Sunday, January 17, 2016

Upcoming events for the week of January 17, 2016

UPCOMING EVENTS

01/18/16 PEACE MARCH AND RALLY
Peace March & Rally will be held on Monday, January 18th at 11:30 AM at St. James AME Church at 44 Hildebrand Street in Asheville. All are welcome, free. At noon, we will march to City-County Plaza. Call 828-281-1624 or 828-335-6896 for more information.

01/18/16 MLK YOUTH SUMMIT AT YMI CENTER
From 1 - 3 PM on Monday (after MLK rally downtown) youth will have the opportunity to make their voices heard at the YMI Cultural Center on South Market Street in downtown Asheville.. Students from Asheville City and Buncombe County schools will gather to talk about issues facing youth today and the changes they want to see in the community. Register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1iWOXMPvtve9eeAg-zNUVfdTcZ9isFPlqEnFAZLNRHC0/viewform.

01/18/16 TRANSITION ASHEVILLE MEETING
This will be a Common Table Meeting and an open invitation to all who are interested in TA. This will be held at First Congregational United Church of Christ at 20 Oak Street in downtown Asheville. Time is 5:30 to 7 PM. For more information, contact transitionasheville@gmail.com.

01/18/16 CANDLELIGHT SERVICE FOR MLK HOLIDAY
Twelve local leaders will be recognized at this  Candlelight Service. It will be held on Monday, Jan. 18 at 6 PM. Location is Nazareth First Baptist Church, 146 Pine Street off Martin Luther King Blvd in Asheville. Keynote Speaker is Rev. Clark Olsen, subject of the film Murder in Selma; featured poet Jaki Shelton Green, member of the NC Literary Hall of Fame. No charge. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville & Buncombe County invites the community to gather for the 2016 Candlelight Ceremony where we will celebrate our Community Service Award Honorees for their efforts to increase access to and equality in education embodying the legacy of Dr. King. Saint John Baptist Church Choir to perform. Musical guests Kia Rice and the choir of St. John Baptist Church of Arden will also perform. Honorees include the late Arthur Edington, the late Helen Edington, Hazel Edwards, Charles "Tommy" Koontz, Larry McCallum, Juanita Mitchiner, Harriet Ray, Otha "O.L." Sherrill, Jackie Sims and Yetta Williams.

01/18/16 SIXTH ANNUAL KENILWORTH CELEBRATION OF MLK, JR.
The program for the evening is “Seeking Common Ground: An interfaith conversation on discrimination, fear and healing.” Esteemed panelists for the evening include Imam Taha from the Islamic Center of Asheville, Rabbi Justin Goldstein from Congregation Beth Israel, James E. Lee III Associate Minister of St. John A Missionary Baptist Church, and Rev. Dr. Allen Smith of Kenilworth Presbyterian Church. The evening will be moderated by Dr. Dolly Jenkins-Mullen, Associate Professor in Political Science at UNCA. Marvin Chambers a founding member of A.S.C.O.R.E. (Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality) and an icon of the Civil Rights Movement in North Carolina will be hosting. Potluck from 5:30-6:30 PM in Kenilworth Center, 4 Chiles Avenue (directly behind Kenilworth Presbyterian Church at 123 Kenilworth) in Asheville. Program will begin at 6:30 PM in the church sanctuary. DJ Profe$$ah G. will be spinning great tunes, there will be craft projects for children and lots more! Join us as we celebrate religious and cultural diversity in our community and learn from the wisdom of our neighbors.  This is a Facebook event, for questions please contact Kenilworth Presbyterian Church.

01/19/16 CLIMATE JUSTICE AND THE CALL TO HOPE EVENT AT UNCA
Wake Forest Divinity School Presents: Our Common Home: Reflections on the Pope's Encyclical, Climate Justice, and the Call to Hope. This panel event is sponsored by the Wake Forest University School of Divinity's Food, Faith, and Religious Leadership Initiative, and co-sponsored by the Office of Sustainability at the University of North Carolina Asheville and Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina. Panelists include: Jacqueline Patterson-Director, NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program; Dr. Gail. R. O'Day-Dean and Professor of New Testament and Preaching Wake Forest School of Divinity; Justin Catanoso-Program Director, Journalism- Wake Forest College; Dr. Laura Lengnick-Soil Scientist and Climate Change Consultant. This will be held at Alumni Hall at UNCA. Time is 7 to 8:30 PM. Register online at Wake Forest Divinity School.

01/19/16 STATE OF BLACK ASHEVILLE LECTURE
State of Black Asheville Lecture will be on Tuesday, January 19th at 6 PM at Highsmith Union, Rooms 221-222. It will be facilitated by Dr. Dwight Mullen, Professor of Political Science.

01/19/16 NAACP JAZZ AND JUSTICE EVENT
As part of the week-long celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., come out to The Block Off Biltmore at 39 S. Market Street in downtown Asheville after The State of Black Asheville Lecture  at UNCA. This will be an evening of Jazz-n-Justice supporting the Asheville-Buncombe NAACP (a portion of the evening's bar proceeds will benefit our local NAACP branch). There will be voter registration forms available. Come hear world class jazz, support your local NAACP branch, get registered and/or update your registration and sign-up for the Get Out The Vote voter empowerment campaign! You can also support the work of the Asheville Buncombe NAACP with a $30 membership renewable each year. Membership forms will be available. Call the Asheville Buncombe NAACP for more information. 

01/19/16 MLK WEEK LUNCH AND LEARN AT UNCA
Growing through service learning can be act of social justice within itself. Join Multicultural Student Programs as we explore the intersections of social justice, activism, and service learning. In this facilitated dialogue, you will learn ways in which serving your community can inspire social change. Time is noon to 1 PM, location is Intercultural Center, Room 114, at UNCA. This is sponsored by Multicultural Student Programs. For more information, contact dhylton@unca.edu. Open to the public.

01/19/16 WORKSHOP ON IMPLICIT BIAS AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY
Mark your calendars for Tuesday 19 January from 3 to 4:30 PM, in Peterson Conference Room in Blackwell Hall at Mars Hill University, as we welcome Dr. Robert Livingston, Lecturer of Public Policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, as he leads a workshop on implicit bias and micro-aggressions.  Please be on time, as space is limited. Dr. Livingston’s research ranges from micro-level experimental investigations of the psychological and physiological processes that underlie implicit bias (e.g., stereotyping, prejudice) to more macro-level examinations of discrimination in society and the workplace.  We will learn how implicit bias can affect our interactions with diverse student populations and what we can do to make Mars Hill University a more inclusive and bias-free environment for our students. This event is sponsored by the Office of Diversity & Multicultural Affairs, the University Intercultural Council, and the Title IX Office. Please contact Mars Hill University for more information.

01/19/16 SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE
Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ) is a national network of groups educating and organizing white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for racial justice. Asheville SURJ hosts a weekly discussion group on risk-taking, accountability, mutual interest and how to call more white people into racial justice work. Anyone with a passion for working with white people on racial justice is welcome! Time is 10 AM and location is Firestorm Cafe & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.

01/20/16 JUST PEACE FOR ISRAEL/PALESTINE MEETING
This meeting will be at noon at Brooks-Howell Community Room on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. Bring a bag lunch. This is for for sharing possible JPIP initiatives, sharing good reads, discussing issues. Contact Suchi at suchi1025@bellsouth.net for more information.

01/20/16 FILM SCREENING AT UNCA
The film to be shown is called “Tested”. The gap in opportunities for different races in America remains extreme. Nowhere is this more evident than our nation’s top public schools. In New York City, where blacks and Hispanics make up 70% of the city’s school-aged population, they represent less than 5% at the city’s most elite public high schools. Meanwhile Asian Americans make up as much as 73%. This documentary follows a dozen racially and socioeconomically diverse 8th graders as they fight for a seat at one of these schools. Their only way in: to ace a single standardized test. “Tested” includes the voices of such education experts as Pedro Noguera and Diane Ravitch as it explores such issues as access to a high-quality public education, affirmative action, and the model-minority myth. Location is Alumni Hall at Highsmith Student Union at UNCA. Time is 6 PM. Presented by Multicultural Student Programs. For more information, contact dhylton@unca.edu. Open to the public.

01/20/16 SPIRIT OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR AWARD PROGRAM
Special guest speaker will be Dr. Robert W. Livingston. Doors open at 11:30 AM, event starts at noon, with the keynote address and program starting at 1:30 PM. This is at the Event Center on the campus of AB Tech at 340 Victoria Road in Asheville. Each year, Mission Health & MAHEC partner to present two deserving employees with this award. Please join us for this special event to honor the 2016 recipients. No contact information.

01/20/16 GREEN DRINKS
Subject is Transition Asheville -Time Bank. Time is 5 PM and location is The Spot at 76 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville. This is under Meet Up, no contact information given.

01/21/16 MLK WEEK KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT UNCA
 Asheville native Terry Bellamy was elected to the Asheville City Council in 1999 and, in 2005, became Asheville’s first African American mayor. During her eight-year tenure as mayor, she shared her vision for a unified community that worked together to address challenges and took advantage of opportunities for the future. While she was in office, Asheville received accolades and recognitions too numerous to mention. Bellamy currently serves as the Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator/Communication Specialist for the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville. Free and open to the public. Time is 7 PM and location is Lipinsky Auditorium. 

01/21/16 “Welcome Home Tour” is a tour of Asheville organizations that serve the homeless population. Registration required, free to attend. Time is 11 AM. Call 258-1695 for more information and for instructions on how to register.

01/22/16 FILM SHOWING AT UNCA
“Selma” will be shown at 8 PM at Highsmith Union, The Grotto, at UNCA. This is a chronicle of Martin Luther King's campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. Open to the public.

01/22/16 PRACTICING CONNECTION AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Friday, January 22, 6 PM at West Asheville Library at 942 Haywood Road in west Asheville. ”Practicing Connection," interactive communication skills with Cathy Holt. Learn to listen with empathy. More information please call 828-545-9681. Free.

01/22/16 PINK OUT ROE DAY RALLY IN PACK SQUARE
Join us in solidarity as we celebrate the passing of Roe v. Wade in Pack Square. Please wear pink and please bring a friend. We will have our large “Care Happens Here” banner, we will be passing out condoms, we will be holding up signs, and probably doing some cheers and chants. Feel free to make your own signs. Anti-choice protesters may also be there, so I am going to ask that we follow Planned Parenthood protocol and choose to not engage with them. Contact Elisabeth at elisabeth.jones@ppsat.org.  Time is 12:30 to 2:30 PM.

01/23/16  HOW DO WE FIX OUR BROKEN WORLD?
We need hope, we need change, we need justice - and we have help. In this divided world Maitreya, the world teacher, is stepping forward. His mission has begun. Mastery and his group of enlightened teachers, are here to help us reverse the damage we have done to our planet and inspired us to create a new civilization based on sharing the world’s resources and justice - the way to lasting peace. Free presentations at 2 PM at Asheville Friends Meeting at 227 Edgewood Road in Asheville NC. Please call McNair at 828-398-0609 for more information. Sponsored by Share International Southeast.

01/23/16 OPERATION SAFE WINTER
Operation Safe Winter is a Global human rights campaign with high hopes of improving the health and living conditions of people living on the street. The Asheville NC based group has teamed up with members from surrounding areas to inspire others to provide resources for those who ultimately face cruel and often deadly .If you are thinking / interested in Joining this effort to help those in need; listed below are several ways to to save lives by giving the homeless and the critically poor the tools they need to survive at least one more season. This is a Facebook event, please go to listing to see needed items. Time is 1 to 5 PM and location is Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville.

01/25/16 BUILDING BRIDGES - FULL
Our next session start date is January 25, 2015 and runs through March 21, 2015. Time is 7 - 9 PM each night. Location is  MAHEC, 123 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC. Cost is $35. Please go to their website and fill out the application and pay $35 either through the paypal link or send a check for $35 to Building Bridges, PO Box 63, Asheville, NC 28802. This seminar is an introduction to the dynamics of racism and is an opportunity to explore how race has impacted our relationships, communities and institutions. Past participants are welcome. Encourage and recommend individuals as well as organizations that you know to participate in Building Bridges. If you are an alumni of the Building Bridges Seminars, you may apply to become a Co-Facilitator. To apply for a Co-Facilitator position, send an email to info@buildingbridges-ashevillenc.org for more information about Co-Facilitator Trainings. A celebratory potluck supper will be held for all participants at the ninth meeting. Families are welcome to attend the potluck. You may call (828) 777-4585 for more information, including how to register. Spring session is now full, but you can call to be waitlisted for the fall session.

01/25/16 UNITED TO RESTORE DEMOCRACY MEETING
United to Restore Democracy (the local group formerly known as MABCO) will be hosting a planning meeting reviewing projects we have been working on, and things we hope to achieve this year, in addition to our regular business.  Our meeting will be on Monday, January 25th at the North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Avenue, from 7 - 8:30 PM. Due to the MLK holiday, we will NOT be meeting this month on our regularly scheduled 3rd Monday of the month, but rather the 4th Monday of the month. United to Restore Democracy (Asheville) is a local non-partisan citizens group that has organized to overturn the destructive Citizens United decision and reclaim the liberties and privileges guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution for real, living, breathing people. Our group is part of a larger State and National movement to educate, empower, and bring awareness to the issues related to corporate personhood, the corruptive influence of money in politics and the impacts that has on the local, state and national community. For more information, contact Diana at dianakruk@gmail.com.

01/25/16 WNC MORAL MONDAY TOWN HALL & NEWS CONFERENCE
Join us on January 25th in Asheville, NC as people from across Western North Carolina come together for a Moral Monday Town Hall to remind us what is really at stake in 2016. We will hear from Rev. Barber and local people who have been impacted by the extreme policies passed over the last four years, including the denial of Medicaid Expansion, the defunding of public education, the attack on voting rights, and more. Doors will open at 5:30 PM and program starts at 6 PM. Location is the Hill St. Baptist Church at 135 Hill Street in Asheville. If you have any questions, contact Asheville Buncombe NAACP president, Carmen Ramos-Kennedy, at 4ward2gethercall2action@gmail.com.

01/26/16 PUBLIC HEARING FOR DUKE GAS PLANT
Public Hearing for Duke Natural Gas Plant will be held on January 26 at 7 PM at the Buncombe County Courthouse in downtown Asheville. The North Carolina Utilities Commission will hold a public hearing on Duke Energy's proposal to construct a 752-Megawatt Natural Gas-Fueled power plant in Buncombe County. MountainTrue and our partners question the size of the power plant as being larger than needed and want to see real commitments to cleaner, safer, more affordable solutions like energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. The hearing is a chance for members of the public to make their voices heard about this important project. Also, see post below events for more information on this public hearing. Contact Mountain True for more information at creationcare@mountaintrue.org.

01/27/16 GREEN DRINKS
Subject is Asheville Beyond Coal by Mountain True. Time is 5 PM and location is The Spot at 76 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville. This is under Meet Up, no contact information given.

01/28/16 CREATION CARE ALLIANCE MEETING
Creation Care Alliance General Meeting will be on January 28 from 5:30-7 PM. The Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina (CCAWNC, formerly WNC Green Congregations) is a network of people of faith and congregations who have united around a moral and spiritual call to preserve the integrity, beauty and health of God’s creation. We work to bring practical and hopeful solutions to our congregations and broader secular communities by engaging hearts and minds through education, service and advocacy. Our work is an expression of our love of God and God’s love for the earth and all life.With limited resources but lots of passion, CCAWNC has been able to accomplish some amazing things in the past two and a half years: three prayer vigils, a climate and faith forum, two clergy breakfasts, public educational events, and multiple advocacy initiatives, just to name a few. Now, we need to take our efforts to a new and even more effective level and are seeking partners and supporters to invest in this good work so that we can build even more creative and effective events and programs in the coming years.Location is the First Baptist Church of Asheville at 5 Oak Street in downtown Asheville.

01/29/16 COMMUNITY DEBATES
Asheville and area residents are invited to attend a community debate in which four prominent citizens will debate against, and in support of, the different resolutions. The three-part debate series will take place on Friday evenings at 5:30 PM in the Asheville High School auditorium, November 13, January 29, and April 8, 2016. Two-person teams will debate substantive issues including race relations, and the organic food/eat-local movements. (I believe this debate is on the organic food/eat local movement.)

01/29/16 JUST PEACE FOR ISRAEL/PALESTINE MEETING
This meeting will be at 3:15 PM at Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. Meet in the media room. Contact Suchi at suchi1025@bellsouth.net for more information.

01/29/16 JANUARY SOCIAL FOR WORKFORCE DIVERSITY: ASHEVILLE’S HISTORY & OUR CALL TO ACTION
Join us for appetizers, networking and dialogue about Workforce Diversity in Asheville with guest speakers Dr. Darin Waters and Sharon West. Time is 6 to 7:30 PM and location is YMI Cultural Center at 39 South Market Street in downtown Asheville. This is sponsored by WNC Diversity Engagement Coalition. Tickets are required, please go to Facebook for the link to obtain tickets (no charge, as far as I could tell).

01/30/16 SYMPOSIUM ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES
How would you like to make this planet a better place for future generations and the creatures and people here now?  Spend a meaningful day learning how to help create an environmentally sustainable, socially just and fulfilling human presence on Mother Earth. The symposium is called Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream.  It is also called Up to Us: Earth in the Balance. It is an interactive mixed media event, which explores where our planet is today, how it got this way, what is possible now and how we can be change agents for the future. No charge. Location is Rainbow Community School at 574 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Time is 10 AM to 2:30 PM. This is organized by Creation Care Alliance, Rainbow Community School and the Pacha Mama Alliance. Contact facilitators Charley or Pam Rogers at (828) 674-1959 or crogers216@gmail.com or Scott Hardin-Nieri at scott@creationcarealliance.org for more information, including how to register for this event.

01/30/16 NON-PARTISAN GOTV TRAINING AND CANVASS
It's Our Time, It's Our Vote Non-Partisan Get Out The Vote training and voter registration and canvass. Time is 10 to 11:30 AM. Asheville-Buncombe County NAACP in coalition with Democracy NC and Just Us United will have a special Non-Partisan G.O.T.V. Training in the sanctuary of Hill Street Baptist Church at 135 Hill Street in Asheville. A Voter Registration/Canvass Drive will follow immediately after the training. Your help is needed to Get Out The Vote. All are encouraged to attend and then head out to register voters! Completed registration forms to be turned in at 39 S. Market St. starting at 1:45 PM (at the corner of Eagle & Market Streets in the YMI). Stay to share insights on the action, debrief and learn more about future actions including future opportunities engage voters. This is a critical election cycle and only massive numbers of us engaging in this work will get the future we want for NC and our country! Kindly reply that you will participate to Darlene Azarmi darlene@democracy-nc.org or 828-216-3430. Call 704-654-1174 for more information.

01/31/16 AUTHOR EVENT AT FIRESTORM CAFE & BOOKS
“The Product of Our Souls” with Author David Gilbert. Part book-reading, part open discussion, author David Gilbert interrogates the (sometimes hidden, sometimes plain-as-day) racial assumptions that inform modern U.S. popular culture. Framed as a discussion about the rise of early-twentieth century American culture industries such as Broadway Theater, Tin Pan Alley song publishing, the recording industry, and "social dance," Gilbert hopes to center African Americans' artistic innovations during a virulently racist era of American history. Working in New York City between 1896 and 1919, black performers intervened in New York music and culture markets, often reshaping them in their image. Yet working within the contours of a racist American society just as "Jim Crow" laws became the law of the land, black culture workers also came to mark racial difference as much as it symbolized the arrival of the politically-powerful New Negro. The ramifications of this history are immense, and this event will generate a conversation about ragtime, jazz, rock, soul, and hip hop music that explores both the opportunities and limitations that African Americans have negotiated ever since as they've created and re-created the sounds and meaning of pop culture in the U.S. and the world. Time is 5 to 7 PM. Location is Firestorm Cafe & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.

01/31/16 AUTHOR EVENT AT FIRESTORM
“The Product of Our Souls” with Author David Gilbert at 5 PM at Firestorm. Part book-reading, part open discussion, author David Gilbert interrogates the (sometimes hidden, sometimes plain-as-day) racial assumptions that inform modern U.S. popular culture. Framed as a discussion about the rise of early-twentieth century American culture industries such as Broadway Theater, Tin Pan Alley song publishing, the recording industry, and "social dance," Gilbert hopes to center African Americans' artistic innovations during a virulently racist era of American history. Time is 5 PM and location is Firestorm Cafe & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.

02/02/16 CURRENT EVENTS BOOK CLUB
Join host Bruce Roth for a lively discussion on topics of current interest including war and peace, the economy, the environment, and other hot political topics. The February pick is Unstoppable by Ralph Nader. Location is Malaprop’s and time is 7 PM. 

02/02/16 GREAT DECISIONS PROGRAM
The topic is “Middle East Alliance” and the speaker is Samer Traboulsi of the UNCA History department who will be returning form an end-of-the-year visit to Beirut. He will discuss the complex issues of Middle East alliances. The Great Decisions Program is the oldest and largest grassroots world affairs educational program of its kind in the country. Begun in 1954, it is the flagship program of the Foreign Policy Association, a non-partisan, non-governmental organization. The Great Decisions Program's goal is to discuss, debate, and learn about International Affairs, National Security, and U.S. Foreign Policy. Individual lectures are $10 each, full time students admitted free of charge. Each presentation is given at four separate locations.  Tuesday, 7:30pm, Asheville (UNCA, Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center); Wednesday, 10:00am, Hendersonville (Blue Ridge Community College, Bo Thomas Auditorium); Wednesday, 3:00pm, Brevard (Brevard College, McLarty Lecture Hall); Thursday, 2:00pm, Columbus (Isothermal Community College). Contact Maureen at maureen.White@uncc.edu or 704-687-6778 for more information.

02/03/16 SIERRA CLUB MEETING
Learn how you can make responsible wood and paper buying choices that impact the world’s forests. Josh Martin, Director of the Environmental Paper Network (an international coalition of 145+ organizations transforming the pulp & paper industry) will share how our wood & paper buying choices impact the world’s forests. Time is 7 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 1 Edwin Place (Charlotte Street and Edwin Place) in Asheville.  Contact judymattox@sbcglobal.net or 828-683-2176 for more information. Free and open to the public.  

02/03/16 GREEN DRINKS
Subject is NCHIA with MC Tim Sadler. Time is 5 PM and location is The Spot at 76 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville. This is under Meet Up, no contact information given.

02/04/16 AMBASSADOR TRAINING FOR PISGAH LEGAL SERVICES
We will be hosting our next Ambassador Training on Thursday, February 4th from noon to 1:30 PM to provide our board members, volunteers and supporters with an overview of key information about Pisgah Legal Services' programs, plans and fundraising. This is a great opportunity for new board members and volunteers, and anyone interested in learning more, to get an insiders "snapshot" of Pisgah Legal Services. You don't have to be new to attend though!  Ambassador trainings are also a wonderful opportunity for Pisgah Legal staff to hear your insights on how we communicate our messages to the community. We appreciate your participation. Please RSVP to Lindsay at lindsay@pisgahlegal.org or 210.3405 to let us know if you plan to attend and if you would like lunch. Please let us know if you have a lunch preference or dietary restrictions (vegetarian, salad, etc). This will be held at Pisgah Legal Services office at 62 Charlotte Street in Asheville.

02/04/16 EARTH SABBATH CELEBRATION
Please join Creation Care Alliance in welcoming Rev. Steve Halsted, our guest presenter, who will be sharing his wisdom and experience about Earth Sabbath celebrations and will be leading us in an Earth Sabbath service at the close of our meeting. CCA will be incorporating Earth Sabbath worship, led by a variety of local faith leaders, into our 2016 calendar as a wonderful new opportunity for us to come together as people of faith to celebrate and honor Creation. This will be held at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church at 337 Charlotte Street in Asheville. Time is 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. 

02/04/16 DISCUSSION SERIES ON RACE AT UNCA
“Starting the Conversation” is an interdisciplinary discussion series on race at UNC Asheville intended to foster in-depth discussions about race between students and faculty. Free and open to the public. Contact Anne Jansen at ajansen@unca.edu or 828-251-6582 for more information. Time is 11:50 AM to 1:05 PM and location is Karpen Hall, Laurel Forum, at UNCA.

02/06/16 SWANNANOA VALLEY MEMORIAL MLK PRAYER BREAKFAST
Steven Crump will be speaker at the Swannanoa Valley Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast. We invite you to join us in sharing the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as we strive to bring knowledge and awareness of his work to our Swannanoa Valley community. Tickets are $15 for adults, $6 for children. Time is 9 AM. Location is Camp Dorothy Walls on Cragmont Road in Black Mountain. For more information, including how to obtain tickets, contact Diane at 828-545-2583.

02/09/16 GREAT DECISIONS PROGRAM
The topic is “ISIS (Daesh)” and the speaker is Major General Rick Devereaux, Director Operational Planning, Policy and Strategy of the Air Force. He will address the military, diplomatic and strategic steps that are being taken to confront ISIS. The Great Decisions Program is the oldest and largest grassroots world affairs educational program of its kind in the country. Begun in 1954, it is the flagship program of the Foreign Policy Association, a non-partisan, non-governmental organization. The Great Decisions Program's goal is to discuss, debate, and learn about International Affairs, National Security, and U.S. Foreign Policy. Individual lectures are $10 each, full time students admitted free of charge. Each presentation is given at four separate locations.  Tuesday, 7:30pm, Asheville (UNCA, Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center); Wednesday, 10:00am, Hendersonville (Blue Ridge Community College, Bo Thomas Auditorium); Wednesday, 3:00pm, Brevard (Brevard College, McLarty Lecture Hall); Thursday, 2:00pm, Columbus (Isothermal Community College). Contact Maureen at maureen.White@uncc.edu or 704-687-6778 for more information.

02/10/16 JUST PEACE FOR ISRAEL/PALESTINE MEETING
This meeting will be at 9:30 AM at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church at 117 Montreat Road in Black Mountain. Contact Suchi at suchi1025@bellsouth.net for more information.

02/10/16 GREEN DRINKS
Subject is Alternatives to Pesticides Coalition-Building a movement. Time is 5 PM and location is The Spot at 76 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville. This is under Meet Up, no contact information given.

02/11/16 ASHEVILLE TOP FACILITATION COURSE
Register now for the February 11-12 Technology of Participation (ToP®) Facilitation training in Asheville. Master how to lead: focused conversations, consensus brainstorms, and cohesive action plans. Lead meetings using methods that find common ground, are productive and enjoyable for everyone. Registration fee is $655 after January 22, and $605 before that date. 
Call (828-254-0212) or email kathleen@vitalclarity.com if you have questions.

02/11/16 DISCUSSION AT UNCA ON #BLACKLIVESMATTER
This is a discussion of Inclusion in Social Movements. The #BlackLivesMatter movement swept the internet after George Zimmerman’s acquittal during the Trayvon Martin case in 2013. Since then, a highly debated conversation began about whether it was more appropriate to say #AllLivesMatter. Join Multicultural Student Programs, Black Student Association, and the Key Center as we explore this debate and discuss inclusion in social movements. Location is Room 224 at Highsmith Union at UNCA. Time is 6 PM to 7:30 PM. This is sponsored by Multicultural Student Programs and is part of Black History Month. For more information, contact dhylton@unca.edu. Open to the public.

02/12/16 CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME PRESENTATION
Join us on Friday, February 12, from either 1 to 2:30 PM or 7 to 8:30 PM (same presentation given twice) in the Social Hall of St. Eugene for an overview of Pope Francis’ papal encyclical, “Laudato Si’ –  On Care For Our Common Home”.  Our speaker, Dr. Catherine Wright, will discuss why Pope Francis wrote this encyclical and the idea that faith and science need to be in dialog.  The purpose is to give participants an overview of the letter, to discuss how this document is a part of Catholic Social Teaching, and that we are the who that the letter is inviting to ecological conversion.  Come learn what all the fuss and excitement is about.  There will be a question/answer period following the presentation.  This is at St. Eugene Catholic Church at 72 Culvern Street in Asheville. For more information, please contact Cynthia Gibbs at 828-684-3555 or cynthia@gibbsco.com. 

02/12/16 LECTURE AT UNCA
Topic is Asheville’s African American Experience in the Civil War Era. Gordon McKinney, former director of the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center at Berea College and College for Seniors instructor, is the author of several books on the American Civil War. In this lecture he will discuss the Civil War as a time of uncertainty for most African Americans in Asheville. As the war ended, former slaves embraced the new freedom of movement and demanded wages and new working conditions. Many sought to reconstitute their families and establish their own churches and schools. Learn more about this interesting chapter in the history of African Americans in Western North Carolina. This event is free and open to the public. Time is 11:30 AM to 1:15 PM and location is the Reuter Center, room 102A, at UNCA. This is part of the Fab Friday Lecture Series.

02/13/16 PROTEST THE REPUBLICAN DEBATE IN GREENVILLE, SC
Carpools leaving early afternoon -- contact Williams Parker (prkwilliams@gmail.com / 919-724-0961) or Garret Lagan (gklagan@gmail.com / 828.508.6731). Our message is clear: $15 and union rights; No to racism and Islamophobia; Black Lives Matter and Immigrants rights.

02/12/16 LOVE WHO YOU WANT: A BENEFIT FOR QORDS
Hey Y’all!!! It's that time of the year for the third annual Love Who You Want benefit for QORDS. We will have a family-friendly drag show with local drag stars; costume corner; photo booth; silent auction and dance party. Doors open at 7 PM and drag show starts at 8 PM. All ages are welcome. QORDS, or Queer Oriented Radical Days of Summer, is a grassroots nonprofit based in NC that hosts a music based camp for LGBTQ youth and youth of LGBTQ families. Location of the dance party is Toy Boat Toy Boat Community Arts Space at 101 Fairview Road in Asheville. This is a Facebook event.

02/13/16 CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY MEETING
Citizens Climate Lobby meets the second Saturday of each month at Kairos West Community Center, 742 Haywood Road in west Asheville. We are advocating for a Carbon Fee & Dividend, which would impose a fee on fossil fuels at point entry; this fee will be refunded to individuals and families. There is bipartisan support in Congress as this will create jobs and help grow the economy, boosting renewables. Time is 12:30 to 3 PM. For more information, contact asheville@citizensclimatelobby.org.

02/13/16 H.K. ON J. PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY AND MORAL MARCH ON RALEIGH
HISTORIC THOUSANDS ON JONES STREET (HKonJ) had its first organizing meeting during December of 2006. Under the leadership of The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II and the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, TEN years later, we are stronger than ever before! You are being invited to our annual mass mobilization where the second Saturday in February of each year since 2007, we mobilize by the thousands to bring attention to our moral agenda; to stand against the legislative attacks which threaten our rights and agenda; and become better educated on the issues by the experts; "fired up, ready to go" and rejuvenated by inspirational and visionary insight; utilize this opportunity to network and ensure we get out the vote like never before in our history!

02/15/16 ANNIVERSARY OF THE LARGEST ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATION IN THE WORLD
On this date in 2003, people around the world gathered to say NO to war on Iraq. We were not listened to by the US/UK governments. And now we know that the protesters were (once again) correct in their assessment of the potential outcome of such a massive and evil crime. It gives us no pleasure to be proven correct yet again. WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER.

02/15/16 FILM AT UNCA
Join Multicultural Student Programs and Black Student Association as we screen the PBS Film Special, “America After Charleston”, which follows the stories and reactions to the death of nine African-Americans in the June 2015 shootings at Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. After the screening, join in a discussion facilitated by Dr. Tiece Ruffin, Assistant Professor and Diversity Outreach Coordinator for the Department of Education. Time is 6 PM to 8 PM. Location is The Grotto in Highsmith Union at UNCA. This is part of Black History Month. For more information, contact dhylton@unca.edu. Open to the public.

02/15/16 STREET PROTEST OF HEWLETT - PACKARD
Just Peace Israel/Palestine’s next street protest will focus on the HP Boycott again, February 15, Monday (Presidents’ Day), from noon to 1:30 PM at Best Buy parking lot (entrance on South Tunnel Road). HP provides  the Israeli Ministry of Defense a biometric identification system installed at checkpoints in the West Bank which makes it possible to restrict Palestinian movement. This is illegal under international law. Contact Suchi at suchi1025@bellsouth.net for more information.

02/16/16 WNC 4 PEACE MEETING
Meeting will start at 6 PM and will be held at location TBD. Contact Craig at herbzone@gmail.com for more information.

02/16 /16 GREAT DECISIONS PROGRAM
The topic is “Climate Change” and the speaker is Tom Peterson, a widely published climate scientist and current president of the Commission for Climatology Structure at the World Meteorological Organization and recent retired NOAA climatologist. The Great Decisions Program is the oldest and largest grassroots world affairs educational program of its kind in the country. Begun in 1954, it is the flagship program of the Foreign Policy Association, a non-partisan, non-governmental organization. The Great Decisions Program's goal is to discuss, debate, and learn about International Affairs, National Security, and U.S. Foreign Policy. Individual lectures are $10 each, full time students admitted free of charge. Each presentation is given at four separate locations.  Tuesday, 7:30pm, Asheville (UNCA, Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center); Wednesday, 10:00am, Hendersonville (Blue Ridge Community College, Bo Thomas Auditorium); Wednesday, 3:00pm, Brevard (Brevard College, McLarty Lecture Hall); Thursday, 2:00pm, Columbus (Isothermal Community College). Contact Maureen at maureen.White@uncc.edu or 704-687-6778 for more information.

02/17/16 GREEN DRINKS
Subject is “From Kudzu to Urban Food Forest”. Time is 5 PM and location is The Spot at 76 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville. This is under Meet Up, no contact information given.

02/18/16 DINE OUT FOR DEMOCRACY
Dine out and a percentage of your funds will be donated to promoting voter education and advocacy in Western North Carolina. More information to follow on what restaurants will host this event. This is organized by Just Us United. 

02/20/16  HOW DO WE FIX OUR BROKEN WORLD?
We need hope, we need change, we need justice - and we have help. In this divided world Maitreya, the world teacher, is stepping forward. His mission has begun. Mastery and his group of enlightened teachers, are here to help us reverse the damage we have done to our planet and inspired us to create a new civilization based on sharing the world’s resources and justice - the way to lasting peace. Free presentations at 2 PM at Asheville Friends Meeting at 227 Edgewood Road in Asheville NC. Please call McNair at 828-398-0609 for more information. Sponsored by Share International Southeast.

02/21/16 POETS RESPOND TO RACE
Al Black, a Columbia, SC, poet, organizer, and advocate, and Len Lawson, a poet and teacher, will join us for a Poets Respond to Race reading. Black is the author of the collection “I Only Left for Tea”, which is characterized by “quiet intimacy and vulnerability,” according to writer Ed Madden. Lawson’s poetry appears in several anthologies and journals including “pluck! A Journal of Affrilachian Arts”. In the wake of the Charleston tragedy, Black and Lawson began coproducing the Poets Respond to Race tour, which has included readings in three states and aims to bring unity and conversation through poetry. According to its mission statement, Poets Respond to Race “holds open forums on race and diversity to offer a gateway into tough conversations that can change communities in the south.” At Malaprop’s in downtown Asheville. Time is 5 PM, please call Malaprops for more information.

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ONGOING EVENTS
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TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 4:30 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument
Standing up for Racial Justice at Firestorm Cafe & Books at 10 AM

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

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. Call 884-3435 to confirm. 
Third Saturdays – Asheville’s Green Grannies invites the public to “sing for the climate” at Pritchard Park at 5 PM.

SUNDAY
Youth OUTright meeting from 4 to 6 PM at First Congregational United Church of Christ at 20 Oak Street in Asheville. Ages 14 - 23 only.

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ACTIONS AND READINGS
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Tell Governor McCrory: We need a Clean Power Plan for North Carolina!
The Environmental Protection Agency’s recently proposed limits on carbon pollution, known as the Clean Power Plan, is a game-changer in the fight to reduce the carbon pollution that’s driving climate disruption and endangering public health. It represents the first meaningful action taken by our nation to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, the single largest source of greenhouse gas pollution in the U.S. Go to http://www.cleanpowerplan.org/take-action/ to sign the Sierra Club petition to the governor.

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Please pass on to your networks - from Alliance for Energy Democracy:

WNC deserves a clean energy future and you can help!
What: NC Utilities Commission public hearing
When: Jan. 26th, 7 PM (6 PM to sign up to give testimony)
Where: Buncombe County Courthouse, downtown Asheville
Who: Clean energy supporters, family, friends, neighbors, and YOU

Duke Energy wants to build new natural gas infrastructure in WNC that will keep us reliant on fossil fuels for decades to come if approved by the NC Utilities Commission. You can read details about Duke Energy's plan here.

I believe this current plan is a missed opportunity for WNC to become fossil fuel free within the lifetimes of many of us. In December,  2015 195 nations signed the Global Climate Agreement that codifies a net reduction of carbon production from global fossil fuel use to zero by 2050. This means that fossil fuel use in the electricity sector must begin to ramp down immediately and dramatically. Duke Energy's "Modernization Plan" is diametrically in opposition to the science based goals of meeting the moral challenge of global warming. For Duke Energy, natural gas is not a "bridge" to the future, but the future itself - ensuring a hot, inhospitable world for all humanity.

We have this one shot to tell the North Carolina Utilities Commission at their public hearing on Jan. 26th that there is a mix of renewable energy (wind, solar, and hydropower from WNC), energy efficiency, and demand side management including energy storage available in our region to avoid building new natural gas infrastructure. This public hearing is the only opportunity we will have to engage directly with the Commission and to call for a shared vision of a non-fossil fuel based clean energy future for WNC. 

If you have questions about the process and testifying or wish to let others know that you plan to speak, please feel free to contact Richard Fireman at firepeople@main.nc.us.

For Earth Peace,
Richard Fireman
(828) 645-0469 h (828) 206-8877 c

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From American Friends Service Committee:

***CALL TO ACTION***  The U.S. Senate plans to vote on Wed., January 20th on H.R. 4038, "The American Security against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act," which would grind to a halt the resettlement of Syrian and Iraqi refugees. This bill was passed by the House in November, so it is critical that it not pass the Senate. CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY & EVERY DAY leading up to the vote on January 20: Urge them to vote NO on H.R. 4038 and any legislation that would stop, pause or defund the resettlement of Syrian & Iraqi refugees. 1-866-940-2439.


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