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Progressive Action Roundtable: A forum for progressive groups in the Greater New Haven Area where actions and ideas may be publicized so that others are aware of peace, health, justice, energy, environmental and other issues for the common good.

Archive for category Peace

5th Annual United Nations International Day Of Peace

Aug 31

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by Kevin Ewing, WRNSC President

The West River Neighborhood Services Corporation (WRNSC) and the City of New Haven Peace Commission are co-sponsoring their Fifth Annual United Nations International Day of Peace event on Sunday, Sept. 19, at the UN-New Haven Peace Garden at West River on Ella Grasso Boulevard and Legion Avenue in New Haven from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The theme of this year’s event is New Haven a Peace Messenger City: Standing Together for Peace.

New Haven was designated as a Peace Messenger City in 1985. The Peace Garden at West River was established in 2000, and is one of only a few places in the world where the United Nations emblem is displayed on land not owned and controlled by the UN. “We are joining millions of people around the world in coming together to call for worldwide peace. We are joining the thousands in our city and our region standing together for peace in our city, in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our lives,” declared Reverend Kevin Ewing, president of the West River organization.

The Sept. 19 event, which is free and open to the general public, will feature local talent including the Cooperative High School jazz band, Michael Mills and Drums No Guns, Jazz Folks, spoken word artists, gospel, R&B, yoga and meditation exercises, plus activities for children. Free parking will be available on site.

The West River neighborhood is a participant in The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven’s Neighborhood of Choice initiative.

In case of rain, the event will be held the following Sunday, Sept. 26, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Peace Garden.

For more information, contact Stacy Spell, Event Coordinator at (203) 777-2192.

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Hiroshima And Nagasaki Vigils Call For Nuclear Abolition

Aug 31

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by Joelle Fishman, People’s World

New Haven, Conn Town Green vigil for abolition of nuclear weapons on Nagasaki Day, August 9, 2010. (Photo by Art Perlo)

Marking the 65th year since the first atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, vigils were held on the New Haven Green at the time the bombs were dropped on August 6 and 9.

Al Marder, chair of the City of New Haven Peace Commission, greeted the fact that for the first time the General Secretary of the United Nations and a United States ambassador participated in this year’s remembrances in Hiroshima. The stance of President Barack Obama creates openings, he said, to build a stronger movement against continued and increased funding of nuclear weapons production. He called for movement from symbolism to concrete actions for abolition of nuclear weapons.

Participants held origami cranes given as gifts by the Japanese delegation to the thousands of participants who marched for abolition of nuclear weapons at the United Nations in May. New Haveners traveled to that march on a special peace train.

Linking the need for peace to the economic crisis, Rev. Sarah Lamar-Sterling of First and Summerfield United Methodist Church quoted Dwight D. Eisenhower’s warning that every penny spent on armaments is a penny taken from those who need food, housing and health care. The church’s weekly vigil against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan joined the event on the Green.

Referring to polls showing majority opposition to both wars, Henry Lowendorf, chair of the Greater New Haven Peace Council, called attention to the largest ever vote against funding the Afghanistan war in Congress last month, including Rep. Rosa DeLauro, whose district is centered in New Haven.

Hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians were killed in 1945 when the atomic bombs were dropped by the United States in the closing days of World War II, although Japan was already on the verge of surrender. “Even in war, the killing of innocent women, children and senior citizens is a crime,” Marder said.

On Sunday, a group bicycle ride was held around the
perimeter of the area that would have been obliterated had the bombs been dropped on New Haven.

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Peace Conference For Nuclear Disarmament In NYC Apr. 30-May 2

Jun 1

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by Nancy Eberg, GNH Peace Council

During the weekend of April 29-May 2, a series of incredible events transpired in NYC. On Friday and Saturday, nearly 1000 participants from around the world attended a conference on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons at Riverside Church. Hoping to influence the UN Review Conference on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons held the following week, the workshop tracks were abolition, peace, economic justice/human needs, and environmental sustainability. Experts in all fields participated, including locals from the Greater New Haven Peace Council—Henry Lowendorf and Al Marder. Henry, along with leaders of the World and Canadian Peace Councils, spoke about struggles against global imperialism; Al, with Cora Weiss, president of the Hague Appeal for Peace, and former Ambassador Sylvester Rowe of Sierra Leone discussed the Luarca Declaration that peace is a human right.

Three plenaries were held that included such noted speakers as Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General; Terumi Tanaka, head of the organization of bomb survivors; Mayor Akiba of Hiroshima; Princeton professor Zia Mian; noted author on nukes Joseph Gerson; and president of the World Peace Council, Socorro Gomes. The conference hoped to greatly expand the momentum started by Obama’s Prague speech and the negotiations between him and Medvedov for the new START Treaty. Highlights of the conference were Ban Ki-moon’s affirmation that he has proposed a nuclear weapons convention toward nuclear abolition and supports the Japanese timetable of 2020 for total abolition – commitments that should have an energizing effect on abolition proponents.

The Sunday march from Times Square to the UN was aimed in part to deliver the 7 million signatures collected worldwide to abolish nuclear weapons. Since Japan was the only country to experience the devastating bomb effects on an urban population, it sent nearly 2000 marchers. Estimates of total attendance varied from 10-15,000 (American newspapers) to 25,000 (Japanese newspapers). In spite of the unseasonably hot, humid, 90-degree weather and too-long pre-rally, spirits soared. Jubilant marchers sang and chanted, passing out innumerable origami peace cranes. Hope for a world without nuclear weapons permeated the group. It was an unforgettable experience that hopefully will have positive results.

The plenary sessions were live streamed during the conference, and most are now available for viewing (the closing session with Ban Ki-moon will be available soon).

For more on the speech by Ban Ki-moon, see the United Nations’ release.

See pictures taken by New Haven’s Henry Lowendorf here.

Oneworld Progressive Institute

Jun 1

Posted by admin in Events, Healthcare, Human Rights, Peace | No Comments

by N’Zinga Shäni

OneWorld Progressive Institute produces educational programs and community forums for the benefit of the entire community. In 2010 our focus will be mainly on Education and Civic Engagement. Our program “21st Century Conversations” airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on Comcast, Chan. 26. Visit: www.nhtv.com/Uverse.html to find us on AT&T U-Verse. We are on all major cable systems. Viewers can order DVD copies through our on-line store. We encourage readers to browse our website.

On CTV, Ch. 26: Political Debate with Debra Hauser and Roland Lemar, Thurs., June 3, 8-9 p.m.

Mondays, 8 p.m. during summer months, watch our new Health Care Information Series with Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, President Obama and leading CT health care experts. Our Education Series includes teen forums and workshops with principals, teachers and parents.

We encourage people to watch each broadcast.  Read these New Haven Independent articles about our recent programs.

The Kids Get Their Say by Zak Stone | Apr 28, 2010

Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority

Target: The “Brainwashing Thing”

by Zak Stone | Feb 19, 2010

Samples of comments posted about our April Teen Forum:

Pat on May 5, 2010: This is great! We need more opportunities for teens to show that they are good kids. The bad kids always steal the show. These kids are our hope for the future. Keep up the good work!

Mrs. Robles on May 5, 2010: I think all of these kids did a great job. Students should be asked for their input more frequently—too often, their thoughts and ideas are not taken seriously because many people think they are too young and/or immature to understand or talk intelligently about issues. Unfortunately, people usually gravitate towards the more sensational stories (the hijacked bus). However, if more stories like this are written, maybe this could change some people’s attitudes.

Harold on May 6, 2010: Why wasn’t this on the front page of the New Haven Register? We need to celebrate our good kids more and sessions like this do that. I’m glad I stumbled upon this article.

We encourage a desire for life-long learning; we believe that “21st Century Conversations” offer a unique opportunity to those who watch to learn a great deal about an array of issues. We at OneWorld are encouraging civic engagement and extolling Lighthouses of Knowledge. These can start at the kitchen tables; they can expand to the basement of churches and community centers. We welcome comments and feedback. OneWorld Progressive Institute,P. O. Box 8662, New Haven, CT 06531, (203) 407-0250, oneworldpi@yahoo.com,  www.oneworldpi.org.

PEPeace Debuts Peacenews.org National Peace Blog

Jun 1

Posted by admin in Environment, Peace | No Comments

by James van Pelt

Promoting Enduring Peace (PEP) has launched peacenews.org – the beginning of what is hoped will become the national news source for the North American peace movement.

Conceived by PEP president Paul Hodel and designed by Christopher Zurcher, PEP’s website leader and the founder of CT Environmental Headlines, peacenews.org is one of PEP’s first steps in its revitalization to fit the needs of the 21st Century.

“PEP has been a nationally known peace education activist organization for more than 50 years,” said PEP board member James van Pelt. “We want PEP to be a force that brings all of the various arms of the peace movement together and increases its visibility, viability, and participation.

“One part of that involves the fusion of the peace and environmental movements where their interests coincide,” van Pelt sad. “I think our saying ‘Peace on Earth; Peace with Earth’ expresses that.”

Plans call for the website to expand over the coming months and become a vital aid to peace groups in Connecticut, then regionally, and then nationally. Those plans include adding peaceradio.org as a center to access peace-related audio and video content from all over the continent.

Voices Of Immigrant Women Speak Out

Jun 1

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by Anna Aschenbach, WILPF

At the May 16, 2010 monthly meeting of the New Haven County branch, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), we adopted the following project:
Our branch will sponsor a public meeting called Voices of Immigrant Women Speak Out. We will ask the speakers to talk of the abuses they have experienced in jobs, housing, from Immigration Control Enforcement (ICE) or from other groups and individuals in the U.S.

Our branch will ask three or four women from various ethnic origins to speak at a late afternoon public meeting in June in a free and accessible New Haven public place. We will offer each speaker an honorarium of $40. As soon as date, time and place have been established, we will send notices to our mailing list and will distribute fliers.

For up-to-date information or to suggest a possible speaker, please call Anna Aschenbach, (203) 468-8289 after 1 p.m. or leave a slow and clear message on the tape.

Reminder Of Peace Train To NYC May 2 For Rally To Abolish Nuclear Weapons

Apr 25

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by Nancy Eberg, GNHPC

On Sunday, May 2, a march to abolish nuclear weapons will be held across Manhattan to a rally and festival at the United Nations. Locally, the Greater New Haven Peace Council has arranged transportation to NYC ($25 for adults, $13 for those 18 or under). The Bruce Martin Memorial Peace Train will leave Union Station in New Haven at 10:55 a.m. and return at 6:07 p.m. For reservations, register at www.stepfour.com/peacetrain. Any questions, call Henry Lowendorf at (203) 389-9547, or e-mail grnhpeacecouncil@sbcglobal.net.