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Conference

WHRTF Book Club Meeting
September 23, 2003 - Tuesday
Changed to: October 28, 7:00
Mexican Labor & World War II by Erasmo Gamboa to be discussed
Location: Belle's

see Book page for other books and links to our affiliate, Village Books.

Order book online here

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SEATTLE FREEDOM RIDE- IMMIGRANT RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
September 23, 2003 - Tuesday
10 am new conference
7 pm community event

Buses filled with immigrant workers and allies will begin an historic journey from 10 cities around the country, including Seattle, to Washington, D.C. to demand respect for all people, regardless of immigration status.

Just as the Freedom Rides of the early 1960s exposed the brutality of legal segregation in the South, today's Freedom Rides will expose the injustice of current policies toward immigrants and create a powerful coalition of voices for change.

The Immigrant Worker Freedom Ride (IWFR) is a national mobilization to focus public attention on the immigrant rights issue and the Seattle-area coalition will kick off its campaign on Thursday with a 10 a.m. news conference and a 7 p.m. community event, both at the New Holly Community Center, 7050 32nd Ave. South in Seattle (take Metro buses 106, 32 or 36).

Scheduled to speak at the 10 a.m. news conference:
• Seattle IWFR Co-Chairs Pramila Jayapal, Executive Director of the Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington
• Steve Williamson, Executive Secretary of the King County Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
• Also on the agenda are several immigrant workers who will tell their individual stories of struggle
• elected officials who have endorsed the IWFR.
Likewise, the 7 p.m. community event will feature speakers representing the diversity of our community, entertainment and food.

Families are welcome. "This Freedom Ride is about building a powerful new coalition speaking out for justice for all regardless of immigrant status and demanding attention to the plight of immigrants who have been under assault even more since September 11, 2001," Jayapal said. "One of the most exciting pieces of this effort is that we will hear directly from immigrants telling their own stories of courageously seeking the promise of America," Williamson added.

The diverse Seattle IWFR Steering Committee includes more than 22 different groups representing immigrant and civil rights groups, labor, ethnic and faith-based organizations. The Seattle Freedom Ride has also been endorsed by U.S. Reps. Jim McDermott and Adam Smith, State Sen. Adam Kline, State Reps. Eric Pettigrew and Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, and Seattle City Council President Peter Steinbrueck, among others.

IWFR buses will leave nine cities -- including Seattle and Portland -- on September 23 and make frequent stops throughout the nation on their way to Washington, D.C. to press the need for immigration reform.

The primary themes of the Freedom Ride are the path to citizenship, reunification of families, justice on the job regardless of immigration status, and civil rights for all.

Prior to their departure, on Saturday, Sept. 20, there will be a send-off event ending in a massive rally at the Seattle Center Fisher Lawn. In addition to attending the kickoff celebration, you can demonstrate your support for the IWFR by making a tax-deductible contribution to the effort.

Planners must raise $2,500 per seat to ensure that each immigrant worker can ride the bus. This covers the cost of travel for 10 days, including food, lodging, lost wages and a plane ticket from New York back to Seattle.
Checks can be made out to "IWFR—Seattle/WAC"
and sent to:
Bob Gorman, AFL-CIO,
2800 1st Ave, Suite 220,
Seattle, WA, 98121.

For more information about local IWFR efforts, check out www.seattle-iwfr.org.
David Groves Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO dgroves@wslc.org
-- (206) 281-8901
DAILY labor news at www.wslc.org

location:
New Holly Community Center
7050 32nd Ave. South
Seattle (take Metro buses 106, 32 or 36).

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OCTOBER 2003

WHRTF and THE WHATCOM CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT
TRAINING FOR NEW WCRP VOLUNTEERS
October 1, 2003 Wednesday Evening
6:30 PM until 8:30 PM
location: WECU, 511 E. Holly Street, Bellingham

The Whatcom Human Rights Task Force (WHRTF) and The Whatcom Civil Rights Project (WCRP) have scheduled a training session for intake volunteers. The training, conducted by local attorneys and Fairhaven College Law and Diversity Program faculty, will prepare volunteers to conduct intake interviews for the WCRP.

The Whatcom Civil Rights Project was founded in the fall of 2001 as a joint endeavor of LAW Advocates, the Whatcom Human Rights Task Force, and the Law and Diversity Program of Fairhaven College, Western Washington University. The WCRP provides legal assistance and advocacy for victims of discrimination and civil rights abuse in the greater Whatcom County region.

WHRTF volunteers serve as advocates for the victims of alleged civil rights violations and help to provide the victims with non-legal resources. Anyone who is interested in volunteering with the Whatcom Civil Rights Project is welcome to attend the training.

Information - 733-2233
email for info: whrtf@whrtf.org

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WHRTF Book Club Meeting
October 28, 7:00 - new date
Mexican Labor & World War II by Erasmo Gamboa to be discussed
Location: Belle's

see Book page for other books and links to our affiliate, Village Books.

Order book online here

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NOVEMBER 2003

Whatcom Human Rights Task Force Presents
JAZZ FOR MLK, Jr. "Testifyin'Time"
JAZZ CONCERT BENEFIT FOR WHRTF's MLK fund
November 1, Saturday, 2pm
A special concert, benefiting the Martin Luther King Fund of the Whatcom Human Rights Task Force will bring together a quartet featuring Los Angeles' Hammond B3 master Mikal Majeed, Seattle's Gary Hammond on tenor sax, Nicholas Hoffman on guitar,and drummer Patty Padden.

SUGGESTED DONATION: $7.00 Proceeds benefit the WHRTF MLK Events held in January 2004.

LOCATION: Boundary Bay and Brewery & Bistro 1107 Railroad Avenue 647-5593

SPONSORS
Manna Music Community Food Coop	Stratton-Kehl Publications
Carnelian Music and Entertainment

 

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DALE GOTTLIEB EXHIBITS IN BELLINGHAM
Lucia Douglas Gallery - Nov 1-23
Whatcom Museum - Nov 16 - Mar 7, 2004

as taken from the Museum's site:
Dale Gottlieb: Story Rugs - Tales of Freedom
Whatcom Museum, ARCO Exhibits Building

Dale Gottlieb, Tuskegee Airmen, 7'x5'

Drawing from a broad range of literature, multicultural folklore, history, and her own personal experiences as inspiration, Dale Gottlieb creates colorful, dramatic works that focus on people's struggles to escape injustice and oppression. Gottlieb, whose medium is woolen, hand-knotted, limited edition rugs, collaborates with a Tibetan family of weavers in Kathmandu, Nepal to produce her Story Rugs.

Gottlieb's most significant theme is the pursuit of freedom.

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HUNGER BANQUET
November 20, 2003, 6-8pm
location: WWU VU Multipurpose Room

Most of us in Bellingham are privileged to enjoy an education and the security of not worrying about a lack of food or water. The Hunger Banquet is a simulation of the unequal distribution of food resources around the world; it is our opportunity to experience and empathize with the reality of the rest of the world.

Guests will be randomly selected to sit in either the first, second, or third tier sections and are given a short biography of who they are within the simulation. The tiers are representative of the amount of food and water resources available to different sections of the world's population. The meal will be accompanied with speakers and a multi-media presentation on the many political, economic and social aspects of the global issue of hunger and food supply. These include globalization and trade policies, consolidation of the world’s food supply, and over-consumption or “affluenza”.

First tier guests, 15% of the audience, are representatives of the “first world.” They will be fed a three course meal, served by waiters, and enjoy an unlimited supply of water. Second tier guests, 30% of the audience, will be seated at uncovered tables and will help themselves to a limited buffet. They will be given one glass of water each. Finally, third tier guests, who comprise over half of the audience will be seated on the floor. They will eat rice and beans and will be served half a glass of water each.

The message we hope to convey to our audience is not only recognition of our privilege to be living in this country, but also a move to reconnect with our food. We emphasize support of local farmers, buying locally grown food, and to know what is in our food, and to avoid pesticides and genetically modified organisms.*

* All food served is organic, provided by University Dining Services, and mostly locally grown and distributed. Although not representative of global food trends, we the coordinators felt it was our responsibility to provide good quality food to our guests as a form of keeping with the message we are trying to convey­­­--to reconnect with our food source!

The event begins at 6 pm
Tickets: at the door or at the Community Food Co-op for $2.
Guest speakers, films, and entertainment will be announced.
Please call ASP Social Issues at 650-6804 for disability accommodations, questions, comments or for ways to volunteer.

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PRAMILA JAYAPAL TO SPEAK IN BELLINGHAM*
November 21, Friday - noon to 1:30 -
*Pramila was forced to cancel this speaking engagement but has sent someone to replace her.

topic: Racism of Immigration

Pramila Jayapal, founder and director of the Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington, is an activist and writer on international and domestic social justice issues, particularly immigrant rights. Hate Free Zone is a statewide coalition founded in direct response to hate crimes and discrimination occurring in varied communities since September 11.

Author of: Pilgrimage to India: A Woman revisits her Homeland.
[read review]
Click here to order this book through our affiliate, Village Books in Bellingham
Our book affiliate program is explained here

Ms. Jayapal gave the keynote address at the WHRTF 2003 MLK Conference.

ADVANCE RESERVATION REQUESTED BY NOV 18 (Tues)
call: 734-4820 x100
cost: $12, a sack lunch in included
location:
YWCA Ballroom
Bellingham

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FILM: "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"
Recently shut down in Vancouver BC!
Saturday, November 22, 7:30pm

New Freeway Hall
5018 Rainier Ave. S
Seattle, WA
This award-winning documentary dramatically captures the upsurge by Venezuela's poor and working people that foiled a US-funded coup against President Hugo Chavez. It exposes the alliance between the CIA and the conservative Venezuelan oil olgarchy which is trying to oust Chavez, a critic of neo-liberalism. Recently, Venezuela's main opposition parties and their North American allies gathered 7000 petition signatures to pressure a Vancouver BC Amnesty International chapter to cancel the film.

Commentary by Debra O'Gara follows the film.
Debra represented Radical Women this past September at a women's conference in Caracas where she interviewed Chavez supporters and foes of US imperialism from throughout Latin America.

Doors open at 7:00pm for socializing. Zesty nachos and delectable pastries will be served.
Door donation (includes popcorn) is $3.50. Nachos and a dessert are $5.00. Work exchanges and sliding scale available.
location:
New Freeway Hall, 5018 Rainier Ave. S.
Seattle (4 blocks south of S. Alaska St., on the #7 busline)
For more information, call 206-722-2453 or email FSPseattle@mindspring.com

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DECEMBER 2003

 

WHRTF BOOK GROUP MEETING
December 2, 2003 - Tuesday, 7pm
[order now] Bill Lyne and Vernon Damani Johnson: Walkin' the Talk: An Anthology of African American Studies"

"Pieces" by Angela Davis
"Pieces" refers to bits and pieces that anyone can find of Davis' before the Dec. 2 meeting. Everyone can read any Angela Davis that they want to and we'll bring it all together at the meeting.
Possible guest speaker at this meeting - more info later on this.
For more information, please contact Belle at 671-0631

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GIFT OF GIVING RAFFLE - An Open House in downtown Bellingham
December 6, 10am to 5pm
Presented by the Downtown Renaissance Network
co-sponsored by the Bellingham Rotary and the Bellingham Herald

Non-profits - (that's us - WHRTF) will be partnered with a downtown business.
The partner business will raffle off an item worth at least $100.
All raffle proceeds will go to the partner non-profit organization.
Raffle tickets will be $1.00 each.

Dates for Raffle ticket sales and the drawing time will be announced when we get more information.
WATCH FOR RAFFLE TICKETS AND WIN YOUR $100 PRIZE.!!!
information:
Phone: 527-8710- Fax: 527-8709
email: kayingram123@hotmail.com or mauri_ingram@hotmail.com

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8th ANNUAL SEATTLE HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
December 9 and 10

A Night to Honor First Nations
Tuesday, December 9, 6:30–9:30 p.m.
location: Daybreak Star Cultural Center, Seattle
Human Rights Day
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Noon–1:30 p.m.
Keynote speaker: Sherman Alexie
location: Arctic Building, 700 Third Avenue, Seattle

Free and open to the public!
Presented by:
— Seattle Office for Civil Rights,
— Seattle Human Rights Commission
— United Nations Association–Seattle
— City of Seattle Greg Nickels, Mayor
For more information:
call 206-684-4540
or visit: www.seattle.gov/civilrights

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WHRTF QUARTERLY GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
December 10th, Wednesday - 6:15pm
MEMBERSHIP MEETING OPEN TO ALL !!!!
Please attend our quarterly meeting held prior to the Human Rights Day Celebration (see below).
    • Vote on Board Member Confirmations
    • Nominate a deserving person for the one open board position
stop by after work and get aquainted with your local Human Rights group!
Snacks are provided

location:
First Congregational Church
2401 Cornwall
Bellingham

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ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY CELEBRATION
December 10th, Wednesday- 7pm

Topic: Immigrant Workers/Labor rights
"Defending Workers Rights Across Borders"

Speakers include:

Rosalinda Guillen of Lupe (La Union Del Pueblo Entero) a national community organization founded by Cesar Chavez, will speak on the sweeping changes in status for farmworkers posed by pending legislation in Congress that is a result of a historic compromise between growers and farmworker organizations.

Betsy Pernotto, co-chair of Whatcom County Jobs with Justice will speak onthe struggle workers here in Whatcom County face in achieving basic human rights in the workplace.

Music will be provided on piano by Jerry Somerseth

The event is co-sponsored by:
Whatcom County Chapter of Jobs with Justice
Northwest Washington Labor Council
Whatcom Peace and Justice Center
Whatcom County Rainbow Coalition
Associated Students Peace Resource Center

The AFL-CIO has called for a national mobilization in Washington D.C. on December 10th International Human Rights Day to Restore the Freedom to Form Unions and Bargain Collectively. Events as part of this mobilization will be held around the country.

location:
First Congregational Church
2401 Cornwall
Bellingham

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