Sunday,  June  1  at  1:00 pm
Bay Area Spark Collective Workshops and Chanting Circle
Presented by   James Bianchi	415-824-4220
Come enjoy the FireDance community and find another home in the Bay Area for your heart songs, your dance, your poetry, your music. You do not have to be a good singer.  You do not have to know a single chant.  Just bring your enthusiasm and your spark.  The Bay Area Spark Collective is a new flame, kindled from embers carried home from fire circles around the country -- an intentional community group that meets monthly to celebrate spirit, community, and each other.  Workshops begin at 2:00 pm.  The sacred circle opens at 6:00 pm.  Participants introduce themselves and share their magic;  the four directions are called in;  a chant is sung;  and a sacred play begins.  From here on out, anything can happen:  drumming, a song, a poem, dancing, magic, drawing, writing, massage, deep trance.  As participants take their turns around the circle, they stir the container and mix in their magic to create a synergistic miracle in the space.  Everyone listens to what the moment needs.  Around 9:30 pm the energy of the circle rises to a fever pitch and then sweetly winds down.  The circle is closed with a chant, an "Om," that releases the four directions -- and plenty of hugs.
http://www.sparkcollective.org
$5 Donations Accepted

 

 

 

 

Sunday,  June  6  at  5:00 pm
Front Porch BBQ
Presented by   Cherrie Williams	510-482-5810
The Doll Lady of the Magic Spot in Oakland and the Singing Domestic of Domestics Unlimited Theatre, in conjunction with Theatre Bay Area, presents a unique and exciting program of Music and Art Against Anger and Violence.  The Doll Lady is Cherrie Williams and her message is especially for youngsters, showing them a peaceful route to expression, entertainment, fun, success, and achievement.  Cherrie focuses on bringing out the unique qualities of people:  positive thinking, self-love, respect, and peace -- through the healing power of her art.  She heals people wounded by anger and violence.  Cherrie herself recovered from homelessness by making folk dolls out of trash and selling them for her living.  She has become a master of recycled art.  Her dolls are on exhibit in museums.  She found her voice in art and entertainment -- and the healing sounds of inspirational stories.  Now she inspires everyone.  Her program this evening will inspire and educate people about their heritage, self-respect, healing, and wholeness, while creating a barrel of fun for everyone! This evening's program starts out with a funny play, "Front Porch BBQ" with Ms. Hamilton and the talent of young people.  The artistic consultant for the play is Tobey Kaplan and it stars Cherrie Williams as Ms. Hamilton.  For reservations, call Cherrie at the number above or email her at:  success@domesticsunlimitedcherriewilliams.com.  Tickets in advance are $13.00, but tickets for children and seniors are $9.00.  The website to get your tickets is:  www.brownpapertickets.com/event/33439.  Reservations or not, come and meet Cherrie, an activist dedicating her life to practicing and teaching peace through art.  The second half of her program includes networking amid exhibits and vendors.  Some of Cherrie's dolls will be on exhibit.  Music will include jazz, rock, folk, blues, and hip-hop.  The whole show, a family show, will warm your heart and lift your spirit.  Bring your family and enjoy this magic evening extravaganza!
http://www.domesticsunlimitedcherriewilliams.com
$15  Donations at the door

 

 

 

 

Sunday,  June  22  at 7:00 pm SEIU Quadrennial Convention in Puerto Rico
Steve Zeltzer from Workers Democracy Network traveled to Puerto Rico to videotape the Quadrennial Convention of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).  Like some other journalists, he was not allowed into the halls of the convention!  He was nevertheless able to videotape informative interviews with union members -- and protesters of the convention as well -- outside the convention in the streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Tonight he will show the video of his great interviews in Puerto Rico and conduct a discussion on the struggle for workers' democracy within the SEIU.   There were only 2,000 delegates at the convention in Puerto Rico but the SEIU claims 1.9 million members.  America, once a manufacturing nation, is service-oriented today.  So the SEIU is the fastest growing union in North America.  With so many members, almost two million, the SEIU is able to impact America as a whole.  It can shape policy way beyond itself.  In 2003 it took an anti-war stance on the Iraq invasion;  later on it supported progressive radio at Air America;  today it backs Barack Obama for President.  The SEIU is in a position to affect the lives of all Americans.    Today SEIU is struggling internally.  The current President of SEIU believes in corporate unionism, power from the top down:  centralizing power in the union;  making partnerships with employers;  absorbing more service unions already in existence;  organizing new service workers rather than concretely improving conditions for its existing members;  and addressing the issues of workers around the world, global issues of concern to all working people, in order to transform society.  Opposing the SEIU President's position are local service unions both inside and outside of SEIU.  The opposition believes in grassroots democracy, power from the bottom up:  ensuring that power in the union resides in its membership;  making deals that benefit employers at the expense of workers is corruption and must be stopped;  encouraging local service unions to make their own decisions;  improving conditions for existing members in fact and not only in words;  and addressing the issues of its members, ensuring that they can participate fully in union decisions and communicate their concerns and difficulties in their own language to appropriate officers in SEIU who will respond to them responsibly.  Steve Zeltzer will explain the internal politics of SEIU, intensified at its convention in Puerto Rico.
$5 Donations Accepted
http://www.tnr.com/environmentenergy/story.html?id=61f4ea0d-90bb-4a38-9650-c507fa73efbe

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday,  June  24  at 7:00 pm Arna's Children
This poignant and compelling documentary about a theatre for Palestinian children will be presented by its director, Juliano Mer Khamis, and Dr. Mervat Aiash, Palestinian professor of fine arts and expert on Islamic archaeology and art who is working with Juliano to revive the theatre in the battle-scarred West Bank town of Jenin.  They will conduct a discussion about the film after its showing.    During the first Intifada (Palestinian uprising) in 1988 an Israeli Jewish woman named Arna Mer Khamis set up the Stone Theatre in the town of Jenin's Refugee Camp of the West Bank as a safe place for children to express themselves through the theatrical arts.  In 1993, Arna was awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize in Sweden. During the second Intifada (2000-2006) the Stone Theatre was destroyed by the Israeli army's invasion in 2002.  Building on the goals and legacy of the Stone Theatre, Arna's son, Juliano Mer Khamis, and residents of Jenin opened the Freedom Theatre to serve both the children and the adults of the Jenin Refugee Camp.  In just two years, the Freedom Theatre has become recognized as a leader in Palestinian theatre and the international progressive theatre community.  It has established partnerships with groups and theatre companies in New York, Seattle, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Athens, Baghdad, Beirut, Sydney, Buenos Aries, Cairo, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Calgary and Sweden.  Members of the Freedom Theatre's Board of Directors include Noam Chomsky, Mahmoud Darwish, Judith Butler, and Howard Brenton.  U.S. advisors for the theatre include Maya Angelou, Yoav Elinevsky, Danny Glover and Mariam Said.  This riveting film is a tribute to Arna and the children's Theatre she created, an amazing social experiment.  It is brought to us by the International Jewish Solidarity Network.
$5 Donations Accepted
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2008-06-19/article/30333?headline=Commentary-Great-Opportunities-to-Learn-More-About-Israel-Palestine

 

 

Thursday,  June  26  at  6:00 pm
Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club Monthly Meeting
Presented by   Jack Kurzweil	510-549-2696
This is the monthly membership meeting of the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club (WDRC).  The Club works to renew and reform the Democratic Party.  Everyone is welcome to participate in the discussions.  The evening begins with a social hour and pot luck supper at 6:00 pm -- bring your favorite healthy dish to share!  At 7:00 pm the Club begins it programs and everyone, members and non-members, is invited to participate in the discussions.  This evening's program will explore:  "The Progressive Path to a Green Economy."  The first speaker of the evening will be Eric Holt-gimenez from the Institute for Food and Development Policy.  His talk will be:  "The Myth of Biofuels and the World Food Crises."  Then Ian Kim from the Ella Baker Center will speak on:  "Creating Sustainable Green Jobs through Eco-Equity."  This program is not to be missed by anyone interested in the future!
http://www.wellstoneclub.org
Donations Accepted