Mn-prog-events Mailing List: Progressive Calendar 10.17.06

[David Shove (shove001]

            P R O G R E S S I V E   C A L E N D A R     10.17.06

1. Pentel/NW Cable   10.17 9am
2. Rwanda            10.17 12:15pm
3. Global governance 10.17 3:30pm
4. Jay Pond/AM950    10.17 5pm
5. Digital workshop  10.17 6:30pm

6. Cop chief/hearing 10.18 9am
7. Robert Jensen     10.18 3pm
8. CCHT housing      10.18 4:30pm
9. Health care/Kip   10.18 7pm StPeter MN
10. Women's rights   10.18 7pm

11. Robert Jensen -"Ghetto Fabulous" parties: new face of white supremacy
12. Mike Whitney - False hope & the Democrats: America's other war party

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From: PRO826 [at] aol.com
Subject: Pentel/NW Cable 10.17 9am

Tune in Channel 20 for those NW Cable subscribers to hear  previous
interviews with Ken Pentel, GP Mn Gov candidate.

Monday Oct. 16 9PM Interviewer Richard  Klatte
Tuesday 17 3AM " " "
Repeat 17 9AM " " "
Repeat 17 3PM " "  "

Wednesday Oct. 18 11 PM Access to Democracy Interview
Thursday 19 5  AM " " "
Repeat 19 11 AM " " "
Repeat 19 5 PM " " "
fwd by Danene Provencher,  Mound


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From: humanrts [at] UMN.EDU
Subject: Rwanda 10.17 12:15pm

October 17, 2006 - Living with the Dead: Reconciliation in Rwanda.
12:15-1:15.  Cost: free.

Reverend Paul Ndahigwa was born in Rwanda in 1953.  He and his family were
forced into exile in 1959.  Reverend Ndahigwa received his childhood
education in Uganda.  From there he studied two years at Uganda s United
Pentacostal Bible College.  He then studied for three years at the PAG
Bible College in Tanzania.  Reverend Ndahigwa was ordained as a pastor in
1982. Reverend Ndahigwa was a pastor in Tanzania from 1982 until 1988.
In 1990, he began his ministries in Uganda, where he stayed until 1994.
Reverend Ndahigwa returned to Rwanda in 1994, after the genocide.  He has
been ministering there ever since. Reverend Ndahigwa is the Senior Pastor
at a church he began in Kigali, Rwanda, named Eglise Vivante de Jesus
Christ au Rwanda (The Living Church of Jesus Christ in Rwanda).  He is
also the Director and National Overseer for the Edina, Minnesota-based
Pilgrim Center for Reconciliation.  This leads him all over Rwanda and to
eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Reverend
Ndahigwa is also a national commissioner for the Interfaith Commission of
Rwanda.

FREE Food and Beverages will be provided.

For more information, please contact Kim Walsh, 612-626-2226 or
hrfellow [at] umn.edu . You can also check out the Fellowship website at
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/center/uppermidwest/index.html Location: Room
N-204, University of Minnesota Law School, 229 19th Ave S., Minneapolis,
MN 55455


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From: humanrts [at] UMN.EDU
Subject: Global governance 10.17 3:30pm

October 17, 2006 - Ambassador Claudia Fritsche:
"Transatlantic Relations and Global Governance: The Growing Role
of Multilateral Cooperation".  3:30-5:30pm.
Cost: Free and open to the public.

Claudia Fritsche, Ambassador of Liechtenstein to the U.S. will speak on
"Transatlantic Relations and Global Governance: The Growing Role of
Multilateral Cooperation".

Claudia Fritsche has served since 2002 as the first resident ambassador to
the United States of the European Principality of Liechtenstein. She
formerly served for twelve years as Liechtenstein's Permanent
Representative to the United Nations. A member of the United Nations since
1990, Liechtenstein has played a leading role in the furtherance of
international agreements on human rights. Liechtenstein is a state party
to all six core human rights instruments of the UN and has accepted all
the communications procedures envisaged under these instruments. The
former ruling prince, Hans-Adam II, donated funds in 2000 to found the
Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination at Princeton University to
support research, teaching, and publication on issues regarding
self-determination around the world.

FFI: Center for Austrian Studies at 612-624-9811 or casahy [at] umn.edu.

Event sponsors:  Center for Austrian Studies, the Department of Political
Science, the Department of Sociology, and the Humphrey Institute of Public
Affairs Location: Room 215, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, 301 19th
Ave. S., Minneapolis.


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From: Ashley James <ajames123 [at] earthlink.net>
Subject: Jay Pond/AM950 10.17 5pm

Jay has just gotten himself invited to the Air America debate tomorrow
(Tuesday) and this is a LIVE event.

AM 950 Air America Radio and Rosi's Steak House are hosting a live 5th
Congressional District Candidate debate from 5 - 6:30pm at Rosi's Steak
House, 80 S. 9th Street in downtown Minneapolis on Tuesday October 17.
Please come to support Jay!


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From: Rosa Maria de la Cueva Peterson <rmdelacp [at] UMN.EDU>
Subject: Digital workshop 10.17 6:30pm

Want to learn about how you can use digital tools to connect with
neighbors, contact elected officials, and become more involved in your
community? Do you know people who might be interested or benefit in taking
this workshop?

Then, sign up for the free SPED workshop on Community Involvement Using
the Internet (or let others know about this workshop). In this 'hands on'
workshop, St. Paul E-Democracy volunteers will show you how to use search
engines and other online resources to find important information.

Next Tuesday October 17 - 6:30-8:30 pm
FREE WORKSHOP: Community Involvement Using the Internet
LEADERS: Tim Erickson, Kevin Marshall
  In the Electronic Classroom at the New Rondo Library
  461 North Dale Street (and University Avenue)
Call the library at 651-266-7400 to register or come 1/2 hour before
the workshop starts.

Cannot attend the workshop but would like to know what we do at Rondo
Library? Drop by and join us for a while,
TABLE  3- 5:00: Tim Erickson, Sara Reller, Bob Parker (3:00-5:00)
TABLE  6:30-8:30: Rosa María de la Cueva Peterson, Chip Peterson
or attend the 5:15 - 6:30 - Outreach Meeting at Rondo.

As usual, we can use SPIF members' help in spreading the word around.
No experience is necessary, but all levels or expertise can be
accommodated.

If you know of any neighborhood organizations or persons we we should
contact, please let us know.


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From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com>
Subject: Cop chief/hearing 10.18 9am

WED.OCT.18,9am:Public Hearing on MPD Chief, City Hall, 3rd floor,5th
St/5th Ave. downtown Minneapolis


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From: Kelly O'Brien <obrie136 [at] umn.edu>
Subject: Robert Jensen 10.18 3pm

Robert Jensen, "Journalism's Failures and the Consequences for Democracy"
10.18
3:00 p.m.
100 Murphy Hall
206 Church St. SE, U of M east bank
http://onestop.umn.edu/Maps/MurH/
Free and open to the public
FFI: 612-624-6005 or www.chicano.umn.edu

Robert Jensen is a major figure in American journalism. His most recent
work, "Heart of Whiteness: Confronting Race, Racism and White Privilege",
has earned wide acclaim. Other works include "Citizens of the Empire: The
Struggle to Claim Our Humanity" and "Writing Dissent: Taking Radical Ideas
from the Margins to the Mainstream." His recent work addresses questions
of race through a critique of white privilege and institutionalized
racism.

He is a professor of journalism at the University of Texas at Austin and a
graduate of the University of Minnesota.


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From: Philip Schaffner <PSchaffner [at] ccht.org>
Subject: CCHT housing 10.18 4:30pm

Learn how Central Community Housing Trust is responding to the affordable
housing shortage in the Twin Cities. Please join us for a 1-hour Building
Dreams presentation.

StPaul Session: Oct 18 at 4:30p

We are also happy to present Building Dreams at your organization, place
of worship, or business. Space is limited, please register online at:
www.ccht.org/bd or call Philip Schaffner at 612-341-3148 x237

Central Community Housing Trust 1625 Park Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55404
(612) 341-3148 www.ccht.org


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From: Kip Sullivan <kiprs [at] usinternet.com>
Subject: Health care/Kip 10.18 7pm StPeter MN

October 18, 7:00-10:00 pm, Olin Hall Room 103, Gustavus Adolphus College,
St. Peter. Sponsored by the Nursing, Political Science, and Scandinavian
Studies departments and the Women's Studies program.

Kip Sullivan, on behalf of the Minnesota Universal Health Care Coalition,
will discuss the origins of the US health care crisis and explain why a
single-payer system is the best solution to the crisis. Following his
presntation, he will sign copies of his new book, The Health Care Mess.


--------10 of 12--------

From: humanrts [at] UMN.EDU
Subject: Women's rights 10.18 7pm

October 18, 2006 - Women's Human Rights Film Series:  "Love, Honour and
Disobey".  Time: 7:00pm.  Cost: Free and open to the public.

"Love, Honour and Disobey" reveals the complex issues surrounding domestic
violence in Britain's black and ethnic minority communities; getting to
the heart of current multicultural debates. Rebecca Palmer, Staff Attorney
with the Battered Immigrant Women Project at Minnesota Advocates, and Raj
Chaudhary, Executive Director of SEWA-AIFW, a local non-profit
organization serving the Asian-Indian population in Minnesota, will host
the discussion and provide a perspective on issues facing battered refugee
and immigrant women locally.

Presented by Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights and The Friends of the
Saint Paul Public Library.

Sign language interpretation and other accommodations are available with
advance notice.  To request this service, contact The Friends at
651-222-3242 or friends [at] thefriends.org.

For more information, contact Mary Hunt at 612-341-3302, ext. 107,
mhunt [at] mnadvocates.org, or visit The Friends at www.thefriends.org.
Location: Rondo Community Outreach Library, 461 N. Dale St


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[Robert Jensen speaks here Wednesday - see item #7 above - ed]

"Ghetto Fabulous" Parties: the New Face of White Supremacy
Racism and Cheap Thrills at the University of Texas Law School
By ROBERT JENSEN
CounterPunch
October 16, 2006

When one of the first-year University of Texas law students who
participated in a "ghetto fabulous" party posted pictures on the web, we
saw the ugly face of white privilege and the racism in which it is rooted.
But the depth of the problem of white supremacy at the university - and
in mainstream institutions more generally - is also evident in the polite
way in which the university administration chastised the students.

While the thoughtless actions of young adults acting out the racism of the
culture are disturbing, the thoughtful - but depoliticized - response
from the law school is distressing. The actions of both groups in this
affair are a painful reminder of the depth of white society's commitment
to white supremacy.

This controversy is not unique to UT. It seems that every year students at
a prestigious university - the University of Chicago last year, Cornell
in 2004, and Texas A&M in 2003 - hold one of these parties, in which
white students revel in what they believe to be the appearance and
behavior of the black and brown people of the "ghetto."

The student from the UT party who posted the photos has taken them off the
web, but news reports describe a party in which the students "carried
40-ounce bottles of malt liquor and wore Afro wigs, necklaces with large
medallions and name tags bearing historically black and Hispanic names."
No one involved has contested the characterization of the event.

The motivations and views of participants may vary, but these parties have
two consistent features:

(1) white people mock African American and Latino people through
stereotypes of the residents of low-income urban areas, while at the same
time enjoying the feeling of temporarily adopting these looks and poses;
and

(2) the white folks typically do it without pausing to ponder what right
they have as members of a dominant racial class to poach in this fashion
on the lives of people of a subordinated racial class.

In other words, white people find pleasure in insulting non-white people
while at the same time safely "slumming" for cheap thrills in that
non-white world, all the time oblivious to the moral and political
implications.

Also typical in these university controversies is a tepid reaction from
administrators, who tend to avoid the contentious race politics at the
core of the problem. At UT, the email that went out to all law students
from Dean Larry Sager is revealing.

Let me be clear that this critique is not focused on the dean, or any
other administrator involved. Sager, who has a distinguished record as a
teacher, is a widely recognized constitutional scholar who has published
important work on civil liberties, especially freedom of religion. He
consulted other administrators and students before communicating to the
entire student body, and his commitment to equality and diversity is
clear. Still, his characterization of the incident is troubling.

The email to students doesn't use the terms "racism" or "white supremacy."
The only reference to the racial politics of "ghetto fabulous" is the
description of the party as being "named in a way that was easily
understood to have negative racial overtones" and a reminder that being
"racially insensitive" is inappropriate. While many of the students at the
party may not have thought they were being racist, it's essential that we
name such activities as rooted in white people's sense of privilege and
entitlement, the result of historical and contemporary racism in a
white-supremacist culture.

This language is crucial. Even with the gains of the civil-rights
movement, U.S. society is still white supremacist in material terms (there
are deep, enduring racialized disparities in measures of wealth and
well-being, some of which haven't improved in the past four decades) and
ideology (many white people continue to believe that the culture and
politics of Europe are inherently superior). To pretend that things such
as a ghetto party are not rooted in those racist realities is to ignore
fundamental moral and political issues in an unjust society. It's not
about "negative racial overtones" - it's about racism, whether conscious
or not. It's not about being "racially insensitive" - it's about support
for white supremacy, whether intended or not.

The dean's email to law students goes on to give three reasons the party
was "thoughtless."

First, Sager suggests that some students "might be seriously offended by
the party, and especially by the pictures taken at the event." No doubt
many people were offended, and we all should avoid unnecessary offense to
others. But the key problem is not that such images are offensive but that
they are part of an oppressive system of white supremacy. In a pluralist
society, we all can expect to be offended by some things other people say
and do. Such offense becomes an important political issue when connected
to the ways in which some people are systematically devalued and
discriminated against.

Racist, sexist, and heterosexist images and words are a problem not merely
because they offend but because they help keep non-white people, women,
and lesbians and gays in subordinated positions. Framing the problem of
oppressive systems as a question of offensiveness often leads people to
argue that the solution is for the targets of the offensive speech or
actions to be less sensitive, rather than changing the oppressive system.
Sager's email doesn't suggest that, but it could play into that common
feeling among people in the dominant classes. We live in a world in which
the legitimate concerns of non-white people about racist expression and
actions are often met by white people saying, "Stop whining - get over
it." In such a world, white people trying to resist racism should be
careful not to do anything that could contribute to that.

Second, the email suggests that the partygoers didn't consider "the
potential harm they were causing to UT Law" by doing something that could
make some people "feel uncomfortable simply because of who they are." Most
would agree that it's important at a public institution of higher
education for all people to feel accepted as part of the university
community, but the real harm is not to the institution but to the people
who are targeted. By highlighting the effect of this on "UT Law," Sager
risks elevating the institution above the principles involved and may well
leave people wondering if the university isn't worried most about its
image.

Finally, and most important, the dean's message warns the partygoers that
they failed to consider "the extraordinary damage they could do to their
own careers" in a society in which those who employ lawyers might not want
to hire people who engage in such conduct. Sager warns that it is
"genuinely foolhardy to engage in conduct (and even more foolhardy to
proudly disseminate proof that you have done so) that could jeopardize
your ability to practice law." That's certainly true, though it's also
true there are many places in Texas (and around the country) where the
good old boys in power would find no problem with this kind of "harmless
fun." There are no doubt lots of practicing attorneys who enjoy similar
kinds of fun themselves.

But whatever the case, should we be stressing to students that the reason
they should not be white supremacists is that it might hurt their careers?
What does such a message convey to students and to the community?

What's missing in this official response is a clear statement that these
law students - many of whom go on to join the ranks of the powerful who
run society - have engaged in behavior that is overtly racist. Whatever
their motivations in planning or attending the party, they have
demonstrated that they have internalized a white-supremacist ideology.
When these students are making future decisions in business, government,
and education, how will such white supremacy manifest itself? And who will
be hurt by that?

Here's what we should say to students: The problem with a racist "ghetto
fabulous" party isn't that it offends some people or tarnishes the image
of UT or may hurt careers. The problem is that it's racist, and when you
engage in such behavior you are deepening the racism of a
white-supremacist culture, and that's wrong. It violates the moral and
political principles that we all say we endorse. It supports and
strengthens an unjust social system that hurts people.

These incidents, and the universities' responses, also raise a fundamental
question about what we white people mean when we say we support
"diversity." Does that mean we are willing to invite some limited number
of non-white people into our space, but with the implicit understanding
that it will remain a white-defined space? Or does it mean a commitment to
changing these institutions into truly multicultural places? If we're
serious about that, it has to mean not an occasional nod to other cultural
practices, but an end to white-supremacist practices. It has to mean not
only acknowledging other cultural practices but recognizing that the
wealth of the United States and Europe is rooted in the destruction of
some of those cultures over the past 500 years, and that we are living
with the consequences of that destruction.

We white people can't simply point to the ugliest racism of the KKK as the
problem and feel morally superior. We can't issue a polite warning to a
few law students about being thoughtless and think we've done our job. The
problem is that most of us white people - myself included - are
comfortable in white spaces, and we often are reflexively hesitant to
surrender control of that space. Real change - the process of truly
incorporating a deep multiculturalism into our schools, churches, and
businesses - is a long struggle. The more I make some progress in my own
classes, for example, the more I see how much I have left to do and the
more aware of my mistakes I become.

An easy place to start is by clearly marking racist actions for what they
are - expressions of white people's sense of entitlement and privilege
that are rooted in a white-supremacist system. We can start by saying -
unequivocally, in blunt language - that such racism is morally wrong,
that white supremacy is morally wrong, and that we white people have an
obligation to hold ourselves and each other accountable until we have
created a truly just multiracial society.

We'll know we are there not when white people have stopped throwing ghetto
parties, but when we have built a world in which there are no ghettos.

We have a long way to go.

Robert Jensen is a journalism professor at the University of Texas at
Austin and a member of the board of the Third Coast Activist Resource
Center. He is the author of The Heart of Whiteness: Race, Racism, and
White Privilege and Citizens of the Empire: The Struggle to Claim Our
Humanity. He can be reached at rjensen [at] uts.cc.utexas.edu.


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False Hope and the Democrats
America's Other War Party
By MIKE WHITNEY
CounterPunch
October 14-15, 2006

The giddiness among Democrats about their prospects for a sweep in both
Houses of Representatives has reached a level of absolute euphoria. But
what exactly are the voters are hoping for?

A speedy exit from Iraq?

Think again.

John Walsh posted a great article on CounterPunch.org; "Election 2006: The
Fix is already In", which outlines the grim facts about "candidate
selection" in the Democratic Party. The Democratic leadership has no
intention of extracting us from the bloody mess in Babylon and they have
methodically rooted-out the bothersome antiwar-types from their pool of
potential candidates. As Walsh points out, nearly 8 out of every 10
Democrats (78%) want an immediate or partial withdrawal of troops from
Iraq. That, of course, makes no difference to the DLC-powerbrokers who
have thrown their bucks behind candidates who are completely divorced from
the convictions of the party faithful.

As Walsh reports:

"64% of the Democratic candidates in the 45 closely contested House
Congressional races OPPOSE a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. Note
carefully: not only do these Democratic worthies oppose the Murtha or
McGovern bills for rapid withdrawal or defunding the war; they oppose as
much as a timetable.The position of these Dem candidates is
indistinguishable from that of George W. Bush".

Amen.

Prediction: The Democrats will never get us out of Iraq nor will they
repeal the Patriot Act or the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (which
allows Bush to imprison American citizens without charges and torture them
according to his own discretion)

The party has been co-opted by a pro-business, liberty-slashing,
war-mongering clique of free traders who simply feel they can put a better
face on imperial politics.

No argument there; but for anyone with a trace of a conscience, the
prospect of voting for a party that may slaughter another half-million or
so Iraqis presents some basic ethical problems. Is it too sanctimonious to
suggest that the war in Iraq is MORALLY EVIL, and that any policy or party
that supports the conflict must be flatly rejected?

Ahhh yes; time to don the body-armor and protective headgear that one
needs whenever they make disparaging remarks about the Democratic Party.
It's never healthy to take aim at the emasculated phonies who run
America's "other" war party.

Regrettably, the Democratic Party is only slightly different from the GOP.
That's not pessimism; it's realism. We need to be clear about the
magnitude of the task in front of us if we expect to have any hope of
restoring our personal liberties and ending the butchery in Iraq.

Despite the dramatic shift-away from the Republican Party, Bush and Co.
must have something up their sleeves for the mid-terms. After all, the
Eisenhower carrier group is steaming towards the Gulf for a possible
confrontation with Iran; so the fur could fly at any minute.

It seems improbable that Bush would allow a takeover in the House and
Senate knowing that unpleasant investigations into 9-11, war crimes, and
executive abuses of power could quickly follow.

So, what's he up to?

Who knows? But we do know that the present occupants of 1600 Pennsylvania
Ave. are high-stakes gamblers who are bound to roll-the-dice to keep their
chestnuts out of the bonfire.

Something is bound to snap, and fairly soon, too. Bush and Cheney didn't
assemble all the levers of tyrannical rule (including the repeal of habeas
corpus, due process, and the laws banning cruel and unusual punishment)
just to transfer that authority to Democratic leaders in the congress.
That simply won't happen.

The Democrats are headed into the elections fairly confident that they can
regain a place at the political table and have their voices heard on the
conduct of the war. They have no intention of leaving Iraq. They simply
want to change directions and minimize the damage to America's long-term
interests. Their strategy is probably similar to the (forthcoming)
recommendations of James Baker's "Iraq Study Group". In fact, I'd be
surprised if leaders on both sides of the aisle haven't already
collaborated on the details to make it more palatable to Bush.

But these guys are in La-la Land. The Bush team will never relinquish
power nor will they accept the results of a system of balloting which they
conspicuously despise. They've spent 6 years "transforming" the military
so that it serves the exclusive interests of corporate mandarins. They
have changed FEMA into a stealth-organization which defends the political
status quo from potential internal security threats (including Continuity
of Government COG provisions which disband the Congress) And, they have
created a global torture and liquidation regime for preemptively
eliminating enemies real or imagined.

Nothing in the present Bush-system is transferable. It is a "one-shot
deal" tailor-made for fanatical neocons, who play for keeps.

Winner take all.

I have no idea what the Bush troupe is planning, but we'll all have a
better idea by November 7; so, buckle up!

One small footnote: Prensa Latina News Agency reports that "Luis D. Elia,
Undersecretary for the Social Habitat in the Argentine Federal Planning
Ministry, issued a memo in which he spoke of the purchase by Bush of a
98,842 acre farm in Northern Paraguay, between Brazil and Bolivia". (Oct
13)

Bush bought a 100,000 acre ranch in Paraguay!?!

Are you kidding me? Is Bush planning an early retirement with his Nazi
friends south of the border?

It's just too weird to wonder?

Mike Whitney lives in Washington state. He can be reached at:
fergiewhitney [at] msn.com


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   - David Shove             shove001 [at] tc.umn.edu
   rhymes with clove         Progressive Calendar
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