UNCA's Students for a Democratic Society UPDATE

UNCA's Students for a Democratic Society is bringing Elaine Brown to Asheville! She will be speaking on UNCA's campus in the Humanities Lecture Hall @ 7:00pm, Oct 30th.

Throughout the last four decades, Elaine has been committed to and organized significant efforts toward effecting progressive change in the United States. In addition to Black Panther Party leadership, Elaine has continued to actively work for social change. Much of her recent work has been focused on radical reform of the criminal justice system and related efforts.

This event is free for the Public, if there is any question contact: Charla at 828-243-6065

UNCA SDS

This summer UNCA SDS will be hosting Action Camps from August 15th-17th! Please join our google group if you want to help organize!

Also, the SDS National Convention is coming up! Several of us are heading up to College Park July 24th-27th!

Iraq Body Count @ UNCA

Iraq Body Count is a display of over 3,700 white flags on the UNCA quad to represent the number of American soldiers that have died in the Iraq war thus far (since we ordered the flags, unfortunately even more casualties have occurred).

more pictures

link

UNCA Students for a Democratic Society

Panel on the Iraq War

Date: Tuesday, March 11 2008
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Laurel Forum, Karpan Hall, UNCA Campus
Admission: Free, donations welcome

UNCA SDS is holding a panel followed by a question and answer session regarding the Iraq war and its consequences for women, the environment, the economy, and society in Iraq. It will also discuss the resistance to the war both in Iraq and in countries like the United States.

Speakers: (all are members of UNCA SDS)

Kati Ketz: The war's impact on women in Iraq
Michael Graham: The war's impact on the environment
Jessica Randell: The social and human costs of the war
Brian Chorley: The war's impact on the economy of Iraq
Josh Sykes: The resistance to the war

For more info contact: Brian Chorley, chorley.1@osu.edu, (315) 402 0092


I received this anonymously via email, so thank you so much to whoever sent it.

IVAW Storms UNCA

I have finally calmed down. There was an action in the Highsmith building of UNCA today. I arrived to be a quiet observer and film the action. It happened a little after noon today and now, at a bit after 2pm, I have finally calmed down.

Soldiers in camo and full gear stormed the student building across from the downstairs cafe. A handful of SDS students posed as Iraqis sitting in their home. As the soldiers swept the room, they screamed, "GET THE FUCK DOWN, DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW! MOVE! NOW! MOVE IT YOU STUPID BITCH!". A crowd started to gather, as it was lunchtime anyway. The Marine recruiters who had a table set up near by, acted like nothing was happening.

[Read More ...] | this photo and more taken by the Gaias Tears website.

How to Exercise Your Right to Dissent

September 5, 2007

Re: How to Exercise Your Right to Dissent:
An Educational Forum for Community & Student Activists

Date, Time & Place: Thursday, September 27, 2007, 7pm,
UNCA Highsmith Center, Room 221

Professor Mark Gibney, UNCA’s Belk Distinguished Professor of Humanities, moderates an educational forum at UNCA’s beautiful north Asheville campus on September 27, 2007, at 7 o’clock in the evening. Professors Mark Gibney and Dwight Mullen along with Attorney Frank Goldsmith and other distinguished panelists will offer expertise on the rights and restrictions that apply to student and community activists.

How can I exercise my right to free speech and free assembly within the bounds of the law? When do I need a permit? Where and how can I display a sign or banner? Am I allowed to demonstrate on private property? May I use a bullhorn or other amplification equipment? These as well as your own questions will be answered.

Topics will include important local issues raised by the flag desecration case and the Bank of America protest as well as recent constitutional law and the law of trespass. The laws that apply to rallies, demonstrations and protests will be made clear to participants.

The forum is sponsored by a large coalition of student and area organizations eager to learn more about their rights, including the UNCA and WNC chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union, Veterans for Peace, Students for A Democratic Society, Carolina Animal Action, Women in Black, Grandmothers for Peace, the Department of Peace, Asheville Buncombe Citizens for Quality Government, Buncombe Greens, WPVM, and others.

For more information, please contact Alex Cury at 253-5088



Asheville

The Urban News

The Urban News, GATEWAY TO THE MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY, features community events, entertainment, and highlights local businesses.

Need to feel empowered to write and speak poetry? This class is for you, an intensive yet, gentle workshop offering a door to a deeper and more meaningful relationship with poetry. Glenis Redmond is offering a dream class for up and coming poets. Permission to Go Within: Poetry on a Deeper Level – A Poetry Workshop

Also, don't miss the Block Gazette. Up to the minute news put out by the Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force Upcoming Events

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR INFORMATION ABOUT STRIVE NOT TO DRIVE, APRIL 20!

Friday, April 20, is the big day, complete with prizes, promotions, and even breakfast!

Asheville Transit is offering 25-cent bus fare, the film festival will be at UNCA, and there will be prize drawings for folks who register at www.gettingaround-wnc.com and then do something besides drive alone on Friday.

If Friday, the 20th doesn’t work for you, you have until the 29th to register and complete your own strive not to drive day. So far, I know that prizes have been provided by Liberty Bicycles, Asheville Transit, Greenlife Grocery, the Asheville Citizen-Times, Malaprops, the Tweetsie Railroad, Asheville Regional Airport, and Chimney Rock Park. (There are seriously good prizes available.)

The bicycle workshop will be Saturday morning (see below), and on Sunday, April 22, the Beat the Bounds Ride begins at 9 (details available at www.blueridgebicycleclub.org), and then the earth day celebration will begin at 12:30 at the Cathedral of All Souls in Biltmore Village. Information (and prize registration!) will be on http://www.gettingaround-wnc.com/.

HOW TO LEAVE YOU CAR AT HOME – USING YOUR BICYCLE FOR TRANSPORTATION WORKSHOP IS SATURDAY, APRIL 21

This beginning transportation workshop will be from 9-1, with an optional short ride afterward. The workshop is free, but please reserve a space by contacting Claudia Nix. The workshop will include a panel discussion by folks who use their bicycle to get around, and sessions on safety, riding skills, equipment, and route planning. Asheville Transit is bringing a bus so there will be a chance to practice using the bicycle racks. At the end of the workshop, there will be a chance for a short group ride. Michael Sule rightly observed that by sending out news of the workshop to this mailing list, we are "preaching to the choir." He proposes we think of the workshop as a “bring a friend to church” activity. Tell someone you know who isn’t riding in Asheville about the workshop. Bring them if that’s what it takes.

Barb Mee, Transportation Planner
French Broad River MPO
P.O. Box 7148, Asheville, NC 28802
(828) 259-5457
http://frenchbroadrivermpo.org/

Youth Action Against The War March 20

FIGHT THE WAR MACHINE - GET ORGANIZED, GET INVOLVED, AND GET IN THE STREETS!

If you want to participate in this day of action, or are on spring break and want to endorse the call to support those students who are taking action, please email march20antiwar@hotmail.com or visit www.march20antiwar.blogspot.com

UNC-Asheville Socialist Unity League of SDS: Walk-Out at 11:30, Rally, March Downtown

(via: the ever relevant Ron Jacobs @ MrZine)

Anti-SOA Circus Troupe

from my inbox:

Subject: SUPPORT CALL for Upcoming Anti-SOA Circus Troupe at UNCA, Nov 12

A GOOD EVENING TO ONE AND ALL!
In behalf of the Traveling Bonfires and UNCA's Students for a Democratic Society, I'd like to invite you to a very significant and urgent show on NOVEMBER 12, SUNDAY, 7pm at UNCA's Alumni Hall. The show is called "WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS" by a touring group called CARDBOARD CHAOS (Uncle Sam's Little Global Circus). This is the Asheville leg of an annual East Coast tour to help shut down the US Army School of the Americas. It features a provocative mix of circus stunts, puppetry, political satire and original music. The show is FREE; donations collected at the show go to Cardboard Chaos' tour
fund.

Meantime, The Bonfires also requests any form of help or donation--little cash or spare change, extra accommodation to our visitors etc--to help us make this event a fulfilling, enjoyable and relevant community effort. You can either email me back or call Marta Osborne at 505 0476 for more info.

In case you want to see us, we will be at Pritchard Park this Saturday, OCT 28, from 4pm to 10pm--for The Bonfires' annual Halloween family dance-concert/gathering, "BONFIRES FOR VAMPIRES: Bonfires for Peace at Pritchard Park, Year 3." Touch Samadhi's family of DJs will be spinning records, and we will be giving out free gifts and goodies to kids. GRACIAS!

--Pasckie Pascua