Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice 202 Harvard SE Albuquerque, NM 87106 505-268-9557   Updated: 27 July 2010 Newsletter August 2010
August 2010 Newsletter Contents Noticias Membership Application	Noticias Happily announcing that … the fund raising letter has brought, so far, eleven thousand dollars … and keeps rising. Thank you all for your super support. ACP&J's monthly electronic newsletter The idea of switching to e-news in order to save some money, trees, ink, and energy is moving forward. More than half of our members have expressed the desire to be sent our news electronically. Others prefer receiving the printed version in their mailbox. That is a great, exciting step for us. Please, if at any time you wish to switch from printed to electronic, or vice-versa, just give us a call. And don't forget to update us if your email address changes. Keep your eyes open for reminders about your annual membership dues - you will be sent a colorful, easy-to-read postcard.
Art Exhibit for August & September: The Power of Color Claudia Fluegge will exhibit silk art at the Peace Center. She says, "My silk work is primarily inspired by the beauty of nature, such as the inside of a flower or the beam of light between rock formations. Every second can change this appearance entirely. I endeavor to blend nature's most precious moments with my own imagination; silk is an ideal medium for this interactive play. I have always had a passion for the vibrant colors and the nature of silk's texture and flow. Since I was first introduced to silk painting, I have developed my own style and designs and continue to teach myself. I am deeply fascinated by the painting process and, from the stretching of the silk to the washing and ironing of a finished painting, have many possibilities to use my creative skills to take a painted piece to its final form. Whether I create garments, accessories, home dÈcor, or a three-dimensional work, I feel a sense of fulfillment to have the privilege to conduct the whole process." The NM Office of Peace legislation will be introduced again in the 2011 legislative session. Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino is still the sponsor. The NM Department of Peace Initiative (DPI) will focus on building stronger support among the senators and passing this bill through the Senate. Because of the state budget crisis, there will be no appropriation in the bill. Outside funding is needed to get the office established. Please call your legislators and the new governor's office later this fall and during the 2011 session. If you would like to be emailed action alerts during the session for support of the bill in committee hearings and floor votes, please contact Virginia Miller, DPI legislative coordinator in Santa Fe at (505) 986-8676. Check out these Raging Granny songs protesting Big Oil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wb_abHP9sU and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUvHHOdHLdg . War Resisters League has a new Organizing Coordinator. There are two WRL locals in New Mexico, one in Socorro and one just formed here in Albuquerque. If you or someone you know might be interested in joining, please contact (319) 651-5411. Albuquerque's West Mesa Women (excerpt from Stop the War Machine's electronic article) Have you noticed that the mass grave/mass murder/largest crime scene in New Mexico has faded from the public spotlight? Many women are still missing, and their families are convinced that they are buried in the West Mesa. Yet the police department has declared that it is no longer a crime scene and has covered the site. The present silence about their deaths is a totally unacceptable state of affairs for our community. All are invited to attend a demonstration on Saturday, September 18th at the Albuquerque Police Department, 400 Roma NW and call for justice for the murdered young women of West Mesa. Please come and join the families on that morning. Questions? 401-4808. Solidarity with Guatemala thank you … A huge "thank you" to the peace community for your support of the people of Guatemala! As of the calendar deadline we've collected over $1600 which will be sent to two community organizations that are helping Mayan campesinos rebuild their lives after Tropical Storm Agatha devastated their homes, roads, and livelihood. The evening fundraiser would not have been possible without the work of all the volunteers, musicians, auction donors and organizer, sound system engineer, cooks, and all who came out to enjoy the evening. ¡Mil gracias! Available Media: Building Community (Radio) You may remember in the summer of 2007 when Available Media, Inc (AMI--the 501-c3 arm of NM Independent (Indy) Media) came to you for support in our bid to acquire five full-power FM radio licenses across the state. Well, here we are, three years later, with an amazing update for you: AMI has been awarded 3 of the 5 licenses we were seeking--including our latest award--a station serving Albuquerque! (We lost one [Paguate], and one [Roswell] is still pending.) In Gallup, where we were awarded our first license in early 2008, we have been supporting the efforts of the local community as they build their station. They have a building, a facebook page, and a website (http://kniz.org/) where you can listen, and over-the-air programming is coming soon! (The call letters, KNIZ, stand for Nizhoni, Dine' for beauty.) To build a station in Albuquerque--your station, with its license actually held by the community--we are going to need all hands on deck! Please pitch in--with a tax-deductible donation (sent to AMI, POB 1434, Albuquerque, NM 87103-1434) or by becoming a working member of our team!To get involved or to learn more, please call Maria at 410-7657.
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