SUNDAY, DEC. 10—Human Rights Day
Kalamazoo World Can't Wait is commemorating International Human Rights Day with a series of protests on the Military Commissions Act that Congress passed, legalizing torture.
Kazoo WCW and friends will wear orange jumpsuits all day on to protest the Bush Regime's torture victims at Black sites all over the world, including Guantanamo. We will join the KNOW vigil at noon Sunday at the Federal Bldg. At 1:30 pm we will protest at the entrance to Crossroads Mall in Portage. Then at 5 pm we will host a program at the Kraftbrau to learn and discuss what the Military Commissions Act means. Please join us and bring your friends.
Silence + Torture = Complicity.

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Thursday, Dec. 14, 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Next meeting of the KNOW Planning Committee. MORE PLANNING OF THE JANUARY PEACE CONVENTION, HERE IN KALAMAZOO, AND OTHER EVENTS AND STRATEGIES FOR 2007. Please join us. All are welcome.
Wesley Foundation, WMU Campus.

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Tuesday, Dec. 19, 7 PM
Meeting of the Kalamazoo Friends of the Department of Peace, Oshtemo Public Library, Kalamazoo MI. Bring an interested friend.
Discussion will center on attending the National DoP Conference, February 3-5, 2007, in Washington, DC, arranging for bus transportation, and raising money to help people who can’t afford the full cost of transportation and registration.
Jeanne Hess, K-College, and Natalie Patchell, KVCC, will invite interested students from their colleges and WMU.
More details at http://www.thepeacealliance.org/content/view/181/147/

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Saturday Jan. 20, 2007
KALAMAZOO PEACE CONVENTION
Momentum is building for a community-wide peace convention to focus our energies with the goal of moving our country from war to peace. KNOW has begun the process of contacting various labor, student, and community advocates. We have reserved the KVCC downtown campus for a convention on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2007 from 10 am - 4 pm.
The event is in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and will use his words, “war is the enemy of the poor” to guide our deliberations. We are heartened by the recent election results, but realize that the vast resources squandered on war will not be redirected to the needs of our community without a determined and persistent struggle. Please join with us. If you would like to volunteer, endorse, or just have a comment or question, please email stevesenesi@charter.net

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Jan. 20-25, 2007: World Social Forum 2007, Nairobi, Kenya

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MAKING THE HOLIDAYS TRULY HOLY DAYS,
IN THE SPIRIT OF PEACE
AS ANOTHER HOLYDAY SEASON APPROACHES, CONSIDER OPTING OUT OF THE "CHRISTMAS RUSH." THERE ARE WONDERFUL WAYS, LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND GLOBAL, TO GIVE, IN HONOR OF FRIENDS OR RELATIVES, THE GIFT OF A BETTER LIFE TO PEOPLE WHO NEED OUR HELP, AND TO PROMOTE PEACE.
HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE AGENCIES OFFERING "ALTERNATIVE GIFTS" TO HELP MAKE "ANOTHER WORLD POSSIBLE."
Alternative Gifts, a clearing house for many international charitable organizations: altgifts.org
American Friends Service Committee, a selection of alternative gifts: www.afsc.org/give/give.htm
The Heifer Project, providing animals to the poor to generate income and food: http://catalog.heifer.org
Oxfam America, www.OxfamAmericaUnwrapped.com, where you can find unexpected gifts which are essential to Oxfam's work.
New American Dream, with lots of tips on living consciously, simplifying, and giving creatively: www.newdream.org

There are many worthy local organizations that will provide acknowledgement cards for donations in honor of your friend or family member. Here are two:

To help the homeless, the marginalized, the vulnerable, give a gift of cash, goods, or service to
MINISTRY WITH COMMUNITY, 440 N. Church St., Kalamazoo. Phone 343-5880.
To help preserve and restore land in Southwest Michigan, donate to SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN LAND CONSERVANCY, 6851 S. Sprinkle Road, Portage. www.swmlc.org

You can also promote fair trade in your holyday observances and gift-giving, thus helping farmers, craftspeople, and indigenous peoples around the world. For some ideas, consult any of the following:
American Friends Service Committee--www.afsc.org/trade-matters
Catholic Relief Services--www.crsfairtrade.org/index_flash.cfm
Church of the Brethren--www.brethren.org.genbd/witness/Peace/EqualExchange
Lutheran World Relief--www.lwr.org/fairtrade/index.asp
Religious Action Center Reform Judaism--www.rac.org/advocacy/issues/fairtrade
United Methodist Committee on Relief--www.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/hunger/coffee
For more information, go to www.tradejusticeusa.org

Don't forget a Syracuse Cultural Workers 2006 PEACE CALENDAR as a holydays gift. There are a few left at Peoples Food Co-op and at KNOW Sunday vigils. $10 suggested donation, with proceeds to KNOW.

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SOMETHING ELSE YOU CAN DO FOR PEACE:
Amnesty International USA has announced its support of the Warner Bros film Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou. Set during the civil war in Sierra Leone in the 1990's, the story addresses the issues of conflict diamonds and child soldiers.
AI-USA urges your support this opening weekend, December 6-8th, by going to see the movie. Take your friends and family with you, and help support AI’s work on these critical human rights issues. For more information and suggestions for action, go to <alerts@takeaction.amnestyusa.org>

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NEWS BITS FROM KNOW

Indigenous Border Summit Opposes Border Wall and Militarization
Indigenous peoples at the Border Summit of the Americas on Tohono O’odham tribal land opposed the construction of a border wall, which will dissect indigenous communities on ancestral lands split by the U.S.-Mexico border. They also issued a strong statement against the ongoing militarization of their homelands.
During the Border Summit, held Sept. 29-Oct. 1, organized by Tohono O’odham Mike Flores and facilitated by the International Indian Treaty Council and the American Indian Movement, indigenous peoples unanimously opposed the Secure Fence Act, passed by the Senate. The wall will divide the ancestral lands of many Indian Nations, including the Kumeyaay in California, Cocopah and Tohono O’odham in Arizona, and the Kickapoo in Texas.
_____________________________

U.S. Plans to Screen All Who Enter, Leave Country
The federal government has disclosed details of a border-security program to screen all people who enter and leave the United States, create a terrorism risk profile of each individual, and retain that information for up to 40 years. While long known to scrutinize air travelers, the Department of Homeland Security is seeking to apply new technology to perform similar checks on people who enter or leave the country "by automobile or on foot," the notice said... "They are assigning a suspicion level to millions of law-abiding citizens," said David Sobel, senior counsel of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "This is about as Kafkaesque as you can get."
_________________________________

HOPE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT? WELL, MAYBE.
John Coequyt, a Greenpeace energy policy advisor, speaking at the International Climate Change Conference in Nairobi in November, stated that the US elections may have showed greater environmental awareness among voters, but said the polls were largely a referendum on the Iraq war and warned against exuberance.
"For delegates here it's not going to have an impact on negotiations," he said, referring to attempts to find a replacement for the Kyoto Accords, which expire in 2012.
Still, he said some US races showed promise, particularly the re-election of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican who is at deep odd with the administration over global warming.
"There are a number of elections that were decided by environmental issues. You can make the argument that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger won his re-election based on climate change," Coequyt said.
_____________________________________

Corruption - the 'second insurgency' costing $4bn a year
The Iraqi government is in danger of being brought down by the wholesale smuggling of the nation's oil and other forms of corruption that together represent a "second insurgency", according to a senior US official.
___________________________________

Dec. 6, 2006—IRAQ CASUALTIES
Total deaths, U.S. military in Iraq, to date: 2906;
Deaths of Iraq security forces and civilians: 330 in December (1-6)—according to news reports only—the real figure is no doubt higher.
____________________________________

Israel's Defense Forces Warn of Pending Mideast War
Haaretz reports that there will be a war next summer. The atmosphere in the Israel Defense Forces in the past month has been very pessimistic. The latest rounds in the campaigns on both fronts, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, have left too many issues undecided, too many potential detonators that could cause a new conflagration. The army's conclusion from this is that a war in the near future is a reasonable possibility. As Amir Oren reported in Haaretz several weeks ago, the IDF's operative assumption is that during the coming summer months, a war will break out against Hezbollah and perhaps against Syria as well.
For more, go to
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/120306Z.shtml
_____________________________________

Democrats plan oversight hearings on environmental issues
Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) is gearing up to hold oversight hearings on the Bush administration's energy and environmental policies. As incoming chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, he's looking forward to holding the administration accountable for its record on issues like Superfund cleanups, clean-air protections, and oil subsidies. Some environmental leaders are rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the fun, while others say Dems should focus on advancing green legislation.
____________________________________

Letting the Cataclysm Out of the Bag: Supreme Court hears opening arguments in landmark climate-change case
Climate change made its Supreme Court debut last week, as the high court began considering whether the U.S. EPA must regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. Much of the opening session concerned whether the plaintiffs, including several green groups and a dozen states, had suffered enough harm to sue. Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General James Milkey said coastlines were in grave danger and emissions rules would help; Deputy U.S. Solicitor General Gregory Garre countered that such rules would do economic harm and were unadvisable "in light of the substantial scientific uncertainty surrounding climate change." [Really?] The Supremes split along predictable ideological lines, with conservative Justice Antonin Scalia asking early on, "When is the predicted cataclysm?"
See The New York Times, Linda Greenhouse, 30 Nov 2006

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THE PEACE CALENDAR: DAYS FOR REMEMBRANCE
December 7, 1993
Four Plowshares activists were arrested for disarming an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. The arrested: Phil Berrigan, John Dear, Lynn Fredriksson, and Bruce Friedrich
________________________________

December 8, 1941
Jeanette Rankin (R-Montana), the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress (in 1916), cast the only vote against U.S. entry into WWII. She had also voted against the U.S. entering WWI.
_________________________________

December 10, 1948
The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."
After 1950 the anniversary of the declaration has been known as Human Rights Day.

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Grace

Thanks & blessings be
to the Sun & the Earth
for this bread & this wine,
this fruit, this meat, this salt, this food;
thanks be & blessing to them
who prepare it, who serve it;
thanks & blessings to them who share it
(& also the absent & the dead).
Thanks & Blessing to them who bring it
(may they not want),
to them who plant & tend it,
harvest & gather it
(may they not want);
thanks & blessing to them who work
& blessing to them who cannot;
may they not want –
for their hunger
sours the wine & robs
the taste from the salt.
Thanks be for the sustenance & strength
for our dance & work of justice, of peace.

~ Rafael Jesus Gonzalez ~

(from In Praise of Fertile Land, edited by Claudia Mauro)

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Peace be with you, in the holy days and always, Tom and Nancy, for KNOW

TUESDAY, OCT. 24, 6:30-8 P.M.
Trinity Lutheran Church welcomes Austin Hall from Appalachian Voices and their multi-media presentation “Appalachian Treasures.”
The church, located at 2055 East Columbia Avenue, Battle Creek, will host residents from the Appalachian coalfields who will present a first hand account of the ravages of modern industrial coal mining. Learn about the effort to protect their homes, their families and the mountains themselves from the destruction caused by mountaintop-removal [and valley-filling] coal mining.

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WEDNESDAY, OCT. 25, 4–6 P.M.
YWCA in the gym
353 E. Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, Michigan

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS
OF SEXUAL AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Please join Sexual and Domestic Violence advocates, survivors, victims, and other concerned family and community members for a program of encouragement and remembrance as the Kalamazoo community continues to work together to end sexual violence and family violence.
Special guest of honor, Justice Marilyn Kelly, Michigan Supreme Court

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FRIDAY, OCT. 27—PLOWSHARE ACTION Remembrance Day
Oct. 27, 1967--Phillip Berrigan, artist Tom Lewis, poet David Eberhardt, and United Church of Christ minister James Mengel--all members of the Baltimore Interfaith Peace Mission--entered the draft board at the United States Customs House and poured duck’s blood on several hundred draft records.
The Baltimore Four, as they became known, were arrested and later tried and convicted for the action which they saw as a symbolic act of civil disobedience — a non-violent attack on the machinery of war. This day later became known as Plowshare Action Remembrance Day.

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Sunday, October 29, 2006, 4 pm to Midnight
Help Protect Mother Earth: Fund Raiser for a Sustainable Energy Future
Kraftbrau, Kalamazoo

--Gain awareness of the Palisades nuclear power plant issue
--Sign petitions
--Learn the facts
--Silent auction & raffle

What’s happening:
4 pm Dances of Universal Peace with the Peaceful Sisters
6 pm Open Mic/Drumming
7 pm Quantum Rhythm (performance art)
7:15 pm Cosmic Sojourner (world music)
8:30 pm Belly dancing by “Jasmine”
9 pm Tinkers Tea (Celtic dance band)
Open mic available for poetry/public commentary (concerning this issue) throughout evening
Children welcome
Halloween costumes optional
Price: $5.00 cover

Phone Safira: 269.341.2827
www.kraftbraubrewery.com, 402 East Kalamazoo Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI
[for more information, see http://www.nirs.org/reactorwatch/licensing/palisades.htm ]

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Thursday to Sunday, OCTOBER 26-29
Kalamazoo, Michigan, Radisson Plaza Hotel
International Conference on "ENGAGING THE OTHER: The Power of Compassion"
An international, multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary conference examining concepts of "The OTHER" from a universal, cross-cultural perspective to promote wider public dialogue about images of "Us and Them."
Sponsored by Common Bond Institute. Co-sponsored by HARMONY Institute, the International Humanistic Psychology Association, the Fetzer Institute, and Western Michigan University. Supported by a growing international list of over 65 cooperating universities and organizations
Go to www.cbiworld.org for full details and program
~ Registration is Open To The Public (on-line or by mail)~

JOIN an extraordinary pool of leading experts from around the world to address the roots of negative stereotyping and prejudice, and how to move past artificial barriers of misunderstanding and distrust to cultivate our capacity for appreciation of diversity, for reconciliation, and for peace.
3 1/2 day program including: - 5 Keynote Speakers - 5 Plenary Panels - 26 Sessions of lectures, workshops, and panels - 3 Daily Conference-wide Facilitated Dialogue Groups - Evening Performances, Social-Cultural programs, and Community activities
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: Huston Smith, PhD, Sam Keen, PhD, Marianne Williamson, Archbishop Elias Chacour, Maureen O'Hara, PhD.
PERFORMANCES: Children Of Abraham (film performance); Josh White Jr. (musical performance); LaRon Williams (storytelling); Live At Jacob's Ladder (theatrical performance).
AN OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL POOL OF OVER 70 PRESENTERS, including several local participants: Shadia Kanaan, Mushtaq Luqmani, Paul Clements, David Juarez, Robert Small.
FULL INFORMATION on Fees, Program, Registration: www.cbiworld.org

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4
Second Annual International Day of Climate Action
Last year, on the first International Day, there were actions around the world in at least 20 countries, with approximately 100,000 people participating.
November 4 was chosen by groups around the world because it is the weekend right before a United Nations International Conference on Climate Change in Nairobi, Kenya.
In the U.S. it is three days before important Congressional elections. There will be local actions on November 4 that publicly call for Congressional action on the climate crisis and that involve major grassroots outreach to encourage a strong turnout of voters on Nov. 7 who support climate justice and clean energy. Watch for details of local actions, and for more information go to
www.climateemergency.org

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TUESDAY, NOV. 7—ELECTION DAY
Those who have taken the pledge to VOTE NO WAR on Nov. 7 may find the League of Women Voters Guide helpful, especially on offices such as Boards of Regents. The LWV Voters Guide is, as usual, generally thoughtful and helpful.
See www.lwvka.org
KNOW does not officially endorse candidates; the editors, however, do call your attention to the following:
Kim Clark, candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, 6th District, is a strong advocate for getting U.S. troops out of Iraq.
Several KNOW activists strongly favor the election of Martin Glista, candidate for Circuit Court Judge, on the strength of his outstanding record of community service.

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The 2007 PEACE CALENDARS from SYRACUSE CULTURAL WORKERS are available now at People’s Food Co-op, as a fund-raiser for KNOW. We ask a $10 donation; but if you really need a peace calendar (don’t we all?) and can’t afford $10, donate what you can. They make great gifts, by the way.

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SOME GOOD NEWS FROM KNOW

Enviros hope to make gains with gubernatorial races in key states
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) has chalked up a respectable environmental record in a state where the chief industry -- auto making -- isn't known for its eco-friendliness. She's now locked in a tough race for reelection against Dick DeVos (R), a conservative multimillionaire who's funded right-wing think tanks with anti-environment agendas. In part two of a roundup on gubernatorial races, Muckraker spotlights the Michigan race and others in the Midwest and West where enviros are backing green candidates and hoping to make state-level progress.
SEE THE FULL ARTICLE in Grist Muckraker: “When Guvs Try” www.grist.org
See Grist Muckraker also for an encouraging interview with Calvin DeWitt, one of the leaders of the evangelical Christian environmental movement. As an environmentalist, DeWitt knows his stuff: Nancy was on an early morning field trip he led several years ago at an ecumenical environmental conference near Olivet, and she remembers that just by listening to almost inaudible sounds he could describe seemingly everything going on in the surrounding woods and wetlands.
http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/10/17/dewitt/index.html?source=muck

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AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT THE KNOW LETTER:
The two of us (Tom and Nancy) have been editing and sending the KNOW letters for four years now, generally two or three times a month. It’s time to rest and regroup: we need to devote more time to environmental action and writing, clean up a bit of our clutter, and rethink where we are and what we need to do with our remaining time on earth. So, at least for a while, the two of us will be sending out the KNOW letter less frequently.
Dan Smith and the KNOW PLANNING COMMITTEE will be putting calendar items on the KNOW web site (www.kzoo4peace.org). So you can help us, keep informed, AND help your own causes and events by (1) sending notices to yard2prairy WELL IN ADVANCE and (2) checking the KNOW web site FREQUENTLY.
The schedule and procedures won’t change all at once; so don’t panic. We’ll provide more information in the next letter.
Meanwhile, Tom and Nancy thank you for your support, your messages, your patience, and your endurance.

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Organization for peace is different from organization for war; the institutions which served the struggle for existence cannot serve the pacification of existence. Life as an end is qualitatively different to life as a means.
--Herbert Marcuse, ONE-DIMENSIONAL MAN (1964)
____________________________

The revolution will not be right back
after a message about a white tornado, white lightning, or white people.
You will not have to worry about a dove in your bedroom,
a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl.
The revolution will not go better with Coke.
The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath.
The revolution will put you in the driver's seat.

The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised,
will not be televised, will not be televised.
The revolution will be no re-run, brothers;
The revolution will be live.
--Gil Scott-Heron

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Peace be with you, Tom and Nancy, for KNOW

THURSDAY, OCT. 5—noon to dusk
WORLD CAN’T WAIT- Drive Out the BUSH Regime
Announces a DAY OF MASS RESISTANCE:

from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
SCOTT RITTER
Former Chief U.N. Weapons Inspector in Iraq
Speaking about his new book:
Target Iran: The Truth About the White House's Plans for Regime Change
Dalton Recital Hall, Western Michigan University
No Charge

THE WCW CALL FOR THE DAY OF MASS RESISTANCE: DON’T GO TO WORK; DON’T GO TO CLASSES; DON’T BUY ANYTHING; PROTEST IN THE STREETS.
“We must have enough people to break through the denial, the media blackout, and the political paralysis that grips our country. Relying only on official politics condemns us to stolen elections and bargains with the devil (as Chavez recently so eloquently illustrated).”
--Joetta Carr, for WCW
Noon: WMU Flagpoles- Rally, Speeches, Music
3:30 : March to Dalton for Scott Ritter
6:00 : March from Dalton to Bronson Park for
a Concert of Resistance w/3 Bands

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THURSDAY, OCT. 5, AND FOLLOWING:
Kim Clark, Democratic Party candidate for Congress, 6th Congressional District, will appear at a series of weekly ”townhall” forums to discuss issues affecting the 6th District of Michigan.
Every Thursday, 7:00-8:00 pm, at the Kim Clark Campaign Headquarters, 3308 S. Westnedge Avenue in Kalamazoo.
Every Friday, September 29, 7:00- 8:00 pm, at the Acorn Theater, 107 Generations Drive in Three Oaks.

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OCT. 1-8, 25th ANNIVERSARY PEACE WEEK, WMU SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES PEACE CENTER

Tuesday, October 3, 7:00 pm
Teach-in on Iraq War
Bernhard Center, room 208
Professor of Sociology and Criminology Ron Kramer and Professor of Social Work Don Cooney will lead a “teach-in” discussion of issues concerning the Iraq War, militarism, and the U.S. economy.
CONTACT: Johanna.Ande@gmail.com PHONE: 616.502.2182
____________________________

Thursday, October 5, 12 noon until sundown
A Day of Resistance: World Can't Wait--Drive out the Bush Regime!
12 Noon: Rally at the Flagpoles (WMU) for music, poetry and speakers. March around campus, gathering more people
4 pm: Scott Ritter, Dalton Recital Hall
6 pm: March from Dalton to Bronson Park.
7 pm: Rally and concert in Bronson Park.
SPONSOR: World Can't Wait--Drive out the Bush Regime
CONTACT: kalamazoo@worldcantwait.org
______________________________

Friday, October 6th, 1:00-5:00 pm
Achieving Peace in an Embattled World
A WMU Emeriti Council forum with guest speaker Howard Wolpe, former US Congressperson and WMU Professor.
Brown Auditorium, Schneider Hall, Haworth College of Business, WMU Campus. Free parking for Campus Guests in the Fetzer parking lot directly in front of Schneider Hall.
SPONSOR: Emeriti Council of WMU
CONTACT: William Appel, 269.649.1637, appel@wmich.edu
_________________________

Sunday, October 8th, 8:00 pm, & every following Sunday
Free Films for Educating Activists
Peace Center, basement of Wesley Foundation
CONTACT: Amolia@kzoopeacecenter.org
More updated details and additions: www.KzooPeaceCenter.org

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TUESDAY, October 10, 7:00-8:00 pm:
The League of Women Voters forum for 6th Congressional District
Transformations Spirituality Center, 3427 Gull Road, Nazareth
Participants: Fred Upton (R), Kim Clark (D), Kenneth Howe (L)

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Friday, October 13, 4 pm-9:30 pm; Oct. 14, 9 am-4:45 pm
CAMPUS CAMP WELLSTONE is coming to Kalamazoo!
A free weekend training on grassroots organizing, political advocacy, & leadership development.

Here’s a sample of what you'll learn at Campus Camp Wellstone:
? Building Power to Effect Change
? Electoral Politics and Issue Organizing
? Action Planning
? Message Development & Communication
? Motivating and Mobilizing People for Action
? Developing New Leadership
? Organizing as a Vocation and Life-long Work

The training program is an effort toward citizen empowerment and mobilization that will benefit all of those who participate, from partisan Democrats and Republicans to the disenchanted or disenfranchised to third party activists.
The camp will be held at Kalamazoo College, Dewing Hall.
Free and open to all students. Meals will be provided.

Questions? Email michael@kzoopca.org
Registration is required at:
http://kzoopca.org/?n=Main.CampusCampWellstone or in person at the Peace Center, Wesley Foundation, on WMU's Campus.

Sponsored by the Progressive Community Alliance, Swords Into Plowshares Peace Center, Kalamazoo College Democrats, Kalamazoo College Environmental Student Organization, Kalamazoo College Progressive Organization of Women Engaged in Revolt, Kalamazoo College Chapel

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NEWS BITS, SQUIBS, AND COMMENTS:

REGARDING THE SO-CALLED ANTI-TERRORISM BILL:
from “RUSHING OFF A CLIFF,” editorial, NY Times, 9/28/06, p. A22
Here's what happens when this irresponsible Congress railroads a profoundly important bill to serve the mindless politics of a midterm election: The Bush administration uses Republicans' fear of losing their majority to push through ghastly ideas about anti-terrorism that will make American troops less safe and do lasting damage to our 217-year-old nation of laws - while actually doing nothing to protect the nation from terrorists. Democrats betray their principles to avoid last-minute attack ads. Our democracy is the big loser. . . .
. . . The Republicans have made it clear that they’ll use any opportunity to brand anyone who votes against this bill as a terrorist enabler. But Americans of the future won’t remember the pragmatic arguments for caving in to the administration.
They’ll know that in 2006, Congress passed a tyrannical law that will be ranked with the low points in American democracy, our generation’s version of the Alien and Sedition Acts.

KNOWLETTER EDITORS’ NOTE: Sen. Debbie Stabenow was one of 12 Senate Democrats who “caved in” to the administration (35 Democrats voted No) on a bill that permits the President to determine, on his own, with no review, who is an "enemy combatant" and what interrogation methods are "legal"; permits "coerced testimony"; and severely limits the right of habeas corpus. In these and other aspects of the bill, centuries of legal precedent, international law, and the Geneva conventions are weakened or abrogated. Congress continues to cede its power AND that of the judiciary to the executive branch.
PLEASE CONSIDER CAREFULLY THE CANDIDACY OF DAVID SOLE, GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE, MICHIGAN.
David Sole is a founder of MECAWI (the Michigan Emergency Committee against War & Injustice), formed to oppose the U.S. wars against and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. MECAWI has been the leading anti-war organization in the Detroit area, organizing numerous demonstrations, teach-ins and rallies.
For further information about Sole's anti-war activism since the 1960s, his union organizing, and his continuous fight for social and racial justice, see www.stopthewarslate.org/davidsole.html.
You may be uncomfortable with some aspects of Sole's militancy or with the possibility of "wasting" a vote and allowing the Republican to win. But isn't it time to give notice that we can no longer support a politician who voted for the bankruptcy bill, the Patriot Act, and the "anti-terrorism" bill?

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The Bushes and the Truth About Iran: “A Made-Up Mind”
By Robert Parry, Consortium News
Thursday 21 September 2006

. . . Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, who reflects the thinking of influential neoconservatives, reached [the] conclusion that Bush had essentially made up his mind about attacking Iran.
Krauthammer noted that on the day after the fifth anniversary of 9/11, Bush responded to a question about Iran by saying: "It's very important for the American people to see the President try to solve problems diplomatically before resorting to military force."
"'Before' implies that one follows the other," Krauthammer wrote. "The signal is unmistakable. An aerial attack on Iran's nuclear facilities lies just beyond the horizon of diplomacy. With the crisis advancing and the moment of truth approaching, it is important to begin looking now with unflinching honesty at the military option." [Washington Post, Sept. 15, 2006]
Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories in the 1980s for the Associated Press and Newsweek. His latest book, Secrecy & Privilege: Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq, can be ordered at secrecyandprivilege.com.

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"The most violent element in society is ignorance." --Emma Goldman

“You assist an evil system most effectively by obeying its orders and decrees. An evil system never deserves such allegiance. Allegiance to it means partaking of the evil. A good person will resist an evil system with his or her whole soul.” —Gandhi

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Peace be with you, Tom and Nancy, for KNOW

In the August 24 KNOW letter, two names were inadvertently omitted from the list of local presenters at the international ENGAGING THE OTHER conference in Kalamazoo Oct. 26-29: Shadia Kanaan and Robert Small. In addition, Mushtaq Luqmani’s name was garbled. Our apologies.
Please see the KNOW calendar, below, and the conference web site, www.cbiworld.org, for information about this important INTERNATIONAL AND INTERFAITH conference, HERE IN KALAMAZOO.

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THURSDAY, SEPT. 21, 12 noon--CANCELLATION
Amy & David Goodman's booksigning at Schuler Books & Music in Grand Rapids is CANCELED.

THEY WILL, HOWEVER, STILL SPEAK AT 5 PM IN ANN ARBOR
Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty Street, Ann Arbor
Amy Goodman, host and producer of Democracy Now!, speaks as part of the Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Visitors Program. Free and open to the public.

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International Day of Peace—Sept. 21
ALL AROUND THE EARTH, in every time zone, people will observe a minute of silence at NOON, IN HOPE AND PRAYER FOR PEACE.
There will be many observances of the International Day of Peace on Thursday, Sept. 21, all around the world.
In Grand Rapids, at 6 p.m., Peace Presence will have a vigil on the northeast corner of Fulton and Division. Following the vigil, there will be a walk to the Vine Room in the lower level of First Place at the corner of E. Fulton and Barclay, where at 7 p.m. Jason Moon, a veteran of the war in Iraq, will talk about his experiences in Iraq and share why he is a Veteran for Peace.
The program is sponsored by the Military Service Dialogue and the Circle of Peace Committees at the Institute for Global Education and co-sponsored by Grand Rapids District Peace with Justice Community, Ada Peace & Justice Community, Grand Rapids Chapter of the United Nations Association, Grand Rapids Friends Meeting, and the Grand Rapids Peace Team.

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Be-In-The-KNOW Film Series presents:

Tuesday, Sept. 26, 7:30 PM
2302 Sangren Hall, WMU
The Iron Wall: The Facts On The Ground In The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
The film details the effect of the separation wall on life in the
occupied territories and the outlook for a 2-state solution that is
supported by the US administration.
For more information contact 345-0835 or visit
http://www.beintheknowfilms.org/

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MONDAY, OCT. 2 through SUNDAY, OCT. 8
25th annual PEACE WEEK at WMU, organized by students of the Swords Into Plowshares Peace Center, at the Wesley Foundation, WMU. Events all week. More information in the next KNOW letter.

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OCTOBER EVENTS FOR ALL OF YOU IN THE KNOW

ELECTION SUNDAYS: All Sundays in October plus Nov. 5
Vote to end the War is the theme of the six Sunday vigils preceding the Nov. 7 election.
We are asking KNOW supporters to come to the Sunday vigils, 12 noon to 1 pm, to stand behind this theme.
Usually there are between 40 to 50 people each Sunday. We want to see 200 plus. We want to demonstrate support in Kalamazoo for electing candidates who will end this war.
Please consider coming. Bring a relative, a friend, a coworker.

UPCOMING OCTOBER ACTIONS (These are still in the planning stages. More info to come.)
Oct 10--League of Women Voters hosts Kim Clark and Fred Upton in Q and A format. We want to have a presence.
Oct 14--leafleting at WMU homecoming and Odyssey Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day at KVCC.
Call Steve Senesi 998-1524 or email stevesenesi@charter.net to participate.

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THURSDAY, OCT. 5, all day
JOIN THE WORLD CAN’T WAIT IN A DAY OF MASS PROTEST—
No Work. No School. Protest in the Streets.
LOCAL PROTEST WILL BEGIN at NOON
Mobilize at noon at the Flagpole at Western Michigan University. Speakers, music, street theater, march through campus.
Rally and Concert in Bronson Park at 7 pm.
MORE INFORMATION: www.worldcantwait.org
QUESTIONS: kalamazoo@worldcantwait.org

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1 TO 5 P.M.
ACHIEVING PEACE IN AN EMBATTLED WORLD
A Forum presented by the WMU Emeriti Council
HOWARD WOLPE, former U.S. Congressman from Southwest Michigan, will be the featured guest lecturer for a public Forum entitled "Achieving Peace in an Embattled World." The Western Michigan University Emeriti Council is sponsoring this free event.
Brown Auditorium, Schneider Hall, Haworth College of Business, WMU campus. There will be free parking for in the Fetzer parking lot directly in front of Schneider Hall.
Dr. Wolpe taught Political Science at WMU from 1967 to 1972 and served on the Kalamazoo City Commission and in the Michigan House of Representatives. He is currently the Director of the Africa Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C.
His expertise is in the management of ethnic and racial conflict as evidenced by the successful reconciling of the warring Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups in Burundi.
The session will end with a panel discussion entitled, "Can Collaborative Decision Making work in Iraq?" The panel will include WMU Professor Howard Dooley, who has written on modern Middle East history. WMU Physics Professor Emanuel Kamber, a native of Iraq, will bring his experience with Iraqi organizations to the session. WMU Emeritus Professor Peter Kobrak will be chair, and Howard Wolpe will be the discussant.
The public is invited to attend and participate in ACHIEVING PEACE IN AN EMBATTLED WORLD. For further information, contact William Appel: appel@wmich.edu; phone 649-1637.

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Saturday, Oct. 7, 10 AM – 4 PM
Michigan Solar Tour!
Solar powered and energy efficient homes and buildings in Michigan and throughout the nation will be open for public tours. Find out how your neighbors are trimming their energy bills and increasing their energy security. Learn about energy efficiency, speak with homeowners and experts, and learn how solar technology works, what it costs and why it makes sense.
For more information, visit www.glrea.org or call 800-434-9788. To find a tour near you visit www.NationalSolarTour.org.

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Saturday, Oct. 14, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., downtown Kalamazoo--
ODYSSEY: CHANGING THE WAY WE LIVE
ODYSSEY will feature biodiesel demonstrations, hybrid vehicles, door prizes, and more! At KVCC's Arcadia Commons Campus & the downtown Kalamazoo Mall, you'll find workshops and presentations on alternative fuels, environmental impact, the economics of freeing the nation from dependence on foreign oil, and information about legislation and policies that could promote the cause of alternative-energy technologies in transportation.
For more information about how we can change the way we live and WHY WE MUST, visit www.kvcc.edu, click on Campus Life and Activities and then News and Information.

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Thursday to Sunday, OCTOBER 26-29
Kalamazoo, Michigan, Radisson Plaza Hotel
International Conference on "ENGAGING THE OTHER: The Power of Compassion"
An international, multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary conference examining concepts of "The OTHER" from a universal, cross-cultural perspective to promote wider public dialogue about images of "Us and Them."
Sponsored by Common Bond Institute. Co-sponsored by HARMONY Institute, the International Humanistic Psychology Association, the Fetzer Institute, and Western Michigan University. Supported by a growing international list of over 65 cooperating universities and organizations
Go to www.cbiworld.org for full details and program
~ Registration is Open To The Public (on-line or by mail)~

JOIN an extraordinary pool of leading experts from around the world to address the roots of negative stereotyping and prejudice, and how to move past artificial barriers of misunderstanding and distrust to cultivate our capacity for appreciation of diversity, for reconciliation, and for peace.
3 1/2 day program including: - 5 Keynote Speakers - 5 Plenary Panels - 26 Sessions of lectures, workshops, and panels - 3 Daily Conference-wide Facilitated Dialogue Groups - Evening Performances, Social-Cultural programs, and Community activities
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: Huston Smith, PhD, Sam Keen, PhD, Marianne Williamson, Archbishop Elias Chacour, Maureen O'Hara, PhD.
PERFORMANCES: Children Of Abraham (film performance); Josh White Jr. (musical performance); LaRon Williams (storytelling); Live At Jacob's Ladder (theatrical performance).
AN OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL POOL OF OVER 70 PRESENTERS, including several local participants: Shadia Kanaan, Mushtaq Luqmani, Paul Clements, David Juarez, Robert Small.
FULL INFORMATION on Fees, Program, Registration: www.cbiworld.org

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SATURDAY, November 4
Second Annual International Day of Climate Action
Last year, on the first International Day, there were actions around the world in at least 20 countries, with approximately 100,000 people participating.
November 4 was chosen by groups around the world because it is the weekend right before a United Nations International Conference on Climate Change in Nairobi, Kenya.
In the U.S. it is three days before important Congressional elections. There will be local actions on November 4 that publicly call for Congressional action on the climate crisis and that involve major grassroots outreach to encourage a strong turnout of voters on Nov. 7 who support climate justice and clean energy. Watch for details of local actions, and for more information go to
www.climateemergency.org

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NEWS BITS AND SQUIBS FROM KNOW:

Robert Parry | Election 2006 & World War III
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/090706N.shtml
As Americans go to the polls in two months, they should have one thought fixed in their minds: they will be voting on whether to commit the nation to fighting World War III against large segments of the world’s one billion Muslims. Beyond the cost in blood and treasure, this war will mean the end of the United States as a democratic Republic.
Those are the stakes that were made clear by George W. Bush in an alarmist speech to an association of U.S. military officers on Sept. 5. He declared that the United States must battle not only likely or even possible threats from terrorists, but the most fantastical dreams of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda about a mystical global "caliphate."
Adopting some of the most extreme rhetoric favored by his neoconservative advisers, Bush also broadened the "war on terror" beyond al-Qaeda-inspired terrorists and the Sunni-dominated Iraqi insurgency to include the Shiite-run Hezbollah movement in Lebanon and the Shiite government of Iran.
Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories in the 1980s for the Associated Press and Newsweek. His latest book, Secrecy & Privilege: Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq, can be ordered at secrecyandprivilege.com.
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As Others See US - The "War on Terror"
By Norman Solomon, t r u t h o u t | Perspective
Friday, 8 September 2006
Consider the assessment that aired on the radio program from Rohan Gunaratna, author of the widely praised book Inside al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror. Based in Singapore, he was principal investigator for the United Nations' Terrorism Prevention Branch.
In Asia, said Gunaratna, "the vast majority of the Muslims believe that President Bush's campaign against terrorism has in fact increased the threat of terrorism and extremism very significantly after 9/11. With regard to Iraq, what they're saying is that the terrorists have recruited more people, radicalized more people, and raised funds from Muslims just by projecting US invasion and occupation of Iraq as an attack against Islam and as an attack against the Muslims."
Then came the assessment from Frank Njenga, a psychiatrist in Nairobi, who is president of the African Association of Psychiatrists and Allied Professionals. "The White House war on terrorism is generally viewed here in Kenya as a futile exercise that is exacerbating the insecurity across the world," Dr. Njenga said. "It is perceived from this end that the major perpetrators of terrorism in the world are the inequities that exist in the world - economic, social and political. Those people who believe that they are downtrodden will continue to perpetuate acts of terrorism."
And, Dr. Njenga added, "It is generally perceived that America has a major role to play in this inequitable distribution of resources across the world. In fact, the general perception is that the average American has no understanding, has no intention, has no will to understand anything that happens outside of the United States - and for that reason their war on terrorism is a total misconception without any relevance to the real world where the majority of the people live."
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The average family farm will generate 86.7 percent of their income from off-farm sources in 2006. In other words, less than 14% of income is generated from the farm, itself.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Features/farmincome/2006/August/
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A TALE OF TWO STATES:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”
from WEEKLY GRIST—E-mail newsletter, Sept. 12, 2006

Vermont climate march prods candidates to pledge real action
All the major candidates for Vermont's U.S. House and Senate seats pledged last week to support the strongest climate-change legislation in Congress, introduced by Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.) and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.). The impetus? A five-day march by hundreds of Vermonters calling for real action to address the climate crisis. Bill McKibben, who trekked all 50 miles, reports that the event changed Vermont politics -- and made him feel more hopeful than he has in nearly 20 years of climate activism.

The Texas Planet Massacre
Texas may approve 16 new coal-fired power plants
The state of Texas, which spews more greenhouse gases than Canada or the U.K., is set to reduce its emissions. And by "reduce" we mean "massively increase." Texas may soon approve construction of 16 new coal-fired power plants. And not the fancy new "clean coal" kind, either -- the old-school dirty kind, which would add an estimated 117 million tons of carbon dioxide a year to the atmosphere, more than the individual emissions of 33 states and 177 countries. Texas has no formal global-warming strategy or plans to reduce CO2, having decided to leave global-warming mitigation in the capable hands of the feds. Cuts in greenhouse gases, says Gov. Rick Perry's (R) press secretary, could "dramatically harm our economy." The mayors of Dallas, Houston, and 15 other cities, representing nearly one-third of the state's population, disagree. They vow to take legal action to fight the plants.

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“In 100 years, Mr. Bush’s mistakes in Iraq may not matter anymore, but our wildness heritage lost on his watch can never be restored.”
--Nicholas Kristof, “Staining the Land Forever,” NY Times, Sept. 5, 2006, p. A23.

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Peace be with you, Tom and Nancy, for KNOW

TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 7:30 P.M.
2304 Sangren Hall, WMU
The Iron Wall:
The Facts On The Ground In The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
The film details the effect of the separation wall on life in the occupied territories and the outlook for a 2-state solution that is supported by the US administration. A film by Mohammed Alatar,
http://www.theironwall.ps/
This event is free, open to the public, and co-sponsored by the Progressive Student Alliance and K.N.O.W. http://kzoo4peace.org/
For more information, visit http://www.beintheknowfilms.org/ or call 387-2265

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THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 4:30 P.M.
The KNOW planning committee will meet at the Wesley Foundation, WMU campus.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 7 P.M.
The West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC) in Grand Rapids is offering a special showing of An Inconvenient Truth, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Michael Lloyd, Editor of the Grand Rapids Press.
STUDIO 28, Grand Rapids. (Doors will open at 6 p.m., and there will be various info tables in the theatre.)
Individual tickets will NOT be sold in advance. WMEAC is expecting a sell-out. To get advance tickets, we need to buy a block of 20. There are two ways to obtain advance tickets: one is to organize a group of 20 and order the tickets from WMEAC (info below). The other is to contact Bob Weir (info below), who has already paid for a block of 20 tickets and may have a few not yet spoken for. If the response to Bob is enthusiastic, he'll try to help coordinate the ordering of further blocks of 20. PLEASE NOTE that the tickets will not be mailed but will be held at the theatre box office in the name of the person who paid for the block of tickets.
The cost is $8.00 per ticket.

HERE'S THE MESSAGE FROM WMEAC:
West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC), Center for Environmental Study (CES), C.A. Frost Environmental Science Academy, and Loeks Theatres, Inc., will host the local premiere
showing of
An Inconvenient Truth
"A global warning"

“From director Davis Guggenheim comes the Sundance Film Festival hit, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, which offers a passionate and inspirational look at one man's fervent crusade to halt global warming's deadly progress in its tracks by exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it. That man is former Vice President Al Gore, who, in the wake of defeat in the 2000 election, re-set the course of his life to focus on a last-ditch, all-out effort to help save the planet from irrevocable change. With wit, smarts and hope, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH ultimately brings home Gore's persuasive argument that we can no longer afford to view global warming as a political issue - rather, it is the biggest moral challenges facing our global civilization.”

Roger Ebert has given An Inconvenient Truth a Four-star review in the Chicago Sun-Times:
“The director, Davis Guggenheim, uses words, images and Gore’s concise litany of facts to build a film that is fascinating and relentless. In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to.”

“Surprisingly engaging…intellectually exhilarating,…could hardly be more urgent. An Inconvenient Truth is a necessary film” - A.O. Scott, The New York Times

You can see the trailer at www.climatecrisis.net

Tickets are $8.00. Blocks of 20 or more may be purchased in advance by contacting Lisa Locke at WMEAC, 616.451.3051, or llocke@wmeac.org. We anticipate a sellout so come early. Local groups will have exhibits before and after the film/panel discussion, starting at 6 p.m., where you can learn what you can do as groups and individuals to address this critical issue. Schuler Books will be there with a display of recent issue-related publications for sale.

The challenge is immense, but so is our resolve. Our quality of life, our children’s lives – our planet – depend on it. We can make a difference!

The film will show for a minimum of two weeks, depending on response. Bring your family, your friends, your coworkers, members of your faith community. Consider a group viewing followed by your own discussion group. We will try to have facilitators available upon request.

Lisa Locke, Associate Director, West Michigan Environmental Action Council, 1007 Lake Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506-2755
(616) 451-3051
www.wmeac.org

HERE'S THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR ROBERT WEIR:
Robert M. Weir
Author of Star of Hope: The Life and Times of John McConnell, Founder of Earth Day
Congressional District Leader for U.S. Department of Peace initiative in Michigan's 6th Congressional District (www.thepeacealliance.org)
269-978-6803
robtweir@aol.com
www.RobertMWeir.com
709 Regency Square, Apt 302
Kalamazoo, MI 49008

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ON THIS DAY 168 YEARS AGO:
June 17, 1838
The Cherokee Nation began the 1,200-mile forced march known as the Trail of Tears. Their removal from their ancestral land had been ordered by Pres. Andrew Jackson as the result of a treaty signed by a small minority of the tribe, and approved in the Senate by a one-vote margin. Ordered to move on the Cherokee, General John Wool resigned his command in protest; Gen. Winfield Scott and 7000 troops moved in to enforce the treaty.
"The Trail Where They Cried" ("Nunna daul Tsuny" in the Cherokee language) led from northern Georgia to Oklahoma. During the march, an estimated 4,000 Cherokees died from hunger, exposure and disease.

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Cindy Sheehan wonders, "why do we allow our leaders to kill and oppress people in our names? Is it so we won't have to look at our own destructive behavior?"
For full story, see www.truthout.org/docs_2006/060906B.shtml

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KNOW NEWS BITS:
US opens new war front in North Africa: Despite a setback in Somalia, the United States is plunging into a far vaster set of commitments, stretching across Saharan Africa. Over the next five years, Washington is expected to spend US$500 million on an overt counter-terror program to secure what it has dubbed the latest front in its "global war on terror".
US 'biggest global peace threat': People in European and Muslim countries see US policy in Iraq as a bigger threat to world peace than Iran's nuclear program, a survey has shown. The survey, by the Pew Research Group, also found support for George W Bush and his "war on terror" had dropped dramatically worldwide.

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Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH), who has led opposition within the Congress to the war in Iraq, issued the following statement on the war Supplemental funding bill:
"Mass death on the installment plan. That's what this supplemental vote to keep our troops in Iraq is all about.
"Today Iraqi civilian casualties number well over 100,000. Iraqi civilian injuries could be over one million, but who is keeping track? Some act as though the Iraqis are not real people, with real families, real hopes and real dreams and loves of their own.
"We have lost nearly 2,500 of our own brave soldiers. Up to 48,000 troops have suffered physical or emotional injuries that could scar them and their loved ones for life. . . .
"The Administration went into Iraq without an exit strategy not because they are incompetent, but because they have no intention of leaving. We are spending hundreds of millions building permanent bases in Iraq. The Administration recently announced deployment of no less than 50,000 troops in Iraq far into the future. We are looking at the permanent occupation of Iraq.
"And so the long cadence of lies has led to Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and Haditha, soon to be replaced by more lies and more tragedies.
"What can you say when you are watching your nation descend, sleep walking, into something like the lower circles of hell in Dante's Inferno? . . .
"You can stop it ! Bring our troops home !
"You can say no to any more funds for this war ! And then we can begin a period of truth and reconciliation about 9/11 and Iraq. Begin the healing of the soul of America.
"The Bible says, 'He who troubleth his own house shall inherIt the wind.' Our house has been troubled by this war based on lies. What will our inheritance be?"
www.kucinich.us

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A MESSAGE FROM UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE:
The 2,500th U.S. serviceperson has now died in the war in Iraq. The majority of the people of this country, Iraqis, and active duty soldiers want to see an end to the war. But rather than take a clear stand against the war, too many candidates for Congress are fudging on what should be done. It's time to put every Congressional candidate -- incumbents and newcomers alike -- on notice that if they want our votes, they must take a clear, public stand on ending the Iraq war and preventing any other unjust, illegal war.
We urge you to stand up with other outraged voters and sign the Voters for Peace pledge:
"I will not vote for or support any candidate for Congress or President who does not make a speedy end to the war in Iraq, and preventing any future war of aggression, a public position in his or her campaign."
No Peace, No Vote: Sign the Voters for Peace Pledge. www.unitedforpeace.org

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"The excessive application of technology and the waging of war . . . are united in their enmity and aggression against nature." --Seyyed Hossein Nasr, "The Encounter of Man and Nature" (London, 1976), p. 119
[Nasr, author of RELIGION AND THE ORDER OF NATURE (Oxford, 1996), is a "traditionalist" scholar of Islam and Sufism. For information about "traditionalist" teaching, see www.kiva.net/~julianus/tradition.html and www.nasrfoundation.org]

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Peace be with you, Tom and Nancy, for KNOW

FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 5-7 P.M.
A fundraiser for KIM CLARK, organized by Marty Chilcotte, one of the regular Sunday vigil-ers. (Kim is the Democratic Party contender for Fred Upton’s seat.)
PLACE: Retro, 1305 S. Westnedge, corner of Forest and S. Westnedge.
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, Summer Solstice
Last year, Pierre Laronde of France originated the first annual Festival de la Terre—a week-long, worldwide celebration of the earth. Twenty nations participated. The United States did not.
This year a few groups across the U.S. are electing to participate in the second annual Worldwide Earth Celebration, to let individuals all over the world know that some citizens of the US are “in favor of the earth,” and are coordinating our efforts to be at peace with one another and with the earth and all its creatures--starting in our own communities.
Of the week, from June 19 to the 25th, the most important day, Summer Solstice on June 21st, is designated by the Festival de la Terre for Peace.
KNOW IS RECOMMENDING PARTICIPATION IN THE SUMMER SOLSTICE “EARTH FESTIVAL” IN TWO WAYS:
First, on Wednesday, June 21, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., join Sister Ginny Jones and others from the Sisters of St. Joseph and the Kalamazoo community in a celebration of the solstice, the earth, and the spirit, at the Transformations Spirituality Center, 3427 Gull Road, Kalamazoo.
This year’s theme is Summer Solstice: Inviting the Fire. Summer is a season of heat and growth. Celebrate the fire of life that energizes all that is.
PLACE: Outdoors at the Circle of Trees, behind the Spirituality Center.
If it rains, call Transformations before 4:30 p.m. for alternative plans. Tel 269.381.6290. $10 suggested donation. Please register by June 14. http://transformationscenter.org/forms/register/php
If you wish, walk the RECONCILIATION LABYRINTH before or after the solstice celebration. Or as a separate spiritual exercise sometime during the day. The new labyrinth at Transformations Spirituality Center, a unique contemporary design called the "Reconciliation Labyrinth," was designed by Clare Wilson of South Africa as a tool for--and symbol of--healing.
Time to allow for walking: 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your pace.
For more information about the labyrinth and its significance, see www.transformationscenter.org/labyrinth.htm

The second way KNOW recommends that you participate in the Earth Festival involves some practical action on your part.
What would it take for us to become TRULY “in favor of the earth” or “friends of the earth”? Obviously, since humankind in general, and Americanos in particular, are the world’s most effective, most pervasive, and most deadly antibiotic, and since our culture in general and megacorporations in particular work very hard to persuade us that we need more--and more effective--antibiotic protections and “conveniences,” it would take nothing short of a revolution. But one must begin somewhere.
So we ask that on June 21 you TAKE A PLEDGE -- TO REDUCE YOUR USE OF STYROFOAM (polystyrene--#6 plastic) AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
According to the environmental journalist David Helvarg, plastic dust outweighs phytoplankton in the mid-Pacific gyre by six pounds to one. Put another way, a dead, toxic substance outweighs one of the basic forms of life sixfold in the ocean from which all life has come (interview with Amy Goodman, DEMOCRACY NOW!, Monday, June 6). And styrofoam is one of the most pervasive and indestructible forms of that substance. You are probably using and discarding it every day.
For more specific information on why taking the pledge to avoid styrofoam as much as possible is good for you, for humankind, and for the earth and all its creatures, see further material at the end of this KNOW letter.
Humankind is at war with nature. There is no peace without right sharing of the earth’s resources (with all creatures) and environmental restoration.
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SATURDAY, JUNE 24, NOON TO 1 P.M.
The KNOW/Women in Black/CODEPINK monthly counter-recruitment protest, on South Westnedge Avenue in front of Target (across from Pier 1 and the somewhat hidden recruitment offices). Bring signs protesting the militarization of our society and the predatory and dishonest practices of military recruiters. This might also be a good time to promote efforts to create a Department of Peace.
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A MESSAGE FROM ROBERT WEIR:
On SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 10 A.M., please come to a meeting to discuss ways of promoting the creation of a cabinet-level U.S. Department of Peace.
PLACE: Bob’s apartment, 709 Regency Square, apt 302, Kalamazoo. (RSVP appreciated but not necessary).
A special guest will be Linda Henderson, Michigan's Department of Peace coordinator. Linda is a dynamic person who travels the state and volunteers her time to make the Department of Peace become a reality. She will bring information about what the DOP is doing on the national level and throughout Michigan.

Topics of discussion will include
1. How to promote awareness and attendance for the Department of Peace Midwest Regional conference, at Kalamazoo's Radisson Hotel, JULY 21-23 (THERE WILL BE ABOUT 350 ATTENDERS FROM SEVEN STATES. PLEASE JOIN THEM. FOR INFO, see http://www.thepeacealliance.org/content/view/80/)
2. Ways to encourage Congressman Fred Upton, Senator Debbie Stabenow, and Senator Carl Levin to support and vote for the Department of Peace legislation.
3. Plans to visit Congressman Upton or his aides at his offices in Kalamazoo and St. Joseph.
4. And your ideas.

Directions: From downtown Kalamazoo--
Go south on S. Westnedge Avenue 1.5 miles to Whites Road (Damon's Ribs is on the corner to your left). Turn right, west, onto Whites Road. Get in the left lane, go slow. Immediately past Damon's, turn left in to Regency Square. Follow the driveway as it turns right, then left. Look for the sign on a building that reads "709-711" or the mail drop box or the fire hydrant.
Go to the visitors entrance on the north side (toward the courtyard) of building 709-711. Enter the code for my apartment, and I'll buzz you in. Apartment is on the third floor. There’s an elevator by the visitor entrance.
If you search on mapquest, enter the address for either "709 Regency Square" or "611 Whites Road."
--Robert M. Weir, author of Star of Hope: The Life and Times of John McConnell, Founder of Earth Day; and Congressional District Leader for the U.S. Department of Peace initiative in Michigan's 6th Congressional District (www.thepeacealliance.org).
269-978-6803
www.RobertMWeir.com
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JULY 6-9
Midwest Social Forum
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
The Midwest Social Forum (MWSF) is an annual gathering of grassroots organizations, community activists, workers, educators, students, and others committed to making a better, more just world possible. The MWSF provides an open space for exchanging experiences and information, strengthening alliances and networks, and developing effective strategies for progressive social, economic, and political change. http://www.mwsocialforum.org
Contact: If you’re interested to learn more or to join the Kalamazoo delegation, contact the Peace Center!
Email: organize@kzoopeacecenter.org or call the Peace Center 344-4076.
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WORLD PEACE FORUM ANNOUNCES that the most comprehensive peace education resource on the web is now available from their web site. The Burnaby Teachers Social Justice Committee has produced a breath taking collection of video, songs & articles as a teaching resource. This resource is invaluable to any peacemaker who wishes to peruse the archives of peace: www.worldpeaceforum.ca
The World Peace Forum 2006 will meet in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, June 23-27, with delegates coming from all over the world. It’s an international gathering of individuals, groups and civic governments from cities and communities to envision a living culture of peace and sustainability in our lifetimes.
"Cities and communities: Working together to end war and build a peaceful, just and sustainable world.”
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UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE ANNOUNCES a dynamic new campaign, the Declaration of Peace (http://declarationofpeace.org). It’s an ambitious effort to increase pressure on the Bush Administration to end the Iraq War by engaging in nationally coordinated nonviolent action from September 21-28, if U.S. troops have not been withdrawn by that date.
United for Peace and Justice has endorsed this effort and many UFPJ member groups are already participating. It’s time to promote a new level of opposition to the war in Iraq, in addition to the critical work that so many of our member groups are already involved in: public protests, educational projects, pressure on Congress, counter-recruitment efforts, work aimed at the media, and so much more.
The initiative's focus is on organizing what will be massive nonviolent action both in Washington, DC, and all across the country this September.

The Declaration of Peace is a pledge:
1) To declare peace by taking action now to bring all US troops home from Iraq now and to establish a comprehensive, concrete and rapid plan for an end to the US war in Iraq; and
2) To declare peace by engaging in nonviolent action in cities and towns across the United States and in Washington, DC, September 21-28 if these goals — immediate withdrawal of US troops and a comprehensive plan to end the US war — are not accomplished by International Peace Day, Sept. 21, 2006. Nationally coordinated nonviolent activities will continue on a regular basis as needed until the United States withdraws from Iraq.
You can learn more, sign the declaration, and get more involved by visiting http://declarationofpeace.org.
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REASONS WHY POLYSTYRENE FOAM IS BAD FOR HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT:
1. Toxic chemicals leach out of these products into the food that they contain. These chemicals threaten human health and reproductive systems.
2. These products are made with petroleum, a non-sustainable, heavily polluting and disappearing commodity.
3. The product does not biodegrade. It crumbles into fragments that have no expiration date.
4. A certain percentage of product will be dumped in the environment, persisting on land indefinitely as litter and breaking up into pieces that choke waterways and clog the digestive systems of aquatic animals.
5. The product takes up more space in landfills than does paper and eventually will contaminate groundwater and the environment when landfills are breached by water or mechanical forces.
6. Foam recycling is a public relations stunt, promoted by the chemical industries that manufacture it. This is done in highly centralized, distant facilities, using complex chemical processes, and expends far more energy than is ever saved by recycling the material.

Seventy-five billion pounds of polystyrene products (styrofoam) and packaging materials are produced every year, in America alone (Goettlich, 2004).
Polystyrene foam releases 57 chemical by-products, which are either consumed when they leach into the food or drinks that the styrofoam containers hold, or leak into the ground, water, or air. More than 100 million Americans live in areas that do not meet air quality standards because of millions of hydrocarbons released by polystyrene products (Dioum, 2000).
The toxic chemicals that are injected into the foam leak into food and coffee that are then consumed by humans (Goettlich, 2004). These chemicals have a serious effect on the central nervous system, causing depression, headaches, fatigue, and weakness. They also affect kidney functions and blood circulation (Dioum, 2000). Styrofoam also threatens people with asthma and upper respiratory problems and causes “irregular heart beats” and blood abnormalities. The harsh chemicals in styrofoam can be absorbed into the body through the lungs, skin and intestines (Brink, 2002). Millions of tons of styrofoam are incinerated every year and end up as airborne toxic ash, affecting breathing. In 1986, a study showed that 100% of the samples taken show signs of polystyrene in human fat cells (Quintana, 2003).
Environmentally, styrofoam is just as ruthless. When it breaks up into small pieces, some of the styrofoam just sinks into the earth, contaminating the groundwater (Quintana, 2003). Styrofoam uses up about 25 to 30% of the space in land fills (Dioum, 2000). Much of the rest of discarded styrofoam contaminates waterways or the sea, killing many animals that consume it. Styrofoam is regularly eaten by sea turtles. In one case a marine biologist found a dead sea turtle with over 1,000 medium-size chunks of styrofoam in its digestive tract. Another turtle was permanently buoyant because it had styrofoam coating its stomach (Kruh, 2003).

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO AVOID USING STYROFOAM?
1. USE UNBLEACHED PAPER CONTAINERS AND PRODUCTS FOR SOCIAL EVENTS, AND ASK FOR THEM WHEREVER YOU’RE BEING SERVED FOOD OR DRINK. There is a growing number of alternate containers and products that are made with unbleached paper. UNbleached paper is as close to environmentally benign as can be achieved in a non-reusable product. Yes, it's still not perfect. If you want perfection, make a cup out of your hands.
2. Carry a bag of reusable food and drink containers in your car or on your bicycle. Use them for carry-out, restaurant leftovers, and hot or cold drinks. (Carry a few cloth bags as well.)
3. Consider where styrofoam is contained in products you use, such as foam-core poster board, inexpensive coolers and carriers, and some toys.
FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, NEVER RE-USE A STYROFOAM CUP OR CONTAINER (likewise for #1 plastic).

WANT MORE INFORMATION?
Adverse Health Effects of Plastics:
http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Plasticizers/Out-Of-Diet-PG5nov03.htm

A recent book, Our Stolen Future, by Dr. Theo Colborn, describes this problem in full detail. Although written for the layman, it is completely footnoted and provides ongoing references for further inquiry.
Here's a short talk she gave on the problem of plastics: http://www.pmac.net/theo2.htm

SOURCES FOR THE ABOVE INFORMATION:
www.verdant.net/nofoam.htm
http://www.cat.pinellas.k12.fl.us/ISTF/2005_2006/05-1233/biblio.html
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“Went and saw An Inconvenient Truth last night. What I learned was that we are even closer to disaster than I thought. Gore in this movie actually has recent video of streams of water flowing down from the top of glaciers in Greenland to the bottom, internally. He documents that what happens is that this water does not freeze but instead goes to the base and lubricates it. The glacier then starts moving to the sea. He doesn't make any predictions, but it is clear that there could be a climactic event where whole continental glaciers could slide right into the sea. It could easily start happening in a few years and then take a number of years to complete. When it does we will lose Florida, piece by piece. . . [Editor’s Note: And a whole lot else]. Go see the movie, see for yourself.”
--Jim Bronke, West Michigan Peace and Justice Çoalition
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Peace be with you, Tom and Nancy, for KNOW

A message from WOMEN IN BLACK:
Women in Black will again walk together at the Memorial Day Parade (Monday, May 29) and silently denounce all forms of violence, mainly WAR.
We are also paying homage to the memory of the men and women who died protecting the freedom of this country.
Our staging area is # 3, and our parade number is 32. We will start gathering at 9:00 AM at the intersection of Church Street, north of Michigan Avenue and Water Street west to Park Street. (Water Street east to Rose, under the parking structure, is available if needed.)
Please wear Black and use a black head cover. We will have enough signs to share. I hope to see you then.
Blessings of peace.
Shadia, for Women in Black

A MESSAGE FROM LOWEY ABOUT WOMEN IN BLACK'S PRESENCE LAST YEAR AT MEMORIAL DAY:
I realized what a profound effect our silent persistent presence had in a parade where most everyone else was smiling and waving to the crowd. The wail of the fire truck sirens behind us added to the dramatic affect. Onlookers became suddenly aware that we were about mourning death and they started quietly clapping as we passed. You may want to remind the women what a profound affect that sort of elegant silent vigil has on the public. I think that Women in Black reminded people that Memorial Day is not about celebrating anything. It is about grieving all the dead and living dead (those who have been physically patched up, but who are forever scarred by war). Lowey

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MONDAY, MAY 29, 7 P.M.
Activists Speak Out
On war, racism and progressive movements of yesterday and today. What do we need to do now? Join activists Dan Berger (author of Outlaws of America and co-editor of Letters from Young Activists) and Andy Cornell (contributor to Letters from Young Activists) for a reading, discussion, and book signing. Copies available for purchase.
Rocket Star Café 1505 W. Michigan Avenue Kalamazoo, MI “The strength of the book lies in its refutation of the conventional wisdom that young people have given up on seeking radical change.” — Monthly Review “They demand to be heard by...those who peopled ‘The Movement’ before their birth.” — Mumia AbuJamal “Based on details and original research...This riveting and timely book reveals the untold story of the Weather Underground...” — AK Press “Berger writes a gripping story, drawing important lessons for the younger generation of activists.” — Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Outlaw Woman: Memoir of the War Years

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MONDAY, JUNE 5, 7 P.M.
The Kalamazoo City Commission will once again take up the anti-war, bring-the-troops-home-now resolution introduced by KNOW and postponed from the May 15 meeting for "further consideration."
WE NEED A LARGE TURNOUT AGAIN, TO DEMONSTRATE COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THIS RESOLUTION. PLEASE COME. PLEASE CONSIDER SPEAKING, EVEN IF ALL YOU DO IS BRIEFLY INDICATE YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE RESOLUTION AND YOUR CONCURRENCE WITH THE THOUGHTS OF A PREVIOUS SPEAKER.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR AND PHONE CALLS TO MEMBERS OF THE CITY COMMISSION WILL ALSO BE HELPFUL, PARTICULARLY TO MAYOR HANNAH MCKINNEY, VICE-MAYOR BOBBY HOPEWELL, AND COMMISSIONER SEAN MCCANN.

Hannah McKinney home 349-6836 work 337-7024
Bobby Hopewell 388-3503 226-7037
David Anderson 344-2169 553-8038
Mary Balkema 349-2913 same
Barb Miller 343-3339
Sean McCann 349-0654 353-6180 x122

CHECK THE KNOW WEB SITE FOR A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION: www.kzoo4peace,org.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 7 TO 9 P.M. (DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 P.M.)
"Spying, Secrecy and Presidential Power"
A town hall meeting on the illegal spying of the National Security Agency

Featuring John W. Dean, former legal counsel to President Richard Nixon.
and
Michael J. Steinberg, ACLU of Michigan co-counsel in ACLU v NSA

Ladies' Literary Club, 61 Sheldon S.E., Grand Rapids

Seating is limited, reserve your seat at www.aclumich.org. Suggested donation at the door, $5-$20.

Co-sponsors: American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Council on American Islamic Relations - Michigan Chapter, Freethought Association of West Michigan, Grand Rapids Community Media Center, Michigan Peaceworks

There will be a similar program in Ann Arbor the following evening, Sunday, June 11. See web site for info.

Kary L. Moss, Executive Director, ACLU of Michigan
313-578-6813

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SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 11 A.M.-4:30 P.M.
The WMU Living Wage Campaign is hosting a Living Wage Retreat. There will be a lunch break and food provided.
The purpose of this retreat is to help the campaign grow and decide on the direct actions, recruitment, and overall education that we hope to accomplish in the fall semester.
If you'd like to attend, please RSVP by emailing me at superspycd@yahoo.comand letting me know that you're planning on being there and if you have any food specifications or allergies.
Thanks! Hope to see you on June 10th!
in Solidarity, Christine Dore

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HUNGER STRIKE FOR INDEPENDENCE, a message from Code Pink:
On July 4, we will launch an historic hunger strike called TROOPS HOME FAST. While many Americans will be expressing their patriotism via barbeques and fireworks, we'll be fasting in memory of the dead and wounded, and calling for our nation to be the democracy it was created to be, not an empire. We're inviting people around the world to show their support for this open-ended fast by committing to fast for one day -- July 4 -- plus as many more days as you can handle. To take the pledge, go to www.codepink4peace.org.
With love from your tired but elated CODEPINK gals,
Allison, Dana, Farida, Gael, Jodie, Medea, Nancy, Rae and Tiffany

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To the entire Kalamazoo area Peace Community:
Gold Star Families for Peace--Kalamazoo is extremely grateful for the support and enthusiam shown for for Cindy Sheehan and other guests paticipating in the May 16 program. It was a dream fullfilled.
Let's build on this and become even more vocal, even more visible and make our priority one of PEACE, by any means necessary. It's time for escalation, we are not the minority.
One last item that we could not share on May 16 was a piece called "We Will Not Be Silenced". Please "google" it and take a peek.
My heart is full of hope today.
Peace Very SOON,
Dara
Gold Star Families for Peace
_____________________________________
FROM DIANE IN GRAND RAPIDS:
I attended the May 16 rally in Kzoo and I want to thank KNOW and the other groups who sponsored Cindy and the other speakers. Sometimes when we see ordinary-seeming people in the news, we wonder if they are really worthy of all the fuss. Cindy seems to me a true "peace-superstar," worthy of all the celebrity (or notoriety) she has attained. What a great evening!

==============================
US spells out plan to bomb Iran
THE HERALD, Glasgow, Scotland
IAN BRUCE, Defence Correspondent, May 16 2006
The US is updating contingency plans for a non-nuclear strike to cripple Iran's atomic weapon programme if international diplomacy fails, Pentagon sources have confirmed. Strategists are understood to have presented two options for pinpoint strikes using B2 bombers flying directly from bases in Missouri, Guam in the Pacific, and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. RAF Fairford in Gloucester also has facilities for B2s but this has been ruled out because of the UK's opposition to military action against Tehran.
The main plan calls for a rolling, five-day bombing campaign against 400 key targets in Iran, including 24 nuclear-related sites, 14 military airfields and radar installations, and Revolutionary Guard headquarters.
At least 75 targets in underground complexes would be attacked with waves of bunker-buster bombs.
Iranian radar networks and air defence bases would be struck by submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles and then kept out of action by carrier aircraft flying from warships in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf.
The alternative to an all-out campaign is a demonstration strike against one or two high-profile targets such as the Natanz uranium enrichment facility or the hexafluoride gas plant at Isfahan.
UK sources say contingency plans have also been drawn up to cope with the inevitable backlash against the Basra garrison in neighbouring Iraq.

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"Help Me Fight Back"--A message from John Conyers
Karl Rove has identified me as the number one target of the Republican attack machine.
I need your help to help raise the resources to get reelected, to help get out our message of accountability and checks and balances, and to fight back against the vicious right wing smear machine, which will only intensify in the coming weeks and months.
john.conyers@johnconyers.com

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A Message from Cindy Sheehan: Make Me an Instrument of Peace
"Being an instrument of peace is immensely more important than working for peace," writes Cindy Sheehan. "Non-violence should always be the means we use to solve problems, from our nuclear family life all the way up to the office of the most powerful person in the world. Peace is not an absence of conflict, but resolving conflict non-violently."
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051906J.shtml

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Some pundits are telling us that we MUST see the "riveting documentary called An Inconvenient Truth, which features Al Gore's acclaimed presentation about the here-and-now realities
of global warming." Other pundits tell us we DON'T NEED to see the film because by now "only someone who has been hiding under a rock would need . . . to learn that global warming is real" (NY Times, May 20, p. A25). But apparently a lot of people are in fact living under rocks. Here, according to a recent poll, are the general public's rankings of "most important problems facing the United States":
#1 War in Iraq -- 27%
#2 Economy and jobs -- 13%
#3 Immigration -- 7%
and so on down to
#11 Environment -- 2% (close on the heels of #10 Moral and family values)

Meanwhile, more and more pundits (even both Clintons, hardly ever the last to recognize a trend) are warning us that the greatest danger we face in this century is not terrorism but climate change.
"It's the only thing we face today that has the power to remove the preconditions of civilized society," Bill Clinton said recently in Austin, Texas.

So why does it seem so unimportant to so many people? Why is there such a disconnect between the peace movement and the environmental movement? What then are we to DO?

"An Inconvenient Truth" opened yesterday (May 24) in New York and Los Angeles and will open
nationwide in June.
"It grabs you like a thriller with an ending that will haunt your dreams. Profoundly persuasuve on a topic that's scarier than anything in a dozen Japanese horror flicks." --Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE.
"If this does not move you to change, nothing will." --Larry King
"Should be seen by everyone who cares whether or not the human race will still exist in 50 years." --Evgenia Peretz, VANITY FAIR
You can watch a trailer of the film and find a theater near you where it will be playing by going to http://www.climatecrisis.net

You can also learn about a new movement, the ALLIANCE FOR CLIMATE PROTECTION, that wants to build on the publicity the film and the book (same title) are getting. For information, go to www.allianceforclimateprotection.org

And what then, dear friends? WHAT THEN?

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"Nature is going to require reduction of human dominance over the world ecosystem. The changes this will entail are so revolutionary that we will be almost overwhelmingly tempted instead to prolong and augment our dominance at all costs." --William R. Catton, Jr., "OVERSHOOT: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change," (1980), p. 7.
_____________________

Peace be with you, Tom and Nancy, for KNOW

FRIDAY, MAY 12, 12:15 P.M.
SGT. MATTHEW WEBBER, a WMU junior majoring in marketing who died April 27 as a result of combat injuries sustained in Iraq, will be remembered at a brief memorial service at 12:15 p.m. Friday in
front of Seibert Administration Building. www.wmich.edu/wmu/news/2006/05/025.html

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May 12--A CANCELLATION
PeaceJam Cancels Nobel Laureate Public Talk,
PeaceJam Conference and Saturday “Use Your Freedom” Event Still On
Great Lakes PeaceJam is canceling its annual Nobel Laureate Public Talk due to recent civil unrest in East Timor. The public talk with José Ramos-Horta, East Timor’s Foreign Minister and 1996 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, was scheduled for May 12 at Western Michigan University, and was to be part of the weekend activities during the Great Lakes PeaceJam Youth Conference. However, Ramos-Horta has returned to East Timor to address growing conflict.

East Timor gained independence in 2002 after being oppressed by the Indonesian government for more than 20 years. Tension has mounted during the last several months as the government of East Timor has struggled to build a cohesive military and police force, and as the country continues to battle extremely high poverty rates.
On May 5, José Ramos-Horta appealed to the nation to remain calm. Still, as recently as May 9, violence occurred within the capital city “as an attempt of a constitutional coup d’etat,” as reported by Mari Alkatiri, Prime Minister of East Timor.
Dawn Engle, Executive Director of the PeaceJam Foundation, has been in communication with Ramos-Horta. “He feels horrible that he will not be able to be with the PeaceJam students,” Engle states, “and yet as the Foreign Minister, he must attend to the needs of East Timor.”
The Youth Conference will go on and will focus on the fragility of democracy, the Timorese’ continued struggle for self-determination, and a call to action for the youth participants. Mr. Ramos-Horta has also requested a live video feed so that he can speak directly to youth participants during the conference, inform them of the current situation and let them know how they might help.
In response, Jennifer Weaver, Director of Great Lakes PeaceJam, states, “Our thoughts are with José Ramos-Horta and the people of East Timor during this difficult time. I think the state of affairs in East Timor only sharpens the focus for us. Their situation should inspire us to true, deep civic participation. How can we take our own freedoms for granted in light of what the Timorese are experiencing?”
The second public event offered by PeaceJam entitled, Use Your Freedom, will still take place on Saturday, May 13th from 2-4 p.m. in Bronson Park. “This event," says Weaver, "has now become an opportunity for participants to express solidarity with the people of East Timor, to explore their own democratic rights and freedoms, and to advocate for those who have none."
Great Lakes PeaceJam, based in Kalamazoo, is administered by the Greater Kalamazoo United Way (GKUW) and serves the youth of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan.
Jennifer L. Weaver, Director, Great Lakes PeaceJam: Jweaver@gkuw.org, www.peacejam.org
_________________
ONE OF THE EVENTS SCHEDULED FOR THE "USE YOUR FREEDOM" EXPERIENCE IS A PEACE VIGIL ORGANIZED FOR PEACEJAM BY THE KALAMAZOO NONVIOLENT OPPONENTS OF WAR. FOLLOWING AN ORIENTATION AT WMU CAMPUS, THE PEACEJAM VIGIL PARTICIPANTS WILL GATHER IN BRONSON PARK SATURDAY AT 2 P.M. TO MAKE PROTEST SIGNS. THEY'LL PROCEED TO THE FEDERAL BUILDING, WHERE THEY'LL STAND FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE FOR AN HOUR, FROM 2:30 TO 3:30 P.M. PLEASE JOIN THESE YOUNG PEOPLE IN A PEACEFUL PROTEST!
There will be other PeaceJam activities in Bronson Park from 2 to 4 p.m. KNOW, Code Pink, Gold Star Families for Peace, and the Kalamazoo Committee on Conscience and War will all have information tables in the Park.

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SATURDAY, MAY 13, INTERNATIONAL FAIR TRADE DAY
To aid in the struggle against corporate globalization and to aid independent farmers and artisans, buy FAIR TRADE products: www.ifat.org. For local information on where to buy, go to www.kzooearthday.org, and come to EARTH DAY IN BRONSON PARK, Saturday, May 20, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for information and for fair-traded products. www.kzooearthday.org

SUNDAY, MAY 14, MOTHERS DAY
From Julia Ward Howe's 1870 Proclamation of Mothers Day:
Arise, then, women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or tears!
From the bosom of the devastated earth, a voice goes up with our own. It says, "Disarm, Disarm!"
. . . The sword of murder is not the balance of justice. Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of
war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail & commemorate the dead. Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesars but of God.
______________________________________
Please join KNOW in its Sunday, May 14, Mothers Day vigil, from noon to 1 p.m., in front of the Kalamazoo Federal Building. Revive in our hearts and spirit and hands, the original meaning of Mothers Day as a witness against dominance, violence, and war.
And hold in your spirit and thoughts the women and the supporters of Code Pink in their 24-hour vigil in front of the White House, May 13 and 14, a vigil supported by United for Peace and Justice and the American Friends Service Committee, and joined by Kathy Murphy and others from Kalamazoo.

MONDAY, MAY 15, INTERNATIONAL CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS DAY: This day is honored world-wide. See www.warresisters.org for further information.

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MONDAY, MAY 15, CINDY SHEEHAN
Cindy Sheehan will be at People’s Church, 1758 N. 10th St., on Monday, May 15, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for a brief informal reception. You are invited to join her. Please bring a finger-food dish to pass. This is not as messy as a potluck dinner and will require less clean up afterwards.

ALSO MONDAY, MAY 15, 7 P.M.
The Iraq war resolution will come up for a vote on Monday, May 15, at Kalamazoo City Commission, City Hall, 241 W. South St., second floor. We would like as large a group of supporters as possible. Have a bit of finger food with Cindy and come to the city commission meeting afterwards.

TUESDAY, MAY 16, 6 P.M.--BRONSON PARK RALLY WITH CINDY SHEEHAN
“Activism as a Way to Peace”
Cindy Sheehan to speak in Kalamazoo!

CINDY SHEEHAN, mother of Casey Sheehan who died in Iraq and protester at the Bush ranch in Crawford ,Texas, will be with us in Kalamazoo!
We will start with a rally in Bronson Park in Kalamazoo and then march to the State Theater for a program starting at 7:30 p.m..

Tickets for the State Theater will be $6 prior to the day of the event, or $10 at the door or through Ticketmaster.
Purchase tickets at the State Theater, 406 S. Burdick, Kalamazoo
Proceeds will go to Gold Star Families for Peace for future speaking engagements.

Join your Family, Friends, and Neighbors to give Cindy a warm welcome and support for all that she has done to attract attention to the high costs and the inhumanity of war.

Other speakers will include:
Ann Wright-Former diplomat and State Department employee
Rev. Deborah Lake-Co-Founder of the Chicago Chapter of The Interfaith Alliance
Jim Rodbard- President of the Michigan Chapter- American Civil Liberties Union
Arnold Stieber- Veterans for Peace, Ann Arbor
______________________________
HELP IS NEEDED FOR THE CINDY SHEEHAN EVENT
Donations and volunteer assistance are still needed in support of the Cindy Sheehan rally in Bronson Park and the speeches at the State Theatre: assistance with sign-making, posters, flyers, petitions, and information tables.
CONTACT KATHY MURPHY TO DO ANY OF THE ABOVE: murphyka@kalamazoo.k12.mi.us, or call
269-599-2350

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Anti-war/anti-Bush protests in Marshall are now scheduled at the Fountain Circle starting at noon
on the first and third Saturdays of the month. IF YOU'RE IN THE AREA, PLEASE JOIN IN.

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A WRAP-UP TO KNOW'S APRIL 29 PARTICIPATION IN THE DEMONSTRATION IN NEW YORK
FROM DAN SMITH AND OLGA BONFIGLIO, ORGANIZERS OF THE BUS TRIP
"The bus trip to the April 29th national demonstration in New York City for Peace, Justice and Democracy was a huge success! The many individuals and organizations who donated to make it possible deserve a hearty round of applause and our sincere thanks. The bus sponsored by KNOW included a 10 year old, several college students, workers, professionals, as well as retirees from as far away as Traverse City, Big Rapids, Muskegon, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Ann Arbor. Our banner which stated that Kalamazoo wanted the troops home now, got a lot of attention! We joined with 350,000 enthusiastic marchers down Broadway from Union Square to Foley Square in Manhattan. The representation from labor and women's groups was particularly impressive. We can be very proud of the bus riders who endured the grueling two nights "sleep" in a bus seat to represent the peace movement in our community, and to keep the momentum for peace rolling on!"

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO DAN AND OLGA FOR THEIR ORGANIZING OF THE BUS TRIP! A DIFFICULT JOB, ACCOMPLISHED WITH CARE, GRACE, AND SPIRIT.

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WHITHER THE CIA?
Larry C. Johnson writes, "John Negroponte and Michael Hayden are hell bent on shifting critical analytical functions from the CIA to some other part of government (perhaps a stand-alone entity). If true, the death knell for the CIA is sounding, and an important national security capability will disappear if they are permitted to institute this madness. While right-wing crazies, convinced that the CIA is part of an elaborate plot to undermine the Bush administration, will celebrate this pyrrhic victory, sane Americans should hit the panic button."
(For Johnson's story, see http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/050806A.shtml

Al Gore Might Yet Join 2008 Contenders
For former Vice President Al Gore, a rash of favorable publicity surrounding this month's opening of his movie "An Inconvenient Truth," and the growing political resonance of its subject - global warming - are stoking serious speculation about a Gore political comeback.
See http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/050806B.shtml

Iraq Civil War Continues
Sacred shrines are now guarded by an unregulated security force of 146,000 heavily armed men suspected of widespread involvement in violent activities. U.S. trainers of Iraqi forces admit they cannot fully trust their trainees, whom they suspect of cooperating with their attackers. A group of recent graduates ripped off their uniforms in an act of protest against being assigned to military duty outside their home areas. And people in mixed neighborhoods have now formed armed citizen patrols to keep Iraqi paramilitary forces out of their areas.
Three years after 'liberation' by the U.S. invasion, Iraqis are now worse off than they were under Saddam in key areas of security, economy, and human rights. Meanwhile, another former top CIA official has spoken out about how the Bush administration manipulated and ignored intelligence to make its false case for war, and Sen. Russ Feingold is blaming fellow Democrats for failing to stop it.
www.peacemajority.org/

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This Mother's Day, Help Clean up Dirty Gold
Mother's Day is one of the largest jewelry-buying holidays in the United States. Unfortunately, dirty gold mining is responsible for contaminating drinking water supplies, displacing local communities, and destroying traditional livelihoods in many parts of the world.
This Mother's Day, help mothers around the world who are being harmed by destructive gold mining practices. Go to the following web site to send a letter to JC Penney and Sears/Kmart urging them to help clean up dirty gold mining.
http://act.oxfamamerica.org/campaign/NDG_mothersday

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From an interview with Jim Carroll, author of HOUSE OF WAR, on DEMOCRACY NOW! MAY 8
AMY GOODMAN: Jim Carroll, tomorrow you'll be at the Salander-O’Reilly Gallery at 79th and Madison with Father Dan Berrigan, who yesterday celebrated his eighty-fifth birthday. You write about the Berrigan brothers in House of War.
JAMES CARROLL: "Well, I was a Catholic priest as a young man, and Dan Berrigan and Phil Berrigan gave me my image of what the priesthood could be and, I would say, should be. Dan and I didn't know each other in October of 1967, but we were both together at the demonstration at the Pentagon, and that was the first time Dan Berrigan was arrested, and that was the beginning of an exemplary and, I would say, heroic life of resistance to war.
"Dan Berrigan and his brother Phil changed the meaning of Roman Catholic belief for a whole generation of us Catholics, and he also had that tremendous impact on American culture generally. And, of course, the most important thing about Dan and Phil is they didn't stop after the war in Vietnam stopped. They didn't forget that America is still a nation at the mercy of the war impulse, and Phil and Dan have been witnesses for peace all these many years."
James Carroll's new book is House of War: The Pentagon and the Disastrous Rise of American Power. He is beginning a trip across country to talk about the book and the state of the country and the world today.

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From CINDY SHEEHAN'S MOTHER'S DAY MESSAGE FROM CODE PINK:
"Fighting a War on Terror with a War of Terror to enrich the war machine is not a noble cause. Peace is."

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PEACE BE WITH YOU, Tom and Nancy, for KNOW