Reminder: Tax Day protest vigil is Wednesday, April 15
4pm-5:30pm, on Westnedge in Portage near Target parking lot
message: Cut the war budget, fund human needs!

A lot is happening in town this Spring.  A sampling in this issue of News from KNOW:

Amos Gvirtz, Israeli Peace Activist- May 3
Movie “On the Side of the Road” – April 23
Shutdown Palisades Fundraiser – April 19
Hope for Creation – April 21
Daoud Nasser – April 30
Make a call to support diplomacy with Iran

We in Kalamazoo are very fortunate to host the Israeli peace activist, Amos Gvirtz.

Amos is on an extended tour of the US and Canada, and was able to swing by

Kalamazoo the day before flying back to Tel Aviv.

Who: Amos Gvirtz, Israeli Peace Activist
Where: Friends Meetinghouse, 508 Denner, Kalamazoo
When: Sunday afternoon, May 3rd, 3:00 pm

Free and open to the public.

Some info on Amos Gvirtz:

Amos has developed an international audience with his Don’t Say We Did Not Know

weekly emails about unpublicized incidents, events, and government actions affecting

the Palestinian and Bedouin communities in Israel and Palestine. His newly

published book (in Hebrew), Don’t Say We Did Not Know, deals with the moral

questions Israelis must face today and why they don’t want to know about the crimes

being committed in their name.  He hopes to have the book translated into English

and published in the US.  “Writing this book has brought me some new ideas.

Some surprised me and some frighten me,” he says.
Amos is a co-founder of the local FOR (Fellowship of Reconciliation) chapter in

Israel called “Israelis and Palestinians for Nonviolence” (Palestinians who have an Israeli passport).

For many years Amos has been a member of the board of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, based in Alkmar, The Netherlands.
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KNOWfilms presents: On the Side of the Road
Thursday, April 23, 2015
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Kalamazoo Public Library – Van Deusen room
Address: 315 S Rose St, Kalamazoo
Free and open to the public

On the Side of the Road, Lia Tarachansky’s first documentary feature film,

is an exploration of the power of denial. The film focuses on Israeli collective

denial of the events of 1948 that led to the country’s Independence and the Palestinian

refugee problem. It follows war veterans Tikva Honig-Parnass and Amnon Noiman

as they tackle their denial of their actions in the war. The film also tells the story

of the director, Lia Tarachansky, an Israeli born in the Soviet Union who grew up

in a settlement in the West Bank and who as an adult began to realize the problems

of the Israeli Occupation for the Palestinians. The film was shot over the course of

five years and premiered at the First International Independent Film Festival in Tel Aviv.
82 mins.
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Pull the Plug on Palisades for Earth Day

Palisades Shutdown Campaign fundraiser
Sunday, April 19
at 2:30pm – 5:00pm
Old Dog Tavern
402 E Kalamazoo Ave
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Great music, speakers (including Kevin Kamp), and a silent auction.
Free-will donation.

Palisades Shutdown Campaign continues to work toward
“Shutdown Before Meltdown 2015 and Shutdown Palisades-Save Lake Michigan”

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HOPE FOR CREATION – APRIL 21 EVENT

Five organizations doing bipartisan work to reduce the effects of climate change are speaking at
a “Hope for Creation” event on Tuesday, April 21, the eve of Earth Day, at 7 pm at

First Presbyterian Church of Kalamazoo.  “Hope for Creation” is the network of seven

local faith communities and the Western Michigan University Climate Change Working Group,

which hosted a month-long series last year called “Faith & Action in a Time of Climate Change.”

The keynote address “A Climate of Hope” will be delivered by Mr. Rob Sisson, president

of ConservAmerica, which is trying to draw broad support from across the political spectrum in order to enact legislation.

Following the keynote, participants will have a chance to meet with other organizations

also doing bipartisan work on reducing climate change.  As well as ConservAmerica,

these include Michigan Interfaith Power and Light, Michigan League of Conservation Voters,

Citizen’s Climate Lobby, and a Trustee from Scio Township, which has been able to address climate issues in an urban setting.

Admission is free.  First Presbyterian Church is located at 321 W. South St. on

Bronson Park in downtown Kalamazoo.  Parking is accessed from Lovell St. and

additional free parking is available on surrounding streets. For more information, go to HopeforCreation.net.

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Carpools are joining up for going to this event in Holland, reply if interested.

Palestinian Christian fruit farmer, Daoud Nasser (Tent of Nations), is coming to Holland/Zeeland!

Date: Thursday, April 30
Place: Christ Memorial Church in The Chapel (24th and Grafschaap Road)
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Sponsor: Kairos USA – Holland/Zeeland Community
Daoud Nasser is a Palestinian Christian farmer whose family has worked its

100-acre farm south of Bethlehem since 1916, one of the last Christian families in this fertile region.

Israel’s “Separation Wall,” illegal settlements, & checkpoints threaten that the farm will be totally cut off,

and last year, the Israeli military destroyed over 1500 fruit-bearing trees on the farm. In addition to farming,

Tent of Nations has also become an educational and environmental peace farm and community; its mission

is to build bridges between people and the land, and between people of various cultures. Its theme: “We Refuse to Be Enemies.”

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From Moveon.org: Here are the top three things to know about the agreement with Iran:
* Ensures Iran’s nuclear program is suitable for peaceful uses only
* Dramatically reduces its stockpile of nuclear material
* Allows for permanent, short-notice inspections and extensive monitoring by the

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ watchdog

Let’s be clear: There are only two alternatives to this agreement—a nuclear-armed

and more dangerous Iran or another costly war in the Middle East. Neither will make

our nation more secure.So it’s up to us to call Congress to stand strong—as it returns from recess—and let diplomacy work!
Can you call Sen. Peters, Sen. Stabenow, and Rep. Upton? Tell them:

“I support the diplomatic framework with Iran that was just announced by the Obama

Administration. Congress must not sabotage these efforts through increased sanctions or any other diplomacy-killing legislation. Let diplomacy work.”

Senator Gary Peters
Phone:
Senator Debbie Stabenow
Phone:
Representative Fred Upton
Phone:
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Thanks for being a part of the movement for peace and justice. Please reply with comments or concerns.

Newsletter compiled by Daniel Smith.

KNOW steering committee:
Bob Kildea – convener and treasurer
Harold Beu – secretary
Daniel Smith – communications
Ron Kramer, Raelyn Joyce, Michael Dwyer – at-large members

www.kzoo4peace.org