Mn-prog-events Mailing List: Progressive Calendar 02.16.06

[David Shove (shove001]

            P R O G R E S S I V E   C A L E N D A R     02.16.06

1. Nigeria/law       2.16 12noon
2. Stoney/films      2.16 5:45pm
3. Voting rights     2.16 6pm
4. Better ballot     2.16 6:30/7pm
5. NCLB/race/rights  2.16 6:30pm
6. Rasouli/Iraq      2.16 7pm
7. GLBT/bad law      2.16 7pm Anoka
8. Hub/bikes/boots   2.16 7pm
9. Europe/sovreignty 2.16 7pm
10. Dave Foreman     2.16 7pm
11. AI Wayzata       2.16 7:15pm
12. No Anoka stadium 2.16 7:30pm
13. Pol theatre fest 2.16-26 7:30pm
14. Disease/politics 2.16 7:30pm
15. 9-11/capital/CTV 2.16 8:30pm

16. Nonprof job fair 2.17 11am
17. Counter recruit  2.17 12noon
18. Black hist/film  2.17 12noon
19. Vs housing scam  2.17 3:30pm
20. Palestine vigil  2.17 4:15pm
21. No Mexicans/film 2.17 6pm
22. Venezuela/film   2.17 6:30pm
23. Hip hop congress 2.17-19 Moorhead MN

24. Philippe Martin - The privilege of American debt
25. ed              - Bush and Cheney (poem)

--------1 of 25-------

From: humanrts [at] umn.edu
Subject: Nigeria/law 2.16 12noon

February 16 - A Tale of Two Legal Systems: Protecting Due Process in
Nigeria. 12noon-1pm.  Cost: Lectures are free and open to the public with
advance registration.

Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, L.L.P. and Minnesota Advocates for Human
Rights invite you to attend "A Tale of Two Legal Systems: Protecting Due
Process in Nigeria" presented by Hauwa Ibrahim.

Recently ending its 40-year military rule, Nigeria is a new democracy with
multiple legal systems that include the Sharia Law and Common Law systems.
Ms. Hauwa Ibrahim, attorney at law, is on the forefront in Nigeria
defending the individual right to due process within the Sharia system,
and strengthening respect for it within the Common Law system as a whole.
Ms. Hauwa will speak on her role as an attorney in northern Nigeria and
the importance of due process and consistency in judicial decisions from
the perspective of a society struggling with democracy.

Biographical Information: Hauwa Ibrahim has been in the news since her
successful defense of Amina Lawal, a young Nigerian woman who was
sentenced to be stoned to death for adultery in 2002.  She is the first
female lawyer from her community in northern Nigeria where she works to
defend women accused of adultery under Sharia law.  In addition to her
work as an advocate, Ms. Hauwa is a lecturer at the University of Abuja,
and a senior partner at the Aires Law Firm in Garki Abuja.  She has also
worked for Nigeria s Ministry of Justice.

Ms. Hauwa's honors include the 2005 European Union Sakharov Prize (past
winners include Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi), the 2004 ABA s
Commission on Women in the Profession Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of
Achievement Award, a Humphrey Fellowship at the Washington College of Law,
American University in 2004, and a 2005 Yale World Fellowship where she
has joined in a global network of emerging leaders and to broaden
international understanding at Yale.

This is a "brown bag" event and lunches will not be provided.

To register for this event or for more information contact Aaron Van
Alstine at Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights by noon on Tuesday,
February 14.  Phone: (612) 341-3302 x 127, or avanalstine [at] mnadvocates.org.

Application will be made for 1.0 CLE credit. You may find directions to
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, L.L.P. at: www.rkmc.com/Minneapolis.htm.

To register for this event or for more information contact Aaron Van
Alstine at Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights by noon on Tuesday,
February 14.  Phone: (612) 341-3302 x 127, or avanalstine [at] mnadvocates.org.

Location: Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, L.L.P., 2800 LaSalle Plaza, 800 LaSalle Avenue,
Minneapolis, MN 55402



--------2 of 25--------

From: Mike Hazard <mediamic [at] bitstream.net>
Subject: Stoney/films 2.16 5:45pm

A revered veteran filmmaker of over 50 documentaries, George Stoney is
coming to town from New York to speak and screen films.

GETTING OUT, his latest about a theater program in Sing Sing Prison, screens
twice with Stoney present.

GETTING OUT
Thursday, February 16 at 7pm
Reception: 5:45-7:00pm.
A discussion with Stoney and Reginald Sweet from Amicus follows the
screening.
Macalester College/John B. Davis Hall
1600 Grand Ave, St. Paul. FREE.
For info, 651.696.6423

GETTING OUT
Friday, February 17 at 7:15pm
Stoney will be present.
Bell Museum/MN Film Arts
10 Church St, U of M, MPLS.
For info, 612.331.3134

In addition, ALL MY BABIES (on midwifery) will screen with SHEPHERD OF THE
NIGHT FLOCK (on a jazz ministry with Duke Ellington) at 3pm on Saturday at
the Bell. Finally, HOW THE MYTH WAS MADE (on Robert Flaherty) will play
with ALL MY BABIES at 3pm on Sunday at the Bell.

Among multitudinous kudos, Stoney is called the godfather of public access
to cable television. His film ALL MY BABIES has been chosen by the Library
of Congress as one to be preserved forever. And at 89, George is still
making new films, teaching a full load at NYU and challenging people to
change.

For the story on Stoney, zoom to <http://www.thecie.org>.


--------3 of 25--------

From: Jeanne Massey <jkmassey [at] earthlink.net>
Subject: Voting rights 2.16 6pm

Minnesota Pipeline - REINVENTING CIVIC PARTICIPATION

The Minneapolis Urban League, The Council on Crime and Justice, The Better
Ballot Campaign, Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota, The
Coalition of Black Churches and the African American Leadership Summit
present

CIVIL RIGHTS, VOTER ENGAGEMENT, THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE VOTING RIGHTS
AND BETTER BALLOT CAMPAIGN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16
6-8pm
MINNEAPOLIS URBAN LEAGUE
2100 PLYMOUTH AVENUE NORTH
612-302-3100

*** In 2007, certain provisions of the Voting Rights Act are set to
expire. What does this mean for African Americans and other voters? What
about Felons Voting Rights? Come and learn more about The Voting Rights
Act and what is really going to happen in 2007!!

The Better Ballot Campaign will also present information on the charter
amendment campaign for the adoption of Instant Runoff Voting in
Minneapolis.

Join guest speakers Representative Keith Ellison, FairVote Minnesota
President Tony Solgard and others in this important and timely discussion.


--------4 of 25--------

From: Jeanne Massey [mailto:jkmassey [at] earthlink.net]
Subject: Better ballot  2.16 6:30/7pm

The Better Ballot Campaign is making presentations across the city to
neighborhood associations to build awareness about and to seek
support for the Better Ballot Campaign.  Attend a presentation in your
neighborhood or contact Molly Richardson at info [at] betterballotcampaign.org
if you would like to schedule a presentation to your neighborhood
association.

On the calendar:

Feb 16, 6:30pm - Jordan Area Community Council, Jordan New Life Church,
1922 25th Ave N

Feb 16, 7pm - Longfellow Community Council, Hiawatha Park, 4305 42nd St E

Feb 21, 7pm - Windom Park Citizens in Action, Pillsbury School park
addition, 2251 Hayes St. NE


--------5 of 25---------

From: Seehwa Cho <seehwac [at] yahoo.com>
Subject: NCLB/race/rights 2.16 6:30pm

No Child Left Behind and the Problem of Race in the Post-Civil Rights Era
Dr Zeus Leonardo
Feb 16(Thursday), 6:30pm
University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis Campus
Terrence Murphy Hall, Thornton Auditorium
1000 LaSalle Avenue (Corner of 10th Street and LaSalle
Avenue)

Critical Pedagogy doctoral program in School of Education is hosting a
public talk by Dr. Zeus Leonardo.

Much has been written about the nature of "white privilege" in the
recent growth of whiteness studies. These concerns have been articulated
in studies of everyday forms of assumed privileges, whiteness as
performance, and even "whiteness as terror." In this presentation, more
formalized aspects of white privilege will be examined by analyzing the No
Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Many have critiqued NCLB as it affects
children of color, poor students, or immigrants; however, less attention
is paid to the way it creates U.S. nationhood through the social
construction of whiteness. In other words, how does NCLB construct and
imagine the white nationhood?

Join a leading educator on race relations, Zeus Leonardo, for a
stimulating presentation. An interactive discussion and Q&A session
follows from 8-8:30 p.m. Zeus Leonardo is the acting director of the
Center for Multicultural Studies at the University of Washington, Seattle,
and associate professor of social and multicultural foundations in the
College of Education at California State University, Long Beach. His books
include Ideology, Discourse, and School Reform (2003), Critical Pedagogy
and Race (editor, 2005), and Charting New Terrains of Chicano(a)/Latino(a)
Education (co-editor, 2000).

www.stthomas.edu/education/events/zeus (651) 962-4878


--------6 of 25--------

From: wamm <wamm [at] mtn.org>
Subject: Rasouli/Iraq 2.16 7pm

Sami Rasouli returns to Minnesota to present an Eyewitness Report from
Iraq Sami Rasouli, an Iraqi American, who has spent the last six months
working in Iraq, will give a first-hand account of his experience under
was and occupation. He will share stories of the plight of the Iraqi
people and his work with the Christian and Muslim Peacemaker Teams and the
Karbala Human Rights Organization. He will also share insights about the
resistance, secret prisons and torture, the elections, the future of Iraq
and the public debate in the U.S. regarding the war and occupation. Come
to this important opportunity to hear a first-hand account of conditions
in Iraq today.

Public Forum: Free and open to the public!
Thursday, February 16, 7pm
St. Joan of Arc Church (4537 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis)

Sponsored by: Twin Cities Peace Campaign--Focus on Iraq and Women
Against Militaery Madness
FFI: 612-522-1861 or 612-827-5364 or www.worldwidewamm.org


--------7 of 25--------

From: David Strand <mncivil [at] yahoo.com>
Subject: GLBT/bad law 2.16 7pm Anoka

Faith, Family, Fairness Alliance-- Organizing among People of Faith In
Opposition to Anti-glbt family Constitutional Amendment

Thursday, February 16, 7pm. Anoka UCC and Anoka UMC will co-sponsor an
interactive presentation and educational forum: What people should know
about the proposed constitutional amendment. "Many details of this
amendment, should it pass," according to a statement released by the
organizers, "would affect adversely all persons living in domestic
partnerships, regardless of gender." First Congregatoinal UCC in Anoka.


--------8 of 25--------

From: A Hubster <coldhouse [at] gmail.com>
Subject: Hub/bikes/boots 2.16 7pm

The Hub Bike Co-op is hosting a "Bikes and Boots" cabaret benefit on
Thursday February 16th at 7pm at Art-of-This gallery.

"Bikes and Boots" will feature local bike films, bike burlesque group "The
Sweet Saddle Sideshow", and local band The Knotwells, among other
performers.

The all-ages event is a benefit for 3 projects:

1) Our "Solidarity Boots Project" (order a pair of boots and support
Zapatista community projects in Chiapas).We aim to stock these sweatshop
free boots at our store in solidarity with the Zapatistas and this is to
help get us started. People interested in supporting the boot project can
order their pair of solidarity boots at the event or before hand at The
Hub (visit http://thehubbikecoop.org for more details).

2) Full Cycle, a local free bike program that helps street dependent youth
learn to build and maintain their own free bike.

3) The Hub's DIY repair stand. We want to upgrade the area and tools.
Art of This gallery is located at 3222 Bloomington Ave. S. in Minneapolis.
Any questions should be directed to the Hub, 612-729-0437 or
thehub [at] thehubbikecoop.org.


--------9 of 25--------

From: Joe Schwartzberg <schwa004 [at] umn.edu>
Subject: Europe/sovreignty 2.16 7pm

THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
Free and open to the public.
Thursday February 16, 7-9pm
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, 511Groveland Avenue, Minneapolis
(at Lyndale & Hennepin).

Free parking in church parking lot.

Topic: INTERNATIONAL GOVERNANCE: REALISTIC GOAL OR DANGEROUS UTOPIA?
LEARNING FROM THE EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE. In the last fifty years Europe has
undergone a major political transformation, moving from war as an
oft-chosen method of conflict resolution to institutionalized non-violent
methods. However, a new treaty that would establish a Constitution for
Europe was rejected by the French and Dutch peoples in recent referendums.
Is European integration grinding to a halt?  How should we assess past
accomplishments and new challenges? What lessons does the European
experience have for the United States and the world?

Presenter: CATHERINE GUISAN.  Raised in Switzerland by a Swiss-Greek
family, Catherine Guisan now teaches political science at the University
of Minnesota where earned her degree in political science in 2000. Her
book on the ethical politics of European integration, Un sens ć l'Europe:
Gagner la paix (1960-2003), was published by the prestigious Parisian
firm, Odile Jacob in 2003. Dr. guisan has since lectured widely in Europe
and the United States on European integration and international
governance.

[Ed says the French and Dutch were right to reject the corporate-favoring
constitution. In this context the phrase "international governance" should
invite skepticism. Bush would like to unify the whole world under a US
ruling class world dictatorship. Not all unification or gevernance is
good; some declarations and actions of independence are good, as are some
secessions. Venezuela and Cuba and Bolivia and now Haiti in Latin America
are rejecting US "integration and international governance", and more
power to them.]


--------10 of 25-------

From: *Patagonia* <Patagonia [at] news.patagonia.com
Subject: Dave Foreman 2.16 7pm

Taking Back the Movement
A Talk & Slide Show with Environmental Activist Dave Foreman
Patagonia
1648 Grand Av, StPaul
Thursday February 16, 7pm

Join Dave Foreman, a founder of Earth First! and inveterate environmental
activist, to hear about current issues within the conservation movement,
including his call for nature-lovers to take back the movement from
"enviro-resourcists" who do not share a passion for wild things. He will
emphasize the need for conservationists to talk about values and ethics,
in addition to pragmatic arguments for conservation.

Dave is the author of a number of influential books, including "The Big
Outside" and "Confessions of an Eco-Warrior." He currently directs The
Rewilding Institute, a nonprofit think tank based in Albuquerque, New
Mexico, that focuses on continental-scale conservation.

This event is free. Light refreshments will be served. For more
information, phone Patagonia at 651-698-1703.


--------11 of 25--------

From: Gabe Ormsby <gabeo [at] bitstream.net>
Subject: AI Wayzata 2.16 7:15pm

AIUSA Group 315 (Wayzata area) will meet on Thursday, February 16, 7:15pm
at St. Luke Presbyterian Church, 3121 Groveland School Road, Wayzata (near
the intersection of Rt. 101 and Minnetonka Blvd). For further information,
contact Richard Bopp at Richard_C_Bopp [at] NatureWorksLLC.com.


--------12 of 25--------

From: Ron Holch <rrholch [at] attg.net>
Subject: No Anoka stadium 2.16 7:30pm

The Vikings will be presenting their newest proposal to the Blaine City
Council on
Thursday, February 16 at 7:30pm.

Please show your support for a referendum by attending this meeting. Tell
your neighbors and friends who oppose the sales tax without a referendum.
Even if you do not live in Blaine All of Anoka County will be paying if we
don't make our presence known.  We would like to fill City Hall !!

Blaine City Hall 10801 Town Square Drive Blaine

Ron Holch Organizer Taxpayers for an Anoka County Stadium Referendum
(Formerly, Taxpayers Against an Anoka County Vikings Stadium)


--------13 of 25-------

From: humanrts [at] umn.edu
Subject: Pol theatre fest 2.16-26 7:30pm

[This schedule will be printed just this ONCE. Save it if you want it]

February 16, 2006 - Teatro del Pueblo's 5th Annual Political Theatre
Festival.  Time: (varies - see below).  Cost: $15/ Adults; $13 Students &
Seniors [Student matinee - $10/student].

Teatro del Pueblo presents its fifth annual Political Theatre Festival in
collaboration with Intermedia Arts, and in association with the University
of Minnesota and the Resource Center of the Americas.  This festival
brings political issues and theatre together to create a forum where ideas
and information are exchanged.  Each presentation consists of performances
and dialogues.  This year focuses on Latina Women.  NEW THIS YEAR, the
Festival will also host two visiting theatre companies from Colombia and
Peru.  See below for descriptions.

STUDENT MATINEES
Echoes from a New World (in English with Spanish intermingling)
February 17, 9:30 am and 12:30 pm
February 23, 9:30 am and 12:30 pm (seating limited this day)

$10 per student; teachers attend for free.

Echoes from the New World, by Ric Oquita with Original Music by Cristian
Amigo (Co- Directed by Diana Dom nguez and Toni Knorr) - Two sisters
discover their grandmother's trunk, transporting them back in time.
Their travels and encounters with satirical characters and events within
Latin American history enable the sisters to connect with each other and
audiences in ways we have never seen.

POLITICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Series A: Echoes from the New World, Saved by a Poem and The Captain at
the Inn of Morning
Thursday, February 16, 7:30 pm (pay what you can night)
Saturday, February 18, 7:30 pm
Sunday, February 19, 2:00 pm
Wednesday, February 22, 7:30 pm

Series B: A Woman from Nowhere: A Voice from Juarez, Isabel Desterrada en
Isabel, and The Captain at the Inn of Morning
Friday, February 17, 7:30 pm
Sunday, February 19, 7:00 pm (pay what you can night)
Thursday, February 23, 7:30 pm
Sunday, February 26, 2:00 pm

THE STATE OF IBEROAMERICAN STUDIES SERIES:
Women and Human Rights in Latino / Latin American Political Communities.
Thursday,

February 23: Los Perfiles de la Espera at St. John s University.

Friday, February 24, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm.  Join acclaimed Latin American
theatre critics at an open symposium.  Patricia Ariza, the legendary
artistic director of Bogot , Colombia s La Candelaria, will be the keynote
speaker.  To be held at U of MN, Minneapolis Campus, Folwell Hall.

For more information, please call Luis A. Ramos-Garcia at (612) 625-3039.
Free to the public.

Tertulia : A Conversation - Saturday, February 25, post-performance.
Join us for a conversation on the Politics & State of the Arts in Colombia
at a local coffee shop.  For more information, please call Intermedia Arts
at (612) 871-4444.

Teatro La M scara of Cali, Colombia - Since 1982, this company has been
dedicated to a feminine dramaturgy.  This is a not-to-be-missed
opportunity for anyone interested in feminism or Latino theatre.

Casa Matriz (in Spanish) - Friday, February 24, 7:30 pm Los Perfiles de la
Espera (in Spanish) - Saturday, February 25, 7:30 pm

Avi n Teatro of Arequipa, Peru - Formed in Arequipa, Per , in 1991, Avi n
Teatro has produced more than 25 mainstage shows and tours in Per , Chile,
Bolivia, and Argentina. They are one of the most impacting groups in
Peruvian theatre of the last decade.

A Woman from Nowhere: A Voice from Juarez, by local writer Silvia Pontaza
(Directed by Alberto Justiniano) - Since 1993 nearly 400 young women have
been gruesomely, ritualistically, murdered in Juarez.  Police have done
little, and the few arrests that have been made have done nothing to stop
the killings. This play chronicles one woman s story.  (in English w/some
Spanish)

Echoes from the New World, by Ric Oquita with Original Music by Cristian
Amigo (Co- Directed by Diana Dom nguez and Toni Knorr) - Two sisters
discover their grandmother's trunk, transporting them back in time.
Their travels and encounters with satirical characters and events within
Latin American history enable the sisters to connect with each other and
audiences in ways we have never seen.  (in English w/some Spanish)

Isabel Desterrada en Isabel, by Juan Radrig n (Directed by Carlos Vargas
Salgado) - Performed by Avi n Teatro from Arequipa, Peru - See the world
from the eyes of Isabel, a beggar woman in South America.  Poverty has
made her exiled inside herself, and society has forgotten her.  Out of her
solitude, she tells her life story to inanimate objects.  (in Spanish w/
projected English translations)

Saved by a Poem, by local writer Nestor Amarilla (Directed by Nestor
Amarilla) - During the regime of Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner, a
mother sits in the dark and writes a poem.  Her son is a revolutionary,
meeting in secret to protest Stroessner regime.  His father was killed for
such acts; will he be next?  (in English w/some Spanish),

The Captain at the Inn of Morning, by Dominic Orlando (Directed by Silvia
Pontaza) - A wandering soldier in an endless jungle of conflict comes upon
the Inn of Morning and learns more than he cares to about women, war, and
violence.  (in English)

Teatro del Pueblo s 2006 Political Theatre Festival is made possible, in
part, by funds provided by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council through
an appropriation by the Minnesota legislature, funds provided by the Saint
Paul Travelers Company and the University of Minnesota.

For further information and reservations for student matinees, please
contact: Melis Arik, Education Programs Coordinator/Intermedia Arts at
874-2809 or email melis [at] Intermedia Arts.

Location: Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55408


--------14 of 25--------

From: humanrts [at] umn.edu
Subject: Disease/politics 2.16 7:30pm

February 16 - The Politics of Infection Diseases: Global Surveillance and
Early Warning Systems.  Time: 7:30-9:30pm.  Cost: Free.

Keynote address by Stephen Morse, School of Public Health and Department
of Epidemiology, Columbia University. This is one event during the
Politics of Population Conference on Epidemics in the Making: Politics and
the Production of Infectious Disease

For more information, please visit:
http://www.ias.umn.edu/documents/Epidemics.pdf. Location: Cowles
Auditorium, Hubert H Humphrey, University of Minnesota, Mpls


--------15 of 25-------

From: leslie reindl <alteravista [at] earthlink.net>
Subject: 9-11/capital/CTV 2.16 8:30pm

Thurs Feb 16, 8:30pm, StPaul cable channel 15:  Altera Vista presents
"International Inquiry into 9/11: Phase One, part 2."  The historical
aspect of 9/11.

Speakers are Gray Brechin, prof. at UC Berkeley, on the Role of Oil in
Foreign Policy - a "sweeping overview of the human war machine," and
Nafeez Ahmed, author and investigator from England, on the War on Freedom,
examining the pattern of the 9/11 war on terror and its continuity with US
foreign policies in cold war and post-cold war periods. This pattern is
rooted in protection of the transnational flow of US capital and
functioning of the capitalist world economy, not on the security of
people.  Video available from Altera Vista.


--------16 of 25--------

From: humanrts [at] umn.edu
Subject: Nonprof job fair 2.17 11am

February 17 - The Idealist.org Minneapolis Nonprofit Career Fair.
11am-4pm.

The fair will be cosponsored by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and
the Greater Twin Cities United Way.

The career fair will consist of:
 -An informal networking period for nonprofit recruiters and
representatives from local colleges and university Offices of Career
Services.
 -The fair itself, where job seekers can distribute resumes and speak with
organizations about current and future employment, internship and
volunteer opportunities.
 -A series of free information sessions offering career advice to
nonprofit job seekers.

The Idealist.org Minneapolis Nonprofit Career Fair is generously co-hosted
by the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of
Minnesota and the Minnesota College and University Career Services
Association (MCUCSA), a consortium of 30 career offices from across the
state of Minnesota. Location: Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public
Affairs, U of M West Bank, Minneapolis, MN


--------17 of 25--------

From: sarah standefer <scsrn [at] yahoo.com>
Subject: Counter recruit 2.17 12noon

Counter Recruitment Demonstration
 Our Children Are Not Cannon Fodder
Fridays   NOON-1
Recruiting Office at the U of M
At Washington and Oak St.  next to Chipolte
for info call Barb Mishler 612-871-7871


-------18 of 25--------

From: valentina barnes <valbarnes2001 [at] yahoo.com>
Subject: Black hist/film 2.17 12noon

Two black history Fridays in February

February 17: North Star- Minnesota's Black Pioneers, a documentary
exploring the little known contributions of African Americans who have
helped shape the course of Minnesota history.

February 24: I'll Make Me a World, volume 3, spotlights the Harlem
Renaissance, with Langston Hughs, Zora Neale Hurston, women blues singers
and the New Negro in politics.

Each film will have two screenings, Noon-1:30 PM & 7-8:30 PM (One hour
films will be followed by refreshments & conversations)

Where: East Side Neighborhood Services,
1700 Second Street NE


--------19 of 25--------

From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com>
Subject: Vs housing scam 2.17 3:30pm

FRI FEB 17, 3:30pm

ACORN is calling for a rally to protest racial discrimination/HOUSING
SCAMS by COLDWELL BANKER real eastate agent JOHNNY RECALDE. Over 30 Latino
families have been scammed by Recalde, yet, Coldwell Bankker REFUSES to
meet with ACORN to resolve this. Stand up against scams directed at
immigrants and other people of color!

FRI FEB 17, 3-30pm, COLDWELL BANKER HQ
76th & France Av S, Edina
For a ride or directions, call Alva (651)642-9639


--------20 of 25--------

From: peace 2u <tkanous [at] hotmail.com>
Subject: Palestine vigil 2.17 4:15pm

Every Friday
Vigil to End the Occupation of Palestine

4:15-5:15pm
Summit & Snelling, St. Paul

There are now millions of Palestinians who are refugees due to Israel's
refusal to recognize their right under international law to return to
their own homes since 1948.


--------21 of 25--------

From: Mary Turck <mturck [at] americas.org>
Subject: No Mexicans/film 2.17 6pm

Friday, February 17 6pm. A Day Without Mexicans 100 minutes. English
/Spanish. FREE NOCHE CULTURAL. Resource Center of the Americas, 3019
Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis 55406 FFI: 612-276-0788. One day California
wakes up and not a single Latino is left in the state. They have all
inexplicably disappeared. Chaos, tragedy, and comedy quickly follow.


--------22 of 25--------

From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com>
Subject: Venezuela/film 2.17 6:30pm

Minneapolis Premiere of a New Film On Venezuela: Friday, February 17th
at 6:30 pm at Mapps Coffee & Tea in Minneapolis

Twin Cities Premiere of: "The Old Man and Jesus: Prophets of Rebellion" -
A Unique Perspective on the Venezuelan Revolution

Friday, February 17th at 6:30 pm
Mapps Coffee & Tea (1810 Riverside Ave. in Minneapolis)

Venezuela has been in the media a lot in recent months, and for good
reason.  The Venezuelan people have embarked on a revolutionary project to
transform the way their society is run, a project that has implications
for the whole of Latin America and the world.  Come learn more about this
exciting process: join the Hands Off Venezuela Campaign and MN-Venezuela
Committee for the Twin Cities premiere of "The Old Man and Jesus: Prophets
of Rebellion", a new documentary film by by Venezuelan film maker Marcelo
Andrade (maker of "Venezuela Bolivariana").

This 70 minute film offers a unique perspective on the Bolivarian
Revolutionary process: it follows the lives of two men who live on the
streets of Caracas in the middle of the bosses' oil industry lockout in
late 2002. The wisdom of the Old Man and the explosive passion of Jesus
give a direct account of the commitment to liberation that grows from the
Venezuelan people.

A discussion on the film and recent events in Venezuela will follow.  We
will also be reporting on the upcoming Venezuela Solidarity Conference to
be held in Washington, DC on March 4-6.  Help us send a delegation to this
important meeting!

This event is free and open to the public, but donations are much
appreciated!

Sponsored by Hands Off Venezuela and the Minnesota-Venezuela Committee

For more information, please contact msp [at] ushov.org
<mailto:msp [at] ushov.org> or call 651-373-7609

www.handsoffvenezuela.org <http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/>  /
www.ushov.org <http://www.ushov.org/>


--------23 of 25-------

From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com>
Subject: Hip hop congress 2.17-19 Moorhead MN

2/17 to 2/19, Hip Hop Congress Minnesota Summit: Politics, Globalization and
the Hip Hop Generation, Concordia College, 901 - 8th St S, Moorhead.  FFI:
Amer Ahmed, 218-299-3972 or amer [at] hiphopcongress.com or
www.hrusa.org/calendar/


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The Privilege of American Debt
By Philippe Martin
LibC)ration
Liberation (Paris) via Truthout - Feb 6, 2006
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/printer_020706H.shtml

Starting in 1982, the United States began to accumulate external
deficits that have increased significantly during the last five years.
These deficits may represent the greatest threat to the global economy,
but President Bush was silent on the subject during his State of the
Union speech last week. Accounting for these deficits is rather simple at
first glance: Americans consume and invest more than they produce. In
order to do that, they import more goods than they export, and every year
they therefore have to borrow more from the rest of the world. Americans
don't want to save (the household savings rate is negative!), and the
rest of the world does it for them.

For 2005, the current account deficit - and therefore the increase
in external debt - exceeded 6% of American GDP. That means that in
2005 alone, external debt increased over 6,000 Euros [$7,200] per
household! The total of these accumulated deficits brings the net
debt to the rest of the world to about 25,000 Euros [$30,000] per
household. The natural counterpart is that practically every other
country in the world - industrialized countries and even countries
that are still relatively poor like China and emerging Asian countries
- lends to the United States.

No other country could allow itself to take such a debtor position
without lenders either demanding a risk premium or packing up their
bags - which would cause the currency to fall. It is difficult not
to make a connection with the idea that the United States enjoys
an "exorbitant privilege," the expression attributed to de Gaulle
in 1965 (but in fact pronounced by his Finance Minister, Giscard
d'Estaing). In a recent article (on the site www.cepr.org),
Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas and HC)lC(ne Rey, two French economists
teaching in the United States, have analyzed the nature of this
privilege that has allowed the United States to go into debt without
(so far) having to pay for all the consequences. One would expect
that a country indebted to the rest of the world would have to pay
interest on that debt. That is not the case: with the exception of
the last trimester of 2005, the United States has always received
more interest and dividends from the rest of the world than it has
paid out.

How is that possible?  Net American debt is the difference
between all foreigners' assets in the United States (the liability
side of the US balance sheet) and American assets elsewhere in the
world (the asset side of the balance sheet): the former represent
about 12.5 trillion dollars, the latter 10 trillion, so a net debt
of about 2.5 trillion dollars.  But the assets and liabilities
differ fundamentally. US liabilities are mostly Treasury Bills
(often purchased by Central Banks) and loans from foreign banks.
These loans are more and more short-term with low interest rates.
On the asset side, the predominant categories are stocks holdings
on foreign exchanges and direct investments by American multinationals.
Riskier, those assets have higher rates of return. Therefore,
Americans borrow at low cost to consume, but also to invest in
higher risk and more profitable assets in the rest of the world.
According to Gourinchas and Rey's expression, the United states has
therefore become a capital investment business and pockets a fat
margin along the way: with the difference between the rate at which
it borrows and the return on its investments over 3%.

This margin may be interpreted in different ways. The first is that
Americans are most gifted investors and enjoy unprecedented margins.
In that case, the deficit is less serious than it seems, because
the income raked-in thanks to risk capital activity reduces the
deficits by as much. The second interpretation is that the scope
of the phenomenon is temporary and related to weakness in global
interest rates. Their increase will increase the United States'
cost of borrowing by as much. Therefore, the time is not far off
when the US will have to begin to pay out: in fact, that was already
the case for the last trimester of 2005 and will certainly be the
case for 2006.

American privilege doesn't stop there: thanks to the hegemony of the
dollar, they borrow in their own currency, but around 70% of their
foreign assets are in foreign currencies. When the dollar depreciates,
the net debt is automatically reduced. The payoff is substantial: a
depreciation of 10% leads to a transfer of close to 6% of American GDP in
favor of the United States, i.e., the amount of the annual trade deficit!
For any other country, debt reimbursement would force it to consume less
and produce more for the rest of the world. Because foreigners have
agreed to lend to the United States in dollars, the adjustment through
depreciation of the dollar is rendered less painful.

The problem with this exorbitant privilege is that it's naturally
tempting to exploit it. By getting too far into debt, the United States
could endanger the role of the dollar and the stability of its financial
markets, both at the very source of its exorbitant privilege.

[Philippe Martin is a professor at Paris-I and a researcher at the CNRS
(French National Center for Social Research)].


--------25 of 25--------

 Bush and Cheney go
 hunting, drunk. The prayers of
 the world go with them.


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