dancewater: Upcoming events for the week of June 24, 2018

Photo I took along I-40 in early fall 2017.

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR BY DANCEWATER

06/24/18 STONEWALL COMMEMORATION WEEK IN ASHEVILLE

There is a lot of information about events around this in the Mountain Express.

06/25/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ WEEKLY MEETING

Asheville SURJ weekly evening meeting: Monday, 6:30-8:30pm at Asheville Unitarian Universalist Congregation (downstairs main building). Accountability group for folks seeking to focus on anti-racism work. Meetings include opportunities such as discussion, educational opportunities, or role-playing difficult conversations, and building connections. For more info email avlsurj@gmail.com.

06/25/18 STONEWALL COMMEMORATION WEEK EVENT

“Stonewall History” is a seminar about the leaders who kicked off the modern day LGBTQ movement. Free. Held at WNC Community Center at 417 Biltmore Avenue, Suite #4A in Asheville. More information in the Mountain Express.

06/26/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

Every Tuesday, Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 holds a vigil at Vance Monument in downtown Asheville. Time is 4:30 PM. This has been happening since 2002. No matter the weather, no matter if it falls on a holiday, they are out there standing for peace.

06/26/18 INDIVISIBLE ASHEVILLE MEETING

Indivisible AVL General Meeting is on June 26 from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. This month’s meeting focuses on the national Poor People’s Campaign and what’s going on locally and statewide to support this multi-prong movement. Indivisible general meetings are held on the last Tuesday of the month. Each month we’ll give updates on recent and future actions and highlight opportunities to get involved, and we’ll also focus on learning more about our elected representatives in Raleigh and Washington, or hearing from candidates who are seeking election, or learning more about a particular issue, or sharing tools for active engagement. Monthly meetings are always free and open to the public. Location is the Wesley Grant Center at 285 Livingston Street in Asheville. For more information, email info@indivisibleavl.org.

06/27/18 PANEL DISCUSSION ON US FOREIGN POLICY

OLLI Hot Topic Event - U.S. Foreign Policy: Possibilities and Perils is on June 27, 2018 at 9 AM. Hot Topic events are free and open to everyone, and take place at the Reuter Center, home of OLLI, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville. This event will be in the Reuter Center - Manheimer Room. U.S. Foreign Policy: Possibilities and Perils will be a panel discussion of OLLI members Jim Lenburg, Julie Snyder, Larry Wilson, Sarah Ann Smith moderated by Bob Bond from the World Affairs Council. The panel will discuss a range of topics including shifting trade policies, U.S.-China relations, Mexico, Russia, the Middle East and more. Contact for this event is OLLI - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville at olli@unca.edu or 828.251.6140.

06/27/18 WE THE PEOPLE 2.0 FILM SCREENING

We The People 2.0 Screening will be on Wednesday, June 27th, from 6 to 8:00 pm at THE BLOCK off Biltmore, 39 S Market Street, Asheville. Interested in Community Rights and why Corporations have more rights than we do? This film showcases the work of CELDF and the Community Rights movement across the US. “We the People 2.0” is about the loss of democracy in the United States. The story unfolds through the eyes of rural people and sacrifice zones in urban communities who have faced decades of toxic dumps, drilling and mines in their communities. These people come to understand that the reason they can’t stop the destruction is that the US has become an oligarchy, run by the corporate few who ignore the rights and will of the people. These people are frontally challenging our corporate state; thereby saving nature and themselves. Thomas Linzey, a nonprofit attorney’s inspiring words shows how, we, the people, can turn this around and lay claim to our democracy. This movement is building as you read this, not just in this country but around the world; this film shows how and where it all began.

06/27/18 FILM SPONSORED BY SIERRA CLUB

June 27 film is “Reinventing Power: America’s Renewable Energy Boom.” A film commissioned by the Sierra Club will be shown on June 27, Wednesday, from 630 to 830 pm at the Collider in downtown Asheville, 1 Haywood Street Ste 401, in Asheville. Doors open at 6:30pm, with the film starting at 7:00pm. Free & open to the public with a suggested donation of $10/person or $20/family. Oskar Blues Brewery beer and refreshments will be provided. Join Sierra Club, MountainTrue & The Collider for a screening of “Reinventing Power: America’s Renewable Energy Boom” at the Collider. This film takes us across the country to hear directly from the people making our clean energy future achievable. These individuals are working to rebuild what’s broken, rethink what’s possible, and revitalize communities. These stories are proof that America does not need to choose between keeping our lights on and protecting our communities. Critically, Reinventing Power underscores the notion that we don’t have to sacrifice jobs for a clean environment. Supporting a clean energy future means building a better, more prosperous future for everyone. Over the film’s 50 minutes, you’ll meet people in eight states whose lives were changed by the renewable energy industry while exploring various aspects of the clean energy industry from innovation to installation. It will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A. No contact information.

06/28/18 PASTORS FOR PEACE POTLUCK AND TALK

The Cuba Caravan is coming to town! They are part of Pastors for Peace and are promoting building bridges and tearing down walls. Pastors for Peace began organizing Fridneshipment caravan to Cuba in 1992. What is it like in Cuba today? What is the current state of US-Cuba relations? What needs to be done to truly normalize relations? Pastors for Peace began organizing Friendshipment Caravans in 1992. This is its 29th caravan. This Asheville event will be a potluck and talk - please bring a dish. Also, it is a fundraising event for the caravan, so please donate what you can. The speaker will be Bill Hackwell, from the International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity to the Peoples in Oakland, CA. He is a social documentary photographer and veteran of Caravans and the International Committee to Free the Five - now the International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity. US citizens are free to travel anywhere in the world, except Cuba. To travel to Cuba you need permission, a license, from the US government. This has been the case for over 50 years. In his final years President Obama made licenses very easy to get, as well as taking some steps to reduce the underlying US economic blockade of Cuba. However President Trump has adopted a very hostile stance towards Cuba, partially reversing Obama’s actions, and reduced the possibilities for individual licensed travel. Pastors for Peace believes that licenses should be scrapped and we should be freely able to travel to Cuba and meet our Cuban sisters and brothers. Since 1992 we have taken 28 Caravans of people to Cuba without a license as a conscious act of civil disobedience. Time is 6 PM to 8 PM and location is Asheville Friends Meeting House at 227 Edgewood Road in north Asheville. This is a fundraising tour, please donate what you can. For more information, contact ken at jonesk@maine.edu.

06/28/18 BENEFIT FOR GUARDIAN AD LITEM ASSOCIATION

“A Light in the Dark” is a benefit party with live music, local food, Catawba Brewing Company beer and entertainment to benefit Guardian Ad Litem Association of Buncombe County. Time is 6 to 9 PM, and location is The Boathouse at Smokey Park at 350 Riverside Drive in Asheville. Cost is $30/$25 advance. Contact ashevilleaffiliates dot com for more information.

06/28/18 PEACE EDUCATION PROGRAM

This is a multimedia facilitated class series based on talks about personal peace by Prem Rawat. Free. Time is 6:30 to 7:30 PM and this will be held at the Montford Community Center at 34 Pearson Drive in Asheville. This started on 06/21/18 and goes until 08/23/18. Contact jtfbuilder@gmail.com.

06/28/18 TRANZMISSION PRISON PROJECT

Monthly meeting to prepare packages of books and zines for mailing to prisons across the US. Free. Held at Firestorm at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Time is 6 to 9 PM.

06/29/18 BENEFIT FOR HOMELESS WOMEN VETERANS IN ASHEVILLE

Date is June 29, 2018 and time is 6:00 - 9:00 PM. Location is Historic Patton Parker House at 95 Charlotte Street in Asheville. Featuring Music From: Linda Mitchell, blues, jazz, and “Big Al” pop country singer/songwriter. Benefiting Veteran Women Aura Home is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization working to prevent homelessness for women veterans in WNC. Celebrate the mid-summer's full moon at the restored historic house & grounds. Bring your picnic basket, blanket, low chairs for an eve of music, s'mores and camaraderie. (Parking across the street). Aura Home will provide desserts and entertainment. $20 if purchasing ticket online at www dot AuraHomeWomenVets dot org. $25 At the door. No contact information.

06/29/18 REALITY CHECK CONFERENCE AT AB TECH

The Reality Check Conference is designed to encourage, empower, and educate leaders across western North Carolina and surrounding areas on the cultural diversity challenges within our community. This conference will continue the conversation around building a better community and decreasing the gaps in disparities, education, and other social factors that play into the cultural divide of the community and city at large. Participants will also learn about local initiatives and key players who are active and directly involved in our community. Two national powerhouse speakers, Tim Wise and Jane Elliott, will speak at the conference, which takes place Friday, June 29 at A-B Tech. Participants will also hear from several local speakers who will have specific topics to engage the audience. Conference Objectives - Provide further education and knowledge about the historical trauma of African Americans and people of color in Asheville and greater western North Carolina with a focus on where we’ve been, where we are presently, and what the future holds. Discuss the impact of offensive intention created by privilege and power in a thriving, profitable community. Gain a better understanding of ways to engage African Americans and people of color with recognition, understanding (avoiding checking the box and “tokenizing” individuals), and empathy as we move forward to create a better community and professional environment with the tools needed to work toward success. The Reality Check Conference takes place Friday, June 29, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at A-B Tech Community College, 340 Victoria Rd. in Asheville. Register before June 22 and the cost to attend is $80; after June 23 the cost is $95 per person. For more information, please call (828) 254-1921. There is a lot more information about this in the Mountain Express.

06/29/18 ENVIRONMENTAL SPEAKER IN ASHEVILLE

Come join me and your fellow wildlife lovers for a gathering to discuss the impacts of offshore drilling on wildlife. “Beyond the Spill: Through the Lens of Wildlife” is the name of the next edition of the Science Pub on Friday, June 29th, 2018 at 6:00 PM (doors open at 5:30 PM). Location is The Collider at the Wells Fargo Building at 1 Haywood St, Top Floor, in Asheville. This event is the next edition of Science Pub, a free Friday night guest speaker series offered by the Asheville Museum of Science (AMOS) and The Collider. Ben Prater will be presenting a talk, “Beyond the Spill: Through the Lens of Wildlife.” He will discuss the biological consequences of ocean drilling and its impacts on coastal and marine wildlife. The impacts go beyond a possible spill - from seismic testing to onshore infrastructure and beyond. We know what happens to coastal wildlife and habitat in the wake of toxic oil spills from offshore drilling - we've seen the pictures, and they aren't pretty. But what about the impacts to wildlife from other aspects of offshore drilling that are less visible or rarely discussed, like seismic testing? In the wake of the current Administration's plan to open the Atlantic coast to offshore drilling, he share information from past offshore drilling operations and the latest science to give a more accurate view of just how destructive this practice can be to wildlife -- and to underscore the need to prevent drilling in the Atlantic. Light refreshments will be served. Come meet Ben Prater, Southeast Program Director for Defenders of Wildlife and the Defenders team and learn what you can do for ocean wildlife. No contact information, but more information on Facebook.

06/30/18 FAMILIES BELONG TOGETHER RALLY

Families Belong Together Rally is on June 30. The Trump administration [along with the former Obama administration and all presidential administrations before him - dancewater] is/has been cruelly separating children from their families. On June 30, a rally will take place in Washington, D.C., and around the country to tell President Trump and his administration to stop separating kids from their parents. Join CJJ and others on June 30 to send a clear message to the President and Republicans in Congress: Families Belong Together! A rally will take place at 11:00 [presumably AM - dancewater] on the open lot at 68 Haywood across from the Cellular center in downtown Asheville. Help us bring an end to this cruel and inhumane action. [Better late than never, right? But do they realize we have to abolish ICE to get anywhere? Do they also realize that the US government has done FAR worse than take kids away from their parents? Like, for example, torture and kill them? See articles at the end of this email for some recent history. And then think about all the brown and black children who have been taken from their parents one way or another for centuries in this country. We have quite the history, and it is not pretty at all. - dancewater] No contact information.

07/01/18 LET’S TALK ABOUT RACE IN ASHEVILLE

Let's Talk About Race - Sunday, July 1, 4pm to 6pm: Presented by Anti-Oppression Educator and Consultant Corrie Wallace. Wallace is a parent and bilingual educator from Chicago, who also happens to be black and Jewish. She has lead numerous seminars and educational workshops around the US, focusing on diversity, equity and undoing racism. This event is co-sponsored by Asheville JCC, Asheville Buncombe County NAACP, Carolina Jews for Justice, Congregation Beth Ha Tephila, Congregation Beth Israel, Jewish Secular Community of Asheville, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville and Tzedek Social Justice Fellowship. Location is the social hall at Asheville JCC. Come listen, learn and support each other in creating a more socially just and racially conscious community. Questions contact lael@jcc-asheville.org.

07/01/18 PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY EVENT

Peter Lumsdaine, a member of Washington State PSR will visit Asheville on Sunday, July 1st, for a presentation to Western North Carolina PSR members and other concerned citizens on Sunday July 1st, 3:00 PM at The Block off Biltmore. All people are welcome. Peter’s innovative and outstanding presentation: “Turning the Clock Back from Midnight” links PSR's environmental, economic justice, peace and nuclear concerns with: intensified organizing strategies for PSR and other activists; challenges the dangerous escalation of US policy toward Iran and North Korea; addresses the pivotal implications of 21st century technologies that can facilitate work on these most important issues. Event is free. For further information: Terry Clark, terryclarkpsych@gmail.com or Lew Patrie at patrie.wncpsr@main.nc.us

07/02/18 DINNER WITH PROGRESSIVES

Next Dinner with Progressives is on Monday, July 2, 2018 from 5:30-7pm at Green Sage Cafe, Westgate, next to Earth Fare. Join fellow progressives at the Green Sage Cafe Monday, July 2 because now more than ever we need to be together, learn together and work together. The November election is crucial to our city, county, state and country so the next 4 gatherings will include speakers who will discuss issues, candidates and/or volunteer opportunities. All are invited who wish to move forward. There is no membership fee but we ask that attendees purchase dinner, a beverage and/or dessert and RSVP so we can give our gracious friends at Green Sage a headcount. Invite your friends and neighbors to join us! Anyone is invited to give an announcement, ask for signature for a petition or discuss volunteer opportunities. Please send Cheryl a quick email to let her know how much time you will need (first come, first serve basis). Our speaker(s) for July 2nd will be David Brown's campaign manager, Kathie Kline. David is running for the US House of Representatives and we are hoping that he will also attend but he will be in Charlotte that day so he may not be able to make it to Asheville by 6 pm. David Wilson Brown is a Progressive Democratic candidate for the 10th Congressional District of North Carolina. Contact Cheryl at ctorengo@gmail.com for more information.

07/02/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ WEEKLY MEETING

07/03/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

07/03/18 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 selection for July is “No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria” by Rania Abouzeid. Malaprop’s Bookstore & Café at 55 Haywood Street in Asheville. Time is 7 PM. Contact Malaprops at 828-254-6734 for more information.

07/05/18 HOMEWARD BOUND OF WNC TOUR

“Welcome Home Tour” is a tour of Asheville organizations that serve the homeless population. This will cover how Homeward Bound is working to end homelessness and how the public can help. Registration required at tours@homewardboundwnc.org, free to attend. Time is 11 AM. Call 258-1695 for more information.

07/06/18 JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE MEETING

Fri, Jul 6 at 4:30pm will be the Jewish Voice for Peace meeting. A monthly meeting for Asheville's JVA chapter, a national organization dedicated to a U.S. foreign policy based on peace, human rights, and respect for international law. Firestorm is located at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Please contact them for more information on the event.

07/06/18 TROUBLE SCREENING AT FIRESTORM

Friday, July 6th at 6:30pm there will be a “Trouble” screening at Firestorm at 610 Haywood in west Asheville. Sub-Media offers Trouble, a brand-new monthly show offering an in-depth anarchist analysis of current struggles, tactics, and movement dynamics. Trouble broadcasts first-hand accounts and perspectives from organizers on the ground, with the aim of cutting through the fog of misinformation that often clouds our understanding of the world, and provoking people into taking bold, collective action. This monthly, half-hour film on topics of interest to people fighting the settler colonial capitalism is hosted by Blue Ridge Anarchist Black Cross and will include a discussion of the film with questions provided by the filmmakers. This month's film is “Defend the Block: Fighting Back Against Gentrification.” Gentrification, like all facets of capitalism, is often presented to its victims as a natural process. Shrouded in the logic of progress and polished up with euphemisms like neighborhood revitalization or urban renewal, the violent displacement that it brings in its wake is carefully hidden behind a cover of market forces, zoning changes, public consultations and glitzy marketing campaigns. But those who have felt the force of the 'invisible hand' plucking them from their communities and pushing them out of their homes are not so easily fooled. The illusion that gentrification is natural, or even inevitable fact of life, is shattered when people decide to take a stand and fight back. Attacks targeting the front-line agents of gentrification force people to take sides. Often, the resulting sense of clarity can cut through the smokescreen of inclusivity and social peace that states and capitalists use to lull us into believing our communities are nothing more than potential sites of investment. They remind us that our neighborhoods have a pulse, and that they are physical territories whose futures can be contested, and ultimately shaped, by the people who live in them. In this month's episode of Trouble, the second of a two-part series on gentrification, sub-Media talks to comrades in Montreal, the Bay Area and Berlin to see how people in these cities are fighting back on attacks on their communities by developers, real estate speculators and the tech industry. Please contact Firestorm for more information.

07/07/18 PUERTO RICO BENEFIT SHOW IN ASHEVILLE

Despite Hurricane Maria being nine months past, the people of Puerto Rico are still experiencing a deep humanitarian crisis. In an effort to raise awareness and financial support, five Asheville acts will be performing at the Salvage Station on July 7, in partnership with Pop Ed, a local social justice activists collective. Proceeds from the event will go to Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Teachers Federation), an educators union in Puerto Rico that has been a driving force in rebuilding devastated communities since the hurricane hit. Tickets to Resist! A Benefit to Fight Unnatural Disasters, can be purchased at the Salvage Station website. Volunteers to run kids activities needed! Additional event details will be announced throughout the month of June, and can be followed via the web listings at salvagestation dot com. Call (828) 484- 6587 for more info or to get involved.

07/09/18 TEACH IN EVENT AT MALAPROPS

Teach in with Jeff Biggers. He presents “Resistance: Reclaiming an American Tradition.” As we face an increasingly authoritarian American political climate, Biggers underlines the dense history of opposition in America and reminds us of the vital role civil resistance has played in defining our national identity. Malaprop’s Bookstore & Café at 55 Haywood Street in Asheville. Time is 6 PM. Contact Malaprops at 828-254-6734 for more information.

07/09/18 TEACHING WITH SLAVE DEEDS COURSE AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY

People Not Property: Teaching with Slave Deeds as Primary Sources at Mars Hill University on July 9 - 14 from 9:00 - 4:00PM. Teaching with Primary Source Documents at Mars Hill College is collaborating with the UNC Asheville Center for Diversity Education to host a summer institute at Mars Hill University. Before the end of the Civil War, the “bill of sale” for an enslaved person was documented at the Buncombe County Courthouse - the site of the current Vance Monument. In 2013, Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger digitized the documents which are now viewable at the Register of Deeds website. This important research has spread to other NC counties as well as other states. The workshop is limited to 20 participants and is open to all teachers, but may be most effectively implemented in high school, college, or community college settings. The week will include scholarly lectures, presentations by teachers who use the deeds in the classroom, field trips to sites across Buncombe County, and opportunities to create lesson plans for the classroom. Participants will receive a certification of completion for 40 content hours. This certificate should be eligible for 4 CEUs in most school systems. For more information, contact UNC Asheville Center for Diversity Education at 828-232-5024 or dmiles@unca.edu.

07/09/18 TRANSYLVANIA NAACP MEETING

NAACP General Membership and Executive Committee meeting: 6:15 p.m., Bethel A Baptist Church, 290 Oakdale Street in Brevard. Our meetings are always on the second Monday of the month. All are welcome!

07/09/18 PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS MONTHLY MEETING

When: Monday July 9th, 6:15pm – 8:00pm. Where: Buncombe County Democratic Party HQ, 951 Old Fairview Rd, Asheville. Description: Doors open by 6:15 for sign in and conversation. Meeting begins promptly at 6:30. We encourage candidates and motivate voters while promoting the most progressive parts of the DNC platform: campaign finance reform, clean energy policy, universal healthcare, and much more. Contact: Larry Dodson at pdobPRESIDENT@gmail.com.

07/09/18 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF ASHEVILLE-BUNCOMBE COUNTY MEETING

Voter Engagement Coalition meeting is on Monday, July 9 from 3:00 – 4:30pm. We meet monthly on the second Monday of the month. Location is 50 South French Broad Avenue in Asheville, NC 28801, USA. Organizer: Voter Engagement Coalition Events. See their website for further information.

07/09/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ WEEKLY MEETING

07/10/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

07/12/18 GREEN NETWORKING EVENT

Sustainable Drinks: Green Networking is on July 12 from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm. A place and time for green minded folks and local business owners to get together and see what kind of game changing projects we can cook up together. Live jazz music. Vegan drinks. Community Roots and The BLOCK off Biltmore decided to host 2 of these events over the summer. If there is enough interest we will set up a series in the fall that will include speakers so we can all learn a little more while we enjoy each other’s company. Let us know if you’d like to be a speaker. Location is THE BLOCK off biltmore at 39 South Market Street in downtown Asheville. Call 828-254-9277 for more information.

07/15/18 ETHICAL HUMANIST SOCIETY EVENT

Sunday, July 15 “Do No Harm – Harm Reduction” by Dr. Jennifer Mullendore and Michael Harney. Jenni and Michael will explore several controversial Western NC initiatives including Needle Exchange Programs – where sterile syringes, life-saving overdose-reversing naloxone (Narcan) and other harm reduction supplies are available; HIV & viral hepatitis prevention programs – including free HIV and hepatitis C testing and info on the HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis pill; and other programs. Hear inspiring stories, explore individual and social bias, consider how we can practice compassion over judgment and whether “Do No Harm” extends to taking ethical action toward “Harm Reduction”. Dr. Jennifer Mullendore is the Medical Director at Buncombe County Health & Human Services, is a graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine and has a MSPH from UNC–Chapel Hill, School of Global Public Health. Michael Harney co-founded the Needle Exchange Program of Asheville (circa 1994), is an HIV/AIDS/STD/Hepatitis prevention educator with Western NC AIDS Project (WNCAP), and a street outreach worker sometimes known as “The Rubberman.” All are welcome. Time is 2:00 PM. Location is Asheville Friends Meeting House at 227 Edgewood Road in north Asheville. Contact the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville at EHSAsheville@gmail.com for more information.

07/16/18 CITIZEN CLIMATE LOBBY MEETING

CCL June Monthly Chapter Meeting (every 3rd Monday each month) is on June 16 from 6:30-8:30PM. Location is Habitat Brewing Tavern & Commons at 174 Broadway Street in Asheville. Come hear about our meetings with Congress during Lobby Day and how you can help with better outreach for this year. All political parties are welcome to join in this effort - conservative, liberal , progressive, libertarian, etc. Come have a beer or just plain good conversation with positive actionable items to help move us forward on the most important topic of our time. Contact asheville@citizensclimatelobby.org for more information.

07/16/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ WEEKLY MEETING

07/17/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

07/17/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING

On the third Tuesday of each month, Western North Carolina Veterans for Peace meets to coordinate group activities and programs.Veterans For Peace is a global organization of Military Veterans and allies whose collective efforts are to build a culture of peace by using our experiences and lifting our voices. We inform the public of the true causes of war and the enormous costs of wars, with an obligation to heal the wounds of wars. Our network is comprised of over 140 chapters worldwide whose work includes: educating the public, advocating for a dismantling of the war economy, providing services that assist veterans and victims of war, and most significantly, working to end all wars. Time is 5:45 PM and location is the Block Off Biltmore at Eagle and Market Streets in downtown Asheville. For more information, contact Gerry at gwerhan@gmail.com.

07/19/18 NOTORIOUS HBC* (*HISTORY BOOK CLUB)

Join host and Malaprop’s bookseller Patricia Furnish to discuss a range of books across different periods of history. We’re creating a book club that tackles the challenging subjects, hence the Notorious in the name. This month’s pick is “Bitter Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala” by Stephen Schlesinger and Stephen Kinzer. Malaprop’s Bookstore & Café at 55 Haywood Street in Asheville. Time is 7 PM. Contact Malaprops at 828-254-6734 for more information.

07/20/18 WNC PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MEETING

Physicians, health personnel and everyone; all are welcomed at our monthly meetings held on the third Friday of each month. Bring a brown bag lunch around noon. This will be held at The First Congregational United Church of Christ, Room E205, at 20 Oak Street (just off College St. in downtown Asheville). Time is noon to 2 PM. Meeting starts at 12:30. Parking is available behind the church. Enter the church or ring doorbell at the glass doors on Oak Street. For more information contact Dr. Terry Clark, Chair, 633-0892 or Dr. Lew Patrie, 285-2599.

07/21/18 SIERRA CLUB PICNIC

Sierra Club July 21: 9th Annual Summer Picnic. Come one, come all to the 9th Annual Sierra Club Summer Picnic on Saturday, July 21. The picnic is scheduled from noon to 4:00 p.m. at the Blue Ridge Parkway sheltered picnic grounds located on Bull Mt. Road near the VA Hospital on Riceville Road. This event is free and will be held rain or shine. Please bring a pot luck dish to share and your own place settings. Drinks will be provided. Badminton, horseshoes and music will add to the festivities. Directions: Exit 7 on I-240; go east on Tunnel Rd for 2 miles; turn north on Riceville Road Pass the VA Hospital and turn left on Bull Mt. Road. The fenced-in, sheltered picnic area is on the left about ½ mile up the road. Contact Judy Mattox, judymattox@sbcglobal.net, or 828-683-2176 for more information.

07/23/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ WEEKLY MEETING

07/24/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

07/27/18 BENEFIT FOR PISGAH LEGAL

Amplify Pisgah is back this summer on July 27 at 6:30 pm, featuring The Mavericks at Pisgah Brewing Company's outdoor stage in Black Mountain. Proceeds from the concert benefit Pisgah Legal Services. Don't miss your chance to purchase discounted early bird tickets for $29.50. Thank you to Amplify My Community and Pisgah Brewing Company for their continued partnership and support! To learn more about sponsoring the event or for more information including how to get tickets, contact Michelle Spiegel at 828-210-3773 for details.

07/30/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ WEEKLY MEETING

07/31/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

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ONGOING EVENTS

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MONDAY

Asheville SURJ weekly meeting at 6:30 pm at UU Congregation in Asheville, downstairs - cancelled for 06/18/18

Citizens’ Climate Lobby meeting on the third Monday at 6:30 at Habitat Tavern & Commons.

TUESDAY

Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 4:30 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument

Rally at historic Courthouse in Hendersonville at 5 PM on the first Tuesday of the month. Organized by the Progressive Organized Women.

WEDNESDAY

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

French Broad Riverkeeper has a paddle-n-plant to prevent sediment erosion most Wednesdays and Saturdays. Registration required at anna@mountaintrue.org.

Green Drinks meets at 6 PM at The Block Off Biltmore on the second Wednesday of the month.

Indivisible Asheville does political letter writing at 5:30 to 7 PM on the first and third Wednesdays at The Block Off Biltmore.

THURSDAY

Welcome Home Tour by Homeward Bound on the third Thursday of the month at 11 AM. Call 258-1695 for more information.

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

Sierra Club meets at 7 PM at Unitarian Universalist in Asheville on the first Thursday of the month.

FRIDAY

Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville.

Progressive Women of Hendersonville hold a letter/postcard writing to government representatives from 4 to 7 PM at Sanctuary Brewing Company at 147 First Avenue in Hendersonville.

SATURDAY

French Broad Riverkeeper has a paddle-n-plant to prevent sediment erosion most Wednesdays and Saturdays. Registration required at anna@mountaintrue.org.

Mountain True holds urban forest workdays on the second Saturday of the month at Richmond Hill Park from 9 AM to 1 PM. Call 258-8737 for more information.

Food Not Bombs serves free vegan/vegetarian food Saturday at noon at Pritchard Park.

Dances of Universal Peace on the third Saturdays at 7:30 at 1 School Road in Asheville.

SUNDAY

Asheville National Organization for Women meeting at 2:30 PM at YWCA of Asheville on second Sunday of the month.

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ACTIONS AND READINGS

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Mr. Obama’s Dubious Detention Centers

By The Editorial Board of the New York Times

July 18, 2016

The family detention centers the Obama administration has been operating in Texas and Pennsylvania have been an expedient way to handle the soaring numbers of Central Americans, many of them young children, who have arrived at the Southern border since 2014. They give a sense that Homeland Security has the border situation under control, and they supposedly send a message to other would-be refugees not to come.

But these privately run, unlicensed lockups are no place for children. Or mothers. Their existence belies President Obama’s oft-professed concern for the humane treatment of people fleeing crime and violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

And the centers stand on dubious legal ground. Last year, a district judge ruled that the administration was violating a 1997 court-ordered settlement, called the Flores agreement, that governs the treatment of underage migrants who seek asylum or enter the country illegally. The judge said the children were being held for too long, and ordered the administration to release them as quickly as possible to the care of relatives or other guardians as their cases move through the immigration courts.

The administration appealed, saying that the agreement applied only to children who had crossed the border alone, not those who were accompanied by parents or other adult relatives. On July 6, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit disagreed, upholding the district ruling that Flores covers all children, accompanied or not. But it said the administration could still detain their parents.

Which leaves things pretty much where they were — unsettled, unsatisfactory, unfit for a country that aspires (or once did, anyway) to be an example to the world in its welcome for desperate refugees. The administration hasn’t said whether it will appeal, but it’s hard to imagine that it will use the appeals court ruling to break up families — sending children to foster care, maybe, while continuing to hold their mothers behind bars. On a separate issue not addressed by the Ninth Circuit ruling, plaintiffs have accused the administration of subjecting children to miserable conditions at Border Patrol stations.

If the Obama administration took its principles to heart, it would be closing its family prisons and abandoning its emphasis on border crackdowns in favor of greater efforts to connect Central Americans with pro bono lawyers and to provide family- and community-based alternatives to detention. Much money and effort have been spent to deter and detain them, to speed them through court, to hunt down those who are later found to be deportable.

It would be far better to to score a humanitarian victory by reuniting children and families, especially since data show that Central Americans with asylum claims are far more likely to show up in court — and win their cases — when they have lawyers.

Legislation introduced this month in Congress seeks to attack the problem at its root, with funds for combating human trafficking and resettling refugees within Central America and Mexico. But Congress is unlikely to pass it, which leaves the crisis in the president’s hands. Donald Trump and his Republican Party minions have taken the immigration debate to sickening lows, with disgraceful animus toward Mexicans and Muslims. Mr. Obama has forcefully denounced such nativism. But he can add strength to his words by ensuring greater protection for those who arrived, defenseless, at the Southern border.

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Tug-of-Love: Immigrant Mom Loses Effort to Regain Son Given to US Parents

By BRIAN ROSS

ANGELA M. HILL / ABC NEWS

July 18, 2012

In a controversial case that involved the rights of illegal immigrants and their young children, a Guatemalan mother lost her effort today to get back the five-year old son who was taken away from her after her arrest on immigration charges and put up for adoption in Missouri despite her objections.

A Missouri judge ruled the boy should stay with the Missouri couple, Melinda and Seth Moser, who took him into their home five years ago while his mother was in federal custody, where she attempted in vain to oppose the adoption proceedings.

"Nobody could help me because I don't speak English," said Encarnacion Bail Romero in an interview with ABC News.

The child, born as Carlos but renamed Jamison by the Mosers, has been with his adoptive parents in Carthage, Missouri since the age of 11 months.

The judge said the biological mother had no rights to even see her child, according to the mother's lawyer.

Asked if the Mosers would allow Bail Romero to see the child, the Mosers' attorney, Joseph Hensley, said the couple was "not willing to comment on that at this time.”

'We're extremely happy about the decision," said Hensley, who also noted that the decision "really puts the biological mom in a difficult decision in terms of staying in this country.”

The ruling today reaffirmed the original decision by another Missouri judge who terminated the parental rights of Bail Romero, stating that "illegally smuggling herself into the country is not a lifestyle that can provide any stability for the child.”

The Missouri Supreme Court called the initial decision a "travesty of justice" and ordered a review of the case by a second judge.

Appearing outside the courtroom with tears in her eyes, the biological mother declined to comment.

Her lawyer, Curtis Woods, said he would appeal the decision of the judge who he said ruled Encarnacion Bail Romero's parental rights had been terminated because she had abandoned him while she was incarcerated.

"I am very disappointed in the decision," said Woods.

The judge handed down the decision in a courtroom closed to all but the parties involved and their lawyers. There was no translator provided by the court today for the Guatemalan woman, who speaks only a little English.

The ruling allows the formal adoption proceedings by the Mosers to proceed.

The Mosers left the court without speaking to reporters, but they had previously argued in court that they could best provide for the boy and that they were the only parents that he knew.

"I could not love him more, had he come out of me physically," Melinda Moser said in an earlier interview.

The biological mother was arrested in 2007 on an immigration raid at a chicken processing plant in Missouri and has not seen her son since.

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Stolen Babies? Immigrant Mother Loses Four Kids

By LAUREN GILGER,

CHARLES GORRA

BRIAN ROSS / ABC NEWS

Feb. 2, 2012

The scars of childbirth were still healing on Amelia Reyes Jimenez's stomach in 2008 when police came to her Phoenix apartment and took her three-month-old daughter from her arms.

Three and a half years later, Reyes Jimenez and her four children have become statistics in the U.S. crackdown on illegal immigration. Each year thousands of children of undocumented immigrants, like Amelia's kids, wind up in foster care when their parents are arrested for immigration violations. Some are even adopted by U.S. citizens while their parents are held in federal detention centers or deported back to their native countries.

Reyes Jimenez's son and three daughters are now living in foster care in Phoenix, and are awaiting possible adoption. Reyes Jimenez is back in Mexico, her parental rights terminated by an Arizona judge, and she cries when she remembers the raid that began it all.

"My daughters were calling, 'Mommy, my Mommy,'" said Reyes Jimenez. "I felt destroyed. I felt like I would never see my girls, even worse [the baby] was so small. I had just bought her cradle and her stroller."

A new study by the human rights group Applied Research Center estimates that as of summer 2011 there were at least 5,100 children of detained immigrants in foster care in 22 states.

"It's clearly a systemic problem," said Rinku Sen, executive director of ARC. "It happens again and again and again in multiple states, multiple counties, different ICE agents, different detention centers, different judges." Though the report did not say how many kids had been adopted, ARC did find that detained parents were at risk of permanent separation from their kids because of deportation.

"It's sort of like saying, okay, you came here as an undocumented immigrant, we're going to break up your family, we're going to keep your kids," said John De Leon, and attorney who represents the Guatemalan and Mexican consulate in immigration cases. He says he has seen the issue grow into a national problem over the last decade.

The police came for Amelia Reyes Jimenez in 2008 to arrest her for one count of child endangerment, a misdemeanor, because she had left her 13-year-old son Cesar, who is severely disabled, alone in her apartment. Jimenez says she thought that Cesar was with her two older daughters and their father, but he had taken the girls to the park and left Cesar home alone.

When she arrived home with baby daughter Erica in her arms, she found the police waiting.

"The only thing they asked was if I was illegal and whether or not I had my papers," she said. She told them she had no papers. She was handcuffed.

Reyes Jimenez was sent to a detention center an hour outside Phoenix. It would be six months before she had any contact with her children, and nearly two years before she would see them again in person.

"I didn't know anything about my girls; they didn't give me any reasons," she said. "I would ask about them and nobody would answer."

Reyes Jimenez, who pled guilty to the misdemeanor, then spent nearly two years fighting deportation. Ultimately, she was loaded onto a bus and dropped off in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, just across the border.

"It's very sad, very horrible because you're living a life, and then you come here and it's very strange," she said. "I feel empty without my children."

'I Don't Think There's Any Salvaging This Case'

Since then, she has been living outside Guadalajara, Mexico, with her sister, working nights on a factory assembly line making cell phones. She sleeps a few hours each morning in a borrowed bed and then waits by the phone in the corner.

She has to be there, she says, in case her lawyer calls.

Long after her deportation, Reyes Jimenez continued to fight two cases in the United States -- one in immigration court and another in family court.

Reyes Jimenez's three daughters are U.S. citizens. Reyes Jimenez and her attorneys spent two years trying to convince an immigration judge that she qualified for a visa on account of the harm that would be done to her three U.S. citizen children if she were to be deported. They lost -- twice.

That case is now being appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, but there is no trial date in sight and little chance of success, explained Nina Rabin, an attorney with the University of Arizona's Immigration Law and Policy Program who represents Reyes Jimenez.

"I don't think there's any salvaging this case," Rabin said.

"But, meanwhile, all of this took time," she said -- time during which the child welfare system had to make decisions about the children.

There are strict time-lines in place to ensure that children in foster care are placed in permanent homes sooner rather than later, said Rabin. If Reyes Jimenez hadn't been kept in detention for two years, Rabin believes, she would have had a much better chance of keeping her kids.

Rabin released a report last year titled "Disappearing Parents" that focuses on Amelia Reyes Jimenez's case. It details the way in which parents like Amelia can slip through the cracks between two huge bureaucracies: the child welfare system and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

There are no policies in place, she says, to coordinate between the two systems. Caseworkers don't know how to find a parent in detention. Parents in detention are rarely released to attend family court hearings. They would be better off in jail, according to Rabin, where caseworkers know how to find you, jail personnel know where to send you and parents can meet the strict time-lines laid out by the family court.

In order to be reunified with their children, most parents will be given a plan to follow. They need to attend parenting classes, court hearings and show an effort to be part of their children's lives to prove they are fit parents.

But the family court in Reyes Jimenez's case listed in the record that "no services [were] available, due to mother's incarceration," according to Rabin. In detention, she had no way of meeting any of the court's usual requirements, so the court didn't give her any to meet. And, soon enough, it was too late.

"It really puts parents in this terrible position of having to make a choice," said Rabin. "Do I fight my deportation and risk the clock ticking and facing termination of parental rights? Or do I take the deportation and try to fight from Mexico, or wherever I'm from, to get my child back?"

An Arizona court terminated Reyes Jimenez's parental rights in late 2011. The most recent publicly available information indicates that the children, who now no longer speak Spanish, are in foster homes and are in the process of being adopted. But Reyes Jimenez says she is determined to see her children again, to be their mother again.

"I'm not going to be satisfied until I'm back with them," she said.

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