Action Alerts and Events

Student personal information will go to military recruiters unless they opt out

Post Date August 31, 2010

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Author Laurel Mei-Singh

Category Action Alerts and Events, Counter Recruitment, DMZ-Hawai'i / Aloha 'Aina In the News, Militarization of Society, The Military in Hawai'i (All Islands), Youth and Militarization

ALERT! All secondary students and parents should know about the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) military recruitment list opt-out form and deadline for opting out!

AFSC Hawai’i’s CHOICES project, Truth2Youth, Maui Careers in Peacemaking, and the Kaua’i Alliance for Peace and Social Justice have worked for years to get the Hawai’i Department of Education to improve its “opt out” procedures for the military recruitment list created under the NCLB. The forms were inaccessible and difficult to understand. Some schools did not notify students or notified students until after the deadline. And there were cases where parents opted out and the names were still given to the military.

According to the Haleakala Times, when students were first allowed to opt out themselves in the 2006/2007 school year, the opt out roll jumped from 1,913 the previous year to 21,836, nearly a quarter of the secondary student body.

This year, we received reports that the opt-out forms were in the registration packets as we had recommended. A teacher at Farrington reported that he had a 4-inch high stack of student-completed opt-out forms.

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http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/101860428.html#axzz0yDAYbaqs

Students given chance to remove names from schools’ list given to military recruiters

By Star-Advertiser Staff

POSTED: 09:51 p.m. HST, Aug 30, 2010

Students and parents at state middle, intermediate and high schools have until Sept. 15 to remove their names from a national list given annually to military recruiters by the Department of Education under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The DOE has developed an opt-out form for military recruiting for students and parents, available for download on the DOE website. Students or guardians that submit the forms will have their names and contact information removed from a list sent to Inter-Service Recruitment Council in mid-October. Requests filed between 2007 and 2010 will be honored until the students leave the DOE system.

Request forms are accepted year-round, but may take longer to process if submitted after the Sept. 15 deadline. For more information, students and parents can call the DOE at (808) 692-7290.

On Maui: Hiroshima Commemoration

Post Date July 30, 2010

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Author Laurel Mei-Singh

Category Action Alerts and Events, DMZ-Hawai'i / Aloha 'Aina In the News, War and Peace

MAUI TIME WEEKLY, JULY 29, 2010

http://www.mauitime.com/Articles-i-2010-07-29-74029.113117_Remembering_Hiroshima_As_An_Act_of_Liberation.html

Remembering Hiroshima As An Act of Liberation

The militarization of Hawaii and its effect on our economy and collective psyche is often overlooked. Activist Kyle Kajihiro wants to change that

July 29, 2010 | 09:33 AM
Outpost of Empire
The militarization of Hawaii and its effect on our economy and collective psyche is often overlooked. Activist Kyle Kajihiro wants to change that

On Friday, August 6, beginning at 6pm, Maui Peace Action will hold a Hiroshima Remembrance Day at UH Maui College, commemorating the 65-year anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb “Little Boy” on the Japanese city. The keynote speaker will be Kyle Kajihiro, director of the anti-war American Friends Service Committee Hawaii.

Ahead of his Maui appearance, we asked Kyle to discuss the legacy of Hiroshima, the militarization of Hawaii and the current state of war and peace.

The title of your talk is “Remembering Hiroshima As An Act of Liberation.” Explain what you mean by that.

The world has been held hostage by nuclear terror since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As the country with the largest nuclear arsenal, the U.S. has used nuclear weapons as the ultimate “big stick” to intimidate, threaten and coerce other countries to do its bidding. In this way, the U.S. uses nuclear weapons the same way that a robber uses a loaded gun to get people to do something. Whether or not the gun is fired, it is still a form of assault.

Today, more than ever, the danger of nuclear weapons hangs over humanity. The nuclear survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been an important voice for peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons. Yet commemorations of these horrific events can become too safe if they don’t address the urgent issues of our time. Remembering Hiroshima must be an act of liberation from nuclear terror and passivity; it should reignite our commitment to the political and moral project of nuclear disarmament and demilitarization.

*

Do you think we’ll see another nuclear weapon used in our lifetime?

I think nuclear weapons have been used many times to terrorize countries without necessarily launching and exploding them. But I am optimistic that the tide of world opinion is against nuclear weapons and will prevent their active use in our lifetime.

For those who don’t know, explain, in broad terms, how Hawaii came to be such an important place, militarily, for the United States.

The U.S. invaded and occupied the independent Kingdom of Hawai’i primarily to establish a forward military base in the Pacific as a stepping stone to Asia. From the point of view of American imperialists, once the genocide of American Indians and the taking of their land was completed, the next logical step was to take Hawaii, then the Philippines, Guam and other Pacific nations and extend “manifest destiny” to Asia. The U.S. military still uses Hawaii and its other Pacific island colonies as outposts of empire.

*

What would you say is the most common misconception about—or unknown aspect of—the military presence in Hawaii?

I think most people don’t realize the social, environmental or cultural costs and impacts of the enormous military presence in Hawaii. The impact of the military on land is huge. The military controls nearly a quarter of the island of Oahu, most of it crown and government lands of the Hawaiian Kingdom that were wrongfully taken. On these lands are more than 800 documented and reported contamination sites that include depleted uranium, chemical weapons, lead, mercury, PCB, solvents and unexploded ordnance.

As with tourism, when people question the wisdom or necessity of the state’s military bases, proponents cite the economy: where would we be without those military dollars? How do you respond to this?

The military economy is so enormous that it has distorted our development in Hawaii in ways that I would argue have been detrimental to the long-term health of our economy. In many ways, the military-tourism economy is like a fast food diet. You can get plenty of calories from a fast food meal, but if that was the only food you ate, it would eventually make you obese and sick. Fast food diets are also addictive because of the sugar “high” that gives a temporary sense of wellbeing.

The overreliance on tourism and militarism as the only two pillars of the economy have resulted in destructive patterns of overdevelopment, the atrophy of other productive capabilities such as agriculture or clean energy production and the failure to invest in sectors such as education and environmental restoration that are necessary for a sustainable future. There is also the hidden environmental, social and cultural costs of militarism. In a military economy some people get paid, often very well, while others pay the price of lost land, culture and health.

What’s your take on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Obama Administration’s strategies and policies thus far?

Despite all the hype about change, the Obama Administration has pretty much followed the failed policies of the Bush Administration. The cost of the wars have just exceeded $1 trillion. The recent Wikileaks disclosures are revealing the disastrous human cost of Obama’s policies.

A report on the March 20, 2010 Hilo Peace Rally

Post Date March 21, 2010

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Author Laurel Mei-Singh

Category Action Alerts and Events, DMZ-Hawai'i / Aloha 'Aina In the News, War and Peace

A report from Jim Albertini on the March 20, 2010 Hilo Peace Rally

Aloha Peace Ohana,

More than 60 people gathered on Hilo Bayfront from 10AM till noon today for a peace rally amid a light rain to call for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. The rally was organized to mark the 7th anniversary of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq and to stand in solidarity with thousands around the U.S. organizing similar rallies and marches to end the wars. Many of the signs called for cutting off the war funds and redirecting the money to human needs, such as education, jobs, health care, and stopping foreclosures.

In Hilo people held signs and banners along Kamehameha Ave. for the first hour and continued to do so the 2nd hour when a number of speakers offered insights and gave encouragement to build a movement for justice and peace. It was especially encouraging to have many local youth join the rally. Keana DeCosta spoke for UHH Global HOPE. Eric Orseske, another UHH student also inspired the crowd. Eric served in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division both in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2001 to 2004. Eric said the best way to support the troops is to stop the wars and bring the troops home. Eric called for:

1. withdrawal of all U.S. and foreign troops from Iraq and Afghanistan;

2. Insuring adequate health care for returning veterans and their families;

3. Reparations for the Iraqi and Afghani people who have suffered tremendous losses (1.3 million Iraqi civilians have been slaughtered since the 2003 U.S. invasion);

4 Eric also called for other GI’s to know their rights and he called for investigating Depleted Uranium (munitions and contamination) and the erosion of our Bill of Rights.

Other speakers included Hanako Shibata from Nagasaki, Japan who said “war never again –peace to all!” Local building contractor, Danny Li, spoke on the economic aspects of the wars –trillions of dollars spent on war and Wall Street while human needs and basic government services are cut back. Rosylyn “Bunny” Smith, who lived in Iran and other parts of the world as a U.S. diplomat family, spoke of concern for Palestine and the similar rhetoric today about Iran like we heard prior to the war in Iraq. Lee Bowden encouraged people to not give up, to keep protesting what’s being done in our names and urged people to join the weekly Hilo Peace Vigil on Fridays 3:30-5PM at the down down Hilo Post Office.

A statement was read from Cory Harden who could not attend the rally: Cory urged public hearings for the EIS of the Army’s proposed Join High Speed Vessel (JHSV) –the militarized Superferry. At present no hearings are planned. Cory also summarized the story of depleted uranium in Hawaii and the non-functioning Pohakuloa Community Advisory Group.

I urged people to take and pass on to friends a “Call to Action” flier. The flier (see below) notes three actions:

1. Call Hawaii’s congressional delegation to demand a cut off of the war funds;

2. A Saturday, April 10th and Sunday, April 11th roving peace vigil around the island — urging people to join in their local communities for an hour during the weekend;

3. A public form –Sunday, April 25th on Military Depleted Uranium Radiation Contamination on Hawaii island.– 7-9PM at the Keaau Community Center

Following the rally’s scheduled speakers, there was an open microphone for others to come forward and share. Many did, sharing thoughts and even a few songs. The honking horns from passing cars showed widespread opposition to the wars. A lone war supporter (– part of “The gathering of Eagles”) stood in the long line of war opponents, but on this day in history the pro-war message didn’t fly in Hilo. The response was clear. People have had enough of war: Bring the troops home now. Stop the Wars! Ground the Imperial Eagle!

A Call to Action

1. Email/Call Hawaii’s Congressional delegation and demand a cut off of the war funds:

Senator Dan Inouye http:inouye.senate.gov in Washington 202-224-3934, in Hilo 935–0844, in Honolulu 541-2542

Senator Dan Akaka http:akaka.senate.gov in Washington 202-224-6361, in Hilo 935-1114

Congresswoman Mazie Hirono www.hirono.gov in Washington 202-225-4906, in Hilo 935-3756, in Honolulu 808-541-1986.

2. Join and help spread the word about the Saturday, April 10th and Sunday, April 11th Roving Peace Vigil around the island with an emphasis on stopping the wars; shifting war funds to education, health care and other human needs; and military clean up not build up in Hawaii.

On Sat. April 10th Vigil sites are:

9-10AM Bayfront Hilo

11-12AM Honoka’a (Hwy by Tex’s Drive In)

1-2PM Waimea — Fronting Parker Ranch Shopping Center (Foodland)

3-4PM Waikoloa Village – Waikoloa Rd and Paniolo Ave. by shopping center

On Sunday, April 11th Vigil sites are:

9-10AM Volcano Hwy 11 Wright Road

11-12 Na’alehu theater

1-2PM Captain Cook –across from Manago Hotel

3-4PM Kailua-Kona – Kailua pier

3. Join, and help pass the word about the forum on Military Depleted Uranium Radiation Contamination on Hawaii Island

Sunday, April 25th from 7-9PM at the Keaau Community Center

Representatives from the military are invited along with citizen representatives to give presentations and field questions from the audience.

Please Answer the Call. Mahalo!

For more information contact: Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action

P.O. Box AB Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawaii 96760. Phone 808-966-7622

email ja@interpac.net Visit us on the web at www.malu-aina.org

Makua panel to air on 'Olelo

Post Date February 17, 2010

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Author Laurel Mei-Singh

Category Action Alerts and Events, DMZ-Hawai'i / Aloha 'Aina In the News, Environmental Impacts, Free Makua, Social and Economic Impacts

ALOHA this OHA/OLELO production will be shown on Thursday(s) February 17 and 24^th at 7:00 p.m. on Channel 53. You may also pick up the program by going to www.olelo.org a couple of minutes before airtime and clicking on Channel 53.

OHA #158

FEBRUARY 12, 2010

MALAMA MAKUA – LIVE FIRE OVER MAKUA VALLEY

Fred Dodge, Malama Makua

Sparky Rodrigues, Malama Makua

David Henkin, Staff Attorney, Earthjustice

Moderator: Lynette Cruz, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Hawaii Pacific University

Citizens ask why the Army Need Makua.

'Ike: Historical Transformations: Reading Hawai'i's Past to Probe Its Future

Post Date October 09, 2009

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Author Laurel Mei-Singh

Category Action Alerts and Events, DMZ-Hawai'i / Aloha 'Aina In the News, Hawaiian Sovereignty, Land, Culture & Human Rights, The Military in Hawai'i (All Islands)

‘Ike: Historical Transformations: Reading Hawai’i’s Past to Probe Its Future

Download the event flyer

DATE: Saturday, October 24th, 2009, 10am-5pm

FEATURED PRESENTERS:

Kamana Beamer
Lorenz Gonschor
Kūhiō Vogeler
moderated by Lynette Cruz

Kekuni Blaisdell
Ikaika Hussey
Terri Kekoolani
Jon Osorio

J. Kehaulani Kauanui
Maivân Clech Lâm
Keanu Sai
moderated by Jon Osorio

and others yet to be confirmed:

Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies (Map/Directions)

2645 Dole St. Honolulu, HI 96822

Info: Attendance is free.

1. Recovering our Political Past: Who Votes? For What Political Status? As Hawaii continues to experience a series of political transformations first launched by its contact with the West and continuing now through the introduction of the Akaka Bill in the U.S. Congress, we focus on two key issues that substantially shaped those transformations: WHO made the decisions that produced the transformations, and what CHOICES did they consider and not consider? Key historical moments will be presented through speeches as might have been delivered in 1882, 1888, 1893, 1898, 1959, 2000, 2009. Presenters include Kuhio Vogeler, Kamana Beamer, Lorenz Gonshor, and others TBD. Moderated by Lynette Cruz.

Co-sponsored by Ka Lei Maile Ali’i Hawaiian Civic Clubs. 10:00 am.

2. History of Hawaiian Political Activism: 1887 to the Present. Kekuni Blaisdell, Ikaika Hussey, Terri Kekoolani, and Jon Osorio examine the various individuals and/or historical developments that were key to the several political transformations of Hawaii since Kamehameha I first established it as a united kingdom. Exploring among others, some of the various political groups in the 19th century Hawaiian Kingdom, the Ku’e petitions, the 1960 land struggles, the 1993 Sovereignty Tribunal, as well as contemporary examples as to how current political activism might redefine the map of Hawai’i’s political future.

Co-sponsored by M.A.N.A. and Kanaka Maoli Tribunal Working Group.12:30 pm.

3. International Routes: De-occupation, Decolonization and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Keanu Sai, J. Kehaulani Kauanui, and Maivan Lam discuss the modern trajectory of the Hawaiian Islands within the context of, among other topics, Hague Regulations on the law of occupation, the U.N. Decolonization Protocols, and the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This panel seeks to assess the relative merits that are rooted in international relations and international law, and which offer far fuller redress for the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy than is contemplated in, for example, the U.S. Congress’ Akaka Bill.

Co-sponsored by Ka Pakaukau. 3:00 pm.

‘Ike: Historical Transformations is presented by Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies and ‘Imi Pono Projects.

All times subject to change, please check back for confimation.

For more information contact arnie@imipono.org

stills/photos by Jon Brekke, unknown and David Ma

International Week of Protest to Stop the Militarization of Space – October 3-10, 2009

Post Date September 11, 2009

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Author Laurel Mei-Singh

Category Action Alerts and Events, Global Justice and Peace Movements, World

International Week of Protest to Stop the Militarization of Space – October 3-10, 2009

Modern warfare, such as the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan and attacks on Pakistan, uses Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and GPS-guided bombs. Directed by space satellites, and remotely controlled far from the battlefield, these weapons are responsible for massive civilian casualties.

In the 2003 “shock and awe” attack on Iraq, 70% of the weapons used by the Pentagon were directed to their targets by space technology. Our children are being trained through video games today to be the remote killers of tomorrow. Death at a distance is still blood on our hands.

We in the Global Network say it’s time to open our eyes and STOP the military’s use of space for war on Earth. It is time to preserve space for peace and to end war.

Military Recruiter "Opt Out" Requests due Sept. 15

Post Date August 26, 2009

Comments 0 Comments

Author Laurel Mei-Singh

Category Action Alerts and Events, Counter Recruitment, The Military in Hawai'i (All Islands), Youth and Militarization

News Release
Department of Education State of Hawaii

Contact: Sandra Goya
Telephone: 808-586-3232

Date: August 25, 2009

Military Recruiter “Opt Out” Requests due Sept. 15

The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires the DOE to provide names, addresses, and telephone numbers (including unlisted numbers) of secondary students to military recruiters when requested. Secondary school students are broadly defined as students enrolled in middle, intermediate, and high schools.

A student in a secondary school can, on his/her own, submit a signed, written request for non-disclosure of his/her information. Or the parent/guardian of a secondary student or an eligible student (18 years or older) can submit an “OPT OUT” request.

Although not legally required, the DOE has developed an “OPT OUT” form for military recruiting to facilitate response from students or their parents. The form can be downloaded from the DOE website at http://doe.k12.hi.us.

If an “OPT OUT” for military recruiters was filed with the school during the 2007-2008 and/or 2008-2009 school year, the most recent request will be honored until the student leaves the Hawaii DOE public school system or until the submitter rescinds the “OPT OUT” request.

“OPT OUT” requests will be accepted at anytime during the school year. However, the DOE is required to turn over a student list to the Inter-Service Recruitment Council (IRC) in mid-October. If a request comes in after student lists have been submitted to the IRC, the DOE Information Resource Management (IRM) Branch will inform the IRC to have recruiters remove the student’s information from the list.

Students or their parents should submit “OPT OUT” requests to school offices no later than September 15. Schools will distribute annual notices by the end of August 2009. For questions, contact the DOE IRM Branch (808) 692-7290, option #5.

-DOE-

September 11, Town Hall Meeting

Post Date August 20, 2009

Comments 0 Comments

Author Laurel Mei-Singh

Category Action Alerts and Events, American Empire, War and Peace

Town Hall Meeting

Friday, September 11
Center for Hawaiian Studies
6-7pm: tables & social hour; 7-9 Town Hall Meeting

Featured guest speaker: Larry Everest, author of “Oil, Power & Empire”; independent journalist on Middle East affairs; frequent appearances on radio and TV (including Democracy Now); contributor to Revolution Newspaper for 30 years.

Organized by World Can’t Wait-Hawai`i

Poetry at Revolution Books

Post Date August 20, 2009

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Author Laurel Mei-Singh

Category Action Alerts and Events, Youth and Militarization

Revolution Books sponsors

An Afternoon of Poetry

with Darron Cambra, Tui Scanlan & Danny Sherrard
Sunday, August 30, 3pm

All three were on the Hawai`i slam team that went to Nationals. Each has their own CD or book of poetry. Join us in welcoming them to Revolution Books!

Ann Wright to speak about her recent trips to Gaza, Japan and Guam

Post Date August 20, 2009

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Author Laurel Mei-Singh

Category Action Alerts and Events, American Empire, Guam / Northern Marianas, The Military in Hawai'i (All Islands)

Ann Wright to speak about her recent trips to Gaza, Japan and Guam

Sunday, August 23 at 3pm.

Revolution Books

2626 S King St # 201, Honolulu, HI 96826-3248

(808) 944-3106)

Ann Wright will be speaking at Revolution Books this Sunday afternoon at 3pm. She was also interviewed for a new show on Voices of Resistance (Olelo 56) that will air on Monday evening at 8pm.

Ann will update us on her trip to Gaza/Israel, but focus on her tour of Guam, Okinawa, and Japan, where she continued to speak out against military expansion and empire. At a time when all too many people are sitting home hoping that Obama’s war policies will somehow be better than Bush’s, and while the evidence is proving otherwise, it is tremendously heartening that Ann Wright is continuing to call people to resist the war. Join us on Sunday in welcoming Ann back. As always, there will be light refreshments after her talk and everyone is invited to stay and talk story informally.

Following are some links to articles about Ann’s recent tour:

Guam Resists Military Colonization: Guam/Common Dreams

Ann Wright Goes to Guam-Takes on Empire: Guam/After Downing

In Hiroshima: Huffington Post