Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Baltimore Activist Alert - May 2 - 8, 2018

19] Adoption Event -- May 2
20] World Bank Investigation – May. 2
21] Women's Legislative Wrap Up – May 2
22] Solar Co-op Session – May 2
23] Negotiations Can Denuclearize North Korea? -- May 2
24] Nonviolence training -- May 2
25] Occupation Free DC meeting – May 2
26] Nomi Prins on COLLUSION--- May 2
27] The governor’s race – May 2
28] Climate Change and Public Lands – May 3
29] Rally for an Independent Inspector General – May 3
30] Nonviolence training – May 3 & 8
31] Labor stories – May 3
32] LEGEND OF THE BLACK MECCA – May 3
33] East Asia Strategic Dialogue – May 4
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19] –  There is a Daily Adoption Event at noon to 7 PM until May 2 at Petco, hosted by Last Chance Animal Rescue at 6612 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria, Virginia 22306. Adoptable pups and kitties available for same day adoption.  The animals are spayed/neutered, up-to-date on age appropriate vaccines.   See the animals at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1757671494266953.1073742016.150481478319304&type=1&l=f34e614efe.  To get the process started, submit an application at https://www.lastchanceanimalrescue.org/adoption-request-form/. Volunteers are needed to help with all aspects of this event; pre-event set-up, adoption counselors to animal handlers and so much more! To sign up, email your full name and phone number to volunteer@lastchanceanimalrescue.org.  Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/2081033861910880/.

20] – On Wed., May 2 from 4 to 5 PM, there is a World Bank Investigation & Prevention: Global Systemic Impact, hosted by the Center for Global Development, 2055 L St. NW, Fifth Floor, WDC 20036.  Tickets are available at www.cgdev.org. The World Bank Group committed nearly $60 billion for development projects and programs in fiscal year 2017. As the largest individual source for development finance in the world, the Bank frequently sets standards and adopts practices that spread both to other multilateral institutions as well as governments worldwide.

In 2017, the Integrity Vice Presidency (INT), an independent office within the World Bank Group that investigates and pursues sanctions related to allegations of fraud and corruption in World Bank Group-financed projects, opened 51 investigations and issued 52 reports covering 68 Bank Group projects, while also providing preventative services and undertaking internal investigations. Through its Integrity Compliance Office, INT plays a preventive role by actively engaging sanctioned entities in pursuing rehabilitative measures, such as the implementation of integrity compliance programs.  These activities helped safeguard the World Bank Group’s funding against misuse, but was there a broader impact beyond the contracts and contractors involved?

Pascale Hélène Dubois will discuss the global impact of World Bank investigation and prevention activities and then join a panel with Kathrin Frauscher, Deputy and Program Director, Open Contracting Partnership and Hasan Tuluy, Partnership for Transparency Board Director, former World Bank Vice President, to dive deeper into what more can be done at the World Bank and other international institutions to combat corruption.  See https://www.facebook.com/events/1554856351290178/.

21] –  On Wed., May 2 at 6:30 PM, attend the Maryland Legislative Agenda for Women's Legislative Wrap Up Happy Hour at HomeSlyce Pizza Bar, 9400 Snowden River Parkway, Columbia 21045.  Celebrate the successes in Annapolis! This year, four of MLAW's top legislative priorities passed the General Assembly, along with many other bills that benefit women and families. Register at https://www.facebook.com/events/852500881616877/.

22] – On Wed., May 2 from 6:30 to 8 PM, get over to the Greater Arlington Solar Co-op info session #1, hosted by Solar United Neighbors of Virginia at the Navy League of the United States, 2300 Wilson Blvd, Suite 200, Arlington 22201.  Tickets are available at secure.everyaction.com.  RSVP at https://secure.everyaction.com/PjbGDMwfKUe9ReRIr__tEA2.

Live in or around Arlington and want to go solar? Now's your chance! Neighbors have formed the Greater Arlington Solar Co-op with the help of Solar United Neighbors of Virginia to make it easier to save money on the purchase of solar panels, while building a community of local solar supporters. Learn about solar energy, as well as how the Greater Arlington Solar Co-op simplifies the process of going solar while providing a discount through its bulk purchasing power.  Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/195938534515649/.

23] – On Wed., May 2  from 6:30 to 9:30, Suzanne DiMaggio, New America Foundation; Bonnie Jenkins, Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security, Sue Mi Terry, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Mira Rapp-Hooper, Yale Law School, will debate "Georgetown University and Intelligence Squared U.S. Debate: Negotiations Can Denuclearize North Korea," at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, WDC. RSVP at https://www.cvent.com/events/georgetown-university-and-intelligence-squared-u-s-debate-negotiations-can-denuclearize-north-korea/registration-9c31825f3d3d4d1986e24e84fc961a07.aspx?fqp=true.

24] – The  Maryland Coordinating Committee of the Poor Peoples Campaign is inviting you to Joint Song Trainings and Art Builds on Wed. May 2 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Oak Hill Center, 2239 Kirk Ave., Baltimore 21218.  Go to https://actionnetwork.org/events/joint-song-trainings-and-art-builds.  Email maryland@poorpeoplescampaign.org.  Needed are singers, musicians, media makers, artists et al. Through arts and culture, join forces to revive Dr. Martin Luther King's final campaign for a revolution of values. 

25] – On Wed., May 2 from 7 to 9 PM, head over to the Occupation Free DC Organizing Meeting, hosted by Jewish Voice for Peace at Petworth, WDC 20011.  Occupation Free DC is a local campaign that seeks to end DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) participation in US-Israeli "counter-terrorism" police exchanges of worst practices. Real safety means investing in our community, not in biased police trainings. If you're interested in attending the monthly organizing meeting, RSVP to info@occupationfreedc.org so you can get the address.  Learn more about the campaign at occupationfreedc.org. See https://www.facebook.com/events/675836565919961/.

26] – On Wed., May 2 from 7 to 8 PM, hear from Nomi Prins about “Collusion,” hosted by Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, WDC 20008. A former Wall Street executive with firms including Goldman-Sachs, Bear Stearns, and Lehman Brothers, Nomi Prins has an intimate understanding of how banking works. She revealed the close relationships between bankers and nineteen presidents in All the Presidents’ Bankers, and her latest book examines how public and private banks are increasingly working together to control global markets and dictate economic policy. Her exposé details how public institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank are growing dependent on funding from private banking, traces the roles of some of the major figures of finance, and explains what this means at both the local and global levels. Prins, a frequent commentator on the dangerous nexus between politics and finance, served on Bernie Sanders’s Federal Reserve Reform Advisory Council. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/210474606212949/.

27] – On Wed., May 2 at 7:30 PM at Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, discuss What’s at stake for Baltimore in the upcoming governor’s race? Baltimore can’t afford another four years of Hogan. But can we align and mobilize to support a candidate ready to fight for economic and racial justice, so that the winner of the Democratic primary in June is not yet another establishment hack but someone we’re genuinely excited about? Ben Jealous could be that candidate—what would it take for Baltimore’s grassroots movements to support his run for Governor? A panel of Baltimore activists will discuss what’s important for our movements and why the governor’s office matters. Call 443-602-7585. RSVP at http://www.redemmas.org

28] – On Thurs., May 3 from 8:30 to 10 AM, catch the discussion Climate Change and Public Lands, hosted by The Wilderness Society at the National Press Club, 1615 M St. NW, WDC 20036.  The Wilderness Society is excited to welcome influential voices on energy and environment to explore the impact public lands have on climate change and the role public lands can play in being part of the solution. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climate-change-and-us-public-lands-registration-44984287214.

Come at 8:30 AM for breakfast and networking. The event will begin at 9 AM. In this series of panel discussions, policy, political and journalism experts discuss how trends in environmental reporting may play out in 2018 and beyond -- and how they relate to public lands. One year into the Trump administration, it’s clear that public lands are at the crux of many of these issues and that's not going to change anytime soon. These events aim to give the information, resources and connections journalists need to continue telling in-depth powerful stories that explore the implications of current and future energy and policy changes. Contact Alex Thompson (alex_thompson@tws.org) with any questions. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/241732549726529/.

29] – You’re invited to the kick-off event for the newest economic justice campaign!  Come to a rally for an Independent Inspector General for Baltimore City on Thurs,, May 3 from 10 to 11 AM at Baltimore City Hall, 100 Holliday St.

Six DPW employees and six commercial trash haulers defrauded the City in two separate schemes of bribery and fraud, costing Baltimore City $8 million. A technology contractor for the Mayor’s Office of Information Technology submitted fictitious timesheets, costing the City $162,520. The Parking Authority of Baltimore City’s parking pass process contained some weaknesses. As a result of the Inspector General’s investigation, the City realized a potential annual savings of $80,000.

This critical work – rooting out fraud, abuse, and malfeasance – is the job of the Inspector General. Baltimore City’s Office of the Inspector General was created in 2005. The Office of the Inspector General helps return money to our City – something we desperately need – and increases accountability and a culture of good governance among city agencies. According to the Association for Inspector Generals’ Directory there are at least 43 local Offices of Inspector Generals (OIGs) at the city, county, or local level. However, unlike many other cities such as Albuquerque, Chicago, Palm Beach, and New York among others, Baltimore’s Inspector General is not independent; the Inspector General currently serves at the pleasure of the Mayor. Baltimore’s Inspector General also lacks certain powers to fully investigate cases.

City Councilperson Ryan Dorsey has introduced legislation to create an independent Office of the Inspector General building off of recommendations from former OIGs contained in an Abell Foundation report. BCAT (Baltimore Coalition for Accountability and Transparency) is supporting the legislation but also to launch a grassroots ballot initiative campaign to make sure that Baltimore voters can support an independent watchdog that works for US. Sign up to attend Thursday’s event by emailing robyn@marylandconsumers.org.

30] – There is still time to sign up for the Nonviolent Moral Fusion Direct Action Training. Register at https://goo.gl/U3jzgC.  The trainings are on Thurs., May 3 from 5:30 to 9:30 PM and Tues., May 8 from 5:30 to 9:30 PM at UDC Bertie Backus Campus, 5171 South Dakota Ave. NE.  A training is essential if you wish to engage in the DC Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival day of action and any nonviolent moral fusion direct action that is planned.

31] – The Baltimore Museum of Industry is delighted to host Workin' It: Stories About Making a Living In Baltimore on Thurs., May 3 from 7 to 10 PM, as part of the Stoop Storytelling Series. Since 2006, this Baltimore-based live show series has been spotlighting "ordinary" people telling extraordinary, true tales of their lives. Each storytelling event features stories exploring a different topic such as immigration, heartbreak, the holidays, bad hair days, and more. Stoop stories are not memorized in advance. Ideas are submitted to a panel for review, and chosen storytellers are provided coaching to help narrow the focus to a short tale, resulting in an evening that brings communities together in an intimate way, often through laughter and on occasion, tears.  The stories shared at the BMI will focus on an evening of true, personal tales about what we do to "get paid"-everything from crazy careers to dirty jobs to passion projects. It will be an unforgettable evening of storytelling by locals, for locals. "Work is a commonality-it's a tie that binds us together. Some people love their work, some don't. Some people are paid well, others are not. But work is a shared experience, and I think everyone will find familiarity in the stories you hear," says Auni Gelles, Community Programs Manager at the BMI. The evening will include live music by Letitia VanSant, food trucks, and beer and wine for sale. And as always, free parking.

Seating is limited! Tickets are $25 for non-members, and $20 is for members.  Go to www.thebmi.org.  This is a 21 and over event.  
32] – On Thurs., May 3 at 7:30 PM, hear about “The Legend of the Black Mecca” with Dr. Maurice Hobson at Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201. For more than a century, the city of Atlanta has been associated with black achievement in education, business, politics, media, and music, earning it the nickname “the black Mecca.” Atlanta’s long tradition of black education dates back to Reconstruction, and produced an elite that flourished in spite of Jim Crow, rose to leadership during the civil rights movement, and then took power in the 1970s by building a coalition between white progressives, business interests, and black Atlantans. But as Maurice Hobson demonstrates, Atlanta’s political leadership--from the election of Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first black mayor, through the city’s hosting of the 1996 Olympic Games--has consistently mishandled the black poor. Drawn from vivid primary sources and unnerving oral histories of working-class city-dwellers and hip hop artists from Atlanta’s underbelly, Hobson argues that Atlanta’s political leadership has governed by bargaining with white business interests to the detriment ordinary black Atlantans.  Call 443-602-7585. RSVP at http://www.redemmas.org

33] – On Fri., May 4 from 9:15 to 11:30 AM., Senator Ed Markey (MA), Dr. Chung-in Moon, Special Adviser to the President for Unification, Foreign, and National Security Affairs, Republic of Korea, and other speakers, "2018 Atlantic Council-East Asia Foundation Strategic Dialogue," Atlantic Council, 1030 15th St. NW, 12th Floor (West Tower Elevator), Washington, DC. RSVP at http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/events/upcoming-events/registration/a080H00002WVMalQAH.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs


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