The Green House Collective

Summer of Rest 2009

2009-07-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Greenhouse Folks,

After three amazing years in our Tibbetts House we are on the move. We are relocating the Greenhouse this summer and taking some time to rest and contemplate what the Greenhouse has been, and could be.

Each moment of these last years has been one of beauty and learning. The diverse role of each person in creating the dynamics of the Greenhouse has made it an experience of uncountable lessons. Thank you to each one of you that has come and shared with us your path.

Stay tuned and give one of us a call, email, or surprise encounter and we will be back in action soon enough.

Love and Light,
Education and Understanding,

Fayer
The Greenhouse Collective

WARDANCE this Thursday

2009-06-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

Hi Loves,

This week we will be showing the incredibly powerful film "Wardance." If you haven't seen this film, we hope you can make it. The film documents a group of young children from the Acholi tribe in Northern Uganda as they leave their rural village for the first time and make their way to the National Music Competition in Kampala, the capitol of Uganda. The film weaves a history of the violent longstanding genocide they have been forced to endure. This is the most powerful film I have seen in a long time!!!

To learn more about the film, check out www.wardancethemovie.com

What: War Dance
When: This Thursday, June 10
Vegan Potluck at 6, Film at 7
Where: The Green House Collective
4407 SE Tibbetts
* Off buslines 14, 75, 9, 4, and the Clinton St Bikeway!

See you Thursday!!

In Peace, Love, and Solidarity,

The Green House Collective

Close the School of the Americas

2009-05-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

Hi greenhouse community,

We need your help in getting some very important legislation passed this year to close the Army School of the Americas, or SOA/WHINSEC or otherwise known as the School of Assasins. The SOA has been linked to every major dirty war throughout the Americas and has tought Latin American soldiers and officers how to torture and massacre people. In the dirty wars of Guatemala alone over 500,000 people were killed or disappeard and hundreds of indeginous villages wiped completly off the map. We have come closer and closer each year in closing the SOA and last year we came within 6 votes. This year we believe is the time and opportunity to close the School with a complete shift to a Democrate majority. Please read the information below and call your legislators asking them to cosponser this bill.

In peace and solidarity,

The Green House Collective

This Friday, May 22nd, Representative McGovern will reintroduce the Latin America Military Training Review Act, which would suspend operations at the SOA/ WHINSEC, investigate the use of torture manuals at the school, and do an assessment of military training in Latin America.

Last year this legislation was known as HR 1707 and we had 125 cosponsors. Right now, organizers around the country are working to get all of last year's cosponsors added before Friday and meet our goal of at least 75 original cosponsors.

The following Northwest region cosponsors of HR 1707 from the 110th Congress have not yet signed up for this year's bill:

Washington:
--Rep. Brian Baird
--Rep. Jay Inslee
--Rep. Rick Larsen

Oregon:
--Rep. Earl Blumenauer
--Rep. Peter DeFazio

This list of House Reps are all in the states that you represent on the SOA Watch Council. Do you think you could make some time for phone calls to these offices today and tomorrow, and also reach out to your lists, email and phone contacts and ask that they do the same?

These calls should be very easy: everyone on the above list was a cosponsor of HR 1707 in 2008 and the text of the bill being introduced on Friday is IDENTICAL to HR 1707.

I've attached the Dear Colleague letter to this email that gives background and can also be faxed or emailed to an office if they ask for it. AND, below is the TOLL FREE number you can use to call Congress + a sample call script.

Thanks for all that you do!
Pam

++++++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ ++
Please take the time to call the D.C. office of your Representative by calling the Capitol Hill Switchboard toll free at 1-800-473-6711, (or 202-224-3121) . Ask to speak with the foreign affairs legislative assistant and here is a suggested message for you to convey:

"As a constituent living in _________, I am calling Congressman/ woman ________ to urge him/her to contact Rep. McGovern and ask to be an original cosponsor of the Latin America Military Training Review Act of 2009, formerly HR 1707 in the 110th Congress. This legislation will be introduced in early May. The bill is identical to HR 1707and would suspend operations at the School of the Americas, renamed WHINSEC, and investigate the history of human rights abuses and failed policies of the institution.

New information indicates that WHINSEC has allowed known human rights abusers to instruct and receive training at the school. Argentina and Uruguay are two more countries that have made public announcements they will no longer send students to the school, citing the negative image and history of this institution. Despite demands by Congress to have oversight over the curriculum and promote human rights, the Pentagon is now denying all requests to provide information to human rights organizations and the public about students and graduates of the school.

I urge you to contact Cindy Buhl in Representative McGovern's office and ask that your boss be added as an original cosponsor of this legislation. I hope you will represent my views and support this bill.

Labor Songs Open Mic

2009-05-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

Dearest Greenhouse-ers!

Join us this Thursday (5/21) for a night of musical mayhem! It's going to be an
epic open mic night dedicated to labor movement songs by Joe Hill, Utah
Phillips, Woody Guthrie, and more!
Learn songs to share and bring your instruments and boomin' voices!

Looking forward to singing the change with you!

What: Labor Movement Open Mic
When: Thursday, May 21
Vegan Potluck 6pm
Open Mic 7pm
Where: The Greenhouse Collective
4407 SE Tibbetts St
*off buslines 14, 9, 75, 4, and the Clinton St bikeway!

Workers Rights Training!

2009-05-11T19:11:00.001-07:00

Hi!

We hope you are all well and wonderful and able to make it to this weeks event. We will be hosting a "Know Your Rights Training" put on by the Portland Restaurant Workers Association; all types of employees are welcome, and the workshop will be not merely focus on those in the service industry. Learn your rights as a member of the work force i.e. discrimination, drug testing, family medical leave, health services, harassment, wages, unemployment, workers comp and more, learn about services, help with violations of rights, resources....

Come and be empowered in your employment!!

What: Workers Rights Training
When: Thursday, May 14
Vegan Potluck @ 6, Workshop promptly at 7
Where: THe Green House Collective
4407 SE Tibbetts St
off buslines 9, 4, 75, 14, and the Clinton St Super Bike way!

Have a great week and see you Thursday!

In Peace, Love, and Solidarity,

The Green House Collective

"THE TAKE"

2009-05-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

We hope you are off to a great week! This Thursday, May 7, we hope you will join us at the Green House Collective for a showing of the "The Take" and learn more about worker movements in South American factories! To see more info about the film, check out the following link:

thetake.org

WHAT: Screening of "THE TAKE"
WHEN: Thursday, May 7
Vegan Potluck at 6
Film and Discussion promptly at 7
WHERE: THe Green House Collective
4407 SE Tibbetts St
*off buslines 14, 9, 75, 4, and the Clinton St bikeway!

While you are at it...start getting ready for a Labor Movement Open Mic Night on May 21st- Learn some Utah Phillips, Joe Hill, Woody Guthrie and more! Bring your instruments and singin' voices!

See you Thursday!

In Peace and Solidarity!

The Green House Collective

Employee Free Choice Act

2009-05-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

Help make it easier for workers to form unions. Jobs with Justice is working on bringing power back to workers, or hmm, helping us get more of it!

Whitefeather Peace Community May Events

2009-05-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends of Whitefeather Peace Community,

Just some quick notes on upcoming Roundtables. All are on Wednesday evenings, all are started at 6 p.m. with a vegetarian potluck (we start the Roundtable as we finish dinner--you can just come for the Roundtable of course), and we are on the 75 busline. Russet is parallel to Lombard (next block north) and we are about a mile west of the Yellow Line and a mile east of the U of Portland.

May 6: Bill Long on the death penalty. Bill Long is currently a writer and legal consultant living in Salem OR. He helps lead Oregon's effort to abolish the death penalty. From 2003-06 he was a Visiting Professor of Law at Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon. Before Willamette he was a litigation attorney with Stoel Rives LLP in Portland, OR (2000-03), a professor of history and government at Sterling College in KS (1990-96), interim senior pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Portland (1988-89), and a professor of religion and humanities at Reed College in Portland (1982-88). During a sabbatical from Reed, he was a senior editorial writer for The Oregonian (1985), Oregon's largest circulating daily newspaper.

May 13: Inger Easton, originally from the Netherlands, has researched the conflicts of immigration into her homeland and the background of the many bloody clashes between Moroccan youth or Turkish youth and mainstream Dutch society. She approaches very sensitive problems in a very sensitive fashion, examining paths to peace that can help us all understand potential for reconciliation in the context of immigration.

May 20: The Power of Song, an inspiring film about Pete Seeger, whose 90th birthday is Sunday, May 3! The film traces his life, with interviews with Pete, Toshi, his son and daughter, and many musicians young and old who were brought along in many ways by Pete's example. Special documentary footage of the old Weavers and other of Pete's musical adventures--including his run-in with the infamous House on UnAmerican Activities Committee--make for a songfest with real heart and content. Bring your instruments!

May 27: Jonathan Cohen, a solar power user and dealer. This will include a short walk to Jonathan's home with its photovoltaic installation just a few blocks from Whitefeather. With Obama's new tax credits for alternative energy, this is a technology that has arrived and is plug-and-produce-ready. Come get advice from a professional. You will NOT be given a sales pitch, just solid information.

June 3: Ako Yamakawa, on the indigenous rights struggle to get the US military out of Okinawa. Ako is a mainland Japanese and a masters student in the PSU Conflict Resolution program. She has been working with the leadership of the Okinawan nonviolent resistance group and is telling Americans about the Okinawan desire to demilitarize and end the occupation of much of the island of Okinawa by foreign troops.

Self Care Workshop and Speak Out

2009-04-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

This Thursday Portland Women’s Crisis Line will host a workshop on self-care for survivors and co-survivors of sexual assault, followed by an open-mic Speak Out.

Self-care is a critical part of the work that we do, as survivors, peer-educators, and activists. To put closure on the April series of workshops related to Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we will gather to share tips and tools for taking care of ourselves as we learn about this important issue. For some of us, this means finding ways to heal following a sexual assault, or strategies for sustaining ourselves while supporting a loved one through their healing process. For others, it may mean discovering how to remain active and engaged in without becoming overwhelmed or disillusioned.

Following our conversations around self-care, we will hold a Speak Out. Share your stories, poems, songs, images, or any other creativity with us! This space will be held for anyone who has been touched by sexual violence, whether they are survivors, support people, or community members. Telling our stories can be an important part of healing, and often feels incredibly empowering! Words of courage, support, and hope are all welcomed!

What: PWCL self-care workshop and open-mic Speak Out
When: Thursday, April 30th. Vegan potluck at 5:30, workshop at 7:00—we will start on time!
Where: The Greenhouse Collective, 4407 SE Tibbetts St. 97206—between Division and Powell, off Clinton bikeway, and buses: 4, 14, 9.

We look forward to seeing you!

In Peace, Love, and Solidarity,

The Green House Collective

May Day Rally & Marcy 2009

2009-04-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

International Workers Day is coming upon us and we ask that you join us and the billions of workers world wide in this years May Day Rally and March for Immigrant and Workers Rights and Economic Justice for All. In 2006 and estimated 50k people marched on the streets of Portland and millions more across the globe. The Bush era politics are over and no is the time to let to stop being complacent and let our voices be heard. If there is one thing that most of us do is work, with this being the case the means of production need to be on our terms and conditions not on those of wealthy corporate elites or policy being determined by our so called elected officials. We ask that you make your voices be heard and ask for real policy change towards our rights as workers by marching on the streets of Portland May 1st, MAYDAY!!! @ 5pm in the South Park blocks. In addition, please spread the word, hang up some fliers, talk to fellow employees and please take the day off, ALL OF YA NOW, ya heard!!!

Workers of the World UNITE. In peace and solidarity,

The Green House Collective

BIKE BACK THE NIGHT THIS THURSDAY

2009-04-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

We hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather! Yum! Thanks to everyone
who showed up for an awesome event on Consent last week. We encourage you to extend this dialogue to your relationships and your community, and invite you to continue the conversation within the Green House Collective.

This week is bike back the night, and the Green House Collective will not be having a potluck or workshop, as we will be biking back the night and encourage
you to join us!

Bike Back the Night: Thursday, April 23

Time: Rider check in and activities begins at 4:30 PM, ride begins at 6 PM
sharp.

Location: Colonel Summers Park

Contact: Ally (ally@pwcl.org), or Barbara (barbara@pwcl.org)

In celebration of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Portland Women’s Crisis Line will be having their annual community bike ride in collaboration with PSU’s Take Back the Night rally to increase awareness of sexual violence. Bring your wheels, bring a friend and Bike Back the Night! Rider check in and activities begins at 4:30 PM, ride begins at 6 PM sharp. Check out the Clothesline Project, bring items to donate to our hygiene drive, and grab a snack before biking to PSU.

To register for the ride, go to: http://bbtn09.eventbrite.com/

See you at the ride!

In Peace, Love, and Solidarity,

The Green House Collective

Keep the discussion going! You no longer have to wait until Thursday night to share and explore ideas about social justice and fostering change. Visit our blog and discussion forum for past discussion topics, announcements,
events, and more.

CONSENT Workshop this Thursday!

2009-04-15T16:05:00.001-07:00

This Thursday, April 16th, The Portland Women’s Crisis Line will host a workshop and discussion on consent and healthy boundaries in intimate relationships. Come ready to contribute, as this will be an engaging and interactive evening.

Together, we will expand our analysis of what constitutes ‘consent,’ self-define what it means to us, develop skills to recognize non-consent in ourselves and others, and brainstorm creative, comfortable, and sexy ways of giving and obtaining clear consent!

Through group brainstorms, role plays and small group discussions, we will explore this complex topic using our collective experience as a resource and tool for discovery.

What: PWCL interactive workshop on consent and healthy boundaries in intimate relationships
When: Thursday, April 16th. Vegan potluck at 5:30, workshop at 7:00—we will start on time!
Where: The Greenhouse Collective, 4407 SE Tibbetts St. 97206—between Division and Powell, off Clinton bikeway, and buses: 4, 14, 9.

See you there!

xoxo

Demo Veggie/Biofuel Engine Conversions!

2009-04-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

[10] Informational Presentation and Demo of veggie/biofuel conversions and engines [http://cnrg-portland.org/node/10040]
------------------------------------------------------------

This Saturday, April 16th, Blue Sky Wellness Studio invites you to participate in a lecture and demonstration concerning Biofuel engine conversions.

As part of the Historic Mississippi Avenue's "Spring Greening" event, we will host a lecture and demonstration by a bio-fuel technician from Enviofuel
(www.enviofuel.com) that is FREE to the public! Please bring your friends, family, and all interested parties as we explore the possibilities of alternative fuel!

For more info please visit our website at www.blueskyportland.com, or call us at (503) 517-8222.

Send quick email to Obama to tell him to END NAFTA!

2009-04-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

We know from our experience in Colombia that military solutions to drug-related violence do not work, yet the U.S. government recently doubled funding for the Mexican military's war on drugs. (Click here for a recent article about the Merida Initiative for background).

This Thursday President Obama will make his first state visit to Mexico. The escalating violence in Mexico is being used as an excuse for further U.S. military aid, and our partners in Mexico are worried about the increasing human rights violations committed by Mexican military and special police forces in the name of the war on drugs.

The media coverage of his Mexico visit provides us with an important opportunity to set the record straight on what Mexico really needs to reduce drug-related violence.

Please send a letter to the editor to your local paper this week. Just click the title of this posting!!!!

Letters to the Editor are the most-read part of any newspaper (especially by policymakers). That' s why we want to flood newspapers around the country with letters this week - this is an important way to push for a sane approach to U.S.-Mexico relations instead of more military violence.

This week is a critical time to take action, as President Obama will be in Mexico on April 16 and 17, just prior to the Summit of the Americas.

Please take just a couple minutes to send a letter to the editor to your local newspaper. We have a new tool that makes it easy to personalize a letter to the editor and will automatically send your letter to your local paper of choice. Try it out - it's quick and easy.

Thank you for taking action at this critical time for U.S.-Mexico relations!

In solidarity

Queer Awareness Week!

2009-04-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

Queer Awareness Week 2009
Join the QRC for a week’s worth of activities April 13-17

Sex Toys 101
4/13/09 from 12-1:30pm in SMSU 236

I'm Gonna Pop! Renegotiating Self-Inflicted Substance Abuse (performance)
4/13/09 from 3-3:30pm in Parkway North (Smith Cafeteria)

Trans Basics: The 411 on the Gender Revolution
4/14/09 from 12-1pm in SMSU 333

Interpersonal Violence in the Queer Community
4/14/09 from 2-3:30pm in SMSU 333

You Want Put That Where? Consent and Boundaries
4/15/09 from 2-3pm in SMSU 236

Queer People of Color Movie Showing
4/15/09 from 12-1:30pm in the QRC

Exploring History: Sexism and Homosexuality
4/16/09 from 12-1pm in SMSU 333

The Importance of Only Spaces in the Queer Community
4/16/09 from 2:30-3:30pm in SMSU 333

QProm 2009 - Night of Noise (a benefit for SMYRC)
4/17/09 from 9pm-1am at the Jupiter Hotel $8 Students

QProm 2009 - Night of Noise (a benefit for SMYRC)

“Night of Noise”, an all ages GLBTQ community fundraiser to benefit
the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center, will take place Friday,
April 17 from 9pm-1am at The Jupiter Hotel on 800 E Burnside St. The
event is organized by the Portland State University Queer Resource
Center, SinnSavvy Productions, and local promoter Kaki Marshall.

Night of Noise will celebrate self expression and the strengths of the
GLBTQ community, with entertainment from SinnSavvy Productions artists
the Rose City Sirens, the River City Riders, the B.B. Dolls,
Burlesquire, and Angelique DeVil, followed by the sounds of the
fabulous DJ Automaton and DJ Linoleum. The dreamBOX at the Jupiter
Hotel will house a cash bar separate from the dance floor, to provide
an all ages celebration. Tickets are $8 for students and $10 general
admission, and will be available at the door & through Ticketmaster.
All ticket sales will benefit SMYRC, to support their relocating from
their current home on Belmont which suffered severe damage during the
winter snow storms.

"Night of Noise" is a follow-up to National Day of Silence, where
students & their supporters are silent during day to raise awareness
around and express solidarity with GLBTQ folks who are silenced daily
through harassment, bias, and violence. Visit
http://www.dayofsilence.org for more information on events taking
place nationwide.

"What is Rape Culture" This Thursday at the GHC

2009-04-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, April 9th: Allies Against Rape Culture (AARC) will be presenting an interactive workshop on Rape Culture.

The term “Rape Culture” is used to describe a culture in which rape and other sexual violence (usually against women) are common and in which prevalent attitudes, norms, practices, and media condone, normalize, excuse, or encourage sexualized violence. Learn more about what creates rape culture, and what we can do to dismantle it!

Whether this is a completely familiar or absolutely new concept for you, please come to this engaging and fun workshop to gather new tools and knowledge so that we can work together toward ending rape culture.

What: AARC interactive workshop on rape culture
When: Thursday, April 9th. Vegan potluck at 5:30, workshop at 7:00—we will start on time!
Where: The Greenhouse Collective, 4407 SE Tibbetts St. 97206—between Division and Powell, off Clinton bikeway, and buses: 4, 14, 9.

See you in a few days!

xoxo

The Green House Collective

Just say NO to the "Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009"

2009-04-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

US House and Senate are about (in a week and a half) to vote on bill that will OUTLAW ORGANIC FARMING (bill HR 875). There is an enormous rush to get this into law within the next 2 weeks before people realize what is happening.

Main backer and lobbyist is (guess who) Monsanto – chemical and genetic engineering giant corporation. This bill will require organic farms to use specific fertilizers and poisonous insect sprays dictated by the newly formed agency to "make sure there is no danger to the public food supply". This will include backyard gardens that grow food only for a family and not for sales. If this passes then NO more heirloom clean seeds but only Monsanto genetically altered seeds that are now showing up with unexpected diseases in humans.

The name on this outrageous food plan is Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (bill HR 875).

THIS IS REAL, FOLKS! PASS THIS ALONG TO ALL CONCERNED ON YOUR MAILING LISTS & CALL YOUR SENATE REPRESENTETIVES TODAY! Not only does this bill stop organic farming and kills the small farmer, it will also be very detrimental to countries like Mexico who import so much of our food during the winter months. They will be forced, like many of us, to stop organic farming, eradicate all heirloom plants, and convert immediately to Genetically Modified crops. PLEASE Get on that phone and burn up the wires. Get anyone else you can to do the same thing. The House and Senate WILL pass this if they are not massively threatened with loss of their position.... They only fear your voice and your vote.

The best thing to do is go to www.house.gov/writerep all you have to do is put in your zip and it will give you your congressperson and how to get in touch with them. When you call their office someone will
answer the phone, just tell them (politely) that you are calling to express your views on HR 875. Tell them your views, they'll take your name and address and pass your comments along to the congressperson. The following link
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm is
a list of the U.S. senators and their contact info.

Invisible Children at The Green House this Tuesday!!

2009-03-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday Invisible Children, an incredible organization based out of San Diego, California, will be at the Green House Collective. Named after the organization's 2003 film with the same title, IC's goal is to end a 20 year war that has been raging in Northern Uganda. This war has forced families into displacement camps where many children are kidnapped and taken as child soldiers by the LRA(Lord's Resistance Army). The LRA is led by Joseph Kony and their main goal is to overthrow the government.

In light of the current situation and a nearing peace, Invisible Children is addressing the need for access to education and economic development through three innovative programs on the ground.

The Creators of Invisible Children: Rough Cut have now put together "The RESCUE", Invisible Children's newest Spring 2009 Film.

The new film is dedicated to the rescue of the child soldiers and to saving Northern Uganda from Joseph Kony and the L.R.A. (Lords Resistance Army)

Come watch a premeir of Invisible Children's most recent film, The Rescue this Tuesday at the Green House Collective. There will be a vegan potluck to start off the evening and discussion to follow. Invisible Children will be present and available for a Q&A.

We look forward to seeing you!

WHAT: The Rescue
WHEN: Tuesday, March 24
Vegan Potluck at 6:00
Film and Discussion at 7:00
WHERE: The Green House Collective
4407 SE Tibbetts St.
*off buslines 14,75,9, and 4...and the Clinton St. Bikeway!

See you tuesday!

In Peace, Love, and Solidarity!!

The Green House Collective

"All humanity is one undivided and indivisible family, and each one of us is responsible for the misdeeds of all the others. I cannot detach myself from the wickedest soul."

-Mahatma Gandhi

Thur. March 12 The Roots of Migration with Witness for Peace NW

2009-03-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, March 12, Witness for Peace Northwest Organizer Beth Poteet will lead a workshop on the root causes of migration, focusing on the effects of free trade on Mexico and Central America. The workshop will include activities, discussion, and viewing of a film by CIEPAC, a Chiapas, Mexico based NGO. Donations will be accepted for a scholarship fund for the "Stories of Migration" delegation that will visit Oaxaca, Mexico and the US-Mexico border in May 2009. For more information, visit www.witnessforpeace.org/northwest.

As always:
Vegan Potluck at 6pm
Workshop at 7pm

See you there!

Thurs. March 5th DIY Notebook-making Workshop!!!

2009-03-03T17:20:00.000-08:00

Hello wonderful people!

Do It Yourself Workshop on how to make your own Journal!!! We decided that we
wanted to start this month off with a little hands-on project that will have
everyone leave with a skill that one can carry with them always. We will walk
everybody step by step through the process of journal/notebook making, and by
the end everyone will have at least one new journal in hand!

Our goal here is to have some fun learning a new and valuable skill ~ teach
just one more simple way to avoid consumerism ~ all in the beauty of building
community

By now you all know out style, and of coarse we have this project coupled with
another. At the end of the night we will ask those who are willing to donate
their new journals, so that we can offer them to an organization that hands
out materials to the houseless folk - who doesn't need a new journal???

This will NOT COST A THING!!!! However you can help us out by bringing
neccesary Materials:

1.) old six-pack bottled beer containers
2.) Scissors
3.) A Glue stick
4.) Dental Floss
5.) a Sewing Needle!!! (this one a must)

We will provide all that we can (including paper) in case you can only bring a
few things or nothing at all

What: DIY notebook-making workshop
Where: The Greenhouse Collective 4407 SE Tibbetts St 97206 - off clinton bike
highway, and buses: 4, 14, 9
When: Thurs. March 5th - Vegan potluck at 6, workshop at 7
Why: Community!!!!!!!!!!

Come one come all

Substance Free! Safe Space Policy! Lotta Love!

Thurs. Feb 26th ~ Open Mic Night!!!

2009-02-22T13:20:00.000-08:00

Helloooo!!!!

Wow. Last week was incredible - we'd really like to thank all of you for such
an awesome evening, and a special thanks to AARC for their presentation. It's
been a great month all in all ~ presentation on Bolivia at PSU, Risingtide
Cascadia, and AARC - thanks to all of you! And to wrap up the month we like to
ease back with an open mic

Come play song, sing a song, read some poetry, tell a story, dance a dance, or
simply sit back and enjoy in a comfortable space with a group of wondeful and
supportive people!! You've got talent and we know this - here's your chance
to let Everyone else know too!

What: open mic
Where: The Greenhouse Collective at 4407 SE Tibbetts St (between Division and
Powell) 97206. Off the Clinton bikeway, and buses:4, 14, 9
When: This Thursday 2/26 6:00 with a vegan potluck, and get the open mic
rolling around 7:00
Why: well to build community of course

This is a Public Event free of charge
This is a substance Free event
This is - a lot of fun

Be Well

Thurs. Feb 19th: Interrupting oppressive language/behavior - AARC

2009-02-16T15:20:00.001-08:00

Hello people!!!

Thank you to all who made it out last week for a great presentation by Risingtide Cascadia! It was a fun, active, and engaging presentation. This week we are set up for another fantastic event

Allies Against Rape Culture (AARC) will be presenting an interactive workshop on Interrupting oppressive behaviors/language. Skills and techniques for interrupting oppressive comments, jokes, and behaviors will be the focus of this presentation through the use of roleplay.

Have you ever been in a situation where comments or jokes were made that you didn't feel comfortable about, but didn't know what to say??? Or perhaps behaviors that caused uncomfort? Or maybe you yourself have been interrupted and weren't quite sure how to feel about it? We often know that something isn't appropriate or doesn't feel good, but might not know what we can do about it.

Whether this is a completely familiar or absolutely new concept for you, please come to this engaging and fun workshop to gather new tools so that we can confidently speak out to oppressive language and/or behaviors. These are priceless tools to gather that can educate, liberate, and create safe space!!!

What: AARC interactive workshop on interrupting oppressive language/behavior
When: Thurs 19th!! Vegan potluck at 5:30, workshop at 7:00- try to be on time!
Where: The Greenhouse Collective 4407 SE Tibbetts St. 97206 - in between Division and Powell, off Clinton bikeway, and buses: 4, 14, 9

This is a workshop free of charge and open to the public (donations appreciated)
This is a substance free event
Bring a dish and bring a friend and lets ACTIVATE!!!

Check out our blog for other info and events!!!!

Wednesday2/4/09: Urban Ecological Action to Save the World: a presentation

2009-02-03T15:48:00.000-08:00

This special evening presentation is free, brought to you by your friends at Food For Thought Cafe and the (new!) PSU Permaculture Guild. Invite your friends and spread the word.

Mark Lakeman, artist, architect and co-founder of the Portland-based non-profit City Repair, will be giving a presentation titled:
Urban Ecological Action to Save the World! on Wednesday, February 4th from 6:30-8:30pm at Food For Thought Cafe in the basement of Smith Student Union.

How can we rise above the urban grid? Are cities for cars or for people? Is public space for the public? How can we transform spaces into places and build community in the process?

These are some of the questions that will be explored through stories and images as we take a close look at how the work of City Repair--and specifically its annual event, The Village Building Convergence--takes these questions head-on.

This presentation will explore how changing our social and physical environments can have a profound impact on how we relate to each other and the places we live. There will also be an opportunity to discuss how students and groups can get involved, either by hosting a project here at PSU or assisting in the multitude of roles that are necessary every year to put on this nationally-recognized 10-day event.

The FFT Cafe gallery will also be exhibiting the visionary work of Mark Lakeman and the artistic posters of City Repair from February 3rd through 6th. Stop in for lunch and check it out!

For more information on this event, see the attached poster. For info about City Repair and the Village Building Convergence, visit www.cityrepair.org.

Food For Thought Cafe--located at the heart of PSU--serves fresh, local organic vegetarian breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday. Bagels from scratch. Vegan cookies. Stumptown coffee. Word.

The PSU Permaculture Guild is planning more speakers, events and activities for the spring of 2009. Email cameros@pdx.edu for more info!

Thursday Jan 15th at the GHC

2009-01-12T17:43:00.000-08:00

Hi Green House Community!

Many thanks to Matt Phillips for taking the time to give a presentation on City Repair's Village Building Convergence Project, and a special thank you to the 25+ who helped make our first workshop of the year a beautiful and intimate evening.

This Thursday January 15th at the Green House Collective, Ryan from School of the Americas Watch Oregon and Green House resident, will be doing a teach-in about the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC) and a report back from the annual Vigil/Protest at the gates of Ft. Benning Georgia, USA from this past November.

Thursday January 15th
4407 SE Tibbetts St. (between Clinton and Powell, and bus lines 9,14,4,72)
6:00 pm Vegan Potluck
7:00 pm SOA Teach-in, report back, short video, picture show, and discussion

The School of the Americas (SOA), in 2001 renamed the "Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation," is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers, located at Fort Benning, Georgia. The SOA, frequently dubbed the "School of Assassins," has left a trail of blood and suffering in every country where its graduates have returned.

Over its 59 years, the SOA has trained over 60,000 Latin American soldiers in counterinsurgency techniques, sniper training, commando and psychological warfare, military intelligence and interrogation tactics. These graduates have consistently used their skills to wage a war against their own people. Among those targeted by SOA graduates are educators, union organizers, religious workers, student leaders, and others who work for the rights of the poor. Hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans have been tortured, raped, assassinated, "disappeared," massacred, and forced into refugee by those trained at the School of Assassins

Looking forward to seeing all your beautiful faces soon.

In peace and solidarity,

The Green House Collective

"You can jail the resisters, but you can't jail the resistance"

Want to go to Mexico to study the Routes of Migration?

2009-01-08T10:21:00.000-08:00

Stories of Migration
Tracing the Journey from Oaxaca to the Border - A Delegation to Mexico May 20 - 31, 2009

Since 2006, millions of immigrants and their allies have taken to the streets in the U.S. to demand comprehensive immigration reform while immigration police strike terror in our communities by increasing the number of workplace raids and home detentions. And Congress fails to ask the question, "Why do people migrate?"

Come to Mexico to hear the stories behind the migrant journey.

Since NAFTA was passed in 1994, 2 million Mexican corn farmers were put out of work by this free trade agreement. At the same time, over one third of the new jobs that were created by NAFTA in Mexico have disappeared. Immigration to the U.S. has almost doubled since the passage of NAFTA. Trace the migrant journey from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca to the desert and borderland of northern Mexico and southern Arizona .

Delegates will examine the economic factors behind migration in Oaxaca , how migration impacts those who stay behind, and the causes behind the social uprising in Oaxaca that began in 2006. We will then travel to northern Mexico to meet with migrants who are preparing to cross into the U.S. and to learn about U.S. border enforcement policy.

Join us as we seek to understand the root causes of immigration and change the immigration debate in the U.S.

Delegation Activities

Oaxaca, Mexico

Speak with civil society members, human rights workers and community activists about how free trade agreements force people to head norhts for work. Learn about the social uprising and movement that began in 2006 led by the APPO (Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca) and Section 22 teacher's union. Do a homestay in a migrant sending community and hear family members talk about how free trade and migration have impacted their livelihood and traditions.

Northern Mexico

Fly to northern Mexico to visit the town of Altar - the main converging point for migrants preparing to make the dangerous trip across the desert into Arizona . Talk with community activists in Altar and migrants mid-journey to hear first-hand about their experiences and why they chose to leave their homes and families.

Tucscon, Arizona

Participate in the final day of the 6th annual Migrant Trail Walk, a grassroots organized 6 day walk from Sasabe, Sonora to Tucscon, Arizona in solidarity with migrants who risk their lives every day crossing through the desert due to inhumane border policies.

Cost: The estimated price of this 12 day delegation is $1150-$2250 USD plus the cost of an in-country flight. This delegation fee covers all reading materials, set-up, preparation, meals, lodging, intepretation and transportation during the delegation as well as a one day donation to the Migrant Trail Walk organizing committee on your behalf. Note: The fee does not include airfare from your hometown to the start of the delegation in Oaxaca , Mexico nor your return from Tucson, Arizona.

Application and non-refundable deposit of $150 due by April 1st, 2009. Contact Beth Poteet at 503.287.7847 or wfpnw@witnessforpeace.org for an application or for more information.

Witness for Peace (WFP) is a politically independent, grassroots organization of people committed to nonviolence and led by faith and conscience. Our mission is to support peace, justice, and sustainable economies in the Americas by changing U.S. policies and corporate practices that contribute to poverty and oppression in Latin America and the Caribbean .

Trans Advocacy

2008-12-23T13:49:00.000-08:00

Hey Greenhousers, I was thumbing around on the internet and found this article, I think its really positive, and of course my eyebrows flew up when transgender advocacy and religion came up in the same title....give this a read its iteresting, I'm curious about these references....

Courtney (Fayer)

Human Rights Campaign Releases New Faith Resources on Transgender Education and Advocacy

New resources include “Gender Identity and Our Faith Communities” and “Out in Season.”

12/11/2008

WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, today released two new resources for transgender education and advocacy for people of faith by the HRC Religion and Faith Program. The first, a new curriculum titled Gender Identity and Our Faith Communities: A Congregational Guide for Transgender Advocacy, edited by Rev. Chris Glaser, is based on the contributions of twelve transgender people, their families and clergy. The second resource titled Out In Season: A Transgender Encounter with the Church Year, offers biblical commentary for preachers and devotional readers from eleven transgender theologians and clergy. To read both resources visit: www.hrc.org/religion.

“The transgender community needs passionate, informed allies to help us advance our work toward fully inclusive hate crimes and employment non-discrimination legislation,” said Allyson Robinson, HRC's Associate Director of Diversity and a contributing writer for both resources. “These resources are just what we need to mobilize the culture-changing power of communities of faith around transgender advocacy at this crucial moment in our community's history.”

Drawing on a wide array of personal experiences, religious and cultural analysis, and diverse faith journeys, Gender Identity and Our Faith Communities curriculum will empower people of faith with the knowledge and skills necessary to transform their communities and congregations into welcoming environments and will turn participants into advocates for transgender rights.

“We are living at a time when a 15-year-old boy was shot to death for wearing eye shadow and high heels to school. It is high time for congregations to study gender issues, to wake up to the importance of noticing and embracing their transgender members and to reach out in ministry with the transgender community as a whole,” said Dr. Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, renown theologian, author of Omnigender, and contributor to Gender Identity and Our Faith Community.

Out In Season: A Transgender Encounter with the Church Year, explores the journey with our transgender sisters and brothers. Year after year, Christians journey from the longings of Advent, the joy of Christmas and the depths of Lent to the good news of Easter hope. A video with Rev. Dr. Sidney D. Fowler, editor for Out In Season and Rev. Dr. Erin Swenson, a writer for Out in Season, is available online: http://www.hrc.org/scripture/seasonhome.asp.

“These two resources' use of rich firsthand accounts of the lives of transgender people of faith will lead you to want to be an ally and advocate on behalf of transgender people not just out of a sense of righting a injustice but because your own life and your own sense of gender identity will be deepened by the experience,” said Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, Bishop for the Diocese of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church.

To learn more about HRC's transgender resources visit: www.hrc.org/transgender.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Help save "In Other Words" feminist bookstore

2008-12-11T12:01:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

In Other Words, like so many of our fellow bookstores, has fallen upon incredibly hard financial times. With the decline in our current economy, we have experienced severely decreased revenue. *If we are unable to raise $11,000 by the end of December, In Other Words will have to close its doors.

We desperately need your help. *We are confident that if everyone who cares about In Other Words makes a contribution, large or small, we will meet our goal. Please give as generously as you can to save the last remaining non-profit, feminist bookstore in the country: the place where so many Portland artists, activists, organizers, readers, writers, political thinkers, musicians and poets find their voice, their power, their community, and their political home.

Our community cannot afford to lose In Other Words, please help us save her!

You can make your tax-deductible donations on the In Other Words secure
website, or by stopping into the store (8 NE Killingsworth).

*Please forward this widely to your community, we need all the help we can get!*

Sincerely,
The Board, Staff and Volunteers of In Other Words

--
Program Director, In Other Words
katie@inotherwords.org
503.232.6003

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change opened today in Poznan, Poland, a group of grassroots climate activists came to the Washington DC

2008-12-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

From the Daughter of EDF Founder, Robert E. Smolker
Author Dr. Rachel Smolker is with Global Justice Ecology Project and Global Forest Coalition

My name is Rachel Smolker. When I was a child, growing up on Long Island,
my father, Robert E Smolker, along with Charlie Wurster, Dennis Puleston
and Art Cooley, used to sit around in the living room sipping their beers
and discuss environmental issues. My father, an ornithologist, was
observing the thinning of predatory bird eggshells caused by DDT, Rachel
Carson‚s seminal work on the impacts of pesticides was still relatively
warm off the presses, and their were already many, many indications that
virtually all ecosystems were in decline: the beautiful wetlands
surrounding our island were contaminated and littered with garbage,
fisheries were declining, and from afar, the drumbeat of deforestation,
pollution, and climate change. Yes, way back then. Climate change was an
issue very few knew anything about, but I would say it came as no surprise
to those who spent time in the natural world and understood the delicate
intricacies of ecological systems on a tiny blue speck of a planet, more
or less accidentally blanketed in a thin and accommodating atmosphere.

I watched these men as they talked, sometimes seriously, sometimes with
tremendous humor, and almost always with a deep sense of commitment and
comeraderie. I was 10-12 years old, on the brink of puberty and frankly
not all that much interested, but I respected them and as I grew up
recognized the importance of this phenomenon, called EDF, which germinated
out of the couches of my home.

My father and his friends celebrated their capacity to act together when
EDF achieved bans on DDT in the early 70‚s. They brought lawyers and
scientists and fundraisers and administrators and many others onboard and
expanded the organization, experienced and overcame some growing pains and
enjoyed a number of victories.

My father passed away in 1985. By that time, EDF had at least a few
offices dotted around the country, and sizeable resources. The
organization was, already, under the leadership of Fredd Krupp. Before
his death, he complained to me that he "did not approve of the direction
in which the organization was headed".

Why? What was he foreseeing? I think I understand now:

EDF has swelled and mushroomed into the darling of the corporate world:
advocating for "market incentives" to "encourage" corporations to stop
their destructive practices, provided they do not cause "economic
hardship". Like the corporations you have befriended, you too have become
entirely beholden to the gods of endless economic growth. The goal of
protecting the environment has been relegated to the back seat.

EDF‚s corporate partnership approach sounded friendly and sort of "new"
back in the 80's. Sure, perhaps there was some potential in trying to
reform polluting practices "from the inside". EDF proudly designed the
market trading system for sulphur emissions causing acid rain, among
numerous other accomplishments. That emissions trading model, hailed as a
breakthrough in "harnessing market forces in service of environmental
goals", has now been carried over to the international arena and become
the central approach to addressing global warming emissions.

Carbon emissions trading is now formally enshrined within the Kyoto
Protocol, and within almost every state, federal and international
initiative for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It has in fact become
pretty much the only game in town.

You argue that it is the "least expensive" means of lowering emissions,
allowing companies to avoid costly abatement by purchasing credits from
others who could more easily reduce their emissions. A sort of „kinder
gentler‰ approach to lowering carbon emissions.

But let me ask you. Is it working? Has it worked? Will it work fast
enough? Is it in our best interests at this point to make things kind and
gentle and inexpensive for these polluters? Is that our priority?

I would ask that you take a trip outside of Washington, put on your boots
and jeans and anoraks: travel to the Arctic community of Kivalina and talk
with the folks there who are filing suit against your bedfellows in the
fossil fuel industry over the extermination of their community and their
entire lifestyle. I say, you are guilty by association. EDF has become the
mistress of murderers. While James Hansen and others suggest they should
be put on trial for their crimes against humanity, you would have us
reward them!

You would have us reward them by turning the atmosphere into private
property, dividing it into pieces and generously bequeathing the pieces as
gifts to these corporate criminals. And in doing so, you provide them with
a license to carry on with their dirty business and pretend to be doing
something other than advancing their own profits. While they drill and
mine and pump and plunder with one hand, the other is busy shaking hands
with Fred Krupp. EDF has been the primary architects and advocates of
"market approaches" which do nothing but pad the coffers of climate
criminals while doing nothing to avert global warming.

EDF has turned itself into a corporate makeover facility. The most
polluting companies on earth walk in here seeking advice on how to better
paint themselves green. EDF does the paint job and then hands out free
samples and an eternity's worth of coupons for future cash-in. What comes
out the other end is business as usual, and a few added digits on the
organization‚s salary balance sheets.

I have two young children. I am not going to launch into a teary-eyed
appeal to you about their future, don‚'t worry.

No: I am going to tell you something about being a parent that I think is
relevant: When my children do something naughty, do I yell at them and
take away some privileges? Or do I offer them a candy in exchange for
halting their naughtiness? Welllll- some would advocate the candy
approach, but what happens when they realize that the outcome of their
naughtiness is to receive candy? Of course they can't wait to be naughty
again! That is your approach to dealing with polluting corporations;
reward them with permits to pollute and a new paintjob.

That is why they are knocking down your doors. Your Climate Action
Partnership? Well, no shit Sherlock - the dirtiest most polluting industries
made windfall profits off the European Emissions Trading Scheme, which
has been deemed completely ineffective if not counterproductive as a means
of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

No wonder these corporations are eager to sign on to the CAP and have you
championing such an approach! They know the climate change grim reaper is
on his way. They see the writing on the walls. Would they prefer to be
regulated and fined and forced to behave like proper citizens of the
global community? Or would they prefer to hide behind some smoke and
mirrors, receive permits to pollute, pass along the cost of purchasing
those permits to their ratepayers if possible, and then rake in rewards
for sort of maybe doing what they should absolutely for the sake of us all
should be doing in any case? You provide them the means to enhance profits
and paint themselves green at the same time! WoW!

We cannot pretend that handing out permits to pollute and then trading
them around like baseball cards is even remotely related to seriously
reducing emissions. It is a great get-rich-quick scheme for the brokers,
marketers and financiers who enjoy playing games with my childrens‚
future, and it is a huge gift to the polluting criminals.

Offsetting emissions is a similar deceit, nothing but another fine
arrangement of smoke and mirrors that allow some people to "feel good"
while continuing to carry on business as usual. They provide a convenient
way to sidestep and avoid real and necessary change. It is, without
question, a lovely idea to provide funding to really good "quality"
projects that hold promise of reducing emissions, but there are more
straightforward ways to get there that do not require unfounded and
unreliable measures of carbon flow, additionality, verifiability or
permanence, and do not confuse fossil and biological carbon. We clearly
need to halt, not offset emissions, even where it is a hard thing, a very
hard thing to do.

We are here today because we have simply had enough. In fact we reached
that point quite a while ago, and since then have been gathering our
courage and building the solidarity that is required to stand up for the
very future of life on earth in the most effective, meaningful manner
possible. It is a mightily sad state of affairs, when a group of dedicated
activists, who are keenly aware of the dire crisis we are facing, must
come to the offices of one of the world‚s biggest and most influential
"environmental organizations" to protest. People you see before you have
chained themselves to the gates of coal fired power plants and to the
doors of the World Bank. They have stood up to corporate thugs and
threats, they have put themselves in harms way to stand up for what is
right and what MUST be done to protect the future of life.

We cannot afford to wait, or to fail, or to only half succeed at this point.

EDF: It is time to admit to the failure of the market based policies you
are advocating: The Kyoto Protocol, the European Trading Scheme - these
have failed us, and in the process have blinded and bedazzled so many that
the real solutions to the crisis have fallen into the shadows where they
are languishing. Now it is time to face the facts and turn every ounce of
your substantial weight towards DEMANDING that your corporate bedfellows
strip off their phony green veneer, halt the pillaging of our futures, and
give REAL solutions to climate change their due opportunity. Yes it will
be hard, yes it will force change upon the polluters. But the cost of
inaction, or ineffective action, will be much, much greater.

The incoming administration has made it clear that they intend to adopt a
cap and trade legislation, along with a suite of other questionable steps
intended to address the crisis of climate change, including „clean coal‰,
nuclear energy and agrofuels. EDF as a massively influential organization
will undoubtedly play a role in shaping this legislation. It is time to
stop pandering to the corporate criminals. We can no longer make corporate
profits a priority over swift and severe measures to avoid catastrophe. We
can no longer concern ourselves with making it easy or less costly or any
other such warm and fuzzy goodwill towards the corporations that are
responsible for the destruction. We can no longer count on the magic of
markets to achieve the deep, real, meaningful and essential changes that
are needed.

EDF: I wish I could say I am proud of my own father‚s legacy! But it is,
sadly, the case that I have to apologize, offer disclaimers, make
explanations when pronouncing my relationship to this organization. I can
hear my father rolling over in his grave! EDF has strayed so far from his
vision, from the mission of protecting and advocating for the environment,
that it would now be completely unrecognizeable to him. Were he to rise up
from the dead, I can only hope that these plush digs and six figure
salaries would convince him there is no relationship between the current
manifestation of this organization and himself.

For me, it is deeply ironic that I find myself here today, taking action
against this organization which so shaped my early world view, and which I
have now come to see as a primary obstacle to averting planetary crisis:
the architects and powerful advocates of extraordinarily dangerous and
distracting policy advice.

I HOPE that the people working here will take a very deep look in the
mirror and ask yourselves: are we REALLY doing the right thing? Are we
true to our mission? To ourselves? To our children and to the future of
life on this little blue speck?

Building Tools for Community Organizing — Critical Thought and consciousness raising (Part 1 of 2)

2008-11-19T08:59:00.000-08:00

PORTLAND COALITION AGAINST POVERTY

Building Tools for Community Organizing — Critical Thought and consciousness raising (Part 1 of 2)

Discussion and or Roleplays on:

- Libratory language
- Who we are
- Identities, communities and movements
- Power (the ability to enact change)
- Practice (creating space to refine tactics and reflect on power)
- Praxis (action + reflection)

The Portland Coalition Against Poverty is dedicated to creating space to ask questions, and participate in community dialogue. As students in a movement of liberation, we learn and teach from are experience and reflection. As teachers, we root ourselves in listening and asking. Through community conversations we aim to empower ourselves and all individuals participating to become both students and teachers — to listen, ask, experience, and reflect collectively.

SATURDAY NOV. 22ND 6PM - 8PM
FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH -
BUCHAN BUILDING (Door on Salmon St.)
1011 SW 12TH AVE
SIGNS WILL BE POSTED

LEO CERDA West Coast Speaking Tour: Oil, Indigenous Rights and Creating Just Sustainable Societies

2008-11-19T08:56:00.000-08:00

LEO CERDA West Coast Speaking Tour: Oil, Indigenous Rights and Creating Just Sustainable Societies

When: Friday, November 21st @ 4:00 pm
Where: Portland State University
Smith Bldg. Rm 338
1825 SW Broadway

For information on the other dates and places of the tour please visit Rising Tide North America's website @ www.risingtidenorthamerica.com

Leonardo Cerda is an Ecuadorian youth climate, energy and sustainability activist studying International Relations and Political Sciences at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador.

Leo's been involved in resistance movements against the oil industry in Ecuador since he was fourteen years old. He and others in his community starting doing workshops around the Amazon at that time, in different indigenous villages, discussing the causes and the future consequences of the oil industry, it's relationship to climate change and the many other devastating consequences to people and the environment.

Leo's been working on issues related to environmental protection, people's sovereignty over land, coal mining, indigenous resistance, organic products cooperative and others ever since. Currently Leo is part of an organization called FAOICIN that is running a campaign to promote sustainable projects as an alternative for communities, associations, and other indigenous social actors to promote the recovery of ancestral customs. He's also in charge of the human rights club at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito!

He'll be discussing his communities work in Ecuador, the damage done by the oil industry, and efforts to build a more just, sustainable society in Ecuador.

Hope to see you there. Peace!

School of the Americas documentary screening Thurs Nov. 13th

2008-11-10T11:02:00.001-08:00

Hi lovelys,

Thank you to all who made it out last week for the documentary and discussion on "Voices of a Mountain," and thank you to Caitlin for taking the time to educate us on the community of Santa Anita.

This week at the Green House Collective we will be showing a short documentary on The School of the Americas (SOA). The intent of this weeks showing, like all weeks, is for educational and informational purposes. The majority of this weeks event will be discussion, Q & A, and what you can do to help close the SOA. Below is a brief introduction into the SOA:

The School of the Americas (SOA), in 2001 renamed the “Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation,” is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers, located at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Initially established in Panama in 1946, it was kicked out of that country in 1984 under the terms of the Panama Canal Treaty. Former Panamanian President, Jorge Illueca, stated that the School of the Americas was the “biggest base for destabilization in Latin America.” The SOA, frequently dubbed the “School of Assassins,” has left a trail of blood and suffering in every country where its graduates have returned.

Over its 59 years, the SOA has trained over 60,000 Latin American soldiers in counterinsurgency techniques, sniper training, commando and psychological warfare, military intelligence and interrogation tactics. These graduates have consistently used their skills to wage a war against their own people. Among those targeted by SOA graduates are educators, union organizers, religious workers, student leaders, and others who work for the rights of the poor. Hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans have been tortured, raped, assassinated, “disappeared,” massacred, and forced into refugee by those trained at the School of Assassins.

Green House resident Ryan has been volunteering with the local non-violent activist group SOA Watch OR for the last year, and will be traveling to the annual vigil next week for his first time, where he will be one of over 20,000 people that travel to Ft. Benning annually to close the SOA. We look forward to seeing you all this week

What: Vegan Potluck @ 5:30, movie starts @ 7
Where: The GHC, 4407 SE Tibbetts St, located of the Clinton St bike superhighway, and bus lines 4, 9, 75, and 14
When: Thursday November 13th

Also, the GHC is having it's first book club on Sunday Dec. 7th. We will be reading and discussing "The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love" by Bell Hooks. This book is currently available for sale at Powells Books, available for check out at most library locations, and one copy is available for check out at the GHC. If you are interested in participating in this months book discussion or future book club discussions, please email us at thegreenhouse@riseup.net.

In peace and solidarity,

The GHC

Officers Fired Over Executions Received U.S. Training and Funds

2008-11-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

The School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC) continues to train Latin American Death Squads here in the United States; as documented by the article below. SOA/WHINSEC located in Ft. Benning, GA has had a continued path of terrorism throughout Latin American countries. Columbia currently has been sending the highest amount of troops to train at the Army School of the Americas since Bill Clinton signed and funded over $6 billion for Plan Columbia. Plan Columbia has seen some of the greatest human rights violations occurring throughout the Americas. Columbia is also the largest receipient of financial aid from the United States. The US has a new plan, known as Plan Mexico or Plan Merrida, that will undoubtedly follow a similar path as Plan Columbia. With their being a new President elect and a Democrat majority in Congress, the time is NOW to stop being silent and petition our newly elected representatives to stop funding the SOA and close the base, to stop funding the failed Plan Columbia, and to stop the expansion and funding for Plan Mexico. These plans are not benifiting our citizens and have certainly not benifited the people of Columbia, the only benifiters are the MNC's and those in power positions. You all have a voice to stop these atrocities from continuing, and unless we petition our elected representatives, our voices will be ignored. Call write, email your representative and demand the SOA close, demand our tax dollars stop funding the murder of innocent people through Plan Columbia and Plan Mexico, and demand those responsible are held accountable under international law.

In peace and solidarity,

The GHC

"Officers Fired Over Executions Received U.S. Training and Funds"

Nov 5 2008
John Lyndsay-Poland

Colombian Army commander Mario Montoya resigned on November 3, in the wake of a scandal over army killings of civilians that a United Nations official on Saturday called "systematic and widespread." A protégé of the United States, Montoya received training at the notorious U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA) and has also taught other soldiers as an instructor at the SOA.

Montoya was an architect of the "body count" counterinsurgency strategy that many analysts believe led to the systematic civilian killings. Colombian President Álvaro Uribe announced the dismissal of 27 military officers on October 29, including three generals and 11 colonels and lieutenant colonels, for human rights abuses. The abuses include involvement in the killings of dozens of youths who were recruited in Bogotá slums and shortly after were reported as killed in combat by the army, hundreds of miles away.

The dismissal is a positive action, which we at the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) applaud. Officers responsible for killing civilians must face consequences, or the killing will continue.

Human rights organizations have documented more than 500 reported extrajudicial killings by the army since the beginning of last year. This week, Amnesty International issued a scathing report on worsening conditions in Colombia, including massive displacement of internal refugees, increased extrajudicial killings, and attacks on human rights defenders. A New York Times front-page story on October 30 also highlighted the problem, and cited FOR's research on extrajudicial executions, as did a Los Angeles Times story.

Detonating the issue was a report that poor Bogotá youths, whose families said they had disappeared, had been recruited by the army or others, and then reported as dead in combat. Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos admitted that the army still harbors "holdouts who are demanding bodies for results."

The dismissal of officers also demonstrates extensive U.S. complicity with the abuses. The United States gave military training directly or assisted the units of nearly all of the officers implicated in the killings. At least 11 of the officers, including Brigadier Generals Paulino Coronado Gamez and José Cortes Franco, were trained at the U.S. Army School of the Americas, and Cortes even served as an instructor at the school in 1994. Most of the officers commanded units that had been "vetted" by U.S. officials for human rights abuses and approved to receive assistance in 2008, or received training for some officers, despite extensive reports that their units had carried out murders of civilians.

Yet the dismissal, which focuses on officers operating in a northeastern region of Colombia where the disappeared youths were found, addresses only a small number of the army units responsible for civilian killings.

In the oil-rich Casanare and Arauca departments, the U.S.-trained 16th and 18th Brigades have reportedly committed dozens of killings, as has the U.S.-supported 9th Brigade in the coffee-growing department of Huila. In southwestern Valle and Cauca, the Third Brigade's Codazzi Batallion receives U.S. support and reportedly committed at least nine killings of civilians last year, and it might be implicated in firing on peaceful indigenous protesters this month. In southern Meta and Guaviare departments, the United States supports multiple mobile brigades in areas where the army has committed a large number of civilian killings.

The government named General Oscar Enrique González Peña to replace Army chief Montoya. Unsurprisingly, Gen. González Peña is also a graduate of the School of the Americas with a history of extrajudicial executions under his command. General Peña was commander of the Fourth Brigade, based in Medellín, from December 2003 to July 2005, when units under his command reportedly committed 45 extrajudicial executions in eastern Antioquia, according to a report published last year by a coalition of human rights organizations known as the Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Observatory.

Most of the Colombian army's current leadership—including 17 of 24 brigade commanders—was trained by the United States at the School of the Americas. This is in addition to the U.S. training provided to Colombian officers at dozens of other military schools and in Colombia. Washington is involved in the army's human rights problem through and through, and journalists, activists, and Congressional staff ought to ask when the United States will stop financing such murderous criminal operations. We believe the time is now.

Organizing 101 training Cramer Hall at PSU in Room 150 Saturday, Nov. 8th

2008-11-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

Two training times offered – 12:00-2:00 and 3:00-5:00

Portland Coalition Against Poverty is offering an organizing 101 training. The focus will be on consciousness raising and grassroots movement building in the post-election era. If you’re wondering what comes next, or looking to organize in a more focused fashion, this is a great training to attend. What problems do you see in your community? In your home? In your family? At your place of work? Will they be solved by the new administration? How can you solve them at the local level? If you’re troubled by what you see, or are eager to make empowering change happen, this training will meet help keep your fire burning. We’ll be discussing consciousness raising, communication styles, and power dynamics, but the folks who attend will be setting most of the agenda. Sliding scale, no one turned away. RSVP if possible. We have room for 60 folks at each training.

PDXCAP@gmail.com
503.839.3670
Power is the ability to enact change

"Voice of a Mountain" documentary this week at the GHC

2008-11-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

Hi beautifuls! Many many thanks to everyone who was able to make it out this week to the GHC; it certainly was a busy one. Our first of many Open Mic Nights was a great success, lots of music played, some poetry read, and lovely people to boot. We'd also like to thank Defend Oregon for taking time out of their busy election schedule to make it out and breakdown many of this years confusing ballot measures. In addition, thank you thank you thank you to Dr. Atomics Medicine Show for coming out and putting on a great and funny show Saturday evening; if you haven't seen these people before it's well worth your time. Finally, thanks to those who were able to make it out for an off and on rainy day garden work party; lots of progress made!!!

This week at the GHC we will be showing a powerful documentary titled "Voice of a Mountain," which talks about the development of the community Santa Anita. We'll also be having a person who lived in the community come speak about the community and their cause. Here is what their website has to say about the film:

"Voice of a Mountain is a video documentary of the lives of rural Guatemalan coffee farmers who took up arms against their government in a civil war that lasted 36 years. This documentary explores Guatemala's dark history from the perspective of those who saw armed revolution as their only hope for change in a poverty-ridden nation under years of military dictatorship. Ex-combatants talk about the bleak reality of the country that led to their involvement in the war, and the response of genocide from the Guatemalan government against its people. The documentary gives insight into their motives for joining an armed conflict as interviews reveal personal accounts of struggle, hope, tragedy, and the fruits of their resistance. Voice of a Mountain documents the reality of rural Guatemala in the wake of the civil war. It looks at the ideals and goals of patriots who fought against their government with the goal of changing their country and asks if they achieved what they were fighting for. The societal conditions that led to civil war are compared with the reality of three rural communities in present day Guatemala in an attempt to discover if conditions for the majority of those living in the country today have changed since the signing of the Peace Accords. The day-to-day realities of these three different communities who find their livelihood intricately connected to agricultural labor are documented, as they cope with the struggles of poverty, increasing debt, decreasing job opportunities, and the temptation to migrate north in search of a better life for their children."

There are also many other beautiful things happening in Portland this week as well. One of which is Siren Nation "Women's Music and Arts Festival" which runs today through November 9th; for more info go to www.sirennation.com. In addition, Green House resident Sarah and the band she's playing with has a show at Wonder Ballroom on November 8th; cost is $15 but will most certainly be worth it. For other events happening at the GHC and in Portland check out our blog at www.thegreenhousecollective.blogspot.com

What: Documentary and Vegan Potluck
When: Thursday Nov. 6th beginning at 5:30
Where: 4407 SE Tibbetts St, off the Clinton St bike superhighway, and bus lines # 4, 9, 75, and 14

In peace and solidarity,

The Green House Collective

Nonviolence Is the Right Choice-- It Works

2008-11-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

Nonviolence Is The Right Choice—It Works
By Amitabh Pal, October 30, 2008

Nonviolent resistance is not only the morally superior choice. It is also twice as effective as the violent variety.

That's the startling and reassuring discovery by Maria Stephan and Erica Chenoweth, who analyzed an astonishing 323 resistance campaigns from 1900 to 2006.

"Our findings show that major nonviolent campaigns have achieved success 53 percent of the time, compared with 26 percent for violent resistance campaigns," the authors note in the journal International Security. (The study is available as a PDF file at http://www.nonviolent-conflict.org)

The result is not that surprising, once you listen to the researchers' reasoning. "First, a campaign's commitment to nonviolent methods enhances its domestic and international legitimacy and encourages more broad-based participation in
the resistance, which translates into increased pressure being brought to bear on the target," they state. "Second, whereas governments easily justify violent counterattacks against armed insurgents, regime violence against nonviolent movements is more likely to backfire against the regime."

In an interesting aside that has relevance for our times, the authors also write that, "Our study does not explicitly compare terrorism to nonviolent resistance, but our argument sheds light on why terrorism has been so unsuccessful."

To their credit, the authors don't gloss over nonviolent campaigns that haven't been successes. They give a clear-eyed assessment of the failure so far of the nonviolent movement in Burma, one of the three detailed case studies in the piece, along with East Timor and the Philippines.

In some sense, the authors have subjected to statistical analysis the notions of Gene Sharp, an influential Boston-based proponent of nonviolent change, someone they cite frequently in the footnotes. In his work, Sharp stresses the practical utility of nonviolence, de-emphasizing the moral aspects of it. He even asserts that for Gandhi, nonviolence was more of a pragmatic tool than a matter of principle, painting a picture that's at variance with much of Gandhian scholarship. In an interview with me in 2006, Sharp declared that he derives his precepts from Gandhi himself.

Gandhi's use of nonviolence "was pure pragmatism," Sharp told me. "At the end of his life, he defends himself. He was accused of holding on to nonviolent means because of his religious belief. He says no. He says, I presented this as a political means of action, and that's what I'm saying today. And it's a misrepresentation to say that I presented this as a purely
religious approach. He was very upset about that."

One of the authors of the study, Maria Stephan, is at the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict. The group's founders wrote a related book a few years ago, "A Force More Powerful: A Century of Nonviolent Conflict." Erica Chenoweth
is at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

This study is manna for those of us who believe in nonviolent resistance as a method of social change. We don't have to justify it on moral grounds any more. The reason is even simpler now: Nonviolence is much more successful.

Call out for LNG help

2008-10-31T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hello PDX LNG Working Group :

We are very excited about the LNG bill that is being drafted for the 2009 legislative session and now we need your support!

I will provide below a brief description of the bill and am attaching the current bill summary for you all to look over if you like.

In order to gain support from legislators and representatives we are hoping to supply them with a long list of Oregon residents who support the passage of this bill. Please consider endorsing this bill -- it's simple, just add your name to a growing list of supporters and we will take care of the rest! I am hoping to have this list together by November 10th so please respond promptly.

If you would like to add your name to a list of folks throughout Oregon who are supporting government representatives in passing this bill, please reply to oliviariver@gmail.com and include the following information:

Your Name
Your home address (not mailing)
Your occupation

I am hoping to gather upwards of 200 names for this effort and would greatly appreciate y'all taking the time to respond.

In the near future I will be following up this effort by organizing folks to contact their current (and elected) representatives and legislators -- keep your eye out for that request in mid November. At that time I will provide contact information and talking points for conversations with legislators who can make a difference by supporting the passage of this bill.

Current title and description of LNG bill:

Ensuring Public Benefits in Liquid Natural Gas Permitting

This bill is not an outright ban of LNG in Oregon, but it requires certain considerations and protections be assured in the siting of LNG infrastructure. The bill clarifies and strengthens the authority of state agencies in the LNG siting process.

Three key requirements laid out in the current draft include:
1) State of Oregon must prove a need for the specific LNG terminal prior to granting the right to any natural resources that exist in the public trust (ie water rights, land leases or dredge/fill in wetlands)

2)Protects natural resource values from degradation due to operation of terminals
(ie water quality and health of fisheries)

3)Protects communities by prohibiting siting of LNG terminals where high-sensitivity structures exist within the federally recognized fire-zone (ie schools, hospitals, elder care facilities)

I greatly appreciate all of your support in this effort and all that you do to fight LNG and related pipelines in Oregon and Southern Washington!

Please reply soon with your endorsement of this very important legislation -- let's keep the Pacific NW free of LNG!

Feel free to contact me with questions.

-Olivia Schmidt
Columbia River Clean Energy Coalition
oliviariver@gmail.com
(971)533-2390

This week at the GHC

2008-10-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

Hi lovelys,

Thanks to all who made it out last week for the film screening and discussion on the documentary "A Force More Powerful." If you were unable to make it out and still would like to see the film, we have it and many others available for check out through our film library; we have books available too!!!

This week at the GHC is going to be a busy one. This Thursday Oct. 30th begins the first week of Open Mic Nights at the GHC on the last Thursday of each month. All are welcome to play, speak, listen. . . Potluck begins at 5:30 and the Mic turns on at 7.

Then on Saturday Nov. 1st we are having an all day event. Beginning at Noon (12-3) we're having a breakfast gathering; so if you partied a little too much on Halloween or are just hungry, and you need some good healthy food to get motivated for day come on by with a vege dish or just your empty stomachs. After breakfast there is a chance the Beehive Collective may be here to do a presentation (still workin of this one so nothing set in stone yet). Then at 3-6pm we have a couple different organizations coming to dissect all the Oregon ballot measures. If you have yet to send in your ballots we encourage holding off til then so you'll have a better understanding of what these measures are actually proposing. From 6-7pm is the vegan potluck. Then at 7pm we have the political satire theatrical group Dr. Atomics Medicine Show (www.myspace.com/doctoratomics) with some awesome entertainment regarding this years elections. After they are done we'll have some jam time ahead of us, so please feel free to bring some instruments. It's going to be an action packed day of fun, so come to one of them, come to all of them, either way we would love to see all your beautiful faces.

On Sunday Nov. 2nd @10am we wrap up the week and the harvest season with a garden workparty. Our dear friend and community member Matt B from Tryon Farm will be here to help and assist in the redesign overhaul of our garden out back. We are going for a permaculture design to increase productivity and a more sustainable future. So if your interested in learning some basics of permaculture, want to play in some dirt, maybe roll around in some leaves, come to the GHC this Sunday at 10am (if you can't make it out that early, no worries come whenever, we'll be at it all day). Also, if you have gardening tools please feel free to bring what you can as we have a limited supply.

Certainly a busy week at the GHC but there are also many other beautiful things happening outside of our house; for more information check out the community events calendar on our blog at www.thegreenhousecollective.blogspot.com

In peace and solidarity,

The Green House Collective

Movie night at the Green House Collective

2008-10-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hi lovelys,

Thanks to all who came to share in our vision last week. We wanted to let you in the past we had not been meeting on the last Thursday of each month, but beginning next week this is not the case. Next Thursday begins our first Open Mic Night at the GHC. Like all events this is substance free as well.

This week at the GHC we will be showing "A Force More Powerful." Here is what the website has to say about the film:

A Force More Powerful explores how popular movements battled entrenched regimes and military forces with weapons very different from guns and bullets. Strikes, boycotts, and other actions were used as aggressive measures to battle opponents and win concessions. Petitions, parades, walkouts and demonstrations roused public support for the resisters. Forms of non-cooperation including civil disobedience helped subvert the operations of government, and direct intervention in the form of sit-ins, nonviolent sabotage, and blockades have frustrated many rulers' efforts to suppress people.

The historical results were massive: tyrants toppled, governments overthrown, occupying armies impeded, and political systems that withheld human rights shattered. Entire societies were transformed, suddenly or gradually, by nonviolent resistance that destroyed opponents' ability to control events. These events and the ideas underlying nonviolent action are the focus of this three-hour documentary production.

The series begins in 1907 with a young Mohandas Gandhi, the most influential leader in the history of nonviolent resistance, as he rouses his fellow Indians living in South Africa to a nonviolent struggle against racial oppression. The series recounts Gandhi's civil disobedience campaign against the British in India; the sit-ins and boycotts that desegregated downtown Nashville, Tennessee; the nonviolent campaign against apartheid in South Africa; Danish resistance to the Nazis in World War II; the rise of Solidarity in Poland; and the momentous victory for democracy in Chile. A Force More Powerful also introduces several extraordinary, but largely unknown individuals who drove these great events forward.

YEAH FOR NON-VIOLENCE!!!

What: Vegan Potluck at 5:30, film begins at 7pm
Where: THE GHC 4407 SE Tibbetts St, conveniently located of Clinton St Bike superhighway, bus lines 4, 9, 75, and 14 (please go by pedal power or public transportation or commute with other Green House folks)
When: Thursday Oct 23rd

In Peace and solidarity,

The GHC

City of Portland goes Sweatshop Free

2008-10-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

*Portland passes the First Sweatshop Free Ordinance in the Pacific Northwest*
*Proactive policy will help ensure taxpayer dollars are not spent on
sweatshop labor*

At yesterday's Portland City Council meeting, Wednesday, October 15, at 9:30 a.m., the Portland Sweatshop Free Purchasing Policy passed unanimously. The policy requires city agencies to procure public employee uniforms and other apparel only from those companies that disclose the locations of their manufacturing facilities and abide by ethical sourcing practices. Portland is the first city in the Pacific Northwest to adopt an ordinance for sweatshop free purchasing.

The policy has been promoted by the Portland Sweatfree Campaign, endorsed by 45 organizations, including labor, faith, and community organizations. On August 29, 2007, the Portland Sweatfree Campaign presented a resolution that City Council passed unanimously. The resolution established the Portland Sweatshop Free Policy Committee, which met regularly to craft the policy presented to City Council today. Community testimonies were shared by Arthur Stamoulis from the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign, Ed Hall-Vice President of the Portland Fighter Fighters Association Local 43, Rev. Kate Lore of First Unitarian Church-Portland, J. Ashlee Albies from the National Lawyers Guild, Jeff Baer the Chief Procurement Official for the Portland Bureau of Purchases, and Bjorn Cleason - Executive Director of SweatFree Communities,
read by Elizabeth Swager- Coordinator of Sweatfree NW.

The Portland Sweatfree Policy established a strong code of conduct for garment workers that make uniforms for city police, firefighters and other uniform wearing public employees. As former sweatshop worker Chie Abad testified at last year's hearing to pass the resolution, "Inside the factory, we had not ventilation at all. We drank rain water. And we had a quota system that we had to finish every hour. I also used to live in a squalid, unsanitary, overcrowded barrack. And most of all, women are fired if they got pregnant." The code of conduct addresses human rights violations such as these by requiring the adherence of local labor laws, ILO and UN
Conventions and codes of conduct including, but not limited to, freedom of association, health and safety on the job and just cause termination.

Commissioner Sam Adams said, "This is a start." While today's policy covers only apparel, Adams expressed his intention to eventually expand the policy to cover the many other items the City purchases. Commissioner Randy Leonard expressed particular appreciation for the policy's recognition of workers' rights to free association and collective union bargaining.

Ed Hall, a member of the Portland Sweatfree Policy Drafting Committee said, "As a firefighter I took an oath to protect the people who live and work in Portland from fires and disasters of all origins. Whether it is responding to emergencies or working to prevent them, we are committed to public safety. So it is important to me that the uniform I wear is made by a company that shares these values and is committed to safe, decent working conditions and fair wages. By establishing a policy that rules out companies that use child labor, abuse their workers and fail to pay a fair wages, I believe a real difference will be made in the lives of those who produce the uniforms we wear. I know we can do better than buying our goods and services from sweatshops, and I expect our City Commissioners agree."

Gavin White, a Democratic Party activist said, "In adopting this policy, Portland renews its commitment as a founding member of the State and Local Government Sweatfree Consortium. Consortium participants pool their purchasing power to create economies of scale and make a viable market for sweatfree manufacturing. In this emerging global market, we will build long-term relationships with responsible suppliers by working with local experts around the world to correct labor-rights violations."

In Other Words Bookstore: October Events

2008-10-16T15:49:00.002-07:00

SUPPORT GROUP: The National Vulvar Vestibulitis Organization
Facilitated Group 7:00 pm
This Month: October 1st The National Vulvar Vestibulitis Organization
is a 501(c)3 committed to providing support and awareness for VVS. We
provide information about Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome and its
symptoms, treatments, and the stories of us women who survive and
thrive through this disorder. VVS is a pain condition that is
localized in the opening of the vagina. The National Institute of
Health estimates that 6 million women have this condition. Is sex
painful? Do you experience vaginal pain during everyday activities? If
you have intense itching, burning, and/or pain upon touch you may have
VVS.

Our main service is providing face-to-face support groups to help
women cope with VVS. It is a life-changing event that affects every
aspect of your life, and you shouldn't have to go through it alone.
The NVVO has created a caring, nurturing community of women who can
help guide you through the challenges of living with VVS. The
meetings are open to women only. If you'd like more information you
can visit our website and blog! http://www.nvvo.net or
http://nvvo.wordpress.com

EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY MORNINGS: Community Yoga Classes 9:00-10:00 am
Now adding Thursday morning classes!!! Come and enjoy Yoga as a
Transformative Art & Way of Being—an evolutionary and integral
practice of Hatha, Kriya and Intuitive Movement with Elaina Beam.
* Explore the foundations and simple graces of asana (postures).
* Experience the profound effects of pranayama (breath work).
* Merge with your inner world through dhyana (meditation).
All level classes offer tools for developing flexibility of both body
and mind, while building strength, self-acceptance and peace. Simply
bring willingness and your beautiful self! Shanti! Suggested donation:
$5-$10—no one turned away!

FIRST THURSDAYS: Queer Polyamory Discussion Group 6:30 pm
This Month: October 2nd If you have ever wondered "How do I do this
polyamory/open-relationship/non-monogamy thing?"...you are not alone.
Join us with your experiences, questions and ideas- they are an
important resource for this group. Those who attend will help
determine what topics we focus on—which could include: agreements,
consent and communication; jealousy; support; safer sex; struggles and
joys and survivor issues. Whether you have been practicing ethical
sluttery for years, or are just starting to think about it, you are
welcome. Open to all trans, pansexual, lesbian, gay and queer folks.
All ages encouraged. Hosted by: franciszka fierce- a local slut,
artist/writer and facilitator extraordinaire.

EVERY SUNDAYS: Homorobics 11:00 am
Don't miss "Homorobics" led by Sarah Shapiro and Nicole J.
Georges--Physically strengthening our community in a feminist, queer,
& body friendly environment with an emphasis on enjoyment... not
weight loss! Homorobics caters to our peers and delivers
beginner-level fitness through jazzercise, aerobics, and Freedom
Sweatpants Dance. Please bring a towel and hand weights (or bricks) if
you've got 'em. Sliding—scale donation $2-4.

DISCUSSION GROUP: The Portland Feminism Discussion Group 6:30-8:00 pm
This Month: October 5th Feminism Discussion Group facilitated by Jen
Moore to be held on the first
Sunday of every month at 6:30pm-8:00 pm (Oct 5th). This discussion
group is a free flowing, exchange of ideas on a topic which we pick
each month. Next month's topic is: the media's portrayal of women. We
are a friendly group with new members joining all the time. This
meeting is open to only women. If you consider yourself female
identified, you are welcome.

The Portland Feminist Discussion group can be contact at
www.facebook.com. It's easy: 1. Log on (or create a free account if
you don't have on already). 2. In the search field, type "groups" 3.
Within "groups" narrow your search field by selecting the "Portland,
OR" network. 4. Search for " Portland Feminist Meet-up" group and
join. 5. On that page you'll see links to our meetings, RSVP for the
"August Feminism Discussion Group" 6. Pass on this info to your
friends.

MONTHLY MEETING: Code Pink Meeting 6:30 pm
This Month: October 7th

CONCERT: Magic Mama 7:00-8:30pm
This Month: October 9th An hour and a half of original music with a
few "twisted" covers thrown in (i.e. a remake of John Denver: Thank
Goddess I'm a Country Girl!) Throughout the performance, Magic Mama
will invite the audience to play along using instruments she provides
such as empty cheese puff bags and used water filters. Magic Mama
performs Organic Hip Hop and World Beats for the Whole Family.
Through her music, MAGIC MAMA delivers an empowering and hope-filled
message of love and respect for all and inspires creative thinking and
Earth-Friendly actions. Traveling across the country with her
children in a car that runs on waste vegetable oil, Magic Mama is
promoting her new CD "Rodeo deGaia" and performing eco-feminist
acoustic music from her upcoming "Kjersten" album. Visit
www.magicmamamusic.com for a "Rodeo deGaia" music sampler! More
information also available at www.myspace.com/magicmamamusic

SECOND FRIDAYS: Dirty Queer 6:30 pm
This Month: October 10th Dirty Queer is an X rated open mic: a place
to celebrate sexuality and strut your creative stuff! Hosted by
renegade writer and poet Sossity Chiricuzio, Dirty Queer is proven
itself to be a thought provoking evening of excitement, laughter and
full body shivers. We're looking for queer erotic entertainers of all
sorts: dancers, jugglers, singers, musicians, comics, poets,
storytellers, magicians, gender performers ... if you can do it in
5-10 minutes or less (w/ minimal props/equip), this open mic's for
you!

Need a dose of Dirty Queer sooner than that? Come check out our
photos, samples, bios, YouTube videos, and our new Podcast! All this
and more on our website: www.dirtyqueer.com. It's highly recommended
to bring your own folding chairs if you can, as we average 85
people/month. Everyone who attends has a chance to win door prizes
from local businesses! IOW asks for a donation of $1-$5/person for
this event, and more donations are always welcome. Caveats: 18+,
consent is key, no hate speech.

SECOND MONDAYS: OLIN Study Group 6:00 pm
This Month: October 13th Join us as we will discuss such issues as the
current uprising in Oaxaca, the Zapatistas and la otra campana,
neoliberalism, social movements in Mexico, and border issues. This
study group is brought to you by Olin, a collective focusing on
Oaxaca. Olin is a working group of Portland Sin Fronteras Portland
whose focus as a group lies in building and understanding the border
and in fighting white supremacy. Their aim is to combat capitalism as
a system of domination and to link the anti-capitalist struggles of
Latin America to our own struggles here at home.

AUTHOR READING & WORKSHOP: Using Power to Enhance Your Sexual
Relationship 7:00pm
This Month: October 14th I.G. Frederick, author of Broken and
Shattered, has given presentations at Leatherwoods, the Center for Sex
Positive Culture, Paradise Unbound, and Folsom Fringe. Using Power
Exchange to Enhance Your Sexual Relationships: Consensually giving and
accepting sexual control to/from one's partner can be an amazing
aphrodisiac whatever the genders involved. This presentation will
discuss the eroticism of power exchange and how to make it part of
your sexual experience. As a lifestyle Dominant, she uses power
exchange in relationships with both males and females. Workshop
suggested donation is sliding scale $1-5 for workshop.

ONE TIME A MONTH on WEDNESDAYS: Women Writing for (a) Change 7:00 pm
This Month: October 15th Women Writing for (a) Change inspires women
and girls to craft more conscious lives through the art of writing and
the practices of community. This mission is rooted in the knowledge
that the well-being of women and girls has a positive effect on
families, institutions, and the planet.
WWf(a)C circles provide communities within which writers develop their
skills, strengthen their voices, enhance their health, and learn to
appreciate their capacity to create positive change in all spheres.
The emphasis of the class is on authentic voice, community- building,
and the exploration of writing as a creative, therapeutic or spiritual
practice and a tool of social change. Please come and experience the
safe and supportive environment that will inspire writing, careful
listening and respect for each woman's words. For more information
about Wwf (a)C in Portland, go to http://www.womenwritingwest.com.
Pre-registration is requested but drop-ins are also welcome. To
register go to info@womenwritingwest.com . WWf(a)C is a writing school
and community of writers that began in Cincinnati, OH in 1991. Karen
Waters, experienced in and licensed to use the WWf (a)C processes, is
bringing this community to Portland.

THIRD FRIDAYS: The Feminist Film Society 6:30 pm
This Month: October 17th The Feminist Film Society is a group of folks
who watch a variety of movies and discuss them with feminism in mind.
Arrive at 6:30 for a sweet trivia type game to get you thinking about
the night's movie. The screening starts at 7:00 with discussion to
follow. This month we will be watching MONSOON WEDDING (2001, Mira
Nair). In this vibrant and honest story extended family return to
Delhi for Lalit Verma's (Naseeruddin Shah) traditional Punjabi
wedding. It's frustration, flirtation, and family secrets as a
brilliant director with a feminist agenda depicts everyday compromises
between tradition and modernity. English and Hindi with English
subtitles. All are welcome. Suggested donation is $1-$5 sliding scale
to support the bookstore—with no one turned away. For more information
check out:
www.feministfilmsociety.blogspot.com.

LECTURE SERIES: Pract*US, daily practices for creating the beloved
community 6:30 pm
This Month: October 23rd All About Community presents a fall lecture
series called: Pract*US, daily practices for creating the beloved
community. Dr. King said "our goal is to create beloved community and
this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a
quantitative change in our lives". This series of lectures is
designed to give people the information and tools to bring the change
to our souls. This change will transform our lives and our
communities. Roslyn Farrington, Founder of All About Community and
Faculty member of the PSU Women's Studies Department will present this
series of lectures. Roslyn's personal mission is to build the beloved
community. Roslyn's students find her to be inspiring and
motivational.

WORKSHOP: Healing the Ancestral Lines facilitated by Christina Pratt 1:00-4:00pm
This Month: October 25th All of our unresolved history of violence,
injustice, and suffering is held in our ancestral lines and impacts on
our lives today. You can unconsciously repeat the patterns of your
ancestors or you can heal them. By healing the ancestral line with
intention, you free your own health and well-being, allowing a
reconnection with your soul's unique purpose. Shaman, author, and
teacher Christina Pratt explores ancestral energies, and how shamanic
skill can be used to resolve their need for healing, bringing freedom
to the past, present and future of your family lines. Author of An
Encyclopedia of Shamanism, Christina Pratt is the director of
Portland-based Last Mask Center for Shamanic Healing. Pratt is a
skilled healer and teacher of exceptional clarity, humor, and
inspiration. Her teaching focus is shamanism as a path of mastery.
Workshop Fee is $30.00.

AUTHOR READING: Knowing Pains: Women on Love, Sex and Work in Our 40's
This Month: October 30th Stories by three local writers, Ana Ammann,
Kym Croft Miller and Natalie Serber, have made their way into a new
book, "Knowing Pains: Women on Love, Sex and Work in Our 40s". The
works of these Portlanders were chosen from nearly 100 submissions as
contributions to the humorous, thoughtful and diverse collection of
essays by real women from across the country who, as the book's
subtitle suggests, are "old enough to know better, but young enough to
do something about it." From tattoos to affairs; motherhood to mayhem;
alcoholism to eating disorders – and everything in between – the
book's real women in their 40s aren't afraid to tell it like it is.

Ana Ammann is a business consultant, published music journalist and
advocate of women in the arts – coordinating Portland's "Support Women
Artists Now" (SWAN) Day celebration, and contributing to the
leadership of the Siren Nation Festival and Portland Women's Film
Festival (POW Fest). Ammann writes about rediscovering her passion for
music after helping to organize the first Rock & Roll Camp for Girls
in Portland in Strung Together.

Kym Croft Miller has produced articles for Portland Monthly Magazine
and The Northwest Earth Institute, in addition to teaching
poetry/writing workshops in Portland schools and the Oregon Writing
Festival. In her thoughtful essay, Miller shares how she and her
husband survived their "Who Had the Worst Day" contest.

Natalie Serber has received several awards for her writing, including
the Tobias Wolff Award for Fiction and the John Steinbeck Award for
Fiction. In My Hair Experiment, Serber shares her experience of
saying "no" to vanity and "yes" to grey hair - learning more about
herself than she anticipated along the way. She is currently working
on her first novel.

Of the 32 essayists featured in the book, almost all have been touched
by this debilitating disease in some way:
89% have been personally impacted by the breast cancer epidemic.
37% have had breast cancer, or a breast cancer scare.
56% have had a family member with the disease; and more than 70% have
had a friend or colleague afflicted.

100% of all Knowing Pains profits will be donated to Breast Cancer
Action (www.bcaction.org) to support breast cancer education and
advocacy.

LAST FRIDAYS: Luna Music Series—Showcase of local female musicians 7:00 pm
This Month: October 31st For this month's featured artists check out:
www.myspace.com/lunamusicseries

***As you know In Other Words Women's Books and Resources is a
non-profit. In fact, we are the only surviving non-profit women's
bookstore in this country. And we are among a dwindling number of
for-profit women's bookstores. In an effort to become more
sustainable we have decided to charge a minimal fee for events held at
the store. IOW ask a suggested donation of $1-$5 sliding scale for
store events, unless otherwise noted. No one is ever turned away.
All are welcome***

LNG Update

2008-10-16T15:49:00.001-07:00

Hello OCAPers and anti-LNGers:

This is an urgent call to action!

As many of you know, for the past several months the Water Resources
Department (WRD) has been considering an application from
NorthernStar/Bradwood Landing to take 15 Billion Gallons of water from the
Columbia River in it's first year. The WRD will also be responsible for
issuing permits for the continual use of 12 Billion gallons of water during
every year of Bradwood LNG operation. As a part of that application the
Oregon Department of Fish &Wildlife must make a determination on the impact
of that water right to fish in the affected area of the river.

*We believe that the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) is poised
and ready to claim that NorthernStar's removal of billions of gallons of
water will not have a detrimental impact to fish. They are making this
evaluation based on inadequate information about the method by which that
water will be screened in an area that is crucial habitat for salmon.* The
information provided to that agency is that same information currently being
challenged by the State of Oregon, State of Washington, Columbia Riverkeeper
and Columbia Inter-Tribal Fish Commission as being incomplete in the EIS for
Bradwood Landing. The possibility of this move by the ODFW is completely out
of synch with Governor Kulongoski and the State of Oregon that are
petitioning for a rehearing by FERC based on the fact that the analsyis done
for this project is incomplete.

Please read the action alert and sample email below and contact the Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife today! They could make this decision at any
time within the next couple of weeks and they need to hear from you!
*Contact information for key decision makers are included in the alert
below.*

Thanks to all of you for responding to this call to action and for your
tireless efforts to protect our waterways and fish habitat from this
devastating project!
-Olivia Schmidt
Columbia Riverkeeper
(971)533-2390
oliviariver@gmail.com

Visioning night! Giving feedback and offering ideas

2008-10-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

There are many beautiful things up and coming at the Green House Collective (GHC); beginning with this coming Thursday.

We are calling out to all of you beautiful people to come and join us in discussion of the Greenhouse Collective. We want your ideas!!! For the last 2 years now we have been holding an open space to discuss issues of social awareness ranging from topics across the board. Now we want your feedback, thoughts, ideas, memorable moments, as well as any suggestions you have for the Greenhouse and the Greenhouse Collective to improve and expand.

This is an incredible community that has formed over the last 2 years, and we have all played our parts in this creation. We want to thank you for your time, your energy, your committment, your interest, and your beautiful selves. This email goes out not only to those who come every week, but to those who have come only once or those that come from time to time.

What would you like to see???

We've got a couple new ideas on the rise, a couple more events that are forming and coming into creation that we are eager to share with you all. We are looking to manifest these dreams, and would LOVE for you to come and share your dreams and visions as well.

So please come this Thursday and support this community that we have all taken part in to form! Come hear some of our new plans, and come to share any ideas that you may have from the past present and future - and then lets work together to make them happen!!!

With all of our LOVE, thank you

We look forward to seeing you this Thursday!

What: Visioning night! Giving feedback and offering ideas
When: this Thursday, Oct 16th, vegan potluck at 5:30, Discussion at 7:00
Where: The Greenhouse Collective 4407 SE Tibbetts St. (between Division and
Powell) off of the Clinton bikeway, and buses #9,4,14,75
Why: To Grow Together!!!

LNG Rally in Olympia FREE BUS

2008-09-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

Hello All:

This is an official notice that we are holding a RALLY AGAINST LNG!

NO LNG on the Columbia River!
October 6th 11am-2pm
at the capitol building
Olympia, Washington

This is a very important event and we hope any and all of you can attend!
This is the first event we've planned for the Washington capitol and it is absolutely necessary to have an impressive turn-out. Washington has the power to stop LNG development on the Columbia River and has the responsibility of protecting landowners that would be impacted by LNG facilities and related pipelines. Come to the event and tell Governor Gregoire: "We want renewables -- NOT LNG," "Washington has the power to protect the Lower Columbia" and help hold her accountable for promises to require Washington State permits for Columbia River LNG projects.
Washington residents made the trip down to Salem for our rally in February and now it is time to offer them support in their efforts to have their state exercise it's authority over LNG in the Pacific Northwest!

Please plan to carpool or catch a free ride on the "cool bus"
The Bus Named Cool will be picking folks up from two locations -- contact Olivia at oliviariver@gmail.com to reserve a seat!
Pick-up times/locations:
Portland, Oregon at the Daily Grind Parking lot (SE 41st & Hawthorne) leaving at 8:10 sharp.
Kelso, Washington at the Safeway on Three Rivers Drive (411 Three Rivers Dr.) leaving at 9:30 sharp.
Please plan to arrive ten minutes prior to departure time and be sure to reserve a seat in advance!

This is an important event to make a statement to the State of Washington and to empower residents and agencies in the fight against fossil fuel development on the Columbia River. Now is the time to act and have our voices heard!

Please invite a friend and feel free to print and post the attached flyer in your area -- every body will make a difference at this event!
-Olivia Schmidt
Columbia Riverkeeper
(971)533-2390
oliviariver@gmail.com

Bilingual Education Measure

2008-09-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

Measure 58 Bilingual Education

State's first Citizens' Initiative Review a success!

Sept. 25, 2008

Salem, OR. The state of Oregon's first Citizens' Initiative Review was successfully concluded today. The panel of 23 voters from across Oregon presented their findings, called a "Citizens' Statement", at a press conference held at the steps of the State Capitol.

The panel was tasked with evaluating Measure 58, which proposes placing limits on bilingual education in public schools. After hearing from representatives of the campaigns for and against the measure, and upon close review of testimony provided by campaigns and background experts on the issue, the panel concluded 14 to 9 to oppose the measure. Upon deciding their position on the ballot measure, both sides drafted a position statement to provide voters with a clear assessment of the pros and cons of Measure 58.

Check out www.healthydemocracyoregon.org to see the panel's full Citizens' Statment. We'll send out additional details, including video of the press conference very soon.

Best,

Tyrone Reitman
Co-Director, Healthy Democracy Oregon

Healthy Democracy Oregon
PO Box 42347
Portland, 97242

Liquefied Natural Gas Workshop this Thursday!!

2008-09-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

We hope you had a wonderful weekend and are looking forward to seeing you this Thursday for a vegan potluck and an awesome workshop that we have been in the process of organizing for quite some time! Olivia Schmidt of Columbia RiverKeeper will give a presentation on the current proposals for Liquefied Natural Gas import terminals and related pipelines in the Pacific Northwest. Her presentation focuses on the environmental and economic impacts of these proposals, project specifics, community response to these projects and empowering folks to get involved in the movement away from fossil fuel
dependence and toward a decentralized, renewable energy future. Folks attending the presentation will have access to informational literature and can discuss ways of getting more involved in this vital movement. LNG development is an
environmental and social justice issue that is impacting folks on a local, regional and global level -- come learn more about these proposals and how to be a part of stopping fossil fuel development.

What: LNG Workshop and Vegan Potluck
When: Thursday, September 18
Vegan Potluck at 5:30, Workshop at 7:00 (for real!) We encourage those unable to make it on time to still attend, but
for those that can arrive on time, we will begin the workshop promptly at 7:00.
Where: The Green House Collective
4407 SE Tibbetts St
*off buslines 14, 9, 4, 75 and the Clinton St. super bike way!!

Have a great week and see you Thursday!

In Peace, Love, and Solidarity,

The Green House Collective

"Is it too late to prevent us from self-destructing? No, for we have the capacity to design our own future, to take a lesson from living things around us and bring our values and actions in line with ecological necessity. But we must first realize that ecological and social and economic issues are all deeply intertwined. There can be no solution to one without a solution to the
others."
~ Jean-Michel Cousteau

Peace Conference this Thursday

2008-09-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hi lovelys,

Thanks to all who made it out to the GHC last Thursday for the film screening of "Bringing Down a Dictator." For those who were unable to attend and would still like to see the movie, or most of the movies we have shown, please send us an email and we'll make a copy available for check out. Speaking of which, we now have a book/dvd library available for check out, so come by and see if there is something of interest to you.

Anyway, this Thursday the Green House Collective will be going on a field trip to PSU campus for the Peace Conference this week. Thursday, Sept. 11th is free to all, and we strongly encourage those able to attend to join us at PSU. The whole day, themed "Take Back Sept. 11th" starts at 3pm. Below is a schedule of events happening throughout the day:

Public RALLY in South Park Blocks (just outside Smith Student Union):
Take Back 9/11 for Nonviolence
5:30-7:00pm

7:00-9:00pm Smith room # 355
Keynote speakers include:
Hibakusha, Felice and Jack Cohen-Joppa, John LaForge, Kathy Kelly

9:00-11:00pm Smith room # 355
Entertainment:
Anne Feeney, Mic Crenshaw, Dave Rovics

For more information on the Peace Conference visit http://www.peacejusticestudies.org/conference/. We hope to see you all there this Thursday at the 3pm rally, if not then for some wonderful, insightful, and beautiful speakers at 7pm. We, from the GHC, will be converging at the rally in the South Park Blocks (on PSU Campus) at about 2:30; look forward to seeing you soon.

In peace and solidarity,

The Green House Collective

This week at the GHC and beyond

2008-09-01T19:15:00.001-07:00

Hi beautifuls,

We missed seeing your lovely faces last week, but we were busy in the planning stages for some upcoming events at the Green House Collective (GHC) and beyond. As part of a new email format, we will be including a calendar of events happening in the community and at the GHC. SO, if you know of some upcoming events, please send us an email so we can add it to the calendar and post it to our blog (www.thegreenhousecollective.blogspot.com) But don't worry, Thursday movie nights/workshops/vegan potlucks. . . are here to stay. Anyway, below is a list of events added to the calendar thus far:

Week of September 1st-7th (This week)

Wednesday Sept. 3rd:

School of the Americas Watch Oregon (SOAW OR) montly meeting at the Green House
Collective, 7pm. This meeting is open to the public and everyone is more than welcome to join us. If you are unable to attend the meeting, please feel free to talk to SOAW OR volunteer, Ryan, from the GHC for more information.

Thursday Sept. 4th (MOVIE NIGHT!)

What: "Bringing Down a Dictator" movie screening and vegan potluck starts at 5:30 now, with food being served at 6, movie starting promptly at 7
Where: GHC @ 4407 SE Tibbetts St, conveniently off Clinton bike superhighway, bus lines #4, 9, 75, and 14. Also, we now have a bike rack out back, so why not bike?

We will be showing the movie "Bringing Down a Dictator." Yes, it is true, we have shown this before, but the Peace Conference is next week, and this AMAZING film about an inspirational peace movement. Next Thursday, September 11th, the GHC will be going on a field trip to the Peace Conference at PSU and we strongly encourage all who are able to attend. For more info on the Peace Conference visit http://www.peacejusticestudies.org/conference/. Anyway, below is information about the film:

"Bringing Down A Dictator documents the spectacular defeat of Slobodan Milosevic in October, 2000, not by force of arms, as many had predicted, but by an ingenious nonviolent strategy of honest elections and massive civil disobedience.

Milosevic was strengthened by patriotic fervor when NATO bombed Yugoslavia in early 1999, but a few months later, a student movement named Otpor! (“Resistance” in Serbian) launched a surprising offensive. Audaciously demanding the removal of Milosevic, they recruited where discontent was strongest, in the Serbian heartland.

Their weapons were rock concerts and ridicule, the internet and email, spray-painted slogans and a willingness to be arrested. Otpor students became the shock troops in an army of human rights, pro-democracy, anti-war, women’s groups, and opposition political parties. Their slogan: "He’s Finished!"

Trained in nonviolent action and partially financed by the US and western Europe, they forged a unified political opposition, fought to stop vote fraud, and systematically undermined police and army loyalty. When Milosevic refused to accept defeat at the polls, the opposition called a general strike. As normal life ground to a halt, Serbs by the hundreds of thousands poured into the capital on October 5 to seize the Federal Parliament in a dramatic triumph for democracy."

Friday-Sunday Sept. 5th-7th:

Muddy Boot Organic Festival is happening this weekend off SE Division and 18th. There will be lots of local music, local organic food/wine/beer, and fabulous workshops on sustainability and community development. Admission is $5 but we guarantee a great time. For more info visit http://www.muddyboot.org/index.php

WOW! Lots of info and beautiful things going on this week. We hope to see you all at one of the lovely things happening around town this week and beyond.

Much love,. light, and blessings,

The Green House Collective

"while there is a lower class, I am in it, and while there is a criminal element I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free." Eugene V Debs

Take Back September 11 for Nonviolence

2008-08-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

Please join us on the South Park Blocks outside Smith Memorial Union at Portland State University on Sept 11, at 3 p.m., for a rally that promotes a reversal of our war culture and revenge response. We will hear music by Anne Feeney, poetry by Mic Crenshaw, and short talks by Sami Rasouli (founder of Muslim Peacemaker Teams in Iraq), Kathy Kelly (founder of Voices for Creative Nonviolence), Bernard LaFayette (major Civil Rights leader), Stephen Zunes and others. We will welcome the
Veterans for Peace and others who walk to join us from Peace Park (on the east bank of the Steel Bridge--please join them there at 1 p.m. for a peace ceremony), and we will finish with a Coronation of the Collective Heart peace ritual led by Lenore Norrgard. Contact pcwtom@gmail.com for details. Free and open from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Also register for the following conference, Building Cultures of Peace (Sept 11-13), at http://www.peacejusticestudies.org/.

Action Alert: Your help is needed

2008-08-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hi lovelys,

There is an extremely important piece of legislation being circulated and we need your help to make this a reality. Please read below and follow links for further information.

In Peace and solidarity,

The Green House Collective

Contact Your Senator About the Jubilee Act Today!

August 11, 2008 | Thanks to your hard work, your meetings, phone calls and emails, on June 24, 2008 the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation (HR 2634/ S 2166) passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee! It must now be considered and passed by the full Senate before it can go to the President and be signed into law. Time is running short as Congress may adjourn for the year as early as September 26th.

This legislation would expand debt cancellation to impoverished countries that need it to fight poverty, promote responsible lending and require an audit of odious, illegal and onerous loans. The bill passed the House of Representatives by a 285-132 vote on April 16. TAKE ACTION! Contact your Senators and urge them to co-sponsor the Jubilee Act.

* PRESS RELEASE Jubilee Act Passes Senate Committee; House Committee Reauthorizes World Bank Funding, Calls for Reform
* Resources & Background Materials on the Jubilee Act
* Take Action on the Jubilee Act!
* Op-ED, "Debt is Modern-Day Apartheid" by Desmond Tutu (appeared in The Baltimore Sun, May 7, 2008)

Witness for Peace Columbia Report Back Workshop

2008-08-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hi all you wonderful people,

Thank you to all who came and participated in last weeks discussion from the film screening of Plan Puebla Panama. Last Thursday was Part 1 of a 2 part series, but if you couldn't make it out for part 1, then you should definitely come for part 2. The film screening of Plan Puebla Panama was a lead in to this weeks event, where we will be hosting 3 amazing peace activist women from Witness for Peace who have recently come back from Columbia as part of a delegation documenting the affects Free Trade Agreements have on farmers, labor unions and organizers, the indigenous, etc. . . This workshop has been in the planning stages for some time now, and we at the Green House are very excited share this space with these amazing women. Here is a brief synopsis of what you can expect this week:

"Three Portland women will share their experiences from a recent Witness for Peace delegation to Colombia that explored the effects of U.S. military aid and the potential impacts of the pending U.S.-Colombia Free Trade agreement. The Colombia delegates will share testimonies from union workers, human rights defenders, campesinos and indigenous leaders that they met in Bogota and in the southern department of Cauca. Witness for Peace is a politically independent organization dedicated to nonviolence that stands with those seeking justice in the Americas. For more information, go to www.witnessforpeace.org."

We hope to see you all very soon.

In peace in solidarity,

The Green House Collective

What: Workshop @ 7pm, Vegan Potluck (please feel free to bring something) @ 6
Where: The Green House Collective: 4407 SE Tibbetts St. Conveniently located off bus lines # 4, 9, 75, and 14, not to mention the Clinton St bike superhighway
When: Thursday August 21st

"We have to avoid doing things that just give us pleasure as individuals but do not benefit our collective self" Carlos Fonseca
www.thegreenhousecollective.blogspot.com

Movie night at the Green House Collective

2008-08-10T13:44:00.001-07:00

Hello beautifuls,

Thank you to all who came and participated in last weeks amazing workshop put on by Matt Bibeau, and many thanks to Matt for dedicating his time and expertise.

This last workshop was just one of many exciting things happening at the Green House Collective this month. This coming Thursday, August 14th, we will be showing a wonderful and informative documentary called Plan Puebla Panama. This documentary is part of an introduction to a workshop we are having on Thursday August 21st, put on by three amazing peace activist women from Witness for Peace (WFP) who just came back from Colombia. The women from WFP were there to document human rights violations, and talk with farmers, labor union organizers, etc. . . about how they are and have been affected by Free Trade Agreements. Plan Puebla Panama is just that, another expansion of Free Trade Agreements.

There is no official information about the documentary as it is an underground documentary. But there is no lack of information to be found over the internet. Global Exchange has this to say about Plan Puebla Panama, which is a great description what you can expect to see in this documentary:

"Plan Puebla Panama (PPP) is a mega project which seeks to open up the southern half of Mexico and Central America to private foreign investment and establishing the foundation for the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The plan depends upon multi-lateral development bank support and private investment to create infrastructure that will attract industry and expand natural resource extraction. With the Inter-American Development Bank as the head of the PPP's financial structure and major credit and technical assistance coming from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, among others, controversial projects have already begun."

"This is the first step in the latest push to globalize the Americas with the end goal of incorporating all of the Western Hemisphere (except Cuba) under the FTAA. Essentially the PPP will create development corridors from the 9 southern Mexican states of Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo, through the most southern Central American country of Panama. The PPP will create an elaborate infrastructure of ports, highways, airports, and railways aimed to connect the development of the petroleum, energy, maquiladora, and agricultural industries. While the PPP's proponents assert that its main objective is to improve the quality of life for area inhabitants, critics of the Plan see it as an attempt to exploit the abundant, cheap labor force and precious natural resources in order to attract foreign investment eager to reap the benefits of an area stricken with poverty and rich in biodiversity."

"Environmental activists fear that the exploitation of primary materials (minerals, timber, petroleum, biodiversity, and water) will lead to environmental degradation for exportation without profit being dispersed to local communities. Mexico currently ranks 2nd in the world in rate of deforestiation (National Forest Inventory 2000) and 73rd in environmental sustainability among 122 nations (La Jornada, 7/23/01). The PPP, many organizations have warned, will lead to further environmental degradation due to the planned deforestation, overexploitation of natural resources, inefficient laws, and extreme poverty. "

"In the end, critics conclude that the PPP will lead to massive displacement of campesino and indigenous communities, further environmental degradation, and development with the end goal of exportation for profit rather than eliminating poverty. As a result, in less than a year since the announcement of the PPP, hundreds of organizations and communities have formed campaigns of resistance in order to pressure global powers to support alternative economic development models. "

We look forward to see all your beautiful faces this Thursday at the GHC.

Where: 4407 SE Tibbetts St
What: Vegan Potluck (please feel free to bring a vegan dish) @ 6pm followed by
Plan Puebla Panama documentary at 7pm.
When: Thursday August 14th

In peace and solidarity,

The Green House Collective

Local Food Systems, Farm to School & School Gardens: The Importance of Food Security and Garden-Based Education

2008-08-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Loves,

We hope you are all doing wonderful! This Thursday August, 7, we will be hosting a workshop led by Matt Bibeau, recent graduate of PSU's Leadership in Ecology, Culture & Learning program and current resident at Tryon Life Community Farm. We will begin the evening at 6:00 with a vegan potluck, and the workshop will begin at 7:00.

We look forward to seeing you! Please read on for a taste of what is to come this Thursday!

Local Food Systems, Farm to School & School Gardens:
The Importance of Food Security and Garden-Based Education

The Willamette Valley is an incredibly fertile region for growing food, and Portland's local food economy thrives as a result. What's unique about this city is that the farming isn't just happening near its borders--it's happening within them, and it's not just happening on large corporate farms--it's happening through many smaller family-owned farms and Community Supported Agriculture organizations. In addition, what distinguishes Portland from many cities around the country is how farms, gardens and food are tied into school and community eduction. There are many organizations that have found a role in supporting access to and education about healthy, local food, one of these being Portland State University's Learning Gardens Project.

In 2005 I joined the Learning Gardens Project--a project of PSU's Leadership in Ecology, Culture & Learning program--and have spent the last three years partnering with schools and communities to improve our understanding of the relationships between what we eat and where it comes from as well as between what we learn and how this influences the health of our bodies, our communities and environment.

We will take an exciting look at how much agriculture has changed in the last century to give us a unique perspective on how much we've gotten away from knowing our food and knowing our bodies. We'll take a look at how the United States differs from other countries around the world and then zoom back into our beloved home in Portland where so much is happening right now to bring our understanding of food back to an awareness of our bodies, our communities and and the environment.

Peace.

Matt Bibeau,
Graduate of PSU's Leadership in Ecology, Culture & Learning program
and current resident at Tryon Life Community Farm

WHat: Workshop on Local Food Systems and the Importance of Food Security and
Garden Based Education.
When: Thursday, August 7th: Vegan Potluck @ 6, Workshop @ 7.
Where: The Green House Collective
4407 SE Tibbetts St
*off buslines 14, 75, 9, and 4, and the Clinton St. Bikeway.

Have a great week and we look onward to seeing you this Thursday!

In Peace, Love, and Solidarity,

The Greenhouse Collective

"Now is the time. Needs are great, but your possibilities are greater."
- Bill Blackman

Reminder: No Film or Workshop at The GHC This Week

2008-07-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hello all you beautiful and wonderful people!

Thank you to all who came on an off night to movie night at the Green House Collective. As a reminder, we will not be having any events at the GHC this week, but we are excited, and hope you are as well, for a month full of workshops in August.

A beautiful member of the GHC, Matt from Tryon Farm, will be doing our 1st workshop of the month on August 7th about School of the Gardens Program in Portland, and may possibly be accompanied by some other folks from Tryon Farm and Sauvie Island Farms as well. This workshop has been in the planning stages for some time and we are very excited to have Matt and his guest come to the GHC.

Then we have two more workshops the following weeks. Another beautiful memberas you all are, of the GHC, Lish, will be hosting a workshop with an expert guest on the current state of LNG (Liguified Natural Gas) proposed projects in and around Oregon and sensitive habitat areas.

Finally, an amazing activist from Witness for Peace (WFP), SOA Watch, and other organizations, Beth Poteet, will be hosting a panel discussion workshop with three other ladies from WFP about their delegation trip to Columbia and Nicaragua. The WFP delegation was there to document problems with so called free trade agreements, talk to farmers, workers, and others who have been affected by free trade agreements and human rights violations.

We at the GHC, are extremely excited to have a full month of workshops and amazing people to share our space with. In the next few days and coming weeks we will be sending out detailed emails about these upcoming workshops.

We look forward to seeing you all very soon!

Much love, light, and blessings,

The Green House Collective

This Week @ The GHC

2008-07-21T13:28:00.001-07:00

Hi Loves,

We hope you are all doing wonderful. This week we will be hosting film night on Wednesday instead of Thursday- we hope to see you!

We will be showing Invisible Children, a film that documents the experience of children in Uganda's 23 year old conflict (which is currently undergoing negotiations and a peace process) and aims to raise awareness of Uganda's war through storytelling in the hopes of creating change. This will be an intense film that not only connects to the current and historic situation in Uganda, but relates to protracted conflict throughout the globe and the effects it has on the human experience.

Please join us this Wednesday at 6:00 for a vegan POTLUCK!, followed by a showing of the film at 7:00 with a discussion to follow.

What: Film Night at the GHC; Invisible Children
When: This Wednesday, July 23; 6:00 POTLUCK, 7:00 film & discussion
Where: The GHC 4407 SE Tibbetts St off of buslines 14, 75, 9, and 4, and right off the Clinton St. super bikewaY!

Hope to see you!!

In Peace, Love, and Solidarity,

Rhea and The Green House Collective

"In relationships of violence life becomes a stranger and truth a paradox. In relationships of peace life fulfills and truth liberates." The Great Harry Anastasiou!

Doing Homework: Anti-Immigrant Ballot Measures

2008-07-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

This year Oregon has two ballot measures that will intensify the perpetuation of the repulsive oppression our immigrant and refugee communities experience daily, IP #19 and IP #112. As is the trend, these initiatives are written in a language difficult to deconstruct that make it easy to elect to work against those whom we struggle to stand in solidarity with. The following is a summary of the measures by the Center for Intercultural Organizing. I encourage everyone to do their best to learn as much as they can about these measures and to use dialogue as a vessel to raising awareness about the importance of these issues and voting against them!!

Oregon's 2008 Anti-Immigrant Ballot Measures - #19 and #112

#19: Prohibits Teaching Public School Student In Language Other Than English For More Than Two Years

Summary of Initiative

* Non-English speaking students who enter the public school system will be limited to not more than two years of English Immersion classes.
* The amount of time for ESL classes depends on the grade of non-English speaking student enter the public school system.

“Yes” statement: “Yes” vote prohibits teaching public school student in language other than English for more than two years (exception for teaching foreign language to English speakers).

“No” statement: “No” vote retains requiring English courses for students unable to profit from classes taught in English, permitting Multilanguage instruction to assist transition to English.

Significant Impact/Concerns

* This initiative does not consider individual learning levels or students with special needs.
* What are the consequences for non-English speaking students who are prematurely forced into English only classes?
* How will this affect refugee children who have come directly from refugee camps with little formal education
* How will this affect ESL funding, school funding, and curriculum?

#112: Allows state cooperation with Immigration Enforcement; Requires “Legal Presence”/Citizenship for Specified States Rights/Privileges

Summary of Initiative

* No Statute, regulation, or agency/instrumentality of the state can prohibit public employees from cooperating with federal agencies in the enforcement of federal immigration law.
* First time Oregon voters must provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
* Proof of legal residence is required for driver license applicants.

“Yes” Statement: “Yes” vote allow state/local cooperation and resources for immigration enforcement; requires certain documentation of citizenship for voter registration, “legal presence” for driver/identification documents.

“No” Statement: “No” vote retains current state/local limits on cooperation and resources to enforce immigration laws, current requirements for voter registration, and grant of driver/identification documents.

Significant Concerns/Impacts

* Would state and local police have the ability to arrest undocumented immigrants on a regular basis? Would state and local police receive proper training, funding and support to carry out federal immigration enforcement?
* Would this initiative require all government workers (hospitals, schools, etc.) to report undocumented immigrants? Would this initiative promote racial profiling?
* Would this eliminate the ability to hold street-side voter registration drives?
* How long will it take to verify a voter’s status under the new system?

Hand Off the Poor!

2008-07-06T00:21:00.001-07:00

Hands Off the Poor! Stop Police Harassment!

Join the Portland Coalition Against Poverty (PCAP) in presenting a demand to the Portland Police Bureau and Clean and Safe to stop targetting and harassing poor and houseless people in our community. Over 100 people have been swept from underneath Portland's bridges in the last week. Help show that Portland will not tolerate harassment or arrest of a community based on their economic or housing status. Help Get the Word Out!

When: Wednesday Jul 09, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Followed by free food and a community forum

Where: North Park Blocks - at the Elephant
W Burnside and Park
Portland, Oregon 97205

More Info: On Tuesday June 24th, following the regular meal service under the Burnside
Bridge, Portland Police awakened and dispersed over 50 people from above and
beneath the Bridge. On Wednesday June 25th, the police and Clean and Safe
awakened and dispersed 16-20 people from the East side of the Morrison Bridge
and 10-14 people from the East side of the Hawthorne Bridge. The people were
removed with no alternative sleeping locations given. Alan Pyrah, who was
sleeping on the Burnside bridge at the time of the sweep, asked an officer
where he was expected to go. The unnamed officer replied, "Go across the
river." Pyrah went to sleep under the Morrison Bridge, and was disturbed
again the following evening. These aggressive acts on the part of the Portland
Police highlight the continued contempt of the Portland Police bureau for the
houseless and impoverished.

The police awakened the sleeping citizens using foghorns and boots, and gave
them two minutes to collect their possessions. Clean and Safe, the security
branch of the Portland Business Alliance, had brought large dumpsters with
them, and all possessions not collected within the two minute limit were thrown
into the dumpsters. A Portland Police officer stood by with a timer.

This method of dispersal is a break from standard Portland Police policy:
Ordinarily, possessions are seized and taken to a central storage facility,
where they can be claimed the next day. Additionally, city policy requires the
police to give 24 hour posted notice before enforcing the no-camping law.

These dispersals are in accordance with the regular pattern of ticketing and
harassment during the summer festival season. Interviews conducted at several
nightly feeds immediately following the raids confirmed the worst suspicions of
houseless advocates.

Larry Reynolds, a disabled veteran who sleeps outdoors, said, "They're
targeting homeless people...taking people's gear and throwing it away. They're
not posting notices or inviting social service agencies [as specified under the
no-camping law] as they do it."

Two weeks before the Waterfront Blues Festival, the city has begun to increase
pressure on people sleeping outdoors. It began with verbal warnings, and has
been followed by ticketing and dispersal on a nightly or bi-nightly basis. This
police aggression is intended to insure that attendees of the Blues Festival
will not be confronted by the City's issues of poverty. Cheyenne, a houseless
person affected by the dispersals, said, "It's the rich and the middle class
stealing [sleep] from the poor."

In response to the targeting of poor and houseless people in the community, a
demonstration is planned for Wednesday, July 9th. It will start in the North
Park Blocks at 5pm. "Hands Off the Poor," a demonstration organized by the
Portland Coalition Against Poverty demands an immediate end to police
harassment and arrest of poor and houseless people in the community.

Please Distribute Widely

For more information or to help out - Please Contact us by email at
PDXCAP@gmail.com or call 503. 839. 3670

Imminent War with Iran and the Bush Doctrine

2008-06-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hello all you wonderful people,

The war propaganda machine is back at, and new information is coming to light about an imminent attack on Iran. In October of 2007 I posted a blog in regards to this (read below), but the pressure and intensity has greatly increased in the last couple months. In this weeks edition of The New Yorker a wonderful, yet frightening, article was published entitled "Preparing the Battlefield." We strongly recommend reading the article at http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/07/07/080707fa_fact_hersh, and studying up on the similarities of what lead up to the attack on Vietnam and what is happening now. The time is NOW to stop being silent, the time is NOW to call/write/email/fax your elected representatives and petition them to NOT fund/support a war in Iran. Dissent is a gift, activate yourself, STOP BEING COMPLACENT, this does effect all of us!

PEACE!

Usurpations of the Bush Doctrine are remanifesting itself, only this time in Iran. In October 2007, the illegal occupier of this country, G.W. Bush, announced they were designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard (National Defense) a proliferator of WMDs and supporter of terrorism. So what does this mean? If you recall back to the events leading up to the invasion of Iraq, our government persuaded the American people that Iraq was harboring WMDs and was supporting terrorism. Prior to this, in June of 2002 Bush delivered a new course in U.S. Foreign Policy; known as the Bush Doctrine (see link below for the entire Doctrine). Under the Bush Doctrine, G.W. says "We must be prepared to stop rogue states and their terrorist clients before they are able to threaten or use weapons of mass destruction against the United States, our allies, and friends." This authority vested upon himself through executive privilege granted under the Constitution, gave the legal right, under the Bush Doctrine, to preemptively strike a "rouge state" (in this case Iraq) by any means necessary if they are believed to be an imminent threat to our national security. Immediately following the Bush Doctrine, the media persuasion blitz began to convince Americans and the World that Iraq was harboring terrorist and was in possession of WMDs. Then in March 2003 the invasion began and has come at the cost of an estimated one million Iraqi deaths. To date no WMDs have been found and because of this our government changed their language to the liberation of the people of Iraq. I'm not advocating Saddam Hussein was a great person, but the people of Iraq were in a much better position under the Saddam then they are since the illegal occupation of Iraq. So, is this a just war or just a war on black gold (oil)? Consider this: During WWII, WE the people were overwhelming behind the war and collectively rationed unnecessary goods like oil, rubber, etc . . . Do you think Americans today would be willing to ration this good? NO, because we are more dependent upon foreign oil then we were during WWII, thus it seems this is a war fueled by corporate greed to continue filling our overconsumption of oil. What does this all have to do with Iran? Because, of the new label given to them as harboring terrorist and being in possession of WMDs, G.W. now has the authority to preemptively strike Iran, so long as Congress continues to fund the War on Terror; which they just did with another $196 billion more in war appropriations. This doesn't necessarily imply we will be attacking Iran, but based on the events leading up to the invasion of Iraq it seems imminent. The problem is we do not have enough troops to fight our current wars let alone another un-just war. Thus is why there are private security firms like Blackwater fighting in Iraq. However, current troops and private security firms aside, another war will mean one of two things: privatization of the military or military conscription (the draft). The masses will hit the streets in a demonstration of our 1st Amendment Right dissenting the war(s), the draft, and continued calls for impeachment (hopefully Cheney first then Bush). The time is NOW to stop being silent, the time is NOW to call/write/email/fax your elected representatives to Defund the War (this can be done under the War Powers Act) and stop "Preparing the Battlefield" for an imminent attack on Iran. Dissent is a gift, activate yourself, STOP BEING COMPLACENT, this does effect all of us!

PEACE!

Ryan and the GHC

Click on links below for the Bush Doctrine and how to contact your elected representatives in Congress.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss5.html (Bush Doctrine)
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt

Movie night at the Green House Collective

2008-06-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hello to All!!!

Hope that everyone is enjoying the summer heat - life is in the air! It's been a few weeks since we have seen ya'll, and we hope to have you all join us this Thursday for a lovely movie showing

For the month of July we are going to do a three part series showing of 1 hour documentaries put out by the BBC. Here's the description that they offer on the page: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/3755686.stm

Should we be worried about the threat from organised terrorism or is it simply a phantom menace being used to stop society from falling apart? Should we be worried about the threat from organised terrorism or is it simply a phantom menace being used to stop society from falling apart? In the past our politicians offered us dreams of a better world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares. The most frightening of these is the threat of an international terror network. But just as the dreams were not true, neither are these nightmares. In a new series, the Power of Nightmares explores how the idea that we are threatened by a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion. It is a myth that has spread unquestioned through politics, the security services and the international media.

THE POWER OF NIGHTMARES
Three part series

I: Baby It's Cold Outside
II: The Phantom Victory
III: The Shadows In The Cave
At the heart of the story are two groups: the American neo-conservatives and the radical Islamists.

Both were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world. These two groups have changed the world but not in the way either intended. Those with the darkest fears became the most powerful. Together they created today's nightmare vision of an organised terror network. A fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. Those with the darkest fears became the most powerful. The rise of the politics of fear begins in 1949 with two men whose radical ideas would inspire the attack of 9/11and influence the neo-conservative movement that dominates Washington. Both these men believed that modern liberal freedoms were eroding the bonds that held society together. The two movements they inspired set out, in their different ways, to rescue their societies from this decay. But in an age of growing disillusion with politics, the neo-conservatives turned to fear in order to pursue their vision. They would create a hidden network of evil run by the Soviet Union that only they could see. The Islamists were faced by the refusal of the masses to follow their dream and began to turn to terror to force the people to "see the truth"'.

These will all be insightful and challenging topics that we will discuss over this month. We hope that you all can make it this week - that way we can continue the series so that all are caught up!!! Regardless, come if you can and if not hopefully we'll see you next week!

What: Movie Night screening of "The Power of Nightmares"
When: Thursday July 3rd - vegan potluck at 6, movie at 7, discussion to follow
Where: the Greenhouse Collective, email for the address or directions

Off the Clinton bike route - buses #9, #4, #75

And of course, much love to you all! Thank you for your beautiful energy, and
for your passion and commitment towards creating change

LOVE

The Greenhouse

Reminder: The Green House is a Safer Space, and please note that all of our events are substance free unless otherwise noted.

NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency may have read this email without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse nor protection save to call for the impeachment of the current President.

Seriously? NAFTA/CAFTA Superhighway?

2008-06-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hello all you beautiful people,

Are you aware that Multi National Corporations (MNC) and their sheep, the government, are in the process of building a NAFTA/CAFTA Superhighway? If not, please do some research and educate yourself about this latest autrocity in Capitalism and corporate greed. Lately through independent media sources there has been an influx of information coming in from Indiana where they are currently working on I-69. But the fight doesn't start or stop in Indiana, I-69 is the new NAFTA/CAFTA Superhighway that will be a continuous patch of pavement from Mexico City and extending up to Toronto.

But, this grande scheme is also part of a larger regional plan known as Plan Puebla Panama and a much larger scheme the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). With the recent passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), Plan Puebla Panama is now a reality. Plan Puebla Panama, once completed, will extend, without disturbance, a Superhighway system from Panama all the way up to Canada. This Superhighway system will and has cut through the heart of rainforest, the destruction of wetlands and other crucial habitats, and a mass displacement of over a million people, most of whom are indigenous or of the proletariat.

There have been wars already and there most certainly will be more to come. The Zapatistas (EZLN) in Chiapas Mexico have been waging a war against the Mexican Government since NAFTA (North America Free Trade Agreement or as we like to say Not Another Free Trade Agreement) took effect in 1994. The Zapatistas have established autounomous zones where the Federal Government has no control. Yet, because Chiapas is one of the richest states in Mexico as far as natural resources but is one of the poorest states in terms of economic standards the Mexican Government and MNCs are commiting human rights violations against the indigenous to further displace them to make room for the Superhighway and exploit other natural resources. The Zapatistas have been somewhat succesful, but the fight is bound to continue as greed wears on and Federal Government/MNCs patience wears thin. The war has also begun in Indiana, where some amazing peace actvist are setting up tree sitins all along the Superhighway construction site. They aren't yet losing the battle but they are in desperate need for help.

To no surprise the mass media has not been reporting about the tree sitins or educating the public about this extension of NAFTA/CAFTA. Congress is also mum, mainly because most of them are unaware that the $286 Billion Highway bill passed in 2005 was earmarked to build this Superhighway. Ron Paul has probably been the most outspoken critic of this Superhighway while others remain silent and uneducated (I recommend reading his statement on this @ http://www.ronpaul2008.com/articles/701/the-nafta-superhighway/).

This is just a small portion of what is happening, but hopefully this will incite some action to educate yourselves and petition Congress and the mass media to STOP being silent on this very important matter. For more information about this subject, check out these websites and we also have a movie about the Plan Puebla Panama if anyone is interested in viewing it:
http://stopi69.wordpress.com/
http://indymedia.us/en/index.shtml

Much love,

Ryan and the Green House Collective

2008-06-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

Hey people, This is Other Jon again. I got some great feedback from the last video I posted so I decided to spice up this blog by adding little greenhouse webisodes every once in a while. If you come over for a workshop, movie night, party, or just hangen and you see me with my camera... well you know what's going on. The purpose is to document light hearted fun, and seriously inspire more community building. Here's episode one, the first day we put up our new slack line! enjoy!

Direct Action Training

2008-06-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

Friends,

Just wanted to pass information about the civil disobedience/direct
action/nonviolence training that will be happening TUESDAY 17 JUNE 2008 at
the STREETROOTS office, 211 NW Davis Street PDx. We will begin to
gather at 6:30pm and then START PROMPTLY AT 7, so we can finish by 10.
There will likely be a break somewhere in the middle.

This training is purposed to bring as many interested and diverse, e.g.
housed/houseless/radical/mainstream/religious/secular/activists/first-timers/concerned/
disturbed/angry/excited/idealistic/creative people together to strategize
and plan a direct action at or in Portland City Hall/Council with
relationship to the recent homeless protest and issue that though being on
the table for discussion and change, has been largely ignored.

This training will be put on by three or four individuals who have a
diversity of tactics and experience, and will take into account the
ideas/suggestions of those present and involved in the training to create
a solid and successful plan for a July implementation. Though we are
hoping to get a large base of people interested and committed (50-100) to
participate in organizing and following through with this action, we are
also asking people to please be wise and cautious with this information
and who it is sent to/shared with. When distributing please DO NOT USE
THE PRESS OR LISTSERVES. Word of mouth through conversations and
individual emails of those who will respect the need to keep this action
discrete would be best. Thanks!

Please also be aware that an action with these larger numbers will likely
be most effective if it is non-violent in word and deed, and we ask that
those who are participating would be willing to commit to such. We also
ask that this be kept between participants and no others. This does not
mean that other tactics are not effective, however for purposes of this
action we are choosing this route.

Those of you who may not be interested in participating in the action but
who might be helpful in advising, please feel welcome to come on Tuesday.

There will be coffee and pasteries served. Please only invite those who
will take this time seriously and who are interested in being a part of
the solution. This is not a social hour, but a time to work hard to
build something meaningful together.

love & madness
katie et al

Questions? barricades_down@riseup.net

SEE YOU TUESDAY!

Close the School of the Americas (SOA), URGENT action is needed

2008-06-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

Hello all you beautiful people,

We, SOA Watch, are in need of your help to get Congress to act on releasing vitale information about the School of the Americas (SOA). For those who are unaware of the SOA, here is a little background information:

The School of the Americas (SOA), frequently dubbed the “School of Assassins,” is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers, located at Fort Benning, Georgia. In 2001 the government renamed the SOA to the “Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation,” because much of the public was becoming increasingly aware about the atrocities of our terroist training tactics, and the trail of blood and suffering in every country where its graduates have returned.

Over its 59 years, the SOA has trained over 60,000 Latin American soldiers in counterinsurgency techniques, sniper training, commando and psychological warfare, military intelligence and interrogation tactics. These graduates have consistently used their skills to wage a war against their own people. Among those targeted by SOA graduates are educators, union organizers, religious workers, student leaders, and others who work for the rights of the poor. Hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans have been tortured, raped, assassinated, “disappeared,” massacred, and forced into refugee by those trained at the School of Assassins. The BBC recently reported of the largest mass grave site found in Peru to date. Between 1983 and 2000over 70,000 people were either brutally killed or disappered. Although the article doesn't explicitly state SOA graduates being responsible for this act, the same tactics are taught at the SOA and this war certainly has the smell of just another atrocity performed by an SOA graduate. To read the full article by the BBC go to this link http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7449079.stm

Your help and URGENT action is needed to help close the SOA. You can help by contacting your Senator to support HR 5658. The House of Representatives already passed the bill and it is now on its way to the Senate. Please contact your Senator at www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm to support HR 5658. For more information on HR 5658 please read the press release below.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Much love,

Ryan and the Green House Collective

We Won the Vote in Congress!
Pentagon Forced to Release Information to SOA Watch

Thanks to your efforts and hard work in defense of human rights, the culture of secrecy and lack of accountability surrounding Defense Department policies suffered a severe blow today when the U.S. House of Representatives approved the McGovern-Sestak-Bishop (GA) amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2009. The amendment forces the public release of names, rank, country of origin, courses and dates of attendance of WHINSEC's graduates and instructors to the public.

The amendment was approved with a 220 to 189 vote!

This is a major victory for the international human rights community!You spoke up and now we are one step closer to transparency and closing the SOA/WHINSEC!

In recent years, WHINSEC has denied information that in the past has been vital in identifying the perpetrators of massacres, targeted assassinations, and human rights abuses committed in Latin America. In response to WHINSEC's lack of transparency and its willingness to undermine public attempts of exercising oversight of the institution, human rights advocates and constituents have taken a stand for justice and demanded Congress to hold WHINSEC accountable.

The access to information regarding students and instructors attending WHINSEC will allow human rights organizations to continue to monitor the school and identify those graduates and instructors who have violated human rights or taken part in criminal activities in their home countries.

Information is power, and the more information we have, the closer we are to closing the SOA/WHINSEC once and for all!

We Won the House, Now Comes the Senate

The approval of this amendment will now lead us to face a new challenge to insure that WHINSEC also be held accountable by the U.S. Senate, in the coming weeks we will continue to keep you updated so we can work together towards another victory. For more information about the SOA Watch please visit http://www.soaw.org/index.php

Support Internationial Artists and a Lovely Member o' the Green House Community!

2008-06-12T10:44:00.000-07:00

CAN INTERNATIONAL CULTURE SHARING SAVE THE WORLD?
THURSDAY JUNE 19TH @ TOWNE LOUNGE (714 SW 20TH PL)@ 9pm

127 (FROM TEHRAN, IRAN)
REMOVAL (FROM VANCOUVER, CANADA)
+ local artist PAINTING LIVE BRAD DELAY

as the administration beats the drums toward war with iran, we beat them in
solidarity with other nations to stop it. empathy, understanding and valuing
differences are the key to a unified world baby.

note: this aint no hippie drum circle or funked up indie rock.
removal are crushing loud punk/metal with samples instead of vocals and
projected visuals (it features ernie as well)
127 are folk punk iranian style!

The Love Fest

2008-06-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

Hey people, this is Jon from the Greenhouse, not John (brother John) but Other Jon. So we have been having fun times this summer so far, possibly because more than half of our house is unemployed. That and the new Badminton net out front. As some of you know, I make little movies a lot and the other day I went down to the PSU campus and filmed the "Love Fest" put on by Jeff's class. Check it out!

Movie Night, June 12th

2008-06-11T15:57:00.001-07:00

Hello all,
Tomorrow night, Thursday June 12th, the Greenhouse Collective will be showing The Fight in the Fields:
Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers Struggle.

The historical documentary tells the story of Cesar Chavez, the charismatic founder of the United Farmworkers Union, and the movement that he inspired- one that touched the hearts of millions of Americans with the grape and lettuce boycotts, a nonviolent movement that confronted conservative politicians like Ronald Reagan and the powerful Teamsters Union. This chapter of American history recounts an inspiring story of hope and courage against overwhelming odds, a story of poor people taking control of their lives.

Where: The Green House Collective (email for directions)
When: Vegan Potluck at 6:30pm
Film at 7:00pm discussion to follow

BOAT SUCCESS

2008-06-07T23:21:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all,

thanks so much for coming out on Thursday. We made over 50 boats, hung out, chatted about the crucial the crazy and the COLORs and, well just had a lovely time. Ashley is thinking that she will be having her first thursday exhibit sometime this summer, either july or august, and would love to have all you out there bringing your beautiful energies and your creative forces......stay tuned for more summer boat bbqs and other such madness.

Thanks again for always making the Green House fill with light, I am always so inspired and pleased to share time and space with y'all.

Love and Light,
Courtney

Get Down and Dirty and Village Gardens!

2008-06-05T13:14:00.001-07:00

Hello Green House Friends,

I wanted to let you all know about a great opportunity to learn more about urban agriculture and food security in Portland. Village Gardens is a a 56,000 square foot urban agriculture program that uses sustainable organic gardening and farming to increase access to healthy food, improve economic opportunities and build unity with low-income residents of North Portland.
This Friday we need your help.

Our Sauvie Island farm needs some garden-loving. You can help by pulling weeds and doing various other farm projects, while also learning more about the ways in which gardening can unite communities..

Join us from 12:00 (noon)-4:00 pm
This Friday, June 6th
We could use as many as 15 people – maybe more!

The farm directions can be found at: http://www.metro-region.org/index.cfm/go/by.web/id/152 Volunteers would park in front of the picnic area and walk past the white house, through the orchard and to the green house on the LEFT.

Please call 971-344-4715 if you have questions

I hope to see you there!
-Laurel

One Year After Del Monte: Community Responses to ICE Raids

2008-06-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

Hope you can make this event, please forward on to anyone you know who wants to learn more about the struggle for immigrants rights in Portland!

When: Tuesday June 10 6-8pmOne Year After Del Monte: Community Responses to ICE Raids
Where: St. Andrew’s Catholic Church Community Center (806 NE Alberta St)

On June 12th, 2007 ICE agents arrested 167 immigrant workers at the Del Monte plant in North Portland. One year later we are taking a moment to reflect on how our community is responding to the ongoing raids, detentions and deportations that are happening here in Portland.

Panelists:
David Ayala, SEIU Local 49
Nathan Teske, El Programa Hispano
Guest Speaker, El Comite de Solidaridad e Apoyo Mutuo

In Other Words, Women's Books and Resources

2008-06-02T12:17:00.001-07:00

EVERY SUNDAYS: Homorobics 11:00 am
Don't miss "Homorobics" led by Sarah Shapiro and Nicole J.
Georges--Physically strengthening our community in a feminist, queer,
& body friendly environment with an emphasis on enjoyment... not
weight loss! Homorobics caters to our peers and delivers
beginner-level fitness through jazzercise, aerobics, and Freedom
Sweatpants Dance. Please bring a towel and hand weights (or bricks) if
you've got 'em. Sliding—scale donation $2-4.

FIRST, THIRD, & FOURTH MONDAYS: Español Sin Fronteras! 6:30 to 8:00 pm
This Month: June 2,nd 16,th 23,rd and 30th Sin Fronteras is happy to
present Español Sin Fronteras! Our friend and comrade Santa will be
teaching lessons, and sharing knowledge at In Other Words Books three
times a month. The class is introductory and is horizontally organized
around input from participants. This class will teach in many fun
ways, that means (of course) some grammar, lyrics of songs, poetry,
articles, more conversation, history, interesting places, and tips for
travelers etc. Please bring a notebook and pen. Cost for participants
is from $5 to $10 per person per class. For more information check
out: http://www.myspace.com/sinfronterasolin.

NOW—EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY MORNINGS: Community Yoga Classes 9:00-10:00 am
Now adding Thursday morning classes!!! Come and enjoy Yoga as a
Transformative Art & Way of Being—an evolutionary and integral
practice of Hatha, Kriya and Intuitive Movement with Elaina Beam.
* Explore the foundations and simple graces of asana (postures).
* Experience the profound effects of pranayama (breath work).
* Merge with your inner world through dhyana (meditation).
All level classes offer tools for developing flexibility of both body
and mind, while building strength, self-acceptance and peace. Simply
bring willingness and your beautiful self! Shanti! Suggested donation:
$5-$10—no one turned away!

MONTHLY MEETING: Code Pink Meeting 6:30 pm
This Month: June 3rd

SUPPORT GROUP: The National Vulvar Vestibulitis Organization
Facilitated Group 7:00 pm
This Month: June 4th The National Vulvar Vestibulitis Organization is
a 501(c)3 committed to providing support and awareness for VVS. We
provide information about Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome and its
symptoms, treatments, and the stories of us women who survive and
thrive through this disorder. VVS is a pain condition that is
localized in the opening of the vagina. The National Institute of
Health estimates that 6 million women have this condition. Is sex
painful? Do you experience vaginal pain during everyday activities? If
you have intense itching, burning, and/or pain upon touch you may have
VVS.

Our main service is providing face-to-face support groups to help
women cope with VVS. It is a life-changing event that affects every
aspect of your life, and you shouldn't have to go through it alone.
The NVVO has created a caring, nurturing community of women who can
help guide you through the challenges of living with VVS. The
meetings are open to women only. If you'd like more information you
can visit our website and blog! http://www.nvvo.net or
http://nvvo.wordpress.com

FIRST THURSDAYS: Queer Polyamory Discussion Group 6:30 pm
This Month: June 5th If you have ever wondered "How do I do this
polyamory/open-relationship/non-monogamy thing?"...you are not alone.
Join us with your experiences, questions and ideas- they are an
important resource for this group. Those who attend will help
determine what topics we focus on—which could include: agreements,
consent and communication; jealousy; support; safer sex; struggles and
joys and survivor issues. Whether you have been practicing ethical
sluttery for years, or are just starting to think about it, you are
welcome. Open to all trans, pansexual, lesbian, gay and queer folks.
All ages encouraged. Hosted by: franciszka fierce- a local slut,
artist/writer and facilitator extraordinaire.

EVERY SATURDAY: Oregon's Only Meeting of Eating Disorders Anonymous 10:00 am
EDA is a 12-step group that provides support, compassion, and
understanding for individuals who have (or have had) one or more
eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder,
pathorexia, food addictions, and many others. Eating Disorders
Anonymous is NOT THE SAME as Overeaters Anonymous: OA is an
abstinence-based program, while EDA encourages balance in all areas of
life. EDA does not specifically endorse food plans; disordered eating
comes from disordered thinking, and food and weight management
techniques do nothing to solve our thinking problems. People in all
stages of recovery are welcome at this meeting, including those who
may not be sure if they have an eating disorder. For more information
on EDA, please visit eatingdisordersanonymous.org. For questions about
this meeting, please call Lily-Rygh at 503.421.4511.

DISCUISSION GROUP: The Portland Feminism Discussion Group 6:30-8:00 pm
This Month: June 8th Feminism Discussion Group facilitated by Jen
Moore. This discussion group is a free flowing, exchange of ideas on a
topic which we pick each month. This month's topic is: men's place
within the feminist movement. We are a friendly group with new members
joining all the time. This meeting is open to only women. If you
consider yourself female identified, you are welcome.

SECOND MONDAYS: OLIN Study Group 6:00 pm
This Month: June 9th Join us as we will discuss such issues as the
current uprising in Oaxaca, the Zapatistas and la otra campana,
neoliberalism, social movements in Mexico, and border issues. This
study group is brought to you by Olin, a collective focusing on
Oaxaca. Olin is a working group of Portland Sin Fronteras Portland
whose focus as a group lies in building and understanding the border
and in fighting white supremacy. Their aim is to combat capitalism as
a system of domination and to link the anti-capitalist struggles of
Latin America to our own struggles here at home.

MAGAZINE RELEASE PARTY: Bitch Magazine 7:00pm
This month: June 11th The Genesis issue of Bitch is even now rolling
off the presses, and we're excited for you to see it. It features
articles covering all the genesis bases-- from religion to
reproduction, as well as some kick-ass artist-produced origami on the
cover. To celebrate we're hosting another round of the ever-fabulous
Pop Culture Debate Club. Topics are still to be decided, so if you
have any suggestions, drop a line to info@b-word.org.

AUTHOR READING: OPEN: Love, Sex and Life in an Open Marriage by Jenny
Block 7:00 pm
This Month: June 12th Finally, a book about open marriage that
grapples with the problems surrounding monogamy and fidelity in an
honest, heartfelt, and non-fringe manner. In Open, Block paints a
down-to-earth picture of how an open marriage can work, and
specifically why it works for her and her husband. In dissecting other
people's strong reactions to her choice, she explores the question of
why cheating is more socially acceptable than open marriage. In part,
she concludes, the lack of models for successful functional open
marriages is such that the general public is not yet equipped to
handle treating it as anything other than abnormal. Open challenges
our notions of what traditional marriage looks like, and presents one
woman's journey down an uncertain path that ultimately proves that
open marriage is a viable option, and one that's in fact better for
some couples than conventional marriage.

Jenny Block writes for a variety of regional and national
publications, as well as for the website Huffington Post where she
blogs weekly. Her work has appeared in several anthologies and is
slated to appear in Rebcca Walker's upcoming anthology "Walk This Way:
Introducing the New American Family." The inspiration for Open stems
from her piece, "Portrait of an Open Marriage" which ran in Tango, and
was reprinted by Cosmopolitan Germany and The Huffington Post.

SECOND FRIDAYS: Dirty Queer 6:30 pm
This Month: June 13th Dirty Queer is an X rated open mic: a place to
celebrate sexuality and strut your creative stuff! Hosted by renegade
writer and poet Sossity Chiricuzio, Dirty Queer is proven itself to be
a thought provoking evening of excitement, laughter and full body
shivers. We're looking for queer erotic entertainers of all sorts:
dancers, jugglers, singers, musicians, comics, poets, storytellers,
magicians, gender performers ... if you can do it in 5-10 minutes or
less (w/ minimal props/equip), this open mic's for you!

Need a dose of Dirty Queer sooner than that? Come check out our
photos, samples, bios, YouTube videos, and our new Podcast! All this
and more on our website: www.dirtyqueer.com. It's highly recommended
to bring your own folding chairs if you can, as we average 85
people/month. Everyone who attends has a chance to win door prizes
from local businesses! IOW asks for a donation of $1-$5/person for
this event, and more donations are always welcome. Caveats: 18+,
consent is key, no hate speech.

AUTHOR READING: The Brides of March: Memoir of a Same Sex Marriage by
Beren deMotier 6:30 pm
This Month: June 17th Portland's very own author Beren deMotier will
read from The Brides of March: Memoir of a Same-Sex Marriage, the true
story of a giddy leap through a legal window, straight onto the
barbeque pit of public debate in Multnomah County. The Brides of March
is a bride's eye view of same-sex marriage at a moment's notice, with
a bevy of brides, their coterie of children, donuts, newspaper
reporters, screaming protesters, and mothers of the brides who never
thought they'd see the day. Lively discussion and a swapping of
stories will follow.

ONE TIME A MONTH on WEDNESDAYS: Women Writing for (a) Change 7:00 pm
This Month: June 18th Women Writing for (a) Change inspires women and
girls to craft more conscious lives through the art of writing and the
practices of community. This mission is rooted in the knowledge that
the well-being of women and girls has a positive effect on families,
institutions, and the planet.

WWf(a)C circles provide communities within which writers develop their
skills, strengthen their voices, enhance their health, and learn to
appreciate their capacity to create positive change in all spheres.
The emphasis of the class is on authentic voice, community- building,
and the exploration of writing as a creative, therapeutic or spiritual
practice and a tool of social change. Please come and experience the
safe and supportive environment that will inspire writing, careful
listening and respect for each woman's words. For more information
about Wwf (a)C in Portland, go to http://www.womenwritingwest.com.

Pre-registration is requested but drop-ins are also welcome. To
register go to info@womenwritingwest.com . WWf(a)C is a writing school
and community of writers that began in Cincinnati, OH in 1991. Karen
Waters, experienced in and licensed to use the WWf(a)C processes, is
bringing this community to Portland.

POERTY READING: Kristin Berger and Katharine Salzmann 6:30 pm
This Month: June 19th Kristin Berger will read from her first
collection of poems, For the Willing, which trace the map of
motherhood from its first flush roots in imagination, through birth,
to childhood's full and complex wonders. She takes us on a familiar
journey, but one told with a resolve to engage again and again with
the world. Kristin Berger's poetry and essays have appeared in, or are
forthcoming from, CALYX, VoiceCatcher, Hip Mama, and New Letters. She
lives in Portland with her husband and two children. Visit her at
www.kristinberger.wordpress.com.

Katharine Salzmann's first chapbook of poetry "Hemopoiesis" published
in 1995 was described by The Oregonian as, "Human limitation and the
apparent schism between mind and matter are absent here . . . Sensual,
sensuous, refusing the either-or categories of Western rationality,
this is a poet who apprehends the world in its wholeness, its gift,
and gives it back in kind." Her most recent chapbook of poetry "Prayer
Ceremony" was published in 2007. She lives with her daughter & works
as a massage therapist in Portland.

THIRD FRIDAYS: The Feminist Film Society 6:30 pm
This Month: June 20th The Feminist Film Society is a group of folks
who watch a variety of movies and discuss them with feminism in mind.
Arrive at 6:30 for a sweet trivia type game to get you thinking about
the night's movie. The screening starts at 7:00 with discussion to
follow. This month we will be watching She-Devil (1989). Roseanne
Barr plays a suburban wife seeking vengeance on her husband, who is
cheating on her with a romance novelist played by Meryl Streep.
Hilarity abounds in this adaptation of Fay Weldon's novel The Life and
Loves of a She-Devil, which is available at the bookstore. All are
welcome. Suggested donation is $1-$5 sliding scale to support the
bookstore—with no one turned away. For more information check out:
www.feministfilmsociety.blogspot.com.

CONCERT: Gretchen Phillips 7:00 pm
This Month: June 21st This solo show intersperses original, feminist,
lesbian songs performed on an acoustic guitar with readings including
memoir, ruminations on current events, and little chapters of life.
Performing since she was 12 years old, Gretchen was part of a lesbian
band, Two Nice Girls, which secured her a GLAAD media award and a spot
in the Austin Chronicle's Hall of Fame. For more information about
Gretchen and music check out www.Gretchen-Phillips.com or
www.MySpace.com/GretchenPhillips. Cover $5-$10 sliding scale.

LAST TUESDAYS: Dexter's Spoken Mike 7:00 pm
This Month: June 24th Dexter's spoken mic follows the strong tradition
that believes it's time to give writers "rockstar status" bringing
beginning writers as well as more established readers together, for
inspirational rants and performances. Dexter's spoken mic, (open to
all) will surely be a force to be reckoned with. So speak your heart
out from your memoirs, journal entries, and poems...do it with a
friend, or go on tour-- but first make sure to stop by in other words
books on the LAST Tuesday of every month for Dexter's spoken mic.
Dexter is a Portland writer. She spends most of her time digging up
awkward stories from her childhood, reveling in fantastical
eccentricities and sentimental moments, running away with the circus
and making her comic book (my red umbrella soon to be released) she
also has a new zine of memoirs called maybe it's something you ate.
Dexter hosts spoken mics in Portland and is secretly working on a book
about growing up with a single mom in an alternative household and the
various father figures that came along the way…shhhh--don't tell!

AUTHOR READING: The Maternal is Political Edited by Shari MacDonald
Strong 7:00 pm
This Month: June 25th The Maternal is Political explores the vital
connection between motherhood and social change. Edited by Shari
MacDonald Strong, this compilation features thirty powerful,
hard-hitting literary essays by women who are striving to make the
world a better place for children and families-both their own and
other women's-in this country and globally.

LAST FRIDAYS: Luna Music Series—Showcase of local female musicians 7:00 pm
This Month: June 27th For this month's featured artists check out:
www.myspace.com/lunamusicseries

Author Reading and Benefit for Code Pink: Mary Lou Sanelli 4:00pm
This Month: June 28th Code Pink Portland and In Other Words Books are
proud to present Mary Lou Sanelli, reading from her newest collection
of poems. Mary Lou has generously offered herself to raise funds for
the Code Pink Portland so that we can continue to highlight the lies
and deceptions of the Bush Administration, especially concerning the
Iraq war/occupation. Suggested donation is $5 with no one turned away.

Sanelli has earned a solid reputation in the literary and
public-speaking community through a steady commitment to writing and
through twenty years of successful public readings and presentations.
She is the author of six poetry collections and one recent book of
essays, Falling Awake, selected as "one of the most fabulous 2008
Northwest titles" by Seattle writer/reviewer Lesley Thomas. Mary Lou
also works as a public speaker and as a dancer, dance instructor, and
choreographer, teaching currently at Spectrum Dance and Dance
Underground in Seattle..

SAVE THE DATE: In Other Words 2008 Literary Feast
Join us this year for an amazing event and a great opportunity to
support In Other Words Books & Resources. Mark your calendars—Friday,
August 1st 6:00 pm at the North Star Ballroom 635 N. Killingsworth
Court. Program details to come.

***As you know In Other Words Women's Books and Resources is a
non-profit. In fact, we are the only surviving non-profit women's
bookstore in this country. And we are among a dwindling number of
for-profit women's bookstores. In an effort to become more
sustainable we have decided to charge a minimal fee for events held at
the store. IOW ask a suggested donation of $1-$5 sliding scale for
store events, unless otherwise noted. No one is ever turned away.
All are welcome***

270 Illegal Immigrants Sent to Prison in Federal Push

2008-05-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

This is an unprecedented and very scary direction the feds are taking. From the NY times:

May 24, 2008

WATERLOO, Iowa — In temporary courtrooms at a fairgrounds here, 270 illegal immigrants were sentenced this week to five months in prison for working at a meatpacking plant with false documents.

The prosecutions, which ended Friday, signal a sharp escalation in the Bush administration’s crackdown on illegal workers, with prosecutors bringing tough federal criminal charges against most of the immigrants arrested in a May 12 raid. Until now, unauthorized workers have generally been detained by immigration officials for civil violations and rapidly deported.

The convicted immigrants were among 389 workers detained at the Agriprocessors Inc. plant in nearby Postville in a raid that federal officials called the largest criminal enforcement operation ever carried out by immigration authorities at a workplace.

Matt M. Dummermuth, the United States attorney for northern Iowa, who oversaw the prosecutions, called the operation an “astonishing success.”

Claude Arnold, a special agent in charge of investigations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said it showed that federal officials were “committed to enforcing the nation’s immigration laws in the workplace to maintain the integrity of the immigration system.”

The unusually swift proceedings, in which 297 immigrants pleaded guilty and were sentenced in four days, were criticized by criminal defense lawyers, who warned of violations of due process. Twenty-seven immigrants received probation. The American Immigration Lawyers Association protested that the workers had been denied meetings with immigration lawyers and that their claims under immigration law had been swept aside in unusual and speedy plea agreements.

The illegal immigrants, most from Guatemala, filed into the courtrooms in groups of 10, their hands and feet shackled. One by one, they entered guilty pleas through a Spanish interpreter, admitting they had taken jobs using fraudulent Social Security cards or immigration documents. Moments later, they moved to another courtroom for sentencing.

The pleas were part of a deal worked out with prosecutors to avoid even more serious charges. Most immigrants agreed to immediate deportation after they serve five months in prison.

The hearings took place on the grounds of the National Cattle Congress in Waterloo, in mobile trailers and in a dance hall modified with black curtains, beginning at 8 a.m. and continuing several nights until 10. On Wednesday alone, 94 immigrants pleaded guilty and were sentenced, the most sentences in a single day in this northern Iowa district, according to Robert L. Phelps, the clerk of court.

Mr. Arnold, the immigration agent, said the criticism of the proceedings was “the usual spate of false allegations and baseless rumors.”

The large number of criminal cases was remarkable because immigration violations generally fall under civil statutes. Until now, relatively few immigrants caught in raids have been charged with federal crimes like identity theft or document fraud.

“To my knowledge, the magnitude of these indictments is completely unprecedented,” said Juliet Stumpf, an immigration law professor at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Ore., who was formerly a senior civil rights lawyer at the Justice Department. “It’s the reliance on criminal process here as part of an immigration enforcement action that takes this out of the ordinary, a startling intensification of the criminalization of immigration law.”

Defense lawyers, who were appointed by the court, said most of the immigrants were ready to accept the plea deals because of the hard bargain driven by the prosecutors.

If the immigrants did not plead guilty, Mr. Dummermuth said he would try them on felony identity theft charges that carry a mandatory two-year minimum jail sentence. In many cases, court documents show, the immigrants were working under real Social Security numbers or immigration visas, known as green cards, that belonged to other people.

All but a handful of the workers here had no criminal record, court documents showed.

“My family is worried in Guatemala,” one defendant, Erick Tajtaj, entreated the federal district judge who sentenced him, Mark W. Bennett. “I ask that you deport us as soon as possible, that you do us that kindness so we can be together again with our families.”

No charges have been brought against managers or owners at Agriprocessors, but there were indications that prosecutors were also preparing a case against the company. In pleading guilty, immigrants had to agree to cooperate with any investigation.

Chaim Abrahams, a representative of Agriprocessors, said in a statement that he could not comment about specific accusations but that the company was cooperating with the government.

Aaron Rubashkin, the owner of Agriprocessors, announced Friday that he had begun a search to replace his son Sholom as the chief executive of the company. Agriprocessors is the country’s largest producer of kosher meat, sold under brands like Aaron’s Best. The plant is in Postville, a farmland town about 70 miles northeast of Waterloo. Normally it employs about 800 workers, and in recent years the majority of them have come from rural Guatemala.

Since 2004, the plant has faced repeated sanctions for environmental and worker safety violations. It was the focus of a 2006 exposé in The Jewish Daily Forward and a commission of inquiry that year by Conservative Jewish leaders.

In Postville, workers from the plant, still feeling aftershocks from the raid, said conditions there were often harsh. In interviews, they said they were often required to work overtime and night shifts, sometimes up to 14 hours a day, but were not consistently paid for the overtime.

“We knew what time we would start work but we did not know what time we would finish,” said Élida, 29, a Guatemalan who was arrested in the raid and then released to care for her two children. She asked that her last name not be published because she is in this country illegally.

A 16-year-old Guatemalan girl, who asked to be identified only as G.O. because she is illegal and a minor and was not involved in the raid, said she had been working the night shift plucking chickens. “When you start, you can’t stay awake,” she said. “But after a while you get used to it.”

The workers said that supervisors and managers were well aware that the immigrants were working under false documents.

Defense lawyers, who each agreed to represent as many as 30 immigrants, said they were satisfied that they had sufficient time to question them and prepare their cases. But some lawyers said they were troubled by the severity of the charges.

At one sentencing hearing, David Nadler, a defense lawyer, said he was “honored to represent such good and brave people,” saying the immigrants’ only purpose had been to provide for their families in Guatemala.

“I want the court to know that these people are the kings of family values,” Mr. Nadler said.

Judge Bennett appeared moved by Mr. Nadler’s remarks. “I don’t doubt for a moment that you are good, hard-working people who have done what you did to help your families,” Judge Bennett told the immigrants. “Unfortunately for you, you committed a violation of federal law.”

After the hearing, Mr. Nadler said the plea agreements were the best deal available for his clients. But he was dismayed that prosecutors had denied them probation and insisted the immigrants serve prison time and agree to a rarely used judicial order for immediate deportation upon their release, signing away their rights to go to immigration court.

“That’s not the defense of justice,” Mr. Nadler said. “That’s just politics.”

Christopher Clausen, a lawyer who represented 21 Guatemalans, said he was certain they all understood their options and rights. Mainly they wanted to get home to Guatemala as quickly as possible, he said.

“The government is not bashful about the fact that they are trying to send a message,” Mr. Clausen said, “that if you get caught working illegally here you will pay a criminal penalty.”

Robert Rigg, a Drake University law professor who is president of the Iowa Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said his group was not consulted when prosecutors and court officials began to make plans, starting in December, for the mass proceedings.

“You really are force feeding the system just to churn these people out,” Mr. Rigg said.

Kathleen Campbell Walker, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said that intricate issues could arise in some cases, for example where immigrants had children and spouses who were legal residents or United States citizens. Those issues “could not be even cursorily addressed in the time frame being forced upon these individuals and their overburdened counsel.”

Linda R. Reade, the chief judge who approved the emergency court setup, said she was confident there had been no rush to justice. In an interview, Judge Reade said prosecutors had organized the immigrants’ detention to make it easy for their lawyers to meet with them. The prosecutors, she said, “have tried to be fair in their charging.”

The immigration lawyers, Judge Reade said, “do not understand the federal criminal process as it relates to immigration charges.”

Visionary Projects Presents: A festival of Love

2008-05-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

What: A brilliant exercise in bell hooks's notion of a love ethic, and
a visionary
project inspired by Roslyn Farrington's Women's studies/English course
about bell hooks!

-Free hugs!
-Inspiration!
-Get something off your chest at the listening booth!
-Art!
-Reconsider masculinity!
-Viva self-esteem!
-Beloved community!

When: Wednesday, May 28th. 11am-4pm. {Rain date: June 4th.)

Where: The Park Blocks!

If you would like more information, please feel free to contact
godchaux@pdx.edu.

STUDENTS OF WHITE STUDIES CLASS OFFER OPEN FORUM DISCUSSION ON WHITE PRIVILEGE

2008-05-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

Please join the students of the White Studies class at Portland State University for a fishbowl discussion on white privilege. The discussion will focus on Color-Blind Racism and other topics in an effort to clarify institutional racism and explore how to create a dialogue about white privilege during these Post-Civil Rights times. Students have developed a set of key questions for the inner fishbowl participants to address. After an initial dialogue, which will take place between the inner fishbowl circle, attendees will have an opportunity to join in the discussion and to ask further questions and points.
Join us for an open, safe discussion about white privilege and how to move forward as an ally to people of color with greater understanding about white privilege and racism and in the United States.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: CONTACT: Denissia Withers, 503-284-0289, denissia@pdx.edu
WHAT: Owning Whiteness? ? Observe fishbowl discussion on white privilege with open discussion
WHEN: Friday, May 30, 2008 Wednesday, 11:00am ? 1:00pm
WHERE: Portland State University, Smith Memorial Center, Room 294

Green Empowerment Discussion/Volunteer Night

2008-05-23T12:31:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, May 28th; 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Green Empowerment Office
140 SW Yamhill St.
Portland, OR

This month's Volunteer Night will be a discussion on Burma. Learn more about recent developments related to the devastation created by Cyclone Nargis and the block of international humanitarian aid. And find out how you can help during the upcoming Burma (Myanmar) Cyclone Relief Fundraiser. Tara Horn, who is a member of the Burma Action Committee and Books for Burma, will help guide the discussion.
For more information, contact Steph: stephanie@greenempowerment.org or 503.284.5774

Roots Festival Today!

2008-05-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

The Roots Festival is an annual celebration of diversity made possible through the collaboration of the multicultural student groups at Portland State University. On Thursday May 22nd the PSU park blocks will pulsate with local artists, international food vendors, a grand scale community mural, interactive workshops, and musical and dance performances representing all four corners of the globe.

This year’s theme, “Diversity in Politics and Activism”, will inform and inspire community members to embrace civic engagement and a multicultural perspective in political action.

The Roots Festival gives us all a chance to explore our roots by celebrating our differences and recognizing our similarities because in the end, everyone’s roots are intertwined.

Down with Fleas

2008-05-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

School of the Americas amendment

2008-05-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

Congress will vote on an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2009 that would require that the School of the Americas/WHINSEC release the names, ranks, country of origin, courses and dates attended of students and instructors at the institute. The amendment will be offered by Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA), Representative Joe Sestak (D-PA) and Representative Sanford Bishop (D-GA) and we expect the vote to happen on Thursday, May 22.

For the past few years, despite the WHINSEC PR machine proclaiming an open and transparent school, the WHINSEC has been unwilling to provide information about the students and instructors. Freedom of Information Act requests for FY 2005, 2006 and 2007 have all been denied, proof of WHINSEC's unwillingness to submit to oversight from the public whose tax-payer dollars help fund the school.

Access to information regarding SOA/WHINSEC graduates of previous years has been a valuable asset to human rights organizations who have been able to identify Latin American military officers and police that have committed human rights abuses or engaged in criminal activity in their home countries after attending the school as instructors or students. SOA Watch supports the release of this important information at all U.S. military training facilities in the spirit of openness, transparency, and the public's "right to know".

It is crucial for the success of this amendment that you contact your Representative

Go to http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/727/t/3823/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24657 for a boilerplate letter you can modify and fax or email to your representative supporting the McGovern-Sestak-Bishop (GA) amendment

Or contact your representative directly – to find your representative, go to http://www.house.gov/

Read more about the School of the Americas at www.soaw.org –School of the Americas Watch

Thanks all

2008-05-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks again to everyone who came out last night for the discussion on white privilege; and thanks especially to Nicole for her amazing facilitation. I heard a lot of honesty, and I personally learned something and was challenged in unexpected ways. I am always feeling honored, inspired, and fortunate to meet new people each week in my own home and to have the opportunity to challenge ourselves and raise our levels of consciousness as a community. Peace,

Jake

In Other Words, Women's Books and Resources

2008-05-09T15:40:00.001-07:00

FIRST FRIDAYS: BurlyRama Craft Night 7:00-8:30 pm
This month: May 2nd BurlyRama is a night full of glitter, hot glue,
and feathers galore. Each month Sahara Dunes, with Burly Girl
Productions, and guest instructors, will be leading a class in the
how-to's of DIY in burlesque. Everything from tasty and smell-good
powder and pasties to home décor will be covered.

May's craft will be round pasties with matching wrist cuffs.
Materials provided for this craft will be-lightweight cardboard, felt
material, ribbons, vinyl, flower appliqués, and Velcro. Tools that
will be available to use are-pencils/pens, scissors, rulers, tape
measures, needle/thread, straight pins, hot glue guns, and compasses
or other round tracing tools. Step by step directions will be given
on how to make your fabulous pasties and cuffs. A sliding scale
donation of $5-$10 will be accepted at the door. RSVP at
burlesquewithbrains@gmail.com or call 503-869-3565 no later then April
30th.

EVERY SATURDAY: Oregon's Only Meeting of Eating Disorders Anonymous 10:00 am
EDA is a 12-step group that provides support, compassion, and
understanding for individuals who have (or have had) one or more
eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder,
pathorexia, food addictions, and many others. Eating Disorders
Anonymous is NOT THE SAME as Overeaters Anonymous: OA is an
abstinence-based program, while EDA encourages balance in all areas of
life. EDA does not specifically endorse food plans; disordered eating
comes from disordered thinking, and food and weight management
techniques do nothing to solve our thinking problems. People in all
stages of recovery are welcome at this meeting, including those who
may not be sure if they have an eating disorder. For more information
on EDA, please visit eatingdisordersanonymous.org. For questions about
this meeting, please call Lily-Rygh at 503.421.4511.

EVERY SUNDAYS: Homorobics 11:00 am
Don't miss "Homorobics" led by Sarah Shapiro and Nicole J.
Georges--Physically strengthening our community in a feminist, queer,
& body friendly environment with an emphasis on enjoyment... not
weight loss! Homorobics caters to our peers and delivers
beginner-level fitness through jazzercise, aerobics, and Freedom
Sweatpants Dance. Please bring a towel and hand weights (or bricks) if
you've got 'em. Sliding—scale donation $2-4.

FIRST SUNDAYS: The Portland Feminism Discussion Group 6:30-8:00 pm
This Month: May 4th Feminism Discussion Group facilitated by Jen Moore
is held on the first Sunday of every month. This discussion group is
a free flowing, exchange of ideas on a topic which we pick each month.
Next month's topic is: race and gender in the democratic party bid for
president. We are a friendly group with new members joining all the
time. This meeting is open to only women. If you consider yourself
female identified, you are welcome.

FIRST, THIRD, & FOURTH MONDAYS: Español Sin Fronteras! 6:30 to 8:00 pm
This Month: May 5th, 19th, 26th Sin Fronteras is happy to present
Español Sin Fronteras! Our friend and comrade Santa will be teaching
lessons, and sharing knowledge at In Other Words Books three times a
month. The class is introductory and is horizontally organized around
input from participants. This class will teach in many fun ways, that
means (of course) some grammar, lyrics of songs, poetry, articles,
more conversation, history, interesting places, and tips for travelers
etc. Please bring a notebook and pen. Cost for participants is from $5
to $10 per person per class. For more information check out:
http://www.myspace.com/sinfronterasolin.

TUESDAY MORNINGS: Yoga as a Transformative Art & Way of Being 9:00-10:00 am
Come and enjoy the evolutionary and integral practice of Hatha, Kriya
and Intuitive Movement with Elaina Beam.
* Explore the foundations and simple graces of asana (postures).
* Experience the profound effects of pranayama (breath work).
* Merge with your inner world through dhyana (meditation).

All level classes offer tools for developing flexibility of both body
and mind, while building strength, self-acceptance and peace. Simply
bring willingness and your beautiful self! Shanti! Suggested donation:
$5—no one turned away!

MONTHLY MEETING: Code Pink Meeting 6:30 pm
This Month: May 6th

EVERY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: BurlyRama Core 12:00 noon
This Month: May 7,th 14,th 21,st & 28th BurlyRama Core brings you a
great lunch-time low impact, high energy routine that is geared to
focus on your abs, upper and lower back, glutes, chest, and you have
to option to sweat as little or as much as you want. This 55-minute
class will guide you through simple burlesque moves, while using fun
props to help you work towards a healthier you. This class is not
intended for weight loss, as much as it is for overall health and
feeling sexy about you!

Please bring a hat, boa, scarf, and opera length gloves if you have
them. Some props will be provided, however we may not have enough to
go around. $5 donation, but no one will be turned away. Childcare
will be provided by In Other Words staff/volunteer member. Children
will remain in store during the class time. Please RSVP if you need
childcare! If there are any questions, please contact Sahara at
503-869-3565 or burlesquewithbrains@gmail.com.

SUPPORT GROUP: The National Vulvar Vestibulitis Organization
Facilitated Group 7:00 pm
This Month: May 7th The National Vulvar Vestibulitis Organization is a
501(c)3 committed to providing support and awareness for VVS. We
provide information about Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome and its
symptoms, treatments, and the stories of us women who survive and
thrive through this disorder. VVS is a pain condition that is
localized in the opening of the vagina. The National Institute of
Health estimates that 6 million women have this condition. Is sex
painful? Do you experience vaginal pain during everyday activities? If
you have intense itching, burning, and/or pain upon touch you may have
VVS.

Our main service is providing face-to-face support groups to help
women cope with VVS. It is a life-changing event that affects every
aspect of your life, and you shouldn't have to go through it alone.
The NVVO has created a caring, nurturing community of women who can
help guide you through the challenges of living with VVS. The
meetings are open to women only. If you'd like more information you
can visit our website and blog! http://www.nvvo.net or
http://nvvo.wordpress.com

FIRST THURSDAYS: Queer Polyamory Discussion Group 6:30 pm
This Month: May 8th If you have ever wondered "How do I do this
polyamory/open-relationship/non-monogamy thing?"...you are not alone.
Join us with your experiences, questions and ideas- they are an
important resource for this group. Those who attend will help
determine what topics we focus on—which could include: agreements,
consent and communication; jealousy; support; safer sex; struggles and
joys and survivor issues. Whether you have been practicing ethical
sluttery for years, or are just starting to think about it, you are
welcome. Open to all trans, pansexual, lesbian, gay and queer folks.
All ages encouraged. Hosted by: franciszka fierce- a local slut,
artist/writer and facilitator extraordinaire.

SECOND FRIDAYS: Dirty Queer 6:30 pm
This Month: May 9th Dirty Queer is an X rated open mic—a place to
celebrate sexuality and strut your creative stuff! Hosted by renegade
writer and poet Sossity Chiricuzio, Dirty Queer is proven itself to be
a thought provoking evening of excitement, laughter and full body
shivers. We're looking for queer erotic entertainers of all sorts:
dancers, jugglers, singers, musicians, comics, poets, storytellers,
gender performers ... if you can do it in 5-10 minutes or less (w/
minimal props/equip), this open mic's for you! It's highly recommended
to come early, and bring your own folding chairs if you can—we average
between 60-100 people every month. Everyone who attends has a chance
to win door prizes from local businesses. IOW asks for a donation of
$1/person for this event and more donations are always welcome.

Caveats: 18+, consent is key - so no references to children, animals,
dead people or forced/coerced sex. No hate speech or trashing each
other, period. No actual sex on the stage (check w/ the MC if you're
unsure on this one). Own your own triggers and respect the triggers of
others. Be mindful of your intentions. More info at our website:
dirtyqueer.com

CONCERT & SPOKEN WORD PERFORMANCE: Good Asian Drivers 3:00 pm
This Month: May 10th Good Asian Drivers consists of Kit Yan, a 23 year
old transgendered Chinese slam poet who has performed across the
country, and Melissa Li, a 24 year-old Chinese lesbian folk/rock
singer-songwriter. The mission of the Good Asian Drivers Tour is to
increase exposure for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and queer
Asian-Americans throughout the country. The tour strives to inspire
young artists and provoke dialogue on gay rights, transgendered
issues, feminism, and the marginalization of minorities. $5 suggested
donation.

More information can be found at www.goodasiandrivers.com and
www.youtube.com/goodasiandrivers. Yan and Li are also featured in the
June issue of Curve magazine.

SECOND MONDAYS: OLIN Study Group 6:00 pm
This Month: May 12th Join us as we will discuss such issues as the
current uprising in Oaxaca, the Zapatistas and la otra campana,
neoliberalism, social movements in Mexico, and border issues. This
study group is brought to you by Olin, a collective focusing on
Oaxaca. Olin is a working group of Portland Sin Fronteras Portland
whose focus as a group lies in building and understanding the border
and in fighting white supremacy. Their aim is to combat capitalism as
a system of domination and to link the anti-capitalist struggles of
Latin America to our own struggles here at home.

THIRD FRIDAYS: Girl Movie Night 6:30 pm
This Month: May 16th This month we will watch "The Education of Shelby
Knox." This 2005 documentary film tells the coming of age story of
Shelby Knox, A 15-year-old girl whose transformation from a
conservative Southern Baptist to liberal Christian and ardent feminist
parallels her fight for sex education and gay rights in Lubbock,
Texas. Movie Night is an event for woman-identified people to watch
and discuss films. For more info: http://www.girlmovienight.org/.

AUTHOR READING: Sober Truths: The Making of an Honest Woman by Jill
Kelly, PhD 2:00 pm
This Month: May 17th Writing Your Story, Reinventing Your Life. When
Jill Kelly began writing her memoir, Sober Truths: The Making of an
Honest Woman, she had little idea of how her life would change through
the process of crafting stories about her experience with alcoholism
and long-term sobriety. In this workshop/reading, Dr. Kelly describes
how telling our stories and sharing them contributes to healing and
opens up possibilities for re-inventing who we are. Book-signing to
follow. Jill Kelly, PhD, is a former college professor who now works
as an editor, writing coach, and visual artist.

AUTHOR READING: Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity by
Robert Jensen 6:30 pm
This Month: May 20th Join us for this powerful reading! Getting Off:
Pornography and the End of Masculinity, begins with the simple demand
of the culture: "Be a man." It closes with a defiant response: "I
chose to struggle to be a human being." And in between, it offers a
candid and intelligent exploration of porn's devastating role in
helping to define conventional masculinity. In other words: In our
culture, porn makes the man. Writing in his trademark conversational
style with a rigorous analysis, Robert Jensen easily blends personal
anecdotes from his years as a feminist anti-porn activist with his
scholarly research to show readers how mainstream porn reinforces
social definitions of manhood and influences men's attitudes about
women and how they treat them. Robert Jensen is a journalism
professor at University of Texas at Austin.

ONE TIME A MONTH on WEDNESDAYS: Women Writing for (a) Change 7:00 pm
This Month: May 21st Women Writing for (a) Change inspires women and
girls to craft more conscious lives through the art of writing and the
practices of community. This mission is rooted in the knowledge that
the well-being of women and girls has a positive effect on families,
institutions, and the planet.

WWf(a)C circles provide communities within which writers develop their
skills, strengthen their voices, enhance their health, and learn to
appreciate their capacity to create positive change in all spheres.
The emphasis of the class is on authentic voice, community- building,
and the exploration of writing as a creative, therapeutic or spiritual
practice and a tool of social change. Please come and experience the
safe and supportive environment that will inspire writing, careful
listening and respect for each woman's words. For more information
about Wwf (a)C in Portland, go to http://www.womenwritingwest.com.
Pre-registration is requested but drop-ins are also welcome. To
register go to info@womenwritingwest.com . WWf(a)C is a writing school
and community of writers that began in Cincinnati, OH in 1991. Karen
Waters, experienced in and licensed to use the WWf(a)C processes, is
bringing this community to Portland.

MONTHLY Radical-Feminist Series: That Time of the Month 7:00 pm
This Month: May 22nd In Other Words presents a radical dialogue series
entitled, "That Time of the Month"…a forum for discussing critical
political, economic and cultural trends of OUR TIME. This month's
forum is entitled: Prison Profiteers, Political Careers and the
Culture of Fear: Our Future Behind Bars

For the first time in our history, more than one in 100 American
adults are behind bars, with incarceration rates even higher for
people of color and immigrants. With the United States currently
imprisoning more people than any other nation in the world, "tough on
crime" policies are also tough on state budgets already stretched to
fund schools, healthcare, and human services. Are we really getting
the return in public safety from this level of incarceration or are we
contributing the merge between government and big business? What are
the national trends? How does Oregon compare? How are families of
people convicted of crimes, along with survivors of crimes working
locally to promote progressive reform and effective strategies that
expose the conservative agenda, reduce violence and increase safety?

Join us for an amazing panel of local activists and organizers
including: Caylor Roling from Partnership for Safety & Justice,
Gretchen Vala from Oregon CURE (Citizens United for Rehabilitation of
Errants), and Tara Herivel, local attorney practicing indigent defense
and editor and co-author of two anthologies: Prison Nation and Prison
Profiteers: Who Makes Money from Mass Incarceration.

LAST TUESDAYS: Dexter's Spoken Mike 7:30 pm
This Month: May 27th Dexter's spoken mic follows the strong tradition
that believes it's time to give writers "rockstar status" bringing
beginning writers as well as more established readers together, for
inspirational rants and performances. Dexter's spoken mic, (open to
all) will surely be a force to be reckoned with. So speak your heart
out from your memoirs, journal entries, and poems...do it with a
friend, or go on tour-- but first make sure to stop by in other words
books on the LAST Tuesday of every month for Dexter's spoken mic.
Dexter is a Portland writer. She spends most of her time digging up
awkward stories from her childhood, reveling in fantastical
eccentricities and sentimental moments, running away with the circus
and making her comic book (my red umbrella soon to be released) she
also has a new zine of memoirs called maybe it's something you ate.
Dexter hosts spoken mics in Portland and is secretly working on a book
about growing up with a single mom in an alternative household and the
various father figures that came along the way…shhhh--don't tell!

LAST FRIDAYS: Luna Music Series—Showcase of local female musicians 7:00 pm
This Month: May 30th For this month's featured artists check out:
www.myspace.com/lunamusicseries

SAVE THE DATE: In Other Words 2008 Literary Feast
Join us this year for an amazing event and a great opportunity to
support In Other Words Books & Resources. Mark your calendars—Friday,
August 1st 6:00 pm at the North Star Ballroom 635 N. Killingsworth
Court. Program details to come.

***As you know In Other Words Women's Books and Resources is a
non-profit. In fact, we are the only surviving non-profit women's
bookstore in this country. And we are among a dwindling number of
for-profit women's bookstores. In an effort to become more
sustainable we have decided to charge a minimal fee for events held at
the store. IOW ask a suggested donation of $1-$5 sliding scale for
store events, unless otherwise noted. No one is ever turned away.
All are welcome***

White Privelege Workshop This Thursday

2008-05-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

Hello Bright Souls!

Hope that everyone had a wonderful week, and have been enjoying all of the
incredible happenings for May day and Cinco de Mayo. We are excited to
announce that this Thursday, rather than a movie, we will be holding space for
a workshop to be presented on White-Privelege

This will be an extremely engaging evening as we hold a non-violent space for
us to discuss the topic of White-Privelege, what it means, and how it effects
us all. The topic will be explored much more indepth this Thursday, so I will
not go into a large explanation. However, the existence of White-Privelege is
present within societies around the world, and it is important for us all to
recognize and understand how this is a cause of many oppressions -
systematically, psychologically, and emotionally.
So what is White-Privelege? How does it effect us? Are we contributing to it's
existence? Is there anything we can do to deconstruct this system?

All of this will be covered as we process together the existence and impacts of
White-Privelege

The workshop will be guided by a few PSU students as their visioning project
from a White Studies class. Please join us this Thursday for a truly important
dialogue discussing an issue that causes great oppression.

What: Fantastic Workshop!
When: Thursday the 8th, at 6:00 sharp! please come before then if possible
Where: The Greenhouse, 4407 SE Tibbetts 97206 (between Division & Powell) -
buses #9, 14, 4, and 75 - off the Clinton Street bike path

*Please try to send responding email to thegreenhouse@riseup.net!!! We will be
handing out packets to everybody, and in effort to minimalize materials, it will be
helpful to have an idea as to how many will show - thank you!!!

We will not be hosting a potluck because we are trying to start this workshop
at 6:00 sharp - however please feel free to bring food and snacks if you would
like

This topic can be emotionally charged, so please try to hold respect and care
for all involved as we discuss this intense issue. Remember that this is a
substance-free event.

Hope to see you Thursday!!!!

Love and Care,

The Greenhouse Collective

Arizona bill would outlaw MEChA (Mexican- American Studies) and courses that denigrate American values like capitalism

2008-04-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

The is extremely scary stuff, and with increased security, surveillance, and a tightening grip on freedom of speech, it is not just a random anomaly. There is a definite agenda on the part of the right to undermine the core values of the public university system.

-J

Arizona public schools would be barred from any teachings considered counter to democracy or Western civilization under a proposal endorsed Wednesday by a legislative panel. Additionally, the measure would prohibit students of the state's universities and community colleges from forming groups based in whole or part on the race of their members, such as the Black Business Students Association at Arizona State University or Native Americans United at Northern Arizona University. Those groups would be forbidden from operating on campus.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/114048

Arizona schools whose courses "denigrate American values and the teachings of Western civilization" could lose state funding under the terms of legislation approved Wednesday by a House panel.

SB1108 also would bar teaching practices that "overtly encourage dissent" from those values, including democracy, capitalism, pluralism and religious tolerance. Schools would have to surrender teaching materials to the state superintendent of public instruction, who could withhold state aid from districts that broke the law.

Another section of the bill would bar public schools, community colleges and universities from allowing organizations to operate on campus if it is "based in whole or in part on race-based criteria," a provision Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said is aimed at MEChA, the Moviemiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, a student group.

The 9-6 vote by the Appropriations Committee sends the measure to the full House.

http://chronicle.com/news/index.php?id=4338&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en

An Arizona legislative committee has passed an amendment to a routine homeland-security bill that would prohibit students at the state’s public universities and community colleges from organizing groups based on race. The amendment was approved by the Arizona House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. It still awaits a vote by the state’s full House and Senate.

The amendment, introduced by State Rep. Russell K. Pearce, a Republican, would also allow state officials to withhold funds from public schools sponsoring activities that “denigrate American values and the teachings of Western civilization.” The proposal was added to Senate Bill 1108, a measure that has nothing to do with education but was intended to allow designees of mayors and police chiefs to serve on homeland-security advisory councils.

“This bill basically says, ‘You’re here. Adopt American values,’” State Rep. John Kavanagh, a Republican, told The Arizona Republic. “‘If you want a different culture, then fine, go back to that culture,’” he said.

http://www.aztlan.net/arizona_targets_mecha.htm

Arizona legislation will outlaw MEChA and Mexican-American studies

The Appropriations Committee of the Arizona House of Representatives has approved provisions to a "Homeland Security" measure that would essentially destroy the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA) and Mexican-American study programs in the state's public schools, colleges and universities.

The anti-Mexican provisions to SB1108 were approved yesterday and the bill is now scheduled for a vote by the full House. The provisions would withhold funding to schools whose courses "denigrate American values and the teachings of European based civilization." One section of SB1108 would bar public schools, community colleges and universities from allowing organizations to operate on campus if it is "based in whole or in part on race-based criteria," a provision Rep. Russell Pearce said is aimed at MEChA. Pearce is a Republican and the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee out of Mesa, Arizona.

According to Chairman Pearce, SB1108 would also bar teaching practices that "overtly encourage dissent from American values" such as Raza Studies at the Tucson Unified School District. In addition, SB1108 mandates the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to confiscate books and teaching materials that are deemed anti-American. Chairman Pearce said some of the teaching materials amount to "sedition" by suggesting that the current border between the United States and Mexico disappear with La Raza taking over the American Southwest. One book that would be confiscated mentioned by Pearce is "Occupied America - A History of Chicanos" by Professor Rodolfo Acuña.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/04/17/20080417unamerican0417.html?source=nletter-news
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/234865

Approved Amendment Text
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/48leg/2r/summary/h.sb1108_04-17-08_caucuscow.doc.htm

Summary of the proposed strike-everything amendment to SB 1108:
The proposed strike-everything amendment to SB 1108 states that a primary purpose of public education is the promotion of the values of American citizenship.
History
Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.), Title 15, Section 721 states that the governing board of a school district is required to approve the course of study of a common school, including the basic textbook for each course and all other units recommended for credit prior to implementing the course in the school. A.R.S. § 15-722 grants the same authority to a governing board to approve the course of study and textbooks of each course for a high school.
A.R.S. § 15-705 grants the governing board, in consultation with parents and teachers, to adopt policies and procedures relating to pupils’ participation in extracurricular activities. The State Board of Education is also required to prescribe rules for policies regarding pupils’ participation in extracurricular activities, including minimum statewide requirements.
Provisions
· States that the primary purpose of public education is the inculcation of the values of American citizenship.
· States that public tax dollars used in public schools should not be used to denigrate American values and the teachings of Western civilization.
· States that public tax dollars should not be used to promote political, religious, ideological, or cultural values as truth when such values are in conflict with the values of American citizenship and the teachings of Western civilization.
· Prevents public schools in Arizona from including any courses, classes, or school sponsored activities within the program of instruction that feature or promote as truth any political, religious, ideological, or cultural values that denigrate or overtly encourage dissent from the values of American democracy and Western civilization, including democracy, capitalism, pluralism, and religious toleration.
· Requires a public school to provide copies of curricula, course materials and syllabi to the superintendent of public instruction, upon his or her request. After a hearing is conducted, if a public school is found to have included such courses, the superintendent of public instruction may withhold a proportionate share of state monies and take reasonable and appropriate regulatory actions.
· Allows for the inclusion of diverse political, religious, ideological, or cultural beliefs within the program of instruction provided that the course, class, or school sponsored activity as a whole does not denigrate or overtly encourage dissent from the values of American democracy and Western civilization.
· Prohibits public schools in Arizona, universities under the jurisdiction of the Arizona Board of Regents, and community colleges under the jurisdiction of community college districts in Arizona from allowing organizations to operate on the campus of a school, university, or community college if the organization is based in whole or in part on race-based criteria.
· Defines public school.

Amendments
Appropriations
The strike-everything amendment was adopted.

Earth Day Teach Ins

2008-04-21T14:29:00.000-07:00

Rights Action is pleased to promote these educational events with Joy Agner:

GUATEMALA: Weapons of a Contemporary War: Neoliberal "Development" Projects and
Communities' Defense in Rural Guatemala

Since the signing of the 1996 "Peace Accords", Guatemala has been fertile
ground for major "development" projects. Despite their euphemistic
title, these projects are often carried out at the expense of the poor
indigenous Mayan population and cause extreme cultural, physical, and
environmental degradation.

The purpose of this tour is to explore, through the case study of one Mayan
village contesting a large hydroelectric dam, what the effects of such
projects are, how the global north is promoting and benefiting from
these mega-projects, what human rights violations are involved, and how
(as citizens of the United States) we can work to support just change.

WHO: Joy Agner
lived for ten months in 2007 in the rural Mayan village Santa Maria
Tzeja with the support of a Fulbright Fellowship, a program designed
with the purpose of promoting peace through research. Her primary
focus was how indigenous communities resist harms that come from major
development projects (such as personal threat, displacement, loss of
land, loss of cultural identity, etc.).

WHAT:
Joy Agner says: "I want to tell the story of the proposed Xalala
hydro-electric dam project and petroleum extraction in the Ixcan region
of the Quiche department, while discussing the systematically
exploitative role of the U.S. in Guatemalan affairs. Because of the
dire human rights situation in Guatemala and the nature of these
projects, several of my informants felt at risk speaking
about resistance to the dam. But they did so because they felt it was
important to spread this information and use it for activism."

* * * * *

LENNY LEIS: SUSTAINABILITY AND GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING

Please join Jenny Leis in celebrating grassroots changemaking! After six
years of sustainability/community organizing in Portland, Jenny took a year
to explore the role of “full time cross-pollinator among grassroots
movements”, beginning by weaving through Portland, Tucson and Boston, and
then through East and Southern Africa after the 2006 World Social Forum in
Nairobi.

Jenny is overflowing with stories from her travels of successful grassroots
sustainability organizing models, ranging from permaculture education in
elementary schools in devastated, post-dictatorship Malawi to a
locally-powered, globally-impactful organization of “slum dwellers” to South
African high-density informal settlements (shanty towns) retrofitting
themselves into eco-villages to lessons from Zimbabwe, where they are
currently facing many of the conditions that are predicted for our post-oil
economy.

Jenny Leis is a community facilitator, enthusiastic speaker and spark for
creative community action. Jenny has now returned to the Portland community
to spark conversations and action about local “cross-pollination,” and dive
deeper into her work with The City Repair Project and Tryon Life Community
Farm. She is thrilled to share these tales with Portland’s critical mass of
changemakers, and hear feedback so that together we can foster better
cross-issue communication among changemakers here and afar. She can be
contacted at jennyleis@riseup.net or 503-548-8459. Also, check out:
http://journeydejenny.blogspot.com.

Movie Night Tonight

2008-04-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

Hi Loves,

We hope your week has been great. This weekend we had the first workshop of
the year where we had excellent resources relaying info concerning the current
struggle in Oaxaca and the US-Mexico border issue--it was awesome! Thanks to
those who came and presented, and to those who were there to participate.
Things like this are happening all over the globe and in order to create change
we must be aware of whats happening! This is what we hope to help create--an
awareness--so that everyone joining us can be inspired to go outside of The
Green House and activate wherever they feel inspired!! There is so much work
needing to be done...lets stay hopeful and energized and keep on making our
magic!!

Tomorrow we will be showing The US vs John Lennon at The Green House. For
those of you who haven't seen it, this is an awesome, shocking, and inspiring
film. We hope you will join us tomorrow at 6 for a vegan potluck, followed by
the film and discussion at 7.

Have a great night and see you tomorrow!

In Peace, Love, and Solidarity,

Rhea and The Green House Collective

More on the Columbia FTA

2008-04-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

Colombia trade agreement as a precedent - the Ludlow massacre
David Sirota, Creators Syndicate, Inc.
Friday, April 11, 2008

Ninety-four years ago on April 20, America made international news when a
government-sanctioned paramilitary unit murdered Colorado union organizers at a
Rockefeller-owned coal mine. The Ludlow Massacre was "a story of horror
unparalleled in the history of industrial warfare," wrote the New York Times in
1914 - and the abomination was not just the violence, but the way political and
corporate leaders colluded on their homicidal plans to protect profits.

Sanitized history teaches that our government has since changed. Quite the
contrary, as the Bush administration attempted this week to legitimize the
methods of Ludlow through its Colombia Free Trade Agreement. That attempt
failed when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led the House to a vote that
indefinitely postpones consideration of the pact.

Colombia resembles Colorado in the early 20th century, only with more frequent
slaughters. In the last two decades, more than 2,500 Colombian labor organizers
have been assassinated, making Colombia the world's most dangerous place for
unionists.

This violence is underwritten by companies like Chiquita, which has financed
Colombian death squads that "destroyed unions, terrorized workers and killed
thousands of civilians," according to Portfolio magazine. The brutality
deliberately depresses labor costs in a country where business analysts cite
exploitative conditions as reason to invest.

This situation, like Ludlow, developed not in spite of the governing elite, but
thanks to it. As the Washington Post reports, Colombia's "most influential
political, military and business figures helped build" the killing machine.
Recently, prosecutors connected these paramilitaries to Colombian President
Alvaro Uribe's allies.
Colombian labor leaders have begged the White House to drop the deal, saying it
will undermine their struggle for human rights by validating Uribe's
thug-ocracy. Nonetheless, President Bush bolstered Uribe with a pact giving
corporations incentives to leave America for the corpse-strewn pastures of
Colombia - a union hater's paradise.

Bush justifies the deal as "urgent for our national security." The rationale
asks us to believe that in backing tyrannical regimes, we will quell
anti-Americanism among the oppressed, rather than sow it.

Congressional Democrats voted down the agreement 224-195, overcoming the
pernicious forces in their midst. Specifically, the Colombian government and
corporate groups have hired former Clinton administration officials to champion
the deal, paid off former President Bill Clinton with an $800,000 speaking
contract, and employed Mark Penn - Hillary Rodham Clinton's chief presidential
strategist - to push the pact.

Oh, how we've regressed from Ludlow, when mere Rockefellers owned everything.
Today, Dubai princes purchase our stock exchanges, Chinese communists buy our
banks, and now Colombian goons bid on our politicians - and the results are
trickling in.

When Bush dropped the deal on Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi complained
only that his tactics are "jeopardizing prospects" for the pact's passage.
Instead of blocking the accord, she postponed it - a maneuver that could ensure
its approval. National Journal reports that Democrats are considering "delaying
a vote until after the November elections." The scheme would let Democratic
candidates campaign as aw-shucks populists promisin' to fight for the little
fella, and then head to D.C. to do the bidding of lobbyists and ratify the deal
in a lame-duck session.

Between equivocating press releases, Pelosi said she worries that if voted on
now, the pact "would lose, and what message would that send?" For starters, it
would say the Democratic Party joins most Americans in opposing job-killing
trade policies. It would also declare the party against rewarding murderous
regimes on behalf of Clintonites now living large off of Colombian blood money.

But, then, such principled stands are considered uncouth in this, the Ludlow
renaissance.

Calendars may say it is 2008, but the Establishment mentality is 1914. On the
anniversary of the butchery in Colorado, we see the hideous power of corruption
in all its pathological glory. Our government is showing that it views the
Ludlow Massacre not as an embarrassment, but as an ideal to be embraced and
exported.

David Sirota is a bestselling author whose newest book, "The Uprising," will be
released in June. He is a fellow at the Campaign for America's Future and a
board member of the Progressive States Network - both nonpartisan
organizations.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/11/EDK6103CKL.DTL
This article appeared on page B - 11 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Border News

2008-04-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

Mexico Drug War Causes Wild West Blood Bath
By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
Published: April 16, 2008

In Ciudad Juárez, a turf war among drug cartels has claimed more than 210 lives this year.

Action this Thursday

2008-04-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

From student organizations at PSU...

Call to Action!

This Thursday April 17th @ 2:50pm
Smith Student Union Mezzanine
Portland State University

we will be marching to the Mexican Consulate to demand that a thorough investigation of the ambush and murder of two women in Oaxaca take place in Mexico. The Article describing the event is below. The two women were on their way to the State Forum for the Defense of the Rights of the People of Oaxaca being held at the Section 22 Teacher's Union in Oaxaca. They were community radio advocates. They were ambushed and gunned down by paramilitaries. Although there is no direct evidence at this time, it is a common strategy of the Oaxacan state to use terror and other forms of oppression to suppress an active participatory and democratic movement. This act is a clear human rights violation and an attack on democracy and the right to be an activist. The event is particularly disturbing in light of the U.S. governments decision to radically increase military aid to Mexico (the 1.2 billion dollar Plan Mexico) to "restore order" in Southern Mexico and the border region. A full investigation must take place to ensure that U.S. military aid isn't supporting paramilitary or state-sponsored violations of human rights.

Come to the MECHA office in the Smith Bldg Mezzanine if you want to help make signs before!

In Solidarity,
PSU M.e.ch.a, North American Solidarity, and Cascadia Root Force

-<>

from: http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2008/04/08/index.php?section=estados&article=035n2est

Matan a dos locutoras de radioemisora comunitaria Octavio Vélez Ascencio (Corresponsal) Oaxaca, Oax., 7 de abril. Dos indígenas triquis de la radioemisora comunitaria La Voz que Rompe el Silencio, del ayuntamiento popular de San Juan Copala, región de la Mixteca, fueron asesinadas a balazos cuando se dirigían a esta ciudad a participar en el Encuentro Estatal por la Defensa de los Derechos de los Pueblos de Oaxaca. Hubo tres heridos.
Las víctimas son Teresa Bautista Merino, de 24 años, y Felícitas Martínez Sánchez, de 20, informó el procurador general de Justicia del estado, Evencio Nicolás Martínez Ramírez. Además resultaron heridos Francisco Vásquez Martínez, de 30 años de edad; su esposa, Cristina Martínez Flores, de 22 años, y su hijo Jaciel Vásquez Martínez, de tres años.
De acuerdo con los primeros informes, las mujeres habían salido alrededor de las 13 horas de la estación afiliada a la Red de Radios Comunitarias Indígenas del Sureste, y abordaron una camioneta para trasladarse a esta capital, pero en las inmediaciones del paraje Llano Juárez fueron emboscadas. En un comunicado, el Centro de Apoyo Comunitario Trabajando Unidos (Cactus) condenó los hechos y exigió a las autoridades estatales investigar y castigar a los responsables del crimen. Las dos locutoras iban a coordinar la mesa Comunicación comunitaria y alternativa: radios comunitarias, video, prensa e Internet, en el Encuentro Estatal por la Defensa de los Derechos de los Pueblos de Oaxaca, que se iniciará el próximo miércoles en el hotel del magisterio de la sección 22 del Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (SNTE). El procurador de Justicia dijo que en el lugar del atentado se encontraron 20 casquillos percutidos calibre 7.62, utilizados, entre otras armas, en rifles de asalto AK-47 o cuerno de chivo. Un agente del Ministerio Público con sede en Putla de Guerrero y peritos realizaron las primeras diligencias de la averiguación previa 105/2008.

from: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2008/04/374451.shtml
Community Radio Activists Murdered in Oaxaca
April 7th, 2008. Oaxaca, Mexico.

Two indigenous triqui women who worked at the community radio station La Voz que Rompe el Silencio (The Voice that Breaks the Silence), in the autonomous municipality of San Juan Copala (Mixteca region), were shot and murdered while on their way to Oaxaca city to participate in the State Forum for the Defense of the Rights of the Peoples of Oaxaca. Three other people were injured.

According to the State Attorney General, the victims are Teresa Bautista Merino (24 years old) and Felícitas Martínez Sánchez (20 years old). Francisco Vásquez Martínez (30 years old), his wife Cristina Martínez Flores (22 years old), and their son Jaciel Vásquez Martínez (three years old) were also injured in the attack.

According to prelimary reports, the women had left the station, which is part of the Network of Indigenous Community Radio Stations of the Southeast (Red de Radios Comunitarias Indígenas del Sureste), around 1:00 PM. They were travelling in a truck on their way to Oaxaca city, but were ambushed on the outskirts of the community Llano Juarez.

The two community radio activists were supposed to coordinate the working group for Community and Alternative Communication: Community Radio, Video, Press, and Internet, at the State Forum for the Defense of the Rights of the People of Oaxaca, which was to begin the today (Wednesday) in the auditorium of Seccion 22 of the teachers union in Oaxaca.

The Center for Community Support Working Together (CACTUS as the spanish acronym) released a communique denouncing the murders and demanding that the state authorities investigate and punish those responsible for the crime.

The state attorney general said that 20 bullet shells, caliber 7.62, were found at the site of the murders, along with other arms including an AK-47.

People are encouraged to contact their local embassies and consulates (or to organize demonstrations at their local embassies and consulates) to express their condemnation of this paramilitary repression of indigenous women and community media projects.

The US-Colombia Unfair Trade Agreement: Just Say No!

2008-04-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

With Congress back in session, the Bush Administration is pushing hard to pass another trade agreement based on the failed NAFTA model, this time with Colombia. The Administration is in a race against public opinion, which is quickly turning against the kind of neoliberal trade deals that have worsened poverty and inequality in every country where they have been implemented and led to a massive loss of jobs in the United States. The proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Colombia promises more of the same. The deal will also strengthen Colombia's government, which is responsible for severe human rights violations.

With more and more people--in Latin America and in the US--becoming aware of the repercussions of unfair trade rules, now is the time to take action and demand change.

Please sign our petition asking Congress to vote No on the US-Colombia FTA. Let your representatives know that a vote for this trade agreement is a vote for:

1. Worsening Rural Poverty and Hunger

The FTA cuts tariffs on food imported from the US but benefits only the few Colombian farmers who export to the US. Moreover, the deal bars the Colombian government from subsidizing farmers, while large-scale US corn and rice growers enjoy billions in subsidies. These double standards guarantee that US agribusiness can undersell Colombian farmers, who will face bankruptcy as a result. Many of Colombia's small-holder farmers are women and Indigenous Peoples who are losing their livelihoods and being forced off their lands.

2. Fueling Armed Conflict and Drug Trafficking

The intertwined crises of poverty, landlessness and inequality are at the root of Colombia's 50-year armed conflict. The FTA will further concentrate wealth in the hands of a few while worsening poverty for millions of people. Many Colombian farmers, whose livelihoods will be destroyed by the FTA, will be compelled to cultivate coca (the raw material for producing cocaine) to earn a living.

Continuing a trend begun in the wake of 9-11, the US has cast the FTA as a matter of its "national security," and the Colombian government has followed suit by treating anyone opposed to the deal as a terrorist. Colombia's workers, Afro-Colombians and Indigenous Peoples have taken a clear position against the FTA. Their peaceful protests have been met with severe repression, including murder.

3. Repressing Labor Rights

Colombia is already the world's deadliest country for trade unionists, with more than 2,000 labor activists killed since 1991. The FTA does not require Colombia to meet international core labor standards; it merely calls on the government to abide by its own weak labor laws. Without enforceable labor protections, the trade deal will put more workers at risk. US workers' power to negotiate better wages will also be weakened by a deal that allows corporations operating in Colombia to keep labor costs down through sheer violence.

4. Exacerbating Climate Change and Threatening Biodiversity

The FTA will increase logging in the Colombian Amazon, weakening the rainforest's capacity to stabilize the Earth's climate. Under provisions sought by the US, corporations that have bought the rights to a country's forests, fishing waters, mineral deposits or oil reserves can totally deplete these resources, with grave consequences to ecosystems and the many species that inhabit them. Small-scale farmers and Indigenous Peoples who depend directly on these natural resources will be the first people to suffer.

5. Subordinating National Sovereignty to Corporations

By allowing corporations to sue governments for passing laws that could reduce profits, the FTA erodes Colombia's prerogative to regulate foreign investment and undermines citizens' chances of improving health, safety and environmental laws. In anticipation of the FTA, the US pressed Colombia to pass a law that would expropriate land from Indigenous and Afro-Colombians and allow multinational corporations to gain control of millions of hectares of rainforest. The forestry law was part of a series of constitutional "reforms" undertaken to meet the conditions of a US trade agreement. In January 2008, Colombian civil society won an important victory: the forestry law was struck down as a violation of Indigenous rights. Had the FTA already been in place, US corporations would now be allowed to sue the Colombian government for "lost future profits."

6. Deteriorating Public Health

By extending patent rights on medicines produced in the US, the FTA hinders the use of far cheaper generic drugs and puts life-saving medicines out of reach for millions of Colombians. Women, who are over-represented among the poor and primarily responsible for caring for sick family members, are particularly harmed by this provision.

7. Loss of Vital Public Services

The FTA requires the Colombian government to sell off critical public services, including water, healthcare and education. Elsewhere in Latin America, this kind of privatization has resulted in sharp rate increases by new corporate owners that deny millions of people access to essential services. Women are hardest hit because it is most often their responsibility to meet their families' needs for such basic services.

8. Harming Indigenous Women

The FTA would enable corporations to exploit Indigenous Peoples' traditional knowledge by allowing companies to patent seeds, plants, animals and certain medical procedures developed and used by Indigenous women over centuries. Under the FTA, Indigenous women could lose access to important medicinal plants and agricultural seeds unless they pay royalties to patent holders. Indigenous women's role as the protectors of their community's natural resources and traditional knowledge would be eroded, threatening Indigenous cultures and women's status within the community.

There Are Viable Alternatives to Free Trade Agreements

Despite more than a decade of failed NAFTA-style trade deals, the US continues to insist that its trading partners adhere to rigid neoliberal economic policies. But Latin America's social movements are articulating viable alternatives for regulating trade and economic integration in ways that benefit women, families, communities and the environment. The women of MADRE's sister organizations in Colombia and throughout Latin America affirm the need for Fair Trade Agreements that:

1. Are negotiated through democratic processes with effective participation from communities that will be impacted, including women's organizations.
2. Ensure that life-sustaining resources such as water, food staples and medicinal plants are guaranteed to all people and not reduced to commodities.
3. Ensure that access to basic services, including health care, housing, education, water and sanitation, are recognized as human rights that governments are obligated--and empowered--to protect.
4. Institute the region's highest, rather than lowest, standards for labor rights and health, safety and environmental protections.
5. Adopt principles of "fair trade," including social security and development assistance programs that protect small farmers and workers and that recognize the economic value of women's unpaid labor in the household.
6. Require foreign investors to contribute to the economic development of the communities where they have a presence.
7. Promote policies that respect local cultures and collective Indigenous rights and that preserve traditional agricultural techniques and biodiversity in agriculture and nature.
8. Recognize the links between economic growth, environmental sustainability and building peace.

Oregon's 2008 Anti-Immigrant Ballot Measures - #19 and #112

2008-04-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

#19: Prohibits Teaching Public School Student In Language Other Than English For More Than Two Years

Filed By: Alan Grosso, Bill Sizemore, and Russell Walker

Summary of Initiative

* Non-English speaking students who enter the public school system will be limited to not more than two years of English Immersion classes.
* The amount of time for ESL classes depends on the grade of non-English speaking student enter the public school system.

“Yes” statement: “Yes” vote prohibits teaching public school student in language other than English for more than two years (exception for teaching foreign language to English speakers).

“No” statement: “No” vote retains requiring English courses for students unable to profit from classes taught in English, permitting Multilanguage instruction to assist transition to English.

Significant Impact/Concerns

* This initiative does not consider individual learning levels or students with special needs.
* What are the consequences for non-English speaking students who are prematurely forced into English only classes?
* How will this affect refugee children who have come directly from refugee camps with little formal education?
* How will this affect ESL funding, school funding, and curriculum?

#112: Allows state cooperation with Immigration Enforcement; Requires “Legal Presence”/Citizenship for Specified States Rights/Privileges

Filed By: Mehran Smith and Shahriyar Smith

Summary of Initiative

* No Statute, regulation, or agency/instrumentality of the state can prohibit public employees from cooperating with federal agencies in the enforcement of federal immigration law.
* First time Oregon voters must provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
* Proof of legal residence is required for driver license applicants.

“Yes” Statement: “Yes” vote allow state/local cooperation and resources for immigration enforcement; requires certain documentation of citizenship for voter registration, “legal presence” for driver/identification documents.

“No” Statement: “No” vote retains current state/local limits on cooperation and resources to enforce immigration laws, current requirements for voter registration, and grant of driver/identification documents.

Significant Concerns/Impacts

* Would state and local police have the ability to arrest undocumented immigrants on a regular basis? Would state and local police receive proper training, funding and support to carry out federal immigration enforcement?
* Would this initiative require all government workers (hospitals, schools, etc.) to report undocumented immigrants? Would this initiative promote racial profiling?
* Would this eliminate the ability to hold street-side voter registration drives?
* How long will it take to verify a voter’s status under the new system?

Sunday April 13 Workshop

2008-04-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hey all, thanks for attending our first workshop of 2008. Thanks especially to Jesus for his powerful and informative summary of the autonomy movement in Oaxaca. I've uploaded a few pictures from my recent trip to El Paso/ Ciudad Juarez. You'll note the military presense (2,500 Mexican troops have just been sent to the region to combat drug cartels and corrupt police) that I talked about on Sunday.

Also, we're going to do our best to keep a record of our films and discussion/ workshop topics on this forum. Please feel free to post thoughts, readings, and upcoming events and keep the conversations going that we begin on Thursday nights! In solidarity,

-Jake

Ciudad Juarez

2008-04-14T14:20:00.001-07:00

La Frontera

2008-04-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

Event: April 23, 7 pm

2008-04-14T14:07:00.001-07:00

THE COLLAPSE OF NEOLIBERAL GLOBALIZATION

A DISCUSSION WITH MARK ENGLER, AUTHOR OF:

"How to Rule the World: The Coming Battle Over the Global Economy"

WEDNESDAY APRIL 23, 7-9PM

IN OTHER WORDS BOOKSTORE

8 NE KILLINGSWORTH ST.
(CORNER OF NE KILLINGSWORTH ST. AND WILLIAMS AVE.)

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE PORTLAND CENTRAL AMERICA SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE AT:
503 236 7916 OR INFO@PCASC.NET

In conversation about his new book, How to Rule the World: The Coming Battle Over the Global Economy, journalist, activist, and policy analyst Mark Engler will discuss the collapse of neoliberal globalization and the challenges of fighting empire after Bush.

Mark Engler is a writer based in New York City and an analyst with Foreign Policy In Focus. His articles appear in Dissent, The Nation, Newsday, The Progressive, the San Francisco Chronicle, Z Magazine, Mother Jones, and In These Times. An archive of his work is available at www.DemocracyUprising.com.

www.narconews.com

2008-04-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

I highly recommend Bookmarking this website. It is an excellent source for current news on happenings in Latin America. For those that were present on Sunday, there are two good articles about last week's murders in Oaxaca and the autonomous region where they took place.

-Jake

Earthlings at The Green House

2008-03-31T16:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Loves,

We hope you are doing great and we hope you will join us this Thursday for an amazing night. We will be having a yummy vegan potluck and showing the film Earthlings, a movie about earthlings- inhabitants of the earth, that has been said to be the most comprehensive documentary ever produced on the correlation between nature, animals, and human economic interests. It is truly an incredible film that will challenge all who come to partcipate in the evening as it intensely and beautifully illustrates humanities ludacris dependence and disrespect for animals. The film is narrated by Joaquin Phoenix and has a lovely lovely soundtrack too! =)

What: Movie Night: Earthlings
When: This Thursday, April 3
Potluck @ 6
Film and Discussion @ 7
Where: The Green House Collective
4407 SE TIbbetts St, off buslines 9, 14, 75, 4, and the Clinton St. Super Bike WaY!

Looking forward to seeing you!

In Peace, Love, and Joy,

Rhea and The Green House Collective

"Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages." Thomas Edison

Safer Space Policy

2007-12-18T23:19:00.000-08:00

The Green House is a nonviolent community committed to raising awareness about social issues, deconstructing oppression, and inciting action while building a diverse and collaborative community. In the effort to create a safe, constructive, and collaborative community any behavior that demeans, marginalizes, or threatens people will not be tolerated. Examples of this are offensive remarks related to a person’s gender, age, sexual orientation, race, culture, physical ability, mental health, general appearance, political association, income status, health, etc. The Green House is a safe space where people of all ages, shapes, sizes, colors, genders, and identifications can come together to engage in an empowering community environment that recognizes our differences as well as our shared experiences as historically disenfranchised communities. We continuously work to be welcoming, engaging, and supportive, and in doing so work to create a space where people can be support for each other while being themselves. As a safe space, there is no tolerance for violence, sexual, physical, and/or mental abuse, domination, coercion, discrimination, or oppressive language and/or behavior. The Green House is a Hate Free Zone! Those unable to maintain respect for diversity and who engage in oppressive behavior will be asked to leave in order to ensure the safety of everyone in the space. In the event that you feel unsafe, please talk to one of the Green House core members, Jake, Ryan, Rhea, Jon, or Leah, in whatever way you feel comfortable...we want to ensure the green house is a safe space...no questions asked.

.

Indentation

2007-12-18T23:07:00.000-08:00

After our meeting today I can not help but reflect on the growth of the green house and the wonderful community that continues to cultivate through each encounter, each movie night, each gathering, each vision of a workshop (yes they are really truly coming full force soon!) It is beautiful to think about all of the incredible people who have been involved in our vision, a vision of peace and social justice- a vision where doing internal work and ending oppression continues to fuel our fire to be visionary and revolutionary lights of hope and seeds of change on this earth. This month brings more change to the green house, as Ryan will be leaving us to embark on a journey in Oaxaca and then on to other parts of Latin America, taking with him the love and support of many people here, and leaving behind a great impression and inspiration for all of us to continue the struggle for justice and equality, to know whats happening in our neighborhoods, in our country, on our globe. Yes, we will surely miss Ryan!! And in just a couple of months miss Courtney and wonderful Jeffrey will again grace us with their presence and all of the wisdom they have inherited on their journies in South America. Yes, the times they are a changin'.

We also have finally written up our safer space policy...something ya'll should know about! It will be posted throughout the house, here on our lovely new blog, and you will surely see it on the listserve too.

Looking onward to the next encounter....keep on making your magic!

xoxo

Rhea