By Armando Carmona, PJC Staff

Armando: "I'm from California and have been living in Vermont for a little over a year."

Unapologetic and thought-provoking, Hari Kondabolu is a comedian who "tells jokes for money" yet feels a sense of responsibility to make people laugh and not cause harm. We briefly discussed the intersection between art and politics and whether comedy can be a tool to facilitate learning. Hari is a Brooklyn-based comic, currently NYU's APA Institute's "Artist in Residence" for the 2014-2015 Academic year. He addresses issues of race, gender, colonialism, baseball and other topics everyday people like to discuss.

His recently released comedy album is now available:  "Waiting for 2042".

AC: I, as many others, appreciate  your work and the topics you are able to bring up in the mainstream comedy scene. How do you decide what words or type of language you utilize?

HK: It depends on the circumstances. Context is very important. When on stage I have a less reasonable version of myself and I think that's okay because when you're trying to make big points and get laughs you have to be very clear about what your point of view is.

I am going to be a bit more aggressive and direct, but I think when I have a conversation with someone one on one I'm not the person who is on stage, I'm a different version of myself. One on one, we can have a conversation, we can get to know each other, we can start from a common area and talk.

We can say, 'This is why we disagree, this is how and why I see the world in this way.' You can do a version of that on stage, but it changes with one on one interactions. It's not politics when you're dealing with human beings, it's personal. People may disagree with you, but it's about finding some common place.  There are people that hate my stand up but would get along with me on an everyday level. I yell on stage -- I don't yell as much in my private life.

Click here to read the rest of the interview. 

It is not easy to say goodbye to Carmen Solari who has been with the PJC for the past two years, most recently as our Fair Trade Store Manager. Carmen has managed the store with not only a commitment to fair trade and fiscal stability, but with a sense of aesthetics and creativity that went beyond her job responsibilities. She also brought our fair trade program out into the world through presentations in elementary schools on our Cocoa Campaign, college presentations on Fair Trade vs Free Trade, public film screenings and a large scale collaborative event every May for International Fair Trade Day. She worked with interns showing great respect and guiding them on a learning journey. Carmen was a driving force behind our collaborative work with student groups and the Fair Trade Burlington Network that urged UVM to change their purchasing policy. As a result, UVM has contracted with a third-party certifier to make certain that the clothing they buy is ethically sourced. Carmen has made such a difference in our store, in our office, in our local community, and across the globe. We wish you well Carmen and we know that your activist soul, your creative spirit and your sense of humor will bring you great places and will continue to make the world a better place.

Cassy Frank has been hired as our new Fair Trade Store Manager. She joins us as a recent transplant from the Willamette Valley, Oregon. Her career has been driven by a desire to inspire individuals to uncover solutions to live happy, healthy, and productive lives. In addition to ten years in the natural products industry as a Marketing Communications and Education Manager, Cassy spent 3 years living off-grid in South America. During this time Cassy collaborated with a local artisan community and volunteered at a small co-op where she witnessed rewards of fair trade first hand. Returning stateside, Cassy has remained committed to following a whole food diet, seeking out locally produced food for her family, and practicing sustainability in her everyday life. We are excited to get to know Cassy. Come into the store anytime to introduce yourself and let her know what you love about PJC!

Now accepting applications: PJC AmeriCorps Volunteer

September 16, Tuesday

• 7-9pm The Peace & Justice Center and The Block Gallery & Coffeehouse will be screening: Wounds of Waziristan. WOUNDS highlights the stories of those directly impacted by drone attacks in Pakistan-in their own words. Since the drone attacks began in Pakistan in 2004, much of the focus has been on the technology. And, although the borderlands between Pakistan and Afghanistan are endlessly debated and declared upon by journalists and pundits, the ordinary people who actually live there are rarely heard from. WOUNDS records the voices of those who have been either labeled "militants," or summarily dismissed as "collateral damage."

September 18, Thursday

• The Will Miller Social Justice Lecture Series (WMSJLS) presents Hari Kondabolu, a brilliant leftist comedian who addresses political issues which outrage him and cuts through the polite talk around race, gender and colonialism. Get ready for a night of relevant, edgy comedy at ARTSRIOT, Pine St, Burlington. $15 advance/ $18 day of.  To buy tickets: http://artsriot.bigcartel.com/product/hari-kondabolu

• People's Climate March. In September, world leaders are coming to New York City for a UN summit on the climate crisis. UN Secretary­ General Ban Ki-­moon is urging governments to support an ambitious global agreement to dramatically reduce global warming pollution. Mobilize, march, and make history. Join the Vermont group headed to NYC. Even if you're just thinking about joining the People's Climate March, please help our planning and fill out this form.
   

September 22 & 24, Monday & Tuesday

• 5:30-7pm. Join us at The Peace & Justice Center to discuss "The New Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" by Michelle Alexander.  These discussions will focus on the War on Drugs, how it has developed into the booming industry we see today, and how communities of color have been disproportionately and unjustly burdened by this campaign. The workshop will offer participants a chance to express their thoughts and decompress within a semi-structured conversation. We ask that all attendees come to both evenings. This program (including the book if needed) is $25, this fee is waived for current PJC members and volunteers. Register online. For more information contact Kyle at [email protected] or 863-2345 x6. Racial profiling, disenfranchisement, and mass incarceration constitute today's legal system for institutionalized racism, discrimination, and exclusion.

September 30, Tuesday  

• 7pm, Peace & Justice Film Series: The Block Gallery & Coffeehouse at 1 E Allen St., Winooski (on the circle). Come watch Gasland and hear about the great work that Rising Tide Vermont is doing locally. Gasland: Rural landowners wake up one day to find a lucrative offer from an energy company wanting to lease their property. The company hopes to tap into a reservoir dubbed the "Saudi Arabia of natural gas." Halliburton developed a way to get the gas out of the ground -- a hydraulic drilling process called "fracking." Free.

October 5, Sunday

• 1pm Workshop on Direct Democracy and Horizontalism at PJC with Marina Sitrin, author of They Can't Represent Us: Reinventing Democracy from Greece to Occupy. Join us as we explore questions about democratic participation, strategies on how to construct new social and political relations through horizontal spaces and apply these experiences in a local context. Our conversation will range from the environmental defense assemblies and towns in Argentina, Zapatista autonomy in Chiapas, the Occupy Plataforma (housing defense) movement in Spain, and assembly movements in Greece. Marina Sitrin, has participated in the Direct Action Network in the late 1990s to Occupy and the movements in Argentina. She has also studied first hand horizontal movements in Latin America over the past two decades as well as the contemporary ones in Southern Europe.

October 7, Tuesday

• 6:30pm Screening of American Promise. This inspiring and intimate film provides a personal look at the racial achievement gap found in our education system. This issue sets our youth up for lifelong inequity. The film is being presented to provide awareness, offer support and inspire participation in a movement for racial justice to improve our kids' future. Please support this event and come learn more about the local movement that is working to end racism in our schools.The film will be introduced by Hal Colston, director of Partnership for Change. It is being presented with support from Peace & Justice Center members, a grant through Haymarket Peoples' Fund, and a co-sponsorship with Partnership for Change. This event is free and open to all but because there is limited seating we recommend picking up tickets at the PJC. For more information contact Kyle at 802-863-2345 x6 or [email protected]. 

October 21, Tuesday

• 7-8pm Listening for What Matters Most. A workshop lead by Robin Guillian held as part of Vermont's Conflict Resolution Month activities. $5 fee for participation, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. For more information contact Kyle at 802-863-2345 x6 or email.  

October 23, Thursday

• PJC Annual Meeting at PJC. Time TBA.

October 29, Wednesday

• 6:30-8:30pm Recycled Aluminum Jewelry Art Class with Kenyan Artist Leah Mitula. In honor of Fair Trade Month, the PJC will be hosting Leah Mitula, the founder of Denur Crafts -- an all women's jewelry cooperative in Kenya. All of their jewelry is made from raw, locally sourced materials: carved bone pendants from the butcher, earrings made from aluminum cans, and glass beads made from sand. Leah is traveling all the way from Nairobi to Vermont to share with us the craft of making jewelry from recycled aluminum! Davis Studio,4 Howard St, Studio 2, Burlington. $30 register here.

November 5, Wednesday

• 7-8:30pm Engaging Conflict For Peace. By seeing oneself in all beings we automatically create a frame of mind for a peaceful coexistence. And only by embracing peaceful resolution to conflicts can we can truly experience justice and joyous living. Come learn powerful skills for engaging conflict peacefully from Ben Bosley a professional in the field of conflict resolution. $5 Adults. Free for Kids. Register here.

  November 15, Saturday

• Save the date: Peace & Justice Center presents the Ed Everts Social Justice Activist Award to Migrant Justice.  With special presenter Julia Alvarez. Food, live music, and more. Co-sponsored by Main Street Landing. 1 Main St, Train Station Lobby.