Portland Current
2008 February 24
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TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE (106 minutes)
Tuesday, February 26, 7:00 p.m.
First Unitarian Church, 1011 S.W. 12th Avenue (Salmon and Main), Portland
Film Screening – Veterans for Peace Chapter 72 Movie Night
FREE! (Donations gratefully accepted.) Rated R – not recommended for young viewers. Nominated for an Academy Award. Rights purchased by the Discovery Channel, but censored – HBO will show it in September. Coming to Cinema 21 in Portland in late March
Portland Film Festival Showed February 9 – 10, 2008
“Over 100 prisoners have died in suspicious circumstances in U.S. custody during the ‘war on terror.’ ‘TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE’ takes an in-depth look at one case: an Afghan taxi driver called Dilawar who was considered an honest and kind man by the people of his rustic village. So when he was detained by the U.S. military one afternoon after picking up three passengers, denizens wondered why this man was randomly chosen to be held in prison, and especially, without a trial? … The documentary, by award-winning producer, Alex Gibney, carefully develops the last weeks of Dilawar’s life and shows how decisions taken at the pinnacle of power in the Bush Administration led directly to Dilawar’s death…. ‘TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE’ is the definitive exploration of the introduction of torture as an interrogation technique in U.S. facilities, and the role played by key figures of the Bush Administration in the process.”
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CITY COUNCIL TO HEAR FIVE YEAR PLAN TO INCREASE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN PORTLAND
On Wednesday, February 27, 2pm, the Portland City Council will hear a report containing the "Five Year Plan to Increase Community Involvement in Portland." This plan is focused on strengthening involvement in all of Portland's neighborhoods and communities, increasing the skills and tools to solve local problems, and invigorating the partnership between community and government. The plan was developed by Community Connect, a community-led volunteer workgroup initiated by Mayor Potter.
Community Connect analyzed the ideas of thousands of Portlanders through a comprehensive effort. This extensive listening project formed the basis for nine recommendations in the Five Year Plan. The Five Year Plan is designed to foster the creation of a more inclusive city through specific strategies to make sure all Portlanders have the opportunity to be heard. The inclusion of more voices will result in better decisions that have broader support.
The Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI) has successfully piloted some of the recommendations in the Five Year Plan, including a Leadership Academy for under-represented communities. ONI's budget request for the 2008-09 fiscal year includes reallocated and new funding to implement aspects of the first year of the plan, including the creation of the Public Involvement Advisory Council. A resolution to establish this Council will also be heard on Wednesday.
The Five Year Plan to Increase Community Involvement provides a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening Portland's civic life. It is organized around three interdependent goal areas representing a "three-legged stool" of effective community involvement. Each goal area has recommendations that include concrete action steps. The Five Year Plan is accompanied by a Year One Implementation Plan that details 12 strategies to be tackled first to build a foundation for successful implementation of the remaining recommendations. Examples of strategies from the Implementation Plan:
Goal 1: Increase the number and diversity of people involved in their communities
Engage the broad diversity of our community in civic life. For example:
■ Overcome barriers to participation by providing resources for translation and interpretation, child care, transportation, and meeting accessibility.
■ Expand and make permanent the Diversity and Civic Leadership pilot projects to support leadership development and capacity building for under-represented groups.
Goal 2: Strengthen community capacity
Strengthen Portland's communities by providing the tools and support to effectively address their needs. For example:
■ Expand the Neighborhood Small Grants Program to support local community-led projects throughout the city.
■ Promote networking and collaboration through citywide community dialogues, an annual Community Assembly, and an expansion of the Community Engagement Initiative.
Goal 3: Increase community impact on public decisions
Enhance the community's role in public decision making. For example:
■ Make information about government decisions easily accessible and transparent by requiring City boards and commissions to post online meeting notices and summary minutes.
■ Support the creation of a Public Involvement Standards Commission and charge it with developing policy proposals to institutionalize the City's commitment to public involvement.
If the Five Year Plan is fully implemented, Portland will continue to set an example nationally as a city where the government and the community work in genuine partnership, and where everybody has a chance to be heard. Some other outcomes include:
· City agencies, neighborhood associations and community organizations will involve more people and people from diverse communities.
· Portlanders will be able to define and impact their communities' needs--and have the tools to do so.
· Community members and leaders, along with their organizations and associations, will collaborate together, leading to more effective resolution of community problems.
· Portlanders will feel and be more connected to each other and their communities.
· Both City government and involved Portlanders will experience greater satisfaction in the decision-making process and better outcomes for building a healthy and vibrant city.
More information on the Five Year Plan - http://www.portlandonline.com/mayor/communityconnect
Community Connect's will present its final report to Council Feb. 27, 2008 at 2 pm in City Hall. The presentation will be broadcast live on cable channel 30, and webcast through this link: http://www.portlandonline.com/index.cfm?c=28258.
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PDC Board of Commissioners Meeting
February 27, 8 - 11 AM
222 NW 5th Ave.
Agenda now available:
http://www.pdc.us/about_pdc/agenda/2008/0227.asp
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IRAQ BODY COUNT EXHIBIT, sponsored by PSU Students for Unity
Sunday, March 9, through Thursday, March 20
Approximately 200 volunteers are needed to help set up the flags for the Iraq Body Count Exhibit. Volunteers should meet in front of the PSU Library a little before 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 9. There are 124,000 flags – red and white – to be placed. Each white flag represents at least 6 Iraqis killed and each red flag represents one American killed in Iraq as a result of the 2003 invasion. More information can be obtained at http://www.iraqbodycountexhibit.org .
WINTER SOLDIER: IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
Thursday, March 13, through Sunday, March 16
Their stories will be told. Are you ready to listen?
Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan will be the largest gathering of Iraq Veterans Against the War to date. To support Winter Soldier, you can:
-Donate. Winter Soldier needs your support today.
-Organize your neighbors. Host public forums to share the testimony.
-Spread the stories. Distribute information to local GIs, veterans, news sources and your Congressional offices.
-Join the movement. Sign the statement of support at www.ivaw.org/wintersoldier
-Take action. Use these testimonies to demand an end to the occupation now!
For more ways you can support Winter Soldier, contact wintersoldierally@ivaw.org .
PDX Peace is trying to get a satellite feed of Winter Soldier to be available for viewing at PSU on March 15, the day of the mobilization and rally against the War.
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WORLD WITHOUT WAR: A DAY OF RESISTANCE AND HOPE.
STOP THE WAR. BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!
Saturday, March 15, 10am
South Park Blocks (S.W. Madison and Park)
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Action Camp
2:00 p.m., Rally and March
For more information, please contact www.pdxpeace.org or (503) 230-9427. If you would like to volunteer at the Recruiter Watch counter-recruitment table (which is part of the Military Resistance and Recovery (MRR) action “tent” at the March 15 event), please contact Joanne at Ken_Luchini@hotmail.com
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STUDENT WALKOUT
Thursday, March 20, 11am
(Others are welcome to join, but the event is being youth-organized)
Walkout: 11:00 a.m.
Rally and March: PSU, 1:00 p.m.
There will be a press conference on the planned student walkout on March 20. The press conference will be held at 12:00 noon, on the steps of the Central Library, on Saturday, March 1.
From the press release:
“The event will address student-specific aspects of the Iraq War and emphasize the responsibility that each citizen has to respond to this illegal and immoral War. As a group, students are adversely affected by the War in that they lack legislative representation, are targeted by military recruitment and experience the loss of resources that comes from an inflating War budget. By the walkout, students will not only take a stand against the War but will also assert their power as a community determined to enact change. Acknowledging that silence gives consent, students are willing to disrupt their education for one day to take a stand against five years of mounting death tolls.”
More information can be obtained at (503) 679-2954 or www.everyyouth@gmail.com
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THE PORTLAND PLAN SUMMIT
FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 8 AM - 6 PM
OREGON CONVENTION CENTER
As the City of Portland is kicking off its plan to grow and transform over the next 30 years. Come tell us how you would like Portland to:
§ Reduce the effects of climate change
§ Create a thriving business environment
§ Build green infrastructure
§ Foster human health and safety
§ Address affordable living
§ Preserve and create well-designed and distinctive places
§ Ensure equity
AND
§ Continue visionary planning for a better future
The International Sustainability Institute will bring ...
Keynote Speaker: Svend Auken, First Vice President, Danish Parliament and International Leader in Sustainable Best Practices
Please pass this "Save the Date" message on to all those you think might be interested: your organizational members and partners, faculty, students, neighbors, and friends and family. Admission is free, but space is limited.
Save the date:
http://www.thesocialistparty.org/spo/action/PortlandPlanSummit.pdf
For further updates and more information, go to: http://www.portlandonline.com/portlandplan/
Christine Appleberry
Christine.Appleberry@ci.portland.or.us
Public Engagement for The Portland Plan
City of Portland, Bureau of Planning
1900 SW Fourth Avenue, Suite 4100
Portland, Oregon 97201-5350
Phone: 503-823-9907
Fax: 503-823-7800
http://www.portlandonline.com/portlandplan/
The Portland Plan is an inclusive, citywide effort to guide the physical, economic, social, development of Portland over the next 30 years. The plan will build on the work the community did through visionPDX which captured and fleshed out our shared values of social, cultural, economic and environmental sustainability, equity and accessibility, and community connectedness and distinctiveness
We invite you to continue this community/city partnership in a shared effort to turn our vision into a reality.
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