Join the anti-war contingent at the May Day parade and rally tomorrow (https://www.facebook.com/events/389282961639173/) to demand an end to U.S.-backed coup attempts in Venezuela and an end to the devastating sanctions!

Money for jobs and education not for war abroad!

Stay tuned for more updates.

For more information on the U.S.-backed coup attempt:
https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Live-Updates-Venezuelan-Govt-Says-Guaido-Coup-Failed-Lopez-Hides-in-Chiles-Embassy-20190430-0008.html

More on Venezuela:
https://www.liberationnews.org/dont-fall-for-trumps-lies-about-venezuela/
https://www.liberationnews.org/cutting-through-the-lies-about-venezuela/

https://www.facebook.com/317057242292455

Our next Labor Working Group meeting is this Wednesday, March 6, at the Democracy Center, at 45 Mount Auburn Street in Cambridge from 6:30-8:30. Right now for the agenda we have:

Boston DSA's upcoming Regional Convention
The upcoming Stop and Shop strike
Our Socialist Fundamentals presentation
Our upcoming socialist educators event

If you'd like to add anything to the agenda, let me know, and we'll get you added!

Accessibility information for the space: The Democracy Center is partially wheelchair accessible, but there is no accessible bathroom on site. The Mandela, Parks, and Chavez rooms are accessible, but the Library is not. Wheelchair users are welcome to use the accessible restroom at Daedalus while we plan our improvements for bathroom accessibility. To reach that bathroom, exit the ramp and turn left on Bow St, at the next building (Daedalus) use their accessible entrance and their restroom will be on the right.

https://www.facebook.com/1182099575286060

A reading group that meets every Wednesday, studying various theoretical works that cover socialist organizing, Marxist economics, building in a pre-revolutionary moment, the historical meaning of the Russian Revolution and the effects of Stalinism.

For more information about the current readings and the location, contact bostonmarxist@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/1578219718977287

Join us for the our monthly meeting of the Boston DSA Ecosocialism Working Group, which we hold every first Thursday of the month between 7-9pm.

If you need any accessibility accommodations for the meeting, please reach out to ecosocialism@bostondsa.org. You may also fill out the accessibility request form at http://bit.ly/bdsaaccess or email accessibility@bostondsa.org to reach the Boston DSA accessibility team.

https://www.facebook.com/652388798539461

Please join us at the regular meeting of the Boston Refoundation Caucus. We're a caucus of revolutionary socialists within Boston DSA working on discovering and carrying out a communist praxis for the 21st century.

Our meetings will typically feature discussion of ongoing organizing, political discussions, and logistical work. All who are interested in discussing how revolutionary socialists can work within the DSA are welcome to join.

Accessibility information for the space: The Democracy Center is partially wheelchair accessible, but there is no accessible bathroom on site. The Mandela, Parks, and Chavez rooms are accessible, but the Library is not. Wheelchair users are welcome to use the accessible restroom at Daedalus while we plan our improvements for bathroom accessibility. To reach that bathroom, exit the ramp and turn left on Bow St, at the next building (Daedalus) use their accessible entrance and their restroom will be on the right.

https://www.facebook.com/1798305376938219

Join your MVDSA comrades for a laid-back get-together at Warp and Weft in Lowell! The event is open to both Merrimack Valley DSA members and anyone else interested in joining (by which we mean drag your friends!). We'll be hanging at Warp and Weft on Market St. in Lowell at 4PM. This is a strictly casual affair, a chance to get to know your comrades and have a good time!

https://www.facebook.com/333112977263708

THIS MONTH'S MEETING TAKES PLACE AT Massachusetts Jobs with Justice! at 375 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

This is the monthly meeting to work on implementation of Boston DSA's Member Organizing System. Contact coordinators@bostondsa.org to learn more or get involved.

https://www.facebook.com/386354168857445

RSVP: https://forms.gle/ccYFwbxfY5sT8WSQA

Come eat dinner and learn many useful skills for contributing to Boston DSA meetings and projects! Even if you are an experienced organizer, this training will include tips, tricks and Boston DSA-specific "how-tos" to make future organizing easier.

In this workshop, we will cover:
- Facilitating Discussions
- Facilitating Meetings
- Planning agendas for meetings
- Planning a meeting
- Planning an event
- Get the word out about an event to DSA members!

Please RSVP if you can attend to get the right food, or use this form to request a training in a different neighborhood: https://forms.gle/ccYFwbxfY5sT8WSQA

ABOUT THE LOCATION:

The Democracy Center is partially wheelchair accessible, and no accessible bathroom on site. The Mandela, Parks, and Chavez rooms are accessible, but the Library is not. Wheelchair users are welcome to use the accessible restroom at Daedalus while we plan our improvements for bathroom accessibility. To reach that bathroom, exit the ramp and turn left on Bow St, at the next building (Daedalus) use their accessible entrance and their restroom will be on the right.

If you have any accessibility concerns, please reach out to to request accommodations. You may also email coordinators@bostondsa.org or use the http://bit.ly/bdsaaccess form to reach the Boston DSA accessibility team.

https://www.facebook.com/807814939600845

(This is a repeat of the sold-out March 30 workshop.)

In this participatory workshop led by social movement veteran George Lakey, participants will explore how to use direct action campaigns strategically, including:
- choosing the right target
- designing a creative campaign
- avoiding burnout within your group
- building a movement of movements to achieve real progressive victories.

Workshop participants who have read How We Win: A Guide to Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigning will get the most out of the workshop, but it is by no means a prerequisite. Copies of the book will be available for sale and can be ordered at https://www.mhpbooks.com/books/how-we-win/ .

Bring a bag supper and eat in community together at 5:30pm, or arrive by 6pm for the workshop. Light snacks will be provided.

This event is cosponsored by Beacon Hill Friends House and the Boston Democratic Socialists of America.

Admission

Admission is on a sliding scale. Recommended range $10-$100; all donations gratefully accepted. Scholarships are available: please email program@bhfh.org. Advance registration is required.

About George Lakey and How We Win
“If you want to be a soldier, you can go to West Point. If you want to be a nonviolent change-maker-- well, this is an awfully good place to start. George Lakey has been near the center of American resistance for decades, and so he has both remarkable stories and remarkable insights—not to mention some remarkable colleagues who add their perspective to this necessary manual.”
-- Bill McKibben, co-founder 350.org

George Lakey, author of How We Win: A Guide to Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigning, has led over 1500 workshops on five continents. He was first arrested in the civil rights movement and was a trainer for 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer. In 2018 he was arrested campaigning for Power Local Green Jobs. In between he gave leadership to campaigns on neighborhood, city-wide, state, national, and international levels, including cross-race, cross-class coalitions and the LGBTQ movement. He co-led strategy workshops with César Chavez. He’s worked with labor unions, Mohawks, high school students, environmentalists, and the Puerto Rican independence movement. He also taught conflict studies at colleges and universities, most recently Swarthmore College, and authored ten books on how to bring about change.

Childcare
Childcare is available by advance request (email program@bhfh.org). Please let us know by Monday, April 29 if you need childcare. We will do our best to accommodate you if you make the request afterward, but it can be difficult to find a childcare provider on short notice.

Public Transportation
The Friends House is located just off Boston Common, convenient to all transit lines (nearby stops: Park St., Charles MGH, Downtown Crossing, Bowdoin).

Parking
The Friends House does not have dedicated parking. For nights (after 4pm) and weekends only, we have $9 parking passes for the Boston Common garage. Park in the garage as usual and purchase the validation here (cash or check preferred).

Accessibility
We've worked hard to make our space accessible. Here are the details:

The event space and bathroom are wheelchair-accessible.
Chestnut St. is on a hill. We are a short descent from the intersection with Walnut St., and a relatively sleep climb up from Charles St.
We don't have dedicated parking.
The speaker will use a microphone connected to a PA system.
We don't have an ASL interpreter (but please let us know if you'd like to volunteer).
Please let us know what we can do to make the space accessible to you, and we will do our best to accommodate.

Contact
For questions about the event, please contact Emily Savin at program@bhfh.org or 617-227-9118.

[Header image: on the left, in an image from the cover of the book "How We Win," bold yellow stripes radiate out from a black-and-white drawing of a hand making the peace sign. On a blue overlay are the words: "The first workshop sold out. You demanded another one. We all win this campaign: We're bringing George back." On the right, on a bold black and red background: "BEACON HILL FRIENDS HOUSE and the BOSTON DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA present HOW WE WIN: A Guide to Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigning, A Workshop with George Lakey." At the bottom, on a light blue background: "Tuesday, May, 2019. BYO bag supper 5:30pm. Workshop 6-9pm. Light snacks provided. Advance Registration Required. Sliding Scale Admission. WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE. CHILDCARE AVAILABLE BY ADVANCE REQUEST."]

https://www.facebook.com/2317126345279988

Join us for the monthly meeting of the Mental Health Working Group. We meet in the Tower Room of the First Church in Cambridge.

Accessibility: https://www.firstchurchcambridge.org/community-resources/accessibility-at-first-church. You can also message the Boston DSA Facebook page for accessibility questions or requests.

https://www.facebook.com/388634411693492

Come hang with Brain Arts Org and Boston DSA’s Labor working group to learn about the history of May Day and labor justice. Meet other volunteers, learn your labor history and find opportunities to on how to get involved with DSA and Brain Arts. Not sure about volunteering? Try a volunteerHANG!
This event highlights the intersection of Labor Arts & Culture, focusing on Luigi Nono, a Venetian composer of serialist music who was an avowed socialist and, naturally, a very staunch supporter of the Italian and international labor movements.

Nono's 1964 piece La Fabbrica Illuminata (The Revealed Factory) was collaboratively produced with workers at the Italsider Steel Factory in Genoa. With the help of the workers, Nono collected field recordings of the factory soundscape and used these to compose the piece. The premiere was a huge success and Nono was subsequently invited to numerous trade union locals to run workshops on how the piece was created.

What’s a Volunteer Hang?
Volunteer Hangs are a recurring monthly Brain Arts Org event for volunteers of all levels to get together, hang out, and work on something for the org. It’s also a great way to get involved with Brain Arts Org if you’ve never volunteered with us before. Come HANG and see what Brain Arts Org is all about!
So wait, what’s Brain Arts Org?
Brain Arts Organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Boston, MA with a mission to provide: Creative Cultural Empowerment For All (Ages) through our projects and spaces including Boston Hassle, the Boston Compass, Black Market Flea, and Dorchester Art Project.
www.brain-arts.org
Please note that this space is NOT wheelchair accessible (there is a staircase that leads into the building)

https://www.facebook.com/536368433557836

We use these meetings to brainstorm and address administrative issues in the chapter. They are usually the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. There is always a Zoom link posted to the BDSA Slack ask-cc channel. Every other meeting, the CC meets in person at a location also available on Slack. If you're a DSA member but not on Slack, email boston-dsa-coordinating-committee@googlegroups.com for the information. CC meetings are open to DSA members but not the public.

https://www.facebook.com/2324984000893152

A reading group that meets every Wednesday, studying various theoretical works that cover socialist organizing, Marxist economics, building in a pre-revolutionary moment, the historical meaning of the Russian Revolution and the effects of Stalinism.

For more information about the current readings and the location, contact bostonmarxist@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/1578219725643953

Regular meeting of the Electoral working group! Open to all DSA members, coalition partners, and community members interested in electoral work.

Current projects include:
*Continuing our Endorsements for Municipal races in 2017
*Recruiting and supporting movement-based Municipal candidates alongside Right to the City to create deep, accountable two-way coalitions
*Continuing, long-term work on Raise Up, Mass Alliance, and Green New Deal coalition work

Jobs With Justice is wheelchair accessible. If you need any accessibility accommodations at the meeting, please reach out to sailorpinkmoon@gmail.com. You may also fill out the accessibility request form at http://bit.ly/bdsaaccess or email accessibility@bostondsa.org to reach the Boston DSA accessibility team.

RSVPs are helpful but not required: https://app.organizetogether.com/calendar/41/event/313

Open to all DSA volunteers, members and Coalition Partners.

Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/655843372

One tap mobile +16465588656,,655843372# US (New York) +16699006833,,655843372# US (San Jose)

Dial by your location

+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 655 843 372 Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/aceONcxwLQ

https://www.facebook.com/402744617170335

The Red Scare will be playing Somerville PorchFest!

2-4pm, set list forthcoming

https://www.facebook.com/2306626906263674

Organizing has always involved struggle, sometimes violent struggle, against regressive, reactionary, and sometimes out right fascist forces. Today we are seeing the rise of increasingly dangerous reactionary groups, but what, if anything, do these groups have in common with fascist movements of the past? This reading group will attempt to properly classify modern reactionary movements in terms of fascist movements of old, and provide useful analysis of what exactly fascism is and how it comes about.

Reading Session 1: A General Outline of Fascism
Umberto Eco - “Ur Fascism” https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1995/06/22/ur-fascism/
Conze and Wilkinson - “Why Fascism? Part II Chapter I: Fascism As a System of
Contradictions.” https://www.marxists.org/subject/fascism/conze-wilkinson/ch21.htm

Reading Session 2: The Historical Conditions That Create Fascism
Clara Zetkin - “Fighting Fascism: How to Struggle and How to Win” https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1088-fighting-fascism
Leon Trotsky - “Fascism: What It Is and How To Fight It” https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1944/1944-fas.htm

Reading Session 3: Fascism and Reactionary Movements in Depth
Robert Paxton “Anatomy of Fascism - Chapters 1-2 and 7-8” https://libcom.org/files/Robert%20O.%20Paxton-The%20Anatomy%20of%20Fascism%20%20-Knopf%20(2004).pdf

Reading Session 4: Applying the Lessons - Case Studies of the Modern Reactionary Movement
Vegas Tenold “Everything You Love Will Burn: Inside the Rebirth of White Nationalism in America.” https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/vegas-tenold/everything-you-love-will-burn/9781568589947/

Each session will take place from 3:30 to 6 pm in the Rosa Parks Room at the Democracy Center. The Democracy Center is partly accessible; it has a ramp at the rear entrance, but the restroom is not wheelchair accessible. There is an accessible restroom at the Daedalus Bar next door, which we are allowed to use. If you have an accessibility request or any questions about accessibility, please email accessibility@bostondsa.org.

https://www.facebook.com/1371056973047753

A reading group that meets every Wednesday, studying various theoretical works that cover socialist organizing, Marxist economics, building in a pre-revolutionary moment, the historical meaning of the Russian Revolution and the effects of Stalinism.

For more information about the current readings and the location, contact bostonmarxist@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/1578219732310619

This event will be streamed on Zoom, please message the Boston DSA Facebook page for the Zoom link and meeting ID

Join us at the Democracy Center's Mandela Room for a forum to discuss how Boston DSA and the US Left more generally should relate to Bernie Sanders' 2020 campaign for president.

A pressing political question for the Left today, we'll dig in to whether Boston DSA should endorse Bernie, whether we should run an independent campaign, and what such a campaign could look like.

There will be a short panel, small group discussions, and an open floor discussion. The goal is to clarify political differences, share perspectives, and prepare the chapter for an endorsement vote later this year.

CHILDWATCH WILL BE PROVIDED

We're in the process of arranging live streaming of the event--details to follow.

If you need any accessibility accommodations at the meeting, please reach out to accessibility@bostondsa.org to reach the Boston DSA accessibility team, or message the Boston DSA Facebook page. Our chapter's accessibility guide can be found at http://www.bostondsa.org/accessibility/

DEMOCRACY CENTER ACCESSIBILITY INFO

The Democracy Center is partially wheelchair accessible, with no accessible bathroom on site. We'll be meeting in the Mandela room, which is accessible. Wheelchair users are welcome to use the accessible restroom at Daedalus while we plan our improvements for bathroom accessibility. To reach that bathroom, exit the ramp and turn left on Bow St, at the next building (Daedalus) use their accessible entrance and their restroom will be on the right.

https://www.facebook.com/382140749058284

The May meeting of the Boston DSA Internationalism Working Group is Thursday, 5/16, 7-8:30pm at the MIT Dewey Library, 30 Wadsworth St. Cambridge, room 218. We have a few items on the agenda:

Stands With Venezuela

The United States Government has been openly and aggressively attempting to depose the elected Venezuelan government with a right-wing puppet regime since January. President Trump has publicly declared that all options, including US military force, are on the table.

H.R. 1004 is a bill in Congress that would prohibit the use of military force against Venezuela. Five of nine Massachusetts house members have co-sponsored the bill. Three that represent the Boston area have not co-sponsored: Joe Kennedy, Katherine Clark and Stephen Lynch. The Internationalism working group is organizing delegations of constituent DSA members who will visit each representative's offices and request that they co-sponsor H.R. 1004.

We Need Your Help

Email internationalism@bostondsa.org if you'd like to be a part of the DSA delegation visiting local representatives to demand they respect Venezuela's sovereignty. We need about 5 constituents from each of these rep's districts. If you aren't sure who your rep is, you can check here: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

To find the room, go to the second floor of Dewey library near Kendall Sq. and follow signage on the walls. There is an elevator, and this building and its bathroom are wheelchair accessible. If we can do anything to make this meeting more accessible for you, please reach out via email to accessibility@bostondsa.org or through this form: http://bit.ly/bdsaaccess

https://www.facebook.com/408742053252193

Join Boston DSA for our May General Meeting! Child watch will be provided.

Confirmed agenda items:
- National Convention overview
- Housing working group presentation
- Reportback on Stop and Shop strikes

https://www.facebook.com/1046371415562991

The monthly meeting of the Housing Working Group. Join us to talk about our ongoing tenant organizing projects and other socialist housing topics!

This meeting will rotate between Jobs with Justice in JP and the Democracy Center in Cambridge for the rest of 2018. Accessibility info for both locations is below. The location should reflect this month's location, but the following is the master list:

Jobs with Justice - January, March, May
Democracy Center - February, April, June

If you need any accessibility accommodations at the meeting, please reach out to Juliet (eldredjuliet@gmail.com). You may also fill out the accessibility request form at http://bit.ly/bdsaaccess or email accessibility@bostondsa.org to reach the Boston DSA accessibility team. Our chapter's accessibility guide can be found at http://www.bostondsa.org/accessibility/.

------------------

JOBS WITH JUSTICE ACCESSIBILITY INFO

Jobs with Justice is wheelchair accessible.

------------------

DEMOCRACY CENTER ACCESSIBILITY INFO

The Democracy Center is partially wheelchair accessible, with no accessible bathroom on site. We'll be meeting in the Rosa Parks room, which is accessible. Wheelchair users are welcome to use the accessible restroom at Daedalus while we plan our improvements for bathroom accessibility. To reach that bathroom, exit the ramp and turn left on Bow St, at the next building (Daedalus) use their accessible entrance and their restroom will be on the right.

https://www.facebook.com/352005928714001

We use these meetings to brainstorm and address administrative issues in the chapter. They are usually the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. There is always a Zoom link posted to the BDSA Slack ask-cc channel. Every other meeting, the CC meets in person at a location also available on Slack. If you're a DSA member but not on Slack, email boston-dsa-coordinating-committee@googlegroups.com for the information. CC meetings are open to DSA members but not the public.

https://www.facebook.com/1252910694886551

Join us for the monthly Tech & Infrastructure Committee meeting where we discuss ongoing projects and opportunities for direct action. Unless otherwise specified, meetings are held at spaces provided by Impact Hub at 50 Milk Street in Downtown Boston (exact location to be announced on Slack and Google Group email list).

Please RSVP before coming to a meeting so we know how many people to expect for room booking. Join the #cmt-tech-infra channel on Slack or send an email to boston-dsa-tech-infra@googlegroups.com for more information on how to get involved.
---
The Boston DSA Tech & Infra Committee aims to be accessible to all.
Contact the accessibility team at accessibility@bostondsa.org with questions/concerns/comments.
Use the form at http://bit.ly/bdsaaccess to request accommodations.

https://www.facebook.com/640864439710983

A reading group that meets every Wednesday, studying various theoretical works that cover socialist organizing, Marxist economics, building in a pre-revolutionary moment, the historical meaning of the Russian Revolution and the effects of Stalinism.

For more information about the current readings and the location, contact bostonmarxist@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/1578219728977286

RSVP: https://forms.gle/ccYFwbxfY5sT8WSQA

Come eat dinner and workshop strategies for getting things done in a non-hierarchical, all-volunteer democratic organization.

Learn and share answers to questions like:
* What does it mean to be a leader within the DSA? (Hint: it's not like being a boss.)
* How do you bottom-line projects with volunteers that have constantly varying time to commit?
* How do you decide what project to do?
* How do you help new members level-up as socialist organizers?
* How do we not burn ourselves out, and help and recognize when others are starting to get burned out?

Please RSVP if you can attend to get the right food, or use this form to request a training in a different neighborhood: https://forms.gle/ccYFwbxfY5sT8WSQA

ABOUT THE LOCATION:

The Democracy Center is partially wheelchair accessible, and no accessible bathroom on site. The Mandela, Parks, and Chavez rooms are accessible, but the Library is not. Wheelchair users are welcome to use the accessible restroom at Daedalus while we plan our improvements for bathroom accessibility. To reach that bathroom, exit the ramp and turn left on Bow St, at the next building (Daedalus) use their accessible entrance and their restroom will be on the right.

If you have any accessibility concerns, please reach out to to request accommodations. You may also email coordinators@bostondsa.org or use the http://bit.ly/bdsaaccess form to reach the Boston DSA accessibility team.

https://www.facebook.com/356528078307879

Join members of Boston Democratic Socialists of America who live in Merrimack Valley for our monthly meeting. Non-members are also welcome.

https://www.facebook.com/2519708518040399

Organizing has always involved struggle, sometimes violent struggle, against regressive, reactionary, and sometimes out right fascist forces. Today we are seeing the rise of increasingly dangerous reactionary groups, but what, if anything, do these groups have in common with fascist movements of the past? This reading group will attempt to properly classify modern reactionary movements in terms of fascist movements of old, and provide useful analysis of what exactly fascism is and how it comes about.

Reading Session 1: A General Outline of Fascism
Umberto Eco - “Ur Fascism” https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1995/06/22/ur-fascism/
Conze and Wilkinson - “Why Fascism? Part II Chapter I: Fascism As a System of
Contradictions.” https://www.marxists.org/subject/fascism/conze-wilkinson/ch21.htm

Reading Session 2: The Historical Conditions That Create Fascism
Clara Zetkin - “Fighting Fascism: How to Struggle and How to Win” https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1088-fighting-fascism
Leon Trotsky - “Fascism: What It Is and How To Fight It” https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1944/1944-fas.htm

Reading Session 3: Fascism and Reactionary Movements in Depth
Robert Paxton “Anatomy of Fascism - Chapters 1-2 and 7-8” https://libcom.org/files/Robert%20O.%20Paxton-The%20Anatomy%20of%20Fascism%20%20-Knopf%20(2004).pdf

Reading Session 4: Applying the Lessons - Case Studies of the Modern Reactionary Movement
Vegas Tenold “Everything You Love Will Burn: Inside the Rebirth of White Nationalism in America.” https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/vegas-tenold/everything-you-love-will-burn/9781568589947/

Each session will take place from 3:30 to 6 pm in the Rosa Parks Room at the Democracy Center. The Democracy Center is partly accessible; it has a ramp at the rear entrance, but the restroom is not wheelchair accessible. There is an accessible restroom at the Daedalus Bar next door, which we are allowed to use. If you have an accessibility request or any questions about accessibility, please email accessibility@bostondsa.org.

https://www.facebook.com/1371056976381086