On Thursday, May 3, many came out for the Spring Blast for Peace and Justice and support two great organizations at the same time!

Brooklyn Brewery
79 N. 11th Street – Williamsburg
(between Berry St & Wythe Ave)
subway: L to N. 7th St or G to Nassau Ave
map: www.bit.ly/brewparty

It was an exciting evening with raffles, music, drinks and food demonstration.

Great musical guests!

People enjoyed the sounds of Freddie Keen, singer and songwriter from London – Freddie has been on a three a month tour playing in clubs around New York City. His upbeat folk/blues has wowed audiences from London to Paris all the way to Rio de Janeiro. His influences are Delta Blues, American folk songs, British 60s rock & Roll.
http://www.myspace.com/freddiekeen, See Freddie on youtube!

Joining Freddie Keen performed with special guest Haitian singer Pauline Jean

Haitian-American singer/composer/arranger Pauline Jean is a multicultural artist whose repertoire incorporates rhythms of the African Diaspora with elements of jazz, world and western contemporary styles. Pauline sings in English, French and Creole and offers her distinct approach to every song. She is a dynamic component of the new Haitian Jazz movement in New York, which is now reaching an ever-growing worldwide audience. http://paulinejean.com/

See Pauline on youtube demonstrating the her multicultural style.

YO YO (Traditional Haitian Music)

Mukti’s Kitchen provided an Organic Indian Food preparation demonstration by renowned chef Mukti Banerjee

This event is hosted by Brooklyn For Peace and United Community Centers

info: 718- 624-5921, info@brooklynpeace.org

Since 2001, ten billion dollars have been taken from Brooklyn taxpayers and wasted on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A total of more than a trillion dollars overall has been spent on the wars. U.S.foreign policy and tax dollars are supporting the wrong policies in Israel, Latin America, Africa and the Mid East. In addition to countless lives here and abroad both lost and permanently maimed, we are also seeing this misallocation of resources result in drastic cutbacks of public services.

Brooklyn For Peace provides a voice for resistance! We participate in demonstrations, vigils, letter-writing, phone-call and petition campaigns. We work with a wide variety of other groups. We are out on the street with flyers and at neighborhood festivals. We provide visibility to the need for peaceful alternatives.

Just a few of our activities thus far in 2011:

• 7th Annual Brooklyn Peace Fair at Brooklyn College, with Juan Gonzalez as the keynote speaker, emphasizing “Cut the Military Budget! We Need New Priorities!”
• Participation in April 9 National Anti-War demonstration
• Nuclear Zero Town Hall Meeting, launching petition campaign to have NYC declared as a Mayor’s City of Peace
• Distributing flyers emphasizing cost of war to Brooklyn, on Tax Day in Brooklyn (Flatbush-Midwood) and on May 12 at the city-wide demonstration against cutbacks
• Community Meeting on Libya, resulting in a statement and petition calling for alternatives to military action
• Ongoing vigils for Darfur, keeping this issue in public view
• CineForos (films with discussion) on Latin America
• Joining with community members to support the building of a mosque in Sheepshead Bay, and sponsoring a workshop on Islamophobia at the Brooklyn Peace Fair

Most of our work is done by volunteers. However, even this e-mail message which you are now reading costs money to send!

We are only able to maintain our multi-faceted program by employing a full-time Program Coordinator. Funds are also needed to rent space in which to hold events, to print flyers and publicity materials, and to video our events to make them accessible to those not able to attend in person.

If you aren’t already a member, please take the opportunity now to join as well as to make a financial contribution. Your financial support is an important way of participating.

• Click here to become a member.
• Click here to make a donation. Annual membership is a suggested donation of $30 ($10 for students and those on a limited income.)
• You can also mail your check to BFP, PMB 106, 41 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

All contributions are fully tax-deductible, and will be acknowledged with our thanks!

Visit our website brooklynpeace.org for current and upcoming opportunities for participation.

Questions? Call us at 718-624-5821 or email us at bfp@brooklynpeace.org.

Web Launch Fundraising Party!
March 25, 2011

Brooklyn For Peace had a party to celebrate the launching of our new website. BFP members and friends gathered at the Commons, a new meeting space on Atlantic Avenue. It was a huge success! Everyone of all ages a came out. It was a night of incredible entertainment, cocktails, refreshments, excellent food and a great festive group of people, oh, yes and there was dancing!

It was a fun night for all! See for yourself…..

The evening started off with the incredible Latin Jazz Band Grupo Viaje.

The band members and their instrumentation.

Hector Davila: Pianist & Musical Direction
Little Johnny Rivero: Congas & Percussion
David Silliman: Drums, Percussion
Anibal Martinez: Trumpet & Flugel Horn
Ray Martinez: Bass

But that was not all. Dance performance by LSD Experiments directed by NYC renown dance teacher and choreographer Cynthia La China and partner Hector Peña was the highlight of the evening. http://www.nysalsababy.com/
Cynthia and her partner Hector also instructed both young and old how to salsa and meringue.

There was delicious organic Indian cuisine prepared by Mukti Banerjee straight from the menu of Mukti’s Kitchen,

http://www.meetup.com/MuktisKitchen/

Assortment of Desserts by Shakoor’s Sweet Tooth Bakery (Home of the Best Sweet Potato Cheese Cake)

http://www.shakoorssweettooth.com/

Thanks to everyone who helped us make money and to make this such a great event!