Indymedia Global Network

Rolling up our sleeves, Diving back in!

Please join the Save Our Poolz coalition

at the Ship Room in the Hotel Vernon in Kelley Square

5pm until 9pm

as we re-energize, come together as a community

and reflect on why we keep fighting for pools and our neighborhoods, families, and youth,

on what we've won, and the new leaders we've seen rise up,

and on where we're going: creating participatory democracy and a strong, organized inner city!

There'll be some great, diverse entertainment of several genres, including, at this time:

Serge Castillo and Forgotten Dreams
Nat Needle and Cha-Cha Connor
AcapElote-Veda

more to come!

And, there will be food.

Show up! Support your Pools, Neighborhoods, and Community Organizations!

This event is all ages. Under 21 need to stay in the Ship Room, and there is no alcohol in the Ship. 21+ can drink at the bar.

Worcester Peace Works has since its founding in 2001 sought healing for 9-11, sponsored dialog between Jewish and Muslim communities; fought racism, anti-Semitism, and oppression against immigrants; opposedthe Iraq and Afghanistan Wars; In November 2009 we rallied against the Afghanistan War escalation and in December we vigiled against the hate crimes in Worcester. Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. we not only talk the talk; we walk the walk. Racism, gender discrimination, and economic oppression in all of their forms should be opposed. Unjust wars should be be opposed. Worcester should be a welcoming place.

Worcester Peaceworks
Eighth Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

January 16, 2010, Saturday, 1:30 PM
Green Roster Coffee House, 6 Institute Rd., Worcester

Keynote Speaker:
William Green, Civil Rights Attorney and Activist
Music:
Political songsters Professor Looie and Fast Eddie,
singing "Hurricane" and "Dreams"

http://www.myspace.com/professorlouienyc

Peace Prize: Stone Soup
Pot Luck Dinner
Free and open to the public

If you believe in the following statement, join us Friday, Dec 11 from 1-2 for another opportunity to sign Clark and Worcester's own National Registry for Conscientious Objection.

[Full article]

If you believe in the following statement, join us Friday, Dec 11 from 1-2 for another opportunity to sign Clark and Worcester's own National Registry for Conscientious Objection.

I Hereby Affirm That: Because of my deeply held beliefs about peace, justice and non-violence, I am opposed to the use of violence to settle disputes. Furthermore, I wish to make public my decision not to participate in any group, organization or agency of government that would require from me acts of violence against a fellow human being.
I sign The Registry for Conscientious Objection to have my position on peace, justice and non-violence duly recorded as a way of life that I embrace and am totally committed to.
For those of you that were not able to make the Oct 30th event, this is
another opportunity to sign the registry, or just learn more about it. We
are not having a formal event or discussion.

It only takes a few minutes to sign the Registry but it is best to have
everyone get there at the same time so we can all support each other.

Tell everyone you think may be interested in signing or learning more
about living a life devoted to nonviolence.

Meet in Jonas Clark near the Peace Studies Department, seminar room 201.

Questions? Need more info, Just send me an e-mail.
Check out the Facebook event, http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=213457406680&index=1

Worcester will be hosting two Transgender Day of Remembrance (TransDOR) events this month.

Both will fall on Friday, November 20th, 2009.

There will be a non-denominational memorial service held at All Saints Church, 10 Irving Street, at 6:30PM. (Parking lot is off Pleasant Street.) The memorial service will feature guest speaker Raven Kaldera.

There will also be a reception and open mic hosted by the Transcending Boundaries Conference. The reception will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn at 35 Major Taylor Boulevard from 8-11pm.

Please contact Jesse at jpack25@yahoo.com for more information.

A $10 million lawsuit has been filed by Worcester attorneys Robert Scott, Esq. and Héctor E. Piñeiro, Esq. on behalf of a “John Doe” Worcester resident, charging civil rights violations by the Worcester Police Department and others. The lawsuit, originally filed on July 17th, 2009 and amended on Oct 20th, 2009 returns us to the Summer of 2006 when the Worcester Police Department’s decision to bring the Fox TV Show “Cops” to Worcester led to a major community outcry and the eventual dis-invitation of the Cops TV film crew.

The lawsuit presents the following summary, “This is an action for money damages and other relief arising from the unjustified warrantless invasion of plaintiff’s home on the night of July 19, 2006, by officers of the Worcester Police Department and cameramen of the television show "Cops," during which the officers awakened the plaintiff & menaced him with guns as he lay naked and uncovered on his bed, and the cameramen trained bright lights and video cameras on the scene”.

Community activists originally brought this incident and allegations forward to City Manager O’Brien and Chief Gemme for review, but the community’s concerns were ignored. At that time the plaintiff was attempting to retrieve the video tape, but was stymied by the police cover-up.

[Full article]

At the Grace Conference Room, University Center,
at Clark University

7:00 PM

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

19:00

jueves, el 5 de noviembre, 2009

Mexico Solidarity Network Presents:
“Autonomous Education” from Chiapas to Mexico City:
Urban-Zapatista Links with Patricia Hernandez

Mexico Solidarity Network Presenta:“Educación Autónoma” de Chiapas a la Ciudad de México, D.F.:Enlaces Urbano-Zapatistas con Patricia Hernández

[Full article]

October, 2009

An Open Letter to the Worcester Community,

The announcement over 2 years ago that the City wanted to close our 9 pools angered many in our community. Maybe it upset you. We organized families, teenagers and friends from all Worcester neighborhoods, naming ourselves “Save Our Poolz”. From that beginning, Save Our Poolz worked to teach our leaders how important Worcester’s pools were to our children, families and neighborhoods. We surveyed over 600 neighbors who overwhelmingly (94%) said they wanted pools, not spray facilities. We talked to other cites. We talked to people who build pools. We believe, as so many Worcester residents do, that Worcester’s pools and parks are extremely important and Worcester needed to develop a plan to save them.

[Full article]

In 2004, then-Gov. Romney established the "Commonwealth Fusion Center," making our state part of this national effort to centralize and expand the government's ability to collect and retain personal information on anyone, for the professed purpose of preventing terrorism.

According to the ACLU of Massachusetts which is organizing support for the legislation introduced by Senator Chandler, Senate Bill 931 will prohibit law enforcement from collecting information about individuals' political and religious views, associations, or activities, unless it relates directly to a criminal investigation".

[Full article]

Serious about Peace?
Afternoon of Dialogue on Conscientious Objection and ceremony to become a Conscientious Objector

Friday, October 30, 2009 3:30pm - 6:00pm
Fishbowl Room, 2nd floor Dana Commons, Maywood St.
Clark University, Worcester, MA

If you believe peaceful alternatives to war exist, consider becoming a Conscientious Objector and sign Worcester and Clark's own National Registry for Conscientious Objection.

Join in an afternoon of Dialogue on War Resistance, learn about the history of Conscientious Objection in the US and globally, and hear local CO's (Conscientious Objectors) stories about resisting the Vietnam war.
After Dialogue will be a short break with REFRESHMENTS, followed by the signing ceremony, in which YOU can take your stand for peace.

The National Registry is a national campaign, begun by the Peace Abbey, to promote peacemaking as a practical ideal: a way of living in the present that represents our best hope for the future. It seeks to inspire peace and justice in society by inviting peacemakers everywhere to register their conscientious objection to violence, and in so doing, to share with others their commitment to a peaceful world. The intent of The National Registry for Conscientious Objection is to emphasize one’s absolute dedication to peaceful living and to peaceful resolution of conflict. It is only by committing ourselves to peaceful living that peace will in fact prevail, in our lives and on the planet.

For more information or if interested in becoming one of first 25 people to sign the Registry contact Emily Luhrs eluhrs@clarku.edu

Sponsored by Clark Difficult Dialogues, Clark Newman, Clark Peaceworks, Worcester Catholic Worker House, Members of Worcester Center for Nonviolent Solutions, and The Peace Abbey
--