Photos here:
http://obamarememberus.wordpress.com/
DC STREETS BLOCKED TO PROTEST COLOMBIAN UNION MURDERS:
Labor and human rights activists shut down traffic in front of the White House yesterday to protest the murders of Colombian trade unionists. The noontime action was timed to coincide with President Obama’s first meeting with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. Dressed completely in black, their faces painted a ghostly white to represent murdered union leaders, the activists locked their arms into PVC pipes and laid down in a human chain across the intersection of 16th and H streets, while over a hundred chanting supporters surrounded them and helped block traffic. “I took a bus from New York this morning,” Colombian native Amy Velez told Union City, “My heart is bleeding to see my country with over four million displaced people.” Afro-Colombian activist Marino Cordoba was forced to leave his homeland seven years ago, after his community was bombed and his neighbors killed. “We were fighting for the right of Afro-Colombians to own their own land. Uribe’s government kills most Afro-Colombians who received their own land titles.” Curious tourists mingled with activists and their supporters for well over an hour as the demonstration continued to block the street. Eventually, police carefully cut the pipes and chains from the demonstrators arms and released them into the surrounding crowd, which triumphantly chanted “We are with the resisters, they’re our brothers they’re our sisters!”- Julia Shindel; photos by Adam Wright
Text courtesy of Jobs with Justice
CNN says, "President Barack Obama discussed a free-trade agreement with his Colombian counterpart Monday, while scores of protesters clogged streets near the White House to demonstrate against the pact."
http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/06/29/protesters-block-streets-as-obama-uribe-talk-free-trade/
This from yesterday morning (pre-protest) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062901496.html "Obama to Pursue Different Path with Colombia's Uribe"
martes, 30 de junio de 2009
miércoles, 17 de junio de 2009
I didn't realize avaaz.com was this good
Dear friends,
Iran is on a knife-edge, with millions of voters taking to the streets in outrage as evidence mounts that the government may have massively rigged and stolen Thursday's election. The regime has cracked down brutally on the protesters and is imposing a blackout on Iranian society -- shutting down domestic and international media, the internet and even text-messaging.
The voice of Iranians may have been silenced at the polling booth, now the regime is attempting to silence them everywhere else. Facing beatings and gunfire, the opposition is organising mass demonstrations and a general strike. We can’t afford to let the regime dismiss the voice of the people -- the truth must be heard.
Avaaz is urgently organising a rigorous “exit poll” of Iranian voters and a media effort to publicise it -- working with an international polling firm to do a telephone survey of Iranian citizens to ask how they voted. We urgently need 10,000 Avaaz members to pitch in a small amount each to raise $119,000 in the next 24 hours and give Iranians a powerful new way to be heard -- follow this link to view video from the streets of Tehran and support this exit poll to find out the truth:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
Public polling in Iran is heavily restricted, and no-one else is mobilizing fast enough to fund an international exit poll. It's urgent that we pitch in. A telephone poll won't be 100% accurate, but the difference between opposition and government claims is massive -- a rigorous poll can show which claim is remotely near the truth.
Unlike Western organizations, Avaaz's global network has a strong membership in Iran and across the Middle East. Backed by a respected polling firm, our effort will be harder to dismiss by Iranian conservatives. We'll send the poll results to the media and help our members in Iran to rapidly and virally spread the news despite the regime's blackout.
Messages have been flooding in from our Iranian members -- from Fariba: “20.000.000 people have lost their votes for peace and human rights. The government wants to use this votes for every thing but PEACE. Avaaz is a Persian word too and means voice -- hear our ‘avaaz’”. From Mahmoud: “The government has stolen the vote the people. The people in the street are beaten badly by the police. Now now now do not lose the time”. Stand with Iranians now and help their voices be heard:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
This election matters to us all. Iran is a major regional power, and the international community is seeking diplomatic engagement that holds a key to peace in the Middle East. But hawks and extremists on all sides want war instead: a conservative coup in Iran could destroy all our hopes.
The conservative Guardian Council, headed by a key Ahmadinejad ally, is reviewing the vote over the next 9 days -- our poll can be ready before they give their verdict, to counter any further rigging and the violent purge that could follow.
There is a real possibility that democracy will prevail. Ultimate power in Iran lies with Ayatollah Khamenei, who may have backed the rigging -- but he is hired and fired by the Assembly of Experts, chaired by ex-President Rafsanjani who has condemned vote-fixing. If Rafsanjani and allies can get enough votes on the Assembly this week, they can press to re-open the results, even to remove Khamenei from power. A scientific opinion poll could be a powerful piece of evidence.
In the next 72 hours, the Iranian people will try once again to be heard. Let’s help make sure their voices are not silenced -- follow this link to see their courage and donate now to help fund the exit poll:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
With hope,
Ricken, Graziela, Paul, Pascal, Alice, Brett, Paula, Milena, Raj, Raluca, Taren and the whole Avaaz team
Sources:
1. The Guardian: "Iran's regime cracks down on opposition and media", 16 June 2009http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/16/iran-protests-election-recount
2. Al-Jazeera: "Supreme Leader Under Pressure", 15 June 2009http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/06/2009616184556951795.html
3. "Evidence that the Iranian Presidential Election Was Stolen", Juan Cole, 13 June 2009http://www.juancole.com/2009/06/stealing-iranian-election.html
4. More detailed analysis by a polling expert of "fishy numbers" in the results announced by the interior ministry:http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/06/iran-does-have-some-fishy-numbers.html
5. One of many active live-blogs:http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/
6. #IranElections - live, unfiltered updates via Twitter from Iran and around the worldhttp://twitter.com/#search?q=%23iranelection
----------
Want to support Avaaz? We're entirely funded by member donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated online team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here.
ABOUT AVAAZ Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in Ottawa, London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Buenos Aires, and Geneva. Call us at: +1 888 922 8229 or +55 21 2509 0368
Iran is on a knife-edge, with millions of voters taking to the streets in outrage as evidence mounts that the government may have massively rigged and stolen Thursday's election. The regime has cracked down brutally on the protesters and is imposing a blackout on Iranian society -- shutting down domestic and international media, the internet and even text-messaging.
The voice of Iranians may have been silenced at the polling booth, now the regime is attempting to silence them everywhere else. Facing beatings and gunfire, the opposition is organising mass demonstrations and a general strike. We can’t afford to let the regime dismiss the voice of the people -- the truth must be heard.
Avaaz is urgently organising a rigorous “exit poll” of Iranian voters and a media effort to publicise it -- working with an international polling firm to do a telephone survey of Iranian citizens to ask how they voted. We urgently need 10,000 Avaaz members to pitch in a small amount each to raise $119,000 in the next 24 hours and give Iranians a powerful new way to be heard -- follow this link to view video from the streets of Tehran and support this exit poll to find out the truth:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
Public polling in Iran is heavily restricted, and no-one else is mobilizing fast enough to fund an international exit poll. It's urgent that we pitch in. A telephone poll won't be 100% accurate, but the difference between opposition and government claims is massive -- a rigorous poll can show which claim is remotely near the truth.
Unlike Western organizations, Avaaz's global network has a strong membership in Iran and across the Middle East. Backed by a respected polling firm, our effort will be harder to dismiss by Iranian conservatives. We'll send the poll results to the media and help our members in Iran to rapidly and virally spread the news despite the regime's blackout.
Messages have been flooding in from our Iranian members -- from Fariba: “20.000.000 people have lost their votes for peace and human rights. The government wants to use this votes for every thing but PEACE. Avaaz is a Persian word too and means voice -- hear our ‘avaaz’”. From Mahmoud: “The government has stolen the vote the people. The people in the street are beaten badly by the police. Now now now do not lose the time”. Stand with Iranians now and help their voices be heard:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
This election matters to us all. Iran is a major regional power, and the international community is seeking diplomatic engagement that holds a key to peace in the Middle East. But hawks and extremists on all sides want war instead: a conservative coup in Iran could destroy all our hopes.
The conservative Guardian Council, headed by a key Ahmadinejad ally, is reviewing the vote over the next 9 days -- our poll can be ready before they give their verdict, to counter any further rigging and the violent purge that could follow.
There is a real possibility that democracy will prevail. Ultimate power in Iran lies with Ayatollah Khamenei, who may have backed the rigging -- but he is hired and fired by the Assembly of Experts, chaired by ex-President Rafsanjani who has condemned vote-fixing. If Rafsanjani and allies can get enough votes on the Assembly this week, they can press to re-open the results, even to remove Khamenei from power. A scientific opinion poll could be a powerful piece of evidence.
In the next 72 hours, the Iranian people will try once again to be heard. Let’s help make sure their voices are not silenced -- follow this link to see their courage and donate now to help fund the exit poll:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
With hope,
Ricken, Graziela, Paul, Pascal, Alice, Brett, Paula, Milena, Raj, Raluca, Taren and the whole Avaaz team
Sources:
1. The Guardian: "Iran's regime cracks down on opposition and media", 16 June 2009http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/16/iran-protests-election-recount
2. Al-Jazeera: "Supreme Leader Under Pressure", 15 June 2009http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/06/2009616184556951795.html
3. "Evidence that the Iranian Presidential Election Was Stolen", Juan Cole, 13 June 2009http://www.juancole.com/2009/06/stealing-iranian-election.html
4. More detailed analysis by a polling expert of "fishy numbers" in the results announced by the interior ministry:http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/06/iran-does-have-some-fishy-numbers.html
5. One of many active live-blogs:http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/
6. #IranElections - live, unfiltered updates via Twitter from Iran and around the worldhttp://twitter.com/#search?q=%23iranelection
----------
Want to support Avaaz? We're entirely funded by member donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated online team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here.
ABOUT AVAAZ Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in Ottawa, London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Buenos Aires, and Geneva. Call us at: +1 888 922 8229 or +55 21 2509 0368
martes, 9 de junio de 2009
Link of the morning - June 9, 2009
From my inbox this morning, a link to ask the Senate to pass paid parental leave for government employees:
http://www.capwiz.com/now/issues/alert/?alertid=12845061
Paid Parental Leave -- Urge Your Senators to Support This First Step
We did it! Thanks to your calls and emails, the Federal Employee Paid Parental Leave Act passed the House by a wide margin.
Now it's on to the Senate. Ask your senators to support this legislation to guarantee federal workers four weeks of paid parental leave for a new child, as a first step toward universal paid leave.
Action Needed:
As the nation's largest employer, the federal government should serve as a model for family-friendly workplace policies. Passing the Paid Parental Leave Act is a critical benchmark as we work to provide paid sick, family and medical leave for all workers.
Paid parental leave for the 2.7 million federal workers will help millions of working families right now, and can be a model for achieving paid parental and family leave for the rest of our nation's workers, setting the standard for upcoming discussions about policies intended to help families balance work and family life.
Send an email message to your senators using our website. We need your help to increase the number of co-sponsors in the Senate so that this legislation has a better chance of passage.
Background:
Read more about this important piece of legislation.
http://www.capwiz.com/now/issues/alert/?alertid=12845061
Paid Parental Leave -- Urge Your Senators to Support This First Step
We did it! Thanks to your calls and emails, the Federal Employee Paid Parental Leave Act passed the House by a wide margin.
Now it's on to the Senate. Ask your senators to support this legislation to guarantee federal workers four weeks of paid parental leave for a new child, as a first step toward universal paid leave.
Action Needed:
As the nation's largest employer, the federal government should serve as a model for family-friendly workplace policies. Passing the Paid Parental Leave Act is a critical benchmark as we work to provide paid sick, family and medical leave for all workers.
Paid parental leave for the 2.7 million federal workers will help millions of working families right now, and can be a model for achieving paid parental and family leave for the rest of our nation's workers, setting the standard for upcoming discussions about policies intended to help families balance work and family life.
Send an email message to your senators using our website. We need your help to increase the number of co-sponsors in the Senate so that this legislation has a better chance of passage.
Background:
Read more about this important piece of legislation.
lunes, 1 de junio de 2009
Diana says...
10:30 AM Diana: cool sufi poet dude
me: nice
Diana: i have a book of his poems at home with an introduction that might give you more background
me: oh nice!
10:31 AM that would be awesome
I'll try to remember to ask you when I'm at your house next time =)
10:34 AM Diana: one of my favorite lines in a rumi poem is "one man curls up contentedly in the nook of a mosque. Another man walks disappointedly in his elegant gardens"
10:35 AM me: ahh I love it
that's gonna have to be my quote of the day
Diana: sweet
Reason number 382 that Diana is awesome :)
Reason number 382 that Diana is awesome :)
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