July 2015 – Page 2

July 23, 2015

RI ACLU files complaint against DMV

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The ACLU of RI has filed a federal civil rights complaint against the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) on behalf of a recent Italian immigrant whom the DMV has barred from taking the written driver’s license exam in any language other than English, Spanish or Portuguese. The complaint, filed with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), charges the DMV with violating a law that requires agencies receiving federal funding to provide meaningful access to programs and services for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP).

Danilo Saccoccio, an Italian national who received his green card in November, is married to an American citizen and has two children who are also American citizens. When he sought to turn in his Italian driver’s license for a Rhode Island one, he was advised he was entitled to no language accommodations to take the test even though it is offered in two languages other than English. Although he has attended ESL classes for a short period of time since he has been here, and plans to attend more such classes when work and family duties allow it, Mr. Saccoccio speaks very limited English. Mr. Saccoccio avoids driving as much as possible, including to ESL classes, because he fears being stopped with only his Italian license.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires agencies receiving federal funding to provide individuals with limited English proficiency meaningful access to agency programs and services. Federal regulations implementing Title VI specifically cite driver’s license exams as a critical service subject to the law. However, the DMV has claimed it has no obligation to accommodate the LEP population beyond what it has already done for the Spanish and Portuguese population, and has refused to offer any sort of accommodation through oral interpretation or translation services for Italian-speaking LEP persons.

In the 15-page complaint filed with the DOJ, ACLU volunteer attorney Jennifer Doucleff notes that, according to Census data, the current Italian-speaking LEP population ranks as the fourth most populous in the state, amounting to 2,470 persons, and that there are more than 20,000 other LEP persons who would not be able to obtain a driver’s license under the DMV’s policy. The ACLU complaint concludes:

“[The DMV’s] insistence that the DOJ Guidance does not apply to the situation of an LEP resident seeking to attain meaningful access to this vital service or to other aspects of the drivers’ license program, raises serious doubts as to compliance with its Title VI obligations with regard to its other programs and services, as well as its obligations to members of other language LEP populations in Rhode Island.”

The complaint calls on DOJ to step in and order the DMV comply with federal law and provide Mr. Saccoccio and others like him meaningful access to the agency’s services. Over the years, the ACLU has filed similar language access complaints against the Department of Human Services and the state Judiciary, leading to improved LEP access at those agencies.

ACLU of RI volunteer attorney Doucleff said today: “The DMV’s blatant disregard for the federal guidelines established precisely to prevent it from discriminating against LEP individual raises red flags as to whether the agency can possibly be providing Rhode Island’s growing LEP population with meaningful access to any of its programs and activities. Moreover, the DMV’s refusal to provide any level of accommodation to Mr. Saccoccio so that he may access the driver’s licensing process is particularly alarming given that there are currently more than 20,000 LEP Rhode Islanders who, like Mr. Saccoccio, do not speak a language in which the driver’s license exam is offered.”

ACLU of RI executive director Steven Brown added: “DMV’s refusal to comply with this critical anti-discrimination law is inexcusable. By already accommodating Spanish and Portuguese speakers in the exam process, the agency has recognized that LEP individuals have the right to a driver’s license. It cannot shut the door on other residents just because they do not speak Spanish or Portuguese. We are hopeful that the Department of Justice will halt this inequity.”

The complaint is available online at http://riaclu.org/images/uploads/Saccoccio_DOJ_Complaint.pdf

This post is based on an ACLU press release.

July 23, 2015July 28, 2015

The terror of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Violation-of-rules-by-Pakistan1 — Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi

India is a country that seems far away yet is going to play an increasing role in our lives in decades to come. The 1.252 billion populous nation stands behind the United States in GDP ranking and will be one of the largest economies on earth by 2030. Indian art and theology carries a high level of pop cultural interest as sources of New Age mysticism, with interest in yoga, transcendental meditation, and religious literature like The Bhagavad Gita going through ebbs and flows every few years. The Bollywood film genre has become a major source of interest for audiences and academics alike, with Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire having highlighted the cultural intercourse most prominently. As the years progress, India, much as was the case when it was a British colony, will become a major center of economic and cultural exchange in the global world. Understanding India will prove to be important because we as Americans will find ourselves again and again interacting with businesspeople, students, academics, and migrants from the subcontinent trying to integrate into our own community, and part of that understanding will need to include a basic grasp of the socio-economic and political changes taking place now under the leadership of their new Prime Minister.

On May 26, 2014, Narendra Modi became the 15th Prime Minster of India. Within the past year, the Western media has hailed his government and he has been a prominent figure in the International pages of the New York Times, garnering accolades for streamlining the bureaucracy and helping to grow the economy. Just a few weeks ago he was encouraging Vladimir Putin to take up yoga, now he’s strengthening ties with America and the West, it would appear that he is a genuine wunderkind and the sky is the limit for the Modi government.

But beneath the glitz and glam is a deeply disturbing individual at the center of a reactionary and theocratically-minded social movement that makes the worst of our Evangelical Christian Tea Partiers seem secularized. He was denied a visa and prevented from entering the United States in 2005 by the Bush administration due to his support of a 2002 riot in the state of Gujarat that left up to 2,000 members of the Muslim community dead.

Modi hails from an socio-political organization named The Sangh Parivar, translated as Family of Associations, a right wing nationalist movement espousing a radical philosophy called Hindutva. Ashis Nandy, political psychologist, social theorist, and critic, wrote this about Hindutva in 1991:

Speaking pessimistically, Hindutva will be the end of Hinduism. Hinduism is the faith by which a majority of Indians still live. Hindutva is the ideology of a part of the upper-caste, lower-middle class Indians, though it has now spread to large parts of the urban middle classes. The ideology is an attack on Hinduism and an attempt to protect the flanks of a minority consciousness which the democratic process is threatening to corner… For the believers in Hindutva, the pseudo-secularists represent those who have the style and now doing the pushing; the Muslims represent the fear of being proletarianised. Hence, the hostility to both. On this plane, the sources of Hindutva are no different from that of Islamic fundamentalism… [T]he late Nathuram Godse did not kill the modernist and “pseudo-secular” Jawaharlal Nehru but the ‘arch-reactionary’, ‘anti-national’ sanatani — Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. After the murder, Nehru could only say that the killer was insane. The modernist Prime Minister found it too painful to confront the truth that Godse was sane, that he knew who was the real enemy of Hindutva.

Sangh Parivar has three branches. There is the para-military Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, RSS, founded in 1925 with blatant links to European fascism. Vishva Hindu Parishad, VHP, the religious wing, promotes a brand of Hindu fundamentalism that is tremendously bigoted and especially targets the Muslim minority of India as a species worst than vermin and has promoted hatred of Christians also. And then there is the Bharatiya Janata Party, a major opposition party in the country that has succeeded in taking power and deepening the ethnic and cultural divides that have already led to mass carnage during the 1948 partition, the various wars and border skirmishes with Pakistan, and the tragedies involving Bangladesh and Kashmir. Modi has been involved in RSS for the entirety of his political career and was interviewed by Nandy in 1992. He wrote a decade later, in the wake of the Gujarat riots:

Almost nothing reveals the decline and degeneration of Gujarati middle class culture more than its present Chief Minister, Narendra Modi. Not only has he shamelessly presided over the riots and acted as the chief patron of rioting gangs, the vulgarities of his utterances have been a slur on civilised public life… I often wonder these days why those active in human rights groups in India and abroad have not yet tried to get international summons issued against Modi for colluding with the murder of hundreds and for attempted ethnic cleansing. If Modi’s behaviour till now is not a crime against humanity, what is?
More than a decade ago, when Narendra Modi was a nobody, a small-time RSS pracharak trying to make it as a small-time BJP functionary, I had the privilege of interviewing him… It was a long, rambling interview, but it left me in no doubt that here was a classic, clinical case of a fascist. I never use the term ‘fascist’ as a term of abuse; to me it is a diagnostic category comprising not only one’s ideological posture but also the personality traits and motivational patterns contextualising the ideology.
Modi, it gives me no pleasure to tell the readers, met virtually all the criteria that psychiatrists, psycho-analysts and psychologists had set up after years of empirical work on the authoritarian personality. He had the same mix of puritanical rigidity, narrowing of emotional life, massive use of the ego defence of projection, denial and fear of his own passions combined with fantasies of violence – all set within the matrix of clear paranoid and obsessive personality traits. I still remember the cool, measured tone in which he elaborated a theory of cosmic conspiracy against India that painted every Muslim as a suspected traitor and a potential terrorist. I came out of the interview shaken… I had met a textbook case of a fascist and a prospective killer, perhaps even a future mass murderer.

And the reason you should be concerned is because a large amount of funding of these folks comes from the Indian diaspora. When Modi was denied a visa, it was because he was planning to address a huge gathering of followers at New York’s Madison Square Garden that would certainly have included an appeal to the checkbooks. To be clear, I am quite conscientious of Orientalism as a type of racism and bigotry towards Indians and members of the Hindu faith. We are in fact seeing the promulgation of a blasphemy, not unlike the prosperity gospel of the Evangelical Christians four decades ago, that intends to politicize a religion and turn it into a method of statecraft. And as was made clear a century ago by Lenin in STATE AND REVOLUTION, states are by default instruments of oppression and violence, saying the state “is a product and a manifestation of the irreconcilability of class antagonisms. The state arises where, when and insofar as class antagonism objectively cannot be reconciled.”

I had the opportunity to interview Arun Ferreira, he is an Indian political activist and human rights advocate who has previously been jailed and tortured by the police under trumped-up terrorism charges.

1. Narendra Modi’s election was seen as a notable event in the Western media, what explains his stature?
It is true Narendra Modi’s election is seen as a notably event in the Western Media. It has added glamour to it because just after 2002 i.e. after the anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat under the leadership of Modi, the US had denied Modi a visa on grounds of Human Rights violations. This election is seen by the western media as a makeover of Narendra Modi. However there is no change of heart by the Modi-led administration. As it was back in 2002, Modi was and is still willing to engineer genocides or repressive practices for the sake of so-called development– a development serving the interests of big capital and impoverishing the poor. This is in essence what is so often called the Gujarat model of ‘development’. It is this ‘development’ model that brought him in favour with the big industrialist and financial class translating it into a Modi electoral win throughout the country. The western financial powers led by the US had brought in economic reforms and liberalization in the early 1990s. But having been stalled, they needed someone like Modi to take the process further ahead.

2. It seems, to an outside observer, that he is ramping up the religiosity of the Indian national dialogue and asserting a sort of stance not unlike the American religious conservatives have done in the last 35 years since the election of Ronald Reagan. Is this a fair description?
Narendra Modi’s political party the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had never in the past shied from using religiosity for electoral gains or fascists designs. The BJP, ever since its inception had considerable backing of its mother organization the Rastriya Syamsevak Sangh (RSS) which was established in the 1920’s inspired by Adolf Hitler and Mussolini. In fact early in his political career Narendra Modi was a sambhaag pracharak (regional organiser) for the RSS. The vision of pan-Aryan supremacy is also shared by the BJP and other RSS affiliates and considered as Akhand Bharat i.e. an expansionist national entity to encompass the entire Indian sub-continent. Hence Modi’s religiosity is more of the Hitlerite genre.

3. Where did Modi come from, was this an out-of-the-blue thing or was there a long-simmering Hindu nationalist demographic setting this up?
I have mentioned in my earlier reply a brief history of Modi and the BJP. More details are easily available in the public domain and neither has tried to hide it. At most both the BJP and Modi have tried to camouflage it under the garb of ‘nationalism’ or ‘true secularism’. India has a highly heterogeneous demographic setup and Hindu nationalism has historically been more of an upper caste-upper class experiment to unite the various classes, castes and tribes against the foreign enemy. Hence it played a relatively progressive role in the anti-colonial struggle against the British. In modern times it has a regressive essence and is mainly used to launch attacks against dalits (the most oppressed castes), Muslims, Christians or cultural and national minorities. Hence progressive sections in India termed this pseudo-nationalismt as Hindutva Fascism.

4. What has happened to minority rights since Modi was elected?
With the Modi government it power, it has provided for an umbrella-like cover for all the reactionary forces. There has been an increase in attacks on Muslims and Christians. In some places riots are engineered, in others targeted attacks are done [towards] progressive activists such as Govind Pansare, etc. Though the Modi government has denied any explicit role in these attacks, the fact remains that there is an increase in aggressive Hindutva and anti-minority propaganda by leading members of the BJP or Sangh Parivar (the affiliated organizations of the RSS). While innocent Muslims are detained and falsely arrested in the name of countering terror, the key conspirators in all the anti-Muslim pogroms are scott free.

5. What sort of policies is Modi putting in place that are a counter to the progression Indian society had been making?
As I have mentioned earlier, the Modi government was brought in to hasten the process of globalization and liberalisation in India. He seems to be determined to pursue this goal. For example, he has thrice promulgated the Land Acquisition Ordinance which seeks to smoothen the process of the transfer of agricultural land to big Capital, although the parliament refuses to enact it amidst stiff opposition from the poor.

6. What is the status of the Congress Party and what sort of opposition do they present?
After the 2014 general elections, the Congress Party has been almost eliminated as a major opposition in the parliament. Their numbers are an all time low in the history of post-British India. Having no different model for developing India, they differ with the BJP or Modi administration merely on trivial issues or on the speed at which economic reforms are to be taken ahead. Also on both Internal and External security concerns they almost share the Modi administration’s vision. If at all there is a difference, the Modi one is a shade more aggressive. Hence, at present their opposition is mainly opportunistic and filled with symbolism.

7. How has Modi dealt with the Naxalites [a Maoist insurgency that has made significant impact on behalf of farmers and poor people]?
Vis-à-vis the Naxalites, the Modi administration has continued the previous government’s Clear-Hold-Build counter-insurgency strategy. Through ‘Operation Greenhunt’ the previous government launched a massive military offensive against the Naxalites. The State had conducted extra-judicial killings and cultivated Contra-style militias like Salwa Judum to eliminate the Naxalites. Though such methods had faced severe criticism by civil society and the judiciary, the new Modi government continues to advocate the same, albeit in new avatars. In fact, like the earlier government, the Modi [government] is also preparing to use the Army against the Naxalite movement.

8. Do you see a great deal of violence still to come?
With the Modi government having had the history of great electoral wins after each communal pogrom, it is but natural that it will continue to use this strategy further. On the other hand peoples’ movements are continually faced with indiscriminate arrests, imprisonments, and targeted murders. Yes, I do see a great deal of violence still to come. Right from his days in Gujarat, Modi has been known to bring in globalization by such methods.

9. India has recently opened itself to Western defense contractors, do you see this as an attempt for quick cash or is there a geopolitical issue at hand here in regards to China and Russia?
I definitely see it as a geopolitical issue. In matters of foreign affairs, Modi has been keen to appease the US administration and present India as a reliable Western ally in South East Asia and as a counter-balance to the growing influence of China. Compared to the earlier Congress-led government, the present one has been more aggressive. The recent defence contracts with the US have to be seen in this light.

July 23, 2015July 23, 2015

Dr. Jason Heap talks about religious freedom and Humanist military chaplains

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Dr. Jason Heap (“Jase”), executive director of the United Coalition of Reason (United CoR), “one of the largest nontheist organizations in North America,” spoke to a combined meeting with members of the Rhode Island Atheists, the Humanists of Rhode Island and others about both the group he leads and his pending court case against the United States government regarding Humanist chaplains in the United States military. Jase’s message drew on the influences of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as he emphasized unity without uniformity and celebrated nontheistic diversity.

As the case is pending, Jase could only speak in generalities about the lawsuit, and there were many questions he could not answer. A Huffington Post piece from last year explains that Jase, endorsed and certified by the Humanist Society as a chaplain and a celebrant, “is challenging both the U.S. Navy and the Department of Defense for not recognizing the group as an endorser of chaplain candidates.”

Jase’s academic credentials are impeccable. He has a BA from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, with double majors in philosophy and theology; a Masters of Divinity from Brite Divinity School- Texas Christian University; an MSt in history and religion from The University of Oxford, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with Qualified Teacher Status from Sheffield Hallam University in England. Jase has also completed a Doctor of Education degree with a specialization in administrator leadership for teaching and learning.

The suit Heap filed states that Heap’s “qualifications and experience far exceed the standards articulated by the Navy for accepting applicants… The Navy denied his application because of his Humanist beliefs.” According to the lawsuit, the Navy “does not consider Humanism to be a religion.”

For many, myself included, Humanism is not a religion, but a moral worldview that takes the place of religion. Time and again, however, the courts have ruled that Humanism and atheism are protected under the conscience clause of the First Amendment, just as religion is.

Though Jase was constrained in his talk about his lawsuit, he was fully able to talk about his role as the executive director of United CoR. United CoR works to build local coalitions of non theistic groups. Here in Rhode Island seven non theistic groups have banded together as the Rhode Island Coalition of Reason (RICoR). The efforts of this group, under the leadership of Coordinator Dr. Tony Houston, lead to both the billboard in South County and the RIPTA bus ads that sported the “Godless? So Are We!” slogan last winter.

With Jase as Executive Director, United CoR has begun to do more than simply offer a web presence and billboards. United CoR is now helping local groups succeed with educational opportunities, speaker engagements, and event promotion. UnitedCoR is also making new efforts to connect with community partners, both at local and national levels, for the benefit of the 80+ local coalitions.

Jase spoke also of Rhode Island’s leadership in establishing the first government in history where church and state were separated. Earlier in the day he had explored Touro Synagogue in Newport, an important site in the history of religious freedom in our state.

“I have always had a certain fascination for Roger Williams and respect for the historical contribution of Rhode Island, ever since I took a History of Baptist course from the late Rev. Dr. H. Leon McBeth at Brite Divinity School,” said Jase. “Williams’ 1644 work, The Bloudy Tenet of Persecution, speaks volumes in current American religious discourse when he stated, ‘all civil states, with their officers of justice in their respective constitutions and administrations, are proved essentially civil, and therefore not judges, governors, or defenders of the spiritual or Christian state and worship.’”

One last bit of exciting news: When Jase learned of my effort to raise money via GoFundMe to cover the visit of Pope Francis to the United States in September, what I called “Send an Atheist to cover the Pope,” he offered United CoR matching funds of $250 for the next $250 worth of donations. People who contribute now can double their investment in democratic journalism.

July 22, 2015July 23, 2015

Building an independent left workers’ movement

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James Patin, of Worcester Socialist Alternative and recently returned from Seattle, delivered his impressions of the reelection campaign of socialist city councillor Kshama Sawant as she fights to retain her seat after having been instrumental in passing a $15 minimum wage in that city, something critics claimed could not be done. Patin spoke in the Worcester Public Library at a public discussion on the rise of socialist candidates in the United States and the possible impact of a Bernie Sanders campaign on building an independent left workers’ movement separate from the Democratic Party.

Patin explained that in all of her campaigns, Sawant accepted no corporate donations. The average donation to Sawant runs between $40 and $50, as opposed to an average of more than twice that for other city council candidates in Seattle. Candidate Sawant has the highest number of individual donations in the state of Washington. Sawant has accepted a salary for her elected position of only $40,000 a year, an “average worker’s salary,” and gives the rest to charity.

During her first two years in office Sawant has lead the successful fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 in Seattle, fought to stop evictions and institute rent controls with an eye towards affordable housing for all, and helped pass a resolution to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day.

For her next term in office Sawant is seeking to bring municipally funded broadband to the entire city, deliver on rent control and increase taxes on the rich. One of her opponents has already spent $60,000, in one week, to beat her. The “two corporate parties” said Patin, are campaigning hard against Sawant, and they seem to have unlimited money to do so.

The two party system is the problem, said Patin, and no one candidate, not Sawant, not Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, and not even socialist-independent turned Democrat Bernie Sanders is going to be able to challenge the system in a meaningful way by themselves. The accomplishments of independent candidates are temporary and limited, said Patin, state and federal forces will overturn or sidestep gains made by independent candidates.

The key to change, Patin believes, is not about electing an individual but about creating a mass movement. Democrats, like Republicans, are owned by the billionaire class. Sanders is calling for a political revolution against the billionaire class, but he’s doing so from within the two party system controlled by billionaires. It seems a recipe for failure.

Kshama_Sawant_at_University_Commons_Groundbreaking — Kshama Sawant (from Wikipedia)

It is the position of Socialist Alternative that Sanders cannot win the Democratic primary. Many in the room foresee a Jesse Jackson moment where Sanders will take his grassroots mass movement and hand it over to Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton after the primary. This is one reason why Socialist Alternative is not endorsing Sanders. They want him to run as an independent, free of the two-party system.

Patin was no more hopeful for the prospects of Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Stein, like Sawant, has declined corporate donations (though the Green Party accepts them) but Stein, says, Patin, is “boring.”

[Note: Tony Affigne, of the Green Party of Rhode Island, contests this. He sent me the following note:

“To the contrary, the Green Party does not accept corporate donations, and never has.

“From the Green Party of Rhode Island’s donations page:

“‘The Green Party really is different- we don’t accept corporate money. In Rhode Island, where money seems to dominate politics, the Greens are the only party that accepts no contributions at all from corporations or corporate PACs. We rely entirely on small donations from people like you. Please make a donation today!’

“From the national Green Party’s donations page:

“‘Corporations are not people. The Green Party of the United States and its candidates only accept individual contributions from real people. People like you. Please donate today.'”]

In the discussion that followed Patin’s talk, moderated by Socialist Alternative member Alex Rothfelder, the consensus of the room was that it’s not about the candidate, it’s about the movement. So for now, they are not drinking the Sander’s Kool-Aid. For these socialists, elections are not about effecting political change, they are opportunities for mobilizing large numbers of workers towards the goal of enacting meaningful socialist reforms.

Then again, there’s no denying the force of the personality of Kshama Sawant. As much as it’s “not about the candidate,” Sawant is a powerful speaker who exudes a charisma that makes it very much about her, as much as she might try to deflect it.

I wrote about Kshama Sawant when she spoke ahead of last years climate march here:

Fighting climate change will require radical economic solutions

July 22, 2015

RI Women’s Fund opens applications for policy learning program

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The Women’s Fund of Rhode Island has officially begun the application process for its 2015-2016 Women’s Policy Institute.

The institute, which began in 2011, works to increase the number of women leaders that are involved in state policy creation. Members will first be trained, and then will work to draft and support legislation concerning women’s issues. It has already been responsible for major policy changes, such as paid family leave and workplace pregnancy accommodations.

The program is open to women 18 or older who work in all sectors, and come from all backgrounds, races, and interests. The Women’s Fund said that “ideal candidates are passionate individuals looking to gain new skills and make a difference in the lives of women and girls.”

Candidates are chosen through a competitive application process. All applications are reviewed and applicants will be invited for in person interviews. After that point, 15 candidates will be chosen and invited to join the Women’s Policy Institute.

Those who are interested in applying can attend an informational session on July 28 at 5:30 pm at the Law Firm of William J. Conley, 123 Dyer Street.

Those interested may apply at www.wfri.org.

Applications are due by August 11, 2015, and can be mailed to the Women’s Fund at One Union Station, Providence, Rhode Island, 02903, or by emailing shanna@wfri.org. Applicants that have been selected for interviews will be notified by August 17, 2015. Sessions for the institute will begin in mid-September, with a monthly two-day retreat on Fridays and Saturdays. The Women’s Policy Institute is free of charge.

July 22, 2015July 22, 2015

Children’s Cabinet convenes for the first time in 8 years, plans to increase child well being

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For the first time since 2007, Governor Gina Raimondo convened the Children’s Cabinet to set a plan in order to promote opportunities for Rhode Island children, by establishing policies and budget plans directed towards children and their needs.

National data from KIDS COUNT, an organization that helps to mold better futures for children who are at risk of experiencing poor education, health, and socioeconomic factors, ranked Rhode Island as the 31^st state in the nation for child well being. Rhode Island was also the lowest ranked among New England states, partially due to increases in the percentage of children living in poverty.

The Cabinet has three specific goals: to create a five-year strategic plan that will improve outcomes for children and their families; to establish policies and performance metrics for each state department; and measure progress on collaborative initiatives for children across these departments.

“All kids deserve to make it in Rhode Island,” Raimondo said. “As a parent, I am focused on giving my kids every opportunity to succeed. We must provide every Rhode Island kid with that same opportunity. When we invest in our kids, we’re investing in our future, workforce and economy. Working together, across government and with the community, we can set our families and our state on a path for a healthy, stable future.”

Raimondo appointed Health and Human Services Secretary Elizabeth Roberts as the Cabinet’s chair. As the chair, she will guide the Cabinet in their efforts to improve children’s well being across the state.

“Every child deserves an opportunity for a safe, healthy, successful, and bright future,” Roberts said. “It is our responsibility as public officials- and as caretakers of the state they will inherit- to protect that opportunity.”

During their meeting, the Cabinet spoke on several topics, such as a new agency-wide policy on human trafficking, child welfare, early childhood education, and strengthening collaboration between the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), and the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH).

The Cabinet was established in 1991, but saw several changes during the 2015 legislative session. The statue that created the group was amended to better integrate state services across departments and agencies, as well as adding the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Child Advocate, and the Governor as members.

July 22, 2015July 22, 2015

A streetcar named millennials

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I admit, I had to look up the “millennial generation” to determine whether I fit in. A brief search reveals that the grouping is wide (1982-2000 give or take), and not clearly defined by a monolithic shared experience. We millennials certainly do not have the hefty experience of World War II to bind us, nor do we have the post-war upheavals in this country and the formerly colonized world in the 1960s and 70s, largely curtailed by counter forces (police and military efforts, the introduction of crack and subsequent drug war, cultural shifts towards capitalist materialism) by the time we were born. One could argue we all arrived at adulthood in the age of September 11th and the subsequent “war on terror.” Others argue that we “boomerang” back in with our parents after college due to few job opportunities, stagnant wages, rising costs, and our alleged laziness. A compelling event, movement, change, or war has yet to be offered to unify our so-called generation.

I find it hard to imagine that I have enough in common with someone born in the mid-1990s to constitute any sort of serious bond, but I will acknowledge, as politicians do time and again to win elections, we shall inherent our world – this country and especially the cities most of us live in. The new mayor of Providence, being relatively young himself, and a son of Guatemalan immigrants (appealing to millennials’ alleged open-mindedness about race) has taken his place in a line of political descendants of Obama looking to cash in on our political allegiance. I was in fact prompted to look into my generational coding after hearing of the mayor’s “Millennial Task Force,” a group of young professionals, selected as ambassadors of the administration to city residents from their generation. I decided to see what the “Force,” and the mayor’s administration, had on offer for those of us who will inherit this city.

Being a community organizer in Providence for the last four years made me skeptical of any promises or policies coming from Mayor Elorza and his team. From curbing police overreach, harassment, and violence, to affordable housing provision, and reversing trends towards gentrification, especially in the mayor’s old neighborhood, the West End, Elorza’s campaign and early administration failed to impress. Indeed, many of the long-time Providence residents with whom I organize vocally criticized what they saw as a campaign run by and for the affluent, predominantly white, East Side. Especially following the transmutation of the separate Brett Smiley and Elorza campaigns into one, proclaimed as the only way to defeat former mayor Buddy Cianci, city dwellers on the other side of route 95 saw a power grab that would not be to their benefit.

Besides a commitment to the “arts,” very loosely defined, Elorza’s major policy initiatives since taking office have been: a streetcar line running between Brown University, downtown and the hospitals in Upper South Providence, tax break agreements for developers looking to build and operate in the vacant land formerly occupied by route 195, and a receivership program, touted as a way to clean up and occupy all 500 or so vacant, nuisance properties dotting the city.

Arts festivals and so-called “development through the arts” appeal to many millennials as a public subsidy for their chosen careers – self-employment as consultants, entrepreneurs, and artists. These “careers” were originally subsidized by parents with financial means, degrees from preeminent colleges (of which RISD and Brown University are examples), and the privileges of being young and most often white. Now, there are indeed many young artists, largely of color, who grew up in this city, who participate in dynamic arts organizations based in the city and who have stories to tell and work to showcase that truly do represent Providence. Yet, the question lingers – who will benefit from the mayor’s commitment to arts development? From my experience at the Millennial Task Force’s open house in July, the field seems dominated by transplants brought to the city by Brown or RISD who have “decided” to make Providence their home and playground. Like Mayor Elorza himself claims to be, there are quite enough dynamic, artistic and incredible young people born and raised here. The mayor’s policies leave them with a choice between competing with transplants and the disproportionate credit and opportunity granted them by city hall, or pursuing their futures outside of Providence.

The streetcar proposal, the promotional materials for which claim to “attract 1,500 new city residents over 20 years,” was the topic of much gushing at the Millennial get together. I heard things as superficial as a streetcar is simply more “glamorous” than a bus, to even more suspicious claims that the streetcar could “unite different neighborhoods” across Providence. Superficiality dominated when it came to the ideas scrawled on stickies and posted to the boards around the room, with ideas like more gyms, a downtown grocery store, better lighting on downtown streets, and tiny houses. Not only are these ideas superficial and disconnected from the political-economic reality of most of the city’s residents, they are also extremely self-centered. The gyms are designed to feed the exercise culture of the young professional class, not make the city population in general healthier (plenty of poor people from around the city already hit Planet Fitness and seem to be doing fine there). The downtown grocery store is for the convenience of that tiny sliver of the population who can afford to live in downtown’s luxury and exorbitantly priced lofts and apartments. Lighting in the area is for those same young professionals’ running routes, and hints at the underlying race and class-based fear of criminal elements. Tiny houses are only for those who have the privilege to choose the type of house they’d like to live in; I heard little to nothing about those with no shelter at all. Are these “tiny houses” for them? Shouldn’t they have access to regular-sized houses?

Besides a commitment to “glamor” over policies and projects that would address material inequities in housing, policing, wealth, and transportation, we have the suspicious undercurrent of a desire to “unite” Providence’s different neighborhoods. Elorza indeed ran under the banner of “One Providence.” But we have never been “One Providence.” Since the city’s inception, through slave trading and race riots, to neoliberal development projects that subsidize the profiteering of wealthy developers, there has always been many Providences. For those millennials I heard saying they want to learn more about those newly discovered neighborhoods not on the East Side, I say, where you buy your over-priced groceries used to be the Cape Verdean and African-American part of town. Perhaps a history lesson, rather than a streetcar, would help you connect without ever having to leave the comfort of College Hill. If one rode RIPTA, despite its lack of glamor, they would see the homage to Snowtown and Hard Scrabble on the bus shelter in front of University Plaza. One has to question how and why these millennials want to “unite” neighborhoods, or “connect” with people in other parts of town? Without a deep historical and political understanding of what has driven change in every Providence neighborhood, and a commitment to those unglamorous political and economic realities that drive neighborhoods and potential neighbors apart, I would encourage people to stay right where they are.

Never in all of the pandering for the streetcar did I hear mention of its cost, until someone asked, condescendingly, “well, what else should they do with that money?”(over 100 million initially and over 3 million annually for operations). When I responded, “they could support affordable housing,” the retort was even more patronizing. “Well they’re not going to do that.” It is as if the political imaginations of members of the generation anointed to inherit the city begin and end with the platforms of slick, compradore politicians like Obama and Elorza, who tout their backgrounds and wave glamorous slogans and promises, along with a “pass” on racism in exchange for some cheerleading and a vote. My response to that millennial debutante is that they’re not “going to do that” because people like you will drink the Kool-Aid and get on the streetcar to nowhere, all the while shaking hands and agreeing with suits in city hall hoping for that city job in the office of Sustainability.

I went to this open house hoping to hear the analysis, vision, and yes, criticisms, of those in my so-called generation. Instead, I was confronted with a gaggle of yes men and careerists, who apparently had not been confronted with the political realities of Elorza’s trickle-down economic policies or his dismissal of structural racism in policing, housing, and transportation in the city and state. Or, if they had directly experienced the realities of these things, saw their only way out as pandering to a machine like the Elorza administration. Admittedly, some of these young people see rising through the ranks and following in Elorza’s steps as a means to raise up their whole communities; a noble and honest naivete I cannot ascribe to many of the other, predominantly white Brown and RISD grads in the room.

To those like the pithy stranger who wanted me to accept the profiteering and tired politics of men like Elorza and those “networking” the room for a cushy job, I say – please, respond to this polemic, try and defend your positions and ambitions, and watch as your edifice falls. To those genuinely interested in the better living of everyone in Providence, the city’s children, who have lived the brutal realities of policies like Elorza’s for two decades or more – organize, learn from your own and others’ experiences, join the fights being waged by experienced, committed organizers and organizations in this city. Refuse to limit yourselves to success as defined by Elorza and his “healthy gentrification” ideology sanctioned by Harvard Law School.

In the past, millenarian social movements against colonialism would struggle under the spiritual banner of a new coming, an apocalypse or sea change in the way of things. Let’s be a generation more like our millenarian forebears, who labored under domination, but dared to dream so far beyond the borders of their colonizers’ imaginations, that they tore the world open, and wrought a new one, with nothing but their hearts, dreams, and commitment to each other.

July 22, 2015

An interview with Providence NAACP President Jim Vincent

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On July 21 I had the opportunity to sit down with Jim Vincent of the Providence NAACP and discussed a variety of topics. Mr. Vincent is a graduate of the 1973 Dartmouth College Urban Studies and Government program and hold an McP in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania. Our conversation covered a variety of topics, including the prison and judicial reform Gov. Raimondo recently enacted, police recruitment policies, and the national election.

The NAACP is one of the oldest still-extant civil rights groups in America. Founded on February 12, 1909, it has been a major advocate for the rights of black and brown people since its inception, working to abolish Jim Crow and promote desegregation. It has been especially active in support for LGBTQQI rights and AIDS activism. This was especially prominent when Julian Bond, former Chairman, boycotted the 2006 funeral of Coretta Scott King, wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. because the family had chosen a church that opposed gay rights.

July 21, 2015

Office of Energy Resources proposes $14 million for clean energy investments

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The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources has announced a plan to invest in clean energy, as well as reduce energy costs, by distributing $14 million in proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auctions.

Commissioner Marion Gold, courtesy of www.energy.ri.gov

RGGI, which was launched in 2009, allowed participating states to establish a cap on carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fueled electric generating facilities. The power plants in these areas must possess a tradable carbon dioxide allowance for each ton that they emit, and these allowances are distributed through quarterly auctions.

“Rhode Island’s participation in RGGI is a vital component of the state’s energy and environmental policy framework. This plan will not only advance important energy goals, but it will also contribute to local economic growth by investing in carbon-free energy resources, including energy efficiency and renewable generation,” State Energy Commissioner Marion Gold said.

The $14 million will support a number of clean energy programs. Three million will support the capitalization of the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank, and another $3.6 million will go towards supporting energy efficiency measures for residential, commercial, and industrial consumers. Two million more will support the installation of LED streetlights throughout the state, as well as support clean energy investments in state and municipal buildings. Another $300,000 will go toward funding residential rooftop solar panels.

LED streetlights will also be installed all along Rhode Island’s highways, not just within towns and cities. $2.8 million will be allocated towards that venture. Rhode Island Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti said that energy efficiency is a top priority.

“The conversion to LED streetlights not only has the potential of reducing statewide energy costs by approximately one million dollars per year, but it also demonstrates the financial benefits of good environmental stewardship,” he said.

The Office of Energy Resources also stated that the plan will support job growth along with enhancing sustainability.

“This is a smart plan that will grow jobs, reduce energy costs, and help protect our environment,” Governor Gina Raimondo said. “By investing in innovative clean energy initiatives like the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank, Solarize Rhode Island, and energy efficiency programs, Rhode Island can help lead the nation towards a more sustainable energy future while also growing our economy.”

The financial impact is only one part, though. These investments also have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which will improve air quality throughout Rhode Island

“Each kilowatt-hour of energy saved or generated by a renewable energy source means one less kilowatt-hour generated from fossil fuel-fired sources,” said Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit. “Programs like these may start small, but the represent important steps forward toward achieving our greenhouse gas reduction goals and transitioning to a clean energy future.”

The Office of Energy Resources is currently taking public comment on the plan, and can be reached by emailing Barbara.Cesaro@energy.ri.gov, or by mailing One Capitol Hill, Providence, Rhode Island, 02908. There will be a public hearing on the proposal on July 29 at 10 am in Conference Room B on the second floor of One Capitol Hill.

July 21, 2015

Raimondo signs executive order for state healthcare reform

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After the successes of Governor Gina Raimondo’s Reinventing Medicaid task force, today, at the Kent County YMCA, she announced a new initiative to overhaul the state’s healthcare system as a whole. Titled the Working Group for Healthcare Innovation, the group, under the leadership of Elizabeth Roberts, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, seeks to improve Rhode Island’s healthcare landscape, making it more competitive with other New England states.

“Today we are talking about keeping a dialogue going that you so successfully started on earlier this year,” Raimondo said, referring to Reinventing Medicaid. She added that she seeks to take the work that was done there, in the public healthcare system, and move it forward.

“Today is about bringing that same level of innovation in all that we do in healthcare delivery in the state of Rhode Island,” she said.

The Governor has set forth four specific goals for the task force to achieve, under specific deadlines. They are to develop a global healthcare spending cap; plan out and implement the “80 by ’18,” goal, which would tie 80 percent of healthcare payments to quality by 2018; bring the state’s healthcare system technologically up to date; and establish a framework to achieve health and wellness goals outlined by the Centers for Disease Control.

Raimondo said that the biggest goal, which all of these are to work together to achieve, is to reduce the costs of healthcare, improve outputs, and improve the patient experience. She said that these goals are the “holy grail,” of providing healthcare, and making Rhode Island more effective overall.

“I believe it’s doable, I know it’s doable. It’s doable if we commit ourselves,” she said. “We’ve got to catch up and we’ve got to be competitive. Rhode Island has to be competitive.”

The focus of the task force will draw from suggestions made by a group of healthcare stakeholders that Governor Raimondo received back in December. Many members of this group, which was put together by United States Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Rhode Island Foundation President Neil Steinberg, will now be serving with on the new task force.

Whitehouse also spoke in support of Raimondo’s initiative, citing that the United States spends more money per capita in relation to life expectancy than almost every other developed country. The United States’ life expectancy is also lower than many countries that pay less per capita. Whitehouse also mentioned that since 1960, health care expenditures have risen from $27.4 billion to $2.8 trillion. Healthcare spending has declined in recent years, but reducing costs remains a priority.

“It’s not a system where you can tell it what to do and it’s going to change,” Whitehouse said, speaking about how healthcare reform works. “You actually need to change the system. What you say is a whisper, how you pay is a shout.”

Secretary Roberts, who will head the group, said that even though healthcare reform is a very complex issue, the working group can find a solution because they want to get the community involved in the process. Rather than just having a conversation about what needs to be done, Roberts said, there will be collaboration on both ends of the project. By doing this, they will create a long-term plan.

“I am excited to see the Governor take a very direct interest, and give us a very direct charge, because that, to me, is absolutely crucial to a statewide approach,” Roberts said about her enthusiasm to begin working. “I am excited to see the range of people who have stepped forward to participate, and know that we will make some real progress.”

Roberts has had experience working with the Rhode Island healthcare industry in the past, as former Lieutenant Governor during the Chafee Administration. Roberts has also worked in health insurance before she was involved in government, and as a legislator, she chaired the Health Committee.

“Many of us have met before, and have worked together before,” she said. “But the charge of the Governor, to really come together, and really make some measurable differences, is going to move us forward.”

The Working Group for Healthcare Innovation will begin meeting in August, and give its first set of recommendations to Governor Raimondo in December. Members of the group come from several communities, including government, insurance, hospital workers, labor, and business. There are 36 total members.

July 21, 2015July 22, 2015

Tuesday to Tuesday: RI Future’s arts and entertainment calendar (UPDATED 7/22)

RIFuture is a fine institution that has made important contributions to the Rhode Island news culture as the ProJo has shrunk in both scope and talent while the news channels have become more corporatized. It is our hope that this new feature – the ‘Tuesday to Tuesday Arts and Entertainment Calendar’ will bring a lighter side to the fare. As we move into the dog days of summer, I’m open to tips and press releases regarding the events you or someone you know may be holding in the next few weeks. Feel free to e-mail data to me at andrew.james.stewart.rhode.island@gmail.com.

MY PICKS
Here is my selection of events that you should definitely consider checking out this week.

7/21
HOME/RUN: A Play at Matthewson Street Church Black Box, 8 pm, $5-10
It would be a conflict of interest if I did not mention I know one of the writers here from my film festival days. But I honestly do think that this sort of interactive theatre is important, it helps generate a dialogue about our society and how it operates. And with Providence in the midst of all sorts of lunatic plots to gentrify the neighborhoods while bailing out billionaires so they can build baseball stadiums, we need these sorts of dialogues that democratize our understanding of home more than ever.
7/22
The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, 7:30 pm, Pay What You Decide
The author of this play previous was nominated for a 2014 Pulitzer but returned to the drawing board for a second draft. This should be impressive.
7/23
Movies on the Block: THE SHINING at Grants Block, 7:30 pm, Free
Kubrick’s classic horror film remains chilling after 35 years because he was making a truly amazing film. Having studied him in college, I can also say that this is much deeper than you think and that the recent ROOM 237 was closer to the mark than you might think in terms of the subtext about genocide.
7/24
FringePVD: “WRITER’S BLOCK” BY RADIOACTIVE THEATRE COMPANY at AS220’s Blackbox, 7 pm, $5-$10
To be honest, I have no idea what this play is about but, since I know very well what writer’s block is, I imagine it might appeal to anyone inclined to epistolary.
7/25
Cultural Survival Bazaar at Tiverton Four Corners Art Center, 10 am-5 pm, Free
This is a arts and crafts festival featuring works from the so-called Third World, something that intrigues me to no end.
7/26
Outdoor Summer Concerts: French Roast at Roger Williams Park Botanical Center, 6-8 pm, $10 General Admission/$5 Children 12 and under/$5 Botanical Center Conservancy members
This is a Franco-American band that does especially Canadian and Bayou music, plus it’s located in one of my favorite parks in the state. What’s not to love?
7/27
VIOLET / RRLEW / VALISE / MUYASSAR KURDI / GYNA BOOTLEG at Psychic Readings, 9 pm-1 am, $6
Six dollars for five bands at one of the best locations in Providence, why not?
7/28
Get Out! Cardboard Rockets at Providence Children’s Museum, 1-3 pm, Free with Museum admission of $9.00 per person
Something fun to do with the kids and probably a minor refresher on the basic physics of aviation.

7/21
Get Out! Sundials at Providence Children’s Museum, 1-3 pm, Free with Museum admission of $9.00 per person

The Newport Music Festival at Blithewold Mansion Gardens & Arboretum, 11 am, To purchase tickets, call Newport Festival Box Office at 401-849-0700

Stretch & Strength at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 12-1 pm, $5

Open Life Drawing at AS220, 6 pm-8:30, $6

Intermediate Ballet Class with Danielle Davidson at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 7:15 pm-8:45 pm, $13 per class, $60 for 6 classes

FringePVD: THE ROAD TO HIGH STREET: A BUSKER’S DIGITAL ROCK & ROLL STORY by Andrew Potter at AS220’s Blackbox, 7-1:15 pm, $5-$10

Kid Fame, Jaz Marley, Adrenaline the Rapper, and Project Five Star at AS220 Main Stage, 9:30 pm-1 am, $6

Slouch + Noway + Disipline + The Daffy and Daisy Chain at Psychic Readings, 9:30 pm-1 am, $6

HOME/RUN: A Play at Matthewson Street Church Black Box, 8 pm, $5-10

Tuesday Night Film Series: THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL (RI Premiere) at The Arctic Playhouse, 7 pm, $10.00/$7.00 seniors/$5.00 children under 12

7/22
Vinyasa Yoga with Julie Shore at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, Noon-1 pm, $5

Open Level Modern Dance at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 6:30-8 pm, $13 per class/$60 for 6 classes

Jenkins Construction presents A Concert by The Toe Jam Puppet Band at Ballard Park Quarry Meadow, 10-11 am, Free

Jenkins Construction presents A Concert by Meehan Krous at Ballard Park Quarry Meadow, 7-8 pm, Free

Wheels at Work: Backhoe Loader at Providence Children’s Museum, 10-Noon, Free with Museum admission of $9.00 per person

The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, 7:30 pm, Pay What You Decide

FringePVD: “EN-SEM-BLE” BY FREQUENCY WRITERS at AS220’s Blackbox, 7:30 pm, $5-$10

FringePVD: “a.vanishing.point” by PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE NOVELTY COMPANY at AS220’s Blackbox, 8:30 pm, $5-$10

SURVIVORS OF THE KRAKEN // GELATINUS CUBE // GREGORY MCKILLOP // RYAN PRATT at AS220 Main Stage, 9 pm-1 am, $6

7/23
Best of Rhode Island Party 2015 at Providence Performing Arts Center, 5:30-9:30 pm, $55-$65

Hank West and the Smokin’ Hots at The Towers, 7-10 pm, $15

Summer Concert Series presented by ALEX AND ANI at Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard, 6-9 pm, $10

newportFILM Outdoors! THE DIPLOMAT – presented by Lila Delman Real Estate I at Redwood Library & Athenaeum, 8:30 pm (sunset), Free

The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, 7:30 pm, Pay What You Decide

Evening Yoga at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 6:15-7:30 pm, $13 per class/$60 for 6 classes

FringePVD: THE ROAD TO HIGH STREET: A BUSKER’S DIGITAL ROCK & ROLL STORY at AS220’s Blackbox, 7 pm, $5-$10

FringePVD: “WRITER’S BLOCK” BY RADIOACTIVE THEATRE COMPANY @ AS220’s Blackbox, 8:30 pm, $5-$10

Mmere Dane Group and Four Agreements at AS220 Main Stage, 9 pm, $5

FringePVD: “TOUCHSTONE/SALMON/FROSTING” BY THE ERGOT PLAYERS at AS220’s Blackbox, 9:30 pm, $5-$10

Movies on the Block: THE SHINING at Grants Block, 7:30 pm, Free

VERONICA GUERIN at Warwick Public Library, 7 pm, Free

Fringe PVD: TRANS* at Paff Auditorium in the URI Feinstein Providence Campus, 8 pm, $5-$10

7/24
Family Fun Friday: Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys at Blithewold Mansion Gardens & Arboretum, 11 am-1 pm, Free

The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, 7:30 pm, Pay What You Decide

FringePVD: “WRITER’S BLOCK” BY RADIOACTIVE THEATRE COMPANY at AS220’s Blackbox, 7 pm, $5-$10

FringePVD: “OXYPROBLEM” BY MCQUADE8PRODUCTIONS at AS220’s Blackbox, 8 pm, $5-$10

FringePVD: “a.vanishing.point” by PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE NOVELTY COMPANY at AS220’s Blackbox, 9 pm, $5-$10

Toad and the Stooligans, True Blue, and Bored with Four at AS220 Main Stage, 9 pm-1 am, $6

7/25
Cultural Survival Bazaar at Tiverton Four Corners Art Center, 10 am-5 pm, Free

Stars and Night Sky at Providence Children’s Museum, 10 am-3 pm, Free with Museum admission of $9.00 per person

The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, 7:30 pm, Pay What You Decide

Introduction to the Laser Cutter at AS220 Labs, 10 am-1 pm, $80

Traditional Irish Music Session at AS220 Bar & FOO(D), 4-7 pm, No cover

FringePVD: “SEARCH FOR THE FORBIDDEN BLANK: AN IMPROVISED CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-ADVENTURE WITH PUPPETS” BY THE IMPROVISED PUPPET PROJECT at AS220’s Blackbox, 8 pm, $5-$10

Rampant Decay, Deathface and Timecop Beach Party at AS220 Main Stage, 9 pm-1 am, $6

WHITE MYSTERY (CHI), DIRTY FENCES (NYC), ATLANTIC THRILLS (PVD) at Psychic Readings, 10 pm-1 am, $10

Saturday Night Leftovers 2.0 PART III at The Parlour, 7 pm, $5

Halfway Home / Sic Vita / Shore City / SPC / Bears Bears Bears at The Met, 8 pm-1 am, $8 adv/$10 day of

Fringe PVD: TRANS* at Paff Auditorium in the URI Feinstein Providence Campus, 7 pm, $5-$10

7/26
Cultural Survival Bazaar at Tiverton Four Corners Art Center, 10 am-5 pm, Free

Stars and Night Sky at Providence Children’s Museum, 10 am-3 pm, Free with Museum admission of $9.00 per person

Core Workout with Daniel Shea at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 9-10 am, $5

Beginner Ballet at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 10:30-11:30 am, $13 per class/$60 for 6 classes

Intermediate Ballet Class at 95 Empire Studio, Noon-1:30 pm, $13 per class/$60 for 6 classes

Spiritual Recess, Great News and Bukkake Moms at Psychic Readings, 9 pm-1 am, $6

Outdoor Summer Concerts: French Roast at Roger Williams Park Botanical Center, 6-8 pm, $10 General Admission/$5 Children 12 and under/$5 Botanical Center Conservancy members

7/27
BridgeFest Sunset Soiree at Sanford-Covell Villa Marina, 6-8:30 pm, $30

Newport BridgeFest at Queen Anne Square, 8 am-Midnight, Free

Intermediate/Advanced Modern Dance at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 6:30-8 pm, $13 per class/$60 for 6 classes

VIOLET / RRLEW / VALISE / MUYASSAR KURDI / GYNA BOOTLEG at Psychic Readings, 9 pm-1 am, $6

7/28
Get Out! Cardboard Rockets at Providence Children’s Museum, 1-3 pm, Free with Museum admission of $9.00 per person

Newport BridgeFest at Queen Anne Square, 8 am-Midnight, Free

Stretch & Strength at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 12-1 pm, $5

Open Life Drawing at AS220, 6 pm-8:30, $6

Intermediate Ballet Class with Danielle Davidson at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 7:15 pm-8:45 pm, $13 per class, $60 for 6 classes

Native Giant, Neutrinos, Eric and the Nothing, Pyramid at Psychic Readings, 9 pm-1 am, $6

Armageddon Shop Presents: Windhand, Pilgram, and Second Grave at AS220 Main Stage, 9 pm-1 am, $10

July 21, 2015

PTA involvement instead of prison mentality in schools

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Zero-tolerance policies were introduced into public schools in the 1990s, due to the rising rates of juvenile violence, according to the article, “The criminalization of school discipline in the USA”, by Paul Hirschfield. This zero-tolerance policy, he writes, also led to the importation of the criminal justice system into schools as a means of crime control.

In light of this dynamic, students get arrested for minor offenses, like simple assault, that were once handled internally by high school authorities. One former high school student, who was in maximum security prison when this article was published says his, “school was more like a prison than a high school. It don’t have to be nothing illegal about it. But you’re getting arrested. No regard for if a college going to accept you with this record. No regard for none of that, because you’re not expected to leave this school and go to college. You’re not expected to do anything.”

Students are pushed to the limit with little or no breathing space, no second chances, and no regard for whether these policies have helped kids to drop out of school with no direction in life. They are still supposed to be tomorrow’s elders in an ever-evolving society. However, it is important that society put in place some kind of disciplinary practices to instill moral and civic virtues, but equally important that this is done in a manner that does not marginalize kids and force them to choose between the choices that could send them to juvenile prison and further incarceration in the adult prison system, leading to conditions that deprive them from being productive and functional citizens.

In as much as I believe in maintaining security in school premises, I also believe that the society and the politicians could do a better job by giving students a second chance if they really want them to succeed in life. Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) could be instrumental in this front. It is my profound belief that if parents are involved to help curtail their kids’ behavioral problems in school, that would have been more fruitful than dogs, metal detectors and the criminal justice systems. I know if my mother got a call from the school about my misconduct, it would be a profound deterrent. Most kids listen to their mothers’.

The PTA method of discipline could ensure that authorities and parents work hand in hand to model students’ behavior in a better way, instead of victimizing them. To this end, parents got called most of the time when the punishment is handed down to the student and the parent is left with a choice of trying to make the kid stay out of prison, instead of trying to make them stay in school. The PTA could put misbehaving student on probation, supervised by both school offices and the parent, leaving the state out of the equation at this point in time.

The state authorities should focus on helping students succeed in their education, and not to supplement school policies that remove underperforming students with the notion that they are not salvageable – especially not in the name of school accountability. These and other policies prove that the authorities value money more than they value students’ education. All of which takes the form of removing underperforming or disruptive students, which proved to be a cheaper alternative to renovating and modernizing schools and hiring more qualified teachers and counselors.

It’s the poor, the destitute, and in most cases the minority students who pay the highest price for misbehaving in the face of these measurements, under the perception of them not deserving good schools, socio-economic development, good representation, coupled with policies that criminalize students with behavior problems as a means of crime control.

This post is published as part of the Prison Op/Ed Project, an occasional series authored by CCRI sociology students who are incarcerated at the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institute. Read more here:
- ‘Prison Op/Ed Project’ teaches civic engagement, writing – Meghan Kallman
- Does racial injustice still exist? Look at our schools – Aaron Carpenter
- Rhode Island charges felons absurdly high court costs – Christopher Nemitz
- Public school students and inmates need more vocational training – Darnell Hie
- Prison policies put probation and vocational training at odds – Norman Johnson
- Corporate-modeled prison industrial complex doesn’t serve society – Adrian Rojas
- Incarceration is the new slavery – James Poston
- Justice isn’t blind with data-based sentencing – David Brown
- Ending welfare entitlements opened the door to disability fraud – Dan Davidson
- Post prison services would stem system’s revolving door – Michael Wheelock
- You’re vote doesn’t matter as much as your money – David Brown
- How schools emulate prisons, and prepare students for them – Richard Pimiental
- Cars that are good for society – David DeGrasse

July 20, 2015July 20, 2015

Providence gets $300,000 ArtPlace America grant

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With the intention of helping to spruce up the Upper South Providence neighborhood, the Creative Capital recently won a $300,000 ArtPlace America grant.

The project, ‘Illuminating Trinity’, will focus on renovating the Grace Church Cemetery and build capacity and programs at Southside Cultural Center.

“We have seen arts and culture transform our city and we know that cultural expression in our neighborhoods is just as important as in downtown,” said Mayor Jorge Elorza. “I am grateful ArtPlace America has decided to join our efforts by helping provide this opportunity to improve Trinity Square.”

The program also will bring to Providence one of two pilot programs, Community Innovation Lab, developed by EmcArts, which integrates art and artists into the process of developing systemic change.

“We’re thrilled to be working alongside Mayor Elorza, RI-LISC, and the other partners to harvest the unique power of local artists and cultural workers to catalyze systemic change,” says Richard Evans, president of EmcArts. “Public safety is a complex problem. It requires questioning old assumptions, collaborating across boundaries, deep understanding of local system dynamics, and rehearsing many potential strategies for change. The Community Innovation Lab framework creates space for high-impact, creative solutions to emerge and builds a robust network of advocates to ensure that those strategies get implemented.”

Other organizations participating include RI Black Storytellers, RI Latino Arts, the Cambodian Society, the Laotian Society, ECAS Theater, and RISD.

AS220 also applied for the same grant. I sat down with AS220 founder Bert Crenca, who shared his thoughts on the topic.

July 20, 2015

Sandra Bland didn’t kill herself

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Maybe we should have known, now that people’s videos have brought more public attention to police abuse, that it wouldn’t be long before some police returned to the “She killed herself” line.

An African-American woman in Texas, Sandra Bland, was found dead in jail last week. A policeman had pulled her over for not signaling as she changed lanes, but that traffic stop last Friday ended with her being arrested. The next day, she called her family from the local Texas jail, worried that the arresting officer might have fractured her arm. Like many people who suffer police-inflicted injuries under circumstances that raise questions, she was charged with “assaulting a public servant”.

As her Facebook account shows, she spoke out often on racial issues, and what I’ve heard suggests that she spoke equally freely during her traffic stop, which it seems is something that a lot of police officers really dislike. Now, I don’t want to rule out the police version of the story: maybe this woman, who had done nothing wrong besides changing lanes once without signalling, did somehow decide to use force against the police officer, despite all the precautions that police take to keep themselves maximally safe during a traffic stop. Or maybe she did something else that made him mad. Anyway, the officer chose to arrest her with considerable violence, in an arrest caught on video. As the public servant who she is accused of assaulting arrested her so forcibly, she said:

“Hey! You just slammed my head to the
ground!” she yells. “You do not even care
about that? I can’t even hear!”

“All of this for a traffic signal!” she
continued, telling the passerby filming,
“Thank you for recording! Thank you!”

As the media later said, she yelled. She was someone who was willing to yell in a situation like that. Maybe something like that is what got her charged with assaulting the public servant. In any case, she was arrested last Friday and not released — with bond set at $5000 for assaulting a public servant — which meant that she was still in jail three days later on Monday, when she was found hanging in her cell, with her death reported as a suicide.

Her family says Sandy Bland would never have killed herself. They say she had many who loved her, and she had just moved back to her hometown to start a new job at the college she graduated from. She seems to have been a decent person — the things she was yelling as she was being arrested help show this, I think. She repeatedly shows her gratitude to the bystander who’s taking the video, she’s surprised and indignant when the public servant seems not to care about the pain he’s causing. Would someone like that have hung herself in her cell after a few days in jail? If so, that would raise serious questions in itself about what was done to her.

But yes, there was something she was clearly pretty unhappy about, despite also having considerable happiness in her life. She said it on Facebook before her arrest:

Being a black person in America is very, very hard. Show me in American history where all lives matter.

Whether this often leads people to suicide is a statistical issue (and I think the statistics on that say something great about black women as a group). But I want to drop statistics and listen to what Sandra Bland said. Did her unhappiness about how black people are treated, which she expressed so freely, somehow lead to her death? One way or another, it definitely did. The regime of jail was not good for this woman who wanted to speak for herself, or she was not good for it. She didn’t fit in the system. Perhaps the problem was that this woman was even in this system we have.

The sheriff’s office says, in their statement on how she came to be hanging in a cell, that it “appears to be self-inflicted asphyxiation”. Maybe she did it with her own hands even though, as I mentioned, she was worried her arm was fractured. During her arrest, as the public servant with his knees on her back was pulling her arms up behind her, she yelled “I can’t feel my arms!” I wonder if she ever got enough treatment in jail for her injured arms before, as they say, she killed herself.

In jail there are no videos taken by passersby; they take away anything that could be used for that. That’s why we can see what happened at the end of her arrest but we can’t see what happened at the end of her life, when she ended up strung up in a cell. This kind of thing is why it should not be easy for police to place someone into custody. Those who believe in civil rights are commonly seen working to make it less easy for police to take someone into custody based on a pretext or a weak reason; we’ve all seen the way civil-rights supporters do that, and I guess Sandra Bland’s death is a good example of why it needs to be done. There isn’t conclusive evidence to prove what happened in her case, but what I’ve heard is certainly enough to make me wonder. And I want to repeat the two questions Sandra Bland asked — they’re worth bringing up again. One question is the one she asked the public servant who was arresting her:

“Hey! You just slammed my head to the
ground!” she yells. “You do not even care
about that?”

That question wasn’t answered, but it’s pretty clear what the answer would be. The other question is the one she left on her Facebook page from before she was arrested:

“Show me in American history where all lives matter.”

That one hasn’t been answered yet either. Can we change what the answer is?

This was in Texas, not Rhode Island, but I don’t want to make this about trashing Texas; different areas of the country have similar problems and we need to work together to overcome them. There are racial issues and there are police issues; Sandra Bland’s death brings up both in an important way, which is why I’m bringing it up on this site. One petition for her is here, calling for the federal government to take over the case.

#JusticeForSandy

July 19, 2015July 19, 2015

How bad legislation gets passed- a House debate in 5 minutes

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How does bad legislation pass the General Assembly?

With laughter.

“I’m not going to say it’s a good bill, but I move passage,” said Representative Joseph Shekarchi about the Plumber’s Continuing Education Bill. The bill, which mandates continuing education for plumbers unless the plumber’s age and experience add up to 80 or more, went on to pass the House 59-10. On July 15 the bill became law without Governor Gina Raimondo‘s signature. She didn’t veto the legislation, but she wasn’t about to add her name to it.

Representative Jared Nunes rose to oppose the bill, calling it, “really poor public policy,” before adding, “you almost have to be a mathematician to figure out if you can be a plumber or not.”

Featuring Representatives Nicholas Mattiello, Joseph Shekarchi, Jared Nunes, Joseph Trillo and Stephen Ucci.

Here it is, no editing required:

July 17, 2015July 17, 2015

Whitehouse helps to overhaul federal education law with Every Child Achieves Act

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The United States Senate passed the Every Child Achieves Act Thursday, which eliminated many of the provisions set forth in former President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind law. While No Child Left Behind was criticized for pressuring educators to teach to a test, the Every Child Achieves Act encourages communities to improve schools by finding strategies that work for each student.

Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse helped to craft portions of the law as a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee.

“As I listened to Rhode Islanders on this issue, I heard the same things over and over again: we need to protect federal funding for local districts, give more control to teachers and local officials to design education plans, and get rid of high-stakes testing that has harmed students and teachers by placing too much emphasis on test scores,” Whitehouse said in a press release.

Under the new law, yearly testing will remain for grades three through eight, and once during high school. But, funding and improvement strategies are no longer tied just to the outcomes of these tests. Now, a number of factors will be considered, such as graduation rates, the enrollment rates for Advanced Placement classes, incidents of bullying and violence, and teachers’ working conditions.

Whitehouse penned a number of provisions in the law concerning a range of topics, such as middle school success, after school programs, support for students suffering from addiction, grants for an American History and Civics program, and support for unique, high-ability leaners.

Whitehouse also helped to author language in the bill that requires states to properly assess the needs of students when they enter a juvenile justice facility. States must make sure that students have access to education opportunities while in these facilities, and that the credits they earned while in that setting will transfer to a regular school when they return.

“Overall, these policies are intended to ensure that troubled children who enter the juvenile justice system are given an opportunity to reform their behavior and get ahead, rather than being marginalized and falling further behind in their education,” the press release said.

Another large provision that Whitehouse wrote is designed to give schools a fast-track process for schools to obtain relief from regulations that can act at barriers to school-level innovations. These schools will be able to do a number of things, including extend the school day for struggling students, own their budgeting and accounting, and manage human resources. For a school to participate in this fast-track program, they must demonstrate support from administrators, parents, and at least two thirds of the teaching staff. These schools will also be allowed to form advisory boards to get the opinions of the business community, higher education, and community groups, and use those opinions to influence school planning. These “innovation schools” will remain part of their district, but also be used as locations for experimentation, and serve as a model for other schools in the district.

Whitehouse also partnered with Senator Jack Reed (D- RI) on a third provision, which authorizes funding to provide grants to educational agencies to give students better access to modern library materials, as well as arts-related education and outreach programs.

“Our core goal is to provide all of our kids with the best possible education, and I’m confident that the changes made by this bill will result in real improvements in our schools,” Whitehouse said.

July 17, 2015July 19, 2015

Pinwheels for Gaza

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Dexter Field in Providence was the site of an emotive, almost overpowering memorial to the 522 children who lost their lives in the senseless war between Israel and Gaza which began one year ago on July 7. One black pinwheel was created for all of the 521 Palestinian children and the one Israeli child who lost their lives. Each pinwheel was then labeled with the name of the child and planted in the grass near the corner of the park by Martha Yager of the American Friends Service Committee.

Passersby asked questions, explained the memorial to their children, or sat in quiet contemplation.

Today marks the one year anniversary of the death of the 4 young Palestinian cousins who were killed while playing soccer in front of a stunned international press corp.

“The story is no more horrific than any of the others,” said Yager in her release for the event, “but it put a human face on the random carnage of war.”

I wrote quite a bit about the local reaction to last year’s devastating war in Gaza. Interested readers might check out:

Emergency Solidarity Rally in support of Israel

Two communities, two rallies, one war

Rally in Providence stands with peace

As the ceasefire fizzles: A rally for peace in PVD

Forum: Understanding the Israel-Gaza Crisis

Video: Common ground found at Israel/Gaza forum

Solidarity, from Ferguson to Palestine

Here is a complete list of names and ages of all 522 children being remembered:

Ahmad Nae’l Mahdi, 16, Hussein Yousef Kawari’, 12, Basil Salem Kawari’, 9, Abdullah Mohammed Kawari’, 12, Qasim Jabr Odeh, 11, Seraj Iyad Abdel ‘Al, 8, Mohammed Ali Kawari’, 15, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Masri, 14, Aseel Ibrahim Al Masri, 15, Yasmin Mohammed Al Mutawaq, 3, Mohammed Mustafa Malaka, 2, Ameer Iyad Areef, 12, Mohammed Iyad Areef, 10, Nidal Khalaf Al Nawasra, 4, Mohammed Khalaf Al Nawasra, 2, Raneem Jawdat Abdel Ghafoor, 1, Sulaiman Saleem Al Astal, 17, Musa Mohammed Al Astal, 15, Meryam Atiyyeh Al ‘Arja, 9, Abdullah Ramadan Abu Ghazal, 4, Abdel Rahman Bassam Khattab, 6, Saad Mahmoud Al Haj, 17, Fatima Mahmoud Al Haj, 14, Ismail Hasan Abu Jame’, 17, Saher Salman Abu Namous, 2, Anas Yousef Qandeel, 17, Nour Marwan Al Najdi, 10, Safa Mustafa Malaka, 6, Anas Alaa’ Al Batsh, 7, Manar Majid Al Batsh, 13, Marwa Majid Al Batsh, 7, Amal Bahaa’ Al Batsh, 1.5, Qusai Issam Al Batsh, 12, Mohammed Issam Al Batsh, 17, Hossam Ibrahim An-Najjar, 15, Mu’ayyad Khalid Al A’raj, 2.5, Ziyad Maher An Najjar, 17, Sara Jehad Sheikh Al Eid, 4, Hamza Ra’ed Thary, 5, Ahed Attaf Bakr, 10, Zakariya ‘Ahed Bakr, 10, Mohammed Ramiz Bakr, 11, Ismail Mohammed Bakr, 10, Ibrahim Ramadan Abu Daqqa, 10, Yasmeen Mahmoud Al Astal, 5, Hosam Mahmoud Al Astal, 8, Afnan Wesam Shuheebar, 8, Jehad Issam Shuheebar, 11, Waseem Issam Shuheebar, 8, Mohammed Ibrahim Intaiz, 13, Mohammed Salem Intaiz, 13, Yamin Riyad Al Hamidi, 4, Rahaf Khalil Al Jbour, 4, Mohammed Ismail Abu Msallam, 15, Ahmad Ismail Abu Msallam, 11, Walaa’ Ismail Abu Msallam, 14, Mousa Abdel Rahman Abu Jarad, 8 months, Haniya Abdel Rahman Abu Jarad, 2, Sameeh Na’eem Abu Jarad, 1.5, Ahlam Mosa Abu Jarad, 17, Samar Na’eem Abu Jarad, 14, Qasim Hamed Ulwan, 4, Emad Hamed Ulwan, 7, Rezeq Ahmad Al Hayik, 1.5, Sara Mohammed Bostan, 10, Abdallah Jamal Al Smeeri, 17, Amjad Salim Shaath, 15, Faris Jom’a Al Tarabeen, 3 months, Omar Eed Al Mahmoum, 17, Seham Ahmad Zourob, 11, Mohammed Ziyad Al Rahl, 5, Mohammed Rafeeq Al Rahl, 17, Omar Jameel Hamouda, 10, Nagham Mahmoud Al Zweedi, 12, Ru’ya Mahmoud Al Zweedi, 6, Waseem Rida Salhiyeh, 15, Mohammed Bassam Al Sorri, 17, Mahmoud Anwar Abu Shabab, 16, Dina Omar Azeez, 5, Aya Bahjat Abu Sultan, 17, Khalil Usama Al Hayya, 5, Hamza Usama Al Hayya, 4, Amama Usama Al Hayya, 6, Marwa Suleiman Al Sirsawi, 12, Dina Adel Isleem, 3, Heba Hamed Al Shiekh Khalil, 14, Tala Ahmed Al I’tiwi, 10, Dina Rushdi Hamada, 16, Saji Hassan Al Hallaq, 4, Kenan Hasan Al Hallaq, 6, Mohammed Hani Al Hallaq, 2, Ibrahim Khalil Ammar, 13, Iman Khalil Ammar, 9, Asem Khalil Ammar, 4, Rahaf Akram Abu Jom’a, 4, Abdel Rahman Al Iskafi, 12, Marah Shakir Al Jammal, 10, Ahmed Sofyan Al Jammal, 9, Samia Ahmed Al Sheikh Khalil, 2, Shadi Ziyad Isleem, 16, Fadi Ziyad Isleem, 10, Ali Ziyad Isleem, 11, Mohammed Rami Ayyad, 3, Mohammed Ashraf Ayyad, 3, Najiyeh Jehad Al Helou, 15, Maram Ahmed Al Helou, 2, Kareem Ahmed Al Helou, 5 months, Karam Ahmed Al Helou, 5 months, Nirmeen Majid Daher, 10, Othman Raed Al Jammal, 11, Ghada Subhi Ayyad, 13, Azmi Khalid Badwan, 16, Sha’ban Jamil Ziyada, 12, Mohammed Ayman Al Sha’ir, 6, Heba Akram Al Sha’ir, 7, Razan Tawfeeq Abu Jame’, 14, Jawdat Tawfeeq Abu Jame’, 13, Aya Tawfeeq Abu Jame’, 12, Haifaa’ Tawfeeq Abu Jame’, 9, Tawfeeq Tawfeeq Abu Jame’, 4, Ahmed Tawfeeq Abu Jame’, 8, Nour Eddin Tawfeeq Abu Jame’, 4, Ayyoub Tayseer Abu Jame’, 10, Nujoud Tayseer Abu Jame’, 6 months, Fatima Tayseer Abu Jame’, 8, Rayan Tayseer Abu Jame’, 2, Rinad Tayseer Abu Jame’, 1.5, Batoul Bassam Abu Jame’, 4, Suheila Bassam Abu Jame’, 2, Bisan Bassam Abu Jame’, 1, Sajed Yasser Abu Jame’, 7, Seraj Yasser Abu Jame’, 4, Sarraa’ Yasser Abu Jame’, 3, Hosam Hosam Abu Qeenas, 7, Anas Mahmoud Mu’ammar, 17, Abdallah Yousef Daraji – Al Moghrabi, 2, Mohammed Rajaa’ Handam, 15, Yasmin Nayif Al Yazji, 4, Hatem Nayif Al Yazji, 3, Arwa Yasser Al Qassas, 4, Samar Yasser Al Qassas, 3, Israa’ Yasser Al Qassas, 7, Yasmeen Yasser Al Qassas, 10, Nesma Iyad Al Qassas, 10, Lamya Iyad Al Qassas, 13, Yasin Ibrahim Al Kilani, 9, Yasser Ibrahim Al Kilani, 7, Sawsan Ibrahim Al Kilani, 11, Reem Ibrahim Al Kilani, 12, Ilyas Ibrahim Al Kilani, 4, Dana Mohammed Daher, 1, Abdallah Abu Hjayyir, 16, Alaa’ Abdel Majeed Abu Dahrouj, 17, Othman Salim Bree’im, 17, Fadi Azmi Bree’im, 17, Abedl Rahman Awad Al Qarra, 17, Ghaidaa’ Nabil Siyam, 7, Mustafa Nabil Siyam, 9, Abdel Rahman Nabil Siyam, 6, Dalal Nabil Siyam, 9 months, Ahmed Ayman Siyam, 15, Ameen Ayman Siyam, 17, Iyad Mohamemd Sabbah, 17, Fatima Ahmad Al Arja, 16, Mona Rami Ikhriwat, 1.5, Shahd Mu’een Qishta, 9, Mohammed Ahmad Al Baddi, 3 months, Mahmoud Ahmad Al Qassas, 10, Abdel Nasser Sa’di Meslih, 17, Nour Ra’ed Abu Hwishil, 6, Obaida Fadel Abu Hwishil, 9, Ibtihal Ibrahim Al Rmahi, 3, Iman Ibrahim Al Rmahi, 15, Wesam Alaa’ Al Najjar, 17, Mu’een Mohammed Siyam, 5, Khalaf Atiyeh Abu Snaimeh, 16, Rabee’ Qasim Abu Ras, 9, Salma Rajab Al Radee’, 6, Ayman Adham ElHaj Ahmad, 16, Hazem Na’eem Aqil, 15, Rawan Ayman Sweedan, 7, Jana Rami Al Maqat’a, 3, Mohammed Mansour Al Bashiti, 7, Zeinab Safwat Abu Teer, 4, Mohammed Akram Abu Shaqra, 17, Mohammed Na’eem Abu T’eema, 12, Adham Ahmad Abu Eeta, 4, Hadi Abdel Hameed Rab El-Nabi, 3, Abdel Rahman Mahmoud Rab El-Nabi, 1, Mohammed Jehad Matar, 12, Amna Jehad Matar, 11, Do’aa Ra’ed Abu Odeh, 17, Meryam Shayboub Al Shinbari, 11, Abed-Rabbo Shayboub Al Shinbari, 16, Ali Shayboub Al Shinbari, 9, Abed-Rabbo Jamal Al Shinbari, 17, Soha Abed-Rabbo Meslih, 2, Mohammed Akram Al Kafarneh, 15, Mahmoud Ismail Al Astal, 17, Nada Tha’ir Al Astal, 5, Ameen Tha’ir Al Astal, 4, Anas Hatim Qdeeh, 7, Mahmoud Sulaiman Al Astal, 17, Ahmad Mohammed Al Najjar, 17, Mahmoud Jehad Abdeen, 12, Nabil Mahmoud Al Astal, 13, Ameer Adel Siyam, 12, Mohammed Ahmad Siyam, 7, Ibrahim Abdel Rahman Al Sama’neh, 17, Waleed Sa’ad Al Harazeen, 8, Abdel Kareem Anwar Al Darazeen, 5, Mohammed Anwar Al Darazeen, 3, Nour Mohammed Abu Dbagh, 12, Ahmad Ramzi Abu Qadous, 13, Walaa’ Mohammed Al Qabid, 15, Ahmed Mohammed Al Qabid, 11, Ahmed Waleed Sammour, 9, Hadi Salah Abu Hasanein, 12, Abdel Azeez Salah Abu Hasanein, 14, Do’aa Sami Sa’ada, 11, Anwar Abdel Qader Younis, 2, Ameer Hamoudeh Abu Shahla, 2, Islam Hamoudeh Abu Shahla, 3, Ameera Hamoudeh Abu Shahla, 1, Samir Hussein Al Najjar, 1.5, Mutaz Hussein Al Najjar, 6, Ghaliya Mohammed Al Najjar, 1.5, Bara’a Salah Al Riqib, 11, Rawan Khalid Al Najjar, 17, Ahmad Khalid Al Najjar, 14, Hadi Suleiman Al Najjar, 7, Yousef Jamil Hamouda, 15, Fadi Salim Baraka, 14, Sameeh Jibreel Jneed, 5, Yousef Emad Qadoura, 11, Hind Emad Qadoura, 10, Mohammed Mousa Olwan, 9, Yousef Abdel Rahman Hassouna, 11, Mahmoud Hazim Shbeer, 12, Ahmed Hazim Shbeer, 10, Jamal Salih I’lyan, 8, Bara’ Akram Meqdad, 7, Mohammed Nahidh Meqdad, 13, Ahmed Jaber Washah, 10, Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Shaqfeh, 7, Mohammed Emad Baroud, 10, Mansour Rami Hajjaj, 9, Abdel Samad Mahmoud Ramadan, 16, Hanan Salem Al Far, 15, Ali Hasan Al Howari, 11, Rami Khalid Al Riqib, 16, Hussein Yasser Abu Saqer, 16, Dalia Nader Al Agha, 17, Dina Nader Al Agha, 14, Iyad Nader Al Agha, 17, Fadel Nader Al Agha, 11, Tamer Ahmed Al Najjar, 16, Israa’ Naeem Balata, 13, Alaa’ Naeem Balata, 14, Yehia Na’eem Balata, 8, Hadeel Adbel Kareem Balata, 17, Mohammed Abdel Nasser Al Ghandour, 15, Jood Yousif Abu Eedeh, 8 months, Halima Mohammed Suleiman, 1.5, Baraa’ Mohammed Suleiman, 6, Haneen Hosam Hamouda, 13, Rahaf Alaa’ Abed-Rabbo, 2, Jamal Mohammed Abed-Rabbo, 1.5, Ali Ahmed Shaheen, 16, Aya Ismail Al Batsh, 12, Mohammed Taleb Asaaf, 8, Osama Ahmed Al Helu, 5, Rahaf Mohammed Farahat, 1 month, Nada Izzo Al Ja’al, 2, Mohammed Raed Abu Jabr, 3, Sama Raed Abu Jabr, 1.5, Toqa Salah Abu Jabr, 1, Leen Anwar Abu Jabr, 2.5, Salma Anwar Abu Jabr, 1.5, Hala Ahmed Abu Jabr, 6, Reeham Taysir Abu Mashi, 14, Sara Ahmed Abdel Ghafour, 1, Samaa’ Mohammed Al Najjar, 15, Mohammed Atta Al Najjar, 1, Rafeef Atta Al Najjar, 3, Mona Jehad Al Najjar, 1, Omar Waddah Abu ‘Amer, 12, Abdel Ghani Waddah Abu ‘Amer, 11, Emad Waddah Abu ‘Amer, 10, Issa Waddah Abu ‘Amer, 8, Ez Eddin Waddah Abu ‘Amer, 4, Mohammed Ahmed Abu ‘Amer, 12, Marah Ahmed Abu ‘Amer, 10, Yasser Ahmed Abu ‘Amer, 9, Marwa Ahmed Abu ‘Amer, 5, Suleiman Ahmed Abu ‘Amer, 2, Mohammed Jamil Al Najjar, 12, Layali Wael Al Najjar, 2, Jana Fayiz Breeka, 3, Lama Fayiz Breeka, 1, Osama Fayiz Breeka, 16, ‘Hala Ahmed Mu’ammar, 2, Yazan Ahmed Mu’ammar, 3, Aya Sami Al Ramlawi, 9, Mos’ab Ahmed Islaih, 17, Mohammed Mustafa Abu Hammad, 14, Mohannad Ashraf Al Qarra, 17, Zaher Mahmoud Al Najjar, 7, Abdallah Nidal Abu Zaid, 4, Shama Wael Abu Zaid, 16, Bisan Iyad Abu Zaid, 12, Mohammed Omar Dheer, 10, Maria Omar Dheer, 12, Tasneem Mohamed Dheer, 8, Mu’min Omar Dheer, 9, Ghaidaa’ Omar Dheer, 7, Salama Mahmoud Dheer, 12, Mohammed Mahmoud Dheer, 7, Arwa Mahmoud Dheer, 16, Yamin Omar Dheer, 5, Ibrahim Ahmed Al Hashash, 15, Bilal Ahmed Al Hashash, 16, Alaa’ Bahaa’ Al Ghareeb, 16, Alaa’ Ramadan Khader Salman, 17, Osama Mohammed Sihweel, 17, Sujoid Abdel Hakim Olwan, 11, Lama Ahmed Al Khalili, 5, Deema Ashraf Al Khalili, 4, Ziyad Ashraf Al Khalili, 3, Leena Alaa’ Al Silik, 9, Omniya Mohammed Al Silik, 8, Malak Jalal Al Silik, 7, Abdel Azeez Mohammed Al Silik, 3, Abdel Haleem Mohammed Al Silik, 5, Abed Wael Al Shamali, 16, Shaimaa’ Ibrahim Al Sheikh Ali, 1 week, Mohammed Ibrahim Abu Khousa, 1, Shahd Ibrahim Abu Khousa, 10, Yazan Emad Abu Khousa, 3, Retal Basheer Abu Khousa, 1, Mohammed Mohammed Abu Shamala, 9, Ibrahim Mu’tasim Kalloub, 4, Mohammed Akram Al Smiri, 14, Ibrahim Akram Al Smiri, 10, Asmaa’ Abdel Haleem Abu Al Kas, 15, Mayar Jamal Abu Msabeh, 10, Salah Mousa Hejazi, 8, Layan Nael Al Silik, 3, Ola Jalal Al Silik, 15, Nour Ezz Al Ja’al, 5, Hosam Ra’fat N’eem, 16, Mahmoud Ashraf Al Khalili, 7, Hadeel Amer Al Bayoumi, 14, Aseel Amer Al Bayoumi, 16, Hasan Mohammed Al Bayoumi, 14, Rinad Ashraf Al Assar, 1.5, Lama Ra’fat Al Assar, 7, Malak Shakir Abu Shouqa, 2, Mohammed Ammar Shalat, 10, Faris Mohammed Siyam, 11, Othman Fawzi Abdeen, 17, Ahmed Saleem Abdeen, 17, Sama Nael Al Birrawi, 10 months, Fayiz Tareq Yaseen, 16, Mohammed Ahmed Al Neirab, 14, Mu’men Ahmed Al Neirab, 8, Mahmoud Ahmed Al Neirab, 10, Lujayn Basim Al Farra, 4, Abdel Rahman Basim Al Farra, 8, Nadeen Mahmoud Al Farra, 16, Mohammed Mahmoud Al Farra, 12, Yara Mahmoud Al Farra, 8, Maysoun Ra’fat Al Breem, 7, Haytham Ahmed Al Smeeri, 12, Raneen Ali Al Qarra, 15, Fadi Nasser Al Qawasmeh, 17, Omar Shakir Barbakh, 15, Mu’tasim Mohammed Al Najjar, 12, Nagham Shareef Al Namla, 10, Jehad Suleiman Abu Omran, 12, Khalil Ibrahim Sheikh El Eid, 4, Aya Ibrahim Sheikh El Eid, 5, Abdel Kareem Ibrahim Sheikh El Eid, 2, Hala Bassm Madi, 3, Jana Bassm Madi, 2, Yousef Ahmed Madi, 3, Ibrahim Anwar Al Sha’er, 16, Emad Ahmed Ahmed, 17, Yehia Salim Al Tarabin – Al Mahmoum, 13, Do’aa Mustafa Al Mahmoum, 4, Bisan Mustafa Al Mahmoum, 12, Heba Mustafa Al Mahmoum, 9, Obada Mustafa Al Mahmoum, 2, Asmaa’ Salim Al Tarabin – Al Mahmoum, 16, Ibrahim Suleiman Al Masri, 5, Khalid Suleiman Al Masri, 4, Mohammed Ahmed Abu Sha’ar, 17, Anas Ibrahim Hammad, 4, Mohammed Anas Arafat, 5 months, Ameer Ra’fat Zorob, 15, Odai Ra’fat Zorob, 13, Shahd Ra’fat Zorob, 10, Khalid Ra’fat Zorob, 8, Ahmed Mustafa Zorob, 15, Mohammed Musrafa Zorob, 12, Waleed Mustafa Zorob, 6, Mu’tasim Musrafa Zorob, 2, Rawan Nash’at Siyam, 8, Rami Nash’at Siyam, 15, Ameen Yousef Abu Madi, 8, Yousef Shadi abu Madi, 7, ‘Hala Shadi Abu Madi, 10 days, Aseel Sofyan Ghaith, 3, Nour Mohammed Abu ‘Assi, 1 month, Haitham Yasser Abedl Wahab, 15, Ayman Yasser Abedl Wahab, 13, Lama Yasser Abedl Wahab, 9, Mohammed Yasser Abedl Wahab, 2, Ibrahim Fathi Eeeta, 13, Ahmed Fathi Eeeta, 7, Mohammed Fathi Eeeta, 5, Ibtisam Bassam Al Neirab, 12, Doha Bassam Al Neirab, 15, Ola Bassam Al Neirab, 3, Mohammed Omar Salih, 17, Rana Raed Abu Suleiman, 10, Ahmed Rami Abu Suleiman, 2, Lama Rami Abu Suleiman, 3, Mohammed Rami Abu Suleiman, 11, Jana Rami Abu Suleiman, 3, Emad Naseem Saidam, 17, Mohammed Nidal Abu Mehsin -Al Nims, 17, Yousef Mahmoud Abu Taha, 16, Riziq Ismail Abu Taha, 1, Somoud Ahmed Al Roumi, 5, Ameen Ahmed Al Roumi, 15, Mohammed Shu’aib Al Bahabsa, 17, Rajab Abdel Rahman Al Shrafi, 9, Abdallah Abdel Hadi Al Majdalawi, 13, Rawan Ahmed Al Majdalawi, 9, Mahmoud Ahmed Al Majdalawi, 8, Ahmed Mohammed Abu Nijm-Al Masri, 17, Raghad Mohammed Nijm-Al Masri, 3, Shaimaa’ Wael Qasim, 14, Remas Salem Khattab, 5, Tareq Eid Abu Mashi, 12, Dalia Atwa Khattab, 13, Ismail Wael Al Ghoul, 14, Mustafa Wael Al Ghoul, 1 month, Malak Wael Al Ghoul, 6, Mahmoud Mohammed ‘Okal – Hejazi, 9, Mohammed As’ad ‘Okal – Hejazi, 10, Aya Mohammed Abu Rijl, 3, Monthir Mohammed Abu Rijl, 6, Saqr Bassam Al Kashif, 7, Tareq Ziyad Abu Khatleh, 15, Amr Tareq Abu Al Roos, 15, Ahmed Khalid Abu Harba, 14, Yousef Akram Al Iskafi, 16, Ismail Sameer Shallouf, 17, Muneer Khalil Abu Dbaa’, 14, Maria Mohammed Abu Jazar, 2, Firas Mohammed Abu Jazar, 2, Nour Bahjat Wahdan, 2, Ghena Younis Saqr, 2, Ahmed Hatim Wahdan, 13, Hussein Hatim Wahdan, 9, Aseel Mohammed Al Bakri, 4, Asmaa’ Mohammed Al Bakri, 4 months, Mohammed Amjad Uwaida, 13, Amal Amjad Uwaida, 5, Hammam Mohammed Abu Suheeban, 11, Kamal Ahmed Al Bakri, 4, Khalid Ziyad Al Hindi, 15, Osama Hussein Lafi, 11, Ibrahim Ahmed Al Najjar, 16, Ibrahim Zuheer Dawawsa, 10, Bilal Bassam Mish’al, 15, Mahmoud Maher Hassan, 14, Mahmoud Mohammed Abu Haddaf, 8, Mahmoud Khalid Abu Haddaf, 15, Aya Anwar Al Sha’er, 13, Ez Eddin Saleem Abu Sneima, 12, Ahmed Mohammed Al Masri, 14, Maidaa’ Mohammed Aslan, 1.5 month, Ali Mohammed Daif, 7 months, Mustafa Rabah Al Dalu, 14, Sara Mohammed Daif, 2, Nour Mahmoud Abu Haseera, 2, Maysara Ra’fat Al Louh, 10, Farah Ra’fat Al Louh, 7, Mustafa Ra’fat Al Louh, 6, Saher Mohammed Al ‘Abeet, 11, Mohammed Emad Al ‘Abeet, 15, Iman Younis Al Louh, 17, Hassan Srour Tamboura, 13, Abdallah Tareq Al Reefi, 6, Ziyad Tareq Al Reefi, 13, Omar Nasser Al Reefi, 4, Raed Ahmed Khdair, 5, Mohammed Hamdi Salim – Abu Nahl, 17, Mahmoud Tal’at Abu Shreetih, 13, Ahmed Nasser Kellab, 17, Yousef Nasser Kellab, 15, Abdallah Nasser Kellab, 9, Seba Rami Younis, 4, Abdallah Shehda Abu Dahrouj, 3, Abdel Hadi Shehda Abu Dahrouj, 2, Badr-Eddin Hashim Abu Mnee’, 17, Mohammed Wael Al Khodari, 16, Zeinab Bilal Abu Taqiya, 1, Hussein Khalid Ahmed, 8, Tasneem Issam Joudeh, 14, Raghad Issam Joudeh, 12, Mohammed Issam Joudeh, 8, Osama Issam Joudeh, 6, Ahmed Radad Tanboura, 15, Amna Radad Tanboura, 13, Lama Khader Al Nabeeh, 4, Omar Hosam Al Breem, 16, Mohammed Hosam Al Breem, 13, Daniel Tragerman, 4

July 17, 2015

A lesson in the use of Narcan

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Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in Rhode island, far outstripping auto accidents. To help alleviate this plague Jonathan Goyer trained AIDS Project RI staff on the use of Narcan, which is used to reverse the overdose effects of heroin and opioids.

Goyer is the executive director of Project Weber, a non-profit that works with male sex workers on health issues. He has used opioids himself, and overdosed in 2013. Narcan saved his life. Since then Goyer “has experienced long-term sobriety,” and works as a recovery specialist.

In the videos below Goyer describes the symptoms of opioid overdose, tells the story of his own battles with addiction, and describes how to administer Narcan to save a life.

If you encounter someone experiencing an overdose, said Goyer, “First, call 911.”

Narcan is available at any pharmacy. Most insurance plans cover Narcan with a low co-pay. Narcan is not a controlled substance, and has no effect on anyone not overdosing. Narcan is available as a third-party prescription, because no one ever administers Narcan to themselves. Narcan is for helping non-responsive people in the throes of an overdose.

If you have family or friends who are at risk, or work regularly with people who are at risk for heroin overdose, consider getting trained in the use of Narcan.

July 17, 2015

RI Latinas graduate from civic leadership program

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The Latina Leadership Institute (LLI), a program designed to engage Rhode Island Latinas in their communities, celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2015 at the State House on Thursday evening. Offered by the Rhode Island Latino Civic Fund (RILCF), the goal of the program is to create and inspire Latinas to take leadership positions within the state. There were seven graduates honored at the ceremony.

The program required the seven women to attend weekly Saturday learning seminars, as well as submit a research project and work together on a group fundraiser. Over the course of their time with LLI, they were also given the chance to network with other prominent Rhode Island Latinas, including Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, who gave the keynote address at the ceremony. Gorbea is the first Latina to hold an elected state office in New England, and one of the founders of the RILCF.

“The LLI is a wonderful example of what happens when people start things,” Gorbea said. “When I created the Civic Fund, this was the last thing on my mind that would come out of it. But how wonderful it is.”

Gorbea said the women who become alumni of the institute show commitment to a new beginning, and signal a bright future for the state. She added that those who graduate must never give up on trying to make a positive change in their communities, even though being a Latina in a position of power can seem daunting at times. Although the opportunities for them to make a change might not always seem significant, Gorbea encouraged them to push through.

“When people talk about seizing opportunities, its not those big ones, its those little tiny steps that get us somewhere else,” she said.

Gorbea said that she is lucky to hold the office of Secretary of State, because she believes she can directly transform how people participate in the democratic process. She told the graduates to embrace their ability to transform government as well, saying that by working to rebuild, strengthen, and expand their communities, they can change Rhode Island for the better.

“That’s why civic leadership is so incredibly important,” she said. “It involves bringing people together in new ways.”

Governor Gina Raimondo addressed the graduates as well, saying that they, as women, have an obligation to get involved in their communities and within the state. She said that better decisions are made when everyone has a voice in the discussion, and that includes Latinas.

“We know you have a commitment to be engaged, and I never want you to questions yourselves,” she said. “I want you to be confident, constantly develop yourselves, and never ask yourselves “Should I be here,” or “Should I be doing this,” because you have to.”

Raimondo also spoke on the power that women in the State House currently have. Thursday afternoon, she signed a bill that required businesses to make accommodations for pregnant women. She also announced that, as the first female governor, she has opened a lactation room in the State House for women who need it.

Two members of the class were given the chance to give their own speeches at the ceremony as well. Andrea James-Gomez remarked in her speech that LLI has given herself and her classmates the tools to move forward in their respective careers through both their group and solo projects.

“Not only did we research, but we had the opportunity to become passionate about the things that are important to us,” she said.

James-Gomez also said that the program did not just give the class the chance to develop themselves as career women, though. They also formed a sisterhood, helping each other to grow as people as they apply what they learned because of the institute. Olga Encarnacion, another member of the class, agreed.

“We empower each other as Latinas. That alone is an important lesson,” she said. “This is just the beginning, and this is not the last time you will see us.

Along with James-Gomez and Encarnacion, the other five graduates were Ivonne Cam, Michelle Carrasco, Miguelina Perez, Yajaira Reyes, and Jahaira Rodriguez. A special LLI Alumni Award was also given to Sabrina Matos, the first Latina member of the Providence City Council. The Rhode Island Welcome Back Center also received a Community Partner Award for its assistance to the LLI and the RILCF.

July 17, 2015

RI reporters think legislature is more corrupt than executive branch

Rhode Island journalists think the legislative branch is more corrupt than the executive branch, according to a new survey by the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard Law School.

Responding local reporters said corruption, both the illegal and legal kind, is only “slightly common” in the Ocean State executive branch of government compared to both kinds of corruption being “very common” in the legislative branch.

The study made note of this discrepancy in Rhode Island and New York. “Among the states in which legislative branches score 4, New York and Rhode Island are particularly interesting since illegal corruption is perceived to be only “slightly common” in the executive branches in these two states,” it said.

Respondents were asked to rank state-level corruption as either 1) Not at all common; 2) Slightly common; 3) Moderately common; 4) Very common; or 5) Extremely common. Author of the analysis, Oguzhan Dincer, an economics professor from Illinois State University, wouldn’t say how many Rhode Island reporters participated but he did say RI was not one of the state’s for which they had difficulty getting responses.

The study looked at both illegal and legal corruption. “We define illegal corruption as the private gains in the form of cash or gifts by a government official, in exchange for providing specific benefits to private individuals or groups. It is the form of corruption that attracts a great deal of public attention,” says the paper. “A second form of corruption, however, is becoming more and more common in the U.S.: legal corruption. We define legal corruption as the political gains in the form of campaign contributions or endorsements by a government official, in exchange for providing specific benefits to private individuals or groups, be it by explicit or implicit understanding.”

Rhode Island was one of 10 states which ranked illegal corruption in the legislative branch as being “very common” and no state did worse than RI in this category. But a full 11 states ranked worse than Rhode Island when measuring legal corruption.

You can read the whole paper here.

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