WEEKLY PEACE CALENDAR
September 14, 2024
Monterey County
Quote of the Week:
“When presidential candidates only discuss nuclear weapons in the context of World War 3, we have a problem.” ~ comment posted by Back from the Brink after the September 12th presidential debate.
All events are Pacific Time. New items are in blue.
Fridays, 4 pm - 5 pm, Peace Message Fridays at Window on the Bay, 717 Del Monte Avenue in Monterey, organized by the Peace Coalition of Monterey County. Contact Sidney Ramsden Scott at sramsdenscott@hotmail.com for more information.
Fridays, 4:30 pm - 6 pm, Vigil For Peace: Salinas Palestine Solidarity, at the Star Market parking lot, corner of S. Main and Blanco Rd., in Salinas. Email Dick Strubbe at dickstrubbe@sbcglobal.net for more information. Co-sponsored by MPJC.
Sundays, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm, Vigil For Peace: Salinas Palestine Solidarity, at the Star Market parking lot, corner of S. Main and Blanco Rd., in Salinas. An open, inclusive discussion circle on Kingian Nonviolence will be held at 2 pm. Email Dick Strubbe at dickstrubbe@sbcglobal.net for more information. Co-sponsored by MPJC.
Sundays 3 pm - 4:30 pm, CEASEFIRE in Gaza Rally at Window on the Bay, 717 Del Monte Ave in Monterey. Organized by Monterey Palestine Solidarity. More info at montereypalestinesolidarity.com
Peace Pick of the Week:
Saturday, September 14, 3 pm - 5 pm, in person, Peace in Sudan: Perspectives and Actions. Speakers: Elsadig Suliman, Arabic Linguist and advocate for peace and Human rights in Sudan, and Esther Sprague, Founder and Director of Sudan Unlimited. Both will discuss the root causes of the crisis in Sudan, the human impact, and the prospects of transitioning from decades of dictatorship to democracy. Q&A follows. Doors open 2:30 pm. The event is free and open to the public. Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd. in Seaside. For more information, phone 831-899-7322.
Saturday, September 14, 2 pm - 4 pm, in person, Launch of Climate Café® Monterey! The first discussion topic in this monthly series is “How can I incorporate more clean energy into my living space?” A Climate Café® is a non-partisan, welcoming and inclusive space where people come together for meaningful, constructive conversations about climate change. Each monthly meeting is an exploration of a new climate-related theme, offering everyone a chance to listen, learn, share, and take action. Co-hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Monterey Peninsula and the Climate Reality Project Monterey Bay. Climate Café® Monterey will hold gatherings on the 2nd Saturday of every month at the same location - the UUCMP, 490 Aguajito Road in Carmel. Coordinators are Charlotte Bear, Nan Foster & Mibs McCarthy. Help spread the word through your networks. Visit the Climate Café® Monterey webspace on the global Climate Café® hub HERE. Email chapter@climaterealitymb.org
Sunday, September 15, 2 pm – 4 pm, in person and on Zoom, Peace Coalition of Monterey County – Steering Meeting, at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd. in Seaside. For more information, contact Sidney Ramsden Scott at sramsdenscott@hotmail.com
Tuesday, September 17, 6 pm - 8 pm, in-person, Pacific Grove Candidate Forum for City Council races at the PG Community Center, 515 Junipero Ave., Pacific Grove. Sponsored and moderated by the League of Women Voters of Monterey County. Arrive as early as 5:30 pm to submit your questions on 3x5 cards. The forum will not be live-streamed, however it will be recorded for replay on the League’s website HERE. For more information about LWVMC or this event, please contact Jeanne Turner at jturner215@comcast.net. Co-sponsored with the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce.
Wednesday, September 18, 5 pm - 7:30 pm, in person, Protect Monterey County: Annual Member Meeting, at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd. in Seaside. Potluck is 5-6 pm; Business meeting is 6-7:30 pm. Potluck Suggestion -- If your last name begins with: A - H (main dish); I - M (salad); N - S (dessert -- fruits are a fine option); T - Z (drink or appetizer). The program includes AB 3233/Thank you cards for Assembly member Addis and Laird. Also, an update on Monterey County’s Community Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CCAAP) by Kathy Dervin. Contact Laura Solorio at info@protectmontereycounty.org for more information.
Saturday, September 21, 9 am to 12 pm, in person, Volunteer on California Coastal Cleanup Day. Be a part of the biggest beach cleanup and volunteer event of the year! Save Our Shores will again coordinate cleanups at over 60 sites in the Monterey Bay area. Volunteers can sign up at saveourshores.org/coastal-cleanup.
Saturday, September 21, 5 pm – 7 pm, in person, 25th Annual International Day of Peace Celebration & Potluck Dinner at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd. in Seaside. Monterey Peninsula “Mayors For Peace” will be honored. A short film about “Mayors For Peace” will be shown. Free event. All are invited. Sponsored by the Peace Coalition of Monterey County. For more information, contact Sidney Ramsden Scott at sramsdenscott@hotmail.com
Saturday, September 21, 6 pm, NAACP Monterey County Branch’s 52nd Annual Life Membership Freedom Fund Banquet to be held at Embassy Suites by Hilton 1441 Canyon Del Rey Blvd. Seaside. The organizers are seeking help with obtaining items and services for the Silent Auction fundraiser. Volunteers are also needed for set up and take down on the event day. Contact An McDowell (831) 233-4853
Monday, September 23, 6 pm - 7:30 pm, in person, Salinas Mayoral Candidate Forum at Hartnell College, Steinbeck Room, 411 Central Ave in Salinas. Sponsored and moderated by the League of Women Voters of Monterey County. Arrive as early as 5:30 pm to submit your questions on 3x5 cards. The forum will not be live-streamed, however it will be recorded for replay on the League’s website HERE. For more information about LWVMC or this event, please contact Beverly Bean at beverlygb@gmail.com. Co-sponsored by Hartnell College.
Wednesday, September 25, 11 am - 1 pm, virtual on Zoom, Health Hazards of Wireless Technologies: What Do We Know Now? Free webinar. Dr. Joel Moskowitz PhD will discusse recent studies on the health risks of wireless technologies, focusing on cancer and children's health. Find more details and Register HERE.
Thursday, September 26, 7 pm, in person and on Zoom, NAACP General Membership meeting. Join in person at Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby Ave., Seaside, in the Seaside Room. Members will receive a Zoom link. Non-members can request the Zoom link with an email to mcbnaacp1049@gmail.com. For more details, visit the NAACP website.
Monday, September 30, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, in-person, Seaside Candidate Forum: Mayoral and City Council seats, at Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby Ave. in Seaside. Spanish language interpretation available. Sponsored and moderated by the League of Women Voters of Monterey County. Arrive as early as 6 pm to submit your questions on 3x5 cards. The forum will not be live-streamed, however it will be recorded for replay on the League’s website HERE. For more information about LWVMC or this event, please contact Beverly Bean at beverlygb@gmail.com. Co-sponsored by Sustainable Seaside.
Tuesdays, October 1 and 15, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm, in person, Write Letters and Postcards to Voters with Swing Left Monterey Peninsula at the PG Juice n’ Java, 599 Lighthouse Avenue at 16th Street. Get-out-the-Vote activists are invited to help increase voter turnout by writing Vote Forward cards and letters to low-propensity voters in targeted states. All materials will be provided. Packets of 25 postcards/stamps are $15 each. A packet of each without stamps is $2.50. Find more details HERE or contact: Maggie Pedersen maggie.pedersen52@gmail.com. Please patronize PGJJ by purchasing a drink and a nibble.
Wednesday, October 2, 3:45 pm - 5:00 pm, in person, Vigil at Vandenberg Space Force Base: Nuclear Weapons are Illegal. All are invited to participate in these vigils, held the first Wednesday of each month at the Santa Maria gate at Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc in Santa Barbara County. Sponsored by the Guadalupe Catholic Worker and other peace activists. Gather in the parking lot of Vandenberg Middle School at 1145 Mountain View Blvd, VSFB CA 93437 - across Highway 1 from the gate to Vandenberg SFB. Email macgregoreddy@gmail.com for more information or visit the Defuse Nuclear Weapons website HERE.
Wednesday, October 2, 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm, virtual on Zoom or Facebook Live, "Wednesdays with Wendy", focusing on Mental Health. In honor of Mental Health Day, Supervisor Wendy Root Askew will be joined by Bill McCabe, CEO of Family Services Agency of the Central Coast, Kacey Rodenbush, Behavioral Health Services Manger 2 and MHSA Innovations Rainbow Connections Project Lead, as well as Dr. Renie Rondon Jackson and Derrick Elder, Behavioral Health Commissioners for District 4. Ways to Join: Facebook Live: @SupervisorAskew and on Zoom HERE.
Thursday, Oct. 3, 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm, in person, Mic'd Up at the Press Club: David Schmalz speaks with Fred Watson, one of the creators of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway (FORTAG), a 30-mile regional network of paved recreational trails and greenways connecting communities to open space. Purchase coffee, tea, crepes, bagels and paninis before, during, and after the event at The Creperie Café, a business sharing space with the Press Club, 1123 Fremont Blvd, Seaside. (No purchase required to attend the event.) The interview will start promptly at 12:30pm, followed by a Q&A until 1:30pm.
Wednesday, October 9, 12 noon. California Statewide Ballot Propositions: Pros and Cons, a talk by Marilyn Maxner and Marianne Gawain during the "Lunch & Learn" segment of the General Meeting of the League of Women Voters of Monterey County. League (LWVMC) members Marilyn Maxner and Marianne Gawain will present a one-hour talk about the 10 statewide propositions on the November 5, 2024 ballot. They will describe each proposition, the arguments for and against them, the endorsers on both sides, and the major money donors. Q&A will follow each proposition presentation. LWVMC speakers will not make recommendations for or against a proposition. More details will be posted on the LWV website as the date approaches.
Friday, October 11, 3 pm – 4:30 pm, the Monthly Meeting of Veterans For Peace, Monterey Chapter 46. In-person and live-streamed on Zoom. Members and supporters are invited to attend the meeting in person at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd. in Seaside, CA. Join virtually HERE. Passcode 678017. For more info, contact Chapter President Michael Dempsey at mikedevfp46@gmail.com. Chapter 46 meets the second Friday of each month at 3:00 pm PT at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center in Seaside (Optionally on Zoom.) VFP is open to all veterans and supporters. For more info, visit vfp46.com.
Saturday, Oct 12, 11 am - 3 pm, in person, Annual Salinas Valley Pride Celebrations at Central Park in Salinas. Sign up to host an info table or as a volunteer HERE. Find more details, sign-up for their email list, or RSVP on the Facebook event page HERE.
Friday, October 18, 5:30-8:00 pm, in person, Regeneración’s Supporter Appreciation Event, Watsonville Plaza Community Room, 260 Rodriquez St., Watsonville. Celebrating everyone who helped Regeneración grow into our region's leading Climate Justice Champion. Enjoy a light dinner, rich conversation, and a short, bilingual program. Register HERE.
Friday, October 18, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, in person only, The Folly of Escalating Cold War with China. Dr. Sharat G. Lin will discuss the rising tensions between the U.S. and China. He'll explore the economic, political, and social forces that are driving these superpowers toward conflict - including how the 'chip wars' play into the bigger picture. He'll also consider what this could mean for our future and how peace can still be achieved. Dr. Sharat G. Lin is a political economist, analyst of geopolitical conflict, and advocate for universal human rights. He has extensive experience in the countries to which the U.S. government is opposed – China, Russia, North Korea. He has been with the San José Peace & Justice Center for 17 years. Free and open to the public. Doors open 6 pm. Location: Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd. in Seaside. For more info, phone MPJC at 831-899-7322
Monday, October 21, Last day to Register to Vote in order to cast a ballot in the November 5, 2024 General Election. Register to Vote HERE. California voters: check your Voter Registration Status and sign up for BallotTrax tracking HERE. Visit the Monterey County Elections website for listings of Candidates and Ballot Measures.
ACTION AND INFORMATION
Action: Americans of Conscience Checklist of Actions. Clear, well-researched actions for the week of September 13, 2024 - for Americans who value democracy, equality, voting, and decency.
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Article: Activists Call on Biden to Take Action on These Issues Before Leaving Office Given his lame-duck status, activists are encouraging President Biden to use his remaining months in office to take action on several areas that he vowed to address—but failed to deliver on. By Victoria Valenzuela, September 11, 2024 for Prism Reports
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Art: Under the Guard Tower: The Watercolors of Chikaji Kawakami, now through December 15 at the Monterey Museum of Art, 559 Pacific St. in Monterey. Kawakami's watercolor landscapes, created while imprisoned at Topaz internment camp, reflect both creativity and resilience, as he joined Chiura Obata and George Hibi in teaching nearly a thousand internees through an art school within the camp.
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Training: Victim Offender Reconciliation Mediator Training (VORP). Restorative Justice, Inc. will host two fall VORP trainings – one in the Monterey Peninsula area (Sep 27-28) and another in South County (Oct 18-19). Designed for community members interested in becoming volunteer mediators. To participate, email Jocelyn Mendoza rjp.vorp@gmail.com or visit restorativejusticepartners.org to download an application
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Action Alerts: Visit FCNL’s Action Center for a list of action alerts and pre-formatted/editable letters to members of Congress. Hosted by Friends Committee on National Legislation Action Center (FCNL).
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English Second Language (ESL) Tutoring Assistants are needed starting in August or September. Flexible schedules are available for classes are currently held Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, 6 pm to 7:30 pm. Even part-time or substitutes are welcome. Training and support materials will be provided. Students are mostly adults. It's an enriching experience! Please contact Susan Morse at smorse21st@gmail.com for more details. Or phone 831-899-7322.
ESL Classes are held Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 pm – 7:30 pm at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd., in Seaside. No registration necessary. Walk-ins welcome. More info HERE.
Monday and Tuesday classes, contact instructor Carlota Andrews at siandrewso@gmail.com.
Tuesday Conversation class, email Susan Morse at smorse21st@gmail.com
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Whites for Racial Equity eBlast. Find an online version of the e-Blast.
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IndyBay Event Calendar. Independent open-publishing newswire serving California.
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Local Advocacy: The Monterey County Branch of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) welcomes your membership in an international women’s peace organization that has advocated for peace for more than a century. Learn more about WILPF HERE. Download a copy of the WILPF membership application HERE.
PEACE COALITION INFORMATION
The Peace Coalition of Monterey County (PCMC) is a coalition of eight Monterey County organizations working for nonviolent solutions to world conflicts since 1991. If world peace is one of the concerns of your organization, consider joining the Coalition. Contact Co-chair, Sidney Ramsden Scott at sramsdenscott@hotmail.com.
The Weekly Peace Calendar is a project of PCMC. The calendar evolved in the early 2000’s to facilitate networking among Peace Coalition organizations. The Peace Calendar may be viewed on the Monterey Peace and Justice Center website at tinyurl.com/Weekly-Peace-Calendar.
Please send information about peace, nonviolence, social-justice, democracy and environmental sustainability-related events in Monterey County to Catherine at cm_crockett@sbcglobal.net.
The Weekly Peace Calendar is dedicated to the memory of Joyce Vandevere, who compiled and published this calendar for many years. Joyce died at the age of 94 on February 17, 2021. She is remembered for her lifelong peace and justice activism. Visit the Peace Center in Seaside Wednesday afternoons between 1 pm and 5:30 pm to view the memorial quilt created to honor Joyce’s memory.
Direct your questions about the Peace Coalition of Monterey County to Chair, Sidney Ramsden Scott, sramsdenscott@hotmail.com.
MONTEREY PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER
The Peace and Justice Center at 1364 Fremont Boulevard has reopened and if staffed Wednesdays, 1 pm to 5:30 pm. Wi-fi has been restored and regular cleaning services have been arranged to ensure the health and safety of guests. Contact Catherine Crockett at (831) 899-7322 to arrange venue scheduling and for any questions or concerns about using the Center.
Volunteer Opportunities: To learn about tasks for the Center, leave a message about volunteering at 899-7322 or email montereypeaceandjustice@gmail.com.
History: The Monterey Peace and Justice Center was envisioned and founded by Valori George in 2004 as a venue to support the activities of Monterey Peace Coalition organizations. Since its opening, it has been a networking center and resource center for those groups and others who were working for similar purposes. MPJC moved to its present Seaside location at 1364 Fremont Boulevard in 2008.
The mission of the Monterey Peace and Justice Center is to inspire and mobilize the people of Monterey County to cultivate peace, social justice, nonviolence, democracy, and environmental sustainability in our community and the world through education and advocacy. MPJC presents a wide spectrum of topics to stir up conversation about the issues. The MPJC board does not necessarily endorse the views of every speaker or film. Our aim is to stimulate civil discourse around the issues and encourage participants to become engaged as change makers for a just society.
Contact us by email: montereypeaceandjustice@gmail.com
Website: https://peacecentral.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/montereypeaceandjusticecenter/
Donations: Thanks to the continuous generosity of caring people in Monterey County, MPJC is able (when gatherings are allowed) to provide a venue for a host of allied community groups. If you wish to support MPJC’s education and advocacy, you can do so by sending a check to MPJC at P.O. Box 1823, Seaside, CA 93955. Or you can donate securely by PayPal or credit card on MPJC’s website, PeaceCentral.wordpress.org.
Direct your questions about the Monterey Peace and Justice Center to Catherine Crockett, 899-7322 or montereypeaceandjustice@gmail.com.
For more information about events listed, contact the sponsoring organization. The events and actions listed here are not necessarily endorsed by the Peace Coalition nor any of the Coalition organizations other than the sponsor of the listed item. The listings are provided as a community service. PCMC cannot guarantee the accuracy of listed items. To ensure this Peace Calendar is not bounced, add cm_crockett@sbcglobal.net to your address book or whitelist.
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