[Antiracism] [Workers' Rights] Upcoming Events This Week

[WMass Jobs With Justice]

Tuesday March 4
     MAY DAY 2008 INITIAL ORGANIZING MEETING
     3:30pm, Unitarian Society, 220 Main St, Northampton (584-1390,
http://www.uunorthampton.org/). Organizing an evening celebration of
International Labor Day (May Day) and US working class history. Info: Jon,
827-0301, mailto:wmjwj at wmjwj.org.

Tuesday March 4
     DEEPA FERNANDES: "TARGETED: HOMELAND SECURITY & THE BUSINESS OF
IMMIGRATION"
     7pm, Wilson Savignano Auditorium B&C, Westfield State College, 577
Western Avenue, Westfield (572-5300). The US has always portrayed itself as
a country of immigrants, welcoming each year the millions seeking a new home
or refuge in this land of plenty. Increasingly, instead of finding the
American dream, many encounter a nightmare - a country whose culture and
legal system aggressively target and prosecute them. Award-winning
journalist Fernandes discusses the most recent developments around
immigration policy, the way the mainstream media has treated the subject,
and how the immigration debate figures into this year's presidential
election. Info: Charlotte Capogna, 572-5460, mailto:ccapogna at wsc.ma.edu.

Wednesday March 5
     RALLY FOR HOUSING & HEALTH CARE - CLOSE CORPORATE TAX LOOPHOLES!
     State House, Boston. GET ON THE BUS! 8am - depart from North Gate
Plaza, Main St, Springfield; return at 4pm. Legislature is holding hearings
on tax law bills, including Gov. Patrick's proposal to close corporate tax
loopholes (www.mass.gov/legis/comm/dlmar05.htm). Corporations pay less in
taxes than working families do! In 2003, the top 10 companies paid $500 in
state taxes. It's time for them to pay their fair share, so we can have
affordable housing and repairs, and affordable health care for all!
Sponsored by Neighbor to Neighbor. Call now to reserve your free seat on the
bus: 210-4030. Info: Betty Agin, mailto:bagin84735 at yahoo.com. 

Wednesday March 5
     WESTERN MASS JUSTICE @ SMITHFIELD COMMITTEE
     7-8:30pm, Conference Room, room 236, second floor, Potpourri Plaza, 243
King St, Northampton, opposite Stop & Shop.
http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=243+King+St,+Northampton,+MA. On the
agenda: Seeking a Resolution from Northampton City Council (and then
Chicopee Board of Aldermen and maybe Holyoke City Council); Creating an
Honor Roll for Atkins, Stop & Shop, and other stores not selling Tar Heel
pork (this will require more store visits); Latest on the national campaign
and lawsuit. Info: 827-0301, mailto:wmjwj at wmjwj.org. 

Thursday March 6
     INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE WORKERS OF IRAN
     Please take a moment and send off a message to the Iranian leaders
demanding respect for workers' rights and freedom for jailed trade
unionists, by clicking:
www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=339. And
please forward this message to fellow trade unionists. 
     The Iranian government has been arresting workers who have stood up and
tried to organize unions - including Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi, who
both languish in jails despite continuing health problems. This repression
is in violation of International Labour Organization core conventions and
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - the 60th anniversary of which we
observe this year. That Declaration states that "everyone has the right to
form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests." The
International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) together with the
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has called for the day of
action. 

Thursday March 6
     THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT
     4pm-5:30pm, Five College Women's Studies Research Center, 83 College St
(Rt 116), S Hadley. Carrie Baker, Visiting Assistant Professor, Smith
College, discusses her recently published book, "The Women's Movement
Against Sexual Harassment", which examines how a diverse grassroots social
movement placed sexual harassment on the public agenda in the 1970s and
1980s in the United States. She will present a slideshow of images of the
movement and answer questions. Copies of her book will be available for sale
after the talk. Info: 538-2275, www.fivecolleges.edu/sites/fcwsrc.

Saturday March 8
     INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
     Separate email. Info: Susan Dorazio, mailto:susandor at crocker.com.

Saturday March 8
     CONSCIOUSNESS IN ACTION INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP
     9am-4pm, Faculty Lounge N, Franklin Patterson Hall, Hampshire College,
Rt 116, Amherst. $99, includes lunch. Limited scholarships available. Led by
Raúl Quiñones-Rosado, PhD, author of "Consciousness-in-Action: Toward an
Integral Psychology of Liberation & Transformation". He works within various
communities-of-struggle in Puerto Rico and the United States to support
those committed to personal change and social transformation. He is
co-founder of ilé, inc. (formerly known as the Institute for Latino
Empowerment), an organization committed to anti-oppression community
organizing and Latino leadership development. In this 6-hour workshop, Raúl
introduces key concepts and principles of “consciousness-in-action” — an
alternative approach to personal and social change. Info, register (by
February 28): Undoing Racism Organizing Collective (UROC) of Western Mass,
104 Wayne St, Springfield; 746-1960.

A N D  S A V E  T H E  D A T E S:

Wednesday March 12
     JIM HIGHTOWER - AMERICA'S MOST POPULAR POPULIST - WWW.JIMHIGHTOWER.COM
!
     5:30-7:00pm – Reception/Booksigning/Jobs with Justice Fundraiser at
Odyssey Bookshop, 9 College Street, in the Village Commons, at Routes 116 &
47, South Hadley (534-7307, 800-540-7307) - $35 – Book on Sale - "Swim
against the Current: Even a Dead Fish Can Go With the Flow". Tickets on sale
at the Odyssey or reserve a place by phone or email.
     7:30pm – Public Lecture/Q&A/Booksigning, Gamble Auditorium, Mount
Holyoke College Art Museum, Lower Lake Road, off Park Street and off Morgan
Street, South Hadley (538-2245) – Free (Donations to WMJwJ Accepted) – Book
on Sale
- "Swim against the Current: Even a Dead Fish Can Go With the Flow".
     Info, Reception reservation: WMass Jobs with Justice, 827-0301,
mailto:wmwjw at wmjwj.org.

Thursday March 13
     JIM HIGHTOWER - AMERICA'S MOST POPULAR POPULIST - WWW.JIMHIGHTOWER.COM
!
     10:00am-Noon – Brunch/Booksigning at Pioneer Valley AFL-CIO, 640 Page
Boulevard, Springfield (732-7970) – Free (Donations to WMJwJ Requested) -
Reservation Needed – Book on Sale - "Swim against the Current: Even a Dead
Fish Can Go With the Flow". 
     Noon-1:00pm – Media Availability at Pioneer Valley AFL-CIO.
     Info, reservation: WMass Jobs with Justice, 827-0301,
mailto:wmwjw at wmjwj.org.

THE JIM HIGHTOWER VISIT MARCH 12-13 - CO-SPONSOR IT with the Weissman Center
for Leadership & the Liberal Arts at Mount Holyoke College; Odyssey
Bookshop; Pioneer Valley AFL-CIO; and Western Massachusetts Jobs with
Justice. $100 donation to WMJwJ. Info: WMass Jobs with Justice, 827-0301,
mailto:wmwjw at wmjwj.org.


MORE EVENTS AT www.westernmassafsc.org/calendar/calendar.html. And please
post your events there by emailing Roger Conant,
mailto:conant at ecs.umass.edu, with Event for AFSC Calendar as the Subject,
with this information in the body of the email: Date and Time; Location;
Brief description of the event; How to get more information about the event.
Please help Roger keep the recurring events page accurate - see
www.westernmassafsc.org/calendar/calendar2.html#recurring. 

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You are subscribed to a Western Mass. Jobs with Justice listserve. They are:

[Workers' Rights] - The core mission of Jobs with Justice, affirming that
workers' rights are human rights. Opportunities for you to learn about and
show solidarity with workplace and working class struggles. And these events
are opportunities for JwJ members to fulfill their pledge: "I'll be there
for workers' rights at least five times a year!" 

[Health Care Action] - Events and information that support the large and
vibrant Western Mass. movement for health care justice. Nationwide, Jobs
with Justice (www.jwj.org) has prioritized Health Care as a basic human
right. 

[People's History] - Supporting work related to a people's history of
Western Mass.

[Solidarity Calendar] - Events of interest to the Coalition that don't show
up on other WMJwJ Listserves.

[WMJwJ] - Events and information that would be posted to all lists. 

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