Pull the Root: Courage To Resist Discussion & Film Night

Hello all peacemakers,

I am writing to invite you to a Courage to Resist conversation and fund-raising event I am hosting with my friends Haleh Zandi and Gavin Raders in Temescal Neighborhood, Oakland.

Courage to Resist is a grassroots group of concerned community members, veterans, and military families who provide political, emotional, and material support to military objectors and war-resisters critical of our government’s current military policies.

We will be sharing information about current war-resisters, the work of Oakland-based Courage to Resist, and discussing war-resisting efforts and strategies.  We will be joined by long-time war-resister and program director of Courage to Resist Jeff Paterson. In addition, a few Bay-Area vets who are now part of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) will also share their experiences and perspectives with us.  It is also possible that Robin Long (who was recently released from a year in military prison for refusing to fight in Iraq) or another war-resister will be stopping by or calling in.  We will then view the film Sir! No, Sir!, a classic Vietnam-war era documentary on the war-resistance movement within the military.

Because this is also a fund-raising event, there will be donation envelopes and a Raffle at the door for those who want to or are able to participate. The winner will get the DVD of Sir! No, Sir! and a Courage to Resist T-Shirt.  All funds raised will go to help with legal defense of war-resisters and Courage to Resist?s on-going efforts.

In the past few years, tens of thousands of service members have resisted illegal war and occupation in a number of different ways.  They have risked their freedom and more to oppose the wars and occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan and need our support and advocacy.

General, your tank is a mighty vehicle.
It shatters the forest and crushes a hundred men.
But it has one defect:
It needs drivers.

General, a man is quite expendable.
He can fly and he can kill.
But he has one defect:
He can think.–Bertolt Brecht

We will be enjoying homemade snacks such as quinoa-black bean-chipotle salad. Come and bring your friends.  Call or write to me for directions, it’s  very easy to get to.  If you can’t make it but would like to support Courage to Resist, please contact me.  Please RSVP by Sunday, August 2 so we know how many to expect.

Thanks!
Ryan Van Lenning

Siege Broken For a Day: Viva Palestina Arrives In Gaza

The siege has been lifted.  At least for a day.

The Viva Palestina convoy from the U.S. has finally arrived in Gaza, bringing both joy and stress to U.S. participants and Gaza residents.

The group was finally allowed into Gaza at Rafa on the Egypt border Wednesday night.  However, they were only given permission by Egyptian authorities to stay for 24-hours.  Furthermore, almost all the convoy’s vehicles have been denied entry so far.  It is reported that just two ambulances have been allowed in.  According to the blog of three members of the group, 47 vehicles, an investment of $500,000 made by Americans for the people of Gaza, have been left behind in Egypt.

I reported in June about the current Viva Palestina campaign, spearheaded by British politician George Galloway and carried out by hundreds of volunteer concerned citizens who want to bring some relief and attention to the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.  The convoy of about 200 U.S. citizens departed the U.S. on July 4 to fly to Cairo, where they organized the convoy of buses and medical supplies.  The group includes Vietnam vet Ron Kovic, New York City Council member Charles Barron, former U.S. Representative and 2008 Green Party Presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney, along with many more volunteer U.S. citizens.

Desertec Advances: Massive Solar Power Project No Longer a Mirage?

It’s not diamonds.  Nor is it gold.  But it might be just as lucrative. European firms this time have their eyes on North African deserts as the location of a giant network of solar thermal plants to provide low-carbon energy for Europe.

I am extremely interested in the devlopment of Desertec, the half-trilllion dollar project that is being planned by a consortium of banks, corps, and think-tanks in Europe.  The idea is to build a network of solar thermal plants based in north African deserts and send the low-carbon energy produced back to Europe.

But I am also extremely wary of it as well.  There are a number of issues that I felt needed airing.  Catch the full article over on Sustainablog.

Pull the Root: New Progressive Campaign Pressures Reps On Public Option

An organization that I’m getting to know better and that I’m beginning to like is Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC).  According to a Huffington Post profile, “The organization will be the first of its kind exclusively to focus on electing progressive Democrats in congressional elections.”  As much as congressional politics turns me off, there is no doubt that this is one of the main arenas where energy needs to be focused for positive progressive change in a time when too many democrats cave to powerful corporate interests.

Made up of veteran labor organizers and progressive candidate campaign managers, it seems like it’s off to a good start. It recently launched the We Want the Public Option TV ad campaign in DC, embarrassing members of congress on the airwaves by listing the donations they have received from the insurance and big pharma lobby.  The vast majority of Americans want reform in our health care system and a majority favor a public option.

Adding Fertilizer: Greenpeace Scales Mt. Rushmore

Obama could be the next face carved into Mt. Rushmore.  At least that is the symbolism behind Greenpeace’s direct action today. At around 10:oo am concerned citizens of Greenpeace scaled the down the face of Mt. Rushmore–or Six Grandfathers as the Lakota Sioux originally called it–and unfurled a giant 2,300 sq. foot banner next to Lincoln’s face that read:

“America honors leaders not politicians: stop global warming.”

For the of toll of a few arrests, they got out a loud and clear message about climate change with massive exposure in the media.

Greenpeace is a long-time veteran of direct actions and today’s action was planned to coincide with the G8 summit of world leaders in L’Aquila, Italy. It is being hailed as a beautifully executed and coordinated technical and communications campaign by those who agree and as an ‘disgusting stunt’ by detractors who were disappointed because they just wanted to see some giant stone faces.  It remains to be seen what the response will be from Obama and the powers that be, if any, but I applaud Greenpeace’s very loud and very public  pressure.

Music Festivals Gone Green

My friends are enjoying the music and outdoors up there, but I didn’t make it to the High Sierra Music Festival this weekend like I wanted to. I did get as far as Dolores Park for the premiere of the awesome SF Mime Troupes.   But I will be going to Power to the Peaceful in September, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in October, and perhaps Outside Lands next month.  I’ve often wondered about the effects of 10,000s of people showing up to the same place at the same time to hang out for several days.  This summer perhaps millions will be visiting music festivals, drinking beer (or in my case tequila) and enjoying live shows.  And of course also burning lots of fuel to get there, leaving lots of wrappers and food waste,  and perhaps drinking out of lots of plastic bottles.  What is the environmental impact? What are ways in which the impact is being mitigated? I looked into a handful of festivals to see and wrote about it in my article “U.S. Summer Music Festivals Gone Green” on Matador Nights.