Monday, February 23, 2009

Film Premier, A Powerful Noise- Empower women and fight poverty

FYI Film premier, A Powerful Noise, Mar. 5,various area theaters A Powerful Noise film premier March 5, 2009

Various area theaters, including: ·
AMC Pacific Place 11- Downtown Seattle ·
Bella Bottega 11 Cinema – Redmond ·
Alderwood 7 Theatres – Lynnwood ·
AMC Kent Station 14 - Kent
To purchase tickets, click: Please buy your tickets now ==================================================================== I hope that many of you will join me on March 5 for the premier of the film A Powerful Noise. Consider your ticket a donation to this amazing campaign to fight poverty in 74 countries, including Afghanistan, Darfur, and Haiti, to name a few. Their new campaign makes the case for fighting poverty by empowering women, and idea that is actually working amazingly well in some of most unlikely places.

From: Helene D. Gayle, CARE

In celebration of International Women’s Day, CARE and NCM Fathom — in partnership with ONE and the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women — will present A POWERFUL NOISE Live in more than 450 theatres nationwide for one night only on Thursday, March 5, 2009. The evening will begin with a screening of the acclaimed documentary “A Powerful Noise.” This remarkable film features three inspiring women, who overcome daily challenges to achieve significant victories over poverty and oppression: Madame Urbain — an activist working to educate and empower young women and girls in the slums of Bamako, Mali Bui My Hanh — an HIV-positive widow helping others combat the spread of HIV and the social stigma associated with the disease in Vietnam Nada Markovic — a survivor of the brutal Bosnian War bringing women together to rebuild their once-tranquil community These women are changing the world. Their stories will inspire you to join them.

Immediately following the film, I will be joined by former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, CARE Advocate Christy Turlington Burns, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof and actress and activist Natalie Portman for a town hall discussion broadcast live into your theatre. The film’s executive producer Sheila C. Johnson will be on hand to make a special announcement! Tickets are limited — purchase yours today!

The evening promises to leave you encouraged and empowered. Your ticket to this event is a passport into the lives of powerful women who are overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds to transform their communities. And you’ll find out concrete steps you can take to help make a big difference in the fight against global poverty. Please buy your tickets now to this once-in-a-lifetime event. Better yet, spread the word — bring your family, friends, co-workers, church group, civic club, anyone you can think of for this special night out — all for a great cause! More than 30 percent of ticket purchases (based on estimated ticket sales) will go directly to support the work of CARE. Join the movement!

A POWERFUL NOISE Live is more than a night out at the movies; it’s a movement coming of age. When the lights go on, you’ll be energized with a better understanding of what you can do to fight global poverty and empower women and girls. We look forward to seeing you, your family and friends on March 5. Sincerely, Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH President and CEO, CARE P.S. When you get 10 or more of your friends to buy tickets to A POWERFUL NOISE Live, we'll give you one event ticket to a participating theatre of your choice for free! Please don't delay. Free tickets are limited. Find out the details and earn your free event ticket today!


opportunity for local community engagement

Hey folks,

Here is a great way for you to get involved in local community engagement!

King County Community Forums Seeking Participants!Feb 21st to March 22nd!www.CommunityForums.org

In King County, Countywide Community Forums are a network of small group meetings where people throughout the county can discuss current issues and provide feedback to King County officials.Two to four times a year, registered Citizen Councilors meet in homes, libraries and other locations to learn more about an issue that matters to them, discuss it with the group and complete a detailed survey on their views.The next round of forums will be held in February on the topic:“Citizen Priorities for County Government: Budget and Strategic Options.”Where and when are the forums?Forums are organized by fellow Citizen Councilors at homes, workplace or libraries 2-4 times a year during a one-month participation window set by the Auditor.

When notified of an upcoming round of forums, you will be able to select the time and place that works best for you on the Countywide Community Forums' website:www.CommunityForums.org

If you prefer, the Volunteer Coordinators will help you choose the most convenient forum over the phone; just call (206) 296-1633 for assistance.Do you want to get more involved?If you would like to be more involved in Countywide Community Forums, you can volunteer to be a Community Forums Host/Convener. Conveners find a convenient meeting place and conduct a forum session.

You can host your own meeting or become a guest at someone else’s meeting. “Please register as an official, volunteer, Citizen Councilor, or contact us to let us know that you are interested.There are also opportunities to get involved as an outreach volunteer. Outreach volunteers help spread the word about the community forums to their community or organization. In particular, we are looking for outreach volunteers in South King County.Contact us by email, CommunityForums@KingCounty.gov or by calling (206) 296-1633.What to expect at a forum?At each forum meeting, 4-12 participants:* Watch a short video and/or review a brief written summary of the key facts and different perspectives on the issue under discussion.* Take two minutes each to state their views on the topic, uninterrupted by other members of the group.* Participate in an open group discussion.* Complete an “Opinionnaire®”: a confidential survey tool that asks specific questions about the current topic and the forums process.

Please go to www.CommunityForums.org to register!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Seattle to Guatemala... some thoughts on my trip, immigrants to the U:S and the recession

I know, I know, where have I been.... actually I have been in Guatemala for a bit at a conference looking at the impacts of immigration on Central America and the indigenous people: Very fascinating. I promise next Monday I will start back with all the great announcements about seattle but I thought I would offer you an opportunity to read an excerpt of some of my experiences here and to think about for a minute what international civic engagement might look like for you, especially in a time of recession. Here are some of my thoughts, thanks in advance for reading.

It has been an amazing experience and also a very humbling experience to be here, lots of tragedy and a real hard life in Guatemala. I have really learned alot about the tremendous struggle of the indigenous people here and other places in Central America, these were not things I wasn´t aware of but it so blatant in Guatemala the challenges, struggles and the impact of La Guerra, the war that was fought here and only ended less than 15 years ago with the signing of the Peace Accords in 1996. And now with the transnational companies mining and taking resources of rural Guatemala it just seems like their is so much struggle and corruption. But there is also alot of hope, opportunities for change and growth and the spirit of la gente is amazing.

I have been staying with a wonderful woman in Xela and I have had the privilege of just being here and learning and asking alot of questions. What a privilege. It is really interesting too, I have worked with many immigrants, right after they come to the U.S: and then once they are settled in a community but it is really interesting to understand it from living here, why go to the U.S., what happens when a family member goes to the U.S., what ends up being the situation in the country you come from. On a systemic level, its kind of a mess and on a personal level very tragic because there are no resources and not alot of options.

Yesterday, I went to a funeral of a friend of the lady I am staying with. This woman died after much suffering, maybe from Cancer, or maybe from being beat up by her husband most of her adult life. Teresa,my friend told me she suffered alot. You don´t really get to know what finally killed her because going to the doctor is very expensive, medicine and hospitals also. Domestic violence is very common here. This is my opinion, but I think it is because the average male compacino man don´t have power in society so they come home and take it out on the family. Obviously that is terrible but it speaks to a larger challenge of people needing to feel in control and living in a system where they don´t have any. We see the same types of situations occuring with new immigrants in the U.S. where the domestic violence rate is incredibly high.

I have been asking alot of my local friends of friends how much it would cost to buy a tienda (store) space for a business. It is very expensive for here but for us it is only about $250.00 US dollars. But to give you an idea of how expensive that is , it is about $ 1800 quetzales. Yesterday when I went to a funeral, very sad but one of the friends of the woman i am staying with said to me "can you pack me up with you and take me to the US" sort of joking but then she went on to say life is really hard here. She works 12 hours a day for a japanese clothing company sewing in a factory for 5 quetzales an hour, that is 60 a day which is less than 8 dollars per day for working 12 hours. So if that is all you make a day and you have all your expenses and rent and life, you have to believe the U.S. has a better option for you.

Talking to people here, many people risk their lives and everything they have, paying alot of money for a chance to make it to the U:S. Not with any security that they will actually make it to the U:S. Just hope that it has to be better than here. In addition, there is tremendous racism amongst the Central American Countries of indigenous people and so they are always considered less than and met with tremendous violence and oppression if they move to Mexico as many Guatemalans did during La Guerra.

I have spent quite alot of time studying, working with and empowering immigrant communities but it continues to shock me that the U.S. keeps spending money in the wrong places. So much money is spent to keep illegals out and no $ is put in to helps the people build industry, non-corrupt industry in their countries . Or how about changing NAFTA of CAFTA that prevent the small farmer from succeeding anywhere in the world. Or for example, I learned to day that the world bank and the US Reserve have invested millions of dollars in the mining industry that ravishes the Western part of Guatemala, Peru , Haiti and other Latin American Countries. We are talking open`-pit mining- one of the most toxic activities on the planet, where they pour cyanide into the earth to find the minerals, also one that take a tremendous amount of water from rural indigenous communities. We would never allow this in the U.S. yet International companies from the US Canada and Europe take these resources out of the countries like Guatemala and accumulate wealth. These companies only give a little over 1% of the profits to the Guatemalan people, the government officials get paid off and the remaining is profit for the company.

There has to be real ways of changing these systems of corruption and oppression. There has to be something better than existing with such inequity in the world.

One idea I have is teaching kids in the U.S. about microfinancing and business. I had a middle school teacher that taught me about business stuff and that changed my life and how I am able to think now. But by empowering kids in the international community to invest small amounts of money with their parents in helping people in other countries. This is not just a U.S. recession, this is a global recession, this is a global trauma due to greed and not really caring about your neighbor, faking the love thy neighbor as yourself piece. There is a phrase in Guatemala, when the U.S. sneezes Guatemala gets the flu. When the U.S. had the oil crisis last year, think of what that experience was like in Central America, the price of food skyrocketed.

What can we do about this in the U.S: Here is what I gather from being here:

1) Computers are the future, having one , or access to one, your life changes. Give one to me and I will send it to Guatemala. And if you know someone that can refurbish computers, I would love to connect with them.

2) If someone can start up and buy a store in Guatemala for $250 American dollars, how easy is it for some Americans to make an investment, for some easy, others harder. The deal with the microfinancing, I have heard this saying a few times, or something close, is if you can empower a woman in the community both socially and economically, you can change the community. Something way more eloquent than that, but you get the drift.

3) Advocate for your immigrant neighbors, or get involved in your community- be a connector, ask around about resources

4) Take risks even when you don´t want to, you´ll probably help someone and feel better, when you are really uncomfortable, you know you are taking a worthy risk and it is something you care about

5) Don´t get caught up in what does it all mean, just help.

6) Keep learning until you can help. My next skills I will be learning include, 1. How to start a 501C3 2. Learning how to do videotaping and editing so I can make movies of peoples stories

7) Giving your skills to other people is self-validating and gives you purpose, instead of saying no, ask how or why, or what is it going to take

So obviously I have some projects I am thinking about and I clearly am tangent prone but these are my current thoughts on the subject :) Hope you are still alive and reading and I haven´t bored you to death. I know the world is a crazy place but I do think there are opportunities to make it better. Hopefully you like my list, alright I am done for today! Have a great one.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Back in Action

Ok, we're back in action, lots of changes, a new year,Happy Martin Luther King Day, a new president, getting over the flu... all that jazz we know as January... done. So we're in February and there are lots of big things happening, here are a few:

Today, is first Thursday at all the big Art venues, so a free night of fun for all. In particular, check out:

Celebrate African culture at SAM’s First Thursday program when museum admission is free for all. Listen to West African drumming and learn about the museum’s amazing African collection with a personal tour with artists Marita Dingus. The evening’s programs are co-sponsored by SAM’s African Arts Council. Art for All at Seattle Art Museum Downtown Anokye February 5, 2009 5:30–7:30 pm Brotman Forum Celebrate African heritage with a performance by West African drummer Yaw Amponsah and group Anokye. http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/calendar/eventDetail.asp?eventID=16079&month=1&day=5&year=2009&sxID=&WHEN=&sxTitle= My Favorite Things: Highly Opinionated Public Tours Marita Dingus Co-sponsored by City Light Black Employees Association February 5, 2009 5:30 pm Fourth Floor Galleries My Favorite Things tours bring some of the most opinionated and fascinating artists, cultural producers and community figures into the galleries to discuss their favorite works of art. Celebrate African heritage with a tour of the African art galleries led by artist Marita Dingus. Dingus is a Seattle native whose extensive travels have informed her mixed media sculpture made from discarded materials. She has been awarded such prestigious prizes as the John S. Guggenheim Fellowship (1999) and the Morrie and Joan Alhadeff PONCHO Artist of the Year Award (2005). Tour meets in the Fourth Floor African art galleries. http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/calendar/eventDetail.asp?eventID=16215&month=1&day=5&year=2009&sxID=&WHEN=&sxTitle=
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The Wing Luke Museum really has some fabulous exhibits worth checking out. I love going there, I always learn alot and it is a great space. This topic in particular is really fascinating as we all see immigration shaping our communities every day and the policy impacts are rarely explored. Check it out:

"Deporting Cambodians: How Immigration Policy Shapes Our Communities": A New Dialogue Initiative Exhibit at the Wing Luke Asian Museum Go to http://wingluke.org/deportingcambodianswlamexhibit.JPG VISIT US SOON Wing Luke Asian Museum 719 South King Street In Seattle's Chinatown/International District (206) 623.5124 http://www.wingluke.org__________________________________________________%20LADIES%20FIRST%202009%20KICK%20OFF%20SATURDAY,%20FEBRUARY%207,%202009%20@%20hidmo%20(20th%20&%20jackson)%207:30pm%20doors%20/%208pm%20open%20mic%20/%209pm%20features%20*%20Food%20available%20to%20order%20FEATURING%20DJ%20B-GIRL%20on%20the%201s%20and%202s%20HOSTED%20BY%201ST%20QUARTER%20STORM%20(last%20performance%20as%20duo%20in%20Seattle%20until%202010)%20and%20FEATURING%20the%20ALL%20STARS%20of%202008%20like%20Akua,%20JusMoni,%20eLa,%20THEESatisfaction,%20Cristina%20Orbe,%20Stephany%20Hazelrigg,%20Julie%20C,%20BeLoved%2001,%20Verbal%20Oasis,%20Onion,%20and%20more%20and%20the%20usual%20suspects,%20you%20know%20who%20you%20are!!!!%20YOU%20DON cara-seattle.org myspace.com/seattleladiesfirst SAVE THE DATE:
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One of my favorite places to go is Hidmo in the Central District, they do a ton of youth outreach and civic engagement through hip-hop. This is a great event being held for International Women's Day, check it out:
Ladies First celebrates International Women's Day with Toni Hill of Sirens Echo, Canary Sing & THEESatisfaction by celebrating the bonds of women. MARCH 7, 2009. same time. same place. LADIES FIRST (a project of CARA) myspace.com/seattleladiesfirst Communities Against Rape and Abuse (CARA) cara-seattle.org HIDMO FAMILY hidmo.org