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Remembering Gaza

Stone Cold Image - hands
The event, "Remembering Gaza", is  to commemorate the one year anniversary of Operation Protective Edge, Israel's assault on the Gaza strip that resulted in the deaths of over 2,200 people, many of them  women and children.

Massive damage was done to the infrastructure.  This program aims to draw attention to the oppressive and life threatening conditions under which the Palestinians continue to suffer as well as their legitimate non-violent movement to uphold human rights and international law.

This documentary, "Stone Cold Justice", depicts the arrest, detention, and abuse of Palestinian children (some as young as 5) by the Israeli Military.  From torture to threats of rape and forced confessions, Israel's reign of terror on Palestinian children continues. Last year UNICEF released a scathing report on Israel's justice system, finding that "children have been threatened with death, physical violence, solitary confinement and sexual assault."

Remembering Gaza
on our Journey Together

Join us for the film:
Stone Cold  Justice
 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 23rd
Rochester Public Library
Sponsored by SEMNAP
(Southeastern MN Alliance of Peacemakers)


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Mission to Gaza
A Surgeon's Journey


Dr. Ahmad Photo
Dr Ahmad Nassr, an orthopedic surgeon, will share his team’s vital work in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Dr. Nassr will describe the conditions in which they work and the obstacles they encounter in order to treat children with severe scoliosis.

He and his team have been making these trips to the Occupied Territories since 2011. Their travels are arranged through the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, a non-political organization established in 1991 in Kent, Ohio.

Following Dr. Nassr’s presentation and question/answer period, SEMNAP will provide information about the Boycott Divest Sanction movement (of which the MN Break the Bonds Campaign a part) and specific opportunities for nonviolent action.

Monday, March 9, 2015

  6:30 p.m.

Rochester Public Library Auditorium
101 Second Street SE
Rochester, MN

Co-sponsored by the Rochester Public Library and the SE MN Alliance of Peacemakers

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December 10, 2013 
"Inequality for All"  A Documentary

Narrated by Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor under President Clinton
Coming to Rochester, MN at the Wehrenberg Galaxy 14 Theater
4340 Maine Ave SE, Rochester, MN
Show times: 1 pm, and 7 pm December 10, 2013
 
The documentary, narrated by Robert Reich, focuses on the economic arguments against wealth disparity: “We make the rules of the economy and we have the power to change those rules.” - Robert Reich

Income inequality is one of the greatest moral issues of our time--and it is increasingly visible in our own community. That is what motivated a small group of citizens to bring the documentary Inequality for All to Rochester. We would like to invite you, your family, friends, and colleagues to a special one-day viewing of the film on Tuesday December 10 at 1 p.m. or 7 p.m. at the Wehrenberg Galaxy 14 Theater (4340 Maine Ave SE, Rochester, MN).

The discussion that will follow both the afternoon and evening shows will allow people to share their stories, their insights, and their suggestions for innovative ways to not only address the immediate problems here in Rochester but to build a just system, starting in our own community. By bringing family and friends with you, the conversation can continue after the formal dialogue is over.

Tickets may be purchased in advance online www.wehrenbergtheatres.com or at the theater. But no one must be deterred for lack of funds. This seems like a fitting occasion, therefore, to model the concept of the gift economy: if those who are able will give a little more, there will be enough (tickets) for everyone. Tickets range from $6.50 for Seniors to $9.50 for Adults.

To contribute a ticket(s) for someone else, make the check payable to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, and mail to: 1884 22St. NW, Rochester, 55901.

To obtain ticket(s) free of charge, leave your name and the number of adult or senior tickets needed at IFAdocumentary@yahoo.com The tickets will be waiting for you at the Theater.
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Kathy Kelly
Kathy Kelly

Kathy Kelly
November 5 at 7 p.m.

Topic:War Without End
and the Courage to Dissent

Assisi Heights Spirituality Center

1001 14th Street NW - Rochester, MN

Join our presenter, Kathy Kelly, as she provides an overview about the persistent and wrongful notion that U.S. wars are protecting and defending people in the U.S. from enemies that threaten our security.  She will also share her experiences of the conditions faced by people who bear the brunt of U.S. wars and U.S. supported attacks against civilians, and reflect on ways to practice nonviolent resistance and dissent as the U.S. "war on terror" continues to terrify civilians abroad.

About Our Presenter - Kathy Kelly has made eleven trips to Afghanistan in recent years. She traveled there as an invited guest of the Afghan Peace Volunteers, who live alongside ordinary Afghan people in a working class neighborhood in Kabul.  Kathy also visited Gaza immediately following the Israeli Operation Pillar of Defense.
She has chosen to stand with the victims of war because she believes that "where you stand is what you see."
Kathy has received many awards over the past several years for her work against sanctions, war and occupation, and on three separate occasions, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Co-Sponsored by:  
SE Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers
Assisi Heights Spirituality Center 
Franciscans International  - Assisi Heights Group

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Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer

Hear Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer

Topic:  War Culture & Dysfunctional Society:
 10 Reasons Peace Matters to Each of Us

SAT. NOV. 2ND 4:30PM
@the
oak center general
A POT-LUCK WILL FOLLOW: bring a dish to share
(507) 753-2080
folkforum@riverland.org
www.oakcentergeneralstore.com
for ticket info
On hwy 63 in oak center, 22 mi. no. of Rochester, 9 mi. so. of lake city

*


Miko Peled

Northfielders for Justice in Palestine/Israel

Miko Peled presents:
“Beyond Zionism—A New Paradigm for Israel-Palestine”
Nov. 2 at St. Olaf College Campus
in the Tomson Hall 280 7PM


He is an Israeli, author of
"The General's Son"
(click here) for more

This talk is the BIGGEST EVENT of 2013 to be sponsored by Northfielders for Justice in Palestine/Israel. 

In his book The General's Son, Peled tells the story of his remarkable journey from patriotic Zionist to determined critic of Israel's brutal treatment of Palestinians.   His transformation, which parallels that of his military father, is largely the result of his encounters with Palestinians.

He speaks persuasively of a future where Israelis and Palestinians enjoy equality and peace in a single state within historic Palestine.



“Fast Times in Palestine:
a love affair with a homeless homeland."

 A presentation and discussion by author Pamela Olson

Tuesday October 29th, 7 p.m.

Zumbro Lutheran Church-Fireside Room

624 3rd Ave. SW, Rochester, MN

Click here to link to Pamela Olsons web page

You can view and print a poster of this event in Rochester via the link below.

Poster

Poster Image




Conflict  Iyad Burnat:
Non-Violent Palestinian Resistance & the Path to Peace
American Lecture Tour: November 2012 - January 2013
Rochester, MN Presentation: December 8, 2012


Iyat Burnat photoIyad Burnat is 37 and the father of four children. He is also leader of his village’s non-violent resistance movement in Bil’in, Palestine.


Since 2005 citizens of Bil’in have held weekly demonstrations against the building of the Israeli separation wall through the community’s agricultural lands, and the steady encroachment of illegal settlements. The demonstrators are joined by Israeli and in­ternational peace activists, and have maintained a commitment to non-violent meth­ods of resistance in spite of armed, military opposition that had resulted in many injuries and some deaths.


 These demonstrations are the subject of the recent Sundance award-winning Conflictdocumentary film

5 Broken Cameras

During his 2012-2013 American tour, Iyad will tell the sto­ries of Bil’in and life in the occupied West Bank, and talk about strategies for non-violent popular resistance with a goal of peace and prosperity for all people. His presenta­tions are accompanied by photos and videos.

Hear Iyad’s presentation:

Saturday December 8, 2012   2:00 pm


Unitarian Universalist Church
1727 Walden Ln. SW.,  Rochester, MN




Event co-sponsored by

Social Action Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church
Southeast Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers



Working for
 


Justice in
 


Israel/Palestine
 

Working for Justice in Israel / Palestine
 
Sunday, September 30th, 2012

1:30 to 3 p.m.
Rochester Public Library Auditorium
101 Second Street SE

Presented by Sylvia Schwatz, Jewish American engineer and writer.

MN Break the Bonds Campaign (MN BBC) Core team member.

View poster


Ray McGovern Photo
 

Sunday, July 10,  2011 2:00 pm
Bearing Witness to the Truth...
Ray McGovern, Retired CIA Analyst
Presidents and War: Role of Intelligence

Please join us to hear Ray McGovern speak at University Center Rochester, Coffman Hall, Room 206, 859 30th Ave. S.E., Rochester, MN. Mr. McGovern's career highlights include:

  • Prepared the President’s Daily Brief for Nixon, Ford, Reagan and then Vice-President George H.W. Bush.
  • Co-Founder of Veterans Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).
  • Included in Americans Who Tell the Truth, an American history project.
  • Co-Director of Servant Leadership School, Church of the Savior, Washington, D.C.
  • An outspoken commentator on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
 

VITAE

Ray McGovern, a retired CIA analyst is co-founder of Veterans Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS). He writes and lectures throughout the country about US intelligence-related issues, and is an outspoken commentator on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He has the distinction of being included in Americans Who Tell the Truth, a curriculum project that teaches students American history through the lives of courageous Americans.

Ray McGovern grew up in the Bronx, graduated summa cum laude from Fordham College, holds an M.A. in Russian Studies, a Certificate in Theological Studies from Georgetown, and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.

He served as an Army infantry/intelligence officer in the early 60s and then as a CIA analyst for 27 years. He prepared the President's Daily Brief for Nixon, Ford, and Reagan, and for four years conducted morning intelligence briefings one-on-one of then-Vice President Bush and Reagan's most senior advisers. At retirement Ray was given the Intelligence Commendation Award medallion for "especially commendable service." On May 2, 2006 he returned the medallion, stating that he "did not wish to be associated, however remotely, with an agency engaged in torture."

After retiring, Ray became co-director of the Servant Leadership School, part of the ecumenical Church of the Savior in inner-city Washington. The Church and School continue to support his writing/speaking through its Tell the Word activity, as well as his continued teaching at the School.

No longer briefing secretaries of state and defense one-on-one, he has nonetheless taken advantage of opportunities to confront them, nonviolently, with the truth. His mini-debate with Donald Rumsfeld on May 4, 2006 is still getting hits on YouTube, as is his silent standing witness — and violent removal and arrest — directly in front of Hillary Clinton during her speech (about human rights!) on February 15, 2011. Mr. McGovern continues to live by the credo chiseled into the marble entrance to CIA Headquarters: “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make ye free.” Bearing witness to the truth often brings consequences — a reality he has learned first hand.

(On July 10 Ray McGovern will just have returned—in his own words—“hopefully alive and in one piece” from participating in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. He will be traveling on The Audacity of Hope representing the US on the mission of delivering letters of support from people around the world to the people of Palestine.)

Free will offering. Light refreshments will be served

Sponsored by RCTC and Southeast Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers

If you have questions, please  send us an email

 

 

 

"Palestine Under Siege: What Every American Needs to Know"

Thursday, January 20, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Representatives from the Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign presented an hour-long program on the plight of the Palestinians under Israeli occupation. This was followed by a time for questions.

The BDS (Boycott Divest Sanction) movement (of which MN Break the Bonds is a part) has been gaining momentum in the U.S. as well as the world. This citizens' initiative marks a turning point: the time for justice is long overdue for the Palestinian people, and traditional peace talks alone are not enough.

MN BBC has been on tour in the state giving programs like this one because as Minnesotans become informed on the ways they are supporting the Israeli government's unjust policies, they will be asking themselves and others: "Why has our state legislature taken a pro-Israel position in the investment of our tax money?" They will ask their legislators to uphold and apply the same ethical principles to investment in Israeli bonds as was done in the past when Minnesota divested from bonds with Sudan, Iran, and South Africa. State legislators from southeast Minnesota were invited and encouraged to attend.  None did.  So please, if this issue is important to you, contact your representatives.  They need to hear from you.

If you'd like more information contact:  Peacemaker

If you would like to send a letter to your representatives urging them to consider divesting from Israel, go to our link "Elected Officials contact Information".

If you are not sure who your representatives are click here

Hot Topics

Minnesota Break the Bonds is part of a national movement to divest from Israel bonds until the government there ends the apartheid of the Palestinian people.  Educate yourself and participate.

Send an email to your State Legislators asking Minnesota divest from Israel Bonds!

Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign

Entertainer Pops Wagner and Peace activist Phil Steger

January 20, 2004

At the Comfort Inn Ballroom, entertainer Pops Wagner brought chuckles while Phil Steger talkedabout Peace in the Precincts.

THE IMPACTS OF US POLICY IN COLUMBIA

September 10, 2003

Two Columbian speakers visited Rochester and spoke at Assisi Heights at 7:00pm. Drawing on their personal experiences they talked about the impact of the war and U.S. POLICY ON CIVILIANS IN COLOMBIA, and citizen efforts to organize and overcome the many challenges they face.

There was an assembly at Lourdes High School at 2PM, a meeting at Gil Gutknecht's office at 3:45PM, and a pot luck at Assisi Heights at 5PM.

MORE

Wheels of Justice

August 15, 2003

The "Wheels of Justice Tour"was in Rochester, MN.

Lanterns

Several SE MN Peacemakers went down to Omaha, NE for SOS 2003.

The SEMN Alliance of Peacemakers also helped promote the Rochester, MN Peace Lantern Ceremony.

No Handguns

SE MN Alliance of Peacemakers supported efforts to educate people about Conceal & Carry.

Petitions and Other Information


Event or Howard Zinn Photo
 

 March 23, 2003

The SE MN Peacemakers' sponsored a trip to see Howard Zinn at St. Thomas University.

His book, "A People's History of the United States!", was recently celebrated on Democracy Now for having sold over 1,000,000 copies.

Mushroom Cloud
 


Feb 22, 2003

The SE MN Peacemakers' set up a Doug Rokke teach-in on "Depleted Uranium".

Doug Rokke publishes on: the Trap Rock Peace Center website..




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