Manifest Destiny's Child in Woodstock

This was a great performance and an interesting evening at the Mountain View Studio. It was not well attended despite the publicity we did for the event. Too close to the election? A few objected to the "good white liberals" tag line. Get over it! Thanks to Tarak and Ellen who brought Dennis Trainor to Woodstock.

Inheritance at Mountain View Studio.

Great crowd for this event on Iran. 

Sunday, October 7, 7:30-9:00 PM at the at the Mountain View Studio, 20 Mountainview Ave., Woodstock. The documentary “Inheritance” follows the filmmaker’s search for his family’s history in the US overthrow of Mohammed Mossadegh in Iran. Cambiz Amir-Khosravi, a widely recognized, award-winning documentary film and video producer whose work ranges back to the early 1980s, will talk about his craft.

Sponsored by: Middle East Crisis Response mideastcrisis.org, Hudson Valley BDS hudsonvalleybds.org, Jewish Voice for Peace-HV jvphudsonvalley.org, and Veterans For Peace. Contact: mecr@mideastcrisis.org or 845 876-7906

Project for the New American Century is now.

-Friday, September 7, 7:30-9:00 PM at the at the Mountain View Studio, 20 Mountainview Ave., Woodstock. Film and talk entitled “Is War With Iran Inevitable?” with Dr. Bahman Azad, retired professor of economics and sociology and former acting director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers University. Dr. Azad served as a lieutenant in the Iranian Air Force and is organizational secretary of the U.S. Peace Council, co-chair of Iran Pledge of Resistance, NGO representative of the World Peace Council at the U.N., and coordinator of the Coalition Against U.S. Foreign Military Bases. Suggested donation $10. Sponsored by: Middle East Crisis Response mideastcrisis.org, Hudson Valley BDS hudsonvalleybds.org, Jewish Voice for Peace-HV jvphudsonvalley.org, and Veterans for Peace. Contact: mecr@mideastcrisis.org

About 40 attended this talk by Dr. Azad. It was one of the clearest analysis we have heard of the US empire in the Middle East, and how it follows the recommendations of the Project for the New American Century. It is hard in the middle of a military empire to determine its size, scope, and danger to the rest of humankind. As citizens, it is our task to understand the political system we live under.

Vigil last December

This is the vigil against Islamophobia that Hudson Valley JVP did with MECR (and a number of other local groups). It was such an important event last holiday season that it is being included now, even though it occurred in December 2017.

Understanding racism is the underlying theme

MECR showed “Al Helm: Martin Luther King in Palestine” at the New Progressive Baptist Church, 8 Hone St, Kingston. This free documentary follows an African American gospel choir as it travels the Holy Land singing in a Palestinian play about Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Al Helm (the dream) explores cultural differences, human rights, and the power of nonviolent action. The New Progressive Baptist Church Choir performed live at the end of the film. Sponsored by: Middle East Crisis Response mideastcrisis.org, Hudson Valley BDS hudsonvalleybds.org, Jewish Voice for Peace-HV jvphudsonvalley.org, and Veterans for Peace.

This was a great event with a fair turnout. It was a little disappointing with such an interesting movie and the participation of the New Progressive Baptist Church Choir. MECR is still committed to building bridges to other groups in the Hudson Valley. The fight for racial and economic justice is the same, whether it is in Palestine or in the streets of Kingston NY. When the majority of white people in America discover one, they will be able to understand the other. 

Talk and Book Signing with Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh

Fri, Jun 22 at 7 pm. Talk and Book Signing with Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh at the Inquiring Minds Bookstore & Gallery, 200 Main St, Saugerties, NY. Professor at Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities and founder of the Palestine Museum of Natural History (palestinenature.org), Dr. Qumsiyeh will talk about his book, “Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment.” Hear how environmental and social justice movements can come together to fight both climate change and racial injustice. Sponsored by: Middle East Crisis Response mideastcrisis.org, Hudson Valley BDS hudsonvalleybds.org, Jewish Voice for Peace - HV jvphudsonvalley.org, and Veterans for Peace.

We had a great crowd for Mazin, who was at the top of his game explaining how colonialism has worked in the US and in Palestine. Over sixty people listened to his talk.

Our first farmer's market of the year - Woodstock