Portland Socialist
2008 November 3
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Eastside Democratic Club
Tuesday, November 4, 12pm-2pm
Whole Foods, 3535 NE 15th Ave. at Fremont
Homeless in Portland: Speakers on possible solutions for homelessness.
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STUDENTS PUT WAR IN AFGHANISTAN BACK AT THE CENTER OF PROTEST
The Campus Antiwar Network (CAN) will hold a national day of action on Thursday, November 13 at colleges and universities across the country calling for immediate withdrawal of all occupying troops from Afghanistan.
No matter who wins the presidential elections on November 4th, both major candidates have pledged to send more troops to Afghanistan over the coming months. Throughout the presidential campaign, the drumbeat for an escalation in Afghanistan has grown louder and louder as the war in Iraq is deemed unwinnable. Activists from the Campus Anti-war Network call on all anti-war organizations who have focused primarily on the war in Iraq over the past few years to join CAN in mounting opposition to a new buildup in Afghanistan.
NATO forces in Afghanistan have bombed civilians, placed criminal warlords in power, and through their brutality, driven recruits into the arms of the Taliban, which is increasingly resurgent. Recent months have been some of the bloodiest since the war began for both Afghan civilians and for occupying forces. Now is the time to cast aside the myth that the war in Afghanistan is a "good war," and to expose it for what it really is: no less a geopolitical crusade for international domination than the war in Iraq.
The November 13th action is the first in a series of actions that CAN will take over the coming months to build resistance to the occupation of Afghanistan. At our 2008 national conference at DePaul University in mid-October, CAN members voted to make opposition to the war in Afghanistan a central focus of its organizing efforts over the coming year by adopting the call for immediate withdrawal of all occupying and mercenary troops from both Iraq and Afghanistan as a national point of unity.
Finally, CAN is launching a petition drive against the occupation of Afghanistan. As the war in Afghanistan escalates, the anti-war movement has a critical role to play in bringing opposition to the war into public consciousness. CAN activists encourage all anti-war groups that have not already adopted similar positions against the Afghanistan occupation, to start this discussion and join the movement as quickly as possible. It is up to us to stop the war.
Contact: Sarah Porter
Phone: 916-307-3772
http://www.campusantiwar.net/
email: s.porter@berkeley.edu
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A Celtic Celebration at the Elsinore Theatre
I had a performance on Sunday that was so unbelievably inspiring that I had to share with you all. Irish flute payer and vocalist, Hanz Araki and I joined the Salem Concert band, a classically based band of 45 members. It was pretty incredible to have sean-nós dance improvisations melding with the full brass sound of a conducted band. Dancing to piccolos, flutes, oboes, clarinets, saxophones, bassoons, trumpets, horns, tubas, harp, string bass, and drums gave new meaning to the informal nature of sean-nós dance.
UP COMING EVENTS
Yachats Celtic Music Festival, Yachats, OR (Nov 7-9)
www.yachatscelticmusicfestival.com/
Sean-nós Dance Class, Portland, OR (Mondays Nov. 10 - Dec. 15)
6:30pm Beginners, 7:30pm Intermediate
www.maldonmeehan.com/schedule.html
2nd Friday Irish Céilí Dance, Salem, OR (Nov. 14)
www.ceiliofthevalley.org
3rd Friday Irish Céilí Dance, Portland, OR (Nov. 21)
www.portlandceilisociety.org
I hope to see you at one of these events.
Maldon Meehan
www.maldonmeehan.com
503.719.5230 or 503.206.9311
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Ecoroof Grants
I would like to let you all know that the City's Bureau of Environmental Services launched the Ecoroof Incentive Program yesterday. This is a grant program to help fund ecoroof projects in Portland. You can find additional information at <http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/ecoroof>.
The application deadline is December 1st.
Thank you,
Alice Meyers
City of Portland- Bureau of Environmental Services
Sustainable Stormwater Management
503-341-1883
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Learn Conflict Resolution Skills While Serving Your Community!
Resolutions Northwest (RNW) is a community-based nonprofit organization that provides high quality, cost-effective conflict resolution services and education to neighbors, families, communities, and organizations. From now until November 26th, RNW’S Neighborhood Mediation Program is recruiting applicants that reflect Portland’s diversity for a limited number of spots in our annual volunteer mediation training.
The comprehensive, 38 hour training and year-long mentor program is FREE in exchange for your year-long, hands-on commitment to serve the diverse communities of Portland. This opportunity is designed for people who are dedicated to helping neighbors and communities have challenging discussions and find mutually acceptable solutions together. If you are called to serve your community and/or neighborhood by offering your time, talent, and heart-centered presence during times of conflict, then we hope you will consider working with RNW’s Neighborhood Mediation Program.
Training dates for 2009:
v Jan. 7, 14 (Wed. eve),
v Jan 9, 10, 16, 17 (Fri. & Sat., all day).
Application deadline: November 26, 2008. Application forms and additional information can be found at http://www.resolutionsnorthwest.org or by calling (503) 595-4890. RNW is committed to the goals of equal opportunity and affirmative action in education and volunteerism. We encourage all interested to apply.
http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/?c=29385&a=216056
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