Democracy for New Mexico

Santa Fe Workshop on Lakoff: A Few Slots Left

Workshop: Lakoff - Thinking Like A Liberal

Reminder for June 18, 2005 in Santa Fe

Janet Resnick is taking this workshop to Santa Fe on Saturday, June 18th, from 2:00 to 4:30 PM at the ASFCME Office at 1408 Second Street.

There are a few slots left. Call Charlotte Roybal at 930-0563 or email at croybal@aol.com

ABQ Gay Pride Events This Saturday

Albuquerque's annual Gay Pride Parade kicks off Saturday at 10:30 AM at Girard and Central and travels up Central to EXPO, or as locals still call it, the State Fairgrounds. From Noon to 5:30 PM, there'll be more than 100 booths, music, food, drinks, art exhibits, a baking contest and more at Pridefest at EXPO. A youth dance follows and runs until 11:30 PM. Click on the banner above for more info.

We'll be heading over to the Pride events to gather signatures on the petition to get a Living Wage ordinance on the ballot in Albuquerque this October. If you'd like to follow suit or gather signatures at other events this weekend, click to download the petition form, rules and a copy of the ordinance. Duke City Fix has the skinny on what else is going on this weekend.

REMINDER: NM Democratic Friends Meetup Saturday

What: New Mexico Democratic Friends June Meetup

Agenda includes Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich discussing the next phase in the effort to get a living wage ordinance on the ballot. Also Dr. Lois Meyer of UNM on the No Child's Behind Left program and very special guest Dr. Anour Majid, Professor at New England University and author on Islamic Politics and Religion, who will give a short talk about Islamic Politics and Religion, "Can Islamic Politics Conincide with Progressive Politics?"

When: Saturday, June 11 at 5:00PM
Where: IBEW Union Hall
4921 Alexander Blvd. NE 
Albuquerque NM 87107
271-0271
Click to RSVP at the Meetup website

Upcoming League of Conservation Voters ABQ Events

From the League of Conservation Voters:

Conservation Issues Training
Saturday, June 18, 11 AM - 1 PM
NM Office - 400 Gold Ave. SW, Suite 110

Local experts will come to give in-depth talks on conservation issues specific to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the nation. If you want to know more about what the Valle Vidal is or why nuclear energy is not the right solution, please come. Invited experts include City Councilor Martin Heinrich and former Albuquerque Mayor Jim Baca. To sign up for this event, please click here

Canvass against MTBE
Saturday, June 25 - 10 AM, 12 PM, or 2 PM
NM Office - 400 Gold Ave. SW, Suite 110

This month we are engaging in a campaign to remove the 'MTBE liability waiver' - which allows oil and gas companies to pollute our groundwater at taxpayer expense - from the Energy Bill. We are encouraging voters to contact Senator Domenici to remove this provision. Please help us as we talk to voters about this bill and encourage them to make their voices heard. To sign up for this event, please click here.

Maggie Toulouse
SW Region Campaign Manager
League of Conservation Voters
400 Gold Ave. SW, Suite 110
Albuquerque, NM 87120
(505) 244-1077

Santa Fe Events Feature 'Confessions of a Hit Man' Author John Perkins

COMING MONDAY, JUNE 13TH! - New York Times Best-selling author John Perkins,  Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, in a benefit appearance for Santa Fe Public Radio. It's June 13th, at 7PM, at the Lensic. Tickets available at $20 ($10 students) by calling the box office at 505-988-1234.

AND... You're also invited to join John Perkins at a special reception before the event at the Museum of Fine Arts, hosted by KSFR. A donation of $125 per person includes wine and hors d'oeuvres, a personally signed copy of his book, and preferred reserved seating at the evening's event. Tickets for the reception also available from the box office at 505-988-1234.

John Perkins will also be appearing as part of the Face to Face Conversation Series on TUESDAY, JUNE 14, from 3-5PM at WAREHOUSE 21 at 1614 Paseo de Peralta in Santa Fe. FREE for under 21 and $10 for adults. Those under 21 will have priority of seats first. This will be an open discussion of ideas and issues that affect all of us as Americans, led by a now world famous conversationalist. Mr. Perkins especially seeks discussion with young people and young adults and he specifically requested that we arrange this forum. Presented in conjunction with KSFR, 90.7 FM - Santa Fe's Public Radio. Call 505-989-4423 for more information or visit www.warehouse21.org.

Click to hear or read the transcript of an interview with John Perkins conducted by Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! or visit the author's website at www.johnperkins.org.

Robert Kennedy Jr. at Lensic This Sunday

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., best selling author of Crimes Against Nature: How George W. Bush and His Corporate Pals Are Plundering the Country and Hijacking Our Democracy, will be speaking in Santa Fe this Sunday:

Date:   Sunday, June 12, 2005

Time:   06:30 PM

Presented by:   The Center for Contemporary Arts and Earth Works Institute

Location:   Lensic Performing Arts Center, Santa Fe

Address:   211 West San Francisco Street

Description:  Our Environmental Destiny. Robert F. Kennedy Jr's reputation as a resolute defender of the environment stems from a litany of successful legal actions. Mr. Kennedy was named one of "Time" magazine's "Heroes for the Planet" for his success helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River. The group's achievement helped spawn more than 125 Waterkeeper organizations across the globe.

Contact:   Lensic Box Office Ticket Phone, 505-988-1234

Tickets: $10

Websites:   https://www.ccasantafe.org or https://www.earthworksinstitute.org

Hiroshima Survivor to Visit Santa Fe

Who is Shigeko Sasamori ?

Shigeko Sasamori is a Hibakusha, a survivor of the nuclear weapon used on Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945. At that time Shigeko was a 13 year old schoolgirl drafted to clean the streets of Hiroshima. On her first day at work she heard the airplane which dropped the first atomic bomb on a largely civilian population. She was about 1 kilometer away from the epicenter --very close to the blast.  She was severely wounded and badly burned by radiation and spend a long time healing. In the early 1950-ties she and about 25 other girls were part of a church group in Hiroshima and they were befriended by the American writer and activist Norman Cousins. He took pity on these woman who often looked 'monstrous'. In Shigeko's case she didn't have a nose and most of the flesh on her jaw and lips was missing, her fingers had 'melted together',  aside from having burn scars all over her body. Norman Cousins arranged for 25 of these girls to be send to the Mount Zion Hospital in NYC, and over a two year period of time these women had thousands of skin crafts and cosmetic surgeries, gradually gaining back a 'regular appearance'.

Of all the women who had been treated by American Surgeons, Shigeko Sasamori was the one who stayed in the US and practiced nursing for most of her professional life in American Hospitals. Now Shigeko Sasamori is retired and has become a tireless activist against nuclear weapons and has visited many war torn areas in the world to give comfort and hope to its victims.

Though Shigeko still deals with various ailments associated with her exposure (cancers), her wondrous and strong spirit is what is keeping her alive and she feels that this is her time to testify, to witness, to heal, and to create a legacy of a world free from nuclear weapons.

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 7 PM, CLOUD CLIFF CAFE AND ARTSPACE, 1805 SECOND STREET, SANTA FE

Program: Shigeko's story, plus: film showing of 'Chernobyl Hearts', an award winning documentary by director Marion Delillo)

For any more information or scheduling please call Willem Malten at 820-1974. 

WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 5.30 PM, UPAYA CENTER 1404 CERRO GORDO RD, SANTA FE

Program: Shigeko Sasammori – Hiroshima maiden -  will speak to the larger 'Sangha' of Santa Fe about trauma and Spirituality plus: Film showing of 'Hiroshima, Mon Amour' (at 7 PM)

Donations will be requested to offset costs for Sasamori's travels.

Shigeko Sasamori speaks perfect English and will be available for interviews.  For any more information or scheduling please call Willem Malten at 820-1974.

Editor's Note: I have heard that Sasamori will also be appearing at events in Taos and Albuquerque but I haven't received any information as to place or time. If anyone has more info on this, please let us know.

Counter-Recruitment Conference Set for July at UNM

From Another Side:
Our counter-recruitment group in Albuquerque, NM is pleased to invite you to a mobilizing, training, sharing, organizing and fun conference on July 22-24 at the Univ. of New Mexico.  We will present workshops for high school youth, for teachers, parents, organizers, lawyers and others.

A national name speaker will deliver a keynote speech on July 23.

We will arrange housing for those of you who travel here, and we will provide some of the meals.

There will be workshops for youth, teachers, parents, organizers, lawyers and others, plus time to share strategies with groups from around the state!  We will arrange housing for those of you who travel here, and we will provide some of the meals.  For more info and to register, you can contact us at 505-268-9557 or anotherside@comcast.net . Thanks!

Editor's Note: Click for more information on Another Side.

See "The Fourth World War" at Peace & Justice Center

PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT at Albuquerque's Peace and Justice Center, 7:00 PM Thursday, June 9:

THE FOURTH WORLD WAR: A Big Noise film - featuring MICHAEL FRANTI and SUHEIR HAMMAD

A Big Noise film shot on the ground with movements in Argentina, Mexico, Genoa, Iraq, New York, Palestine, Quebec, South Africa, Korea The product of over 2 years of filming on the inside of movements on five continents. THE FOURTH WORLD WAR is a film that would have been unimaginable at any other moment in history. Directed by the makers of THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE and ZAPATISTA, produced through a global network of independent media and activist groups, it is a truly global film from our global movement.

Questions?  Contact hmkadams@yahoo.com

Report on Take Back America Conference

Editor's Note: Many of you will remember Matt McMillan from the Miles Nelson for Congress campaign. He also was a founding member of Tidewater for Dean during the presidential primay campaign. He's now working in DC and it was great to get this from him.

I got to watch several of the main speeches from the conference on CSPAN, including great ones by Howard Dean, John Edwards and Kim Gandy. Edwards' populist barnburner about poverty, a living wage and more was especially powerful. It's terrific to hear a Democrat talking like a real Democrat and stressing that our Party is traditionally a voice for those who have difficulty developing one, not for monied special interests. You can read, hear or see video of most of the major speeches at the CFAF site.

Greetings NM Friends,

My organization, Campaign for America's Future, just concluded our annual Take Back America Conference.  I was fortunate enough to conduct FutureCasts - online radio broadcasts - with a number of leading progressives including George Lakoff, Katrina vanden Heuvel (Editor, The Nation), and others. Click to check it out. Also, check out more coverage  from the conference.

Hope you all are doing well - and enjoy!

Best, Matt