forsooth in fact, indeed (adv.) in truth, (archaic)

8
February 2018 Page 1 INSIDE Take A Knee by Paul Turner • Page 1 Reflection : Oldham County Detention Center by Rev. Jim Flynn • Page 2 Mind Over Market by Sam Avery • Page 3 Yemen Faces Critical Moment by René Wadlow • Page 4 Trump Asked What Do You Have To Lose by Gracie Lewis• Page 5 Lessons From The Eye Of The Storm by Tasneem Karim • Page 5 Third Thursday Lunch & FORward Radio Schedule • Page 7 Calendar for Peace Makers • Page 8 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Louisville, KY Permit No. 962 Fellowship of Reconciliation Louisville Chapter 2146 Lakeside Drive Louisville, KY 40205 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED FOR sooth Volume 28, No. 9 A publication of the Louisville Chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation www.LouisvilleFOR.org February 2018 Like this newspaper? Help keep it alive by donating See details on page 2 >> forsooth: (adv.) in truth, in fact, indeed (archaic) It is fascinating how a public figure can be a hero for some and an offense to others. Colin Kaepernick is just one of such persons. Taking a knee during the “Star-Spangled Banner” at a football game, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback protested systemic oppression of Black people and other minorities. Kaepernick refuses to feign pride in the flag of a country that “oppresses Black people and people of color.” However, although Kaeperick has gone on record reassuring, “‘Once again I’m not anti-American. I love America…that’s why I’m doing this,” many American citizens remain concerned, infuriated, or betrayed by his so-called un-American act. e demographic of those perturbed citizens is wide and varied. However, it was a Kentuckian duo called the Moron Brothers that particularly arrested my attention, as they, guitar and banjo in hand, strummed and plucked out their disapproval. e tenor of their song is not to be mistaken: taking a knee disrespects the country, disparages our troops, and tramps upon American freedom itself. Certainly, their fervor for their country is noteworthy, yet even with such commendable intentions, this song squarely and painfully misses the point of taking a knee. Consider if our Founding Fathers had said, “We should never protest the Union Jack or challenge Great Britain.” Where would we be? Would we even be? If these musicians’ sentiment is correct, all individuals of their ilk should logically refrain from boasting of their revolutionary heritage. However, if the sentiment of this song is found to be wanting, the disgust of many for Kaepernick’s protest against racial oppression reveals yet another hypocritical contour in the landscape of American history, for while they lambast those who protest institutionalized racism in government institutions, they have nothing but praise for the revolutionary protest against the oppressive government of Great Britain. All those brave, conscionable souls who kneel in protest because of institutionalized and de facto racism dignify our commendation as much as do the revolutionaries. All who decry such protest should realize that these individuals kneel not to disrespect their country but because love for country so compels them to be disgusted by and to address a sustained blemish that continues to mar our history. Sometimes, we must protest to bring society to repent of its sins. However, change oſten comes at the expense of the comfort of those benefited by those sins. erefore, it is most oſten those who live in privilege and comfort that seek to maintain the status quo. ey have neither experienced nor, oſten, even considered the narrative of the oppressed, and consequently, they see any protest for equality as unbecoming and unthankful. is illogic is compelled by fear, guided by lack of knowledge, and compounded by unwillingness to change. However, for everyone else reaping the effects of an imbalanced system, this stilted, status quo-seeking attitude is nothing but an ignominious stench. If they would be truly consistent with their belief that protesting the evil actions of government is wrong, they should forfeit all the benefits that have come to them as a result of the countless American (and other) protests that have shaped our country into what it is today. Furthermore, this issue reveals another unfortunate reality. Americans are expressing their concern for the emblems of the nation rather than the people that those emblems represent. It is deplorable to be more concerned with the flag than the oppressed human lives that are symbolized by its stripes and stars. is nation must reconsider the grounding for its nationalistic pride and evaluate whether its actions, past and present, are anything of which it should be proud. Many more Americans should probably be kneeling…because they have not stood for the moral integrity the flag is supposed to symbolize. Our nation was conceived in protest, was birthed in protest, and matures through protest. Protest, like adversity, can bring strength. Look what it has done for this nation: the Abolition Movement led to the abolition of American slavery. e Women’s Suffrage Movement gave women the much-deserved right to vote. e Civil Rights Movement led to the end of segregation. No good-willed person can deny that these protests were crucial, and yet if Americans continue to protest the practice of protest, we will stunt our own growth as a nation. Sources, further reading: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691077/article/colin-kaepernick-explains- protest-of-national-anthem https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/02/sports/football/colin-kaepernick-kneels- national-anthem-protest.html TAKE A KNEE By Paul Turner Paul Anthony Turner has a BA in Theology and a minor in Health and Wellness from Southern Adventist University and is currently pursuing his Master of Divinity degree at Andrews University Seminary. He is involved with the Adventist-Muslim Friendship Association (AMFA) and Bethany Christian Services, which foster Muslim-Christian dialogue and help assimilate refugees into American life, respectively.

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Page 1: FORsooth in fact, indeed (adv.) in truth, (archaic)

February 2018 Page 1

INSIDETake A Knee by Paul Turner • Page 1Reflection : Oldham County Detention Center by Rev. Jim Flynn • Page 2 Mind Over Market by Sam Avery • Page 3Yemen Faces Critical Moment by René Wadlow • Page 4Trump Asked What Do You Have To Lose by Gracie Lewis• Page 5Lessons From The Eye Of The Storm by Tasneem Karim • Page 5Third Thursday Lunch & FORward Radio Schedule • Page 7Calendar for Peace Makers • Page 8

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FORsoothVolume 28, No. 9 A publication of the Louisville Chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation www.LouisvilleFOR.org February 2018

Like this newspaper? Help keep it alive by donatingSee details on page 2 >>

forsooth:(adv.) in truth,

in fact, indeed(archaic)

It is fascinating how a public figure can be a hero for some and an offense to others. Colin Kaepernick is just one of such persons. Taking a knee during the “Star-Spangled Banner” at a football game, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback protested systemic oppression of Black people and other minorities. Kaepernick refuses to feign pride in the flag of a country that “oppresses Black people and people of color.” However, although Kaeperick has gone on record reassuring, “‘Once again I’m not anti-American. I love America…that’s why I’m doing this,” many American citizens remain concerned, infuriated, or betrayed by his so-called un-American act.

The demographic of those perturbed citizens is wide and varied. However, it was a Kentuckian duo called the Moron Brothers that particularly arrested my attention, as they, guitar and banjo in hand, strummed and plucked out their disapproval. The tenor of their song is not to be mistaken: taking a knee disrespects the country, disparages our troops, and tramps upon American freedom itself. Certainly, their fervor for their country is noteworthy, yet even with such commendable intentions, this song squarely and painfully misses the point of taking a knee.

Consider if our Founding Fathers had said, “We should never protest the Union Jack or challenge Great Britain.” Where would we be? Would we even be? If these musicians’ sentiment is correct, all individuals of their ilk should logically refrain from boasting of their revolutionary heritage. However, if the sentiment of this song is found to be wanting, the disgust of many for Kaepernick’s protest against racial oppression reveals yet another hypocritical contour in the landscape of American history, for while they lambast those who protest institutionalized racism in government institutions, they have nothing but praise for the revolutionary protest against the oppressive government of Great Britain.All those brave, conscionable souls who kneel in protest because of institutionalized and de facto racism dignify our commendation as much as do the revolutionaries. All who decry such protest should realize that these individuals kneel not to disrespect their country but because love for country so compels them to be disgusted by and to address a sustained blemish that continues to mar our history.

Sometimes, we must protest to bring society to repent of its sins. However, change often comes at the expense of the comfort of those benefited by those sins. Therefore, it is most

often those who live in privilege and comfort that seek to maintain the status quo. They have neither experienced nor, often, even considered the narrative of the oppressed, and consequently, they see any protest for equality as unbecoming and unthankful. This illogic is compelled by fear, guided by lack of knowledge, and compounded by unwillingness to change. However, for everyone else reaping the effects of an imbalanced system, this stilted, status quo-seeking attitude is nothing but an ignominious stench. If they would be truly consistent with their belief that protesting the evil actions of government is wrong, they should forfeit all the benefits that have come to them as a result of the countless American (and other) protests that have shaped our country into what it is today.

Furthermore, this issue reveals another unfortunate reality. Americans are expressing their concern for the emblems of the nation rather than the people that those emblems represent. It is deplorable to be more concerned with the flag than the oppressed human lives that are symbolized by its stripes and stars. This nation must reconsider the grounding for its nationalistic pride and evaluate whether its actions, past and present, are anything of which it should be proud. Many more Americans should probably be kneeling…because they have not stood for the moral integrity the flag is supposed to symbolize.

Our nation was conceived in protest, was birthed in protest, and matures through protest. Protest, like adversity, can bring strength. Look what it has done for this nation: the Abolition Movement led to the abolition of American slavery. The Women’s Suffrage Movement gave women the much-deserved right to vote. The Civil Rights Movement led to the end of segregation. No good-willed person can deny that these protests were crucial, and yet if Americans continue to protest the practice of protest, we will stunt our own growth as a nation.

Sources, further reading: • http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691077/article/colin-kaepernick-explains-

protest-of-national-anthem • https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/02/sports/football/colin-kaepernick-kneels-

national-anthem-protest.html

TAKE A KNEEBy Paul Turner

Paul Anthony Turner has a BA in Theology and a minor in Health and Wellness from Southern Adventist University and is currently pursuing his Master of Divinity degree at Andrews University Seminary. He is involved with the Adventist-Muslim Friendship Association (AMFA) and Bethany Christian Services, which foster Muslim-Christian dialogue and help assimilate refugees into American life, respectively.

Page 2: FORsooth in fact, indeed (adv.) in truth, (archaic)

FORsoothPage 2

It’s been said all too often: those who do not know their history will repeat it. Or maybe they will ignore it. Or perhaps they will even announce that “it can’t happen here.”

But “it” is happening here in plain sight. It can’t be ignored. And history is being repeated. A newly c o n s t r u c t e d f a c i l i t y designated as the “Oldham

Country Detention Center” is in plain sight on Highway 146 between Buckner and La Grange, KY.

One wonders if similar “detention centers” are being built in Shelby county, or Bullitt county, or in every county.

That “Oldham County Detention Center” is a temporary lay-over where human beings will be detained before being deported to Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, if not other countries. These humans will be branded with labels like “aliens” and “undocumented,” and will be racially profiled. Some few may indeed be guilty of criminal activity.

In their home countries, these brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters will be targets, marked by drug gangs and narco-traffickers who will do the dirty work Oldham County immigration officials can’t do. Meanwhile, those Oldham county agents will sleep well and some will go to church on Sundays driving past their place of employment where they just follow orders.

During the mid- to late-twentieth century, other agents called “death squads” appeared in El Salvador, para-militaries supported by the Salvadoran military. They captured and murdered hundreds of thousands of civilians, branded as “subversives” or “communists” by wealthy oligarchs and their politicians.

The para-militaries accosted citizens with tinted windowed vans and other vehicles, then snatched them one by one and took them to their detention centers. Deep inside, victims

were tortured and then murdered; their bodies were dumped in the streets or elsewhere. Thousands of victims were “disappeared,” and families were unable to find and bury loved ones.

In Central America, some brave voices, like Archbishop Oscar Romero, were raised in protest to what was happening in plain sight daily on the streets of El Salvador. Meanwhile, from rich and gated communities, came the excuse “we didn’t know.”

But, they did know of and approved the vile rhetoric that so many politicians and their press spewed about ordinary people struggling against grinding poverty, misery, and injustice.

Today, in San Salvador, there is a “Memorial Wall” with names of thousands of victims assassinated or disappeared.

The horrible history of Central America of the mid-twentieth century is being repeated in these early years of the 21st century as centers like the one in Oldham Country are constructed. Human beings will be accused of being “illegal” or simply snatched for having brown skin, black hair, and dark brown eyes. Vile rhetoric from many in high political office

in the United States fan the fires that repeat history.

Will voices be raised in protest?

Will good people ignore the warning signs of our times like the “Oldham County Detention Center”?

Will voices of religious leaders be raised to defend those detained before being deported?

Will citizens of Oldham County drive past that detention center on their way to Sunday Church and then plead “we didn’t know”?

Inside those churches, will leaders read and preach St. Matthew Chapter 25:43: “I was an immigrant and you did not welcome me”? Even if preachers preach, will parishioners hear those words as they drive past the “Oldham County Detention Center”?

Some day, will Oldham County residents build their own Memorial Wall with the names of those deported through their detention center?

95 YEARS ON PEACE FRONTIERS

FORsooth is published by the Louisville Chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR). Since 1915, the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) in the United States has led campaigns to obtain legal rights for conscientious objectors, win civil rights for all Americans, end the Viet Nam War, oppose U.S. intervention in the Third World, and reverse the superpowers arms race. An interfaith pacifist organization, the FOR has members from many religious and ethnic traditions. It is part of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, with affiliates in 40 countries. In the development of its program, FOR depends upon persons who seek to apply these principles to every area of life. We invite you to join us in this endeavor. Membership consists of signing the FOR Statement of Purpose indicating that you agree with FOR’s goals. Please sign up online at: forusa.org Louisville FOR Co-chairpersons:Pat Geier 502-609-7985 Chris Harmer 502-899-4119

LIKE THIS NEWSPAPER? Keep it Alive with a Donation!

Make a check out to “FOR” and write “FORsooth” on the

comment line. Mail it to: Tim Scheldorf, FOR Treasurer 2917

Beaumont Rd, Louisville, KY 40205

FOR’s Mission StatementThe Fellowship of Reconciliation seeks to replace violence, war,

racism and economic injustice with nonviolence, peace and justice. We are an interfaith organization committed to active nonviolence as

a transforming way of life and as a means of radical change. We educate, train, build coalitions, and engage in nonviolent and

compassionate actions locally, nationally, and globally.

REFLECTION ON A DETENTION CENTER IN

OLDHAM COUNTYRev. James E. Flynn

Reverend Jim Flynn is a retired Catholic priest in Louisville, where he has served as pastor in various parishes for over 60 years, including at the Church of the Epiphany and at St. William Catholic Church. Currently he serves the Latino community in their Spanish Masses. He is interested in showing a power point presenting an overview of Pope Francis’ Encyclical (papal letter) “Laudato Si.” Anyone interested in the presentation can contact Father Flynn at [email protected]

photo credit: gocentralamerica.about.com

photo credit: The Oldham Era

Page 3: FORsooth in fact, indeed (adv.) in truth, (archaic)

February 2018 Page 3

Managing Editor: Adam Khayat

Design and Production Artist: Brianna Harlan

Editorial Team: Linda Berry, Sharon Grant, Russ Greenleaf, Tom Lambert, Gary Liebert, John Morrison, Linda Otto, Ike Thacker

Peace Calendar: Tom Louderback

Webmaster: David Horvath

Web Advisor: Mark Monyhan

Bulk Mail Coordinators: Cathy Ford, Everett Hoffmann, Beverley Marmion, Fred and Rose Nett

Mailing List Coordinators: Mary and David Horvath

Delivery Coordinator: Ike Thacker

FORsooth team

RECEIVE FORsooth for FREE

Send an email request to David Horvath at:

[email protected]

Request it by mail, by email, or both.

The market could lead us away from fossil fuels. If supplies dwindle, prices will rise, and as prices rise, renewable energy will become more competitive. Coal, oil, and natural gas will become scarce and expensive as solar, wind, geothermal, and cellulosic bio fuels become cheaper. No one will consciously decide to stop emitting carbon dioxide; the market will do it automatically. Without help from scientists, environmentalists, and government bureaucrats, saving the world will be as simple as saving money.

I used to think that. Like most people, I used to think that fossil fuels were running out and that the invisible hand of the market would point to renewables. But, I was wrong. Fossil fuels are not running out. Coal, oil, and natural gas will be abundant and cheap for many years to come. In fact, there is five times more fossil fuel in the ground than needed to raise global temperatures two degrees centigrade. Oversupply encourages consumers to buy and burn as much as they like, and to keep burning it as sea levels rise, agricultural production slows, and mass extinctions begin. This changes everything. If the market has its way in the future, there will be maximum carbon combustion and maximum climate chaos, because that is where the money is. In its place, the market mechanism is a wonderful thing. It rewards efficiency and productivity, and directs supply toward demand without compulsion or bureaucracy. It maximizes personal freedom by letting people and corporations do what needs doing without being told to do it. The market creates a sort of game, in which players guess what consumers want and use their smarts to come up with cheap ways to produce it. The market has been so good to us in this country that we have come to worship it. We follow it wherever it may lead. Demand becomes a given that “must be met,” regardless of consequences. Renewable forms of energy are rejected if they do not immediately meet demand as it is currently structured. Solar and wind are taken seriously only as they become cheaper than coal or gas. We do not consider that demand itself may be the problem. Instead of directing the market to serve people, people direct their lives to serve the market.

But the market does not see what it is doing. It has no consciousness. It does not perceive life in the living world: trees are standing 2x4s; a river valley is a sewer; and a wooded mountaintop is a nice place to have a coalmine. The market is not evil, only mindless. There is no channel of awareness between consumption, production, and waste. You don’t know what you are doing at the pump, at the store, or at the thermostat. Once the dollar leaves your hand, you cannot know its effect on the natural world. The market is where what you do as an individual becomes the aggregate behavior of an entire society, but it does not let you know what you are doing as an individual or society while you are actually doing it.

The mind has to look around the edges of the market to see what is happening. For ten thousand years, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere remained stable between 270 and 280 parts per million. One hundred fifty years ago, as coal came into general use, carbon levels began to climb. The level now is over 400 ppm: a 44% increase. This changes atmospheric chemistry and changes how the planetary system works. More carbon absorbs more energy from the sun, which changes global weather patterns: heat waves, droughts, floods, forest fires, and severe storms. As carbon levels approach 450 ppm, global temperatures will rise over the two-degree limit and climate chaos will threaten the continuing viability of civilization.

This is the picture developing in the collective mind. It tells us to stop using carbon fuels, while the market tells us to use more. Which will it be: mind or market?

What we are seeing in America now is the market dominating the mind. People who benefit from the free market would like us to not see what is going on: to not think; to not care, and to not act. But, we know that survival in the twenty-first century depends on a science-based awareness of what is happening in the world. It depends on a collective consciousness that sees and knows what to do: a bigger mind, a more powerful mind, a mind that sees beyond the distractions of money and consumption. We need a deliberative system with the resolve to keep trillions of dollars’ worth of fossil fuel in the ground – 80% of the total.

With mind over market – with business interests subject to the greater will of society – we will be able to allow market forces to work within prescribed limits. Players will play with new rules and new boundaries. Carbon taxes or cap and trade come to mind. But, we should never submit our overall planetary future to the mindless rule of supply and demand.

MIND OVER MARKET

By Sam Avery

Sam Avery is a professional solar installer, author, and long-time activist with Louisville Peace Action Community and 350 Louisville.

Page 4: FORsooth in fact, indeed (adv.) in truth, (archaic)

FORsoothPage 4

SEND SUBMISSIONS FOR NEWS STORIES OR

COMMENTARIES to

“FORsooth Editor”

at:[email protected]

(Reprinted from the FOR’s National Website)

The assassination on December 4, 2017 of former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh has potentially opened a new chapter in the ongoing struggle for power in Yemen. There might be a possibility that with a major actor pushed off the stage, the lesser actors might accept the good offices of the United Nations mediator Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and form an inclusive central government. There is also a real possibility that the armed conflict becomes even more protracted as factions see increased opportunities to advance their interests.

The Saudi Arabian leadership had expected a quick victory when in March 2015 they launched their operation at the time called “Decisive Storm.” Despite limitless weapons from the United States and Great Britain, including the use of U.S.-made cluster weapons now banned by world law, the Saudi-led coalition made relatively few territorial gains beyond those tribal areas within Yemen that were already favorable to the Saudis, tribes that often existed on both sides of the frontier.

Both Saudi Arabia and Iran have been backing separate and opposing factions. The lack of progress as well as the costs of the military operations may create a climate favorable to stopping the fighting. However, Saudi Arabia and its coalition are directly involved in the fighting while Iran only supplies some weapons and political support to its allies. Thus, of the outside actors, most responsibility for a change lies with the Saudi decision-makers.

There are two major issues that shape the future. The first is the possibility or not of forming a decentralized but relatively inclusive central government. Yemen remains largely a tribal society with political decisions made by the tribal head. Tribes usually have a specific geographic base. Thus, a central government requires participation by members from the major tribal groups. However, through economic development, people from different tribes now live in the cities and larger towns. These more urbanized populations do not depend as much on the decisions or views of tribal chiefs.

The relative strength of the central government has been based on patronage strategies, offering major tribal leaders some economic advantages. Until March 2011, most people had little say as to government policy. In March 2011, in the spirit of the “Arab Spring,” there were popular demonstrations throughout the country demanding jobs, the end of corruption and some respect for all citizens. By the end of 2011, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had been in power for 33 years, was pushed out and replaced by his vice-president, Abdu Rabbu Mansur Hadi, who has the same governing style but who was considered as a change without upsetting too much the governing pattern.

Saleh, however, never really accepted the idea of giving up power and its material benefits. He formed an alliance with a religious movement that drew its members from the same geographic region. Saleh had combated this Huthi movement, including by force of arms, when he was president. But for a time, the alliance seemed to be mutually beneficial. The alliance broke sharply this November. Fighting among the Huthi forces and those loyal to Saleh broke out in the capital of Sana’a in November, and on December 4, Huthi troops shot Saleh in his automobile as he was trying to leave the city.

The second major issue concerns the ability of Yemen to remain as one State or again to split into two with Sana’a as the capital of one State in the north and Aden as the capital of another State in the south. The two States were the political structure until 1990 when the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen, with its center in Aden, combined with the Yemen Arab Republic in the north to become the Republic of Yemen.

Leading up to 1990, there was wide hope that the union of the two States would lead to increased economic well-being. In practice, there has been little improvement. If there has been an improvement, it is because of external economic factors and not directly linked to the union. The lack of improvement in the south has led to resentment in the south and on the part of some persons, a desire for southern separation. Now, some in the south have formed militias. It is difficult to know how far they will push for separation and the creation of an independent State. Already in 1994, there had been armed attacks to push for a return to an Aden-based State.

The Association of World Citizens (AWC), for which I serve as U.N. representative, has been concerned with three issues in the Yemen conflict:1. The violation of international humanitarian law,

involving attacks on medical facilities, medical personnel and the use of weapons banned by international treaties, especially cluster munitions. The AWC had been particularly active in promoting a treaty on the prohibition of cluster munitions.

2. Humanitarian relief, especially food aid. With the Saudi-led blockage of ports and air fields, it has been difficult for the U.N. or relief organizations to bring in food supplies. It is estimated that some eight million people suffer from famine-like conditions and that some 17 million others are in conditions of food insecurity. The fighting makes certain roads unsafe, preventing the delivery of food and other relief supplies.

3. The creation of a Yemen confederation. While the form of State structures depends on the will of the people of Yemen (if they were able to express themselves freely), the AWC proposes con-federal forms of government which maintain cooperation within a decentralized framework as an alternative to the creation of new independent States. In 2014, a committee appointed by then president Abu Hadi proposed a six-region federation as the political structure for Yemen. The AWC believes that this proposal merits close attention and could serve as a base of a renewal for an inclusive Yemen government.

Today, the choice between an end to the armed conflict with negotiations for a renewal of a Yemeni State on the basis of the con-federal system proposed and continued fighting in the hope that one faction become a “winner-take-all” is relatively clear. The AWC is resolutely for an end to the armed conflict with serious negotiations on the structure of a future State. We encourage others to support such a policy.

René Wadlow, a member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, is the Geneva-based U.N. representative of the Association of World Citizens.

Photos 1&2: Creative Commons; Photo 3: a Yemeni rally in Paris, France on October 28, 2017, copyright Bernard J. Henry/AWC (courtesy René Wadlow).

YEMEN FACES CRITICAL MOMENT FOLLOWING ASSASSINATION

By René Wadlow

HOW ARE WE DOING?What do you think about this issue of FORsooth?

Do you have any ideas of how we can improve? Is there something you like and want

to see more of? Ler us know!Contact:

[email protected]

Page 5: FORsooth in fact, indeed (adv.) in truth, (archaic)

February 2018 Page 5

Life in the United States often ensures a protective cloak from understanding the gravity of foreign conflicts and humanitarian crises. Such protection is facilitated by physical distance and the media, which acts as a sieve molded by the United States’ vested interests. I was lucky to have the opportunity to step outside of this cloak while studying in Jordan in early 2017. The proximity to Syria (40 miles from the border) remained at the forefront of my conscience throughout my experience, reshaping my conceptualization of the reality that was faced by those still trapped in areas under siege. Over the course of months, I grew incredibly close to my host family and began to find comfort in and connection to Amman as my temporary home. Meanwhile, as I learned about the cohesive nature of culture in the Levantine region, the awareness of such massive degrees of injustice and oppression occurring in a country so similar to the one that I had grown to love settled in. Consequently, the way I processed my growing knowledge of the Syrian crisis and conflict in the Middle East at large became predicated on this perspective.

Prior to my coursework in Anthropology and time in Jordan, I was largely unaware of the depth of political complexity in the Middle East. Perhaps my American upbringing had given me the choice to remain uninformed. In Amman, I was able to learn about refugees and displaced populations in the context of Jordan directly from diplomats, humanitarian officers, and NGO leaders, who gave essential insight into the roots of turmoil in the region and how they manifest in barriers to peacekeeping and humanitarian aid. Dr. Omar Rifai, a former Jordanian ambassador to Israel, painted a comprehensive picture of the volatile and dynamic nature of the Middle East. From the origins of Zionist thought in the West and the imposition of Western ideas

of nationalism in the Arab world, he discussed age-old destabilization of the region through foreign interference. Addressing the modern roots of the regional conflict, he discussed the Arab Spring, which was driven by neoliberalism, corruption, unemployment, and unjust treatment of Arabs on a global scale. Through these discussions with Dr. Rifai, I began to grasp the political intricacies of a deeply interconnected region.

Through field visits to humanitarian offices, the difficulties faced by such agencies in providing aid within Jordan and coordinating cross-border operations in Syria became apparent. New forms of humanitarianism, as I learned, entail politicization and monopolization of aid under the façade of a radical call to merge the worlds of humanitarianism, human rights, and sustainable development. Anecdotes from field officers at these agencies showed how this endangers aid access for civilians in the Syrian conflict, which is ridden with political parties with fortified but conflicting interests. Through such encounters, I learned about the high prevalence of child labor in Syrian refugee communities in Jordan. As part of my semester program, I sought to understand this increasing prevalence through interviews with Syrian refugees, and officials working on child labor initiatives in Amman.

The aim of my research was to determine whether child labor exists as part of the cultural framework in these communities, and to explore how it manifests in the form of an adaptive strategy used to cope with displacement. My conversations with the heads of households exposed extreme challenges in urban communities, where they face high rates of unemployment, insufficient support from humanitarian agencies/NGOs, and limited access to healthcare services and education. These structural

barriers were expressed by all participants, most of whom cited such barriers as the major driving force behind their children’s involvement in labor. Their stories illuminated the profound struggle in abandoning former beliefs about children’s role within the family in response to displacement, signifying that child labor exists as an adaptive strategy and not within the cultural framework of Syrian refugees. Before I started my research, conversations with regular Jordanian citizens revealed a notion that child labor in Syrian communities is partly a cultural phenomenon. This sentiment was echoed during my interviews with government officials and local NGO leaders, who generalized cultural tendencies of rural Syrian populations, and applied such notions to the whole of Syrian refugee communities in Jordan. My research thus revealed a dissonance in the conceptualization of child labor, highlighting the need for holistic programs that tackle structural barriers and an end to an approach preoccupied with criminalizing an activity that is a critical survival tactic in these communities.

Through these endeavors in research, field-visits, and discussions with professionals on the frontlines of humanitarian work, I found intellectual growth and fulfillment during my time in Jordan. I became a part of my host family’s life, which allowed me to experience the culture in an unbelievably immersive manner. I embraced nearly every aspect of culture and customs while living in Amman, and as a result, I emerged from this indelible experience as someone with deep connections to a country positioned in the eye of the storm.

In the 10 months that President Donald Trump has been in office, he has struck a devastating blow to Americans and African-Americans. For example, the GOP has voted on H.R. 1: the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The GOP-led House and Senate showed that they’re solidly on the side of the rich. In a 227-205 vote in the House, and a 51-49 votes in the Senate, Republicans have showered tax breaks on corporations and the rich, all to be paid with huge cuts for health care and other necessities. In its analysis, the Joint Committee on Taxation showed that the cuts will add a $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit and it would not pay for itself. The tax bill would cut taxes for businesses and large corporations from 35% to 20%; this is a permanent tax cut.

This is dangerous to our economic and future generations. The wealthy will get many benefits in the bill. The estate tax, which is paid only when property and other assets worth over $5.5 million are passed on to their heirs, doubles to about $11 million in 2018 (around $22 million for couples), meaning a lot fewer people have to pay it.

Most Americans would pay the same or lower taxes until 2023. Many of the people facing tax hikes are solidly middle-class ($40,000 to $75,000) or else in the “upper” middle class ($200,000-$400,000). Higher income earners are impacted by the elimination of numerous itemized deductions.

According to the Congressional Black Caucus, three-fifths of the cuts the GOP has proposed in both the House and the Senate versions for low- and moderate-income people, the most vulnerable Americans among us. For example, the Trump administration has proposed a $4 billion cut to Pell Grants that help low-income college students pay their tuition. In both versions of the Tax and Jobs Act, the HR 1 would

eliminate the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LHEAP), which helps seniors and other helpless populations heat their homes in the winter and cool them in the summer.

Congress in the new tax and jobs act would dismantle our nation’s health care system. The Affordable Care Act has helped lower the uninsured rate for nonelderly African Americans by more than one-third between 2013 and 2016, from 18.9 percent to 11.7 percent. The bill that has been celebrated would cut Medicaid spending funds by $834 billion, ensuring that states would cut benefits due to inability to make up the difference. Black people make up 13.3 percent of the U.S. population, but 19 percent of Medicaid enrollees and would be dealt a painful blow by this mean-spirited legislation.

Since January 20, the Trump administration has enthusiastically and systematically undone or uprooted rules, policies, and tools passed under the Obama administration. Below is a list of those changes, roughly organized by subject area.

The Economy

The Trump administration has withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The trade deal would have established a trade partnership between the United States and countries on the Pacific Rim.

The Trump administration has reversed a rule that mandated compliance by contractors with laws protecting women in the workplace. Before the 2014 order, a report found that companies with federal contracts worth millions of dollars had scores of violations of labor and civil rights laws.

The Trump administration has repealed a rule allowing states to create retirement savings plans for private-sector workers, canceled a rule mandating that financial advisers act in the best interest of their clients, ended a rule that allowed consumers to file class-action suits against financial companies, and blocked implementation of a rule that would have made it easier for farmers to sue big agricultural companies.

The Justice System

The Trump administration has rescinded President Obama’s effort to reduce mandatory sentences. Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered that prosecutors seek the most stringent possible penalties in criminal cases. The administration has also canceled a phase-out of the use of private prisons and reviewed Justice Department efforts to address problematic police departments. An effort to address the Consent Decrees in the Baltimore Police Department and Chicago is being delayed.

The Environment

The Trump administration withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement and blocked the Clean Power Plan. This plan, implemented under Obama, focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants in October. The

Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is seeking to repeal it entirely. The administration has also reversed an Obama ban on drilling for oil in the Artic.

Foreign Policy and Immigration

The Trump administration has ended the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Resident program. DACA extended protections for some immigrant parents whose children were citizens of our resident in the United States.

Education

The Trump administration has canceled a partnership with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau aimed at policing student loan fraud and repealed a rule mandating certain requirements for teacher-preparation programs.

TRUMP ASKED THE AFRICAN AMERICAN

COMMUNITYWHAT DO YOU HAVE TO

LOSE?By Gracie Lewis

LESSONS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST’S EYE OF THE STORM

By Tasneem Karim

Tasneem Karim is in her final year of undergraduate studies at the University of Louisville, where she will earn a BA in Anthropology and a minor in Biology. After graduation, she will return to Jordan to continue her studies in Arabic. She is very passionate about medicine and hopes to become a physician

dedicated to improving the health experiences of refugees living in the United States. You can reach her at [email protected].

Gracie Lewis is a longtime activist for social and racial justice. She works with the Kentucky Alliance against Racist and Political Repression. Contact Gracie at

louisvillepeace.org/kentucky-alliance

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FORsoothPage 6

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Regular Meeting Times for Area Organizations AMERICANS UNITED FOR SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE – Every third

Friday at noon at Sullivan University, www.au.org (Contact Paul Simmons at 502-608-7517) [email protected]

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL – (Sharon 637-8951) APPAF (American Palestine Public Affairs Forum) – www.appaf.org (664-2761) AUDUBON SOCIETY OF KENTUCKY – www.audubonsocietyofky.org BECKHAM BIRD CLUB – 2nd Saturday, 7PM, www.beckhambirds.org BLACK LIVES MATTER – Every Sunday, 3PM, 3208 W. Broadway, [email protected] BREAD FOR THE WORLD – Last Monday every other month (239-4317 for details) CAPA [Citizens against Police Abuse] –2nd Thursday (778-8130) Meet at Braden Center,

3208 W. Broadway CART [Coalition for the Advancement of Regional Transportation] – 3rd Wednesday, Union

Station, TARC Board Room CEDAW [Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women] – 2nd Tuesday, 6:30 pm, Bon Air Library, [email protected] CLOUT [CITIZENS OF LOUISVILLE ORGANIZED AND WORKING TOGETHER] –

(583-1267) COMMITTEE FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST – 2nd Monday (456-6586) COMMON CAUSE – Ad hoc discussions. Continuous engagement. www.commoncause.org/

ky COMMUNITY COALITION ON THE HEALTHY HOMETOWN – Every Monday, 5:30PM

(502-574-6209) COMMUNITY FARM ALLIANCE OF KENTUCKY – (859-351-4508) cfaky.org COUNTER RECRUITMENT, “Aim Higher” – 1st Sunday, 7pm (899-4119) EARTHSAVE POTLUCK – 2nd Saturday, 6PM (502-299-2520)

www.LouisvilleEarthSave.org ELECTRIC VEHICLE OWNERS OF LOUISVILLE (EVOLVE) – join us on facebook, stu-

[email protected] FAIRNESS CAMPAIGN – Quarterly community dialogues and volunteer opportunities (893-

0788) FDR/LINCOLN LEGACY CLUB – 1st Thursday, [email protected] FELLOWSHIP OF RECONCILIATION (FOR) – 2nd Thursday (609-7985 or 899-4119) 15 THOUSAND FARMERS – 15th day each month, www.15thousandfarmers.com FOOD IN NEIGBORHOODS COMMUNITY COALITION – 2nd Tuesday, 6:30PM (502-

819-2957) FORWARD RADIO PROJECT – (502-296-1793) FRIENDS FOR HOPE (Support Group for Adult Cancer Survivors) – 4th Wednesday at 6:30

PM (451-9600). FRIENDSHIP FORCE OF LOUISVILLE – 2nd Tuesday (893-8436) GREATER LOUISVILLE SIERRA CLUB – 3rd Tuesday, 7pm. (502-644-0659) GREEN CONVENE – 2nd Tuesday, 6:30PM, www.greenconvene.org HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION ADVOCACY BOARD – 1st Monday, 9AM (502-

574-3631) HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION ENFORCEMENT BOARD – 1st Monday, 9:30AM

(502-574-3631) HUMANISTS OF METRO LOUISVILLE – 2nd Monday, 7:00pm (896-4853) INTERFAITH PATHS TO PEACE – 3rd Wednesday, every other month. (214-7322) IRFI [ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL, INC.] – Sundays at 6:00

PM (502-423-1988) JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE – Second Tuesday of the month at 7 pm, (502-553-6451)

[email protected] JUSTICE RESOURCE CENTER – (774-8624) KENTUCKIANS FOR SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE – 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each

month, 5:30 pm, Board Room in the Mezzanine of the Louisville Free Public Library, www.kyhealthcare.org (636-1551)

KFTC [KENTUCKIANS FOR THE COMMONWEALTH] – 2nd Monday (589-3188) KTAG [KENTUCKIANA TASKFORCE AGAINST GENOCIDE] – (553-6172) KY ALLIANCE AGAINST RACIST & POLITICAL REPRESSION – 1st Tuesday, 6:30

p.m. (778-8130) KY COALITION TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY – (502-636-1330) kcadp.org KITLAC [KY INTERFAITH TASKFORCE ON LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN]

– (502-435-3265) [email protected] KRCRC (KY RELIGIOUS COALITION FOR REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE) – (866-606-

0988) krcrc.org KY WATERSHED WATCH. Volunteer water quality monitoring and training around the

state every month. Call 800-928-0045 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS (502-895-5218), lwvlouisville.org LOUISVILLE COMMITTEE FOR ISRAELI/PALESTINIAN STATES – 3rd Sunday (451-

5658) LOUISVILLE COMMITTEE FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST (LCPME) – First Mon-

day of the month at 7 pm (502-264-2437) LOUISVILLE FORUM – 2nd Wednesday, Noon (502-329-0111) louisvilleforum.org LPAC [LOUISVILLE PEACE ACTION COMMUNITY] – (456-6914) LOUISVILLE SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE (LSURJ) – Monthly meetings for

learning and action (502-558-7556) LOUISVILLE WOMEN CHURCH – Meditation every Sunday (473-8435) LOUISVILLE YOUTH GROUP – Friday nights (502-587-7755), louisvilleyouthgroup.com LOUISVILLIANS IN FAVOR OF EQUALITY (LIFE) – 4th Sunday (384-3875) METRO SWEEP FOR ACCESS – 3rd Tuesday (895-0866 or 899-9261) METROPOLITAN HOUSING COALITION – 4th Wednesday (584-6858) MIGHTY KINDNESS – [email protected] (235-0711) MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE – (571-278-2255) momsdemandaction.org MUHAMMAD ALI INSTITUTE FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE, at U of L (852-6372) NAACP [NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEO-

PLE] – 3rd Monday (776-7608) NAMI [NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE MENTALLY ILL] – (588-2008) namilouis-

ville.org NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK, LOUISVILLE METRO CHAPTER – 4th Sunday of

each month, 5 p.m. (778-8624 or 470-362-0317) PARENTS, FAMILIES & FRIENDS OF LESBIANS AND GAYS (P-FLAG) – (233-

1323; pflaglouisville.org) PEACE EDUCATION PROGRAM — (589-6583) http://www.peaceeducationprogram.org RESULTS (a hunger lobby) – 2nd Saturday (451-4907) SICKLE CELL ASSOCIATION – 3rd Saturday (502-569-2070) SIERRA CLUB INNER CITY OUTINGS – 2nd Thursday, 7:30 PM (558-0073) LOUISVILLE SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE. Learning, support and action (558-

7556). SOCIAL CHANGE BOOK CLUB – 3rd Monday, www.greenlistlouisville.com SOWERS OF JUSTICE NETWORK – sowersofjusticenetwork.org, sowersofjusticenet-

[email protected] STAND UP SUNDAY/STAND UP LOUISVILLE – Every Sunday 3:00, 3208 W. Broadway,

[email protected] URBAN LEAGUE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS – 2nd Monday, 6PM (502-561-6830) VETERANS FOR PEACE, Louisville Chapter 168 – (502) 500-6915, CRawertTrain-

[email protected] WOMEN IN TRANSITION (WIT) – every Wednesday, 6-8 PM (636-0160)

Note: If your group would like to this list, or if information needs to be updated, please let us know by emailing: [email protected]

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February 2018 Page 7

FORward RADIO CALENDARFORward Radio 106.5fm WFMP-LP Louisville forwardradio.org

Time Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Time 12:00 AM 00:0012:30 AM 00:301:00 AM 01:001:30 AM 01:302:00 AM 02:002:30 AM 02:303:00 AM 03:003:30 AM 03:304:00 AM 04:004:30 AM 04:305:00 AM 05:005:30 AM 05:306:00 AM 06:006:30 AM 06:307:00 AM 07:007:30 AM 07:308:00 AM 08:008:30 AM 08:309:00 AM 09:009:30 AM 09:30

10:00 AM 10:0010:30 AM 10:3011:00 AM 11:0011:30 AM 11:3012:00 PM On The Edge w/K.A. Owens Sea Change Radio This Way Out 12:0012:30 PM UN Radio Citizens' Climate Radio Making Contact 12:301:00 PM Between The Lines 13:001:30 PM CounterSpin 13:302:00 PM Citizens' Climate Radio Platinum Sounds 14:002:30 PM Making Contact On The Edge w/K.A. Owens 14:303:00 PM 15:003:30 PM 15:304:00 PM Kite Line - Prison Issues 16:004:30 PM Sprouts 16:305:00 PM 17:005:30 PM 17:306:00 PM Kite Line - Prison Issues 18:006:30 PM Sprouts 18:307:00 PM This Way Out 19:007:30 PM Making Contact 19:308:00 PM 20:008:30 PM 20:309:00 PM Between The Lines 21:009:30 PM CounterSpin 21:30

10:00 PM Sea Change Radio 22:0010:30 PM This Way Out 22:3011:00 PM 23:0011:30 PM 23:30

What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?

Depth N Weight

MUSIC

Thom Hartmann Show

MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC

RFN Weekend(classic rock/EZ listening)

Panty Pilot Diaries

F.O.R. Grooves & Grits

502 Forward

Urban Voices

From The Vault

Thom Hartmann Show

MUSIC

MUSIC

The Attitudewith Arnie Arnesen

Democracy Now

The David Pakman Show

He Said, She Said

What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?

Thom Hartmann Show

2 Angry Buds

Spirit in Action

Song of the Soul

Reminiscing

The Human Factor

The Human Factor

Rockabilly N BluesRadio Hour

Project Censored

Rising Up With Sonali

The Sonic Cafe

2 Angry Buds

Ethics Forward

From The Vault

Sustainability Now!

Radio EcoShock

Ethics Forward

Thom Hartmann Show

Reach Out In The DarknessSong of the Soul

Democracy Now

The Sonic Cafe

From The Vault

Le Showwith Harry Shearer

Panty Pilot Diaries

Spirit in Action

Le Showwith Harry Shearer

Thom Hartmann Show Thom Hartmann Show Thom Hartmann Show

Single Payer

Alternative Radio

MUSIC

MUSIC

Brunch with Black Folks

From Classroom to Newsroom

Democracy Now

Rockabilly N BluesRadio Hour

From Classroom to Newsroom MUSIC

Brown Sugar Hour

Thom Hartmann Show

From The Vault

Foundations

RetroForward

Black Agenda Radio

Democracy Now

The Attitudewith Arnie Arnesen

The Attitudewith Arnie Arnesen

From The Vault From The Vault

Thom Hartman Show

The David Pakman Show The David Pakman Show

Thom Hartmann Show

From The Vault

Black Agenda Radio

Access Hour

Black Agenda Radio

Democracy Now

Critical Thinking for Everyone!

Critical Thinking for Everyone!

Lets Get Trashy

Reach Out In The Darkness

Democracy Now

Radio EcoShock

Upstream

Rising Up With Sonali

RetroForward

Reminiscing

Project Censored

Best of The Attitudewith Arnie Arnesen

He Said, She Said

Urban Voices

Alternative Radio

Foundations

Rising Up With Sonali

Law & Disorder

Democracy NowDemocracy Now

The David Pakman Show

Lets Get Trashy

Sustainability Now!

RFN Weekend(classic rock/EZ listening) Rising Up With Sonali

Democracy Now

Democracy Now

Law & Disorder

Single Payer

The Attitudewith Arnie Arnesen

Brown Sugar Hour

Depth N Weight

The Attitudewith Arnie Arnesen

Rising Up With Sonali

The David Pakman Show

Broadcast Schedule as of December 2017

presented by the

February 15 Jeana Dunlap & Cathy Hinko, “Redlining Louisville: The History of Race, Class, and Real Estate”

Developed by local urban planner Joshua Poe from documents he uncovered in the National Archives, “Redlining Louisville” is an “interactive story map,” layering data past and present, that illustrates how real estate redlining has impacted housing development, disinvestment and lending patterns in Louisville since the 1930s. Jeana Dunlap, Director of Louisville’s Office of Redevelopment Strategies, will demonstrate features from this nationally recognized online, interactive website. Cathy Hinko, Director of the Metropolitan Housing Coalition, will talk about the steps we as a community must take to finally dismantle the systems that have made Louisville, by one measure, the fourth-most segregated city in the United States.

Fellowship of Reconciliation & Interfaith Paths to Peace

Third Thursday Lunches

February 2018

Hotel Louisville • 120 West Broadway Corner of Second & Broadway – Free Off-Street Parking

Buffet Lunch at 11:30 • Presentation at Noon • $7.00 at the Door Reservations required by MONDAY before the lunch

RSVP to Cathy Ford at 502/458-1223 or [email protected]

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FORsoothPage 8

CALENDAR FOR PEACEMAKERSPlease e-mail us information about your peace and justice events to [email protected] by the first Wednesday of the month.

Feb 1 to 28 BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS IN LOUISVILLE. Pick-up a copy of the African-American History Month Cultural Events Calendar at the Louisville Free Public Library. Local historian, Walter Hutchins, has produced this 40-page booklet of local events for 25 years.

Feb 1 to 28 ARTISTIC RELFECTIONS OF SEOUL AND LOUISVILLE. The Crane House. Daily. See examples of hanji as an artistic medium. This experimental series of work was created entirely with Korean handmade papers called hanji and incorporates reflections of both the artist’s birthplace, Seoul, South Korea, and her current home, Louisville. Visithttp://www.cranehouse.org.

Feb 1 to 28 SACK LUNCHES FOR THE HOMELESS. Wayside Christian Mission. Open every day. Help us assemble sack lunches for men and women who are working and away from the Mission at mealtimes.Sack lunches are also used by our Good Samaritan Patrol. Visit http://wcm1.weebly.com

Feb 1 to Jul 1 WOMEN IN 20TH CENTURY ART. Speed Museum. See works of art by women artists and designers in the years after the Age of Impressionism. Visit www.speedmuseum.org

Feb 1 (Thurs) KENTUCKY SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE.Every first & third Thursday, 5:30PM at Main Public Library. Call Kay Tillow 636-1551.

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Feb 1 (Thu) DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS TO THIS PEACE CALENDAR for the March issue of FORsooth. Every first Wednesday. Please email announcements to: [email protected]

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Feb 3 (Sat) INTERFAITH SILENT MEDITATION. Every first Saturday. 9:30AM. Brief meditation instruction and longer periods of silence, interspersed with opportunities for walking meditation. Passionist Earth & Spirit Center, the Barn at 1924 Newburg Road. Call 502-452-2749 for information. Visit http:// iearthandspiritcenter.org

Feb 3 (Sat) LOUISVILLE COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE. Every Saturday morning. Also, other days and times. 26 farmers’ markets from California neighborhood to Norton Commons.

Visit www.louisvilleky.gov/HealthyHometown

Feb 3 (Sat) PRESERVE OUR URBAN FORESTS. Olmstead Parks Conservancy. Almost every Saturday. Our tasks include invasive plant removal, mulching, painting or general park beautification in our various Olmstead parks and parkways. Gloves, tools and guidance provided. Be sure to sign-up before coming out. Visit http://www.olmstedparks.org

Feb 3 (Sat) CANVASS NEIGHBORHOODS FOR FRESH FOOD. Saturdays and Sundays. Join us any time. Fresh Stop Project volunteers take orders door to door for locally grown fruits and vegetables. Visit http://newrootsproduce.org

Feb 4 (Sun) “AIM HIGHER” focusing on military counter-recruitment. Every first Sunday at 7 PM. Discuss conscientious objection, military recruitment, and the possibility for high school students to “opt out” of having their names given to recruiters. Call Jim Johnson, 262-0148 or e-mail [email protected]

Feb 4 (Sun) COMMUNITY COMPOSTING. UofL Belknap Campus. Every Sunday, Noon to 2PM. Help us turn trash to treasure. Haul home some rich compost for your garden. Dress to get dirty. Tools provided. Visithttp://louisville.edu/sustainability

Feb 6 (Tues) MINDFULNESS MEDITATION. Interfaith Paths to Peace, 6:30PM. Join us as musician, educator and life transformation coach Harry Pickens leads us through the miracle of the present moment. Visit https://www.paths2peace.org

Feb 7 & 13 INTERNATIONAL VISITOR LEADERSHIP World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Rising leaders from other countries are visiting Metro Louisville to learn more about Education in the Digital Age and Corporate Social Responsibility. Visit www.worldkentucky.org

Feb 7 (Wed), VOLUNTEER FOR REFUGEE FAMILIES Catholic Charites, 5:30pm. First Wednesday every month. Learn more about our refugee & immigration settlement program and family assistance efforts. Visit http://cclou.org

Feb 7 (Wed) NOONTIME INTERFAITH MEDITATIONS. Every Wednesday from 12:10 to 12:30 at Christ Church Cathedral, Downtown. Weekly rotation includes Zen Buddhist silence, Lecto Divina, Vipassana Buddhist practices, and Creative Visualization. Visit http://paths2peace.org

Feb 7 (Wed) THE LOUISVILLE SUSTAINABILITY FORUM. Every first Wednesday. Sustainability and relationships that create a community for change. Bring your lunch. Noon to 1:45 PM, Passionist Earth & Spirit Center, the Barn at 1924 Newburg Road.

Feb 8 (Thurs) EVERYONE READS TRAINING. JCPS VanHoose Education Center, 4PM. Every 2nd Thursday. Join our communitywide effort to improve reading skills. Visit https://apps.jefferson.kyschools.us/vounteer

Feb 9 (Fri) A GLIMPSE OF ETERNITY. The Louisville Astronomical Society at dusk in Tom Sawyer Park. Every 2ndFriday weather permitting. Look through telescopes at planets, our moon, stars, double stars, the Orion nebula, and other wonders Visit http://louisville-astro.org/

Feb 10 (Sat) EARTHSAVE OF LOUISVILLE. Crescent Hill Ministries, 6PM to 8PM. Every 2nd Saturday. Discuss healthy food and behavior change. Bring a plant-based dish and share your recipe. Mix, mingle, music. Call 299-9520 for more information.

Feb 10 (Sat) CITIZENS’ CLIMATE LOBBY. Main Public Library, Noon. Every 2nd Saturday. Help plan efforts to lobby for state legislation to combat climate change. For more

contact Jean at [email protected] or call 502 634-3114.

Feb 11(Sun) VIGIL FOR PEACE. Louisville Peace Action Committee (LPAC) and Veterans for Peace Chapter 168, 4PM to 5PM. Every 2nd Sunday. Bardstown Rd. at Douglas Blvd. Bring a sign. Remember those suffering from conflicts in the Middle East. For more information, call Harold Trainer, 502-4189-4083.

Feb 11 (Sun) THE NONVIOLENT CITIES PROJECT. Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service, every 2nd Sunday at 2:30PM. Help us spread and apply the principles of non-violent action here and now. Call 812-280-0665 or email [email protected] for more information.

Feb 13 (Tues) MOVIMENIENTO DE MUJERES LATINA -- LATINA WOMEN’S MOVEMENT, La Casita Center, Every second Tuesday, 5:30PM. Network, mentor, find friends

and share. Call 322-4036 for more information.

Feb 13 (Tues) AMERICANA COMMUNITY CENTER, 6pm, Volunteer orientation every 2nd Tuesday. Help bridge the gap for our refugee and immigrant neighbors. Visit http://americanacc.org

Feb 14 (Wed) Y-NOW CHILDREN OF PRISONERS MENTORING. Luncheon at YMCA Safe Place. 2nd Wednesday each month. Learn how you can help break the cycle through mentoring and encouragement. RSVP to 635-5233.

Feb 14 (Wed) LOUISVILLE FORUM. Noon at Vincenzo’s Downtown. Every 2nd Wednesday. Speakers on current public issues. Non-partisan discussion. For details call, 329-0111.

Feb 14 (Wed) COMPASSIONATE LOUISVILLE. Noon. Meeting locations rotate. Help monitor the progress of Metro Louisville ten-year campaign for compassion. Visit http://compassionatelouisville.weebky.com for more information.

Feb 15 (Thurs) REAL PEOPLE, REAL CHALLENGES, REAL SOLUTIONS. Volunteers of America Family Emergency Shelter, morning and evening sessions. One hour interactive tour of VOA’s work and programs for self-determination. Call 636-4660 to RSVP.

Feb 15 GROWING FOOD AND COMMUNITY. 15 Thousand Farmers at Dismas St. Ann’s on Algonquin Pkwy, the 15th of every month. Share ideas and experiences about growing your own food. Taste samples. Visit www.15thousandfarmers.com

Feb 15 (Thurs) MENTAL ILLNESS SUPPORT & ADVOCACY. NAMI Louisville every third Thursday at 3PM. Also Saturdays and Sundays. Support for families. Draw on years of experience. Visit www.namilouisville.org

Feb 15 (Thurs) COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN (CASA). Orientation, Noon to 1PM. Learn how you can help defend the rights of abused and neglected children in our community. Call 595-4911 to RSVP

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Feb 15 (Thu) DEADLINE FOR ARTICLES FOR THE MAY ISSUE OF FORSOOTH. Email articles to: [email protected]

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Feb 15 (Thu) THIRD THURSDAY LUNCH. Hotel Louisville, 120 W. Broadway (Second and Broadway) Lunch begins at 11:30 am. Speaker at noon. For topic and speaker, visit https://louisvillefor.org/ Co-sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) and Interfaith Paths to Peace. RSVP to Cathy Ford at 502-458-1223 or [email protected] or to Cindy Humbert at: [email protected]

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Feb 15 (Thu) FORSOOTH LABELING PARTY. 6:30 PM at the Winn Center at the Presbyterian Seminary, 1044 Alta Vista Rd. COME TO THE PARTY ! Many hands make light work, and the opposite is also true. Join us if you can. It’s fun. Meet progressive people. Enjoy great conversations. Free refreshments. For directions, call 451-5658 or email: [email protected]

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Feb 18 to 25 HAND IN HAND MINISTRIES. Work side by side with people in other neighborhoods, communities and countries by participating in our immersion trips. Visit www.myhandinhand,org

Feb 20 to 22 COMMUNITY INSTITUTE Peace Education Program. Learn and practice the fundamentals of conflict resolution. Visit http://peaceeducationprogram.org

Feb 21 (Wed) THOMAS MERTON BLACK HISTORY MONTH LECTURE with Bishop Edward K. Braxton author of the Pastoral Letter, “The Catholic Church and the Black Lives Matter Movement.” Call 272-8177 or visit merton.org

Feb 21 (Wed) JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE. Highlands-Shelby Park Public Library. Every third Wednesday. Help us plan for future and assess our accomplishments. Call 502-553-6451 or e-mail [email protected]

Feb 23 (Fri) DAUGHTERS OF GREATNESS. The Muhammad Ail Center, 8:30AM. Hear the stories of prominent women engaged in social philanthropy, activism, and pursuits of justice in our community. Visit http://www.alicenter.org

Feb 26 (Mon) JEFFERSON COUNTY ECONOMIC JUSTICE TEAM. Meeting at the Main Public Library. Every 4thMonday at 6:30PM. Help us organize and assess our local campaign for equitable development, affordable housing and healthcare, and participatory budgeting. Lean and share. Visit https://www.kftc.org

Feb 27 (Tues) FREE NONPROFIT START-UP CLINIC. Center for Nonprofit Excellence, 3PM. Every 4th Tuesday. Learn the fundamentals, avoid pitfalls, and find direction. Visit www.cnpe.org

Feb 27 (Tues) KENTUCKY REFUGEE MINISTRIES LUNCH & LEARN. Noon. Learn more about our refugee & immigration settlement program and citizenship tutoring classes. Visit http://kyrm.org

OUT OF TOWNFeb 1 (Thurs) INTERFAITH PRAYER VIGIL FOR PEACE.

Lexington, KY at West Main and Broadway, 5:30PM to 6:30PM. Every Thursday for eleven years. For more information, visit

www.peaceandjustice.org

Feb 5 (Mon) KENTUCKY MIGRANT NETWORK COALITION. Lexington KY at the Cardinal Valley Center, 12PM. Every first Monday. Get better acquainted with Kentucky’s immigrant and refugee families. For more information, call 859-258-3824.

Feb 6 to 27 FAIRNESS MEETINGS. ACLU of Kentucky. Help us promote LGBT Rights in Kentucky and join our meeting in Versailles, Georgetown, Frankfort, Bowling Green, Berea, and Shelbyville. Visit http://www.aclu-ky.org

Feb 15 (Thurs) ORGANIC AGRICULTURE WORKING GROUP. KSU Research Farm, Frankfort, KY. Every third Thursday. Participate in efforts to develop local food economies with the Community Farm Alliance and others. Visit www.communityfarmalliance.org

Feb 21 FAIRNESS LOBBY DAY. ACLU of Kentucky rally in Frankfort, KY. Show our General Assembly and the public how much you care. Visit http://www.aclu-ky.org

EVENTS AT LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARIES. Visit www.lfpl.org

Feb 1 (Thurs) BLACK LOUISVILLE JEOPARDY. Newburg Public Library, 6PM. Test your knowledge with these insightful questions.

Feb 3 (Sat) ENGLISH CONVERSATION CLUB. Every Saturday at the Iroquois & Newburg Public Library Branches, 3PM. Also South Central on Mondays and Main Library on Wednesdays at 7PM.

Feb 3 (Sat) AFRO-CUBAN CULTURE. Iroquois Public Library, 1PM. Join us for history, music, dance and good food.

Feb 3 (Sat) CHINESE NEW YEAR FAMILY STORYTIME. Southwest Library, 10AM. Hear stories about this holiday.

Feb 3 (Sat) AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY READ-IN. Newburg Public Library, 2:30PM. Hear student presentations of inspiring books.

Feb 4, 11, 18 AND 25 AFRICAN AMERICAN FILM SERIES. Main Public Library, 3PM. See compelling movies about real-life stories.

Feb 5 (Mon) BLACK HISTORY TRIVIA. Newburg Public Library, 3PM. Test your knowledge with these insightful questions.

Feb 5 (Mon) FREEDOM QUILT. Western Public Library, 3:30PM. Add your creative expression to our quilt.

Feb 6, 8, 10, 12 and 16 BELIZE MUSIC AND DANCE. South Central Library, 6PM. Join Belizean dance and choreographer Dixie Cacho.

Feb 6 (Tues) HOUR OF POWER BOOK DISCUSSIONS. Newburg Public Library, every first Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Discuss books on personal efforts

Feb 7, 9, 13 and 15 AFRO-CARIBBEAN MUSIC AND DANCE. South Central Library, 4:30PM. Join Belizean dance and choreographer Dixie Cacho.

Feb 7 (Wed) MEETING OF THE MINDS. Crescent Hill Public Library, 7PM. Discuss current topics with your friends and neighbors.

Feb 9, 12, 17 and 22 AFRICAN AMERICAN ARCHIVES TOUR. Western Public Library, 1PM. Browse this history in our collection.

Feb 10 (Sat) MUSIC BY AFRICAN DIASPORA YOUTH. Iroquois Public Library, 1PM. A performance by youth leaders from Africa.

Feb 10 (Sat) MOTOWN DANCE PARTY. Southwest Library, 10AM. Join us for songs, bubbles, and parachute play.

Feb 12 (Mon) QUILTS IN BLACK HISTORY. Newburg Public Library, 6PM. Lean more about two epic styles. Make a sample from construction paper.

Feb 13 (Tues) INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN-AMERICAN GENEALOGY. Crescent Hill Public Library, 3PM. Learn what resources you can consult.

Feb 17 (Sat) CHINESE FAN DANCE Southwest Library, 2PM. Participate and learn the history of the fan dance and its influence on other cultures.

Feb 21 (Wed) GRANTWRITING FOR WORTHY CAUSES. Main Library, 1:30PM. Learn to research and find the right grant for your cause. Practice the essential elements of grant proposals.

Feb 21 (Wed) BOOKS ON GLOBAL SOLIDARITY. Main Public Library. Read and discuss books from different counties and cultures. (aka The Mayor’s Book Club)

Feb 24 (Sat) DISCUSSION ON BLACK IMAGINATION Bon Air Library, 2PM. Join our discussion of on the conscious mind of black people affected by spiritual, psychological, economic, social, and political warfare.

Feb 27 (Tues) HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW BLACK HISTORY? South Central Library, 6PM. Test your knowledge with these insightful questions.

Before attending these events, it's best to contact the sponsoring organization to verify the time/place of the event. To list your event here, email info to [email protected] by the first of each month.