Ashland Peace House Events and Articles

Chronicle Contributor

26 Apr 2024

April 26, 2024

Palestinian solidarity encampments popping up at many Universities in US.

Amid Ongoing Gaza Genocide, Palestinian Solidarity Encampment Participants Face Criminal Charges, Brutality

“War is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate. Don’t punish me with brutality, talk to me, so you can see…what’s going on..what’s going on…“ -Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye could have been singing about the current wave of protests on US University campuses right now when he asked, “What’s going on?” in his timeless song about the struggle against the Vietnam War. Thousands of students, faculty and supporters have set up Palestinian Solidarity Encampments at dozens of colleges and met with criminal and academic penalties – and in some cases extreme brutality by law enforcement.

By now you’ve heard about the encampment at Columbia University in New York, where hundreds of students had camped out in a peaceful occupation of their campus to demand that the University divest from weapons manufacturers supplying arms to Israel. The students faced imminent arrest when an unprecedented number of faculty surrounded the camp, hands clasped in a circle to prevent the camp’s demise.

Keep Reading: Palestinian Solidarity Encampments

Supreme Court Hears Grants Pass vs Johnson. No surprise: it doesn’t look good

By Kerul Dyer

I had an opportunity to listen to the oral arguments for the Supreme Court on Monday morning when it heard the Grants Pass v Johnson case on homelessness and one city’s ban on sleeping in public spaces. What’s on trial in this case is more than an appeal of the Ninth Circuit Ruling, which upheld that the respondents in the case had their Eighth Amendment violated when cited for sleeping within the city limits of Grants Pass when no other shelter space was available. What’s on trial is whether municipalities can ban people without homes for living – and whether they can be punished with criminal charges for not having shelter.

What seems to be the crux of this case – whether it is ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ to prosecute someone for both being “homeless” and for sleeping in a public space when there’s no other shelter available. The court and the attorneys were arguing about whether the camping ordinance in Grants Pass was simply something designed to punish a particular “conduct” or if they were being punished because of a “status.”

Forest Activists Win in Fight for Old Growth Trees

By Kerul Dyer

Community activists near Grants Pass proclaimed a victory on Tuesday after timber giant Boise Cascade signed an amended contract with the Medford BLM that removed a spur road that threatened old growth trees. The BLM has several projects containing otherwise protected forest areas, including the Poor Windy project and several others.

“While the forest that was saved by this decision is only a tiny fraction of the old growth slated to be logged by the BLM, this victory is a testament to the power of community members taking action into their own hands,” said Salal Golden, one of several people who sat in the old Ponderosa Pine tree. “Just a few weeks ago, saving these ancient trees seemed impossible. When we fight, we win.”

The success story comes at a time when long time forest defense advocate Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center announced that the BLM canceled the Late Mungers and Penn Butte timber sale auctions “with only hours to spare.” The projects fall under the BLM’s Integrated Vegetation Management Plan, currently under review after KS Wild and partners sued the agency earlier this month.

Video: An Update on the War in Ukraine

An Update on the War in Ukraine

A presentation by Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

On April 24, 2024, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists hosted military strategist Stephen Biddle and Ukraine expert Melinda Haring in a conversation with national security reporter Julian Barnes to discuss the strategic landscape of the war in Ukraine. They discussed military strategic options from both Russian and Ukrainian perspectives, including what the next phase of the war could bring.

Speakers:Stephen Biddle, professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs; Melinda Haring, senior community engagement advisor, Razom for Ukraine; Julian Barnes, reporter, The New York Times.

‘Uncommitted’: An Electoral Campaign to Support an End to the Genocide in Gaza

Submitted by Uncommitted Committee of Oregon and Free Palestianian Rogue Valley

Through the brave activism and voices of those calling for liberation, the right of the Palestinians to live in dignity and peace, alongside Israelis, is, for the first time ever, an election item.

Uncommitted is a grassroots opportunity for the collective to tell Biden to change his policies on Gaza. Of course, it is more than just Gaza. It is also the first time the electorate has signaled to the American elite: arming Israel to the teeth is no longer a worthy campaign slogan. It is a crack in the Mccarthyism around Israel.

You must be a registered Democrat to participate in this action. Find out more on the Uncommitted Oregon website: https://uncommittedoregon.org.

Featured Events

God & Country Film Screening April 26 First Presbyterian Church

God & Country, a documentary film produced by Rob Reigner and Dan Partland, will shot at 6:30 p.m. Friday April 26 at the First Presbyterian Church in Ashland. The screening will allow people to watch and discuss Christian Nationalism as a political movement in the US.

Presented by Pastor Skip Strauch of Ashland’s First Presbyterian Church and Bob Morse, of South Mountain Friends Meeting (Quakers).

Please send questions to Bob Morse, communications@ashlandquakers.org

Applegate Anthologies III: Time Flies April 28

Applegate Anthologies III: Time Flies, is a collection of eight vignettes loosely curated by an eccentric professor. The scenes explore various themes, including the life cycles of possums and. caddisflies, the future of marriage, and Socratic philosophy. Together, they weave a thought-provoking, often hilarious narrative that explores the nature of time and transformation. With a runtime of approximately 2 hours, we invite audiences to sit back and enjoy the ride.

These plays are presented as part of the Fringe Festival and will be at 3:30 p.m. Sunday April 28 at the SOU Recital Hall. Admission is free!

How the Climate Crises are Affecting Our Mental Health and What Can We Do About It? April 30

A presentation by Rev. Liz Olson April 30 at the Medford Public Library presented by Southern Oregon Climate Action Now (SOCAN).

The climate chaos that surrounds us is affecting much more than the natural world, our economy and our physical health. The changing climate and our apparent resistance to addressing it are also conspiring to affect our mental and psychological health. Rev. Liz Olson serves as a Specialty Chaplain with the in-patient Palliative Care team at Providence Medford Medical Center. With Ken Deveney, Liz has, for many years, led gatherings of SOCAN’s monthly support group ‘Sustaining Climate Activists.’

Learn More Here

Two Friends, Two Books: Local Authors Lead Book Circle on Relationships: Starting May 1

In May, two local authors will lead a free book circle that will explore how two recently released books can foster skills that can strengthen our relationships with our families, lovers and communities.

The book circle — hosted by Southern Oregon Pachamama Alliance and Peace House — will meet at Peace House, 543 S. Mountain Ave., Ashland, Oregon from 7 to 8:30 pm four Wednesday evenings: May 1, 8, 15, 22. The authors, Diane Tegtmeier and Lauren J. Oliver, will also read from their respective books at 7 p.m. Monday, May 20, at Bloomsbury Books, 290 E. Main Street, Ashland, OR 97520.

World Labyrinth Day May 4 in Ashland!

Ashlanders Sara Hopkins and Elizabeth Austin, Veriditas-trained Labyrinth Facilitators, are delighted to announce Ashland’s World Labyrinth Day Celebration, May 4, 2024, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM, at the Trinity Garden Labyrinth, 44 N. Second Street, Ashland.

We look forward to welcoming you to participate in the international Worldwide Labyrinth Day, when thousands of people in locations across the planet will be Walking for Peace at 1 PM in their local time zones, starting in Australia.

“Walk as One at 1” was founded by The Labyrinth Society in 2009. More than 90 sites around the world will offer Labyrinth Walks this year. Here’s a video summary of 80 events from the 2023 World Labyrinth Day.

Click Here for More Events