Local Events
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FREEWAY
BLOGGING
Veterans for Peace Chapter 12 continues to hold up signs
over the freeway calling for an end to the occupations of Iraq and
Afghanistan. The site has moved, however. It is no longer on the Montrose
Bridge over US 59. Now it is on the footbridge over I-45 just south of where
that freeway crosses the I-610 South Loop. Join the event every Tuesday at 5
p.m.
EVENTS
Protest at the Israeli Consulate - Wednesday, July 1
The Israeli navy took control of a boat that violated an Israeli blockade and crossed into Gazan waters Tuesday. The ship was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza and former U.S. congresswoman Cynthia McKinney along with 20 other peace activists. Meet outside the consulate to send a message to set the ship and its passengers free. 4 - 6 pm, 24 Greenway Plaza (at Wesleyan just north of Hwy 59).
Protest the Coup in Honduras - Friday, July 3
Residents, students and supporters of Democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya will gather at the Honduran Consulate, 6161 Savoy Lane, Friday, July 3rd at 1 PM to demand his reinstatement as President.
On June 28, the elected President Manuel Zelaya was kidnapped by the military at gun point and exiled to Costa Rica. Supported by the Supreme Court, the Congress has appointed Congress president Roberto Micheletti.
As supporters of democracy, SDS denounces the actions of School of the Americas graduate Romeo Vasquez. “Zelaya has massive support from the poor, trade unions and social movements. However the elite, which control the military, Supreme Court and Congress, oppose his push for change in one of Latin America's poorest nations. The coup was carried out to prevent a non-binding referendum to take place that day on whether Hondurans wanted the opportunity to elect a constituent assembly to rewrite their constitution. The current constitution was introduced in 1982 at the height of the brutal US-backed military dictatorship” writes Eva Golinger, whose 2006 book The Chavez Code exposed the role of the US in the 2002 coup that briefly overthrew the democratically elected Venezuelan government.
Students for a Democratic Society is a student organization promoting the active participation of young people in the formation of a movement to build a society free from poverty, ignorance, war, exploitation, racism, and sexism. Fundraising Picnic for the Revolution Newspaper - Saturday, July 4
The Revolution newspaper is the voice of the Revolutionary Communist Party. On July 4th they will be hosting a picnic to raise funds to support it. The cost is $10 a plate, with a sliding scale for the unemployed. The fundraiser begins at 4 pm. Look for the RCP banners in the southwest section of Hermann Park, west of the Zoo, not far from the METRORail Line on Fannin St & N. MacGregor Dr. (Park in the Zoo parking lot.) For more information call 832-865-0408. For more information on the Revolution newspaper, visit http://revcom.us/com.
Celebrate 4th of July with the Houston ACLU Chapter - Saturday, July 4
The ACLU of TX - Houston Chapter will be celebrating Independence Day at Miller Outdoor Theater this year. They will have a table with a banner set up next to the concession stands and across from the restrooms near the pavilion. They will be serving soda, water, juice and have snack food available, but folks are also welcome to bring their own. 5 – 9 pm, Miller Outdoor Theater, 100 Concert Dr.
"Celebrate Freedom, Live Vegan" Potluck Picnic - Sunday, July 5
The Society of Peace will be holding their 2nd Annual Vegan Potluck Picnic and this year it will be Hawaiian style. There will be outdoor activities & games for the kids, great vegan food, door prizes for the "coolest Hawaiian shirt" & limbo contest, and much more. Remember to bring a vegan entree, side dish or dessert to share, water & ice tea will be provided. Please help reduce waste by bringing your own reusable dinnerware, utensils & cups. Lawn chairs and/or picnic blankets are also recommended, since tables are sometimes limited at this location. 3 – 6 pm at the Memorial Park South Picnic Loop, look for the big blue tent and the Society of PEACE logo banners. RSVP's are appreciated, do so by contacting Mari Devlin at soulforce@hotmail.com or by calling the Society of PEACE line at 832-722-1376. Dogs on leashes are welcome.
Rally to Support Public Health Insurance - Thursday, July 9
There will be a rally at Senator John Cornyn’s office to show support for Public Health Insurance option. Public Health Insurance is a key component of President Obama's plan to overhaul health insurance practices. 12 noon at Senator John Cornyn's Office, 5300 Memorial Drive, Suite 980. For a map and further information, visit http://pol.moveon.org/event/healthcareaction/94345
Film Screening to Benefit the Caravan to Cuba - Thursday, July 9
For nearly 50 years, the US embargo of Cuba has caused shortages of food, medicine, and other important supplies for millions people. The embargo is an immoral policy that uses hunger and disease as political weapons. These humanitarian aid “friendshipments” help to alleviate the impact of the embargo. The Houston Cuba Solidarity Committee is working to aid the 20th US-Cuba Friendship Caravan in collecting and transporting 160 tons of aid to Cuba this summer. They will be screening films to raise funds from 7-10 pm on the UH Central Campus in The Atlantic Room, which is in the UC Underground of the Student Center. All funds raised will support the Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba which arrives in Houston on Friday, July 17th. For more information contact Ayanna Ade at mamaayanna@yahoo.com or 832-704-1007. This event is being co-sponsored by The Sankofa Pan-African Student Organization.
Peace Camp - Monday, July 13 - Friday, July 17
This is the 10th year of the Peace Camp for children ages 5-11. Sponsored by Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the camp's mission is to provide an alternative day camp experience that fosters understandings of peace, justice, and care for the environment appropriate to the ages of the children involved. A major goal is for the children to have fun while learning peacemaking skills. The program includes lots of arts and crafts, story telling, yoga and cooperative games. Open to anyone in the designated age range. Tuition is $125, but there are subsidized, sliding-scale places. 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at Cameron Retreat Center, 2403 E. Holcombe.For more information and to register, contact Lynn Furay, 713/726-1266, LFuray33@sbcglobal.net
Socialist Forum on the Environment - Wednesday, July 15
”Socialism & the Environment: How to stop capitalism from killing our planet.” The evidence of environmental degradation is everywhere. This crisis is a result of the way in which capitalism organizes production. The very advances made in production that have brought us the possibility of a world without want are also wrecking the environmental basis for our own survival. Free-market solutions such as carbon trading and altering personal consumption habits cannot solve the environmental crisis. Attend the forum to discuss how the inherently wasteful nature of capitalist production has directly caused global climate change and what must be done to move toward real solutions. 8 pm at the University of Houston - Main Campus, in the Rodeo Room on the second floor of the University Center (UC). For a campus map or information on parking, see http://www.uh.edu/cgi-bin/campusmap. Hosted by the International Socialist Organization-Houston branch (houstoniso.blogspot.com). For more information, e-mail houston.iso@gmail.com or call 713-560-7227.Benefit for Darfur - Friday, July 24
Join Houston Save Darfur for a night of culture, awareness, and activism. Houston Darfur Awareness Night is meant to raise awareness about the brutal crimes of genocide and to take a step toward ending the suffering in Darfur. There will be live music and dance as well as crafts, and food - all of which will be carried out by the Sudanese Refugees living here in Houston. All proceeds will go to the Save Darfur Coalition. 6–9 p.m. at The Heritage Society, 1100 Bagby. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, children 10 & under are free. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.houstondarfurawarenessnight.blogspot.com/
Hiroshima Commemoration Event - Thursday, August 6
On August 6, 1945 the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the civilian population of Hiroshima, Japan resulting in 140,000 immediate deaths and 230,000 in the years since. Communities around the world will observe August 6, 2009, as an opportunity to reflect upon the consequences of using nuclear weapons and to press for their elimination. The United States has an unfulfilled obligation under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to conduct negotiations on nuclear disarmament in good faith. President Obama has stated that as the only country ever to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to lead us to a world without nuclear weapons. The event will have a brief presentation on the nuclear bomb - scientific and political - along with readings and music. Following the 30 minute program refreshments will be served and there will be an informal discussion about working together for Total Nuclear Disarmament. There will be petitions to sign that will be sent to the President. 7 pm at the Rothko Chapel, 1409 Sul Ross. Sponsored by Houston Peace & Justice Center and Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. For more information, contact Awanda Whitworth at mklawandaw@aol.com“Heros for Peace” Day - Wednesday, September 30
To celebrate the life, spirit, and legacy of the great apostle of nonviolent action for justice, the Mahatma Gandhi Library sponsors a series of events and contests each year. The Children's Museum of Houston will host a celebration on the theme "Heroes of Peace." It will include storytelling and a number of hands-on activities for children of all ages. 12 noon – 5pm. For more information, visit http://gandhilibrary.org.
Mahatma Gandhi Peace Walk - Sunday, October 4
To celebrate the life, spirit, and legacy of the great apostle of nonviolent action for justice, the Mahatma Gandhi Library sponsors a series of events and contests each year. One of the events in 2009 is the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Walk. Walk 5K for peace. Leave at 3:45 pm (sharp) from the Gandhi Statue in the Rose Garden to Miller Outdoor Theater (both in Hermann Park). Once at the Theater, there will be a multi-cultural music/dance show and announcement of the winners of the contests. For more information, visit http://gandhilibrary.org.
'1000 Lights for Peace' - Wednesday, October 7
To celebrate the life, spirit, and legacy of the great apostle of nonviolent action for justice, the Mahatma Gandhi Library sponsors a series of events and contests each year. One of the 2009 events will is called '1000 Lights for Peace' - Attendees will be encouraged to make a pledge for peace by lighting a candle. 5:30-7:30 pm in the Miller Outdoor Theater in Hermann Park. For more information, visit http://gandhilibrary.org.
Dr. James Hansen at the Progressive Forum - Thursday, October 29
Climatologist Dr. James Hansen will be in Houston to deliver a presentation titled, “Threat to the Planet, Implications for Intergenerational Justice.” James Hansen was the first to create broad awareness of global warming in his Congressional testimonies in the 1980s. His recent research has made the public aware that the climate is even more sensitive than previously thought, that the safe level of atmospheric C02 is 350 ppm (parts per million). Dr. Hansen is head of a major U.S. governmental agency responsible for atmosphere studies, but government regulators preclude the Progressive Forum from identifying the agency, describing his appearance as "personal/outside activity." Dr. Hansen is making a rare and timely public appearance just prior to the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December whose purpose is to forge an international climate treaty. All tickets are Orchestra Level and start at $14. The talk will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Cullen Theater at the Wortham Center. For more information, see the general entry for the Progressive Forum below the EVENTS section of this calendar or visit http://www.progressiveforumhouston.org/.
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