Left in the Wake

Matt Dumont is an old friend and very popular speaker at CCB. His long experience in community psychiatry was described in his book 'Treating the Poor'. He also wrote many provocative articles in Mother Jones, Vogue and Boston magazines -- under a pseudonym!

He states, "Tempting as it is to give in to despair and nihilism, they are a betrayal of the Left. Even in the heart of The Beast there are self-defeating forces, which will help us to create a social system very different from the smiling fascism around us.

Location:
Community Church of Boston
565 boylston St.
Boston (Copley Square)

Cost: Free

Organizer:

Boston Vegetarian Society Social Dinner

Come celebrate the holiday season with great company, conversation, and
a shared meal.

The Boston Vegetarian Society's Third Sunday Social Dinner - ALL WELCOME

The cuisine is Asian, and the food menu is entirely vegan. (Some specialty drinks contain dairy.) Buddha's Delight recently added many new international dishes to the menu.

Please RSVP to help us with planning.

617-739-8830 Buddha's Delight Too!

Boston Vegetarian Society, P. O. Box 38-1071, Cambridge, MA 02238-1071

Location:
Buddha's Delight Too!
404 Harvard Street
(between Beacon St. and Comm. Ave. near Coolidge Cr.) Brookline, MA

Directions: BY T: Green Line "C" trolley (Beacon Street/Cleveland Circle) get off at Coolidge Corner. Walk on Harvard St. past Coolidge Corner Cinema. Continue for several blocks. Buddha's Delight will be on your left, in a row of single story stores.

URL: http://www.BostonVeg.org

Mercat intercanvi a Gracia

Com cada tres mesos, tornem a fer el mercat d'intercanvi a la plaça Virreina del barri de Gràcia. Com sempre, les normes son portar coses velles o noves d'utilitat que no facis servir i intercanviar-les.

Desde Xaingra (Xarxa d'intercanvi de la vila de Gràcia) proposem ser crítics en aquesta època de consum irracional i volem que el mercat d'intercanvi del dia 19 sigui una alternativa real al consum d'aquestes dates.

Location:
Pl. Virreina. Gracia

Organizer:

Constitució europea?

Xerrada-col·loqui emmarcada dins la campanya contra la Constitució europea.

A càrrec de:
- Carles Sastre (membre de la Intersindical-CSC)
- Marc Serra (membre d'Alerta Solidària).

Location:
Aula de Cultura de S. Julià de Vilatorta (Osona)

Organizer:

CineFòrum: "Maria llena eres de gracia" al CSOA l'Estella

Seguint amb el ja clàsic cine fòrum del diumenge al CSOA l'Estella, aquest passi de "Maria llena eres de gracia"

Location:
CSOA l'Estella

Directions: c/ Lepant, 83
al costat de l'estació de tren
de Mataró

Organizer:

URL: http://www.musaik.net/estella

CIUTAT,URBANISME I ESPECULACIÓ - cinema i debat

19-12-04, 19h

Francisco Rovira Beleta
Tarantos
(E 1963/83min).
Carmen Amaya, Antonio Gades.

Location:
Ateneu del Xino
C/Robador,25
Liceu o St. Antoni

Cost: gratis

Organizer:

URL: www.coordinadoraraval.org

Picnic in the Park

Click here for the history of Food Not Bombs.
Food not bombs is an international movement of people who work along autonomous, egalitarian, decentralized, organization in order to share vegan and vegetarian food with the hungry and homeless, as well as protest social, economic, environmental, and animal injustice world wide.
Our three main principles are food recycling, non-violence, and consensus.
We feel food, being a substance necessary to sustain life, is a right, not a privilege.
According to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, Article 25: Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
We feel that the government spends too much money on weapons and war, and not enough to attend to the basic needs of its people.
We feel that by spending money on war instead of its own people, the government's main priority lies outside its own borders.
According to the Congressional Budgeting Office, the United State's will spend over $400 billion on defense alone, and only $387 billion on all other services (Table 10).
We do not feed the homeless. We have picnics and share food with anyone. The most hungry happens to be the homeless. We don't feed them. The food is shared; we sit with them, talk to them, and learn from them. This is not a soup kitchen or any other impersonal service.

Who is Hungry and Why?

According to the US Census, 12.1% (34.6 million people) of the population are current in poverty.
According to America's Second Harvest, the number of Americans who were hungry or food insecure was 33.6 million in 2001.
23.3 million people sought emergency food relief from their network of services in 2001.
The number of homeless people living in America is unknown, however the National Coalition for the Homeless cites an Urban Institute study which says that 3.5 million people (1.35 million children) will experience homelessness in any given year.
In Florida, America's Second Harvest states that the poverty rate is 12%, and that the childhood poverty rate is 18.8%.
The Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County counts 6,481 homeless people.
There is no single cause of homelessness in the United States.
Some reasons include lack of jobs, lack of a living wage, decline in public assistance, a lack of affordable housing, lack of affordable health care, domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse (this may often begin after becoming homeless, as a way to deal with the harsh reality of living on the street).
The Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough says the two biggest trends of homelessness in the county are a shortage in affordable housing and a rise in poverty, although other factors do have an influence.
There are homeless because our society needs them. It needs people on the bottom and it needs minimum wage earners/"flexible" labor/a reserve army of labor, etc. Why criminalize what we're doing? Doing what we are doing threatens the status quo, social stratification, the "necessary" reserve.. We are lifting the homeless up and treating them as equals - it's revolutionary.

Why Not Get a Permit?

See the main page, Information section, for all the documents the police have given us.
The permit application is expensive, around $100, although the application fee can be waved for non-profit organizations.
We cannot nor do we want to obtain 501(c)3 non-profit status. It is not beneficial to our organization.
The city requires $500,000 liability insurance (3.2).
Insurance purchased through the city costs $240 or more per event.
There is a $25-$50 fee for reservations, plus a $100 clean up fee (although we make no messes).
Permits can only be obtained three times per year.
According to page 2 (#16), of the City of Tampa Special Events Permit Application (the permit we have been arrested for not having) "food and drinks cannot be given away to the public". However it specifies food may be sold, although to do so requires an additional $100 vendor permit.
Overall, we feel that we do not need permission to share our food in our parks with those in need.
We take full responsibility for all food consumed. In fact, we are eating with the homeless, and keep all of our health and safety in mind.

Why Not Feed on Private Property?

Picnics and gatherings are what parks are for.
These are public parks, which means they are our parks, and we have a right to use them.
This is where the homeless live. We feel it is wrong to make the homeless come to us. We wish to share food and have them eat at their homes, and speak with them in their environment.
Tampa Food Not Bombs has been picnicking there for 8 years. The homeless know us and like us; some even prefer our food over others.
Herman C. Massey Park, according to the Tampa Government website, is solely dedicated for picnic use. The fact that there are no bathrooms is something the city must reconcile. What if a family was there to have a picnic and needed to use the bathroom? Where should they go?
The human body takes 4-8 hours to digest food. People are able to find bathrooms within that time, however, are often only able to use them after paying for goods. This excludes the poor, hungry, and homeless.
We have not encountered any problems with waste disposal.

Why is FNB Doing This?

It's the right thing to do!
The government isn't doing it.
We as a community feel we should take care of our fellow humans.
We wish to build and improve our community.
We wish to treat the homeless, hungry, and poor as equals, and raise awareness that they should be treated as such.
We wish to teach self-sustainability.
We wish to build confidence in the homeless.
We are doing this because it should not be illegal. To ignore the laws is to keep sharing food illegal.
We are doing this to change the laws in Tampa. We wish to amend or rescind the current city law that prevents us from sharing food.
For 8 years, we haven't had problems.
We feel this is a violation of our civil liberties guaranteed by the constitution, including the freedom of speech, and the freedom of assembly.
We feel that food is a right, not a privilege or commodity, and therefore it should be given away freely.
We do it out of love.
We feel we must raise awareness that the city is spending more money on redevelopment than on dealing with homelessness and poverty.
There are homeless because our society needs them. It needs people on the bottom and it needs minimum wage earners/"flexible" labor/a reserve army of labor, etc. Why criminalize what we're doing? Doing what we are doing threatens the status quo, social stratification, and the "necessary" reserve. We are lifting the homeless up and treating them as equals - it's revolutionary.

Why doesn't FNB Work with Churches?

We don't need to, the churches are working with us.
The work churches do are important, and we will refer people to utilize their services, however we are not a church, and have different goals, beliefs, and actions.
We are working together to change the laws.
However, we do not share the same goals.
Our organization works on consensus, and we decided through that method that we do not want to be affiliated with churches.
Not everyone in our organization is religious.
We are more secular based.
With religious services, there is no dialogue with the people. You do not get to sit, eat, and talk with those you feed. With us, we ensure open dialogue.
We do not believe humanitarian services should be accompanied by preaching.
We do not believe food should be exchanged for religious ideology.
Churches do not serve vegetarian meals.
Churches are not flexible.
Churches are hierarchical, we are not. We do not want to be entered into their hierarchy and bureaucracy.
Churches should not have a monopoly on feeding the homeless.
There are no requirements to eat food with us.
We feel that religious people often speak to others in a condescending tone.
Religious groups are often exclusionary: excluding different races, ethnicities, other religions, non-religious people, or even gays and lesbians.
We do more than feed. We try to improve lives, provide companionship, promote healthy living, build community, give clothes and books, and teach and learn from the homeless.
We do not push our beliefs on those we share food with.
We don't just feed the homeless; everyone is welcome at our picnics. We also share food at events and protests.

What are the Solutions to Homelessness?

There is no one solution.
We should ask them what they think the solution is.
Taking care of our communities should be our first priority..
We should try to build strong local infrastructures.
We should try to provide more jobs and houses.
We should build more homeless and community centers.
There should be free healthcare and education.
We should end unjust economic practices such as greed; overconsumption; waste; commodification of goods such as food, water, and healthcare; profit fixations, etc.
Mayor Iorio should visit the HUD meetings which have a very detailed blueprint for ending homelessness. She failed to attend the last meeting.
End the stigmatization of homelessness by ending the myths of laziness, violence, etc.
We need to come together to solve the problem because when people suffer, its everyone's problem.
Obviously, there should be money for food, not for bombs.

Location:
Downtown Tampa @ Herman Massey Park

Cost: Free to ALL

Directions: www.tampagov.net/appl_tampa_address_locate/mappage.asp

Organizer:

URL: http://www.TampaFNB.org

SILENT VIGIL MOURNING THE VICTIMS AND THE TRAGEDYOF THE IRAQ WAR

OVER 100,000 IRAQI DEAD



OVER 1,200 US DEAD



AND THE SLAUGHTER JUST CONTINUES...





Join us in a

SILENT VIGIL

MOURNING THE VICTIMS AND THE TRAGEDY

OF THE IRAQ WAR



SUNDAY,

DECEMBER 19

12:00 noon â 1:30 pm

(latecomers welcomed)



AT

EAST AVENUE AND GOODMAN STREET





Participants are asked to dress in black

and to bring signs appropriate to the occasion

Location:
EAST AVENUE AND GOODMAN STREET

Peace Witness, Tallahassee

Join the Tallahassee Network for Justice and Peace, Veterans for Peace, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, Sundays and Thursdays in front of the Old Capitol, corner of Apalachee Parkway and Monroe Street
BUSH LIED; CHENEY LIED; RUMSFIELD LIED; POWELL LIED; THEY ARE ALL LIARS; AND THEY THINK YOU ARE TOO DUMB TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. BUSH LIES - GIs DIE
Sundays 12:30 to 2:30.
Thursdays 4:00 to 6:00
www.tnjp.org
organize-AT-TNJP.org

Location:
Old Capitol, corner of Apalachee Parkway and Monroe Street

Cost: FREE!!!!!

TallahNOW Third Sunday Coffee

You don't have to drink coffee, or even tea. There are other beverages. If you like to talk about feminist issues and what actions we need to do to change public opinion and policy, this is the place to be. Male feminists welcome. Come for the ideas and to laugh. E-mail us to get action alerts and news in between our monthly gatherings at TallahNOW-AT-aol.com

Location:
Black Dog Cafe

Cost: Whatever you order from bar

Directions: Black Dog Cafe is on the north side of Lake Ella, behind the American Legion Hall, near N. Monroe and Tharpe Street.

Organizer:

"As Others Seek Bargains, We Seek Peace"

We will hold several large banners emphasizing the connection between the foreign policy of the American government and the violent reaction to it worldwide that is called terrorism. The slogans of the banners are targeted towards getting people to understand how the U.S. government's actions and our lifestyle contributes to conditions of poverty and political repression across the world. Our message will also highlight the hypocrisy of our political establishment denouncing terrorism and WMD programs elsewhere when our own government has been responsible for sponsoring many of these terrorists, when they were on our side, and has done little to prevent the spread of WMD technology as it seeks to further develop weapons systems of its own.

The protest location was chosen in order to expose this message to local shoppers who are presently so focused on their holiday shopping that they are distracted from the headlines coming from the conflict in Iraq. While they celebrate the excesses of our society there are 1,300 American families and an estimated 100,000 Iraqi families who are mourning their own losses. It's time to awaken Americans from their ignorance of this war and lead them down the path of knowledge to the road of peace. Join us Sunday, December 19th at noon near the base of the Pinellas Trail pedestrian bridge over Park Street. You don't need to bring any banners, we are making special ones for this protest. According to county rules we cannot attach these banners to the bridge, so we must hold them. But the more people we get to participate the easier it will be to rotate banner holders and prevent fatigue. This will also be a great photo op, so bring a camera!

Location:
Pinellas Trail Pedestrian Bridge
Tyrone Blvd. and Park Street N
St. Petersburg, FL

Organizer:

URL: http://stpeteforpeace.org/

Tampa Food Not Bombs Picnics

FOOD NOT BOMBS!
Joint The Fun!
Join Our Weekly Vegetarian Picnics!

BRING FOOD, Music, Poetry, or Even a soccer Ball!

Location:
Massey Park in Downtown, Corner of Franklin and Tyler)

Cost: Free to the People

Organizer:

URL: http://www.tampafnb.org

Just Talking with Rev. Fuzz

'Just Talkin' with host, Pastor Enoch Fuzz
WVOL Radio am1470 /Sundays 5pm til 7pm

'Just Talkin' provide an important community forum to interview leaders and news makers who can share unique information and discuss issues pertinent to the lives of people and the community.
Phone calls with questions and comments are always welcome 227.1470 or 737.WVOL!!!

Editors note: This is an excellent community forum in Nashville which focuses on a broad range of issues relevant to progressives in middle tennessee including labor, civil rights, immigrant rights and urban development.

Location:

Mideast Peace Coalition

The mideast peace coalition is a progressive book discussion group and gabfest. It has also been an incubator for some of Nashville's most interesting social justice groups including the Peace Coalition. They meet at the nashville peace and justice center. 1016 18th Ave So.

Location:

Winter Solstice Peace Vigil

Winter Solstice Peace Vigil
Sunday, December 19, 2004
5:30–7:00 p.m.

Intersection of Snelling Avenue and Summit Avenue, St. Paul

Light a candle for peace on the darkest night of the year!

Bring a candle and join neighbors from throughout the Twin Cities to quietly witness for peaceful solutions to world problems. If you are able, please bring non-perishable food items to be donated to the Keystone Midway Food Shelf.

Sponsored by Merriam Park Neighbors for Peace.

More Info: www.mppeace.org/events, info-AT-mppeace.org, or (651) 641-7592.

Location:
Intersection of Snelling Avenue and Summit Avenue, St. Paul

Cost: Free, but bring non-perishable food items to be donated to the Keystone Midway Food Shelf.

Organizer:

URL: http://www.mppeace.org/events/

Pioneer Valley Vigil for Peace and Justice

The Sunday vigil was begun by local "Parents and Grandparents for Peace" on July 14, 1979, under the street-wide banner: "TOWARD GLOBAL NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND A VERIFIABLE US-USSR MORATORIUM ON NUCLEAR TESTING." The vigil has met every Sunday since, from 12 noon to 1 p.m., barring a couple of impossible blizzards. It has passed out thousands of leaflets on a great variety of issues under the slogan, "If You Want Peace, Work for Justice," and participants have varied from a dozen or so die-hard activists to fifty and more during the Gulf War.

Location:
Amherst Common

URL: http://www.nonviolence.org/amhvigil/