The Fresno Peace and Social Justice Calendar

THE PEACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE CALENDAR

The Peace and Social Justice calendar is a free service to subscribers of the Community Alliance newspaper.  To receive the Peace and Social Justice calendar by email, please go to: http://www.mailermailer.com/x?oid=32254t and follow the (brief) instructions. 

To subscribe to the Community Alliance newspaper send $35 (regular) or $10 (low income) to: P.O. Box 5077, Fresno, Ca 93755.  You can also subscribe online through Pay Pal by going to: http://www.fresnoalliance.com/home/magazine/magazine.htm  Web site: http://www.fresnoalliance.com/home/   Phone: (559) 978-4502 Fax: (559) 226-3962

Saturday, April 5
8 PM
The Return of Sprawlzilla!!! Yes, "Sprawlzilla vs. Mainstreet"...big hit of the Rogue Festival (and one of the Bee's top picks for the fest) is back at Milano's (on the glorious Fulton Mall, about 50 paces from Longs Drugs).

Sunday, April 6
3 - 5 PM
Dr. Jean Kennedy will speak on Balancing Multiple Roles With Faith, Peace and Love. This event, sponsored by Women of Spirit, will be held at 7319 N. Fourth St in Fresno.

Dr. Jean Kennedy is a mother, grandmother, educator, and a consultant for many community service agencies. She also produces & hosts a weekly radio talk show called Health Comes At A Premium, on KFCF-FM 88.1 She will share with us how her faith in peace-making and her commitment to service guides her activities and her life. The program includes a talk, guided meditation, and light refreshments.

What is Women of Spirit?

We meet to relate women's life experiences through their own stories to understand and appreciate their wisdom, courage, and creativity. The event is free; both men and women are welcome! For more information call (559) 435-2212.

Monday, April 7
2 PM
The Fresno County Democratic Central Committee will again be registering voters at the naturalization ceremony for new citizens on Monday, April 7, 2008 in Fresno. It is anticipated that there will be at least 500 people receiving their citizenship during the ceremony. Last month there were approximately 600 newly naturalized citizens. The Fresno County Democratic Central Committee will need volunteers to talk with participants while they are waiting in line to enter the Ceremony at about 2:00 P.M. on Monday. Volunteers will then need to be available to assist with the completion of voter registration forms when participants complete the ceremony at about 3:15 P.M. until about 4:30 P.M. on Monday. Bilingual volunteers are helpful but it is not a requirement. Volunteers may participate for all or any portion of the time. Training of volunteers is provided. The ceremony will be held at the Valdez Exhibit Hall of the Fresno Convention Center located at 700 M Street in Fresno. Participants in the ceremony come from an area comprising the counties of Fresno, Tulare, Kings, Kern, Madera, Merced, Stanislaus, Mariposa and Tuolumne. If you are interested in assisting with this project please contact Chuck by email at ckrugman@sbcglobal.net or Jason Carns by email at jasonmc81f@yahoo.com .

Chuck may also be contacted by phone at 559-266-9237. This event takes place on a monthly basis and is a good way to provide party visibility and register new Democratic voters to prepare for the upcoming elections.

Monday, April 7
6:30-9:00 PM
The Board of the Greater Fresno Area Chapter of the ACLU-NC will meet at the Sarah McCardle Room of the Downtown Library, O and Mariposa Streets, south of the Water Tower and across the street from the Police Station. All are welcome.

Tuesday, April 8
7:30 PM
Through the Landowner Stewardship Program, Audubon works with private landowners to conserve and restore wildlife habitat on farms and ranches in a manner compatible with existing agricultural operations. The program aims to enhance and restore riparian, oak woodland and grassland habitats, improve forage quality, improve water quality and reduce erosion. The program has initiated restoration projects on over 50,000 privately held acres in California. Join program director Vance Russell as he discusses the program. This event will be held at the UC Center, 550 Shaw Ave (Across from Fashion Fair Mall).

Wednesday, April 9
12 Noon & 7:00 PM
Monthly Every Second Wednesday Video Presentation – Free.. "Manufactured Landscapes," striking new documentary on the world and work of renowned artist Edward Burtynsky, internationally acclaimed for his large scale photos of quarries, recycling yards, factories, mines and dams. The film follows him through China, as he shoots the evidence and effects of that nation's massive industrial revolution, an "almost endless factory." The film has won numerous awards. 81 minutes. The 12 noon showing will be at the Center for Nonviolence, 1584 N. Van Ness. The 7:00 PM showing will be at the Downtown Library, so it can be seen on a large screen. For info call 237-3223

Wednesday, April 9
4 PM
Circle of Peace and Justice will meet at Dr. Rezapour’s office: 6769 N. FRESNO. ST #204 in Fresno.

Wednesday, April 9
5 PM
Downtown issues will be the focus of a Fresno City Council candidates forum at Bankers Ballroom, 1060 Fulton Mall (formerly Security Bank Building). This event is sponsored by seven community organizations that are concerned about Downtown Fresno.

If you want to find out what's going on with the candidates, go to www.fresnofusion.com and submit your questions. The questions you submit may be included in those asked the candidates. Also, there will be a period for questions from the audience.

Wednesday, April 9
6 PM
Marxist/Anarchist Discussion Group: A reading and discussion group on Marxism and Anarchism will take place the second Wednesday of every month at 6 pm at the infoshop. The first meeting was in February. The March 12th topic is the "Communist Manifesto" (please bring along a copy if you can). For April, we are reading and discussing Ernest Mandel’s introduction to "Das Kapital." May’s topic will be determined tonight. Topics range from critiques of capitalism and the state to understanding social revolution. If Francis Fukuyama is right, we have reached the end of history with the advent of representative democracy (so-called) and the capitalist marketplace. Marxists and anarchists alike reject this argument. There are both fundamental similarities and differences in how Marxists and Anarchists see the future, and bringing these to light is the main goal of this group. There is no prerequisite for this discussion group (laughing), just a willingness to participate in an open forum in which divergent views are encouraged. This event will be held at CAFÉ Infoshop, 935 F. St. China Town Fresno

April 10, 11 & 12
The Love Song Artist Community Website is hosting their first Art Show of 2008 on. Our theme is "Saving Mother Earth," April is Earth Day month! Appropriate art can depict the beauty or destruction of nature, "Going Green" poster art & slogans, Native American & Indigenous themes, fantasy Art w/nature spirits, etc. All media welcome! Showing and attending is free, there will be a tip jar for the performing artists and a donation box to Support the Longest Walk

To register contact Bill Redondo via email or phone 559 304-9404. If Bill isn't familiar with your art it would be good if you could email him a sample image or go by and show him what you'd like to show.

Also Green/environmentalists/activists are welcome to bring educational materials to display! For more information see the Love Song Artist Community Website: http://lsac.50webs.com:80/

Thursday, April 10
6 - 8 PM
The Women’s Studies Program at California State University, Fresno will host a campus- and community-wide event to examine additional and unacknowledged dimension of 9/11 with Dr. Sunaina Maira, an Asian American Studies professor at University of California, Davis. Dr. Maira’s talk, entitled "‘Good’ Muslim, ‘Bad’ Muslim: Youth, Terrorists and Feminists," will be presented in the Alice Peters Auditorium within the University Business Center (5245 N. Backer Avenue) under the sponsorship of the Women’s Studies Program at CSU-Fresno. For more information call (559) 278-2858.

Thursday, April 10
7 PM
Interfaith Social Justice Collaborative monthly meeting will be at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 2672 E. Alluvial, Clovis. All are welcome.

April 11
Workers to turn in Whole Foods petition on April 11. Have you signed it yet? So far, more that 10,000 people have signed the petition to Whole Foods regarding the Country Natural Beef sold in their supermarkets. On April 11, Beef Northwest workers will hand in these petitions. There is still time for you to add your name to the petition. Workers at the feedlots that include Country Natural Beef cows have been demanding UFW representation for the past eight months. Beef North West is on the same Oregon compound as Threemile Canyon Farms and Willow Creek Dairy. The Beef North West workers have seen the power a union contract has on their friends and want the same things: Dignity and respect in the workplace, a family medical plan and a voice on the job without repercussions. However, Beef North West is no closer to agreeing to recognize the UFW as the workers' union than they were when this campaign began. This is despite Oregon's governor asking that both sides sit down and resolve the dispute--which the union has been willing to do from the beginning.

Whole Foods reportedly sells 60% of all Country Natural Beef. This retailer--the largest chain of "natural food" stores in the US--has refused to take any action to resolve this situation. We would hope that when Whole Foods sees the groundswell of support for the workers at the feedlot where Country Natural Beef cows are fattened, they'll use their influence to ensure a just resolution of this dispute and a boycott will not be necessary. We need to increase the pressure on Whole Foods to do the right thing. Please sign the workers' petition calling on Whole Foods to take action and pledging your support for a potential boycott of Country Natural Beef products, should one be called.

To sign the petition, go to: http://www.ufwaction.org:80/campaign/wholefoodspetition/k556url7nje8t3?

Friday, April 11
5:15 PM
Cineculture Club presents: Bombies (2001). Director: Jack Silberman. 57 min. Between 1964 and 1973 the United States conducted a secret air war, dropping over 2 million tons of bombs and making tiny Laos the most heavily bombed country in history. Millions of these 'cluster bombs' did not explode when dropped, leaving the country massively contaminated with 'bombies' as dangerous now as when they fell 30 years ago. Bombies examines the problem of unexploded cluster bombs through the personal experiences of a group of Laotians and foreigners and argues for their elimination as a weapon of war. Unfortunately they are still a standard part of the US arsenal and were dropped in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.? Golden Gate Award, San Francisco International Film Festival.

This film will be shown in McLane 121. Parking is relaxed after 4:30 PM on Fridays in area parking lots. Check the campus map to see which parking area is most convenient. http://www.csufresno.edu/univrelations/map/

Friday, April 11
6:30 - 8:30 PM
The Reedley Peace Center presents Speakers: Jessica Mast and Linda Garcia, leaders of the FPU Shalom Club, share their joys, struggles, questions, confusions, and sheer fun, with Reviving a Peace and Justice Club at Fresno Pacific University. With professors and the memory of a former peace club as catalysts to this year's Shalom, the group has been exploring the art of creative activism. That creative activism, with the goal of college awareness, often looks homegrown and outside the box - but that's what makes it so much fun!

Light potluck at 6:30. Program begins at 7 pm. This event is sponsored by the Reedley Peace Center and will be held at the Fellowship Hall of First Mennonite Church, on 'L' street between 12th and 13th streets in Reedley. Admission is free. Contact Don Friesen by email at dfriesen0@gmail.com

Saturday, April 12
9 AM - 4 PM
Pace e Bene will present a nonviolence workshop in Fresno at the Islamic Cultural Center. The workshop "Engage" is a program for learning, practicing, and experimenting with nonviolent options for our lives and for a sustainable, just, and peaceful world. The "Engage" workshop offers us a way to learn, study and practice the nonviolent options available to us. It provides tools for individuals and groups to take action for justice and peace in the midst of war and injustice.

Pace e Bene was formed by a small group of Franciscans and others in 1989. It represents a diversity of spiritual traditions and cultural backgrounds that networks with nonviolence practitioners in many parts of the world. It works to foster just and lasting peace; champion human rights, and to challenge the violence of poverty and multiple forms of oppression.  For more information call 439-0280. 

Saturday, April 12
5:30 - 8:30 PM
Meet and Greet the Candidates Fun-Raiser reception at the home of Howard and Chris Watkins, 1785 W. Dovewood Lane, Fresno (near West & Bullard). Cost: $20 donation requested; free to members and those who join CVPPAC. RSVP to (559) 435-7360. For more information, visit www.cvppac.org or call 559-435-7360.

Sunday April 13
2 - 4 PM
Central Valley Counter-Recruitment Coalition (CVCRC) meeting is scheduled for at the Fresno Center for Nonviolence.

Monday, April 14
6 - 7:15 PM
Marx in SOHO - A One-Man Play/Performance by Robert Weick (Visit www.ironagetheatre.org for more information.)

This play, by renowned professor, historian, and activist Howard Zinn (A People's History of the United States), is an excellent introduction to Marx's life, his analysis of society, and his passion for radical change. "Though Marx has been demonized by some as the father of communism, Robert Weick portrays him as a personable man devoted to his wife and family as he writes ‘Das Kapital' and struggles to make ends meet in London, where he lived most of his life…. Marx is also aware of all that has transpired since his death, which enables him to urge those in the audience toward political and social change. An impassioned Weick rises to this occasion…."

Douglas Keating, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Industrial Technology (IT) 101 (Free Admission; Relaxed parking in Lot L) at CSUF.

This play is presented by The Sociology Club and the Department of Sociology at California State University, Fresno.

Monday, April 14
7 -9 PM
Central Valley Progressive PAC (CVPPAC) Endorsement meeting at the Fresno Center for Non-Violence. This meeting is limited to CVPPAC members current in their dues. We will determine which candidates and local races we will endorse and support.

Tuesday, April 15
The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom is looking for volunteers to work on Tax Day, April 15th, giving out flyers to taxpayers informing them of where our money is being spent and what it should be spent on. They are planning to work at 2 locations if they can get enough volunteers. They are planning to hand out flyers from 10am - 5pm with 2 individuals at each site splitting it into 2 hour shifts if possible, however if you can not do 2 hours 1 hour of your time will be much appreciated. Please contact 681-0175 to volunteer you may also leave a message with Lynn @ 215-1548.

Tuesday, April 15
12:30 PM
"The Canary Effect" video will be shown at the Student Lounge at Fresno City College. Co-sponsored by the Fresno Center for Nonviolence and NAISA (American Indian Student Association at FCC), admission is FREE and open to the public.

The Canary Effect takes an in depth look at the devastating effect that US policies have had on the Indigenous people of America. Using beautifully crafted imagery it presents a chilling case to what many believe is an ongoing genocide of the American Indian. Featuring interviews with some of the leading scholars and exponents of Indigenous struggles, alongside revealing insight from those who work and live on reservations today, The Canary Effect creates a link between the past and present in a unique way never before explored on film.

For information, call Michael Black Bull at 264-7470.n

Tuesday, April 15
6:30 PM
Madera Democratic Club presents Air Pollution and Politics - What You Can Do.

Speaker: Catherine Garoupa, Central Valley Air Quality Coalition. Topics to include our regional clean up plan for Particulate Matter 2.5 microns or smaller, a rule under development impacting diesel truck emissions statewide, and other current events! 311 S. Pine Ste. 102 (Across from Lee’s Cement and Madtown Auto). For more information, contact Kathy Eisele @ 674-1925

Catherine Garoupa, Organizer

Central Valley Air Quality Coalition
Madera Coalition for Community Justice
501 North E Street, Suite G
Madera, CA 93638
(559) 662-0565 - office
(559) 232-1698 - cell
www.calcleanair.org
www.maderacoalition.wetpaint.com

Wednesday, April 16
5 - 8 PM
Fresno Works for Better Health Advocacy Center invites you to attend "Worlds Apart, Futures Together" Mayoral Forum on Poverty Slated at the Saroyan Theater. The forum will be moderated by Dr. Manuel Pastor, author and professor at the University of Southern California, where he directs the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity. The mayoral candidates will be questioned on what they see as a specific, realistic platform to address chronic poverty and health disparity in the City of Fresno. The forum will provide a thoughtful discussion to help determine which candidates are capable and willing to provide the leadership required to make amelioration of poverty a top priority. Refreshments will be served and the audience will have the opportunity to meet with the candidates following the question and answer component. The Fresno Works for Better Heath Advocacy Center, Fresno Works for Better Heath Advocacy Center, the Fresno Works for Better Health consortium, which includes Fresno West Coalition for Economic Development, The Fresno Center for New Americans and One by One Leadership and several diverse non-profits are co-sponsoring the forum, as listed below:

Black Women Organized for Political Action
Blue Mountain Associates
Community Leadership Development Forum
Central California Forum on Refugee Affairs
Central California Legal Services
Centro La Familia
Fresno Business Council
Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission
Khmer Society of Fresno
Latino Issues Forum
League of Women Voters
Political Black Council
San Joaquin Valley Black Caucus
The California Endowment
West Fresno Concerned Citizens
Youth Leadership Institute
United Way of Fresno County

Wednesday, April 16
6 PM
"Creating a Balance in Your Garden" Learn how to manage pests and diseases in your gardens without harming birds, beneficial insects, your pets and families. Free samples of less toxic products and door prizes too! Join Annie Joseph at the UC Merced Center, 550 E Shaw in Fresno. Her life story includes a professional change from marketing pesticides to working with the award winning pollution prevention program, "Our Water, Our World" to reduce pesticide runoff in California creeks and rivers.

Thursday April 17
7:30 PM
MARLEY’S GHOST Back in Fresno by popular demand. They will be performing at the Unitarian Church of Fresno 2672 Alluvial (between Chestnut & Willow). Tickets: Advance $20; $25 at door. Available at Patrick's Music, National Hardware, Online at www.fresnofolkconcerts.com or phone 431-3653.

"listening to Marley’s Ghost is akin to reading a selection of short essays from Mark Twain." Larry Sakin

After 21 years as a band, Marley’s Ghost, well-traveled and well-seasoned alike, has earned the mud on its musical boots. Since forming in the mid-80s, this eclectic band of fun-loving bards has built a singular reputation among discerning roots-music lovers for its instrumental virtuosity, ultra-tight four-part harmonies, and animated live performances.

Collectively they’re a virtual walking, talking encyclopedia of rhythm and roots, from bluegrass to bagpipes, folk ballad to sea chantey, Nashville twang to Mardi Gras funk, Gospel rave to Celtic reel, and much more. They pick everything from pedal steel and dobro to banjo and mandolin, with an array of fiddles, guitars, keyboards, drums, and various exotic stringed instruments all added to the mix.

All this music coheres seamlessly through the filter of the band’s skills and sensibility "a collective vision of all that makes up Americana, fueled by the quintet’s lively nature, witty repartee, and characteristic charm."

"...Marley's Ghost achieves the seemingly impossible. If you think a reach of reggae, bluegrass, gospel, folk country, Cajun, and Scottish bagpipes tunes is a bit much, you'd be wrong. Here, it's perfect." - Richard Dorsett, Victory Music Review-

Thursday April 17
8 PM
Inner Ear Poetry Jam $3 to participate $5 to watch. Full Circle Brewing 620 F St. Downtown Fresno 559-264-6323 www.fullcirclebrewing.com

April 18-20
Fresno Filmworks presents the 2008 Fresno Film Festival at the Tower Theatre. The festival will feature 29 films from nine different countries, including six feature-length films and 23 shorts. Spotlighted programs include "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" and "Starting Out in the Evening," as well as "A Night at the Oscars," a selection of Academy Award-nominated short films. Festival passes cost $45; opening night film tickets, which include a reception, cost $15 general; and tickets for all other individual programs cost $10 general and $8 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the Tower Theatre box office, 815 E. Olive Ave.; at JA Photography, 2003 N. Van Ness Ave.; and at the door. Tickets can also be purchased online through PayPal at www.FresnoFilmworks.org . For details, visit www.FresnoFilmworks.org or call (559) 221-0755.

Friday, April 18
5:15 PM
Cineculture Club presents: Bombies (2001)

Director: Jack Silberman. 57 min. Between 1964 and 1973 the United States conducted a secret air war, dropping over 2 million tons of bombs and making tiny Laos the most heavily bombed country in history. Millions of these 'cluster bombs' did not explode when dropped, leaving the country massively contaminated with 'bombies' as dangerous now as when they fell 30 years ago. Bombies examines the problem of unexploded cluster bombs through the personal experiences of a group of Laotians and foreigners and argues for their elimination as a weapon of war. Unfortunately they are still a standard part of the US arsenal and were dropped in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq._ Golden Gate Award, San Francisco International Film Festival.

Post-screening discussants: Lao Student Association

This film will be shown in McLane 121. Parking is relaxed after 4:30 PM on Fridays in area parking lots. Check the campus map to see which parking area is most convenient. http://www.csufresno.edu/univrelations/map/

Friday, April 18
6:30 - 8:30 PM
The Reedley Peace Center presents speaker: Dr. James C. Juhnke, retired professor of history. Topic: The Missing Peace Revisited. What events have happened, what new books have been written, and what new insights have been gained about the quest for nonviolent alternatives in U.S. history that would lead Jim Juhnke and Carol Hunter to make changes or additions to their book, "The Missing Peace"?

Light potluck at 6:30. Program begins at 7 pm. This event is sponsored by the Reedley Peace Center and will be held at the Fellowship Hall of First Mennonite Church, on 'L' street between 12th and 13th streets in Reedley. Admission is free. Contact Don Friesen by email at dfriesen0@gmail.com

Saturday, April 19
8 AM -6 PM
Alternatives to Violence Project workshop. Enjoy a hands-on experiential, conflict resolution workshop where you’ll connect deeply with others, laugh, share, listen while learning ways to reduce conflict in your world, your classroom, your family, or at work. This event will be held at 1055 N Van Ness Ave Suite D in Fresno on two consecutive Saturdays (April 19 & 26). For more information and to reserve your spot, contact Pat Hardy 800 905-6765.

Saturday, April 19
8 AM - 4 PM (Registration & morning refreshments at 7:30)
Faith in Violence-Free Families: Building Partnerships for Change A Workshop for Faith Leaders and Domestic Violence Prevention Advocates

Sponsors: Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno, Fresno Metro Ministry, Interfaith Social Justice Collaborative, Transforming Communities, CA Department of Public Health

Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno
2111 East Nees Ave Fresno, CA 93720

Saturday, April 19
1 - 4 PM
Earth Day Celebration - held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno, 2672 E Alluvial Avenue (between Chestnut & Willow). Looking for an intergenerational, safe neighborhood that’s Earth friendly? Concerned about the future of the planet? Interested in hearing about one community’s plans to address these issues?

Fresno Cohousing Presents Living Earth Day Every Day in the Greenest Neighborhood in the Central Valley! Includes site tours of the developing community (hard shoes and long pants are required to enter the construction site) and a panel discussion about energy-efficient sustainable design and community living. The panel is scheduled to include current cohousing residents, representatives of the Fresno Green Program, the Fresno Planning Commission and City Council, and the general contractor for La Querencia, Byldan Construction, designers of sustainably-built homes such as the award-winning Sunset Magazine Green Idea Home. There will be educational opportunities offered by some of the greenest local businesses and agencies, and screenings of the award-winning film Kilowatt Ours, A Plan to Re-Energize America (see April 22 Earth Day listing in this calendar for additional showing). Supervised children’s activities.

Refreshments served. Wheelchair accessible. More information at info@fresnocohousing.org , 866-246-7717, www.fresnocohousing.org

Saturday, April 19
2 – 4 PM
Community garden Ribbon cutting - Corner of 4th and Lake Street in Madera Celebrate Earth Day…Help us dedicate our community garden, which will provide delicious fruits, herbs, and vegetables as well as a beautiful outdoor setting for the entire community to enjoy. Fun, free activities, snacks, and seedling planting! All are welcome! Sponsored by: Madera youth leaders, madera coalition for community justice, the city of madera, parks & community services. For more information, contact:

Catherine Garoupa
Community Organizer
Central Valley Air Quality Coalition
Madera Coalition for Community Justice
(559) 232-1698
www.calcleanair.org
www.maderacoalition.wetpaint.com

Tuesday, April 22
Earth Day
For information about the origin of Earth Day, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day

Tuesday, April 22
7 PM
Earth Day - the film: Kilowatt Hours will be shown at Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno, 2672 E Alluvial (between Chestnut & Willow). What would you find if you traced the wires from your light switch to the energy source? Come find out in this lighthearted yet serious documentary about America’s voracious appetite for coal-generated energy and the toll it takes on the Earth and its inhabitants. Leaving the devastation behind, the story turns to hope-filled examples of conservation, efficiency and renewable power projects in progress across our country. After the 1hour film, we’ll have a lively discussion about creative energy conservation and generation projects in our area. See a brief clip of the movie at http://www.kilowattours.org/energy-conservation-film.php . For more info, call Connie Young at 225-2547.

Thursday, April 24
12 Noon - 1 PM
Women in Black will hold a silent vigil at the CSUF free speech area. Women in Black is a world-wide network of women committed to peace with justice and actively opposed to injustice, war, militarism and other forms of violence. As women experiencing these things in different ways in different regions of the world, we support each other's movements. Co-sponsored by: POWER, Campus Peace & WILPF. Please call Meta Schettler 278-4593 or email mschettl@csufresno.edu for more information or see www.womeninblack.org to learn more about Women in Black worldwide.

Thursday, April 24
4:30 - 7:30 PM
A reception to honor the Work and Retirement of Rev. Walt Parry will be held at Artes Americas in Downtown Fresno. Walt Parry was the director of Fresno Metro Ministry for the past 23 years. For more information contact Edie Jessup at 559-485-1416 or edie@fresnometmin.org . Also see: www.fresnometroministry.org

Friday, April 25
5:15 PM
Cineculture Club presents: Fuerza y Coraje (Strength and Courage) (2003). Director: Federico Velasco. 52 min. Spanish w/English subtitles. A film that centers around disability and the Olympics in Mexico.

Post screening discussant: director, Federico Velasco

This film will be shown in McLane 121. Parking is relaxed after 4:30 PM on Fridays in area parking lots. Check the campus map to see which parking area is most convenient. http://www.csufresno.edu/univrelations/map/

Friday, April 25
6:30 - 8:30 PM
The Reedley Peace Center presents speaker: Dr. Zach Hall, past president of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Topic: Stem Cell Research: the Intersection of Science, Culture and Politics.

Light potluck at 6:30. Program begins at 7 pm. This event is sponsored by the Reedley Peace Center and will be held at the Fellowship Hall of First Mennonite Church, on 'L' street between 12th and 13th streets in Reedley. Admission is free. Contact Don Friesen by email at dfriesen0@gmail.com

Saturday, April 26
9 AM - 2 PM
1^st Annual Green Hope Veterans Earth Day Picnic and Art Show at the Woodward Park Lakeview Shelter. Guest speakers on: Energy Conservation, Ecotourism, Recycling, Homeless Veterans. For more information call 559 496-0794.

Saturday, April 26
8 - 10 PM
A Concert for Peace in the Middle East. A Muslim family and a Jewish family are sponsoring a concert for peace in the Middle East. Kamal & Aimee Abu-Shamsieh and Paul Pierce & Patience Milrod invite are inviting you to attend and support: A Time for Peace: ZAMAN El SALAM,

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno
2672 E. Alluvial Ave (between Chestnut & Willow)
Clovis, CA 93611
Limited Seating / Ticket $ 25.00
Presenting: The Yuval Ron Ensemble

The Concert will benefit The Interfaith Youth Alliance / IFYA and will feature the stunning young Palestinian singer Najwa Gibran, Aziz, the authentic Whirling Dervish of the Mevlavi Sufi Order - and led by Oscar winning composer and Israeli peace activist Yuval Ron. An evening of Sacred Sufi music from the Turkish, Egyptian and Pakistani traditions and devotional music from the Moroccan-Jewish and Yemenite-Jewish music heritages. Join us as Friends of the Concert for an additional $35.00. Details (559) 244-9360 www.ifya-net.org  Email: shamsieh@sbcglobal.net . Reserve Tickets: Mail a check payable to IFYA to: P. O. Box 26134 Fresno, CA 93729

Sunday, April 27
10 AM - 5 PM
Earth Day Event in North Fork.

This event is sponsored and supported by the local Mono tribe Rancheria. Booths will be located at the NF School but additional art and nature venues are planned for other NF locations as well. This year's theme is: Reverence for Earth and all Life. They are seeking local artists who would like to help organize the music and arts program as well as a couple of people to help put together the environmental education activities. If you have any questions or suggestions please contact: Naomie Poran nporan@aol.com 559-682-3006

Sunday April 27
5 - 9 PM
Full Circle Brewing Co Presents Roger Perry opening for Duck Baker Blues Guitarist on tour from London England. $10. 620 F St. Downtown Fresno 559-264-6323 www.fullcirclebrewing.com

Monday, April 28
12:30 3:30 PM
The Immigrant Community has Rights! The Immigrant Community has a Voice! The Immigrant Community has a Vote!

Service Providers: do you work directly with community members struggling to improve their lives? Do you think the Immigrant Community's interests should be fairly represented by government? Do you think ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Raids Unfairly Target Hardworking Immigrant Communities? You can make a difference by educating people about VOTING!

AFSC Proyecto Campesino and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center invites service providers in Tulare County to participate in a workshop on voter outreach & education and protecting people from ICE raids Immigration lawyers and advocates will train service providers on: How to educate your clients and community about their rights during ICE raids. How voting is related to ICE raids Why voting is crucial for immigrant rights How voting improves the lives of your

clients and community members How you can support your clients and community members to inform themselves about issues and exercise their right to vote Advocates will discuss: How voting is relevant to the issues they are addressing with the community Strategies to protect immigrants from raids Strategies to easily integrate voter outreach into their daily work routines with clients.

Location: Community Service Employment and Training, 312 N.W. 3 rd St., Visalia

To R. S. V. P. , or for more info, contact Graciela Martinez AFSC Proyecto Campesino: 559- 733- 4844, Gmartinez@afsc.org

Tuesday, April 29
7 PM (doors open at 6 PM)
Amy Goodman, independent journalist and host of Democracy Now!, will be in Fresno. Amy will be here with her brother David Goodman to talk about their new book, Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times which will be coming out in early April. We will have plenty of books for sale there for Amy and David to sign. The event is to take place at the new, green Unitarian Church, 2672 E. Alluvial Ave (between Chestnut & Willow). For more information, see: www.kfcf.org

Thursday, May 1
International Workers Day
For more information see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers%27_Day

Thursday, May 1
May Day march for immigrant rights. For more information, contact Leonel Flores (559) 341-4556 or Leoncio Vazquez (559) 499-1178.

Friday, May 2
6:30 - 8:30 PM
The Reedley Peace Center presents speaker: Elijah Penner speaks of his voluntary service experience in Cambodia. Topic: A Grassroots Development Experience.

Light potluck at 6:30. Program begins at 7 pm. This event is sponsored by the Reedley Peace Center and will be held at the Fellowship Hall of First Mennonite Church, on 'L' street between 12th and 13th streets in Reedley. Admission is free. Contact Don Friesen by email at dfriesen0@gmail.com

Saturday, May 3
10 AM - 2 PM
Are you sick of living in a nation without a national health care program? A symposium towards a national health care program will be held at the Alice Peters Auditorium at CSUF. Free parking in lot J. Speakers include: Dr. Don McCanne, Dr. Jim Kahn, and Sara Rodgers (she is a representative of senator Sheila Kuehl). The Obama, Nader, Clinton and McCain campaigns have been invited.

Saturday, May 3
2 PM
The Pride Community (LBGT&Q) Forum for all Fresno Mayoral Candidates. Open to the public, nonpartisan and free admission. Location: The Machinists Hall, 544 W. Olive Ave., Fresno. For more information call (559) 226-3717. The event is free and open to the public. www.mangen.com/stonewall

Thursday, May 8
7 - 9 PM
Public Forum - Why does Fresno need an Independent Police Auditor?

"Nationally, establishment of an independent auditor is recommended as a best practices procedure for all law enforcement."

"An independent police auditor can accomplish a balance of three key objectives, citizen satisfaction, prudent financial management, and police support." - 2007 Fresno Grand Jury Report

Speakers will discuss why an Independent Police Auditor is needed in the City of Fresno:

Barbara Attard, Independent Police Auditor (IPA) for the City of San Jose

Ms. Attard will talk about what an IPA does, what an IPA can do for Fresno, and how she has provided oversight to the San Jose Police Departments citizen complaint process.

Mark Schlosberg, Police Practices Policy Director of the ACLU of Northern California

Mr. Schlosberg will talk about the legal responsibilities of the Police Department in the handling of constituent complaints.

There will also be testimony from citizens who have been mistreated by the Fresno City Police Department.

First Congregational Church (The Big Red Church)
2131 North Van Ness Boulevard, Fresno

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!

Translation available in Spanish and Hmong.
Sponsored by the First Congregational Church and Central California Criminal Justice Committee
For further information please call (559) 229-9807.

Sunday, May 11
Mother’s Day
This first "The Mother’s Day Proclamation for Peace," was written in 1870 by Julia Ward Howe, the mother of six.

Howe had recently walked the battlefields of the Civil War with her husband and with Abraham Lincoln. She had just written "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." But now, as the Franco Prussian War was beginning, she felt that she could not bear any more violence. She called for a congress of women to gather immediately to promote "PEACE: A Mother’s Day for Peace."

Here’s the full text of what she wrote:

Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise all women who have hearts! Whether your
baptism be that of water or of tears!

Say firmly:

We will not have questions decided by irrelevant
agencies, Our husbands shall not come to us
reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all
that we have been able to teach them of charity,
mercy and patience.

We women of one country will be too tender of those
of another country to allow our sons to be trained to
injure theirs.

From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice
goes up with our own.

It says, ‘Disarm, Disarm!’

The sword of murder is not the balance of justice!
Blood does not wipe out dishonor nor violence
indicate possession.

As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at
the summons of war, let women now leave all that
may be left of home for a great and earnest day of
counsel.

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and
commemorate the dead. Let them then solemnly
take counsel with each other as to the means
whereby the great human family can live in peace,
each bearing after their own time the sacred
impress, not of Caesar, but of God.

In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I
earnestly ask that a general congress of women
without limit of nationality may be appointed and held
at some place deemed most convenient and at the
earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote
the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable
settlement of international questions, the great and
general interests of peace.

Thursday, May 29
7 - 9 PM
Elections Expert and Author Steven Hill will speak at the Unitarian-Universalist Church in Fresno 2672 E. Alluvial Ave. Clovis, CA [North of Alluvial; east of Chestnut]. Electoral reform is the beginning of a fair and participatory democracy.

Steven Hill is senior analyst for the Center for Voting and Democracy, a non-profit organization that educates the public about the impact of electoral systems and the legislative redistricting process on political representation, voter turnout, governance and campaign finance reform.

He is the author of Fixing Elections: The Failure of America's Winner Take All Politics (Routledge Press, August 2002), co-author of Whose Vote Counts (Beacon Press, 2001), and 10 Steps to Repair American Democracy (PoliPoint Press, 2006).

He is a frequent contributor of political commentaries to the Knight-Ridder wire service, and his articles and commentaries have appeared in dozens of newspapers and magazines.

He was the campaign manager in San Francisco of the successful campaign that resulted in San Franciscans voting to adopt instant runoff voting to elect their local government. He also was one of the organizers of San Francisco's successful ballot measure for public financing of local elections. He lives in San Francisco, CA.

For more information, call Larry Mullen 559 227-0293.

This event is free to the public and wheelchair accessible. Central Valley Electoral Reform and the Social Justice Committee of the UU Church of Fresno are sponsoring this event. Central Valley Electoral Reform, www.CVER.org , is a collaboration of individuals and groups interested in making elections in the Central Valley more competitive issue oriented, cost effective, and proportionally representative.

Saturday, May 31
Fresno Barrios Unidos fund raiser at the Fresno Art Museum. For more information, contact: Patsy Montgomery 559-360-4309 or 559-488-4908 x 301

Sunday, June 1
5:30 PM
Physician Dr. Marc Lasher has been chosen as the fourth recipient of California Central Valley's "Outstanding Advocate for the Common Good" for his decades-long efforts to serve the poor and powerless through health care delivery and reform, prisoner rights, and land redistribution. The award banquet is open to the public. Tickets are $40 per person. Scholarships are available, if needed, for part or all of that amount. Reservation forms will be available on-line after April 7, 2008 at www.robinsoncommongood.org . In addition, people may call the United Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, at 559-227-2050 for reservation forms and for more information after April 7, 2008. The program starts at 5:30 p.m. Hope Lutheran is located at the NW corner of Fresno and Barstow.

Saturday, June 7
Gay Pride parade in the Tower District.

Saturday, June 28
The California Central Valley Journey for Justice invites you to participate in its third year journey. The journey has gone through cities and towns of the Central Valley from Lindsay to Sacramento. They seek to help forge a chain of communities throughout the Valley to unite our strength, provide support and understanding to each other as we strive to find solution together. CCVJ4J brings together public employees, healthcare workers, farm workers, religious leaders, urban and rural poor, and community activists into a unified movement for justice and economic human rights for all. For more information call Eduardo Castro at 559 250-2733. www.journeyforjustice.net

Friday, July 4
9 AM - 1 PM
4^th of July Celebration of our Diversity. This is the 11^th annual celebration of our diversity brunch sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance of Central California. This event will be held at O’Neill Park, CSUF Campus (Barstow between Maple and Chestnut). Tickets for the event are $5 (13 years old - adult), $3/child (4 to 13 years old), and a maximum of $15 per family. For tickets and information call 224-4001.

Saturday, October 4
The 4th Gene Bluestein Memorial Concert featuring Peggy Seeger. She doesn't call herself a folksinger but rather a singer of traditional and contemporary songs. She has one foot in the past and another in the present and is always walking towards the future. You may disagree with some of the politics but you won't be bored. An average concert contains both traditional and contemporary materials, the latter encompassing both male and female politics. Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno 2672 E. Alluvial Ave. Clovis, CA 93611 ticket info tba more about Peggy http://www.pegseeger.com/index.html

ONGOING WEEKLY ACTIVITIES/PROGRAMS

Every Sunday
3 - 4 PM
Sunday Food Not Bombs serves free food at Courthouse Park to anyone who is hungry. They start cooking at 1 PM and serve the food at 3 PM (meet at the Tulare side of the park). For more information see: http://cafefresno.org/

Every Tuesday
6:30 - 8:30 PM
The Fresno River Zen group meets in Horsley Hall at the Unitarian Universalist Church. This group welcomes all who wish to seek clarity, compassion, and harmony with oneself and the world through mindful meditation. Emphasis is on bringing peaceful actions from personal experience in meditation to healing the world. Teaching and practice in the spirit of the Suzuki Roshi Lineage is led by Grace Schireson, an ordained Zen priest. For more information, call Grace at (559) 877-2400 or email her at grace@emptynestzendo.org  .

Every Monday and Tuesday
7–9:30 PM
The St. Benedict Catholic Worker serves a meal to the homeless, working poor, and visitors and released inmates in front of Fresno County Jail (corner of Fresno and M streets). Volunteers are needed to help prepare and serve the meals. For more information contact Liza Apper at (559) 229–6410 or Lizaosb@aol.com ; or visit their Web site:  www.sbcw.org .

Every Tuesday
7 PM
Peace Fresno meets at the Fresno Center for Nonviolence at 1584 N Van Ness, south of McKinley. If you want to help stop Bush's endless war against the world, come to this meeting!

For an up-to-the-minute listing of all peace actions in the Fresno area, call the Fresno Center for Nonviolence at (559) 23PEACE (237–3223). For more information about Peace Fresno, call 487–2515 or visit their Web site at www.peacefresno.org 

Every Friday
7 PM
Reedley Peace Center holds it weekly peace meeting at the Fellowship Hall at Reedley's First Mennonite Church, 1208 L Street, Reedley. Programs vary, but the focus is always on peace issues: local, state, national, international. The contact is Carol Krehbiel: (559) 637–9098 or ckrehbiel@earthlink.net . The meeting is free, open to the public, and accessible to the handicapped.

Every Saturday
1–2 PM
Food Not Bombs feeds the hungry near the Olive Ave entrance to Roeding Park.  If you would like to help us prepare our meal, we meet every Saturday at Wesley United Methodist Church (1343 E. Barstow) at 10am.   For more information see: http://myspace.com/fresnofnb

For more information on Food Not Bombs you can contact us at fresnofnb@hotmail.com  or visit the offical FNB website foodnotbombs.net 

Every Saturday
1 PM until the last patient is served
Medical clinic for the homeless, actively injecting drug users, and prostitutes. You can find them near Hughes and Olive Ave. Staffed by Dr. Marc Lasher and volunteers. Accepting financial donations. Contact: 266–0444.

Every Saturday
1–3 PM
Fresno Free Bicycle Repair Clinic. Most Saturdays. Donations of bicycle parts, inner tubes, and blinky lights welcome. Volunteers needed to help with minor repairs. The bicycle clinic is near the Olive Ave entrance to Roeding Park, beside Food Not Bombs. For more info and to arrange donations, e-mail fresnofreebikeclinic@yahoo.com 

ONGOING MONTHLY ACTIVITIES/PROGRAMS

1st Sunday of every month
1 - 3 PM
The South Valley Peace Center holds a demonstration for peace at Mooney and Walnut in Visalia.

1^st Sunday of every month
5 PM
We don't BURN Heretics - We Welcome Them! Atheist, Secular Humanist, Rational Skeptic, Agnostic – would you like to be welcomed too? The Central Valley Alliance of Atheists and Skeptics meets every month to discover ways to promote a secular, rational viewpoint throughout the Central Valley. We invite like minded people and their supports to be a part of our new organization: Phone: (559) 892-0102 Website: www.cvaas.org

3rd Sunday of every month
3 - 5 PM
World Meditation Day is observed to promote peace within oneself and harmony in the world. Held at 7319 N Fourth St, Fresno. Program includes guided meditation followed by discussion and light refreshments. Call Veena Kapoor, (559) 435–2212, for more information.

3rd Sunday of every month
12 PM
Humanists of the San Joaquin Valley meets at the Conference Room at the UU Church, 2672 E. Alluvial Ave. Clovis. They welcome guests and inquirers.  Information at their Web site at www.fresno.humanists.net 

1st Monday of every month
6:30PM – 8:30PM
Central Valley Café Scientifique. Scientists and those curious meets at Lucy's Lair 10063 N Maple Ave, where non-scientists can engage in stimulating (and friendly) conversation about current scientific topics with local researchers and scientists. Café Scientifique is a growing movement, having started in the United Kingdom. There are several Café Scientifique meetings in the Bay Area.  Website: http://www.valleycafesci.org/

4th Monday of every month
7 PM
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom meeting, 1584 N Van Ness, south of McKinley.  For more information contact JEAN HAYS skyhorse3593@sbcglobal.net

3rd Tuesday of every month
7 PM
The Fresno Free College Foundation (owner and operator of KFCF 88.1 FM) Board of Directors meet Machinist's Union Hall at 544 W. Olive Ave, across from the DMV. The public is invited. For more information call (559) 233–2221, e-mail kfcf@kfcf.org  , or visit www.kfcf.org 

1st Wednesday of every month
12 Noon–1 PM
Women in Black– Silent Vigil at the Fresno County Courthouse entrance. Show your support for PEACE and for negotiated settlements of US current military actions! Meet downtown at the Fresno courthouse, and stand silently, advocating for PEACE. For more info, call 278–7140 or 225–2850.

1st Wednesday of every month
7 PM
The Fresno County Democratic Central Committee meetings are held in the State Building Assembly Room. The address is 2550 Mariposa Ave. Call Steve Haze, Chair – 855-8844 stevehaze@psnw.com  or Jay Hubbell, Secretary - 292-4905 / jayhubbell@comcast.net  for more information.

2^nd Wednesday of every month
6 PM for dinner and 7 PM for call to order
The Fresno Stonewall Democrats meets at Carrow's Restaurant 4280 N. Blackstone Avenue, Fresno (On the east side of Blackstone just north of Ashlan).  Stonewall Democrats represent the interests of the LGBT community through the Democratic Party.   Phone: Chuck Krugman for more information: (559) 266-9237 E-mail Chuck at: ckrugman@sbcglobal.net http://www.mangen.com/stonewall/

3rd Wednesday of every month
6:30 PM
Central California Criminal Justice Committee is meeting at the Fresno Center for Nonviolence, 1564 North Van Ness ( Southeast corner of McKinley and Van Ness).

Third Wednesday of every month
7 PM
General meeting of the Tehipite Chapter of the Sierra Club at the University of California Center, 550 E. Shaw Ave. The general public is invited to attend these meetings featuring presentations and slide shows on diverse topics. Meetings not held in July and August.

1st Thursday of every month
ArtHop will be held on two different days of the month; every first and third Thursdays effective January 2008 ArtHop. First Thursday of the month is slated for the Downtown Fresno and Tower District, while the third Thursday is for the Metropolitan Areas (outside Downtown and Tower).  For more information see http://www.fresnoarthop.org/ , contact Maria Franco at mfranco@fresnoarts.org  , or call (559) 237- 9734.

2nd Thursday of every month
6:30 PM
Health Care for All Central California meets at the California School Employees Association, 2501 W Shaw #107 (SW corner of Shaw and Hughes, between Marks and West).

2nd Thursday of every month
7 PM
Fresno LGBTQ Social Group  http://www.gayfresno.com/social/ 

Carrow's Fresno
1484 E. Shaw Ave
(one block south of Fashion Fair)
Get together and hang out

2nd Thursday of every month
7 PM
Monthly meeting of the Fresno County Green Party, County Council, at the California State Building in downtown Fresno. The address is 2550 Mariposa Ave., and is located between O and P streets and Fresno and Tulare. Enter through the main door along the pedestrian mall just off P Street. Call (559) 265–3647 or go to www.cagreens.org/fresno  for more information.

3rd Thursday of every month
FresCAMP (Fresno Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides) meeting. For more information call (559) 227–6134.

3rd Thursday of every month
6–8 PM
Fresno County Bicycle Coalition, monthly meetings to provide a forum for bicyclists to organize, discuss common concerns, and influence public policy. If you are interested in helping Fresno County become more bike-friendly, you are invited to join this group. Please call (559) 444–2065 for more information.

1st Friday of every month
4:30–6:30 PM
Peace Fresno is at Shaw and Blackstone Avenues to protest the occupation of Iraq and other harmful domestic and foreign policies of the Bush administration. Peace Fresno advocates alternatives to war and social and environmental justice. For more information go to www.peacefresno.org

1st and 3rd Friday of every Month
6:30 PM
California Prison Moratorium Project members, volunteers, walk ins welcomed at both meetings. We meet at 6pm at 1055 N Van Ness, Suite C. The 1st Friday of the month is dedicated to our local jail and prison " No New Cages" expansion plans. On the 3rd Friday we have a "Talking Circle" an indigenous style of community dialogue, join us. Both meetings begin at 6 until we are though or when you need to leave "Uncaging the Valley" is a mobilizing effort to unite the our communities about the runaway costs of incarceration. An anti prison conference is planned for the fall and we need your help planning. Your ideas and support are needed and welcomed. This is an effort of an exclusive valley wide coalition focused on this project. Potluck is encouraged but not required. Upcoming, speakers from the anti prison movement are being scheduled. Call Debbie Reyes at 559-266-5901 for more info.

1st Friday of every month
7–9 PM
Dances of Universal Peace. Sacred Circle Dances from Around the World at the First Congregational Church, Van Ness and Yale.