PEACE GAZETTE— May—June 2015 Page 1

Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center December, 2013-January, 2014 55 Eckley Lane ▪ Walnut Creek, CA 94596-6799 ▪ ourpeacecenter.org ▪ 925-933-7850

PEACE GAZETTE Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center ourpeacecenter.org Dec., 2013-Jan., 2014 Events and Mailing address: 55 Eckley Lane , Walnut Creek, CA 94596-6799 925-933-7850

Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center ourpeacecenter.org May—June, 2015 Events and Mail: 55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek, CA 94596-6799 925-933-7850

AC T I O N

of the

M O N T H

PLEASE JOIN US FOR Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center's

ANNUAL MEMBERS' MEETING SATURDAY, JUNE 13th, 2015 at 4:00 - 6:00

WE'LL SHARE A POTLUCK DINNER MEET CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS MEET BOARD NOMINEES HOLD BOARD ELECTIONS

SHARE IDEAS FOR THE CENTER

OWL ROOM AND PATIO Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church

55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek Potluck suggestions: A-E : SALAD / F-J: DESSERTS / K-O: APPETIZERS / P-T: BREADS / U-Z: SIDE DISH

BEVERAGES AND DISHES WILL BE PROVIDED

NOT SURE IF YOUR MEMBERSHIP IS CURRENT? WE’LL BE SENDING YOU A LETTER SHORTLY!!

The Runners are Coming, the Runners are Coming!

Join us at the 3rd Annual ALAMO RUN!! Sunday, June 28th—8: 30 am

DOWNTOWN ALAMO

IT’S A 5K COMPETITIVE AND FUN RUN (OR WALK) FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

All proceeds benefit MTDPJC / Participants run with strollers, pets and kids All ages! Prizes will be awarded in 7 age categories

Including age 70+ / Fastest Dog / Baby Jogger $35/pp or $40 on day of event / Commemorative T-shirt and refreshments included!

Sign up online: AlamoRun.com. Or call the office for details on registration. We’re also seeking Sponsors and Volunteers—(925) 933-7850 for more info.

PEACE GAZETTE— May—June 2015 Page 2

Mt. Diablo

Peace & Justice Center

The Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center

works to build a more peaceful and just

world through citizen involvement. To this

end, we work to eliminate nuclear weapons;

reduce militarism; heal the causes of

violence, such as racism and injustice; and

promote nonviolent conflict resolution.

A community-based organization focusing

on education and action, the

Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center is a tax-

deductible 501 (c)(3) non-profit.

WON’T YOU JOIN US?

FOUNDER: Andy Baltzo

DIRECTOR: Margli Auclair

PEACE CENTER BOARD:

Dan Reynolds, Sara Spence, Karl Dobrinich,

Pandora Bethea, Thomas Edwards, Bob

Hanson, Connie Loosli, Sergio Lub, Taynay

Matsumoto, Bob Maxwell, Gordon Miller,

Ann Saavedra, Rev. Dave Sammons, David

Seaborg, Rick Sterling and Virginia

Wheaton.

EDITOR/LAYOUT:

Margli Auclair and Virginia Wheaton

PROOF-READER: Phil Auclair

MAILING CAPTAIN: Bob Nace

CONTRIBUTORS: Bob Maxwell, Amer

Araim, Crystal Bedford, Lisa Davis,

Lauren Freeman, Darian Keeps, Ellie Kim,

Ellen Brown, Ginny Wheaton, Margli

Auclair

WEB TEAM: Sergio Lub, Devin

Dombrowski, Margli Auclair, Alan Rees

PEACE GAZETTE EMAIL:

editorpg@gmail.com

PEACE CENTER EMAIL and ONLINE

ACTIVIST ALERTS:

info@ourpeacecenter.org

PEACE CENTER WEBSITES:

www.ourpeacecenter.org

www.creatingpeacefulschools.weebly.com

The views expressed herein are the

opinions of the writers and do not

necessarily speak for all members of

the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice

Centers or its Board of Directors.

Is There a “Left/Right” Convergence Against War?

By Bob Maxwell

Much has been said and written, of late, on a growing con-

vergence between the left-wing of the Democratic Party

and the right-wing of the Republican Party on issues like

civil liberties and opposition to our seemingly endless

wars, particularly among younger voters.

The right-wing of the Republican party is a vast, multi-

ingredient stew, and Republican “anti-war” sentiment comes, mostly, from

the “libertarian” lump in that stew. “Libertarianism”, as a political philoso-

phy, was inspired, in large part, by the writings of Ayn Rand, a philosophi-

cal champion of the “virtue of selfishness” and is committed to “getting

government out of our lives” as much as humanly possible. Presidential

candidate, Rand Paul, current champion of the “libertarian” wing of the

Republican Party has recently disappointed many, by reversing many of his

previous “anti-war” stands, including calling for expanding, rather than cut-

ting, the defense budget and discovering that Iran is a “threat” after all.

Whether this is a real change of heart, or just and opportunistic attempt to

do better with Republican primary voters than his more principled Father,

Ron Paul, is anyone’s guess.

But Rand Paul’s apparent opportunism isn’t the only thing standing in the

way of a “left/right” convergence in opposition to war. There are deep

philosophical divisions as well. Left-wing opposition to war is often moti-

vated by a sense of human solidarity, that the world is one country and eve-

ry people our people. Right wing opponents of war, on the other hand, are

horrified by any suggestion of “one- worldism” and any move toward inter-

nation cooperation on anything is seen as a stepping stone towards global

government – their worst nightmare!

It may be possible to work with the “libertarian” wing of the Republican

party on specific issues, but it must be done without any illusions of broad-

er agreement.

PEACE GAZETTE— May—June 2015 Page 3

Peace Gazette Student Writers Series

Male Gaze and its Impact on Gender By Crystal Bedford, Lisa Davis, Lauren Freeman, Darian Keeps, Ellie Kim, with editing by

Professors Laura Wing, Nolan Higdon, and Mickey Huff (of Diablo Valley College and Project Censored)

Celebrations filled the halls of Congress and cities across

America in 1868 as the 14th Amendment to the US Consti-

tution was ratified. The centuries’ long struggle of African

Americans and the decades’ long struggle of abolitionists

had led to this moment. The amendment provided citizen-

ship status to black men in the US. Many of the abolition-

ists who made this day possible had been women. Many of

those same women assumed that they would enjoy the

sweet taste of equality with their African American broth-

ers and sisters. However, female activists were shocked

that the 14th amendment only guaranteed citizenship rights

for males. In fact, it was the first time the word “male”

appeared in the constitution. Women had been integral to

the success of the abolitionist movement. The lack of

rights granted to women created a bitter divide between

abolitionists and advocates for women’s rights that wors-

ened when the 15th amendment only guaranteed voting

rights for males. In response, long time abolitionists and

women’s rights activists such as Susan B. Anthony and

Elizabeth Cady Stanton turned to anti-abolitionists to fund

their movement for gender equality.

In 2015, the debate over gender equality continued in the

US. At the 2015 Oscars, Patricia Arquette echoed history

by explaining that it was time for “all the gay people and

people of color that we’ve all fought for to fight for us

[women] now.” This immediately created friction, as sup-

porters of LGBT and racial equality argued that Arquette

was incorrectly assuming that they owe white women any-

thing. The lack of context to Arquette’s comments, such as

women’s central role in most social movements in US his-

tory contributes to the coverage women receive. However,

a more powerful force, which also disingenuously intro-

duces the women and their rights, is the corporate press.

The corporate press operates by and for the interests of

men. Despite making up only half the population, 97% of

media outlets are male owned, and sixty-four percent of

journalists are men. Scholars have argued that this inevita-

bly produces a patriarchal dominant view of media, known

as the male gaze theory.

The Male Gaze Theory in Media

The male gaze theory posits that because men control the

creation of media, the media messages are dominated by a

male point of view. The CEOs of the six companies that

own 90% of media are all white males. Those same corpo-

rations are also heavily invested in the entertainment in-

dustry. Thus, the male gaze theory argues that with men

controlling the media and entertainment industries, women

are the object and not possessor of the gaze. Although

originally applied to narrative cinema, this article postu-

lates that the male gaze is present in all forms of contem-

porary media, including the music and news industries

where women are objectified and sexualized.

Even when women are given positions of power within the

male dominated media organizations they face pressure to

maintain the male gaze constructed narratives. Men out-

pace women in every news media position, making up two

thirds of the newsroom, and consistently hiring and sourc-

ing men more than women. This saturation of the male

gaze within corporate media ensures that women who at-

tain power are met with multifaceted resistances. For ex-

ample, in an attempt to break the male dominated land-

scape, NBC news chair Patricia Fili-Krushel hired Debo-

rah Turness to become NBC’s News President. Yet as the

first woman to hold her position she held less power than

previous presidents, and experienced several power strug-

gles with anchors Matt Lauer and Brian Williams, includ-

ing Lauer dictating network decisions to Turness. The inci-

dent proved that men dominate media even when women

are seemingly given power to direct it.

Overview

This study seeks to examine the impact of the male gaze

on the media’s reporting of women’s issues. The study

argues that the male dominated media environment con-

tributes to the false interpretations of feminism and women

of color. These false interpretations contribute to poor cov-

erage of women’s issues leaving the public misinformed or

uninformed about sexual assault and the role of female

artists and politicians. Thus, the public is unaware, insensi-

tive, and unresponsive to the issues that impact women.

These findings are important because the corporate media

not only informs the public of events, but it also has an

impact on the values and realities shared by the people of

the US. Since the corporate for-profit model and white

This article, researched and written by students, is excerpted from the full version that will be published by Project Censored.

Please visit ProjectCensored.Org, for the complete and notated version of this article on May 1, 2015. These students will be

sharing their research with the public May 5 at the Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center at the Project Censored event that evening.

(Male Gaze...continues on Page 10)

PEACE GAZETTE— May—June 2015 Page 4

Guest commentary © 2015 Bay Area News Group

Posted: 01/31/2015 04:00:00 PM PST0 Comments

The attack against the satirical French magazine Charlie

Hebdo must be condemned as a terrorist act directed not

only against the victims who lost their lives, but against

the entire world.

In the meantime, as an American Muslim, I was dismayed

and hurt by the magazine's insistence on depicting Prophet

Muhammad in a distasteful manner. However, there is

nothing in the Quran or the tradition of Prophet Muham-

mad that command Muslims to resort to violence against

those who use defamatory language or art against Prophet

Muhammad.

Even with respect to Allah (God), the Quran requested

Muslims to refrain from using abusive language against

the goddesses that the infidels used to worship in Arabia so

that the latter will not use the same language against Allah.

"Revile not ye those whom they (the infidels) call upon

beside Allah, lest they out of spite revile Allah in their ig-

norance," S VI, V. 108.

Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks there have been efforts by

Muslims who have been engaged in dialogs within the

Muslim communities and other faith communities in the

United States emphasizing two important principles, which

represent a consensus among American Muslims.

First, the American Muslim community is an integral part

of American society, and what hurts America hurts Mus-

lims, too. The same principle applies to European Muslims

and Muslims everywhere.

The second principle is part of the commands of the Quran

and the tradition of Prophet Muhammad: that Muslims

must fulfill their commitments, contracts and pledges.

Since all Muslims, whether visitors, immigrants or born

citizens in America and Europe, gave commitments to re-

spect the law including not to use violence against individ-

uals, institutions or government officials, therefore, it is a

violation of the commands of the Quran and the Prophet

Muhammad to use violence against any of the above men-

tioned individuals or entities.

When Salman Rushdie wrote his book "Satanic Verses," I

was also hurt. In my lectures and arguments at that time, I

was also of the opinion that Ayatollah Khomeini was

wrong to issue his edict to pay money to anyone who

would kill Rushdie.

Iran was, and is still, a member of the United Nations and,

therefore, Khomeini could not order the death of a citizen

of another country for his insult to the family of Prophet

Muhammad. At that time, I suggested that the Muslim

community in Britain should initiate legal proceedings in

British courts against Rushdie for defaming the family of

Prophet Muhammad.

They might not win a case against Rushdie, but it would

have been an opportunity to demonstrate to the world that

the Muslim communities respect the law, and to educate

people about the life of Prophet Muhammad and his con-

tribution to humanity not only by establishing and teaching

Islam but also to world civilization.

It is important to emphasize the need for the integration of

migrant communities in their societies, and that requires

not only cultural and political actions but also socioeco-

nomic policies to ensure that all citizens don't feel disfran-

chisement, but rather are part of their societies.

Finally, it is not Islam that the West should fear but the

neglect and degrading treatment of the those who are al-

ienated by the policies of the governments concerned. It is

high time to re-evaluate the domestic and external policies

of all states and to ensure that individuals feel that they

belong to their own societies.

I wish to point out that a Muslim French police officer

named Ahmed lost his life battling the terrorists. Many

Muslims all over the world condemned the terrorist at-

tacks, but they were in pain at the continuous insults to the

symbol of the religion by Charlie Hebdo and other media

sources.

In addition to the role of governments in bringing about

harmony in society, the media could help by not agitating

people through outrageous political or cultural publica-

tions. That will not diminish the freedom of the press, but

it will ensure harmony in the world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Amer Araim is an adjunct professor Diablo Valley College

and a member of the Elected Council, Interfaith Council of

Contra Costa County. He is a resident of Walnut Creek

and member of the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center.

American Muslim view of terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo

By Amer Araim

PEACE GAZETTE— May—June 2015 Page 5

The Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Death of the Republic By Ellen Brown, Author, President, Public Banking Institute, is a regular presenter and member of the Peace Center.

A republican form of government is one in which power

resides in elected officials representing the citizens, and

government leaders exercise power according to the rule of

law. In The Federalist Papers, James Madison defined

a republic as "a government which derives all its powers

directly or indirectly from the great body of the people . ."

On April 22, 2015, the Senate Finance Committee ap-

proved a bill to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership

(TPP), a massive trade agreement that would override our

republican form of government and hand judicial and leg-

islative authority to a foreign three-person panel of corpo-

rate lawyers.

The secretive TPP is an agreement with Mexico, Canada,

Japan, Singapore and seven other countries that affects 40

percent of global markets. Fast-track authority could now

go to the full Senate for a vote as early as next week. Fast-

track means Congress will be prohibited from amending

the trade deal, which will be put to a simple up or down

majority vote. Negotiating the TPP in secret and fast-

tracking it through Congress is considered necessary to

secure its passage, since if the public had time to review its

onerous provisions, opposition would mount and defeat it.

Abdicating the Judicial Function to Corporate Lawyers

James Madison wrote in The Federalist Papers: The accu-

mulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judici-

ary, in the same hands, . . . may justly be pronounced the

very definition of tyranny. . . . "Were the power of judging

joined with the legislative, the life and liberty of the sub-

ject would be exposed to arbitrary control, for the

judge would then be the legislator. . . ."

And that, from what we now know of the TPP's secret pro-

visions, will be its dire effect.

The most controversial provision of the TPP is the Investor

-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) section, which strength-

ens existing ISDS procedures. ISDS first appeared in a

bilateral trade agreement in 1959. According to The Econ-

omist, ISDS gives foreign firms a special right to apply to a

secretive tribunal of highly paid corporate lawyers for

compensation whenever the government passes a law to do

things that hurt corporate profits -- such things as discour-

aging smoking, protecting the environment or preventing a

nuclear catastrophe.

Arbitrators are paid $600-700 an hour, giving them little

incentive to dismiss cases; and the secretive nature of the

arbitration process and the lack of any requirement to con-

sider precedent gives wide scope for creative judgments.

To date, the highest ISDS award has been for $2.3 billion

to Occidental Oil Company against the government of Ec-

uador over its termination of an oil-concession contract,

this although the termination was apparently legal. Still in

arbitration is a demand by Vattenfall, a Swedish utility that

operates two nuclear plants in Germany, for compensation

of €3.7 billion ($4.7 billion) under the ISDS clause of a

treaty on energy investments, after the German govern-

ment decided to shut down its nuclear power industry fol-

lowing the Fukushima disaster in Japan in 2011.

Under the TPP, however, even larger judgments can be

anticipated, since the sort of "investment" it protects in-

cludes not just "the commitment of capital or other re-

sources" but "the expectation of gain or profit." That

means the rights of corporations in other countries extend

not just to their factories and other "capital" but to the prof-

its they expect to receive there.

In an article posted by Yves Smith, Joe Firestone poses

some interesting hypotheticals:

Under the TPP, could the US government be sued and be

held liable if it decided to stop issuing Treasury debt and

financed deficit spending in some other way (perhaps by

quantitative easing or by issuing trillion dollar coins)?

Why not, since some private companies would lose profits

as a result?

Under the TPP or the TTIP (the Transatlantic Trade and

Investment Partnership under negotiation with the Europe-

an Union), would the Federal Reserve be sued if it failed to

bail out banks that were too big to fail?

Firestone notes that under the Netherlands-Czech trade

agreement, the Czech Republic was sued in an investor-

state dispute for failing to bail out an insolvent bank in

which the complainant had an interest. The investor com-

pany was awarded $236 million in the dispute settlement.

What might the damages be, asks Firestone, if the Fed de-

cided to let the Bank of America fail, and a Saudi-based

investment company decided to sue?

Abdicating the Legislative Function to

Multinational Corporations

Just the threat of this sort of massive damage award could

be enough to block prospective legislation. But the TPP

goes further and takes on the legislative function directly,

by forbidding specific forms of regulation.

(TPP...continues on Page 10)

PEACE GAZETTE— May—June 2015 Page 6

Earth teach me stillness as the grasses are stilled with light. Earth teach me suffering as old stones suffer with memory.

Earth teach me humility as blossoms are humble with beginning. Earth teach me caring as the mother who secures her young.

Earth teach me courage as the tree which stands all alone. Earth teach me limitation as the ant which crawls on the ground.

Earth teach me freedom as the eagle which soars in the sky. Earth teach me resignation as the leaves which die in the fall.

Earth teach me regeneration as the seed which rises in the spring. Earth teach me to forget myself as melted snow forgets its life.

Earth teach me to remember kindness as dry fields weep with rain. -Ute Prayer

REPORT ON LAUNCH OF

THE INTERFAITH CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK (ICAN!)

Forty-five years after the first Earth Day, the world continues to wake up to the

damage that humans are inflicting on Mother Earth. On Earth Day 2015, April

22nd, a gathering of 120 met at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Lafayette to

launch the Interfaith Climate Action Network to address that damage, most

importantly the urgent problem and moral challenges of climate change.

The conference was organized by members of the Interfaith Council of Contra

Costa County, Citizen’s Climate Lobby of Contra Costa, the Social Justice

Alliance of ICCCC, California Interfaith Power and Light, 350 Bay Area, EarthFaithFood, Wellness City Challenge, In-

terfaith Women’s Circles of Contra Costa and the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center. All are recognizing the immedi-

ate need to bring understanding and action to the local community of faith organizations thereby allowing for coordinated

and effective actions to address it.

Speaking and serving as hosts were Rev. Will McGarvey (ICCCC), Pastor Holly McHale-Larsen of Our Saviors Luther-

an, Rev. Will Scott of California Interfaith Power and Light and Rebecca Kalahan Klein of EarthFaithFood. Voices of

the various faith traditions included Unitarian and Peace Center member Rev. Dave Sammons, Father Paulson Mundan-

mani of Christ the King Catholic Church, Muslim lay leader Qahira Santana, Rabbi Goldblatt of Beth Chaim Synagogue,

and Native American Zoe Holder of Idle No More SF.

Rev. Sally Bingham, Director of Interfaith Power and Light (IPL), gave a rousing keynote address, telling of her experi-

ence at the huge Global Citizens Earth Day event in D.C. and of the impact that congregations can have in motivating for

social change. Started in 1998, her organization now has affiliates in 40 states and 15,000 congregations. As stated on

IPL’s website, “We must recognize that every major religion has a mandate to care for Creation. We were given natural

resources to sustain us, but we were also given the responsibility to act as good stewards and preserve life for future gen-

erations”.

Our Peace Center member, Marti Roach, spoke of the practical actions we can take at the local level. Her organization,

Citizens Climate Lobby, is a nationwide organization with the one goal of passing Carbon Fee and Dividend legislation,

which gives all fossil fuel revenue back to households, something on which all of us can surely agree.

Thereafter the attendees broke into small groups to network and share in the work that they are doing and thoughts for

future plans. Organizing is already underway. As Deborah Burstyn of the Contra Costa Times recently stated: “If you

are among the growing number of people willing to move heaven and earth to lessen climate change, this Earth Day

[ICAN event]…may be the answer to your prayers.” Please join us as we band together to increase our clout on this is-

sue.

Many thanks to Our Savior Lutheran Church for letting us use their beautiful facility, to all participants mentioned above

and to other organizing volunteers including but not limited to Jan Warren, Tony Newey, Pamela Singh, Frances Aubrey,

Liz Fisher and Gwen Watson. Yes ICAN!

PEACE GAZETTE— May—June 2015 Page 7

Interfaith Climate Action Network Covenant We pledge allegiance to the Earth and all life upon it. We pledge to care for this portion upon which we now dwell from the peak of Mt. Diablo to the waters of San Pablo Bay, Los Vaqueros and the Delta of the San Joaquin & Sacramento Rivers. We pledge to care for all the life these ecosystems and these watersheds support. We pledge to learn and work together to confront climate change and its impacts. We pledge to stand in solidarity with all people who suffer from these impacts and to challenge injustice. We pledge to reduce our carbon footprints, conserve water, and advocate for a renewable energy future. Just as drops of water, when combined, can create a powerful force, our united actions can surpass what we can accomplish alone. One planet, Earth, in our care, irreplaceable, with sustenance and respect for all.

HOUSEHOLD

Install low-pressure faucets, aerators and low-flow toilets / Check and repair plumbing leaks / Run only full loads of laundry/

dishes and use low-load features when possible / Compare water usage estimates when buying appliances / Do not let sink faucets

run when brushing teeth, shaving, or rinsing dishes / Reduce toilet flushes. Remember, “If it’s brown, flush it down. If it’s yellow,

it’s mellow” / Reduce shower time to under 3 minutes / Capture first cold water for dish rinsing, flushing toilets, or watering

plants / Avoid baths when no grey water system is redirecting flow to the garden / Investigate rebates available for water conser-

vation devices through EBMUD / Order a WaterSmart Home Survey Kit from EBMUD to learn the best ways you can save more

water / Keep an eye on your water meter so you can catch any leaks quickly / Use rain barrels to catch run-off.

GARDEN

Explore alternate water sources. Co Co County Sanitary District is a source of free (non-potable) water www.centralsan.org /

Use a broom, never a hose! / Water before 8 am or after 7 pm on non-consecutive days / Make the switch from lawn to xeriscaping

(low-water-use landscaping) / See how-to instructions on Sheet Mulching and Lawn Conversions at www.youtube.com/playlist?

list=PL5DEB36A6F290007E. / Convert to Drip irrigation system. See video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeLLIhcv8Cc

Install a grey water system to re-direct shower, laundry, and dishwasher liquids to your garden / Avoid/delay planting new land-

scaping until cooler Fall weather / Xeriscape or plant Native landscaping / Prevent pool evaporation (and warm your pool!) with

blue bubble-wrap solar cover / Use shut-off valves and timers on hoses and hose bibs / Take advantage of rebate programs from

EBMUD and CCWD.

LET’S SAVE WATER TOGETHER!

Ginny Wheaton of our Environmental Committee put together the following

helpful hints of simple things you can do to help save water during this drought .

PEACE GAZETTE— May—June 2015 Page 8

Come to Venezuela to find out for yourself if Venezuela is a threat, an inspiration, or something in between. Join

Venezuelans in celebrating their Independence Day on July 5th as they remind the US government that they – not President Obama – will continue to choose the leaders and system that work for them.

Meet the people of the Bolivarian Revolution – officials of the national and communal governments, judiciary and

electoral system. Meet the press. Tell them that Obama’s decree does not represent you! Meet with members of the

opposition. See what the media actually is saying. Is there censorship? Are people going hungry, losing social security benefits?

Organized by Task Force on the Americas based in Marin. Contact Teri Mattson at

415-259-9626 or Rick Sterling 925-478-8343 for more information. For cost and

details see www.mitfamericas.org/VenezuelaDelegation2015.pdf

MDPJC Members are Invited to Join Trip of a Lifetime to Venezuela! July 4-11, 2015

IF YOUR MAIL WAS RECEIVED EARLY ENOUGH, YOU CAN STILL MAKE IT TO THE FOLLOWING EVENTS!

Monday, May 4th - 12:30 PM - Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill Campus KATHY KELLY of VOICES FOR CREATIVE NON-VIOLENCE - FREE Event.

Business and Foreign Language Conference Room—321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tuesday, May 5th, 6 PM potluck / 7 PM Speaker MICKEY HUFF - PROJECT CENSORED returns to the Peace Center to present the most censored stories of 2013-1014 CENSORED 2015. Bortin Hall at MDUUC, 55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek Tickets: $10 in advance or $15 at the door, online at www.ourpeacecenter.org or call the office at 925-933-7850. FREE for students. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Saturday, May 9th, 6 PM 18TH ANNUAL DENNIS THOMAS PEACE THROUGH ART & WRITING AWARDS DINNER

Art exhibit / Written word & Video presentations of winning student entries of contest for Contra Costa youth. Contest info at www.creatingpeacefulschools.weebly.com

Bortin Hall at MDUUC—55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek Tickets: $10 in advance or $15 at the door, online at www.ourpeacecenter.org or call the office at 925-933-7850

PEACE GAZETTE— May—June 2015 Page 9

Check out our Endowment Option!

Now you can earmark your donation to Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice

Center and know it will grow to ensure peace for future generations!

We are pleased to announce that an Endowment Plan is now available

on our new website under “About” and “Planned Giving”.

www.ourpeacecenter.org.

WON’T YOU JOIN US IN THE PEACEMAKER’S CIRCLE?

What will the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center look like in 20-50 years from now? Will there even be a peace and justice center in Walnut Creek 20-50 years from now? The answers to these questions may well depend on actions taken by those of us here at this time and place.

A new legacy group is being formed to help secure the future of our Peace Center. The tentative name is Peacemaker’s Circle. Its membership will be composed of Center members and support-

ers who have included the Center in their wills/estate plans, or have made a commitment to do so.

The initial meeting of the new group will be held soon. Plans call for a yearly fun gathering with food, music and possibly a speaker as a way for the Center’s board to show appreciation for those who have taken action to provide for the future of MTDPJC.

If you already qualify for membership or are considering taking this action, please let Margli know.

MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW!

BEQUEATH PEACE! Remember the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center in your will and you’ll give

the gift of peace to future generations! Donations of stocks easily and gladly

accepted. NOTE: Many members who would pay a large income tax when

selling stock that has appreciated over the years can donate it to the Center and

not incur a tax liability. Check it out with your tax advisor!

Our account number is 57030222 and our DTC routing number is 0705.

PARTICIPATE IN CREATING PEACE! Please take a moment and help us keep Peace and Justice growing in 2015!

Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center depends on your financial and volunteer participation to keep us going. Thanks a million!

I would like to volunteer at MtDPJC……

Sign me up for the Monday online Activist Alert.

I would like to join MtDPJC

Basic Membership Level $50/year

Monthly Pledger $____ per month

Contact the office at 925-933-7850 to discuss ‘Luminary of

Peace’ level donations or to arrange for e-payments. Make

checks payable to MtDPJC and mail to the office at 55

Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek, CA 95696. Or, simply join us

online at www.ourpeacecenter.org.

Name: __________________________________

Email: __________________________________

Mailing address:

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PEACE GAZETTE— May—June 2015 Page 10

The views expressed by the presenter do not necessarily represent the mission nor the membership of the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center.

(Male Gaze...continued from Page 3)

male influence dominate news and entertainment, it is

those interests that are packaged for the public to consume.

This limits what women can and cannot do in the US, due

to the impact the perception of women has on all citizens

of the US. However, what history has shown is that wom-

en of all types have been integral in the major social ad-

vancements of human beings around the world and the US.

Thus, a strong movement made up of women of all types

needs to undermine and eliminate the influence of the

white male gaze. What is in the best interest of people in

general, and women specifically, is for the public to be

informed about the issues which concern women without a

male filter. Women are half of the US society. If their con-

cerns are not heard, how can the US call itself a free and

equal nation?

This article was written by community college students, all of whom are transferring to four-year schools this fall.

See the full version online at www.projectcensored.org May 1, 2015.

Crystal Bedford is completing an AST in Mathematics while in the processes of transferring from Diablo Valley College

to a four year college as an Economics major. She is the current President of the Project Censored club of DVC.

Lisa Davis is in the process of completing her BA in P.L.E.A major. (Political, Legal and Economic Analysis) at Mills

College. Her research interests include the intersectionality of race and gender issues in the American education system.

Lauren Freeman is a student at Las Positas College in Livermore, California.

Ellie Kim is currently a student at Diablo Valley College and intern with Project Censored. She hopes to pursue politi-

cal science and media studies at Reed College this fall.

Darian Keeps, currently at Diablo Valley College, is completing a BA in Political Science at the University of Califor-

nia in southern California in September 2015 with a goal to attend law school and fight for environmental rights.

Public Citizen observes that the TPP would provide big

banks with a backdoor means of watering down efforts to re

-regulate Wall Street, after deregulation triggered the worst

financial crisis since the Great Depression.

The TPP would forbid countries from banning particularly

risky financial products, such as the toxic derivatives that

led to the $183 billion government bailout of AIG. It would

prohibit policies to prevent banks from becoming "too big

to fail," and threaten the use of "firewalls" to prevent banks

that keep our savings accounts from taking hedge-fund-style

bets.

The TPP would also restrict capital controls, an essential

policy tool to counter destabilizing flows of speculative

money. . . . And the deal would prohibit taxes on Wall

Street speculation, such as the proposed Robin Hood Tax

that would generate billions of dollars' worth of revenue for

social, health, or environmental causes.

Clauses on dispute settlement in earlier free trade agree-

ments have been invoked to challenge efforts to regulate big

business. The fossil fuel industry is seeking to overturn

Quebec's ban on the ecologically destructive practice of

fracking. Veolia, the French behemoth known for building a

tram network to serve Israeli settlements in occupied East

Jerusalem, is contesting increases in Egypt's minimum

wage. The tobacco maker Philip Morris is suing against anti

-smoking initiatives in Uruguay and Australia.

The TPP would empower not just foreign manufacturers but

foreign financial firms to attack financial policies in foreign

tribunals, demanding taxpayer compensation for regulations

that they claim frustrate their expectations and inhibit their

profits.

Preempting Government Sovereignty

What is the justification for this encroachment on the sover-

eign rights of government? Allegedly, ISDS is necessary in

order to increase foreign investment. But as noted in The

Economist, investors can protect themselves by purchasing

political-risk insurance. Moreover, Brazil continues to re-

ceive sizable foreign investment despite its long-standing

refusal to sign any treaty with an ISDS mechanism. Other

countries are beginning to follow Brazil's lead.

In an April 22nd report from the Center for Economic and

Policy Research, gains from multilateral trade liberalization

were shown to be very small, equal to only about 0.014% of

consumption, or about $.43 per person per month. And that

assumes that any benefits are distributed uniformly across

the economic spectrum. In fact, transnational corporations

get the bulk of the benefits, at the expense of most of the

world's population.

Something else besides attracting investment money and

encouraging foreign trade seems to be going on. The TPP

would destroy our republican form of government under the

rule of law, by elevating the rights of investors -- also called

the rights of "capital" -- above the rights of the citizens.

That means that TPP is blatantly unconstitutional. But as

Joe Firestone observes, neo-liberalism and corporate contri-

butions seem to have blinded the deal's proponents so much

that they cannot see they are selling out the sovereignty of

the United States to foreign and multinational corporations.

(TPP ..continued from Page 5)

PEACE GAZETTE— May—June 2015 Page 11

Peace Happenings

May—June, 2015 Calendar

Monday, May 4 Kathy Kelly, 12:30—Diablo Valley College

Tuesday, May 5 Project Censored, 6 pm potluck, 7 pm speaker, details page

Saturday, May 9 Art & Writing Awards Dinner, 6 pm—Bortin Hall

Saturday, June 13 Annual Membership Meeting/Potluck, 4—7 pm Owl Room/Patio

Tuesday, June 23 Sister Marietta Fahey, 6 pm potluck, 7 pm speaker, details page 12

Saturday, June 27 70th Year UN Commemoration, 9 am—6 pm, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco

ONGOING: Sat. May 9

& Sun. June 14

Lafayette Crosses Work Party, 10am -12:30pm

Crosses donations to: Jeff Heaton, 3576 Terrace Way, Lafayette, 94549

Like us: Facebook.com/MDPJC Hear us tweet: Twitter.com/MtDPJC.

Sign up for weekly online Activist Alert: www.ourpeacecenter.org

NEW COMMITTEES : International Affairs Global Environmental Membership WORK ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS: Creating Peaceful Schools Conference Art & Writing Challenge Interfaith Climate Action Network Alamo Run PROJECTS FOR YOUTH: Peace & Justice Clubs

ONGOING: Mailing Crew

MORE INFO: 925-933-7850

PEACE IMAGE OF THE MONTH

Join us for the 2015 walk “From the Peace Center to the War Center”

Center Board Members Bob Hanson and Rick Sterling will be leading a walk from Walnut Creek to Livermore on the 70th anniversary of the Hiroshima

bombing. The walk will take place August 4th and 5th ending at the Livermore Labs the morning of August 6th for the annual demonstration against nuclear weapons. Let’s get a good number of walkers showing our

displeasure with our government’s refusal to push for an end to this madness.

STOP THE MADNESS!

PEACE GAZETTE— May—June 2015 Page 12

Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center

55 Eckley Lane

Walnut Creek, CA 94596

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Organization

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off the top 1/3 of this page with mailing label and return it to us with your email address. Indicate your preference to have Peace Gazette delivered to your email address or to read it each month online at www.ourpeacecenter.org. Please pass on your hard copy!

Contact Information Let your voice be heard!

President Barack Obama

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington. DC 20500

(202) 456-1111

www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Senator Barbara Boxer

112 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington DC 20510

(202) 224-3553

(510) 286-8537

Senator Dianne Feinstein 331 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington DC 20510

(202) 224-3841

(415) 393-0707

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier

440 Civic Center Plaza, 2nd Floor

Richmond, CA 94804

(202) 225-2095

Congressman John Garamendi

609 Jefferson Street

Fairfield, CA 94533

(707) 438-1822

Congressman Jerry McNerney

4703 Lone Tree Way

Antioch, CA 94531

(925) 754-0716

Congressman Mike Thompson

985 Walnut Ave.

Vallejo, CA 94592

(707) 645-1888

Congressman Eric Swalwell

5075 Hopyard Rd., Ste. 220

Pleasanton, CA 94588

(925) 460-5100

Membership Potluck p1 Alamo Run!!

Maxwell’s Musings p2

Student Writers Series p3

American Muslim View p4 Commentary

Trans-Pacific Partnership p5

ICAN Launch Report p6-7

Kathy Kelly p8 Project Censored Art & Writing Dinner

Peace Happenings p11

Sister Marietta Fahey p12

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Sister Marietta Fahey

Come share a meal and a talk by this compassionate and much needed Educator of Human Development.

Discussion to follow. She will speak on

Peace Within—Teaching and Fostering Human Development

Fahey, SHF, M.A., is a Sister of the Holy Family in

Fremont and has served in the Executive Leadership

Team of the congregation since 2007. She continues ac-companying adults in personal growth as an Associate of

PRH (Personality and Human Relationships), an Interna-tional School of Education in Human Development for

Adults and Young Adults

Fahey has been committed to supporting and strengthening families by offering op-

portunities for self-discovery since 1983. She is a skilled listener and guide, assisting adults, individually and in groups, to explore their inner world, deepen self-

confidence, live greater harmony in relationships, and make decisions with meaning and purpose rooted in values.

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2015 ~ 6 PM POTLUCK ~ 7 PM SPEAKER

MDUUC – Owl Room at 55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek Tickets: $10 in advance or $15 at the door. FREE for Students.

Purchase advance tickets at www.ourpeacecenter.org or call (925) 933-7850. Brought to you by Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center and Friendly Favors