Hello Peace Center Community!

We hope you were able to enjoy the weekend & take some much deserved time off for Labor Day. It was a beautiful weekend in the East Bay despite the heat & hope that you were able to get some sun.

A friendly reminder that THIS FRIDAY, September 10th @ 4:00PM we will be hosting a Zoom Webinar titled, “Afghanistan to 9/11 – What is the Connection?”

PLEASE USE THIS ZOOM LINK TO JOIN THE WEBINAR ON FRIDAY: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88584951376

The discussion will be led by John Ryan, Ph.D., a retired professor of geography and senior scholar at the University of Winnipeg in Canada. Dr. Ryan has studied and traveled extensively in Afghanistan. Questions will follow the presentation by Dr. Ryan. The Zoom webinar will open at 3:45PM and the talk will begin at 4:00PM on Friday, September 10th. This event was organized by the Friends of the Peace Center in Rossmoor!


The Center is also excited to announce our new Dialogue to Action webinar event set to take place on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH @ 7:00PM.


This webinar will feature a community panel focused on Racial Justice action taking place in our community and how you can get involved. There will be more details this week along with a flyer for sharing with your networks. We are excited and honored to welcome three esteemed guests: Taun Hall, Mary Taylor, and the Ygnacio Valley High School Student Racist Mascot Removal Committee. If you have been following the Peace Center for the past couple years, you will recognize all three participants as having been recipients of our annual local Peace Activist Awards! For more information on our panelists and a flyer to share, please keep an eye out for details to come this week.


Thank you for your continued support of the Center. Please do not hesitate to reach out for any reason!

Best regards,
Andrew Kodama
Executive Director
contact: andrew@ourpeacecenter.org

Recommended Readings:

“Texas Abortion Ban: What It Means and What Happens Next” by Sarah McCammon, NPR, https://www.npr.org/2021/09/01/1033202132/texas-abortion-ban-what-happens-next

“Insane U.S. Plan to Spend Billions on Weaponizing Space Makes Defense Contractors Jump for Joy—But Rest of World Cowers in Horror at Prospect of New Arms Race Leading to World War III” by Karl Grossman, Covert Action Magazine- https://covertactionmagazine.com/2021/08/25/insane-u-s-plan-to-spend-billions-on-weaponizing-space-makes-defense-contractors-jump-for-joy-but-rest-of-world-cowers-in-horror-at-prospect-of-new-arms-race-leading-to-world-war-ii

“Lessons for the Evacuation of Afghanistan” by Ann Wright, Consortium News,https://consortiumnews.com/2021/09/07/lessons-for-the-evacuation-of-afghanistan/

Upcoming Events:

Afghanistan to 9-11: What is the Connection?
an event organized by theFriends of the Peace Center

Friday, September 10th, 4:00PM on ZOOM

ZOOM LINK:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88584951376
(save this link for use on day/time of event)

Decades of U.S. involvement and war, thousands of lives lost, trillions of dollars spent, and now a messy withdrawal. What have we learned? What is the history of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan? What will be our future approach to Afghanistan and other troubled countries? 
The discussion will be led by John Ryan, Ph.D., a retired professor of geography and senior scholar at the University of Winnipeg in Canada. Dr. Ryan has studied and traveled extensively in Afghanistan.

An article written by Dr. Ryan, “Afghan Tragedy Still Relevant Today as it was Analyzed 15 Years Ago”, was featured in our email updates last week and may be found by clicking here.

After 9/11, America invaded Afghanistan, drove out the Taliban, and captured Bin Laden. But the American presence, and the war, have continued until 2021. The deadline for the end of the war was negotiated with the Taliban in 2020 by the Trump administration. Despite the August 31st withdrawal, questions remain as to the future of U.S. involvement in the region. How will U.S. foreign policy change as a result of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars? What does the future hold for America in the world?
Questions will follow the presentation by Dr. Ryan. The Zoom webinar will open at 3:45PM and the talk will begin at 4:00PM on Friday, September 10th.
OTHER EVENTS:

Webinar Event by CODEPINK: Never Forget: 9/11 &the 20 Year War on Terror
featuring guest speakers Medea Benjamin, Vijay Prashad, Assal Rad, Kathy Kelly, Danny Sjursen, Matthew Hoh, and many others!

Saturday, September 11th @ 12:00PM PST

After the events of September 11th, 2001, “Never Forget” became a common expression in the United States. Unfortunately, it was not only used to remember and honor the dead. Like “remember the Maine” and “remember the Alamo,” “never forget” was also used as a rallying cry to war. 20 years after 9/11 we are still living in the age of the ‘War on Terror.’ We must never forget the lessons of 9/11 or the lessons of the Global War on Terror, lest we risk repeating the pain, death, and tragedy of the past 20 years.

Please RSVP for the Zoom link – (CLICK HERE)

Webinar Event by 350 Contra Costa: Is There Still Time To Save The World?
Why California must accelerate climate action and how bold policies can make us a global climate leader

Sunday, September 12th @ 4:00PM PST
Register In Advance

Dr. Dan Kammen presents his latest research. He explains the science, economics, and policies behind his recent co-authored report: Accelerating the timeline for climate action in California. “The fact that we are in a climate emergency is plain to see and need not be debated further. . . We are now in a position to do better for the climate, for our economy, and for social justice.” (Senate Testimony 4/11/21).

We will conclude with the role of the citizen advocate and how we can influence change. Dr. Kammen is Director of the U.C. Berkeley Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory, professor in the Energy Resource Group and the Goldman School of Public Policy, and a Coordinating Lead Author for the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. You can read more about his education and research on his personal website.

Hosted by 350 Contra Costa, Co-Sponsored by 350 Bay Area, Sunflower Alliance, Sustainable Rossmoor, Climate Health Now, Sustainable Contra Costa, Climate Reality Bay Area