NION - Hawaii Newsletter - March 19: International Day of Protest!

[tommcintyre]

<Man! There is a lot happening this month in our little state!>

Not In Our Name-Hawaii Newsletter
March 1, 2005

1. March 19: International Day of Protest!
2. Statement of Conscience
3. Join the NION Planning Committee
4. Anti-Stryker Campaign
5. Stop UARC Campaign
6. Ward Churchill talk and aftermath
7. Community events: lots of them!

1. The International Day of Protest is less than three weeks away! Two years ago
the U.S. launched its full-scale war on Iraq. The international focus on March 19 is
opposition to the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq. But protests are not limited to
the issue of Iraq, and you're urged to bring signs and banners expressing your own
sentiments against Bush's agenda of endless war and repression. Protests have been
called in cities across the US and the world. Actions are varied: marches and
rallies, concerts, candlelight vigils, civil disobedience, actions to shut down
recruiting stations, banner drops and more.

Not In Our Name-Hawai`i is sponsoring a single event: a march and a rally on
Saturday, March 19. Gather at 9:30 am at Ala Moana Park immediately across from
Sears. The march will begin just after 10:00 am. The march will be on the street,
and will leave Ala Moana Park at Piikoi, go mauka on Piikoi to Kapiolani, Koko Head
on Kapiolani to Atkinson, and then makai on Atkinson back to the entrance to Ala
Moana Park (in a circle around Ala Moana Shopping Center). A short rally will follow
the march. Speakers are being confirmed and will be announced shortly. Plan to be
there. Be part of building and strengthening resistance!

Artists are already creating visuals. Youth are getting a drum core together. The
giant military octopus will be in the street. Everyone is urged to be as creative
as possible. Begin working on your sign, your costume, your puppet or your prop.
Have a party with your friends to create masks, a puppet or a banner. Or join an
art crew at Stadium Park on Saturday, March 12th from noon until 6.

Organizations are invited to set up information tables at the rally (NION will
provide the tables and chairs). Just let us know that you're coming, and how much
space you'll need. If you want to set up larger displays or a booth you're welcome
to, but you're on your own.

In order to bring out a huge crowd, we need lots of publicity! Pass out leaflets in
your classes, at your church, or at cultural events (1,000's of pocket sized
leaflets are available). Help get posters up. This week, help distribute flyers at
the First Thursday poetry slam at the Hawaiian Hut (7-11), at the Art Walk in
Chinatown on Friday evening (flyers will be available at The Arts at Mark's Garage),
at LadyFest activities, or any other place where people gather! You can pick flyers
up at Revolution Books or AFSC, or we'll drop a stack off if you tell us where.
Just send us an e-mail at [e-mail].

Awesome colored posters are also available for bulletin boards, classrooms, and
storefronts. Get yours now and help get them up!

2. Response to the Call for signatures on the Statement of Conscience has been
excellent and there's it will be printed. However, we don't yet have enough names
and contributions for a full-page ad! Make sure your name appears! Stand with
people throughout the world who fight every day for the right to create their own
future. The Statement concludes: "It is our responsibility to stop the Bush regime
from carrying out this disastrous course. We believe history will judge us sharply
should we fail to act decisively."

Read the Statement at http://www.nion.us. The only change we are making is to the
first line, which will read: "As George W. Bush begins his second term, let it not
be said that people in Hawai`i silently acquiesced in the face of his shameful
agenda of war, greed and intolerance. Send a note to NION, P. O. Box 11225,
Honolulu, HI 96828 indicating that you wish to sign, along with your contribution.
We're requesting a minimum of $10 per signature for those who can afford it (not
$200 per signature as the National Statement suggests, which was the amount
requested of national prominents). The Statement will run as an ad a few days
before March 19th.

3. You are urged to join the NION Planning Committee. Each meeting begins at 7pm
with a short discussion of news relating to the war. The meeting then goes on to
discuss overall strategy as well as on-the-ground planning. Meetings are informal.
You can join late, or come as often as you like. But resistance to the war is only
going to grow and strengthen if more people are involved and contributing new ideas
and criticism, as well as taking on some of the overall responsibilities. 7 pm
thursdays. Friends Meeting House at 2426 Oahu Avenue in Manoa.

4. Anti-Stryker Campaign. About 150 people gathered at the all-night vigil against
the Strykers at Iolani Palace on February 21st. At 7:30 the next morning about 70
people marched to the Federal Building where they were joined by more supporters.
Veteran Hawaiian activists who had been involved in the Kaho`olawe struggle.
Hawaiian youth from charter schools. Anti-war activists. Chants, kahilis,
leafleting. The sounds of pu`u reverberated from the walls of the Federal Building.
There was a short rally before packing Judge Ezra's courtroom where arguments were
being made to grant Summary Judgment to plaintiffs because of the illegal procedures
the military followed when conducting its environmental impact study. Judge Ezra is
expected to issue a ruling this week.

5. Campaign against classified military research at the University of Hawai`i.
This past week faculty, students and activists were subjected to another afternoon
of slick double-speak at a seminar on classified research organized by UH.
Publicity regarding the seminar pointed to the Regents' request that the university
seek public feedback about UARC before finalizing negotations for the Navy. But
"feedback" on UARC was not welcome here. Organizers attempted to limit any
discussion of UARC and insisted on limiting it to classified research as it effects
issues like publications and tenure (all questions of ethical issues involved in
classified military research, or how it might effect the broader community, were
"out of order").

Once again, the audience interupted the panel to voice their frustrations with the
process, the transparent deception, and the make-up of the panels. To add to the
audience's distrust, only at the end of the seminar was Bill Bakamis, a panelist who
had been introduced as a faculty member from the University of Washington qualified
to "speak on the pros and cons of classified research", exposed as a consultant that
UH had paid to advise them on the UH-Navy contract for UARC.

The UH Graduate Student Organization (GSO) has now decided to organize a public
seminar on UARC on March 17 from 4:30 to 7:30 pm at the Campus Center Ballroom. UH
administrators are not involved. The proposed panel will include two people in
favor of UARC and two against it. There will be time for a public comments. Mark
this event on your calendar, and plan to attend this important event.

6. Ward Churchill event
On Tuesday, January 22, Professor Ward Churchill from the University of Colorado
(Boulder) spoke to more than 800 people at UH-Manoa. Ward Churchill has been
singled out as a "test-case" in a national strategy to silence professors who
criticize U.S. empire and that a small group of faculty, students and community
activists were able to bring him to Hawai`i to speak was a tremendous victory. For
those unable to hear him, his talk will be on Olelo this week (see community
events). For background info on the witch hunt against Ward Churchill go to
http://www.rwor.org/a/1268/ward-churchill-witch-hunt.htm. People may not agree
with what Churchill says, but this struggle is much bigger than Ward Churchill.
Academic freedom and the freedom to speak out against U.S. empire is what's at
stake.

One of NION's commitments is to defend those under attack by the Bush Agenda, and
events that developed around this event revealed just how far the right-wing will
go. Churchill was demonized in the press and on the internet. Incredible
allegations were spread. Quotes taken out of context. Calls went out on the Senate
floor to cancel the event and prevent students from forming their own opinions. And
when Churchill attempted to clarify what he'd said, and speak to allegations against
him, truth made no difference. The Star-Bulletin reported that Ward Churchill
admitted in his speech that he was not a Native American, which was exactly the
opposite of what he explained (that his blood quantum of less than 25% doesn't
qualify him for full tribal membership, but that he is an associate member based on
his lower blood quantum). While the Star-Bulletin corrected this "mistake" the
next day, the lie remains on thousands of blogs and internet sites, has sown
confusion among!
honest people, and has added fuel to the attempt to de-tenure him.

In the wake of Churchill's talk, progressive faculty at UH are also being targeted.
Some by the likes of Bill O`Reilly. Others by Fred Hemmings, Malia Zimmerman, or
the campus Republicans. The situation is serious and cannot be dismissed. If we
don't speak out now, entire departments will come under attack.

We call on all NION supporters to pay attention. To counter backward letters to the
editors that seek to silence the voices of professors who dare to speak out. To
separate truth from lies. To step back and take a look at the bigger picture and
mount a vigorous defense of Ward Churchill. A fascist agenda is on the move. Only
massive resistance can stop it. The following quote may be helpful in sorting this
out:

"We have to be as clar as possible about the big picture. This is much, much bigger
than an individual attack on Ward. What we're looking at is a carefully developed,
pre-existing national strategy that has been searching for exactly the right
breakthrough "test case." It has found extremely favorable conditions in Ward's
situation and in the post-911 climate. As they've been doing already in other
areas, they want to dismantle the structural footholds (academic freedom/tenure,
ethnic studies) that social movements gained for people of color and liberal and
progressive intellectuals inside academe during the 60's and 70's ... This is a
fight to make history." Emma Perez, Chair of Ethnic Studies, University of
Colorado, Feb 15, 2005.

Community events:

Ward Churchill speech: "Speaking Truth to Power: Academic Freedom in the Age of
Terror"
Olelo Channel 53 (NATV): Sat. 3/5 at 9 am (part 1); Sat 3/5 at 10 am (part 2); Sun
5/6 at 6 pm (part 1); Sun 7 pm (part 2); Tues 3/8 at 10 pm (part 1); Tues 3/8 at 11
pm; Sat 3/12 at 9:30 pm; Sat 3/12 at 10:30 pm.

Ward Churchill and Ruth Hsu discuss Academic Freedom and 9-11.
Thursday, March 3 and Thursday, March 17
Olelo Channel 53 (NATV) on HPU's regular series: "Issues That Matter"

Wednesday, March 2: The Corporation
UH Political Film Series, 7 pm, St. Johns Auditorium
Dissects corporations; includes 40 interviews with corporate insiders and critics,
including Michael Moore, Milton Friedman, Noam Chomsky and Naomi Klein. Plus true
confessions, case studies and strategies for change. Winner of 24 int'l awards.

Wed, March 2: Public lecture by Prof. Stephen Zunes
author of "Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism"
Talk entitled: "The US and the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process: Help or Hindrance
Harris United Methodist Church, Miyama Hall, 7 pm
Sponsored by Friends of Sabeel

Thursday, March 3: First Thursday Poetry Slam at The Hawaiian Hut
Special guests: Quadraphonix. $3 before 8:30; $5 pm after. Show begins at 8:30.
(and if you go, remember to pass out flyers for March 19th!)

Friday, March 4: The Art Walk in Chinatown.
5 to 9 pm. Make sure that the thousands of people who will be on Chinatown's
streets receive the flyer for March 19th, which will be available at The Arts at
Mark's Garage (and check out the GirlFest Visual Arts Show while you're there.

Thursday, March 3 through Sunday, March 6. GirlFest Hawai`i. Check out the full
schedule at www.girlfesthawaii.org.

Wednesday, March 9: Tabling at UH-Manoa. Sponsored by Refuse & Resist!
R&R has reserved a number of tables for community organizations at the UH-Manoa
Campus Center on Wednesday from 10-2. If you'd like to reserve one for your
organization, let us know. Anti-military, anti-recruitment groups will be given
first priority. To reserve a space call 598-4653 or e-mail [e-mail]

Sunday, March 13 at 3 pm: 2nd Sunday at Revolution Books
Featuring the Hawai`i Poetry Slam Team. Performances by the team; clips from
"Hawaii Slam: Poetry in Paradise", with plenty of time for discussion about the
role of art/culture in the face of censorship.

Thursday, March 17: Public forum on UARC and classified military research
UH-Manoa Campus Center Ballroom from 4:30-7:30
Sponsored by the Graduate Student Organization

Saturday, March 19: International Day of Protest Against the War in Iraq!
Ala Moana Park. March at 10 am; Rally from noon until 2 pm.

###

[Dharma_Bum]

1. Never is ..

... much going on in Hawai'i. not like N. Carolina and D.C. ....

We'll have to change that huh!?

By the by ...

Where can I get a NION (hawaii) newsletter??

Thanks