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Upcoming Events     

See the Events Calendar on the left of this page for a complete listing of events of interest to advocates for justice and peace.  To submit an event, send it to sene@afsc.org with "please post" in the subject line.

Watch the AFSC short video A Land in Fragments - Barriers to Peace, take action, and then pass the link on to your friends. 

Sunday June 28th Spaghetti Dinner for AFSC-SENE:  Join us at 6:00 pm for a great dinnner and a celebration of peacemaking in Providence - your choice of several sauces, great salad - and the wonderful company of other folks who work for peace and justice.  Ginny Fox will present the Peace Flag Project.  Constance Allen will have her amazing peace sign creations.  Martha Yager will offer photo cards.  And SENE will have a table with buttons, bumper stickers, Palestinian Olive Oil and more.  Suggested donation $10/25 per family.  Don't let money keep you away (we know times are tough) - but also feel free to donate more if you are able!  

AFSC-SENE, like many organizations and families, is feeling the impact of the economic crisis and is engaged in additional fund-raising efforts  If you can, please send in a donation, no matter how small.  Some people have begun sending a monthly donation.  Your generosity is much appreciated.  Checks can be made to AFSC-SENE and sent to 33 Chestnut St. Providence RI 02903.  If you would like to host a house party (at which guests make a donation and there is a small program of interest to the group) please contact the office, sene@afsc.org.  The national AFSC program also needs support.  See the main AFSC webpage to make a donation to the national office.  Many thanks!

Recent Activities

Mayor of Hiroshima at Waterfire in Providence.  AFSC-SENE arranged to have Mayor Akiba of Hiroshima participate in a peace ceremony at the Providence Waterfire when the US Conference of Mayors was in Providence.  Waterfire arranged a lovely ceremony, mixing waters sybolizing the waters of Hiroshima at the point where the two rivers converge to form the Providence River - symbolizing the mixing together of our peoples in a common destiny.  Mayor Akiba was also able to address a huge crowd at the dance stage about the importance of nuclear abolition by 2010. 

Commemoration of 5,000+ soldiers' deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan.  This sad milestone reminded us of the terrible human cost of war and occupation.  About 16 people braved the rain to call attention to the human cost of war and to read the names of the 699 soldiers who have died in Afghanistan.  (The names of 4000 US soldiers who died in Iraq and 4000 Iraqi civilians were read in April 2008). 

May Day call for Immigration Reform: In spite of some rain and the fear that haunts immigrants in Providence over 200 people turned out to a rally in front of the ICE office in Providence.  Hearts were touched as famlies spoke of the impact of raids and deportations on their lives and spirits inspired by people who every day resist racial profiling and harrassment
. 
Tax Day: Cut the Military Budget and End the Wars  Volunteers stood outside the main Post Office in Providence most of the day on April 15th.  We handed out over 700 brochures, collected 60 notes to President Obama, mostly on federal budget priorities, and had about 100 people take our penny poll on budget priorities.   Rusty the Dog, a Big Nazo puppet showed up in the evening to bring smiles and support different priorities. 

The 6th Anniversary of the Iraq War was marked in many ways throughout the SENE area.  Vigils were held in Providence, Westerly, Newport, Falmouth, and Hyannis and folks from the area filled a bus to go to the March 21st demonstration in Washington DC.  While many folks seem to think the war is either over or doesn't matter any more, there are still over 138,000 troops there in Iraq, some are dying and being injured, Iraqis are still dying and millions are still displaced by the fighting.  Those gathered for anniversary events rededicated themselves to ending the war, seeing that Afghanistan is not the exit strategy for Iraq, and cutting military spending (now 58% of discretionary spending) so that there are funds for health care, education and other ways to rebuild our economy.  Here is the ProJo coverage of the Providence event. 



March 19th about 80 people rallied outside the Colibri plant to protest the closing of a plant with no notice (which breaks federal law), no severance pay and no benefits. Many of the workers had been with the company for at least 10 years, some much longer.  15 people were arrested as they sat down to block the driveway to the plant during an auction of remaining merchandise.  Workers are demanding that they be among the first to receive compensation in the bankruptcy procedings, not the last as is common.You can read about it in the ProJo here.









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