PDX Peace is a Portland, Oregon area coalition focused on the immediate goal of ending the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and bringing US troops home. We are committed to U.S. policies based on democratic principles, human rights, and nonviolent resolution of conflict.
"Jornaleros" Documentary Premier by VOZ Workers' Rights Education Project
Film Screening: Jornaleros
VOZ Workers’ Rights Education Project will be premiering their new documentary “Jornaleros.” Through music, poetry, and art, "Jornaleros" documents the lives and creative work of five Portland day laborers. The film humanizes the debates on immigration and immigrant labor in the US by showing these day laborers, first and foremost, as artists and activists in the community. The documentary will premier on March 11, 2010 at 7 PM at the Clinton Street Theatre located on 2522 SE Clinton Street. Tickets will be sold for $6 general admission/$5 Students/$4 Seniors and can be purchased at the theatre.
Jornaleros challenges prejudices, enhances understanding and gives an educational point of view of the Latin-American people and immigrants, as well as their many talents and cultural contributions. The objective is to enhance the sensitivity and awareness towards a local vulnerable group who is often used as scapegoats or deemed as “illegal” or criminals. This documentary portrays immigrants and day labors as survivors, active community members, and most importantly, humans. As humans they also form a valuable and productive workforce and have the right to a dignified life and humane working conditions. This documentary will challenge the perception of and give positive media representation to a group who is often the back lash of anti-immigration groups. It will show the story of people’s lives, even if the rest of society condemns them for simply existing.
Labor and Democracy under attack in Honduras
Labor and Democracy Under Seige in Honduras
Touring Secretary General of major Labor Federation in Honduras explains the crisis.
Since the June 28th coup d'etat deposing the democratically elected President of Honduras, union activists, community leaders, and human rights advocates are under attack. Hooded death squads roam neighborhoods looking for youth. Dissident media outlets have been shut down. Is this really 2010?
Though Barack Obama initially condemned the coup, his administration expressed no qualms with the human rights abuses denounced by the international community, and has recognized the elections farce that took place on November 29th amidst de facto military rule in Honduras.
The situation in Honduras is dire, but the resistance continues. The labor movement in Honduras has played a central role in the national movement against the coup, mobilizing millions of workers to protest the repression of the de facto regime and advocate for a constitutional assembly to initiate changes needed to support working families.
Mr. Baquedano, who is also co-founder and President of the Mental Health Workers Union in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, welcomes the opportunity to tour the West Coast and meet with the rank-and-file and union leaders of the US and to share with them a vision of resistance and hope.
Mr. Baquedano will be speaking in Portland on Thursday January 28, 2010 from 7-9pm at the SEIU Local 503 Hall (6401 SE Foster Rd.). There will also be a reception with food and refreshments from 6-7pm.
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When |
Thu Jan 28 7pm – 9pm Pacific Time |
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Where |
6401 SE Foster Rd. (map) |
1/9: Gaza March-Rally and Report Back
Gaza March-Rally & Report Back
12 Noon
Gather at Pioneer Courthouse Square
march to Portland State University
1 pm- March to Portland State University
1:30 pm- Indoor Rally at Portland State University Smith Building #296/298
Performers:
Political Folk Musician - David Rovics
Palestinian-American Poet - Shady Athamneh
Bethlehem Theater Presentation
Speakers:
Sarah Hassouneh- Portland State University
Jessica Campbell- Oregon State University
Michael King- Lane Community College
Allison Weir- of ifamericansknew.org
Peter Miller - of AUPHR.ORG
Saed Bannoura- of IMEMC.ORG
Rosa M. Navarro - American University in Cairo
Sponsored by: Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights, Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights, Peaceful Response Coalition, Palestine Action Group, PDX Peace, and the International Socialist Organization
(email wael@liberalarab.com for further information, tables available for organizations)
Urgent Update from Gaza Freedom March
This is a message from member group, SUPER, Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights
Supporters and Friends,
Even though 50-80 marchers have been let into Gaza, including two students from the Oregon contingent, the Gaza Freedom March has decided to reject Egypt's offer and continue protesting until they get everyone into Gaza to participate in this march and break the siege! 450 French Delegates continue to sit in in front of the French Embassy and Holocaust Survivor Hedy Epstein continues her hunger strike in Egypt. And now the Egyptian police have begun to physically attack peaceful protesters, see video below.
Latest Update from the Gaza Freedom March
Supporters and Friends,
Even though 50-80 marchers have been let into Gaza, including two students from the Oregon contingent, the Gaza Freedom March has decided to reject Egypt's offer and continue protesting until they get everyone into Gaza to participate in this march and break the siege! 450 French Delegates continue to sit in in front of the French Embassy and Holocaust Survivor Hedy Epstein continues her hunger strike and protests have been called for Thursday inside the West Bank with a demand to ending the siege!
Contact your representatives below! read more »
- katie's blog
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Noam Chomsky: When Elites Fail
Keynote presentation for the Northwest Econvergence held in Portland Oregon in October 2009.
Entitled "When Elites Fail," Chomsky talked for about one hour and 13
minutes. Due to the length of the talk, I broke it up into two parts.
He begins by asking the question, what should we do when elites fail?
His simple answer, "get rid of them", was greeted by thunderous
applause. Chomsky spends the rest of his talk describing various
historical aspects of our circumstances, connecting the dots and
providing avenues of possible redress.
As usual, Chomsky delivers a
wealth of information and connects it up to current events. He speaks
about the economic crisis, health care reform and many other topics
which affect the citizens of this country and the world. Most
interesting to me was his take on the politics surrounding the Vietnam
war, somewhere in the second half of this talk.
Chomsky One
- Jim Lockhart's blog
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Veterans For Peace fund raiser @ Dantes
Veterans For Peace is a national anti-war organization composed of military veterans. Established in 1985, it is the largest veteran’s based anti-war organization in the country and has organized hundreds of anti-war actions.
Chapter 72 is the Portland, Oregon chapter, and participates with several community based organizations. Currently, we maintain Peace Memorial Park (the giant peace sign across the Steel Bridge), we work closely with neighborhood & community associations, PDX Peace, KBOO 90.7, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Portland Central America Solidarity Committee, and virtually the entire Portland Peace Community. We have two other chapters in Oregon, Chapter 156 in Rouge Valley, and Chapter 132 in Corvallis. In an effort to expand the capacity of our organization, and to support humanitarian and anti-war organizations, Veterans For Peace is hosting a fund raiser at 7pm on Friday, December 18th, 2009, at Dante’s (1 SW 3rd Ave) in Portland, OR. The event is $5, 21 and over.
Performers include Mic Crenshaw and The Glue, Toni Hill, and Special Guests.
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D5: Mobilization Against the 2009 WTO Ministerial
D5: Mobilization Against the 2009 WTO Ministerial
Saturday, December 5th * Downtown Portland
12:00 Noon - Gather at Tom McCall Waterfront Park (under the Hawthorne Bridge)
1:00 pm - March to the World Trade Center, Federal Building and Wells Fargo Building
2:00 pm - Indoor Rally and Concert at Portland State University
As part of the global days of action against the new World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial, people from across Northwest will be converging in downtown Portland to speak out against the proposed expansion of failed "free trade" policies and to demand the prioritization of human needs over corporate greed.
That week, the World Trade Organization will be holding its largest negotiations on international trade and investment in many years. During the new WTO conference, government officials and corporate lobbyists will be promoting the expansion of business-as-usual trade policies as a solution to, rather than a cause of, the global economic and environmental crises. On their agenda is the expansion of pacts that would:
Cause further offshoring of Oregon jobs
Prohibit new banking regulations designed to prevent the next financial crisis
Force global warming policies to conform with restrictive commercial agreements
Expand agricultural practices that push small farmers off their land and force migration
Require countries to accept imported foods and consumer goods that fail to meet local safety standards
We need to fight back. This latest WTO Ministerial -- only the fourth in the past decade -- falls on the exact 10-year anniversary of the hugely-successful Seattle WTO protests. It is time to reclaim the "Spirit of Seattle," come together as affected communities and take control over the policy decisions that affect our economic and ecological well-being. As part of this resistance, a broad coalition of over 50 labor, environmental, faith, human rights and community organizations across Oregon are organizing a large-scale march and indoor rally in Portland for Saturday, December 5, 2009. Similar actions will be held that week in cities and towns throughout the globe.
Join the global movement saying "NO" to the WTO by participating in the "D5" march and rally. For information on buses and caravans, volunteer opportunities, educational events and other background items, please visit: www.december5.org
Say NO to Obama's Afghan Plan
End the US Wars and Occupations! The American People Say NO to Troop Escalations in Afghanistan!
This Wednesday, December 2nd, one day after the expected official announcement by President Obama that the US will send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, local peace and social justice organizations will gather at the Federal Building in downtown Portland to protest the decision to escalate the war and occupation. The demonstration against sending additional US troops will begin at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, December 2nd, at the Federal Building at SW Madison and SW 3rd in downtown Portland, Oregon.
Backing the local call for protesting President Obama's decision are Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Group, PDX Peace, CODEPINK Portland, Portland Peaceful Response Coalition, Freedom Socialist Party, International Socialist Organization-Portland, War Resisters League, the Military and Draft Counseling Project, Oregon Community of War Tax Resistance, Whitefeather Peace House, Living Earth, Peace Voice, Progressive Democrats of Oregon, Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights, Vancouver for Peace and others. To add your organization's name to the call to oppose troop escalations in Afghanistan, please call 503-344-5078 or write to pprc@riseup.net.
Please spread the word, and join us this Wednesday, December 2nd, at 5:00 PM, at the Federal Building at SW Madison & SW 3rd in downtown Portland.
For more information, please call 503-344-5078.
Veterans for Peace Armistice Day Ceremony
Join Veterans for Peace this Armistice Day, 11th month, 11th day, 11th hour, meant as an end to all wars, brief ceremony Pioneer Square Portland OR (that is Wed Nov 11th at 11am). Bring a small painted stone with an image, a poem, or quote of peace. Teachers make this an art project for your students. Stones to make a large peace symbol on the square. Come with a stone, leave with a different stone as an expression of sharing peace.
Find a small stone and paint it or decoupage it before the event not at the event. The idea comes from a Jewish tradition of leaving stones on gravesites. When the tradition started, grave monuments were mounds of stones. Visitors added stones to "the mound" to show we are never finished building the monument to the deceased. Thus we are never finished remembering the fallen and never finished working for peace.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armistice_Day
NPR is reporting that the Middle East wars are costing $1 million per US soldier per year. The Army says no, it's more like half a million dollars per soldier per year – ½ a million or a million it isn’t worth one life, ours or theirs. GET THE HELL OUT OF AFGHANISTAN!!??