Mn-prog-events Mailing List: Progressive Calendar 04.20.10

[David Shove (shove001]

          P R O G R E S S I V E   C A L E N D A R   04.20.10
                 Spring static on my dialup line - slow

1. Copenhagen      4.20 5pm
2. Free dinner     4.20 6pm
3. Poetry night    4.20 6:30pm
4. Mid East course 4.20 7pm

--------1 of 4--------

From: Eric Angell <eric-angell [at] riseup.net>
Subject: Copenhagen 4.20 5pm

Steadfast St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) viewers:

"Our World In Depth" cablecasts on SPNN Channel 15 on Tuesdays at 5pm,
midnight and Wednesday mornings at 10am, after DemocracyNow!  All
households with basic cable may watch.

Tues, 4/20 @ 5pm & midnight + Wed, 4/21, 10am
"Walden Bello: Reconsidering Copenhagen & International Development(Pt. 2)"

Dr. Walden Bello may be the foremost public intellectual on Asian
economics.  The Economist magazine has credited Bello with creating the
word "deglobalization", a concept that has put him in the front of a
global movement to reconsider our identity as citizen, not as consumer.
Bello speaks on the politics behind the failure of last year's Copenhagen
climate conference.  In this second part, Bello looks to what should be
done to get out of this massive mess. (recorded in March @ the Humphrey
Institute of Public Affairs)

plus:

"Rovics Sings for Kids"

A fun little concert by David Rovics.   Songs created for children
including "Roller Coaster Train" and "Bullies".  Audience participation
makes this footage worth checking out.


--------2 of 4--------

From: info [at] rnc8.org
Subject: Free dinner 4.20 6pm

We have something special on our plates this month that you are sure to
enjoy - "Sloppy Robs"!  Join us for a uniquely delicious and FREE
meal hosted by the RNC 8 and friends!

Tuesday, April 20th
6:00 -7:30 p.m.
Walker Church (3104 16th Ave S.)  in Minneapolis

As always, vegan and vegetarian options are available at our community
meal. For those who like to plan ahead, mark your calendars now for a May
18th post-hearing special dinner.

http://rnc8.org/2010/04/free-dinner-on-april-20th/


--------3 of 4--------

From: patty <pattypax [at] earthlink.net>
Subject: Poetry night 4.20 6:30pm

Poetry night is this Tuesday's salon.  Bring your favorite poetry to read,
whether it is your own or someone else's.  Or, just come to listen to what
people read.

Pax Salons ( http://justcomm.org/pax-salon )
are held (unless otherwise noted in advance):
Tuesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
Mad Hatter's Tea House,
943 W 7th, St Paul, MN

Salons are free but donations encouraged for program and treats.
Call 651-227-3228 or 651-227-2511 for information.


--------4 of 4--------

From: Women Against Military Madness <wamm [at] mtn.org>
Subject: Mid East course 4.20 7pm

MIDDLE EAST CONFLICTS

Don't miss this five-session course on ROOT CAUSES, offered through
St. Paul Community Education

Conflicts in the Middle East range from Israel-Palestine to Iraq,
Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Iran, to name the most obvious countries.
The world's attention is often focused on one or more of these areas as a
result of sensational headlines and media hype; behind media distortions
and misinformation, though, the actual Middle East is experiencing painful
political, social, and economic upheaval. The role of the United States
regarding each of these countries is not always clear. What people do
realize is that the U.S. government is expending huge financial and
military resources in the attempt to achieve its aims, whatever they may
be, in this region. In order to bring real justice, peace, and security to
the Middle East, we need to identify the real issues and views of the
people directly affected, to overcome misconceptions, and to reach an
understanding of the root causes of these inter-related conflicts.

The following five class sessions are designed to address those needs. In
each class the instructor will offer background information along with a
handout that includes reading suggestions, show a film or film excerpt,
and conduct a discussion following the film. **Please note that one or
more of the listed films may be replaced with another film dealing with
the same topic.

Instructor: Elizabeth Burr
Sessions are held at Como Park Senior High School, 740 West Rose
Avenue, St. Paul

Course #4670-S10EA: Begins Tuesday April 20, 7 to 9 p.m. for five
Tuesday sessions (see specific dates below) Fee: $35

To register: call 651-293-8733 or go online: online St. Paul Public
Schools Community Education>Adult Programs>Personal Growth

Session 1: Introduction to Possible Roots of the Conflicts in this Region
(April 20) Film: "On Orientalism," with Edward Said (1998), by the Media
Education Foundation. Said maintains that the Western (especially
American) perception of the Middle East as a place full of villains and
terrorists operating under the aegis of Islamic fundamentalism produces a
deeply distorted picture of the diversity and complexity of millions of
Arab people. This legacy of mistrust, with its view of difference as
intolerable, must be transcended if discord and violence are not to
overshadow the future of humanity. Professor Said died of leukemia in
2003.

Session 2: The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: Historical Background, the
Current Situation, the Future (April 27) Film: "Life in Occupied
Palestine," with Anna Baltzer (2007). Anna is a young Jewish-American
scholar and activist who has recently spent months in the West Bank with
the International Women's Peace Service experiencing and documenting the
daily impact on Palestinians of the Israeli military occupation. In her
presentation, Anna offers a historical overview and then describes the
structures of the occupation such as checkpoints, segregated roads,
settlements, the Wall, and prisons. She also discusses resistance to the
occupation, both Palestinian and Israeli, and proposes ways that viewers
can try to influence U.S. policy in the region. Anna visited the Twin
Cities in January 2008, and gave a number of talks here.

Session 3: U.S. Foreign Policy in Iraq and Afghanistan (and Pakistan): the
Role of Oil (May 11) Film: "The Oil Factor: Behind the War on Terror"
(2004), by Gerald Ungerman and Audrey Brohy, Free-Will Productions. This
film argues that behind the "war on terror" a battle is being waged for
our planet's fossil fuels. With only 5 percent of the world's
population, the U.S. consumes 25 percent of the world's energy. This is
an unsustainable equation. The European filmmakers take you to Iraq,
Afghanistan, and Pakistan to tell you their view of the United States'
geopolitical agenda as it affects those countries.

Session 4: Iran - Inside a Shia Islamic State Apparently at Odds with the
United States (May 18) Film: "Iran (is not the problem)" (2008), by
Antonia Juhasz and others, A Scary Cow Production. The opening premise of
this film is that it is essential to learn the history of Iran and
Iranian-U.S. relations since 1953 to understand the current stand-off
between the two countries. Iran possesses the third largest oil reserves
on the planet, and the film deals with the key issue of oil
nationalization, identifying "oil for power" as the basic motive for
current U.S. policy toward Iran within the context of overall U.S. policy
in the Middle East. Comparisons are made between Iran and Iraq in relation
to the U.S., and the nuclear issue is thoroughly considered, including the
role of Israel.

Session 5: Back to the Original Source of Conflict in the Middle East -
Are These Conflicts Connected?  (May 25) Film: "Israel: Myths and
Propaganda - The Truth about the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and the Ethnic
Cleansing of Palestine," followed by "Pappé Critiques Reactions to His
Work," with Ilan Pappé (2008), by Americans for a Just Peace in the
Middle East (www.ajpme.org). In the first interview Israeli "new
historian" Ilan Pappe exposes three Israeli myths about the 1948 war and
its aftermath; he argues that the Zionist leadership "systematically
planned the expulsion of the Palestinians in 1948." In the second
interview, he discusses the negative consequences that he suffered in
Israel because of his work, along with such issues as the dehumanization
of Palestinians by Israel and the need for strong international pressure
on Israel to effect change.


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