Chico Peace and Justice Center

July 3, 2007
Chico Peace and Justice Center

The Pastors for Peace Friendshipment Caravan to Cuba visited Chico on Tuesday, July 3, 2007. A gathering was held in the garden at the Chico Peace and Justice Center. Richard Becker from the International Action Center was the keynote speaker. The event included an Indian feast, music and a short movie about the work of Pastors for Peace.

In July 2007 the 18th Friendshipment will travel on 14 different routes to visit more than 120 US and Canadian cities. The caravan members will travel in school buses, trucks, and cars to Cuba via Mexico with medical and educational supplies collected from groups across the US and Canada as a collective challenge to the blockade and travel ban. This year the focus is helping the elderly in need.

July 7, 2007
Children's Playground

Nick Bearden & Bryn Loosely of Buffalo Creek and Phoenix & AfterBuffalo Headlined the Festival

Other Performers: Sherri Quamman and Kirsten Rose & The Garden

In solidarity with the international Live Earth music concerts that took place on 7 continents on 7-7-07, Chico also ANSWERED THE CALL. Millions of people attended the concerts and the 10,000+ "Friends of Live Earth" events and house parties in 195 countries. Millions of people watched or heard the event online, on TV, or on the radio. Millions pledged to change their own actions and hold our leadership accountable.

The Chico Peace and Justice Center spearheaded the grassroots campaign, but we received support from the entire community.

July 23-26, 2007

In a coordinated statewide effort to call every CA Congressmember between July 23rd - 26th, constituents from all over California called Washington DC to demand an end to war funding and instead, to bring the troops home.

In an interview with Channel 12, Rep. Wally Herger was quoted as saying his office was "flooded" with phone calls to de-fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each morning, Herger's voice mail was full.

Come to the Phone-a-thons:

In Chico, we also had cell phones available to passers-by at the Downtown Plaza Park to make the process as easy as possible for people to call. To attract attention, and the media, we created two life-size red, British-style phone booths.

July 26, 2007
Chico Peace and Justice Center

This documentary film of the five indictments brought by the prestigious International Commission of Inquiry into the crimes against humanity of the Bush/Cheney Administration was shown in the center. The film was followed by a discussion of impeachment.

Friday, July 27
Chico Peace and Justice Center

Two documentaries about Cuba were shown at the center: "The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" and "Under the Radar: A Survey of Afro-Cuban Music".

The evening was planned to coincide with Pastors for Peace in Cuba for the 17th annual Friendship Caravan, bringing 140 activists, humanitarian aid, and solidarity to the Cuban people. Local teenagers, Jahlelah and Ram Francia, were part of the caravan.