Toxics Action Conference

Toxics Action Center 2007
20th Annual Citizens' Conference
Saturday, March 24 from 9am to 5:30pm
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Boston, MA

Join 400 activists from MA, CT, and RI as we celebrate 20 years of building safe and healthy communities.
Keynote speaker - Lois Gibbs, citizen activist from Love Canal, NY and founder of the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice
Network - Learn New Skills - Share Strategies - Meet the Experts - Find Inspiration

Choose from more than 35 workshops run by experts and community leaders from across Southern New England.
For a complete agenda, workshop descriptions and leaders, co-sponsors and silent auction contributors, and to register, please visit:
www.toxicsaction.org

march to stop the war 3/17: TPAN group??

March on the Pentagon to defund the war and bring the troops home on March 17th.

I'm trying to figure if i can get off work to go.. would other TPAN ppl from the Boston area be intereted in going? The Troops out Now coalition are sending busses from Boston and they still have seats available. Or, if people who have cars want to drive, maybe we can set up some carpools? Is anyone from other areas planning on going?

to reserve bus seats and get more info: http://www.iacboston.org/031707/m17.html

tufts, events, campus updates

Hey All,
here are some updates from Lolly Berger, and undergrad who is going to be helping us keep up to date with campus on-goings:

MOST concert on friday night @ dewick @
9:30 "Socially Conscious Hip Hop, featuring AFRO DZ AK and band,
FOUNDATION MOVEMENT,and RADix, the event is free. It's technically only
Tufts but I assume ALums can come...

ALAS culture show is March 9...

TASA Show is this wknd as well

A small group of students, myself included, are trying to create an
event geared toward Multiculturalism, Identity at Tufts, basically we
want to encourage integration and have discussion about how people see
themselves vs others see them vs they think they are seen by
others...tentative date is Friday April 13 @ 130, the following week we
would provide a dinner in Dewick conference room for people to further
interact....this was inspired in response from the christmas carol, to
talk about the campus atmosphere and climate of diversity on campus.

mari matusda & charles lawrence

In lieu of all of the affirmative action debate at Tufts currently, Professors Matsuda & Lawrence (both from Georgetown) will be offering --

Lecture:

WE BEEN HERE BEFORE: HATE SPEECH, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND STRUCTURAL INEQUALITY
A public talk at Tufts University by
Profs. Mari J. Matsuda and Charles R. Lawrence, III
Gorgetown University Law Center

Tufts University
ASEAN Auditorium
Cabot Center
Monday, March 5, 5:30 - 7 p.m.

more information on Matsuda:
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/curriculum/tab_faculty.cfm?Status=Faculty&Detail=286

Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund for student activists

A scholarship opportunity for you and your students.

---
The Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund has applications available for
student activists who are building the progressive movement and will
be enrolled in school during the 2007-08 academic year.  Our website
provides answers to questions about the Fund, the application
process, and the students we support.  If you know of students
working for peace and justice, or if you have a list of activist
contacts, please send this announcement along and refer potential
applicants to the Fund's website: http://www.davisputter.org/

Since 1961 the Davis-Putter Fund has provided need-based grants to
students who are able to do academic work at the college level and
are involved in building movements for social and economic justice.
Grantees are both graduates and undergraduates enrolled in accredited
schools for the period covered by their grant.  Although citizenship
is not a consideration, applicants must live in the United States and
plan to enroll an accredited program in the US in order to qualify.

The maximum grant is $8,000 and may be considerably smaller depending
on the applicant's circumstances and the funding available.  All the
funds come from individual donors and there are 25-30 grants awarded
each year.  Grants are for one year although students may re-apply
for subsequent years.

Applications and the supporting documents -- transcripts, a personal
statement, two letters of recommendation, a photograph, financial aid
reports -- must be postmarked by April 1.  Final decisions are not
announced until July.

OAXACA: Taking it to the streets!

En espanol abajo:

OAXACA: Taking it to the streets!
Workshop and discussion about the popular movements of Oaxaca

with Alfonso Pérez
of CIPO - RFM, Oaxaca (Consejo Indígena Popular de Oaxaca - Ricardo Flores Magón)
& Eric Larson
recently returned from Oaxaca

Come and learn about this crucial struggle - and what we can do here!

Facilitator: Daniel Gross, Organizer- IWW Starbucks
Workers Union; www.StarbucksUnion.org

Sunday, February 25
1-3pm
Sixth Street Community Center
638 E. 6th St. between Aves B & C in Manhattan
L train to First Avenue or F train to Second Avenue

Free of Charge, Everyone is Welcome
Espanol y Ingles

Hosted by the IWW Starbucks Workers Union (NYC)
***************************************

OAXACA: ¡Tomando la lucha a las calles!
Un taller y charla sobre los movimientos populares

con Alfonso
Miembro del CIPO - RFM (Consejo Indígena Popular de Oaxaca - Ricardo Flores Magón)
& Eric Larson
recién regresado de Oaxaca

"Este parte de Santa Lucia es tierra de los enemigos. Queda cerca a la Barricada Tres, el ataque por los PRIistas el viernes pasado, y el lugar del asesinato de Brad Will. Además, queda en esta zona la casa de CIPO. Ahora, menos de una semana depués de los ataques, algunos de los mismos PRIistas han acordado a desolojar al CIPO del barrio. Su método, normalmente, es con violencia. Es importante que sepan que sus actos violentos no serán invisibles. Por favor, contacten a los autoridades; digales que si alguien le atacan al CIPO, el responsable es el gobierno Méxicano."
Ven para aprender más de esta lucha imporante, y sobre lo que podemos hacer.

Domingo, 25 feb. 2007

con Daniel Gross, Organizador - IWW Starbucks
www.StarbucksUnion.org 

1-3pm
Sixth Street Community Center (Calle Seis Centro de la Comunidad)
638 E. 6th St. entre de Aves B & C en Manhattan
L tren a First Avenue o F tren a Second Avenue

GRATIS

Espanol y Ingles

IWW Starbucks Workers Union (NYC)

Youth Solidarity Summer's 2007 Organizing Youth Conference

Dear folk,

This comes to us courtesy of former SAATh board-member Professor Rajini
Srikanth. It does seem very promising.

Warmly,

John

------------

----------------------------------------------
Rad and Desi?
If so, it's Your Space!
Youth Solidarity Summer's
2007 Organizing Youth Conference
the most RADICAL birthday bash!!

WHEN: April 13-15 (Friday evening to Sunday afternoon)

WHERE: New York City (@ the historic Brecht Forum!)

WHAT DO WE PROMISE: Conversations, discussions, some
dreams, a little inspiration and lots of Fun!!

WHAT NEXT: Hold the Dates and Get in Touch!

Youth Solidarity Summer is ten years old. But this is
not our birthday alone - in fact, we are celebrating
a decade of progressive South Asian American youth
activism. When we began in 1996-97, we were part of
a fledgling desi youth culture which included such
efforts as Azad Lounge and Trikone in California,
Basement Bhangra in NYC, Des Pardes in Toronto. . .
Soon after, there was a veritable explosion of all things
Desi from one coast to the other, and sister institutions
to YSS soon emerged: OY! in California, RadDesi
in Texas and similar efforts in Boston, Toronto and D.C.

These early experiments and initiatives have now
translated into a range of South Asian American youth
organizations, and a plethora of individuals - young
film makers and musicians, DJs and Organizers. Desi
youth are taking on the challenge in almost every
struggle for social justice - whether anti-imperialist
or anti-oppression - peppered across North American
cities and campuses.

Clearly, there is much to celebrate. However, alongside
the growth of this progressive (cutting) edge of the
desi youth movement, there has also been a simultaneous
growth of the Desi youth right wing - both economic
and religious. At the end of this decade of radical
desi activism, therefore, we on the South Asian Left
must assess our past and plan for the future. And what
better than a weekend retreat in New York City to share
our experiences, reaffirm our commitment to struggle,
renew our energies and strengthen our solidarity?
Youth Solidarity Summer's 2007 'Organizing Youth
Conference' will be just that - a Radical Desi space
where we can plan the next ten years.

Register Now!! we promise you a birthday bash quite unlike
any other! A limited number of travel stipends are available
for those who don't have the cash to travel to NYC. (We SAID
it was unlike any other party!)

For details please visit www.youthsolidarity.org or Contact
us: yss-info@proxsa.org

Discovering Justice seeks Office Manager

Dear members of the Discovering Justice community,

Do you know someone who is: a self-starter? An individual achiever and also a team player? Someone dedicated to helping to preserve and sustain democracy by teaching children about justice and civic values?

Discovering Justice is seeking a new office manager as our fabulous officer manager Cora MacDonald is moving over to expanded duties with DJ's docent programs at both the Moakley Federal Courthouse and also Massachusetts Supreme Court.

Pleaes forward this job description to your networks.

Thanks so much

Maria

Educating for Democracy by Teaching about Justice

Maria Karagianis
Founding Executive Director
Discovering Justice
The James D. St.Clair Court Public Education Project
John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse
One Courthouse Way Suite 3120
Boston, MA 02210
(P) 617.748.4186
(F) 617.748.4199
mkaragianis@discoveringjustice.org

www.discoveringjust

ice.org

----------------------------------------------------------
From: Cora MacDonald
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 1:55 PM
To: staff
Subject: please distribute

DJ Staff:

We are looking to hire a new office manager. Attached please find the new job description. If you know anyone who might be interested in the job, please forward this along.

Thanks,
Cora

Cora MacDonald

Docent Administrator

Office Manager

Discovering Justice

The James D. St.Clair Court Public Education Project

John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse

One Courthouse Way Suite 3120

Boston, MA 02210

(P) 617.748.4185

(F) 617.748.4199

cmacdonald@discoveringjustice.org

www.discoveringjustice.org

event, tufts

Day of Remembrance Program – Tufts University

February 15, 2007
6:00 p.m., Pearson 104 (Talbot Avenue, Medford Campus)

"We Are All Suspects: Race, migration and the war on terror"

Speaker: Tram Nguyen

Author of We Are All Suspects Now: Untold Stories from Immigrant Communities after 9/11, executive editor of Colorlines magazine and award-winning writer and editor with a particular interest in race, immigration, and organizing

"The significance of the post-September 11 period – the round-ups, secret detentions, registration of Muslim males, and raids within immigrant communities, all of the new policies and practices of the war on terror – takes on deeper meaning when considered against the backdrop of immigration and race politics ofthe last two decades."

From We Are All Suspects Now by Tram Nguyen

For questions, please contact the Asian American Center at asianamcenter@tufts.edu or 617-627-3056.

report back from "town hall meeting" at tufts

Hey all,
I went to the Town Hall meeting on Stero-typing and campus climate at Tufts last week. This was one event in a series that is sponcered by the Office of Diversity. (yes there is such a thing.)
the meeting began with a presentation by 2 psychology professors on the psychological perspective on stero-typing, both in terms of why we do it, and what implications it has. This was a farily basic but interesting presentation. Then the BEAT (formally known as the Bias Intervention Team) gave a dramatic presentation about racist sterotyping on campus. All the skits were based on real experiences, and included things like a halloween party where people dressed as members of various racial/ethnic groups, a group of peers assuming that a friend would Obviously get into law school becuase she was a person of color, and a classroom setting where the professor consistantly called a student by the wrong name (Ms. Gomez, Ms. Rodriguez, Ms. Sanchez, instead of her actual last name) . I thought this piece was really well done, they also had slides in the back ground with information about sterotyping and unintentional racism and how harmful it can be.
After that there was a town hall style discussion facilitated by Jean Wu and Lisa Coleman. Lots of people shared their feelings and opinions about the climate on campus.

Many people were asking about how the conversation is going to continue, and what kinds of actual prgramming or change is going to be made. Lisa Coleman said that she has some plans and initiatvies in place through the office of Diversity, which she now heads, but unfortunaly I couldnt stay long enough to hear what those plans are.
So thats the report back from last week. Vagina Monologues and Emerging Black Leaders conference were also this past weekend.
:) Eva

Queers for Economic Justice Seeking Director of Operations

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Queers for Economic Justice is a progressive multi-racial, multi-classed, non-profit organization that works on poverty, class and economic justice issues in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.
We are seeking to hire a Director of Operations, to work part-time (24 hours a week).


Start date:
March 15th

Salary:
$26 per hour, for 24 hours a week.
Health insurance (including dental) provided.

Schedule:
The particular hours are flexible (mornings or afternoons, maybe even an occasional evening, are ok) and can be arranged to accommodate your schedule, but they must be spread out over at least four days a week, preferably five.


QUALIFICATIONS:

The ideal candidate has the following:

• an ability to take initiative, be proactive and organized
• an attention to detail
• good writing skills
• ability to track, and balance, multiple projects simultaneously
• experience with working in an office
• experience book-keeping/accounting
• experience with Microsoft Word, Quickbooks, Access, Excel and Publisher programs
• experience with the immigration, shelter and/or welfare systems
• ability to work with a wide range of people, from all walks of life
• a sense of humor



DUTIES:

OFFICE MANAGEMENT
• Data entry
• Information technology maintenance and support (website, telephone, computers, routers, printers etc.)
• Filing / organizing files, and answering phones
• Planning, coordinating and supervising mass mailings 2-3 times a year
• Shopping for office supplies
• Maintaining and organizing QEJ literature (outreach materials, business cards, brochures, stationary, envelopes, palm cards, etc.)
• Oversee maintenance of web site, and emails to send to the list serve

STAFF MANAGEMENT
• Manage office schedules including staff, volunteers, meetings
• Track staff vacations, absences, etc.
• Volunteer coordination
• Help staff prepare for board meetings
• Work with broker to coordinate staff health insurance plan

BOOK-KEEPING AND FISCAL MANAGEMENT
• Enter data about donations into Access-based donor program
• Enter data (about income, and expenditures) into QuickBooks
• Reconcile bank statements, manage accounts payable and receivable in QuickBooks
• Prepare fiscal reports, out of QuickBooks
• Work with accountant to prepare for annual audits
• Manage outside vendors, including researching and developing accounts, paying bills, etc
• Make deposits to bank
• Get signatures for checks to be paid

DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT
• Provide Executive Director with support with grants (administrative support on tracking, and sending out, proposals and reports)
• Working with Executive Director to track major donor campaign activities
• Sending thank you letters to donors



TO APPLY

Send a resume and cover letter:
by email to Joseph@Q4EJ.org
or
by mail to:
Joseph N. DeFilippis
Queers for Economic Justice
16 W. 32nd Street #10H
New York, NY 10001

Deadline for resumes/letters is February 19, 2007.

For more information about our organization, go to www.QueersforEconomicJustice.org

Legacies of War Part-time Position

Legacies of War
PART-TIME POSITION
New England Coordinator/

Consultant

Legacies of War was founded in 2004 to educate and advocate for the
removal of unexploded bombs in Laos, to provide space for healing the
wounds of war and to create greater hope for a future of peace. The
organization uses art, culture, education, and dialogue to bring people
together and create healing and transformation out of the wreckage of
war. For more information, visit www.legaciesofwar.org.

DESCRIPTION & QUALIFICATIONS
Legacies of War seeks a consultant for the New England Coordinator
position to be based in the Boston-area. This person will coordinate all
Legacies of War-related activities in MA/New England, including the
opening of the National Traveling Exhibit in Cambridge, Lowell, and
Amherst, MA. The individual should have strong project management,
communication and writing skills and experience working with the Laotian
American community in New England. Working knowledge of non-profits and
other community-based organizations a plus. Lao-speaking skills
preferable. Must be able to work independently and sometimes under tight
deadlines. This position requires transportation and cellular phone.
Weekends may be required.

RESPONSIBILITIES
. Coordinating meetings with community members, funders, and artist
community
. Working closely with the project director, artist collaborative, and
national steering committee
. Developing working plan and timeline with national steering committee
. Maintaining and updating national steering committee on project
progress
. Helping secure funding for New England Travel Legacies of War Exhibit
. Managing New England Legacies office, budget, and project assistant(s)

. Securing office space for New England Legacies team
. Supervising project assistants in meeting deadlines
. Interfacing with the media

This is a consultant position of 8 to 12 months. Hourly rate depending
on experience. Send resume and cover letter by Feb 15, 2007 to Ms.
Channapha Khamvongsa at channapha@legaciesofwar.org.

Legacies of War
PAID INTERNSHIP
Project Assistant - Boston

Legacies of War was founded in 2004 to raise awareness about the Vietnam
War-era bombing in Laos, to provide space for healing the wounds of war
and to create greater hope for a future of peace. The organization uses
art, culture, education, and dialogue to bring people together and
create healing and transformation out of the wreckage of war. For more
information, visit www.legaciesofwar.org.

DESCRIPTON & QUALIFICATIONS
Legacies of War seeks an intelligent, dynamic and passionate Project
Assistant for its Boston office. This person will assist the New England
Legacies of War Coordinator in meeting project goals and tasks. This
position requires individual(s) with strong collaboration skills, good
communication skills, and time management. Must have working knowledge
of Microsoft Word, Excel spreadsheets, and the internet. Seeking
individual(s) who work well with others and alone.

RESPONSIBILITIES
. Answering phones and inquiries made through the internet
. Writing minutes of meetings
. Preparing mailings and other project materials for meetings
. Writing project documents
. Assisting New England coordinator with logistics at community meetings
and forums
. Crafting media or marketing materials
. Maintaining the project database
. Some travel and weekends may be required
. Other duties as assigned

The position requires 15-20 hours a week. Stipend amount depends on
experience. Send resume and cover letter by Feb 28, 2007 to Ms.
Phitsamay Uy, at puy@edc.org.

Several contributors to the book Outsiders Within: Writing on Transracial Adoption are visiting Northeastern University tomorrow to speak about their work. I just reviewed this book for the NeoAmericanist, and it is the best book I've seen about adoption period. The book is very much trying to sort out issues of social, political, and economic justice relating to transracial and transnational adoption. It's very smart and very angry and very readable!

Details here:
http://www.neu.edu/aac/programs/outsiderswithin.htm

Hi everyone, I saw this in my inbox today and thought it might interest some folks. It is a bit Brown-oriented, but it is also free and open to the public.

---

A group of Brown alumni is planning a wonderful conference on campus, March 10-11. I thought I'd just give you a head's up about it so you can tell your students or make your plans.

Advancing Social Justice Through the Law: http://www.asjtl.org/

Among the panels are ones on LGBT Rights; Prison/Criminal Reform; International Human Rights; Environmental Justice; Health and Law; and Drug Law Reform.

One of the organizers, Ty Alper, '95 was an AmCiv concentrator and is happy to answer questions at:

talper@law.berkeley.edu

I'm sure there will be more publicity as the dates approach but any circulating of the website address you can do would be appreciated.

Tufts Enowment and socially responsible investing

Tufts Coalition for Endowment Transparency and Democracy is a group at Tufts which is
working to set up a committee of students, alumni, and faculty
to advise the Board of Trustees on socially responsible investing.
This label includes divesting the Tufts endowment from companies that
do business with Sudan, and allow them to commit genocide in Darfur.
The committee would also work with other issue areas
concerning socially responsible investing.

On Friday, February 9th, one of TCETD's members is meeting with the
Board of Trustees to present this idea. The night before from 5-6 PM,
Pangea (human rights activist group on campus) is holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the genocide in order to show university support for this committee and by extension
for divestment in a nonconfrontational manner.

After hearing about your organization, we thought that the Tufts Progressives would be
interested in attending, and in signing our petition to establish the
committee, which we will also circulate at the vigil. Since alumni
gifts account for most of the money in the Tufts endowment, it is
important that alumni (such as yourself) have a say in the where Tufts
invests that money. Please Join us!!!
contact phoenix.tso@gmail.com

TCU discusses resolution on journalistic standards - News

From the Tufts Daily:

TCU discusses resolution on journalistic standards
By: Rob Silverblatt
2/1/07

Tufts Community Union Senate President Mitch Robinson, along with freshman Senator Duncan Pickard, presented "A Resolution to Improve the Accountability and Integrity of Tufts Student Journalism" at the group's weekly meeting on Sunday.

One of many responses by the Senate to the December publication of the carol "O Come All Ye Black Folk" in the conservative publication The Primary Source, the resolution called for more dialogue on journalistic standards...

Read More...

TCU discusses resolution on journalistic standards - News