Peace Council Pages

Educate, Agitate, Organize

SPC IN ACTION

compiled by Carol Baum

Celebrate SPC's 70th - June 10
Come to SPC's 70th Birthday Celebration on Saturday, June 10 - for good company, a tasty vegetarian dinner, and a talk by long-time anti-war activist Kathy Kelly (see page 5). We're also fortunate to have Beth Pyles, who recently helped fill out the Christian Peacemaker Team after four other members had been kidnapped. She will give us an update on the situation in Iraq.

 
The dinner and program will be at St. Andrew the Apostle Church (124 Alden St.) at 6 pm; donation is $10-70 (SPC's age), sliding scale with no one refused for inability to pay. Reservations are strongly encouraged, as space is limited and we want to know how many people to cook for. Childcare is provided by reservation only (let us know by June 2). You are welcome to come just for the talk (program begins at about 7:30).

 
If you can help, contact Carol.

Rae Kramer as George Bush gives a quarter to healthcare and millions to the military during the distribution of the Healthcare or Don’t Care edition of the Shared Times. Photo: Carol Baum

Local Cost of the War Campaign Produces the Shared Times
The occupation of Iraq is forcing poor and moderate income people in Central New York to make huge sacrifices, with no end in sight. Since 2003, Onondaga County has paid over $603 million for the occupation, while losing $11 million in federal aid for desperately needed services.

 
On Tax Day of 2006, SPC's Local Cost of the War Committee kicked off a campaign to lay bare these outrageous priorities. Central to the campaign is the Shared Times, a one-sheet leaflet that focuses on a different issue every two weeks. Our goal is to publish information on how the war budget affects people locally on issues such as health care, housing, veterans' benefits, education, childcare, and environmental protection.

 
The first issue, Tax Day, showed that our county tax dollars going to the occupation of Iraq could have provided two years of health care for every child in the county. The second issue, Healthcare or Don't Care?, revealed that while the Bush Administration spends over $9 million an hour occupying Iraq, in 2006-07, $8.5 million will be cut from Central New York hospitals.

 
To help distribute leaflets or to join the committee, contact Carol or Jessica
- John Burdick

This young man came to NYC for the march from New Jersey. He came with the blessings of both his parents. Photo: Andy

Marching to End the War in Iraq
On April 29, the streets of New York City echoed with the chants, songs and shouts of at least 350,000 people from across the US. Mobilized around calls to end the war in Iraq, to say no to any attack on Iran, and to support the rights and dignity of all people, including immigrants and women, the marchers brought a renewed urgency to the clear demand for change. The march featured the largest antiwar labor contingent in US history.

 
An energetic group from SPC marched along the long, crowded expanse of Broadway to Foley Park, where they represented the Peace Council at the Peace and Justice Festival.

 
A sister march of about 30 people took place in Syracuse that same day. The marchers carried signs and the Guernica mural, walking from Forman Park to Lexington Park, the site of Earth Day festivities.

 
Thanks to everyone who came out to march and to those of you who contributed your solidarity and support.
- Aimee Jurista

PS - Special thanks to Aimee for organizing the SPC New York City contingent.

Ningùn Ser Humano Es Ilegal! No Human Being Is Illegal!
On Earth Day, SPC joined with La Liga (Spanish Action League) and myriad other organizations in the March for Immigrants' Rights, a demonstration that brought nearly one hundred people into the streets shouting "Si se puede! Yes, we can!"

Under umbrellas and sloshing through mud puddles, protestors marched from La Liga on the Westside, past Fowler High School, and around the Federal Building, ending with a rally in Clinton Square with music and speakers.

The Syracuse march was just one in a series of mass mobilizations throughout the country bringing attention to the state-sanctioned oppression of immigrant workers, and demanding that US policies address the conflicts, poverty, and denial of human rights that pressure people to come to the US in the first place.

Come to Water, Precious Water - June 11
On June 11, the Syracuse Community Choir, in collaboration with the Onondaga Nation, SPC, Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation/SPC, and the Partnership for Onondaga Creek, is hosting a concert and celebration at the Inner Harbor, where Onondaga Creek meets Onodaga Lake (see page 7).

The focus is "Water, Precious Water," and the day's events are part of a larger campaign of "Honoring Water." We are inspired by the Onondaga Nation Land Rights Action, which reminds us of the preciousness of the environment and the need for healing. We hope that this celebration/concert will help.

The festival begins at 3 pm, with creek walks, canoe rides, games, and other educational activities. The concert begins at 6 pm.

For more information, see www.peacecouncil.net/water or contact Carol.

SPC’s Monthly Program

Get Informed about Occupation: ISRAEL AND PALESTINE Students from Ithaca report back on their experiences in Israel and Palestine. Co-sponsored by the Syracuse Peace Council and the Outreach Committee of the Islamic Society of CNY. Tuesday, June 6 7-8:30 pm Westcott Community Center (corner of Euclid and Westcott, Syracuse) followed by refreshments & discussion. FREE

Active Solidarity Group
The White Racism Working Group, formed after SPC's February program on racism in the activist community, has claimed a new name-Active Solidarity. Things are finally rolling after some starts and coughs and we are now on our way to becoming a more active and effective part of the struggle against white supremacy.

We're planning an intensive fall study/action group modeled after the Challenging White Supremacy Workshop for white activists and organizers (www.cws.org). We're also discussing ways to blend anti-racist consciousness-raising in the white community with fundraising for organizations led by people of color.

Check out our first event on Thursday, June 22 at 7 pm at Westcott Community Center-a screening of Malcolm X. Donations will be collected for the Partnership for Onondaga Creek, a local organization challenging institutionalized racism in the fight for environmental justice on the South and West sides of Syracuse.

Bikes 4 Peace Summer Schedule
At the Earth Day Festival on April 29, we worked with neighborhood youth to fix seven bikes. One of the youth (who came without a bike) was able to earn a bike that had been donated to our program by helping us to repair another child's bike.

On May 13, we held our first volunteer training of the year - seven people came to learn what we do and participate in training sessions on basic bicycle maintenance and working with youth. We're now preparing for a full schedule of summer workshops. Contact Jessica to get involved or donate bikes (we're looking for storage space as well!).

Here's where our free clinics will be this summer. All are Mondays, 5-7 pm:

Kathryn Sansone (left) and Kathlyn Raboff are a mother-daughter team who regularly travel from Cortland to join the Weekly Peace Outreach. Their message is seen by thousands each week. May 9, corner of E. Genesee St. and Erie Blvd. Photo: Andy

May 22 - Lexington Park (E. Genesee St. and Lexington Ave.)
June 5 and 19 - Northeast Community Center (716 Hawley Ave.)

July 17 and 31 - South Presbyterian Church (112 W. Colvin St.)
August 14 and 28 - Spanish Action League (700 Oswego St.)

 

Weekly Peace Outreach

Express your anti-war sentiment every week, in a different part of the area. Every Tuesday, 4:45-5:30 pm • June 6 Teall Ave. and Rt. 690 (Eastside) • June 13 Adams St. and Rt. 81 (Downtown) • June 20 E. Genesee St. (Rt. 370/31) and Syracuse St. (Rt. 48), B'ville • June 27 Rt. 57 and Vine St., Village of Liverpool •WED., July 5 Rt. 695 exit ramp to W. Genesee St. (Fairmount) • July 11 Seneca Tpk. and S. Salina St. (Valley) • July 18 James Street and Thompson Rd. (Northside) • July 25 Geddes St. and W. Genesee St. (Westside)

MAEP Career Fair - Tessa
SPC coordinated career fairs at each of the four city high schools in May, inviting nonprofits and social change organizations to talk with students. About 10-12 organizations participated each day May 15-18, staffing tables during the school lunch periods, 11 am-1 pm, and speaking with students about careers in social justice and peace work. Participating organizations included the American Friends Service Committee, Syracuse Cooperative Federal Credit Union, the NAACP, the Student Environmental Action Coalition and others. SPCalso distributed a flyer of helpful websites and national organizations for students to check out.

The career fairs were primarily organized by SPC high school intern Tessa Sayers-Corcoran (see article), who felt the event was a great success. SPC hopes to turn this into an annual event. If you have suggestions for next year's career fair, please contact us.

NOON Reading Group Starts
How many of us learned about the Sullivan Campaign in school? How about the Treaty of Canandaigua? The members of the Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation reading group are looking forward to reading about that and more. We had our first meeting, and will be meeting once a month for the rest of this summer. It is not too late to join! Contact Carol for information on what we're reading, and about the next meeting.

Come Join the Parades
SPC will once again have contingents in both the Pride and Juneteenth Parades. The good news this year is that the two parades are on different days.

Marching in the parades is a fun way to show SPC's solidarity with other groups. Please join us for one or both parades:

Pride Parade: Saturday, June 10; meet 10:30 am at Montgomery and Salina Streets (in front of City Hall). The parade will begin right after the raising of the Rainbow Flag at City Hall.

Juneteenth Parade: Saturday, June 17; meet 11:30 am at Colvin and Salina Streets. The route this year is two miles, so we will arrange transportation back to Colvin and Salina.
Contact Carol or Andy.

It's Fund Appeal Time
Twice a year SPC sends out a fund appeal mailing to people on our mailing list and assorted others. To do everything SPCdoes takes energy, time and money. Please be as generous as you can - we use every dollar to the fullest. And if by some chance you didn't receive a fund appeal in the mail, feel free to ask for one (or just make a donation of money, time or materials).

For detailed information on SPC's finances, contact Carol.

Activist Appreciation: Rose Viviano
In 2002, Rose Viviano offered her theater set painting skills to transform Carol's gray, dingy office into a friendlier space. Over time the SPC staff came to understand that Rose was an experienced organizer who had taken a long break from activism. Bit by bit Rose became more involved - first it was the Program Committee, helping to think through the Bush Must Go! Campaign. Then it was the months of organizational and strategic planning organized by the Steering Committee. Now she is active with the Local Cost of the War Campaign, the Steering Committee, and is one of the food coordinators for the Birthday Dinner. Recently she finished organizing the production of the Guernica mural, which has become an important piece of demonstrations and marches.

Rose's energy, spirit and enthusiasm are matched by her creativity, skills in strategic thinking, and organizing ability. We are thrilled that she is part of SPC.