Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Documentary: Militarization of Space



Three Global Network leaders interviewed in the award-winning documentary film about the militarization of space.
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Keep Space for Peace Week Actions List

 

October 4-11, 2014
 Keep Space for Peace Week
International Week of Protest to

Stop the Militarization of Space

 
Stop Drones Surveillance & Killing 
No Missile Defense

No to NATO

End Corporate Domination of Foreign/Military Policy

Convert the Military Industrial Complex

Deal with climate change and global poverty



  • Aarhus, Denmark (Oct 4) Peace festival will discuss militarization of space and other urgent issues.  Contact: Helge Ratzer at 45 20479699
  • Aberporth, West Wales (Sept 21) CND Cymru has a demonstration at the drones testing centre totally in the spirit of Keep Space for Peace Week. heddwch@cndcymru.org
  • Andover, Massachusetts (Oct 9) Vigil in front of Raytheon, 350 Lowell St (Rte 133) 7:00-8:00 am. Merrimack Valley People for Peace brian@quirk.ws
  • Asheville, North Carolina (Oct 9) Western N. C. Physicians for Social Responsibility will present the film PAX AMERICANA and the Weaponization of Space in commemoration of Keep Space for Peace Week. This will be at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road, at 6:30 PM. This film deals with the issue of space weapons and their politics, including interviews with several key US military personnel and other prominent persons. It is vital that we citizens be alerted to dangers facing our survival and action needed in light of a growing arms race speeding the proliferation of these weapons. For more: Lew Patrie, MD.  828-299-1242

  • Bad Breisig, Germany (Oct 4) Fly Kites not Drones, 3-6 pm at Rheinpromenade.  Please join us on this day to support the anti-drone action around the world.  We will fly kites in the sky to give a clear signal against the use of combat and surveillance drones. The Left also calls upon themselves to participate in this action. Together with the Left Youth SOLID AW we will fly kites and then discuss over coffee and cake at our information booth on drones, arms exports, military deployments and the current crisis.   kontakt@drohnen-kampagne.de

  • Bath Iron Works, Maine (Oct 4) Vigil across from administration building on Washington Street (Navy Aegis destroyers outfitted with “missile defense” systems built at BIW) 11:30-12:30 am   Smilin’ Trees Disarmament Farm (207) 763-4062

  • Beale AFB, Marysville, California  (Sept 29-30) Monday 3:00 pm No drones protest.  On Tuesday 6:00-8:00 am Protest resumes, with non-violent direct action.  For information: http://www.occupybealeafb.org/

  • Berlin, Germany (Oct 4) Fly Kites, Not Drones! First we will gather in front of the Deutscher Bundestag (German Parliament) at 11:00 am and fly kites to make clear that we do not want to be threatened by drones and we do not want people anywhere to be threatened by drones. At 15:00, we will meet in parks throughout the city and fly kites to continue our protest, just as the people of Afghanistan, who live under the constant fear of drones, fly kites in protest. And we will take steps to make Berlin a Drone Free Zone! ampfdrohnen.aechten.berlin@gmx.de    kontakt@drohnen-kampagne.de
  • Berlin, Germany (Oct 3-5) Anti-War Conference Berlin at Haus der Demokratie und Menschenrechte. An initiative of scientists and journalists against militarization in Germany and in the member states of European Union and NATO. The conference will focus on new dimensions in the preparation and conduct of war through the use of information technology, media propaganda and recently developed weapons such as drones. http://antikriegskonferenz.de/
  • Birmingham, England (Oct 6) - Queens College 7:30 pm No drones vigil in Queens Chapel penny.dcn@gmail.com
  • Bremen, Germany (Oct 4) Protest against targeted killings. Meeting point: Am Osterdeich, between Bürgerhaus and Sielwall; 4:00 pm.  For the global action day against the use of drones for surveillance and killing we will also fly kites in Bremen together. Do not forget your kite!  kontakt@drohnen-kampagne.de
  • Buffalo, New York (Oct 6) "Looking at Linkages: School Pushout and Militarism," Merriweather Library (corner Jefferson & E. Utica) at 6:30-8:00 pm. Come explore how the "Might is right" of militarism relates to school pushout and the school-to-prison pipeline. Speakers, discussion, and action-planning will address military recruiting, militarization of the police, and drones in domestic airspace. Sponsored by the Resist Militarism!! Taskforce and Peaceful Conflict Resolution Program of the WNY Peace Center; Teens in Progress; and the Interfaith Peace Network. For more info, please call Vicki at (716) 884-0582 or (716) 936-3520
  • Cardigan, Wales (Oct 11) 'Vigil for Peace' on the Guild Hall steps from 11 am until 1.00 pm. Volunteers needed to distribute leaflets & collect signatures for petitions on the day. Contact Bob Doyle # 01-239-614-659 or bobdoyle70@yahoo.com 
  • Colorado Springs, Peterson AFB, Colorado (Oct 7) Citizens for Peace in Space will be joined by Sisters Ardeth Platte and Carol Gilbert for vigil at (north gate) of Air Force Space Command base from 4:30 - 5:30 pm. They were part of the group of sisters who did an action at the Peterson open house in 2001. If you need a ride let us know.  lwirbel@aol.com
  • RAF Croughton, England (Oct 4) Rally at U.S. satellite communication base, March to main gate 1 mile - starts Croughton village 12.00 midday, Returns 3:00 pm, Oxfordshire Peace Campaign, oxonpeace@yahoo.co.uk  
  • Dresden, Germany (Oct 3) Fly Kites not Drones, Meeting point: 2:00 pm Glockenspielpavillon (between Augustusbrücke and Marienbrücke) We will fly kites, to send a clear signal to combat and surveillance drones.  kontakt@drohnen-kampagne.de 
  •  Esslingen, Germany (Oct 4) Fly Kites not Drones, Meeting point: Innere Brücke at Nikolauskapelle, 11 am – 2 pm. OV LEFT Esslingen is participating at the Global Action Day with an information stand in the pedestrian zone, flying a kite or multiple, distributed leaflets and makes an information booth.   kontakt@drohnen-kampagne.de
  • Fort Meade, Maryland (Oct 4) The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore will go to the National Security Agency to protest illegal surveillance and its involvement in drone strikes at 10:30 AM. Contact Max Obuszewski at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at Verizon (dot) net.
  • RAF Fylingdales, England (Oct 11) Walk around the US and NATO missile 'defence' radar on the North Yorkshire moors. Meeting at Eller Beck at 1pm - see www.yorkshirecnd.org.uk  and check with info@yorkshirecnd.org.uk  or phone 01274730795 for details in case of inclement weather.
  • Gangjeong village, Jeju Island, South Korea (Oct. 4-11)  Will have some education and protest events which will be connected to daily protest mass, human chain and evening culture event during Keep Space for Peace Week. Sept. 21, The International Peace Day, Oct. 4, the International No Drone day, and Oct. 7, the Remembrance Day on the invasion of Afghanistan will also be observed, The South Korean government plans to introduce Global Hawk and THAAD whose range will cover parts of China and Russia. Otherwise, this April, the so called Asia-biggest Aerospace museum was opened on Jeju Island. More details will come later. Please contact armha5156@gmail.com
  • Hamburg, Germany (Oct 4)  Keine Kampfdrohnen. Please join us at an info table with signature collection under the call "No Drone" in the context of global action against the use of drones to monitor and kill at 12:00 PM. Hamburger Forum, Kontakt: Hamburger Forum c/o Markus Kunkel.  kontakt@drohnen-kampagne.de
  • Hancock Air Base, Dewitt, New York (Oct 5) Speak Out Against Drones: A Day of Global Resistance at Hancock starts at 1:00 pm.  Sponsored by Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones & End the Wars.  spc@peacecouncil.net
  • Heidelberg, Germany (Oct 4) Mahnwache gegen Drohnen, Mahnwache auf den Bismarckplatz, von 11-16 Uhr. Join our vigil against drone warfare!  kontakt@drohnen-kampagne.de
  • Herford, Germany (Oct 4) Fly Kites Not Drones (Drachen Statt Drohnen) at 3:30 pm. We will fly kites under the slogan "Fly Kites Not Drones", while the antimilitarist music group "Lebenslaute" supports us with their songs. Afterwards we'll discuss the first steps to declare Herford a Drone-Free City.   kontakt@drohnen-kampagne.de
  • Hilo, Hawai'i (Oct 4) Ban Killer Drones, Boycott Honeywell.  Meet at Home Depot & WalMart at Maka'ala St. sidewalk fronting Home Depot at 10:00 am.  Contact: Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action (808) 966-7622 ja@malu-aina.org 
  • Honolulu, Hawai’i (Oct 4) Protest & sign holding at the corner of Kapahulu & Kapiolani (in front of the Honolulu Zoo) at 9:30 AM. Our protest (with our big drone replica) will be seen by tourists, as well as local residents headed for the beach and Zoo.   Co-sponsored by World Can't Wait-Hawai`i & The Coalition for Justice in Palestine
  • Indore, India (Oct 9) Protest meeting “Space for Peace and Not for War” at Indore in the State of Madhya Pradesh by Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development Studies. Dr.Tapan Bhattacharya will be the Organiser.  jnrao193636@gmail.com
  • Ipswich, Massachusetts (Oct 4) No Drones for Spying or Killing vigil at bottom of Town Hill from 11:00 to 12:30. Sponsored by North Shore Coalition for Peace and Justice, Ch 45 Veterans for Peace and House of Peace. thehouseofpeace@yahoo.com
  • Kalkar, Germany (Oct 3) Join us to Gather and Peace March at Kalkar, where the ‘Centre for Air-Operations’ of the German Air Force and the NATO-’Combined Air Operations Centre’ is located. Starting at Market Place at 11:30.  kontakt@drohnen-kampagne.de
  • Karlsruhe, Germany (Oct 4) We will fly kites and balloons under the slogan "Fly Kites Not Drones" and distribute flyers at Friedrichsplatz from 3:00 pm. There will be an information booth where we will invite people to discuss with us. One of our demands is "We demand that the German Government, the Government of the State of Baden-Württemberg, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the regional Fraunhofer Institutes cease all drone research and work together with scientists to develop research projects devoted to civil and peaceful purposes."  Contact Dr. Ullrich Lochmann, Ulochmann@web.de   kontakt@drohnen-kampagne.de
  • Kennebunk, Maine (Oct 3-5) The 29th Annual New England Gathering of War Tax Resisters will feature a field trip to the vigil at Bath Iron Works on Oct 4, a reading of "Project Unspeakable", and a talk on "How Expensive Space Technology is Used to Coordinate Warfare On the Planet." rawnjason@gmail.com
  • King of Prussia, Pennsylvania (Oct 11) Noon - 3pm, large MQ-9 Reaper Drone Replica Display and kite flying in front of Lockheed Martin (L-M) at intersection of Mall & Goddard Boulevards.   L-M is making a killing in drone war and surveillance technology, building the remote-controlled unmanned planes and satellites that direct the drones and launch their deadly Hellfire missiles which L-M also builds. For more info Brandywine Peace Community, (610) 544-1818 brandywine@juno.com  or www.brandywinepeace.com 
  • Kiruna, Lapland, Sweden (Oct 4 & 6 International Children´s Day) Standing demo in central town and at COOP market. Banners and handing out leaflets against ‘nEUROn’ drone, which will be tested at NEAT (North European Aerospace Test Range) close to Kiruna in 2015. Women for Peace, Kiruna  evannakristin@gmail.com   
  • Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (Oct 4) Mass meeting against the construction of US ‘missile defense’ X- band radar base in Ukawa Gymnasium (former school, near construction site) at 14:00.. Organized by Citizen's Coalition for No US Base in Kyoto. Contact Atsushi Fujioka fujioka@ec.ritsumei.ac.jp
  • Leicester, England (Oct 8) Drone Cafe at Green Oasis, London Road, Information about drones 2-6 pm followed by music and poetry 6–7:30 pm. More details from Penny on 07414 465695 penny.dcn@gmail.com
  • London, England (Oct 3) We will be organising a sunset vigil outside the offices of General Atomics in London. General Atomics makes armed drones that have been responsible for the deaths of thousands, including many hundreds of children. We will remember the deaths of so many in drone warfare with poetry, a short ceremony, and readings. We will also leaflet to let public know about the arms company in the area. Meet at 5:30 PM at General Atomics offices, Tower 42
  • London, England (Oct 8)  Please join the London group of the international network Women in Black against War will be participating in the week of action against the military use of UAVs (drones) by holding a vigil at 6:00 PM at Statue of Nurse Edith Cavel in central London. Contact c.cockburn@ktown.demon.co.uk
  • London, England (Oct 11) Conference at Friends House, 'Afghanistan, the forgotten war and Britain's legacy' organised by Voices for Creative Non Violence UK and the Drone Campaign Network. Brilliant speakers and focus groups including Kabul street kids, skyping with Afghan women peace volunteers, the Afghanistam diaspora and much more. 10:00 am - 4.30 pm   penny.dcn@gmail.com
  • Los Angeles, California (Oct 3) Freeway banner drop against drones during rush hour (5:00 pm).  Meet at Albertsons (3443 S. Sepulveda Blvd) parking lot and walk to freeway overpass on Palms Blvd. 
  • Maine Walk for Peace & a Sustainable Future (Oct 11-20) Peace walk led by Buddhist monk (Nipponzan Myohoji) from Rangeley to North Berwick. The walk will protest the growing militarization of the Maine economy and will call for conversion to sustainable production to help deal with climate change. Sponsored by Maine Veterans For Peace.   www.vfpmaine.org 
  • Menwith Hill, England (Oct 7) Demonstration at NSA/NRO Spy Base in Yorkshire focused on drones in particular and US missile defense in general. 6-8 pm.   Sponsored by CAAB  mail@caab.corner.org.uk  or percy@phonecoop.coop
  • Minneapolis, Minnesota  (Oct 11) The WAMM Ground All Drones Committee is sponsoring a "Fly Kites Not Drones" action from 1:00-3:00 pm. Meet at the Roberts Bird Sanctuary Shelter located adjacent to the Lyndale Park Peace Garden and just north of Lake Harriet. Kites will be provided to decorate and fly in the nearby Rose Garden along with distributing No Killer Drone stickers and flyers. More info: call WAMM 612.827.5364 or email groundalldrones@gmail.com  or wamm@mtn.org
  • Montrose, California (Oct 10)  We will call to Keep Space For Peace at our weekly Montrose Peace Vigil, Fridays 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., at Honolulu Ave. and Oceanview Blvd., in the Montrose Shopping Park.  rmedford@ucla.edu 
  • Nagpur, India (Oct 4) Demonstration “Space for Peace and Not for War” by the students of Matru Sewa Sangh Institute of Social Work. Nagpur, Maharashtra State. Prof. Jyoti Niswade will be the organizer  jnrao193636@gmail.com
  • Nagpur, India (Oct 5) Mass Squatting (sitting in protest) “Space for Peace and Not for War” by the S.E.C. Rly Pensioners Assn and Progressive Railway Women's Organisation at Nagpur, State of Maharashtra. (Ms. Seema Sondiya and Mrs. J. Saraswati are the organizers)  jnrao193636@gmail.com
  • Nagpur, India (Oct 6) “Space for Peace and Not for War” Rally of students of National Institute of Social Work, Nagpur in the State of Maharashtra. jnrao193636@gmail.com
  • Nagpur, India (Oct 9) Global Network board member Tamara Lorincz will address the Railway Workers and women folk at the Motibagh Railway Colony in the evening. jnrao193636@gmail.com
  • Nagpur, India (Oct 11-12) National Youth Conference on “Peace, Disarmament and Development” is being organized at Nagpur University. Students, Lecturers and Professors and other public figures will attend this conference. ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED: Causes of wars, Role of Imperialism and NATO in waging wars, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Destruction of Hiroshima & Nagasaki by nuclear weapons, Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space, Vision for 2020, UN Space Treaty, UN Moon Treaty, Non-Aligned Movement, UN and World Peace, Disarmament & Development, Global Military Expenditure and Human Development, Millennium Development Goals etc. jnrao193636@gmail.com
  • New York, New York (Oct 7) A vigil and No Drones protest organized by War Resisters League and the Granny Peace Brigade.  WRL will provide signs and flyers to distribute. From 5 pm to 6:30 pm at L-3 Communications, 600 Third Avenue.  For more info www.grannypeacebrigade.org and  www.warresisters.org/WRL-local-events
  • Niagara Falls Air Base, New York (Oct 4) Vigil to Keep Space for Peace, 3:30 to 4:30 pm on Lockport Road. WNY Peace Center. For more info, call Vicki (716) 884-0582 or Russell (716) 570-5200
  • Niagara Falls Air Base, New York (Oct 8 & 22) 3:30 to 4:30 pm Vigil to Stop Weaponized Drones, 3:30 to 4:30 pm on Lockport Road. WNY Peace Center. (Carpool leaving UB South Park & Ride at 2:45 pm sharp.) For more info, call Vicki (716) 884-0582 or Russell (716) 570-5200.
  • Olympia, Washington (Sept 27) Holly Gwinn Graham in concert at Traditions Cafe informing about space week and inviting actions and participation in vigiling during the week  tohollygg@comcast.net
  • Parvatipuram, India (Oct 7)  Demonstration by the Hindi Teachers Training College, Dr. Manchupalli Sriramulu will be organizer manchipalli_sr@reddiffmail.com  
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Oct 4) Death Walk Against Drones, noon - 1:00 pm at 12th & Market St. in downtown. Wear black, white masks provided.  Contact: Marge Van Cleef mvc@igc.org
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Oct 7) Philadelphia Interfaith Network Against Drone Warfare invites you to a program, "Peacemaking In An Era of Drone Warfare" at Project HOME, 1515 Fairmount Ave at 7:00 pm.  The program will feature Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK, author of Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control, and a showing of the film, Wounds of Waziristan, music, drumming/spoken word, and religious voices for justice and peace such as Shane and Katie Claiborne, Wil O'Brien, and others.  brandywine@juno.com 
  • Poppit Sands, Wales (Oct 4) Drone Network Cymru will be flying kites at Poppit Sands near St Dogmaels - in a symbolic 'Let's Go Fly a Kite'  demonstration at 12:00 pm t: +44 (0)1239 85 11 88 07810 566 919
  • Portland Oregon (Oct 4 and KS4P week) Portland Branch of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is joining those around the world flying kites, not drones in local city parks. First event in Col. Summers Park , SE 17th and Taylor. Contact carol.disarm@gmail.com   for details.
  • Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada (Oct 9) The Making Peace Vigil is planning on handing out flyers related to Keep Space for Peace Week in downtown. sgerardm@gmail.com
  • Sacramento, California (Oct 7)  No Drones, Keep Space for Peace protest, corner of 16th and J Streets;  4:30-6:00 pm  Sacramento Area Peace Action, www.sacpeace.org
  • San Jose, California (Oct 3) We are calling for the San Jose Mayor and City Council to take back the drone!! Stop the militarization of police and arming them with war toys! We are very concerned about the new drone SJPD has acquired which City Council approved of without even speaking to the community about it first. We say give back the drone at 5:00 PM in the Martin Luther King Library   Sponsored by San Jose Peace & Justice Center.
  • Santa Rosa Junior College, California (Oct 17) Iran: Friend or Enemy? Public forum with emphasis on US-NATO “missile defense” deployments in the region.  Newman Auditorium at 7:00 pm. Hosted by SRJC physics faculty Lynda Williams.  lyndalovon@gmail.com
  • Shenstone, England (Oct 10) Vigil for worship at Elbit Systems drone engine factory, Shenstone near Lichfields at 10:45 – 11:45 (5 minutes walk from train station going away from village) penny.dcn@gmail.com
  • Somerville, Massachusetts (Oct 12) Join us at the Parade gathering place in Davis Square at 11:30 am. The Somerville-based HONK! Parade of Activist Street Bands will take place at noon, and once again UJP's Eastern Massachusetts Anti-Drones Network (EMAD) will march carrying signs and its eye-catching Drone replica. The group's message is encapsulated in the banner it will carry: "No Killer Drones! No Spy Drones!"  To join or support the Eastern Massachusetts Anti-Drones Network, email info@justicewithpeace.org  or call 617-383-4857
  • Stockholm, Sweden (Oct 4) Standing demo in front of parliament, Mynttorget. 11.00-13.00 Banners and handing out leaflets against ‘nEUROn’ drone which will be launched in 2015 in the north of Sweden at North European Aerospace Test Range. nEUROn is an experimental Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle being developed with international cooperation, led by the French company Dassault Aviation along with Switzerland, Spain, and Greece. Contact: Agneta Norberg lappland.norberg@gmail.com
  • Stuttgart, Germany (Oct 4) Protest at AFRICOM Headquarters. Germany plans - like many other countries around the world - to create and deploy armament capable drones. In Stuttgart is the AFRICOM, the command center of the U.S. armed forces for Africa, a central place of international drone warfare. Let us go there so that the global outcry can be heard also from Stuttgart. Meet us in in front of the US-AFRICOM in Stuttgart-Möhringen, Plieninger Straße 289. Directions: U3 stop Landhaus. 2 pm - Be there!  kontakt@drohnen-kampagne.de
  • Sydney, Australia (Oct 11) Ground the drones, Stop the War from noon to 1:00 pm at the Sydney Central Railway Square.  www.anti-bases.org.au 
  • Tucson Arizona (Oct 4) Vigil at Davis-Monthan AFB drone base at 10:00 a.m. (Craycroft gate at Golf Links Rd.) Contact Felice or Jack Cohen-Joppa at nukeresister@igc.org  (520)323-8697
  • Tucson Arizona (Oct 7) Vigil at Raytheon Missile Systems (making Star Wars “kill vehicles”, pilotless drones, cluster bombs, cruise missiles and much more) from 7 - 8  a.m. (Hermans Rd. entrance to the plant, 3rd traffic light south of Valencia on Nogales Highway, the extension of South 6th Ave.) Contact Felice or Jack Cohen-Joppa at nukeresister@igc.org  (520) 323-8697
  • Vandenberg AFB, California (Oct 1) Vigil at space warfare base from 3:30 to 4:45.  Contact Dennis Apel at  (805) 343-6322
  • Visakhapatnam, India (Oct 4) A public demonstration in front of the Gandhi Statue.  Mr. J. V. Prabhakr, India Global Network Core Committee member, will be the coordinator.  prabhakar.jalluri@gmail.com
  • Volk Field, Wisconsin (Oct 9) Air National Guard Base 90 minutes north of Madison.  They train pilots to fly Shadow drones used for surveillance and target acquisition.  Vigiling at the gates for 2 1/2 years.  Plan to go to a rest area at 10:00 am on Interstate about 10 miles south of Volk Field.  There is a lot of traffic there and we will leaflet and talk to people about what is happening at Volk Field.  Joyfirst5@gmail.com
  • Wardha, India (Oct 9) Global Network board member Tamara Lorincz will address two meetings of Medical and Engg Colleges at Wardha. The meeting will be organised by Rotarian Mr. Mahesh Mokalkar. maheshward@gmail.com 
  • Washington,DC (Oct 4) Please join us at our vigil at the Air and Space Museum to stand in solidarity against killer drones! For years CODEPINKers have been engaged in anti-drone activism, and we’re thrilled to be a part of the international effort to coordinate actions on October 4th. Meet at 12:00 PM at the Air and Space Museum .  For more information anastasia@codepink.org 
  • Washington DC (Oct 6) Vigil at the Pentagon from 7:00 - 8:00 a.m. Art Laffin  artlaffin@hotmail.com         
  • Weld County, Colorado (Oct 4) Protest vigil at Minuteman III nuclear missile M-8 silo on the 12th Anniversary of Sacred Earth and Space Plowshares II.  We join all the other lovers of space, land, water and air people and creatures who know and trust that peace is possible. Sisters Ardeth Platte and Carol Gilbert will be joining us there.  They were part of the Plowshares action at that location in October 2002.  Carpooling from 420 Mesa Road in Colorado Springs at 8:30 am  to join others for a noon vigil.  Let us know if you can go and if you might be able to drive. lwirbel@aol.com
  • White Plains, New York (Oct 3)  Join in calling on Wal-Mart shoppers to boycott Honeywell consumer products in protest of Honeywell's involvement in drone production and the drone-dependent US air war against Syrians and Iraqis.  275 Main Street from Noon to 1:00 pm Contact: nickmottern@earthlink.net  or (914) 806-6179
  
-        Keep Space for Peace Week is co-sponsored by the Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom, KnowDrones.com and the Drone Campaign Network (UK)

-        October 4 is also a Global Action Day Against the Use of Drones for Surveillance & Killing and is being sponsored by a host of groups around the world.  See more at http://globaldayofaction.nationbuilder.com/

Resources:

·        Download our full-size space week poster at:  http://www.space4peace.org/actions/Keep%20Space%20for%20Peacer%20Poster%202014.pdf 


Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 443-9502
globalnet@mindspring.com
www.space4peace.org
http://space4peace.blogspot.com/  (blog)      
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The Business Model



Capitalism, the business model, has occupied most of our minds and souls.  Many of our global communities, once oriented toward cooperation, have been reduced to dog-eat-dog competition that pits one against the other.  Humanity is adrift in this system of selfish indulgence, greed, careless consumption and militarism.

How do we regain our way on this beautiful but challenged spinning satellite in space?  One suggestion is that we begin to define the problem, recognize the scale of our own mental colonization, and begin the lifelong process of taking back our minds, our dignity, and our humanity.

I ran across a very important article yesterday called Neoliberalism has brought out the worst in us: An economic system that rewards psychopathic personality traits has changed our ethics and our personalities.  This brilliant and highly informative piece was written by Paul Verhaeghe, PhD, senior professor at Ghent University and chair of the department for psychoanalysis and counselling psychology.  I highly recommend reading the whole thing but here are some interesting bits from it:

  • I have become convinced that economic change is having a profound effect not only on our values but also on our personalities. Thirty years of neoliberalism, free-market forces and privatisation have taken their toll, as relentless pressure to achieve has become normative. 
  • [T]he financial crisis illustrated at a macro-social level (for example, in the conflicts between eurozone countries) what a neoliberal meritocracy does to people. Solidarity becomes an expensive luxury and makes way for temporary alliances, the main preoccupation always being to extract more profit from the situation than your competition. Social ties with colleagues weaken, as does emotional commitment to the enterprise or organisation.
  • Bullying used to be confined to schools; now it is a common feature of the workplace.
  • Our society constantly proclaims that anyone can make it if they just try hard enough, all the while reinforcing privilege and putting increasing pressure on its overstretched and exhausted citizens. An increasing number of people fail, feeling humiliated, guilty and ashamed.  
  • Along with the idea of the perfectible individual, the freedom we perceive ourselves as having in the west is the greatest untruth of this day and age.
  • The sociologist Zygmunt Bauman neatly summarised the paradox of our era as: “Never have we been so free. Never have we felt so powerless.”  
  • Our presumed freedom is tied to one central condition: we must be successful – that is, “make” something of ourselves. 
  • The current economic system is bringing out the worst in us.
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