Vow to Take a Stand in your community!

Make history happen! Get involved in Olympia's LGBT community. ERW and Lambda
Legal are planning Vow To Take A Stand, an event for coalition building,
education, advocacy, and getting people excited about Equality Day in Olympia,
to be held February 26th. Learn how you can move equality forward in your area.
This event will also be held in the following cities: Vancouver, Tacoma, Seattle, and Spokane.

When: 12:00p.m.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Where: First Christian Church
701 Franklin St., Olympia, WA 98501

This will be a follow-up discussion to the January 26th Susan Greene presentation on mural art in Rafah. (See calendar listing.) Greene will join interested members of the Olympia Community to explore ideas for an Olympia-Rafah mural project and a proposed documentary about the creation of murals in both Olympia and Rafah, Rachel Corrie, and the struggle for justice in Palestine. Those interested are urged to share ideas for the project and to explore possibilities for their own participation.

Susan Greene, renowned Bay Area community mural artist and clinical psychologist will speak about her twenty years of experience with collaborative community based mural projects that re-inscribe walls in Occupied Palestine. Greene’s talk will focus particularly on murals that were painted in 2005 on the walls of the Rachel Corrie Children and Youth Cultural Center in the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.

Greene is one of four Jewish American female artists who in 1989 formed Break the Silence Mural Project (BTS) and traveled to the West Bank city of Ramallah to paint community murals with Palestinian community members and artists. Upon returning,they presented their work and reflections to high school, university, and community audiences across the United States including at the San Francisco Art Institute, Art Institute of Chicago, and the Alternative Museum in New York. The group produced an award winning video that aired on cable TV networks and in film festivals. In San Francisco’s Mission District, a traditional haven for refugees the world over, Break the Silence painted a mural about the occupation of Palestine and the Palestinian right to a homeland, making connections with issues of “home.” Break the Silence artists have returned to the West Bank and Gaza numerous times to facilitate community mural projects, conduct arts workshops, and create sculpture in refugee camps in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Beit Hanoun and Rafah.

JOIN US! on the 4th Tuesday of each month at THE FISBOWL from 5:30-7:00 as we meet new and old friends and enjoy the company of like-minded people! If you have an event you wish to highlight, there will be an opportunity to make short "announcement toasts" and hand out information flyers. Please come and bring your friends!

January 31, 2007 at 7:00pm in the Minneart Center for the Arts
South Puget Sound Community College
an inspiring presentation detailing why he believes the Iraq War is illegal, and why he is risking six years of possible military court martial.

It's MOVIE NIGHT at the CAPITOL THEATER on Tuesday, January 16th at 6:30 p.m. JOIN US! Let's build community and solidarity and all go together to the movies! Invite your family, friends, Dems, Greens, fence-sitters, ALL! Then let's meet at the FISHBOWL BREW PUB for a beer and socializing!
The Dixie Chicks started a firestorm when lead singer Natalie Maines declared onstage at a 2003 London concert that she was ashamed that President Bush was from Texas, her home state. The group faced drastic consequences, including death threats and blacklisting. This is a "bracingly candid documentary portrait of the artists in a career-defining transition....It also happens to be a lot of fun."

Monthly meeting. Veterans, military families, active duty service members interested in electing progressive candidates who support issues affecting vets, service members and military families are welcome to attend. 12-2 p.m.

Join members of the American Civil Liberties Union to advocate for civil liberties issues with the State Legislature. Our priority issues include Voting Rights, Privacy, "Real ID," Comprehensive sex education, and Same-sex relationship rights. For more information and to reserve your place, visit the web site at http://www.aclu-wa.org/ or contact the ACLU of Washington at (206) 624-2184.

The Dispute Resolution Center of Thurston County is offering our popular
40-HOUR BASIC MEDIATION TRAINING
Jan 22nd – 26th, 2007, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily
This fun, experiential and highly interactive training brings together diverse members of our community and is designed to acquaint participants with the philosophy, process model and specific skills needed to serve in the role of the neutral mediator. The concepts and skills taught in this training are highly transferable and are foundational to improving communication and conflict resolution skills both in our personal relationships and within our respective communities. Approved for CLE Credit through Washington State Bar Association
(37.5 total credits, 2 ethics credits)Washington State Clock Hour Offering for Educators (40 clock hours)
Cost: $525.00. Call 360-956-1155 or visit www.mediatethurston.org for more information or to register.

Thurston County Chapter of American Civil Liberties Union of Washington
Presentation of “Youth Speak” episode of The ACLU Freedom Files video series

Wednesday, December 13
7 PM
Olympia Center Room 206
222 Columbia St. NW
Free and open to the public.

Young people in America are often treated as if the Bill of Rights doesn't apply to them. In many schools, for instance, students’ writings are censored, backpacks and lockers are searched without reasonable suspicion, and low-income students are expected to learn in wretched conditions.

In this episode of The ACLU Freedom Files, you’ll meet young people whose rights were violated and who fought back.