Tricounty DFA Update: 4th On the 4th! Our "Green" DFA Meeting Next Week,Video, Iraqi Family, More
Hello Everyone!

First, next week we will be celebrating our Fourth Anniversary as a group. I regard it as a great gift and personal honor every time we have a meeting or call an event and people come. You have made all of this, and the real change that is coming here, possible. I am ever humbled and grateful to all of you.

In This Update:

1. A "Green" DFA Meeting Next Wednesday, April 4th-- Our 4th Anniversary!
2. Video Agenda: Killowatt Ours
3. An Iraqi Family Appeal
4. Writer's Project At ACC On Middle East
5. Nominate Pete Seeger
6. Friday Night Film Fest
7. Real Family Values & A Must Read


1. A "Green" DFA Meeting Next Wednesday, April 4th-- Our 4th Anniversary!

Next Wednesday, April 4th, at 7pm the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls, is going to be a big day for Greater Glens Falls DFA: Our Fourth Anniversary! We began as the Howard Dean Campaign, transitioned to Democracy For America and opened our arms to all area progressives, especially after Governor Dean ran for the Chair of the Democratic Party and became the leader of all Democrats everywhere.

We will be having a special "green" themed meeting: first, we'll take up our Circular Letter On Climate Change. We'll also discuss what we can do for green issues in May, particularly Bill McKibben's Step It Up initiative and Earth Day.

Green energy has been a big issue with us ever since we took the DFA lead a year ago when we hosted Jim McAndrew of Adirondack Windpower and endorsed the Barton Mines windpower farm.

We've been asked to figure out how to do a carbon offset for having our meeting. I think sponsoring a 27 megawatt wind farm pretty much nails that!

2. Video Agenda: Killowatt Ours

For the second half of the meeting we will be screening the Northcountry premier of a special video, Killowatt Ours.

From DFA" "Kilowatt Ours is an advocacy documentary film produced by Jeff Barrie and the Southern Energy Conservation Initiative. The film demonstrates the connections between a homeowner's energy use and mountain top removal, coal mining, global warming, and nuclear power. A key aspect of the film is that it demonstrates actions that apartment renters, homeowners, schools, and governments can do to save energy and reduce demand for unsustainable energy." The video is 60 minutes long and looks absolutely terrific.

3. An Iraqi Family Appeal

Lisa Scerbo sends this appeal about Capital District peace activist May Safar, who is from Iraq, and in real need. For all the enormity of the Iraq disaster, we still mustn't let the fate of individual families become lost:

"May Safar still has family in Iraq and her brother has fled to Jordan with his family. She has registered them for refugee status, but because the U.S . government is only allowing 7000 Iraqi refugees to come to the U.S. May needs us to write letters to our representatives in Congress asking for their help. Can you write letters on behalf of her family? Can you ask others to help too? We have an opportunity to help a few people from Iraq who have had their lives turned into a hellish nightmare. I hope we all can take advantage of this moment and encourage our representatives in congress to help May's family. Also May's brother did some work for the coalition so he and his family are put in danger as a result. "

From May herself:
"Your letters should be focused on the humanitarian support of my desire to bring my family here, and why you support their resettlement in the Capital region. No financial or any other support is required in this process. It's the number of individual letters sent to our representatives and senators that will speed up this process.
You will need the following names of the family members to include in your letters (I applied for them already):
First family: My parents, dad's name: Mohammed Hassan Al Saffar (head of household) family of two.
Second family: My brother, name: Haythem Al Saffar (head of household) family of four.
Third family: My cousin, name: Basil Al Saffar (head of household) family of five. "

"Also, for those of who want to know a little bit about me, I am including the following short biography:
Name: May Saffar, resident of Clifton Park, NY, has lived in the Albany area for 13 years, English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and an adjunct at Hudson Valley Community College and College of St. Rose.
Mother of three kids, and a graduate of University at Albany, 2005. "

Here are the addresses you will need to write to the representatives and senators:
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
Leo O'Brien Federal Office Building
1 Clinton Square, Room 821
Albany, NY 12207
Phone: (518) 431-0120
Fax: (518) 431-0128

Senator Chuck Schumer
Leo O'Brien Federal Office Building
1 Clinton Square, Room 420
Albany, NY 12207
Phone: 518-431-4070
Fax: 518-431-4076

For 21st Congressional District:
Representative Michael McNulty
Leo O'Brien Federal Office Building
1 Clinton Square, Room 827
Albany , New York 12207
Phone: (518) 465-0700
FAX: (518) 427-5107

For 20th Congressional District:
Representative Kirsten Gillibrand
446 Warren Street
Hudson, New York 12534
Phone: (518) 828-3109
Fax: (518) 828-3985

If you could forward me a copy of your letters, to
mayziyadeh@yahoo.com
I would appreciate it. Thank you!
May Saffar"

4. Writer's Project At ACC On Middle East

Rebecca would like to alert us to an opportunity to really learn more about Iraq, from Iraqis:

"The Writers Project at Adirondack Community College presents "Voices from the Middle East," readings by two Iraqi exiles and an Arab-American author. The presentations are free and open to the public, and all take place in the Visual ARts GAllery (Dearlove Hall). The audience is invited to ask questions after each reading. For more information, call coordinator Lale Davidson at 743-2210 or email davidsol@sunyacc.edu "

"Wed, March 28, 7 to 9 p.m.:
Sinan Antoon, an Iraqi exile, co-directed the documentary "About Baghdad" and has written a book of poetry (A Prism: Wet with Wars) and a novel (Diacritics) which will soon be released in English.

"Fri., March 30, 1 to 2:30 p.m.:
Diana Abu-Juber, an Arab-American who grew up in Syracuse and Jordan, wrote the award-winning novels "Arabian Jazz," and "Crescent." Her latest book, "The Language of Baklava," is a culinary memoir.

"Mon, April 2, 12:30 to 2 p.m.:
Dunya Mikhail, a Baghdad-born poet who fled Iraq to escape harassment, has published four Arabic language books. "The War Works Hard," her first English book, was published to critical acclaim in 2005."

5. Nominate Pete Seeger

Our 2004 Congressional Candidate Doris Kelly sends something that will be dear to the hearts of many who remember the voice of Pete Seeter:

"I have just signed the petition entitled Pete Seeger Nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize and thought you would be interested in adding your support.

"Pete Seeger has been a crusader for Peace and Social Justice over the course of his 83 year lifetime. As a prominent musician his songs, messages and performance style have worked to engage other people, particularly the youth, in causes to end the Vietnam war, ban nuclear weapons, work for international solidarity, and ecological responsibility. It is time that a cultural worker receives the recognition that this work has great influence and global reach, that it is not only a medium of entertainment but of education, compassion and fraternity.

"To read about the petition and to sign it just visit http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=3774

6. Friday Night Film Fest

The Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe's Friday night progressive film fest continues this week at 7:30 wtih:

Mar 30 FIDEL: THE UNTOLD STORY (2001) Estela Bravo 91 min.
What do Alice Walker, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Nelson Mandela, Sidney Pollock, Charles Rangel, Ramsey Clark, Ted Turner, and a former CIA agent have in common? They each appear in this documentary reflecting on or interacting with Cuban leader Fidel Castro. We also see Castro swimming with bodyguards, visiting his childhood home and school, joking with Nelson Mandela, Ted Turner and Muhammad Ali, meeting Elian Gonzalez, and celebrating his birthday with members of the Buena Vista Social Club. This film offers a riveting and rare portrayal of one of the most influential and enigmatic personalities of our time, following his life from his childhood home, through the Cuban revolution and the Cold War, even into Harlem, New York.


Drew sends this along, and it is the must see of the week-- what real family values are, Republican and Democratic, in the form of Newt Gingrich and John and Elizabeth Edwards:
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i213/barhege/cwjmo070326.gif

The contrast couldn't be more stark.

And if you haven't read Carter National Security Adviser's Zbigniew Brzezinski's piece in the Washington Post, this is the must read of the week: "How A Three Word Mantra Has Undermined America"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301613.html

Thanks everyone! See you all at our meeting next Wednesday!

Larry Dudley
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 12:24 AM