MN Progressive Project - Peace

Contact Your Political Representatives

Grace Kelly — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:03:21 GMT

Everyone of us is being asked to speak up as loudly as we can about health care for people not profits for health care insurance! Here is note that I wish to send to every of Minnesota's federal level politicians!

Health Care:
Please support a robust public option. I like medicare! I like the government running the health care insurance instead of current health care insurance companies! I want all of my heath care dollar going for health care, not health care INSURANCE company profits, not health care INSURANCE company executive salaries and really not any part of not health care INSURANCE company administration. Health care INSURANCE companies are killing us with delay, denial, overriding the doctor's choices, exclusion of pre-existing conditions and even rescinding coverage long after accepting the first payment. Health Care INSURANCE companies provide no useful service and add a huge cost to getting health care. Don't believe the public relations lies and fake grassroots presentation of Health Care INSURANCE. Be courageous, don't be conned by the lobbyists. Be politically courageous and support a robust public option. If you can be courageous enough, then support single payer. Now is the time that determines whether politicians are corporate puppets or heroes of the people!

You can write a note in your own words. It does not have to be long. It can be as simple as:

I want health care not health care insurance. Please support the robust public option!

The hardest part is having easy access to contact each politician. Fortunately, I have built a list for you, just a click below. Now, feel empowered to make the best of use of time to make an impact. Speak up, it really matters!
Basically there are two ways to go in writing a note, the passionate long story or the quick easy summary for the counts. Generally, the political assistants will pull the best articles of the day to be read, and then simply tally the rest. The lower level the office, the more likely is that all notes are read.

All of the people on this list are federal level politicians, who represent Minnesota. For those of us who are NOT political junkies, there are also senators and representatives at the Minnesota state level, which would be a different list!

President Barack Obama, (Democratic Party)

The top of his site reads, "President Obama is committed to creating the most open and accessible administration in American history."

Website

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

Senator Al Franken, (DFL)

E-mail: info@franken.senate.gov (Sorry, no easy link)

Website

Washington Office
320 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

(202) 224-5641

St. Paul Office (temporary)
United States Court House
316 N Robert St #615
St. Paul, MN 55101

651-221-1016 (temporary)

Senator Amy Klobuchar, (DFL)

Website

1-888-224-9043
Washington Office
320 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-3244
202-228-2186 (fax)

Metro Office
1200 Washington Avenue South
Suite 250
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-727-5220
612-727-5223 (fax)

Southern Office
1134 7th Street NW
Rochester, MN 55901
507-288-5321
507-288-2922 (fax)

Northwestern & Central Office
121 4th Street South
Moorhead, MN 56560
218-287-2219
218-287-2930 (fax)

Northeastern Office
Olcott Plaza, Suite 105
820 9th Street
Virginia, MN 55792
218-741-9690
218-741-3692 (fax)

Many Representatives screen email inputs from constituents in their own Congressional districts. Since I have worked on many campaigns, I feel empowered to contact any representative from Minnesota. I slightly cheat by using the zip code of the local office on the listing (not that I would ever recommend that).

Representative Tim Walz, (1st - DFL)

Email (55901)

Website

Washington Office
1529 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-2472
202-225-3433(fax)

Rochester Office
1134 7th St NW
Rochester, MN 55901
507-206-0643

Mankato Office
227 E Main St Ste 220
Mankato, MN 56001
507-388-2149

Representative John Kline, (2nd - GOP)

Email (55337)

Website

Washington Office
1429 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-2271
202-225-2595 (fax)

Burnsville Office
101 W Burnsville Pkwy Ste 201
Burnsville, MN 55337
952-808-1213
952-808-1261 (fax)

Representative Eric Paulsen, (3rd - GOP)

Health Care Survey

Email (55344)

Website

Washington Office
126 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-2871
202-225-6351 (fax)

Minnetonka Office
250 Prairie Center Drive, Suite 230
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
952-405-8510
952-405-8514 (fax)

Representative Betty McCollum, (4th - DFL)

Email (55104)

Website

Washington Office
1714 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-6631
202-225-1968 (fax)

St. Paul Office
165 Western Ave N Ste 17
St. Paul, MN 55102
651-224-9191
651-224-3056 (fax)

Representative Keith Ellison, (5th - DFL)

Email (55411)

Website

Washington Office
1130 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-4755
202-225-4886 (fax)

Minneapolis Office
2100 Plymouth Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55411
612-522-1212
612-522-9915 (fax)

Representative Michelle Bachmann, (6th - GOP)

Email (56387)

Website

Washington Office
412 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-2331
202-225-6475 (fax)

Woodbury Office
6043 Hudson Rd
Woodbury , MN 55125
651-731-5400
651-731-6650 (fax)

St.Cloud/Waite Park Office
110 2nd Street S, Suite 232
Waite Park, MN 56387
320-253-5931
320-240-6905 (fax)

Representative Collin Peterson, (7th - DFL)

Email (56501)

Website

Washington Office
2211 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-2165
202-225-1593 (fax)

Detroit Lakes Office
714 Lake Ave Ste 107
Detroit Lakes, MN 56501
218-847-5056
218-847-5109 (fax)

Montevideo Office
100 N First St
Montevideo, MN 56265
320-269-8888

Willmar Office
320 4th St SW
Centre Point Mall
Willmar, MN 56201
320-235-1061

Marshall Office
SW/SC 1420 E College Dr
Marshall, MN 56258
507-537-2299

Red Lake Falls Office
MN Wheat Growers Bldg
2603 Wheat Dr
Red Lake Falls, MN 56750
218-253-4356
218-253-4376 (fax)

Redwood Falls Office
230 E 3rd St
PO Box 50
Redwood Falls, MN 56283
507-637-2270

Representative James Oberstar, (8th - DFL)

Email (55802 - 4444)

Website

Washington Office
2365 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-6211
202-225-0699 (fax)

Duluth Office
231 Federal Bldg
Duluth, MN 55802
218-727-7474
218-727-8270 (fax)

North Branch Office
38625 14th Ave Ste 300B
North Branch, MN 55056
651-277-1234
651-277-1235 (fax)

Chisholm Office
Chisholm City Hall
316 Lake St
Chisholm, MN 55719
218-254-5761
218-254-5132 (fax)

Brainerd Office
Brainerd City Hall
501 Laurel St
Brainerd, MN 56401
218-828-4400
218-828-1412 (fax)

This is a tool for your voice to be heard! Emailing or phone calling a political representative only takes a small amount of time. So few people contact their representatives that your voice has the impact of hundreds or thousands. And of all the notes you write, the most effective one is a "Thank You" note! So I am creating this quick list of political contacts. Please use it and link to it!

This article is the first of the activist articles.I am planning to build an series of umbrella articles that will package some of the great writing on this site with other great links. For example, campaign report will have the Governor's comprehensive overview with links to the best. While my name is on the articles because I start them, this is a collaborative project where all the editors can contribute and update. Everyone is invited to contribute through the articles.

An activist handbook will lead the peace issues category, created out of a series of articles. This article is the first of the activist articles. It is my goal that MPP becomes the most useful political site for Minnesota Progressives!

Minnesotans Condemn Israeli Assault on Humanitarian Ships

Curmudgeon — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:20:36 GMT

I have attended many peace rallies. This was the angriest crowd I've ever seen. About 250 protestors rallied in front of the Minneapolis office of Sen. Amy Klobuchar to protest the May 30 attack on the Free Gaza Flotilla in international waters off the coast of Gaza. Sixteen peace activists were reported killed with more than 50 wounded. The flotilla was flying Irish, Turkish and Greek flags.

A group of about 30 barged into Amy's office where they were met by John Kavanagh, state director. He listened to a number of angry pleas for senatorial action. The group was also upset with the knee-jerk US action in blocking UN action and in quietly acquiescing to the high seas piracy and resulting deaths and injury.

ATK PeaceTrespassers Face The Music

Curmudgeon — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 02:15:13 GMT

Every Wednesday at 7:00 AM no matter what the weather, for the past 14 years a dedicated group of peace protesters, Alliant Action, has visited notorious AlliantTechsystems (ATK) in Eden Prairie, MN. ATK is the states largest weapons manufacturer. Many of the weapons - cluster bombs, depleted uranium ammunition - are illegal under international treaty. ATK revenues for 2010 are estimated at $4.8 billion. It is the worlds largest ammunition manufacturer.

On October 2, 2009, Gandhi's 140th birthday, an attempt to deliver documents about employee liability for the production of illegal munitions resulted in trespass arrest for 4 protesters. The hearing in Hennepin County court on April 23 resulted in continuance of case and assessment of $1 each for court costs.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Alliant Action has its roots in the Honeywell Project started in 1968 by Marv Davidov at the old Honeywell torpedo factory in Hopkins.

The court hearing produced a very thoughtful ruling by the Judge Cahill, reading in part, "What I found was a group of people who were very sincere, very compassionate, and I have to give you credit for one thing I don't always see among protesters: and that is humility. There is not an arrogance about your message, there is more a plea for, almost a desperation, to hear of the injuries of others as you try to stop the violence you see around the world. That's refreshing. I think your actions are consistent with the highest standards of the traditions of civil disobedience, Dr. King and Gandhi, who you celebrated by doing the protest on his birthday, which I think is very appropriate."

A quite different attitude than the Ramsey County RNC8 trials.

Grannies for Peace Invade Knollwood Plaza

Curmudgeon — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:03:43 GMT

Zero Recruitment Day (April 22, 2010) brought Grannies for Peace to the Army Recruiting Center at Knollwood Plaza in St. Louis Park, MN. They were evicted by mall security and took station at the mall entrance on Highway 7.

This was one of hundreds of similar events across the nation.

Six Peace Demonstrators Arrested at Franken Office

Curmudgeon — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:56:42 GMT

A peaceful demonstration against funding the Afghan war in front of Senator Al Franken's St. Paul Office ended with the arrest of 6 protesters who refused to leave the Senator's office when it closed. They wore blood-stained shirts in honor of the dead in Afghanistan. About 40 people participated in the street demonstration. Twenty went to the office and participated in a conference call with the Senator while he was in a car returning from Duluth.
The arrested demonstrators were ticketed and released.

video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk41m3TkqxM

Peace Marchers Rally in Minneapolis

Curmudgeon — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:07:06 GMT

A few hundred chanting peace marchers formed up at 3rd the Cedar on the West Bank and took a long route to the Bedlam Theater. Body counts at these events are always a challenge, but my guess is around 300 - 350. Lots of young people, 4 Avatars, and a medley of chants and songs.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
RawStory to ThinkProgress reports on the media fascination with tea baggers, ignoring the peace folks, so what else is new. http://thinkprogress.org/2010/...
In Minneapolis the octogenarians and the teens marched arm in arm to ask for a better world.

Sheriff Fletcher's Lawsuit Bills Keep Rising

Grace Kelly — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:59:13 GMT

The Star Tribune reports that Patrick Uzalac, the gentleman suing Sheriff Fetcher for lack of medical treatment on frozen feet, has now died. It will take an autopsy to determine cause. If there is cause from the jail treatment, then we will have yet another wrongful death case.

Even more telling, is that more and more cases of lack of medical treatment are coming forward. This is also confirmed by the anonymous notes that I have been receiving:

"What has emerged is a pattern of, I don't think neglect, but almost to the point of affirmative abuse," Hajek said. "One guy fell off a cot and broke his heal. He went without medical care for two to three months ... now he's disabled. Another guy, he had broken stitches from an appendectomy and they didn't treat him."
Hajek said he expects to file additional lawsuits.
Star Tribune article by James Walsh

What the Star Tribune is failing to say, let me say very clearly. This is a widespread pattern of mis-management that displays that Sheriff Fletcher ought to retire to Florida immediately. This is a peace and justice issue of the highest urgency! Only the voters of Ramsey county can manage to force Sheriff Fletcher's retirement. Fortunately, a number of us have been able to persuade a current St Paul Assistant Chief Matt Bostrom to take on the challenge. Matt Bostrom is the opposite of Sheriff Fletcher is in every way: professional, capable, calm and reliable!

The Cost of War is Economic Defeat

Grace Kelly — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:27:55 GMT

As we struggle to balance our state government budget, as we struggle to keep our constitutional civil rights and as we struggle to even provide basic health care and basic food to all US citizens, then we ought to remember how were got here.

How we got here?

War

More than any external threat, the United States is being hurt by the desire for war and insatiable greed. John Marty (not endorsed by me) says it best:

Cost of War is budgetary "Elephant in the Room"
by Senator John Marty
February 26, 2010.
The cost of the Iraq and Afghan wars is the budgetary "elephant in the room." It's enormous and it's right in front of us, yet we don't talk about it as we face our economic woes. We don't need to get into arguments about the wars to consider the burden war places on our economy.
President Dwight Eisenhower, one of our nation's greatest military leaders, late in life, expressed deep concern about what he called "the military industrial complex." Eisenhower stated, "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."

During World War II, people were told that the war would require blood, toil, tears, and sweat -- real sacrifice, not just for soldiers overseas, but also for the people back home.
In contrast, for the current Iraq and Afghan wars, people were told they wouldn't have to sacrifice at all; taxes would be cut, not raised. President Bush told people after 9/11 that the patriotic thing to do was to "go shopping." Perhaps that was due to delusional ideology, or perhaps it was a trigger-happy leader who recognized that if people understood the true cost, the war would be unjustifiable.
What this means for Minnesota's economy is clear. In addition to the incredible sacrifices made by so many military families, Minnesota's share of the cost of the wars now exceeds $5 billion for every two-year state budget cycle. Think of the investments that could be made in our communities if the federal government invested that money in the states instead of in the war. We could have avoided the layoffs of teachers and police and firefighters and health care workers. Think of the investments in living wage jobs, the investments in nursing homes for seniors, the investments in early childhood and helping at-risk kids succeed, the investments in public infrastructure.
Minnesotans working to build a better future face growing setbacks: Young people on the "six year plan" to get a two year college degree because they work two jobs to pay tuition. Parents struggle to find a safe place for their young kids during the workday because of cuts in sliding-fee child care. Employers unable to hire older workers because their pre-existing conditions would send the employer's insurance premiums through the roof. People with disabilities face shrinking state programs that once covered them.
Those setbacks occur because states are unable to help people get a fair shake due to budget problems. It is time to press Washington to change its priorities away from war and into facing human needs in our communities.
The military budgets of all other nations of the world combined, barely exceeds the $693 billion the U.S. will spend on the military this year. And the $693 billion doesn't include the $42 billion for Homeland Security, nor the undisclosed budget for the National Intelligence Program.
Based on population, Minnesota's share of total military spending, including the two wars, is almost $12 billion every year. That's two-thirds as large as our entire state general fund budget of roughly $17 billion/year. Imagine what we could accomplish if we cut our military spending by half. The savings would balance the state budget and make huge investments in education and community development.
President Eisenhower said, "I hate war, as only a soldier who has lived it can, as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity." He was clear in his message: "This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hope of its children."
Sixty years later, we can see that the endless war has a real cost here at home. For the first time in our history, we are losing ground: High school students today have a lower graduation rate than their parents' generation. Fewer young adults have access to health care than their parents have. Today's workers will be less likely to have a decent pension than their parents enjoy. Eisenhower warned us. In spending money on war, we are truly taking away the hope of our children.
If we care about our future, ignoring the economic cost of war is just as foolish as ignoring the human cost.

Amy's Staff Requests Meeting with Peace Protesters

Curmudgeon — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:22:32 GMT

A couple hundred peace protesters gathered in front of Amy Klobuchar's Minneapolis office to protest ongoing atrocities in Afghanistan as the surge builds. The most recent event was in Marjah, with more slaughtered civilians, collateral damage.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

In a surprise move, John Kavanagh, Amy's state director came out and asked for a meeting with representatives of the various peace groups involved in this action.

A Cup of Tea for Paulsen

Curmudgeon — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:04:46 GMT

The 3rd district committee of the Minnesota Peace Project delivered a cup of tea to Congressman Erik Paulsen's Eden Prairie office Friday morning, Jan 29. The committee had struggled to secure a 2nd meeting with our freshman congressman in November. During the meeting Paulsen admitted to lack of knowledge about Afghanistan. He did say he was reading Greg Mortenson's book, "Three Cups of Tea," a longtime NY Times bestseller. This book, which has become required reading for all officers enrolled in counter insurgency courses at the Pentagon, describes Greg's work in building schools for girls in the remote region of Baltistan, in far Northeast Pakistan.

Committee chair Linda Thomson delivered a freshly brewed pot of tea and some homemade pumpkin cookies to the office in furtherance of continued dialog with Paulsen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
The book title comes from a Baltistan proverb that says, "The first cup of tea you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, the third you become family." This ritual is custom for business or serious social meetings throughout the region in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Greg's organization has built over 130 schools, most of them for girls, in the far reaches of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Most NGO (Non-Governmental Organizations) start in population centers and wrk out from there. Greg goes to, "The end of road," the most remote places and lets the population centers catch up. He continues to prove the power of education vs armed force.

Candidate Paulsen met with the 3rd CD Peace Committee and promised to continue the relationship we enjoyed with Jim Ramstad and to continue Jim's town meetings The committee came together as weekly occupiers of Jim's Minnetonka office for about 20 weeks during 2007 and a series of meetings with him on peace issues. We often disagreed but it was a respectful dialog on both sides.

Congressman Paulsen has been less accessible but he did agree to a second meeting in November.

Minnesota Peace Project is committed to furthering s serious peace agenda with dialog and discussion with all 10 Minnesota members of Congress.

The cup of tea was delivered as a symbol of expected continued respectful discourse.

Peace, Salaam, Shalom: A New Year's Wish from Minneapolis to Gaza!

Coleen Rowley — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:04:21 GMT

The three word peace refrain reverberated and echoed throughout several blocks of Minneapolis skyways on one of the last days of 2009 as our "Gaza Freedom Solidarity March" snaked safely in a bubble protected from the cold Minnesota winter.

The contrast could not have been greater between our situation and that of the (less than safe, to put it lightly) situation of seven Minnesotans who went to Cairo, hoping to march in Gaza, who have been forcibly and repeatedly stopped by the Egyptian Government (but whose message, nonetheless, has gotten through in various demonstrations throughout the Egyptian city).

Despite the great differences in and distances between our locations, the hundreds of marches, rallies and vigils that have been held in the last few days all over the world, while very different from the scenes in Cairo and in Gaza, have given great expression of solidarity with the international, human rights activists, and the Gazan and Israeli marchers. It seems as if a lot more of the world's conscience has been touched in calling attention to the existing humanitarian crisis and asking that the siege of Gaza be lifted.

For example, the photos below are from a Facebook friend who sent me a visually effective slideshow of their march outdoors in downtown Seattle in solidarity with the Gaza Freedom March.

Our walk through Minneapolis skyways was covered by one Twin Cities TV channel (KSTP Channel 5), but other mainstream media preferred to focus their news that day on stories about snow blowers and an ice chunk that fell on a parked car. Many, many articles, however, from all over the world about the history in the making are listed on CodePink's website (here and here).

I must admit that we Minneapolis marchers did get tired, after a few blocks, of singing the same (three words) peace refrain. After a dozen blocks, our voices got a bit croaky. But when the downtown lunch crowd we were meeting in the skyway reverted back to giving puzzled looks, I knew we had to keep the song going all the way to the end.

It's become clear that hope for peace no longer resides in any one leader but only through more people's own exercise of creative nonviolence in the tradition of Gandhi and Martin Luther King. As we see, the news on this first day of 2010 continues to be filled with Blackwater repercussions, military drone and terrorist bombings, and violent repressions of civilians throughout the Mideast, we must continue reminding our leaders in the US, Israel, Egypt and throughout the world that violence only begets violence, that war has not worked to reduce terrorism, that war is not peace and we cannot bomb the village to save it. The song of "Peace, Salaam, Shalom" must continue even if our voices get croaky from Minneapolis to Gaza and everywhere in between.

(Originally published on Huffington Post)

The news you didn't hear or see. The Minneapolis Gaza Solidarity March

Curmudgeon — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 19:47:02 GMT

On December 30, several hundred Minnesotans marched in solidarity and with 7 Minnesotans joining 100 others struggling to deliver humanitarian aid to the 1.5 million Gazans in open air prison after the Israeli siege that killed some 1400 men, women, children and other innocents in the bombardment a year ago.

Only KSTP offered minor coverage, all other media outlets and the major bloggers ignored the fact of this demonstration of peace and concern. So much for our free press.

Jeff Strate tells the story in his magnificent video coverage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Minnesota Peacemakers at Egyptian Gaza Border

Grace Kelly — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:56:49 GMT

A few missiles came from the Gaza strip striking on Israel soil. The Israeli reaction was to invade and stomp out the missile strikers, but it did not stop there. Essentially the Gaza strip has been locked down such that earning a living, getting food and getting medicine is difficult if not impossible. It is the goal of a group of peacemakers from here to observe and to tell that story. Here is the latest report on that mission:

From David Tilsen -
All we wanted to do was speak to a representative at the consulate in Cairo to ask for assistance in getting across the border to Gaza. When we got to the security gate a couple of blocks before the US embassy in Cairo, and showed our US passports and said that we wanted to go to the embassy, we were first asked to wait a while.

As we waited the group grew in size, eventually a banner for the Gaza Freedom March was unfurled and the police got nervous. We repeatedly asked to be allowed to go to the embassy, or to has a representative from the embassy come and talk to us.
Myself, David Tilsen, my Nephew Mark Tilsen, Sylvial Schartz and the Chalbis were with a group of about 20 people. Eventually riot police with helmets, batons etc, appeared and locked arms. They brought in metal gates and corralled us in in the middle of the street. For five hours people were not allowed to leave, use a bathroom, or have any food or water brought in.
We were told by the Egyptian police that we were being detained at the request of the Embassy. Later, after much negotiation, some pushing and shoving, and tempers flaring, we were told that any citizen had a right to talk to a member of the councilor's office. We knew this.
Finally they let people go, but many people were, at this time in need of bathrooms, or food but the five Minnesotans stayed and did finally see someone from the consulate's office. We made a formal request that the Egyptian government be asked to allow us to enter Gaza. We were told that Egypt was a sovereign government and their decision to not allow us in was their decision. We made the request anyway.
We did not raise the issue at the time of our detention because we did not want to cloud the request to get into Gaza with another request at this time.
We do intend to seek, somehow a review or response from the American Government on this issue.
(Facebook Cause)

If you want to help, then please call Senator Klobuchar's office at: 612-727-5220 and ask them to help the MN delegation to the Gaza Freedom March get access to Gaza and avoid further harm or harassment from the Egyptian Gov't and US State Dept.

If you want to be more expressive, then there is a rally tomorrow at 11:30 AM in the skyway level of the Hennepin Co. Gov't Center.

Gaza Freedom March: Disappointment, Flux and Vigils on the Nile

Coleen Rowley — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:52:24 GMT

My friend, Sylvia Schwarz, in Cairo as part of the Minnesota delegation, told me in a telephone conversation this morning that despite the great disappointment she and others are feeling with regard to the Egyptian government's continuing intransigence on allowing the international human rights activists to travel to Gaza and the state of flux and uncertainty they all face, they are making the best of the situation. Sylvia said that the number of activists assembled in various hotels in Cairo now far outnumbers the 1400 that was initially projected and that the thousands assembled include seven Minnesotans. Sylvia reported that various peaceful vigils have been held around the city and at the international participants' respective embassies.
lot was happening across the world in Cairo yesterday as I and a friend painted faces on our "I am Gaza" signs in preparation for our upcoming "Gaza Freedom Solidarity" march in Minneapolis on Wednesday, December 30 (see my prior post with details here: http://www.mnprogressiveprojec...

As of this writing, the Egyptian police have apparently reacted in a respectful, non-violent manner at the various peaceful gatherings in Cairo which have been occurring. I have personally just called staffers in both Minnesota Senators' offices (Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken) asking that the Senators contact our U.S. Embassy to ensure the safety of the Minnesotans and other human rights activists in Cairo who are attempting to participate in the "Gaza Freedom March" and to do what they can in terms of asking for the impasse with Egypt to be resolved with diplomacy.

One of the activists in Cairo, "Starhawk" got some great photos and posted this update yesterday. Here's an excerpt from Starhawk's blog:

About a hundred people went out to the Kasr al Nil bridge around noon--the bridge to the large island in the middle of the Nile. They placed cards and flowers on the bridge to commemorate the more than 1300 Gazans who died in the Israeli assault that began a year ago today, on December 27, 2008. The police eventually showed up and ordered them off the bridge, but didn't arrest anyone.
The plan for the afternoon was to meet at 4 pm down by the Nile and take feluccas, the small sailboats that go up and down the river. On the boats, we could meet in small groups and then converge later for a larger meeting. We hurried down there (I spend a lot of these actions trailing after people who are younger, faster and slimmer) and eventually I jumped in a taxi with a few other women at Lisa's suggestion. A knot of activists were surrounded by a thicket of cameras. The police were blocking us from getting on the boats, and shut down the rental place. But we gathered, a group of several hundred, which we had been expressly forbidden to do. Medea Benjamin, one of the Code Pink leaders, jumped up and made an impromptu speech. "Who here wants to take a boat on the Nile, like tourists do?" she asked. Everyone raised their hands. "Who here wants to go to Gaza?"

Medea Benjamin inspired the crowd
The crowd began cheering and unfurling banners and chanting "Free Gaza!" We lit our candles in cups and held them aloft.
There were people from all over the world in the crowd--young students and old people, every imaginable mix of countries and races and religions. The spirit was strong, and as more and more police arrived, everyone remained calm. The crowd began marching back down the riverside, and then the police threw up a cordon and blocked us in. Lisa was trying to negotiate and persuade the head officer to let us march down back to the bridge and disperse there, but he wouldn't go for it. The police were not in riot gear--most of them seemed to be in plain clothes, and their hearts weren't really in keeping us blocked in. They held hands to barricade us, and they kept smiling. People lifted up their arms and ducked under and got out, and from time to time they opened up and let people out, without much rhyme nor reason. Basically, they are personally in sympathy with our cause, and that's working in our favor.

The Candlelight vigil to commemorate the Gazans who died in the Israeli assault one year ago.
Eventually, they moved aside and let everyone go. People felt strong and empowered by the action. We had been told that the Egyptian government did not want us to protest in Cairo, to be interviewed by the press, to interact with Egyptians. And we had done all of the above.
Our cancelled meeting had been rescheduled and moved several times, but finally we had it outside, in the middle of Tahrir Square, a big central square in downtown Cairo, right out in the open. What I love about explicitly nonviolent actions, and what sometimes gets lost in the attempts we make to accommodate diverse tactics and security culture, is that in-your-face attitude we can adopt when we aren't trying to hide what we're doing. The authorities say, 'you cannot meet in groups larger than six people,' and cancel our permit for a building, so we meet in the center of town in the public square. We create a dilemma for the authorities--either arrest us or concede this political space.
The cops left us alone. But--all the buses that we'd rented for our attempt to go to Gaza tomorrow have been cancelled due to pressure from the government. Ordinary Egyptians, who live here, don't have the privilege we enjoy and are not immune to threats.
The French contingent went en masse to their embassy, threatening to encamp on its lawn, and got them to intervene with the Egyptian government and they got security permits for their buses. Or so we've heard--I don't know yet if the busses actually arrived or were allowed to leave.
With all the stress and continually changing conditions, I'm still deeply thrilled to be here. Under the clamor and the smog lies a sense of age and a whiff of ancient things. That river we're walking besides is the Nile! I see a scraggly cat and think, 'This is where cats come from!" I see a man in flowing robes and kaffiyeh who could have been standing there for a hundred years.
Tomorrow Anne Wright, a U.S. diplomat who resigned in protest against the Iraq War and who has become a dedicated activist, will take another delegation to the foreign office to continue their negotiations. Please keep up the calls and the writing--the website is: www.gazafreedom.org and http://salsa.democracyinaction...
Your support is keeping us safe and will hopefully open the road to Gaza--not just for us, but for the people whose lives and health and freedom are blighted by this siege.

Here's part of an even later update from other Gaza human rights supporters in Cairo:

Everything is in flux... Urgent update: as we are writing this hundreds of French delegates are camped outside the French Embassy, pitching tents and sleeping bags on the sidewalk, chanting "Palestine Freedom!" The French Ambassador and his wife are outside negotiating with the delegates and the police and Egyptian authorities. It is a powerful action and the French invite solidarity and support - come wherever you can! The French Embassy is located at 29 avenue de Charles de Gaulle (Mourad Street) next to the Four Seasons Hotel, and opposite the zoo, in Giza, Cairo. This is a critical situation and the police are surrounding the group. Check it out if you can. We will send out an update when possible.
11 am: Small press conference to update the press on our actions yesterday. Press Conference will be held at 24 Mohaned Shafik Street at Wadi El Nil Street, in the area of Cairo called Mohandessin.
12 noon: Action at the United Nations, at the UN Agencies and World Trade Center, (1191 Corniche El Nil St., World Trade Centre, Cairo), where we will solicit the UN to intervene on our behalf to get us and our supplies inside Gaza. We'll be bringing some of the humanitarian aid and asking for a meeting. Additionally, we will announce the launch of a hunger strike by Gaza Freedom March participants, led by grandmothers including 85-year-old Heddy Epstein. The is next to the Conrad Hotel and about 1/2 km past the Foreign Ministry on the Corniche El Nil.
3 pm: The Women's Contingent will deliver a letter to H. E. Suzanne Mubarak at a location to be determined tomorrow. The group invites you to wear pink and join, will depart from UN action...
Please remember that we are not acting alone here in Cairo - dozens of cities held moving and beautiful memorials on the one year anniversary of Operation Cast Lead yesterday. Solidarity actions will continue throughout the week around the world.

Which brings me finally to the reminder to those in the Twin Cities area who wish to show their support for those in Cairo and in Gaza. Please demonstrate your concern for Human Rights in Gaza by peacefully marching with us in the Minneapolis Skyways this Wednesday, Dec. 30th! We will be meeting at 11:30 a.m. on the 2nd level of the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis. People are encouraged to wear pink and also we will have copies available of the "I am Gaza" image below to pin onto clothing as well as extra signs (no sticks allowed). We are especially hoping some children might come, on whose shirts we can pin on the "I am Gaza" image.

(Originally posted on HuffPost Social News.)

Charter of Compassion

Grace Kelly — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:38:47 GMT

I have been struck with the side by side existence of people rooted in love with people rooted in hate in the very same religions, institutions and even families. So for me, the measure of goodness for me is whether the actions are rooted in love and compassion. Here is a noble attempt to put all the best universal principles into the Charter of Compassion:

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.;'
It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others - even our enemies - is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledgethat we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women
to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion
return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~
ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures

a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity

to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings, even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just
economy and a peaceful global community.

You can sign the charter of compassion here.