DON'T see your item listed?!? Don't let us make that mistake again! Please send your calendar listing to CCAWR (at) aol.com with the subject heading "CALENDAR."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FEATURED ITEM:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Help Organize Protest(s) on the 2nd Anniversary
Of the Invasion of Iraq – March 19, 2005

Join the March 19 Chicago Coalition, a new ad hoc coalition, to organize for a huge protest(s) on the 2nd anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. The Coalition currently is in a permit battle with the City of Chicago over the right to march from the N. Michigan Avenue area to Federal Plaza (see chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/52073/index.php for more on this). Please join us at the second open organizing meeting to organize protest(s) on the anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. The meeting will begin at 2 pm, this Sunday, February 6th with working group meetings that will begin work and draft proposals for approval by the overall meeting, which will run from 3-5 pm. This will be the first meetings of these working groups, so this is a good opportunity to get in on the “ground floor” of the organizing effort. The working groups are currently defined as:

a. Outreach, Media/Publicity, Website/e-communications, and pre-cursor action(s)
b. Program
c. Logistical/Tactical/Permit/Legal

The meetings will take place at The DePaul Center, 11th floor cafeteria, at 1 E. Jackson in downtown Chicago.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ONGOING - 24/7 Union Picket - Support the Congress Hotel Strikers! Congress Hotel, 520 S. Michigan. Sponsor: HERE Local 1. Info: www.congresshotelstrike.info

ONGOING - There is an exhibit on free speech in Chicago at the Newberry Library, located at 60 W. Walton, at Clark Street, about two blocks S. of Division. The exhibit is called "Outspoken: Chicago's Free Speech Tradition." The library is located directly across the street from Washington Park, popularly known as "Bughouse Square." The square has long been a place for the exercise of speech by groups and individuals not favored of the establishment. The exhibit includes photographs of the demonstrations for marriage equality held earlier in the. Organized by Newberry Library and the Chicago Historical Society, more information on the exhibit or other aspects of the programming on free speech can be had by contacting jthomas (at) newberry.org or going to the website at www.newberry.org/.

Thru February 26 - The Brown Couch Theatre Company presents Jonathan Tolin's The Twilight of the Golds, which examines the family conflict that ensues when a couple discovers that the newly-pregnant wife may be carrying a homosexual child. With each production, Brown Couch ensemble members pick a local organization whose mission matches the themes of the production, volunteer with that organization, and make a donation. Chicago’s lesbian and gay library and research center, the Gerber/Hart Library, is happy to be the beneficiary for this production. For tickets, call the Brown Couch Theatre Company at 312.409-2010. Tickets are $12–$15. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm. The play is being performed at Profiles Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway.

Thru February 28 - "Then I must be grey...,” The Awkward in Hybridity and the Appropriation of Black History Month, an exhibit in celebration of African-American History Month. Gerber/Hart Library, 1127 W. Granville Avenue, will host an exhibit by Aaron Joseph with an opening reception on Sunday, February 6, 5-8 pm. A participatory crocheted performance entitled “Cocoon” will take place that evening at 6:45 pm. Info: 773.381.8030, www.gerberhart.org/ or info (at) gerberhart.org

Thursday, February 3 - Chicago Games, Inc., the local host organization of the 2006 Gay Games VII Sports and Cultural Festival, will host a Town Hall Meeting in the Rubloff Auditorium of the Chicago Historical Society, 1601 N. Clark Street (at N. Avenue), from 6 to 8:30 pm. The Town Hall Meeting will feature a presentation by the Gay Games VII Board of Directors followed by an opportunity for members of the community to ask questions and provide feedback. Topics will include status of logistical and financial preparations, how to volunteer, synopsis of the business sponsorship and donors program, and details on how to register as an athlete or artist. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome. There is no charge to attend and no RSVP is required.

Thursday, February 3 - Dr. Ernest Morrell speaks on "Youth As Critical Social Researchers" in a program sponsored by DePaul University’s School of Education, Institute for Teacher Development and Research and the Irwin W. Steans Center for Community-based Service Learning and Community Service Studies. 7-8:30 pm, Schmidt Academic Center, 2320 N. Kenmore, Room 154. Ernest Morrell is Co-Director of the Critical Research and Writing Seminar, UCLA Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access, a six-week summer program that trains urban high school students in critical social research for social justice. His research explores relationships between language, literacy, culture and power. He examines strategies for developing critical literacy educators in urban contexts. Info: 773.325-1856, itdr (at) depaul.edu or condor.depaul.edu/~itdr

Thursday, February 3 - "Arne Duncan and the Done Deal” on the next Labor Beat. The show's title segment is "Arne Duncan and the Done Deal", which is the first of two segments. This is an edited-down piece about what essentially happened at the Dec. 9 Senn HS/Community "dialogue" with Arne Duncan over the Navy Academy proposal. The core of the segment is when Duncan (Mayor Daley's puppet on the School Board) is interrogated (nailed down) to where he admits basically that he has already made up his mind about how the School Board is going to vote on Dec. 15. So Senn H.S. supporters that night learned that there wasn't going to be any 'process' of 'sharing' views and 'democratically' arriving at a decision. It was a done deal. One revelation followed upon another as we watch Democrat Congresswoman Jan Shakowski bare her bourgeois fangs and declare that she had "no philosophical objection to having a Navy Academy at Senn High School." The footage shows the significant development of Shakowski getting booed and hissed by her core demographic. This show, combined with our previous show on the big CFL-sponsored rally of city workers demanding a contract, illustrate how Democratic Party politicians, lined up from the national, city, and ward level, are ganging up on Chicago's working families. The second segment of this show is a talk at a recent Chicago Labor Against the War forum given by VVAW national coordinator Bill Davis (who is also president of Machinist Local 701, but not appearing in that capacity). Davis dwells upon how the military tries unscrupulously to recruit youth. 4:30 pm cablecast on CAN TV, cable Channel 19 in Chicago

Thursday, February 3 - Chicago Independent TV on CAN TV in February: Chicago Independent Television will be cablecast on CAN TV (cable channel 21 in Chicago) at 10 pm. This month’s show includes: “The Midwest Still Says No To War” – Complete coverage of the March 20, 2004 protest on the one-year anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. Includes interviews with the participants and protest organizers. “Weapons of Mass Destruction Scavenger Hunt” – Local activists search for WMD’s on the campus of the University of Chicago where the first atomic bomb experiments were conducted. “Kathy Kelly Interview” - Part 1 of the interview we conducted with Voices in the Wilderness co-founder Kathy Kelly. “M20 - The World Still Says No To War” – A collaborative video that shows us a different side of the M20 protests. This piece has won critical acclaim at a number of film fests.

Thursday, February 3 – “How Can Bush Be Stopped?: Building the Socialist Alternative,” a meeting sponsored by the Harold Washington Socialist Club and the International Socialist Organization Loop Branch. Bush thinks that his election shows that he has a mandate for his right-wing agenda. But his approval ratings are the lowest of any president entering a second terms since 1945. If Bush is so unpopular, how did he win Election 2004, and is there anything we can do to slow him down? 7 pm, Harold Washington College, 30 E. Lake Street

Thursday, February 3 - The Open University of the Left presents “’Democracy’ and Its Discontents: A Look at Henry Adams' Political Novel.” Writer/critic Hugh Iglarsh leads a session on Henry Adams' 1879 novel, DEMOCRACY, an examination of the inner workings of the political process in Gilded Age America. After a century and a quarter, this tragicomic novel of ideas retains its bite. The heroine, the young widow Mrs. Madeleine Lee, is the alter ego of Henry Adams himself – a detached and intelligent aristocrat bent on understanding the forces shaping the modern age, yet fearful of becoming entangled in the corruption and materialism just under the surface of elite Washington society. Mrs. Lee is courted by the powerful Senator Silas Ratcliffe, a kingmaker and likely future president. Ratcliffe is one of the memorable characters in American fiction, a shrewd, egotistic, yet compelling amoralist who embodies the age of Grant and Jay Gould. Witty, penetrating and profound, "DEMOCRACY" is a great read and a valuable reminder that electoral shenanigans and corporate payola have deep roots in American soil. 7 pm, Acme Art Works, 1741 N. Western. Info: OULChicago (at) yahoo.com or 773.384.5797

Friday, February 4 – “A Night of Solidarity With Venezuela,” film screening / open discussion / music: On April 12, 2002, the Venezuelan people resisted an attempted coup to overthrow the democratically-elected President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez. Since then, the Venezuelan people have continued to stand up in defense of their sovereignty and right to self-determination. Join us for a Night of Solidarity and enjoy a film screening, speakers, Venezuelan food and Latin-American folk music. Featured will be the documentary
“Venezuela Boliariana, People and Struggle of the 4th World War, “Trova Latinoamericana” and “Colectivo Musical.”

Friday, February 4 – “Amor De Dios,” 7 pm at the Methodist Church, 2356 S. Sawyer Ave, La Villita, Chicago. Near the Kedzie Blue Line “el” station (3 blocks south, 1 block right). Sponsored by Círculo Bolivariano "Amada Libertad", Chicago-Venezuela Coalition, Colombia Action Network, La Voz de Los de Abajo, YCL Chicago Club, The Consulate General of Venezuela in Chicago, Chicago Committee to Free the Cuban 5, Socialist Workers Party, Young Socialists, Hands Off Venezuela Campaign USA, Chicago Cuba Coalition, Puertorrican Cultural Center

Friday, February 4 - "Arne Duncan and the Done Deal” on the next Labor Beat. The show's title segment is "Arne Duncan and the Done Deal", which is the first of two segments. This is an edited-down piece about what essentially happened at the Dec. 9 Senn HS/Community "dialogue" with Arne Duncan over the Navy Academy proposal. The core of the segment is when Duncan (Mayor Daley's puppet on the School Board) is interrogated (nailed down) to where he admits basically that he has already made up his mind about how the School Board is going to vote on Dec. 15. So Senn H.S. supporters that night learned that there wasn't going to be any 'process' of 'sharing' views and 'democratically' arriving at a decision. It was a done deal. One revelation followed upon another as we watch Democrat Congresswoman Jan Shakowski bare her bourgeois fangs and declare that she had "no philosophical objection to having a Navy Academy at Senn High School." The footage shows the significant development of Shakowski getting booed and hissed by her core demographic. This show, combined with our previous show on the big CFL-sponsored rally of city workers demanding a contract, illustrate how Democratic Party politicians, lined up from the national, city, and ward level, are ganging up on Chicago's working families. The second segment of this show is a talk at a recent Chicago Labor Against the War forum given by VVAW national coordinator Bill Davis (who is also president of Machinist Local 701, but not appearing in that capacity). Davis dwells upon how the military tries unscrupulously to recruit youth. 9:30 pm cablecast on CAN TV, cable Channel 19 in Chicago.

Friday, February 4 – The Arab American Action Network presents Movie Night! Tonight’s feature is “Gaza Strip,” 8 pm at 3148 W. 63rd St. on the southwest side of Chicago. Free Admission. American documentary filmmaker James Longley traveled to the Gaza Strip in January of 2001, planning to stay for two weeks and collect preliminary material for a film about the Palestinian Intifada. He threw away his return ticket and stayed for another 3 months, shooting over 75 hours of material throughout the Gaza Strip. The documentary is 70 minutes long. “Gaza Strip” follows a range of people and events following the election of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, including the first major armed incursion into "Area A" by IDF forces during this Intifada. The film is shot almost entirely in "verite" style, presented without narration and with little explanation, focusing on ordinary Palestinians rather than politicians and pundits. More observation than political argument, “Gaza Strip” offers a rare look inside the stark realities of Palestinian life and death under Israeli military occupation. Please Call to reserve a SEAT, Seating is limited For more info, please contact: Jamal Mahmoud 773.436-6060 ext-104 jmlmahmoud (at) yahoo.com

Saturday, February 5 - A benefit for the Windy City Blenders' Spring Tour to Dublin, Berlin, and beyond! Brave the cold and support the local arts! Join us for a night of amazing live music and spoken word. Performers include hot local dyke band 8" Betsy, Tim & Gino, and Adrian & Amber. With Heather Mills serving as your Emcee and Spoken Word Mistress! Proceeds benefit The Windy City Blenders, an international traveling group of neo-burlesque performers and drag kings from Chicago. 11:30 pm, Joey's Brickhouse, 1258 W. Belmont, $5-7 donations

Saturday, February 5 – “War is Our Common Enemy,” a Lumpen-War News fundraiser party. 9 pm at buddy Space, 1542 N. Milwaukee Ave, $5-10. Featuring prformances by “Far Rad,” “Chandleriers,” and Al Burian with his special friends.

Saturday, February 5 – “Rap For Justice” sponsored by the Middle Eastern Student Association (MESA) of North Park University. Featured performer: “Iron Sheik.” 9 pm at North Park University, 3225 W. Foster Ave. Lecture Hall Auditorium (LHA). Admission: $5 (free for North Park University Students, Faculty & Staff)
.
Sunday, February 6 – Open planning meeting for the big anti-war march on the 2nd anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq (3/19/05). The meeting will take place beginning at 2 pm at The DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson, 11th floor cafeteria. See “Featured Item” at the top of this email.

Sunday, February 6 – “Peace, Propaganda and thePromised Land: U.S. Media and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” a film from the Media Education Foundation. Please join us and share your thoughts in the post-film discussion 2 pm at the Downers Grove Public Library, 1050 Curtiss Street, first floor meeting room. This film showing and discussion is co-sponsored by Not In My Name (www.NIMN.org), a predominately Jewish group that sees ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian lands seized in 1967, as required by international law, as a needed first step toward attaining a just peace; W. Suburban Faith-based Peace Coalition (www.faithpeace.org); and by Downers Grove End The Occupation. Info: 630.964.0450

Sunday, February 6 - The next monthly potluck meeting of the International Solidarity Movement-Chicago chapter will be on Sunday, February 6. Please e-mail us at ISMinChicago (at) aol.com or call 773.489-3505 for more information

Sunday, February 6 – Jim Benn of the Community Renewal Society discusses “The New Medicare Law and the Threat to Seniors.” 10 am, Third Unitarian Church, 301 N. Mayfield. Info: www.thirdunitarianchurch.org

Monday, February 7 – “Chernobyl Heart” and “Nadya’s Village,” two documentaries on the impact of the nuclear power disaster at Chernobyl, Ukraine. 7 pm, Doc Films, 1212 E. 59th Street. Info: 773.702.8574

Monday, February 7 – “Americans and the Israeli Occupation: Economic Morality and Targeted Divestment.” 7:30 pm, Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St, Oak Park. The Presbyterian Church [PCUSA] voted at last summer's General Assembly meeting to begin a process of shareholder activism and possible divestment from corporations doing business in Israel and Palestine in ways that violate church standards for socially responsible conduct. Other mainline Protestant denominations are reported to be considering similar actions. Over 40 college campuses have had divestment campaigns and municipal divestment efforts have been mobilized in Berkeley, California, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Somerville, Massachusetts. An ongoing shareholder activism campaign seeks an end to the sale of Caterpillar bulldozers for use in the demolition of Palestinian homes and agricultural plots. In October, 2004, the National Lawyers Guild voted to support national and international divestment campaigns. Opposition to divestment has been sustained and forceful. Divestment initiatives have been widely characterized as anti-Semitic and unfairly biased against Israel. Some Jewish organizations have issued statements opposing the activist strategy; high-profile individuals including Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, Chicago Tribune reporter Ron Grossman, and Harvard University President Lawrence Summers have leveled the charge of anti-Semitism. And yet, many of the authors of divestment initiatives and signers of pro-divestment petitions are American Jews. Several Jewish peace organizations have issued statements in support of some form of shareholder activism or divestment. Is divestment an expression of anti-Semitic bias? Does it unfairly single out Israel for condemnation and punishment? What are the economic, political, and moral rationales for targeted disinvestment? What motivates some American Jews to support actions that others reject as anti-Jewish and anti-Israel? What does the US divestment movement look like to Israelis who see it as a necessary tool for ending the occupation? This public forum will offer a valuable opportunity to hear the rationale for divestment as a form of economic morality in the pursuit of social justice. Panelists: Liat Weingart, Co-Director of Jewish Voice for Peace and Shamai Leibowitz, Israeli human rights lawyer and military refuser. Sponsors: Not In My Name, www.nimn.org/ and Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine, www.geocities.com/cjpipwebsite. Info: 312.409.4845

Tuesday, February 8 - WTA and Stockyards Theatre Project present “February Salon.” A quarterly event, the Salon Series promotes women's leadership in the Chicago theatre community and provides a unique network for theatre artists to share in their artistic diversity. The networking reception preceeding the reading is an opportunity to give and receive information on upcoming performances, auditions and other events. This reading will be “Ophelia Thinks Harder” by Jean Betts, directed by Angela Bonacasa, and featuring Jessica Dunne, Jocelyn Fultz, Katie Carey Govier, Chris Julun, Brigitte Lehmkuhl, Neil Massey, Andey Merrill, Francesca Peppiatt, Elizabeth Styles and John Tovar. Networking reception begins at 7:20 pm, and the reading begins promptly at 7:30 pm at Bailiwick Arts Center Loft, 1229 W. Belmont. Refreshments will be served. A brief discussion will follow the reading. $5 suggested donation (WTA members free). Info: pages.ivillage.com/stockyards/salonseries.html

Tuesday, February 8 - "Surmounting the Barricades: Women in the Paris Commune" Carolyn J. Eichner, author, historian, and Associate Professor of Women's Studies at the University of S. Florida, will discuss and read from her recently published book on feminism, socialism, and revolutionary women in 19th century France. Eichner's work examines women's revolutionary participation - on the battlefield, in labor organizations, and on the printed page. She will also discuss the various feminist socialisms that emerged in the revolutionary crucible - politics that deeply influenced both Europe and the U.S. for many decades. 7:30 pm, Women and Children First Bookstore, 5233 N. Clark (one block N. of Foster). Info: wcfbooks (at) aol.com or eichner (at) cas.usf.edu

Tuesday, February 8 and Wednesday, February 9 – “Bound For the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero.” Historian Kate Clifford Larson discusses her new book. 6 pm, February 8 at the Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton. 7 pm, February 9 at the Woodson Library, 9525 S. Halsted

Wednesday, February 9 – “Life & Debt,” a film by Stephanie Black and Jamaica Kincaid (2001, 80min). This searing documentary dissects the "mechanism of debt" that is destroying local agriculture and industry in Third World countries. Life and Debt offers an unapologetic look from the point of view of Jamaican workers, farmers, and government and policy officials who see the reality of globalization from the ground up. The film focuses on the stories of individuals whose strategies for survival and day-to-day existence are determined by the U.S. And other foreign economic agendas. After the film representatives from the American Friends Service Committee will be present for discussion.7:30 pm, Evanston Public Library. Info: www.reeltimeevanston.org

Wednesday, February 9 – Author and Sojourners founder Jim Wallis discusses his new book, “God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It.” 7 pm, Seminary Co-op, 5757 S. University Avenue.

Thursday, February 10 – “What We Do Now,” University of Chicago Law professor Martha Nussbaum discuses the new book of progressive writers on which way forward. Barbara’s Books, 1218 S. Halsted

Thursday, February 10 - Raise your glass to Equality, Love and Commitment! 2005 Freedom to Marry Reception, "Equality. Love. Commitment" sponsored by Lambda Legal. Marriage is the legal safety net that our society provides to support committed couples. Same-sex couples are standing up and demanding equality under the law. 7 - 9 pm, High Risk Gallery, 1113 W. Belmont. Featured speaker is Patricia M. Logue, Senior Counsel with Lambda Legal Defense and Education, Inc., who will discuss the current climate surrounding the push for marriage equality. She argued the 1995 case that established second-parent adoptions in Illinois, and later defended that precedent in cases where adoptions were blocked by an anti-gay judge. The 2005 Freedom to Marry Reception is hosted by Lambda Legal and partnering organizations Equal Marriage NOW!, Chicago NOW, Chicago Commission on Human Relations' Advisory Council on LGBT Issues (ACLGBTI), Dignity Chicago, Khuli Zaban, the Metropolitan Community Churches of Illiana, Or Chadash, High Risk Gallery & others. Free admission with cash bar. Please RSVP by e-mailing: RTijerina (at) lambdalegal.org

Thursday, February 10 - Protest Militarism and Imperialism! 3-5 pm at the Armed Farces Recruitment Center, 2600 W. Addison, across the street from Lane Tech High School every other Tuesday. As with its cousin, the Northside Peace Gathering, these events are not connected to any political party or group, but are “Free Form” and open to anyone opposing militarism, imperialism and their root cause -- capitalism. Bring a friend and a sign. Extra signs are available as well as an excellent anti-military pamphlet, mostly borrowed from Central Committee for Conscientious Objection (thanks). Join us, or do "something" somewhere, sometime. But always remember "Silence is Consent." Get Angry and Get Active!

Thursday, February 10 thru Sunday, February 20 – Witness For Peace delegation to Cuba. Info: cubatrip2005 (at) hotmail.com

February 11 - Holly Near in Concert. Known for her work as a folk singer and peace ambassador, Holly Near is an example of an individual who has used her unique talents to promote justice. Composer of such songs as “The Great Peace March” and “Singing for our Lives,” Near uses music to advocate for any who are in need. Some of her many endeavors are cited in the following excerpt from her website: "Holly has traveled from the fields of central California singing in support of The United Farm Workers to El Salvador where she sang for peace amidst war and conflict. She has been a powerful voice of humanity for over 25 years. Her songs were sung clandestinely in Latin American prisons and sung boldly by Irish and English women who joined together to protest war. Whether in support of nurses striking for better conditions in the emergency room or in opposition to racist violence on the police force, Holly sings a bold truth." Tickets are $10; $8 for groups of 10 or more. Tickets are available over the phone. 8 pm, North Park University, Anderson Chapel, 3225 W. Foster Ave (corner of Foster and Spaulding Avenues). Info: 773.244.5553, jpope (at) N.park.edu or www.N.park.edu/campustheme

Friday, February 11 – Harry Belafonte visits Chicago in celebration of African American History Month at The Faith Community of Saint Sabina, 1210 W. 78th Place. Tickets required. Info: www.saintsabina.org/index2.htm

Friday, February 11 – 8th Annual Critical Mass Art Show. 6 pm, High School Gallery, 1542 N. Milwaukee, 3rd floor. Info: www.ChicagoCriticalMass.org or 312.505.9307

Friday, February 11 – “Mission Against Terror,” the Chicago premiere of Bernie Dwyer’s new documentary on the Cuban Five, a group imprisoned for attempting to stop the US-sponsored terror campaign against Cuba. 7 pm, DePaul University SAC, 2320 N. Kenmore. A discussion with the director follows. Info: www.freethefive.org

Friday, February 11 - Amnesty International OUTfront and the Jamaican Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG) present “Breaking the Cycle of Homophobia in Jamaica.” 7 pm, The Charles Hayes Family Investment Center, 4859 S. Wabash (easily accessible by the both the Red and Green lines). For thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Jamaicans, home is no paradise. Homophobic violence perpetrated against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Jamaica is running rampant. Reports range from vigilante action by members of the community to ill-treatment and torture by the police. Lesbians and gay men have been beaten, cut, burned, raped and shot on account of their sexuality. The police don't prioritize these crimes and in some cases actually are the perpetrators of them. Prominent recording artists incorporate graphic references to homophobic violence in their music and yet government leaders refuse to address this issue. J-FLAG will be appearing here in Chicago to discuss how homophobic violence affects their community. Come learn what's happening in Jamaica, and find out what you can do to put a stop to homophobic violence everywhere. After the presentation a reception will follow. These tireless activists are being honored by the Adodi Chicago, Affinity, Amnesty International USA, the Center on Halsted, Chicago Black Lesbians and Gays, Chicago Commission on Human Relations' Advisory Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues (ACLGBTI), Chicago Commission on Human Relations' Advisory Council on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, the Gay Liberation Network, Human Rights Watch, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, the Chicago Chapter of the National Organization for Women, Queer to the Left, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, SANGAT, and the Windy City Media Group. The event is free and open to the public but donations will be accepted to advance the work of JFLAG. Please do not bring cameras or camera phones. Due to the potential backlash levied at JFLAG activists no photographs or photographic equipment is allowed.

Friday, February 11 – “Born into Brothels,” this film is part of The Public Square's new program for 2005-2006 entitled “Civic Cinema,” an exhilarating series of films, forums, and conversations that uses the most exceptionally creative and engaging documentary films of our times as a point of departure for talking about some of the most pressing and challenging social issues facing us. Landmark's Century Centre, 2828 N. Clark Street. Save the date for the screening of this film and check back with us soon for more details. Info: www.thepublicsquare.org/flash~index.html

Saturday, February 12 - On Freedom to Marry Day ... rally for Equal Marriage Rights for ALL! 12 noon in front of the Moody Church, Clark Street & North Avenue. George Bush and some religious leaders are attempting to impose their narrow beliefs about marriage on the rest of society. Organizations such as the Moody Bible Institute are actively trying to pass anti-gay federal and state constitutional amendments, including here in Illinois. Moody spokespeople call marriage for gay people "the most damaging social experiment to ever be attempted in this country" and preach that "If God's people do not act now, it might be too late." The reality is that attempts to deprive Lesbian and Gay couples of the equal right to marry is aimed at making second-class citizens of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Americans. It is no accident that the same forces who oppose equal marriage rights ALSO oppose equal employment rights, equal housing rights, and equal access to public accommodations for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered people. The move for constitutional amendments not only represent a vicious attack on Lesbian and Gay people, but could lead to other attacks on other groups – an attack on one is an attack on all! Protest sponsored by the Gay Liberation Network (formerly the Chicago Anti-Bashing Network). For more info, email LGBTLiberation (at) aol.com, call 888.471.0874 or check out our website: www.CABN.org

Saturday, February 12 - The 14th Annual Coming Out Against Cancer Ball benefiting the Lesbian Community Cancer Project, featuring MC LYTE in command of the DJ booth. Join over 2,000 women and men from Chicago and beyond for the nation’s largest and most diverse Ball for women. 6:30pm VIP Champagne Reception Featuring heavy passed hors d’oeuvres, open bar and Awards Program hosted by honorary chair, US Representative Melissa Bean. 8pm-midnight, The Ball with two rooms of dancing. Info: 773.561.4662 or info (at) lccp.org

Saturday, February 12 – Film: “One Wedding and a Revolution: The Day San Francisco City Hall said ‘I Do,’”also featuring Lee Neubecker and David Greer, one of nearly 4,000 same-sex couples married in San Francisco between February 12th and March 11th 2004, this local couple became the first same-sex couple to have their wedding announcement printed in the Chicago Tribune and also fought for employer recognition of their marriage license. 4 pm – 6 pm, Gerber/Hart Library, 1127 W. Granville, 1/2 block from the "Granville" Red Line Stop. Free. Light Refreshments will be provided. Sponsor: Equal Marriage Now.

Saturday, February 12 - The next meeting of the Stop CAT Coalition, 1 pm at the New World Resource Center, 1300 N. Western Ave. To visit our group on the web, go to groups.yahoo.com/group/stopcat/

Saturday, February 12 – Car Show Shutdown Festival. Noon, McCormick Place. Bike from Daley Plaza. Performance by Chicago Car Alarm Symphony; levitation & exorcism of McCormick Place by a pastor from Church of Christ Without Cars; unveiling of safe cheap super-efficient vehicles of tomorrow; oversized puppet parade of auto industry titans. Info: www.ChicagoCriticalMass.org or 312.505.9307

Sunday, February 13 - Dr. Cornel West will return for African American History month to grace the pulpit with a masterful synthesis of style and substance that honors the great prophetic preaching tradition of the black church. 11:15 am, The Faith Community of Saint Sabina, 1210 W. 78th Place. The service is free and open to the public. Info: www.saintsabina.org/index2.htm

Sunday, February 13 – Dr. Strangelove Valentines Party. Video viewing & masquerade party benefits Chicago Greens. 3-7 pm, Cocobean Café, 7007 N. Glenwood. Sponsor: Quagmire Theatre. Info: lionel (at) greens.org or 312.593.0996

Sunday, February 13 – The Silk Road Theatre Project’s Al Kasida Staged Reading Series in partnership with Chicagoland’s Japanese American Community proudly presents “Question 27, Question 28” by Chay Yew, directed by Julieanne Ehre. On this day the Japanese American community will gather for its annual Day of Remembrance. This event commemorates the 63rd anniversary of the date when President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which allowed the government to forcibly incarcerate over 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. What happened to the women of the Japanese American internment? How did these brave women keep hope in the American dream alive? Based on transcripts, documents, personal testimonies, and interviews with Japanese American female internees, Chay Yew's Question 27, Question 28, at once heartwrenching and inspiring, weaves a story of the struggles, resilience and courage of Japanese American female detainees held in the American internment camps during World War II. The staged reading will be followed by a Q & A session with playwright Chay Yew. 2 pm at the DePaul University Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield. Free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by the Chicago Japanese American Council, Chicago Japanese American Historical Society (847-998-8101, www.cjahs.org), DePaul University, Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and Delta Phi Lambda Asian Interest Sorority (773.325-7325, studentaffairs.depaul.edu/multiculturestudentaffair.html), Japanese American Citizens League, Chicago Chapter (773.728-7171), Japanese American Service Committee (773.275.0097, www.jasc-chicago.org). For info on the event visit Silk Road Theatre Project’s web site, www.srtp.org, or call the theatre’s administrative office at 312.236.6881

Tuesday, February 15 - Chicago Coalition Against War & Racism general meeting. All who want to organize against war and racism are welcome! Rather than meeting bi-weekly, we now meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month -- 6:30 pm at 1st Methodist Temple, 77 W. Washington (at Clark), lower level. Call 888.471.0874 or e-mail CCAWR (at) aol.com for information.

Tuesday, February 15 – “Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed,” this film is part of The Public Square's new program for 2005-2006 entitled “Civic Cinema,” an exhilarating series of films, forums, and conversations that uses the most exceptionally creative and engaging documentary films of our times as a point of departure for talking about some of the most pressing and challenging social issues facing us. Chicago Historical Society, Clark Street and North Avenue. Info: www.thepublicsquare.org/flash~index.html

Tuesday, February 15 – Eve Ensler, author of “Vagina Warriors,” signs her book on ending violence against women. 5 pm, Women & Children First, 5233 N. Clark

Wednesday, February 16 - Chicago Independent TV on CAN TV in February: Chicago Independent Television will be cablecast on CAN TV (cable channel 21 in Chicago) at 10 pm. This month’s show includes: “The Midwest Still Says No To War” – Complete coverage of the March 20, 2004 protest on the one-year anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. Includes interviews with the participants and protest organizers. “Weapons of Mass Destruction Scavenger Hunt” – Local activists search for WMD’s on the campus of the University of Chicago where the first atomic bomb experiments were conducted. “Kathy Kelly Interview” - Part 1 of the interview we conducted with Voices in the Wilderness co-founder Kathy Kelly. “M20 - The World Still Says No To War” – A collaborative video that shows us a different side of the M20 protests. This piece has won critical acclaim at a number of film fests.

Wednesday, February 16 - Author Christopher Benson discusses his book on the murder of Emmett Till, “Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime That Changed America.” 6 pm, Loyola University Rubloff Auditorium, 25 E. Pearson. Sponsored by the Loyola Library Book Club

Wednesday, February 16 and Thursday, February 17 – “Don’t Kill in Our Names: Families of Murder Victims Speak Out Against the Death Penalty.” Author and state campaign coordinator of ACLU's Capital Punishment Project Rachel King discusses her book. 7:30 pm, February 16 at Barbara's Books, 1218 S. Halsted. 7:30 pm, February 17 at Women & Children First, 5233 N. Clark

Thursday, February 17 – “Friends or Lovers?: Same Sex Relationships in the 19th Century.” 6:30 pm, Chicago Historical Society, corner of Clark Street and North Avenue, with scholars Victoria Brown, Jay Grossman and Martha Vicinus discussing Jane Addams, Walt Whitman, Charlotte Cushman and others.

Thursday, February 17 – “Asian-American and Latino Perspectives on Integration,” with panelists Gerald Torres of School of Law University of Texas; Vijay Prashad of International Studies Program Trinity College, and Mae Ngai of Department of History of University of Chicago. Part of the Brown V. Board 50 Years Later program. 6:30 pm, Newberry Library, 60 W Walton

Thursday, February 17 – Kari Lydersen discusses her new book, “Out of the Sea and Into the Fire: Latin American-US Immigration in the Global Age.” 7 pm, New World Resource Center, 1300 N. Western. Info: 773.544.0804 or www.commoncouragepress.com

Thursday, February 17 – “Dyke-tectives & Gay Dicks.” Dr. Judith A. Markowitz continues her popular monthly lecture series based on her newly-published book, “The Gay Detective Novel.” 7-9 pm, Gerber Hart Library, 1127 W. Granville. The theme for the session will be "Private Investigators," and attendees are encouraged (but by no means required) to read Joseph Hansen's Fadeout in advance. A limited number of copies of this title are available at the library for check out.

Friday, February 18 – “Labor Trail: Chicago's History of Working-Class Life & Struggle.” Info: 312.996.2623

Friday, February 18 - Gay Liberation Network (formerly Chicago Anti-Bashing Network) live call-in show on CAN-TV, 6:30-6:55 pm on Cable Channel 21 in Chicago.

Friday, February 18 thru Sunday, February 20 – “Dead Man Walking,” Loyola University Threater’s production of Tim Robbins’ play. Loyola Theatre, 1125 W. Loyola. Info: www.luc.edu/theatre/dmw/

Friday, February 18 thru Sunday, February 20 - Breaking America’s Oil Addiction: Chicago Action Summit and Activist Training. Around the nation and across the world, folks are taking on big corporations and big banks to fight for economic and environmental justice. It’s time we turned our attention to America’s big problem: oil addiction. Join Rainforest Action Network, Global Exchange, SEAC, and University of Chicago ECO for a 3-day activist gathering. Gain in-depth knowledge of the real impacts of America’s Oil Addiction, learn direct action techniques, media strategies, and how to hold corporations accountable in your community. We’ll help you strategize, plan, and take action on some of the most important issues of our time! Info & registration: www.ran.org/training or call 415.902.8966

Friday, February 18 thru Monday, February 21 – United Students for Fair Trade Convergence. Speakers, workshops, more. DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson. Info: www.usft.org/index.php/

Friday, February 18 thru Thursday, February 24 – “The Take,” Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein’s extraordinary film documentary of a factory takeover & workers’ occupation in Buenos Aires during Argentina’s 2001 economic collapse. Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport. Info: www.nfb.ca/thetake/ & www.onf.ca/thetake/flash/viewPress.php

Saturday, February 19 – “A Calling to Justice: An Interdisciplinary Academic Conference Exploring Social Justice in the Professions and Disciplines.” Loyola University. Sponsor: Loyola University Water Tower Campus Ministry. Info: www.sba.luc.edu/wtcministry/

Saturday, February 19 – “African Art: The Diaspora and Beyond,” with Daniel Park, Professor Emeritus of African American Studies at Olive Harvey College. 2 pm, Barbara’s Books, 1218 S. Halsted

Sunday, February 20 – “Fair Trade Night in Rogers Park,” an event in concert with the United Students for Fair Trade’s International Convergence. Heartland Café, 7000 N. Glenwood.

Sunday, February 20 - Paul Rusesabagina will speak at 11:15 am at The Faith Community of Saint Sabina, 1210 W. 78th Place. The former proprietor of the Milles Collines Hotel in Rwanda, Rusesabagina turned his hotel into an impromptu refugee camp for more than a thousand terrified Tutsis and moderate Hutus at the height of the Rwandan Civil War in the 1990s. His story became the subject of the acclaimed film "Hotel Rwanda." A discussion about the events and lessons learned will take place immediately following the service in the church sanctuary. Info: www.saintsabina.org/index2.htm

Thursday, February 24 - Protest Militarism and Imperialism! 3-5 pm at the Armed Farces Recruitment Center, 2600 W. Addison, across the street from Lane Tech High School every other Tuesday. As with its cousin, the Northside Peace Gathering, these events are not connected to any political party or group, but are “Free Form” and open to anyone opposing militarism, imperialism and their root cause -- capitalism. Bring a friend and a sign. Extra signs are available as well as an excellent anti-military pamphlet, mostly borrowed from Central Committee for Conscientious Objection (thanks). Join us, or do "something" somewhere, sometime. But always remember "Silence is Consent." Get Angry and Get Active!

Thursday, February 24 thru Sunday, February 27 - “Dead Man Walking,” Loyola University Threater’s production of Tim Robbins’ play. Loyola Theatre, 1125 W. Loyola. Info: www.luc.edu/theatre/dmw/

Thursday, February 24 thru Saturday, May 14 - Students For Justice in Palestine at DePaul University introduces "The Subject of Palestine," an art exhibit brought to the DePaul University Art Museum by Students for Justice in Palestine. While Palestine and Palestinians are the subject of steady newspaper and television coverage, the media seldom give a sense of the diversity, complexity, and human experience of the Palestinian population, both within the territories and living abroad. This exhibition takes as its starting point the different life experiences inside and outside, the range of issues of concern to artists, and the varied audiences to whom Palestinian artists address their work. The show will feature the work of more than ten artists of Palestinian nationality living at home or abroad--some established and well known, others at early stages of their careers. The exhibition will be documented by an illustrated brochure. Opening reception 5-7 pm, Thursday, February 24 at the North Gallery, DePaul University Art Museum, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave. Programs and events relating to the exhibit, including poetry readings, curator's lecture, artists' panel discussion, films, etc., will be announced as they get finalized. Info: Menna Khalil, mennakhalil (at) gmail.com or 630.674.1626.

Sunday February 27 - Not In My Name and S. Siders for Peace are co-sponsoring a free film/discussion program with a film showing of Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land: U.S. Media and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict on Sunday, February 27 at 4 pm at the World Folk Music Co., 1808 W. 103rd Street. For information, call 773.239.1439.

Friday & Saturday, March 4 & 5 – “Do You Feel a Draft?” Draft counseling information night and training workshop. Chicago Youth for Conscientious Objection and other area peace groups are offering two events related to the specter of a new draft and conscientious objection to war, and the militarization of our schools. 7-9 pm, Friday, March 4, “Information Night.” Free of charge. J.E. McNeil, from the Center on Conscience and War in DC (www.nisbco.org) will present on the likelihood of a military draft, the reality of the “poverty draft”, and the legal elements of conscientious objection status. All are welcome! High school seniors, college freshmen and sophomores will be most adversely affected if and when a draft begins – we encourage you to attend. 9 am – 5 pm, Saturday, March 5, “One-Day Draft Counseling Training Workshop.” $60 - includes complete training, manual and lunch. J.E. McNeil will facilitate this intensive training for potential draft counselors who may then provide counseling to young people of registration age in the event of a draft. Space is limited, to register in advance. Contact Pam Heiser, 847.791.4791 or Elizabeth Sprague, 773.383.8609 or e-mail draftcounseling (at) yahoo.com. Both events will be held at the Portage Park Center for the Arts, 3914 N. Menard Ave. (one block S. of Irving Park Rd, one block W. of Central Ave, plenty of free parking is available). Sponsored in part by Youth for Conscientious Objection, Evanston Friends Peace and Social Concerns Committee, North Shore Friends Meeting

Friday & Saturday, March 4 & 5 – Coalition of Immokalee Workers Farmworkers Chicago. Info: www.ciw-online.org

Saturday, March 5 - Join us to celebrate International Women's Day! Theme: “Confronting the Bush/U.S. government's Backlash on Women.” Conference, 9:30 am – 1 pm at the UNITE Hall, 333 S. Ashland. Panels, discussions, visuals, food. $5 donation. Listen to women talking about the impact of the Bush government on women in the U.S. and around the world. Share your thoughts. Sponsored by the International Women's Day Committee 2005. Call 773.278.6706 for more information.

Saturday, March 5 - Amnesty International Group 40 of Evanston and Evanston Township High School's Amnesty International present a Stop Violence Against Women Event. Join us to bring this issue home! Including tabling, an all women Marimba Group, speakers, and a march/rally from 12:45 pm to 4 pm at the Lake Street Church, 607 Lake Street, Evanston (NE corner of Lake and Sherman). Speakers include Dr. Mardge Cohen, Ana Maria Murillo and Dr. Mary Fabri. Cohen is from the Ruth Rothstein CORE Center for HIV Prevention, Care and Research in Chicago. She has made several trips to Rwanda to treat women with HIV who survived the genocide there. Murillo is Executive Director of the U'wa Defense Project. The project provides legal, community development, research & advocacy support to the Indigenous U'wa people in Colombia as they work to defend their life, land and cultural autonomy. She is a young Colombian woman of Indigenous ancestry and the Director of the U'wa Defense Project (UDP) in San Francisco. The UDP is a small NGO dedicated to providing direct support to build the capacity of the U'wa tribe. UDP works with a strong network of sister organizations nationwide, and they are proud to be the only US-based organization to prioritize on-the-ground commitment to U'wa-led community development. Fabri is director of the Kolver Center for Treatment of Survivors of Torture Chicago. At 3:30 pm there will be a march/rally in which your group is invited to march and hold posters, wear SVAW (Stop Violence Against Women) shirts, or any other creative ideas you may have. March begins at Lake Street Church in Evanston, ends at Fountain Square in Evanston. If your group would like to have a table at this event, please e-mail Chanel Govreau at ringsonwater (at) hotmail.com

Tuesday, March 8 – Interantional Women’s Rally and March. Noon - 1 pm, gather at the Daley Center and march to the Federal Building. Bring signs, noisemakers. Sponsored by the International Women's Day Committee 2005. Call 773.278.6706 for more information. Join us!

Tuesday, March 15 - Chicago Coalition Against War & Racism general meeting. All who want to organize against war and racism are welcome! Rather than meeting bi-weekly, we now meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month -- 6:30 pm at 1st Methodist Temple, 77 W. Washington (at Clark), lower level. Call 888.471.0874 or e-mail CCAWR (at) aol.com for information.

Wednesday, March 16 thru Sunday, March 20 - Women in the Director's Chair International Film & Video Festival. Info: widc (at) widc.org and 773.281.4988

Friday, March 18 - Gay Liberation Network (formerly Chicago Anti-Bashing Network) live call-in show on CAN-TV, 6:30-6:55 pm on Cable Channel 21 in Chicago.

Saturday, March 19 – PROTEST on the 2nd anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq, sponsored by the March 19 Chicago Coalition, a new ad hoc coalition which is in a permit battle with the City of Chicago over the right to march from the N. Michigan Avenue area to Federal Plaza (see chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/52073/index.php for more on this). Next planning meeting is at 2 pm, Sunday, February 6th at the DePaul Center, 11th floor cafeteria, 1 E. Jackson (see listing under that date).

Saturday, March 19 - Northern Illinois Peace Conference & Demonstration, Rockford, Illinois. Info: 815.964.7111

Wednesday, April 6 - The Three Arts Club of Chicago present Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Quintet. Call 312.944.6250 for tickets ($20 standard admission for one concert, $150 series admission for eight concerts). www.threearts.org

Wednesday, April 13 – International Day of Action Against Caterpillar. Over 50,000 Palestinians have been made homeless by Caterpillar bulldozers CAT supplies equipment used by the Israeli military to destroy Palestinian homes, infrastructure, orchards, greenhouses, agricultural land filled with crops and sometimes lives. Among the dead are Palestinian Suha Sweidan, who was nine months pregnant when she was murdered in a middle of night in an illegal home demolition and American peace activist Rachel Corrie. While U.S. taxpayers foot the bill, Caterpillar profits from the wholesale destruction of Palestinian homes and livelihoods. Taking what Human Rights Watch calls a “head in the sand” approach, Caterpillar officials have repeated the same line over and over again, that CAT has “neither the legal right nor the ability to monitor and police individual use” of its equipment. Last year, instead of looking into the wanton destruction that their company’s policies cause, the Caterpillar Board of Directors successfully urged the defeat of a shareholder resolution investigating whether Caterpillar is adhering to its own “corporate code of conduct” regarding sales to Israel. Caterpillar not only has the ability to monitor the use of its equipment, but after calls from human rights organizations, members of the UN Commissioner on Human Rights, several religious and social justice organizations, and the victims themselves, CAT has the responsibility to investigate the ethics of selling bulldozes as weapons and profiting from human rights abuses. On Wednesday, April 13, Caterpillar shareholders will once again meet in Chicago. We call on groups to organize local demonstrations that protest CAT’s sale of home-crushing bulldozers to Israel. In Chicago, the Stop Cat Coalition will send a strong message to the CAT Board of Directors and dealerships that cooperation in human rights abuses will not be tolerated.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On-Going Events:

Daily, 7-9 am - Democracy Now! is now in Chicago! Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez, and their guests are a daily independent source of news on matters like the occupation of Iraq. WZRD, 88.3 FM

Mondays thru Fridays, 3:45 pm - Hear Pacifica's Free Speech Radio News on WZRD 88.3 FM

Mondays thru Fridays, 6 pm - Hear Pacifica's Free Speech Radio News on WLUW 88.7 FM.

Mondays, 6 pm - Peace Pledge Chicago meetings, 2502 W. Division.

Mondays, 7-9 pm - 1st Monday of the month - Monthly meetings of Andersonville Neighbors for Peace, at N. Shore Baptist Church, 5242 N. Lakewood, room 131 (Lakewood is three blocks E. of Clark, and the church is one block N. of Foster).

Mondays - First Mondays of each month - Department of Peace Coalition meetings. 7 pm, Thomas Ford Library, 800 Chestnut, W.ern Springs. (MarjorieZ (at) DOPC.us)

Tuesdays, 8 am - Silent Presence for Peace at the Federal Building - Peace Vigil, Federal Plaza, Dearborn & Jackson. 8th Day Center for Justice: 312.641.5151

Tuesdays, 9 am - noon - Progressive radio show on WZRD-FM, 88.3 FM

Tuesdays, 6-7 pm - Weekly protest against the occupation of Iraq, N.W. corner of 95th and W.ern Ave. Proceeds the weekly 7:30 pm meeting of S. Siders for Peace at the Beverly Unitarian Church, 10244 S. Longwood Dr, Chicago. Info: lswolf (at) imaxx.net

Tuesdays (second Tuesday of each month) - "Beyond Today" Peace and justice organization general planning meeting. 6:30 pm, non-violence study group, 7:30 pm, main meeting. Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church, 4511 N. Hermitage (Sunnyside & Hermitage). Info: BeyondToday (at) beyondtoday.com or www.beyondtoday.com/

Tuesdays, 7 pm, 2nd & 4th of each month - Hyde Park Committee Against War and Racism weekly meeting at University Church, 57th and University, Chicago. Info: www.chicagoantiwar.org/hydepark/hpcawr.html
Wednesdays, 3 pm - Food Not Bombs: Meals for the Hungry. Loyola El Station.

Wednesdays, 4-6 pm - N.side Peace Gathering. Three Cornered Island of Peace: Milwaukee, Logan & Kedzie Aves. Protesting war and empire since Sept. 2, 2003. Info: www.mundopaz3 (at) hotmail.com">hotmail.com

Thursdays & Saturdays at 8pm and Sunday afternoons at 3pm throughout December 04 and into January come what holidays may, “The Joy of News,” Aaron Freeman's new comedy. Therapy for the downcast after 11/2. Prop Theatre, 3504 N. Elston (just S. of Addison, Kedzie, Elston tri-corner). For tickets or info: 773.539.7838, or go to Aaronfreeman.com or propthtr.org

Thursdays, 1:30 pm - "The Ministry of Truth," a weekly haven for left-wing thought and comment with Chicago Media Action's Mitchell Szczepanczyk. WHPK 88.5-FM radio. Info: msszczep (at) midway.uchicago.edu or whpk.uchicago.edu

Thursdays, 5-6 pm - "Party from Damascus" radio program on WHPK, 88.5 FM. Politics plus Arab music - shaabi, pop, dabke, khaleeji and MORE!

Thursdays, 7:30-9:30 pm - Neighbors for Peace weekly meeting. St. Nicholas Church, 806 Ridge Ave. Evanston (3 blocks W. of the Main St. 'L' station).

Thursdays, 7 pm - S.side Slam. Open Mics at N'diga Coffee & Books, 3510 W. 63rd Street. List opens at 6 pm, performances begin at 7 pm. Bring a gently used book and get in free ($2 otherwise, performers free, no cookbooks please). Non-smoking, children friendly environment. Info: 773.925.2517

Thursdays, 9 pm - Homolatee, Queer Words and Music, hosted by Scott Free. No Exit Café, 6970 N. Glenwood. www.scottfree.net/homolatte.html

Fridays - Health Care Professionals Vigil for Peace and Witness Against War; an ongoing weekly Friday vigil in front of the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center at 820 S. Damen Avenue, 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Saturdays, 9 am - "Live from the Heartland" progressive radio show. WLUW 88.7-FM. Info: www.heartlandcafe.com

Saturdays, 9 am - "This Is Hell" irreverent radio show. WNUR 89.3-FM. Info: www.thisishell.net

Saturdays, 2-4pm - N.side Peace Gathering. Three Cornered Island of Peace: Milwaukee, Logan & Kedzie Aves. Protesting war and empire since Sept. 2, 2003. Info: www.mundopaz3 (at) hotmail.com">hotmail.com

Saturdays, 5 pm - Food Not Bombs serving at 18th Street and Loomis.

Sundays, Noon-1 pm - Not In My Name weekly vigil: End Israel's occupation of the W. Bank, Gaza Strip & E. Jerusalem. Water Tower Place, 830 N. Michigan. For more info, go to www.nimn.org

Sundays, 3 pm - Come to the intersection of Fullerton, Lincoln and Halsted for a free, healthy, vegan meal brought to you by Food Not Bombs.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Emergency Response Plan to War & Racism
Sponsored by the Chicago Coalition Against War & Racism

1. If the U.S. starts another full scale war on another country besides Iraq, a protest will take place at 5 pm+ at the Federal Plaza, Adams & Dearborn Streets, Chicago, the day the bombing begins. There will be a larger follow up protest at the same time & place the day after.

2. In the event of a provocative attack on community leaders or organizations in the Chicago area, CCAWR has constructed a phone tree to mobilize the community to quickly protest the attack, whether at a police station, federal government office, or other appropriate place. To get on the Emergency Response phone tree / e-mail list and receive regular calendar updates such as this one, send your contact information to CCAWR (at) aol.com

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Chicago Coalition Against War & Racism
CCAWR (at) aol.com, 312.458.9559, 888.471.0874