FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25

All day. Buy Nothing Day, traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year. Get together and take a stand against the chronic overconsumption that is the mother of all our ecological, psychological, and political problems. Don't succumb to advertising! Don't buy worthless gifts! An annual celebration of non-consumerism. Info: adbusters.org.

5:30 PM and subsequent last Fridays. Critical Mass. An organized coincidence of bicyclists who ride around the streets of Seattle en masse. Westlake Park, Downtown, 4th and Pine, Seattle. Info: http://students.Washington.edu/Spiegel/cmass.html.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26

Noon-2 PM. Wal-Mart Holiday Shopping Action. Wal-Mart is under attack by environmentalists, workers' advocates, womens' rights advocates, and others. Renton Wal-Mart, Rainier Ave S. Info and carpooling: Seattle National Organization for Women NOW, 206-632-8547 or wakeupwalmart.com.

5-7 PM. "Confronting the evidence: A call to reopen the 9/11 investigation" produced by Jimmy Walters. Several panels of top name 9-11 researchers provide discussion. A broad spectrum of belief systems is presented. Free snacks. Bellevue Library, Room 3, 1111 110th Ave NE, Bellevue. Info: 425-450-1765.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28

5:30 PM. Policy expert and Women's International League for Peace and Freedom veteran, Jane Midgley, on "Transparency, Accountability, and Action Today" as addressed in her new book "Women and the U.S. budget: Where the money goes and what you can do about it." Elliott Bay Books, 101 S Main at 1st Ave S, Pioneer Square, Seattle. Info: 206-624-6600 or elliottbaybooks.com.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29

7-8:30 PM. Planning meeting of the Martin Luther King Celebration Committee to prepare for the 2006 MLK Day march and rally. CAMP, 722 18th Ave. Info: Nick Allen at 206-296-0321 or Nick.Allen@metrokc.gov.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

50th Anniversary of Rosa Parks' arrest.

All day. Nationwide Strike Against Poverty, Racism, and War! No school - No shopping - No work! Local teach-ins and protests. Initiating organizations: Troops Out Now Coalition, Million Worker March Movement, Teamsters National Black Caucus, Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice. Info: 212-633-6646, info@troopsoutnow.org, or troopsoutnow.org.

11:30 AM. 6th annual Northwest Girls Coalition Luncheon to celebrate individuals and programs that support girls. Featuring performances and displays by NWGC members including Lake Washington Girls Middle School, Powerful Voices, Seattle Girls' School and the YWCA. All people that work with girls are invited, including people who work with coed programs. Seattle University, Ballroom, 914 E Jefferson St, Seattle. $10, scholarships available, pay online or at the door with cash or check. RSVP at nwgirlscoalition.org/luncheon/registration. Info: programs@nwgirlscoalition.org.

Noon. World AIDS Day Benefit Luncheon featuring Dr. Charles Garfield, Founder of Shanti National Training Institute. Will showcase the mission and service of Multifaith Works to people living with AIDS, MS, or other life threatening illnesses. Washington State Convention and Trade Center, Ballroom A, 800 Convention Place, Seattle. Info and registration: Gary Southerton at 206-324-1520 x229 or gary@multifaith.org.

3-7:30 PM. Alternative Gift Market. Learn about and support sustainable gift development and relief projects from around the globe. Take care of holiday shopping by making tax-deductible charitable donations on behalf of loved ones, friends, and colleagues. Antioch Campus, Room 100, 2326 6th Ave, Seattle. Info: Deborah Alderman at 206-268-4906 or dalderman@antiochseattle.edu.

7 PM. The Central District Forum and the Comparative Religion Program at the University of Washington present American Heritage Series: African-Americans and Islam, featuring author Richard B. Turner. Rainier Valley Cultural Center, 3515 S Alaska St, Seattle. $7 adults, $5 Forum members, students, seniors. Tickets at brownpapertickets.com/event/1920 or 1-800-838-3006. Info: cdforum.org, 260-323-4032, or info@cdforum.org.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2

7:30-9 AM. Temple Beth Am and Save Darfur Washington State present Ruth Messinger bears witness: Crisis in Darfur. She will give her first hand account of the ongoing genocidal campaign in Darfur, Sudan that has claimed over 400,000 lives since February 2003. Davis Wright Tremaine, 2600 Century Square, 26th floor, 1501 4th Ave, Seattle. RSVP to Cecily at 206-525-0915 or cecily@templebetham.org.

7 PM. Friday Night at the Meaningful Movies and Men Against Domestic Violence present "Tough guise: Violence, media crisis and crises in masculinity." While the social construction of femininity has been widely examined, the dominant role of masculinity has, until recently, remained largely invisible. Facilitated discussion to follow. Keystone Church, 5019 Keystone Pl, W of I-5, just N of 50th. Metro bus routes 16, 82, 26, 44. Free, donations appreciated. Info:wnfp@bridgings.org or snowcoalition.org/event.php?h_id=3.

Thru Saturday, Dec. 3. The Seattle Chapter of the National Coalition Building Institute offers their "Building Bridges and Building Bridges II" workshop. An award-winning, day-long experiential workshop that guides participants to explore their own identity groups, identify misinformation they have learned about others, relate this information to the concept of systematic oppression, learn about the personal and emotional impact of discrimination, and gain empowerment by learning tools for effectively responding to oppressive comments and situations. The 2100 Building, 2100 24th Ave S, Seattle. $30-100 each day, sliding scale, register on website scn.org/ncbisea. Info: NCBIDarlene@aol.com, 206-290-3773, or scn.org/ncbisea.

Thru Sunday, Dec. 4. "Same Fate as the Poor." Play commemorating the lives of four US church workers who were brutally murdered at the hands of the Salvadoran military in 1980. The play celebrates their faith and the Salvadoran people to whom they dedicated their lives. Vachon Room at Seattle University's Fine Arts Building. $15 Suggested donation, cash or check only. Info: www.ipjc.org or Steve at 206-329-5981 x106.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

Call for time. Screening of Venezuela Film to mark the 200th anniversary of the Monroe Doctorine, a policy used by the US to dominate the Western Hemisphere. Bethany UCC on the corner of Graham and Beacon. Info: Tom Warner, 206-523-1720 or seattlecuba.org.

7-9 PM. Commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the deaths of four courageous Religious Women Who Worked in El Salvador during the early years of the civil war. They were brutally raped and murdered on December 2, 1980. Special ecumenical service and reception to follow. St. Patrick's Church, 2702 Broadway Ave E, Seattle. Free. Info: 206-323-2978. (See related event above, Dec. 2)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

5-9 PM. The Nonviolent Peaceforce invites you to hear Rajiv Vora, Director of the Ghandi Peace Foundation and Asia Regional Coordinator of the Nonviolent Peaceforce, on "Building our Capacity for Peace: The Ghandian Foundations for Security and Justice." Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 19th Ave and E Madison St, Seattle. Free. Info: nonviolentpeaceforce.org.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5

5:30-8:45 PM. Rajiv Vora, on "Hope in Cynical Times: The Practice of Nonviolence" at the 2nd annual fundraising dinner for the Nonviolent Peaceforce. Nonviolent Peaceforce sends unarmed peace workers into areas of conflict. Vegetarian buffet, silent auction. Cafe Flora, 2901 E Madison St, Seattle. Reservations required, $50 via cafeflora.com (click on fundraising events) or Shannon, 425-485-0145. Info: nonviolentpeaceforce.org. (See related event above, Dec. 4)

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

Noon-1:30 PM. The Seattle Office for Civil Rights, the Seattle Human Rights Commission, and the United Nations Association-Seattle present the 10th annual Seattle Human Rights Day Celebration with guest speaker Dr. Joy Leary, author of American legacy: Post-traumatic slave syndrome. Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Ave, Seattle. Info: 206-684-4540 or seattle.gov/civilrights.

For an excellent and much, much longer compilation of upcoming and ongoing progressive events in Seattle, check out Jean Buskin's Peace Calendar: http://www.scn.org/activism/calendar/ or e-mail her at bb369@scn.org. Also, check out www.seattleactivism.org.

Eat the Airwaves

Hear Eat the State! political commentary on Mind Over Matters every Saturday morning from 8:30 to 9:00 on KEXP 90.3 FM. If we can get up that early, the least you can do is turn on your radio and listen! If you can't - you can listen to archived programs on the web.