Sunday, March 30, 2014

Upcoming events in the Asheville area this week



This image came from a Move to Amend email.





UPCOMING EVENTS

NOW IS THE TIME TO REGISTER TO VOTE. There is no more ‘same-day registration’ at early voting, so please register now for the upcoming primary in May. Also be sure to update your registration if you have moved. Last day to register/update is April 11, 2014. Instructions at the bottom of this email on how to check your registration or help someone else register.

03/31/13 CLIMATE CHANGE, CREATING CARE, AND YOU
Join WNC Green Congregations for a Prayer Breakfast with Peter Illyn of Restoring Eden. Coffee & breakfast provided; event includes a Q&A panel with Peter, Dr. Mallory McDuff, author of Sacred Acts: How Churches are Working to Protect Earth’s Climate, and local clergy and lay leaders. Time is 9 AM to 10:30 AM and location is The Cathedral of All Souls in Biltmore Village. Free and open to the public. RSVP by Friday, March 28th by emailing Rebekah at Rebekah@wnca.org or 828-258-8737 ext 206.

03/31/14 PANEL DISCUSSION ON FOOD SECURITY
A Panel Discussion on Food Security, Access and Hunger in Western North Carolina will be from 6 to 8 PM at UNCA Highsmith Student Union. Asheville is home to a thriving local food movement AND yet still faces hunger issues and food insecurity. Hear from local food organizers about what's going on, what works and what doesn't in addressing food access in Asheville today! Speakers include: Olufemi Lewis- Ujamaa Freedom Market, Susan Sides- The Lord's Acre, Sir Charles Gardener- Gardens United, Randal Pfleger- Bountiful Cities, Brandee Boggs- Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council, Allison Casparian- Bounty and Soul Black Mountain.

03/31/14 PROTEST FOR EXPANDED MEDICAID IN NORTH CAROLINA
Monday is the ACA enrollment deadline and local MoveOn members and area residents will gather at Pritchard Park to attend "Health Care for All". They will gather with signs and flyers in a high-traffic area to remind people that NC politicians are responsible for blocking more than 5 million people nationwide from getting health coverage by refusing to accept federal money to expand Medicaid. In NC 318,000 are not able to receive health coverage! Attendees will be asking drivers to honk their horns for health care, and giving flyers to pedestrians with more details on how they can join the fight.  They are there to demand that Governor McCrory and the legislators agree to accept federal Medicaid funding. Location is Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville and time is 5 PM.

03/31/14 BACKYARD BASH AT UNCA
This will be the 2nd annual edition of the Bash which will serve as a kick-off for Greenfest 2014. The outdoor event will feature DJing by the Blue Echo and a live drumming performance. Delicious vegan snacks will be provided by Rosetta's. Attendees will be able to decorate their own reusable shopping bags and repurpose last year's Greenfest t-shirts into stylish new creations using nothing but a pair of scissors. Co-sponsors: Blue Echo, Eco-Reps, Free Store, African Drum Ensemble. Free and open to the public, but dinning hall charges apply. Time is 12 to 3 PM. Location is Overlook Hall – Backyard.

04/01/14 POLL MONITOR TRAINING BY LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
Poll Monitor Training by League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County on April 1 at 6 PM to 8 PM. Location is West Asheville Library. For questions or more information please contact: info@ablwv.org or jumpstartthevote@gmail.com.

04/01/14 VOTER REGISTRATION TRAINING
Our next general meeting of the Mountain People's Assembly will be focused on organizing a voter registration drive from April 2-April 11 in low-income and marginalized communities. Voters have to be registered by April 11th to participate in the primaries. Voter registration, voter education, and GOTV efforts have been identified as a primary focus for the Mountain People's Assembly and is in line with a major focus of HKonJ (our statewide affiliate that began the Moral Monday movement). We are working to combat the effects of the unjust voter suppression legislation that was passed in the NCGA in 2013. We will be in Lord Auditorium for this important meeting and organizing event. This is a Call to Action to join Mountain People’s Assembly on April 1, 2014 for Voter Registration training. This is a major push to get our volunteers ready to properly register voters to be eligible to participate in the Primary on May 6, 2014. The deadline to register is April 11. It is time to go to work. Come join us to make it happen! Please arrive promptly. We have a lot of work to do - the library closes at 8:00PM sharp. We will have to exit by 7:50 at the latest. Please arrive on time at 6 PM. Location is Lord Auditorium at Pack Library in downtown Asheville. Questions: Call 828.423.6476.

04/01/14 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL OF WNC
World Affairs Council of Western North Carolina Presents “Cuba in Reach? Travel, Trade and Transitions in Havana and Washington” by Jon Elliston -- writer and editor for Carolina Public Press and WNC Magazine. Ever since the Cuban Revolution and the resultant missile crisis that was a defining moment in diplomacy in the nuclear age, Cuba has had a strange relationship with the US. This is cosponsored by the Department of Political Science, and the Osher Life Long Learning Institute. Time is 7:30 PM and location is Manheimer Room at Reuter Center at UNCA. No admission charge to WAC members or UNC-A students. All others $10. For further information, email gpeery@mhu.edu or call 828-242-6380.

04/01/14 ASHEVILLE TRANSIT COMMITTEE MEETING
Transit Committee Meeting will be held from 3:30 to 5 PM. The location is the First Floor Conference Room at Asheville City Hall.

04/02/14 SIERRA CLUB MEETING AND GREEN DRINKS AND WNC ALLIANCE
Time is 7 PM (program starts at 7:15) at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville (corner of Charlotte & Edwin). Sierra Club, Western North Carolina Alliance & Green Drinks will present on “Moving Beyond Coal & Coal Ash Spills.” Emma Greenbaum of Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign will discuss the current status with coal ash spills, regulations, law suits, and plans for moving beyond coal use. Free & open to the public. Contact: judymattox@sbcglobal.net, or 828-683-2176 for more information.

04/02/14 ASHEVILLE BUNCOMBE FOOD POLICY COUNCIL MEETING- RESCHEDULED
ABFPC Meeting of the Whole will be from 6 to 8 PM at the Sherrill Center at UNCA. We got snowed out the first time, but Mother Nature can't keep us down! We are STILL excited to celebrate the progress made across the community over the past year in supporting healthy food access and food systems in Asheville and Buncombe County. Join us as we set our strategic priorities for the upcoming year. This meeting will be a great opportunity to learn more about our work, how we can support your efforts and priorities, and ways to get involved. Haven't participated in an ABFPC meeting before? Want to learn more about us? We'll be hosting a new member orientation at 4 PM prior to the start of the meeting. Please RSVP by emailing us at info@abfoodpolicy.com. Location is 227 Campus Drive.

04/02/14 EQUINOX BONFIRE AT UNCA
Local food-based businesses will be providing tasty samples at this environmental fair and music performance. The Campus Bike Shop will also be on hand showing off their latest rentals and helping with any spring tune ups your two-wheeled chariot may require. Enter a recycled art contest by creatively reassembling materials from the UNC Asheville waste stream, provided by the Student Environmental Center. We're ten days late but we didn't want to miss the chance to celebrate the coming of spring with a glorious bonfire! Come enjoy vegan s'mores and acoustic music with a gaggle of your Pagan friends. Kombucha will be served -- don't forget to take a portion of the 'mother' or scoby so that you can start your own batch at home. Instructions will be provided. Free and open to the public, but dining hall charges apply. Time is 8 to 10 PM, location is Outdoor MLPRK.

04/03/14 DIALOGUE ON RACE SERIES PLANNED FOR APRIL
A four-week Dialogue on Race will be held every Thursday in April from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at the Carver Center, 101 Carver Avenue in Asheville. The four sessions lead up to the annual Stand Against Racism on the last weekend of April. Topics include: April 3 - Racism Hurts Everyone (definitions, film on white privilege, institutional racism); April 10 - Legacy of Slavery (presentation on slave records by Drew Reisinger, Buncombe County Register of Deeds); April 17 - Legacy of Civil Rights Pioneers (panel discussion); April 24 - We Shall Overcome (uplifting film about unlikely friendship between an embittered Ku Klux Klan leader and an outspoken black woman activist in Durham, NC). Small group discussions will follow each presentation. A potluck dinner will be held following the four sessions. Sponsors include the Chamber of Commerce, the local Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Corporation, Thomas Chapel AME Church, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley, and the YWCA of Asheville. To register or for more information, please email robertamadden@yahoo.com or call her at 419-0730.

04/03/14 ASHEVILLE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
Opening Night Film & Reception will be held at Blue Spiral 1 Gallery at 28 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville. All tickets $22. The movie will be “Dancing in Jaffa”. Renowned ballroom dancer, Pierre Dulaine takes his belief that dance can overcome political and cultural differences and puts it into action with one hundred and fifty 11 year old Jewish and Palestinian Israelis. What occurs is magical and transformative. Ticket price is for opening at Gallery and film. No ‘film only’ tickets available for opening night. Encore matinee on Friday April 4- see below. Movie will be shown at Fine Arts Theater in downtown Asheville.

04/03/14 PRESENTATION AT UNCA
Robin Morgan presents “Sisterhood Tweets and Blogs into the 21st Century”. Time is 7 PM in Humanities Lecture Hall at UNCA. Free. For more information, please contact Lori Horvitz, professor of literature and language, at (828) 251-6590.

04/04/14 ASHEVILLE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
The movie will be “Dancing in Jaffa”. Renowned ballroom dancer, Pierre Dulaine takes his belief that dance can overcome political and cultural differences and puts it into action with one hundred and fifty 11 year old Jewish and Palestinian Israelis. What occurs is magical and transformative. Ticket price is for opening at Gallery and film. No ‘film only’ tickets available for opening night. Encore matinee on Friday April 4 at 1 PM. Cost of ticket is $8.50. Movie will be shown at Fine Arts Theater in downtown Asheville.

04/04/14 to 04/06/14 ALTERNATIVE TO VIOLENCE PROJECT TRAINING
Sponsors of this event are Quaker House and the National Association of Social Workers. This is a training program enabling participants to deal with potentially violent situations in new and creative ways. This is an experiential learning model that is valuable for Social Workers, Counselors, Psychologists, Clergy, Court Counselors, Teachers, School Counselors, Case Managers, Military Personnel, Law Enforcement, Substance Abuse Professionals, Physicians, Nurses and other members of the behavioral health and health care providers community. This will be held at First Christian Church in Fayetteville, NC. This is the basic workshop, and there will be further workshops for advanced training and for facilitators. Fees range from $30 to $80 for the full weekend. For more information, call Lynn at 910-323-3912.

04/05/14 RALLY AND VIGIL TO STOP DEPORTATIONS
On April 5th join us along with others from Western North Carolina to unite as a community and let the president know that we have had enough with his lack of action. Immigrant communities all over the country will lift up and let their voices be heard on this NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION, specifically toward one person that has the authority to stop deportations, our President. Every day 1,400 people are being deported in the United States and in April it’s estimated that that number will reach 2 million people, under President Obama. These are 2 million families that have been separated, 2 million children left without their parents, 2 million are 2 many immigrant hermanos that are being deported simply because they are working for a better future for their families. Join us with people from the Western North Carolina and others all over the country to let the President know that he has the authority and he has to act now!! Time is 11:30 AM to 3 PM and location is Basilica of Saint Lawrence in Asheville. For more information about the event call (828) 713-5124 or (828) 273-9000.

04/05/14 KEYSTONE PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE TRAINING
Join the 65 people who've already trained for this non-violent direct action! Time is 9 AM to 1 PM and the location is Asheville Friends Meeting House at 227 Edgewood Road. People can email to reserve a space at dgenz@skyrunner.net.

04/05/14 GREENFEST DAY OF SERVICE AT UNCA
Local food-based businesses will be providing tasty samples at this environmental fair and music performance. The Campus Bike Shop will also be on hand showing off their latest rentals and helping with any spring tune ups your two-wheeled chariot may require. Enter a recycled art contest by creatively reassembling materials from the UNC Asheville waste stream, provided by the Student Environmental Center. University staff, faculty, students and Montford neighbors are invited to roll up their sleeves to plant trees and shrubs and add mulch along Reed Creek, and create a pollinator/edible garden on the green space at street level. Please bring appropriate work clothes, boots, and if you have them, shovels and pitchforks. Work will be ongoing from 9 AM to 2 PM, and a noon lunch will be provided. The first 150 participants will receive a complimentary Greenfest 2014 t-shirt. Free shuttle service will be provided from Governors Hall to the work site through the day. Free and open to the pubic, dining hall charges may apply. Location is 525 Broadway in Asheville.

04/06/14 MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR AHMAD AMARA
Memorial Service for Ahmad Amara will be on Sunday April 6 at 2 PM at the Reuter Center.

04/06/14 ASHEVILLE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF WOMEN
Join members and supporters on Sunday, April 6, 2 PM at Havanna's restaurant.
Asheville NOW is hatching big plans this spring, and we need your help to gather a quorum to approve a new board member, build a team of bold women leaders who are tired of waiting and ready to DO something, discuss new strategies for changing public opinion on key women's issues, change the conversation about women in North Carolina. To RSVP, please contact Debbie at ashevillenow@live.com.

04/07/14 DINNER WITH PROGRESSIVES
Please mark your calendars for the first Monday evening of every month through December 2014 for our Dinner with Progressives.  There is a lot of work to do to try and create positive change in Asheville, Buncombe County, NC and the US. The first Monday of each month at Green Sage Restaurant will be a place where we can be together to have hope for a brighter future as well as a place to commiserate along the way.  Time is 6 PM to 8 PM and location is the Green Sage Coffeehouse and Café at 1800 Hendersonville Road in south Asheville. Please contact Cheryl at 828-258-3327 for more information.

04/08/14 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
Time is 6:30 PM and location is VFP HQ at the Phil Mechanic Studios: 109 Roberts Street in Asheville. VFP Chapter 099: http://vfpchapter099wnc.blogspot.com/

04/09/14 WNC HEALTH ADVOCATES PRESENTATION
“An Evening with Susan Reinhardt” will be held from 7 PM to 9 PM on April 9, 2014. Come spend an evening with columnist, author and radio personality Susan Reinhardt and enjoy her perspective of life as a "Cracked Southern Belle." This event will be at The Millroom at 66 Asheland Avenue in Asheville. Tickets are $20 each. Go to this link for tickets:   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-susan-reinhardt-tickets-10783815683

04/09/14 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Time is 9:30 AM and location is Black Mountain Presbyterian Church library in Black Mountain. Contact Beth at elizakeiser@aol.com for more information.

04/09/14 GREEN DRINKS
Join us Wednesday April 9th at 6 PM at the Lenoir Rhyne University Graduate Center at 36 Montford Avenue (second floor) in Asheville for a presentation on Faith-Based Perspectives on Climate Change. Join us for a discussion exploring various faith-based perspectives on climate change. Caring for Creation, WNC Green Congregations and other community groups will be sharing perspectives. Come out and join this conversation.  Socializing begins at 5:30 and the event runs from 6-7 PM. All are invited.

04/10/14 DIALOGUE ON RACE SERIES PLANNED FOR APRIL
A four-week Dialogue on Race will be held every Thursday in April from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at the Carver Center, 101 Carver Avenue in Asheville. The four sessions lead up to the annual Stand Against Racism on the last weekend of April. Topics include: April 10 - Legacy of Slavery (presentation on slave records by Drew Reisinger, Buncombe County Register of Deeds); April 17 - Legacy of Civil Rights Pioneers (panel discussion); April 24 - We Shall Overcome (uplifting film about unlikely friendship between an embittered Ku Klux Klan leader and an outspoken black woman activist in Durham, NC). Small group discussions will follow each presentation. A potluck dinner will be held following the four sessions. Sponsors include the Chamber of Commerce, the local Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Corporation, Thomas Chapel AME Church, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley, and the YWCA of Asheville. To register or for more information, please email robertamadden@yahoo.com or call her at 419-0730.

04/10/13 CHILDREN FIRST FUND RAISER
Children First/Communities in Schools needs your help to improve the education of our children. At our “Are you Smarter than an Elementary School Student? Event” we are trying to raise $10,000 to support the programs of Children First/Communities In Schools. This includes support for our after school Learning Centers and our Advocacy work. The Learning Centers provide a safe haven afterschool program, offering academic assistance, healthy snacks, and enrichment activities for up to 60 at-risk children. They strengthen the connections among student, school, teacher, parent, and community, a key element in helping a child succeed in school and prepare for life. As you well know, our Advocacy focuses on improving public policy that benefits the children in our Learning Centers and countless others - as well as their families, communities, and schools. Together, our direct services and advocacy build a community where all children can thrive. We would love to see you at the “Are you Smarter than an Elementary School Student?” on Thursday, April 10, 6 to 8 PM, at the AB-Tech Ferguson Auditorium.  http://childrenfirstcisbc.org/index.php/upcoming-events/  


04/11/14 ELECTION DEBATE
Candidates for District Court Judge, District Attorney, and Clerk of Superior Court in the upcoming May primary will debate at the Buncombe County Judicial Complex on Friday, April 11 at 4 pm. There will be three separate debates, featuring candidates for District Court Judge, District Attorney, and Superior Court Clerk. Retired Judge Gary Cash will be the moderator, and the event will be open to the public. The debate is sponsored by the 28th Judicial District Bar, with the assistance of the Criminal Defense Bar. Time is 4 PM and location is Buncombe County Judicial Complex. Questions may be submitted by members of the Bar to the Bar Administrator, by email at admin@28thJDB.com. Please note if your question is for the District Attorney’s race, the District Court Judge race, or the Superior Court Clerk’s race. The Bar Administrator will collect the questions, removing only the sender’s name, and send them on to Judge Cash. At the debate, candidates will be introduced by name only. Questions will be asked by the moderator, and responses limited to two minutes. A rebuttal to the original question may be offered by the opposing candidate, but this will be limited to one minute. The moderator may ask follow-up questions, and the audience may submit written follow-up questions to the moderator.

04/11/14 SERVICE DOG SENSITIVITY AND ADA LAW
I'm Genevieve Gaea and everyone is welcome to attend this practice lecture regarding Service Dog Sensitivity and ADA Law. The lecture-- both knee slapping humourous and accurately informative-- will be given by me-- A Disabled Veteran and long time Service Dog Handler-- A1C Genevieve Gaea. It is sponsored by Vocational Rehabilitation Super Star and Job Fairy who never gives up on us handi-dandi's, Ms. Tonya Clark. It will be held at Vocational Rehabilitation office at 8 Barretta Drive, Asheville, NC. Time is 3 to 4 PM. Please keep in mind this is the free admission show and in the future you'll have to pay to enjoy the benefits of my experience and professional expertise. Miss Molly May (super service dog, heroic side-kick and loving companion who works far harder for doggy kibble and hugs than any human would) will be available for petting and kisses AFTER the lecture.  Please RSVP by calling 828-484-9389.

04/13/14 PISGAH LEGAL SERVICES EVENT
Please Join Us for a “DOWNTOWN DECO EVENT” from 5-7 PM at Kimmel & Associates, Art Deco 4th Floor, 25 Page Avenue, Asheville (entrance in ally between Grove Arcade and Civic Center). There will be wine, appetizers and valuable stories. RSVP to Betsy (828) 210-3444, betsy@pisgahlegal.org. Parking info will follow. Stand With Us Against Domestic Violence!

04/14/14 GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION ON US MILITARY SPENDING

04/14/14 MOVE TO AMEND BUNCOMBE COUNTY MEETING
The MABCO Executive Committee Meeting is Monday, April 14 at 7 PM at the North Asheville, Library. Contact Ruth at ruthachristie@gmail.com for more information.

04/14/14 WATER CLUSTER MEETING OF THE FOOD POLICY COUNCIL
The first official meeting of the newly formed Water Cluster of the Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council will be held at back room of Earth Fare at Westgate on Monday, April 14, from 3 to 5 PM. This will be after the ABFPC Meeting of the Whole, at which we hope to learn more about how Water fits in to the strategic priorities of the ABFPC as a whole and to start prioritizing our Aims into Key Action plans.  If you are interested in helping form policy that affects the food/water relationship, we welcome your input!

04/15/14 TRANSITION TOWN DESSERT POTLUCK AND LOCAL ENERGY ALTERNATIVES
The evening will feature two presentations:  Tom Llewellyn of the REAL Cooperative has mapped Share Economy options in WNC, and Amy Hamilton helped found The Smokey Mountain Hollers Cooperative (smokeymtnhollers.com), a trade network and fledgling local currency effort in Western North Carolina. Come to eat goodies, meet friends, and learn about these two exciting new ventures. Gather and share desserts and drinks between 6:00 and 6:30pm at the Community Action Opportunities Center lower level, 25 Gaston Street, Asheville. Gathering starts at 5:30, presentations to begin promptly at 6:30.  For more info, contact Ron at ronm_a@yahoo.com or 828-545-9114.

04/15/14 A RADICAL IDEA:  EQUALITY FOR WOMEN
Anna Stearns and Roberta Madden will present a program on the current status of the Equal Rights Amendment on Tuesday, April 15 from 6:30 to 8:00 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. Their presentation is entitled "A Radical Idea: Equality for Women." All women and men are cordially invited. Anna and Robbie are leaders of RATIFY ERA-NC, a statewide organization dedicated to making the ERA part of the U.S. Constitution. Current focus is to pass pending legislation in Congress that will eliminate the 1982 deadline and require only three more of the necessary 38 (two-thirds) states to ratify the amendment. For more information contact robertamadden@era-nc.org.

04/15/14 WILD AND SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL
Join us as the largest environmental film festival in the United States comes to Western North Carolina! The Western North Carolina Alliance presents the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival, on tour in Asheville during the week leading up to Earth Day! It is a festival by activists and for activists. For thirty years, WNCA has been a building a community to protect and restore the forests and rivers of our home. The Wild & Scenic Film Festival puts our work–and yours–into the broader environmental and social context, and serves to remind us that we’re participants in a global movement for a more wild and scenic world. Time is 6 PM to 9 PM and location is Asheville Community Theatre at 35 E. Walnut Street in Asheville. Buy tickets here: http://wnca.org/wild-and-scenic-film-festival-2014/

04/16/14 PRESENTATION AT UNCA
As part of the YWCA Stand Against Racism, Mission Hospital and UNC Asheville will host Wise's talk. Tim Wise, whom scholar and philosopher Cornel West calls, "A vanilla brother in the tradition of (abolitionist) John Brown," is among the nation's most prominent antiracist essayists and educators. This will be at 6:30 PM at the Humanities Lecture Hall at UNCA.

04/16/14 GREEN DRINKS
Join us Wednesday April 16th at 6 PM at the Green Sage Coffeehouse and Café in downtown Asheville for a presentation on Al Gore’s famous multimedia Climate Slideshow. The presentation is a comprehensive overview and discussion of climate change around the globe with up-to-date photos and information. Socializing starts at 5:30 PM and the presentation starts at 6 PM.

04/17/14 SPEAKER AND DOCUMENTARY AT UNCA
The Key Center for Community Citizenship & Service-Learning and The Department of Foreign Languages will host the documentary about 1961 Cuba when 250,000 volunteers taught 700,000 people how to read and write. 100,000 of the teachers were under 18 years old. Over half were women. Guest Speaker Sila Reyna from La Vallita, Cuba, will share her personal experiences as a maestra following this 30 minute documentary called “Maestra”. Time is 6 PM and location is Highsmith Student Union, Room 104, at UNCA.

04/17/14 ASHEVILLE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
“A Bottle in the Gaza Sea” will be shown at the Fine Arts Theater in downtown Asheville. Tal is a 17-year-old French woman who has settled in Jerusalem with her family. She writes a letter expressing her refusal to accept that only hatred can reign between Israelis and Palestinians. She slips the letter into a bottle, and her brother throws it into the sea near Gaza, where he is carrying out his military service. A few weeks later, Tal receives an e-mail response from a mysterious “Gazaman,” a young Palestinian named Naïm. And thus begins a turbulent but tender long-distance friendship between two young people that are separated by a history they are trying both to understand and change. All tickets $8.50. Time is 7 PM.

04/18/14 ASHEVILLE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
“A Bottle in the Gaza Sea” will be shown at the Fine Arts Theater in downtown Asheville. Tal is a 17-year-old French woman who has settled in Jerusalem with her family. She writes a letter expressing her refusal to accept that only hatred can reign between Israelis and Palestinians. She slips the letter into a bottle, and her brother throws it into the sea near Gaza, where he is carrying out his military service. A few weeks later, Tal receives an e-mail response from a mysterious “Gazaman,” a young Palestinian named Naïm. And thus begins a turbulent but tender long-distance friendship between two young people that are separated by a history they are trying both to understand and change. All tickets $8.50. Time is 1 PM.

04/19/14 ASHEVILLE EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
Noon to 10 PM - Downtown Asheville. Local Food, Music, Beer and environmental groups. Lots for kids to do!

04/22/14 EARTH DAY TO MAY DAY 2014 WAVE OF ACTION
The Global Climate Convergence: People Planet Peace Over Profit.

04/23/14 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Time is 9:30 AM and location is Black Mountain Presbyterian Church library in Black Mountain. Contact Beth at elizakeiser@aol.com for more information.

04/23/14 GREEN DRINKS
Join us Wednesday April 23rd at 6 PM at the Green Sage Coffeehouse and Café in Asheville for a celebration of our 500th edition of Asheville Green Drinks! Unlike 700 other cities that host green drinks, Asheville is proud to be the only weekly green drinks event in the world. Our event will honor the original Asheville founders and Partners in Education and other community members who have diligently produced 500 educational programs that have drawn crowds from far and wide. Join us for hor’s dourves and refreshments.

04/25/14 FILM SHOWING ABOUT PALESTINE
“Alhelm:  MLK Jr. in Palestine” film showing, with director present, organized by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Location and time to be determined.

04/25/14 YWCA STAND AGAINST RACISM
This year "The Stand" will take place on Friday, April 25 with many events happening around that time. This is a great way to host an event of any size either in your own individual office, school, house of worship, book group, or family. To learn more and to register visit: http://www.ywcaofasheville.org/.

04/26/14 HARD TO RECYCLE COLLECTION IN ASHEVILLE
This will be from 8 AM to 1 PM at the City Public Works Parking Lot at 161 Charlotte Street in Asheville.

04/26/14 EARTH DAY FLEA MARKET AND RECYCLING COLLECTION IN BLACK MOUNTAIN
This will be from 8 AM to 11 AM and will be held in the public parking lot between Sun Trust Bank (on Rt 9) and the RR tracks. This is sponsored by Black Mountain Recreation and Parks.

04/28/14 to 04/29/14 CAROLINA CLIMATE RESILIENCE CONFERENCE IN CHARLOTTE
Please join us and other practitioners, researchers, and staff from local, state, and federal agencies to share information about climate-related tools, resources, experiences, and activities in the Carolinas. This will be a very interactive conference geared towards networking and exchange among stakeholders and decision makers throughout the region. This will be at the Hilton Charlotte University Place at 8629 JM Keynes Drive in Charlotte.  More information at http://www.cisa.sc.edu/ccrc/.

05/13/14 CHILD WATCH TOUR
The annual Child Watch Tour will be Tuesday, May 13th, 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM and we will once again offer a "lunch-only" option for those unable to join us for the half day. We hope you'll join us to explore why Transportation Matters for Kids. Did you know that a majority of Asheville's bus riders are non-elective - meaning the bus is their primary source of transportation? That Asheville's busses don't run on Sundays? What does that mean for the many families that rely on public transportation to visit the grocery store, take a child to a doctor, or get to work or school? Child Watch Tour participants will better understand the transportation challenges faced by many low-wage working parents as they try to meet their families' basic needs. We will explore the individual stories and the policy decisions that define our public transportation systems in Buncombe County. Full tour is $15 and lunch only is $10. Some scholarships are available. Go here to register: http://statevoices.salsalabs.com/o/512/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=555

05/18/14 MALCOLM X FESTIVAL IN GREENVILLE SC
Hours are 2 PM to 8 PM and location is Cleveland Park (East Washington Street & Cleveland Park Drive) in Greenville SC.

07/24/14 TO 07/27/14 VETERANS FOR PEACE ANNUAL CONVENTION
This will be held at UNCA. More information to follow.

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ONGOING EVENTS
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TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument

WEDNESDAY
Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville

THURSDAY
Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 2 PM at Firestorm Cafe
Youth Outright Poetry Night at United Church of Christ in Asheville at 5 PM

FRIDAY
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville
Women in Black have a monthly vigil at 5 PM at Vance Monument in Asheville (first Friday only)

SATURDAY
Transylvanians for Peace and WNC Physicians for Social Responsibility have a weekly vigil at noon in front of the courthouse in Brevard
Third Saturdays – Asheville’s Green Grannies invites the public to “sing for the climate” at Vance Monument at 5 PM.

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ACTIONS AND READINGS
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LOCAL BUS TO DC TO STOP THE KEYSTONE XL

The last chapter in the fight over the Keystone XL pipeline is about to be written. On April 27th we will march with tens of thousands of others from around our two nations (US and Canada) to demand that President Obama reject this pipeline once and for all. Locally, our own Elly Richards is one of several who have stepped forward to organize buses from our area up to DC and back. The following is from Elly:

“I am putting out the word to collect the names of folks who want to go up to D.C. in a bus for the April 27th rally. One person suggested that maybe it could be done without an overnight in D.C. instead of the night before. Please indicate if you would prefer going up Saturday spending the night or very early Sunday morning. When I have a general count of how many people are interested in busing up to D.C., I'll contact the bus companies and check on prices.”

So if you're interested, let Elly know at ellyrvilca@yahoo.com. And spread the word! It takes more than just a few days to get stuff set up with a bus company, so in order to make this happen we have to get folks signed up soon. I hope you can make it. It's difficult to block out the time for these kind of events, but they do make a difference. We've come a long way on the KXL and now it's time to shut it down once and for all. Other battles over fossil fuels await and need our attention.

April 11 is the last day to register to vote in the May 6, 2014 Primary Election in North Carolina!
Do two things:

1) follow this link to ensure that your voter registration details are correct. http://www.ncsbe.gov/webapps/voter_search_public/
1a) Use this form to correct any errors before April 11th. http://www.ncsbe.gov/ncsbe/Portals/0/FilesP/NCVRRegFormv102013eng.pdf

2) Use this form to register someone else to vote: http://www.ncsbe.gov/ncsbe/Portals/0/FilesP/NCVRRegFormv102013eng.pdf


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FROM VETERANS FOR PEACE:

It's been said that there are three kinds of people in the world:

Those who make things happen.
Those who watch things happen.
Those who wonder what happened.

If you're planning on attending the annual convention this July 23 - 27 you certainly won't be among those who wondered what happened. The question is, will you be among those who helped make it happen?

We're seeking volunteers to help out in roles such as transportation, hospitality, administration and logistics to help make this the best convention possible. The more volunteers we have, the less each of us will need to do and the more flexible we'll be able to be in matching each volunteer with the kind of work they're most interested in doing. Once assigned, each volunteer will be provided with an orientation sheet in advance of the convention explaining the nature and schedule of their assignment. Volunteers will be asked to attend an orientation session the Tuesday afternoon/evening before the convention begins on Wednesday.

If interested, please email me, Gerry Werhan (gwerhan@gmail.com), Host Chapter Volunteer Coordinator. Please put "VFP CONVENTION VOLUNTEER" in the subject line, and provide your name, mobile phone number, group affiliation and assignment preference, if any. Feel free to ask any questions or raise any concerns you may have.

I'll add you to our roster and you will be contacted as our plans for the convention and volunteer assignments firm up in the months ahead.

FOR THOSE OF YOU LOCAL TO ASHEVILLE, THE CONVENTION PLANNING ADVISORY PANEL NEEDS VOLUNTEERS TO DO SOME WORK NOW  AND IN THESE WEEKS AND MONTHS LEADING UP TO THE ACTUAL CONVENTION. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE AVAILABLE AND WILLING TO HELP OUT IMMEDIATELY.

Thanks... and Peace

Gerry
704.957.2924

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Three years ago, on March 17th, 2011, a U.S. drone strike hit the small town of Datta Khel in Pakistan killing a large number of tribal elders devastating the people of Datta Khel, as well as the surrounding communities.

Since this strike, one of the largest in history, the American government has yet to even acknowledge that the strike even occurred, or provide any other details on the incident.

When civilian deaths have been alleged, as they have been in Datta Khel, the public has a right to understand the merit of these allegations, and the government has a responsibility to tell us the truth.

That's why I signed a petition to President Barack Obama, which says:

"Investigate and release information regarding the March 17, 2011 Datta Khel drone strike that killed more than 40 people."

Will you sign the petition too? Click here to add your name:


Thanks!

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