Zaps - February 2011

Events

SOCIAL FORUMS - The 2011 World Social Forum is scheduled for February 6-11 in Dakar, Senegal featuring discussions among citizen-activists of alternatives to the dominant corporate-military system under the banner "Another World is Possible."

Contact: www.fsm2011.org; www.forumsocialmundial.org.br

WIKILEAKS - A public rally in favor of WikiLeaks is scheduled for February 7 in London. Additionally, an international petition in support of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks is available online.

Contact: WikiLeaksisDemocracy.org, 2842 N Calvert St, Baltimore, MD 21218; 443-708-8360; wikileaksisdemocracy@gmail.com; www.wikileaksisdemocracy.org; www.support-julian-assange.com.

TALKS - Antiwar activist and author Tom Hayden will give evening talks in Boston and Manchester. On Feb. 7, he will speak on the U.S.'s "long war" and the effect on domestic programs and civil liberties at Encuentro 5 in Boston; on Feb. 8, he will give a talk entitled "Revolution, Reform, and Pathways to Social Change" at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Contact: Boston - United for Justice with Peace, PO Box 390449, Central Square, Cambridge, MA 02139; 617-383-4UJP; ujpcoalition@gmail.com; www.justicewithpeace.org. Manchester - 603-222-4100; nhiop@anselm.edu; www.theshapeofdiversity.org.

CONVERSATION - Phyllis Bennis and Noam Chomsky in Conversation is an evening event scheduled for the February 10 at the Pleasant Street Church in Boston. At this fundraiser for Mass. Global Action and Majority Agenda Project, these long-time activists will discuss the current wars and prospects for peace, followed by breakout organizing sessions.

Contact: www.chomskyspeaks.org.

THEATER - Vermont's Bread & Puppet: Cheap Art & Political Theater is doing a tour of southern and eastern states in February and March, starting in Philadelphia on February 10, but with open dates to fill as well. Check the current schedule and/or call with venue suggestions.

Contact: Bread and Puppet: Cheap Art and Political Theater in Vermont, 753 Heights Rd., Glover, VT 05839; 802-525-3031 or 802-525-6972; breadpup@together.net; www.breadandpuppet.org.

EVOLUTION - February 11-13 will be the sixth annual celebration of Evolution Weekend, to demonstrate that religious people from many faiths and locations understand that evolution is sound science and poses no problems for their faith—affiliated with the Clergy Letter Project repudiating anti-science fundamentalism.

Contact: www.evolutionweekend.org.

POVERTY - An Urban Poverty Forum is scheduled for February 13 at Seattle Town Hall with speakers and presentations about the systemic issues surrounding urban poverty.

Contact: www.urbanpovertyforum.org.

PALESTINE SOLIDARITY - The Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign has issued a call for global protests on February 19. This call is for women all over the world to unite behind the popular resistance and the determination of Palestinian women in defense of their land, rights, and dignity. It is in memory of 34-year-old Jawaher Abu Rahmah who died in a Ramallah hospital from poisoning due to teargas inhalation while protesting against the Apartheid Wall on December 31.

Contact: PENGON, PO Box 25220, Beit Hanina, Jerusalem, Palestine; mobilize@stopthewall.org; www.stopthewall.org.

PRESS CONFERENCE - A "report back" press conference is scheduled for February 25 in Washington, DC, with members of Iraq Veterans Against the War speaking about their humanitarian aid mission to Basra, Iraq in January-February.

Contact: IVAW National Office, PO Box 3565; New York, NY 10008; 646-723-0989; ivaw@ivaw.org; www.ivaw.org.

TEACH-IN - The 10th Annual Local to Global Justice Teach-in "Solidarity Through Knowledge & Action" is scheduled for February 26-27 at Arizona State University in Tempe. Workshops and other events are designed for sharing experiences on a wide range of social justice, human rights, and sustainability issues.

Contact: localtoglobaljustice@yahoo.com; www.localtoglobal.org.

STUDENT STRIKE - Students in California are planning more actions this March in response to budget cuts affect tuition and courses. Actions include a statewide strike and day of action on March 2, a conference on March 12, and a march on the state Capitol in Sacramento on March 14.

Contact: statewidecoordination@gmail.com; www.defendcapubliceducation.wordpress.com.

WOMEN'S STRIKE - March 8 is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day with events planned around the world. Global Women's Strike also organizes protest, education, and direct action around this day to redress the ongoing oppression of women who do two-thirds of all the world's work—most of it without pay or formal benefits and often in slave conditions.

Contact: www.internationalwomensday.com; www.globalwomenstrike.net.

FEMINIST CONFERENCE - The Young Feminist Leadership Conference, sponsored by the Feminist Majority Foundation, the world's largest pro-choice student network, is scheduled for March 12-14 at George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Contact: Feminist Majority Foundation, 1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 801, Arlington, VA 22209; 866-444-FMLA; www.feministcampus.org.

LEFT FORUM - The 2010 Left Forum is scheduled for March 18-20 at Pace University in New York City. This year's theme is "Toward a Politics of Solidarity" and will feature hundreds of panel discussions, art and film shows, and exhibitors.

Contact: Left Forum, c/o PhD Program in Sociology, CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016; 212-817-2003; leftforum@leftforum.org; www.leftforum.org.

SENTENCING - Five peace activists convicted in December of felony trespass and other charges for a protest against nuclear weapons at a Navy base near Bremerton, Washington are scheduled to be sentenced on March 28 in Tacoma. They face up to ten years in prison.

Contact: Tacoma Catholic Worker, 1417 South G St., Tacoma, Washington 98405; 443-602-0464; disarmnowplowshares@gmail.com; www.disarmnowplowshares.wordpress.com.

CESAR CHAVEZ DAY - March 31 is Cesar Chavez Day, with a parade and festival in San Francisco (on April 9 this year), plus a national campaign to get March 31 (Chavez's birthday) declared a national holiday to honor the migrant farm worker organizer.

Contact: www.cesarchavezday.org.

CLIMATE - A national youth summit to strategize climate activism, Power Shift 2011, is scheduled for April 1-4 at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC with workshops and discussions about organizing and legislative campaigns.

Contact: www.energyactioncoalition.org.

ANTIWAR DEMOS - Large antiwar demonstrations are planned for April 8 and 9 this year. The National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance has called for a march on the Pentagon in Washington, DC on April 8 and a coalition of groups through the United National Antiwar Committee has called for rallies and marches in San Francisco and New York on April 9.

Contact: www.iraqpledge.org/wordpress; www.nationalpeace conference.org.

Zaps are free and run at our discretion. Send to zmag@zmag.org.