FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16

Through Sunday, Feb. 18. Seattle Human Rights Film Festival, presented by Amnesty International Puget Sound. This year's festival highlights human rights issues around the world from Darfur to Burma to the US, and covers themes including corporate accountability, ending genocide, and a full day Saturday devoted to Amnesty's Stop Violence Against Women campaign. Films will be followed by a discussion with filmmakers and human rights activists and include actions you can take on the issues. Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, Seattle; Tickets $8/$5 students/seniors/low income; festival passes $40/$20. Schedule and tickets: www.aiwashington.org/filmfest/filmfest.htm; info 206-782-5206 or jcnw55@yahoo.com.

7-9:30 PM. Friday Night At the Meaningful Movies and Wallingford Neighbors for Peace and Justice present: "A Force More Powerful: Gandhi's Salt March" (30 min, Steve York, 2000) and Bernie Meyer in person appearing as Gandhi. Discussion follows. Free and open to the public, but donations are kindly accepted. Keystone Church, 5019 Keystone Pl., West of I-5, just North of 50th, Metro Bus Routes 16, 26 & 44, Seattle. Info: www.meaningfulmovies.org.

9 PM. Amnesty International Human Rights Film Festival presents: "Total Denial," the inspiring story of fifteen villagers from the jungles of Burma whose quest for justice eventually leads them to bring suit in a US court against two oil giants, UNOCAL and TOTAL, for human-rights abuses. Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave in Seattle. Ticket info: www.aiwashington.org/filmfest/tickets.html#total. Info on film: www.totaldenialfilm.com.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17

1-11 PM. Seattle Human Rights Film Festival--Stop Violence Against Women Day. 1 pm: Border Echoes-Ecos De Una Frontera (72 minutes), a documentary that tells the story of the killings of girls and women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, through the eyes of investigative reporter Diana Washington Valdez. 3 pm: Finding Dawn (73 minutes), about violence against Aboriginal women in Canada. 7 pm: Motherland Afghanistan (73 minutes), about maternal and reproductive human rights issues in Afghanistan, followed by a discussion with Sedika Mojadidi, film director, and Julia Boltz, human rights attorney. 9 pm: Darfur Diaries (57 minutes), about the human rights atrocities in the Darfur region of Sudan, followed by a discussion with Jen Marlowe, filmmaker, and Jaime Hawk, human rights attorney. 10:30 pm: Reception co-sponsored by UNFPA and others. Tickets $8/$5 students/seniors/low income; festival passes $40/$20. Presented by Amnesty International Puget Sound. Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, Seattle. Schedule and tickets: www.aiwashington.org/filmfest/filmfest.htm. Info 206-782-5206 or jcnw55@yahoo.com or jaimehawk@hotmail.com.

7 PM. Environmental Film Festival: Caring For Creation. First of a three-part film festival designed to inform and spark discussion about creation and our stewardship of the Earth. This evening's film: "An Inconvenient Truth." Dr. Phil Mote, Washington State climatologist will briefly address topics raised in the film and by audience members. Free and open to the public. Bethany Presbyterian Church Social Hall, 1818 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle. Info: www.bethanypc.org.

7 PM. Hand on the Pulse, an intimate look at the life and accomplishments of Joan Nestle, writer, archivist and fearless lesbian activist since the 1950's and co-founder of the Lesbian Herstory Archives. Also, film short: "Fashion Resistance to Militarism." University Friends Center, 4001 9th NE (U District). Donation $5-15, no one turned away. Info: 206-910-3937 or www.home.earthlink.net/~dykecommunityactivists.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18

7-8:30 PM. Dr. Maya Angelou, author, poet, historian, educator, actress, playwright, director, civil rights activist and producer will be doing a one-hour presentation. Evergreen State College, CRC Bays 1-3, Olympia. Student admission $12 in advance, $17 at the door. General admission $20/$25. Info: 360-867-6220.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20

6:15 PM. Monthly board meeting of NICA, Northwest Intentional Communities Association, a networking and education organization for intentional communities in the Pacific Northwest. In the cafe at Elliott Bay Bookstore in Pioneer Square, S Main St & 1st Ave S, Seattle; please phone or check website to confirm. Info: www.ic.org/nica or Fred 425-481-8044.

7-9 PM. Sustainable Ballard Transportation Guild meeting. Feet, bikes, busses, carpools, boats, cars. Current projects: Ballard Artistic Bike Rack design Contest and Implementation, Ballard Grease Reclamation project, Sail Transport Network. Bring your Advanced Transportation ideas! Potluck! Opperman Design office, Ballard, Seattle. Directions and info: Vic 206-789-7646.

7 PM. US Constitution in Crisis: The Case for Impeachment. Hear Elizabeth de la Vega (author of United States v. George W. Bush et al.), David Lindorff (co-author of The Case for Impeachment) and Ray McGovern (author Neo-Conned! and Neo-Conned! Again) who will present the case for impeachment and engage in a panel discussion. Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Olympia. Sponsored by Citizens' Movement to Impeach Bush/Cheney. Info: Gail Johnson at impeachbush@riseup.net or 360 786-1246.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

7-9 PM. Are We a Democracy? Vote Counting in the United States, a panel discussion by two nationally known election reform activists, Dr. Steven Freeman and election law attorney Paul Lehto. They will discuss the emerging and disturbing picture of the threat to democracy in America posed by electronic voting systems and secrecy in elections. University Heights Center, 5031 University Way NE, Seattle. Sponsored by Washington Citizens for Fair Elections.

7:30 PM. Krist Novoselic on Election Reform. Krist Novoselic, co-founder of Nirvana and JAMPAC (Joint Artists and Music Promotions Political Action Committee), is a long-time advocate of instant runoff voting (IRV) wherein voters rank candidates, regardless of party affiliation, in order of preference on a single ballot. Novoselic will be interviewed on stage by Eric Liu, author of Guiding Lights: The People Who Lead Us Toward Our Purpose in Life. Town Hall, Eighth Ave at Seneca, Downstairs, enter on Seneca Street, Seattle. Presented by the Town Hall Center for Civic Life. Tickets are $5 at the door only. Town Hall members receive priority seating. Info www.townhallseattle.org.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22

6-9 PM. Workshop: Advocacy and Organizing 101. This workshop is about how student groups, PTSAs, neighborhood associations, and nonprofits can define the problems affecting their communities; identify solutions; and create and implement an action plan. Participants also will learn how to get media coverage, fund their work, find volunteers, work with public officials (and other community leaders), and negotiate with the 'other side.' Registration fee $35. University of Washington Women's Center, Cunningham Hall, near NE 40th and 15th Ave. NE, Seattle. To register, call 206-685-1090 or visit http://depts.washington.edu/womenctr.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23

5:30 PM. Critical Mass, an organized coincidence of bicyclists who ride around the streets of Seattle en masse. It happens when a lot of cyclists happen to be in the same place at the same time and decide to cycle the same way together for a while. Come join the fun! Westlake Park, downtown, 4th & Pine, Seattle. Info: http://students.washington.edu/spiegel/cmass.html.

7-9:30 PM. Friday Night at the Meaningful Movies and Wallingford Neighbors for Peace and Justice present: "Tibet: Cry of The Snow Lion" (104 minutes, Tom Peosay, 2002). The story of the Dalai Lama's efforts to maintain a nonviolent struggle for justice takes on renewed relevance in a world focused on war and terrorism. Discussion follows with the Venerable Tulku Yeshi of Sakya Monastery, and Tibetan-born Rigdzin Tingkhye to explain and discuss the current situation in Tibet. Free and open to the public, but donations are kindly accepted. Keystone Church, 5019 Keystone Pl., West of I-5, just North of 50th, Metro Bus Routes 16, 26 & 44, Seattle. Info: www.meaningfulmovies.org.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24

Noon registration, 12:30-6 PM conference, 6 PM film. ACLU Annual Membership Conference. Keynote speech: Privacy in the 21st Century: Confronting the Surveillance Society by James Bamford, Author, Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency. Workshops on Privacy Under Siege; What's Next for LGBT Rights; and The School to Prison Pipeline. Extra Feature: Free Screening of The Road to Guantanamo, 6-7:30 p.m. Open to all. No pre-registration necessary. University of Washington Kane Hall, Seattle. Suggested donation $10 General/$5 Students. Parking on campus is free after noon on Saturdays. Information and full schedule: www.aclu-wa.org or 206-624-2184.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26

6:30-9 PM. Sustainable Ballard meeting and potluck. Sustainable Ballard is a nonprofit for research, public education, design, conferences, and community building. Please join us for discussions and workshops regarding the coming peak in oil production and what we can do as a community to help ourselves. Sunset Hill Community Center, ground floor, at corner of 30th NW & NW 66th, in Ballard, Seattle. Check the website to confirm location. Info: vic@sustainableballard.org or 206-789-7646 or www.sustainableballard.org.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27

7 PM. Northwest Biodiesel meeting. Alternating months between special topic and Biodiesel 101, see website for details. Phinney Ridge Center, Blue Bldg, Room 6, Seattle. Info Aaron Kahn at akahn@windermere.com or www.nwbiodiesel.org.

THURSDAY, MARCH 1

7 PM. Monthly business/editorial meeting and mailing party for independent print and electronic weekly, Eat the State! University Baptist Church, NE 47th & 12th Ave. NE, 3rd Floor (the NACC/SDC offices) in the U-District, Seattle; Come opine, meet, volunteer! Info: 206-719-6947 or info@eatthestate.org.

SATURDAY, MARCH 3

7:30 PM. Seattle Folklore Society presents Jim Page in Concert. Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave N. Admission $14; $12 for PNC and SFS members and seniors; children half price. Make reservations at www.seafolklore.org.

For an excellent and much, 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, 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.