4/24, TUES >> Fr. Michael Lapsley on "Redeeming the Past"

Father Michael Lapsley Returns to Manhattanville College
to talk about his new book,
"Redeeming the Past: From Freedom Fighter to Healer"

Tuesday, April 24, 7:15pm
East Library in Reid Castle, Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY
 

Fr. Lapsley lost both hands and an eye to a letter bomb while working to end
Apartheid in South Africa. Following his involvement in the Truth and Reconciliation
hearings in South Africa he developed a method for addressing trauma and victimhood in
individuals, communities, and nations and does workshop all over the world.

Connie Hogarth Center for Social Action and Duchesne Center
(914)323-7156

SUN, 3/11 >> Commemorating Fukushima: Year One -- Walk, Vigil & Concert

Commemorating Fukushima: Year One

Schedule

1:00 pm Press Conference with the Peace Walkers at the at the Shoprite parking lot, South Riverside Drive, in Croton on Hudson, NY
3:30 pm Program at the gates of Indian Point, intersection of Bleakley and Broadway
4:00 pm Vigil at the intersection of Bleakley and Broadway, Buchanan, NY
5:00pm Potluck Old School House, 210 Sixth Street, Verplanck
6:00pm Concert at the Old School House, 210 Sixth Street, Verplanck.


Who: Leo Wiegman, Mayor of Croton will present the Walkers with a Proclamation of  Support prior to their departure for Indian Point.
The No More Fukushima’s Peace Walkers are led by Jun-san Yasuda a Buddhist nun from the Grafton Peace Pavilion who has done walks for peace around the world. People will gather at the gates of Indian Point prior to the arrival of the Peace Walkers.
Mark Jacobs will moderate the program. Redwing Blackbird Theater will begin with their dramatic piece Humanities which is performed in English, Japanese and other languages using their 10 foot puppets on stilts. Kitajima San, contract Laborer and Union Organizer from the Fukushima Dia-chi nuclear power plant will talk about conditions inside the failed nuclear plant in Japan. Other speakers include Harvey Wasserman of Solartopia fame, Gary Null, health expert, radio personality, and producer of many films including Knocking on the Devils Door, will speak as will Connie Hogarth of the Connie Hogarth Center for Social Justice, Manna Jo Greene, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Phillip Musegaas of Riverkeeper, Gary Shaw and Marilyn Elie of the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition.

Performers at the concert include: Dar Williams, Dan Einbender and the Rivertown Kids, James Durst, Hope Machine, Lydia Adams Davis, Sarah Underhill, Roland Moussa, Taeko Fukao, Raging Grannies and others.

Join us…


At the press conference 1:00 pm at the ShopRite parking lot on South Riverside Drive in Croton and walk all or part of the way with the No More Fukushima’s Peace Walkers. There is a van which will take you back to your car when you have walked enough.


At the gates of Indian Point, 3:30 pm at the intersection of Bleakley and Broadway, Buchanan, New York for a program that begins with Redwing Blackbird Theater performing their dramatic piece Humanities in English, Japanese and other languages using their 10 foot puppets on stilts. Listen to Kitajima San, contract Laborer and Union Organizer from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant who will talk about conditions inside the failed nuclear plant in Japan. Other speakers include Harvey Wasserman of Solartopia fame, Gary Null, health expert, radio personality, and producer of many films including Knocking on the Devils Door, Connie Hogarth of the Connie Hogarth Center for Social Action, Manna Jo Greene, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Phillip Musegaass of Riverkeeper, Gary Shaw and Marilyn Elie of the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition.


For the vigil at 4:00 pm, which will be conducted in the Japanese Buddhist tradition using prayer drums and chanting. Bring an origami paper crane, the Japanese symbol of good fortune and good health, if you can.


For a potluck dinner at the Old School House, at 5 pm, 210 Sixth Street, Verplanck after the vigil. Drop off your covered dish there before you go to the program.

For the commemorative concert with music and the spoken word at 6 pm after dinner. Performers include Dar Williams, Dan Einbender and the Rivertown Kids, James Durst, Hope Machine, Lydia Adams Davis, Sarah Underhill, Roland Moussa, Taeko Fukao, The Raging Grannies and others.

The Day Unfolds – Reflections and Actions


March 11, 2012 marks one year since an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster struck the coast of Japan and began what is still an on-going disaster. The consequences of this triple tragedy are still unfolding and it will take the country decades to recover. Four of the reactors at Fukushima are now closed and there is now a 12 mile exclusion zone surrounding them. As a result 160,000 people have been relocated, perhaps never to go home again.

We take this time to listen to the voices of the Japanese people and stand in solidarity with them in their sorrow and loss. We look at the reactors at Indian Point which are surrounded by 20 million people within a 50 mile radius and ask- Is this the way we need to generate our electricity? Is it necessary to jeopardize the lives and property of so many when there are so many alternatives? What about renewable and sustainable ways to generate the electricity we need? What about conservation and efficiency in a time when electricity usage is down? What about the studies and hearings that show closing Indian Point is possible with little impact on ratepayers.

These are all questions that need to be answered with public dialog and discussion, not 30 second commercials produced by the company which profits so heavily from continued operation.


While we are not in danger of a tsunami and 9.0 earthquake is unlikely, Indian Point is on the convergence of two fault lines and has on site more high level radioactive waste than was in the all of the spent fuel pools at Fukushima. There is no way to make anything 100% safe from human error. We are passing on a legacy that is deadly for over a million years to untold generations. What if we were to conserve more and to become more efficient? Japan is a country about the size of California. It had 54 nuclear reactors in place prior to the earthquake. Of that total the 4 at Fukushima can no longer operate and another 48 across the country are now closed. Only 2 of the Japanese fleet of reactors are still operating.

Japanese society continues to function with this dramatic decrease in generation. Conservation has been the key to this dramatic reduction in the use of electricity. Life continues in Japan as people struggle with their losses, with measuring radiation levels in schools, homes and on their children, as they worry about purchasing contaminated food in the market place, and the knowledge that many will never be able to go home again.


Those from Japan tell us that one of the most effective things we can do to protect our families and our communities is to close Indian Point. As Fukushima clearly demonstrates, continued operation in such a densely populated area is simply not worth the risk.

All are welcome! For more information call IPSEC, 1-888-474-8848 or Clearwater, 845-265-8080, or Riverkeeper, 914-941-2505 or visit www.shutdownindianpointnow.org or http://www.facebook.com/ShutDownIndianPointNow?sk=notes

WED, FEB 15 @ 7:15 PM >> Occupy Wall Street Panel

The Connie Hogarth Center for Social Action Presents

A Panel Discussion 
on Occupy Wall Street

Wednesday, February 15,  7:15 PM

East Library in the Castle

Manhattanville College

Panelists will include:

• Richard Brodsky, former Assembly Member, Senior Fellow at Demos
• Christa Calbos, Manhattanville student
• Maggie Goff, Manhattanville Student
• J.A. Myerson, activist with Occupy Wall Street, a columnist at Truthout and a field reporter for Citizen Radio. His forthcoming book, 2011: The Year of Democracy, Solidarity and Revolution, will be published by Left Legacy Press.
• Nelini Stamp, organizer, Working Families Party and Occupy Wall Street activist

SPRING 2012 -- Connie Hogarth Center for Social Action Upcoming Events

February – Nonviolent civil disobedience training workshop (date and details to be announced)
Wednesday, February 15, 7:15 PM  -- A Panel Discussion on Occupy Wall Street, with Richard Brodsky, Christa Calbos, J.A. Myerson, Maggie Goff and Nelini Stamp.

Tuesday, March 6th, 7:00 PM  -- Fukushima Week -- Conference with First Responders from Japan, chaired by former County Executive Andy Spano.   East Library in the Castle, Manhattanville College.

Friday, April 20, Earth Day -- Tree planting in remembrance of Wangari Matthai, for Earth Day with a program, cosponsored with Black Students Union.   (details to be announced)

Tuesday, April 24th, 7:15 PM -- Seminar led by Father Michael Lapsley, Director of Institute for Healing of Memories.   East Library in the Castle, Manhattanville College.

A Movement Without Demands?

A Movement Without Demands? | Possible Futures:

by Marco Deseriis and Jodi Dean

The question of demands infused the initial weeks and months of Occupy Wall Street with the endless opening of desire. Nearly unbearable, the absence of demands concentrated interest, fear, expectation, and hope in the movement. What did they want? What could they want? Commentators have been nearly hysterical in their demand for demands: somebody has got to say what Occupy Wall Street wants! In part because of the excitement accumulating around the gap the movement opened up in the deadlocked US political scene—having done the impossible in creating a new political force it seemed as if the movement might even demand the impossible—many of those in and around Occupy Wall Street have also treated the absence of demands as a benefit, a strength. Commentators and protesters alike thus give the impression that the movement’s inability to agree upon demands and a shared political line is a conscious choice.

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