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Educating and mobiliizing for peace, human dignity, and social, racial and economic justice.
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Linda Hamilton
Co-Chair
Michael Williams
Co-chair
Steve Morozumi
Secretary
Remie Calalang
Treasurer
Dennis Johnson
Member at large
Cimmeron Gillespie
Member at large
Juliane Collaço
Member at large
Contact Us Here
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Want to fight for social justice from behind the scenes? The CALC office needs your help! From taking photos at CALC events to thanking donors to tidying up the office, your volunteer help could make a world of difference. Fill out and send in a volunteer form, or contact Russell Melia at calcoffice@gmail.com for more information!
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Greetings!
 Too many high school students and their families believe that joining the military is the best way--often the only way--to get money for college, especially in these hard times. We've heard this so often when talking to students in local high schools that it became clear that more needed to be done.
We believe that offering Peace Scholarships in selected Lane County high schools is an answer. This is a first! In each school a senior who plans to enroll in post-secondary education or training next fall will be chosen. The application process will involve an essay or poem.
The amount we propose to award per student is $500. We hope it will be an incentive to think about a non-military career path. CALC promotes the idea that peace is powerful, effective and relevant. We will ask applicants to explore the concept of peace as an alternative to war. Truth in Recruiting will be present at the end of the year award ceremonies in the high schools of awardees.
Initially, CALC anticipates awarding Peace Scholarships in the following districts/schools: one each in Eugene 4j District, Springfield District, Bethel District, Cottage Grove High, Elmira High, Pleasant Hill High, Florence's Siuslaw High and Oakridge High.
We hope that many of you, our members and supporters, will be as excited as we are about this new project. If so, we invite you to help CALC's ongoing work and the costs of these scholarships by a donation for this project between now & next April.
Sincerely,
Carol Van Houten
Truth in Recruiting
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CALC's Back to Back: Allies for Human Dignity is alive and well. In what can only be described as challenging times, Back to Back's Action and Response network is needed more than ever. The polarized political environment in which we are living is encouraging discrimination and oppression. The attack on the mosque in Corvallis is only one example. Back to Back's mission is to challenge that bigotry, discrimination, racism, homophobia, and anti-Semitism wherever and however it may appear through direct action and education.
We cannot do it alone! Back to Back's Steering committee is meeting monthly to strategize on how best to get our message out and to engage us in action. Join us now! Renew your commitment to action by signing online at CALC's web site, the "I Got your Back" pledge to participate, or email me at jorgecalc@gmail.com. Do it now!
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On December 8th the House of Representatives passed the DREAM Act, 216 to 198. Thanks go out to Rep. Peter DeFazio for voting for the DREAM. The DREAM Act would provide a path to legalization and citizenship for those undocumented young people brought here years ago by their parents who graduate from high school, are productive members of their community, then pursue at least 2 years of college or military service. The military option is of concern to us, as we are sure that military recruiters will pounce on this vulnerable group of youth who otherwise could not legally be enlisted. CALC worked hard to get another option included, that of 2 years of vocational education. The more options our youth have the better!
As of the date this newsletter went to "press," the Senate had not yet voted on this bill. There is an outside chance that it could pass in the Senate, but those chances are slim. The good news is our two Oregon Senators have said they would vote for it, with Senator Merkley being a signer of the Bill.
In this holiday season we have mixed feelings about having come so close to passing the DREAM Act yet not achieving it, an Act which could have made such a positive difference in the lives of so many deserving youth. We must never give up!
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Justice for All with SAfER
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Springfield Alliance for Equality and Respect (SAfER) believes in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, especially in the social, economic and cultural rights it defines. Here is how we and the projects we've initiated have been supporting Human Rights recently:
- Marching in the Veteran's Day Parade with signs insisting veterans should be housed, not homeless;
- Mobilizing volunteers for the EganWarmingCenter site in Springfield so homeless people have a warm place to sleep in extreme weather;
- Meeting with Springfield officials about developing a respectful and inclusive environment at the City;
- Hosting a luncheon for reps in the Safe Schools Network we initiated so that LGBTQ students, staff and families have a safe, "go-to" person in each of Springfield's schools;
- Making a presentation about the DREAM Act and Tuition Equity to the school district's Diversity and Equity Cadre.
It's all about Human Rights for everyone, everywhere, everyday!
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Support for Afghan War Declining Rapidly
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 The current U.S./NATO strategy has U.S. and other foreign troops in Afghanistan for at least another four years. However this is not a strategy supported at home or in Afghanistan.
In a recent ABC/Washington Post Poll, more than half of all Afghans--55 percent--want U.S. forces out of their country Afghans are implacably against NATO airstrikes, with 73 percent saying that they opposed them even if they help to defeat the Taliban.
U.S Voter confidence in the War in Afghanistan has fallen to a new low. A new Rasmussen survey finds that just 34% of likely U.S. voters now believe it is possible for the United States to win the war in Afghanistan. That's down 13 points from 47% in February of this year.
Even more Oregonians want an end to the Afghan war. In these tough times, they would rather pay for job creation and good schools. How do we channel these sentiments into action demanding funding for human needs and not endless war? |
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What are CALC staff and consultants reading, looking at online, watching at the movies and more? We'll let you know a few things we hope we'll be of interest to you too.
Film: "Babies"
Kori Rodley Irons, Co-Director, Administration and Development
Documentary filmmaker Thomas Balmes has tracked the early development of four babies from four different parts of the world in this 2010 movie. The camera captures ordinary and extraordinary moments in the early growth of children from San Francisco (United States), Namibia, Mongolia and Japan. It is fascinating to watch the cultural differences, as well as note the similarities in parenting, childhood and human behavior.
Book: Stones into Schools by Greg MortensonMichael Carrigan, Community Organizer
Humanitarian Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea, has a more recent book out, Stones into Schools. It' s a compelling and enjoyable book that highlights the heroic efforts to build schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan and the young women who graduate from these schools. |
Programs of CALC are funded in part by grants from the RESIST, Spirit Mountain Community Fund, Meyer Memorial Fund, McKenzie River Gathering Foundation, Equity Foundation, and Ben and Jerry's.
Many thanks to all of our Cornucopia volunteers: Steve Aday, Sue Barnhart, Meli Ewing, Ronna Friend, Dan Goldrich, Hannah Goldrich, Lucy Irons, Dale Kramer, Cheris Kramerae, Cynthia Lewis-Berry, Sarita Lief, Robert Long, Carol Melia, Scott Miksch, Sandy Morgen, Jacob Nichols, Joyce Watts, Courtney Roby-Sage, Teri Schlesinger, and Lee Deveaux, plus bands the Whiskey Chasers, Jorge and Lynn, Piel Canela, Pegasissy, and our lovely MC Elliot Martinez, as well as the many businesses and individuals who donated items and provided other services to make for a spectacular and uplifting event! 
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