1/31 Town Hall Presents: What Can I Do? Raising Awareness and Support for the People of Haiti

Town Hall Seattle Presents:

 

Raising Awareness and Support for the People of Haiti
Sunday, January 31, 2010
4-6pm Briefing • 6-7pm Dinner Break • 7-9pm Benefit Concert 

Briefing: Free of charge, no reservations required.
Concert: Suggested donation $20, 
visit Town Hall Seattle for ticketing and more information.

Survivors of the earthquake speak -- Town Hall is honored to host a benefit for Haiti relief on Sunday. January 31. The event kicks off at 4pm with a free ‘Briefing,’ offering insight and eyewitness testimony to the ongoing challenges for the country’s government, economy and national health, and the ways this devastating earthquake has exponentially intensified what was already a ‘silent emergency.’

The two hour program includes: activist/teacher Jesse Hagopian and health educator Sarah Wilhelm, both survivors of the quake; civil rights attorney and NAACP president James Bible; immigrant rights advocate Sandra Aguila; International Studies professor Matthew Sparke; Stephen Gloyd, Health Services Professor; Representative Jim McDermott and other guests.

After a dinner break, we will return to the Great Hall at 7pm for a Benefit Concert, with a terrific roster of artists still being assembled. Our lobby will also be given over to members of the public with goods and services for sale to benefit the relief effort.

Ticket proceeds and other contributions will be directed to  organizations doing important work in Haiti, with the primary beneficiaries being Partners in Health, the Haiti Staff Relief Fund of the International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), and other organizations doing important work in Haiti.  I-TECH is a UW-based organization providing health services worldwide; its 36 staff in Haiti were devastated by the quake (details on this fund at http://itechhaitistaffrelief.org/).

Briefing: Free of charge, no reservations required.
Concert: Suggested donation $20, visit Town Hall Seattle for ticketing and more information.


Sponsored by Town Hall Seattle
Co-Sponsored by The Seattle International Socialist Organization , The Seattle King County Branch of the NAACP, and the UW Geography and International Studies Departments.
Endorsed by MLK County Pride At Work, Seattle OUTprotest, and  Jewish Voice for Peace-Seattle
To endorse this event email: jdhagopian@gmail.com

Join A Study Group

Join a Study Series, we have three currently ruining.
For an introduction to Marxism and the politics of the ISO try The Meaning of Marxism; for a history of the Haitian Revolution of 1794-1803 that helped form the first independent nation in the Caribbean try The Black Jacobins; and to discuss the roots of LGBT oppression, the history of the gay movement, and how to win sexual liberation for all try the Sexuality and Socialism Study group.

For more information or to sign up for any of the three Study Series email info@seattleiso.org

The Meaning of Marxism

When: Weekly on Tuesdays,
             starting Tues, Feb 9 at 5:30pm
Where: Café Solstice, 4116 University Way, University District 

What is Marxism?  What relevance does it have today?  What differentiates the International Socialist Organization from other socialist groups in Seattle? Starting Tues, Feb 2, we will be discussing these topics and more in a new round of our 6-week study group based on The Meaning of Marxism by Paul D’Amato (available online from Haymarket Books, or at any ISO meeting or event)

Full Schedule of readings
Week 1 - 2/9: Socialism, Not Capitalism:

• Intro: The Relevance of Marxism
• Chapter 3: The Marxist View of History

Week 2 - 2/16: Workers' Power:

• Chapter 4: Marxist Economics - How Capitalism Works & How it Doesn't
• Chapter 5: No Power Greater - The Working Class
• Chapter 14: Imagine...The Future Socialist Society
• Conclusion: The Point is to Change it

Week 3 - 2/23:  Revolution:

• Chapter 6: Democracy, Reform, and Revolution
• Chapter 13: Can it Happen Here?
• First half of Chapter 8: How the Russian Revolution Was Won

Week 4 - 3/2: Internationalism:

• Chapter 9: Imperialism, Nationalism, and War
• Second half of Chapter 8: How the Russian Revolution Was Lost

Week 5 - 3/9: Full Equality and Liberation:

• Chapter 10: Marxism and Oppression
• Chapter 11: Capitalism and the Environment

Week 6 - 3/16:  The Revolutionary Party:

• Chapter 7: The Need for Socialist Organization
• Chapter 12: But What About...? (Arguments Against Socialism)
  
  

The Black Jacobins
Meeting in both Capitol Hill and the U District

When: Weekly on Tuesdays,
             starting Tues, Feb 9 at 7:30pm
Where: Victrola Coffee, 411 15th Ave E, Capitol Hill
--or--

When: Weekly on Saturdays,
            starting Sat, Feb 13 at 1:00pm
Where: Café Solstice, 4116 University Way, University District

The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution by C.L.R. James is a powerful, intensely dramatic book--the definitive account of the Haitian Revolution of 1794-1803, a revolution that began in the wake of the Bastille but became the model for the Third World liberation movements from Africa to Cuba. It is the story of the French colony of San Domingo, a place where the brutality of master toward slave was commonplace and ingeniously refined. And it is the story of a barely literate slave named Toussaint L'Ouverture, who led the black people of San Domingo in a successful struggle against successive invasions by overwhelming French, Spanish, and English forces and in the process helped form the first independent nation in the Caribbean.

For more information or to sign up for any of the three Study Series email info@seattleiso.org
 

Sexuality and Socialism
This Study group is running at the pace of the participants, please Join the Facebook Group for updates on reading schedule and meeting times
 
Sexuality and Socialism: History, Politics, and Theory of LGBT Liberation by Sherry Wolf is a remarkably accessible analysis of many of the most challenging questions for those concerned with full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.

Inside are essays on the roots of LGBT oppression, the construction of sexual and gender identities, the history of the gay movement, and how to unite the oppressed and exploited to win sexual liberation for all. Sherry Wolf analyzes different theories about oppression—including those of Marxism, postmodernism, identity politics, and queer theory—and challenges myths about genes, gender, and sexuality.

1/27: Live Screening of the State of the Union

Join the ISO early this Wed for a live screening of the
State of the Union Address
Wed 1/27 at 6pm  
UW Architecture Hall  
Room 147
Immediately preceding our
EyeWitness from Haiti meeting

1/27 Eye Witness from Haiti: An Unnatural Disaster -- Send Food not Troops

7pm WED  Jan 27 
UW  Architecture Hall  Room 147

Map here

JESSE HAGOPIAN, a UW alumni and Seattle ISO member, was in Port-au-Prince with his 1-year-old son to visit his wife when the earthquake hit. His wife, an aid worker, works until the evening on most days, but by sheer luck, she came to the hotel where they were staying early on Tuesday--just minutes before the quake struck at 4:53 p.m. This spared Jesse and his family agonizing hours or days trying to find one another amid the chaos

Within hours, the hotel where they were staying became known as a place where some medical help was available, because another hotel guest happened to be an emergency medical technician. Jesse got a crash course in treating severe injuries--broken bones, head wounds and more--as people desperate for help kept arriving. After five days Jesse and his family were evacuated and have returned to Seattle.

Come hear first hand about the situation in Haiti from Jesse Learn about what happened in the immediate aftermath of the quake, and why help hasn’t reached most of the victims of Haiti’s earthquake--because the priority of the U.S. government is on imposing its control. Most Haitians have seen little humanitarian aid so far. What they have seen is guns, and lots of them. Armored personnel carriers cruise the streets. UN soldiers aren’t there to help pull people out of the rubble. They’re there, they say, to enforce the law. Instead of sending ample food, water and rescue teams to help the victims of this devastating earth-quake, the Obama administration is essentially organizing an occupation of Haiti. 

 We will also be collecting donations for grassroots aid organizations in Haiti

Help get the word out!  The Poster for the event can be downloaded here http://www.box.net/shared/b6m7b5my4k

An in depth reading packet can be download here NATURAL AND UNNATURAL DISASTERS: How U.S. policy has impoverished and devastated Haiti  

Ongoing News Coverage of the Disaster in Haiti from
 

Comment: Jesse Hagopian Delaying aid for a photo-op
Given the examples of Iraq, Afghanistan and now Haiti, it seems like the U.S. knows how to do little other than occupy.

Comment: Richard Seymour The humanitarian myth
With U.S. forces obstructing aid and beefing up "security" while Haitians die, no one should accept that the U.S. is motivated by "humanitarianism."

Analysis: Rachel Cohen and Alan Maass The siege of Haiti
A ring of U.S. warships on patrol off Haiti's coast to stop desperate people from trying to flee is a stark symbol of Washington's attitude toward refugees.

Comment: Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor The media's scapegoating reflex
The earthquake that rocked Haiti has brought back hard memories of the racist atmosphere whipped up after the Katrina disaster in New Orleans.

1/20 - ISR Discussion: 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Sit-ins & Organizing for Eyewitness from Haiti meeting

This week we will have a two part meeting to prepare for two very exciting upcoming meetings.

1. Fiftieth anniversary of the civil rights sit-ins --When the walls of segregation toppled (45 mins)

In the first section of this week's meeting we will discuss the ISR article When the walls of segregation toppled by Brian Jones



This is an initial discussion is preparation for our
February 10th meeting on
The History of the Civil Rights Movement
with Guest Speaker Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor from Northwestern University in Chicago. Download a Postere here

There are many lessons to be learned from how the Civil Rights Movement was built, and how it developed over the years into a mass movement that not only successfully challenged the US institutions of Jim Crow segregation but also inspired the later 60's movements against the Vietnam War and fro Women's and Gay Liberation. Join us for this week's discussion and Save the Date for Feb 10th. 



2. Eyewitness in Haiti: an Unnatural Disaster
Jesse Hagopian, Seattle ISO member, and laid-off Middle School teacher, was in Port-au-Prince with his 1-year-old son to visit his wife when the earthquake hit. His wife, an aid worker, works until the evening on most days, but by sheer luck, she came to the hotel where they were staying early on Tuesday--just minutes before the quake struck at 4:53 p.m. This spared Jesse and his family agonizing hours or days trying to find one another amid the chaos.  Within hours, the hotel where they were staying became known as a place where some medical help was available, because another hotel guest happened to be an emergency medical technician. Jesse got a crash course in treating severe injuries--broken bones, head wounds and more--as people desperate for help kept arriving.

Jesse and his family were evacuated to the Domincan Republic on Sunday and returned to Seattle this Monday. We are currently working to build a large Eyewitness from Haiti meeting next Wednesday 1/27 at UW.

This week we will welcome Jesse back and hear a brief informal report from Jesse about his experiences (20 minutes or so) and we will spend the remaining 35 minutes working to organize for and coordinate outreach for next Wednesday's Meeting.

Please see the post below for press coverage of Jesse and his family in Haiti

Eyewitness Report from Haiti

Seattle ISO Member, Jesse Hagopian, was in Haiti During the eartquake.  Jesse and his family have been evacuated to the Domincan Republic and will return to Seattle last Monday evening 1/18/10. 

Since Jesse and his family are only just now getting back into the states, we are working to build a large Eyewitness from Haiti meeting next Wednesday 1/27 at UW. This Wednesday 1/20 we will hear a brief informal report from Jesse about his experiences in the 2nd part of our meeting, and we will spend a good chunk of time working to organize for the big meeting next wed. There will be a full agenda posted soon.  


 
 

Interview: Jesse Hagopian Witness to a nightmare
A Seattle activist and writer who was in Haiti when the earthquake hit talks about the desperate situation gripping the country, and how the U.S. made things worse. January 18, 2010


Interview: Olden Polynice We are a forgotten people
A former NBA player and longtime activist and advocate for his homeland talks about the post-earthquake calamity in Haiti. January 18, 2010

Analysis: Roger Annis Where is the aid in Haiti?
As the media report a massive international effort to deliver emergency aid, people in the shattered city are wondering when they will see help. January 15, 2010

A full list of articles from SW covering  Haiti

A more in depth reading packet (PDF to download) NATURAL AND UNNATURAL DISASTERS: How U.S. policy has impoverished and devastated Haiti


Thursday morning Jesse was interviewed on Democracy Now, in the video below he describes the devastation on the ground and what he's been able to do to help care for the injured and dying.

Other News Reports

Laid-off Seattle teacher Jesse Hagopian lauded for aid to quake victims  Craig Welch, Seattle Times, 1/16/10
 
Seattle couple in Haiti suddenly become medical workers

Hal Bernton, Seattle Times

Quake-battered Haiti hotel offers refuge for all
Andrew Cawthorn

Want to help Haiti? 

Consider giving to the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund Since its inception in March 2004, the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund (run by the American solidarity organization Haiti Action) has given concrete aid to Haiti’s grassroots democratic movement – including labor unions, women’s groups, educators and human rights activists, support committees for prisoners, and agricultural cooperatives – as they attempted to survive the brutal coup and to rebuild shattered development projects.   Now they will attempt to funnel needed aid to those most hit by the earthquake.

1/13: The Fight Against Budget Cuts

1. The Fight Against Budget Cuts (45 mins)

Join us for discussion on the national fight against budget cuts. We will discuss the organizing and struggle in California that has been building since the fall and has lead to the call for a  March 4 National Day of Action To Defend Public Education. As part of the discussion we will  hear a report-back from our Budget Cuts Committee members about the state of organizing in the new UW anti-budget cuts coalition. Join us to discuss lessons from the ongoing struggle and how they apply to the situation at UW to help formulate a perspective for our work in that movement.


Articles on the California Budget Cut Struggle from:

• Where we go now at SFSU 12/14/09
  
• Police attack SFSU occupation 12/11/09
• Solidarity with California students 12/3/09
  
• The truth about Kerr Hall 12/1/09
  
• Students sit in at Yudof's office 11/25/09
• We will have to learn how to fight 11/25/09
  
• Police break up UC occupations 11/23/09
  
• Struggle heats up in California 11/20/09
  
• Staff and students strike at UC campuses 11/18/09
  
• California Conference Calls Spring Walk-Out 10/27/09

2. Committee Meetings
In part two of our meeting We'll break into Committees -- Education, Outreach, Anti Budget Cuts Organizing, LGBT Rights Organizing, and Seattle Teachers Union Organizing. After 35 minutes to meet, each Committee will report back to the group for 5 mins.

1/6: Political Roundup discussion

1. Political Roundup discussion
As our first meeting of the quarter after a several week break, the first section of our meeting will be a Political roundup discussion of recent events. A lot has happened in politics during our break -- the attempted plane bombing and the subsequent escalations and overtures to war with yemen to attacks in on CIA operatives in Afghanistan to "progress" on the senate health care bill  -- Come discuss  the socialist perspective on the news of the day!

2. The second half of the meeting we will discuss and vote on our Committee Structure for the winter quarter.


Recent Articles from


Analysis: Elizabeth Schulte
YEMEN IN THE CROSSHAIRS
In the name of the "war on terror," the U.S. government is carrying out a covert and not-so-covert war in Yemen, with bloody results.
http://socialistworker.org/2010/01/04/yemen-in-the-crosshairs
 
Comment: Laura Durkay
EGYPT'S SHAMEFUL BAN ON FREEDOM MARCHERS
Activists from 43 countries came to Cairo for the Gaza Freedom March, but Egyptian authorities showed their loyalties by stopping the marchers.
http://socialistworker.org/2010/01/04/egypts-shameful-ban

Statement: Gaza Freedom March
THE CAIRO DECLARATION
Participants in the Gaza Freedom March approved a statement aimed at accelerating the campaign against Israeli apartheid.http://socialistworker.org/2010/01/04/the-cairo-declaration
________

Tributes to Dennis Brutus, South African activist and poet
Comment: Lee Sustar and Aisha Karim
REMEMBERING A FREEDOM FIGHTER
The movement for global justice lost an irreplaceable comrade when the South African poet and activist passed away December 26. http://socialistworker.org/2010/01/04/remembering-a-freedom-fighter

Comment: Patrick Bond
AN EMBLEM OF SOLIDARITY
Even in his last days, Dennis Brutus was fully engaged, advocating protest against those responsible for climate change and social injustice.http://socialistworker.org/2010/01/04/an-emblem-of-solidarity

Comment: Dave Zirin
HE SHAMED THE SHAMELESS
The 1976 Olympic Games were in jeopardy, and the cause of all the tumult, according to Sports Illustrated, was a diminutive South African poet.http://socialistworker.org/2010/01/04/shaming-the-shameless