THURSDAY, MARCH 2

6-8PM. Don't be eRACEd by the Census! Maria Reinat Pumajero of the People's Institute and the Institute for Latino/a Empowerment will give a presentation on Latin@ anti-racist organizing around the US Census. Workshop includes confronting current efforts by the US to rapidly assimilate light-skinned Latin@s into the white US American collective in order to undermine Latino cultural and political identities. UW School of Social Work, 3rd Floor Commons, Room 305, 4101 15th Ave NE, Seattle. Info: Chris Casteñeda at 206-632-0500 ext30.

7:30PM. The Stranger and Town Hall Center for Civic Life present a Gay Rights Debate between Ron Sims and Rev. Dr. Ken Hutcherson. The recent passage of the gay rights bill in the state legislature has provoked a debate within African American communities, including conversation comparing the Gay Rights Movement to the Civil Rights Movement. Hutcherson, Pastor at Redmond's Antioch Bible Church, is an outspoken opponent of gay rights and takes issue with the equation of the two movements while Sims, King County Executive, takes the opposite view. Debate to be moderated by KING 5 News. Tickets $5. Downstairs, enter on Seneca, Town Hall, 1119 8th Ave, Seattle. Info: townhallseattle.org.

FRIDAY, MARCH 3

7PM. University of Washington Division of Spanish and Portuguese presents the First Annual Bob Reed-Abe Osheroff Alba Lecture. Named in honor of the two Seattle-area veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and life-long social activists, this first lecture, by Sam Hamill, will speak to the role of poetry and the arts in social activism. Reception to follow. 120 Smith Hall, UW campus, Seattle. Info: alba-valb.org.

SUNDAY, MARCH 5

2PM. Author reading by Felice Yeskel on Economic Apartheid in America. Yeskel is the Director of Class Action, a national non-profit focusing on issues of social change and money, founder and Co-Director of United for Fair Economy, and Founder and former director of The Stonewall Center. Elliot Bay Books, S Main and 1st Ave S, Pioneer Square, Seattle. Info: 206-624-6600 or elliotbaybook.com.

MONDAY, MARCH 6

7:30PM. Founder of Jamaica Forum of Lesbians, All-Sexuals, and Gays (J-FLAG) and O'Henry Prize winning author, Thomas Glave will read from his new work, Words to Our Now: Imagination and Dissent. This collection features topics such as the US-led war in Iraq, prisoner abuses at Abu Graib, along with anti-gay violence and homosexuality in Jamaica and the US. Elliot Bay Books, S Main and 1st Ave S, Pioneer Square, Seattle. Info: 206-624-6600 or elliotbaybooks.com.

TUESDAY, MARCH 7

7PM. Graduate Diversity Fellows of University of Washington present Gloria Steinem. Feminist, author, and social activist talks about what our nation and world would look like "If Women Mattered." Free, tickets required and available at University Bookstore. Town Hall, enter on 8th Ave, 1119 8th Ave, Seattle. Info: grad.Washington.edu/gomap/fellowsdinner.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8

International Women's Day

7PM. Eastside Fellowship of Reconciliation and Evergreen Peace and Justice Community present "The War at Home," a film about the Vietnam War Resistance Movement. Film features events at University of Wisconsin and incorporates rare raw footage. Donation suggested. Bradford Center, 702 108th Ave NE, Downtown Bellevue. Info: mtivana@comcast.net or 425-454-4865.

THURSDAY, MARCH 9

7-8:30PM. Institute for Children's Environmental Health presents "Climate Change: Is Our Health at Stake?" as part of the Health, Our Environment Lecture Series. Jonathan Patz of the University of Wisconsin-Madison will speak about the relationship between climate change, infectious disease, and land use. Fragrance-free event. Reception to follow. Advanced tickets $10, door $15. Town Hall Seattle, 8th & Seneca, Seattle. Info: iceh.org or 360-331-7904.

FRIDAY, MARCH 10

9AM-9PM. Thru Sat. March 11, 9am-5pm. Northwest Environmental Education Council presents Northwest Sustainability Conference '06. Unique opportunity for all members of the northwest community interested in creating an ecologically sustainable world. Regional leaders will facilitate over 30 workshops, speeches, and films. $30 per day, $50 full conference. Mountaineers Conference Center, 300 3rd Ave W, Seattle. Info and registration: nweec.org or emorgan@nweec.org.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11

9:30AM-5PM. Yes! Magazine, Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation, and Western Washington Nonviolent Peaceforce present "Transforming Personal Challenges into Global Change" with Marshall Rosenberg of the Center for Nonviolent Communication. Rosenberg presents ways of connecting that reject the use of control, intimidation, and violence. Morning activities hosted by Freedom Project, a program that helps individuals grow from prisoner to peacemaker. Afternoon focuses on shaping personal vision, power, and compassion into action. Requested donation $80-150 – no one turned away for lack of funds. Registration: psncc.org or 206-382-8576. Info: cnvc.org, or Roger Chapnis at 425-557-5387 or roger@psncc.org.

11AM-5PM. Courageous Sisters Unite: A Joyful Gathering & Health Fair. Celebrate International Women's Day and woman of color while honoring the struggle for equality, justice, and peace. Talking circles, multicultural performances, workshops, and more! Many community groups represented including Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP), Community Coalition for Environmental Justice (CCEJ), Intra-Afrikan Konnection (IAK), Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP), and People of Color Against Aids Network (POCAAN). Childcare and lunch provided. Emerald City Outreach Ministries, 7728 Rainier Ave S, Metro bus route 7. Info: Yolanda 206-720-0285.

NOON. 2nd Annual March and Rally to support marriage equality sponsored by Marriage Equality Now and Legal Marriage Alliance of WA. After waiting nearly one year for the State Supreme Court to decide on the marriage equality case, people of Seattle are taking to the streets to demand Marriage Equality Now! Same-sex couples are currently denied more than 1,500 state and federal rights including the right to inheritance, hospital visitations, health insurance, and immigration sponsorship. Speakers include Representative Ed Murray, Jamie Pedersen of Lambda Legal, Marsha Botzer, Co-Chair of the National Guy and Lesbian Task Force, and Drew Emery, director of the film "Inlaws and Outlaws." March convenes on Capital Hill, rally at Westlake Park. Info: marriageequalitynow.org, Gail Ronen at 412-559-9243 or gailronen@yahoo.com.

1:30-5:30PM. Seattle 9/11 Visibility hosts "Loose Change II," directed, written, and narrated by Dylan Avery with testimony by William Rodriguez. Other films include "Eyewitness Truth and Politics: Unanswered Questions about 9/11" and "9/11," and presentation by Dr. David Ray Griffin from Oct. 3, 2004. Columbia Branch, Seattle Public Library, 4721 Rainier Ave S, Seattle. Info: Connie Eichenlaub at connieei@eathlink.net or 206-283-9797.

11AM. Connecting the Dots: Speaking Truth to the Politics of Power with a Vision of Peace march and rally from the Northwest Detention Center to Downtown Tacoma to challenge the Pacific Northwest National Security Forum (PNWNSF). Rally begins at the Tacoma detention facility with speakers who will share their personal experiences with punitive immigration and deportation policies that target Muslims and those of Arab ethnicity. March begins at 12:00 to Sheraton Hotel to directly challenge the PNWNSF and the top military leaders in attendance by demanding immediate withdrawal of the US from Iraq and by making connections between domestic injustices, such as the USA Patriot Act and racism, and the imperialist agenda of the US in the Middle East. Event sponsored by the March 11th Coalition for Universal Security. Northwest Detention Center, 1623 E J St, Tacoma.

SUNDAY, MARCH 12

Thru Sat, March 18. Fourth Annual National LGBT Health Awareness Week. A way to promote awareness and visibility of gay, bisexual, and transgender health issues including disparate rates of suicide and cancers. Info: lgbthealth.net.

TUESDAY, MARCH 14

9:30-10:30AM. Toward a Better Understanding of Islam with Ahmed Radi, Professor of English at Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech Morocco. Radi, BCC's Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence, also serves on the editorial board of "Signs" and is part of the organizing committee for the creation of multidisciplinary Center of Research of Philosophy at University of Washington. Bellevue Community College, C-120. Info: bcc.ctc.edu/liberalarts, 425-564-2550, ddouglas@bcc.ctc.edu.

FRIDAY, MARCH 17

8PM. Wangari Muta Maathai, Kenyan environmental and political activist and 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate, speaks on "My Struggle for Democracy: 30 Million & Growing." In her fight to promote ecologically viable social, economic, and cultural development in Kenya and Africa as a whole, Maathai has taken a holistic approach that embraces democracy, human rights and womens' rights. Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, a grass-roots environemtal orgranization which has now planted over 30 million trees to prevent soil erosion. Tickets $25, 35, 45. Benaroya Hall, Mark Taper Auditorium, Seattle. Info: Marilyn Raichle at marilyn@foolproof.org or 206-325-3554.

SATURDAY, MARCH 18

1PM. Act Now to Stop War and End Racism Rally and March. Global day of action to stop the war marking the 3rd Anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. Sponsored by ANSWER, Vets for Peace #92, Marin Luther King Celebration Committee, Beacon Hill Peace Action, US Committee for Labor and Human Rights in the Philippines, US Women and Cuba Collaboration. Federal Building, 2nd and Marion, Downtown Seattle. Info: answer@answerseattle.org, answerseattle.org, 206-568-1661.

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

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