Category Archives: North America

USA; Panel discussion on news and a ‘culture of peace’

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article by John Darling for the Ashland Tidings

In a time of alternate facts, public bullying and intense polarization of our public life, how can we use the media to foster a culture of peace, rather than violence? That’s the question addressed Monday by a panel at Southern Oregon University called “Cultivating a Culture of Peace in an Era of Trump: What’s the Media’s Role?”


Photo by John Carling
Click on the image to enlarge

Citing the “unprecedented antagonism of the Trump administration to media,” Jeff Golden, producer of “Immense Possibilities” on Southern Oregon Public TV, said our challenges didn’t start Jan. 20, because, years ago, much of the media abandoned its role in public service and became driven by profit.

This trend greatly increases the need for independent media, he notes, and much of it can flower on the internet.

“We’d be in much deeper trouble than we are now if not for independent media. Our challenge is very deep,” he said.

In the process, the journalist who supports a culture of peace “may not appear very peaceful. Journalists have to be combative and warriors for our own rights. You’ll do a more valuable job building a culture of peace than those who want to lie down.”

David Wick, executive director of Ashland Culture of Peace Commission, agreed, noting, “We’re not saying ‘let’s all just be peaceful.’ There always will be conflict, but peace is a powerful force. It’s not just sitting by the river on Lullaby Lane.”

The discussion is part of Independent Media Week, now in its 13th year. Sponsors include KSKQ Community Radio, the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission, Southern Oregon Jobs With Justice and the UN Club of SOU.

Its goals include “transforming attitudes, behaviors and institutions (for) harmonious relationships, (especially now) when the information landscape has been roiled by new national leadership.” It’s theme this week is “A well-informed citizenry is a cornerstone of democracy.”

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Question(s) related to this article:

Free flow of information, How is it important for a culture of peace?

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Hannah Jones, editor of SOU’s The Siskiyou newspaper, says the election “totally polarized us” leading her to “feel like a watchdog against someone who told us we’re wrong. We report the verifiable truth. It’s so easy to attack each other but that gets us in a culture of war and hate. People say journalism is dying, but it mustn’t.”

Several panelists referred to the slogan, “Speak truth to power,” coined by Bayard Rustin, a leader for social justice, nonviolence and gay rights, in 1942.

Journalists cyclically get too cozy with the powerful and begin to trust their sources too much, as happened with the widely liked Secretary of State Colin Powell as he claimed weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, said Jason Houk of Southern Oregon Jobs With Justice.

Jones responded with, “You can’t have peace without the truth.”

Seeking to avoid conflict has often led to the opposite of a culture of peace, added Golden, noting the mainstream media “failed in its job” by accepting the official story that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, thus leading to a huge war.

“They didn’t want to be in conflict with President Bush,” he said, “and the results are there to see.”

Media are deeply self-examining now, as they were taught to be objective and balance opinions, said Golden, however, what do they do when faced with lies — and that the supposedly balancing point-of-view is comprised of alternate facts? And should journalists use the word “liar?”

David Adams, coordinator of the Culture of Peace News Network, and a creator of the Culture of Peace movement (speaking via a video link from New Haven, Conn.), said the trend is that more and more people, informed by media, want democracy and oppose war. However, the state has come to “monopolize the culture of war and use media as a weapon … while they create incidents (of conflict) to convince people they have to have war.”

Daily Tidings Editor Bert Etling, a member of the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission, cited the “hurricane” in Washington, advocating actions “opposite of the culture of peace,” fragmenting and setting religions against each other, and trying to frame media and politics as an “us vs them … degrading what the media says … and the value of the information.”

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, North America

Gandhi Peace Award to Omar Barghouti and Ralph Nader

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

An article compiled by Arab America

Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti and Arab American consumer rights crusader, Ralph Nader received the 2017 Ghandi Peace Award from the Connecticut group, Promoting Enduring Peace. Barghouti was honored for his work as the co-founder of Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) and Nader for his five decades of work regarding consumer and civic activism and his human rights advocacy for the Palestinian peace movement.


Ralph Nader, left, and Omar Barghouti, right. Photo Credit: Don LaVange and intal

Barghouti was initially banned by Israel to travel to the U.S., but on Sunday, he was allowed entry to the U.S after winning a temporary suspension of the ban.

Barhgouti dedicated the award to the more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners who are on a massive hunger strike in Israeli jails.

At the ceremony, he stated, “As I humbly accept the Gandhi Peace Award for 2017, I dedicate it to the heroic Palestinian political prisoners on hunger strike in Israel’s apartheid dungeons and to every Palestinian refugee yearning to return home to Palestine to reunite with the land and the homeland.”

Barghouti leads the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions National Committee, which organizes the BDS movement worldwide. The committee demands an end to Israel’s occupation, calls for ending racial discrimination and advocates the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland.

Nader is the founder of the Center for Study of Responsive Law, which focuses on environmental issues, consumerism, and safety. In addition, the center hosts numerous conferences, focusing on government and corporate accountability empowering citizens.

In his remarks, Nader spoke of “state terrorism”, saying it was more widespread than terrorism by individuals. He added that U.S. forces can kill anyone; as well as, U.S. presidents can commit “state terrorism” with no declaration of war by Congress.

Arab America congratulates Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti and Arab American consumer rights crusader, Ralph Nader for receiving the 2017 Ghandi Peace Award.

Question for this article
North America, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Earth Day in North America

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A survey by CPNN

Earthday, April 22, was celebrated in all 50 states of the USA and most of the provinces of Canada.

The central theme for many of the events was the March for Science which affirmed the need for scientific research, especially regarding the problem of global warming, and in reaction against the policies of US President Donald Trump who is cutting support for this research. The largest march was in Washington, D.C. where tens of thousands of people turned out behind the banner shown below.


Click on photo to enlarge
photo credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA

According to ABC News, “… famed American scientist Bill Nye, an honorary co-chair of the event, delivered a speech to a huge crowd in pouring rain. ‘Show the world that science is for all. Our lawmakers must know and accept that science serves every one of us,’ Nye said before shouting out, ‘Save the world!’ Even with the rain, thousands of people packed the Washington Monument grounds for the start of the march Saturday morning. Some were clad in white lab coats while others carried handmade signs calling for funding for scientific research. At least 27,000 Facebook users said they were attending the march in Washington, D.C.”

According to the same source, satellite marches were set for more than 600 cities in addition to Washington and including New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Des Moines, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Austin, Miami, San Francisco, Mobile, Oklahoma City, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Paris, Munich, Berlin and many more.

A survey of crowd sizes in 209 cities and towns across the United States was listed as of April 28 in Wikipedia indicating that between half a million and one million people took part in the marches.

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Question for this article

What has happened this year (2017) for Earth Day?

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Descriptions and photos of satellite marches for science were published from Victoria, British Columbia, Winnepeg, Manitoba, Flagstaff, Arizona, Berkeley, California, Hartford, Connecticut, Kansas City, Kansas, St Paul, Minnesota, Roswell, New Mexico, Portland, Oregon, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Rapid City, South Dakota, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Salt Lake City, Utah, Seattle, Washington and Riverton, Wyoming.

Earthday fairs with educational activities such as booths about ecological initiatives were held in many towns and cities, including Edmonton, Alberta, Unionville, Delaware, Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, Crystal Lake, Illinois, Valparaiso, Indiana, Springfield, Massachusetts, Kalamazoo, Michigan, St. Louis, Missouri, Salem County, New Jersey, Durham, North Carolina and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Tree planting was a favorite earthday activity, as in Montreal, Quebec, Ashland, Kentucky, Billings, Montana and South Burlington, Vermont.

Another favorite activity was community environmental clean-ups as in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Orange County, California, Marshalltown, Iowa, Southern Maine, Baltimore, Maryland, Martha’s Vinyard, Massachusetts, Ashtabula County, Ohio, Central Falls, Rhode Island, Berkeley County, South Carolina, and Portage, Wisconsin

In many cases events were held by universities, including Arkansas State University, Mississippi State University, Virginia Tech University, West Virginia University and the University of Hawaii

Special internet sites and facebook pages were established to publicize the many earthday events in Hamilton, Ontario, Omaha, Nebraska, Reno, Nevada, Austin, Texas as well as all of Texas and Louisiana.

Participants could choose from a wide range of earthday events according to the calendars published for Alabama, Saskatchewan, Toronto, Ontario, Fairbanks, Alaska, Colorado Springs, Colorado, South Florida , Atlanta, Georgia, New Hampshire and New York, New York.

Especially unique and appropriate was the earthday event in North Dakota, where the horseback riders of the indigenous Dakota Exile Healing Ride celebrated the “Sweet Corn Treaty” that occurred in 1870 with the Chippewa and Sioux tribes. They called for “sharing our homelands and responsibilities to the lands, and water as well as respect for each other’s cultures and traditions by sharing once again as Dakota did”.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, North America

Sanctuary city leaders vow to remain firm, despite threats from U.S. attorney general

…. HUMAN RIGHTS ….

An article by Ruben Vives and Cindy Carcamo for the Los Angeles Times

Leaders from so-called sanctuary cities across Southern California struck a defiant tone Monday, stating that they would continue to protect people who are in the country illegally despite threats by U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to cut off and even claw back grant funding from the Justice Department.


California Senate leader Kevin de León called U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions’ move to cut federal funding from so-called sanctuary cities “nothing short of blackmail.”

“We will fight this vigorously and still continue to maintain services to provide for our high quality of life in Santa Ana,” Sal Tinajero, a city councilman in Santa Ana, which voted unanimously to become a sanctuary city shortly after Donald Trump was elected president.

During a brief appearance at the White House briefing room, Sessions repeated previous statements that the Trump administration would seek to deny sanctuary cities some Department of Justice grant funds, but offered no new policies.

Still, officials in sanctuary cities scrambled to touch base with attorneys and explore their legal options.

“We are going to look into every single legal action that we can take to protect ourselves from the Department of Justice’s plan,” Tinajero said.

He said city leaders had already prepared for possible funding cuts, adding that Santa Ana has more than $50 million in reserve, just in case.

Maywood Councilman Eduardo De La Riva said the issue will likely be settled by the courts.

“I am confident that when this latest move is challenged in the courts, this too will prove to be yet another loss for this administration,” De La Riva said.

Maywood declared itself a sanctuary 11 years ago, enacting a law that said local police could not enforce federal immigration law.

Monday evening, Pasadena city officials are expected to take up a resolution on whether to declare itself a sanctuary for people who are in the country without legal status.

For most cities, the move is largely a message of political support for immigrants in the country illegally. But some cities have specific policies tied to them, notably San Francisco, which has come under criticism from Trump and during Session’s briefing on Monday.

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Questions related to this article:

The post-election fightback for human rights, is it gathering force in the USA?

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Sessions cited a high-profile case in San Francisco where a 32-year-old woman was killed by man who had been previously deported multiple times despite a request by immigration authorities to continue his detention.

“Countless Americans would be alive today and countless loved ones would not be grieving today if these policies of sanctuary cities were ended,” Sessions said.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee could not be reached for comment, but he sent a tweet soon after Sessions’ announcement.

“#SF knows that #SanctuaryCities are safer, more productive, healthier places to live. We work for all our residents. #SFStandsAsOne,” he stated.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Lee said:

“San Francisco’s sanctuary city laws are in compliance with this federal law. If the federal government believes there is a need to detain a serious criminal they can obtain a criminal warrant, which we will honor, as we always have… As we have always asserted, sanctuary cities are safer cities. When immigrants can enroll their children in school, access healthcare for vaccinations, and report crimes, our City and County is safer.”

The statement added: “It is shocking that the U.S. Attorney General, the nation’s top law enforcement official, does not agree with this basic principle of public safety.”

Some state leaders denounced Sessions’ move.

“Instead of making us safer, the Trump administration is spreading fear and promoting race-based scapegoating,” California Senate leader Kevin de León said in a statement. “Their gun-to-the-head method to force resistant cities and counties to participate in Trump’s inhumane and counterproductive mass-deportation is unconstitutional and will fail.”

There is no neat definition of “sanctuary city,” but in general, cities that adopt the designation seek to offer political support or practical protections to people who are in the country illegally. For some cities, the sanctuary movement consists simply of encouraging people without legal status to get more involved in government. Other places, such as San Francisco, adopt far-reaching policies, such as taking steps to cut ties with federal immigration officials and refusing to fully cooperate with them.

Cudahy Councilman Cristian Markovich also said he will stick to his guns and support the city’s sanctuary policy. He called it a “safety issue.”

“We pay our taxes and I feel that the federal funding is rightfully ours regardless of the fact that we are a sanctuary city or not,” he said.

[Editor’s note: CNN published similar remarks from mayors and city officials in Madison (Wisconsin), Chicago, Boston, Cambridge, Newton and Somerville (Massachusetts), New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Los Angeles.]

HUMAN RIGHTS, North America

USA: NCDD Launches Dialogue & Deliberation Training Partnership with American Library Association

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article by Roshan Bliss for The National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation(NCCD)

As we begin the new year, NCDD is excited to announce we are launching a two-year partnership with the American Library Association (ALA) that will train library staff across the country to use methods and processes from the dialogue and deliberation field to support their communities.


Our Libraries Transforming Communities: Models for Change partnership will take the form of both online and in-person trainings that we hope will help strengthen the capacity for libraries to serve not only as places of learning and research, but also as hubs for dialogue, engagement, and healing our divides.

We see this partnership as a chance to broaden the reach and the impact of our field’s work, as well as an opportunity to create new audiences and collaborative potentials for D&D practitioners in the future. We’ll be sharing more info on the partnership soon, but for now, we encourage you to read more about the upcoming trainings in the ALA announcement below or to find the original here.

Facing a Divided Nation, ALA Offers Free Training for Libraries

The ALA Public Programs Office and the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD) invite library professionals to attend a free learning series to explore various dialogue facilitation approaches and position themselves to foster conversation and lead change in their communities.

“As our nation becomes increasingly divided, ALA sees tremendous opportunity for libraries to be a leading force for reconciliation, progress, and common ground,” said ALA President Julie Todaro. “We are proud to make community engagement resources available to all libraries, free of charge, through this initiative.”

Through Libraries Transforming Communities: Models for Change, a two-year project, ALA and NCDD will produce ten webinars and three in-person workshops. Change-making leaders, such as Everyday Democracy, National Issues Forum, and World Café, will develop and lead the trainings, which will be customized to meet the needs of various library types and sizes: large public library systems; small, medium-sized, and rural public libraries; and academic libraries.

First four sessions announced

Registration is currently open for four learning sessions.

• Libraries of all types and sizes are invited to attend a one-hour introductory webinar about the resources and opportunities available throughout the initiative. Register for “Libraries Transforming Communities: Models for Change Overview” (Thursday, Feb. 9, 1 p.m. CST)

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Questions for this article:

How important is community development for a culture of peace?

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Representatives of public libraries serving large or urban communities are invited to attend the following three-part series:

• In Session 1, NCDD will discuss the range of dialogue and deliberation models available to large public library systems. Register for “Libraries Transforming Communities: Introduction to Dialogue & Deliberation” (Thursday, March 9, 1 p.m. CST)

• In Session 2, leaders from World Café will discuss their method for bringing together large groups of people in a series of small, conversational rounds to spark in-depth conversation. Register for “Libraries Transforming Communities: World Café” (Thursday, April 6, 1 p.m. CST)

• In Session 3, representatives of Everyday Democracy will share their Dialogue to Change process, which encourages diverse groups of people to come together, engage in inclusive and respectful dialogue, and find common solutions to community problems. Register for “Libraries Transforming Communities: Everyday Democracy’s Dialogue to Change Process” (Monday, May 1, 1 p.m. CST)

Each session will be recorded and archived for free on-demand viewing on the Programming Librarian Learning page.

Individuals who view all three webinars, live or recorded, will be invited to attend a free pre-conference workshop at the 2017 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.

Future sessions for academic libraries and small, mid-sized, and rural public libraries

Future learning sessions will be designed for academic libraries (Fall 2017) and small, mid-sized and rural public libraries (Spring 2018). Details for future sessions will be announced in 2017. To stay informed about future offerings, sign up for the Programming Librarian e-newsletter.

Libraries Transforming Communities: Models for Change follows up on Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC), a two-year initiative offered in 2014-15 by ALA and the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation that explored and developed the Harwood Institute’s “Turning Outward” approach in public libraries.

With this second phase of LTC, ALA will broaden its focus on library-led community engagement by offering professional development training in community engagement and dialogue facilitation models created by change-making leaders such as Everyday Democracy and National Issues Forums.

LTC: Models for Change is made possible through a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program.

You can find the original version of this announcement on the ALA’s Programming Librarian site at www.programminglibrarian.org/articles/facing-divided-nation-ala-offers-free-training-libraries.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, North America

USA: Video about the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission

. .DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION. .

A review by CPNN of the Youtube video The Ashland Culture of Peace Commission by Spencer Barrett

CPNN readers have been following the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission as it has developed over the past couple of years (see listing below). And now there is a video explaining it. The video has been produced by Spencer Barrett in Association with Peace Production through interviews with its commissioners, with an eye towards its significance as a model for the world’s transition to a culture of peace.


Photos of those interviewed, in order upper left to lower right. ACPC Executive Director David Wick, Environmental Spokesman Will Sears, Chief of Police Tighe O’Meara, Faith Unity Minister Norma Burton, Artist Wendy Seldon & Educator Nancy Grace
(click on image to enlarge)

The video starts appropriatedly from from 1999 UN Declaration and Program of Action for a Culture of Peace. David Wick, the Executive Director of the commission explains the origins of Commission since the idea was born in 2013 as a fulfillment of the UN proposal.

Will Sears, an ACPC Commissioner and Environmental Spokesman, stresses the importance of its being a grassroots initiative. “It’s got to come up from the bottom, but it’s being watched on a global scale.”

Tighe O’Meara, Ashland City Chief of Police and member of the Commission, explains that “We want to engage everybody on both sides of debates and problems. Let everyone be heard. Allow everyone their dignity.”

Commission member Norma Burton, a Faith Unity Minister in Ashland, says that “There are so many in the community that would really want to have a culture of peace. . . and yet we accept what society puts foward to us.”

Wendy Seldon of the Ashland Art Center, emphasizes that “One of the best things is getting the whole community thinking about the culture of peace and how they can bring that into their business, their home, the world.”

And Nancy Grace, ACPC Commissioner and Educator, adds that “We have actions in the community that open my heart and allow me to be bigger than I was coming in.”

In conclusion, Will Sears stresses that “We’re making a model that can be exported to other cities. And I can really see how this can spread around the world.”

And David Wick adds: “This is the right time, the right place, the right people.”

The video concludes with reference to two websites for further information:

Follow the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission at: www.AshlandCPC.org

Learn more about the culture of peace at: www.culture-of-peace.info

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Questions for this article:
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, North America

A Tribute to Woman Peacemaker Joan Bernstein

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article by Sherry Zitter for Nonviolent Peaceforce

Joan Bernstein — advocate, activist, peacemaker and passionate organizer — was sadly struck with Multiple System Atrophy (a Parkinson-like disease) several years ago that cut short her life’s work of bringing peace to our nation and the world through Nonviolent Peaceforce. Joan died December 19, 2016 at 65 years old.


Joan was the heart and soul of the U.S. and Canadian chapters of NP for many years. She helped organize the founding conference for NP, and later the annual conference of North American chapters. She provided us with vision, inspiration, resources, skills — and the endless belief that we could rise to any challenge. In fact, one of her greatest skills was making us believe that her pet project was our own idea and at the top of our priority list!

I first met Joan when the Boston chapter of NP was in its childhood. We had coalesced around Elise Boulding‘s well-known workshop: “Imaging a World Without War,” which Elise suggested we change to “Imaging a World with Nonviolent Peaceforce Instead of War.” Firmly believing that a society cannot reach a goal until we have a clear vision of it, Elise, at 85, trained several of us to run her workshop under NP’s auspices.

Then Joan came along with a vision of her own: a community training model that would teach ordinary US citizens basic conflict resolution skills while they learned about NP’s work and became inspired to support it. Joan was not a trainer, and asked for volunteer trainers to help write the manual and run pilot workshops. I started out telling her I didn’t have time for this project and ended up spending more hours on it than any other over the next several years!

Joan’s vision of a self-duplicating model of trainings in the US to build support for global NP was smart, and it worked in many ways. Lack of consistent volunteer time and budget constraints slowed the progress of the trainings, but many hundreds of new adherents to NP bought Peace Bonds, contributed regularly, and were able to solve neighborhood or family conflicts better than before. Joan wholeheartedly gave technical and emotional / spiritual support to our cadre of trainers in a consistent and deeply devoted manner.

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Question for this article

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

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Her vision of the Listening Project, where inner city voices were amplified by NP volunteers, was another example of Joan’s endless creativity — and how she got volunteers in many cities around the US to join her on this effort.

Joan’s life and peacework may have been cruelly shortened, but we all can carry it on!

I will long remember what she taught me, and will always miss her.

Joan’s Song

CHORUS:
A Woman of Peace, a fighter for change,
A powerful mind with a limitless range,
Holding a vision of the way things could be,
Joan, you leave us a rich legacy.

1. You could have used your brains toward money and power,
Instead you helped justice and equity flower…
Devoted your life to nonviolence and peace,
Our respect for you will never cease! (Chorus)

2. Your dedication to what’s right and true,
Was matched only by Don’s dedication to you,
With no words to guide him, through fatigue and despair,
So loving was his tender care! (Chorus)

3. Delegating to others was your asset so strong —
We thought the idea had been ours all along!
You brought out our best, ‘though I never knew how —
Bet you’ve organized Heaven by now! (Chorus)

4. Your last years were fraught with a sorrow so deep,
Your vital life’s vision you could not complete,
That damn illness silenced the fine work you do,
Now we all must carry on for you! (Chorus)

(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article.)

North America, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

USA: “Day without a woman”

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

Compiled by CPNN from various media as indicated

In the United States, millions of women took part in a “Day without a woman” to mark International Women’s Day, March 8. It was organized by means of social media in the same way as the women’s demonstrations January 21 in which over 2 million protested the policies of the newly inaugurated President Trump.


Members of Congress, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., walk down the steps of the U.S. Capitol to observe “A Day Without a Woman” on Wednesday. Speakers discussed the importance of female workers to the economy and renewed a commitment to women’s equality and rights. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo

Here’s how it was portrayed on the website of the January women’s marches: “In the same spirit of love and liberation that inspired the Women’s March, we join together in making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, recognizing the enormous value that women of all backgrounds add to our socio-economic system–while receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequities, vulnerability to discrimination, sexual harassment, and job insecurity. We recognize that trans and gender nonconforming people face heightened levels of discrimination, social oppression and political targeting. We believe in gender justice. Anyone, anywhere, can join by making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, in one or all of the following ways:

* Women take the day off, from paid and unpaid labor

* Avoid shopping for one day (with exceptions for small, women- and minority-owned businesses).

* Wear RED in solidarity with A Day Without A Woman”

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Question for this article

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

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We have not found any way to measure how many women stayed away from work or to what extent their refusal to shop led to decreased sales, but there were many descriptions of the day in the mass media.

It was reported by United Press International that “schools in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Alexandria, Va., closed for the day because so many teachers opted to stay home. In Rhode Island, a municipal court was forced to close because several clerks and an administrator took the day off.” They also carried the above photo of Congress members leaving the capitol to mark the event.

The website Deadline described actions at a number of media networks, including NBC, Netflix, A&E, Fusion TV and MTV, with the latter turning the “M” upside down on its logo to read “W”.

The website Hollywood Reporter described special editions and other actions by women’s publications, including Teen Vogue, Glamour, Jezebel, Who What Wear, Elle, The Cut (New York Magazine) and Marie Claire.

Adweek described how the following advertising agencies marked the day: 360i, Brand Union, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Huge, Ogilvy, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Heat, David&Goliath, Zambezi, ustwo, Eleven and SS+K.

The website Eater described actions at many restaurants, including some that closed completely to mark the day. They compared the results to those of the Day without immigrants on February 16 in which many immigrants stayed away from work in order to show their crucial importance for the American economy.

Several sources collected excerpts from social media to show how women throughout the country took part in actions to mark the day. These included the Huffington Post, Vocativ, Daily Caller, and Mother Jones . Gossipcop , Elle, and Indie Wire feaureed social media messages by celebrities.

North America, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Restaurants Will Test If The U.S. Can Stomach ‘A Day Without Immigrants’

…. HUMAN RIGHTS ….

An article by Carolina Moreno and Liz Martinez for the Huffington Post (reprinted according to the principle of “fair use”)

Restaurant owners across the country are hoping the way to the nation’s conscience is through its stomach as they prepare to close their businesses in solidarity with immigrants on Thursday.

The restaurateurs are doing their part to support the grassroots movement dubbed “A Day Without Immigrants,” which asks immigrants not to go to work, open their businesses or buy any products for a full day on Feb. 16. The goal is to impress on President Donald Trump the importance of immigration.


Newscast about Day without Immigrants

“I’m happy about it,” said Benjamin Miller, co-owner of El Compadre and South Philly Barbacoa restaurants in Philadelphia. “[I’m] glad to see that chefs are stepping up and taking agency and using their power to advocate for people who are more vulnerable. The most we as chefs risk are fines, but these people risk losing their families. They have a lot more to lose.”

Miller’s wife and business partner, Cristina Martinez, is especially invested in the cause because she is an undocumented immigrant currently unable to apply for a green card, despite being married to a U.S. citizen. The couple will close El Compadre on Thursday. (Their other restaurant opens only on weekends.)

It’s no surprise that restaurateurs are taking a stand against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, which has led to an uptick in raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities. An estimated 1.2 million undocumented immigrants work in food preparation and serving jobs in the United States, according to 2012 Pew Research Center data.

Some high-profile names in the restaurant business have signed on to the effort, including Spanish-born chef José Andrés, who was sued by Trump after he pulled out of plans to open a restaurant in the new Trump hotel in Washington, D.C. Andrés announced on Twitter that he will be closing all five of his D.C. area restaurants on Thursday in solidarity.

The Blue Ribbon restaurant group has also vowed to close seven of its restaurants in New York City.

“This is not a casual decision,” Blue Ribbon partner Eric Bromberg told Eater New York, adding that closing their doors will definitely impact their bottomline. “But there are times in life when money isn’t the most important thing.”

Two other notable chefs with Philadelphia locations, Stephen Starr and Ecuadorian-American Jose Garces, have not said they will shut down for the day, but they are promising not to fire or otherwise punish any employee who decides to participate in “A Day Without Immigrants.”

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Questions related to this article:

The post-election fightback for human rights, is it gathering force in the USA?

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“We recognize the immigrant community is an essential part of the hospitality industry. … We support the right for hospitality industry employees to have their voices heard,” Garces said in a statement to HuffPost. “We are in close communication with any employees who plan to participate Thursday and doing our best to mitigate against any potential impact to our guests’ experience. We will not take any adverse action with any employee who chooses to participate.”

Any decision not to open even for a day is particularly difficult for those who own small businesses. Melissa Silva-Diaz, CEO and owner of the El Burrito Mercado in St. Paul, Minnesota, decided to close her family-owned eatery on Thursday after hearing about the day of protest from customers and workers.

“We had employees and a couple of customers send us the image of ‘Un Día Sin Inmigrantes,’” Silva-Diaz, whose parents are from Aguascalientes, Mexico, said on Wednesday. “I began to ask around and I asked employees, and some said they were planning on not working. That triggered a conversation. We had a meeting yesterday. We had a healthy discussion about it. I asked each individually what they wanted to do. I reached out to other businesses. Everyone was talking about it. Then we took a vote and unanimously we decided to do it.”

She acknowledged that many of her customers aren’t happy about the decision. But she said, “That’s what we want to do, to bring people awareness and get them talking.”

Juan Ramirez, manager of Taquerias Los Jaliscienses in Austin, Texas, understands firsthand the struggles that many undocumented immigrants face. The 54-year-old worked in the fields harvesting potatoes and wheat when he arrived from Mexico decades ago and gained legal status after the Reagan administration granted a major amnesty in 1986.

“I feel we are nothing without immigrants,” Ramirez said. “We are all in the same boat. Why not row together to move forward?”

Ramirez said that his Austin restaurant will be closed on Thursday and that he supports his employees 100 percent. He also noted that many workers were concerned about having enough money to pay their bills, yet they were willing to make the sacrifice.

While mobilizing around immigrants is nothing new, Miller noted, the Trump administration’s immigration directives have lit a fire under the community.

“This is part of a movement that has a long history,” the Philly restaurant owner said. “I feel like this subject is not just about Trump. There were plenty of deportations under Obama. … This political climate is mobilizing more people.”

Miller also hopes consumers will do their part to ensure that “A Day Without Immigrants” makes a strong statement.

“As a patron tomorrow, don’t go to restaurants,” Miller said, addressing all Americans. “Don’t spend money in restaurants. If you go to a restaurant and it’s closed, don’t go to another one. Stay home tomorrow. Cook for yourself. Show solidarity with immigrants. Restaurants not participating, they will feel the impact that immigrants make every day.”

HUMAN RIGHTS, North America

USA: Army veterans forming human shield to protect NoDAPL protesters at Standing Rock

…. HUMAN RIGHTS ….

An article from RT.com

US veterans are returning to Standing Rock to support and protect Native American protesters as the Dakota Access Pipeline continues to meet resistance despite President Trump’s executive order to continue construction of the $3.7 billion pipeline.

The veterans are gathering in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, with many on their way.


Veterans march with activists outside the Oceti Sakowin camp in December © Stephen Yang / Reuters
(click on image to enlarge)

“We are prepared to put our bodies between Native elders and a privatized military force,” Air Force veteran Elizabeth Williams told the Guardian. “We’ve stood in the face of fire before. We feel a responsibility to use the skills we have.”

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has vowed to fight the president’s order to push ahead with the pipeline despite the US Army Corps of Engineers stating it would cancel its planned environmental impact study and grant a permit for construction of the final phase of the pipeline beneath Lake Oahe to go ahead.

The protest camps are being prepared for flooding that is expected to come as temperatures increase. The veterans’ presence will present a challenge to law enforcement wishing to remove water protectors from the area.

(Article continued in the right column)

Questions related to this article:

The post-election fightback for human rights, is it gathering force in the USA?

(Article continued from the left column)

Previous clashes between security officials and protesters have been violent, with police deploying water cannons, rubber bullets and teargas at protesters. Private contractors also set dogs on the demonstrators.

The Veterans Stand group is fundraising for the protesters who continue to resist the pipeline being built by Energy Transfer Partners, and has raised close over $220,000 so far. It said the increase in “turmoil and uncertainty” at Standing Rock has inspired them to act.

More than 1,000 veterans came to Standing Rock in December. Whilst there, they apologized to Native Americans for the US government’s treatment of the country’s indigenous people. Veterans Stand doesn’t expect the same veteran presence as before, but it will provide support to the camps through its fundraising.

“The biggest misconception is that Veterans Stand wants to do anything aggressive in response,” Veterans Stand founder Michael Wood Jr told CNN. “People want to do something and they just don’t know what to do. We just want to give people a platform.”

“We’re not coming as fighters, but as protectors,” Jake Pogue, a Marine Corps vet, told the Guardian. “Our role in that situation would be to simply form a barrier between water protectors and the police force and try to take some of that abuse for them.”

“Finally, it’s the US military coming on to Sioux land to help, for the first time in history, instead of coming on to Sioux land to kill natives,” veteran Dan Luker said.

HUMAN RIGHTS, North America