OMNI NEWSLETTER: EVENTS, ACTIONS, COMMENT
JULY 21, 2005 BUILDING A CULTURE OF PEACE


To create and maintain peace you build the structures and institutions of peace.



IN LITTLE ROCK CELEBRATING A WOMAN PEACEMAKER

A Monologue on Sarah Farmer's Commitment to Peace Presented was presented by Anne Gordon Perry
July 15, 7:30 pm, at the home of Jean Gordon and Walter Clancy.
Sarah Farmer (1847-1916) was the only woman present at the historic event of the signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty of 1905 at the Portsmouth Navy Shipyard, negotiated to end the Russo-Japanese War by Japanese and Russian diplomats at the invitation of President Theodore Roosevelt. Her passionate commitment to peace and comparative religions in the late 1800s led her to establish a conference center, Green Acre, in Eliot, Maine, which became a center for progressive philosophies.. In 1894 she hoisted the first peace flag in the world, which could be seen from the site of the treaty negotiations and signing.



JULY 21. Last night President Bush nominated the right wing corporate lawyer John Roberts for a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court. Contact your Senators and find an event in your area, or start your own. Go to: http://political.moveon.org/event/RapidResponse/?id=5822-5331000-5hzmTguMvGjY2PStvinoCg&t=4

JULY 21, 2PM, OMNI, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. COMMITTEE

Selecting brochure design and text and planning award schedule. All welcome, more committee members needed.



JULY 21, THURSDAY, OMNI STEERING COMMITTEE MEETS

Pot luck 5:30, business 6pm. All supporters of OMNI welcome.



JULY 22, CLARION INN, 6PM, OMNI ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET

Call 200-0642, 200-0361.



JULY 23, SATURDAY, West Memphis 3 Awareness Day:
http://www.wm3.org/live/newsevents/eventsitem.php?index=1&events_Id=88


JULY 23, DANCES OF PEACE

Fayetteville Dances of Peace will be this Saturday, July 23rd, 7pm at Unity of Fayetteville
4880 Wedington Dr.



JULY 24, BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS STREET DEMONSTRATION, 9:30-12:30, Corners of Dickson and College in Fayetteville and at the churches nearby, and at University Baptist on Lafayette. Make a sign that will appeal to Christians, to which they will say yes.



JULY 24, VIDEO UNDERGROUND, 7PM, AT OMNI, Maple and Storer

Explores the possibility of a coverup in the Oklahoma City Bombing and that many bombs were planted in the Murrah building, including an interview with a demolitions specialist who claims that the "single bomb" theory concocted by the government could not have worked.

This video will be shown at the OMNI CENTER FOR PEACE, JUSTICE, AND ECOLOGY located at 902 W. Maple in Fayetteville, in the basement of the Presbyterian and Disciples Student Center. This event will begin at 7:00 pm. Admission is free, donations are welcomed.

View the Video Underground's entire video schedule at: http://omni-vu-films.blogspot.com .

View the Video Underground's lending library list: http://omni-vu-films.blogspot.comflib.htm .


JULY 24-30, NCCJ’S ANYTOWN

A week-long leadership & diversity experience for high school students. Call Dee Dee Green, Springdale, 927-3055; vgreen@nccj.org



JULY 25, PATRIOTS FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES

The next meeting for PFCL (OMNI, ACLU Chapter) will be held next Monday, July 25th, at 7 pm. The meeting will be held at the OMNI CENTER FOR PEACE, JUSTICE, AND ECOLOGY located at 902 W. Maple in Fayetteville, in the Presbyterian and Disciples Student Center. We need your help, please attend.



JULY 26, RITA SKLAR on the PATRIOT ACT

Rita Sklar will speak to the Democratic Women about the Patriot Act and our campaign to persuade the Fay City Council to sign our Petition against several articles of the Patriot Act-- on Tues., July 26th at the
Western Sizzlin in Springdale. It is suggested that people arrive around 5:15 to get their food; the program begins at 6:00. Men are certainly welcome to attend and to become a member.



JULY 25 AND 26, SHORT TAKES AT CAT


BOOZMAN WATCH: PATRIOT ACT

Contact Boozman www.boozman.house.gov.; 202-225-4301. Fayetteville: 207 W. Center St., 479-442-5258, Fax: 479-442-0937.



JULY 28, THURSDAY, SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, CENSORSHIP PRESSURE

Laurie Taylor and other censors will be at the school board meeting on July 28 (Thursday). Spread the word to attend, to become informed, and to take action.



JULY 31, DATE FOR COMPLETION OF HOME PEACE PLACES, PHASE ONE

By July 15 OMNI had enlisted a dozen Home Peace Gardens in Fayetteville and three others in NWA. By July 31 we intend to have 20. Name your yard, garden, farm today and contact Dick with location and description. For more info. contact Dick. One more action in Building a Culture of Peace.



AUGUST 15-21, Think Outside the Bomb: National Youth Conference on Nuclear Issues, UCal, Santa Barbara



OCTOBER 1-8, KEEP SPACE FOR PEACE WEEK

International Week of Protest to Stop the Militarization of Space. www.space4peace.org (207-729-0517).



ECOLOGY WASHINGTON COUNTY

The County has a new Planning Director: Juliet Richey. See NAT (7-11) 1A. Get acquainted with her to see what you and OMNI might contribute.



WAL-MART WATCH

TMN (7-17) offered an upbeat article on the progress of women and diversity in corporations. Accompanying that article is another on “Wal-Mart Documents Show Hiring Inaction” in regard to women. “Wal-Mart Stores Inc. took no action on internal warnings seven years ago that it was falling short in promoting women.”



INSTEAD OF WAR, HUMAN EXCHANGES

Tell our congressional representatives.

TEACHING INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Sixteen Arkansas teachers, 3 from Rogers, visited China as part of the Bringing China to Arkansas program, sponsored by the Freeman Foundation through UALR. “…traveling to the communist nation made her understand the importance of fostering a strong relationship between the United States and China.” TMN (7-8). [See last Newsletter on exclusive vs. inclusive religion, toleration vs. bigotry. Here an inclusive foreign relations, an internationalism for cooperation and peace, is practiced and taught, instead of the nationalism of one country with all the truth and right.][Bring China to Arkansas might be nominated for an OMNI Peace and Justice Heroes award. And who else? Send your nominations to Gladys Tiffany.]

NWA LIBRARIANS INTERNATIONALISM: PPAP. TMN 7-14.

Debra Hobbs, Bentonville Public Library, will travel to China next March as part of the People to People Ambassador Program. “The trip gives American and Chinese librarians a chance to interact….” OMNI encourages interaction locally and in the state in various ways (coalitions, Awards). What else?



PEACEMAKING
"Peacemakers" Stories of remarkable people dedicated to humanizing our society. Written and produced for Public Radio by David Freudberg. 4 one-hour audio cassettes selected from our public radio series.

“The Art of Making Peace” aired on KUAF Saturday July 9
As a counterpoint to the tide of violence and militarism, these unsung peace heroes tell of dramatic breakthroughs in efforts to prevent bloodshed and promote human understanding.
For both programs go to: http://www.humanmedia.org/topic_peacemakers.php3 (from Melissa Terry)



LANGUAGE TO MAINTAIN WARS: From Vietnam to Iraq

Pres. Bush’s Independence Day speech repeated the many speeches of Presidents Johnson and Nixon during the Vietnam war: victory will result from resolve, will, sacrifice, patriotic spirit. We must show the resemblance of this administration’s language and that of earlier administrations’ language in defence of an irrational, illegal, and immoral wars. Time to read Vietnam War history.



VIOLENCE AGAINST RURAL WOMEN

“Billions of federal dollars spent to combat domestic violence are not reaching victims and areas of the country with the greatest need….” A prof. At UALR law school said that the need was also for “more prevention than on prosecution.” TMN (7-9).



CORPORATE WATCH

TMN offers an occasional watcher in Wesley Brown, who writes a weekly column in the Business section. On 7-10 he exposed how corporations play states against each other to gain tax breaks and other subsidies, and then, as with SteelCorr, don’t fulfill even their minimal obligations. The president of SteelCorr “believed that he could dictate all the rules by pitting two poor states desperately seeking new jobs against each other.”



R E L I G I O N

CHRISTIANS AGAINST COMMERCIALIZED CHRISTMAS

See www.simpleliving.org for their “Whose Birthday Is It” campaign. Ideas for a Jesus Centered Holiday 2005.


PATRIOTS FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES

This campaign by OMNI (Pippin, Melanie, Gladys, Carl, Dick, and others) and the ACLU NWA Chapter (Ann and Michael Heffernan) continues. PFCL aims to present a resolution regarding the Patriot Act to the City Council. I hope you all read the excellent interview of Gladys in the FFW (July 7-13, p. 5), “Sun Setting on Patriot Act,” and the equally fine op ed by Michael Heffernan in NAT (7-10-05) in reply to the op ed by the U. S. attorney for the Western District of Ark. See PFCL’s web site: www.northwest-ark.com/pfcl Speak to your Ward councilperson; write a letter; tell your friends to speak up; hold a neighborhood meeting; a picnic.



SUPREME COURT

NOW is campaigning to prevent the appointment of a far-right judge to replace Sandra Day O’Connor. Go to www.now.org for regular updates. Click on the Save the Courts button, and on the “Chapters” tab at top to get locally involved.



PEACE POLES

Hundreds of municipalities around the U. S. have peace poles on public property and more are planting poles, as reported in The Global Link, the newsletter of the World Peace Prayer Society. On May 28, 2005, Janesville, WI dedicated the world’s tallest PP (52feet) in its Peace Park. As of Feb. 5, 2005, the City of Phoenix now has an 8-foot four-sided aluminum PP in its Phoenix Civic Plaza. And on Oct. 4, 2004, the Boy Scouts installed a PP at the City Municipal Complex in Peacthree City, GA. So why was Fayetteville’s city administration, in a town with a $250,000 peace monument on city property, so frightened of them?



CONSEQUENCES OF US WARS
COSTS OF U.S. WARS

Include medical treatment for the waves upon waves of veterans from the unnecessary wars. “The Dept. of Veterans Affairs spent $29.1 billion on health care last fiscal year.” And a new wave is hitting the shore: “An estimated 103,000 U. S. soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan needed care through the VA this year.” (TMN July 4, but little of this money and suffering was spent for Independence). Half the U.S. budget each year is spent for present and past wars.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE COSTS

Reductions in social services. “House Approves Spending Cuts: Job Training, Rural Health Care, Schools Among Programs Targeted.” TMN (6-25, p. 2B).



E C O L O G Y

Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day (1970) and of a nationwide teach-in on the environment, and “one of the world’s foremost environmental leaders,” died July 3 (TMN 7-4). What have Arkansas’ congressional delegation done for the environment? Study their voting records. Do you have a comprehensive source to share with us?

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AND ARKANSAS PRIORITIES

Free Speech TV showed two powerful films about the ruinous consequences of uncontrolled population growth and building in Florida. “Changing Lanes” by George Sibley explains the residential sprawl, new highways, toll roads, bonds, etc. as business/profit induced. Congestion is used by developers and local government officials to justify new roads, but the widened roads and new “corridors” only increase growth, and more roads and congestion spread over larger and larger areas (big profits for realtors, construction companies, banks). The other film I did not catch the title. It described the destruction of Florida aquifers, lakes, and streams by development, in total disregard of the Florida Constitution, which declares the purpose of government to be the protection of natural resources—STEWARDSHIP. “Endless growth is a recipe for disaster.” NWA business and civic leaders have the same growth mentality as their Floridian counterparts. We don’t realize it because NWA is where Florida was 20-30 years ago. In TMN (7-12) a meeting was held about the western bypass around NWA. The western bypass? Has a hearing been held to ask whether we should have one? What does the Natural State’s Constitution say about our natural resources? In the same no. of TMN, articles reported the continuing shortage of nurses and the “slipping back into crisis” of Ark.’s Child-Welfare Division. What are our priorities?



LPFM and LPAM (from Carl Barnwell) and CONGRESS WATCH

Good general information on the advantages, challenges, history, and operation of LPFM and LPAM stations is available from various websites. Start with Prometheus Radio Project (http://www.prometheusradio.org).

Right now, things are looking somewhat grim for LPFM and media reform in general.

The FCC is not accepting LPFM applications due to pressure from the big media industry on congress. The new FCC chair is Kevin Martin (right wing), and the FCC board is made up of three Rep's and two Dem's. Fortunately, there is a US Senate Bill in the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation committee, the Local Community Radio Act of 2005 (S312) sponsored by John McCain, Patrick Leahy, and Maria Cantwell which would make more LPFM construction permits available to the public. Senator Marc Pryor (D-AR) also sits on this committee. Unfortunately, the Senate C, S, and T committee is chaired by Ted Stevens (R-AL) who will sit on S312 forever if he can. We encourage everyone to go to the FCC site and complain about the need for LPFM.



PALESTINE & ISRAEL

Electronic Intifada collected relevant articles on the apartheid wall and its illegality and impact one year after the International Court of Justice ruling: http://electronicintifada.net/bytopic/380.shtml



FREE SPEECH TV (on CAT 3 to 9 a.m. every morning, courtesy of OMNI)

Some recent programs: a history of wars for oil; Ivan Eland speaking from his book, The Empire Has No Clothes on US interventions from Spanish Am. War to Iraq; UN attack on civilians in Cite Soleil, supporters of Aristide; U. S. torture and kidnapping; Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now 7a.m. each morning; struggle to reduce exploitation even to virtual slavery of Florida farm works, with Taco Bell a major violator; “The Texican” cartoon story of Pres. Bush’s outrages; ad by Amnesty I with children singing “Imagine”; “Different Drummer” about Israeli peace organizations—B’Tselem, IPCRI and Gershon Baskin and Zacharia al Cog, etc.—opposing the Israeli National Security State, its violations of international law, the settlements (all illegal), etc.; “LPFM: The People’s Choice,” doc. very supportive of low power radio, covering the legislation by Sen. McCain/Cong. Leahy for lpr, the NAB power grabs, Michale Copps, Dem. FCC commissioner pro-lpr; ads from Sierra Club; “Haiti’s Small Voices” about initiatives to relieve poverty; disabled African women needing and using whellchairs, “MaMawas Hunzi”; ad by Adbusters on hidden costs of GDP; “Streams of Gold,” human costs of U. S. gold mine in Equadore; Tim Wise, Dir. Assoc. for White Anti-Racist Education, brilliant explanation of why white working class vote against their own interests, because of institutional racism and white privilege; etc.


NONVIOLENCE JOURNAL WELCOMES SUBMISSIONS

A new bimonthly journal from IGINP (international Gandhian Instiute for Nonviolence and peace) from Madurai, South India. Welcomes youR papers on any area relating to Nonviolence and Peace. Kindly email your contributions to Dr.S.Jeyapragasam majabetsy@rediffmail.com
And also send a copy by post to Dr.S.Jeyapragasam,TVI ,Gandhi Museum campus , Madurai 625020. Dr.S.Jeyapragasam.
International Gandhian Institute for Nonviolence and Peace(IGINP)
"Ponnammal Bhavanam" 2/18A,B.B.Road II St, Pankajam colony, Near Ganesh Theatre
Madurai –625009(TN, INDIA), 1.majabetsy@rediffmail.com, 2rajarajanrise@rediffmail.com



ECOLOGY: EXPOSING EXXON'S BAD BEHAVIOR
Sunny Lewis, Environment News Service A coalition of conservation groups have launched a
nationwide boycott to protest the oil giant's many misdeeds; chiefly, its plan to drill for oil in the Arctic Refuge. http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/23528/


* NCC seeks 400,000 signatures urging President Bush to intervene in the Darfur genocide.

* Keep the Vote Alive! NCC supports Jesse Jackson's push to extend the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

* NCC: London transit bombings only strengthen our resolve

* Thousands affirm NCC message to bring the troops home from Iraq


OMNI SEEKS A WORLD FREE OF WAR AND THE THREAT OF WAR, A SOCIETY WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, A COMMUNITY WHERE EVERY PERSON’S POTENTIAL MAY BE FULFILLED, AN EARTH RESTORED. WORLD PEACE, HUMAN RIGHTS, SOCIAL JUSTICE, ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. Thanks to FCNL and AFSC.


Gandhi: "What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?"