Archived Events June 2014-April 2015
Human Trafficking Discussion
Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY
OF HUMAN BONDAGE
OPENING RECEPTION:
February 17, 2015
from 5:30-7:30pm
ON DISPLAY:
February 17th, 2015 through April 3rd, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
JOHN JAY COLLEGE, CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK’S, ANDREW AND ANYA SHIVA GALLERY proudly presents Of Human Bondage.
The title of this show is inspired by W. Somerset Maugham’s 1915 novel much of which is autobiographical and in turn, was based on Part IV of Spinoza’s Ethics. Also subtitled Strength of Emotions it is about humanity’s lack of control that can result in a type of enslavement. Perhaps the most destructive of these emotions is the drive for profit which is to a large extent responsible for people’s inhumanity to each other. Exploitation occurs in multiple ways and in a variety of different industries, this exhibition highlights one small part of that experience, which is exploitation within the sex trade. It is a basic human rights violation that results in the commodification of humans. The victims can span all ages and gender identities orphaned, runaways, and others marginalized by poverty, documentation status, and structural inequity.
Individuals who are exploited through force, fraud and coercion in the sex industry are just one small part of the larger portrait of global inequity. Structural forces such as documentation issues, racial and ethnic barriers, discrimination against trans* and gender non-conforming individuals, and the many ways people face criminalization and poverty make individuals vulnerable to exploitative situations. Trafficking occurs when another exploits those vulnerabilities, whether through the sex trade or other industries. Even within the course of one person’s experience, they may move through multiple trafficking situations in domestic work, factory labor, hospitality, or agriculture.
The five artists in this show Steven Cavallo, Eleni Lyra, Yiannis Christakos, Angelo Gavrias and Photini Papahatzi explore their feelings on the subject of trafficking into the sex trade. Some of their works deal directly with the subject as do Cavallo’s, Gavrias’ or Papahatzi’s while others comment on the topic in a subtler more abstract way as do Christakos and Lyras.
What: Panel Discussion on Human Trafficking
Why: To discuss human trafficking In sync with exhibit Of Human Bondage at the Shiva gallery
When: Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015, 5:30-7:30 PM
Where: Andrew and Anya Shiva Gallery
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY
524 West 59th Street
New York, N.Y. 10019
Who: The distinguished panelists include:
Moderator: Thalia Vrachopoulos, Professor and Curator of Art, John Jay College, CUNY
Discussants:
Lori Cohen, Esq., Renowned speaker and Family Advocate
Aiyoung Choi, Women's Rights Advocate
Chitra Ravaghan, Professor of Clinical Psychology, John Jay College, CUNY
Steven Cavallo, Artist
George Andreopoulos, Professor of Political Science, Director of the Human Rights Institute, John Jay College, CUNY and The Graduate Center, CUNY
Thank you to everyone who participated in the discussion of restructuring our League. We had a very productive meeting on February 10, with helpful suggestions from members who couldn't attend.
Our consensus about restructuring included fewer business meetings. Please note the information below about upcoming meetings:
Our monthly meetings scheduled for March 10, 2015 and April 14, 2015 will take place as planned.
May 2015: our monthly meeting scheduled for May 12 is CANCELLED. Our focus for May will be LWVNJ Convention on May 2. More information about Convention will be issued soon.
June 2015: our monthly meeting scheduled for June 9 is CANCELLED. Please Save the Date of Monday, June 8 of for our annual meeting and dinner.
We decided to have 3 business meetings during our next League year, beginning with September 15, 2015, January 12, 2016, and April 12, 2016. These meetings will be scheduled from 7-9 pm at the Suzanne Patterson Building in Princeton. Members volunteered to issue agenda and preside over the meetings.
Thank you again for your dedication to League. With your support, our League will continue to provide valuable service to our communities for many years to come.
Montgomery Board of Education Candidates Forum
Candidates for Montgomery Township Board of Education will participate in a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area. Questions will be taken from the audience.
Thursday, October 23 at 7 PM
Upper Middle School Media Center
375 Burnt Hill Road, Skillman, NJ.
Video of the forum will be aired daily on Channel 27 (Comcast cable) as soon as possible after the forum until Election Day, November 4.
Back to League Night 2014
October 14 at 7 PM
Community Room, Witherspoon Hall, Princeton
The League's United Nations Observer will speak about the role of the observer and what's going on at the UN.
A Rent Party to benefit Housing Initiatives of Princeton
Saturday, October 25, 20147:00 –11:00 pm
72 Stockton St.Princeton, NJ 08540
From the Housing Initiative's website:
Don’t miss this fabulous Latin Caribbean-themed evening with dinner and cocktails included. Listen to live music provided by the Shikantaza trio. Learn the latest Latin dance moves from a professional dance instructor and place your bid to win exciting experiences and trips as we raise the rent for HIP!
Rent parties emerged after World War I as millions of southerners left economic deprivation to pursue the American Dream in the North. When the rent fell short, many organized “rent parties,” inviting neighbors for an evening of food, music, and dancing. Guests paid a small admission fee to help raise the rent.
Rent parties offer a powerful example of neighbors helping neighbors—a perfect symbol of HIP’s current work in our community. HIP supports lower-income working parents in our midst who are struggling economically and from other life setbacks, helping them evade homelessness and chart a successful future for themselves and their children.
Please join us for an evening of fabulous Latin-themed music, food (cocktails included), dancing, auction, recognition and more as we Raise the Rent for HIP!
Broken on All Sides
The Jewish Center of Princeton presents a screening of the film Broken on All Sides.
The film is about the failings of the prison and criminal justice system. The screening will be followed by Q & A with the filmmaker, Matt Pillischer and Entrepreneur and Author, Tracey Syphax.
September 14, 2014
4:00 PM
The Jewish Center of Princeton
435 Nassau Street, Princeton
609-921-0100
Why Are There So Few Women In Politics?
The League of Women Voters of Burlington County, along with three sister organizations (The Links, Incorporated, Rancocas Valley Chapter; South Jersey NOW, Alice Paul Chapter; and the Alice Paul Institute), presents a program
Why Are There So Few Women In Politics and What Can We Do About It?
This event will take place on September 17, 2014, from 7:30 to 9:00 PM
at the Moorestown Friends Meeting House
118 East Main Street, Moorestown, NJ 08057
Directions are below.
The evening's program will feature
- Debbie Walsh, Director of the Eagleton Institute Center for American Women and Politics, who will speak to the broader issue of women in politics
- Jeannine LaRue, Senior Vice President of the Kaufman Zita Group, a lobbyist and political consultant, and a former public official
We have invited two female state elected officials to address the group, to offer insights based on personal experience in the political sphere:
- Senator Diane Allen (R - Seventh NJ Legislative District)
- Senator Linda Greenstein (D - Fourteenth NJ Legislative District)
Afterward there will be a Question and Answer period.
We hope that League members are interested in attending this event and we look forward to seeing you on the 17th. Please feel free to disseminate this invitation as you see fit.
Barbara Kutscher
LWV Burlington County
Poems and Percussions for the Planet
Saturday, September 18, 2014
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Drum performance by
Dan Johnson (Tabla)
Arul Kartikeya (Turiya the Transcendeal State)
Sponsored by Bainy Suri for Sustainable Princeton's BYOBag Campaign
LWV Plans for 2014-2015
Meeting Dates
Tuesday, Sept. 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 11, Dec. 9, Jan. 13
7:00 - 9:00 PM, Suzanne Patterson Building
Tuesday, Feb. 10 and March 10
12 Noon - 2:00 PM, Mary Jacobs Library
Tuesday, April 14
7:00 - 9:00 PM, Suzanne Patterson Building
Monday, June 8 - LWV-Princeton Area Annual Meeting and dinner
Details will follow.
2015-2016 Business Meetings
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
7:00 - 9:00 PM, Suzanne Patterson Building
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
7:00 - 9:00 PM, Suzanne Patterson Building
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
7:00 - 9:00 PM, Suzanne Patterson Building
Voter Registration Dates
Every Saturday in September - West Windsor Farmers' Market 9 AM - 1 PM
Wednesday, September 10 - Stonebridge in Montgomery 10 AM - Noon
Thursday, September 25 - Princeton Farmers' Market 11 AM - 3 PM
Saturday, September 27- McCaffrey's in Princeton 9 AM - 5 PM
Montgomery Farmers' Market 9 AM - 1 PM
West Windsor Farmers' Market 9 AM - 1 PM
Saturday, October 11 - Trenton Farmers' Market 9 Am - 2 PM
Special Events – Please volunteer! Your participation will affect League's participation!
August: Women's Equality Day
September – LWVNJ Fall Workshops
October 14 - Back to League Night, 7 - 9 PM at Suzanne Patterson Building
January – Vote on LWVNJ Programs
April – Stand Against Racism with YWCA
May 2 – LWVNJ Convention
June 8 - LWV-Princeton Area Annual Meeting
Continuing Activities:
- Advocacy to restore voting rights to all parolees and probationers who are U.S. Citizens, an LWVNJ position. The Action Committee, partnering with the New Jim Crow Project (based on Michelle Alexander's book The New Jim Crow about mass incarceration) and with the ACLU's “Unlock the Vote” initiative, hopes to bring pending bills to the attention of the legislature.
- Participation in LWVNJ's Lobby Corps
- Participation in LVWUS's study of Human Trafficking
- Formation of an Observer Corps. By attending meetings of Building One New Jersey, the local school board or council, or another organization, you may find issues of interest to you that League could support.
Please remember that Voter Service and membership are everyone's responsibility. Carry your LWV tote bag! Display your LWV pin on your purse or shirt! Perhaps someone will notice them and ask about League. Keep some voter registration forms in your car or handbag – just in case! And feel free to organize your own voter registration or debate. Chrystal Schivell will supply materials and guidance.
Torture Awareness Month Speaker
The Challenge of Human Trafficking
Jeffrey Chiesa, former U.S. Senator and former N.J. Attorney General, will speak for Torture Awareness Month -
Thursday, June 26, 2014, 7:30pm
Sophia Lyon Fahs Auditorium at the Princeton Unitarian Universalist Congregation Church
50 Cherry Hill Road, Princeton, NJ 08540 (just off Rt. 206 at Cherry Hill Road).
Mr. Chiesa is known for his personal dedication to ending Human Trafficking. He will be introduced by Tracy Thompson, Assistant Attorney General for Human Trafficking. The event is sponsored by the Princeton Area Interfaith Anti-Torture Group with numerous co-sponsors, including the LWV-Princeton Area. Plenty of Parking. Light Refreshments will be served. Free.
Jeffrey S. Chiesa, Attorney-at-Law, Former U.S. Senator and Former NJ Attorney General
Mr. Chiesa has had a long-term concern about Human Trafficking that has followed him throughout his career. He served in the United States Senate following the death of Senator Frank Lautenberg. During his time in the Senate, Mr. Chiesa participated in a number of U.S. Senate committees including Homeland Security Committee where he worked to improve information sharing among federal agencies following the bombing at the Boston Marathon and continued his work to combat and raise awareness of human trafficking. Previous to his appointment to the Senate, Mr. Chiesa served as New Jersey’s 59th Attorney General. As Attorney General, he was New Jersey’s chief law enforcement officer and had primary regulatory responsibility for the state’s casino, gaming and alcohol beverage industries. Additionally, Mr. Chiesa served as the state’s chief legal advisor and had statewide responsibility for the enforcement of the state’s consumer protection laws. Mr. Chiesa’s achievements as Attorney General included major efforts to combat human trafficking, and leadership in the state’s public safety efforts following Superstorm Sandy, as well as significant corruption and gang prosecutions, the creation of safeguards to address prescription drug abuse, and help in leading Governor Christie’s efforts to strengthen New Jersey’s criminal laws. Before serving as Attorney General, Mr. Chiesa was Governor Christie’s Chief Counsel. Prior to joining the Governor’s cabinet, Mr. Chiesa was a member of Wolff & Samson practicing in the firm’s litigation department. Before joining the firm, he served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Jersey from 2002-2009, last serving as the Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney. He also served as Counsel to the U.S. Attorney and as Chief of the Public Protection Unit. Mr. Chiesa rejoined Wolff & Samson in November 2013. He is an experienced litigator with an impressive background in both the public and private sectors, and practices in the firm’s Litigation, Corporate Internal Investigations and Monitoring, and White Collar Criminal Defense Groups.
Introduction to Mr. Chiesa by:
Tracy Thompson – Assistant Attorney General for Human Trafficking
Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Tracy M. Thompson has, for the past 21 years, served as either a County or as a State Prosecutor. She currently serves as Director of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office’s Human Trafficking Program. As such, she Chairs the NJ Human Trafficking Task Force in shaping the State’s approach to addressing human trafficking. During her past eleven years at the Attorney General’s Office, AAG Thompson served in the following capacities: in the Office of Attorney General as Deputy Director of the Office of Government Integrity; and in DCJ as Senior Counsel in the Prosecutor’s Supervision and Coordination Bureau, Chief Counsel for the Bureau of Fiscal Oversight, Special Assistant to the DCJ Director, and as a Deputy Attorney General in the Financial Crimes Unit. She continues to serve as faculty for the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute and the National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute. In addition, she previously taught at Wilmington University, and The College of New Jersey. Before joining the Attorney General’s Office. AAG Thompson served as an Assistant Prosecutor in the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. AAG Thompson received her undergraduate degree in 1987 from the University of Pennsylvania and her law degree from Temple University Law School in 1990.
Welcome:
Kathleen (Kip) Cherry, Coordinator, Princeton Area Interfaith Anti-Torture Group
Moderator for Questions & Answers:
Reverend Bob Moore, Director, Coalition for Peace Action and Co-Pastor for Christ Congregation, Princeton.