It's a new year. A new May Day. Now is the time to join together in order to resist oppression. Join the Mady Day 2012 coalition, Georgia WAND, Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition and others on May 1st  for a  march and free, family-friendly festival. It's a safe space to build up our community in struggle and plug into local Atlanta organizing. The event will include food, a film screening and workshops, including "Nuclear power, the environment, and Georgia" at 7pm with Georgia WAND's Courtney Hanson.

When and Where: Tuesday, May 2, 10:30 am March from Woodruff Park, 4-10pm Festival at Coan Park located on Hosea L. Williams Drive SE between Anniston Ave. and Woodbine Ave.

Visit www.maydayatlanta.org for more information.

May 3
Georgia WAND on WRFG!

Want to get a sneak preview form our Mother's Day for Peace keynote speaker, Kristen Iversen? Wondering about the latest and greatest updates on Georgia WAND's work? Tune into WRFG 89.3 FM tonight at 7pm! Georgia WAND's Bobbie Paul and Courtney Hanson, and MDP keynote Kristen Iversen will be on Womenspeak, hosted by Wiatta Freeman.

When: Thursday, May 3, 7PM

Where: WRFG 89.3 FM on your radio or online at www.wrfg.org

May 6
Mother's Day for Peace

Join us for Mother's Day for Peace, our annual Signature Event and fundraiser, which allows us time to come together to celebrate our hard work and remember the vision of strong women like Julia Ward Howe who, in 1870, called for a national assembly of women who would devote themselves to ending war. We're proud to present keynote speaker, Kristen Iversen, and honor John and Midge Sweet, Barbara Antonoplos, WRFG 89.3 FM, the women senators of the Georgia General Assembly and the courageous clergy of Shell Bluff.

When: Sunday, May 6, 4pm - 6pm

Where: Spelman College, Cosby Auditorium, 420 Westview Drive SW

For more information, or to purchase tickets call Georgia WAND 404.524.5999 or click here.

May 7
Nuke Committee Meeting

Georgia WAND's legal interventions on the Plant Voglte case are heating up! Join us to hear a legal update and talk organizing strategy at the monthly Nuclear Committee Meeting. We'll have a special guest and a different meeting place this month - Manuel's Tavern!

When: Monday, May 7, 12pm,

Where:602 N Highland Avenue Northeast  Atlanta, GA 30307

For more information, email courtney@wand.org or call 404.524.5999

May 10
Film Screening and Discussion: Inside Japan's Nuclear Meltdown

The nuclear disaster in Japan continues to unfold. While countries across the world are backing out of nuclear power, the United States is moving forward with construction of two new nuclear plants in Georgia. The film, an unprecedented look inside the nuclear disaster, reveals the horrifying dangers of nuclear power. The discussion after will include an update on the Georgia projects, how it affects all Georgians, and what we can do about it!

When: Thursday, May 10, Film 7PM , Discussion 8PM

Where: 368 Ponce de Leon Avenue - look for a black gate with a sign on it. Street parking available at Ponce and Durant Pl NE.

For more information email courtney@wand.org

May 14
Fighting Voter Suppression in Georgia
The case of the Quitman 10 + 2

In Quitman , GA , African Americans who mobilized voters to win a majority on the school board are being investigated by the FBI and African American school board members have been replaced by whites by Governor Nathan Deal. Hear from a member of this group, the Quitman 10 + 2 and from Helen Butler, Executive Director, Coalition for the People's Agenda. Discussion to follow.

When: Monday, May 14, 6:30pm

Where:  Atlanta Friends Meeting House, 701 West Howard Avenue, Decatur 30030; three blocks east of East Lake MARTA station.

Free admission and parking. Sponsored by Georgia Peace & Justice Coalition/Atlanta, www.georgiapeace.org. More info: 404-522-4500.

May 15
Stop Vogtle Meeting

The AJC reports that the new reactors at Plant Voglte are facing at least $400 million dollars worth of delays. Many worry Georgia Power ratepayers will be on the hook. These costs would be in addition to the $8.3 billion the company received in taxpayer-backed federal loan guarantees and the nuclear construction cost recovery fee Georgia Power charges customers on their bill every month. Now's the time to educate the public about not just this gross economic injustice, but also the environmental and health injustices that come along with nuclear power. It's time to organize! Join the Stop Plant Vogtle group and let's get to it!

When: Next meeting: Tuesday, May 15, 7pm

Where: 2042 Dunwoody Street, Atlanta, GA 30317.

For more information, call Courtney at 308.631.8543 or email courtney@wand.org

May 17
Poster and Flyer Making Party!

We're gearing up for an Atlanta action at Southern Company's headquarters. Join us to make signs and flyers to tell Southern Company we don't support their high risk projects, and educate other Atlantans about the company's poor decisions.

When: Thursday, May 17, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Where: Georgia WAND office, 250 Georgia Avenue, Suite 202, Atlanta, GA 30312

For more information, call Georgia WAND at 404.524.5999 or email courtney@wand.org

May 17
MaryRuth Weir Memorial Dinner

This annual fundraiser for Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty will feature a silent auction and dinner. The keynote speaker and the  recipient of the MaryRuth Weir Human Rights Award is Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock. Pastor of the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. Warnock has continued the legacy of the churches leadership by taking on the contradictions in the criminal justice system through his preaching and through his fierce public advocacy. Most notably he was instrumental in the fight to stop the execution of Troy Davis.

When: Thursday May 17, 6PM - 8:30 PM

Where: Central Presbyterian Church, Tull Fellowship Hall, 201 Washington Street, Southwest, Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Suggested donation for tickets is $50, click here for more information.

May 23
Take Back the Power from Southern Company!

On May 23, Southern Company will host its annual shareholder's meeting to discuss business practices and profits made on the backs of Georgia ratepayers including the $14 billion nuclear project at Plant Vogtle that's already $900 million over budget. Let's show Southern Company we won't pay for their mistakes. We demand better decisions for a better Georgia!

When: Wednesday, May 23, 5:00 PM

Where: outside the Southern Company Building, 30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard

For more information, call Georgia WAND 404.524.5999.

May 23
NRC Meeting in Waynesboro

In the wake of construction flaws in the beginning stages at Plant Vogtle, the Nuclear Regulator Commission has scheduled a public meeting in Waynesboro, near the plant. NRC Staff will discuss the agency's oversight of the project and take questions and comments from the audience. Please take this important opportunity to raise the issues of safety and cost overruns. Georgia WAND will coordinate transportation.

When: Wednesday, May 23, 6 PM

Where: Augusta Technical College, Waynesboro Campus, 216 Highway 24 South, Waynesboro, Georgia

For more information, contact bobbie@wand.org

May 29
Stop Vogtle Meeting

The campaign to Stop Vogtle is heating up! We need all hands on deck to stop this dirty, dangerous project in Georgia.  Join the organizing group to help plan a mass action, prepare for a nuclear summit this summer and more!

When: Next meeting: Tuesday, May 15, 7pm

Where: 2042 Dunwoody Street, Atlanta, GA 30317.

For more information, call Courtney at 308.631.8543 or email courtney@wand.org

Contact
Courtney Hanson, Georgia WAND
308.631.8543 (cell), 404.524.5999
courntey@wand.org

Leslie Anderson Maloy
(703) 276-3256
landerson@hastingsgroup.com

We Told You So:   Major Cost Overruns Latest Sign of Vogtle Woes, Including Construction Errors and Raft of Amendments to Federal License

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 11, 2012 – Even though the Vogtle reactor project got its federal license just three months ago, the controversial nuclear reactors are already in trouble.  The latest problem: A cost overrun of nearly $1 billion in 2011 dollars, according to groups, including Georgia Women's Action for New Directions,  that warned in February that the Vogtle expansion effort is a boondoggle that could hurt ratepayers and (depending on the status of a pending Solyndra-style federal loan guarantee) U.S. taxpayers.

Southern Co. publicly acknowledged its share of the cost overrun in a filing this week with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) at

http://investor.southerncompany.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=92122-12-76&CIK=092122.

The new admission about problems at Vogtle follow recent reports about grading issues under the reactor's foundation, improperly installed rebar that has slowed the project, and dozens of amendments requested to the federal license for the two new Vogtle reactors.

"Southern Company's missteps in early construction and gross financial negligence on the backs of ratepayers shows they can't be trusted with Georgians' safety or money," Courtney Hanson, Georgia WAND Public Outreach Director said.

Given all of the partners involved in Vogtle project, the cost overrun would break down as follows:  Georgia Power ($400 million); Oglethorpe ($263 million); MEAG Power ($199 million); and the City of Dalton ($14 million).   The $875 million in 2008 dollars would be worth $913 million in 2011 dollars.

Southern Co.’s SEC filing warns that more cost overruns could be in the works.    In its SEC filing, Southern Co. notes on page 139:  "Additional claims by the Consortium and [Georgia Power] (on behalf of the owners) are expected to arise throughout the construction of Vogtle 3 and 4."  However, no details are provided on how far losses could mount over and above the current nearly $1 billion cost overrun total.

"Southern Co. needs to come clean about the Vogtle construction partnership that ratepayers have been forced to accept, and stop painting a rosy picture of what is clearly a mess." Bobbie Paul, Georgia WAND Executive Director said. " If Southern is the good community partner it claims to be then the company should end this high-risk energy venture now and return the millions in up front fees the company has been extracting from ratepayers since January of 2011."

On February 15, 2012, nine groups -- Friends of the Earth, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, Center for a Sustainable Coast, Citizens Allied for Safe Energy, Georgia Women’s Action for New Directions, NC WARN, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, and Nuclear Watch South  -- held a news conference to warn that Southern Company is deliberately keeping ratepayers and U.S. taxpayers in the dark by covering up the details of 12 sizeable construction “change order” requests that are expected to add major delays and cost overruns to the controversial reactor project. See http://www.cleanenergy.org/index.php?/Press-Update.html?form_id=8&item_id=278.

Mindy Goldstein, director, Turner Environmental Law Clinic, said:  "In an appeal filed with the DC Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this year, nine environmental groups asked the court to require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to consider the true cost of constructing and operating Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4.  In its environmental impact statement, the Commission previously concluded that the new nuclear reactors were more cost effective than certain energy alternatives.  In light of the design changes that will very likely be required to incorporate lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, this conclusion must be revisited.  And now, knowing that the project is already suffering from a $900 million cost overrun, an accurate assessment of the costs is even more important."

Dr. Arjun Makhijani, president, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, said:  “Southern Company rushed into this project, as evidenced by the many requests for modifications of the license and early technical difficulties and problems including failure of ‘some details’ of early construction to conform to the Design Control Document, according to Georgia Power’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Indeed, a part of the cost increase of $900 million appears to be attributable to overcoming delays and rushing the project again despite construction non-compliance.  The cost increase should not be a surprise; rather it is déjà vu all over again.  Rushing nuclear power reactors is not prudent and stockholders and/or the vendors, not ratepayers, should bear the burden of such costs.  It would be much better if construction were suspended until all design issues were resolved.”

The groups will continue to press their case today by filing a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

For those of you that made financial contributions donated your time and talent, volunteered, and attended on Sunday, thank you. You helped us celebrate the accomplishments of our honorees, Georgia WAND and the progressive community in Atlanta. We were inspired by the words of our speaker and awardees and look forward to what’s yet to come in 2012.

A special thanks goes out all of our fabulous Mother's Day for Peace Hosts this year! We would like to recognize Becky Evans, Barbara Gifford and Jean Wright and The Rev. Dr. Joseph and Evelyn Lowery, members of our 2012 Host Committee and long term supporters of Georgia WAND who regretfully were not listed in the program this year. Please scroll down for a full list of our 2012 Host Committee (and photos from the big day!)

Photos (c) Dee Nalam

2012 Mother's Day for Peace Host Committee

Laura Turner Seydel*

Carol and Earl Tveit*

Joni Winston*

Janet Abraham

Cathy, Bo and Jane Bradshaw

Lucinda Bunnen

Peggy Hendrix

Barbara Meyer

PLANNED PARENTHOOD SE, INC.

Catherine Smith

Cee Cee Anderson

Kathy Ashe

Elizabeth Baldwin and Steve Leeper

Bobbie Wrenn Banks and Dave Root

Bernice “Birdie” Bass and Georgia Sossenko

Bitsy Boozer

Dr. Frank Bove

Shemariah Butts

Carlissa Carson

Eugenia Cayce

Edie Cofron

Brenda Cole

Flo and Jack Dawson

Martin and Anne Emanuel

Becky Evans

Bernice B. Franklin

Helen and Bob Fredrick

Christiane French

Pat Gardner

Barbara Gifford and Jean Wright

Mickey Gillmor and Henry Kahn

Jannah Goodell and Konrad Hyashi

Susan Goodman

Anne Harper and Greg Nobles

The Honorable Bettieanne Hart

Ella Ruth Hunnicutt

Anne and John Huss

Kim Karris and Dee Nalam

Rev. Bishop Barbara King

Berta Laney

Kent and Bob Leslie

Evelyn Lowery and Rev. Joseph E. Lowery

Gretchen and Bruce MacLachlan

Lynn McClintock

Maggie Mermin and Susan Kennedy

Belle Miller McMaster

Rev. Joyce Myers-Brown and Rev. Ed Brown

Dr. Yomi Noibi

Sen. Nan Grogan Orrock

Bobbie and Rod Paul

Willa and Greg Presmanes

Mary and Wendell Reilly

Betsy Rivard

Carol A. Sandiford

Betsy Smalley

Ellen and Brian Spears

Annie Laura Howard Stephens

Stephanie Stuckey-Benfield

Midge and John Sweet

Drs. Michael Thun and Lin Moody

Dianne Valentin

Pat and Terry Walsh

Beth and Jim Webster

Carol Williams and Rod Johnson

Mtamanika Youngblood

Mother's Day for Peace 2012

Sunday May 6, 2012

4pm- 6pm

Join us to honor our community, celebrate our work and be inspired by womens' voices!

Kristen Iversen, Keynote Speaker

Honoring

 Midge and John Sweet, Ed Arnold Environmental Justice Award

Barbara Antonoplos, Environmental Activist Award

WRFG 89.3, Faithful Service Award

Special Recognition:

Women Senators of the GA General Assembly

Courageous Clergy from Burke County

About

Mother's Day for Peace, our annual Signature Event and fundraiser, allows us time to come together to celebrate our hard work and remember the vision of strong women like Julia Ward Howe who, in 1870, called for a national assembly of women who would devote themselves to ending war. The original ‘mother’s day for peace’ was marked by Ms. Ward’s delivery of the Peace Proclamation which continues to inspire women around the world. Mother's Day for Peace is also a time when we invite powerful and creative women into our midst and have their voices inspire us, tell us a story, and remind us of our humanity.

In past years keynote speakers and honorees have included Alice Walker, Melissa Fay Greene, Janiesse Ray, the Georgia Gold Star Mothers for Peace, environmental justice heroine Mildred McClain, and former AJC columnist, Martha Ezzard. We have also been privileged to count among Honorary Chairs Mayor Shirley Franklin; President Dr. Elizabeth Kiss of Agnes Scott College and President Dr. Beverly Tatum of Spelman College; playwright and poet Pearl Cleage; and Rhonda Mims, President, ING Foundation.

Keynote Speaker

Kristen Iversen is a mother, teacher, author and activist. She grew up in Arvada, Colorado near the Rocky Flats nuclear weaponry facility and received a Ph.D. in English from the University of Denver. She is Director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing at The University of Memphis and also Editor-in-Chief of The Pinch, an award-winning literary journal. During the summers she serves on the faculty of the MFA Low-Residency Program at The University of New Orleans, held in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and Edinburgh, Scotland.

She is the author of Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats and Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth, winner of the Colorado Book Award for Biography and the Barbara Sudler Award for Nonfiction. Several documentaries have been based on this book. Iversen is also the author of a textbook, Shadow Boxing: Art and Craft in Creative Nonfiction.

Full Body Burden is a haunting work of narrative nonfiction about Kristen's experience growing up in a small Colorado town close to Rocky Flats, a secret nuclear weapons plant once designated “the most contaminated site in America.” Critics have called the book one of the most important stories of the nuclear era and as personal and powerful as Silkwood.

It’s the story of a childhood and adolescence in the shadow of the Cold War, in a landscape at once startlingly beautiful and—unknown to those who lived there—tainted with invisible yet deadly particles of plutonium. It’s also a book about the destructive power of secrets—both family and government. Her father’s hidden liquor bottles, the strange cancers in children in the neighborhood, the truth about what was made at Rocky Flats (cleaning supplies, her mother guessed)—best not to inquire too deeply into any of it.

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased safely and securely online, or via check or cash sent to Georgia WAND, 250 Georgia Avenue Suite 202, Atlanta, GA 30312.

Mother's Day for Peace 2012 Tickets
Student -  $25.00
General -  $50.00

Host Committee Level
$250.00 - 2 tickets
$500.00 - 4 tickets
$1,000.00 - 8 tickets

Directions

Mother's Day for Peace will be held in Cosby Auditorium on the Spelman College campus. Follow the directions below and look for signs and greeters from Georgia WAND.  PLEAS NOTE: if you are going to use a GPS system to navigate to Spelman, please use the following address

420 Westview Dr. SW
Atlanta, GA 30314

From I-75/85 North and South
Take I-20 West and exit (#55B) at Lee Street. Turn right onto Lee Street and continue through the next traffic light (Westview Drive). You will see a large parking lot on the right-hand side. Turn right into the first driveway and you will approach the gates of Spelman College.

From I-20 West
Exit (#55A) at Lowery Blvd. Cross Lowery Blvd. and continue on Oak Street to the next traffic light. Turn left onto Lee Street and cross the bridge over I-20 and continue through the next two traffic lights. You will see a large parking lot on the right-hand side. Turn right into the first driveway and you will approach the gates of Spelman College.

From I-20 East
Exit (#55B) at Lee Street. Turn right onto Lee Street and continue through the next traffic light (Westview Drive). You will see a large parking lot on the right-hand side. Turn right into the first driveway and you will approach the gates of Spelman College.

From Downtown Atlanta
Take Peachtree Street south to Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and turn right. Continue on M.L. King Jr. Drive to Northside and turn left. Continue on Northside through next three traffic lights (passing Burger King on the right). Turn right at the fourth traffic light (Greensferry Avenue). Continue on Greensferry through the stop sign. Turn left into the gate of Spelman College.

There are public safety booths located at both gates of the College. Upon your arrival, the public safety officer(s) will inform you of where to park and give other directions and instructions as needed.

Advertise

Your advertisement in the 2012 Mother’s Day for Peace Program, a quality 8 ½” x 11” beautifully designed publication, is an exceptional opportunity to reach a large and passionate audience. The 2012 event is expected to attract over 300 professionals, community leaders and local supporters. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the Mother’s Day for Peace Program! Ads are available in ¼, ½, and full page sizes. Click here to download the 2012 Mother's Day for Peace Advertisement Form . Please contact Amanda Hill-Attkisson with any questions, ahill@wand.org or 404.524.5999.

For Immediate Release
Monday, April 16, 2012

Atlanta  –  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission today unanimously affirmed a memorandum and order denying a stay motion to halt construction at the troubled Plant Vogtle project near Augusta, Georgia. Representatives of nine groups, including Atlanta based Georgia Women's Action for New Directions,  opposed to the NRC's decision in February to approve the licensing of Southern Company’s two new Vogtle reactors and will comment today about this morning's NRC decision to deny the stay.

The groups now plan to file a motion in federal court to stay construction.  That court proceeding would unfold against a backdrop of more than 30-plus license changes that Southern Company has said are needed and that the nine groups believe may result in possible delays and cost overruns.

The groups will hold a phone-based news conference at 1:30 p.m. EDT Monday following a planned 9 a.m. NRC public hearing.

News event speakers will be:
Diane Curran, Harmon, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg, L.L.P., attorney for organizations;
Dr. Arjun Makhijani, president, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research;
Sara Barczak, High Risk Energy Choices director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy; and
Rev. Charles Utley, Environmental Justice coordinator, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League.

TO PARTICIPATE:  You can participate in a related live, phone-based news conference (with full, two-way Q&A) at 1:30 p.m. EDT on April 16, 2012 by dialing 1 (800) 860-2442. Ask for the “NRC/Vogtle reactor challenge” news event.

CAN’T PARTICIPATE?:  A streaming audio replay of a related news event will be available on the Web at http://www.cleanenergy.org as of 5 p.m. EDT on April 16, 2012.

 MEDIA CONTACTS:   Leslie Anderson Maloy, (703) 276-3256 or landerson@hastingsgroup.com and Courtney Hanson (404) 524-5999 or courtney@wand.org

BACKGROUND

The nine groups are the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, Center for a Sustainable Coast, Citizens Allied for Safe Energy, Friends of the Earth, Georgia Women’s Action for New Directions, North Carolina Waste Awareness and Reduction Network, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Nuclear Watch South, and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

The groups maintain that NRC is violating federal law by issuing the Vogtle license without fully considering important public safety and environmental implications of the catastrophic Fukushima accident in Japan. They have asked federal judges to order the NRC to prepare a new environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Vogtle reactors that would detail how cooling systems for the proposed reactors and spent fuel storage pools would meet new regulatory requirements in light of the Fukushima accident to protect the site, and thus the surrounding communities, against earthquakes, flooding and prolonged loss of electric power to the site. Post-Fukushima safety requirements may also lead to a change in the economics of the project compared to alternatives.

In February, the groups asked the NRC to delay construction of the new Vogtle reactors until the court decided their case. If the NRC refuses their request on Monday, they will bring it to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. They contend that construction should not be allowed until the NRC decides whether the proposed new reactors should be re-designed to provide for more rigorous protection against earthquakes and extended power outages. To build reactors that might need to be significantly modified later and extensively backfitted in light of new post-Fukushima regulatory requirements risks wasting ratepayer dollars, causing unnecessary pollution, and even possible abandonment of the project.

The letter warned that the seriously damaged Unit 4 spent nuclear fuel pool contains Cesium-137 (Cs-137) that is equivalent to 10 times the amount released at the time of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. If an earthquake or other event were to cause this pool to drain, this could result in a catastrophic radiological fire.

The letter urged the United Nations to organize a Nuclear Security Summit to take up the crucial problem of the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 spent nuclear fuel pool. The letter stated that the United Nations should establish an independent assessment team on Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 and coordinate international assistance in order to stabilize the unit’s spent nuclear fuel and prevent radiological consequences with potentially catastrophic consequences.

Letters were sent to both UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, the latter asking that Japan ask immediately for the UN’s help. Nearly all of the 10,893 spent fuel assemblies at the Fukushima Daiichi plant sit in pools vulnerable to future earthquakes, with roughly 85 times more long-lived radioactivity than released at Chernobyl.

Kaori Izumi of Shut Tomari stated, “Fukushima Daiichi is no longer a Japanese issue but is an international issue. It is imperative for the Japanese government and the international community to work together on this crisis before it becomes too late.”

Nuclear experts from the US and Japan such Arnie Gundersen, Robert Alvarez, Hiroaki Koide, Masashi Goto, and Mitsuhei Murata, a former Japanese ambassador to Switzerland, and, Akio Matsumura, a former UN diplomat have continually warned against the high risk of the Fukushima Unit 4 spent nuclear fuel pool.

Shut Tomari and Green Action are seeking endorsements from civil organizations abroad (deadline 20 May). More Japanese civil organizations are expected to sign on in addition to the seventy-two organizations. (Deadline for signatures: 20 May.)

For full text of letter/endorsements/signatories, see:

http://wp.me/p1FMPy-B6

Join us each Friday for our weekly Stand for Peace vigil calling for the troops to come home. Join us for lunch afterwards for discussion, announcements and socializing.

When: March 6, 13, 20, 27 noon- 1pm vigil, 1pm-2pm lunch and discussion

Where: Colony Square- corner of Peachtree and 14th Street

For more information, contact courtney@wand.org

April 3
Screening: "The Healthcare Movie"

The Healthcare Movie provides the real story of how the health care systems in Canada and the United States evolved to be so completely different, when at one point they were essentially the same. Most people under the age of 50, in both countries, are not aware of the intensity of the political struggle that led to the universal medical care system in Canada. Nor are they aware of the public relations campaigns, still active today, that have been prevalent in the United States since the early 1900’s to dissuade the public from supporting national health care

When: Tuesday, April 3, 7:30pm

Where: Push Push Theatre, 121 New Street, Decatur, GA 30030

Contact Susan Edgett, sedgett777@gmail.com, 404 371 8101, for more information

April 4
The Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection Commemorates the 44^th Anniversary of King’s Assassination

Dr. Vincent Harding, who is a Historian, human rights activist and personal friend of Dr. King, will moderate a public program commemorating the life and work of the late civil rights leader. He will be joined by Ambassador Andrew Young, Dorothy Cotton and the Reverend James Lawson who were all with King in Memphis before his death. Renowned writer, poet and playwright, Sonia Sanchez will be on hand to open the program that includes music, song and other tributes.

When: Wednesday, April 4, 6:30-8:30 pm

Where: Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College

For more information, visit www.mlkchapel.org

April 5
Screening: The Last Mountain

The fight for the last great mountain in America's Appalachian heartland pits the mining giant that wants to explode it to extract the coal within, against the community fighting to preserve the mountain and build a wind farm on its ridges instead. With Bobby Kennedy Jr. enlisted as a passionate force for preserving Coal River Mountain and the economic power of the fossil fuel industry twisting democracy to its advantage THE LAST MOUNTAIN highlights a battle for the future of energy that affects us all.

When: Thursday, April 5, 5pm

Where: Georgia Sate University, Classroom South building, room 104

April 7
Documenting History in the Digital Age

Jim Alexander

The panel will discuss the meaning of “documentary” and explore the advent of the Internet and its relationship to documenting history. Moderated by photographer Jim Alexander, 2006 inductee into “The HistoryMakers”, the panel will feature speakers William A. (Bill) Brown, an independent filmmaker whose award winning work has been shown at festivals throughout the world, Susan J. “Sue” Ross, who refers to herself as a “photo-griot” and has a specialization in documenting images which portray the comings and goings of the African-American community, and Eric Waters, who has been a professional photographer for more than 30 years and studied under the tutelage of the late Marion Porter; a very well known and respected black New Orleans photographer and owner of Porter’s Photo New Orleans.

When: Saturday, April 7, 7pm-9pm

Where: American Friends Service Committee, 60 Walton Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30303

For more information, contact ALovelace@afsc.org

April 10
Poetry Reading: Alice Lovelace and Louise Runyon

A veteran performance poet, Alice Lovelace is an arts activist who uses her talents to work for social and economic justice. She is a published poet, award-winning playwright, essayist, arts infusion specialist, teacher and community arts consultant with a Master’s Degree in Conflict Resolution. Alice is also the most dynamic performer of poetry most people have ever experienced!

Louise Runyon began writing poetry in 1979, her first artistic endeavor after graduating from Oberlin College with a degree in English and Theatre Arts. The first woman to work at Atlantic Steel since World War II, she was inspired by that experience to create her first poems and choreography. Her writing soon moved into creating text for dance-theatre pieces, but poetry reemerged in 1999. Runyon produced her first book of poems, Reborn, in 2004; her second, LANDSCAPE / Fear & Love, in 2007; and her third, The Clearing, in 2011.

When: Tuesday, April 10, 7pm

Where:  Decatur Public Library, 215 Sycamore Street, Decatur, GA  30030

April 11
No to Endless War Protest

Join this anti-war visibility protest at a busy intersection calling for - US out of Afghanistan! No Drone Attacks! No War on Iran! Free Bradley Manning! No to War and Occupation! Sponsored by Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition/Atlanta.

When: Wednesday, April 11, 5pm-6pm

Where: corner of Moreland/Briarcliff and Ponce de Leon

For more information, visit georgiapeace.org

April 12
Screening: !War: Women, Art, Revolution

Faces of Feminist will screen !War: Women, Art, and Revolution, a free event open to the public. This film by Lynn Hershman Leeson reveals how the Feminist Art Movement transformed the art and culture of our times. It is not available in theaters or on DVD, so this may be the only chance for you to see this great film on women in art! For over FORTY YEARS, Leeson has collected hundreds of hours of interviews with visionary artists, historians, curators and critics who shaped the beliefs and values of the Feminist Art Movement and reveal previously undocumented strategies used to politicize female artists and integrate women into art structures.

When: Thursday, April 12, 7pm

Where: Cinefest Film Theatre, 66 Courtland St SE Suite 240   Atlanta, GA 30303

For more information, visit www.facesoffeminism.com

April 13-15
Global Health and Humanitarian Summit

This social network and educational event for humanitarianism and health volunteers will feature speakers and exhibits from experts and organizations across the country. It's an opportunity to share, learn, collaborate, and volunteer.

When: April 13-15

Where: Emory University School of Medicine.

Click here for everything you need to know.

April 19
Screening "Warrior: The Life of Leonard Peltier"

The film is an intimate exploration of the circumstances surrounding the incarceration of Native American anti-nuclear activist, Leonard Peltier, convicted of murder, with commentary from those involved, including Peltier himself.

When: Thursday, April 19, 7pm

Where: Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 1911 Cliff Valley Way Northeast  Atlanta, GA 30329 (Take I-85 access road between N. Druid Hills and Clairmont. Enter from top steps of parking lot, down left hallway to last room on left, Room 210)

For more information, contact reid@freejoye.com

April 19
FWHC Stand Up for Reproductive Justice

The Feminist Women's Health Center has announced their 2012 Stand Up for Reproductive Justice Awards Gala. Expect a night full of surprises as they honor Representative Stacey Abrams, Luella Klein, MD, and Shelley Serdahely and their journeys for justice, and celebrate their 35th year of empowering women through service, education, and advocacy.

When: Thursday, April 19, 6:30-8:30

Where: Twelve Hotel Ballroom, Atlanta Station, 316 17th Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30308

For more information, email development@feministcenter.org

April 21
WRFG Peachblossom Bluegrass Festival

Support WRFG 89.3fm at this event featuring all-day infectious, toe-tapping music, food, beverages and crafts for sale, outdoor jam sessions, and plenty of parking. Come see what all the fun's about at this annual fundraiser for WRFG 89.3FM, Atlanta's station for progressive information and hand-picked music.

When: Saturday, April 21, 10:30am - 9:00pm

Where: Clarkston Community Center, 3701 College Avenue, Clarkston

For the lineup or to purchase tickets, visit www.wrfg.org

April 23
Benefit Concert for Leonard Peltier

This benefit concert will feature dinner and cultural exhange including traditional dancingm, a presentation by members of national walk for clemency for Peltier and music by the Ex-Pand Band.

When: Monday, April 23, 7:30 pm

Where: The Arts Exchange, Paul Robeson Theater, 750 Kalb St SE (Off Glenwood between Boulevard and Moreland)

For more information, call 404.525.4360. $5 donation requested

April 26
Letter Writing Party!

Letters to the editor are a great way to raise awareness about specific issues, influence decision makers and call people to action. Make your voice heard, get published! We’re kicking off a new letter to the editor writing series– Circle of Scribes 2.0 – we’ll gather each month to review best practices for writing letters to the editor and op-eds, have brief trainings on timely issues pertinent to peace in action, environmental justice, and women’s political empowerment, and, of course, WRITE! April’s topic is the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Folks are also welcome to write on their own topics. Snacks will be included.

When: Thursday, April 26, 6-8pm

Where: 250 Georgia Avenue, Suite 202, Atlanta, GA 30312

Call 404.524.5999 or email courtney@wand.org for more info.

April 27 - May 20
Copenhagen

The Academy Theatre presents Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen. Toward the end of WWII, two of the world’s top physicists met in Copenhagen. The details of their meeting have never been revealed and the two never spoke to each other again. Michael Frayn presents his own ideas of the event in his Tony Award winning play, Copenhagen. What could drive close friends to never speak again? What if the Axis powers had split the atom? What is more important: friendship or loyalty to one’s country?  Who gets to decide who drops the bomb? Directed by Maggie McEnerny and featuring Stuart Schleuse, Curtis Krick and Lorilyn Harper.

Join the Georgia WAND contingent attending Copenhagen on Friday, April 25, 2012. Contact Courtney@wand.org for more information.

When: Friday, April 25, 7:30 pm

Where: Academy Theatre, 119 Center Street, Avondale Estates, Georgia 30002

Tickets are $15.00 online and $23.00 at the door.   For reservations call 404-474-8332 or through email at academytheatre30002@yahoo.comOr purchase online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/20154

April 28
Inman Park Parade

We are gearing up for the Inman Park Parade, a true Atlanta - and Georgia WAND tradition. Join us this year as we march behind Grand Marshal, John Sweet, and Inman Park pioneer and beloved Georgia WAND member. Join us to build our float and as we unveil this year our Puppets for Peace.

When: work day, Wednesday, April 25 (time and place TBD), Parade, Saturday, April 28, meetup at 12:30pm

Where: Parade meetup at 227 Elizabeth Street

For more information, email bobbie@wand.org

April 1- May 15
Peacebuilder's Camp Registration

Peacebuilders Camp, an overnight camp that exposes young people to peace and justice activities by introducing them to local peacemakers, is entering its second year! The 2012 Peacebuilders Camp is open to all kids, aged 10-14 and will be held at Koinonia Partners in Americus, Georgia on June 25-30, 2012. Please help us spread the word to interested families! Scholarships are available and participants must register by May 15. Peacebuilders Camp is also seeking contributions to its scholarship fund which helps ensure diversity and inclusiveness. To register, donate, or learn more about camp, visit www.peacebuilderscamp.org or contact Jonah McDonald at jonah@surefootadventures.com or 404-373-8036.

Come to the Capitol Thursday, March 28 at 10 am to Oppose SB 469!

Thursday is the last day of the legislative session and in all likelihood SB 469 WILL BE VOTED ON THAT DAY.

Take action, its as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4.

1) We are asking EVERYONE to come to the Capitol this Thursday beginning at 10:00 a.m. The session will last until midnight so come whenever you can!

2) Please also call your State Representative and tell them to oppose SB 469. Follow this link to contact your Rep

3) Call the House Speaker, Rep. David Ralston, at 404-656-5020. Tell his office you oppose SB 469, which would violate Georgians' constitutional rights, and SB 447, which would leave jobless families stranded and hurt the local businesses.

4) We need as many Georgians as possible to stand united when legislators decide whether or not to send SB 469 and SB 447 to the governor. Union members, unaffiliated workers, students, retirees, neighbors, friends, relatives, faith leaders - we're all impacted by this extreme, overreaching legislation. Spread the word by using this link.