An Update from the Center for Constitutional Rights

Wednesday, December 1, 12:30-2:30pm
First Church Congregational, 11 Garden St, Cambridge (Hastings Room)

Katherine Gallagher, Senior Human Rights Attorney, will address:

• CCR’s work to hold private military contractors, such as the Blackwater Corporation, accountable for human rights abuses
• CCR’s efforts to use international law mechanisms to hold Bush administrations accountable for torture
• CCR’s case challenging the Obama Administration’s policy of target assassinations
  The CCR appreciates the opportunity to share its work to help us win in the “court of public opinion”.

The Center for Constitutional Rights is dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Founded in 1966 by attorneys who represented civil rights movements in the South, CCR is a non-profit legal and educational organization committed to the creative use of law as a positive force for social change.
Read the rest of this entry »

Reportback: Iranian Civilian Diplomacy Initiative

Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 7:00 pm
Boston University Photonics Center, Room 206 · 8 St Mary’s St, Boston · Green Line “B”, BU Central stop

John Schuchardt, co-director of the House of Peace in Ipswich, will report back on his recent fact-finding and friendship mission to Iran.

Schuchardt was part of a 10 member peace delegation organized by the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR)’s Iranian Civilian Diplomacy Initiative. Its goals: 1) connect peace constituencies in the U.S. and Iran; 2) broaden mutual understanding; 3) mobilize advocacy for peaceful, proactive alternatives to confrontational policies by both Iran and the United States.

Schuchardt said, “I am going to Iran because of the alarming recent announcement of $60 billion weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and a further $63 billion in weapons sales to the Gulf states; these are urgent warning signs of another U.S. ‘preemptive war’. Any attack upon Iran is illegal under our Constitution and would threaten escalation to nuclear catastrophe.”

Sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action, UJP, AFSC, WILPF, Veterans for Peace, and BU Antiwar Coalition

Massachusetts Peace Action’s 2011 Annual Meeting will be held Saturday, January 29, from 1-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 848 Beacon Street, in Newton Center. (See below for transportation details.)

Ann Jones, the author who documented Afghan women’s lives in the searing Kabul in Winter, will speak on ending the Afghanistan war and Afghan women’s human rights. Read Ann’s latest article, her biography, and learn about her books.

We will work together intensively on the campaign to fund our Massachusetts communities by cutting the military budget. Massachusetts expects a $1.8 billion budget shortfall this year and there will be a lot of controversy on what to do about it. For this part of the afternoon we will divide into small groups by cities/towns or regions of the state. The national coordinator of the New Priorities Network, Michael Prokosch, will introduce our discussion.

Now that the START Treaty has been passed, we’ll discuss Peace Action’s new three-part strategy in our drive for nuclear disarmament. It may surprise you, and we’ll ask for your feedback!

All are welcome and the conference is free, but please register for the conference so we know how many to expect, and from what communities. To register, click here. Refreshments will be served!   Contact info@masspeaceaction.org, 617-354-2169.

Directions to Annual Meeting

The meeting is in the Fellowship Hall of First Baptist Church in Newton. The church is on the corner of Beacon St. and Centre St. in Newton Center. Its address is 848 Beacon St., but don’t enter from Beacon.

By MBTA: Take the Green Line “D” (Riverside) train to Newton Center. Turn left down Union Street, in front of Starbucks, and walk one block to the intersection of Beacon and Centre Streets where there is a traffic light. You will see the church across the street. Walk down the driveway to the left of the church and enter by the parking lot door to reach the Fellowship Hall.

By car: Take exit 17 off the Mass. Pike (Newton/ Watertown); after 1 block turn right on Centre St. and go 2 miles to Beacon St. (see map). Pass Beacon and turn right, after the church, into the driveway of the church parking lot. Use the parking lot door to reach the Fellowship Hall.

by Aron Bernstein
Professor of Physics, MIT

Prof. Berstein joined a Massachusetts Peace Action delegation which met yesterday with the staff of Sen. Scott Brown. He submitted the following remarks:

The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) agreement is a critical and essential step in strengthening U.S security.

The new START establishes a state of the art verification process that allows us to track Russia’s nuclear activities and verify the reductions they’ve committed to. These verifications lapsed on December 5, 2009 when the 1991 Start 1 treaty expired, and will not resume until the new START treaty is ratified. The on-site inspections and protocols that are part of the new START treaty are essential for our security as they remove the uncertainty that goes with a lack of knowledge of what the other side is doing.
Read the rest of this entry »

by Joseph Gerson – Tokyo, November 15

The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates met in Hiroshima over the past several days. During a fascinating session last evening, we adopted the attached statement, which I trust you will find of interest. It was read at a well attended ceremony at the Hiroshima Peace Park by Jody Williams.

Also, as you know, Congress is reconvening for its lame duck session. Despite its obvious limitations, it is essential that we win its ratification before Congress adjourns. If you, your students and friends have not already phoned or written to your senators to urge ratification, please do so today. [You can find additional information about the treaty here - Ed.]
Read the rest of this entry »