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LOCAL Announcement :: Miscellaneous

Calendar of Chicago Area Progressive Events -- Updated April 2, 2005

All activities are in Chicago, unless otherwise noted. Events outside of the Chicago metro area are advertised ONLY if sponsors/endorsers are organizing publicly accessible transportation from here.
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."

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FEATURED ITEMS:

Saturday, April 2 - Anti-War Meet-Up/Celebration. 2:30-5 pm, HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo (wheelchair accessible, 1 block south and 1 block east of the "Harrison" stop on the Red Line "el"). People from throughout the metro region put in countless hours to build this year's M19 protest to mark the second anniversary of the war. Join us this Saturday at HotHouse for a convivial post-M19 gathering with food, drink and conversation among colleagues, focusing on community building, networking, sharing cooperative strategies for building collaborative work -- and celebrating the spirit of cooperation among anti-war activists. People are especially encouraged to talk about their local anti-war work and share successes and struggles, toward the goal of building a more unified, affirming anti-war movement. For more info, email chicagoactions (at) ameritech.net or call 773-209-1187.

Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10 - North American tour of former political prisoners from Occupied Palestine, sponsored by Sumoud. The tour speakers are from Addameer, a Palestinian organization in Ramallah that campaigns around Palestinian political prisoners, and include: Sahar Francis, a Palestinian lawyer with Addameer who has worked for many years with Palestinian prisoners; and, Akram Al Ayasa, an ex-political prisoner and former president of Bethlehem University Student Council. Arrested seven times from 1976-1990 by the Israeli occupation forces; Ala Jaradat, an ex-political prisoner and activist with Addameer, where he works with families of political detainees. The speaking tour has two primary objectives: 1) To raise awareness and solidarity around the struggle of Palestinian political prisoners inside Israeli occupation jails, and 2) To connect the struggle of Palestinian political prisoners to struggles against the prison industrial complex in North America, and to the struggles of other oppressed nationality groups that support political prisoners' campaigns. 7 pm, Saturday, April 9 at the Arab American Action Network, 3148 W. 63rd St., 2nd Floor and 4 pm, Sunday, April 10, Cafe Batey Urbano, 2647 W. Division Street. Info: sumoud.tao.ca/, or see more detailed discription in the April 9/10 listing below.

Wednesday, April 13 - International Day of Action Against Caterpillar. Noon, Northern Trust building, 50 S. LaSalle 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. While US taxpayers foot the bill, CAT 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 Caterpillar has "neither the legal right nor the ability to monitor and police individual use" of its equipment. Caterpillar not only has the ability to monitor the use of its equipment, but after calls from human rights organizations, members of the office 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 bulldozers as weapons and profiting from human rights abuses. Join us on April 13 in opposing CAT's harmful policies. For more information email info (at) stopcat.org or visit www.catdestroyshomes.org/

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

THRU Saturday, April 2 - Diatribe and The2ndHand host The2ndHand contributor Emerson Dameron (Wherewithal zine) and Anne Elizabeth Moore (Hey Kidz! Buy This Book) and editors Todd Dills and Jeb Gleason-Allured. 7:30 pm at Mojoe's Café Lounge, 2256 W. Roscoe. New copies of The2ndHand and Sanitary and Ship will be available at the show. Info: www.diatribemedia.com and www.the2ndhand.com

THRU Sunday, April 3 - "Healthy Streets Conference" offers more than 20 educational sessions with topics ranging from creating safe and dedicated places to ride to introducing the concept of Safe Routes to School in a school district. An expert from Mexico will keynote the event. The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation is offering a two-day conference for transportation professionals, public officials and advocates on ways to improve bicycling and walking conditions in Chicagoland. Martha Lucy Barriga Hernández, director of Via RecreActiva Sunday Parkways in Guadalajara, Mexico, will deliver Friday's keynote luncheon. The 20th Anniversary Gala, "A Tribute to Randy Neufeld," and the Chicago Bike Show will take place in conjunction with the conference. Chicago Bike Show; Saturday, April 2, 10 am to 7 pm.; and Sunday, April 3, 10 am to 5 pm

THRU Sunday, April 10 - Chicago International Documentary Film Festival. Films include "Darwin's Nightmare," "Highway Courtesans," "The Power of Nightmares," "State of Fear," "This World: Inside Israel's Jails," "Call It Democracy," "Tails from the Inside," and many more. Info: www.chicagodocfestival.org/

Saturday, April 2 - The Underground Fools Fest. Spend April Fools weekend with some of Chicago's finest independent publishers! Info: aaron (at) diatribemedia.com.

Saturday, April 2 - Pickets at British Consulate for Irish Republican Political Prisoners sponsored by the Irish Freedom Committee. The pickets demand the restoration of political status to Irish Republican prisoners. There are currently nearly 100 Irish Republican Political Prisoners being held in jails in Ireland and England. These men and women are being classed as criminals due to their opposition to the 1998 "Good Friday" Treaty, and are being held under some of the most brutal and repressive conditions in Europe including 23-hour lockdowns and strip searches up to 40 times a day. Political Status, a right won in blood by the deaths of ten Irish Republican prisoners on hunger strikes in 1981, has been revoked by the latest British Treaty claiming to deliver "peace" but instead delivering increased military oppression and totalitarian rule. The Irish Freedom Committee, Chicago Chapter, has been staging weekly Political Status pickets throughout the month of March and April in front of British/Irish Free State consulates at 400 N. Michigan Avenue, from Noon to 2PM every Saturday. Our pickets are being held to call attention to the worsening conditions for Irish Republican Political Prisoners and the 1998 revoking of Political Status, for which ten martyrs starved to death to achieve in 1981. Info: Saoirse (at) irishfreedomcommittee.net, 312.560.9311, www.irishfreedomcommittee.net, or members.freespeech.org/irishpows/IFC_INFO/EVENTS/pickets_photos.htm

Saturday, April 2 - Protect Social Security: Illinois families rally for Main Street, NOT Wall Street. Noon, Denny Hastert's Office, 27 N. River Street, Batavia, IL. Info: 312.427.2114, x106

Saturday, April 2 - The next meeting of the Stop CAT Coalition, 1 pm, at the New World Resource Center, 1300 N. Western Avenue. We need ALL endorsing organizations to send representatives to this meeting to assist us in planning the street action during the Caterpillar Annual Shareholder Meeting on Wednesday, April 13. The action will be from 12 noon - 3 pm outside the Northern Trust Bank, 50 S. LaSalle Street. Individual Palestine solidarity activists are also encouraged to attend this meeting. There are also "flash actions" being planned for April 12 and April 13 that need participation by Palestine solidarity activists. We need your active involvement!

Saturday, April 2 - "The Battle of Algiers & the Battle of Iraq: Pontecorvo, Fanon, Camus & What We Face Today." Screening of Battle of Algiers, discussion with activist Richard Reilly and author Lou Turner. 2 pm, Acme ArtWorks, 1741 N. Western Avenue. Sponsor: Open University of the Left. Info: 773.384.5797 or OULChicago (at) yahoo.com

Saturday, April 2 - Benefit for the Chicago Social Forum, 5-9 pm at the Soul House, 2548 W. Chicago Avenue. Come experience an evening of art, music, dance, yoga, massage, open mic, silent auction, raffle prizes and more. $20 suggested donation, more if you can, less if you can't. Support the efforts of the 2nd annual Chicago Social Forum--a space for all Chicago area progressive organizations, movements and individuals to share, discuss, plan, and create. The Chicago Social Forum will be held Sunday, May 1 (for more info, see entry under that date).

Saturday, April 2 - Screening of a new, independent video, "The Oil Factor," with immigrant rights Organizer Lee Siu Hin, who visited Iraq in June 2003, and the rich music of Ramon Marino. 7 pm, Decima Musa, 1901 S. Loomis.

Saturday, April 2 - Interested in changing the world after graduation, but not sure where to start? Come to a forum on "Getting Paid to Cause Trouble: Organizing for Social Justice," 11 am - 1:30 pm, at the University Center, 525 S. State Street, in the Loop/River Room. The event will include short presentations from young organizers representing a variety of community organizations and progressive unions, with time for questions and discussion. The forum will be both educational, with panelists describing organizing as a career in their particular arenas, and practical, in that some of the groups will be looking to hire or take on interns. A light lunch will be provided. So far people more than a dozen groups have agreed to participate including AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees); Albany Park Neighborhood Council; Blocks Together; Brighton Park Neighborhood Council; IEA (Illinois Education Association); IFT (Illinois Federation of Teachers); Interfaith Worker Justice; Jobs with Justice; (Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union); ICIRR (Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights); Lakefront Supportive Housing; NTIC (National Training and Information Center); SEIU (Service Employees International Union); SLAP (the Student-Labor Action Project); UNITE-HERE!; and United Action for Power and Justice (Chicago IAF). Info: ccwcs (at) hotmail.com or www.workingclassstudies.org/

Saturday, April 2 - DePaul Labor History Program "Key Women Labor Leaders in History." Call 312.362.5823 to enroll.

Sunday, April 3 - "Emerging Issues in the LGBT Community," with Brad Bartels, director of the Oak Park Area Lesbian & Gay Association. 10 am, Third Unitarian Church, 301 N. Mayfield. Info: thirdunitarianchurch.org or 773.626.9385

Sunday, April 3 - "End of Suburbia," a film addressing issues that result with our armies in Iraq and injustice on the streets of American cities. At the World Folk Music Company, 1808 W. 103rd, Beverly, IL. Call 708.499.6431 for show time. Sponsored by South Siders For Peace. More info: www.postcarbon.org/eos/

Sunday, April 3 - "End of Suburbia," a film addressing issues that result with our armies in Iraq and injustice on the streets of American cities. 6:30 pm potluck preceeds the film, 7:30 pm video showing, followed by half hour discussion. At the Catholic Worker House, 4652 N. Kenmore. Info: 773.561.5073

Sunday April 3 - "Chavez, Venezuela and the New Latin America," by Aleida Guevara, the daughter of the legendary Che Guevara, a groundbreaking documentary film exploring Venezuela's explosive revolutionary terrain post-April 2002, when Hugo Chávez survived a right wing coup attempt sponsored by the United States. Featuring interviews with Hugo Chávez, grassroots activists and Cuban Doctors volunteering in Venezuela. Doors open at 2:30 pm, showtime at 3 pm, with discussion to follow. Galeria de arte Colibri, 2032 W. 18th Street. $5-10 donation, $3 students, no one turned away. Part of the Venezuela documentary series sponsored by the Chicago Delegation to the 16th World Festival of Youth and Students/ Caracas 2005 and the Bolivarian Circle "Amada Libertad." Proceeds of the series support the travel expenses for the Chicago Area Delegations to the World Festival of Youth and Students. Info: Christina, 773.208.0709, or Valerie, 773.551.3368, or www.chicagovenezuela.net

Sunday, April 3 - World premiere screening of "The Innocent." Chicago director Lauri Feldman's first documentary, which took nearly eight years to make, records the story of people exonerated from death row and is told from their point of view. It takes us into their lives as they are arrested, convicted and sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit. They share with us the ways they found to survive death row- emotionally, psychologically and spiritually- while under the threat of impending death. For each of these people, the truth of their innocence finally emerged, and they were freed, some after 16 or 18 years in prison. Returning to their lives on the outside, they reunite with family and friends, and attempt to find jobs. At the same time, they struggle with loss, anger and pain. Their personal stories are told within the framework of events surrounding former Illinois Governor George Ryan's decision to commute the sentences of all death row convicts in the state to life in prison without parole. 5:30 pm, The Chopin Theater, 1543 W. Division Ave. Tickets $10.50. For tickets call (773)486-9612. For info about the film: www.theinnocentmovie.com

Sunday, April 3 - "Welcome Home" event for Jimmy Johnson at the Chicago International Solidarity Movement monthly potluck dinner meeting. Long-term volunteer "JJ" has worked with ISM-Chicago, CCAWR, the Stop CAT Coalition and other local organizations. While in the Middle East, he worked with ISM and the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. Please bring food and beverages to share. 5-8 pm, First United Church of Oak Park-PC (USA)/UCC, 848 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL. The church is located on Lake Street east of Harlem, west of Austin and Oak Park Ave. By CTA Blue Line: alight at Oak Park Ave, walk 1 block north to Lake Street, then one block west to the church, across the street from Unity Temple. Enter the church on the north side, where the parking lot is located, then go downstairs into the basement. The meeting will also be used to prepare for the April 13 "International Day of Action Against Caterpillar" (visit www.stopcat.org/ and www.catdestroyshomes.org/ for further details). Please RSVP by emailing ISMinChicago (at) aol.com or calling 773.489,3505.

Sunday, April 3 - Benefit for Crossroads Foundation, a progressive funding agency for Chicago area grassroots projects. Includes Arab and Jewish musicians, a buffet dinner of delicious Middle Eastern cuisine, a cash bar, Silk Road Importer's Textile Sale, and a raffle (genesis signature t-shirts and cd's will be available for sale). Minimum requested donation will be $35 per person. 6 - 9 pm, Souk Restaurant, 1552 N. Milwaukee. RSVP's were due to RNKOPP (at) aol.com by Tuesday, March 29, but perhaps entry is still possible. All proceeds will go towards the August 27-28th Summer festival "From the Middle East to the Midwest" and the Chicago Public School Music Theater Diversity Education Program, "Magic Carpet."

Sunday, April 3 - 1st BIOTECH 2006 Protest Planning Meeting. The Biotechnology Industry Organization, the biotech trade group, is in the business of the commodification of the commons, of all of the natural resources that we require, and of our bodies. Every year, thousands of governmental and business leaders from wealthy nations meet in this annual conference, including state governors, agriculture ministries, and officials from corporations like Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Monsanto, and Genentech. Every year, local activists organize the framework for the international protest against the attempt to push the neo-liberal war of privatization into spheres we once never thought could be threatened, including, the food we eat, the medicine we take, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and even of our own bodies. Info: streetmilitant (at) yahoo.com BIO, the trade grouping for biotech firms, will come to Chicago April 9-12, 2006, which means we will be hosting the annual protests. Planning meeting at 2 pm, DePaul's Lincoln Park Campus (Fullerton Red or Brown Line), Brownstones (in the Student Center, 2345 N. Sheffield Ave).

Sunday, April 3 - One of two memorials for Sketch (Ken Hunt), who died recently of complications from a seizure. Noon to 4 pm at the Texas Ballroom, 3012 S. Archer. The memorial will feature songs by The Coughs, Wrench to Gear and Night of Witches as well as performances of Sketch's poetry & prose (all are welcome to read works of, or talk about Sketch).

Sunday, April 3 - "Occupation Dreamland," a film documentary directed by Garrett Scott and Ian Olds, who will attend the screening in person. Part of the Chicago International Documentary Film Festival. "Occupation Dreamland" is a melancholy portrait of a squad of American soldiers deployed in the doomed Iraqi city of Falluja during the winter of 2004, revealing the city's waning "stability," leading to its portrayal by the U.S. military as a "terrorist safe-haven," and ending in a series of military assaults that effectively destroyed it. This film chronicles the escalating tensions between its two main characters: the squad (part of the 82nd Airborne) and the city. Speaking different languages and holding distinct worldviews, the two antagonists collide repeatedly. A sense of unease grows as the chain of misunderstanding and mistrust tightens. Daylight patrols on bustling downtown streets turn from casual conversation to confusing firefights while nighttime raids reveal a local populace caught in the middle of insurgency and counterinsurgency. The filmmakers lived with the unit 24/7, giving voice to soldiers held under a strict code of authority as they cope with an ambiguous, often lethal environment. The result is a revealing look at Army life, operations and the complexity of American war in the 21st century. 2:45 pm, Gallery Theatre, 1112 N. Milwaukee Avenue. General admission: $8.50; student/senior admission (valid ID required): $7. Info: www.chicagodocfestival.org or 773.486.9612

Sunday, April 3 - South Asian Progressive Action Coalition Meeting. 3:30 pm, 853 W. Roscoe. Info: www.sapacchicago.org

Sunday, April 3 and Monday, April 4 - Private opening reception for "Not Enough Space: Oscar Lóopez Rivera and Carlos Alberto Torres," an exhibit commemorating the 25th Anniversary of their political imprisonment. The National Boricua Human Rights Network (NBHRN) presents "Not Enough Space," an exhibit commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the imprisonment of political prisoners: Oscar Lopez Rivera and Carlos Alberto Torres. The public exhibition will take place April 5th to April 30th at the gallery space named in Spanish "La Galería Que No Era," 2620 W. Division Street. The exhibit is free and open to the public. School tours and private showing can be scheduled by calling 773.852.7190 or email art_exhibition (at) boricuahumanrights.org Gallery hours are from 12:30 pm to 8pm Tuesday-Saturday. The exhibit is the result of a national effort that will tour 10 cities in the continental Unites States and Puerto Rico and will countries like Mexico, Venezuela and Canada. In conjunction with the exhibit, the NBHRN will sponsor a series of educational events that include guest speakers with formerly incarcerated Puerto Rican political prisoners and families of the incarcerated. The general public is invited to a private opening reception with a special presentation by former Puerto Rican political prisoner and renowned artist Elizam Escobar; and other former Puerto Rican Political Prisoners, and a musical performance by Brunilda Garcia and Juan Carlos Montalvo, on Sunday, April 3, 4 pm at La Galeria Que No Era, 2620 W. Division ($25 donation includes one admission ticket to the Roy Brown concert at 7 pm on Monday, April 4). There will also be There will be a pre-concert reception for Roy Brown at 6 pm, Monday, April 4 at the Roberto Clemete High School, 1147 N. Western. Special guests include Puerto Rican national hero Rafael Cancel Miranda and former Puerto Rican political prisoner Luis Rosa. $25 includes one admission to the Roy Brown concert at 7 pm (concert admission only is $10). Funds raised through the private opening reception will help defray the cost of the exhibition tour expenses. The exhibit "Not Enough Space" is presented by the National Boricua Human Rights Network sponsored by the Puerto Rican Cultural Center and partially supported by a grant from The Crossroads Foundation. Info: 773.342.0809 or art_exhibition (at) boricuahumanrights.com

Monday, April 4 - "Dialectics of Organization & Philophy: The Untrodden Path," a discussion with Olga Domanski of News & Letters. 6:30 pm, News & Letters, 36 S. Wabash, Room 1440. Info: 312.236.0799 or arise (at) newsandletters.org

Monday, April 4 - "Torture in the Name of Freedom," a film documentary by Germany's Jorg Armbruster and Armin Stauth. Part of the Chicago International Documentary Film Festival. Day after day new images of torture emerge from Iraq. The name Abu Ghraib stands for the greatest scandal to hit the U.S. army since the Vietnam War. Who are the culprits and why did they do it? Who are the victims? And who will bear the ultimate responsibility for these terrible deeds? The directors speak with soldiers in the U.S. who tortured prisoners in Iraq, and with victims and their families in Baghdad. Although the U.S. government continues to insist that the torturers in Iraq were acting as individuals, and that no orders to torture were ever issued by officers and certainly not by the Department of Defense, such claims are looking increasingly less probable. The Red Cross had reported on the situation in the Iraqi prison in January 2004, but nothing was done until the publication of the torture photographs and the ensuing global public outcry. The film posits a post-9/11 American society in which the majority of the people believe torture is a right if it serves to protect the U.S. against further attacks. 9:45pm, Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division Avenue. General admission: $8.50; student/senior admission (valid ID required): $7. Info: www.chicagodocfestival.org or 773.486.9612

Monday, April 4 - Come see the film documentary, "Liberace of Baghdad," with director Sean McAllister of Britain in person. Part of the Chicago International Documentary Film Festival. Holed up in a heavily fortified Baghdad hotel, the pianist Samir Peter and filmmaker Sean McAllister try to survive the "peace" of post-war Iraq. Samir, once Iraq's most famous pianist, now plays in a half-empty hotel bar to contractors, mercenaries and besieged journalists. In his heyday he described himself as the "Liberace of Baghdad" but today he sleeps in a bricked up hotel room, since it is safer than crossing town late at night to his seven-bedroom mansion. Samir's non-stop womanizing led to the break-up of his marriage. His ex-wife and two of his four children immigrated to the United States. Now Samir is waiting for a visa to live in America too. He hopes to find fame and fortune there in what he calls his "one last adventure in life." But Sahar, his pro-Saddam daughter, hates America for what it has done to her country. She refuses to go. During the eight months that McAllister films, violence in Iraq escalates out of control. Kidnapping is rife and Samir's neighbor is murdered on her doorstep. Will Samir sacrifice his American dream for the sake of his family left in lawless Iraq? Special Jury Prize for World Documentary, Sundance Film Festival. 8 pm, Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division Avenue. General admission: $8.50; student/senior admission (valid ID required): $7. Info: www.chicagodocfestival.org or 773.486.9612

Monday, April 4 - "Mission Accomplished," a film by Germany's Helmut Grosse about the real war aims of movers and shakers in the Bush administration. Part of the Chicago International Documentary Film Festival. Most experts agree that it wasn't the desire to introduce democracy to Iraq that provided the driving force for the current war. In fact, Cheney and Rumsfeld have been nurturing the idea for decades. To protect the national security of the United States, the energy supply must be secured. And control of the oil in the Middle East was vital to the energy supply. Recently released secret documents from the administration of George H.W. Bush provide the proof that the U.S. would be prepared to protect those interests by military force if necessary. George W. Bush has clung tightly to this school of thought. Mission Accomplished documents how access to Iraqi oil, a business worth billions, and the activities of the U.S. administration under George W. Bush to secure Iraqi terrain for future big business, were the real reasons for starting the war. 9:45 pm, Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division Avenue. General admission: $8.50; student/senior admission (valid ID required): $7. Info: www.chicagodocfestival.org or 773.486.9612

Monday, April 4 - West Side Counter-Recruitment march and vigil. 4 pm, Adams and Kedzie. March starts at Adams and Kedzie and goes south one block on Kedzie to Jackson, east on Jackson to Western and then north on Western to North Avenue, west on North Avenue to Kedzie past the Illinois National Guard building and then south one block on Kedzie to Humboldt Park. 6:30 pm, rally/vigil at Humboldt Park. April 4th is the 37th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Chicagoland Anarchist Network is calling for a candle-light march and rally on the West Side of Chicago to pay homage to the great anti-war and anti-militarization work Dr. King did in the latter part of his life. Bring signs, banners and candles for a respectful candle-light vigil and march.

Monday, April 4 - "Globalization, Structural Violence, and the Political Economy of HIV & AIDS," a lecture by Dr. Richard Park of Columbia University. Part of UIC Women's History Month program. 3 pm, UIC Meeting Rooms B-C, SSB, 1200 W. Harrison. Info: www.uic.edu/depts/owa

Monday, April 4 - On the anniversary of the assasination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Lil' Scotty and the Black New World Order present "A rally for unity and atonement a wake up to stop the War and the killing abroad and at home." 4-6 pm, Federal Plaza, Dearborn and Adams. Speaking will be Rev. Paul Jakes, Jr., Rev. Al Sampson, Brother Web Evans, Beauty Turner, the New Black Panther Party, and more. Info: Lil' Scotty, 773.752.0601. After rally event at the Old Landmark Church, 531 N. Kedzie

Tuesday, April 5 - "Live From Death Row," a live discussion with Maryland death row inmate Vernon Evans. Evans, who is scheduled to be executed the week of April 18th by the State of Maryland, will speak to the audience via telephone hook-up about his case and the fight to stop his execution. The Campaign to End the Death Penalty (CEDP) and other organizations are actively opposing Vernon's execution and calling for a stay of execution. For more information about Vernon's case visit www.stopexecutionsinmaryland.org Other speakers include Doria Johnson, whose great-great-grandfather Anthony Crawford was lynched in the early 1900s. She is President of the Anthony P. Crawford Remembered Memorial Committee. Also speaking is Greta Holmes, an activist against the death penalty. She is on the national board of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty and is active in the Chicago chapter of the CEDP. 7 pm, University Church, 5655 S. University. Info: 773.955.4841

Tuesday, April 5 - Court date for two of the three charges against protest organizer Andy Thayer, arrested at the March 19th "Bring the Troops Home Now" protest. 9 am, Belmont & Western courthouse, Brnach 29-2. The charges under review here Disorderly Conduct and Resisting Arrest, the latter a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.

Wednesday, April 6 - Court date for third charge against protest organizer Andy Thayer, arrested for allegedly violating the City of Chicago's permit ordinance for speaking at a press conference at the start of the March 19th "Bring the Troops Home Now" protest. 2:30 pm, 400 W. Superior.

Wednesday, April 6 - Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Quintet at the Thre Arts Club of Chicago, 1300 N. Dearborn Street. A "Widely Praised Soloist" (Chicago Tribune), Nicole Mitchell is one of few African American women to take the path as a creative instrumentalist, composer and bandleader. As a jazz flutist, she has been a Downbeat magazine's Critic's Poll winner for Rising Star Flutist from 2001-2004. Her life is dedicated to sharing the spiritual power of music in an effort to create visionary worlds and to bring healing. Black Earth Ensemble is a multi-genre celebration of the African American cultural legacy. Mitchell's compositions embrace the ancient past and paint visions of a positive future, interweaving the feelings of blues, bebop, swing, eastern modes, classical melodies and African rhythms. Call 312.944.6250 for tickets ($20 standard admission for one concert, $150 series admission for eight concerts). The concert begins at 6:30 pm, with doors and cash bar open at 6 pm. Info: www.threearts.org

Wednesday, April 6 - NIU Anti-War Protest, 1 pm, NIU, MLK Commons, 1st & Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb, IL. Sponsors: NIU Labor Rights Alliance, NIU Women's Alliance, Northern Coalition for Peace & Justice, DeKalb Interfaith Network

Wednesday, April 6 - bell hooks at Harold Washington Library, 400. S State, at 6:30 pm.

Wednesday, April 6 - "Unions in Contemporary Capitalism," a panel of union activists sponsored by the SouthSide Anticapitalist Group and Students Organized & United with Labor. 7 pm, Blackstone Public Library, 49th & Lake. Info: 773.296.2683 or southsideanticap (at) riseup.net

Wednesday, April 6 - Challenge the Patriot Act in Naperville! Keep the heat on City Council! Wear ORANGE at the Naperville City Council meeting tonight and support a resolution to protect civil liberties! All supporters of civil liberties are invited to join in - no matter where you're from! Be there by 7pm and sign up by 6:45 if you are from Naperville, or represent an organization with local members and wish to speak. Speakers are allowed to address council for 3 minutes. Naperville Municipal Center, Council Chambers 400 S. Eagle Street Since the Patriot Act was hastily put into effect shortly after 9/11, its critics have contended that the Act served more to limit civil liberties than make the population safer. Over 368 communities have passed resolutions limiting its scope. Some of the cities that have passed resolutions are Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia. Illinois municipalities besides Chicago that have passed resolutions include Oak Park, Evanston, Glencoe and Carbondale. Here is the contact information for Naperville City Council: www.naperville.il.us/dynamic_template.cfm

Wednesday, April 6 - "Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear & the Selling of American Empire," part of the Progressive Film Series of the Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ's Outreach Committee, 615 W. Wellington Avenue (call the church at 773.935.0642 for screen time). What, exactly, is the agenda that drove the administration's pre-war deceptions? How is 9/11 being used to sell this agenda? And what are the stakes for America, Americans, and the world if this agenda succeeds in being fully implemented during a second Bush term? The documentary places the Bush Administration's false justifications for war in Iraq within the larger context of a two-decade struggle by neoconservatives to dramatically increase military spending in the wake of the Cold War, and to expand American power globally by means of military force. Directed by Sut Jhally and produced by the Media education Foundation (2004, 64 minutes). Bring your own snacks and beverages and enjoy our new wide screen surround sound technology!

Wednesday, April 6 - "Occupation Dreamland," a film documentary directed by Garrett Scott and Ian Olds, who will attend the screening in person. Part of the Chicago International Documentary Film Festival. "Occupation Dreamland" is a melancholy portrait of a squad of American soldiers deployed in the doomed Iraqi city of Falluja during the winter of 2004, revealing the city's waning "stability," leading to its portrayal by the U.S. military as a "terrorist safe-haven," and ending in a series of military assaults that effectively destroyed it. This film chronicles the escalating tensions between its two main characters: the squad (part of the 82nd Airborne) and the city. Speaking different languages and holding distinct worldviews, the two antagonists collide repeatedly. A sense of unease grows as the chain of misunderstanding and mistrust tightens. Daylight patrols on bustling downtown streets turn from casual conversation to confusing firefights while nighttime raids reveal a local populace caught in the middle of insurgency and counterinsurgency. The filmmakers lived with the unit 24/7, giving voice to soldiers held under a strict code of authority as they cope with an ambiguous, often lethal environment. The result is a revealing look at Army life, operations and the complexity of American war in the 21st century. 7:15 pm, Gallery Theatre, 1112 N. Milwaukee Avenue. General admission: $8.50; student/senior admission (valid ID required): $7. Info: www.chicagodocfestival.org or 773.486.9612

Wednesday, April 6 - Come see the film documentary, "Liberace of Baghdad," with director Sean McAllister of Britain in person. Part of the Chicago International Documentary Film Festival. Holed up in a heavily fortified Baghdad hotel, the pianist Samir Peter and filmmaker Sean McAllister try to survive the "peace" of post-war Iraq. Samir, once Iraq's most famous pianist, now plays in a half-empty hotel bar to contractors, mercenaries and besieged journalists. In his heyday he described himself as the "Liberace of Baghdad" but today he sleeps in a bricked up hotel room, since it is safer than crossing town late at night to his seven-bedroom mansion. Samir's non-stop womanizing led to the break-up of his marriage. His ex-wife and two of his four children immigrated to the United States. Now Samir is waiting for a visa to live in America too. He hopes to find fame and fortune there in what he calls his "one last adventure in life." But Sahar, his pro-Saddam daughter, hates America for what it has done to her country. She refuses to go. During the eight months that McAllister films, violence in Iraq escalates out of control. Kidnapping is rife and Samir's neighbor is murdered on her doorstep. Will Samir sacrifice his American dream for the sake of his family left in lawless Iraq? Special Jury Prize for World Documentary, Sundance Film Festival. 3:30 pm, Gallery Theatre, 1112 N. Milwaukee Avenue. General admission: $8.50; student/senior admission (valid ID required): $7. Info: www.chicagodocfestival.org or 773.486.9612

Wednesday, April 6 - "Women, the Hearth of the Bolivarian Revolution" a film by Dozthor Zurlent of the Chicago Bolivarian Circle. Documentary about the protagonist role of women in the Venezuelan revolutionary process. Featuring interviews with several Venezuelan women, from grassroots activists to governmental officials. 7 pm showtime, with discussion to follow. No Exit Café, 6970 N. Glenwood Avenue. $5-10 donation, $3 students, no one turned away. Part of the Venezuela documentary series sponsored by the Chicago Delegation to the 16th World Festival of Youth and Students/ Caracas 2005 and the Bolivarian Circle "Amada Libertad." Proceeds of the series support the travel expenses for the Chicago Area Delegations to the World Festival of Youth and Students. Info: Christina, 773.208.0709, or Valerie, 773.551.3368, or www.chicagovenezuela.net

Wednesday, April 6 - Free Aaron Patterson and the Chicago 3! 8 am, march and rally, 219 S. Dearborn. 10 am, Court Hearing in Room 2119 of 219 S. Dearborn (to enter the courthouse you will need a picture i.d. and will have to pass through a metal detector). For more information contact the Aaron Patterson Defense Committee, 773.250.7229

Thursday, April 7 - "Bush Won? A Forum." Did Bush really win, or is he in office through election fraud? What can we do to have every vote count? What can we do to have the people be the decision-makers? Speakers include: Dr. Lora Chamberlain, well-known local activist with the Ballot Integrity Project and Election Protection Coalition, and active in many demonstrations on this in Ohio and Washington, DC; Dr. Ron Baiman, Senior Researcher at UIC's Institute of Government and Public Affairs, and Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago. Author of "United States of Ukraine?" and co-author of "Who Won the Popular Vote?" and an expert witness in a key case in Ohio; and Neal Resnikoff, a local activist for people's democracy--government of, for, and by the people. A discussion hour will follow the presentation by the speakers. Organized by Andersonville Neighbors for Peace. 7-9 pm, North Shore Baptist Church, 5242 N. Lakewood, Howell Hall (two blocks west of the Berwyn Red Line stop, or three blocks east of Foster and Clark and one block north of Foster). Info: 773.250.3225 or andersonvilleneighborsforpeace (at) yahoo.com

Thursday, April 7 - The Middle East Studies Students Association Presents "Christian Zionism, American Foreign Policy and the Israel-Palestine Conflict" 7:30 pm, The University of Chicago Biological Sciences Learning Center (BSLC), 924 E. 57th Street, Room 109. Panelists include Esther Kaplan, Roxane Assaf, and Dr. Rev. Don Wagner. Esther Kaplan is a radio and print journalist and the author of With God on Their Side (New Press, 2004), which documents the relationship between George W. Bush and the Christian right. She writes on politics, social movements, and public health for a variety of publications, including The Nation, The Village Voice, and Poz, the national AIDS magazine. Roxane Assaf is the Midwest representative of Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center. She received her BA in journalism and broadcast production from Loyola University New Orleans and her master's degree from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism. Assaf has written extensively on issues concerning Arab Americans. She currently serves as adjunct faculty at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Dr. Rev. Don Wagner is currently teaches at North Park University in Chicago. From 1980-1989 Mr. Wagner was the National director, Palestine Human Rights Campaign, Chicago. He currently serves as a consultant to World Vision International and remains on the Board of Directors for Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding. Chicago. Dr. Rev. Wagner has written extensively on Christian Zionism. Donald Wagner has published five books, the most recent being Dying in the Land of Promise: Palestine and Palestinian Christianity from Pentecost to 2000. The one hour panel discussion will be followed by a 30 minute Q/A session. Info: aziza (at) uchicago.edu

Friday, April 8 -- "Nigah," a festival of South Asian queer film presented by SAPAC, the South Asian Progressive Action Collective. Part of the "Dyke Delicious Series" presented by Reeling: The Chicago Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival, a production of Chicago Filmmakers, co-presented by Black Cat Productions and T's Restaurant and Bar. "Nigah" is an Urdu word that means "perspective' -- one that sees and celebrates difference, and recognizes individuals and desires beyond socially sanctioned ideas of 'normal' or 'natural' sexual behavior. Come enjoy films, panels, guest speakers, and communities at a unique all day film festival featuring queer films from South Asia and the South Asian diaspora. Admission to this event is free. 4 pm - 10 pm, Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark Street. For additional information, visit www.sapacchicago.org

Saturday, April 9 - "Personal Best" (1982, 124 mins.) by Robert Towne. Part of the "Dyke Delicious Series" presented by Reeling: The Chicago Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival, a production of Chicago Filmmakers, co-presented by Black Cat Productions and T's Restaurant and Bar. Co-Presented by L.O.G. (Lesbian Outdoor Group). Mariel Hemmingway portrays Chris Cahill, a young runner training for the 1976 Olympics. Her mentor-competitor, Tory, played by Patrice Donnelly, wants to show her more than the ropes in the gym. Scott Glenn intrudes as the manipulative coach. Director Towne may not know much about the complexity of lesbian relationships, but he knows how to film women's bodies. The visual images of the women athletes competing on the field are breathtaking. 7 pm, social hour. 8 pm, screening. Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark Street. For additional information, visit www.sapacchicago.org

Saturday, April 9 - Grand Opening of La Galeria Que No Era, 2620 W. Division. 4 pm. Info: 773.342.0809 or art_exhibition (at) boricuahumanrights.com

Saturday, April 9 - DePaul Labor History Program "Key Women Labor Leaders in History." Call 312.362.5823 to enroll.

Saturday, April 9 - "Mission Accomplished," a film by Germany's Helmut Grosse about the real war aims of movers and shakers in the Bush administration. Part of the Chicago International Documentary Film Festival. Most experts agree that it wasn't the desire to introduce democracy to Iraq that provided the driving force for the current war. In fact, Cheney and Rumsfeld have been nurturing the idea for decades. To protect the national security of the United States, the energy supply must be secured. And control of the oil in the Middle East was vital to the energy supply. Recently released secret documents from the administration of George H.W. Bush provide the proof that the U.S. would be prepared to protect those interests by military force if necessary. George W. Bush has clung tightly to this school of thought. Mission Accomplished documents how access to Iraqi oil, a business worth billions, and the activities of the U.S. administration under George W. Bush to secure Iraqi terrain for future big business, were the real reasons for starting the war. 3 pm, Gallery Theatre, 1112 N. Milwaukee Avenue. General admission: $8.50; student/senior admission (valid ID required): $7. Info: www.chicagodocfestival.org or 773.486.9612

Saturday, April 9 - The second of two memorials for Sketch (Ken Hunt), who died recently of complications from a seizure. Noon to 4 pm, Anarchist gathering/picnic at the Haymarket Martyrs' Monument in Waldheim Cemetery, 863 S. Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL. Sketch wanted to have hir ashes strewn about Waldheim Cemetary because of all of the anarchists that are burried there - Emma Goldman, Lucy Parsons, the Haymarket Anarchists, etc. Since we couldn't make this happen, we're going to do the next best thing and take personal items of Sketch's and place them on the graves of some of the anarchists who shaped hir political philosphies and beliefs. Bring a poem of Sketch's to read, bring some food to share, and/or share a story about Sketch with friends and comrades.

Saturday, April 9 - "Torture in the Name of Freedom," a film documentary by Germany's Jorg Armbruster and Armin Stauth. Part of the Chicago International Documentary Film Festival. Day after day new images of torture emerge from Iraq. The name Abu Ghraib stands for the greatest scandal to hit the U.S. army since the Vietnam War. Who are the culprits and why did they do it? Who are the victims? And who will bear the ultimate responsibility for these terrible deeds? The directors speak with soldiers in the U.S. who tortured prisoners in Iraq, and with victims and their families in Baghdad. Although the U.S. government continues to insist that the torturers in Iraq were acting as individuals, and that no orders to torture were ever issued by officers and certainly not by the Department of Defense, such claims are looking increasingly less probable. The Red Cross had reported on the situation in the Iraqi prison in January 2004, but nothing was done until the publication of the torture photographs and the ensuing global public outcry. The film posits a post-9/11 American society in which the majority of the people believe torture is a right if it serves to protect the U.S. against further attacks. 3 pm, Gallery Theatre, 1112 N. Milwaukee Avenue. General admission: $8.50; student/senior admission (valid ID required): $7. Info: www.chicagodocfestival.org or 773.486.9612

Saturday, April 9 - "An Unreliable Witness," a film documentary about the Bloody Sunday massacre in Northern Ireland, followed by a panel discussion. "An Unreliable Witness" follows the journey of British journalist David Tereshchuk who was present at the fateful event. Twenty-nine years later, almost to the day, he was called by the British government to recount those moments under oath to the Saville Commission. The film follows Tereshchuk as he embarks on his trip to Derry to testify. For the first time since Bloody Sunday, Tereshchuk revisits the killing field. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with Director Michael McHugh and the film's two main actors: acclaimed author of "Eyewitness Bloody Sunday" and producer of the award winning film, "Bloody Sunday," Don Mullan, and UN media advisor and international journalist, David Tereshchuk. Presented at 7 pm by The Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox Avenue. Tickets are $10. For tickets and information, call 773.282.7035, ext.10

Saturday, April 9 - Union Community Activist Network Conference. 9 am -12:30 pm, UNITEHERE, 333 S. Ashland. Sponsored by the CFL Community Services. Info: 312.906.2434 or lbarnes (at) uw-mc.org for registration.

Saturday, April 9 - World premiere of "Fighting For Life in the Death-Belt," 1 pm, Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division. Ani DeFranco narrates Adam Elend & Jeff Marks' documentary on the death penalty in the American South. Panel discussion follows with Gov George Ryan, others. Part of Chicago International Documentary Festival. Info: awessels (at) schr.org or 617.825.3223 for reservations.

Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10 - Voices in the Wilderness is pleased to bring Kevin and Monica Benderman to Chicago. Following a long-lasting family tradition, Seargant Kevin Benderman served in the military for ten years. Harrowing and illuminating experiences in Iraq caused him to defy tradition. Kevin returned to Georgia after six months in Iraq. After reflecting on his experiences, he came to believe that war is "the destroyer of everything that is good in the world. It turns our young into soulless killers..." Kevin refused to return to Iraq, and has pursued conscientious-objector status. He will face a court-martial hearing in May, and could be sentenced for up to 7 years in prison. At 11 am on Saturday, April 9 they will speak at Grace Place, 637 S. Dearborn, 1st floor. At 4 pm on Saturday, April 9, they will speak at the University Church, Hyde Park, 5655 S. University Avenue. At 4 pm on Sunday, April 10 they will speak at the Lake Street Church of Evanston, MacLeish Hall, 607 Lake Street (NW corner of Lake St and Chicago Ave). Sponsor of the tour is Voices in the Wilderness. Cosponsors of the various events include CCOMY, Hyde Park Committee Against War & Racism, American Friends Service Committee, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and SSC. Info: www.vitw.org, meganvitw (at) yahoo.com">mail.yahoo.com/config/login or Megan at 773.784.8065 or 773.784.6144

Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10 - North American tour of former political prisoners from Occupied Palestine, sponsored by Sumoud. Central to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is an institutionalized system of mass detention. Over 600,000 Palestinians have passed through this system since the beginning of the occupation in 1967. As of March 2005, around 8,000 Palestinians are being held as political prisoners by the Israeli military and police. This figure includes approximately 350 children. Israel is notorious for the widespread use of torture and other mistreatment against Palestinian detainees. This includes severe beatings, being tied in painful and contorted positions for long periods of time, psychological abuse, threats of rape or violence against family members, long periods of solitary confinement, and pressure to collaborate with the occupying forces. Like all colonialist regimes, this violent system of detention is aimed at breaking the will of a population that refuses to submit to occupation and injustice. The tour speakers are from Addameer, a Palestinian organization in Ramallah that campaigns around Palestinian political prisoners, and include: Sahar Francis, a Palestinian lawyer with Addameer who has worked for many years with Palestinian prisoners; and, Akram Al Ayasa, an ex-political prisoner and former president of Bethlehem University Student Council. Arrested seven times from 1976-1990 by the Israeli occupation forces; Ala Jaradat, an ex-political prisoner and activist with Addameer, where he works with families of political detainees. The speaking tour has two primary objectives: 1) To raise awareness and solidarity around the struggle of Palestinian political prisoners inside Israeli occupation jails, and 2) To connect the struggle of Palestinian political prisoners to struggles against the prison industrial complex in North America, and to the struggles of other oppressed nationality groups that support political prisoners' campaigns. 7 pm, Saturday, April 9 at the Arab American Action Network, 3148 W. 63rd St., 2nd Floor and 4 pm, Sunday, April 10, Cafe Batey Urbano, 2647 W. Division Street. Info: sumoud.tao.ca/

Sunday April 10 - "Women, the Hearth of the Bolivarian Revolution," by Dozthor Zurlent, of the Chicago Bolivarian Circle. Documentary about the protagonist role of women in the Venezuelan revolutionary process. Featuring interviews with several Venezuelan women, from grassroots activists to governmental officials. Doors open at 2:30 pm, showtime at 3 pm, with discussion to follow. Galeria de arte Colibri, 2032 W. 18th Street. $5-10 donation, $3 students, no one turned away. Part of the Venezuela documentary series sponsored by the Chicago Delegation to the 16th World Festival of Youth and Students/ Caracas 2005 and the Bolivarian Circle "Amada Libertad." Proceeds of the series support the travel expenses for the Chicago Area Delegations to the World Festival of Youth and Students. Info: Christina, 773.208.0709, or Valerie, 773.551.3368, or www.chicagovenezuela.net

Monday, April 11 - "Do Animals Have Rights, & Does it Matter if they Don't?" Discussion with Prof Dr. Mylan Engel, Jr. of NIU. Sponsors: EarthSave Chicago, Loyola Campus Greens, Loyola Amnesty International, Loyola Department of Philosophy. Info: contact (at) earthsavechicago.com or campus-greens (at) luc.edu

Monday, April 11 thru Friday, April 15 - Chicago cops face lawsuit for framing Angel Rodriguez. In 1997 Angel Rodriguez was framed for murder by Chicago Area 5 Detectives Jon Woodall and Ernest Halvorsen. He was convicted and sentenced to over 60 years in prison. After almost four years in prison for a crime that he did not commit, Rodriguez's conviction was reversed on appeal in March of 2000 because of lack of reliable evidence. Rodriguez was released from prison due to the fact that the eyewitness who had originally identified Angel as the murderer recanted his story. The witness gave a sworn affidavit stating that Area 5 Detectives Woodall and Halverson had pressured him into identifying Angel. The eyewitness stated that Woodall and Halverson threatened to implicate him in the murder unless he pointed the finger at Angel. Detective Jon Woodall is now in prison on a ten-year sentence after being convicted over a year ago of framing a different individual. Woodall was convicted of stealing cocaine, planting it on an innocent man and then falsely arresting him. Even though Angel Rodriguez now is a free man, no one has ever been held accountable for the damage this frame-up inflicted upon him and his family. Detectives Woodall and Halverson have never been punished for framing Angel Rodriguez. Rodriguez filed a lawsuit against Detectives Woodall and Halverson and the City of Chicago for compensation for the years he has lost and the damage to his life. Although Rodriguez was exonerated of the murder conviction in 2000, the conviction still remains on his record, making it hard for him to find a job. In order to clear his record, Rodriguez filed a petition for clemency 18 months ago, but Illinois Governor Blagojevich has yet to grant the pardon to clear his name. The Comite Exigimos Justicia is asking for any supporters available the week of April 11-15 to attend Angel Rodriguez's trial at the Dirksen Federal Building, 219 S. Dearborn, Room 2103. Info: CEJchicago (at) att.net

Tuesday, April 12 - Protest Bank One and Reform Global Finance on a National Day of Action. Bank One and its parent JPMorgan Chase are using their customers' money to fund environmental destruction around the world. Tell Bank One to match its competitors in adopting ethical investment standards. At at time when the global economy ignores the environment, human rights and social justice in pursuit of narrowly defined, short term economic interest, the Rainforest Action Network has persuaded two of the nation's largest banks to embrace environmental and social responsibility. JPMorgan Chase, owner of Chicago's Bank One, is next in line, the largest US bank still investing in mass destruction. Some of the world's worst environmental destruction is done by international "development" projects, especially resource extraction such as oil drilling, mining and logging. The harm can be immediate damage to people's homes and water supplies, or indirect damage done by the paramilitaries hired to "protect" the projects. Although these projects are typically unaccountable to the public, they depend on banks' willingness to invest in them. The Rainforest Action Network's global finance campaign has shown that we have real power over these consumer banks. Last year, grassroots and consumer pressure forced two of the nation's largest banks, Citigroup and Bank of America, to adopt ethical investment standards. Bank One, now a subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase, is next. To get involved, email chicago (at) ran.org or call 800.989.RAIN.

Wednesday, April 13 - "Chavez, Venezuela and the New Latin America," by Aleida Guevara, the daughter of the Che Guevara. A groundbreaking documentary exploring Venezuela's explosive revolutionary terrain post-April 2002, when Hugo Chávez survived a right wing coup attempt sponsored by the United States. Featuring interviews with Hugo Chávez, grassroots activists and Cuban Doctors volunteering in Venezuela. 7 pm showtime, with discussion to follow. No Exit Café, 6970 N. Glenwood Avenue. $5-10 donation, $3 students, no one turned away. Part of the Venezuela documentary series sponsored by the Chicago Delegation to the 16th World Festival of Youth and Students/ Caracas 2005 and the Bolivarian Circle "Amada Libertad." Proceeds of the series support the travel expenses for the Chicago Area Delegations to the World Festival of Youth and Students. Info: Christina, 773.208.0709, or Valerie, 773.551.3368, or www.chicagovenezuela.net

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.

Thursday, April 14 - "Challenging Empire: Palestine, Iraq and US Foreign Policy," a lecture by Phillys Bennis. The Bush administration's rhetoric of "democratization in the Middle East" is disguising a reality of war, occupation, and a U.S. drive for power, for oil, and for empire. The U.S. occupation of Iraq, U.S. support for Israel's occupation of Palestine, increasing U.S. belligerence towards Iran and now Syria, all highlight a dangerous escalation of violence and tensions across the Middle East. Far from "democratization," Washington's unilateralist policy across the Middle East is responsible for creating graver injustices, consistent violations of international law, sidelining of the United Nations. Phyllis Bennis is a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, and the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam. She directs the New Internationalism Project, which focuses on US policy in the Middle East, US-UN relations, and US unilateralism and interventions. She is author of Calling the Shots: How Washington Dominates Today1s UN (2000) and Before and After: US Foreign Policy and the September 11 Crisis (2002) and editor of Beyond the Storm: A Gulf Crisis Reader (1991). 7 pm, Northwestern University, McCormick Tribune Forum, 1870 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL. Co-sponsored by Center for International and Comparative Studies (NWU), American Friends Service Committee, Not in My Name, Peace-Pledge Chicago.

Thursday, April 14 - Two years ago, before the US invasion of Iraq, some 300-400 DePaul students, faculty, and staff gathered in protest. This year hundreds of DePaul students, staff, and faculty will again rally in the streets to oppose US wars for oil & Empire! We will join the people of the world who overwhelmingly condemn the US occupation of Iraq and continue our campaign of opposition to Coca-Cola's actions in Colombia in a Tax Day protest against the imperialist actions that our tax dollars are funelled into. 11:30 am, rally in the Quad, march through campus, closing rally at Kenmore & Belden. Featured will be special guest musician Anna Roland, parents of slain soldiers, and others. Cosponsored by DePaul Students Against the War and the Anti-Coke Coalition (Activist Student Union, Concerned Black Students, DePaul Alliance for Latino Empowerment, DePaul Community Service Association, Students for Justice in Palestine, United Muslims Moving Ahead). Info: depaulnowar (at) yahoo.com

Thursday, April 14 - Students NOT Soldiers: Protest the Militarization of Latino/a Youth. 6 pm, John T. Richardson Library (corner of Fullerton/Kenmore), Rosati Room 300, 3rd floor (room subject to change). Sponsored by DePaul Students Against the War and DePaul Center for Latino Researc. Panelists include Fernando Suarez de Solar, father of lance corporal; Jesus A. Suarez de Solar Navarro, killed in Iraq; Oberlin Prof Gina Perez; Jose Lopez of Puerto Rican Cultural Center. Info: depaulnowar (at) yahoo.com

Thursday, April 14 - "The New Nuclear Threat," a program featuring Robert Cleland, founding member of the North Suburban Peace Initiative, who has actively worked to end nuclear proliferation for the past 45 years. Learn about the most crucial issue of our time: the continued existance of 30,000 nuclear weapons on our planet, and the Bush agenda for producing still more. 7 pm, McHenry County College Conference Center, Crystal Lake, IL at 8900 NW Hwy 14 (about 1 mile north of RT 176 and Hwy 14). Sponsored by the McHenry County Peace Group. Donations only. Call 815.455.3683 for more information.

Thursday, April 14 - "Philip Roth's The Attack on America," a discussion led by Mark Weinberg. 7 pm, Acme Art Works, 1741 N. Western. Sponsored by the Open University of the Left

Friday, April 15 thru Tuesday, May 3 - 4th Annual Chicago Palestine Film Festival, the world's only annual festival of Palestinian films and Palestine related film, beginning April 15 at the Gene Siskel Film Center and continuing April 29 to May 3 at St. Xavier University in Chicago. The 23 film selections for this year include films from Palestine, Israel, Europe, and North America, truly reflecting the diversity of perspectives of Palestinians in exile and diaspora as well as non-Palestinian filmmakers who have made excellent films about the country and its people. Invited guests include Columbia University professor Joseph Massad, Lebanese author Elias Khoury, documentary filmmaker Buthaina Canaan Khoury, and emerging filmmaker Shady Srour from Nazareth. Also appearing will be world-class Latino filmmaker Miguel Littin from Chile, who will present his two recent films about Palestine and his connection to the land of his grandparents. The Chicago Palestine Film Festival (CPFF) is an independent, not-for-profit, non-sectarian project based in Chicago that exhibits and promotes films by Palestinian directors and films about Palestine. CPFF is dedicated to presenting a film festival that is open, critical, and reflective of the culture, experience and vision of the filmmakers. Visit their web site for detailed information about the schedule, venues, and films: www.PalestineFilmFest.com

Friday, April 15 - "Just Say No To War" tax action, 4 pm to midnight at the Federal Plaza, Jackson & Dearborn. Join us any time between 4 pm and midnight to help pass out anti-war, anti-militarization and war tax resistance leaflets across from the downtown post office where people will be filing their last minute taxes. Bring signs, banners and candles. Street theater welcome and encouraged.

Friday, April 15 and Saturday, April 16 - "Queer Islands? Caribbean LGBTQ Writers and Community," readings, panels, and more. 7:30 pm, Friday at Women & Children First, 5233 N. Clark. 9:30 am - 5 pm, Saturday at Social Sciences Room 122, University of Chicago. Sponsored by the University of Chicago Lesbian & Gay Studies Project. Info: humanities.uchicago.edu/orgs/cgs/lgsp/queer_islands.htm

Saturday, April 16 - Underground Railroad in Illinois Bus Tour led by historian and author Glennette Tiley Turner. 9:30 am - 4:30 pm, Chicago Historical Society, Clark & North Avenue. Info: 312.255.3700 for registration.

Saturday, April 16 - Benefit concert for Vietnam Veterans Against the War Military Counseling Program and Nicaragua Medical Alliance starring folk legend Anne Hills with Special Guest Luis Jahn. Tickets are $15-25 in advance, $18-25 at the door (sliding scale: set your price within the range). Send check or money order payable to Nicaragua Medical Alliance at 4036 N Kilbourn Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60641. 8 pm, First Congregational Church of Evanston, 1445 N. Hinman, Evanston, IL. Info: 773.283.4361 or 773.924.5057

Saturday, April 16 - 2nd Annual Neighborhood Fest and Walkathon: A Celebration of People and the Earth in Rogers Park. Rain or shine at Warren Park (corner of Pratt and Western), a walkathon to raise money for healthy food projects in Rogers Park. All pledge money collected will go directly back into the Rogers Park community for projects that support eating locally grown, chemical free food such as greenhouses, community gardens, and rooftop gardens. Stay for the NeighborFood Fair, which includes local vendors and organizations that support locally prepared, fresh food, healthy living, and a local economy. Schedule: 8 - 10 am, walkathon registration; 10 am - noon, walk; 10 am - 3 pm, Neighborhood Fair with exhibits, speakers, local vendors, music, food, etc.; 7-9 pm, NeighborFood Feast continues at the Heartland with organic drink promotions. Reservations recommended for groups of 5 or more. 9 pm, Heartland NeighborFood music feasts! Sponsored in part by: Access Community Health Center, Dev
 
 

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