as he issues arrest warrants for Lord’s Resistance Army leaders in Uganda, puts Congolese warlords on trial, shakes up the Colombian justice system, and charges Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir with genocide in Darfur, challenging the UN Security Council to arrest him. Building cases against genocidal criminals presents huge challenges, and the Prosecutor has a mandate but no police force. At every turn, he must pressure the international community to muster political will for the cause. Like a deft thriller, The Reckoning keeps you on the edge of your seat, in this case with two riveting dramas—the prosecution of unspeakable crimes and the ICC’s fight for efficacy in its nascent years. As this tiny court in The Hague struggles to change the world and forge a new paradigm for justice, innocent victims suffer and wait. Will the Prosecutor succeed? Will the world ensure that justice prevails? This special event is sponsored by: Peace Action, Women Against War, Solidarity Committee of the Capital District, Citizen Action of NY, Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace. We suggest you order your tickets ahead of time and come early to assure seating.  For tickets call: 465-5233, ext. 4 

Peace March and Rally on Saturday, October 17,  West Capital Park (West side of the Capitol), Albany, NY at 12 pm.  End the Wars! Stop the bombing of Pakistan! 

Endorsers include the North East Peace and Justice Action Coalition (NEPAJAC), Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace, Solidarity Committee, Guilderland Neighbors for Peace, Women Against War, Troy Neighbors for Peace, Upper Hudson Peace Action, Tom Paine Chapter of Veterans for Peace, Muslim Solidarity Committee, Schenectady Neighbors for Peace, Cap. Dist. Interfaith Alliance, Social Justice Committee of the Schenectady Unitarian Society, Albany Friends meeting, Berkshire Citizens for Peace and Justice, Syracuse Peace Council, Rockland Coalition for Peace and Justice, Saratoga Peace Alliance, Peace Action & Education of Rochester, NY .

Speakers will including Jimmy Massey, founding member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Marilyn Fisher, member of Military Families Speak Out, Connie Frisbee Houde local resident who will just be returning of Afghanistan and other.  

Live Music by The Ameros    (Jesse Calhoun, Kawari, Sean Muniz, Kiki Vassilakis)

Peace and Justice Organizations welcome to table at this event.

October has several dates with significance for the peace movement. In October 2009, we'll mark the eighth year of the U.S. war in Afghanistan and seven years since Congress passed the resolution authorizing war against Iraq. In addition, October commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam Moratorium, which brought hundreds of thousands into the streets to protest the war.  We support and endorse a two-week period of united mass actions, beginning October 3 and culminating on October 17. This includes Monday, October 5 as the date for a national mass march and non-violent civil resistance at the U.S. House of Representatives office buildings and the White House.

"There comes a time when silence is betrayal…" Dr. M. L. King, 1967 

"Worker's Republic" w/ filmmaker Andrew Freund
Saturday,  October 17 ,  7:00 pm
Sanctuary for Independent Media
 3361 6th Avenue, Troy  NY

Workers’ Republic, (Filmmaker: Andrew Freund, 2009, 62 min).  A story of the courage, resolve, creativity, and solidarity of the workers at Republic Windows and Doors who stood up for their rights after being thrown out of work three weeks before Christmas 2008.Three weeks before Christmas 2008, in the depths of the economic crisis, Chicago company Republic Windows and Doors told their workforce that the factory was closing shop. Republic executives complained about dwindling sales due to the crash of the housing market. Three days later, when the Republic employees came in to pick up their final paychecks, they were informed that they would not be paid for their final week or receive their accrued vacation pay. Their insurance benefits were cut immediately, and they were denied the 60-day severance guaranteed under the federal WARN Act.

What those workers did next reverberated across the country, reminding the working class it possesses a power long forgotten. They occupied the doomed factory 24-hours a day for six days, declaring they would not leave until they were given what their employer owed them.
Workers’ Republic conveys the courage, the resolve, the creativity, and the solidarity of those window-builders who vowed to stand up for their rights. From the opening moments to the final settlement and culminating in the surprise fate of the Chicago factory, the film commits one of American society’s most grievous sins: speaking in favor of radical action as a solution to exploitation.

Filmmaker and union steward Andrew Freund has assembled the accounts of several of the main fighters in the Republic struggle, including front line workers, the organizers of their tiny union United Electrical, Radio, & Machine Workers, and a few of the thousands of everyday people that supported them through small acts of solidarity.  Co-sponsored by The Sanctuary for Independent Media, Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace and the Troy Area Labor Council.  Admission:  by donation ($10 suggested, $5 student/low-income)

BNP Forum:  'Hydrofracking:' Toxic gas-drilling in NYS  
Thursday,  October 1 ,  7:00 -9:00 pm
Bethlehem Public Library
451 Delaware Ave., Delmar NY 12054
 

Learn more about  the potentially disastrous "hydrofracking" currently underway in New York State.   Underneath much of upstate NY is the Marcellus Shale, a rock layer that some geologists predict could meet the nation's natural gas needs for more than two years.  However, this is potentially disastrous for our drinking water supply . "The gas in the Marcellus is held like bubbles in a brick of Swiss cheese. To extract it, a mixture of water, sand and chemicals is shot into the earth with such force it fractures the rock, releasing the bubbles to the surface. When the gas surfaces, so does the water - laden with natural toxins from the shale, including suspected cancer-causing compounds."  according to a 2008 article in the Albany Times Union.  Corporations have been given permits to drill without liability if our aquifers become polluted.   As our government pursues  energy supplies through wars, and looks the other way as corporations pollute and pillage, how can we pursue true "homeland security"?    Find out more.  

Solidarity Committee- Film: Trouble the Water
Saturday,  September 26, 7:30 pm
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany
405 Washington Avenue (across the street from the downtown SUNY campus)

Presentation by Dr. Steve Breyman: "An Af-Pak Strategy for Obama"
Thursday,  September 3,  7:00 -9:00 pm
Bethlehem Public Library
451 Delaware Ave., Delmar NY 12054
Dr. Steve Breyman, author of recent articles appearing on counterpunch.com, AntiWar.com and  foreignpolicy.com, will present a talk on: "An Af-Pak Strategy for Obama".  Read some of Steve's recent articles:  Beginning to Smell in Afghanistan ,  Counting the Unemployed,  Is Obama Ignoring Iarael? ,  Bomber Joe and Russio:  Why is Biden Channeling Cheney?    Steve Breyman teaches at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute   Information:  466-1192

North East Peace and Justice Action Coalition (NEPAJAC) Meeting
Wednseday, August 12, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, Channing Hall
405 Washington Avenue (across the street from the downtown SUNY campus)

The meeting is being called to organize our area’s participation in fall actions that are being planned. As you may know, at the recent conference of the National Assembly to End the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and Occupations, a program of action was decided on with other peace and justice forces that were present.  Organizations from around the country are joining the call and it is hoped that the other major national anti-war coalitions will also join the call and that we can have united actions for peace this fall.

The actions that were decided on at the conference included a 3 week period started in Pittsburgh on September 24 and 25 to protest the G20 meeting representing the countries with the 20 largest economies in the world.  At these meetings in the past, these powerful countries have put forward programs that have been to the detriment to the world’s ecology, to the world’s poor and to the cause of peace. The 2 week period will end with local and region peace actions around the country on October 17.  These are planned around the date of the beginning of the war on Afghanistan and will focus on that war and occupation.  At the meeting we hope to plan actions for our area on that date, perhaps in conjunction with other Upstate New York areas.  The 3 week period will also include a weekday mobilization and non-violent resistance in Washington , DC on October 5 and some other activity. Additionally, during the fall, there is a large mobilization being planned in Washington on gay rights.  This will take place on October 10. 

We hope to have people from this area that are organizing for that event at the meeting.  Also, Please let Joe Lombardo know if your organization would like to endorse this fall program of action and I will send you an official endorsement form or fill it out for you. Your group will then be listed on the national endorser’s list. Please join us on August 12 and/or ask your organization to send representatives to the meeting. For more information on the fall actions, please see www.natassembly.org.Contact:  Joe at 439-1968    or  jlombard@nycap.rr.com for further information.

Harnessing the Winds of Change: The 11th Anniversary, Kateri Tekakwitha Peace Conference
Friday   & Saturday, August 14 & 15
National Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine, Route 5, Fonda,   NY

Friday evening, beginning at 6:00 pm , August 14 and Saturday, August 15, 2009. Harnessing the Winds of Change - On election night, 2008, people all across the world were joyful and celebrated both the election of our first African-American President and the coming end of George W. Bush’s failed presidency. With the election of President Obama, America clearly voted for change. The issue of race was also brought to center stage predominantly in a positive way. Many of us began to smile again with renewed hope and it seemed as if a soft and gentle spring breeze move across the land.  Please come. All are welcome!   Check the conference website for the latest information. Cost:  Friday Evening,  Pot Luck Dinner and Free Will Offering;  Saturday,  Students and Seniors $10.00, Adults - $15.00 through $40.00. High School students free. 

                         

BNP  Film:  FLOW:  How Did A Handful of Corporations Steal Our Water?
Thursday,  August 6,  6:45 -9:00 pm
Bethlehem Public Library
451 Delaware Ave., Delmar NY 12054

Flow, directed by Irena Salina,  (2008, 84 minutes) gives us  a look at the  practical solutions to the water crisis and  developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround.  Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. This film presents an investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis.  "The scariest  movie at the Sundance Festival" --Wired Magazine. The film will be followed by a discussion.  Information:  439-1968

BNP Annual Summer Pot Luck Picnic ..BNPSemi Annual  Store Clearance and Fund Raiser
Sunday, August 2, 3:00 PM- Dusk 
Elm Avenue Park, 261 Elm Avenue,  Pavilion A
Delmar, NY

Bethlehem Town Park, Pavilion A, 261 Elm Avenue, DelmarThis will be our long awaited chance to socialize and have fun!  Please bring a dish to share and if possible,  your own plate and utensils. Bring musical instruments to make music, good stories, games etc., and lawn chairs or blankets. Join us for the social event of the summer!   For more information or to volunteer for set up or clean up,  Call Trudy 466-1192

5th Anniversary Commemoration of the Arrests of YASSIN AREF & MOHAMMED HOSSAIN
Tuesday August 4,  5:00-7:00 pm.
Rally & March - 5th Anniversary Commemoration of the Arrests of YASSIN AREF & MOHAMMED HOSSAIN. Rally at the Washington Avenue Armory, March to the Masjid As-Salam Mosque, followed by speakers at the Mosque about the Aref/Hossain case and other cases of wrongfully prosecuted Muslims
For more information, contact Lynne Jackson at 434-6659 or lynnejackson@mac.com
Schedule:
5:00 - Rally at the Armory, Lark and Washington
5:30 - March to Masjid As-Salam Mosque, 276 Central Ave, Albany.
5:45 - Speakers about Aref/Hossain and other cases of wrongfully prosecuted Muslims

Solidarity Committee- Film: The World According to Monsanto
Saturday,  July 18, 7:30 pm
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany
405 Washington Avenue (across the street from the downtown SUNY campus)

The Solidarity Committee of the Capital District continues its 2008-2009 film series with a showing of "The World According to Monsanto" (109 minutes).  This French documentary,  directed by independent filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin, paints a grim picture of a company with a long track record of environmental crimes and health scandals. This  film is for anyone interested in the behind the scenes world of the food industry, and how just one world dominating corporation holds the keys and patents to much of the worlds food supply. Monsanto, which started out as one of the planets largest chemical companies is also responsible for such chemical compounds as Agent Orange, Bovine Growth Hormone, PCBs and genetically-engineered crops. The film-showing, co-sponsored by Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace and the Honest Weight Food Coop, will take place at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, located at 405 Washington Avenue (across the street from the downtown SUNY campus). Admission is free, and free refreshments will be provided by the Honest Weight Food Coop.  Everyone is welcome to attend.

Iraq War Veteran and Conscientious Objector Josh Stieber will speak in Delmar, as he hikes across the US
Thursday,  July 9,  7:00 -8:45 pm
Bethlehem Public Library
451 Delaware Ave., Delmar NY 12054

With the military announcing successes in Iraq and seeking to repeat it's surge strategy in Afghanistan, the nature of these policies begs further examination. Are these tactics as successful as the military proclaims? What were the costs and human factors of these accomplishments?  A first-hand testimony can be heard from the  21 year old, Iraq veteran Josh Stieber.
Stieber was deployed to Baghdad as part of the Surge from Feb 07 to Apr 09. He spent the majority of his deployment living outside of larger military installations, working with his infantry company in converted warehouses and police stations. Spending time as a humvee driver, machine gunner, detainee guard, radio transmission operator, and a little bit of everything in between, Stieber has a broad range of firsthand experiences within the Army and of daily Iraqi life.
Upon return from his deployment,  Stieber's experiences lead him to apply as a conscientious objector. Nearly a year of investigation into the sincerity of his claim was conducted until he was unanimously approved by the Department of the Army Conscientious Objection Review Board. He spent the meantime studying and preparing his cross-country trip where he hopes to share his experiences while learning about alternatives to military involvement.Newly discharged from the Army, is on a pilgrimage to discover America while seeking and sharing alternatives for a peaceful world. Stieber claimed opposition to the Iraq war based on his Christian faith. In April, he won his appeal and earned his status as a conscientious objector.  “Once I got out Iraq I got frustrated on a moral and a practical level by what I saw being done to the Iraqis,” said Stieber. “I thought the war was wrong and that we created more problems than we solved by fighting there.”  His cross-country hike, which he calls the Contagious Love Experiment, is inspired by his love of the writings of Mohandas Gandhi and Jack Kerouac.  More Information:  466-1192

Education as a Tool for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Monday, July 13, 7:00 pm
Albany Public Library, 161 Washington Ave ( between Dove and Lark Streets)  Albany, NY  

Brother Jack Curran FSC PhD, the Director of Development at Bethlehem University in the Palestinian West Bank, will lecture about "Education as a Tool for Justice and Peace in the Middle East."  Bethlehem University - the first university founded in the West Bank, a Catholic university with a 2/3 Muslim student body - offers an alternative to suicide bombings, targeted assassinations, walls, fences, settlements, soldiers, and home demolitions.  Education is the path it provides towards a just and viable peace in the Middle East.  Jack Curran was born and grew up in the Albany area. . This program is sponsored by the Palestinian Rights Committee, Capital District Interfaith Alliance of New York State, Commission on Peace and Justice-Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, Upper Hudson Peace Action, Women Against War and Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace.  Information 518-465-5425.

BNP Monthly Meeting  & Film:  The End of America  ( Based  Naomi Wolf's book)
Thursday,  June 11, 7:00 -9:00 pm
Bethlehem Town Hall
445 Delaware Ave, Delmar

Stop the Wars! Change the World! What is next for the peace movement locally and globally? How can we stop the wars?  Let's Build A Peaceful, Green Economy...    Help create our upcoming events and actions.  The General meeting will be held from 7:00 to 7:30 .   At 7:30 we will show the film End of America  (74 minutes).  "Based on the best-selling book by Naomi Wolf, THE END OF AMERICA details the ten steps a country takes when it slides toward Fascism. It takes a historical look at trends in once-functioning democracies that are being repeated in our country today."  Information 466-1192

"IVAW co-founder Jimmy Massey and filmmaker Joe Stillman w/ "From Mills River to Babylon and Back..The Jimmy Massey Story"
Saturday, June 6, 8:00 - 10:00 pm
Sanctuary for Independent Media
 3361 6th Avenue, Troy  NY

 This  feature length documentary film by Joseph C Stillman, chronicles the life of Jimmy Massey, a former twelve-year career Marine who refused to continue killing in Iraq and examines the political, legal, moral, and human rights implications of the war.  He witnessed—and in some cases participated in—the killing of innocent civilians. The Iraqis “were just doing their normal routines,” he says, “and they were getting frickin’ blasted for it.” He began to speak out to his superiors and was eventually diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. He won an honorable discharge in December 2003. This film chronicles the life of Jimmy Massey and examines the political, legal, moral, and human rights implications of the war. It was shot in fourteen different states from 2005-2009. The documentary features Martin Sheen (actor/human rights activist), Ramsey Clark (former U.S. Attorney General), Cindy Sheehan (founder of the Gold Star Families), Congressman Dennis Kucinich , Father Roy Bourgeois (founder of the School of the Americas Watch), former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter, Kelley Dougherty (Executive Director of Iraq Veterans Against the War), Col. (Ret.) Ann Wright, Dr. Ed Tick (post-traumatic stress disorder expert), and Congresswoman Maxine Waters. The film shows Jimmy's early life and the tragic death of his father, his decision to enlist in the marines due to economic conscript, illicit recruiting tactics that target single parent families by recruiters (Massey was a Marine recruiter), weapons of mass deception, depleted uranium use and its effects on soldiers and civilians, the administration's rush to war and taking back our democracy are some of the topics which are discussed in the documentary. Co-sponsored by BNP and The Sanctuary for Independent Media.  Admission: by donation ($10 suggested, $5 student/low-income) More information:  466-1192

Solidarity Committee- Film: "F.T.A"
Saturday, May 23, 7:30 pm
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany
405 Washington Avenue (across the street from the downtown SUNY campus)

Rethinking the War in Afghanistan
Thursday, May 7, 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Bethlehem Public Library
451 Delaware Ave., Delmar NY 12054

"Rethink Afghanistan"  is the topic of three short films recently produced by Brave New Foundation. Part One focuses on what military escalation will achieve in Afghanistan.   Part Two looks at how the war could further destabilize a nuclear-armed Pakistan.   Part Three focuses on the staggering costs of the war, which could easily exceed $1 trillion.   The total length of these  three films is about an hour.   After the films, Joe Lombardo will lead us in a discussion of this timely and  critical subject.    Sponsored by Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace.   Contact: 466-1192 for further information.

May Day 2009: Workers Resist the Economic Crisis !

Solidarity Committee- Film: "Capitalism Hits The Fan"
Saturday, April 18, 7:30 pm
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany
405 Washington Avenue (across the street from the downtown SUNY campus)

BNP Film Night:  "The Unforeseen"
Thursday, April 9, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Bethlehem Public Library
451 Delaware Ave., Delmar NY 12054

This 93 minute film, made in 2007 was directed by Laura Dunn.  This film  explores the price we are paying for endless development and greed. The message is even more disturbing when we consider that many of these developments are now virtually empty, while increasing numbers of American's are living in tents.  Featuring interviews with Robert Redford, Willie Nelson, the iconic Texas Governor Ann Richards, environmentalist Wendell Berry and many others, THE UNFORESEEN is a powerful meditation on the American dream – on the destruction of the natural world as it falls victim to the cannibalizing forces of unchecked development. It is an intricate tale of personal hopes, victories and failures; and of debates over land, water and the public good. Sponsored by Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace.   Contact: 466-1192 for further information.