Pax Christi Tampa Bay Newsletter

The following writeup is from Pax Christi Tampa Bay

Apr. 8, 2008

Pax Christi Tampa Bay E-mail Newsletter

NEWSLETTER ITEMS
1. Weekly Calendar
2. Protect Our Troops and Constitution Act
3. Mardi Gras: Made in China film
4. The War of 33; American Justice: Deadly Force films
5. Space Organizing Conference
6. Pax Christi Florida retreat: Exploring Eco-spirituality
7. Baywalk Protest
8. Co-creating a Sustainable Future
9. Sophie Scholl: The Final Days film
10. Caring for God’s Creation
11. Gasan Mutesi: Amani Africa
12. Peace demonstration in Dade City
13. Quaker garage and book sale
14. World Fair Trade Day
15. Family Eco-tour in Washington
16. Farmworker Petition to Burger King
17. Petition urging candidates to close SOA/WHINSEC
18. Refuge website
19. Kathy Kelly on C-SPAN and Voices website

WEEKLY CALENDAR

PEACE DEMONSTRATION: Act for peace at the corner of U.S. 19 and Grover Cleveland Boulevard on Tuesdays in Homosassa from 4:00-5:00 PM. For more information (FMI): George at (352) 382-2753.

PEACE FIRST APRIL SITE: Peace First will demonstrate at the corner of 34th and 22nd North from 5:00-6:00 PM every Wednesday in April. This intersection has Sweetbay and Winn Dixie supermarkets, a CVS Pharmacy and a Long John Silver’s on its corners. Participants gather afterward at a nearby restaurant for a meal. FMI: SMcCown@tampabay.rr.com

Dunedin peace cornering: Cornering is at Main St. and Broadway in Dunedin, 4:30-6:00 PM on Wednesdays; parking is available at the Dunedin Marina. This location or day may change depending upon the actions of counter-protesters, so contact Melissa or Kim for updates.

PEACEMAKING AND NONVIOLENT DIRECT ACTION CLASS: A class on peacemaking and nonviolent direct action will be held every Thursday from noon to 1:30 PM at the American Baptist Church of the Beatitudes, 2812 8th St. N. in St. Petersburg. Sponsored by Refuge Ministries, the class will feature a DVD curriculum by the Mennonite Youth Fellowship, discussion of readings on peace and nonviolent resistance, the history of nonviolent resistance, and contemporary issues viewed from the perspective of nonviolent action for social change. FMI: (727) 271-5478.

WEEKLY PEACE DEMONSTRATION: Join Peace Now Citrus County in downtown Inverness at Old Citrus County Courthouse every Thursday from 5:00-6:00 PM. FMI: Beverly at (352) 400-4174.

WEEKLY PEACE DEMONSTRATION: The Pasco County Peace Vigil is at US 19 and Ridge Rd in Port Richey every Friday from 7:30-8:30 AM. FMI: www.flpan.org or bettejo@flpan.org

SILENT PEACE VIGIL IN SARASOTA: Join the Southwest Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice for a silent vigil for peace on Fridays from 4:00-5:00 PM at the Sarasota Bayfront (near Marina Jack's) off Route 41, right after the Ringling cutoff. FMI: http://www.swfcpj.org/

FRIDAY PICNIC AND SHARING IN ST. PETE: St. Pete Food Not Bombs holds a picnic and sharing of food at 7:30 PM each Friday in Williams Park at the corner of 2nd Avenue North and 4th Street in downtown St. Petersburg. St. Pete Food Not Bombs needs volunteers and donations of vegetarian/vegan food. FMI: http://www.stpetefnb.org/ or contact Tracy@stpetefnb.org or carol@stpetefnb.org.

FRIDAY PICNIC AND SHARING IN SARASOTA: Sarasota Food Not Bombs serves food at Five Points Park near Selby Library in downtown Sarasota. The picnics start at 6:00 PM on Fridays; the food is cooked at 4:00 PM in the second court lounge of the New College campus. FMI: sarasotafnb@yahoo.com

BRADENTON PEACE GATHERING: Join the Green Bridge Patriots to protest the war every Sunday at the base of the Green Bridge beginning at 11:00 AM in Palmetto. FMI: alvinlevie@hotmail.com or (941) 747-0941

PICNIC IN WILLIAMS PARK: MANNA: The Free Food Coalition is sponsoring a picnic Saturday afternoons in Williams Park. Picnickers bring food to share, play chess, toss Frisbees, read, play music, etc. MANNA is a non-profit Christian organization that serves others by providing food and clothing that would have been thrown away otherwise. The Refuge and St. Pete for Peace are among supporting groups. The picnics are each Saturday from 3:00-5:00 PM at Williams Park on 3rd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue N. in downtown St. Petersburg.

CRITICAL RESISTANCE: Critical Resistance, a group working on ending privatized prisons and other prison issues, meets first and third Sundays at 8:00 PM at the Refuge Intentional Community, 732 38th Avenue N. in St. Petersburg. FMI: (727) 278-1547; bgcwright@aol.com; criticalresistace.org

SINGLE EVENTS

PROTECT OUR TROOPS AND CONSTITUTION ACT: The Bush administration is trying to lock the U.S. into a long-term military presence in Iraq. The administration is negotiating a long-term security agreement with the Iraqi government that could tie the hands of the next president and Congress, who could be impeded from negotiating a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

The Friends Committee on National Legislation is asking Congressional Representatives to prevent the Bush administration from taking this step by cosponsoring the Protect Our Troops and Constitution Act (H.R. 5626). This legislation would require the administration to consult Congress before entering into a long-term security agreement with Iraq and prevent any money going to establish permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq.

Click here to urge your representative to act within the next week to cosponsor the "Protect Our Troops and Constitution Act" (H.R. 5626). The more cosponsors this bill gains, the greater chance the House will consider it. FMI, read FCNL lobbyist Jim Fine's analysis "Administration Plans New Authorization for War and Military Bases".

MARDI GRAS: MADE IN CHINA: The Studio@620 presents Mardi Gras: Made in China by David Redmon, a documentary that traces the plastic beads at New Orleans’ Mardi Gras to the Tai Kuen factory in the Fuzhou province of China where young teenagers work long hours for low pay in prison-like compounds far from their homes. This film provides an up-close and personal view of the realities of globalization through interviews with the factory owner, workers, and Mardi Gras revelers in an illuminating juxtaposition of cultures and values. The film is today, Wednesday, April 9 at 8:00 PM at The Studio@620, 620 First Avenue South in St. Petersburg. Cost is $5. FMI: http://www.thestudioat620.org/p_ifcafe.htm
FILMS AT CAFÉ BOHEMIA: The War of 33 relates the story of Israel's 2006 war in Lebanon through a series of letters written by a mother living through the war in Beirut. (35 minutes) -More film info- ; American Justice: Deadly Force focuses on the 1985 police bombing of MOVE in Philadelphia; the attempt to force the Branch Davidians out of their residence in 1993, and the siege by federal agents in 1992 at Ruby Ridge. (50 minutes) -More film info- The films begin at 8:00 PM today, Wednesday, April 9 in the courtyard of Café Bohemia, 937 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg. The showings are free. FMI: http://stpeteforpeace.org/
16th ANNUAL SPACE ORGANIZING CONFERENCE AND PROTEST: 16th Annual Space Organizing Conference and Protest outside U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) in Omaha, Nebraska. STRATCOM has authorization to attack any place on Earth if the President suspects a threat to U. S. “national interests,” and is spying on U.S. citizens by using satellites to oversee “warrantless wiretaps” on the ground. April 11–13; FMI: http://www.space4peace.org/
EXPLORING ECO-SPIRITUALITY: Educators and charter members of Pax Christi Florida Martina and John X. Linnehan present ”Exploring Eco-Spirituality,” Pax Christi Florida’s annual retreat on April 12 and 13 at the Chinsegut Hill Conference and Retreat Center, located about four miles north of Brooksville, Florida just off U.S. 41. The Linnehans will facilitate an overview of “new cosmological thinking” and how it can be integrated with religious teachings and one’s spirituality. The four retreat sessions will be interactive and invite participants’ input as facilitators and retreatants search together for metanoia - - a renewed heart, new perspectives, and a change of direction. FMI click here.

PAX CHRISTI TAMPA BAY: In April Pax Christi Tampa Bay will not meet because the Pax Christi Florida retreat occurs on the same weekend (see item above).

BAYWALK PROTEST: St. Pete for Peace will protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, torture and U.S. foreign policy 8:30-10:00 PM at Baywalk, 2nd Avenue and 2nd Street N. in downtown St. Petersburg on Sat., April 12. Bring a sign or use one provided. FMI: info@stpeteforpeace.org

CO-CREATING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Two Programs with Futurist and Environmentalist Sister Paula Gonzalez, S.C. at the Franciscan Center:
Co-creating a Sustainable Future: Today’s crises are both chaos and opportunity. This program focuses on using creativity to put into practice the belief that we are made in the image of God and examines technologies and methods that move us toward a world that sustains and supports all life. The program is Wednesday, April 16, from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. Cost is $25 per person.

Called to Build the ‘Kindom:’ Praying the Earth Charter: The Earth Charter invites peoples of all religions, nations, races and cultures to become engaged in the spiritual endeavor of “reinventing the human role in the Sacred Earth Community.” This workshop concerns developing an integrative, contemplative spirituality and will be held from 7:00-9:00 PM on Wednesday, April 16. Cost is $20 per person.
Register with advance payment in full by April 11.
The Franciscan Center is located five minutes north of downtown Tampa on the eastern banks of the Hillsborough River between Columbus Drive and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. FMI: (813) 229-2695, www.franciscancentertampa.org or Francntr@tampabay.rr.com

SOPHIE SCHOLL: THE FINAL DAYS: Director Marc Rothemund used long-buried historical records of Sophie Scholl’s incarceration to recreate the final six days of Scholl, Germany’s most famous anti-Nazi heroine, detailing her journey from arrest through interrogation, trial and sentence. This film was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award -More film info- The film begins at 8:00 PM Wednesday, April 16 in the courtyard of Café Bohemia, 937 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg. The showing is free. FMI: http://stpeteforpeace.org/

Caring for God’s Creation: The Catholic Response: The first diocesan conference on the environment will be held on Environmental Justice Day at Christ the King Parish, 821 South Dale Mabry Hwy. in Tampa from 9:30 AM-3:30 PM on Saturday, April 19th. Rooted in Catholic social teaching, the conference will provide an overview of the science of global climate change with breakout sessions outlining actions for individuals and parishes. Participants include Walter Grazer, Special Advisor to the National Religious Partnership for the Environment; Dr. Philip van Beynen, PhD, Assistant Professor of Geography at USF researching climate change in Florida; Roberta Fernandez, President of Environmental Advocacy; Sr. Paula Gonzalez, SC, PhD, futurist, educator, and environmentalist; and Mary Ann C. Holtz, justice and peace educator and activist. FMI, including a schedule, click http://home.catholicweb.com/LM-DOSP/files/CaringForGodsCreation-FLYER_parish.pdf

Gasan Mutesi – Amani Africa: Gasana Mutesi is the president of Amani Africa, a grassroots organization that operates an orphanage and works for peace in post-conflict central Africa by engaging young leaders in cross-cultural dialogue. Over 5,000 children in Rwanda and Burundi participate in Amani Africa activities each week.

Gasan was born in a refugee camp. Her parents were killed by the Interahamwe, the local Hutu militia, leaving Gasan at age 16 to care for five younger siblings. She attended college while caring for her siblings and became very involved in humans rights organizations. She and her husband Charles Nkazamyambi, a former Burundian Olympic athlete and genocide survivor, founded an orphanage and head an association of over 70 young Rwandan volunteers who coach and mentor teams of street children in Kigali, Rwanda. She is now working to open the Amani Africa School and Center for Reconciliation in Nyamata, Rwanda.

Gasani will speak about her work with vulnerable youth in Rwanda for the past ten years and her work as a human rights activist at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, April 23 at the The Studio@620, 620 First Avenue South in St. Petersburg. Admission is $10. FMI on the talk and Gasani Mutesi: http://www.thestudioat620.org/

PEACE DEMONSTRATION: Bring signs and a brown bag lunch to a demonstration for peace in Hibiscus Park, S. 7th Street and Bougainvillea Ave. in Dade City from 11:00 AM-3:00 PM on Saturday, April 26. FMI: http://stpeteforpeace.org/events.html or peace.demo@yahoo.com

QUAKER GARAGE AND BOOK SALE: The St. Petersburg Friends will hold a garage and book sale to benefit their Alternatives to Violence and homeless aid programs on Saturday, May 3, from 8:30 AM-2:30 PM at the Meeting House, 130 19th Ave. SE in St. Petersburg. FMI: (727) 864-2193.

WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY: World Fair Trade Day, which includes organizations based in 70 countries, is scheduled for May 10. On or near the second Saturday in May, member organizations will organize fair trade breakfasts, sales, talks, concerts, fashion shows, and sales of Fair Trade products and food. Catholic Relief Services is providing resources to promote Fair Trade Day; FMI on organizing an event: http://www.wftday.org/english/; www.crsfairtrade.org

Family Eco-Tour/Service Learning Trip to Washington DC: Join families from all over the country at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and July 4th activities in Washington, D.C., combined with eco-touring of the cleanup of the Anacostia River, helping the Festival cleanup crew recycle after the festival and other activities. The Eco-Tour week will run from Sunday evening June 29th – Sunday noon July 7, 2008. Families will stay at the William Penn House in Washington; cost is $250 per person or $1,000 for family of four or more. FMI: Patricia Newkirk at the William Penn House, www.WilliamPennHouse.org or (202) 543-5560; FMI on the Festival: http://www.folklife.si.edu/center/festival_2008.html

FARMWORKER PETITION TO BURGER KING: The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is launching a national petition drive to demand that Burger King and other food industry leaders work with the CIW to improve the wages and working conditions of the workers who pick their tomatoes, and join with the CIW in an industry-wide effort to eliminate modern-day slavery and human rights abuses against workers. Those who sign are “prepared to stop patronizing Burger King now and other food industry leaders in the future, should they fail to do so.” The campaign comes on the 200th anniversary of the US ban against the importation of slaves, and echoes key strategies of the early abolitionist movement that helped hasten the end of slavery in the 19th century. FMI, including a brief history of early abolition movement and the petition: http://www.ciw-online.org/2008_Petitions/

PETITION URGING CANDIDATES TO CLOSE SOA/WHINSEC: Latin America Solidarity Coalition is sponsoring an online petition urging the presidential candidates to close the SOA/WHINSEC, the USA’s torture and terrorism school. FMI and to sign, click here: http://www.LASolidarity.org/petition

REFUGE WEBSITE: The Refuge Ministries, which has been active in peace, justice and homeless issues, has a new website at http://refugestpete.org/.

KATHY KELLY ON C-SPAN: To see a C-SPAN interview with Kathy Kelly, and for access to the Voices for Creative Nonviolence website, go to http://vcnv.org/frontpage2?page=3 Kathy was speaking after holding a WHO WOULD JESUS BOMB? next to a Christmas tree outside Mike Huckabee’s Des Moines office last January.

Contact Pax Christi:
paxchristi@stpeteforpeace.org

Top