CLASSACT NEWS

The 2 programs to benefit from the next Justice Aid concert proceeds (April 24 in Washington, DC)  are:

Civil Rights Corps, which brings cutting-edge class-action litigation all over the country to challenge corruption in our legal system, and they’re making a major impact. Civil Rights Corps has already has won victories over unconstitutional bail systems in jurisdictions in Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, and more, as well as challenging debtors' prisons all over the South. Civil Rights Corps succeeds because of their commitment to partnering with community-based organizations in each of the localities where they take action, ensuring that local solutions take shape based on local input.

and

Essie Justice Group is an Oakland, California-based organization that mobilizes women with incarcerated loved ones to take on the rampant injustices created by mass incarceration, and they are helping lead the campaign for bail reform in California. Essie's award-winning Healing to Advocacy Model brings women together to heal, build collective power, and drive social change. Essie is building a membership of fierce advocates for race and gender justice—including Black and Latinx women, formerly and currently incarcerated women, transwomen, and gender non-conforming people.

We are gathering to celebrate and remember our dear friend and comrade, our hero Asma Jahangir:

Saturday Feb 17, 2018, 4-6 pm
Wiener Auditorium, Taubman Building, Harvard Kennedy School. 
Address: 79 JFK St., Cambridge, 02138 (Directions at: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/more/about-us/maps-directions)

Fierce upholder of the democratic political process and rule of law, Asma Jahangir defended the rights of women, children and religious and ethnic minorities, workers, peasants and journalists, not just as a lawyer in Pakistan but in her capacity as a UN Special Rapporteur, most recently on Iran. She co-founded the Women's Action Forum, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the Pakistan India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy, and South Asians for Human Rights. She spoke out against the narrow nationalism that pits South Asian countries against each other, for the rights of minorities in India, human rights in Kashmir and Baluchistan and elsewhere in the region. She passed away in Lahore on February 11, 2018, her funeral attended by thousands, including women who broke tradition by going to the graveyard and saying funeral prayers alongside men. Her life will continue to inspire and give meaning to our own always.

Asma Jahangir's last public event was a lecture that she gave at Lady Margaret Hall at Oxford on February 5. The lecture was entitled "Remembering Benazir Bhutto" and the audience included her sister Sanam (Harvard '78), her close Oxford friend Victoria Schofield and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai. 

Confirmed speakers include Amartya Sen, Ayesha Jalal, Martha Chen, Sugata Bose, Homi Bhabha, Raza Rumi, and Sugata Bose among others. 

Organised by Asma's friends, activists and admirers.

Co-sponsors: The Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute, Harvard University; HKS South Asia Engagement Forum; Alliance for a Secular and Democratic South Asia; South Asia Center Boston; Harvard Pakistan Students Group; HKS Pakistan Caucus; Coalition for a Democratic India; The Benazir Bhutto Leadership Program of ClassACT HR73; Harvard University Asia Center

As ClassACT gears up for JusticeAid's April panel and concert, we are finding Thomas Lennon's Oscar-nominated documentary Knife Skills particularly well timed. Any film that describes itself as being about "the healing power of good food" sounds appealing; but this film is about so much more than a Cleveland restaurant bringing world-class French food to its community. This film brings to its audiences inspiring stories of human resiliency in the face of the American justice system, as it follows the restaurant's staff through their journey of reentry into society after being released from prison. 

Check out Knife Skills on its website, facebook, and twitter. View the film on Itunes. 

Andrea Barnet's forthcoming book was highlighted in Entertainment Weekly on a short list of Books to Read for the Anniversary of the Women's March. Visionary Women: How Rachel Carson, Jane Jacobs, Jane Goodall and Alice Waters Changed Our World explores how these four women made the modern progressive movement possible. Andy is married to our classmate Kit White.

Classmate Jonathan Quick's new book The End of Epidemics: The Looming Threat to Humanity and How to Stop It is now available. "There seems little doubt that humanity is heading into a century of epidemics and pandemics," he writes.  "We're moving too slowly with too few resources to have a flicker of hope to out run the 'big one,' nor to adequately protect against regional and migrating Ebola, Zika, yellow fever and other epidemic threats.  Scientists and public health professionals know what's needed.  But they need our help to build a movement that can achieve large-scale, widespread, lasting progress toward ending devastating epidemics and pandemics.  As a family physician who's seen the agony of avoidable death in faces of those left behind, and as a father of three grown daughters, I would like nothing better than for us to bring this movement to life!"

Two pieces related to the book were published last week: Wall Street Journal, An Action Plan for Averting the Next Flu Pandemic, and TIME Magazine: Our Complacency About the Flu is Killing Us.  An updated version of the TIME piece appeared in yesterday's print version.

Check out Dr. Quick's website to see his speaking schedule and to learn more about his book.  Visit the Take Action page to learn how to make epidemic awareness a priority in your home, workplace and community. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Classacthr73@gmail.com

NEW BHUTTO FELLOWSHIP AT HARVARD ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

A new fellowship at Harvard University to honor the late Pakistani political leader Benazir Bhutto, member of the Harvard College class of 1973, is now accepting applications.

The fellowship, established by ClassACT (Class Achieving Change Together, www.classacthr73.org), an organization created by members of the Harvard-Radcliffe (HR) Class of 1973 who were classmates of the late twice elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, is housed at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). It aims to educate and support mid-career leaders particularly from the Middle East and South Asia.

Titled the HKS ClassACT HR 1973 Graduate Leadership Program Fellowship in Honor of Benazir Bhutto, the fellowship will support those accepted into the Edward S. Mason Program at HKS

The HKS is now accepting applications to the Mason Program for the first year of the fellowship.

Eligible candidates for the Benazir Bhutto Fellowship at HKS will have an interest and commitment to creating positive change through the advancement of the principles Benazir Bhutto championed -- democracy, equality for women, reconciliation of cultural and religious differences, and education without gender or religious bias.

“In college, we were privileged to have Benazir Bhutto, who was to become the first woman to lead a predominantly Muslim country, as a classmate,” said Marion Dry, Co-Chair of ClassACT and Director of the Benazir Bhutto Leadership Program. “The world needs, more than ever, the kind of leadership that Benazir’s principles inspire.”

Classmate Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former Lieutenant Governor of the state of Maryland commented: “Benazir arrived at Harvard as a 16 year old with verve, energy, curiosity and enormous determination. She inspired us with her courage in the face of tragedy, integrity where corruption was rampant, and focus when so many forces could lead to dissipation. We are eager to carry her spirit in our hearts and her legacy at our alma mater”.

“Benazir Bhutto has been an iconic and inspirational figure for many women -- as well as plenty of men like myself”, said Jamshed Kazi, Country Representative of UN Women Pakistan and a Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. “Bhutto worked against considerable odds to promote democratic principles and boost gender equality initiatives in a patriarchal setting”.

“The launch of the Benazir Bhutto Fellowship is a fitting tribute to her legacy”, he added. “It will provide training for a new generation of leaders in public service from Pakistan and countries across the Middle East and South Asia.”

ClassACT (Class Achieving Change Together) (www.classacthr73.org) is an initiative of members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Class of 1973. It is founded on the premise that “it is not too late for us to change the world”. The organization’s primary purpose is to bring together HR73 classmates to address important local, national, and international problems by creating and supporting positive change.

ClassACT is excited to announce The HKS ClassACT HR1973 Graduate Leadership Program Fellowship in Honor of Benazir Bhutto

A fellowship at the Kennedy School, through the prestigious Mason Fellows program, it is designed to support mid-career leaders from predominantly Muslim countries, particularly women, who promote democracy, equal rights for women, education for all, and religious reconciliation—all values Benazir held dear. Take a look at the details on the HKS financial aid site and search Bhutto for the description.

David Weeks reports, "fortunately the Haitian village of Camp Coq where I have conducted my Global Leadership Program of the Build Haiti Foundation managed not to be damaged that much from the recent Hurricane Irma." He is currently fundraising to muster 72 children who could not afford the cost of a year's education--contact him at weeks@glenelg.org if you would like more information.

Ellen Calmus reported that power and communications were restored in Malinalco though some cell networks did not yet seem to be working. Their area suffered damage to houses, happily most fairly minor--"sadly, it seems there was damage to a number of Malinalco's treasured historic churches, some going back to the 16th century." Ellen herself was across the mountains attending a funeral, and there was damage there as well, "people in shock, yet everybody helping everybody else. Store owners invited me behind their counters to step over broken bottles and debris to use their land lines, a young man helped clear my car of rubble from a collapsed wall, a policeman stopped traffic so I could get out...Isn't it striking how emergencies can bring out the best in people?"

This theme was also emphasized by our classmate Amy Totenberg's daughter Emily Green, reporting from the Mexico City area on NPR that she survived the quake and was able to file her story through the collected, extraordinary kindnesses of many people in the city.

Classmates Ham Fish, Jerome Harris, Rob Segwick, Therese Steiner joined JusticeAid Founder and CEO Steve Milliken and ROCKED OUT at the  May 24th concert “Gotta Serve Somebody” benefitting the Mental Health Project of the Urban Justice Center on Bob Dylan’s birthday. Six phenomenal female jazz and blues artists celebrated the music of Bob Dylan, a powerful illustration that art has the power to create positive world change.

View video

The night before, classmate Linda Corman attended a standing room only JusticeAid-hosted  panel “Justice, Mental Health and Incarceration" moderated by New York Times Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Michael Winerip, and including several people involved in the Close Rikers movement.  The panel, focussing on barriers to justice for people with mental illness, was live-streamed on Facebook Live— a ClassACT and JusticeAid first! 

Check out: justiceaid.org.  and link here for short video on JusticeAid and the work of the Mental Health Project. 

If you're concerned about the justice system and its influence on mental health of the incarcerated, and/or a New Yorker eager to close Rikers' Island, you'll want to know about this: a chance to tap the expertise of an extraordinary group of mental health professionals on the cutting edge of advocacy, programming and assistance for people with mental illness currently in or recently out of the prison/jail systems.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 23rd, at 6:30pm, as part of our community outreach efforts, JusticeAid, A ClassAct HR73 bridge project, will host a panel JUSTICE, MENTAL HEALTH & INCARCERATION, moderated by Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times journalist Michael Winerip.

Join the conversation! and please share with abandon.