Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities

-- Voltaire

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 Third Monday each month, 7pm - Joyce Beers Community Center, 1090 Vermont, one 1/2 blocks north of University, just east of Trader Joe's in the Hillcrest Shopping Center. Call ASD early on at 619-528-8383 or cell 619-871-9354 if no answer. Everyone welcome Please join us

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While millions of families gather today to celebrate Father's Day, millions more are under constant threat from the nation's unjust immigration laws, which continue to tear families apart and destroy the familial bonds that are absolutely crucial in weathering economic recession.

According to study by Human Rights Watch, more than one million family members in the United States were separated from a parent or spouse from 1997 to 2007. This means families robbed of income, children without parental role models, and wives and husbands without the ones they love left to face greater struggle. While the importance of family is voiced by proponents of “traditional values,” the family institution is constantly under threat by unjust and xenophobic immigration laws. Instead of universalizing our admiration for parents, we deprive millions of the opportunity to raise their children without worry. According to a report published by the Urban Institute, by deporting parents, the federal government is doing long-term damage to American children—financial, emotional, psychological, behavioral and educational.

Even more, more than 70 percent of the reported deportations resulted from non-violent criminal offenses, including citations as minor as traffic violations. With this, we are reminded of the larger prison industrial complex perpetuated through the destruction of individuals and families. So as we gather today to barbecue and spend time with family – in an important transitional phase in both American morality and policy – we must remain mindful of those families who have been torn apart, and continue in our struggle for a more just world – including a true appreciation for those we love.

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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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"In my opinion, Netanyahu brought up several obstacles to peace in his speech that others before him have not placed." "He insists on settlement expansion, demands that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state even though 20% of Israel's citizens are not Jews."

-- Former US president Jimmy Carter at Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. June 16, 2009, www.haaretz.com

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SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 7PM: ASD Film Series Presents: The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom. Joyce Beers Community Center 1220 Cleveland Ave., Hillcrest, San Diego. In this BBC documentary by English filmmaker Adam Curtis, the concept and definition of freedom is explored, tracing how a simplistic model of human beings as self-seeking, almost robotic, creatures led to today's idea of freedom. This film is a very important document which historically traces where the contemporary idea of market driven and market defined freedom came from. It addresses the construct of contemporary notions of freedom that have been inextricably linked to the "free market" ideology that has led to our current state of economic crisis and declining civil liberties. More Info

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TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 11:45AM: Rally, News Conference and March to Stop State Budget Cuts! Sponsored By: People United Against Cuts. There will also be a Sit-in at the Governor’s Office immediately following the March. You must receive training to participate in the Sit-In). Where: Governor’s San Diego Office 1350 Front Street, San Diego. March to show Public Solidarity in support of maintaining the well-being of our children, seniors, people with disabilities, low income families, college students and HIV/AIDS patients. More Info

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TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 6:30PM: Viva Palestina Fundraising Banquet with George Galloway MP. Holiday Inn by the Bay 1355 North Harbor Drive, San Diego. Help Take 500 Trucks of Medical Aid into Gaza. On July 4, 2009 British Member of Parliament George Galloway and US Vietnam War Veteran Ron Kovic intend to lead an American Convoy of 500 Trucks filled with Medical Aid to Gaza. This Viva Palestina Convoy will represent the largest grassroots medical relief effort for Gaza in U. S. history. More Info

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TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 6:30PM: What’s Next for the Marriage Equality Movement? Activist Town Hall featuring Robyn Tyler and Diane Olson. Where: The Center, 3909 Centre Street. Topics include Winning against the Briggs Initiative, Coalition Building, and Public Outreach. San Diego Alliance for Marriage Equality. More Info

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FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 7PM: March and Vigil against Hate Crimes and cuts in HIV/AIDS funding. Support LGBT Allies in Lemon Grove! 7PM Gather, 7:30 March Lemon Grove, 3232 Main Street Meet at the World’s Largest Lemon in response to Pride Torch Relay Attack and other recent hate crimes in San Diego County. San Diego Alliance for Marriage Equality. More Info

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FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 7PM: Book Presentation on 10 de Marzo: La Marcha by Victor M. Cortes. 10 de Marzo, La Marcha, chronicles the events in the months leading up to Chicago’s historic mobilization on March 10, 2006. The author tells the story of the contemporary immigrant rights movement in Chicago’s Latino community as a silent participant, thus giving the reader a rare, behind the scenes perspective of the Marchâ’s grass-roots development. Where: Centro Cultural de la Raza 2125 Park Blvd. San Diego. More Info

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SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 8AM: Justice Overcoming Boundaries Presents: Immigration Leadership Summit! Where: Mission Hills United Church of Christ 4070 Jackdaw Street, San Diego. A one-day Leadership Training Session to better grasp the immigration issues in our current time. This Summit is an opportunity to bring Grassroots Community Leaders from J. O. B. member institutions and allied organizations together to educate, advocate, engage, and to develop an action plan to advance Immigration Reform in 2009-2010. More Info

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SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 6PM: Evening on the Nile - A Nile Sisters Fundraiser on National Refugee Day! On refugee and Immigrant day, WorldBeat Center will host a Nile Sister fundraiser; a non profit organization that helps refugee women and their families in San Diego County overcome barriers to social and economically self-reliant through education, training, and support. More Info

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SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 7PM: ASD Film Series Presents: The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom. Joyce Beers Community Center 1220 Cleveland Ave., Hillcrest, San Diego. In this BBC documentary by English filmmaker Adam Curtis, the concept and definition of freedom is explored, tracing how a simplistic model of human beings as self-seeking, almost robotic, creatures led to today's idea of freedom. This film is a very important document which historically traces where the contemporary idea of market driven and market defined freedom came from. It addresses the construct of contemporary notions of freedom that have been inextricably linked to the "free market" ideology that has led to our current state of economic crisis and declining civil liberties. More Info

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SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 4:45PM: PEACE WITNESS. We will gather on the steps outside the West Entrance to the Convention Center (on Fashion Valley Road) between 4:45 and 5:00 pm and walk from there. We will have a simple witness of carrying signs and walking from the conference center north to the shopping area nearby, remaining on the sidewalk, but not blocking it. We will stand along the street near the shopping center, with signs, and may choose to sing, drum, dance, wave at passing cars, or remain quiet. (Let the Spirit move.) More Info

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ONGOING EVENTS
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JUNE 20TH - JUNE 26TH 2009: The Landmark Hillcrest Presents The Movie: "Food, Inc." Landmark Hillcrest 3965 Fifth Avenue, San Diego. Food, Inc. exposes the highly mechanized underbelly that’s been hidden from the American consumer, featuring interviews with Eric Schlosser, Michael Pollan and more. Food, Inc. reveals surprising and often shocking truths about what we eat, how it is produced, and who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here. Movie Times: 2:10 p. m., 4:45 p. m., 7:20 p. m., 9:50 p. m. More Info

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EVERY TUESDAY 4-6PM: Join me in front of Susan Davis's office holding a sign for singlepayer. The office of Susan Davis, Rep of the 53rd District, California, is ADA accessible. Elevatators take constiuents from the street level lobby to her fifth floor offices. 4305 University Avenue Suite 515 San Diego. More Info

LAST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH: San Diego Critical Mass Bike Ride. The last Friday of every month, we meet at the big fountain in Balboa Park at 7:00 PM and ride bicycles through the streets of San Diego, providing motorists, as well as ourselves, with a vision of how things could be different. It's a celebration of cycling! Bring your friends; meet new friends. More Info

EVERY SATURDAY 10:30AM-NOON: WeeklySinglePayerRally: Fun In THe Sun For Single Payer. During this Summer's Congressional Debate and bill formation on healthcare reform, the San Diego Single Payer Healthcare Coalition is sponsoring weekly "intersection rallies." Right now, location is only at Nobel Dr. near I-5 entrance. Join us. Develop another location! We have about 30 signs. You can bring your own also. More Info

EVERY SATURDAY 11AM-12:30PM: Ongoing Puppy Mill Protest. San Diego Stop Puppy Mills Group. If you love your pets. If you believe they should be treated humanely. We need you to Stand With Us. ***P e t W o r k s P e t S t o r e*** Grossmont Center Shopping Mall near the food court, 5500 Grossmont Center Dr., La Mesa. More Info

EVERY SUNDAY 2PM: 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

“ENOUGH” PEACE AND IMPEACHMENT VIGILS ~ EVERY WEEK UNTIL THE IRAQ WAR ENDS. More Info

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TUESDAY, JUNE 30, NOON: Stop the Barbaric Cuts - RALLY AND SIT-IN. People United Against Cuts is an umbrella coalition formed to oppose the cuts to state services. When so many children, elderly, poor people, and disabled members of our community are under attack, we must act together to help them. Rally And Sit-In at California State Offices 1350 Front Street. More Info

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TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 5:30PM: Engage•Embrace•Unite: Equity in the 21st Century. The Women’s Equity Council of the United Nations Association of San Diego: In partnership with the League of Women Voters of San Diego, the Women’s Equity Council (WEC) invites you to an inspiring Benefit Night at the San Diego Women’s Club. The Council celebrates successful women of our community by hosting a night with inspiring speakers, Congresswoman Susan Davis, Anchorwoman Carol LeBeau, and Attorney Lilia Velasquez as our guests of honor. More Info

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SATURDAY, JULY 25, 7PM: A Special Evening of Music to Benefit The Office of the Americas at Frank & Jane Dorrel's 3967 Shedd Terrace, Culver City. Special Guests Blase & Theresa Bonpane, Mimi Kennedy, Featuring the Music of CHILTIC ISTAC, Ross Altman & The OOA Songsters, With Other Surprise Guests to Be Announced. RSVP. More Info

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 9AM-NOON: 25th Aniversary California Coastal Cleanup Day. Mark your calendar for the biggest volunteer cleanup event in San Diego County and join together with your community in keeping our ocean, coastlines and waterways clean and free of debris. Location: Over 70 sites throughout the county. More Info

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FRIDAY JUNE 26, 6:30 PM: Pre-Hispanic Dance & Music Featuring Xavier Quijas Yxayotl w/ Calpulli Chaicahoac Ollin, Tijuana. After 25 years, Xavier Quijas Yxayotl, returns to Mexico. Yxayotl, meaning tears in Nahuatl, is of Huichol heritage. He presents native culture performances of ancestral music from the Maya, Aztec, Tarahumara, Tepehuane, Yaqui, and other indigenous pre-Hispanic peoples of Meso-America. More Info

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FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 8:30PM: Bushman w/ Detour Posse - Jamaican Reggae Ico n Live! Bushman is currently one of the strongest voices coming out of Jamaica. He is called the musical medicine man. His lyrics are positive, conscious, uplifting and inspirational. He hopes that his music will bring joy and strength to the people who hear it. Bushman is focused on healing and making people feel better with the power of song. Live in Concert at Ital Vital WorldBeat Cultural Center. More Info

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SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2PM: Free Screening: The Sensation Of Sight." Directed by Aaron J. Weiderspahn; Origin: USA (134 min) This off-beat drama about man's search for meaning amidst the ache of despair chronicles Finn, an English teacher entering a mid-life crisis impelled by a recent tragedy, as he sets afoot selling encyclopedias to the town locals. Special introduction by film critic David Elliot! San Diego Public Library at 820 E Street, San Diego in the 3rd Floor Auditorium. More Info

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THURSDAY, JULY 23, 8PM: Haile Selassie I Celebration 2009 Celebrating Makeda Dread Birthday Bash!! Featuring THE MIGHTY DIAMONDS Live in Concert! at Ital Vital WorldBeat Cultural Center. Tickets onsale Now! More Info

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ONGOING EVENTS
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Announcements / Workshops

POTS AND PANS FOR PEACE! .... and pens, pencils, paper, hats, gloves, etc. too! Since most people's first reaction will likely be, "HUH?!"---- let me follow up quickly with "Citizen Diplomacy: Reaching out to the needy people in Afghanistan!" We have an opportunity to let the people of Afghanistan know that the people of the United States care about them, by filling "flat rate" boxes of donations to be shipped to Afghanistan! Help put a smile on the face of a child half a world away! To participate, please bring your donations to: San Diego First Church of the Brethren 3850 Westgate Place San Diego. More Info

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Get FREE copy of "A Question of Power", A documentary about the resistance in San Diego against this powerline. Video Link provided here: Also attached are action items for folks to talk once they have seen the documentary. We have complimentary copies of the documentary that can be requested by emailing: thecoane5 <thecoane5@cox.net There is no charge for the DVD or the mailing. More Info

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ONGOING EVENTS
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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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90.7 KPFK PACIFICA RADIO IS BACK ON THE AIR IN SAN DIEGO.....!!!!!! KPFK is back and it is the only information and cultural programming of it's kind in San Diego. People should listen, tell others and work to keep it here in San Diego and South Orange County. More Info

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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 ~ www.girightshotline.org

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LA VOZ Community Events Newsletter over the last 12 years has worked towards keeping the San Diego non-profit, Latino, and community at large connected ~ LA VOZ Community Events Newsletter

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Iran's Disputed Election ~ Photos and Text About the Iranian Uprising www.boston.com/bigpicture

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U. S. War Privatization Results in Billions Lost in Fraud, Waste and Abuse ~ Jeremy Scahill, June 10th, rebelreports.com

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