Presentation on Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age on December 7 - Candlleight Vigil for Peace on Decmber 10 - Rally for Climate on December 12

There are three peace and justice related events in the next week that you may want to attend. These are:

1. ‘Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age: Libraries as Bulwarks of Freedom and Democracy’ – Kade Crockford, ACLU and the Library Freedom Project.  Monday, December 7, 2015, 7:30 PM at the Walpole Public Library, 143 School Street, Walpole. The meeting is open to the public. Sponsored by the Friends of the Walpole Public Library, at their annual meeting.
2. Candlelight Vigil: War is Not the Answer, Thursday, Dec. 10, 5:30 pm, at the Boston Common on  Human Rights Day. Sponsored by United for Justice withPeace
3. Jobs, Justice, Climate: Rally to Defend New England's Future!  Peace Rally to “call for bold climate solutions that create secure union jobs, strengthen community power and help build a more resilient future.”  Saturday,  December 12, 2015 at 1pm - 3pm, Parkman Bandstand, Boston Common. Sponsored by many peace, justice, environmental, and faith  groups and unions. 

These events are an opportunity to learn about and make a personal statement about issues of peace, justice, and  climate change. See below for more details on each.

Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age: Libraries as Bulwarks of Freedom and Democracy

Kade Crockford will give a presentation on “Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age: Libraries as Bulwarks of Freedom and Democracy” on Monday, December 7, 2015, 7:30 PM at the annual meeting of the Friends of the Walpole Public Library. The meeting will be in the Community Room at the Walpole Public Library. 

Government agencies and corporations collect more information about all of us than ever before. Technologies we use to communicate and move through the world leave digital trails behind us, and those trails are valuable to secretive entities in ways we are only beginning to understand. Pushing back against the encroaching surveillance state can seem overwhelming, but librarians are leading the charge with courage and conviction. 

Kade will talk about the current threats facing your privacy and the work The Library Freedom Project and ACLU are doing to protect privacy in the digital age. The Library Freedom Project is a partnership among librarians, technologists, attorneys, and privacy advocates which aims to make real the promise of intellectual freedom in libraries. By teaching librarians about surveillance threats, privacy rights and responsibilities, and digital tools to stop surveillance, they hope to create a privacy-centric paradigm shift in libraries and the local communities they serve.

Kade Crockford is the Director of the Technology for the Liberty Program at the ACLU of Massachusetts and on the staff of the Library Freedom Project. In addition to writing and public speaking on surveillance, Kade conducts research and serves as an in-house policy expert on issues at the intersection of policing and technology. Her talk will begin immediately after a brief business meeting of the Friends of the Walpole Public Library. This event will be a good opportunity to learn about the work done by the Friends to support the Walpole Library. Refreshments will be served.

Candlelight Vigil: War is Not the Answer

Thursday, Dec. 10, 5:30 pm
Boston Common - Human Rights Day

War is not the answer. We should:

• Welcome and fund refugees forced to flee their countries to avoid war and death inflicted by others.

• Isolate ISIS by beginning to demilitarize the region. Immediately end all arms shipments to the Middle East. Weapons shipped to U.S. allies and “opposition forces” have fueled the Syrian War and often fall into ISIS’ hands. Suspend US bombing and military actions and withdraw US/NATO troops now.

• End material and financial support to ISIS and Al Qaeda and their clones. End the U.S. -Saudi Alliance, that has been so critical to the emergence and funding of these forces.

• Support self-determination for Syria. Only Syrians can decide the fate of their country. 

• Negotiate an agreement in which Russia, the U.S., Iran and European countries stop fighting to achieve their own strategic goals under the guise of “fighting ISIS” and instead together put their full weight behind diplomatic efforts to end the bloodshed in Syria and Iraq.   

Download a Printable Flyer

United for Justice with Peace • justicewithpeace.org • 617-383-4857

Jobs, Justice, Climate: Rally to Defend New England's Future!

From November 29 to December 11, world leaders will meet in Paris to negotiate a new global climate treaty. This is their 21st attempt, and we already know that even if they reach an agreement, it won’t be nearly as strong as we need it to be. 2015 is on track to be the hottest year on record, and unprecedented storms, floods and droughts are happening around the world. We are running out of time, and we must create an unstoppable grassroots movement for real climate action. 

On December 12, people will come together from every corner of New England to call for bold climate solutions that create secure union jobs, strengthen community power and help build a more resilient future. We envision a movement that unites us all, and we will lift up the voices of New England's organized labor, immigrant rights, racial justice, and climate justice groups as we call for jobs, justice and climate action together. 

Check out more details about the action here! 

It's time to show the world that true climate leadership means a brighter future for all. Can you join us?

WHEN: December 12, 2015 at 1pm - 3pm

WHERE: Parkman Bandstand, Boston Common