Peace Group Talks: NSA talk on Wednesday, November 13, Global Warming on Monday, November 18

Climate Reality: Global Warming

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group is sponsoring a talk by David Flannery on ‘Climate Reality: Global Warming’ on Monday, November 18th at 7:00 PM at the Walpole Public Library. In the last few years, there has been an increase in both the frequency and intensity of extreme weather-related events:  super storms, floods, severe droughts and wildfires.  Connecting the dots between these occurrences around the globe establishes the linkage to climate change.  Science, based on objective facts, sheds light on the impacts of climate change to date and what is expected to occur in the near-term if we stay on our current path.  David will review the drivers of climate change and, most importantly, discuss the solutions at-hand that will put us on a path towards a long-term sustainable climate.  Matters of equity, justice and morality will be addressed as they relate meaningfully to the current climate crisis.

David Flannery  is a member of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps , a group of 3,000 dedicated volunteers around the globe who are personally trained by former Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore to educate the public about climate change. David graduated from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies with a Master’s degree in Environmental Management (Natural Resource Economics Concentration) and from the Yale School of Management with an MBA (Strategy Concentration). He is currently head of CarbonLeaf Consulting where he develops focused, fact-based business plans for clean technology companies in several markets, including: advanced materials, conservation & efficiency, energy technology, resource recovery, sustainable agriculture, and water purification.

The talk will be in the Community Room at the Walpole Public Library, 143 School Street, Walpole, MA.

Reminder that the talk by Kade Crockford, on ‘NSA Spying: A Threat to our Democratic Freedoms' is on Wednesday, November 13, 2013, 7:30 PM  at the Walpole Library

NSA Spying: Threat to our Democratic Freedoms

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group is sponsoring a talk on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 at 7:30 PM at the Walpole Public Library by Kade Crockford on ‘NSA Spying: A Threat to our Democratic Freedoms.’ The ongoing revelations by whistleblowers show the massive scale of the spying and surveillance activities of the NSA and other government agencies.  Kade will speak about the range of spying and surveillance activities that have been revealed to date and why these are a threat to privacy and democratic freedoms.

Kade Crockford is Principle Investigator and Manager of the Technology for Liberty Project at the ACLU of Massachusetts. Her work at the ACLU includes mobilizing an integrated advocacy team comprised of litigators, lobbyists, educators, and field organizers to develop and implement strategies for fighting the growing surveillance state in Massachusetts and nationwide. Kade developed and maintains the website privacysos.org, and has spoken out on privacy issues on local and national media outlets, including CBS radio, Fox News, and WBUR.

 

The talk will be in the Community Room at the Walpole Public Library, 143 School Street, Walpole, MA.

Walpole Peace and Justice Group Peace Vigil, Saturday, November 2, 2011, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group is holding a vigil on Saturday, November 2, 2013, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the corner of Main St. and West St. in Walpole to speak out for funding our communities and reducing military spending and for ending  NSA spying and surveillance.  Please  join us if you can as we make statements on these important issues. The vigil is across from the Walpole Co-operative and Bank of America offices.

Walpole Nonprofit Networking Fair

Look for the Walpole Peace and Justice Group at the Walpole Nonprofit Networking Fair, September 7, 2013 from 10:00 am —1:00 pm at the Walpole Public Library. The fair is being sponsored by the Junior Woman's Club of Walpole and is an opportunity to find out about the Peace Group and other non-profit groups in Walpole.

Gandhi talk on Monday, June 24, 2013 also Walpole Peace Vigil on Saturday, June 29, 2013 at 10-11 AM, Walpole Common - Stop the Spying

Please join us on Saturday, June 29, 2013 to stand against the NSA spy program and the erosion of privacy under the Obama administration.  U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano was right when he called the collection of telephone records of millions of ordinary citizens by the National Security Agency ‘un-American.’ And now we learn that the NSA is also collecting a wide range of other personal information like emails and internet usage, which is nothing short of spying on U.S. citizens and a violation of our privacy.

Having an open and transparent government is critical to preservation of our democracy. The policies of the Bush administration and now the Obama administration to spy on Americans and cloak so much of the government security apparatus in secrecy is a threat to our democracy. We should not have such a powerful security agency as the NSA with so little oversight and transparency.  It is insidious that, through laws like the Patriot Act, the government can spy on our phone calls and internet usage through service providers with the service providers then prohibited from telling anyone, that we would never know. The government has used security as an excuse to make massive amounts of information secret and to hide policies like water boarding, rendition, and drones that are morally questionable. The Obama administration has been particularly aggressive in going after so called whistleblowers who have revealed information about policies like these, information which the American public should know.

Is World Peace Possible? Putting Mahatma Gandhi’s Approach to the Test

Are Gandhi’s teachings relevant today?

Monday, June 24, 2013 at 7:30 PM

A talk on ‘Is World Peace Possible? Putting Mahatma Gandhi’s Approach to the Test’ by Philip Czachorowski will be given at the United Church in Walpole on Monday, June 24, 2013 at 7:30 PM. Mahatma Gandhi was the spiritual leader who led the non-violent campaign for Indian Independence.  Although a Hindu, his beliefs in peace and non-violence were greatly influenced by many religions including Christianity and in particular by the teachings of Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount. When we think of Gandhi in the backdrop of colonial India, it may not be obvious how his approach can be applied today. This talk will address what we have to learn from Gandhi.  The widespread conflicts and inequalities in our world suggest that we need to “give nonviolence a chance!”

The talk is open to the public. The church is located next to the Post Office, at 30 Common Street, Walpole, MA. The parking lot entrance is to the right of the counseling center next to the church.

Ecumenical Prayer On April 17, In Walpole After The Marathon Tragedy

We are all shocked and saddened by the act of violence at the Boston Marathon.  Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of those who were killed and to the people who were injured. Events like this must strengthen our resolve to work for peace and justice in our world.

We invite everyone to attend an ecumenical prayer service in Walpole tonight, April 17, 2013 at 7:00 PM. Sponsored by the Walpole Clergy Association, the gathering will be held at the labyrinth in  the field behind United Church, 30 Common St, Walpole.   See below for more information.

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ECUMENICAL PRAYER IN WALPOLE AFTER THE MARATHON TRAGEDY

A community gathering will take place at the United Church in Walpole at 7PM on Wednesday, April 17. There will be lighting of candles, scripture reading, prayer and walking of the labyrinth. This will be an outdoor gathering. The church’s sanctuary will also be open for those who wish to gather for private meditation and prayer.

Walpole Peace Group vigil holding the Budget Banner on Saturday, April 13, from 10 to 11:30 AM on the Walpole Common at the corner of Main and West Streets

Please join us on Saturday,  April 13, from 10 to 11:30 AM on the Walpole Common,  bringing attention to how our U.S. tax dollars are used. April 15 is right around the corner, the day our Federal tax returns are due.  On Saturday, we will be holding a  20 foot “Budget Banner”.  

The banner is comprised of multiple colored segments, graphically illustrating the federal government’s discretionary budget, including military, education, health and human services, housing, justice, labor, and environment.  The length of each segment is proportional to the size of that program’s budget, clearly showing how much is spent for each.  Discretionary spending accounts for  $1.15 trillion of the proposed 2013 budget. The banner gives visual significance to the large amount the US spends on the Pentagon programs and the military. Our country spends more on the military than the next 13 biggest military spenders in the world, combined.  The banner also illustrates how tiny are the portions going to social services, programs that are important to each one of us. 

The banner also serves to remind us that the sequester cuts to these already underfunded programs will be disastrous.  Already, the legislators in Washington have slashed Meals on Wheels, Head Start, Housing, Education, Fuel Assistance, Unemployment, Health Programs, AIDS Housing, and family violence prevention. Now the President wants to cut even more vital programs  and cut Social Security benefits. Please stop by the Walpole Common this Saturday to stand against cuts to critical social programs  or to get a leaflet that further explains the distribution of our tax returns.

The Budget for All! Campaign and other groups are holding a vigil on Tax Day, Tuesday, April 16, to say:

Stop the Cuts!

When: 11 am

Where: Tip O’Neill Federal Building, 10 Causeway Street, Boston – North Station (Green Line)

See the following link for more information:   http://www.masspeaceaction.org/home/files/Tax%20Day%20Leaflet.pdf