If you tremble indignation at every injustice then you are a comrade of mine.

-- Ernesto Che Guevara

Activist San Diego contacts: Martin (619-226-1116), Tanja (858-459-4650), Activist Update: ASDUpdate@activistsandiego.org

WANT TO ADD TO THE ACTIVIST UPDATE? Email ASDUpdate@activistsandiego.org
Please submit your event listings at least 1 week prior to the event.

Activist San Diego Monthly Meeting Second Monday of the month, 7pm At the Activist House 4246 Wightman St. City Heights 619-528-8383. Everyone welcome Please join us

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Rather than craft our own words this week, why not let Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak to us? 40 years ago MLK courageously spoke out against the war in Vietnam. He spoke in terms and with an analysis which rings true today. He could easily be speaking to us about the US role in Iraq and the Middle East in a speech he titled " The Casualties of the War"

A "casualty of the war in Viet Nam is the principle of self-determination. By entering a war that is little more than a domestic civil war, America has ended up supporting a new form of colonialism covered up by certain niceties of complexity. Whether we realize it or not our participation in the war in Viet Nam is an ominous expression of our lack of sympathy for the oppressed, our paranoid anti-Communism, our failure to feel the ache and anguish of the have nots. It reveals our willingness to continue participating in neo-colonialist adventures. A brief look at the background and history of this war reveals with brutal clarity and ugliness of our policy… All of this reveals that our nation has not yet used its vast resources of power to end the long night of poverty, racism and man's inhumanity to man… Free speech and the privilege of dissent and discussion are rights being shot down... When those who stand for peace are so vilified it is time to consider where we are going and whether free speech has not become one of the major casualties of the war… However, it does not take sharpest-eyed sophistication to discern that while everybody talks about peace, peace has become practically nobody's business among the power-wielders. Many men cry peace! peace! but they refuse to do the things that make for peace." ~ Feb 1967 - Los Angeles Read more Casualties_of_the_War_in_Vietnam.htm

Join us at the San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice will meet Monday, January 21, 7 p. m. at the First Church of the Brethren, 3850 Westgate Place, SD. Agenda will include planning for March 15 5th Anniversary of Iraq War demonstration and the event making the 4000th US Soldier to die in Iraq.

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DONATED CARS HELP MOVE ACTIVISM FORWARD! Please donate your car and other items. As a bonus you get progressive satisfaction and a healthy tax deduction! Call us at 619-528-8383

For all of the above we will need your help and financial support. If you would like to make a donation, please click on the button to the right.

Or, we can also accept donations mailed to: Activist San Diego 4246 Wightman St San Diego, CA 92105-2618

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The election season is just getting started, and already the recount in New Hamphire, where they DO have paper ballots, has exposed missing memory cards and other machine related breakdowns. As if we did not have enough proof already, we simply cannot trust our sacred right to vote in this critical upcoming election to secret proprietary machines owned by radically partisan private corporations.

For this reason... to switch back to tried, true and AUDITABLE paper ballots. Rush Holt has introduced a stop gap bill, and once again, John Laesch, candidate for the old Hastert seat in IL-14 is demonstrating his own leadership on this issue.

-- Emergency Paper Ballot Action Page

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 7PM: Blackwater in Your Backyard??? Matters of Controversy. A Monthly Series. Learn about Blackwater West, the fight to keep them out of Potrero, and what you can do to get involved. Alternate Focus will show their short documentary called Blackwater in Potrero. Residents of Potrero and local activists will lead a discussion after the film. Poet Steve Kowit, a resident of Potrero, will read. First Unitarian Universalist Church 4190 Front Street, Hillcrest, San Diego (opposite UCSD Medical Center) limited parking in church ACE parking lot. Donation requested. More Info

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EVERY SUNDAY, 11AM: A. S. A. S. N. Autonomous Student Activist Solidarity Network Meeting. New Name for Activist Youth of San Diego ~ we are now A. S. A. S. N. Autonomous Student Activist Solidarity Network. After months of hard work, the seed of A. S. A. S. N. is beginning to blossom into a solid network of student activism. Our goal, in short, is to create a network of student and youth-led activist groups throughout San Diego to build a community of sharing resources, coordinating events, and facilitating communication, to benefit all members of the network in a synergistic way. Adopting educate, empower, and engage as our three key values, we seek to build a solid block of student activism to influence the world around us. We deal with all issues that affect students, activists and all others that comprise the community in the context of white-supremacist-capitalist-patriarchy. Location: Activist Center, 4246 Wightman St, San Diego. More Info

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MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 11AM: WorldBeat Center Presents The 20th Annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration Outdoor Music Festival with Multicultural Food and Vendors. Featuring Elijah Emanuel and The Revelations, Caribbean Gospel Vocalist Lynette White, From Honduras- BlackMenSoul Traditional Garifuana Music, Gospel Hip Hop, WorldBeat Center African Dancers and Drummers and more!! Free Venue. The WorldBeat Cultural Center 2100 Park Blvd San Diego. More Info

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 6PM: 35th Anniversary celebration of Roe v. Wade. Speaker: Attorney Louise Melling, Director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. No Host Cocktails 6:00, Dinner 7:00 pm. Proceeds benefit the Make A Difference Fund which helps cover the cost of reproductive health services for women throughout the country who are unable to pay for such services themselves. At the Handlery Hotel and Resort, 950 Hotel Circle North, San Diego. More Info

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 6PM: North County Forum's 11th Annual Letters to the Editor Awards Night. Social hour begins at 6:00, Letters Awards presentation will begin at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $20 for the program and "substantial appetizers" catered by Hill Street Cafe. Low income tickets are also available. RSVP to Dick Eiden at NCForum@sbcglobal.net or call 760-758-2410 and leave a message with your name, phone number, and how many in your party. More Info

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 7PM: Blackwater in Your Backyard??? Matters of Controversy. A Monthly Series. Learn about Blackwater West, the fight to keep them out of Potrero, and what you can do to get involved. Alternate Focus will show their short documentary called Blackwater in Potrero. Residents of Potrero and local activists will lead a discussion after the film. Poet Steve Kowit, a resident of Potrero, will read. First Unitarian Universalist Church 4190 Front Street, Hillcrest, San Diego (opposite UCSD Medical Center) limited parking in church ACE parking lot. Donation requested. More Info

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2PM: (Refreshments at 1:30). Documentary film "Shadow Company," details privatization of our military by firms such as Blackwater, Triple Canopy, DynCorp and others. Through letters, photos and personal video, James Ashcroft, 28, an employee of a large private military company currently under contract in Iraq, provides an intimate introduction into his life as a modern day "soldier for hire." Discussion will follow the movie. Current Events Theater at the Rancho San Diego Library, 11555 Via Rancho San Diego. More Info

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ONGOING EVENTS
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Malcolm X Library programs in January. More Info

EVERY WEEK UNTIL THE IRAQ WAR ENDS: Anti-War & Impeachment Protests. Have You Had "Enough" ??? We Have !!! Vista: Vista Courthouse on Melrose Every Sunday from Noon. Ramona: 10th and Main streets. Every Sunday Noon. Carmel Valley : Corner of Del Mar Heights Road and El Camino Real. Every Sunday 1pm. La Mesa: Corner of El Cajon Blvd and Baltimore in La Mesa California. Every Sunday Noon. Poway: Corner Pomerado & Twin Peaks Every Sunday Noon. Hillcrest: Corner of 6th & University Every Friday Night 5:00 to 6:30 PM. Encinitas: Corner Encinitas Blvd & Coastal Hwy Every Sunday – Noon. More Info

EVERY SUNDAY 3PM: Free Vegan Food at the North Park Community Park with San Diego Food Not Bombs. The North Park Community Park is located at the intersection of Oregon and Polk in North Park. More Info

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 7PM: Palabras de Poder: Rebel Writers from the New Latin@ America presented by The Red CalacArts Collective, UCSD CLAH, UCSD Center for the Humanities and the San Diego Central Library. Come hear, see and feel the power, beauty and pain of those whose cultural identity and existence is under attack. San Diego Central Library Auditorium 820 E St. Downtown San Diego between 8th and 9th. FREE! More Info

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 4PM: Debunking 9/11 Debunking: An Answer to Popular Mechanics, special guest speaker Dr. David Ray Griffin. First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego 4190 Front St., San Diego. Professor David Ray Griffin is considered by many the most respected leader of the national movement that is calling for a new investigation into the events of 9/11. Dr. Griffin’s talk will focus on the Popular Mechanics book and its failure to rationally, scientifically, and honestly refute the evidence cited by the 9/11 truth movement. More Info

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2PM: Celebration of Hope and Healing 2008. Survivors of Torture, International (SURVIVORS) hosts a special event, titled Celebration of Hope and Healing, in support of torture survivors in San Diego County at Joan B. Kroc Institute of Peace and Justice located on the University of San Diego Campus. More Info

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MARCH 7-9, 2008: “Peace-ing Communities Together”, a peace building conference for young adults. On March 7-9, 2008, the San Diego Council of Hostelling International USA will host “Peace-ing Communities Together”, a peace building conference for young adults (ages 18-29). Workshop topics include leadership, cross-cultural communication, and mediation, with a keynote address by Dr. Joyce Neu, Executive Director of the Joan Kroc Institute of Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego. Participants will also create a “Community Wall” mural in conjunction with the UN Association Art Miles project, and learn about opportunities to become involved with local peace building efforts. Where: House of Pacific Relations and International Cottages in Balboa Park. More Info

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MARCH 19, 2008: 5 YEARS TOO MANY. March 19, 2008: the 5th anniversary of the U. S. invasion of Iraq, the beginning of the 6th year of war and occupation, the 6th year of senseless death and massive destruction. United for Peace and Justice is calling for and supporting a set of activities on and around the 5th anniversary that will manifest the intensifying opposition to the war and help strengthen our movement. We invite you to work with us to ensure the success of these actions. March 13-16, Winter Soldier. March 19, Mass Nonviolent Civil Disobedience in Washington, DC. March 19, Local Actions Throughout the Country. More Info

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MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 11AM: WorldBeat Center Presents The 20th Annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration Outdoor Music Festival with Multicultural Food and Vendors. Featuring Elijah Emanuel and The Revelations, Caribbean Gospel Vocalist Lynette White, From Honduras- BlackMenSoul Traditional Garifuana Music, Gospel Hip Hop, WorldBeat Center African Dancers and Drummers and more!! Free Venue. The WorldBeat Cultural Center 2100 Park Blvd San Diego. More Info

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MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1pm: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Community Gathering at Martin L. King Jr. Park 6401 Skyline Avenue. Hear a recording of Dr King’s most important, but less known speech, given on April 4, 1967, a year before his assassination: Beyond Vietnam: Time To Break the Silence (amplified sound at the front of the park). We'll begin the afternoon's program with drumming. The playing of Dr. King's speech will start at 1:30. Then we'll have poetry, spoken word, presentations by community activists, and music. Everyone is encouraged to participate. More Info

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 25th: Movie: WAR DANCE - Set in Northern Uganda Exclusive San Diego Engagement at Landmark’s Ken Cinema 4061 Adams Avenue, San Diego… tells the story of three children whose families have been torn apart, their homes destroyed, and who currently reside in a displaced persons camp in Patongo. When their school is invited to compete in an annual music and dance festival, their historic journey to their nation's capital is also an opportunity to regain a part of their childhood and to taste victory for the first time in their lives. More Info

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 5:30PM: Free Documentary: The Real Dirt on Farmer John. Location: Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Branch Library, 9005 Aero Drive San Diego. The Real Dirt on Farmer John will turn every idea you ever had about what it means to be an American farmer, or an American dreamer, on its head. Meet Farmer John, the incredible human being whose inspirational story of revolutionizing his family farm and redeeming his own life has won accolades and awards at film festivals around the world. More Info

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 7PM: MOVIE: K N O W L E D G E is the B E G I N N I N G. ADC (American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee) and Alternate Focus invite you to attend a film by Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. Four Points Sheraton 8110 Aero Dr., San Diego. Knowledge is the Beginning is the story of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, whose idea was conceived in 1999 in the minds of Israeli musician Daniel Barenboim and Palestinian intellectual Edward Said. It is a film about the way music can transcend cultural barriers, bring people together, defeat prejudice and overcome religious and political differences. Free Parking available. This is a free event! More Info

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 7PM: FILM: Letters from the Other Side (UCSD's Multi-Purpose Room). Heather Courtney's film interweaves video letters carried across the U. S.-Mexico border by the film's director with the personal stories of women left behind in post-NAFTA Mexico. Always Free! Fridays @ 7:00pm. More Info

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 8PM: "A Night of Comedy w/Lowell Sanders." More Info

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 7PM: FILM: Sicko (UCSD's Multi-Purpose Room). Michael Moore interviews Americans who have been denied treatment by our health care insurance that sacrifice essential health services in order to maximize profits. Always Free! Fridays @ 7:00pm. More Info

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 8PM: John and Alice Coltrane Tribute Concert Featuring Jazz Legend Azar Lawrence and Jazz Harpist Tony Hackley. Azar Lawrence - Saxophone Nate Morgan -Piano Trevor Ware - Bass Fritz Wise – Drums. Where: WorldBeat Cultural Center,. 2100 Park Blvd. San Diego. Tickets: $15. More Info

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1PM: 91X Reggae Makossa Presents 5th Annual Bob Marley Day Celebration in Tijuana. Tribute to the Reggae Legends Alpha Blondy , Cultura Profetica Don Carlos ,Midnite Natural, Somos Unos, Astro Rumberos , DJ Carlos Culture Sene Africa, WorldBeat African Dancers and Drummers and more!! Venue: El Foro, Tijuana. AV. Revolucion #1500 Zona Centro, Tijuana, B. C. Mexico. More Info

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 7PM: Film: The Way Home (UCSD Location TBA). The Way Home is the story of Sang-woo, a seven-year-old boy from the city and his deaf-mute, elderly grandmother who has spent all her life in a small rural village. This is a dramatic illustration of cultural clash between two generations. Always Free! Fridays @ 7:00pm. More Info

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1PM: WorldBeat Cultural Center Presents Tribute to the Legends 2008. Alpha Blondy, Sly & Robbie, Capleton, Queen Ifrica, Barrington Levy, Gregory Isaacs, Midnite, Gentleman, Martin Campbell, Don Carlos, Cultura Profetica & Tribal Seeds. Venue: San Diego Sports Arena 3500 Sports Arena Blvd San Diego. More Info

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FEBRUARY 21 – MARCH 16, 2008: Permanent Collection: A play by Thomas Gibbons. Where: Mo`olelo at 10th Avenue Theatre 930 10th Avenue, San Diego (Downtown). Permanent Collection is the story of Sterling North - the African American Director of the Morris Foundation & Museum, and Paul Barrow - the Museum’s Caucasian Education Director. When their conflict over eight important pieces of African art is uncovered by a curious journalist, a complex and bitter clash erupts over race, representation, art and the role of the media. More Info

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 7PM: FILM: Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Elections (UCSD’s Multi-Purpose Room). This is a riveting story about the battle for the Presidency in Florida and the undermining of democracy in America. Filmmakers Richard Ray Pérez and Joan Sekler examine modern America's most controversial political contest: the election of George W. Bush. 2005. Always Free! Fridays @ 7:00pm. More Info

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 7PM: FILM; All That Remains (UCSD's Multi-Purpose Room). This documentary explores the struggle and the peaceful resistance of the Bedouins of the Negev against policies that intend to strip them of their land and their way of life. Always Free! Fridays @ 7:00pm. More Info

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FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 7PM: FILM: “Burn” with Marlon Brando (UCSD location TBA). This film offers a striking look at colonization, slavery, and revolt in the Caribbean area, and the manipulation exercised by the economic powers upon each other. Always Free! Fridays @ 7:00pm. More Info

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FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 7PM: FILM; Chicano! (Episode One) in UCSD's Multi-Purpose Room. This film examines the events at Tierra Amarilla, NM, that sparked a national movement for social justice. It focuses on the 1967 struggle by Mexican Americans to regain ownership of New Mexico lands guaranteed them by the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and concludes with the Chicano Moratorium March against the Vietnam War held in East Los Angeles in 1970. More Info

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ONGOING EVENTS
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Announcements / Workshops

MONDAY, JANUARY 21 - THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, (EVERY DAY): Developing Hearts that Yearn for Justice. This biennial theological conference will be held once again at the Casa del Migrante in Tijuana, Mexico, January 21-24, 2008. For more information and registration details, visit the conference web site, www.hearts4justice.org. More Info

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 11AM: "What the 21st Century Urgently Needs." Members and friends of WILPF will meet in the Community Room of La Jolla Village Square. Speakers Anne Hoiberg and Lillia Vasquez will present: "What the 21st Century Urgently Needs." Hoiberg is a WILPF member and UN Association leader and Vasquez is an immigration attorney. More Info

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MARCH 13-16, 2008: Please join us for the 33rd Annual Association for Women in Psychology Conference. Hilton San Diego - Mission Valley. Expanding the Boundaries of Feminist Psychology: More Info

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ALTERNATE FOCUS BLACKWATER IN POTRERO DOCUMENTARY: In late 2006, Blackwater USA, now known as Blackwater Worldwide, submitted a proposal to build a training facility called Blackwater West in the rural San Diego County town of Potrero. This documentary tells the story of what followed. Features interviews with Jeremy Scahill, the author of Blackwater: the Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army as well as Brian Bonfiglio, the vice president of Blackwater West; Gordon Hammers, Jan Hedlun, Mary Johnson, Jerry Johnson, and Thell Fowler of the Potrero Planning Board; Raymond Lutz of Citizens Oversight Committee; Rep. Bob Filner, and many others. Producer: Andy Trimlett; Associate Producers: John Odam and Aaron Seeley. Watch Online on Blip.tv or YouTube

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SDCPJ HIGH SCHOOL LEAFLETING PROJECT. The SD Coalition for peace and justice high school leafleting project is still looking for volunteers. Please reply to this e-mailsjagitator@ucsd.edu if you can join us with this special outreach to Latino students as they are heavily targeted by military recruiters. Help deny the military what they need most - young men and women to send to war or call me at 619-237-8870. More Info

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MISCELLANEOUS
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Peace Flags. Excellent for display or for Peace Rallies. Call 858.459.4650 or email TanjaWinter@ActivistSanDiego.org

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The Guerrero Azteca Project ~ www.guerreroazteca.org

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The GI Rights Hotline ~ girights.objector.org

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Reporter Paul Barry reports on the fallout from the US subprime mortgage crisis ~ www.abc.net.au/4corners/special

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