by Vern

Innovative and Thoughtful Approaches to Balancing Money, Society and the Environment

Winchester, MA (March 1, 2013) – Against the backdrop of mounting risks to the environment, economy and society, a group of experts in socially responsible investing and three thought leaders on issues relating to a sustainable economy, environment and society will share their knowledge and ideas at a “Community Reinvestment Day 2013” program in Winchester on Saturday, March 9th, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will take place in Metcalf Hall at the Winchester Unitarian Church, 478 Main Street, and is open to the general public, without charge.

A panel discussion on socially responsible investing will be moderated by Catherine Valega, CFP®, CAIA, of Green Bridge Wealth Management, LLC. The panelists will be: Margaret Arndt, Holistic Financial Consultant, of Sage Consulting, Inc., Dorothy Emerson, Co-founder of Rainbow Solutions, Inc., Eric Packer, an investment advisor with Progressive Asset Management Group, and Tim Smith, SVP and Director of Environmental, Social and Governance Shareholder Engagement at Walden Asset Management.

Three thought-provoking presentations will conclude the formal program. David Snieckus has researched money, banking and foreclosures and facilitated the formation of the Massachusetts Public Banking Advocates. He will address the relationship between “Food and Money.” Robert O. Leaver, a member of a group that believes we have to change the context of Western civilization in order to save Western civilization, will discuss the banking and monetary systems. And John G. Root, Jr., who is active in the movement for public banking, will speak on “Mutual Credit and Sociocracy.”

The program will include an exhibition area where organizations, individuals and companies will provide information about their activities and services relating to environmental, social and economic issues and socially responsible investing. During the final hour of the program attendees and participants are invited to mingle informally and discuss the issues presented over a light lunch of homemade soup.

This event is being co-sponsored by Occupy Winchester (www.occupywinchesterma.org) and Sustainable Winchester (http://www.sustainablewinchester.org).

by Carolyn and OB Strike Debt

Here is a great chance to understand and strategize about current debt resistance struggles in a historical context:

OB Strike Debt is hosting George Caffentzis, a New York Strike Debt speaker, on the Boston leg of his New England speaking tour.

He’ll be giving a talk titled “The Making of a Debt Resisters’ Movement from Shay’s Rebellion to the Rolling Jubilee,” followed by discussion.

Tuesday Feb. 26 at Community Church of Boston
565 Boylston St (2nd floor)
Boston, MA (in Copley Square)

Food and social time: 6:30 p.m.
Talk starts at about 7 p.m.

George Caffentzis is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern Maine (Portland). He is a member of Strike Debt. He has written books on the philosophy of money as well as many essays on social, political and economic issues. His most recent book, “In Letters of Blood and Fire: Work, Machines, and the Crisis of Capitalism,” will be published by CommonNotions and PM Press.

We welcome everyone to what should be a very interesting and relevant evening.

FYI, George Caffentzis will also be on “Radio with a View” WMBR (88.1FM) Sunday 2/24 at 11:25 a.m.

Occupy Boston’s Strike Debt working group was inspired by the #StrikeDebt group in NYC; we seek to draw attention to issues surrounding debt and indebtedness.

You can view our working group material at http://wiki.occupyboston.org/wiki/Strike_Debt and sign up for our mailing list at https://lists.mayfirst.org/mailman/listinfo/strikedebt. We’d love to have you involved!

by Patty

Hi All,

I am very pleased to let you know about an exciting event that is happening on Saturday, March 9, 2013, in Winchester MA. We are having a “Community Reinvestment Day – A Discussion of Innovative and Thoughtful Approaches Toward Balancing Money, Society and the Environment.” We are fortunate to be joined by both an impressive group of experts for a 90-minute panel discussion on socially responsible investing, and three courageous advocates for a public bank in MA who will give a very thought provoking hour-long presentation. There will also be exhibits from organizations like the Sustainable Business Network of MA, Rainbow Solutions, and many others. We will be offering everyone a light lunch of homemade soup and conversation, as well.

This event, inspired in part by CRY 2013 (Community Reinvestment Year 2013), located at http://wiki.occupyboston.org/wiki/CRY_2013, is being co-sponsored by Occupy Winchester and Sustainable Winchester and is taking place in Metcalf Hall at the Winchester Unitarian Society. We hope to have a good turnout from all over the Boston area as well as from Winchester. We really hope that you will be able to join us!

Here is a one-page flyer, with more details and the location of the event. Please feel free to circulate this to anyone you think might be interested.

NLG Mass Defense Fundraiser – RESCHEDULED!!! March 15, 2013, 6:00 pm

Announcement: Dear NLG Friends,
yes, the anticipated snow storm has scared us, and we have rescheduled our fundraiser for the NLG Mass Defense Fund. The event will happen in March.

Friday, March 15, 2013
6:00 – 9:00+ pm
Jillian’s, 145 Ipswich St., Boston

We would like to thank the event’s sponsors. Your support of the NLG Mass Defense Committee is greatly appreciated. We couldn’t do it without you! Thank you!

If you are interested in sponsoring, please let us know at 617-227-7335 or nlgmass-director@igc.org.

Hope to see you all there.
Urszula

by Smedley VFP

Alternative People’s Parade for Peace, Equality, Jobs, Environmental Stewardship, Social and Economic Justice

When: Sunday, March 17
Where: South Boston

Please join us for our Third Annual Saint Patrick’s Peace Parade, the Alternative People’s Parade for Peace, Equality, Jobs, Environmental Stewardship, Social and Economic Justice.

Why are there two parades on Saint Patrick’s Day?

For the past three years Veterans For Peace have been denied to walk in the historic Saint Patrick’s Parade in South Boston. This is the largest parade of its kind in the country with over 700,000 people viewing the parade. The parade has a dual purpose; the celebration of Saint Patrick and the Irish traditions and heritage and a celebration of Evacuation Day, the day the British were run out of Boston. Both days fall on March 17th, so the City of Boston thought it a good idea to have the Allied War Veterans Council (AWVC) organize the parade. The problem is that one side of the equation, St. Patrick, a man of peace, is second fiddle to a military parade. AWVC has the exclusive say in who gets to walk in this historical parade. The City of Boston, South Boston Community Groups, the Boston Police have absolutely no say in who walks the streets of South Boston in the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade.

In 2011 Veterans For Peace’s application was denied, when asked why and were told, “They did not want to have the word Peace associated with the word Veteran”. Well they did not know the Smedleys very well. We pulled our own permit and with only three weeks to go before the parade pulled together 500 people and the Saint Patrick’s Peace Parade, the Alternative People’s Parade for Peace, Equality, Jobs, Environmental Stewardship, Economic and Social Justice was born.

Twenty years ago the LGBT community wanted to walk in the parade and were denied which resulted in a lawsuit that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court resulting in the Hurley Decision. The Smedleys immediately reached out to the LGBT community, inviting them to “walk in our parade”

In 2012 we had close to 2,000 people, seven divisions (Veterans, Peace, LGBT, Labor, Political, Religious, Occupy Everywhere) two bands, bag pipers, drummers, a Duck Boat, two trollies etc. It was a grand success. We have an Environmental Stewardship Division this year. Our goal is to end this last vestige of institutionalized exclusion, prejudice, bigotry, and homophobia and make this parade inclusive and welcoming to all and bring the message of peace to South Boston on Saint Patrick’s Day.

Please join us in South Boston on March 17. Be sure to bring your Chapter’s or Organization’s banners, signs and costumes and join us in our fabulous Third Annual Saint Patrick’s Peace Parade.

On behalf of the Saint Patrick’s Peace Parade Organizing Committee.
Thank you,
Pat Scanlon (VN 69′)
Coordinator, VFP Chapter 9, Smedley Butler Brigade
Vets4PeaceChapter9@gmail.com
Phone: 978-475-1776

Web: smedleyvfp.org
Twitter: @SmedleyVFP
Facebook: facebook.com/smedleyvfp

Flyer: VFP St Pats Flyer

Source: http://act-ma.org/pipermail/act-ma_act-ma.org/2013/006480.html