News

October 2016 – News from KNOW

News from
Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War
(KNOW)

(lots of treats) in this issue:

- Fr. Berrigan events report
- potluck Oct. 17
- Libya talk at library Oct. 27
- Naomi Klein at K College Oct. 21
- World Without War conference report back
- Sing along at Skyridge
- Lauren Freedman and John Fisher on Critical Issues
Last Friday, KNOW, Peace House and St. Tom's sponsored a memorial for
 Father Daniel Berrigan.  This was followed by a Saturday noon vigil
 at the Air National Guard Base at Battle Creek, where the
 "Drones Kill Innocent People" banner shown above was displayed. 
 Well over 40 people attended the vigil!

Below is a report from Karen Chadwick about the moving tribute to the life
 of Fr. Dan Berrigan, which captures what many of us who attended were feeling:
"We joined energy with our Peace House friends and the super folks at St.
 Thomas More Catholic Church for a memorial service last Friday.
 Ron Kramer was the MC, and we saw the way the Vietnam War became a huge 
conflict for many Americans, and most importantly, how a young man turned 
to the peace movement because of the strength of purpose of the Berrigan 
brothers and the other activists involved with the Catonsville action.
The evening was wonderful, and for me, there was a moment in the service that jolted me to tears.
As Matt Gross was singing a solo song, and can that man sing!, as the song progressed,
 others got out of their seats, and stood behind him, humming as back-up. 
There was something of that, how important a single voice can be, and then,
 what others add, that moved me to tears. And I'm not one to cry
 in most circumstances, but I needed a tissue then.
Something in that example of what it means to work in community was demonstrated
 so beautifully with Matt's rendition of "With God on Our Side."
I extend my deep gratitude to everyone who worked to make the event so special,
 and I bow to each person in attendance through the evening, we created some loving solidarity together.
We join the vast weave of peace, weft and warp, add a new thread here and there,
 change the pattern a bit, yet keep the loom moving, keep the goal in mind, keep working!
Thank you, each of you.
Soon, Cheers, karen
convener, KNOW"
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Nazareth nuns, Sr. Goretti Germain and Sr. Mary Ellen Gondeck, 
will present information about different aspects of human trafficking 
and share some of the work of the Kalamazoo Anti-Human Trafficking
 Coalition at another potluck discussion sponsored by KNOW.

We will have a 1/2 hour presentation from our guests, 
then break bread together. Guests are most welcome for this program. 
Please bring your own table ware, it will cut down on trash waste. 
Our potlucks are always unique, hope you like surprises! Aren't potato chips a veggie?

Monday, October 17th
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church, 321 W. South St.
room 315 on third floor
free parking and entrance at the rear of the church

What is human trafficking?  Human trafficking is recruiting, harboring,
 transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or
 commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. 
Trafficking is forcing someone to do something that they don’t want to do,
 holding them against their will, keeping them in a state of fear, 
taking their identity, and not paying them for their work. 
 Can this really be happening?

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WMU graduate student and activist Randy LaPrairie will present
 his timely research on the intervention in Libya and how it was
 packaged and sold to the American public.  With introduction
 by Ron Kramer, this promises to be a provocative and educational evening. 
 Free and open to the public.

Thursday, October 27th
7:00 pm
Kalamazoo Public Library, Van Deusen Room
315 S. Rose St., downtown Kalamazoo

Special treat: a display of the Tom Todd collection of historic international peace posters
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Naomi Klein (http://www.naomiklein.org) is speaking in Kalamazoo 
as part of the With/out Borders Conference
 (https://reason.kzoo.edu/csjl/annual-event/withoutborders/) 
and her keynote speech is free and open to the public!
Naomi Klein keynote
7:00 pm, Friday,  Oct. 21st
Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, Kalamazoo College
205 Monroe Street, Kalamazoo

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World Beyond War report back November 4

Friends of KNOW, thank you so much for all who donated to make it
 possible for KNOW to send representatives.  We were able to send
 WMU grad students Zach Oaster and Randy LaPrairie to Washington, DC 
for the World Beyond War (http://worldbeyondwar.org/) conference. 
 Many courageous activists spoke, including Kathy Kelly of 
Voices for Creative Nonviolence (http://vcnv.org/) and Medea Benjamin
 of Code Pink (http://www.codepink.org/) (pictured below with Randy).  
It was great that we could add youthful energy to the conference, 
and help with the development of the next generation of leaders.

Save the date and time to hear all about it!
7:00 pm, Friday, November 4
Report back and discussion on peace strategies
Randy LaPrairie and Zach Oaster
(Pizza will be provided)
place: yet to be determined, somewhere on WMU campus likely
Note from Randy: "The 2016 World Beyond War conference in Washington D.C.
 gave me some insight into the main questions and problems being addressed 
by the anti-war/peace movement today. Prominent among these are how can we
 create an "alternative global security system" that provides real security
 to all people? And what can the anti-war/peace movement do to make this 
alternative to perpetual war a reality? There is an acute awareness that youth
 involvement will be crucial to making this change, and so the question of how
 to bring more youth into a mostly white and aging movement was also salient at
 the conference. Although conference speakers were not short on possible answers,
 these are not simple or easy questions. Indeed, these questions will undoubtedly
 occupy my thinking as a graduate student and anti-war activist."


 Singalong!

You are invited to join in with others in a Coffee House Singalong (folk music and peace and justice songs):

Skyridge Church of the Brethren

394 S. Drake Rd. (Across from Drake Ponds Apartments)

Sunday October 23, 4-5:30 pm

Primary music will be provided by Pastors John and Jan Long of Skyridge;
 Please bring your singing voice, music enjoyment, and/or musical instruments!

Children are welcome; no child care provided. Light snacks provided.
 If you have a copy of the songbook, "Rise Up Singing” please bring it along...

There is no charge; contributions of light snacks to share are welcomed.

Questions or to RSVP: Ineke Way, inekew786@gmail.com (mailto:inekew786@gmail.com)