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Conference

Northwest Fair Trade Spring Tour Mayan Woman Weavers co-op from Chiapas, Mexico Sunday, March 26 @ 1:30 Presentation by Celia Jolom, co-founder Organization: Community to Community Event: Two representatives of Jolom Mayaetik: Mayan Women Weavers Cooperative based in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico Guests: Celia Ruiz, Jolom co-founder, will make two presentations on the impact of Fair Trade on indigenous communities, the co-op's role in promoting indigenous women's leadership and how to support a sustainable Fair Trade Movement. Location: Community Food Co-op Connections Building 1220 N. Forest Ave Bellingham,WA Information: Come in support of fair trade, hear inspirational stories and purchase exquisite cooperative made goods from bracelets to placemats, from huipils (traditional blouses) to elaborate table-runners. Kate N. Nichols (360) 671-1086 Brown Bag Lunch Presentation Mayan Woman Weavers co-op from Chiapas, Mexico Monday, March 27th @ Noon Organization: Community to Community Jolom's products will be available for purchase from 10-2 PM! Guests: Celia Ruiz, Jolom co-founder, will make two presentations on the impact of Fair Trade on indigenous communities, the co-op's role in promoting indigenous women's leadership and how to support a sustainable Fair Trade Movement. Location: Blue Horse Gallery lobby 301 W Holly Bellingham, WA Information: Come in support of fair trade, hear inspirational stories and purchase exquisite cooperative made goods from bracelets to placemats, from huipils (traditional blouses) to elaborate table-runners. Kate N. Nichols (360) 671-1086 decomunidad@qwest.net [top of page] CREATING A CULTURE OF PEACE - [see flyer]pdf format March 17 & 18, Friday and Saturday Bellingham Buddhist Peace Fellowship and Whatcom Peace and Justice Center invite the Bellingham community to an extraordinary weekend of film, poetry and community discussion about the role of war in our lives and its terrible cost to all of life. This series of events will be facilitated by senior staff of Opening of the Heart®, a non-profit organization in Seattle. Together, we will view images, listen to poems, and learn skills for communicating our diverse perspectives in ways that remove blame and promote deepening relationships. CONTACT: Edie Norton 527-9101 edwinanorton@earthlink.net

view flyer [here]

Silent Meditation March 17 - Friday - from 6-6:30pm “Voices in Wartime” film at 7pm followed by an open discussion with Andy Himes, executive producer. “Voices in Wartime” is a feature-length documentary that sharply etches the experience of war through powerful images and words of poets – unknown and famous. Soldiers, journalists, historians and experts on combat interviewed in this film consider diverse perspectives on the role of war in our lives and our society. “ … an elegant statement not only about the devastation of war but also about poetry’s power to amaze”. –New York Times film review. Meditation: free event Film: Suggested donation for the film is $5 to $10. LOCATION: Pickford Dreamspace at 1318 Bay St Intentional Communication: Embracing Conflict, Ending War – an Opening of the Heart® workshop Saturday afternoon, March 18 - 1-5pm. This workshop is designed for community members and leaders working with diversity and constructively engaging with conflict. Senior facilitator Martin Dronsfield explores the roots of violence and helps participants develop skills for working effectively with opposing viewpoints – whether the issues be national or local. Pre-registration required. LOCATION AND REGITRATION: Please call Whatcom Peace and Justice Center at 360-734-0217. Sliding scale fee of $20 to 40. Peace Vigil on Fairhaven Green Saturday evening, March 18 6-7pm led by Whatcom Peace and Justice Center, . Free event. LOCATION: Fairhaven Village Green Book Reading from “Voices in Wartime Anthology” March 18, Saturday evening7pm with Andy Himes, . Free event. The “Voices in Wartime Anthology” comprises poetry and essays inspired by the feature-length documentary film “Voices in Wartime” and narratives based on interviews conducted for the film. Publisher of the anthology, Claudia Mauro, writes: “We are becoming strangely indifferent and dangerously numb to the often sanitized images of war we’re saturated with. The interviews and poems in the “Voices in Wartime Anthology” let us look straight and hard into the truth of war. Like the film, this book opens our eyes and wakes up our hearts.” LOCATION: Village Books in Fairhaven

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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY CELEBRATION" ON THE FRONTLINES: IN SOLIDARITY, IN STRUGGLE, IN STRENGTH"
Wednesday, March 8th, 2006 ... 4-8:30PM
after party begins at 9pm - Wild Buffalo

4:00 Rally @ Maritime Heritage Park
    Andreia Borges Ferreira from Brazil's Landless Worker's Movement as speaker
     along w/Raging Grannies
4:30 March through Downtown
- Take to the streets!! Bring noisemakers, drums, tambourines, whatever moves you (literally!)

5:00 Celebration at The Dreamspace
Featuring amazing guest speakers:
    Cecilia Concepcion Alvarez speaking of "Art as Resistance" and
    Dr. Angela Gilliam speaking to "Re-Igniting Peace, Development and Equality!"

Also featuring Amal Rana of 'No One Is Illegal', Spoken Word Artists,
Hip-Hop, Steppin' team, Deconstructing Stereotypes Fashion "Models",
women's and children's art, divas, dancing and desserts!!

YOU CAN NOT MISS THIS AMAZING EVENT!
Help Us Celebrate Women's Achievements Locally and Globally

FREE ALL AGES - CHILDCARE PROVIDED
The Women's Alliance, local non-profit feminist organization and sponsor of
IWD
WWU's Women Studies Program
WWU's AS Women's Center

Cynthia Moulds, Women Studies Faculty
360-650-3534
Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA.

location:
1318 BAY STREET
THE PICKFORD DREAMSPACE
After Party 9 pm @ The Wild Buffalo

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Civic Empowerment Workshop – From Precinct Caucuses to Defending Our Constitution
Saturday, February 25, 2006 – 10:00am – 3:00pm
Free workshop

*** Participate in Whatcom County Rainbow Coalition’s “Civic Empowerment Workshop – From Precinct Caucuses to Defending Our Constitution”
***Learn and review the process of drafting resolutions for inclusion in a party platform just in time for the Democratic Party Precinct Caucuses March 4th
*** Stratege for social justice

Schedule
10:00 – 11:00 Civic Empowerment: Precinct Caucuses to State Convention
11:00 – 12:00 Drafting Resolution for inclusion in party platform
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch on your own, suggest the Community Food Co-op
1:00 – 3:00 Constitution Crisis caused by domestic spying . Action including drafting platform resolutions

Presenter Information:
Political scientist, Maury Foisy, will moderate.
Professor Foisy is retired professor from WWU Political Science department.

Joan Ging, graphic designer from Lummi Island specializing in non-profit and political projects, will present the nuts and bolts of the caucus process. Ging is the recording secretary for the Whatcom County Democratic Central Committee and serves as the organization's webmistress. A long-term goal is to bring more young people into the Democratic Party and to help youth realize that their voices can be a tipping point.

Marian Beddill, retired civil / hydraulic engineer, who worked in technology transfer consulting around the globe and the use of computers for practical job needs, will stress the urgency of citizen participation in the political process. Marian is an out transwoman and a strong supporter of social justice. Marian has been active in politics and civic action since soon after moving to Bellingham in 1991, running for the County Council in 1997, lobbying all jurisdictions up to the Governor, and running a citizen initiative petition campaign for the environment on Lake Whatcom

Robbi Ferron, President of the Washington State Federation of Democratic Women and retired civil rights professional will present background information on domestic spying and the US Constitution. Nancy Ging, Chair of the Issues and Resolutions Committee and Platform Committee representative to the Democratic State Party will explain how to get an individual concern on the State Democratic Platform.

.
LOCATION:  Garden Street Family Center at Garden and Holly Streets in the lower floor
CONTACT: Robbi Ferron
715-9588 - rferron@comcast.net
Free workshop - open to all
Organized and hosted by the Political Action Task Force of the Whatcom County Rainbow Coalition

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World Issues Forums and Human Security Lecture Series
World Issues Forums are sponsored by Fairhaven College
Human Security Lectures are co-sponsored by Fairhaven College, Canadian American Studies, Anthropology, English, Modern and Classical Languages, Political Science, Women’s Studies, Craig Cole Diversity Fund and the Cold Beverage Fund.

Wednesday, February 15
John Sinno, Owner and Operator of Arab Film Distribution in Seattle
World Issues Forum:
“ The Media War and the Middle East”
Noon-1:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Fairhaven College Auditorium

Wednesday, February 22
Carole Nagengast, Professor and Chair of Anthropology, University of New Mexico will present two lectures:
World Issues Forum:
“ Borders: Capital and Labor In – People Out”
Noon-1:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Fairhaven College Auditorium

*Human Security Lecture Series:
“ Women’s Human Rights and Cultural Relativity”
4:00-5:00 p.m. with a reception following
LOCATION: Communications Facility 125

March 1, Wednesday, NOON to 1:30pm
World Issues Forum:
John Asfour, who is from Canada, his topic is:
"Terrorized into Poetry riding the post-9/11 storm in the U.S. Canada and the Middle East."
Students and community members are encouraged to participate.

note - LOCATION: Fairhaven College Auditorium
Coming before 5 people need to be aware of parking. It is about $2.00 an hour and can be done my mannnnny quarters in the lot outside Fairhaven College.

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13th ANNUAL Northwest Regional International Day of Solidarity with Leonard Peltiere
MARCH AND RALLY FOR JUSTICE
Saturday, February 4, 2006, TACOMA
for more information on Leonard Peltiere http://www.leonardpeltier.org/

12:00 NOON: MARCH FOR JUSTICE
Portland Ave. Park (on Portland Ave. between E. 35th and E. Fairbanks Ave. Take Portland Ave. exit off I-5 and head east)

1:00 PM: RALLY FOR JUSTICE
U.S. Federal Court House, 1717 Pacific Ave.

AFTER RALLY POTLUCK MEAL AND GET TOGETHER—YOUTH EMERGING
Around 4:00 pm. At the First United Methodist Church, 423 Martin Luther King Jr Way.
directions:
From the rally go south up the hill to Martin Luther King Jr Way and turn right. The church is right next to a large hospital. The meal and gathering is hosted in support of Leonard by the local Tacoma group People for Peace, Justice and Healing.
FOOD DETAILS
We will be providing a Spaghetti dinner as previously. We welcome salad, desserts and traditional foods, or other foods that people would like to contribute to the dinner.
Please contact Sol Riou at sparkingwaves@hotmail.com or 253-377-6078 if you plan to bring food for the meal and for other information on how you can help. SALMON MUST BE COOKED. We will have three places that you may bring the food, our preference is that you bring it to the beginning of the March, by 11:30 am if possible. However, we will have a pickup location at the Courthouse, by 12:30 pm if possible, with the exact corner to be announced later. We will accept donations at the Church also.

PROGRAM FOR RALLY AND AFTER RALLY MEAL

Co-MC’s:
Harold Belmont: Coastal Native Elder, Native People’s Alliance With Friends and Allies
Pete Sanchez; Ktunaxa (Kutenai)

Spiritual Opening and Closing Words:
Dorothy Ackerman; Lakota Elder
NW AIM Drum

Performances by:
The Aztec Dancers
United Nations: Native Rap Activists

Opening Speakers:
Shelly Vendiola: Indigenous Women’s Network.
Matilaja: Yu’Pik/Yakama
Wolverine: Shuswap Elder
Arthur J. Miller, Tacoma Leonard Peltier Support Group
Kerwin Hemlock: Longtime Native Activist
Juan Jose Bocanegra: Every Worker’s Movement
Donna Denina: Coordinator for the Gabriela Network Seattle Chapter
Zoltan Grossman: Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace, Faculty Evergreen's Native American Studies
Fr. Bill Bichsel: Catholic Worker, JWJ, IWW, SOAW
Josh Reisberg: Spoken Word Artist
Gifted Grizzly

AFTER RALLY MEAL: YOUTH EMERGING

Steve Hapy: MC, Tacoma Leonard Peltier Support Group
B.J. Gleason: Turtle Mountain Anishinabe
Billie Pierre: Vancouver Native Youth Movement

Performance by:
United Nations: Native Rap Activists

Closing words:
Dorothy Ackerman; Lakota Elder.

BELLINGHAM CARVANS FOR JUSTICE (Carpools):
The Caravans for Justice are open to all people who want rides or can provide rides or who wish to join the caravans. Bring “Free Leonard Peltier” signs for car windows if possible.
Will be meeting at Fairhaven College parking lot at 9am, and leaving at 9:30am.
Directions: When approaching Bellingham from the north or south on Interstate 5, take Exit #252, marked Samish Way and W.W.U. Turn west onto Samish Way and follow the signs to Bill McDonald Parkway. At South College Drive, take a right. Fairhaven College and its gravel parking lot will be on the right.

PARKING: If you can come early, 11:30 am, we organize cars to be moved up by the rally site. Or a good place to park is at the Tacoma Dome Station and either walk or take the Portland Ave bus to Portland Ave Park and in returning take the trolley or any bus going back to the Tacoma Dome Station. Back to Portland Ave Park you can take the Portland Ave bus across the street from the rally, at 3:43 pm.
Leonard Peltiere website

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Law Advocates Book Club group
Folks from Law Advocates are interested in beginning a new book group. For those who are interested, call Sofia @ 734-9761

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The Whatcom Human Rights Task Force Scholarships
Academic Year - Spring 2006

The Award
The WHRTF scholarship is designed to make higher education more accessible to promising students who intend to pursue a career in furthering human rights. This 500.00 scholarship will be awarded to Whatcom County residents and will be awarded during the Fall of 2005. The Task Force is providing this opportunity on a one time basis. easy print 2006 [applicant info form]

Scholarship Guidelines:
Preference is given to students who demonstrate the following characteristics (but not limited to):

---- Strong involvement in school or community
----- GPA indicating satisfactory progress towards a degree/diploma
---- Must enroll or be enrolled at least half-time at an accredited post secondary institution (community or technical college, public or private university)
---- Demonstrated financial need, copy of prior annual income
---- Applicants must submit a report in writing and report to the WHRTF board members at a monthly board meeting. This report should address how the scholarship helped to contribute to their studies to protect/further their efforts in human rights work.

************** Application Requirements **************

1. A typed or written statement (two pages maximum) describing:
    - How you have been influenced by ___..and how you will use your education to contribute ___
    - Extra-curricular activities; including community service, employment, high school/college and other activities
    - Special circumstances that you feel may be important
    - How your studies will contribute to protecting/furthering human rights.

2. Two letters of recommendation from a teacher, professor, counselor, community leader, elder, or mentor which provides an assessment of your potential.

************** Application Checklist ***************

---- Applicant information form [easy print form]
---- Typed or written statement included
---- Two letters or recommendation included or mailed separately
---- A recent financial statement

Recipients will be notified for the Spring 2006 academic year.

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