Dutchess Peace

2012-02-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

After last month, we were afraid that our space at the Crafted Kup would be too small. But this showing of "The Corporation" was just about perfect in size, 30 people. This is a shot again before the movie started.

2012-02-04T13:31:00.000-08:00

CVS
722 Dutchess Turnpike (opposite the Adam's Store)
Poughkeepsie

Background:

-We contacted the CVS store manager by letter and then I talked to her by phone.

-She repeated that store managers cannot dictate what is sold at their stores, but agreed to contact her district manager about the sale of Dead Sea products by CVS.

-I said that we would do a boycott action at the beginning of February. Dutchess Peace decided on Saturday, Feb. 4.

Here is why we think that CVS should stop carrying these products:

The word Ahava may mean love, but Ahava cosmetics represent anything but. They’re manufactured in Israel's illegal* West Bank settlement of Mitzepe Shalem and made with minerals literally stolen from the Palestinian people. Selling products produced in illegal settlements helps finance the destruction of hope for a just and peaceful future for both Palestinians and Israelis.

CVS should stop selling Ahava, as well as other products made in Israel's illegal settlements. These include L'Oreal's Natural Sea Beauty, Dead Sea Salt Foot Soak, and Swisa Beauty Esensuals. Ask this CVS store manager to contact corporate headquarters about these products. Or make a call yourself to 401 765-1500 (request Customer Relations). You can make a difference in bringing peace to the Middle East.

* Under international law, it is illegal for an occupying power (like the Israeli government) to move its citizens onto the land it is occupying and to exploit for profit that land’s natural resources.

Fred

Packed crowd at the Crafted Kup...

2012-01-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

A packed house watched The People Speak, a movie inspired by the work of Howard Zinn. Amazing that we fit about 45 people in this small space. There were no complaints either, even when we had to change films at the last minute due to a defective DVD.

We also collected over $100 for Occupy Poughkeepsie.

This picture was taken about 15 minutes before the film started when we ran a brief slide show about Dutchess Peace.

Showing of "Inside Job" is big success

2011-12-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

We had about 30 people at our latest film. A good discussion followed and we collected $110 for Occupy Wall Street. Afterwards, many in the crowd went over to support the occupation which was under a 11:00 pm evacuation order from the city. Over 200 supporters of Occupy Poughkeepsie stood around the perimeter until about 12:30 am.

We take part on Occupy Wall Street: Poughkeepsie

2011-10-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

Members of Dutchess Peace have been visiting Occupy Poughkeepsie during the last week. Several of us marched in a Saturday rally. Fred and Eli spent Saturday night, a interesting and rewarding experience. If you want to know what the next generation's democracy looks like, visit the encampment to talk, or to spend the night. Bring some food and a willingness to talk about grassroots political change.

Pumpkin Festival in Beacon

2011-10-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

We had a windy but very busy day in Beacon. Many stopped and talked. We handed out many cards, flyers, etc. The dock is a great area, since most people taking the boat go right by our table. Thanks to those who came out to help us.

Fred

Dutchess Peace and the Adriance Library

2011-09-07T08:03:00.000-07:00

Dutchess Peace donates to the Adriance Public Library and

gets a plaque near the section on peace studies. Pat and

Jim (a World War II vet) stand under our plaque.

THE DUTCHESS PEACE COALITION

2011-07-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

THE DUTCHESS PEACE COALITION

By Pat Lamanna

The Dutchess Peace Coalition was founded early in 2003 by a group of Dutchess County citizens concerned that the United States was preparing to invade Iraq. When the invasion began shortly after, continued meeting and continued to protest the actions of the Bush Administration. We joined in demonstrations in New York City and Washington, D.C., and locally began a campaign to inform the public about the hastily-passed U.S.A. Patriot Act. At some point, however, we made the decision to return to our original mission: to promote peace.

Over the years, we have tabled at many community events; showed a wide variety of antiwar films; and participated in various larger demonstrations in Kingston, New York City, and Washington. We’ve also handed out anti-recruitment flyers at Poughkeepsie and Beacon High Schools. We discovered a book of poetry by prisoners of Guantanamo, and put together a creative and moving presentation in which members of our group, clad in orange jump suits and black hoods, read their poems and told their stories at poetry coffeehouses in the area.

We affiliated with PANYS in 2008. Three of us attended the PANYS annual meeting this year, and two of us participated in Lobby Day on June 30 by visiting Senator Schumer’s Hudson Valley office and speaking with an aide about Afghanistan.

You’ll find video, photos and a great deal of information about the organization at our web site, http://www.dutchesspeace.org, which is ably mastered by Fred Nagel.

Meeting in Schumer's Office

2011-07-12T07:09:00.000-07:00

Sent: Monday, July 04, 2011 9:57 PM

To: Rabenstein, Andrew (Schumer)
Cc: Dutchesspeace@yahoogroups.com Subject: Thank you

Hello Andrew,
I'm writing to thank you for meeting with Brook Nam and myself last Thursday, June 30 in your office. We appreciate your taking the time to discuss the very important issues of war and peace with us.

We also appreciate that you gave us a copy of the letter to President Obama, which Senator Schumer and other senators signed, expressing support for a "sizable and sustained reduction of U.S. military forces in Afghanistan." I believe that you had mentioned that you would send me a list of the other signatories to that letter. I would appreciate it if you would do so at your earliest convenience.

Our group would also like to stress that we would like to see a more rapid timetable for withdrawal than the President has set forward, and that we want to see not only uniformed service members, but also private contractors, moved out of Afghanistan as quickly as possible, with no permanent military bases left behind.

We are also concerned about the seeming buildup to military action in Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and other countries, and we want to emphasize that we do not want troops removed from Afghanistan and redeployed to any other nation, except the United States.

Please convey these sentiments to Senator Schumer as soon as possible, and again, thank you for inviting us to state our case.

Sincerely,
Pat Lamanna

Lobbying Day to end Mideast wars.

2011-07-05T05:15:00.000-07:00

Hello Andrew,

I'm writing to thank you for meeting with Brook Nam and myself last Thursday, June 30 in your office. We appreciate your taking the time to discuss the very important issues of war and peace with us.

We also appreciate that you gave us a copy of the letter to President Obama, which Senator Schumer and other senators signed, expressing support for a "sizable and sustained reduction of U.S. military forces in Afghanistan." I believe that you had mentioned that you would send me a list of the other signatories to that letter. I would appreciate it if you would do so at your earliest convenience.

Our group would also like to stress that we would like to see a more rapid timetable for withdrawal than the President has set forward, and that we want to see not only uniformed service members, but also private contractors, moved out of Afghanistan as quickly as possible, with no permanent military bases left behind.

We are also concerned about the seeming buildup to military action in Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and other countries, and we want to emphasize that we do not want troops removed from Afghanistan and redeployed to any other nation, except the United States.

Please convey these sentiments to Senator Schumer as soon as possible, and again, thank you for inviting us to state our case.

Sincerely,
Pat Lamanna

Ordinary People

2011-05-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday I spent the day hanging out with some ordinary people. I went to the 9D and 9 corner where our usual group was there hanging out and chatting trying to get attention from cars going by to support peace and redirection of our funds toward our own needs instead of war. Everyone there came , even though there is no immediate tangible reward and the people could all be somewhere else at the same time. I then went to the Mid Hudson Walk Bridge where we were to hand out leaflets. With the Dutchess Peace Group. The leaflets were an invitation for people to join a peace group anywhere and request for people to try to understand that if we don't oppose the current tendency of our nation to be an empire, it will be disastrous for the American people ....comparing our nation with ancient Greece when it tried to become an empire. Trying to teach a concept like this on the walkaway with its diverse population of people enjoying the weather and scene was certainly an interesting challenge. And it felt good to give people that little piece of paper. Some politely refused, some accepted the paper with a smile and a few actually talked to us about the contents.

Then I went to the Pow Wow in Wappingers at the Bowdoin Park. It was late and I didn't really want to have to pay a lot to go to it. However, I parked my car at a spot just before the festival and some kids were at the gate. They said that if I was happy walking to the Pow Wow from that site , I wouldn't have to pay at all. And if I did want to pay ,it would only be $5. Since I am basically a cheapskate, I walked. And it was a real Pow Wow. There was a falconer there demonstrating what his trained owl, hawk,falcon and eagle can do. He was so kind to the birds and understanding. He explained that while training the birds , they have to learn to focus on what he wants them to do, and not be distracted by the crowd. I, too, and trying to learn how to focus in my own life, and could use his help sometimes. Those birds were magnificent as they swooped down, right over my head, to get their treats.

Then I walked around the vendor tents, and at one of them I spoke with an Indigenous man,who had a hat on that indicating he was a Viet Nam Vet.. I asked where he was from and he said Pennsylvania. I asked if there was fracking near his home . He said yes, forty miles away There was a woman at the tent with him, who may have been his daughter or a friend,. She chimed in saying that the fracking is terrible. ….and when you think you have rights to your own land , you really don’t. They can take it from you any time they want. Then he said the fracking isn't the worst. The worst is that there is anthracite near his home and also near him they removed mountains to get at the coal. He says it leaves just a huge crater. You can't believe the size of that crater. The company says it will rehabilitate the land, but he can't see how they could. I bought a book from him, which he offered for $5.95 instead of the regular price of $5.99, and as I left I asked him whether this situation is what he thought he as fighting for in Viet Nam. He shook his head and said they are still doing the same thing in Iraq. I thought to myself, and this may or may not be true, he accepts life as it is. He is a survivor. He is an Indigenous person. He isn't out demonstrating against the way things are ... I think that he has lost hope that we can change things, but is able to accept things as they are.....and know that it isn't right.

I then went back to the central area where they had Indigenous dancing.... and heard the Indian drum beat and chant ...there was a large group of drummers and chanters in the circle as has been done for ages , and the watched the spirited Native Americans, men and women, in their beautiful outfits doing the dances of their heritage.

Next week I hope to be back at 9 D, and maybe I'll be able to leaflet again one of these days on that bridge and maybe I'll be able to go to that Pow Wow again next year. ..and finally, maybe I can buy another book for $5.95 instead of $5.99.

Give Peace a Film series with Marist College

2011-05-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

We showed five movies at Marist College, with the public invited to attend. Turnout varied by the film presented. We have decided to continue this film series with Marist College in the fall.

Civil Liberties and the FBI

2011-03-23T12:14:00.001-07:00

Civil Liberties and the FBI:

How Local Activists and Groups Can Respond

Monday, March 21

7:00 to 9:00 pm

Time and Space Limited

434 Columbia St, Hudson, NY 12534

Last September, the FBI raided homes and antiwar offices in Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan and North Carolina. Fourteen activists were handed subpoenas to testify before a federal grand jury. Among those targeted were members of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee, the Palestine Solidarity Group, and the Colombia Action Network. Who is the next target?

A panel of four attorneys (Steve Downs, Valeria Gheorghiu, Kathy Manley and Michael Sussman) will speak about our rights as individuals and discuss ways that local peace and justice groups engaged in non-violent activism can prepare for and respond to federal interference, raids and subpoenas. A question and answer session will follow the panel discussion.

Sponsored by:

-Middle East Crisis Response

www.mideastcrisis.org

-Dutchess Peace Coalition

www.dutchesspeace.org

-Palestinian Rights Committee

www.palestinianrightscommittee.org

Jewish and Muslim Human Rights Activists at Vassar

2011-02-14T09:42:00.001-08:00

Jewish and Muslim Human Rights Activists speak on the professional and personal dynamics of pro-Palestine advocacy

By Gail Goldsmith on February 2, 2011

“The occupation of Palestine follows me wherever I go,” said Noor Elashi, a writer and activist speaking at Vassar College.

Speaking on Jewish and Muslim activism for human rights in Palestine, Elashi and Rebecca Vilkomerson offered professional and personal perspectives on opposition to the Israeli occupation in a panel discussion, Jewish and Muslim Experiences in America: Working Together to Promote Human Rights, on January 26th at Vassar College.

Rebecca Vilkomerson and Noor Elashi (l-r) speak on their personal and professional activism for peace in Palestine to an audience at Vassar College
Vilkomerson, the National Director of Jewish Voices for Peace, described how Jewish Voices for Peace supports Boycott, Divestment, and Settlement campaigns including recent partnerships with University of California at Berkeley and a grassroots call for financial services company TIAA-CREF to divest from companies profiting from the Israeli occupation of the East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.

The 27 nationwide chapters of Jewish Voices for Peace refute the idea that all Jewish persons support the state of Israel.

“The American Jewish Committee supports Israel right or wrong and AIPAC doesn’t have a monopoly on Jewish opinion,” Vilkomerson said. “We’re continuing to carve out a place for activism in public Jewish life by being active on these issues while staying within the Jewish community.”

The event was sponsored by Vassar Islamic Society, DutchessPeace.org, and MidEastCrisis.org and was co-sponsored by many local activist groups, including the Marist Praxis Project.

“The Public Praxis Project was more an endorsement than a partner. I consulted a bit with the planners in an exchange of e-mails, but otherwise was not able to attend as I had a class at the time of the panel,” Dr. Mar Peter-Raoul, director of the Praxis Project, said. Although there were 9 co-sponsoring groups, attendance was approximately 45 persons-but the audience was engaged during the speech and inquisitive during the following question and answer session, particularly on the topic of civil liberties.

Both Vilkomerson and Elashi addressed the political challenges of religion.

“Hillel and its many campus groups excludes Jewish Voices for Peace through its anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions stance. Jewish life shouldn’t be subjected to a political litmus test,’ Vilkomerson.

For Elashi, the intersection of politics with Islam has been an emotionally fraught one.

Elashi’s father, Ghassan Elashi, co-founded the Holy Land Foundation, a large Muslim charity that supported Palestinian charities, called zakat committees, through humanitarian aid.

Ghassan Elashi was arrested under the Material Support Law, a law expanded under the Patriot Act. The Material Support Law makes it illegal to donate to charities on the U.S. Treasury list of designated terrorist organizations. Neither he nor the holy Land Foundation was ever found guilty of donating to any group on the last, but rather for donating to zakat committees that were, according to an anonymous witness for the prosecution, fronts for Hamas.

In 2007, the trial deadlocked in defense of the Holy Land Foundation, citing evidence that many international NGOs including Red Cross, USAID, CARE , and the UN sent money to the same zakat committees. In a 2008 retrial, he was convicted, after similar arguments, and is now imprisoned in a Communications Management Unit in Marion, Illinois. Referred to as “Little Guantanamo”, 60% of inmates in the Communications Management Unit are of Middle Eastern descent.

“The trial, the conviction, the proceedings were McCarthy-esque,” Elashi said, of her father’s trial.

All contact with the outside world is live-monitored and regulated. He is allowed one phone call a week. On visitation day, his family arrives for non-contact visits.

“It deprives me of that paternal scent-chamomile and cedar,” Elashi said.

An appeal is in process.

“I recognize that that global change and support for this will not start with the United States, it will end with the United States,” Elashi said, citing Islamophobia and lack of empathy as political barriers to U.S. support of Arab-Israeli peace. She is re-tooling Freedomtogive.com to serve as a resource for her father’s supporters and the interested public.

“I think this was a great event, because not enough people voice their opinions on this issue and how media influences public opinion about Israel and Palestine,” R., a Vassar student and member of the Vassar Islamic Society,said. “We think of this harsh, totalitarian treatment as the sort of thing that happens in the past. We don’t think of the American public as being this harsh and unfair to a citizen.”

http://www.maristmy575.com/?p=4749

Jewish and Muslim Experiences in America: Working Together to Promote Human Rights

2011-01-27T06:15:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, January 26

6:30 to 8:00 PM

Sanders Hall Auditorium (Room 212)

Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12504

Panel discussion with Noor Elashi and Rebecca Vilkomerson. Noor Elashi is a nationally known writer and speaker on Muslim rights. Rebecca Vilkomerson is Executive Director of Jewish Voice for Peace.

Both Jews and Muslims in the United States are affected by passions surrounding the wars in the Middle East. The panel will explore how each group is dealing with issues such as human rights and ethnic identity.

Sponsored by:

-Vassar Islamic Society

-Dutchess Peace

http://www.dutchesspeace.org

-Middle East Crisis Response

http://www.mideastcrisis.org

Contact: (845) 876-7906

Cosponsors:

Alternatives to Violence Project

Fellowship of Reconciliation

I Will Not Kill - Veterans For Peace

Marist Praxis Project for Public Citizenship

New Paltz Neighbors for Peace

New Yorkers for Alternatives to the Death Penalty - Mid Hudson Branch

Peace Action New York State

Peace and Social Progress Now

Peace Justice & Environment Project

Real Majority Project

The Mid-Hudson 9/11 Truth Commission

UUFP Poughkeepsie, Social Justice Committee

Veterans Fellowship of Reconciliation

VFP Al Warren Tappan Zee Brigade

VFP Maury Colow Chapter 058, Catskill region

WESPAC Foundation

Larry Wittner: How to Grow Local Organizations

2010-11-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

Monday, Nov. 1 at 7:00 PM
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall
67 South Randolph Avenue Poughkeepsie, NY

Larry Wittner, long time peace and social justice advocate, came to Poughkeepsie, NY on Nov. 1 to give a free talk about growing local membership in grassroots, activist organizations.

Dr. Wittner earned a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University and has since played a leadership role in the United University Professions (affiliate of the AFL/CIO). He has sponsored numerous union resolutions endorsing the Campaign for a New Foreign Policy, condemning the Iraq War, and calling upon the AFL-CIO to demand the withdrawal of U.S. troops from that conflict.

Beacon Pumpkin Festival

2010-10-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

Noor Elashi, speaker possibility for this fall

2010-06-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

Here is something she just wrote:
http://www.counterpunch.org/elashi03232010.html

Here she is on the Center for Constitution Rights website:
http://ccrjustice.org/cmu-comments

She also wrote something for Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/noor-elashi/dj-vu-in-dallas-as-the-go_b_128262.html

This from the Huffington Post:
"Noor Elashi is a writer based in Dallas, Texas. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Texas, she worked for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. In July 2008, she won the 3rd place Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Award for her manuscript titled “Displaced,” which she plans to expand into a memoir about the displacement of three generations of Palestinians: her grandmother, father, and herself. She can be reached at noorelashi@gmail.com."

She has since enrolled in the New School and is pursing a MFA in writing.

Fred

From the War Resisters Calendar

2010-05-11T17:45:00.001-07:00

"Rethink Afghanistan"

2010-05-10T12:55:00.001-07:00

Free film showing: "Rethink Afghanistan"
Documentary by Robert Greenwald

Saturday, May 8
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Poughkeepsie Friends Meeting
249 Hooker Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY

"Rethink Afghanistan" is a sobering and timely look at the chaos in that country just as President Obama is committing tens of thousands of US troops. "Rethink Afghanistan should be the Saturday matinee at the White House." - Michael Moore

A discussion followed the film.
Sponsored by Poughkeepsie Friends Meeting (www.poughkeepsiequakers.org) and Dutchess Peace Coalition (www.dutchesspeace.org)

Contact: (845) 454-6431 or (845) 454-2870

Peace Postcards?

2010-04-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

A very moving experience

2010-04-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

Pat,

I don't know about filling in any more details as you wrote a lovely and complete description of this amazing event.

Walking with the group was inspiring, especially along with the other two Dutchess Peace members, Pat and Karl. The day certainly makes me want to be involved in more of this kind of event.

I will add about the circles! Whenever the marchers arrived at their destination, or prepared to have a meal, they would make a circle and offer prayers. Now I have the urge to make circles all the time! It is a beautiful, meaningful, spiritual practice. I think Pat pretty much said it all. The people are amazing; I enjoyed talking to several of them. The food was delicious. There is nothing like walking on Route 9W with this group of people, chanting and drumming! A beautiful day, indeed. Peace, Karen

--- In DutchessPeace@yahoogroups.com, wrote:

I want to let Dutchess Peace people know about our participation in the march from Buffalo to NYC. Friday evening I attended the potluck at the UU Congregation in Kingston. The marchers were a very spiritual group, mostly Buddhists from Japan, but many Americans and at least two Europeans, one from France and one from Germany. There was also a Native American who offered prayers in his language. They started with prayers and talked a little about their journey; then we ate a simple meal of grains and vegetables (fortunately I had brought broccoli with noodles). During the meal it was mentioned that a support car was needed Saturday afternoon to transport supplies and people who had trouble walking (there was a 68-year-old Japanese man on crutches, who actually did walk part of the way). I volunteered to drive the support car. The group spent the night at the UU congregation, and I went home.

Karen and I met the group in West Park at about noon today, where they had stopped to have lunch at the home of a friend of the leader, a Buddhist nun who is Japanese but lives in Grafton, NY. Again, prayers -- joyous ones because our hostess is recovering from cancer -- then the meal. After lunch Karen walked with the group and I drove the car, with one young woman who had recently arrived from Japan and had been in an auto accident, and besides was jetlagged and tired. After a couple of miles I stopped the car to see if anyone else wanted to ride, or needed a drink. Karen took over the driving, and the man on crutches got in the car. I walked to rest of the way to Highland, about four miles, and Karl joined us along the way, so there were three Dutchess Peace (and UUFP) members on the walk.

When we arrived in Highland, members of the United Methodist Church on Vineyard Avenue were our hosts, and served a dinner of pizza and salad, along with other vegetables cooked by the marchers. After a delightful dinner, Karen and I drove Karl back to his car, and the French marcher came along so Karl could take him back to a place along the route where he thought he lost his knife. I hope he found it.

There are a lot of details I left out; maybe Karen can fill them in for you. But it was a very moving experience, marching with these deeply spiritual people who played drums and chanted as they walked. There was a lot of horn honking from cars as they passed; I think all, or at least most, were approving. The group also gave peace cranes to all of us, as well as handmade peace buttons. It was a beautiful experience. I hope more of you will join us in New York next Sunday!

Peace,
Pat

Gaza Freedom March - Report Back

2010-04-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

Gaza Freedom March - Report Back

Sunday, April 25

2:00 - 4:00 pm

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

67 South Randolph Avenue

Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Ten residents of the Hudson Valley took part in the Gaza Freedom March from Dec. 25 to Jan. 4. Members of this delegation will discuss their experiences as well as the emerging International Coalition to End the Illegal Siege of Gaza.

Sponsored by: Dutchess Peace Coalition (http://www.dutchesspeace.org) Middle East Crisis Response (http://www.mideastcrisis.org) UU Social Justice Committee (http://www.uupok.org).

From Buffalo to NYC

2010-04-25T06:25:00.001-07:00

I want to let Dutchess Peace people know about our participation in the march from Buffalo to NYC. Friday evening I attended the potluck at the UU Congregation in Kingston. The marchers were a very spiritual group, mostly Buddhists from Japan, but many Americans and at least two Europeans, one from France and one from Germany. There was also a Native American who offered prayers in his language. They started with prayers and talked a little about their journey; then we ate a simple meal of grains and vegetables (fortunately I had brought broccoli with noodles). During the meal it was mentioned that a support car was needed Saturday afternoon to transport supplies and people who had trouble walking (there was a 68-year-old Japanese man on crutches, who actually did walk part of the way). I volunteered to drive the support car. The group spent the night at the UU congregation, and I went home.

Karen and I met the group in West Park at about noon today, where they had stopped to have lunch at the home of a friend of the leader, a Buddhist nun who is Japanese but lives in Grafton, NY. Again, prayers -- joyous ones because our hostess is recovering from cancer -- then the meal. After lunch Karen walked with the group and I drove the car, with one young woman who had recently arrived from Japan and had been in an auto accident, and besides was jetlagged and tired. After a couple of miles I stopped the car to see if anyone else wanted to ride, or needed a drink. Karen took over the driving, and the man on crutches got in the car. I walked to rest of the way to Highland, about four miles, and Karl joined us along the way, so there were three Dutchess Peace (and UUFP) members on the walk.

When we arrived in Highland, members of the United Methodist Church on Vineyard Avenue were our hosts, and served a dinner of pizza and salad, along with other vegetables cooked by the marchers. After a delightful dinner, Karen and I drove Karl back to his car, and the French marcher came along so Karl could take him back to a place along the route where he thought he lost his knife. I hope he found it.

There are a lot of details I left out; maybe Karen can fill them in for you. But it was a very moving experience, marching with these deeply spiritual people who played drums and chanted as they walked. There was a lot of horn honking from cars as they passed; I think all, or at least most, were approving. The group also gave peace cranes to all of us, as well as handmade peace buttons. It was a beautiful experience. I hope more of you will join us in New York next Sunday!

Peace,
Pat

Poughkeepsie Journal on Rachel Corrie play

2010-03-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

Play ignites political passions

Edward Meisel • March 25, 2010

Several weeks ago I was driving home from work very early in the morning and listening to the BBC World Service on the radio. The news reporter began discussing a civil action that was being launched against the Israeli defense ministry by the parents of Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen who was killed while protesting the bulldozing of Palestinian homes in the Gaza town of Rafah.

What was intended to be a nonviolent protest on the part of Corrie resulted in her death when an armored bulldozer crushed her. A swell of controversy followed the incident — one side believing the driver was effectively given orders to proceed despite the protesters, the other maintaining that Corrie was not visible to the driver and furthermore had no business being on what had been designated a closed military compound.

With the early rays of the daylight breaking over the Hudson River, I found it hard for some reason to take sides. As I drove across the Mid-Hudson Bridge and home to my family, all I could think was — what a sad waste of a life. Did this young woman know she was going to die? Why didn't she scurry out of the way? Was her cause worth the wasted potential of her life unlived? At that moment I felt both sad and angry and very confused. Were her actions heroic or foolish?

Corrie's story seems to affect many people that way.

Actor Alan Rickman and journalist Katharine Viner combined and edited Corrie's own journals, letters and e-mails to create a one- woman play titled "My Name Is Rachel Corrie." The play was first staged in London in April 2005 and was met with great success. Political fireworks began, however, when the same company attempted to stage a New York production a year later. The production was postponed "indefinitely" with insinuations either implied or inferred that the political content could impede funding of the nonprofit New York Theatre Workshop at which it was to be staged.

It seems Corrie's views, expressed in her own words, are emotional and gripping to some and naive propaganda to others. The play has since appeared in New York as well as venues throughout the world. But it still seems to have a reputation of being booked and then canceled due to controversy — something very unique in our modern and "enlightened" age of theater.

IF YOU GO
What: "My Name is Rachel Corrie," starring Courtney Day Nassar; sponsored by Dutchess Peace Coalition, Grassroots Alliance for Alternative Politics and Middle East Crisis Response

When: 8 p.m. March 26

Where: Rockefeller Hall, Room 200, Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie

Admission: $10 suggested donation; free for students with ID

Information: Call 845-679-3299

My Name is Rachel Corrie performed at Vassar College

2010-03-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

First picture is of Courtney with Sam, the artist who made the great banner.

Second picture is Paul introducing the play to a packed house at Vassar College.

Courtney got a standing ovation for her wonderful performance. She also led an interesting question and answer session at the end of the play.

The room's capacity was 135, and almost every seat was taken. There were also lots of new faces, with many more community members than students.

(On March 16, 2003, Rachel Corrie, 23, was crushed to death by an Israeli Army bulldozer in Gaza as she tried to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home. "My Name Is Rachel Corrie" recounts the young woman's life from journal entries, letters, and e-mails she left behind. Courtney Day Nassar has performed this one-woman show at many locations including the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, Villanova University and the University of Pittsburgh. "In terms of other productions, having seen the New York production, I can say that Courtney inhabits the role with such passion and conviction it can be almost overwhelming." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

History of the Dutchess Peace Coalition

2010-03-07T09:41:00.001-08:00

THE DUTCHESS PEACE COALITION

By Pat Lamanna

The Dutchess Peace Coalition was founded early in 2003 by a group of Dutchess County citizens concerned that the United States was preparing to invade Iraq, a country that had had no part in the September 11 attacks and was not a known threat to U.S. security. The people who assembled at that first meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Poughkeepsie represented a variety of political parties, religious institutions, and other organizations; hence the name “Coalition.” However, in a short time the members of the group found that more and more they were acting solely as concerned citizens and not as representatives of a group, so we more often nowadays refer to our group simply as “Dutchess Peace.”

Our hope, which now seems naïve and quaint, was that if a large enough number of outraged individuals across the country organized and participated in massive demonstrations, the planned invasion of Iraq would not occur. As you know, the invasion began shortly after the founding of the Dutchess Peace Coalition. This made our mission – to forestall the invasion of Iraq – moot, and we weren’t sure at first where to go from there. We decided to continue meeting and to continue to protest the actions of the Bush Administration, which seemed both appalling and inconceivable at the time. We joined in actions in New York City and Washington, D.C., and locally began a campaign to inform the public about the hastily-passed U.S.A. Patriot Act. We joined a national organization, the Bill of Rights Defense Council, and participated in a number of Fourth of July and town parades at which we handed out literature with the provisions of the Act. We built an eye-catching “float” with the salient Articles of the Bill of Rights attacked in the Patriot Act painted in red, white and blue. Some of us dressed as the Statue of Liberty or Uncle Sam and rode the float. We almost got the Dutchess County Legislature to pass a resolution asking Congress to consider repealing those portions of the Patriot Act that violated rights and liberties outlined in the Constitution.

At some point, we made the decision that with the name “Dutchess Peace Coalition” we should return to our original mission: to promote peace. Though we continued to work to protect civil liberties, we began to focus more on ending the war in Iraq and the conditions that brought it about. At that time, we started showing or co-sponsoring movie screenings, such as “Uncovered: the True Story Behind the Iraq War” at the UU Fellowship, and “Dr. Strangelove” at the Upstate Cinema in Rhinebeck. The March 20, 2004 march in New York City commemorating the first anniversary of the invasion of Iraq had huge representation from Dutchess County – Metro North added a whole train, which we dubbed the “Peace Train,” to accommodate the overflow.

Over the years, we have continued some of our earlier activities, such as tabling at many community events (the Arlington Street Fair, the Beacon Strawberry, Corn and Pumpkin Festivals, and more); showing a wide variety of antiwar films; and participating in various larger demonstrations in Kingston, New York City, and Washington. We’ve handed out anti-recruitment flyers at Poughkeepsie and Beacon High Schools.

We discovered a book of poetry by prisoners of Guantanamo, and put together a creative and moving presentation in which members of our group, clad in orange jump suits and black hoods, read their poems and told their stories at poetry coffeehouses in the area. We are currently working on a similar creative project involving dramatic readings on the subject of Israel and Palestine.

You’ll find video, photos and a great deal of information about the organization at our web site, www.dutchesspeace.org, which is ably mastered by Fred Nagel.

This organization has had meetings where only two people attended; the maximum at any one meeting was probably no more than a dozen. People have come and gone; only two remain of those who attended the first meeting. Yet, it is remarkable how much this “small group of thoughtful, committed citizens” has accomplished in the few years it has been around. Indeed, as Margaret Mead noted, it’s the only thing that ever has.

We welcome new members or anyone who would like to check us out and learn more about us. We meet at 7:00 p.m. on the first Monday of every month, at the UU Fellowship of Poughkeepsie, 67 South Randolph Avenue. For more information, email Pat Lamanna at patla@hvc.rr.com or check out the web site, www.dutchesspeace.org.

Pot Luck for Raed Rakeen for Dec. 4, 2009

2010-01-11T17:07:00.000-08:00

Meet Bard College student Raed Rakeen of the Iraqi Student Project (ISP), eat food, and participate in a silent auction and raffle to benefit the ISP.

Location:
Unitarian Fellowship
67 South Randolph Ave
Poughkeespie, NY 12604
(Two blocks south after turning off Hooker Ave)
http://UUPuupok.org
Click for map and directions:
maps.google.com...

Contact: 845 876-7906, or via the email address below.

Sponsored by:

The Iraqi Student Project board of trustees. "The Iraqi Student Project (ISP) is a grass-roots effort to help young people who have studied in Iraq acquire the education they need to participate in rebuilding their country. To this end, ISP seeks the help of American colleges to offer these students that which the United States does very well: excellent undergraduate education."

Social Justice Committee of the Poughkeepsie UU

The Coming of Age Class of the Poughkeepsie UU

Dutchess Peace Coalition - http://DutchessPeace.org

2009-04-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

At our last movie, we added audience pictures to the Code Pink quilt project. The sign reads: "I will not raise my children to kill another mother's child."

Diane's Trip to Syria

2009-04-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

Iraqi refugees live life of desperation

By Diane Sommer • April 12, 2009

A dark brown scarf is wrapped around Baneen's head and neck to hide the scar on her throat. But there is nothing that can mask the torment and pain imprinted on her dark eyes, eyes that have witnessed atrocities most people cannot comprehend.
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I traveled to Damascus, Syria in November 2008 with activist documentary filmmaker Andrew Courtney to assist in finishing a film project he started in June 2008 concerning the estimated one to 1.4 million Iraqi refugees living in Damascus. We revisited several Iraqi refugee families he had documented to find out if anything had changed with their living conditions or resettlement status. I was most touched by the story of 12-year-old Baneen, her parents and her six siblings.

Baneen's family has been traumatized by many encounters of extreme violence inflicted by the militia in Iraq. Her mother Nahida is Sunni; her father Abdul is Shia. Before the U.S. occupation, they lived comfortably in a middle-class neighborhood in Baghdad, Iraq's capital, where Sunni, Shia and Christians lived peacefully. Nahida was a member of the Ba'ath party, of which Saddam Hussein was a leading member. In December 2003, after the U.S. invasion, Saddam was captured by U.S. forces, leaving Iraq without a leader. Groups that had been repressed under his thumb came out in droves to assert their revenge.
Horrific experience

In 2006 masked people with guns opened fire on Nahida's home and kidnapped her for 10 days, saying she was a Saddam element and a criminal. Gunmen shot out the lock on the front door. When her oldest son tried to stop them, they beheaded him and threw his head onto his younger brother's lap.

Ten-year-old Baneen was attending primary school in Baghdad at the time. One day the militia invaded her school and forced the school director to hand 12 children over to them. Baneen was one of the children. They were forced onto a bus, where all were beheaded - except for Baneen. She watched in horror as one of the men began to cut her neck. But someone had informed U.S. soldiers, who then followed the vehicle and Baneen was quickly thrown out. She was taken to a nearby U.S. military base for treatment.

In an ultimate act of violence, Baneen's family's house was raided and blown up - everything was destroyed. With financial help from friends, the family fled to Syria on a bus and have been living in a tiny apartment in Damascus for the past three years.
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Refugees are not allowed to work, yet they must still find a way to pay for food and rent. This leads to a plethora of problems, including lack of education for children, prostitution, malnutrition and homelessness.

Hope endures

The day I met Baneen, she wore a T-shirt with a message written in English: "Happy World." Although dreadful memories and fearful images must flood her mind daily, Baneen said she will never give up hope for a peaceful world. Some day she just might become a powerful leader in the peace movement. I made a promise to Baneen and all of the refugees I met, to share their personal stories of despair and courage with Americans.

Millions of Iraqis have been targeted because of their religion, profession, ethnicity, or simply because they worked with Americans in some capacity. Mainstream media in the U.S. do not give due coverage to the victims of war crimes. It would inundate the news and arouse the public. The campaign of deceit that was designed to sell the Iraq war was the first of a series of war crimes and crimes against humanity by George W. Bush and his administration. Now it is up to us, the people, to prosecute the George W. Bush/ Dick Cheney administration in order to restore justice. There is no statute of limitations for war crimes.

Diane Sommer lives in LaGrangeville and is a writer, artist, social activist and the mother of two children.

2008-12-05T21:24:00.000-08:00

We had about 65 people for our recent showing at the Muddy Cup...

What Would Jesus Buy?

- Film Screening -
Friday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 pm
The Muddy Cup, 305 Main Street
Poughkeepsie, 12601

-What Would Jesus Buy? follows Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir as they go on a cross-country mission to save Christmas from the Shopocalypse: the end of mankind from consumerism, over-consumption and the fires of eternal debt! From producer Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me). "Fast and funny" - NY Times. "Tremendously entertaining" - Village Voice.
The screening will be followed by an audience discussion.

This is part of the "Give Peace a Film" series sponsored by the Dutchess Peace Coalition (www.dutchesspeace.org) There is no admission charge.

Letter sent to peace and religious organizations

2008-10-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

Dear members,

We are members of the Dutchess Peace Coalition, a small group of citizen activists who care deeply about peace and social justice issues affecting both our community and our world. We hold our meetings the first Monday of every month at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Poughkeepsie. The Fellowship offers us a room to use for our meetings, but we are not affiliated with them in any other way.

The Dutchess Peace Coalition shows monthly screenings of the best anti-war, pro-peace and social justice films made within the last several decades. Each film is shown free of charge at the Muddy Cup Coffee House, 305 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 on the first Friday of every month at 7:30 p.m. Our films are followed by a lively group discussion initiated by one of our members. We've had many insightful and thought-provoking discussions in the past.

We offer these free films to encourage communities to talk about peace issues, exchange ideas and foster independent thinking. We believe that small group meetings are the best way to reassert our country's basic commitment to human rights and international law. Individually, we cannot change the direction of our country, but we believe by working together with focused intention, we are able to cultivate optimism and initiate change.
We hope that you will post this movie flyer on your community bulletin board, and perhaps even mention our group and movies to those people who might be interested. We invite your comments, suggestions and welcome you to any of our meetings. Please feel free to visit our website to find out about additional social justice activities we are involved with: http://www.dutchesspeace.org.

At this time of great change and uncertainty it is important to reach out to our brothers and sisters to let them know we are in this together. When small groups gather with other small groups to watch a thought-provoking film and have a lively discussion over a cup of coffee or tea, it reinforces the concept of unity and goodwill. We hope to see you at one of our films! Thank you.

Very Sincerely,

Dutchess CC denies peace and vets table

2008-10-24T06:52:00.000-07:00

I talked to Mike Weida (845 431-8054) today and he relayed Dean Sandra Holtz's position that only colleges and military recruiters are allowed on campus. The reason? Both types of organizations are employment related. A table by the Dutchess County Peace Coalition and the Veterans For Peace would only be seeking unpaid recruits. Therefore, it will not be allowed.

We talked briefly about the need to have two points of view on campus. I reviewed the fact that almost 70% of the population is now against the Iraq occupation, and that parents might not be happy to learn that Dutchess Community College provides free access to military recruiters while eliminating any other point of view. As a veteran, I consider that a dangerous environment for students. As a parent, I wouldn't put up with it.

In fact, a number of local high schools now allow us to table inside schools. It is hard to believe that Dutchess Community College offers less exposure to intellectual diversity than the average high school.

We hope that Dean Holtz will reconsider her decision. Ideas can be threatening. But the absence of ideas in an institution of higher learning is downright dangerous, both to students and to our democracy.

Fred

2008-10-04T07:39:00.000-07:00

Once a month the Dutchess Peace Coalition will offer a free film at the Muddy Cup Coffee House, 305 Main St. in Poughkeepsie.

Pete Seeger: The Power of Song -Film Screening-
Friday, October 3 at 7:30 pm
The Muddy Cup, 305 Main Street
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

"Famous as he is, Mr. Seeger seems to exist outside of, and in opposition to, the commercial machinery of celebrity. His sensibility is cosmopolitan but also agrarian, devoted to land, family and community x to traditional American values, you might say.

In two years he'll be 90. He is an institution and a monument, but also a living presence whose best songs grow less quaint and more urgent every day, and who can drive some listeners crazy even as he moves others to tears. If you watch the video (included in this film) of him singing "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" on CBS in 1968, you'll know just what I mean."
A. O. SCOTT, New York Times

Vassar Newspaper Covers Movie Night

2008-10-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

The Poughkeepsie Page

Dutchess Peace Coalition to pay tribute to activist Pete Seeger

Ruby Cramer

Published: Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Updated: Wednesday, October 1, 2008

As he makes his way through his late 80s, renowned folk singer and peace activist Pete Seeger is anything but idle: He has a new album set to be released this month, he was on tour this summer throughout the United States and in Canada and, as a Dutchess County resident, he protests the Iraq War every Saturday at the intersection of Route 9 and 9D.
On Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Muddy Cup in downtown Poughkeepsie, the Dutchess Peace Coalition will pay tribute to the singer by screening the documentary Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, a film that shows that Seeger is still full of spirit, vigor and hope.

The Dutchess Peace Coalition is a group of Dutchess County residents whose aim is to promote peace, justice and an end to the war in Iraq. Group member Carolann Koehler explained that the group was founded just before the war broke out in 2003.

“It was just a few people getting together to try to stop the war,” said Koehler. “Now, we continue to work on our mission to end the Iraq War. We plan different peace activities, we have demonstrations, protest, vigils and rallies.” With what the group calls the “Give Peace a Film Series,” the coalition screens a film at the Muddy Cup once every month. Each screening is followed by an open discussion.

Group member Pat Lamanna explained why the Coalition chose the Seeger documentary. “It is a very inspiring film because it tells the story of a very inspiring human being. We want to inspire people to activism and to show them how much of a difference just one person can make,” she said.

“We also want to honor Seeger for a number of reasons,” Lamanna explained. “He is a local person who vigils with us quite frequently. He’s one of the Dutchess County activists and essentially an honorary member of Dutchess Peace.”

The film, directed by Jim Brown, premiered in October 2007 and features interviews and testimonials from Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Arlo Guthrie and other notable artists.
Seeger, who lives 30 miles south of Poughkeepsie in Beacon, N.Y., won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993, was honored at the Kennedy Center by President Bill Clinton in 1994 and received the Living Legends award from the Library of Congress in 2000.

“He has traveled around the world as an ambassador for the causes of peace and justice,” Lamanna explained. “His songs have been sung all over the world. He spreads the message of peace.”

Though undeniably successful, Seeger remains a man of humble values and noble ideals. In his review of the documentary, New York Times film critic A.O. Scott wrote, “Famous as he is, Seeger seems to exist outside of, and in opposition to, the commercial machinery of celebrity. His sensibility is cosmopolitan but also agrarian, devoted to land, family and community—to traditional American values, you might say.”

Because of the character and integrity of the great man who is the subject of this documentary—and also because of the quality of the film itself—Vassar students would enjoy and appreciate the screening and the discussion to follow, explained Muddy Cup owner Jim Svetz.

“If this film were being shown on campus, you would be surrounded by other Vassar students,” he said. “I think it is good to go and meet the Peace Coalition and have an open discussion with older people, younger people, people that may have met Seeger and been there when he was fighting in the Vietnam War or been there when he was an activist.”
Svetz added, “At the Muddy Cup, we are a coffee house, and I feel that that is a place that you can go and get an opinion about everything and be exposed to all different views of the community. Vassar students should expose themselves to all venues and all points of view in general—that is part of what being a college student is all about.”

Koehler agreed, saying, “The discussion after the films is often the highlight of the evening.”

This is not the first event of its kind at the Muddy Cup. The coffee house often hosts events in response to the interest and demand of the public.
“All the events that we do, including the Seeger events, are all driven by the demand of the community,” Svetz explained. “People come in and they say we would like to do this. And then we do it.”

Both Svetz and Koehler hope that Seeger himself will be able to attend the Oct. 3 screening. “There is a chance he will be there. We hope so,” Koehler said.
Koehler is eager to see students’ reactions to the film. “I hope Vassar students will be interested in what is going on in their community. We are always trying to build bridges and work together with young people. It would be great if students came.”

Door to door for peace...

2008-09-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

Diane, Nick, Karen and I went out in pairs and knocked on doors yesterday as part of the "Million Doors for Peace" project sponsored by several national peace organizations, including our own "parent" group, Peace Action. It was a beautiful day to go for a walk in a nice neighborhood, around the Fellowship.

We got a lot of people not home or not answering, and it seemed like about equal numbers of people who answered agreeing or disagreeing....We wound up getting signatures of other household members who wanted to express their desire to end the war, but I don't know if those signatures will even be used. I entered our results online just now, and there's only a space for a response for the actual name on the list. I emailed a question about other names and am awaiting a reply.

Personally, I don't like going door to door and probably wouldn't want to do it again. However, I think we did some good, as it got people thinking about the war. Even the ones who weren't home found some literature waiting for them on their arrival.

Counter-recruiting in Beacon

2008-04-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

The principal said we couldn't stand in front of the school. But hundreds of students walk home, so we found a great place on the road and had no trouble handing out all the counter recruiting flyers we brought.

Thanks to Dan, Vicki and Rich. We will have to do it again, and this time, we have two students from Beacon to help us.

Fred

Guantanamo Poetry at the UU in Poughkeepsie

2008-02-25T10:25:00.001-08:00

It is hard to read this poetry without understanding the plight of these Guantanamo prisoners, held for years, tortured, and stripped of all human rights protections. They represent the shame of America, what our history books in some future time will term the "great mistake" of our democracy. For they don't represent democracy at all. The prisoners of Guantanamo reflect a future fascist state where none of us have rights, and all are treated with cruelty and mindless brutality.

By standing for the rights of Guantanamo prisoners, we are also standing for the rights of ourselves and our children.

Counter recruiting video

2008-01-31T19:02:00.000-08:00

Adventures in the mall outside the recruiting office.

Guantanamo reading on YouTube

2008-01-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

I reworked the video of our Guantanamo reading at the Cubbyhole Cafe. It is a lot clearer now, and you can even see the performers. Enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_jinugQxOI

2008-01-20T16:58:00.001-08:00

We gathered outside the recruiting office (Bed, Bath and Beyond mall on Rt. 9), put on the jumpsuits we had, and started handing out flyers to those who went by. No one went into the recruiting office while we were there.

Some people passing by agreed with our demonstration and some did not. Nobody asked us to move, so we stayed the whole hour. We also videotaped it for Youtube.

We resolved not to antagonize those who disagreed with us. Our peace group is not there to provoke confrontations. Only to highlight the danger recruiters pose to our teenagers. They are sold a mixture of patriotism and promises of free education. Then it's off to Iraq.

We had 11 demonstrators at the peak, having been joined by several new people.

Dutchess Peace joins Guantanamo protest

2008-01-11T19:51:00.000-08:00

The human rights group Amnesty International staged protests around the world Friday to mark the sixth anniversary of the first arrival of detainees at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba ... Amnesty International, the American Civil Liberties Union and other rights organizations used the anniversary to again call on the Bush administration to close down Guantanamo.
-By Cindy Saine, Washington
---------
Five members of the Dutchess Peace Coalition joined this international protest with a demonstration in Poughkeepsie.

Free "T" shirts from Circuit City

2007-11-20T19:28:00.000-08:00

We went into Circuit City in two waves. First, a group of parents had a meeting with the store manager, and then the district manager. The rest our group started handing out flyers to those entering the store. Our message was simple. We didn't like Circuit City pitching war games to our children, and though it especially offensive to have a large number of Army recruiters all over the store encouraging kids to shoot up the enemy for fun. Of course, the recruiters got in on the discussion, explaining that they were serving as good role models and trying to teach a little patriotism.

We got the district manager's name and told her that we were going to complain in writing to corporate headquarters. That was the final straw. She said "out with everyone." We asked whether that meant the recruiters too, and she said yes.

On the way out, she said that she was against the war, that bringing them into the store was a terrible idea, and that she was sorry. We left with a load of free Circuit City "T" shirts that nobody really wanted.

Outside, the recruiters looked whipped and angry. One came up to us and said that he was a "hero" and that we were depriving young people of the chance to use him as a role model. When we suggested that we had other role models in mind for our kids, he got ugly. He called us "scum" and "cowards" and ended up shouting four letter words in front of the women and children. Cursing and threatening the parents' group with physical violence, the "hero" was lead away by his fellow recruiters.

So we had a big win at Circuit City. I want to thank everyone who came out, and especially Ashley who organized us and gave us some fighting spirit.

Also, I want to apologize for a bit too much fighting spirit on my part. I got carried away.

Fred

Our table at the Pumpkin Fest 10/07

2007-10-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

Our table at the Pumpkin Fest in Beacon was right next to the stage, so we could sing along with Pete! We had a good day, and made peace buttons for the kids.

Guantanamo poetry at the Muddy Cup

2007-08-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

Diane, Pat and Fred read Guantanamo poetry at the Muddy Cup in Poughkeepsie. Carolann read some additional poetry about human rights and social change.

Guantanamo Poetry at the Cubbyhole Cafe

2007-08-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

Jim, Pat, Carolann, and Diane read poetry last night (Aug 20) to a small but enthusiastic crowd. We plan more venues.

Peace Party goes on into the evening.

2007-08-19T08:05:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to Linda and Ron.

The Dutchess Peace table: summer 07.

2007-08-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

Photo by Carolann.

Peace rally at West Point.

2007-08-17T18:54:00.001-07:00

Major Peace Rally Protests Cheney Speech To West Point Graduation, May 26

"I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 5-Star General, 34th President of the United States, West Point Class of 1915

Hudson Valley, NY - May 16, 2006 - Elected officials, veterans, military families, and grassroots citizen activists for peace, freedom, and justice held a march and rally at Veterans Park, Highland Falls, New York commencing at 8:30 am on May 26, 2007 as Vice President Dick Cheney delivered the commencement address to the graduating class of 2007 at the United States Military Academy.

"We feel morally obligated to continue to protest the war in Iraq and to show this administration that people around the country will not accept the perpetuation of this war. Allowing Vice President Cheney to appear in our region without protest is tantamount to supporting this war and condoning current American foreign policy," said Michael Sussman, the civil rights attorney currently defending the West Point 8, and the chairperson of the Democratic Alliance.

Organizations including Veterans for Peace, social justice groups, women's groups, media watchdogs, impeachment advocates, party activists ranging the full spectrum from Democrat to Republican, Green to Libertarian, and over a thousand citizens took part. With the endorsement of several national peace coalitions, this year's peace event was the largest in West Point history. At press time, an injunction was being sought in federal court to permit the parade to enter the grounds of the campus itself, which, if approved, would be the first access of this type in the movement's history.

We support the 9 and 9D Vigil.

2007-08-17T18:53:00.001-07:00

The vigil on 9 and 9D is still going after three years (Saturdays at 12:30).

Elizabeth Holtzman: The Politics of Impeachment.

2007-08-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

For High Crimes and Misdemeanors

Friday, Oct 20
Goletti Theater, Marist College

We had over 100 people at this talk. Come to our next meeting to plan more impeachment events for Dutchess County.

Voices for Peace in Poughkeepsie.

2007-08-17T18:50:00.001-07:00

The Voices for Peace gave us a great send-off for the April 29 Peace Rally in NYC.

Kathy Kelly comes to speak.

2007-08-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

Reflections on the US war in Iraq and
the ongoing Middle East conflict

Kathy spoke on March 28th at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Staatsburg(Go five miles south from Rhinebeck on Rt. 9and then turn right on Old Post Rd.)

"For the last 25 years, the 51-year-old Kelly has been nowhere near the sidelines. She has been willing to go anywhere in the world, Bosnia, Haiti, the West Bank, to do whatever she can to help victims of violence and demonstrate for peace. As long as the activity is nonviolent, she has been willing to be arrested again and again. She has been willing to go to jail again and again. She has even been willing to die."
—Chicago Tribune

Eyewitness Palestine by Paula Silbey.

2007-08-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

Paula Silbey, a resident of the Hudson Valley, joined International Women's Peace Service (www.iwps.info) and made two trips to Palestine in 2006. Her talk focused on daily life, the hardships of Israeli occupation, and the conflict she experienced as an American Jew. Over 50 people attended the presentation, and we got excellent coverage in the Poughkeepsie Journal and the Weekly Beat.

Eyes Wide Open comes to Vassar.

2007-08-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

Eyes Wide Open exhibition came to Poughkeepsie and the Dutchess Peace Coalition helped raise funds for it. Photo by Econosmith.

Fundraising for Eyes Wide Open.

2007-08-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

Dancing to the Walker Family Band, we raised over $300 for the Eyes Wide Open exhibit and counter recruiting efforts in Dutchess Co.

Counter recruiting in Poughkeepsie HS.

2007-08-17T18:37:00.001-07:00

Antiwar demonstration in Rhinebeck.

2007-08-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

Protests outside the military recruiting office.

2007-08-17T18:32:00.001-07:00

Sleeping Out for the Homeless.

2007-08-17T18:28:00.001-07:00

Peace Picnics.

2007-08-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

Peace Parties of the last several years.

2007-08-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

Liberties floats.

2007-08-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

Dr. Strangelove at Upstate Films.

2007-08-17T18:13:00.000-07:00

Dutchess Peace

Packed crowd at the Crafted Kup...

Showing of "Inside Job" is big success

We take part on Occupy Wall Street: Poughkeepsie

Pumpkin Festival in Beacon

Dutchess Peace and the Adriance Library

THE DUTCHESS PEACE COALITION

Meeting in Schumer's Office

Lobbying Day to end Mideast wars.

Ordinary People

Give Peace a Film series with Marist College

Civil Liberties and the FBI

Jewish and Muslim Human Rights Activists at Vassar

Jewish and Muslim Experiences in America: Working Together to Promote Human Rights

Larry Wittner: How to Grow Local Organizations

Beacon Pumpkin Festival

Noor Elashi, speaker possibility for this fall

From the War Resisters Calendar

"Rethink Afghanistan"

Free film showing: "Rethink Afghanistan"Documentary by Robert Greenwald

Peace Postcards?

A very moving experience

Gaza Freedom March - Report Back

From Buffalo to NYC

Poughkeepsie Journal on Rachel Corrie play

My Name is Rachel Corrie performed at Vassar College

History of the Dutchess Peace Coalition

Pot Luck for Raed Rakeen for Dec. 4, 2009

Diane's Trip to Syria

Letter sent to peace and religious organizations

Dutchess CC denies peace and vets table

Vassar Newspaper Covers Movie Night

The Poughkeepsie Page

Dutchess Peace Coalition to pay tribute to activist Pete Seeger

Door to door for peace...

Counter-recruiting in Beacon

Guantanamo Poetry at the UU in Poughkeepsie

Counter recruiting video

Guantanamo reading on YouTube

Dutchess Peace joins Guantanamo protest

Free "T" shirts from Circuit City

Our table at the Pumpkin Fest 10/07

Guantanamo poetry at the Muddy Cup

Guantanamo Poetry at the Cubbyhole Cafe

Peace Party goes on into the evening.

The Dutchess Peace table: summer 07.

Peace rally at West Point.

We support the 9 and 9D Vigil.

Elizabeth Holtzman: The Politics of Impeachment.

Voices for Peace in Poughkeepsie.

Kathy Kelly comes to speak.

Eyewitness Palestine by Paula Silbey.

Eyes Wide Open comes to Vassar.

Fundraising for Eyes Wide Open.

Counter recruiting in Poughkeepsie HS.

Antiwar demonstration in Rhinebeck.

Protests outside the military recruiting office.

Sleeping Out for the Homeless.

Peace Picnics.

Peace Parties of the last several years.

Liberties floats.

Dr. Strangelove at Upstate Films.

Free film showing: "Rethink Afghanistan"
Documentary by Robert Greenwald