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Zaps - July-August 2009

By Various Contributors

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July 2009

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Events

CARAVAN - During July 3-17, the 20th annual Pastors for Peace Caravan will travel across the U.S. and Canada collecting aid and educating about the unjust blockade against Cuba, before an orientation in Texas July 18-23, followed by travel to and from Cuba until August 3. People can participate by attending or hosting local events, donating materials, or traveling along.

Contact: IFCO/Pastors for Peace, 418 W. 145th St., New York, NY 10031; 212-926-5757; cucaravan@igc.org; www.pastorsforpeace.org.

KNEAD CHANGE - FoodFirst! organizers have called for ongoing nonviolent civil action in Lafayette Square across from the White House starting July 4, called "The Change We Knead Now-Bake Bread for World Peace." The long-term sit-in seeks to provide visible pressure to implement policies such as a people's bailout and universal healthcare, while using solar ovens to feed those involved and the hungry.

Contact: Keith McHenry and Franco Mares, PO Box 424 - Arroyo Seco, NM 87514; 575-770-3377; thechangewekneadnow.net.

SDS - The Students for a Democratic Society 4th National Convention is scheduled for July 10-12 at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Contact: Students for a Democratic Society, sdsnationalconvention@gmail.com; www.studentsforademocraticsociety.org.

ANTI-WAR - A National Antiwar Conference sponsored by the National Assembly is scheduled for July 10-12 at La Roche College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Contact: National Assembly to End the Iraq War and Occupation, 216-736-4704; natassembly@aol.com; www.natassembly.org.

ECONOMICS - The Center for Popular Economics Summer Institute is scheduled for July 12-17 in Conway, New Hampshire. It is a week-long intensive training in economics for activists, educators, and anyone who wants a better understanding of economics through participatory workshops and trainings. No background in economics is required.

Contact: The Center for Popular Economics, PO Box 785 Amherst, MA 01004; 413-545-0743; programs@populareconomics.org; www.populareconomics.org.

COMMUNITY MEDIA - The Alliance for Community Media 2009 National Conference is scheduled for July 15-18 in Portland, Oregon with dozens of hands-on workshops. Founded in 1976, the alliance is a grassroots coalition of community media groups.

Contact: ACM, 1100 G Street, NW, Suite 740, Washington, DC 20005; 202-393-2653; www.alliancecm.org.

ALLIED MEDIA - The 11th annual Allied Media Conference will be held July 16-19 on the campus of Wayne State University in Detroit. Participatory workshops and skillshares will emphasize DIY alternative media to advance visions of a just and creative world.

Contact: Allied Media Projects, PO Box 442339, Detroit MI 48232; www.alliedmediaconference.org.

COUNTER-RECURUITING - A National Counter-Recruitment and Demilitarization Conference is scheduled for July 17-19 at Roosevelt University in Chicago, with practical training and discussions about how to oppose militarization and promote nonmilitary alternatives.

Contact: National Network Opposing Militarization of Youth (NNOMY), 312-427-2533; crconf@gmail.com; www.nnomy.org.

DEMOCRACYFEST - The 6th Annual DemocracyFest will be held July 17-19 in Burlington, Vermont. DemocracyFest is a political festival for progressive activists, which features training, speakers, and entertainment; teaching people how to make a difference and have fun doing it.

Contact: DemocracyFest, 72 Alfred Buck Lane, Pittsford, VT 05763; info@democracyfest.net; www.democracyfest.net.

LAKE WALK - A coalition of environmental justice groups has planned a free public "Water Is Life" walk and rally on Lake Superior Day, July 19. The event will focus attention on the 400 tons of corporate-military waste that were dumped into the lake near Duluth in the 1950s and 1960s.

Contact: Nukewatch, 740A Round Lake Rd., Luck, WI 54853; 715-472-4185; nukewatch1@lakeland.ws; www.nukewatch.com.

LA RAZA - The annual National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Conference is scheduled for July 25-28 in Chicago, with workshops, presentations, and panel discussions.

Contact: NCLR Headquarters Office, Raul Yzaguirre Building, 1126 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036; 202-776-1718; www.nclr.org.

ZINES - The 9th annual Portland Zine Symposium celebrates iconic vision and truly independent publishing at the Portland State University campus July 24-26.

Contact: pdxzines@gmail.com; www.pdxzines.com.

PELTIER - A parole hearing for Leonard Peltier is scheduled for July 27. Supporters are encouraged to step up their efforts, including by writing letters of support to the Parole Commission. Peltier has served 30-years in prison for his part in defending impoverished Native American communities under assault by federal-backed "GOON" assassination squads and relentless FBI repression. For more info, see the documentary Incident At Oglala, available online.

Contact: Peltier Legal Team, c/o LP-DOC, P.O. Box 7488, Fargo, ND 58106; info@freepeltiernow.org; www.freepeltiernow.org.

EASTERN CO-OPS - The Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy (ECWD), Democracy Works: Worker Cooperatives, Labor Solidarity, and Sustainability, is scheduled for July 31 to August 2 at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Contact: Mary Hoyer, Lead Organizer, ECWD, 413-256-0726; info@east.usworker.coop; east.usworker.coop.

PEACEVOICE - The 2009 PeaceVoice Conference is scheduled for August 1 at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. This interdisciplinary program is for academics, activists, students and practitioners, with proposals and discussions.

Contact: 2009 PeaceVoice Conference, Oregon Peace Institute, 3315 N. Russet St., Portland, OR 97217; PeaceVoiceDirector@gmail.com; www.peacevoice.info.

YOUTH - The Ignite Change Now!/Global Youth Assembly 2009 is scheduled for July 30 to August 2 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The event brings together more than 1,000 international youth activists to build a movement to advance peace and human rights.

Contact: Ignite Change Now!/Global Youth Assembly, John Humphrey Centre, 7723-85 St., Edmonton, AB, T6C 3B4, Canada; 780-453-2638; info@youthassembly.ca; www.youthassembly.ca.

NO NUKES - August 6 is the anniversary of the date of the first use of an atomic bomb by the United States government, still aggressively threatening world peace with nuclear war. The Think Outside the Bomb National Grassroots Conference on Nuclear Disarmament is scheduled for August 13-16 in Albuquerque, New Mexico for a world strategy against the deadly nuclear cycle.

Contact: www.thinkoutsidethebomb.org.

ORGANIZING - An intensive three-day workshop "Community Organizing for Deep Democracy" is scheduled for August 7-9 hosted at the Democracy Unlimited Headquarters in Eureka, California. Emphasis is on the analysis and strategies needed to dismantle corporate rule through organizing for local democracy.

Contact: Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County, PO Box 610, Eureka, CA 95502; 707-269-0984; info@DUHC.org; www.duhc.org/deepDemocracy.html.

COMMUNITIES - The Communities Conference is a networking and learning opportunity for anyone interested or involved in co-operative or communal lifestyles, with workshops, events, and entertainment scheduled for August 14-16 at the Twin Oaks Community in Louisa, Virginia.

Contact: Twin Oaks Communities Conference, 138 Twin Oaks Road, Louisa, VA 23093; 540-894-5126; conference@twinoaks.org; www.communitiesconference.org.

URPE - Each August, members of the Union for Radical Political Economics (URPE) and their families hold a 4-day workshop/retreat with papers and workshops, formal and informal. This year's event is August 15-18 in Camp Deer Run in Pine Bush, New York.

Contact: Union for Radical Political Economics, Gordon Hall, University of Massachusetts, 418 N. Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01002; 413-577-0806; urpe@labornet.org; www.urpe.org.

REFUGEE ASSISTANCE - The Europe-based AntiImperialist Camp has partnered with Nashet, a youth group of Palestinians and Lebanese, to help rebuild part of the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp, home to more than 100,000 Palestinians. The camp in southern Lebanon has been severely damaged by Israeli rockets. A work camp is scheduled for August 19 to September 3. Funds and volunteers are needed.

Contact: Antiimperialist Camp, +43 6 99 19 20 63 95 (phone); camp@antiimperialista.org; www.antiimperialista.org.

RADICAL WOMEN - A talk and barbecue buffet fundraiser is scheduled for August 30 at Freedom Hall in Harlem, NYC. Anne Slater, who is on a national speaking tour against racism, layoffs, and state budget cuts, will talk. Proceeds will benefit the Radical Women Fund Drive.

Contact: Radical Women, Freedom Hall, 113 West 128th St., NY, NY 10027; 212-222-0633; nycradicalwomen@nyct.net; www.radicalwomen.org.

PEACE CONFERENCE - The Peace & Neutrality Alliance has scheduled an international peace conference on War, NATO, and the Lisbon Treaty on September 5 near Shannon Airport in County Clare, Ireland. This airport is used by NATO for wars of aggression and was used for CIA rendition-torture flights.

Contact: PANA, 17 Castle Street, Dalkey, Co.Dublin, Ireland; pana@eircom.net; www.pana.ie.

ANARCHY FEST - The fourth annual Victoria Festival of Anarchy & Bookfair from September 4-13 featuring workshops, presentations, music, and more.

Contact: info@victoriaanarchistbookfair.ca; www.victoriaanarchistbookfair.ca.

ENCUENTRO - The Fifth Annual Encuentro of the Student/Farmworker Alliance is scheduled for September 10-12 in Immokalee, Florida for a weekend of relationship-building, training, and strategizing to build on successful campaigns (from Subway to Taco Bell) and plan for the future.

Contact: Student/Farmworker Alliance, PO Box 603, Immokalee, FL 34143; 239-657-8311; organize@sfalliance.org; www.sfalliance.org

G20 PROTESTS - The Bail Out the People Movement has called for a major mobilization during the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 24-25. Actions will take place locally, in NYC, and are encouraged around the world in solidarity. The message of the action is that Another World is Possible, But We Must Fight For It.

Contact: Bail Out the People Movement, Solidarity Center, 55 W. 17th St. #5C, New York, NY 10011; 212-633-6646; www.BailOutPeople.org.

SPACE NUKES - The annual International Week of Protest to Stop the Militarization of Space is scheduled for October 3-10; resources to help plan educational events or demonstrations available.

Contact: Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, PO Box 652, Brunswick, ME 04011; 207-443-9502; globalnet@mindspring.com; www.space4peace.org.

FILM FEST - The 6th Annual Artivist Film Festival is scheduled for October 8-11 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, California. The festival is dedicated to showcasing human rights, children's advocacy, environmental preservation, and animal rights, while strengthening the voice of advocate artists.

Contact: The Artivist Collective, Inc., PO Box 910, Hollywood, CA 90028; 310-712-1222; info@artivists.org; www.artivists.org.

Web

CAMPAIGN - The Campaign for Peace and Democracy promotes a new, progressive, and non-militaristic U.S. foreign policy. Founded in 1982, the organization is undergoing a resurgence with a long list of endorsers for the group's mission and new actions at their website.

Contact: Joanne Landy and Thomas Harrison, 2790 Broadway, #12, New York, NY 10025; cpd@igc.org; www.cpdweb.org.

LANDGRAB - The international biodiversity advocacy group GRAIN has launched a new website on the global land grab for outsourced food production, featuring research tools, maps, reports, and articles on hidden agendas playing out in the ongoing food crisis.

Contact: www.farmlandgrab.org.

Radio

FIRST NATIONS - "First Nations Radio" is a new showing airing for one hour weekly on KFAI in Minneapolis and also online. It is a public affairs program for the Native community, also promoting understanding among non-Native listeners.

Contact: KFAI, 1808 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454; 612-341-3144; www.kfai.org/firstnationsradio.

NRP - "Making Contact" is a progressive radio show available online and via hundreds of independent stations around the country. It's part of the activist National Radio Project, now conducting a fundraising campaign.

Contact: National Radio Project, 1714 Franklin St. #100-251, Oakland, California 94612; 800-529-5736; www.radioproject.org.

DVD

AGRIBIZ - The documentary A River of Waste: The Hazardous Truth About Factory Farms exposes a huge health and environmental scandal in our modern industrial system of meat and poultry production.

Contact: Cinema Libre Studio, 8328 De Soto Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91304; 818-349-8822; info@cinemalibrestudio.com; www.cinemalibrestudio.com.

Books

LABOR - Embedded With Organized Labor: Journalistic Reflections on the Class War at Home by Steve Early describes how union members have organized successfully in the face of employer opposition, on the job and in the community, now and in the past.

Contact: Monthly Review Press, 146 W. 29th Street, #6W, New York, NY 10001; 212-691-2555; bookorder@monthlyreview.org; www.monthlyreview.org.

MYTHS - Cindy Sheehan's latest book Myth America: 10 Greatest Myths of the Robber Class and a Case for Revolution exposes some unmentionable living room elephants and proposes how to clean house; available in print and as a downloadable PDF booklet.

Contact: dede@cindysheehanssoapbox.com, www.cindysheehanssoapbox.com.

Send Zaps to zmag@zmag.org; Z Magazine, 18 Millfield Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543; Fax: 508-457-0626.

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Announcements

CUBAN 5 - From May 30 to June 5, supporters of the Cuban 5 will gather in Washington DC to raise awareness about the case and to demand a humanitarian solution that will allow the return of these men to their homeland.

Contact: info@thecuban5.org; info@thecuban5.org.

BIKES - Bikes Not Bombs is holding its 24th annual Bike- A-Thon and Green Roots Festival in Boston, MA on June 3, with several bike rides, music, exhibitors, and more.

Contact: Bikes Not Bombs, 284 Amory St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130; 617-522-0222; mailbikesnotbombs.org; www.bikesnotbombs.org.

LEFT FORUM - The 2013 Left Forum will be held June 7-9, at Pace University in NYC.

Contact: 365 Fifth Avenue, CUNY Graduate Center, Sociology Dept., New York, NY 10016; http://www.leftforum.org/.

VEGAN FEST - Mad City Vegan Fest will be held in Madison, WI, June 8. The annual event features food, speakers, and exhibitors.

Contact: 122 State Street, Suite 405 B, Madison, WI 53701; madcityveganfest@gmail.com; http://veganfest.org/.

ADC CONFERENCE - The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) holds its annual conference June 13-16 in Washington, DC, with panel discussions and workshops.

Contact: 1990 M Street, Suite 610, Washington, DC, 20036; 202-244-2990; convention @adc. org http://convention.adc.org/.

CUBA/SOCIALISM - A Cuban-North American Dialog on Socialist Renewal and Global Capitalist Crisis will be held in Havana, Cuba, June 16-30. There will be a 5-day Seminar at the University of Havana, plus visits to a co-op and educational and medical institutions.

Contact: cuba@globaljusticecenter.org; http://www.globaljustice center.org/.

NETROOTS - The 8th Annual Netroots Nation conference will take place June 20-23 in San Jose, CA. The event features panels, trainings, networking, screenings, and keynotes.

Contact: 164 Robles Way, #276, Vallejo, CA 94591; registration@netrootsnation.org; http://www.netrootsnation.org/.

MEDIA - The 15th annual Allied Media Conference will be held June 20-23, in Detroit.

Contact: 4126 Third Street, Detroit, MI 48201; http://alliedmedia.org/.

GRASSROOTS - The United We Stand Festival will be hosted by Free & Equal, June 22 in Little Rock, Arkansas. The festival aims to reform the electoral process in the U.S.

Contact: http://freeandequal.org/

LITERACY - The National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) will hold its conference July 12-13 in Los Angeles.

Contact: 10 Laurel Hill Drive, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003; http://namle.net/conference/.

IWW - The North American Work People’s College will take place July 12-16 at Mesaba Co-op Park in northern Minnesota. The event will bring together Wobblies from across the continent to learn skills and build one big union.

Contact: http://workpeoplescollege.org/.

PEACESTOCK - On July 13, the 11th Annual Peacestock will take place at Windbeam Farm in Hager City, WI. The event is a mixture of music, speakers, and community for peace. Sponsored by Veterans for Peace.

Contact: Bill Habedank, 1913 Grandview Ave., Red Wing, MN 55066; 651-388-7733; billhabedank@yahoo.com; http://www. peacestockvfp.org.

LA RAZA - The annual National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Conference is scheduled for July 18-19 in New Orleans, with workshops, presentations, and panel discussions.

Contact: NCLR Headquarters Office, Raul Yzaguirre Building, 1126 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036; 202-785-1670; www.nclr.org.

ACTIVIST CAMP - Youth Empowered Action (YEA) Camp will have sessions in July and August in Ben Lomond, CA; Portland, OR; Charlton, MA. YEA Camp is designed for activists 12-17 years old who want to make a difference.

Contact: info@yeacamp.org; http://yeacamp.org/.