[Peace] AWARE on the Air tonight at ten, channel six

[C. G. Estabrook]

Comedy & commiseration tonight at ten on cable channel six, as AWARE ON THE AIR 
rides again!

AWARE ON THE AIR for the last week of October, 2009, is presented by members &
friends of AWARE, the Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort of Champaign-Urbana, a local
peace group.  Each Tuesday at 10pm on cable channel 6 we bring you an account of
the America's invasion & occupation of the Middle East, from Palestine to 
Pakistan, from Central Asia to the Horn of Africa -- and of the opposition to 
it, both locally and nationally, from US citizens like us who are appalled at 
the government's actions.

TODAY IS OCTOBER 27 -- ON THIS DAY IN 1968 an estimated 6,000 marchers 
demonstrating against the Vietnam War face up to police outside the US Embassy 
in London.  That was 41 years ago.  This week soldiers and military families 
were among 5,000 protesters in London demonstrating against UK military 
operations in Afghanistan.  The Stop the War Coalition says it was the first 
march against the Afghan war since the conflict began in 2001. L/Cpl Joe 
Glenton, of York, who faces a court martial for refusing to return to 
Afghanistan, led the protest march ... 62% [N THE UK] wanted British troops 
withdrawn in the coming year at the latest ... In February 2003, an estimated 
one million took part in a march in London against the Iraq war.  Why do we have 
to wait for foreigners to tell us our duty?

THE ANTI-WAR ANTI-RACISM CALENDAR for October & November 2009 -- recent and 
upcoming events on the local scene, taken from last Sunday's AWARE meeting (with 
thanks to Carol McKusick for the minutes):

*NOW UNTIL NEXT SUMMER -- "Peaceable Assembly Campaign."  The organization 
Voices for Creative Nonviolence is initiating a nationwide campaign to seek an 
end to the U.S. wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and an end to U.S. 
support of the continued occupation of the Palestinian territories. Beginning in 
September, 2009, and continuing for the next ten months, we will engage in both 
legal and extralegal (nonviolent civil disobedience/civil resistance) lobbying 
efforts, urging Representatives and Senators to stop authorizing and funding 
wars and occupations.  For more information and resources see 
<www.peaceableassemblycampaign.org>, email <pac at vcnv.org>, or call 773-878-3815.

*Oct. 20 (one week ago) Champaign City Council Meeting.  The Champaign City 
Council have said that they are the body responsible for overseeing the police. 
  The police killing of an unarmed 15-year-old black youth is not acceptable. 
Call on the Council to act and remove the police responsible.
	On Friday October 9, 2009, Kiwane Carrington and Jeshaun Manning-Carter, two 
unarmed 15-year-olds were accosted by Champaign officers - including the Chief 
of Police - at the place where Kiwane stayed.  Kiwane was shot and killed. 
Jeshaun was arrested, at first for burglary (charges since dropped), and then 
for felony aggravated resisting a peace officer, and was taken to jail. 
Something is fundamentally wrong with police procedure where a mistaken 
assumption about burglary leads to guns drawn, ransacking of a home, and killing 
of a young person -- with the Chief of Police present!

*Oct 22 (last Thursday) 4pm  at the IL Terminal, 5pm at the Boys and Girls Club: 
"No More Stolen Lives!"  Rally and speak-out in protest of police action in 
killing Kiwane Carrington and the pattern of abuse of power.  October 22nd is a 
national day of protest against police brutality.

*Oct 31 (this Saturday) 8am-noon AWARE's presence at the Urbana Farmers' Market 
-- literature, discussion,  & paraphernalia.  The market closes the following 
week, to be succeeded by the Lincoln Square Holiday Market on Saturday mornings. 
  AWARE will be present.

*Nov 1 (Sunday) 2-4pm at the IMC main floor: opening of "When a Parent Is in 
Prison" exhibit, exploring the situation of children who have a parent in prison 
through their portraits and words, with photographs by Howard Zehr; the young 
people who are featured here are among the 2,400,000 children who have a mother 
or father in prison.  The exhibit runs Nov 1st through Nov 21st. "These children 
have committed no crime, but the price they are forced to pay is steep.  They 
forfeit, too, much of what matters to them: their homes, their safety, their 
public status and private self-image, their primary source of comfort and 
affection. Their lives are profoundly affected." ―Nell Bernstein, All Alone in 
the World.  Contact Conrad Wetzel <wetzel-rlc at live.com> 217-352-8603

*Nov 1 (Sunday) 5-6:30pm AWARE meeting in the basement of the  old post office, 
Urbana.  Visitors and new members are welcome.  If you're opposed to the war & 
want to know what you can do, join us & work on it together.  AWARE an 
independent political organization; we work with many other groups but are not 
directly affiliated with any.

*Nov 7 (Saturday)  The Main Event -- AWARE's monthly street demonstration on the 
first Saturday of the month, 2 to 4 p.m. at Main and Neil in downtown Champaign. 
  We stand displaying signs to the traffic stopped at the intersection and hand 
out flyers to motorists and passers-by. Bring a sign or use one of ours. We try 
to have a topical flyer produced each month.  This month, we hope to have one 
about the vigil calling for shutdown of the School of the Americas 
<http://soaw.org> -- the US "School for Assassins" at Ft. Benning, GA

FROM LISA SULLIVAN, Latin America Coordinator, School of the Americas Watch
Apartado Postal 437 Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela 58-416-607-0972
<www.soaw.org> <www.soawlatina.org>
	Greetings from our SOA Watch Partnership America Latina (PAL) office in 
Venezuela. I just returned from a speaking tour to over a dozen U.S. cities, 
where I was touched by the interest and concern expressed by so many towards our 
neighbors in Honduras. The recent coup there, led by SOA grads, has led to 19 
deaths, dozens wounded, hundreds detained, and a continent worried about a 
return to darker times.
	I shared stories of our recent visits to Honduras -- the first in which we met 
with President Zelaya, and the second to accompany those who were risking their 
lives by resisting the coup. Many at the talks shared with me how they were 
fasting, singing, writing, calling, petitioning, vigiling, speaking, donating, 
and doing whatever they can to contribute to efforts to end the coup.
	Just as PAL has connected people around the U.S. with Honduras, so we have been 
forging many other North-South connections. We recently finished the last of 
visits to 17 countries that are clients of the SOA. We met with 7 presidents and 
dozens of government officials, leading to announcements of withdrawal and 
reduction of several countries from the SOA. All this was possible due to the 
connections we made with the vibrant social movements and human rights activists 
in each of these countries.
	PAL hopes to connect many of these people with one another and with SOA Watch 
grassroots activists from around the U.S. at a NORTH-SOUTH SOAW ENCUENTRO to be 
held in Venezuela in 2010. There, we will strategize about how we can work 
together - north and south - to close the SOA.
	Stop by the main hall of the Convention Center during the weekend to see the 
items! It's a great way to combine holiday shopping with solidarity. We also 
invite you to join Fr. Roy Bourgeois and me on Saturday at 8:30pm where we will 
share some stories of our visits to these 17 countries. Roy will auction a few 
special items at that time.
	As we witnessed in Honduras, the hope rising here in Latin America is being 
threatened by the ugly face of militarization, too often under the command of 
SOA graduates. Thanks for your "granito de arena", your grain of sand, in 
helping to bring people together from the north and the south to sow a new 
diplomacy of peace, from the bottom up.

*Nov 10 (Tuesday) Champaign City Council Study Session, Champaign City Building, 
on police use of force policy revisions.

*Nov 29 (Sunday)  Multi-Family Community Potluck to benefit the needy, 4 – 6 
p.m., Church of the Brethren, 1210 N. Neil Street, Champaign, for information 
call 344-1811

	***

AWARE IS HAPPY to provide anti-war speakers and discussion leaders for local
events.  See our website at <anti-war.net> or write <cge at shout.net>.

The program is presented by RON SZOKE, LINDA WEBER, other members & friends of 
AWARE -- and yr. obdt. servt. -- who wish you, in the words of the late Edward 
Murrow, “Good night and good luck.”  --CGE

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