Once a top booster, ex-U.S. envoy no longer backs arming Syrian rebels

WASHINGTON — Robert Ford was always one of the Syrian rebels’ loudest cheerleaders in Washington, agitating from within a reluctant administration to arm vetted moderates to fight Bashar Assad’s brutal regime.

In recent weeks, however, Ford, the former U.S. ambassador to Syria who made news when he left government service a year ago with an angry critique of Obama administration policy, has dropped his call to provide weapons to the rebels. Instead, he’s become increasingly critical of them as disjointed and untrustworthy because they collaborate with jihadists. 

The about-face, which is drawing murmurs among foreign policy analysts and Syrian opposition figures in Washington, is another sign that the so-called moderate rebel option is gone and the choices in Syria have narrowed to regime vs. extremists in a war that’s killed more than 200,000 people and displaced millions.

On the heels of meetings with rebel leaders in Turkey, Ford explained in an interview this week why his position has evolved: Without a strong central command or even agreement among regional players that al Qaida’s Nusra Front is an enemy, he said, the moderates stand little chance of becoming a viable force, whether against Assad or the extremists. He estimated that the remnants of the moderate rebels now number fewer than 20,000. They’re unable to attack and at this point are “very much fighting defensive battles.”

A link to the rest of the article.

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Glad to see he finally woke up. We could save a lot of time and money by everyone waking up to the fact that violence does not solve problems and we need to stop doing this immediately. 

No weapons to Ukraine - will only make things worse

Please sign the petition and forward to your lists

No Weapons to Ukraine

An Open Letter to the U.S. Senate

Reject S. 452, "A bill to provide lethal weapons to the Government of Ukraine."

Sign here: http://diy.rootsaction.org/petitions/no-weapons-to-ukraine

Why is this important?

The United States is the leading provider of weapons to the world, and the practice of providing weapons to countries in crisis has proven disastrous, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. Expanding NATO to Russia's border and arming Russia's neighbors threatens something worse than disaster. The United States is toying with nuclear war.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt played significant roles in orchestrating the political crisis that led to a violent coup overthrowing Ukraine's elected President. Nuland not only exclaimed "Fuck the EU!" on that recorded phone call, but she also seemed to decide on the new prime minister: "Yats is the guy."

The Maidan protests were violently escalated by neo-Nazis and by snipers who opened fire on police. When Poland, Germany, and France negotiated a deal for the Maidan demands and an early election, neo-Nazis instead attacked the government and took over. The U.S. State Department immediately recognized the coup government, and Yatsenyuk was indeed installed as Prime Minister.

The people of Crimea voted overwhelmingly to secede, and that -- rather than the coup -- has been labeled "aggression." Ethnic Russians have been massacred by constant shelling from Kiev's U.S.-NATO backed Army, while Russia has been denounced for "aggression" in the form of various unsubstantiated accusations, including the downing of Flight 17.

It's important to recognize Western interests at work here other than peace and generosity. GMO outfits want the excellent farming soil in Ukraine. The U.S. and NATO want a "missile defense" base in Ukraine. Oil corporations want to drill for fracked gas in Ukraine. The U.S. and EU want to get their hands on Russia's "largest supply of natural gas" on the planet.

We routinely recognize the financial corruption of the U.S. government in domestic policy making. We shouldn't blind ourselves to it in matters of foreign policy. There may be a flag waving, but there is nuclear war looming, and that's a bit more important.

Initial signers (organizations for identification):

David Swanson, World Beyond War.

Bruce Gagnon, Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space.

Nick Mottern, KnowDrones.com.

Tarak Kauff, Veterans For Peace.

Carolyn McCrady, Peace and Justice Can Win.

Medea Benjamin, Code Pink.

Gareth Porter.

Malachy Kilbride, National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance.

Buzz Davis, WI Impeachment/Bring Our Troops Home Coalition.

Alice Slater, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.

Doug Rawlings, Veterans For Peace.

Diane Turco, Cape Codders for Peace and Justice.

Rich Greve, Peace Action Staten Island.

Kevin Zeese, Popular Resistance.

Margaret Flowers, Popular Resistance.

Heinrich Buecker, Coop Anti-War Cafe Berlin.

Dud Hendrick.

Ellen Barfield, Veterans For Peace and War Resisters League.

Herbert Hoffman, Veterans For Peace.

Jean Athey, Peace Action Montgomery.

Kent Shifferd.

Matthew Hoh.

Bob Cushing, Pax Christi.

Bill Gilson, Veterans For Peace.

Michael Brenner, University of Pittsburgh.

Cindy Sheehan: Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox.

Jodie Evans, Code Pink.

Judith Deutsch.

Jim Haber.

Elliott Adams.

Joe Lombardo and Marilyn Levin, UNAC co-coordinators.

David Hartsough, World Beyond War.

Mairead Maguire, Nobel peace laureate, Co founder peace people.

Koohan Paik, International Forum on Globalization.

Ellen Judd, University of Manitoba.

Nicolas Davies.

Rosalie Tyler Paul, PeaceWorks, Brunswick Maine.

Sign here: http://diy.rootsaction.org/petitions/no-weapons-to-ukraine

NO MORE AUMF - WAR IS NOT WORKING!

Photo came from US Labor Against the War email.

Subject: No New AUMF

Message: The U.S. Congress is considering another "Authorization for the Use of Military Force" -- a broad approval for more war. This is the last thing we need. These wars are not making us safer but generating enemies. They are not surgical operations, but mass killings, as well as assaults on the natural environment and the public budget -- not to mention excuses for curtailing civil liberties. 

Please sign this statement for delivery to the media and Congress.

Mass shooters in the USA

First, about 87% of mass shooters in the USA are white men - white men with a gun and a grudge, who think they have every right to impose their wishes on other people no matter the cost. White men who think that because they have an opinion, they should always express it and always be listened to - no matter how ridiculous. White men who think "open carry" is acceptable in our modern society. White men who think threatening other people is acceptable, but being threatened in any way is not. They constitute a small percentage of the overall population of white men in our country, who as a group only are about 30% of our population.

But you would never know that white men are a minority in this country, since their overall noise and wealth and constant expressing of their opinions and their feelings of self-importance makes them seem like they are a vast majority instead of a minority  

- dancewater

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Home » Blogs » Margaret Kimberley's blog

Freedom Rider: An Angry White Man Kills Again

by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley

“The stand your ground and open carry laws are a return to the days when white supremacy was openly expressed through conquest of the native population, slavery, and lynch law terror.”

Craig Hicks was a human time bomb in his Chapel Hill, North Carolina neighborhood. He was constantly spoiling for a fight, about noise or parking or anything else that he found irritating. Hicks was always armed, a resident of an “open carry” state which allowed him to wear a holstered gun anywhere at any time. On February 10, 2015, Hicks turned himself in to the police and confessed to murdering three people that day. 

The victims were identified as Deah Shaddy Barakat, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, and her sister Razan Abu-Salha. Hicks had argued with the family about parking spaces but it seems any reason to pull the trigger would have been good enough.

Hicks motive for the killing is murky. Some of his political views could be called liberal and others conservative. But more than anything Hicks was serious about being a white man. He loved his guns and he asserted his right to be armed at all times. It is likely that he had mental health issues, but the sickness did not emerge solely from this particular individual.

Where Hicks fell on the political spectrum is really beside the point. He expressed support for the right to bear arms, marriage equality and abortion rights but more than anything he supported his right to be violent. Because of their passivity everyone around him did as well.

His neighbors are now telling the media about his constant arguments and confrontations while being armed but there are no reports of anyone ever calling the police about his behavior. The Barakats told relatives they feared Hicks but ultimately decided not to call the police either. Hicks’ neighbors discussed their concerns among themselves but took no other action. The complicity led to unintentional enabling and that made the killings inevitable. 

REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE.

Local activist in jail in Maryland

Here is a statement from Steve Norris before the trial:



And this is the link to the full story.

Steve went up to Cove Point, Maryland, to protest a new gas refinery there. He is now in prison.

Climate change is real - from FCNL

Climate Change Is…

Real. The link between greenhouse gases and global warming is as strong as the link between smoking and lung cancer. So: really, really strong. Among climate scientists,  that it's real and caused by humans.

A national security threat. The Pentagon has been saying for a while now that climate change will be deadly. But sea level rise, changing coastlines and humanitarian disasters are forcing the military to confront climate issues sooner rather than later.

A moral issue. The call to care for God’s creation and protect the most vulnerable among us are messages that transcend party affiliation and ideology. Faith groups, including FCNL, have a special role to play in helping Congress admit that climate change is real.

Beyond borders. International cooperation and a focus on shared security can make climate change better (see: some of 2014) or worse (see: Trans Pacific Partnership and Keystone XL).

Already happening. From extreme weather patterns here in the U.S., to nations that will soon be underwater, to millions of climate refugees in 2013 alone, climate change is already a part of our lives.

Our responsibility. Individual and family choices make a difference, and many climate activists are making more radical choices to live out their concern for the Earth. But we need policy change too, and Congress won't act without us.

Here's what you can do:

• Today: Send a message to your senators asking them to cosponsor legislation to make buildings more energy efficient.

• February 26: Join FCNL's lobbyist Jose Aguto for a conference call on climate policy.

• March 14-17: Come to DC to lobby Congress on climate change as part of Spring Lobby Weekend.

• April 1: Apply to join FCNL's Advocacy Corps and organize part-time for climate action.

• Always: Join the conversation on social media with #talkclimate.

Every war is a war against children

"Children from Gaza, who lived a very terrible experience full of pain and horror during the war, send a thanks letter to everyone who supported them and defended their rights." - from the you tube site

Upcoming events in the Asheville area this week

UPCOMING EVENTS

02/23/15 PHOTO EXHIBIT AT RURAL HERITAGE MUSEUM IN MARS HILL

“Our Story, This Place, The History of African American Education in Madison County, NC: The Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School” is on display at the Rural Heritage Museum until February 28, 2015. The exhibit includes historic artifacts, photographs, and videos. Works by Charity Ray are also on display as part of the exhibit. The Rural Heritage Museum is open daily (except Mondays) from 1-5 PM and by appointment. It is located on Rt. 213, in Montague Hall, on the campus of Mars Hill University. Admission is free. 

02/23/15 PHOTO EXHIBIT AT UNCA

Photo Exhibit: Forward Ever, Backward Never. In observance of the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the UNC Asheville Center for Diversity Education will host “Forward Ever, Backward Never,” an exhibition of photographs by James H. Barker of the 1965 voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery. The exhibition is free and open to the public and will be on view from Feb. 2– 27 in the lobby of Karpen Hall on the UNC Asheville campus. Hours are 8 AM to 9 PM.

02/23/15 LECTURE AT UNCA

Mandy Carter is the National Coordinator for the Bayard Rustin Commemoration Project of the National Black Justice Coalition. Her talk with build the connections between the work of Bayard Rustin, organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, with the fight for equal rights for LGBTQ community and the current deterioration of voting rights in North Carolina and across the country. Talk is called “From Selma to Stonewall”.  Time is 7 PM and location is Karpen Hall, room 038.

02/24/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON RUSSIA AND THE NEAR ABROAD

“Russia and the Near Abroad,” with Steven Solnick, president of Warren Wilson College. Before coming to Warren Wilson, Solnick spent a decade abroad as Ford Foundation Representative in Moscow and New Delhi. Solnick was coordinator for Russian studies at the Harriman Institute at Columbia University, and research associate at Harvard University’s Russian Research Center and Center for International Affairs. He will discuss what Russia’s actions in the Ukraine may mean for its other neighbors, and the current situation in Russia as the value of the ruble has dropped along with world oil prices. Free admission for WAC members and students; $10 general public. Meetings are scheduled for 7:30 PM in the Reuter Center's Manheimer Room at UNCA. For more details about programs, consult the WAC website. 

02/24/15 LECTURE AT UNCA FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH

"Unearthing the Weeping Time, and the 1859 Savannah Slave Auction: A Genealogy of People and Place." Dr. Degraft-Hanson’s lecture will focus on a public history project that explores the antebellum landscape and people at three hidden landscapes of slavery in coastal Georgia. Time is 12:30 PM and location is Karpen Hall, Laurel Forum. For more information, contact Dr. Marcus Harvey at 828-251-6177 or mharvey1@unca.edu.

02/24/15 NC WOMEN UNITED LOBBY DAY IN RALEIGH

North Carolina Women United is asking residents to save the date and come to the state capitol Feb. 24 to fight for women's rights. “The more numbers we have, the more attention we will get,” local organizer Sandra Abromitis said. The group has planned a Women's Advocacy Day Program 9 to11 AM at the NC Legislative Building in Raleigh. Participants will discuss NCWU's priorities, including access to health care, civic participation and equality, economic self-sufficiency and violence against women. Writer and filmmaker Dream Hampton will be the keynote speaker. There also will be an opportunity to meet with state legislators and to learn how to advocate for local and state issues that affect women. This event is free and open to the public. For more information including how to register, contact Sandra Abromitis at abromitis@msn.com or 828-686-8281.

02/24/15 RESCHEDULED: COMMUNITY DIALOGUES ON RACE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN

Two local churches have joined forces to offer a four-week series of Community Dialogues on Race, beginning Tuesday, February 10. The two-hour programs will feature films, group exercises, and dialogue, facilitated by the Rev. Michael J.S. Carter of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. The partner church is Thomas Chapel AME Zion Church. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Church at 500 Montreat Road in Black Mountain. The program is free and open to everyone. Interested persons are encouraged to register by emailing Roberta Madden at robertamadden@yahoo.com. For questions call Roberta at 828-419-0730. This was originally scheduled on 2-17-15.

02/24/15 RESCHEDULED: HARRIET TUBMAN PERFORMANCE AT ASHEVILLE MUSEUM

Come Celebrate Black History Month at aSHEville Museum! Harriet Tubman, a reenactment by Becky Stone will be on February 17th at 7 PM. Cost is $8 non-members/$5 members/$4 youth. Location is 35 Wall St., Asheville. Call 828 785-5722 for more information.

02/25/15 FILM SHOWING AT UNCA

There will be a screening of “Freedom Summer” on Thursday, February 25. at 7 PM at The Grotto at Highsmith Student Union. This film is part of a series from “Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle” that documents the summer of 1964 when more than 700 students joined with organizers and Local African Americans to shatter the foundations of white supremacy in the nation's most segregated states. 

02/25/15 INTERRACIAL DATING IN AMERICA STUDENT PANEL AT UNCA

This event will be from 6 to 8 PM and location is Highsmith Student Union, room 224. This is sponsored by Multicultural Student Programs. For more information, email ssnyder@unca.edu.

02/25/15 GREEN DRINKS

This will be a Peace Corps/AmeriCorps Story Hour. Location is Lenoir Rhyne University, at 36 Montford Avenue, Asheville, NC. Socializing: 5:30 PM   Programming: 6 - 7 PM. In celebration of National Peace Corps Week, Lenoir-Rhyne Asheville and Asheville Greendrinks will host a night of funny, touching, and inspiring stories from Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and former AmeriCorps Volunteers.

02/25/15 BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT AT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

In celebration of Black History month, join a host of Asheville musical favorites for an evening honoring the iconic songs of prayer, resistance and hope titled Old Landmarks. Presented by Asheville Percussion and the First Baptist Church of Asheville, this free event will be held Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at the church beginning at 6:30 PM. The evening will include performances by the soulful Kat Williams, the spirited Lyric, songstress Lizz Wright, multi-instumentalist Chris Rosser, River Guerguerian and the Old Landmarks Mass Choir. There will be a percussion ensemble and congregational singing along with special guests jazz pianist Kenny Banks and prominent jazz drummer Terreon Gully, as well as inspirational readings and a community fellowship dinner. The fellowship dinner begins at 5 PM. The delicious ‘Southern Grace’ menu will be fried chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, sauteed kale, biscuits and gravy or apple butter, banana pudding. Child’s menu includes fried chicken, mashed potatoes, applesauce, biscuit and banana pudding. Cost: Adults $7, Seniors (60+) $6, Child (12 and under) $5. Firest Baptist Church is at 5 Oak Street in Asheville. For dinner reservations, call (828) 252-4781.

02/25/15 LECTURE AT WARREN WILSON COLLEGE

At 7:30 p.m. on February 25th, Warren Wilson College hosts an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, featuring a special guest appearance by social justice activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Mandy Carter. Carter is co-founder of the only national organization specifically targeting racism, discrimination based on sexuality or gender identity, and classism: the National Black Justice Coalition. She will be present to discuss how community members may incorporate an intersectional approach to creating social justice in their everyday lives, on a larger scale, and in a sustained way. Alongside the talk by Carter, WWC Theatre will also present a staged reading of an original script entitled In Our Hands: The Civil Rights Struggle to Vote, written by Warren Wilson’s own Laura Vance. Vance is an instructor of sociology and Chair of the Department of Gender and Women's Studies at WWC. She has written this script to memorialize the March from Selma to Montgomery, to explore the history of voting rights in America, and to foster discussion of the roots, present, and future of the fight for equal rights in our society. Following these events will be a reception during which community members can take historic voter literacy tests, learn about new North Carolina voter requirements, register to vote, and chat with Carter and In Our Hands performers. For more information, contact theatrewwc@gmail.com.

02/25/15 DOGWOOD ALLIANCE VOLUNTEER NIGHT

Help spread the message: our forests aren’t fuel! Interested in learning more about the greatest threats to our forests, and helping Dogwood Alliance protect the beautiful forests of the Southeastern U.S.? Want to get involved locally, meet others who are fighting for conservation, and have fun? RSVP for the February Volunteer Night and Pizza Dinner. In preparation for Dogwood’s feature appearance at The Great Thaw, taking place in Asheville on February 28th, we’ll be making posters for concert attendees to hold in our group photo. The group photo will convey opposition to woody biomass as a form of renewable energy. We know Our Forests Aren’t Fuel, and thanks to the growing number of individuals and organizations who are speaking out, the EU policymakers driving this industry are begining to get the message too. Join the Dogwood Alliance Volunteer Night and Pizza Dinner, which will be from 6 to 8 PM and held at Dogwood Alliance office at 129 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville. Contact Emily at emily@dogwoodalliance.org for information on how to RSVP.

02/26/15 QUEER YOUTH THEATRE PROJECT AT UNCA: QTOPIA

An original production created by UNCA's Drama Class, Applied Theatre: The Queer Youth Theater Project and in collaboration with Asheville's YouthOUTright (YO). Qtopia is an original performance inspired by the experiences of queer youth living in WNC Written by UNCA students and Asheville community members. It is directed by Lise Kloeppel. Time is 7:30 PM and location is Carol Belk Theater at UNCA. Also on February 27 and 28. Contact Suzie Morris at smorris1@unca.edu or 828 251-6610 for more information.

02/26/15 TOWN HALL FORUM AT YMI CULTURAL CENTER

“Communities of Color: Exclusionary Housing, the Unbanked and Underbanked" Town Hall Forum. This panel, moderated by Dr. Darin Waters, will examine the financial practices of predatory lending, check cashing outlets, and their impact on the unbanked and underbanked in the community. Time is 6 to 8:30 PM and location is YMI Cultural Center. 

02/26/15 A.R.T. MEETING FOR ADA-RELATED CHANGES

The City of Asheville and Asheville Redefines Transit (ART) invite you to attend our public meeting to discuss changes to ADA transit policies, forms and services. The meeting will be held in the Lord Auditorium at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. Time is 4 PM to 6:30 PM. This was rescheduled from an earlier date, due to the weather.

02/26/15 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS EVENT

This event is for members of the Asheville-Buncombe chapter to come together to establish goals for the local league. Also, we will submit recommendations to the NC state league for their upcoming year. Please join us as a voting member to establish next year's goals!

Location is Asheville YWCA - 2nd Floor Board Room - at 185 South French Broad Avenue in Asheville. Time is 6 PM to 7:30 PM. 

02/26/15 BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY

Poetry Slam. Moody Black and Kimbi of Greenville, SC perform and judge slam entries. Moody Black and Kimbi are spoken word and musical performers who make up the group, Unifyed Sol Poets. In Spainhour Hall at 7 PM. Open to the public.

02/26/15 ACTIVATION TEAM FOR INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

The International Day of Peace Activation Team meets at 6 PM, Thursday, Feb. 26, World Coffee In Flat Iron building, downtown Asheville.  Call me if Rachael Bliss if you have any questions at 828-505-9425.

02/27/15 OPEN MIC NIGHT AT UNCA

And We Still Rise - Open Mic Night, sponsored by Multicultural Student Program and Black Student Association. Location is Alumni Hall and time is 7:15 PM to 8:15 PM.

02/27/15 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

This meeting will be at 3:15 PM at Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. Meet in the media room. 

02/28/15 MARTIN LUTHER KING PRAYER BREAKFAST BY SWANNANOA VALLEY MLK MEMORIAL COMMITTEE

The 25th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Prayer Breakfast will be held at Camp Dorothy Walls in Black Mountain. Time is 8 AM. We are excited to announce that the speaker for the 2015 Prayer Breakfast will be Tyrone Greenlee. Tyrone Greenlee is an Asheville native and graduate of Asheville High School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a community activist who currently serves on the boards of Just Economics of Western North Carolina and Green Opportunities, and has volunteered for many years with the Building Bridges organization. Tyrone works as a mentor and mediator at the Francine Delany New School for Children, and as Director of Christians For A United Community, a coalition of churches which works to dismantle racism and the disparities caused by racism. Tyrone is also a member of the New Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church where he serves as a member of the Deacons and Youth and Music Ministries. He also attends Circle of Mercy Congregation in Asheville. Tickets to the 2015 Prayer Breakfast can be purchased at the Black Mountain Chamber of Commerce, 201 E. State Street, Black Mountain, NC phone - Adult Tickets $15.00; Tickets for children ages 3 - 12  - $6.00  - Contact number for the Chamber is (828) 669-2300.

02/28/15 BLACK HISTORY MONTH PRESENTATION

“Uniting Our City” is the title of a presentations on the history of Asheville’s African American community and live entertainment inspired by African American culture. Sponsored by Asheville Parks & Recreation. Time is 1 PM to 3 PM and location is Dr. Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, at 285 Livingston Street in Asheville. Call (828) 259-5483 or email sjackson@ashevillenc.gov for more information.

03/01/15 VIGIL FOR TAMIR

On November 22, 2015, 12 year old Tamir Rice was shot by a Cleveland police officer. His injuries proved fatal and he died the following day. Tamir was supposedly shot because he reached for a toy gun that the police officer believed was real. This claim has now been debunked by video footage that shows Tamir being shot within 1.9 seconds of the police pulling up next to him - no time to reach for a gun and no time for him to respond to requests to raise his hands. Three months after Tamir's shooting, we are gathering with other cities around the country to bring awareness to Tamir's case, to mourn the loss of a child, and to demand justice. Join us in the park for a community meal at 12:30pm. Speakers from the community will begin presenting at 1:30pm. An altar will be created during our time together. Please bring photos of Tamir, poems, and cards. Time is 12:30 PM and location is Pritchard Park. This is a facebook event.

03/02/15 MOUNTAIN TRUE EVENT

A Home Composting Workshop will be held at NC Cooperative Extension, Henderson County Center,  100 Jackson Park Rd, in Hendersonville. Time is 6 to 8 PM. Learn the ins and outs of home composting with MountainTrue. There will be a raffle drawing for five YukChuk kitchen compost bins, and all will receive discount coupons to purchase YukChucks on their own. Cost: $15 per person. Registration is required by Noon, Friday, Feb. 27. For questions and instructions on how to register, please e-mail MountainTrue at assistant@eco-wnc.org or call the office at 692-0385.

03/04/15 SIERRA CLUB MEETING/GREEN DRINKS

Sierra Club, Mountain True, and Green Drinks will present an update on the effort to retire the Asheville coal plant, the largest single source of carbon emissions in Western North Carolina and the largest source of toxic air pollution from the industrial sector. The discussion will cover recent events and successes, as well as ways to get involved in the movement against climate disruption. Time is 7 PM (program starts at 7:15) at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville (corner of Charlotte & Edwin). Contact: judymattox@sbcglobal.net, or 828-683-2176 for more information.

03/05/15 LECTURE AT UNCA 

“In Her Father's Eyes: A Slovak Childhood in the Shadow of the Holocaust” will be on display from March 2 to March 27 at UNCA. The year 2015 marks the 70th anniversaries of the end of WWII when the slave labor and death campus were liberated. In Her Father's Eyes is the life of Kitty Weichherz told by her observant and devoted father Bella Weichherz. Family photographs and entries in a diary kept by Bella offer a window into the everyday life of birthday parties, the first day of school, and a first boyfriend. The Weichherz family were murdered sometime in 1942 or 43 most likely at Sobibor Death Camp. Dr. Mark Gibney will give the opening lecture on March 5.  Time is 7 PM and location is Karpen Hall, room 038. Contact Deborah at dmiles@unca.edu for more information.

03/05/15 PANEL DISCUSSION AT UNCA

Panel discussion on “Jewish Identity, Social Justice and Leadership”. Jewish leaders from the Asheville community discuss Jewish identity as related to social justice and leadership.The five panelists are Lael Gray of the Asheville JCC, Deborah Miles of UNCA’s Center for Diversity Education, Richard Chess of UNCA's Center for Jewish Studies, and Judy Leavitt and Frank Goldsmith of Carolina Jews for Justice West. Free and open to the public. Time is 11 AM to 12:30 PM and location is Highsmith University Union, Beaucatcher Mountain Room. Contact Ayelet Reiter at areiter@unca.edu for more information.

03/07/15 MOUNTAIN TRUE ADOPT-A-STREAM TRAINING

Learn about a community-based monitoring program where you will receive both classroom and field experience for identifying stream health and water quality issues. After the training, you’ll be able to join an existing Adopt-A-Stream team or start your own to become an environmental steward. Time is 10 AM to 2 PM. Location is the MountainTrue Southern Regional office. For questions and instructions on how to register, please e-mail MountainTrue at assistant@eco-wnc.org or call the office at 692-0385.

03/07/15 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST VIGIL

There will be a protest on this date from noon to 2 PM at Vance Monument in downtown Asheville. More information to follow.

03/09/15 MOVE TO AMEND BUNCOMBE COUNTY MEETING

Next meeting is a general meeting on March 9 at the North Asheville Library on Merrimon. If you have any questions, please contact Diana Kruk 828-275-0680 or dianakrukmta@gmail.com.

03/10/15 COMMUNITY DIALOGUES ON RACE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN

Two local churches have joined forces to offer a four-week series of Community Dialogues on Race, beginning Tuesday, February 10. The two-hour programs will feature films, group exercises, and dialogue, facilitated by the Rev. Michael J.S. Carter of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. The partner church is Thomas Chapel AME Zion Church. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Swannanoa Valley at 500 Montreat Road in Black Mountain. The program is free and open to everyone. Interested persons are encouraged to register by emailing Roberta Madden at robertamadden@yahoo.com. For questions call Roberta at 828-419-0730.

03/10/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON SECTARIANISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST

“Sectarianism in the Middle East,” with David Hudleson a retired career employee of the National Security Agency. Hudleson twice received the NSA’s Meritorious Civilian Service Award, as well as an Exceptional Service Award from the CIA and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Award. During his career he spent time in Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and was an Arabic language specialist. He will address the role of sectarianism — the politicization of ethnic and religious identity — in the Middle East, specifically through the struggle between Sunni and Shi’i groups for dominance. Free admission for WAC members and students; $10 general public. Meetings are scheduled for 7:30 PM in the Reuter Center's Manheimer Room at UNCA. For more details about programs, consult the WAC website. 

03/11/14 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

This meeting will be at 9:30 AM at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church at 117 Montreat Road in Black Mountain.

03/13/15 FILM SHOWING AT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST

Two movies on Coal Ash and Fracking will be shown on Friday, March 13. First film will be a 30 minute short, called "Coal Ash Stories”, part of a 4-part film with North Carolina content. The second film is "Groundswell Rising"  and it is about fracking. It is 52 minutes long. The producer of this film Mark Lichty (who is traveling around the country screening the film at festivals and UU venues) will be attending. Location is Unitarian Universal Congregation, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville (corner of Charlotte & Edwin). Contact Charlie at 612-860-6628 or mnpopi@icloud.com for more information.

03/17/15 JAZZ FOR JUSTICE FUNDRAISER

This is a benefit for Pisgah Legal Services. Time is 5:30 PM and location is 21 North Market Street in downtown Asheville. Awards presentation is at 7 PM. Tickets are $50. Please contact Pisgah Legal Services for more information at betsy@pisgahlegal.org.  

03/19/15 CONCERT AT UNCA

Based in Jerusalem, “Heartbeat” is an international non-profit organization uniting musicians, educators, and students to build mutual understanding and transform conflict through the power of music. Founded in 2007 under a Fulbright-MTVu award, Heartbeat creates opportunities and spaces for young Israeli and Palestinian musicians to work together, hear each other, and amplify their youthful voices to influence the world around them. Time is 7 PM and location is Lipinsky Auditorium. UNC Asheville Students are free, for area students tickets are $8, campus community tickets are $13, and general admission is $22.

03/19/15 PANEL DISCUSSION AT UNCA

Panel Discussion with Heartbeat (see above) from 11 AM to 12:10 PM. Location is Humanities Lecture Hall. This is free and open to the public.

03/19/15 SOCIAL JUSTICE COFFEE HOUR AT UNCA

Key Center Social Justice Coffee Hour with Heartbeat (see above) at 12:30 PM at Laurel Forum. This is free and open to the public.

03/21/15 BIOLOGICAL MONITORING TRAINING

Learn to sample a site for aquatic life which serve as biological indicators of water quality over time. This training is designed for both new and current volunteers. Training covers aquatic insect morphology & identification, as well as sampling protocol, and includes both a lab and field portion. For more information and to register visit bit.ly/wqtrainings. Location is Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, and time is 9 AM to 4 PM. 

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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

WEDNESDAY

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

THURSDAY

Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 1 PM at A-Hope on North Ann Street in Asheville.  

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 Pritchard Park at 4 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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From a local activist:

Friends,

A group of Asheville emerging community leaders and civil rights veterans’ have joined together to create an opportunity for youth groups to see the movie “Selma” at no cost. As we continue to confront the challenges to achieving social justice the movie “Selma” presents a great opportunity to review why the civil rights movement still matters. 

Can you  bring a group of young people any Saturday in February? Please contact lucia@abcrc.org or tiffanydebellott@yahoo.com with the numbers of young people we should expect. If you cannot bring young people can you assist us to underwrite the cost of the tickets? (See www.ashevillefreedomschool.com). Meet in front of the Carmike Theater at 12:45 pm to pick up the free tickets for your group. Ms. Ella Baker would always remind us that we who believe in justice cannot rest.

Carol Rogoff Hallstrom, Esq.

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From local activist Steve Norris:

Today Friday four people who on November 3 had protested Dominion's construction of the Cove Point LNG terminal were tried for simple trespass on Dominion's property.  In spite of a brilliant defense of the four by Attorney Mark Goldstone, the four were found guilty. 

Even though $50 billion Dominion is the criminal in this case, and is daily committing civil disobedience against the people of Cove Point, none of the trial up to this point was  was especially surprising,

However, the sentencing was a shock. In many jurisdictions trespassing charges are met with small or no fines,and  time served, and maybe community service. 

In Calvert County, which has become a puppet of Dominion,  all four were  sentenced to 20 days in jail,. They could also opt instead for  20 days suspended sentence, a $500 fine, and 3 years unsupervised probation. Neither option is attractive.

One of the defendants opted for jail time, the other three opted for suspended jail sentence, the fine and 3 years probation.

On Monday, 20 more of us who were arrested at Cove Point go on trial. CAN YOU HELP?

+++++If you can come to Prince Frederick in Calvert County on Monday at 1 pm for the trial, the 20 of us would be very grateful for your support. You may also be able to figure out how to challenge this monster.

+++++If right now, you could donate to We Are Cove Points Indiegogo Campaign , which  has almost reached its $20,000 goal, that would help us a lot too, and would assist us in figuring out how best to escalate this campaign against this Dominion's LNG export facility, which is a disaster for the residents of Cove Point, and a disaster for the earth' climate.

Please help us. You can donate at:   https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/we-are-cove-point-stop-gas-export-plant

Steve

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Guilt by association

Photos of me at the Moral March in Raleigh February 14, 2015

Me holding sign. Clearly, I am having a good time.

 Julia Rankin and me

Julia, Chris Berg and me looked at the big screen of the speakers. 

Photos by Jim Brown. 

I trust him.

Our out of control military spending

The USA is spending more on the military - and our ongoing wars of aggression, occupations, drone bombings, etc - than the next 14 countries combined.

This is from an article by the Washington Post.

And while we are quickly going broke by having military operations and military bases around the globe, we are seeing less and less freedom at home. That is what always happens during war time, and we are now at endless war time.

US Drops to 49th in World Press Freedom

This rating was due to the prosecution of journalists, the war on whistleblowers, and the arrest and assaults on journalists in Ferguson. It is really shameful that we are allowing our government to do these things, and waste away our money on wars. 

Terrorism in the USA

On our corporate media, we hear over and over how the “Muslims” are the world’s terrorists and the biggest terrorists in the USA. We also hear about how black folks are so violent, so criminal.

It is all ridiculous. It is white males who are the biggest terrorists and the most violent in our country. It has been that way for hundreds of years. It will not change any time in the near future. 

But again and again, our corporate media will write off the white violence as “crazy lunatic” and still consider any violence from Muslims or black to be a defect of the whole group. It is insane, it is evil, it is inexcusable that they do this and get away with it. But most Americans are so stupid, they swallow it whole.

Here are a couple of stories about what is really happening in our country - that I believe are totally accurate:

The Most Common Type of American Terrorist Is a White Man With a Weapon and a Grudge

3 White Mississippi Men Sentenced For Hate Crimes, Including Running Over Black Man

Upcoming events in the Asheville area this week

UPCOMING EVENTS

02/16/15 LECTURE AT UNCA

The lecture is “Using psychology to promote environmentally-friendly behavior”. Dr. Raimi will be speaking. Free. Time is 10 AM to 11:30 AM and location is Highsmith University Union, 221-222 Mountain Suite.

02/16/15 DISCUSSION AT UNCA FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Discussion on the Life and Works of Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. Time is 7:15 PM to 8:15 PM and location is Highsmith University Union room 221-223. This is a Multicultural Student Program. Hosted by Black Student Association. For more information, contact ssnyder@unca.edu. 

02/16/15 BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY

Dr. Zan Wesley Holmes, Jr. The pastor, professor, politician, community activist, and civil rights leader, will speak at noon in Broyhill Chapel on “Race in America”. Mars Hill University. Free and open to the public. Known as much for his community activism as his preaching and teaching, Holmes was elected as the first African American to the Texas House of Representatives from 1968-1972, while also serving as the United Methodist District Superintendent. He was also on the Board of Regents for the University of Texas from 1992 to 1997. In 2001, he was recognized as one of the civil rights movement’s “Invisible Giants” in the National Voting Museum and Institute in Selma, Alabama.

02/17/15 HARRIET TUBMAN PERFORMANCE AT ASHEVILLE MUSEUM

Come Celebrate Black History Month at aSHEville Museum! Harriet Tubman, a reenactment by Becky Stone will be on February 17th at 7 PM. Cost is $8 non-members/$5 members/$4 youth. Location is 35 Wall St., Asheville. Call 828 785-5722 for more information.

02/17/15 ART EXHIBIT AND RECEPTION AT UNCA

“The Black Experience? A Re-examination” will be hosted at the Highsmith Art & Intercultural Gallery. Reception will be from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. More information can be obtained by emailing ssnyder@unca.edu.  

02/17/15 COMMUNITY DIALOGUES ON RACE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN

Two local churches have joined forces to offer a four-week series of Community Dialogues on Race, beginning Tuesday, February 10. The two-hour programs will feature films, group exercises, and dialogue, facilitated by the Rev. Michael J.S. Carter of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. The partner church is Thomas Chapel AME Zion Church. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Church at 500 Montreat Road in Black Mountain. The program is free and open to everyone. Interested persons are encouraged to register by emailing Roberta Madden at robertamadden@yahoo.com. For questions call Roberta at 828-419-0730.

02/17/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON PRIVACY IN THE DIGITAL AGE

“Privacy in the Digital Age,” with Jagdeep Bhandari, professor of business and economics at Mars Hill University. Bhandari will discuss the responses abroad to what some see as a “U.S. dragnet,” and will explore whether changes in the ideas of “privacy” and “harm” due to digital technology have done away with privacy as we have known it. Free admission for WAC members and students; $10 general public. Meetings are scheduled for 7:30 PM in the Reuter Center's Manheimer Room at UNCA. For more details about programs, consult the WAC website. Time is 7:30 PM. 

02/17/15 JUST ECONOMICS MEETING

Just Economics will host their first bi-monthly meeting of 2015 at 6:30 PM on Feb 17th. on the first floor of the United Way Building in Asheville. If you’re interested in hearing updates in regards to the Living Wage, the Transportation Campaign, or updates from any other areas of the work of Just Economics, please plan on attending. JE will provide dinner. It is a potluck, but you need not bring anything to attend. Information on this event is available by calling JE’s office at 828-505-7466.

02/18/15 LIVING WAGE CERTIFIED EMPLOYER NETWORKING EVENT

Just Economics is also hosting their first “Living Wage Certified Employer Networking Event” of 2015 at 6:30 PM on the 18th of February at Medea’s Espresso and Juice Bar, 200 Julian Lane #220, Arden, NC 28704. The focus of the event is to facilitate Living Wage Certified Employers doing business with each other. Appetizers will be provided by Roots Hummus and tea and beverage samples will be provided by Medea’s Espresso and Juice Bar. Information on this event is available by calling JE’s office at 828-505-7466.

02/18/15 GREEN DRINKS

“Connecting Our Lives With Our Landscape: Patchwork Urban Farms” is the program, with socializing starting at 5:30 PM and program starting at 6 PM. Location is the Green Sage at 5 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville. Join us Feb 18th, to hear from Sunil Patel of Patchwork Urban Farms. Learn how Patchwork is creating a movement to reconnect our lives with our landscapes, and find out how you can plug in. Patchwork is regenerating our urban landscapes and making the groundwork for a vibrant food and farming economy. The time for concerted action is now!

02/18/15 FILM SHOWING AT UNCA

“The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” film screening will be held at the Highsmith 104. Episode Five: Rise! (1940 – 1968) and Episode Six: A More Perfect Union (1968 – 2013) will be shown. Time is 6 PM to 8:15 PM. Contact ssnyder@unca.edu for more information. Free and open to the public.

02/18/15 LECTURE AT BREVARD COLLEGE

Great Decisions Lecture Series: “Privacy in the Digital Age” will be held in McLarty-Goodson Building. $10. Time is 3:30 to 5 PM. 

02/19/15 BLACK HISTORY MONTH LECTURE AT UNCA

Lecturer will be Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University, as well as director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. His ten-part documentary series, Finding Your Roots, aired on PBS in 2012. Professor Gates is Editor-in-Chief of TheRoot.com. He is the author of several works of literary criticism focusing on race and black culture, and he has written for Time, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Root. He has also produced and hosted several documentaries for PBS. This will be at 7 PM and it is free and open to the public. Location is Lipinsky Auditorium. The tickets for this event are gone, per reports from UNCA.

02/19/15 SAVE THE ROSENWALD SCHOOL IN MARS HILL

Upon rehabilitation, the Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School will serve as a Community Cultural Center and an Interpretive Museum intended to promote a fuller understanding of southern Appalachian black history and to enhance education at all levels. The final program of “Our Story – This Place” will be held on Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 6:30 PM. Join us for an evening of gospel music and a presentation on the history of gospel music and how it relates to the African American community. A reception will be held afterwards. The event takes place in Broyhill Chapel, on the campus of Mars Hill University. “Our Story, This Place, The History of African American Education in Madison County, NC: The Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School” is on display at the Rural Heritage Museum until February 28, 2015. The exhibit includes historic artifacts, photographs, and videos. Works by Charity Ray are also on display as part of the exhibit. The Rural Heritage Museum is open daily (except Mondays) from 1-5 PM and by appointment. It is located on Rt. 213, in Montague Hall, on the campus of Mars Hill University. Admission is free. 

02/19/15 ASHEVILLE WOMEN’S POWER HOUR BY ASHEVILLE N.O.W.

The first monthly Asheville Women's Power Hour will be February 19, third Thursday, at 6 PM. The Women's Power Hour will be a monthly event issues uniquely of value to women. During these events, women from all walks of life will build relationships and create transformation in our public, professional, and private lives. All Women's Power Hour events are sponsored by Asheville NOW. February's topic will be: Examining A Woman's Worth: The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, Workplace Conditions, and NC's Unresolved Issues. At the event, women will meet and greet Asheville author Cynthia Drew, who will talk about her novel, "City of Slaughter," which is set against the dramatic backdrop of this historic event. For more information on this and other events including location, email ashevillenow@live.com.

02/19/15 PHOTO EXHIBIT AT UNCA

Photo Exhibit: Forward Ever, Backward Never. In observance of the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the UNC Asheville Center for Diversity Education will host “Forward Ever, Backward Never,” an exhibition of photographs by James H. Barker of the 1965 voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery. The exhibition is free and open to the public and will be on view from Feb. 2– 27 in the lobby of Karpen Hall on the UNC Asheville campus. Hours are 8 AM to 9 PM.

02/20/15 OLLI BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT

OLLI is offering this program in celebration of Black History Month. On February 20, 2015, plan to attend 'History of Slavery in Asheville' presentation led by Deborah Miles, Director of UNC Asheville's Center for Diversity Education and Darin Waters, PhD, assistant professor of History at UNC Asheville. This event is free and open to the public. Time is 9:30 to 11 AM and location is Reuter Center, room 102A.

02/20/15 HISTORY AND ITS BURDENS 

“History and its Burdens: The Place of African Americans in our Collective Historical Memory”, with Dr. Darin Waters and Deborah Miles. Dr. Waters will share his research on slavery in Asheville while Ms. Miles will share its relationship to the current site of Vance Monument. This presentation is part of a project of the Center for Diversity Education to acknowledge the history of slave labor at the current site of the Vance Monument which is the former site of the Buncombe County Courthouse. On this site enslaved people were sold on the courthouse steps and their deeds recorded at the Register of Deeds. Time is 3 PM and location is UNCA Osher Life Long Learning Center. This is a program of Osher Life Long Learning (OLLI). 

02/20/15 LIVE STAKING ON THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER

Come canoe with the French Broad Riverkeeper! We’ll be paddling about 8.5 miles down the FB and planting trees along the riverbank. Each tree you plant will help to restore the bank’s stability and prevent sediment erosion. No experience necessary. We’ll provide the boats (but if you have your own, you’re welcome to bring it!) trees and tools, just bring yourself and your lunch. Email Anna (anna@wnca.org) or Hartwell (hartwell@wnca.org) if you are interested. Time is 9:30 AM to 5 PM and location is Headwaters Outfitters at 25 Parkway Road in Rosman. 

02/20/15 WNC PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MEETING

The next WNC PSR monthly meeting will be at a private home near the VA Hospital. Brown Bag lunch at noon with meeting from 12 noon to 2 PM. Everyone is welcome. Please go to www.wncpsr.org  for more information, which includes how to get there and other details.

02/20/15 CONNECTION PRACTICE

Friday, February 20, 6:30pm: "A Taste of the Connection Practice" with Cathy Holt at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Rd. Transforming relationships through empathy and heart-based insight. Free. Info: 828-545-9681.

02/20/15 BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION

Celebrate Black History Month with the WNC Diversity Engagement Coalition at our February Social. Appetizers and dialogue about diversity in our community. Bring your feedback and suggestions. Time is 6 PM for social hour, 8 PM for Workplace Diversity Forum. Location is the YMI Center at 39 South Market Street in Asheville.

02/20/15 ASHEVILLE YOUTH: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

This youth-centered interactive workshop and discussion empowers youth regarding the ins and outs, dos and don'ts of interactions involving police. There will also be space and time to discuss local issues--what is your experience as a young person in Asheville? As well as the wider movement for black liberation and against police violence. How do we envision and create a safer community, with or without police? Let's talk about it! This event will happen at the Carl E. Johnson Community Center 100 Atkinson Street in Hillcrest Community. Please text or call 828.331.1269 for any information or transportation requests. Time it 5 to 7 PM. 

02/21/15 BLACK LIVES MATTER: FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO FERGUSON

Join us for a dialogue and presentation between folks fighting for black liberation, to end state violence, and in solidarity with liberation movements in Jackson, Mississippi and Ferguson, Missouri. Activists will share reflections, video and photos from recent actions, events and travels, including the Weekend of Resistance in Ferguson/St Louis, Missouri. Learn what you can do to support these efforts, make connections, get involved and build the movement across our region. Presenting at this event will be visiting organizers from Concerned Citizens for Justice, a community organization founded thirty years ago in Chattanooga. In the wake of the tragic murder of Trayvon Martin, a new generation of young people has been energized to struggle together with civil rights veterans, as an anchor organization for the Southern People's Initiative. This event is free of charge, donations will be gratefully accepted. Childcare will be available for this event. Please call or text to register in advance at 828.331.1269, thanks! Time is 2:30 PM and location is BEBE Theatre at 20 Commerce Street in Asheville.

02/21/15 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST WORKSHOP

Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East will hold a workshop on the Israeli military detention of Palestinian children “No way to treat a child” and local actions we can undertake. Time is 10 AM to noon. Location is St. Mathias Church at 1 Dundee Street in Asheville.  We will be learning more about the subject and looking to craft local actions.  We are fortunate to have Jennifer Bing of The American Friends Service Committee leading us in this. This event is free but your registration would be most helpful so we can properly plan Please call 828-669-2073 or wcpjme@gmail.com to register.

02/21/15 LEAVE NO TRACE WORKSHOP

Join MountainTrue Forest Keepers (formerly Western North Carolina Alliance) and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy for a morning workshop about the seven principles of Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics! In the afternoon, the group will venture outside to put the skills to use. FREE for everyone but preregistration is required. Contact Kana Miller at kana@appalachian.org or call 828.253.0095 ext. 205 to register. Bring: warm layers, lunch, water, notepad and pens, sturdy hiking shoes, raincoat, and a pack to carry all personal items. Time is 10 AM to 4 PM and location is given with RSVP. 

02/21/15 GREEN GRANNIES SING FOR THE CLIMATE

Green Grannies Sing for the Climate at Pritchard Park at 4 PM. Google "Singfortheclimate" and come out and sing with us! This happens on the third Saturday of every month. 

02/22/15 COMMUNITY DIALOGUES ON RACE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN

Two local churches have joined forces to offer a four-week series of Community Dialogues on Race, beginning Tuesday, February 10. The two-hour programs will feature films, group exercises, and dialogue, facilitated by the Rev. Michael J.S. Carter of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. The partner church is Thomas Chapel AME Zion Church. Time is 2 PM and location is Thomas Chapel at 124 West College Drive in Black Mountain. The program is free and open to everyone. Interested persons are encouraged to register by emailing Roberta Madden at robertamadden@yahoo.com. For questions call Roberta at 828-419-0730.

02/22/15 CIVIL JUSTICE FILM DISCUSSION

Carolina Jews for Justice West will sponsor a panel discussion about the civil justice film “Selma” at 2 PM at the YMI Cultural Center as part of its Taking Issue Forum. YMI Center is on Market Street in downtown Asheville. The African-American, Jewish, and white non-Jewish panelists will share their perspectives as Freedom Riders, civil rights organizers, and native southerners during the era of the civil rights movement in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi including: Ellen Clarke grew up in Montgomery, Alabama during the civil rights era; she remains active in various organizations that address the inequities and racial disparities of our country’s criminal justice system; Isaac Coleman went to Mississippi in l964 as part of SNCC’s Freedom Summer, worked as SNCC staff member for 5 years, moved to Asheville in 1971, and is recognized for his activism in educational, political, social and environmental areas; Charles Gershon was born and raised in Atlanta and was a high school teenager during Freedom Summer; and Carol Rogoff Hallstrom went to Mississippi as a Freedom Rider, became an attorney, and remains an activist. Join us to hear their stories. Fifty years ago, Selma, Alabama, may have been ground zero in the struggle for voting rights in America ... but the right to vote is far from a guaranteed right for people of color in 2015. Today, the struggle for justice continues. The program is offered by Carolina Jews for Justice/West in collaboration with the YMI and YWCA and is free and open to the community. For more information, please contact  wncjewsforjustice1@gmail.com. 

02/23/15 LECTURE AT UNCA

Mandy Carter is the National Coordinator for the Bayard Rustin Commemoration Project of the National Black Justice Coalition. Her talk with build the connections between the work of Bayard Rustin, organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, with the fight for equal rights for LGBTQ community and the current deterioration of voting rights in North Carolina and across the country. Talk is called “From Selma to Stonewall”.  Time is 7 PM and location is Karpen Hall, room 038.

02/24/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON RUSSIA AND THE NEAR ABROAD

“Russia and the Near Abroad,” with Steven Solnick, president of Warren Wilson College. Before coming to Warren Wilson, Solnick spent a decade abroad as Ford Foundation Representative in Moscow and New Delhi. Solnick was coordinator for Russian studies at the Harriman Institute at Columbia University, and research associate at Harvard University’s Russian Research Center and Center for International Affairs. He will discuss what Russia’s actions in the Ukraine may mean for its other neighbors, and the current situation in Russia as the value of the ruble has dropped along with world oil prices. Free admission for WAC members and students; $10 general public. Meetings are scheduled for 7:30 PM in the Reuter Center's Manheimer Room at UNCA. For more details about programs, consult the WAC website. 

02/24/15 LECTURE AT UNCA FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH

"Unearthing the Weeping Time, and the 1859 Savannah Slave Auction: A Genealogy of People and Place." Dr. Degraft-Hanson’s lecture will focus on a public history project that explores the antebellum landscape and people at three hidden landscapes of slavery in coastal Georgia. Time is 12:30 PM and location is Karpen Hall, Laurel Forum. For more information, contact Dr. Marcus Harvey at 828-251-6177 or mharvey1@unca.edu.

02/24/15 NC WOMEN UNITED LOBBY DAY IN RALEIGH

North Carolina Women United is asking residents to save the date and come to the state capitol Feb. 24 to fight for women's rights. “The more numbers we have, the more attention we will get,” local organizer Sandra Abromitis said. The group has planned a Women's Advocacy Day Program 9 to11 AM at the NC Legislative Building in Raleigh. Participants will discuss NCWU's priorities, including access to health care, civic participation and equality, economic self-sufficiency and violence against women. Writer and filmmaker Dream Hampton will be the keynote speaker. There also will be an opportunity to meet with state legislators and to learn how to advocate for local and state issues that affect women. This event is free and open to the public. For more information including how to register, contact Sandra Abromitis at abromitis@msn.com or 828-686-8281.

02/25/15 FILM SHOWING AT UNCA

There will be a screening of “Freedom Summer” on Thursday, February 25. at 7 PM at The Grotto at Highsmith Student Union. This film is part of a series from “Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle” that documents the summer of 1964 when more than 700 students joined with organizers and Local African Americans to shatter the foundations of white supremacy in the nation's most segregated states. 

02/25/15 INTERRACIAL DATING IN AMERICA STUDENT PANEL AT UNCA

This event will be from 6 to 8 PM and location is Highsmith Student Union, room 224. This is sponsored by Multicultural Student Programs. For more information, email ssnyder@unca.edu.

02/25/15 GREEN DRINKS

This will be a Peace Corps/AmeriCorps Story Hour. Location is Lenoir Rhyne University, at 36 Montford Avenue, Asheville, NC. Socializing: 5:30 PM   Programming: 6 - 7 PM. In celebration of National Peace Corps Week, Lenoir-Rhyne Asheville and Asheville Greendrinks will host a night of funny, touching, and inspiring stories from Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and former AmeriCorps Volunteers.

02/25/15 BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT AT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

In celebration of Black History month, join a host of Asheville musical favorites for an evening honoring the iconic songs of prayer, resistance and hope titled Old Landmarks. Presented by Asheville Percussion and the First Baptist Church of Asheville, this free event will be held Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at the church beginning at 6:30 PM. The evening will include performances by the soulful Kat Williams, the spirited Lyric, songstress Lizz Wright, multi-instumentalist Chris Rosser, River Guerguerian and the Old Landmarks Mass Choir. There will be a percussion ensemble and congregational singing along with special guests jazz pianist Kenny Banks and prominent jazz drummer Terreon Gully, as well as inspirational readings and a community fellowship dinner. The fellowship dinner begins at 5 PM. The delicious ‘Southern Grace’ menu will be fried chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, sauteed kale, biscuits and gravy or apple butter, banana pudding. Child’s menu includes fried chicken, mashed potatoes, applesauce, biscuit and banana pudding. Cost: Adults $7, Seniors (60+) $6, Child (12 and under) $5. Firest Baptist Church is at 5 Oak Street in Asheville. For dinner reservations, call (828) 252-4781.

02/26/15 QUEER YOUTH THEATRE PROJECT AT UNCA

An original production created by UNCA's Drama Class, Applied Theatre: The Queer Youth Theater Project and in collaboration with Asheville's YouthOUTright (YO). Time is 7:30 PM and location is Carol Belk Theater at UNCA. Also on February 27 and 28. Contact Suzie Morris at smorris1@unca.edu or 828 251-6610 for more information.

02/26/15 TOWN HALL FORUM AT YMI CULTURAL CENTER

“Communities of Color: Exclusionary Housing, the Unbanked and Underbanked" Town Hall Forum. This panel, moderated by Dr. Darin Waters, will examine the financial practices of predatory lending, check cashing outlets, and their impact on the unbanked and underbanked in the community. Time is 6 to 8:30 PM and location is YMI Cultural Center. 

02/26/15 A.R.T. MEETING FOR ADA-RELATED CHANGES

The City of Asheville and Asheville Redefines Transit (ART) invite you to attend our public meeting to discuss changes to ADA transit policies, forms and services. The meeting will be held in the Lord Auditorium at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. Time is 4 PM to 6:30 PM. This was rescheduled due to the weather.

02/26/15 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS EVENT

This event is for members of the Asheville-Buncombe chapter to come together to establish goals for the local league. Also, we will submit recommendations to the NC state league for their upcoming year. Please join us as a voting member to establish next year's goals!

Location is Asheville YWCA - 2nd Floor Board Room - at 185 South French Broad Avenue in Asheville. Time is 6 PM to 7:30 PM. 

02/26/15 BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY

Poetry Slam. Moody Black and Kimbi of Greenville, SC perform and judge slam entries. Moody Black and Kimbi are spoken word and musical performers who make up the group, Unifyed Sol Poets. In Spainhour Hall at 7 PM. Open to the public.

02/27/15 OPEN MIC NIGHT AT UNCA

And We Still Rise - Open Mic Night, sponsored by Multicultural Student Program and Black Student Association. Location is Alumni Hall and time is 7:15 PM to 8:15 PM.

02/27/15 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

This meeting will be at 3:15 PM at Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. Meet in the media room. 

02/28/15 MARTIN LUTHER KING PRAYER BREAKFAST BY SWANNANOA VALLEY MLK MEMORIAL COMMITTEE

The 25th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Prayer Breakfast will be held at Camp Dorothy Walls in Black Mountain. Time is 8 AM. We are excited to announce that the speaker for the 2015 Prayer Breakfast will be Tyrone Greenlee. Tyrone Greenlee is an Asheville native and graduate of Asheville High School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a community activist who currently serves on the boards of Just Economics of Western North Carolina and Green Opportunities, and has volunteered for many years with the Building Bridges organization. Tyrone works as a mentor and mediator at the Francine Delany New School for Children, and as Director of Christians For A United Community, a coalition of churches which works to dismantle racism and the disparities caused by racism. Tyrone is also a member of the New Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church where he serves as a member of the Deacons and Youth and Music Ministries. He also attends Circle of Mercy Congregation in Asheville. Tickets to the 2015 Prayer Breakfast can be purchased at the Black Mountain Chamber of Commerce, 201 E. State Street, Black Mountain, NC phone - Adult Tickets $15.00; Tickets for children ages 3 - 12  - $6.00  - Contact number for the Chamber is (828) 669-2300.

02/28/15 BLACK HISTORY MONTH PRESENTATION

“Uniting Our City” is the title of a presentations on the history of Asheville’s African American community and live entertainment inspired by African American culture. Sponsored by Asheville Parks & Recreation. Time is 1 PM to 3 PM and location is Dr. Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, at 285 Livingston Street in Asheville. Call (828) 259-5483 or email sjackson@ashevillenc.gov for more information.

03/02/15 MOUNTAIN TRUE EVENT

A Home Composting Workshop will be held at NC Cooperative Extension, Henderson County Center,  100 Jackson Park Rd, in Hendersonville. Time is 6 to 8 PM. Learn the ins and outs of home composting with MountainTrue. There will be a raffle drawing for five YukChuk kitchen compost bins, and all will receive discount coupons to purchase YukChucks on their own. Cost: $15 per person. Registration is required by Noon, Friday, Feb. 27. For questions and instructions on how to register, please e-mail MountainTrue at assistant@eco-wnc.org or call the office at 692-0385.

03/04/15 LECTURE AT UNCA 

“In Her Father's Eyes: A Slovak Childhood in the Shadow of the Holocaust” will be on display from March 2 to March 27 at UNCA. The year 2015 marks the 70th anniversaries of the end of WWII when the slave labor and death campus were liberated. In Her Father's Eyes is the life of Kitty Weichherz told by her observant and devoted father Bella Weichherz. Family photographs and entries in a diary kept by Bella offer a window into the everyday life of birthday parties, the first day of school, and a first boyfriend. The Weichherz family were murdered sometime in 1942 or 43 most likely at Sobibor Death Camp. Dr. Mark Gibney will give the opening lecture on March 4. Time and location TBD. 

03/05/15 PANEL DISCUSSION AT UNCA

Panel discussion on “Jewish Identity, Social Justice and Leadership”. Jewish leaders from the Asheville community discuss Jewish identity as related to social justice and leadership.The five panelists are Lael Gray of the Asheville JCC, Deborah Miles of UNCA’s Center for Diversity Education, Richard Chess of UNCA's Center for Jewish Studies, and Judy Leavitt and Frank Goldsmith of Carolina Jews for Justice West. Free and open to the public. Time is 11 AM to 12:30 PM and location is Highsmith University Union, Beaucatcher Mountain Room. Contact Ayelet Reiter at areiter@unca.edu for more information.

03/07/15 MOUNTAIN TRUE ADOPT-A-STREAM TRAINING

Learn about a community-based monitoring program where you will receive both classroom and field experience for identifying stream health and water quality issues. After the training, you’ll be able to join an existing Adopt-A-Stream team or start your own to become an environmental steward. Time is 10 AM to 2 PM. Location is the MountainTrue Southern Regional office. For questions and instructions on how to register, please e-mail MountainTrue at assistant@eco-wnc.org or call the office at 692-0385.

03/07/15 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST VIGIL

There will be a protest on this date from noon to 2 PM at Vance Monument in downtown Asheville. More information to follow.

03/10/15 COMMUNITY DIALOGUES ON RACE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN

Two local churches have joined forces to offer a four-week series of Community Dialogues on Race, beginning Tuesday, February 10. The two-hour programs will feature films, group exercises, and dialogue, facilitated by the Rev. Michael J.S. Carter of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. The partner church is Thomas Chapel AME Zion Church. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Thomas Chapel at 124 West College Drive in Black Mountain. The program is free and open to everyone. Interested persons are encouraged to register by emailing Roberta Madden at robertamadden@yahoo.com. For questions call Roberta at 828-419-0730.

03/10/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON SECTARIANISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST

“Sectarianism in the Middle East,” with David Hudleson a retired career employee of the National Security Agency. Hudleson twice received the NSA’s Meritorious Civilian Service Award, as well as an Exceptional Service Award from the CIA and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Award. During his career he spent time in Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and was an Arabic language specialist. He will address the role of sectarianism — the politicization of ethnic and religious identity — in the Middle East, specifically through the struggle between Sunni and Shi’i groups for dominance. Free admission for WAC members and students; $10 general public. Meetings are scheduled for 7:30 PM in the Reuter Center's Manheimer Room at UNCA. For more details about programs, consult the WAC website. 

03/11/14 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

This meeting will be at 9:30 AM at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church at 117 Montreat Road in Black Mountain.

03/17/15 JAZZ FOR JUSTICE FUNDRAISER

This is a benefit for Pisgah Legal Services. Time is 5:30 PM and location is 21 North Market Street in downtown Asheville. Awards presentation is at 7 PM. Tickets are $50. Please contact Pisgah Legal Services for more information at betsy@pisgahlegal.org.  

03/19/15 CONCERT AT UNCA

Based in Jerusalem, “Heartbeat” is an international non-profit organization uniting musicians, educators, and students to build mutual understanding and transform conflict through the power of music. Founded in 2007 under a Fulbright-MTVu award, Heartbeat creates opportunities and spaces for young Israeli and Palestinian musicians to work together, hear each other, and amplify their youthful voices to influence the world around them. Time is 7 PM and location is Lipinsky Auditorium. UNC Asheville Students are free, for area students tickets are $8, campus community tickets are $13, and general admission is $22.

03/19/15 PANEL DISCUSSION AT UNCA

Panel Discussion with Heartbeat (see above) from 11 AM to 12:10 PM. Location is Humanities Lecture Hall. This is free and open to the public.

03/19/15 SOCIAL JUSTICE COFFEE HOUR AT UNCA

Key Center Social Justice Coffee Hour with Heartbeat (see above) at 12:30 PM at Laurel Forum. This is free and open to the public.

03/19/15 ANNIVERSARY OF WAR OF AGGRESSION ON IRAQ

03/21/15 BIOLOGICAL MONITORING TRAINING

Learn to sample a site for aquatic life which serve as biological indicators of water quality over time. This training is designed for both new and current volunteers. Training covers aquatic insect morphology & identification, as well as sampling protocol, and includes both a lab and field portion. For more information and to register visit bit.ly/wqtrainings. Location is Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, and time is 9 AM to 4 PM. 

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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

WEDNESDAY

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

THURSDAY

Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 1 PM at A-Hope on North Ann Street in Asheville.  

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 Pritchard Park at 4 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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From a local activist:

Friends,

A group of Asheville emerging community leaders and civil rights veterans’ have joined together to create an opportunity for youth groups to see the movie “Selma” at no cost. As we continue to confront the challenges to achieving social justice the movie “Selma” presents a great opportunity to review why the civil rights movement still matters. 

Can you  bring a group of young people any Saturday in February? Please contact lucia@abcrc.org or tiffanydebellott@yahoo.com with the numbers of young people we should expect. If you cannot bring young people can you assist us to underwrite the cost of the tickets? (See www.ashevillefreedomschool.com). Meet in front of the Carmike Theater at 12:45 pm to pick up the free tickets for your group. Ms. Ella Baker would always remind us that we who believe in justice cannot rest.

Carol Rogoff Hallstrom, Esq.

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