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AFSC - Kansas City, Missouri

KC AFSC Peace and Justice Alerts (July 30, 2008)

Educate Yourself. Share your knowledge. Take Action!

Dear Peacemakers,

Dear Peacemakers,

We hope you summer has been refreshing and enjoyable.

Many thanks to Henry Stoever and PeaceWorks for organizing the August 9th Hiroshima / Nagasaki Remembrance. It was a wonderful event, reminding us that security will not come from larger and larger weapons; that all people are sacred; and hope for humankind’s future must come from compassion and understanding not come from fears used to justify horrendous acts of violence. Patti Nelson offers this link to photos of the evening

We invite you to join us and volunteer at upcoming events. We have just been invited to participate in the GreenFest at the Uptown Theater on August 23 and 24 (see below) so that will be a busy weekend with the AFSC SUMMER SOIREE - Movie and a Snack, Live Music Under the Stars with wonderful acoustic guitar music of songwriter Kevin Hiatt, vigiling outside the Bruce Springsteen concert and the GreenFest!  Please volunteer. It’s lots of fun and we can use your help.

Also please contact Cong. Cleaver’s office. Surprisingly Cong. Cleaver is one of the cosponsors of H. Con. Res. 362! The bill is a request from Congress to Pres. Bush to implement a land, air, and sea blockade and a ban on the international travel of all Iranian officials, including diplomats. It asks the president to do something which, to be effective, would require the use of force, make diplomacy impossible, and be construed by Iran and the international community as an act of war! Contact Cong. Cleaver’s office at (816) 842-4545 or 202 225-4535 and ask him to withdraw his support of the resolution and work to change (More information below.)

Thanks for your efforts for peace!

Contact us to volunteer at one of the upcoming peace action listed below.

Thanks for all of your efforts for peace and justice,

Ira Harritt
KC AFSC
816 931-5256
iharritt@afsc.org

Help Create the “Get a Clue America!” Game

Below is the draft banner for the “Get a Clue America!” game. We would like your help creating questions to ask players. We have created five question categories: Human Security; International Relations, Rule of Law, Energy & Environment, and Budget & Economy. Questions and answers need to be true / false or A or B answers.

Sample questions (Do you know the answers?): Question: "Twenty-two members of the UN signed an agreement at the 2002 Monterey Conference pledging to contribute a specific minimum percentage of their national incomes in aid to poor nations. The UN believes that if all of these nations fulfilled their pledge it could effectively end hunger and extreme poverty in the world. What percentage was pledged?" A)Less than 1% B)More than 1% Follow up question: "Where does the U.S. rank in fulfilling its pledge?" A) Among the top 5 of the 22 nations B) Among the bottom 5 of the 22 nations Question: How many times has the U.S. intervened militarily in another nation since WWII? A) Less than 50 times B) More than 50 times” Question: "Give number of times (within 10) the U.S. has intervened since WWII" Follow up question: "Name the two nations in which the U.S. has intervened the most time since WWII."

 

Want to get involved? We need your help at these upcoming vigils and demonstrations:

Peace and Justice Teach-ins will be on a break.
For up to date information go to: http://peaceandjusticecoffeehouse.blogspot.com/

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August 20,  Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Dessert and Discussion with Alex Awad. The Reverend Alex Awad serves as pastor of a small international church in East Jerusalem and teaches at Bethlehem Bible College in Palestine.  Born and raised in Jerusalem, he is the author of two books about the Palestinian experience at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, 1815 NE Independence Avenue, Lee’s Summit, Missouri 64086

August 23, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Summer Soiree, Movie and a Snack, Live Music Under the Stars, a benefit for the American Friends Service Committee, featuring Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb an outdoor movie event with wonderful acoustic guitar music of songwriter Kevin Hiatt at 8336 Sagamore, Leawood, KS Call 816 931-5256 for more info.

August 23 & 24, Saturday & Sunday, 10 am – 7 / 5pm, Green Fest, Green friendly vendors, businesses, alternative energy, music, etc.  Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway, KCM http://www.uptowntheater.com/GREENFEST.html

August 25th, Monday, 6:30pm, KC Iraq Task Force Planning Meeting. We will work on public education and advocacy actions: utilizing the Cost of War, What is the Best Way to Support the Troops and other exhibits, present the new “Auction-Today: Your Tax Dollars for Sale” Street Theater, organize dialogue sessions on war and the economy and other activities to promote peace and end the Iraq war. Come to the AFSC office, 4405 Gillham Rd., KCMO for information call 816 931-5256.

August 24 & 25,  Sunday (11am) and Monday (7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.),  Discussion with Alex Awad. – Two Events - The Reverend Alex Awad serves as pastor of a small international church in East Jerusalem and teaches at Bethlehem Bible College in Palestine.  Born and raised in Jerusalem, he is the author of two books about the Palestinian experience. Sunday at Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Rd, Prairie Village, KS / Monday at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, 1815 NE Independence Avenue, Lee’s Summit, MO More information below.                

September 5, Friday, 6:30 until 10:00pm, Awakening The Dreamer, Changing The Dream Symposium facilitated by Luci Lee, at Grace House ( 12700 W. 118th in O.P. KS) Please RSVP soon!  (no charge)  913/383-3461

September 11, 2008 AT 7pm, A 911 Event: From Pain To Peace,  A Program of Worship, Dance, and Sharing of Bread, Community Christian Church, 4601 E. Main. Kansas City, MO

September 19-25, 2008 Kansas International Film Festival at Glenwood Arts, 9575 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS 66212, (913) 642-4404 . More information below.

EVERY Sunday: Iraq Peace Vigil, 4pm, JC Nichols Fountain, 47th & Main, Streets, Kansas City, MO http://www.kciraqtaskforce.org/

EVERY Tuesday, JOIN THIS Peace Demonstration Every Tuesday between 5PM - 6 PM in the median strip on the south corner of the intersection at 63rd & Ward Parkway, Kansas City, Mo. For more information email '63rd Street Patriots' at schwartzkatz@sbcglobal.net

Every Wednesday, 5:00pm, Iraq Anti-War Protest, College and Quivira, Overland Park, KS (NW corner). Send a message to Sen. Pat Robert that it’s time to end the war!

1st Wednesday of each month, Prayers for World Peace and Group Blessings at 2540 Holmes St, just one block south of the UMKC dental school/Children's Mercy, KCMO 64108. Interested persons can contact Reverend Barbara for more details at :913-645-3380

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Summer Soiree
Movie and a Snack,
Live Music Under the Stars

Saturday, August 23, 7:30 p.m.
At 8336 Sagamore, Leawood, KS

Please join us for . . .
Dr. Strangelove
Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Once more, our Patriot’s Party host, has offered her verdant backyard (at 83rd and Sagamore, just off State Line on the Kansas side), for an outdoor movie event.
Listen to the wonderful acoustic guitar music of songwriter Kevin Hiatt. Then stretch out and watch the movie or just take in the stars—an evening of fun awaits.
Saturday, August 23, 7:30 p.m. beginning with live music, hoola hoops, limbo contests and Frisbee til the sun goes down—a free movie and popcorn with donations for luscious snacks (beaverages, hot dogs, nachos and chips, ice cream) offered throughout the movie to raise money (donations) for AFSC-KC Peace Program work.
You’ll also have opportunity to don a cowboy hat and be photographed riding an “H-bomb” to share with friends and family.
Bring your own chairs, blankets and bug spray and have a one of a kind outdoor movie experience.

More info? Want to help? Call Deborah at 816.931.5256.

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New Cost of War Bumper Sticker soon to be available from KC AFSC office. Contact us for information – 816 931-5256 or e-mail iharritt@afsc.org

The Chalk Project: Marking the 4,000 Deaths of American Troops in Iraq with Respect and Messages of Peace

Send photos of chalk outlines to dmellicker@afsc.org

Click Here to see some of the Chalk Project outlines

Help rouse the public’s conscience over the growing deaths in the Iraq occupation and call for a change from war making to making peace in the world –through diplomacy, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, supporting human rights…

Our goal is for area activists to make 4,000 body outlines spread throughout the city.

Join with others in creating an organic memorial to those who have died in the Iraq occupation by creating body chalk outlines on streets, sidewalks or other locations (it works best working with a partner) and then to chalk the message “Too Many Have Died In Iraq” – and add your own message of peace—for example: Education Not War; Healthcare Not Bombing; Butter Not Bullets; Renewable Energy Not Oil warring, Diplomacy Not Ultimatums, etc.(We ask that you keep it positive. Not curse words or name calling.)

We offer this caution-it is possible that creating these outlines may be considered breaking anti-graffiti laws in some places. To help you avoid this make sure you use only chalk and be willing to wash the chalk away if a business or homeowner complains.

We would also like to document the outlines created, messages left, locations and times seen. Email your sighting of Chalk Project body outlines to dmellicker@afsc.org. Please include in your email the location e.g. “SW corner of 48th Street and Oak, KCMO), the messages in the outline, and times you saw it. Please also attach a digital photos in jpeg or pict format if you are able to take one. Sightings will be posted on a website to be determined. For info call 816 931-5256.

Photos from the Chalk Project Memorial

Awakening The Dreamer,
Changing The Dream Symposium
facilitated by Luci Lee

Place: at Grace House ( 12700 W. 118th in O.P. KS)
Date: September 5 from 6:30 until 10:00
Please RSVP soon! (no charge)

Come and connect with people who care about sustainability, spirituality and social justice, the biggest challenges and opportunities of our time. Designed with the collaboration of some of the finest scientific, indigenous and activist minds in the world, the Symposium explores the current state of our planet from a new perspective, and connects participants with a powerful global movement to reclaim our future. http://awakeningthedreamer.org or http://www.pachamama.org

It is an exploration of four questions:

• Where Are We? – an examination of the state of environmental, social and personal well-being
• How did We Get Here? – tracing the root causes that lead to our current imbalance
• What's Possible for the Future? – discovering new ways of relating with each other, with the Earth and looking at the emerging Movement for change
• Where Do We Go from Here? – considering the stand we want to be in the world and our personal and collective impact

If you are ready to be disturbed, inspired and moved to action, and to be introduced to a thriving community of committed cohorts, then join us in exploring the most critical concerns of our times, and discover new opportunities to make a real difference in accelerating the emergence of an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human presence on this planet! 'When a caterpillar reaches a certain point in its own evolution, it becomes over-consumptive, a voracious eater and it eats everything in sight. At that same time, in the molecular structure of the caterpillar, the "imaginal cells" become active. While all this gorging is going on, those imaginal cells wake up, and they look for each other inside of the caterpillar's body. When enough of them connect (they don't need to be in the majority) they become the genetic directors of the future of the caterpillar. At that point the other cells begin to putrefy and become what's called the nutritive soup—out of which the imaginal cells create the absolute unpredictable miracle of the butterfly. What's possible is that we're the imaginal cells on the planet right now.' Inspired by Elisabet Sahtouris

Questions? Call Sarah Grace at 913/383-3461

HIROSHIMA-NAGASAKI REMEMBRANCE 2008 PROGRAM

NUCLEAR PEACE CARAVAN

JAPANESE PEACE DELEGATION

Japanese Delegation in Kansas City: Four (4) persons from Japan, including one survivor of the Hiroshima nuclear blast, arrive in Kansas City on Sept. 4, 2008. We are accepting invitations for them to appear at forums Sept. 4-5, preferably Sept. 5. Reception and Program:

On Friday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m., the delegation will speak and answer questions at the Community of Christ World Headquarters and Temple, 201 So. River Blvd. (River & Walnut, just west of the downtown), Independence, MO 64050. Contact: Henry Stoever with PeaceWorks KC, (913) 375-0045 or henrystoever@sbcglobal.net.

Sponsored by: PeaceWorks Kansas City, the Kansas City Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, and American Friends Service Committee.

Two Programs with Rev. Alex Awad

Rev. Alex Awad, United Methodist pastor of an international church in East Jerusalem and professor at Bethlehem Bible College, presents an eye-witness report on current events and history of the conflict in the Holy Land.

Rev. Awad is an outstanding speaker and writer with a wealth of knowledge about the conflict.

Sunday, August 24
Summer Peace Forum
Village Presbyterian Church
6641 Mission Rd, Prairie Village, KS

The event begins at 11:00a.m. with a Power Point Presentation in room 232 and then a Luncheon catered by Holy Land Cafe at 12 noon.

Rev. Awad and Rev. Are will discuss the Palestinian/Israeli issue in the Sanctuary followed by a book signing PALESTINIAN MEMORIES.
A Free Will Offering will be donated to Bethlehem Bible College.
We hope you can join us!

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Monday, August 25,
St. Anne’s Episcopal Church,
1815 NE Independence Avenue, (at Colbern Road) Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
Come for dessert and discussion 7-8:30 pm.

Rev. Awad will take questions about the Middle East conflict,
and will sign copies of his new book, Palestinian Memories (www.alexawad.org).
Please RSVP at 816 524-5552. St. Paul's Episcopal, Lee's Summit, is also a sponsor. FREE.

RSVPs are requested: 816-524-5552
Born and raised in Jerusalem,
he is the author of two books about the Palestinian experience.
His latest is book is Palestinian Memories: The Story of a Palestinian Mother and Her People.
You can learn more about him at www.alexawad.org

911 EVENT
FROM PAIN TO PEACE

SEPTEMBER 11, 2008 AT 7pm
COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN CHURCH
4601 E. Main. Kansas City, MO

A Program of Worship, Dance, and Sharing of Bread

The event will feature Dr. Alvin Jackson.
Minister of Park Avenue Christian Church in New York City. After graduating from Butler University in Indianapolis with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, Rev. Jackson received his Masters of Divinity degree from the Duke University School of Divinity. His Doctor of Ministry degree was awarded from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. His wife, Tina, and he have one son, Cullen O’Neal Jackson of Memphis.

He is an eloquently gracious speaker in the tradition of Martin Luther King, Jr., who said,
“We are tied together in an inescapable network of mutuality and whatever affects one of us directly, affects all of us indirectly and we must learn to live together as sisters and brothers or we will surely perish together as fools.”

The Disciple Peace Fellowship collaborates with other peace groups to raise the consciousness of peace in a 911 world. We desire something more constructive than a fear based world. We strive to keep alive a passion for peace and justice. This summer we supported five young interns who are working for the cause of peace.

BRINGING BREAD – BUILDING BRIDGES
Patterned on the Cordoba Festival, we will worship and share bread, reminders the variety of breads that point us to hope and oneness. The dance of children offering us bread and building bridges is a symbol of hope for a different future.

City of Motion is a dance company that fosters the development of high quality contemporary dance programming and expand the dance audience in KC.

Andrea Skowronek is its Artistic Director and Director of the Children’s Dance Theater since 1995. Churches are requested to bring their favorite bread to the event and in turn children will dance and share this bread with the participants. The children will bring a special touch to show that out of the stones we can build bridges. Interfaith readings will honor this hope.

2008 Kansas International Film Festival

September 19-25
At Glenwood Arts, 9575 Metcalf Ave.,
Overland Park, KS 66212, (913) 642-4404
www.KansasFilm.com

Peace, Justice and Human Rights

Explore the issues and the injustices that
have captured hearts and minds.

Urge Your Representative to Oppose War with Iran

More than 240 representatives in Congress are on record supporting a U.S. partial land, sea, and air blockade of Iran. (through their support of H.CON.RES.362 )

A blockade, even a partial one, is an act of war.

Surprisingly Cong. Cleaver is one of the cosponsors of H. Con. Res. 362! He mistakenly believes the resolution would help “prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability through economic, political, and diplomatic means.”

However the bill could easily be construed as a request from Congress to implement a land, air, and sea blockade and a ban on the international travel of all Iranian officials, including diplomats.

Congressman Cleaver doesn’t seem to recognize that the bill asks the president to do something which, to be effective, would require the use of force, make diplomacy impossible, and be construed by Iran and the international community at large as an act of war.

Contact Cong. Cleaver’s office at (816) 842-4545 or 202 225-4535

The U.S. government's policy toward Iran is already primarily based on threats and sanctions rather than direct, unconditional diplomatic negotiations. This resolution's inflammatory approach continues that trend and seems designed to push Iran to develop a nuclear weapon deterrent, undermining international efforts to keep Iran from becoming a nuclear power.

Peaceful prevention of deadly conflict between the U.S. and Iran is possible, but you will have to encourage your representative to stop the next war now. Please contact your congressperson today.

Find out more

FCNL sent a letter to representatives opposing this bill.
See talking points about this legislation.

• • • • •

Sign the petition to Raise the MinimumWage in Kansas from $2.65/hr to match the federal rate!

Tell me more         

Full Petition Text:

We, the undersigned, believe that the Kansas minimum wage of $2.65 an hour is disgracefully low and should be raised to match the national level. According to the Department of Labor in 2006, there were at least 17,000 Kansas workers who are covered by the absurdly low Kansas minimum wage rather than by the federal minimum.

We believe a job should keep you out of poverty, not in poverty. Because the Kansas legislature has refused to raise the minimum wage since 1988, it is time for us to act locally. We call upon the Kansas legislature to use its authority to create a wage matching the federal level. Ultimately, in 2009, the federal minimum wage will rise to $7.25 an hour. Currently, the figure is $5.85. In 2008 it will rise to $6.55.

We say: Keep up with the rest of the country. Raise the wage to the federal minimum wage level.

Sign the Petition

• • • • •

Published on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 by The New York Times

Use of Iraq Contractors Costs Billions, Report Says

by James Risen

WASHINGTON - The United States this year will have spent $100 billion on contractors in Iraq since the invasion in 2003, a milestone that reflects the Bush administration’s unprecedented level of dependence on private firms for help in the war, according to a government report to be released Tuesday. More>

We need your support to keep our life affirming peacemaking work alive. Contribute. Volunteer. Spread the word!

Contact us and mail your tax deductible contribution to:

American Friends Service Committee
4405 Gillham Rd., KCMO 64110
(816) 931-5256

The information and events described in AFSC Peace and Justice Alerts are intended to educate and assist members of our community in becoming active in working for a more just and peaceful world. Inclusion of a listing does not necessarily imply that AFSC KC agrees with all points of view that will be represented at the event.

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