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<font size=4><b>Greetings Friends! <br>
<br>
</b>Congratulations to all the Tent State organizers! Blessings to all
who are traveling to NYC for the 4/29 demonstrations.<br>
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Please don't miss the May Day events in our region (scroll down).<br>
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Please read on. There are many, many things to do in WMA -- lots of ways
to get involved. We need all of us in this struggle for justice and
peace. We're stronger when we're together!<br>
<br>
The book drive for students and faculty at Baghdad University and for The
Literacy Project has begun. Students and faculty as six local schools are
collecting. Please visit
<a href="http://www.booksbuildingbridges/" eudora="autourl">www.BooksBuildingBridges</a>
to get involved.<br>
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The following are highlights of local events. Please visit Roger's calendar at <a href="http://www.westernmassafsc.org/" eudora="autourl">www.WesternMassAFSC.org</a> for lots more information -- pay special attention to the Mother's Day actions -- Arise then women of this day!!!<br>
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Peace, Jo <br>
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</font><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><u>For up-to-date calendar information: <a href="http://www.westernmassafsc.org/" eudora="autourl">www.WesternMassAFSC.org</a></font><font size=4> <br>
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</u><b>Remembering Chernobyl <br>
</b>Both CAN and Traprock are marking this terrible anniversary. CAN's announcement follows. Please visit <a href="http://www.traprockpeace.org/" eudora="autourl">www.traprockpeace.org</a> for updates on Traprock's plans.<br>
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THREE DAYS OF FASTING -- Remembering Chernobyl<br>
Wells Fountain, Main St, Brattleboro, VT, (in front of the District Court House) & six miles from the Vermont Yankee reactor<br>
Tuesday April 25 & Wednesday April 26 & Thursday April 27<br>
10 am - 4 pm<br>
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Begining April 25, people will engage in a 3-day fast to commemorate the Chernobyl nuclear reactor's cataclysmic accident on April 26, 1986; the group of fasters is calling for shutting down Vermont Yankee and replacing it with safe and sustainable energy.<br>
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This is the twentieth anniversary of the catastrophic accident at the Chernobyl reactor in the Ukraine, Russia. Due to human error, the #4 reactor exploded releasing over 400 times more radioactivity than was released at Hiroshima. The initial explosion returned to earth as radioactive rain. The destroyed hulk burned for ten days, contaminating tens of thousands of square miles and forced a million people from their homes. <br>
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<b>Witness Against Torture -- Frida Berrigan <br>
</b>Frida walked across Cuba and vigiled at the gates of Guantanamo. Come here here story.<br>
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The Western Massachusetts Interfaith Coalition for Peace and Justice presents Frida Berrigan speaking on <br>
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"Witness Against Torture: A March to Visit the Prisoners at Guantanamo." <br>
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Frida Berrigan will give a slide show and talk on her recent trip to Guantanamo <br>
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Frida Berrigan is a Senior Research Associate at the Arms Trade Resource Center of the World Policy Institute in New York. She is also a member of the National Committee of the War Resisters League and the daughter of Plowshares activists Elizabeth McAlister and Phil Berrigan, who co-founded the Jonah House Community in Baltimore and the niece of poet-priest-Plowshares activist Daniel Berrigan. <br>
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April 27, 2006<br>
7:00 PM<br>
St. Mary's Church<br>
3 Elm Street, Northampton<br>
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The Western Massachusetts Interfaith Coalition for Peace and Justice consists of people of many faiths, drawn together by our deep concern for the safety, justice and peace of people of the world. We believe that war increases the cycle of hatred, claims innocent lives, and distracts us from the work of ending poverty and injustice at home and abroad. We dedicate our actions to building a culture of peace, eradicating poverty, guarding human rights,and working under international law. We will seek courage and guidance from our religious traditions nd solidarity with one another in pursuit of equitable and non-violent solutions to conflict. <br>
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Cosponsored by SAGE, American Friends Service Committee and the Buddhist Peace Fellowship of the Pioneer Valley <br>
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Contact: Rene Theberge, 413-575-8123 for further information. <br>
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<b>Military Recruitment, War and Return: 3 Award-Winning Documentaries <br>
</b>MILITARY RECRUITMENT, WAR AND RETURN<br>
Film Screening and Discussion with Filmmakers<br>
hosted by Raul Matta of AFSC Western Massachusetts<br>
<br>
Sunday, April 30, 2006, 1:30pm<br>
Academy of Music<br>
274 Main Street, Northampton MA<br>
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Three incredible films, in a youth-centered event:<br>
All That I Can Be <br>
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A first-hand look at the military recruiting process from the lens of New York high school students. All That I Can Be is the winner of the Economic Justice Award at the Fifth Annual Media that Matters Film Festival in June 2005. <br>
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Occupation: Dreamland <br>
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Occupation: Dreamland documents the lives of soldiers as they embark on the military assault of Fallujah in the winter of 2004. Occupation Dreamland won the Best Documentary at the Memphis Film Festival 2005. It also was an award winner at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2005 in recognition of the film's "potential to engage audiences to meaningful action that results in concrete impact and social change." <br>
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Purple Hearts <br>
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Tells the story of wounded soldiers upon returning home. <br>
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$5 admission charge. Followed by discussion with the filmmakers. <br>
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Information about ways to get involved in and help build the truth in recruiting work in our region will be available. <br>
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For more information: 413.584.8975. <br>
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<b>May Day: Immigrant Rights Demonstrations <br>
</b>RALLIES for IMMIGRANT RIGHTS in Holyoke, Springfield, Northampton and Amherst. Please visit </font><a href="http://www.westernmassafsc.org/calendar/1MAYO.HTM" eudora="autourl"><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><u>http://www.westernmassafsc.org/calendar/1MAYO.HTM</a></font><font size=4> </u>for more information.<br>
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Information about Amherst:<br>
</font><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.westernmassafsc.org/calendar/MARCH501.HTM" eudora="autourl">http://www.westernmassafsc.org/calendar/MARCH501.HTM<br>
<br>
</a></u></font><font size=4>Information about Northampton:<br>
</font><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.westernmassafsc.org/calendar/NHampton%20Flyer.doc" eudora="autourl">http://www.westernmassafsc.org/calendar/NHampton%20Flyer.doc</a></font><font size=4> <br>
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<br>
</u><b>May Day: Evening Events <br>
</b>There are at least three late afternoon/evening events on May Day! Please visit the website for more information.<br>
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Monday 5/1, 4-5pm, UMass S.D.S. Then and Now - a discussion on Students for a Democratic Society, and student politics in the past, present, and future. Campus Center Room 174-176. With Carl Oglesby, former SDS president, and others. national SDS website <br>
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Monday 5/1, 6:00, UMass "The Fourth World War" A talk with Dr. Vijay Prashad. Dr. Prashad is well-known for his expert analysis of US imperialism and war. He examines the historical modes of resistance to domination by people of color and links the struggles against racism, sexism, and homophobia to the struggles against imperialism.<br>
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Monday 5/1, 7-9, Holyoke Western Mass Jobs with Justice May Day Celebration and Fundraiser, United Congregational Church, High and Appleton Sts, Historic Holyoke.<br>
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<b>Samir Adil, President of Iraq Freedom Congress, speaks in WMA <br>
</b>On Monday, May 8, Samir Adil, President of the Iraq Freedom Congress will speak in western Massachusetts<br>
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4pm: UMass (location to be announced)<br>
7:30pm: First Churches Northampton, the Sanctuary, 129 Main Street, Northampton<br>
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AFSC and the UMass Anti-war Coalition are sponsoring these events. All co-sponsors are welcome.<br>
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The Iraqi Freedom Congress was formed in March 2005 by the Worker-Communist Party of Iraq. The purpose of the Congress is to promote democracy and secularism in Iraq. It's a people's movement -- based in the student, labor and human rights communities. <br>
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The Worker-Communist Party of Iraq is a Marxist political party in Iraq and amongst Iraqi exiles. They opposed both Saddam Hussein and the American-led new administration. Under the Ba'athist regime, the group was persecuted, and so operated primarily in the Kurdistan region, and overseas in the United Kingdom and Australia (where they were among the founders of the Socialist Alliance). <br>
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They are involved in the Federation of Workers Councils and Unions in Iraq, the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq and the Union of the Unemployed in Iraq. They produce a newsletter called Iraq Weekly. For more information: </font><a href="http://www.ifcongress.com/English/index.htm" eudora="autourl"><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><u>http://www.ifcongress.com/English/index.htm</a>.</font><font size=4> <br>
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</u>I understand from colleagues that Samir is extraordinary. He was tortured during Saddam Hussein's presidency, but continues to speak of uniting a peaceful Iraq. <br>
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The following is a letter Samir wrote to the international community on the third anniversary of the US war in Iraq. <br>
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An open letter to the anti war and anti terrorism movement of the world in the third anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq <br>
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As the third anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq emerges while the society is undergoing the hardest time of its life, the war continues its pace in every single street in Baghdad, Mosul, Kirkuk and everywhere else in the country. The assassinations and disappearances overtake politicians, doctors, engineers and scholars. The explosives are taking the civilians lives regardless of their ages at every given moment. The arrests, raids and torture carried out by the occupying troops are in a state of ongoing actions. The poverty and unemployment are wide spreading as the security situations slipping off the hands. In addition the puppet government and in response to the International Monetary Fund have made decisions to make peoples' lives even more miserable by rising the fuel prices and taking steps to gradually eliminate the subsidized ration coupon. What we gained after three years of occupation are, the lack of social services, power outage, and ethno-sectarian gangs hanging over the society. <br>
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Just as we forewarned in the eve of the constitution referendum and election at the end of last year, that the US administration attempts to get its policies through and continue its occupation after failing to find the weapons of mass destruction. We said at that time that this is a US game in which the ethnic and sectarian division will deepen and the society will slide into a civil war. There you are! Seeing and hearing how Iraq is becoming another Rwanda. People are getting murdered on a daily bases because of their sectarian identities. <br>
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We were supposed to organize marches in the third anniversary of the invasion in Baghdad, Kirkuk and Basra as we announced earlier this month, however the current security situation preclude us from doing so. Though we will consider different possibilities to express our protest in this day where millions of people around the world will march the streets to denounce the war and occupation. <br>
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Friends, brothers, comrades and peace lovers all over the world and especially in the United States: <br>
<br>
Millions of people in Iraq are looking forward to your movement, to your hard work, and to your struggle to bring peace to the world. Without your solidarity and support the US inhumane policies will not be defeated. We strongly believe that the security and stability will not prevail unless the occupation is ended. Therefore we are determined to boot out the occupation, and here we are today in spite of the hardship we are enduring, we save no effort to bring hope to millions of people around us and present our humanitarian alternative. <br>
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We work in several regions in Iraq to create secured neighborhoods where the sectarian and ethnic hatred have no ground what so ever. We educate people how to protect themselves and their neighbors and how not letting the hatred get to their unity. We organize their ranks to make their places of living safer for the people who run away from the sectarian mobs. At the same time we work to bring basic social services to make their lives easier. <br>
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On the other hand, through carrying out demonstrations, sit-ins, gatherings, and media we struggle to end the occupation, forming a non-ethnic and non-religious government where people are recognized as human beings and take their matters on their hands. <br>
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In this occasion, I would like to say: what ended the bloodshed in Vietnam are the protests that swept New York, Washington and the rest of the world. And we are absolutely certain that ending the chaos and bloodshed in Iraq will take place by rising the international protests and awareness in the same cities that ended the Vietnamese war. <br>
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Iraq Freedom Congress is part of the humanitarian current you represent. With your support by all means only, will prevail. <br>
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Long Live international solidarity<br>
Samir Adil, President of Iraq Freedom Congress<br>
Baghdad<br>
March 14, 2006<br>
</font><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><u>ifcongress@gmail.com<br>
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</u></font><font size=4><b>WMA Social Forum Meeting <br>
</b>What: Building a W. Mass. Social Forum - Potluck!<br>
When: Friday May 12, 5:30-8:00<br>
Where: Arise for Social Justice, 94 Rifle Street, Springfield<br>
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For more information, contact:<br>
Emily Kawano: 413.545.0743<br>
Susan Theberge: 413.253.2161<br>
Carlos Fontes: 413.259.1762<br>
Jo Comerford: 413.695.6059<br>
<br>
"Another World Is Possible." This is the slogan of the World Social Forum. Since its first meeting Brazil, in 2001, the World Social Forum has become the largest gathering of social movements in the world. The Social Forum is united in its opposition to neoliberalism (ie. the dominant economic model that of free market, free trade, minimal government, privatization, deregulation) and imperialism, and in their commitment to building 'another world,' grounded in sustainability and social justice.<br>
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There have been numerous regional social forums throughout the world, including one in Boston in 2004. If you are interested in the idea of having a Social Forum in W. Massachusetts please join us.<br>
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Background information follows about Social Forums and the WMA process to date.<br>
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If you are interested in finding out more about the WSF in general, check <br>
out the website: <br>
</font><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/index.php?cd_language=2&id_menu" eudora="autourl">http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/index.php?cd_language=2&id_menu</a>=<br>
<br>
</u></font><font size=4>******<br>
<br>
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS SOCIAL FORUM<br>
BACKGROUND INFORMATION<br>
<br>
WHAT IS A SOCIAL FORUM?<br>
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In 2001, the first World Social Forum (WSF) was held in Porto Alegre, <br>
Brazil and was attended by around 15,000 people from around the world. <br>
Every year the WSF has drawn together more and more people. In 2005, <br>
around 155,000 people attended the WSF. </font><a href="http://www.forumsocialmundial.org/" eudora="autourl"><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><u>http://www.forumsocialmundial.org<br>
<br>
</a></u></font><font size=4>The World Social Forum has become the largest and most important gathering of social movements in the world, united in their opposition to <br>
neoliberalism (for definition, see below) and united in the belief that <br>
‘Another World Is Possible’ one grounded in social and economic justice <br>
and sustainability.<br>
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Social Forums are open spaces for learning, networking, discussion, <br>
exchange, celebration, visioning, strategizing and mobilization.<br>
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Social Forums are also a process of movement building, not just series of <br>
meetings.<br>
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Social Forums are meant to be independent of political parties, although <br>
political parties have played an important role in supporting the social <br>
forum process.<br>
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For more details on the principles, see the WSF Charter of Principles below.<br>
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WHY A WESTERN MASS. SOCIAL FORUM?<br>
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To link local struggles and organizing with the larger global justice <br>
movement. To learn from and contribute to struggles around the world.<br>
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To build a more powerful and unified movement for social and economic <br>
justice and sustainability in W. Mass.<br>
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To advance discussion, debate, understanding, common interests and <br>
strategies for change.<br>
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To celebrate and create/experience a bit of our vision of the future <br>
through a culture of solidarity.<br>
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To build awareness and mobilization for the first U.S. Social Forum, June <br>
27-July 1, 2007 in Atlanta. </font><a href="http://www.ussf2007.org/home.html" eudora="autourl"><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><u>http://www.ussf2007.org/home.html<br>
<br>
</a></u></font><font size=4>The WSF has inspired many regional and thematic social forums throughout the world, from Europe to Africa, Asia, Africa and Pan-America, to more localized social forums such as Boston and New York.<br>
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WHAT DOES A SOCIAL FORUM LOOK LIKE?<br>
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A combination of talks, roundtables, workshops and cultural events.<br>
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Most of these are self-organized by the organizations or individuals <br>
facilitating the event. Some events, such as the plenary events (attended <br>
by everyone), are organized by a program committee.<br>
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A rich mix of social and cultural exchange. Social Forum participants <br>
describe the experience as inspiring, rejuvenating, exhilarating, <br>
re-affirming, eye-opening.<br>
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WHERE ARE WE IN THE ORGANIZING PROCESS?<br>
<br>
We are in the very early stages of the process of building a Western Mass. <br>
Social Forum. Groups involved so far include: W. Mass Indymedia, AFSC, Arise for Social Justice, Casa Latina, Sage, Jobs with Justice, Center for Popular Economics, Interfaith Coalition, GROW, Military Recruitment Education Network, and the Youth Program of Community Action.<br>
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After three meetings in which we discussed the concept of the Social Forum and various strategies to move the process forward, we decided that we needed to reach out to the various areas of the Western Mass.<br>
<br>
We are also open to the participation from groups with whom we may have a natural geographic affinity that might come from Brattleboro or even <br>
Hartford. But our focus is W. Mass.<br>
<br>
At our next meeting/picnic on May 12, we would like to have <br>
representatives from these different areas at the table so that we can <br>
start discussing the theme, strategies and next steps in the organization. <br>
Our idea is connect with organizations in each region that would than <br>
organize themselves in that region and send some people to be part of the <br>
Organizing Steering Committee for the Forum.<br>
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We are currently thinking about early spring 2007. Exact date and venue to be decided. It may seem too far away to think about, but we should take this as an opportunity for movement building, not simply as planning an event. <br>
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</font><br>
<font face="Arial Narrow, Helvetica" size=2><br>
<br>
</font><font face="Arial Narrow, Helvetica">"What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life?<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>The world would split open" ~ Muriel Rukeyser<br>
<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Garamond"><b>Jo Comerford<br>
</b>American Friends Service Committee, Western Massachusetts<br>
140 Pine Street, Room 10<br>
Florence, Massachusetts 01062<br>
413.584.8975 (W)<br>
413.584.8987 (F)<br>
413.695.6059 (C)<br>
afsc@crocker.com<br>
<a href="http://www.westernmassafsc.org/" eudora="autourl">www.WesternMassAFSC.org</a><br>
<br>
</font><font size=1><i>New Resource: <br>
</i><b>Ten Reasons Why the US Must Leave Iraq: <br>
</b></font><font size=1 color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.pdf" eudora="autourl">http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.pdf</a></u></font><font size=1> <br>
</font><font size=1 color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.htm" eudora="autourl">http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.htm</a></u></font><font size=1> (Text)<br>
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