May 1: International Workers Day National Boycott. Do not work, do not buy, do not cross the border. March for migrant and workers rights. Assemble at Milam Park starting at noon; march begins at 6:00 pm. For more information, call the Southwest Workers Union at 210-299-2666 or Fuerza Unida at 210-927-2294 or e-mail swu@igc.org or info@lafuerzaunida.org.

May 4: Hundreds of downtown commuters will improve their health, create a cleaner environment, save on gas and reduce traffic congestion by parking their cars and walking, busing, wheeling or pedaling their way to HemisFair Park for the 11th Annual Walk & Roll to Work Rally on Friday, May 4, from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. Walk & Roll to Work highlights the use of biking, walking and wheeling as environmentally-friendly and healthy transportation alternatives. On the day of the rally, cyclists, led by members of the San Antonio Police Department Bicycle Patrol, will depart from San Pedro Park, 1315 San Pedro, at 7:30 a.m. Individuals participating in the bike ride to HemisFair Park are urged to share the road and observe bicycle safety rules by wearing a proper helmet and bright-colored clothing. Walkers are encouraged to walk to the rally from their places of business. In addition, VIA Metropolitan Transit will offer free bus rides for anyone who boards the bus with a bicycle on May 4. For more information and more events, visit the City's Web site or call 210-227-8651.

May 10: "Godzilla Lives!" is the topic for Bexar Audubon Society's next meeting, Thursday, May 10, in Trinity University's Cowles Life Sciences Bldg., Rm. 336. Assembly is at 6:30 p.m., announcements at 6:45 p.m., and program at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Texas plant expert and author Paul W. Cox will discuss "Plants of the Godzilla Series and Their Relevance to Our Native Flora & Fauna." While many Godzilla movies were just good fun, some dealt seriously with subjects like the environment and pollution. Plants were often important to the story line. They usually had a correlation to our native flora. Cox tells the origin of Godzilla, highlights the plants and animals in the movies, and explains how they relate to Texas’s living fossils, e.g., tree ferns, moth pollination, and much more! For more information, contact Harry Noyes, Chapter Publicity (210) 490-3124 (home) (210) 221-7098 (work) (210) 248-8080 (mobile) harrynoyes@satx.rr.com.

May 11-12: John Dominic Crossan will be speaking about his forthcoming book, "God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now." FRIDAY MAY 11 – Free and Open to Public at St. Marks Episcopal Church; 315 East Pecan St., 7:00 pm - "Civilization & Violence." SATURDAY MAY 12 - $35 per person Registration Required, at Madison Square Presbyterian Church; 319 Camden St. 9:00 am - 10:30 am – "Bible & Violence"; 11:00 am – 12:30 pm – "Jesus & Violence"; 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm – "Apocalypse & Violence." Scholarships Available – call 210-226-6254 for more information. Lunch Available for additional $7 – call 210-226-6254. Register now on line at www.faithandreason.org or call 210-226-6254.

May 19: Solar Fest San Antonio, Maverick Park (Broadway and 10th). Solar Fest is a local community event, which provides valuable information to the general public on the possibilities of renewable energy technologies, the impact of sustainable living, and green building techniques. (We don't have an exact time yet but we think it's 9-4)

May 19: "Be Doers of the Word: Working Together for Peace and Justice" at St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Austin--the 2007 Pax Christi-Texas State Conference. Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, founding president of Pax Christi USA, will be the keynote speaker. Bishop Gumbleton is a proponent for peace and social justice and he has been recognized internationally for his peace efforts. For more information, contact Cheryl Grossman at (512) 288-2477 or cgrossman@austin.rr.com., Parish Activity Center.

IN BRENHAM: May 25-28: WILPF Family Peace Camp. The Women's International League for Peace & Freedom (WILPF) is sponsoring its First Annual Family Peace Camp over Memorial Day weekend from Friday evening until Monday noon. It will be held at Santa Soledad, a retreat center located thirty minutes west of Brenham. The camp will provide an experience for families that fosters an understanding of peace, justice and environmental awareness. It will be an opportunity for families to have a dialogue in a setting that allows for a deeper level of understanding and help parents bring up peaceful children. It will be a place to make new friends and be involved in meaningful activities. Space is limited and registration is required. For more information and to register, contact Awanda Whitworth, 713-688-1060, mklawandaw@aol.com.

April 3-18: League of Women Voters City Council Candidate Forums. To find out when your district's candidate forum will be held call Arlis Olson at 210-661-0841 or visit www.lwvsa.org/.

April 7: It's a good day to be green! LiveGreenFest at Eisenhower Park in San Antonio, 10 am to 4 pm. Free Fun, food, music, art and innovative ideas of how you can make an difference in the world. Sponsored by City Public Service. For more info, www.livegreenfest.com/.

April 7: Travis Park United Methodist Church will present Shane Claiborne as the first speaker for the Justice In Action Speaker Series for 2007. Claiborne, author of "The Irresistible Revolution-Living as an Ordinary Radical," will speak on "What Would Jesus Really Do?" He is one of the founding members of The Simple Way, an organization that lives among and serves the homeless in Kensington, Pa., in an effort to end poverty. The lecture will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the church at 230 E. Travis St. For more information, visit thesimpleway.org, and for more information about Claiborne's lecture, call (210) 226-8341 or visit travispark.org.

April 14-20: Our Lady of the Lake University's Second Annual Literary Festival, "La Vida Consciente / The Conscious Life," takes place April 14-20, 2007. Headlining this year’s weeklong program are well-known literary artists Michael Anderson, Douglas Brode, John Phillip Santos, Sandra Cisneros, Alicia Ostriker, Abraham Verghese, Lori Carlson and Oscar Hijuelos, all of whom are recognized nationally for their contributions to the literary realm. This year’s city-wide festival has been designed to provide an insight into spirituality in literature and film. The festival is free and open to the public. For more information, 210-434-6711, ext. 2091 or see the complete schedule on their Web site.

April 17: Visit with the People of Darfur (Global Days for Darfur). Caesar Ricci recently traveled to eastern Chad to visit Darfurians living in refugee camps. Come to see the photographs and videos he took during his journey and learn about practical and effective ways to help the people of Darfur and eastern Chad in their struggle to survive ethnic cleansing. 7:00 PM at University Presbyterian Church, 300 Bushnell (near Trinity University.) For more info, contact Susan Smylie, 210-732-9927.

April 17: The meeting about the proposed Department of Peace legislation that was iced out earlier in January has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 17. It will be at Madison Square Presbyterian Church, 319 Camden at Lexington (not far from Central Library.) There will be duplicate presentations at 2 pm and 7 pm. There's supper ($5.00) at 6 pm; if you want to eat prior to the presentation, RSVP with the church at 210-226-6254; the presentation itself is free.

April 21: San Antonio Earth Day Celebration, Woodlawn Lake Date: 10 am- 4 pm. For more information call 210-227-5191.

April 21: Americans United for the Separation of Church and State will be having a meeting to explore establishing a local chapter. Saturday, April 21st 2 to 4pm at 16306 Buena Tierra, San Antonio, Texas 78232. For more info or to RSVP, please contact Alyssa Burgin, aburgin@texansforpeace.org or 210.381.4021.

April 22: Friends Meeting of San Antonio (Quakers) invites you to meet and hear Ali Haider and Shuli Dichter, co-directors of Sikkuy - The Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel. 7:00 p.m. at the Friends Meeting House, 7052 N. Vandiver at Eisenhauer (directions below). Event is free of charge and open to the public. Shuli Dichter and Ali Haider are the Jewish and Arab co-executive directors of the Israeli civil rights organization, Sikkuy: The Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality. They will be making their fourth visit to our community to talk about their work advancing civic equality between the Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel, democracy and human dignity. Their organization, Sikkuy, is a shared Jewish-Arab venture that proves that there is a common language shared by all citizens of Israel who support these values. Sikkuy has just released its newly developed "Equality Index", a scientific tool for measuring and quantifying discrimination in Israel. Sikkuy will use the new index to help advance equality in all aspects of government funding, resource allocation, land usage, hiring policy, health services etc. For information contact Rachel Walsh at 499-0613, rhwalsh@sbcglobal.net or Ken Southwood at 210-828-1513, jksouthwood@grandecom.net and visit www.sikkuy.org.il. Directions: From Loop 410 turn south on Harry Wurzbach, then west (right) on Eisenhauer to Vandiver. The meetinghouse parking lot is on the SE corner. The meetinghouse is at the back of the parking lot.

IN AUSTIN: April 23: If you're looking to put a spiritual spin on your evening and enjoy cultural music, you might want to check out the Turkish troupe "The Whirling Dervishes of Rumi" when they dance into Austin. Troupe members are adorned in long, traditional Turkish robes and spin about the stage as they interpret the teachings of the 13th Century Turkish mystic and poet Rumi. "The Whirling Dervishes" will take the stage at 7 p.m., April 23rd at the Riverbend Center , 4214 N. Capitol of Texas Hwy Austin, TX 78746 "The Whirling Dervishes" have drawn acclaim for their unique forms of dance and accompanying reed flutes, drums and chants. Tickets will be available through www.ticketmaster. com soon. For more information contact: austinraindrop@ gmail.com

April 28: A Community Picnic will be held at Raymond Russell Park, 20644 IH-10 West, on Saturday, April 28th, from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m., to "blow the whistle on child abuse." Community child advocates close out National Child Abuse Prevention Month and kick off National Foster Care Awareness Month with this event. Additional information is available at 210-225-7070.

April 28: Youth for Environmental Sanity (Y.E.S.) will hold a Tree Planting at Harlandale High School, 114 East Gerald, on Saturday, April 28th, from 10:00 to 4:00 p.m. Interested persons, especially Harlandale High School alumni, are invited to help plant trees on the Harlandale campus. Trees have been donated by the City of San Antonio. More information is available at 210-663-0043.

NEAR FLORESVILLE: April 28: Be sure to attend "Time Is Running Out", a Global Days for Darfur event this Saturday. Join millions of people worldwide as we raise our voices for the people of Darfur. This will be an evening of music, prayer and action. There are wonderful musicians coming and Caesar Ricci will once again be the featured speaker. Doors open at 6:30 (there will be letter signing and other activities taking place, including a Silent Auction), and the event begins at 7:00 at Oak Hills Community Church, about 25 minutes from downtown San Antonio, near Floresville, TX. From San Antonio, take I-37 south past 410 to the Floresville exit, US 181 south. When you get to 1604, you need to continue about 3 1/2 more miles on 181. The church will be on your left at the main entrance to Eagle Creek Ranch subdivision. If you get to FM 775, you have gone a little too far--make a u-turn and the church will be the first right. The church is well-marked with a lit sign.

March 1: Instruments of Peace: San Antonio College and the Symphony 7:30 pm at McAllister Auditorium at San Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro Ave. The San Antonio Symphony will perform a selection of 20th century programmatic works centered around the concept of peace and faith in humankind, including works by notable composers John Williams, Jean Sibelius, Michael Abels and Aaron Copland. Additionally, San Antonio College composer and Alice Gomez will join the program with movements from her piece Mass for Justice and Peace which will also include student choirs from San Antonio College and East Central High School. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call the San Antonio College Department of Music and Humanities, (210) 733-2730.

March 3: 16th Annual International Woman’s Day March and Rally, "Mujeres Unidas, Sabias y Dignas Revolucionarias de la paz y la justicia." Arrive at Travis Park (711 Navarro) – 9am March begins – 10am; ending at – Plaza del Zacate (Milam Park) – 500 W Commerce St. A broad coalition of community activists and cultural workers will fill the streets of downtown to celebrate the 16th Annual International Woman’s Day 2007 with a march and rally. Youth, elders, artists, and activists will read, perform, and give speeches about international and local social issues. Information tables will also be set up around the park. International Woman’s Day, observed on March 8, commemorates an 1857 march and demonstration in New York City by female garment and textile workers. Protesting in-humane working conditions, child labor, and 16 hour work days, women marched from the streets of New York’s lower East Side to rich neighborhoods bringing attention to their cause to those who profited from their labor. The intent was to demand the creation of an eight-hour work day, put an end to child labor and obtain the right to vote. For more information, contact Esperanza Center (210) 228-0201 or Fuerza Unida (210) 927-2294.

NEAR AUSTIN: March 2-4: The next Radical Encuentro Camp will be held at Belle Springs outside of Austin on March 2-4. REC is a weekend of training for activists interested in acquiring new skills as well sharpening old skills. The theme for the weekend is CLIMATE CHANGE , CLIMATE JUSTICE. Four tracks will be offered on environmental/climate justice and environmental racism, skills for organizing, anti-oppression and liberation activism, and spirit in action training. Cost is on a sliding scale of $15-$50 but no one will be turned away due to inability to pay. All meals are free and will be vegetarian or vegan. Limited indoor sleeping accomodations are available for participants who need it. For everyone else there are abundant, beautiful, and relatively private campsites available. Space is limited so register early. No dogs, drugs, alcohol, or weapons are allowed. For more information, radicalencuentro.org

March 9: Meet representatives of Neve Shalom / Wahat Al-Salam, the Oasis of Peace village in Israel, composed of an equal number of Jewish families and Palestinian families. It will bee noon - 1:15 at La Posada del Rey, 999 E. Basse Rd (West side of HEB, where Basse, Broadway and Nacodoches converge.) The event is free but you are responsible for your own lunch; prices start at $4.95. Seating is limited, so please RSVP with Lynn Powell at the Mission Presbytery, 210-826-3296 or lynnp@missionpby.org.

March 10 2007: Come meet Ahmad and Naomi as they share insights and experiences about Palestinians and Jews living and working together in Neve Shalom / Wahat Al-Salam, the Oasis of Peace village between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Saturday, March 10, 7:30 to 9:00 pm at The Galaxy Restaurant, 3259 Wurzbach, off Ingram Rd. in San Antonio. Download the flyer.

WOMENSPEAK2007 will be in San Antonio this year, March 9-11. For more information, visit their Web site at www.womenspeak2007.com/

March 16: Habitat for Humanity will sponsor a Hab-I-Tour at the Habitat Office at 311 Probandt at 1:00 p.m. Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to eliminating poverty housing in San Antonio. The number to call for more information is 210-223-5203.

Opening March 17: In honor of Women’s History Month, the Esperanza Center hosts an exhibit, Mujeres: Divinas Y Humanas/Women: Human & Divine, An Exhibit in Clay by Mujeres Castillo. The exhibit is curated by Veronica Castillo, the eldest child of the renowned Castillo Family of Mexico, and takes place at the Esperanza Center, at 922 San Pedro from March 17th through the end of May. More information is available at 210-228-0201 or visit the web site www.esperanzacenter.org

March 17: The Growing Communities Workshop will be held on Saturday, March 17th, at 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Sunday, March 18th, at 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, in the Education Center. This is the second workshop sponsored by the Bexar Land Trust and the American Community Gardening Association to help introduce Community Gardens to San Antonio. The number to call for information and registration is 210-222-8430.

IN AUSTIN: March 17: Million Musician March The Time is NOW to be a voice of reason & peace! Austin Against War's Million Musician March starts at noon. Gather at the State Capitol (11th & Congress) to participate in the Million Musician March for Peace to City Hall (1st & Lavaca) for a rally featuring music and speakers in a national day of unity in support of Peace in Iraq and throughout the world. Wheelchair accessible, family-friendly, free parking in the State parking garages along San Jacinto between 12th & 15th and at City Hall. For more information contact Alyssa Burgin. You can also download a flyer from Austin Against War.

March 18: Poetry for Peace, 3 pm in front of the Alamo. Join Jim Batterton from the Catholic Worker House in front of the Alamo at 3 pm to read poetry for peace and against war. Bring your own poetry or you can find poems to read at

• 100 Poets against the war, 100 Poets against the war redux and 100 Poets against the war 3.0 (www.nthposition.com/100poets.php)
• Poets Against the War (www.poetsagainstthewar.org)
• DC Poets Against the War (www.dcpaw.org/)

March 18: The Shambhala Meditation Center of San Antonio will offer a class on Buddhist Calligraphy, at 12:30 p.m. Participants will be introduced to the form and structure of syllables and the Tibetan Buddhist mantra. The center is located at 1114 South St. Mary’s Street. More information is available at 210-348-7791 or the web site www.SanAntonioShambhala.org.

March 20-22: St. Mary's University President's Peace Commission Spring Program. Peace is a local issue. The challenges we face when we work to get along with our next-door neighbors are the challenges we face when we work to get along with the world. While many St. Mary's University community members travel far to serve global neighbors, a program exploring campus/neighborhood collaboration would offer many ways for students to act on behalf of their next-door neighbors. For a complete schedule, visit www.stmarytx.edu/ppc/

March 22: 9th Annual Art of Peace Award and 19th StMU President’s Peace Concert. St. Mary's University Recital Hall, Treadaway Hall. An evening of music and poetry in honor of poet Trinidad Sanchez (Awarded posthumously.) Free and open to the public. For more information, call Professor Richard Pressman, 210-436-3204.

March 20: In traditional celebration of Earth Day, the Peace Bell at the United Nations is joined by the ringing of bells around the world at the moment of the March (Vernal) Equinox, signaling a moment for “global silent prayer or reflection; a time for awareness that we are one human family, for heartfelt commitment to think and act as trustees of Earth” (from the official Earth Day website, www.earthsite.org). We invite all churches in San Antonio to join in ringing their bells at 6:07 pm on March 20 as a call to awareness and reflection. For more information, e-mail Kenny Davis, Associate Pastor of Madison Square Presbyterian Church.

March 20: 11 am-noon, Steve Curwood: "The Good News About Global Warming", Watson Fine Arts Center Auditorium, St. Philip's College, 1801 Martin Luther King Dr. Free and open to the public. Steve Curwood of Public Radio International's Living on Earth speaks to the student body of St. Philip's College. For information call Pat Caballero at 210.531.4670.

IN SAN MARCOS: March 21st: Award winning filmmaker John Carlos Frey will present a screening of “The Invisible Mexicans of Deer Canyon” at Texas State University – San Marcos. This documentary is an in-depth portrayal of Frey’s yearlong journey into San Diego’s underbelly of impoverished Mexican migrant communities. The screening will be held in the LBJ Teaching Theater at 6 p.m. Admission is free. For more information the number to call is (512) 206-6451.

March 22: Peter Matthiessen, Public Reading followed by a Q&A session, 7 pm at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary's St. General Admission seating, Free and open to the public. Naturalist, novelist, Zen priest, explorer and living legend Peter Matthiessen has published more than twenty books of fiction and nonfiction over fifty years. The author The New Yorker describes as "the poet laureate of nature writers," Matthiessen is a recipient of The National Book Award, a 1991 Laureate of the global Honor Roll of the United Nations Environment Programme, and the 2002 Lannan Literary Award for Lifetime Achievement. His works of fiction include among others, At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1965), and The Snow Leopard (1978), winner of the National Book Award. Named in 1974 to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Matthiessen co-founded The Paris Review with his friend, the late George Plimpton. He lives in Sag Harbor, New York.

March 23: Our Lady of the Lake University’s Center for Mexican American Studies and Research will host a screening of "undocumented," a documentary by first-time filmmaker Jesse Salmeron of Houston. The documentary examines the illegal immigration issue through interviews with immigrants and footage of last spring’s protests. The screening takes place from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Gold Dining Room II on Our Lady of the Lake’s campus, 411 S.W. 24th Street. March 23: The Catholic Charities Immigration and Anti-Human Trafficking Programs and the Avenida Guadalupe Association will be screening the film, "The Gatekeeper," on Friday March 23, 2007 at 7pm at Catholic Charities Building , 202 W French Place (between Main and San Pedro.) Admission is free. The film's writer/director and star, Juan Carlos, will be present to introduce himself and his film, and answer questions at the end. This film should spark a lively debate, as it portrays a group of undocumented immigrants who are coerced into a human trafficking/modern slavery situation. Educational materials will be available, light snacks and copies of the film (DVDs) will be available to purchase. For more information, people call 210-242-3134.

March 24: 13th Annual Basura Bash: San Antonio River Clean-up, 8 am-1 pm, Mission County Park (Corner of VFW Boulevard and Padre Drive) Free and open to the public. Registration starts at 8 am. Trash (basura) clean-up is from 9 am to noon, followed by a free lunch and entertainment by the Network for Young Artists. For info, call 210.362.5200 or e-mail mail@aacog.com. Registration information is at www.basurabash.org.

March 24: A Conversation with Doctors Without Borders, University of Texas at San Antionio - Downtown Campus, 7 PM - Buena Vista Building Theater. Join David Martin Davies, news director for Texas Public Radio and columnist for the San Antonio Express-News, in conversation with four Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) aid workers. Epidemiologist Caitlin Meredith, physician Hansel Otero, logistician Erik Schuchmann, and nurse and MSF recruiter Molly Sweeney have worked in 14 projects delivering emergency medical care in Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Georgia, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Uganda. They will discuss the challenges of reaching people caught in conflict, treating malnutrition, and responding to epidemics, and tell how they have made working with MSF a part of their lives. The program will be followed by a Q&A session that will include information about joining MSF. The program is free, open to the public, and wheelchair accessible. Parking is available across from the theater at Cattleman’s Square on Buena Vista Street. To RSVP or for more information: 1-800-601-1466 or event. Reception prior to the event in the Buena Vista Assembly Room at 6:00 PM.

March 25: The Sounds of Prayer 2007: Expressions of Multicultural Spirituality in Song, Dance, and Chant. Sunday from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at the Carver Cultural Center (226 North Hackberry) Refreshments from the various cultures will be served following the program. For more information, contact the Interreligious Council.

March 27: Vicente Fox, president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006, will present Trinity University’s Flora Cameron Lecture on Politics and Public Affairs at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, in Laurie Auditorium. His presentation is free and open to the public. The title of his lecture is "Surveying the Geo-Political Landscape," and he is expected to speak about immigration issues as well.

IN AUSTIN: March 28: Get on the Bus! ACORN Lobby Day at the State Capital Join ACORN in taking the fight for our families and neighborhoods to the State Capitol!

• Affordable utilities for all Texans
• Increase the Minimum wage
• Expand Children's Health Insurance
• Defend contract for deed legislation (A "contract-for-deed" is a predatory home financing mechanism whereby the seller keeps the deed in their name until the buyer makes the final payment. Contracts for deed are largely responsible for creating thousands of colonias)
• Protect the rights of immigrant families
Don't miss this chance to visit the State Capitol — not as a sightseer but as a Texan exercising your right to have a voice in decisions that affect your life, your family, and your community! Buses leave at 7:30 AM from 2300 W Commerce (5 blocks east of Zarzamora) Lunch provided To reserve a seat on the bus, call (210) 226-2584.

March 28, 29, 30: At Northwest Vista College, 5:00 p.m. Thursday, 12:30 pm Friday and 7 pm on Saturday, in Huisache Hall. What a Piece of Work is Man, A collection of scenes presented by the NVC Drama Program. Linking seemingly unrelated scenes together through the common theme of "man’s obsession with violence," What a Piece of Work is Man functions as a typical local newscast that goes out of control. A newscaster reports on several "newsworthy incidences," which happen to be scenes from classic plays that comment on the human fixation with all things violent. This play includes collaboration with NVC’s dance program and outside guest artists. Scenes include selections from the plays, "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare, "The Bacchae" by Euripides, "Peace" by Aristophanes, "The Balcony" by Jean Genet, "Catastrophe" by Samuel Beckett and "Assassins" by Sondheim/Weidman. Free and open to the public.

March 29: Great Cities Dialogue, Buena Vista Theater (UTSA Downtown Campus) at 6:45 pm. For more information call 210.458.2539. The Center for Policy Studies in the College of Public Policy at the University of Texas at San Antonio kicks off its 2007 Symposium Series, Great Cities Dialogue, featuring “Great Cities: Strategies for the 21st Century” by Dr. John I. Gilderbloom, Director of the Center for Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods, University of Louisville. This symposium is free and open to the public. Free parking is available only at Lot D-3, under IH-35 at the corner of W. Durango & La Trinidad.

. March 30: Fresh Air Friday, 11 am – 1 pm, Milam Park, 500 West Commerce. For more information, call Amber Mayne, 210-362-5213 or amayne@aacog.com. Fresh Air Friday will kick-off ozone season 2007. Downtown employees are encouraged to walk to lunch and join us for this first time event. Fresh Air Friday will feature live music by the Chuck Kerr Quartet, games, prizes, and free water provided by Watermill Express. Restaurant vendors will sell food while local organizations provide information displays and giveaways. This will be a great opportunity to discover what others are doing to promote clean the air, improve transportation, and keep our city beautiful! Sponsored by the Alamo Area Council of Governments.

31 March: 11th annual César Chávez March for Justice. Join us as we march from the Westside to the Alamo in celebration of the life and legacy of an extrodinary civil rights leader, César Chávez. March assembly and program Plaza Avenida Guadalupe (1321 El Paso) at 11 am. March to the Alamo begins at 1 pm. For more information contact Jaime Martinez, 210.842.9339, IUEORG@aol.com or visit sachavezfoundation.org. The Peace Choir will be singing at both the assembly program and the ending rally at the César Chávez March for Justice on March 31. For more information about the music and rehearsals (you only need to attend on hour-long rehearsal!) visit www.songsofpeace.org.

Thursday, February 1st, History, jazz and the spoken word come together in the creative artistry of Sterling Houston’s Black and Blue: 400 Years of Struggle and Transcendence. The performance begins at 7 p.m. at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 208 E. Houston. Free. Call 210-734-9673 for more information.

Bold & Unbroken: Profiles of Bayard Rustin and Beah Richards, Two nights of documentary film honoring two remarkable individuals who struggled for their communities — their identities embraced, their integrities uncompromised, their passions unrelenting. At the Esperanza, 922 San Pedro. Friday, February 2, 7:00pm Brother Outsider: the life of Bayard Rustin; screening followed by discussion with director Bennett Singer. Saturday, February 3, Beah: A Black Woman Speaks; screening followed by discussion with Gaye Theresa Johnson, Dept of Black Studies, UC Santa Barbara. For more info call the Esperanza at 210.228.0201.

Sunday, February 4: Rally for the Troops and for Lt. Ehren Watada at Fort Hood. US Army Lieutenant Ehren Watada is the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse deployment to Iraq. He is facing 6 years in prison and a military court martial on February 5. There'll be a support rally for him at the East Gate of Ft. Hood in Killeen, Texas. Peace activists from around the state are encouraged to participate. Austin activists have organized a carpool, which will leave that city at 10 a.m. To join, email info@codepinkaustin.com. (If anyone wants to organize a San Antonio Carpool let us know by replying to this message and we will spread the word.)

Tuesday February 6 and February 27 there will be FREE dinners at Incarnate Word around the theme of reconciliation. They will be in the Marian Hall Ballroom from 6-8:30 p.m. Sr. Martha Ann does request that you RSVP so that she orders enough food: kirk@universe.uiwtx.edu. This is a wonderful opportunity to interact with UIW's brightest students about deep issues that affect us all. On February 6 Ann Helmke, animating director of the peaceCENTER, will be the keynote speaker.

Feb 13, Feb 20 and March 6: The peaceCENTER is offering The Class of Nonviolence: Living Faithfully in a Violent World at the University of the Incarnate Word. The public is invited to sit in and add their reflections to those of the student's enrolled in Sr. Martha Ann Kirk's class. There is no charge. The class materials are available for free online at www.salsa.net/peace/conv or you may buy a printed manual for $10 at any class session. The class meets in the basement of the Fine Arts Building in room B303 (on the corner of Broadway and Hildebrand, facing Broadway.) The peaceCENTER's portion of the class lasts from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. The Remaining sessions include: February 13: Dorothy Day; February 20: Martin Luther King and March 6: The Pity of War and the Methods of Nonviolence.

Lots of good stuff happening at the Jump-Start Theater in Blue Star, right around the corner from the peaceCENTER: Feb. 9-25 Fences by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright August Wilson Visit The Renaissance Guild for tickets and more information. March 9-11 and 11-16 there's a repeat performance of Dianne Monroe's Otherwise Occupied, featuring stories and interviews from the women of Palestine. On March 30-31 see Uprooted: The Katrina Project, unique arts-based response to the Katrina disaster. Visit Jump-Start's Web page for more info.

During the month of February, Precinct 4176 will host a series of Saturday night movies at the Bexar county Democratic Headquarters, 3010 N. St. Mary's. Films start at 6 and are free. February 3: The Ground Truth February 10: 9/11 Press for Truth; February 17: Inside Islam and February 24: Out Foxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism.

First Friday: Three Walls presents an exhibition by San Antonio artist Regis Shephard, Wild Style: The Fog of War mix tape Vol. 1. Opens February 2nd at 6 p.m. and runs through February 23rd. Three Walls is located in Studio 106D Blue Star, building B.

February 5: Author and New York Times columnist Frank Rich will speak "On Culture and Politics: An Evening with Frank Rich," 7:30 p.m. in Laurie Auditorium. Free and open to the public. As an op-ed columnist, Mr. Rich writes weekly essays on the intersection of culture and news. He also serves as senior adviser to The Times' culture editor.

Morality and War: An Oxymoron? Tues 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Meets five times: Feb 6, 13, 20, 27, Mar 6. Led by Tom Jefferson. At the SoL Center, University Presbyterian Church, 300 Busnell at Shook, adjacent to Trinity University. Tuition: $35 early registration by Dec 22; $40 pre-registration by Jan 31; $45 after Jan 31. For more information, 210.732.9927.

February 7: Jennifer Henderson, assistant professor of communication, will present "The Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," as part of Trinity University’s Food for Thought luncheon lecture series. The lecture begins at noon in the Coates University Center Fiesta Room at Trinity University. For more information and reservations, call the Alumni Relations Office at 210-999-8404.

February 8: The Bexar Audubon Society presents "What’s Old is New Again," a discussion of the benefits of rainwater harvesting by Mike Mecke, a water management specialist with the Texas A&M Extension Service in Fort Stockton. The Bexar Audubon Society will meet in Trinity University’s Cowles Life Science Building, Room 336 at 6:5 P.M. For more information, visit the web site at www.bexarsudubon.org. or www.sa-naturecenter.org.

IN KERRVILLE - February 8: Helen Meicler, a Holocaust survivor, will share her experience of surviving the Holocaust, her liberation, and her life afterwards at Schreiner University’s Speak Truth to Power. The talk is held in the Floyd & Kathleen Cailloux Campus Activity Center Ballroom, at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 830-792-7405.

Dr. John Shelby Spong, Episcopal bishop and noted author, will be at Madison Square Presbyterian Church, 319 Camden Street. Bishop Spong will discuss material from his forthcoming book, Jesus for the Non-Religious. Feb. 9 – Friday evening, 7:30 p.m.: "Separating History from Myth" is free and open to the public. Reservations are required. Feb. 10 – Saturday morning seminars, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. "Did He Die for My Sins?" and "Jesus -- A Man for All Seasons" Registration $35. Scholarships available. Feb. 11 – Sunday Adult Education (9:30 a.m.) and Worship (10:50 a.m.) Dr. Spong preaching: "Why I am a Christian." To reserve a seat for Friday evening or to register for Saturday morning, please email the church office at bmadisonsqpres@satx.rr.com or phone (210) 226-6254.

IN AUSTIN - Register and make plans to come to Austin, Sunday and Monday, February 11 & 12 for the statewide "Time Out: Stop the Coal Rush" event! www.stopthecoalrush.com. Political, scientific, environmental and religious leaders are becoming more vocal as they begin to focus together on the growing problems of global warming. Their efforts could prove too little, too late if the large utilities proposing to build 19 dirty coal-fired power plants in Texas are allowed to proceed.

February 11 and 12: Used Book Sale and Silent Auction to benefit the Beldon Library on the Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community Center will be held on Sunday, February 11th and Monday, February 12th, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There will be a large selection of used books, tapes, videos and games. The Center is located on N.W. Military Hwy and Wurzbach. For more information, call 210-302-6805. (Susan says: this is a GREAT book sale!)

Starting February 12: Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) will host daytime advocacy training beginning February 12th. Volunteers are needed for this San Antonio advocacy organization that improves the lives of abused and neglected children through court-appointed volunteers. For more information, call 210-225-7070 or visit www.casa.satx.org for a complete training schedule or to download a volunteer application.

February 12 and 13: Is V Day -- Reclaiming Peace 2007. A benefit performance of Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues is part of the World-Wide V-Day Campaign, with honorary chairwoman, City Councilwoman Elena Guajardo. VIP reception at 5:30 on Monday only ($50) Showtime at 7 pm Monday and Tuesday ($30.) At the Church Bistro and Theater on S. Alamo in the King William area. To purchase tickets go to www.rapecrisis.com or call Roxy at 210-208-5750. Proceeds benefit the Battered Women and Children's Shelter of Bexar County, the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative and the Rape Crisis Center for Women and Children.

15 March: Planning meeting for the March 3rd International Women's Day March, 6:30 at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, 922 San Pedro. All welcome

IN SAN MARCOS: February 15: In order for all of us to become engaged in the US Fish & Wildlife's Recovery Implementation Program, the Greater Edwards Aquifer ALliance arranged for Joy Nicholopoulos, Region 2 Director of US Fish and Wildlife Services and Anna Munoz of Texas A&M to present and answer your questions at the next GEAA meeting at 7:pm on Thursday, February 15th at the Price Center - 222 West San Antonio Street, San Marcos. After the presentation, we will be screening the documentary "Texas - State of Springs" (www.texasthestateofwater.org/). For more information, visit the GEAA Web site or call 210-320-6294.

February 16: The San Antonio Public Library presents the play Camp Logan by Celeste Bedford Walker, a theatrical drama based on the 1917 court martial and execution of 19 black soldiers of the 24th Infantry. At the Jo Long Theater for the performing Arts at the Carver Community Cultural Cernter, 226 N. Hackberry. Tickets are FREE and must be picked up in advance (limit 2 per person) starting Monday, Feb. 5 at Central, Carver Branch, Pan American Branch or Guerra Branch Libraries or the Carver Center. Call 210-207-2500 for more information.

February 16-18: Uprooted Film Series: Palestinians and Other Occupied Peoples from Jerusalem to Baghdad, at the Esperanza Center, 920 San Pedro. Friday, February 16 - Children of Heaven at 7:00 PM followed by Turtles Can Fly at 8:30. Saturday, February 17 - Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies A People at 6:00 PM followed by They Call Me Muslim at 7:00, The Syrian Bride at 7:30 and Private at 9:15. Sunday, February 18 - Zero Degrees of Separation at 6:00 PM followed by The Olive Harvest at 7:30 and Rachida at 9:15. For more information, call the Esperanza Center at 210.228.0201 or visit www.esperanzacenter.org.

February 17-21: Annual Jewish Film Festival at the San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave. For films and times call 210-302-6957 or visit the Barshop Jewish Community Center's Web site.

February 23-26 & February 28-March 3: Trinity University’s speech and drama department will stage a production of The Laramie Project, based on the brutal death of college student Matthew Shepard. The production takes place February 23rd through February 25th, and continues February 28th through March 3rd. The number to call for performance times and more information is 210-999-8515.

February 24: Palestinians for Peace and Democracy will be hosting a book discussion of President Jimmy Carter's book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, 3:00pm at the Incarnate Word Retirement Center Assembly Room, 4707 Broadway (the entrance next to Central Market.) The book has garnered much media attention and it is their hope to foster a healthy diaologue on the many points raised by Carter's book. If you are interested in attending, please read the book before the event as well as RSVP to Shelley Blagg at sblagged@hotmail.com. The book is available at local bookstores as well as for purchase at Palestine Online Store and Amazon.com.

February 25: Jerry Legget of California is taking the year off to travel around the country and perform peace concerts at various churches. He'll be at Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ for a concert/worship service this Sunday at 5:00 PM (they meet at First Unitarian Church, 7150 IH-10 West.) There is a potluck dinner afterward that you are invited to as well. For more about Jerry, go to the church Web site.

February 26: The February meeting of the League of Women Voters will Monday at 12 noon. Bring your own bag lunch and coffee will be available. At the Edwards Aquifer Authority, 1615 N St Mary's. The speaker will be General Manager Robert Potts of the Edwards Aquifer Authority who will discuss Aquifer Issues Confronting the State Legislature. Mr.Potts will discuss the issues of quantity of water allowed to be pumped and the ongoing issue of maintaining good quality. He will talk about the legislation coming before the legislature this session. The Aquifer Authority was created by the Legislature and serves as its guardian on behalf of all of us who depend on it for pure, potable water.

February 27: Gerhard Schröder, chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005, will present the Spring 2007 Trinity University Distinguished Lecture on Tuesday, Feb. 27. His topic is “Multilateralism in the New Millennium,” and the lecture will begin a 7:30 p.m. in Laurie Auditorium on the Trinity campus. It is free and open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.

February 27-28: A two part series on "Understanding Sudan" will be held at the 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27 and Feb. 28 at University Presbyterian Church, 300 Bushnell (corner of Shook and Bushnell one block west of Trinity University.) The talks are sponsored by the San Antonio Interfaith Darfur Coalition, a group comprised of local non-profit organizations and individuals dedicated to stopping the genocide occurring in Darfur in western Sudan. 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27 "Bearing Witness: Crisis in Darfur" with Ruth Messinger, president of American Jewish World Service. Messinger will bring the latest information about recent events in Darfur, the urgency of the situation and efforts which have been made to bring this genocidal situation to the world's attention. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28 "The Lessons of the World's Longest Civil War: Southern Sudan" with Bobbie-Frances McDonald, founder of the Sudan Advocacy Action Forum. McDonald will provide important background information about Southern Sudan and the connections with the ongoing Darfur genocide. She will explore the problems facing southerners today and why this is relevant to Darfur's future. Talks both nights will be opened by singer/songwriter CeCe Box singing her original composition, "Darfur Lullaby" dedicated to the suffering peoples in Darfur. For more information, contact: Caesar Ricci, 210-568-3949; Rev. Lib McGregor Simmons, 210-732-9927 or Judy Lackritz, 210-302-6962.

February 28: Fawaz Gerges, Professor at Sarah Lawrence College and Senior analyst and regular commentator for ABC Television News, will speak on Wednesday, February 28th at Trinity University at 7:30 pm in the Science Lecture Hall. His topic is "A discussion of the globalization of radical Islam." Sponsored by the political science This event is free and open to the public.

Registration is now open for the May 6-8 "For the Peace of Jerusalem" Middle East Peace advocacy conference in Washington, DC. Registration fee: $100. Join Middle East peace advocates from across the country and a range of Christian churches to: learn about the current issues related to Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking and the sharing of Jerusalem; and lobby Congress with up-to-date, specific talking points designed to make your voice heard. For more information, www.cmep.org.

Sunday, January 14: 2007 Martin Luther King, Jr. Wreath-Laying Ceremony Commemorating the life, struggles, and great accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. MLK Plaza, intersection of N. New Braunfels and E. Houston. 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. 210-590-0722 for more info.

Sunday, January 14: MLK Interfaith Service Service. Keynote Speaker: Dr. Carey H. Latimore, Professor of History, Chair of African American Studies, Trinity University. Reception to follow. Event is free, collection will be taken for scholarships. Second Baptist Church, 3310 E. Commerce. 4 p.m. 210-227-2605.

Sunday, January 14: Annual MLK Candlelight Prayer Vigil Sponsored by the Peace Initiative. Eastside Boys & Girls Club, 3503 MLK Drive. 6-7 p.m. 210-271-7232.

January 15: The largest U.S. march remembering and continuing Dr. King's legacy starts at 10 a.m. at the Eastside Boys & Girls Club/ MLK Freedom Bridge, 3500 MLK Dr. and ends at Pittman-Sullivan Park, 1101 Iowa, with a commemorative program at noon. The full week's program is available online.

Sing with the peace Choir before the MLK March, 7 am. Contact Dana Clark, danapiano@sbcglobal.net or visit www.songsofpeace.org for details.

Tuesday, January 16: The Assistant Campaign Coordinator for the Dept. of Peace Campaign is scheduled to make an hour-long presentation on the Dept of Peace. Please come to find out more about this historic legislation and how you can get involved. At Madison Square Presbyterian Church, 319 Camden at Lxington (downtown, not far from the San Antonio main library.) Two presentations will be made. One at 2pm and one at 7pm. in the Educational Bldg. Free parking is available in the back of the church.

Trinity University will honor the late Martin Luther King Jr. with a public lecture featuring Rap Artist Chuck D, founder of the group Public Enemy. The title of his presentation is "Music Beyond Lyrics: There is More to Music than What Sells". The lecture on Tuesday, January 16 starts at 7:00 p.m. in Laurie Auditorium.

Edward James Olmos Speaks at San Antonio College on January 24. With his presentation entitled "We're all in the Same Gang", Olmos will speak about discipline and determination in overcoming all obstacles. San Antonio College is located at 1300 San Pedro Ave. Doors open at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. Seating is limited. For more information, call Deborah Martin at 210-733-2147.

Three lectures by visiting SoL Scholar Paula Cooey: Christian Resistance and Reform - A Historical Perspective on Wed, Jan. 24, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.; Authority and Resistance to Authority: Distinctions and Tensions within Christian Traditions on Thurs, Jan. 25, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.; Willing the Good in the Twenty-First Century on Fri, Jan. 26, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Tuition: All three lectures are $25 early registration by Dec 22, $30 pre-registration by Jan 18, or $35 after. Individual lectures are $12 by Jan 18, or $15 after.

January 28: 3rd Annual "Blessing of the Peacemakers" and peacemaker potluck at the peaceCENTER. This is the opening event of the Season for Nonviolence. Details to follow.

December 1-3: San Antonio premiere of Dead Man Walking, A play by Tim Robbins based on the book by Sr Helen Prejean, CSJ, by Providence and Central Catholic High Schools. Friday, Dec 1 at 7:30; Saturday, Dec 2 @ 2 PM and 7:30 PM and Sunday, Dec 3 @ 2 PM. Adults: $7; Students / Seniors $5. At Providence High School, 1215 N. St Mary's Street. For info call 224-6651 or check www.providencehs.net

December 1: Gemini Ink presents a free First Friday reading this Friday, December first featuring writers Cary Clack, Donley Watt, Lee Robison and Jerry Winakur. The readings begin at 6:30 p-m at Gemini Ink, 513 South Presa. [210-212-4900]

December 1: World Aids day "A Day With(Out) Art." For a list of events, visit the San Antonio Aids Foundation Web site.

December 1: Travis Park United Methodist Church, in association with San Antonio AIDS will observe World AIDS Day with an evening of worship, praise and prayer. The service will consist of music, liturgy, spoken word and experiential prayer. Those attending are encouraged to bring something symbolic of a loved one who has died from HIV/AIDS to place on a prayer wall. The service begins at seven p.m. [210-226-8341]

December 2: SAVAE will be presenting it's one-and-only 2006-07 San Antonio concert this coming Saturday at 7:00 pm in the heart of downtown at: Instituto Cultural de Mexico, 600 HemisFair Plaza. The 7:00 pm program is a Guadalupe Feast Day celebration (her feast day is December 12) with a generous sampling of pieces from "Noche Buena" album. No Admission Charge! (CDs will be available to purchase.)

December 8-10 IN HOUSTON Southern Human Rights Organizers Conference - The 6th bi-annual conference will be in Houston. The theme is "Black and Brown Unite to Fight-Toward a Human Rights Movement in the Deep South." The program will cover a wide range of topics, among them immigrants' and women's rights, juvenile justice, low wages, felony disenfranchisement, and environmental justice. There'll be workshops, plenaries, a public speakout, and a direct action. $25 registration, $10 student and low income. At the Holiday Inn Select, 2712 Southwest Freeway, Houston. To register, phone 888/949-9754 toll free, or email rightsms@bellsouth.net.

December 9: Inner City Development is looking for volunteers to help with the setup for their annual Christmas Toy Sale for people in this poverty area near the Alazan-Apache Housing Project (1300 Chihuahua San Antonio, TX 78207). 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., stay as long as you can help. For more information, (210) 224-2199.

November 3-5: Nation-wide Counter-Recruitment Conference: Countering military recruitment with gospel nonviolence, San Antonio Mennonite Church, 1443 S. St. Mary's St. November 3, 7:00 p.m. -November 5, 12:30 p.m., sponsored by the Mennonite Central Committee U.S. The conference will bring together youth and adults to learn how to counter the lure of military recruiters who promise money for college or job training. With a special focus on areas that are heavily recruited such as communities of color and settings of poverty, the conference will: provide good information on the realities behind military advertising and recruitment; challenge and equip congregations to help youth find meaningful non-military opportunities for education, job training, employment, and leadership development; discuss strategies for counter-recruitment work in public schools and other public settings; lodge the work of counter recruitment in our commitment to Christ's way of peace and reconciliation through worship and biblical study and provide good opportunity for networking and sharing resources. Registration $20. For more information, www.mcc.org/us/co/counter/conference/

November 4: San Antonio native Joan Cheever will be signing copies of Back From the Dead, 4-6 pm at Borders Books at the Quarry, (210-828-9496). Back From The Dead is the story of 589 former death row inmates who, through a lottery of fate, were given a second chance at life in 1972 when the death penalty was abolished for four years. For more info about Joan's amazing book, visit her Web site.

November 7: Morris Dees will be coming to Northwest Vista College Nov 7th. Presentations are open to the public and free. He will present at 11:00 and at 2:00 in a tent in the parking lot. Dees is co-founder and now chief trial counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center. In his pioneering role at the Center, Dees participates in suing hate groups and mapping new directions for the Center.

Recycle old telephone directories from November 6 until November 18 at any area HEB. Project ReDirectory protects the environment and helps local schools earn funds for educational programs. [210-207-7239]

November 7: Election Day.

November 2: Travis Park United Methodist Church, 7 pm "When Religion Becomes Good," with Charles Kimball. Dr. Kimball is an ordained Southern Baptist Minister, commentator, and author. He is currently a Professor of Religion in the Department of Religion and Professor of Comparative Religion in the Divinity School at Wake Forest University. Dr. Kimball received his Th.D. from Harvard University in comparative religion with specialization in Islamic studies. He is the author of ""When Religion Becomes Evil."

Multicultural Muslim Family Expo Extravaganza, November 11 from 10 am - 9 pm at the Crossroads Mall Convention Center. A community exhibit, highlighting positive contributions cultural diversity of heritage of the Muslim Community. This will be the 1st annual event of it kind in San Antonio. Food from around the world, arts/craft, clothing, Quran reciting, martial arts, poetry, Islamic school competition, Islamic businesses, cultural fashion show, speakers. Free and open to the public. For more information, muslimxtravaganz@aol.com

November 12: The Seventh Annual Empty Bowls event is set for Sunday, at the Southwest School of Art & Craft, 300 Augusta Street. The event is sponsored by the San Antonio Potters Guild to benefit SAMMinistries. Attendees receive a handcrafted bowl and a serving of soup and bread. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. [210-545-0492]

November 12: As part of its Second Sunday @ Six Cinema The peaceCENTER will show "The Making of the Mahatma," a docu-drama about Gandhi's years in South Africa.

November 14: Film director Kens Burns will be at Trinity University, Laurie Auditorium. Free and Open to the public.

November 14: Michelle Goldberg, author of Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, will present a free lecture and book signing on Tuesday, Nov 14, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the sanctuary of University Presbyterian Church, 300 Bushnell, near Trinity University. Co-sponsored by the Texas Freedom Network. Copies of her book will be available for purchase.

November 15: Planning Meeting to bring the DEMOCRACY NOW! radio and television broadcast to San Antonio, 7:00pm @ Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, 922 San Pedro. For more info, call the Esperanza at 210-228-0201.

November 18: IN FREDERICKSBURG: Rabbi David Lazar, rabbi for Kehilat Tiferet Shalom Synagogue in Ramat Aviv will speak in Fredericksburg Saturday. He travels extensively throughout the Middle East, Europe and other countries to promote interfaith dialogues and identify the common elements of various faiths. Events on Saturday, November 18th begin at 7:00 PM with the traditional sundown Havdallah service, marking the end of the Jewish Sabbath, in the courtyard of Holy Ghost Lutheran Church, followed by a community covered dish supper and Rabbi Lazar's presentation, "Psalms in Time of Need, both Public and Private". A discussion of Psalms will follow the presentation. Rabbi Lazar's, message of inter-faith tolerance, respect and acceptance is cosponsored by the Jewish Community of the Hill Country and Holy Ghost Lutheran Church. Call Steve Sosland at the JCHC with questions 830-257-0450.

November 20: Rabbi Melissa Weintraub, the Director of Education at Rabbis for Human Rights and the author of four articles treating the subjects of human dignity, self-defense and torture in Jewish sources, will speak at St. Mary's University Monday November 20th at 7:00 p.m. in the AT&T Center (Enter campus through the Culebra Entrance – the AT&T Center is on the right and parking is on the left). Free and open to the public.

November 24-25: 17th Annual Mercado de Paz / Peace Market 10am-6pm at the Esperanza Center, 922 San Pedro. A Two-Day Open-Air Market. Come and celebrate pueblo, corazón y arte as more than 75 artists gather to offer unique artesanía centered on themes of peace, social justice, cultural diversity, and ecological concerns. The Mercado de Paz is a celebration of traditional open-air markets found throughout the world.

November 30: You are cordially invited to attend a 90th birthday celebration in honor of Reverend Claude W. Black, Jr., Pastor Emeritus of Mount Zion First Baptist Church. Make plans to join us on Thursday, November 30, 2006 at the A T T San Fernando Center, 231 W. Commerce Street. A reception will be held at 6:00 p.m., followed by the program and dinner at 7:00 p.m. Attire for the evening is business casual. Individual tickets for this special occasion are available for $35 and may be purchased Monday through Friday at the church office of Mt. Zion First Baptist Church, 333 Martin Luther King, Dr. between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. You may also reserve tickets by mail: Make your check or money order payable to Rev. C. W. Black, Jr. 90th Birthday Celebration. Please include the names of each individual who will be in attendance.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. For a complete list of events during the month, visit the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative's Web site.

Class of Nonviolence, Sunday, 1 October (the eve of Gandhi’s 137th birthday) at the peaceCENTER, 2:00-4:00 pm. This eight-session class uses classics in peace and justice literature to change your life so you can change the world! We're starting with Gandhi, so try to read the 12 pages in lesson TWO prior to the meeting. After this session we will schedule the other seven sessions. Free, but donations always joyfully accepted. FLASH! Craig and Cindy Corrie, parents of Rachel Corrie, the ISM volunteer who was killed by a bulldozer in Gaza in March, 2003, will be joining us for this session.

The Second Sunday @ 6 Cinema will resume on October 8, with the San Antonio Premiere of "Iraq for Sale." Director Robert Greenwald (Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price) uncovers the connections between private corporations making a killing in Iraq and the decision makers who allow them to do so.

Starting October 3: Women's Spirituality Group at VIVA! Books, 8407 Broadway. Every Tuesday morning, 9:30-10:30 am. $20/month. In our time together we will view short videos produced by the "Spiritual Literacy Project". Some of the topics included are "attention", "compassion", "questing", "wonder"…topics we will meditate, reflect, discuss, maybe write on…to bring body, mind, heart, and soul into connection. AND…of course, we intend to have some good old fun!!!! Contact Carla Pineda @ cdpineda@satx.rr.com or 915-241-5643(cell)Or call Viva at 826-1143 for more information.

October 4: An Evening of World Faith: "The role of The Rabbi, Bishop, Imam" On Who's Authority? How Religious Authority is Developed and Used in Judaism, Christianity, And Islam. 7pm at Tymen Hall, Oblate School of Theology, 285 Oblate Drive. A panel discussion with Hazzan David Silverstein, Scott Woodward, D. Min. and Imam O. Adib Shakir. Free and open to the public. For more information, call the school at 210-341-1366.

October 5: First Baptist Church is hosting a workshop on restorative justice for local leaders from interdenominational churches, media, justice and outreach ministries, and the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Restorative justice offers a positive response to crime and a different theory of reparation based on faith-based societies' versions of justice. John Byrd, a lecturer at UTSA, retired chief U.S. pretrial services officer and former executive director of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and Michael Gilbert, an associate professor in UTSA's department of criminal justice, will make presentations. The workshop is scheduled for Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church, at 515 McCullough. More information can be found at www.rjctexas.org.

October 5: The Urban Studies program at Trinity University invites you to a free screening of award-winning filmmaker William H. Molina’s new documentary, "Truth Be Tolled," on Thursday, October 5, Chapman Auditorium, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. "Truth Be Tolled" offers a close analysis of the state's decision to develop tollroads, including along portions of US 281 and Loop 1604, as well as the massive Trans-Texas Corridor. William Molina will be in attendance to introduce the film and answer questions afterwards.

October 5: On Thursday, October 5th, at 8 p.m., Slab Cinema presents Fritz Lang’s Metropolis with live accompaniment from Mombassa Code. The Slab is located at the corner of Probandt and Cevallos, and admission is free. The audience is encouraged to bring chairs or blankets to sit on. www.slabcinema.com

Border Social Forum, October 6-8, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. For more information, www.swunion.org or call Ruben Solis, Southwest Workers' Union, 210-222-1704. The Border Social Forum came out of an agreement between global south and global north social movement organizations and in particular from a discussion to develop a movement to 'Tear Down the Wall of Death' that Bush is pushing to complete and thus seal the US-Mexico border physically. Social movements from Mexico and the south will mobilize north to Cd. Juarez and groups from the US and Canada will go south to converge in Cd. Juarez. The goal of the Border Social Forum is to create a space for the 'integration' of the social movements from the border bi-national region and to connect the social movements of the global north and global south.

Attend peaceCENTER workshops at the 2nd Annual Teaching Peace in Texas Conference, October 7, 2006 at the University of the Incarnate Word. Join educators from throughout the state to learn new strategies to build more peaceful and violence-free Texas schools. Participate in workshops, learn from speakers, and gather materials for peace and nonviolence education. $55. www.texansforpeace.org

October 7: On Saturday, October 7th, from 4 to 9 p.m., the Arathi School of Indian Dance (the dancers that performed at the beginning of the peaceCENTER's "Satyagraha" event) will host an outdoor dance festival on the grounds of the India Association of San Antonio Community Center, 9114 Summer Wind. The festival will showcase village life in the various regions of India, and feature dancing from cultures throughout the world. [210-698-0023]

October 7: The premier showing of the film Clemente will take place at Trinity University's Laurie Auditorium on Saturday, October 7th. Clemente is a timely movie based on the real story of a Mexican immigrant family struggling to survive in the United States. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the show will begin at 6:45. [www.cineveliz.com]

October 8: Solidarity Sunday "The Anti-Violence Project of Dignity/ USA" An Interfaith/Multicultural Event hosted by Dignity San Antonio at Madison Square Presbyterian Church 319 Camden, 5:30 pm. Keynote by Daniel Helminiak Teacher of Sexuality and Spirituality and author of "Sex and the Sacred". Music by Alamo City Ensemble Singers, Book Signing, Potluck and Community Sharing follows the service. For info: 210-735-7191.

October 8: The annual Micah Lecture at University Methodist Church, 5084 De Zavala Road focuses on Christian conservation: How can you be a better steward of God’s world. Peter Harris, founder of A Rocha, a prominent Christian environmental agency in Great Britain, is the Micah Lecture guest speaker on Sunday, October 8, 5:30pm-7pm in the John Wesley Rm. (a light dinner at 5:30pm and the lecture afterward.) A Rocha is a Christian nature conservation organization, its name coming from the Portuguese for “the Rock” (the first initiative was a field study center in Portugal). The organization is now a family of projects throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North and South America, and Asia. A Rocha projects are frequently cross-cultural in character and share a community emphasis, with a focus on science and research, practical conservation, and environmental education. To learn more about A Rocha, visit its Web site at http://en.arocha.org.

October 8 and 11: The First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio will host two screenings of An Inconvenient Truth, with deals with the topic of global warming. Screenings are scheduled for Sunday, October 8th, at 1 p.m. and Wednesday, October 11th, at 7:45 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. [210-344-4695]

October 9: Barbara McGraw, author of "Rediscovering America's Sacred Ground," will speak at Trinity University on Oct. 9 as part of the "Difficult Dialogues" initiative. Her topic is "Civil Discourse Across Sacred Boundaries." First Amendment specialist Jennifer Henderson from Trinity's Department of Communications will serve as the respondent. McGraw is a constitutional law expert and teaches at St. Mary's College of Law in California. The "Difficult Dialogues" initiative is a two-year program designed to encourage civil discourse on controversial issues. The event begins at 4 p.m. in Chapman Auditorium at Trinity University, at 1 Trinity Place. For more information, call (210) 999-8433.

October 9: The Interreligious Council invites you to an open meeting: The Gülen Movement: A Modern Expression of Turkish Islam. (You can read an article about the influence of Fethullah Gülen on the peaceCENTER's Web site.) The speaker will be Veysel Demir, the San Antonio representative of the Institute of Interfaith Dialogue. Pot luck at 6:15; program 7:10 - 7:45. At the Bahá'î Center, 735 W. Magnolia. (If you plan to attend the potluck, please call 210-651-9287 or e-mail thereligionfactor@msn.com)

October 10: The Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) is hosting an exclusive screening of: "The Invisible Mexicans of Deer Canyon," a never before seen exposé of migrant life and the untold side of the immigration debate. After the viewing, the movie will be available for sale. John Carlos Frey, star and director of "The Gatekeeper" (2003) will be present to answer questions and comments. Tuesday October 10, 2006 Time: 7: 00 p.m. Where: 3115 W. Ashby Place San Antonio, Texas 78228 Linsken's Conference Room. For more information check their website: www.maccsa.org or call (210) 732-2156.

October 12: The video “Birdsong & Coffee: A Wake Up Call,” will highlight Bexar Audubon Society's meeting on Thursday, Oct. 12. It will be introduced by Trinity University sociology professor Meredith McGuire, who will share her experiences in Latin American countries. She will discuss fair-trade, shade-grown, bird-friendly coffee, and eco-tourism as a tool for environmental protection, economic sustainability, and social justice. The meeting is in Trinity University's Cowles Life Sciences Bldg., Rm. 336. Assembly is at 6:30 p.m., announcements at 6:45 p.m., and the program begins at 7 p.m.For more information, visit Bexar Audubon's Web site

October 17: On Tuesday, October 17th, at 6 p.m., the San Antonio Area Progressive Action Coalition will show American Blackout, a documentary that examines voting rights in America. This event will take place in the Julia Yates Semmes Library, 15060 Judson Road. There is no charge to attend. [www.saapac.org]

October 17: On Tuesday during breakfast at the Marriott Riverwalk Hotel, the World Affairs Council of San Antonio will featuring David Gergen, editor at large of US News and World Report, speaking on the Politics of Foreign Policy. Registration is at 7:30 am, with the presentation beginning at 8. [210-308-9494; www.wacofsa.org/

October 18: The "You Be the Judge" judicial candidate forum will be held on Wednesday, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. at the Bright Shawl, 819 Augusta. This is your chance to meet and talk with judges who make decisions that impact our lives, our families' lives, and the lives of those we serve. Sponsors include: American Association of University Women; Association of Mexican American Social Workers; Center for Women in Church and Society; Edgewood Family Network; Fuerza Unida; Junior League of San Antonio; National Association of Social Workers NASW; Neighborhoods First Alliance; P.E.A.C.E. Initiative and San Antonio Fatherhood Campaign.

October 18: Short story writer and novelist Tim O’Brien will come to Trinity University's Stieren Theater on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. In “An Evening with Tim O’Brien: A Reading with Commentary,” the author will discuss and read from his works which include Pulitzer Prize finalist, The Things They Carried and National Book Award winner Going After Cacciato. Free and open to the public.

October 19-21: Lady Fest San Antonio is a 3-day community-based event established to highlight women in media, music, film and the DIY crafting culture. From Thursday through Saturday, seminars are scheduled on Belly Dance, Silk Screening, Media Production, and more. [210-228-0201]

October 19: IN HOUSTON Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former Lt. Governor of Maryland, will speak on "God and We the People: Religion and Democracy in America." This is the first of five lectures on separation of church and state hosted by the Rice University Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance. 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Emanu El, 1500 Sunset Blvd.

October 19-22: Convergence and Diversity: Native Plants of South Central Texas Annual Symposium of the Native Plant Society of Texas, in San Antonio! For more information, visit www.npsot.org or call the Native Plant Society at 830-997-9272.

Starting October 20: The Living Graves by Sterling Houston returns to San Antonio at The Church Bistro and Theatre at King William, located at 1150 South Alamo Street. The play was commissioned as part of a project centered on the history of the City Cemetery #1 located in San Antonio’s near Eastside, and gives voice to the characters buried there. Performances are Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at 8 through October 29th. [210-271-7791]

October 20: Award-winning journalist Amy Goodman, host of the daily, grassroots, global, radio/TV new hour Democracy Now! will be at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center on October 20 at 7:30 PM. This main event (with live Spanish translation) is free; a reception from 6-7 pm is $50. For more information, contact Graciela Sanchez at 210-228-0201 or graciela@esperanzacenter.org.

Opens October 20: John Lennon had a simple idea: "Give Peace a Chance." The U.S. vs. John Lennon traces the singer's evolution as an activist and the powerful forces that rose up against him. At the Bijou Theater at Crossroads Mall, 4522 Fredericksburg Rd. Call 210-496-2221 for showtimes.

Starting October 20: HURRY SLOWLY: One Man, Many Voices and a Whole Bunch of Choices, a one-man show written and performed by singer, song-writer, guitarist and performance artist, Rudolf (Rudi) Harst, opens at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20, in Jump Start Theater, located in the Blue Star Arts Complex at the corner of S. Alamo and Probandt (in the heart of King William). HURRY SLOWLY presents a compelling look at the process of creating a meaningful new story for ourselves as we go on living in a culture of conformity and consumerism. Characterized as “a highly theatrical, definitely musical, somewhat spiritual, intermittently comical blend of stories, songs and multi-media magic,” additional performances will be held at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21; and again at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27 and 28. Tickets are $15 general admission; $25 reserved seating; $10 students and seniors. For tickets and additional information call 210.533.6767 or visit www.celebrationcircle.org.

October 21: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will host a Meet the Candidates Forum where congressional candidates will present their platforms and answer questions on important issues. At the Little Carver Theater (in the back of the The Carver Community Cultural Center) 226 N. Hackberry, 8:45 am – 1:30 pm. Congressional candidates for districts 20, 21, 23, & 28th. Featuring: Congressman Charlie Gonzalez; Congressman Henry Cuellar; Ciro Rodriguez; John Courage; Tommy Calvert, Jr; August Beltran; Rick Bolanos; Albert Uresti; Adrian DeLeon; Ron Avery; James Arthur Strohm; Lukin Gilliland; James Lyle Peterson; Craig Stephens; Mark Rossano and Michael Idrogo. RSVP at jm@jomccall.com or for more information please call Sloan Blocker @ 210.495.3507 (They did invite the Republican candidates, but they were unable to attend.)

October 23: Early voting begins, through November 3. See www.co.bexar.tx.us/elections/EV_Calender-Nov06.pdf for hours and locations in Bexar County.

October 23-27: Trinity University's Coates Library Cinema Series will screen international films on October 23rd (Familia(Canada, French Lang.)), 25th (A Peck on the Cheek(India)), 26th (Monster hursday(Norway)), and 27th (Who’s Camus Anyway?(Japan)), at 7 p.m. in room 040 of Northrup Hall. All films will have English subtitles, and these screenings are free and open to the public. [210-999-8160]

October 24: The San Antonio Interfaith Darfur Coalition will hold a Die-In for Darfur on Tuesday evening, October 24th, at 6 at University Presbyterian Church, 300 Bushnell. The public is invited. [210-732-9927]

October 24-26: St. Mary's University Peace Commission. The Fall program is Five Years Later and includesPresident's panel discussions on: We Remember September 11; Homeland Security [and Civil Rights]; What Is Terrorism: Media and Language; Justice and the War on Terror; 'Operation Enduring Freedom': Afghanistan; 'Operation Iraqi Freedom'; The Axis of Evil: Iran and North Korea; Costs: Economic, Social, Personal; International Law and the War on Terror; The US and the UN: Enemies or Partners? For more information, www.stmarytx.edu/ppc/ or call (210) 436-3204.

October 25: Incarnate Word will celebrate Peace Day With Play, Speakers. The University of the Incarnate Word Dreeben School of Education is encouraging children of all ages to remember a child’s need and right to play by hosting one large playday. The playday entitled “Playday for Peace” is part of the University’s overall celebration of Peace Day on Wednesday, Oct. 25. This year’s theme is "Play is Peace on Earth." The fun begins at 9 a.m. on the Dubuis Lawn (4301 Broadway) when over 250 local elementary students will stake their claim to fun by visiting several activity stations including an artistic area for the up-and-coming Picasso, a dance station for the J-Lo in the making and a relaxing day at the spa for the littlest Divas in town. The event is designed to draw attention to a wide array of play activities that schools, families, recreation facilities, and communities can provide for children. If the sandbox is not for you, UIW has several other fun and informative Peace Day activities that may be right up your alley. Including a lecture at 10:15 a.m. entitled "Hope for the Homeless," lunch at 12:15 p.m. with entertainment by Mombassa Code, a timely lecture on peace efforts in the Middle East at 1:15 p.m. and a panel discussion at 4 p.m. that will discuss international peace efforts taking place in Peru, Zambia, Mexico, Ireland and Guatemala. All lectures will take place in the UIW Marian Hall Ballroom. Join UIW as they focus on finding ways to provide peaceful solutions to issues that are currently plaguing society. For more information, contact the Office of Public Relations at (210) 829-6001.

IN AUSTIN October 28: 7th Annual March to Stop Executions — "Innocent People Have Been Executed." Saturday, October 28th, 2006 Austin, Texas. 3 PM Meet at Texas Governor's Mansion (between 10th & 11th Streets on Lavaca)3:30 March down Congress Ave to Austin City Hall for a Rally Against the Death Penalty. More information at www.texasmoratorium.org

October 30-31: Internationally renowned author Margaret Atwood will return to Gemini Ink in October for her second Autograph Series appearance. Atwood's San Antonio visit will mark the national launch of her new book, Moral Disorder. She will give a free reading on Monday, Oct. 30 at the Charline McCombs Empire Theater and be interviewed by literary scholar Coleen Grissom at a colloquium/luncheon at noon Tuesday, Oct. 31 at the Bright Shawl (tickets for $50/individual; $350/table are on sale now). Book signings will follow both events. For more information, call Gemini Ink at (210) 734-9673.

September 2: The San Antonio Area Progressive Action Coalition will meet on Saturday afternoon at 1 o’clock at Grady’s Barbeque, 6510 San Pedro. Nazli Siddiqui will speak on “Islam: Beliefs, Practices, and Current Affairs.” [210-492-6630]

September 7: 5:00 PM at the Twig Book Shop, 5005 Broadway 210-826-6411. Joan M. Cheever, will read from and sign copies of BACK FROM THE DEAD. What would happen if the United States abolished the death penalty and emptied its Death Rows? If killers were released from prison? What would they do with their second chance to live? Would they kill again? Back From the Dead is the story of 589 former death row inmates who, through a lottery of fate, were given a second chance at life in 1972 when the death penalty was abolished (it was reinstated in 1976).

September 7: The life and works of Chicano poet/activist Jose Luis Montalvo will be commemorated on Saturday evening from 7 to 9:30 at St. Mary’s University. This event will take place in the University Center Conference Room A, and will feature recitals and testimonios by poets and others¸ as well as focus on Montalvo’s work and his importance to the history of the Chicano Movement in San Antonio, in Texas, and across the country. There is no charge to attend. [210-534-5116]

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Gandhi's first use of nonviolent resistance - he called it satyagraha -- with the peaceCENTER at the Arneson River Theatre on Monday, September 11th from 7:30-9:00 p.m. Dancers from the Arathi School of Indian Dance, a reenactment of the first satyagraha, songs by the 100-plus voice peace choir and two exciting speakers: Nancy Meyer from September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows and Imam Omar Shakir. Tickets are $10, $5 for students, free for kids under 6, available online, at the door or from the peaceCENTER, 210-224-HOPE.

September 12: On Tuesday, September 12th, at 7 p.m., Schreiner University will host the brother of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski with a presentation titled “Confronting Violence, Seeking Justice—The Death Penalty in America: A Conversation with David Kaczynski.” This event will take place in the ballroom of the Floyd and Kathleen Cailloux Campus Activity Center, and is free and open to the public. [830-792-7283]

September 15: Palo Alto College celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month on Friday evening at 7 with a performance by José Rubén De León of Simplemente Lara, a Spanish-language concert featuring twenty-two songs by the Mexican composer Agustin Lara. (José brought Gandhi to life for us at our September 11 Satyagraha reenactment.) In the Central Courtyard, and is free and open to the public. Bring lawn chairs. [210-921-5269]

September 18: Dr. Jose Angel Gutierrez, "Roots of Chicano Activism: Aqui Estamos y No Nos Vamos." Noon - 1 p.m. at the Loftin Student Center Fiesta Room, San Antonio College. Dr. Gutierrez is a professor of political science at UT Arlington and was one of the major Chicano civil rights and political leaders in Texas at the height of the Chicano movement in the 1960s and 1970s and is author of The Making of a Chicano Militant: Lessons from Cristal (1998) and numerous other books and articles. Free and open to the public.

September 19: Jose Angel Gutierrez, Political Activist will be at Palo Alto College, 11:35 a.m. in the performing Arts Center (see above.)

September 19: The San Antonio Area Progressive Action Coalition will present a three-part film series beginning on Tuesday, September 19th, at 6 p.m. at the Julie Yates Semmes Library, 15060 Judson Road. The first featured film is The Corporation. There is no charge to attend. [210-492-6630]

September 20: Dr. Arturo Vega, "'Americanizing?'- Attitudes and Perceptions of U.S. Latinos." Noon - 1 p.m. in the Loftin Student Center Fiesta Room, San Antonio College. Free and open to the public. Dr. Vega is an associate professor in the College of Public Policy, UTSA. He teaches graduate courses in public policy, urban planning and public administration. His research has focused on local and national politics, urban planning, community health, and Latino youth. He is currently working on a book titled Race and the City.

September 21: Nationally recognized women’s rights pioneer and journalist Gloria Steinem speaks as part of the San Antonio College's Women’s Center 25th Anniversary Celebration. Free and open to the public at the McAllister Fine Arts Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. Event begins at 6:30 p.m. with a scholarship presentation followed by Steinem’s keynote address. For more information, contact: SAC Women’s Center, 210-733-2299. Best known as the founder of Ms. Magazine, spent two years in India after graduating from college in 1956 and has been influenced by Gandhian activism.

September 21: At Travis Park United Methodist Church, 7:00 p.m. "Can Hope Prosper After Genocide?" with Senator Robert (Bob) Krueger, a former U.S. Senator and U.S. Congressman and from Texas. He was also selected to be the U.S. Ambassador to Burundi (1994-1996) and Botswana (1996-2000). In addition, Senator Krueger was the special representative of the U.S. Secretary of State to the fourteen countries of the Southern African Development Community 1998-2000, and he currently is a distinguished visiting professor from Texas State University and University of Texas. Free and open to the public; free parking across the street. For more information, www.travispark.org/speaker_series.asp or call 210-226-8341.

September 21: International Day of Peace Prayer Service, Chapel of the Incarnate Word (4707 Broadway) at 7:00 PM. This ecumenical prayer service will feature a diverse gathering of religious faiths in San Antonio. It will involve people of Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and other faiths. For more information on the International Day of Peace log on to: www.worldpeace.org/peaceday.html.

September 21: On Thursday, September 21st, at noon, the World Affairs Council will meet at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel for lunch and an Ambassadors’ Roundtable with Cresencio Arcos, Assistant Secretary of International Affairs for the Department of Homeland Security. The topic of discussion will be the Central American Free Trade Agreement. [210-308-9494]

September 22-24: Seventh Annual Renewable Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair Market Square, downtown Fredericksburg, TX. Come learn solutions to global warming: You can make a difference! Solar - Wind - Water Use & Reuse - Energy Conservation - Rainwater Harvesting - Green & Sustainable Building - Organic Growing - Alternative Transportation Straw Bale Construction - Exhibits - Free Guest Speakers - Food Family Activities, Gate entry fee $8 for Friday or Sunday, $10 for Saturday or $16 for a 3-day pass (children under 12 free). Special film screening Friday evening: Nobelity, produced and directed by Turk Pipkin, Saturday's keynote speaker. The film looks at the future of our planet and solutions to our challenges through the eyes of 9 Nobel Laureates. 8 p.m. at Stagecoach Theatre, 2 miles from Main Street on Highway 87 South. Tickets are $10, available at the Roundup box office. For more information about the Roundup, www.theroundup.org/

September 23: Esperanza Peace and Justice Center Presents presents... Serenata a Lydia Mendoza en el Westside de San Antonio. 7:00 PM at Plaza Guadalupe (El Paso St @ S Brazos). Come and celebrate 90 years of life and music with Lydia Mendoza and her family. Free and open to the public. Call 210.228.0201 for more information or visit www.esperanzacenter.org

September 23: Bill Maher -- Live in San Antonio - Hilariously Funny - Politically Incorrect ! Saturday, September 23 at Trinity University, Laurie Auditorium – San Antonio, TX SHOWTIME: 8:00 P.M. TICKETS: $49.50, $59.50 plus convenience charge ON SALE: Tickets Go On Sale SATURDAY, July 29, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets including Foley's, Mail in the Mall at South Park Mall, FYE at Ingram Park Mall, Lackland AFB, Randolph AFB, UTSA Ticket Center, Laurie Auditorium, Majestic Theatre, Beacon's and select HEB locations in San Antonio or Charge by Phone at 210-224-9600 or online at www.stonecityproductions.com or www.Ticketmaster.com

September 25th: South Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking/Slavery 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., St. Mary's University, One Camino Santa Maria, University Center. The South Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking/Slavery invites you to come and participate in an introductory education event about human trafficking/slavery. For more information, www.stcahts.net.

IN SEGUIN: September 28: Attend peaceCENTER workshops at The Krost Symposium The Creative Journey of the Heart: Hate, Tolerance, Forgiveness, Hope, Texas Lutheran University, Seguin, free & open to the public. A symposium combining experiental workshops with lectures and discussion about the development of hatred, the teaching of tolerance, works of forgiveness, and the production of hope and healing. www.tlu.edu/events / krost/830-372-8060

September 29: A performance art piece and press conference will be held to start off Domestic Violence Awareness Month and announce upcoming events, 10:00 a.m., Main Plaza. For more information, contact Patricia Castillo at 210-533-2729. For a complete list of events during the month, visit the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative's Web site.

September 29: The Life and Work of Rachel Corrie, with Cindy & Craig Corrie 7:00pm at the Esperanza Center, 922 San Pedro. Part of the Esperanza's 2006 series, "UPROOTED: Palestinians and Other Occupied Peoples from Jerusalem to Baghdad." For more information, call the Esperanza Center at 210-228-0201. For more information about Rachel Corrie: The Rachel Corrie Foundation.

September 30: A Platica with Families Who Have Lost Loved Ones to Political Violence 7:00 pm @ Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, 922 San Pedro. Cindy and Craig Corrie will be joined by: Carlos Luis Arredondo, whose son, Lcpl. Alexander Arredondo USMC, was recently killed serving in the U.S. military in the Iraq War; aand Kyle Qubrosi, who witnessed his father's violent murder at a young age in Jordan's civil war. Read more about the Arredondo Family at their website: El Pueblo Unido para la Paz. For more information, call the Esperanza Center at 210-228-0201.

September 29-October 1: The Lone Star Water Congress in San Antonio – Water for people, not profit. The congress will focus on promoting public water policy that ensures the sustainability of safe water supplies for the benefit of all people and natural ecosystems against the domination of water resources by powerful private interests. Among the speakers will be Ruth Caplan, Chair of Sierra Club’s National Corporate Accountability Committee and Water Privatization Task Force; Victoria Kaplan, National Organizer for Water for All Campaign, Food & Water Watch; Sheril Smith, Lone Star Sierra Club Water Resources Chair; John Donahue, Professor, Trinity University; Annalisa Peace, Executive Director, Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance; and Jack Clough, author of "Property: Illusions of Ownership." For the complete program, visit http://texasfairtrade.org/documents/RegFormSched.doc. Sponsored by the Texas Globalization Education Fund; co-sponsored by Texas Fair Trade Coalition. No registration fee is required, but a donation of at least $25 is requested. For a $10 box lunch on Saturday, order by Friday, September 22. The congress will be in Chapman Hall, Trinity University. To register on-line, visit texasfairtrade.org/documents/WaterCongREGISTRATION.pdf

September 30: Is Global Warming a moral issue that faith communities should address? The Environmental Stewardship Team of Episcopal Church of Reconciliation, 8900 Starcrest, invites you to attend a free screening of the movie, "An Inconvenient Truth," on Saturday September 30th at 6:30 pm in Brown Hall. The movie will be followed by a discussion addressing whether Global Warming is a moral issue that deserves a response from a faith context, and how a faith-based dialogue might proceed in a productive way, given the political polarization around the issue. Please invite interested friends to join us in this important conversation.

August 4: Trinidad Sanchez Jr., poet, educator, activist, and author of the best selling poetry collection Why Am I So Brown?, passed away on July 30 after suffering a massive stroke on July 18. The local writing community has planned several benefits to celebrate his life and work and help with medical expenses. Gemini Ink and the Society of Latino and Hispanic Writers of San Antonio will co-sponsor a memorial benefit in Sanchez's honor, Friday, Aug. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Gemini Ink, 513 S. Presa. Admission is free, but donations to help defray medical costs will be gratefully accepted. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call Genini Ink at (210) 734-9673.

August 6: Monthly meeting of the local chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), Sunday, starting at 5:30 pm at a private home at 123 E. Elsmere (off McCullough; near Trinity University; map). There will be an in-depth conversation about the Middle East. Light refreshments; all welcome.

IN AUSTIN: Texas Impact Advocacy Summer Camp, Session #3: How do Capitol reporters decide what stories to cover? What factors shape political reporting in Texas? Are "blogs" a legitimate source of news and information? You thought the legislative process was overwhelming...this week we're tackling the media! August 4 from 8am to 9:30am at the Texas Capitol Extension Rm E2.028. Advocacy Summer Camp is free. Reservations are not required, but help us ensure we have enough copies of materials. For more information about Advocacy Summer Camp or to let us know you're coming, email jenny@texasimpact.org or call 512.472.3903. Advocacy Summer Camp is a series of short, informative briefings designed to build your effectiveness as a citizen leader. By attending Advocacy Summer Camp, you will have the opportunity to visit with Austin lobbyists, legislative staffers, and legislators in a relaxed and open setting, so you'll be confident and comfortable at the Capitol during the next legislative session! Session Three speakers will include Wayne Slater (Dallas Morning News), Harvey Kronberg (Quorum Report), Tamara Bell (media relations specialist), Mike Rosen (Fox 7 News), and Paul Burka (Texas Monthly). Deece Eckstein of People for the American Way will moderate. Parking in the state visitor lot at 12th and Trinity (first 2 hours are free, 75 cents/half-hour thereafter.)

August 5: Muslim Community Center, First Saturday Movie Night August 5 at 7:30 pm will be showing The Iron Wall, an hour-long documentary film by Mohammed Alatar. Jean-Jacques Joris, head of the Swiss Representative Office to the Palestinian Authority said, "This is a powerful film exposing one of the most pressing issues of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It is imperative that it gets a wide audience, and that efforts are mobilized to subvert an imminent catastrophe." Frree and open to the public. The MCC is at 3201 Cherry Ridge Drive, Building B #213. For more information, call (210) 414-3313.

PRAYER FOR PEACE: Interfaith Prayer Service, Wednesday, Aug 9th, 7-8 pm. Religious leaders from the Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities will participate. At St. George Maronite Church, 6070 Babcock Road, San Antonio. St. George's is an Eastern Catholic Church of the West Syriac Antiochene Tradition, started by Lebanese immigrants in 1925.

August 11: Catholic Relief Services is holding a Mass to pray for peace in the Middle East on Friday, August 11 starting at 6 pm at the chapel of the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto at the Oblate School of Theology, 5712 Blanco Road.

August 11: The 4th annual Noche de Macondo, a magical evening of poetry, prose, & performance with writers from Sandra Cisneros' Macondo Writers' Workshop. Friday, August 11, at 8:00pm. at the Esperanza Center. Featuring these Macondo writers: Angela Kariotis; Francisco X. Alarcon; Jaime Cortez; Tony Diaz; Leslie Larson; Renato Rosaldo; Denise Chavez; raulrsalinas; Alicia Gaspar de Alba and night's MC, Tammy Gomez. Introduced by: Sandra Cisneros, founder of the Macondo Writer’s Workshop in San Antonio. You don't want to miss these amazing writers on stage! y despues vamos a chanclear tambien! $6 Admission mas o menos (pay what you can) Esperanza Peace and Justice Center is at 922 San Pedro Ave (@ W Evergreen). 210.228.0201 www.esperanzacenter.org.

August 12: Southwest Workewrs Union invites you to participate in a march for a living wage, Saturday, August 12, 10 AM. Starts at 1414 E. Commerce (SWU Office) and ends at 141 La Vaca (SAISD Adm. Bld). They will be providing Food and Refreshments.

August 13: Masjid Bilal Ibn Ra’bah of San Antonio, TX Presents Imam Omar Adib Shakir & Imam Glenn Abdul Latif in Does the Quran Promote Terrorism? Is This Scripture The Real Center Of Conflict Or A Source Of Resolution? Sunday, August 13, 2:30-4:30 pm at The San Antonio Public Library, Carver Branch, 3350 E. Commerce Street (near back of SBC Center) For more info call 210-415-7871, 210-414-3185 or e-mail:Alsharif8@aol.com. Masjid Bilal Ibn Ra’bah welcomes the public to monthly lectures to about Islam in America and around the world.

August 13: IN AUSTIN: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths Sunday, August 13, 2:00-5:30pm, Maloney Room, Main Building, St. Edward's University, 3001 S. Congress Ave., Austin, TX. First was "The Call," then "The Response," and now "The Journey." Abraham, the patriarch of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, responds to God's call, and takes the journey of faith, both inner (esoteric) and outer (exoteric). Out of the Call, Response, and Journey, arises the great vision of Unity of all people irrespective of their faith tradition: "And in thee shall all families of the Earth be blessed." We invite you to join us and spend an afternoon together listening to three inspiring stories about the 'journey of faith,' from a Jewish, Christian, and Muslim perspective, as well as share our personal experiences with each other about our own journey in life.

August 15: The San Antonio Alamo Sierra Club will meet on Tuesday, August 15th, at 7 p.m. in the Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway. The program will be an update by Paul Barwick on Proposition 1, Aquifer Protection, and Preserving Western Hill Country Rivers and Streams. There is no charge to attend, and everyone is welcome. [210-222-8195]

August 16: Texas Media Empowerment Project (Texas MEP) will host a Media That Matters Film Festival and panel discussion. August 16, 6PM at The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center(corner of Evergreen and San Pedro near SAC.) The Media That Matters Film Festival is the premiere showcase for short films on the most important topics of the day. Local and global, online and in communities around the world, Media That Matters engages diverse audiences and inspires them to take action. From gay rights to global warming, the jury-selected collection represents the work of a diverse group of independent filmmakers, many of whom are under 21. The films are equally diverse in style and content, with documentaries, music videos, animations, experimental work and everything else in between. What all the films have in common is that they spark debate and action in 8 minutes or less. After the screening there will be a Q&A Panel discussion. Speakers will define and discuss various media justice topics such as the digital divide, media ownership, and the future of media. For more info: www.texasmep.org.

First Unitarian Church Spritual Cinema Series will be showing The Yatra Trilogy August 11, 12 and 18, starting at 7:45 pm. Part of an ongoing series that travels to places of spiritual wonder and empowerment, YATRA TRILOGY is a cycle of meditative passages offering a direct experience of sacred spaces and the wisdom they convey. A revered and ancient practice in every spiritual tradition, yatra is the Sanskrit word for sacred journey. Pilgrims travel to legendary destinations to share in the unique presence of these places. For more information, visit their Web site.

Celestial Celebration Circle of the First Unitarian Universalist Church will host a peace action ritual with a meditative dance at the PEACE POLE on the church grounds on Saturday, August 19th 7:00-8:30 PM. All are welcome. Email Joan Wells for any questions or information. morejoan@yahoo. com.

2nd Sunday @ 6 Cinema: Sunday, July 9:
CANCELLEDOn Common Grounds
Three Jewish, Christian and Muslim groups attempt to overcome their differences by building a house together for a poor family in Mexico. However, this gesture of good will proves to be rather challenging for this diverse crowd. Not only will they have to face each other for the first time, but these inexperienced builders must complete the house in an outrageously short amount of time...  In partnership with the Tri-Faith Dialogue.

July 14: The Iron Wall: a film by San Antonian Mohammed Alatar, documentary film screening & plática presented in collaboration with Palestinians for Peace and Democracy, Friday, July 14, 2006 @ 7:00pm, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, 922 San Pedro. The Iron Wall exposes the policy of settlement-building over the 39-year occupation of Palestine and its impact on the peace process. Learn more about this film at http:/www.theironwall.ps/. For more information, 210-228-0201 or www.esperanzacenter.org.

July 15: The Other Jewish Voice: Speaking for Palestine and a Return to Jewish Values, a poetry reading and roundtable discussion with Jewish writers and thinkers against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Saturday, July 15, 2006 @ 7:00pmEsperanza Peace and Justice Center, 922 San Pedro with Batya Hecker, activist for Palestinian rights and PhD candidate at UT-Austin; Steve Kowit, political poet and English professor at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, CA; Dianne Monroe, San Antonio writer, photographer, arts educator, and playwright of "Otherwise Occupied" and Judith Norman, philosophy professor at Trinity University, with Jewish Voice for Peace. For more information, 210-228-0201 or www.esperanzacenter.org.

July 16: The Tri-Faith Dialogue of San Antonio in partnership with the peaceCENTER and The Interreligious Council of San Antonio will present the film: "On Common Ground" on Sunday July 16, from 2-5 p.m. at the Fine Arts Bldg. room BO3 on the campus of UIW. Following the film there will be a discussion. The theater is at the corner of Broadway and Hildebrand. For more information, contact Barbie Gorelick, 210-491-0805 or 210-383-9835. Three groups one Jewish, one Christian and one Muslim attempt to overcome their differences by building a house together for a poor family in Mexico. However, this gesture of good will proves to be rather challenging for this diverse crowd. Not only will they have to face each other for the first time, but these inexperienced builders must complete the house in an outrageously short amount of time.

July 17: On Monday, July 17th, at 6:30 p.m., author John Phillip Santos will read excerpts from his book Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation. Classical guitarist, Ray Tamez, will perform. This event will take place at the Maverick Branch Library, and is free and open to the public. The library is located at 8700 Mystic Park. [210-680-9346]

July 16 and 23: The Hornsby Theatre Company presents the comedy A Meetin' in the Ladies Room on July 16th and 23rd at 7 p.m. at the Josephine Theatre. Proceeds benefit the Women's Shelter and YMCA youth. [210-533-0577]

July 22: At the Esperanza Center, 922 San Pedro, Saturday, July 22, 7:00pm "Sir! No, Sir!" A Documentary Film Screening & Plática, as part of NALIP-San Antonio's Meet the Maker Series. The Suppressed Story of the GI Movement to End the War in Vietnam. This film documents the explosion of defiance to which this movement gave birth, and how and why it has been erased from public memory. Followed by plática with film producer Vangie Griego. For more information, 210-228-0201 or www.esperanzacenter.org.

July 24: The Muslim Community Center of San Antonio invites you to participate in a planning meeting on Monday July 24 at 7 pm to show our peaceful protest Israel's war against the people of Lebanon for Friday July 28, in front of the Federal building Downtown. The Muslim Community Center of San Antonio (MCC) is at 3201 Cherry Ridge Dr., Suite 213B (please dress modestly.) Contact: 210-872-5527, Ali Moshirsadri.

July 25: Forum on Corporations and Social Justice, Tuesday, July 25th at 7:00 pm in the University of the Incarnate Word Library Auditorium. All are welcome. Free snacks will be provided. They will have a panel of speakers, including: Martha Ojeda, from Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras; Sr. Susan Mika, from the Socially Responsible Investment Coalition; Monica Garcia (UIW Amnesty International and Southwest Workers Union), on fair trade and Starbucks' violations of workers rights and Tom Keene (professor emeritus at Our Lady of the Lake University), on empire and the military-industrial complex. Speakers will address the growing power of corporations, corporations' violations of human rights, and what students and others can do to challenge corporate power and corporate human rights abuses and environmental destruction. There will also be table space for anyone that wants to leave off some literature relating to social justice/activism.

July 25: Fuerza Unida cordially invites you to attend a presentation / plática about military toxics and the contamination and clean-up effort around Kelly USA given our guest speaker, community activist and leader: Genaro Rendón, Co-Director of the Southwest Workers Union, Tuesday, July 25, 7pm – 9pm at Fuerza Unida, 710 New Laredo Hwy. Genaro Rendón is a long-time community activist and current Co-Director of the Southwest Workers Union. Genaro has done much work in the area of military toxics and military contamination, in particular doing research and mobilizing the community around the issue of the contamination left behind by the former Kelly Air Force Base (now Kelly USA). The Southwest Workers Union just organized a conference around military toxics and global military contamination titled: “Converging Community Struggles for Health & Justice: A movement-building conference against military contamination & militarism”. This conference brought together community activists and leaders from several countries and across the U.S. for the purpose of sharing our struggles and our experiences and building a strong international movement to end military contamination and military expansion ism around the world. Genaro will speak about military contamination on a global scale, as well as the contamination left behind by Kelly AFB and health risks faced by our own community as a result. For more information call Viola or Alejandra at Fuerza Unida (210) 927-2294 or write to admin@lafuerzaunida.org

In Fredericksburg: Texas Tech University is hosting a preview of the recently released 2005 movie, Sophie Scholl: The Last Days. (Sophie was a member of the White Rose, a German student WWII resistance group.) The screening will take place on Tuesday, July 25th, at 6:30 p.m. at 102 E. San Antonio Street in Fredericksburg. This event is free and open to the public. [830-990-2717]

July 29: On the last Saturday of each month, there is a Peace Rosary and Peace Mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church downtown, 202 N. St. Mary's. Each month, the Rosary for Peace begins at 11:30 am, with the Mass for Peace following at 12 noon. The monthly Queen of Peace Mass has been going on for over 15 years in San Antonio.

Through July 30: Celebration Circle's amazing "Sacred Art of Altars" exhibit and silent auction continues at the Bijou theater in Crossroads Mall through next Sunday, July 30th. As hard as it is to imagine, this year's exhibit is even better than our previous two years, with a truly remarkable variety of styles and viewpoints reflected by the 52 artists whose hand-made altars are hanging in the lobby. The Lobby Gallery is open for viewing daily from 11am-11pm, and you do not need a movie ticket to see it; simply tell the usher that you're there for the art exhibit only And while you're there...place a bid on one of those beauties. It all supports the work of the Circle. This year's closing reception will feature live music by Bill Colangelo, snacks and a private screening of "What the Bleep Do We Know?!" Tickets are $20 at the door, and only $15 in advance, available at the Circle on Sunday or by calling our office at 210.533.6767 with credit card.

July 27: Justin and Fiona Arecchi are celebrating the grand opening of Justin's On Main (2212 N. Main, near Woodlawn) with a party featuring live music, family fun, free food and ice cream next Thursday, July 27th from 6-9pm. Recently relocated after 25 years of serving Justin's Italian Ice Cream on the Riverwalk, they've added a full cafe menu and extended their hours from 7am - 10pm.

July 27-29: San Antonio Independent Living Services will host the 16th Annual Celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act, beginning with a Unity Pride Stroll on Friday morning at 8:30, at El Mercado. The celebration continues at La Villita Assembly Building from 10 to 1 on Friday. Then on Saturday morning at 10, a picnic is planned at the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind, 2305 Roosevelt Avenue. [210-281-1878]

Color of Wealth Presentation & Discussion, Sunday, July 30th, 7:00pm at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center 922 San Pedro Ave. This event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase. Why is there still such an economic chasm between whites and people of color? Barbara Robles, co-author of The Color of Wealth, will give a presentation on the roots of the racial wealth divide and her newly published book, exposing the astonishingly decisive role of federal policies in creating a racial economic hierarchy. This will be a great opportunity to meet the author and engage in a thought-provoking discussion about the causes of and solutions to the racial wealth divide in the United States. This new book is a publication of The Racial Wealth Divide Project of United for a Fair Economy. For more information about the Racial Wealth Divide or to order a copy of the book, please visit www.colorofwealth.org. Barbara Robles teaches community economics at Arizona State University. She has a PhD in Economics from the University of Maryland at College Park, and taught Latino public policy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin. She is also a board member of United for a Fair Economy. For more information regarding this event please contact Kathleen Nolte at 210.732.8957, cjm_kathleen@igc.org or Emily Sugrue at ecs05@hampshire.edu

July 30-August 1: The SoL Center at University Presbyterian Church, 300 Bushnell, will hold a discussion of world views presented in three films, Tsotsi, Munich, and Syriana on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, July 30th through August 1st, from 6:15 to 7:45. [210-732-9927]

A Community Conversation with Martin Luther King, III on Thursday, June 1, 7:00pm at the Community Centre of San Fernando Cathedral 231 W. Commerce St. (Downtown). Martin Luther King, III, son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King of the Realizing the Dream Listening and Learning Tour, will host a community conversation. The purpose of the town hall is to encourage conversations on community revitalization and social change. While in San Antonio, King will tour targeted neighborhoods with local business leaders, community activists and elected officials to share ideas on ways to address social and economic development barriers. San Antonio is one of 20 cities King will visit on his 90-day campaign. The outcome of King’s tour will be a video documentary of his experience, a written chronicle of his findings and a program strategy to continue to the work of his late parents. Realizing the Dream is a national program designed to empower citizens to take charge of their lives and the life of their communities. Programs will address health, education, employment, housing, economic development and community capacity. This Town Hall meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, call the District 2 office at 207-7278.

TEXANS FOR PEACE has a deal for you. A free yellow End-The-War-In-Iraq t-shirt, bumper stickers, and a sense of satisfaction that can only come from taking on the establishment. Next weekend (Friday June 2nd, Saturday the 3rd) we are asking volunteers to take an End the War in Iraq petition to the Republican convention, stand on the sidewalk where you can't get in any legal trouble, and ask convention goers if they will sign on to the idea of ending the war in Iraq. We've found in the past that they are more open to the idea than you think. And what a way to start the dialogue!! The convention takes place at Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, downtown. To sign up, contact Alyssa Burgin at aburgin@texansforpeace.org.

June 3rd: Dardasha, Platica, Roundtable Conversation with Women of the Palestinian Diaspora including Salwa Arnous, Nadine Saliba, Nidal Arar, Marian Haddad & May Qunibi. These women will tell the stories of women's lives under occupation, addressing issues of education, health, and Arab women's struggle in the Middle east. They offer analysis beyond soundbites, giving us a rare chance to hear perspectives that deepen our understanding of Middle East struggles beyond media misrepresentation. The Dardasha begins at 7 p.m. at The Esperanza Center, 922 San Pedro.

The San Antonio Area Progressive Action Coalition and the Urban Studies Department of Trinity University host Ann Wright: From Diplomacy to Dissent, June 3, 1:00 p.m. at the Chapman Graduate Center Auditorium, Trinity University. On March 19, 2003, Ann Wright resigned her State Dept. job over the moral and legal issue of the Iraqi War. "I resigned when the Iraq war began in March 2003 because I felt the policies of this administration were making the world more dangerous," Wright said. "I felt it was an illegal war and I could not be a part of it." Since that courageous decision, Wright has traveled around America and internationally sharing her concerns about the dangerous course taken by the Bush Administration. She helped oversee the organization of "Camp Casey" in Crawford, Texas, and protested an appearance by Condoleezza Rice before a Senate Committee hearing. For more information, www.saapac.org.

Volunteer with Texas Moratorium Network at the Democratic State Convention in Fort Worth. If you would like to volunteer at the TMN booth at the Texas Democratic Party this summer in Fort Worth June 8-10, please contact us and let us know. We need about 25 volunteers to help us collect 3000 impeachment petition signatures at the convention. In 2004, we collected more than 1700 signatures at the convention in Houston with the help of a dedicated group of volunteers. If we collect 3000 signatures for the impeachment, we can skip the resolution committee and send the resolution to the floor for the vote by delegates. We need your help though, so please volunteer! Volunteers can stay with TMN members at the hotel in Fort Worth. For more information please contact Hooman Hedayati at (210)601-7231 or e-mail him at hooman@texasabolition.org.

National Hunger Awareness Day Interfaith Event: The Face of Hunger Will Surprise You, June 5th, 6:30 pm at the University of the Incarnate Word Sky Room, 847 E. Hildebrand. Free and open to the public. Join us to replect on issues of hunger through word, prayer, song and dance. RSVPs greatly appreciated: 210-304-7515 or dmonreal@safoodbank.org. Visit www.safoodbank.org for more information.

On Monday, June 5th, at 6 p.m., the Bexar County Democratic Women will meet at Grady’s Barbeque, 6510 San Pedro at Jackson-Keller. St. Mary’s Law Professor Reynaldo Valencia will speak on The Supreme Court: How its Rulings Affect our Everyday Lives. [210-492-6630]

Meet Me in the Mediterranean: SAMA Hosts Foreign Films, Food, Fun. The San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) will host a Tuesday night film series during June, screening films from Tunisia, Turkey, Italy and France. Refreshments will be served at 6 p.m.; all films start at 7 p.m. The festival is free for all Museum members - $10 for non-members. For the June 6 screening, Bedouin Dancers will perform and offer lessons between 6 and 7 p.m. For all other screenings, local film critic Steve Kellman will introduce the films and lead discussion. June 6: Satin Rouge, from Tunisia. June 13: Facing Windows, from Italy. June 20: Uzak (Distant) from Turkey. June 27: Monsieur Ibrahim, from France. For more information, www.samuseum.org or 210-978-8100.

On Wednesday evenings from 8 to 10, the Ancira Nissan 2006 Live Music Series at The County Line presents Texas and country music artists to benefit the San Antonio Food Bank. While there is no cover charge to attend, all patrons are asked to make a monetary or food donation to the Food Bank. This program continues through October 11th. The restaurant is located at 10101 IH-10 West. [210-641-1998]

Registration is now open for Gemini Ink’s summer Literary Festival, titled "City Vision/Urban Words," which runs July 7th through 23rd. The festival features classes in poetry, fiction and nonfiction, free readings, performances, young writers camps and more. Gemini Ink is located at 513 S. Presa. [www.geminiink.org; 210-734-9673]

FREE Movie Night celebrating the Current’s 20th year as San Antonio’s alternative weekly paper. Wednesday, June 7, 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Westlakes, 1255 SW Loop 410. Escape to the silver screen with your free alternative weekly paper as we celebrate 20 years of keepin’ it real in San Antonio with four free movie nights. Guests can pick their flick, then sit back and relax as a rotating program of vintage cartoons and shorts play before the film. The Drafthouse waitstaff is available to serve a full menu of dinner and drinks (for purchase) to your seat while you watch the movie. Plus win free stuff from free dinner to gift certificates to limited edition 20th anniversary San Antonio Current paraphernalia. The Current’s 20th Anniversary Movie Night is free and open to the public. No one under 18 will be admitted without a parent. No children under 6 will be allowed. For more information www.sacurrent.com or contact Dorinda Reyna, 210-227-0044 x207, dreyna@sacurrent.com

Second Sunday @ 6 Cinema, Sunday, June 11:
Brother Sun, Sister Moon
You'll either love or hate this 1972 Franco Zeffirelli film, which traces the life of St. Francis of Assisi from his life as the pampered son of a prosperous merchant to an icon of poverty, simplicity and peace. In partnership with the Community Collaborative to End Poverty. 6 PM at the peaceCENTER, 1443 S. St. Mary's. Free: donations joyfully accepted!

The San Antonio Current pairs fine food and vodka cocktails at a benefit for The San Antonio Botanical Garden: VERY VODKA, a cocktail and tasting party benefitting the San Antonio Botanical Garden Society and celebrating the Currents 20th year as San Antonios alternative weekly paper. WHEN: Saturday, June 17, 7-10 p.m. at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, 555 Funston. $25 presale, $30 at the door. For more information, contact Nancy Lagleder, (210) 227-0044 x206, narocha@sacurrent.com.

Gather family, friends and neighbors—the second Great American Backyard Campout is coming! On June 24th, folks all across America will come together in backyards, parks, and camps to enjoy a night of star-gazing, listening for nocturnal wildlife, and exploring a whole other world right in your backyard. Be part of this nation-wide event! Add your campsite today and National Wildlife Federation help you make the most of your event with packing lists, recipes, nocturnal wildlife guides, exploration activities, a night sky-guide, local weather and more. www.nwf.org/campout

The 2006 Bexar County Community Health Assessment asks for your participation in Hearing Community Voices: Making San Antonio and Bexar County a Healthier Community. Wednesday, June 28, 5:30 to 9:00 pm, to hear about how to make this a healthier community from people who live, work, and play in San Antonio and Bexar County. Space is limited to 250. Please register for this meeting at: www.healthcollaborative.net (under Community Meeting, select "Click here to Sign Up") or by phone at 210-562-5519. Location: AT&T Community Center at San Fernando Cathedral 231 W. Commerce San Antonio, TX 78205. Everyone is welcome. Come prepared to discuss community health concerns. Box lunch provided.

May 1—7 is Cover the Uninsured Week. covertheuninsured.org/

San Antonio National Day of Action for IMMIGRANT & WORKER RIGHTS May Day - International Worker’s Day - May 1st. 2-6 pm gather in Milam park for art, education & community. Rally at 6 pm. March to Travis Park for a rally. For information: fuerza unida: 210.927.2294 — esperanza center: 210.228.0201 — SWU: 210.299.2666 — www.myspace.com/sanantomexa. Help publicize the event -- download and distribute a flyer.

On Monday, May 1, The National Day of Action for Immigrant and Worker Rights You are invited to a Prayer Service, 10 to 10:45 am, in the Chapel of the Incarnate Word (the big chapel with the steeple with the angels at I.W. Retirement Center) Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas. In solidarity with the Catholic Bishops of the United States, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the Community of San Antonio. May 1 is the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and International Workers’ Day.

The SHARE Foundation - A New El Salvador Today is hosting Carmelina Urquîa, SHARE Foundation's Local Development Director in SHARE's El Salvador Office. She will be at the University of the Ubncarnate Word's Marian Hall Ballroom on May 1 at 7 pm; May 2 at 10 am and 3 pm and also at the Incarnate Word Retirement Community Assembly Room on May 2 at 6 pm. The event is free, but donations will be gratefully accepted to support SHARE's work. For more information, contact Sr. Alice Holden, 210-844-2864 or SPARKS-1@ sbcglobal.net. Carmelina has a history of working with marginalized Salvadorans: women, armers' cooperatives, at-risk youth, promotion of civil society participation and volunteering for the United Nations since the 2001 earthquakes. Come learn about Carmelina's current work promoting local development opportunities for women as well as an update on SHARE's other work in El Salvador.

The Bexar County Democratic Women will meet on Monday evening, May 1st, at 6 at the Muslim Community Center of San Antonio, 3201 Cherry Ridge Drive, for a presentation titled “Islam: Beliefs, Practices and Current Issues.” Men and women are welcome, and are requested to dress modestly. [210-492-6630]

CPS Energy will host a community open house from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 4 at Oak Crest Intermediate School, 7806 New Sulphur Springs Road, to provide information about the expansion of the J.K. Spruce Power Plant at Calaveras Lake. [210-353-2344]

The San Antonio Vegetarian Society will host a free Raw Food Event and Health Lecture on Thursday night, May 4, at 7 at Community Unitarian Universalist Church, 4818 Beverly Mae. [210-979-2700]

The San Antonio Audubon Society will meet on Thursday evening at 7 at the Ruble Center, 419 E. Magnolia Street. Paul Barwick, landscape architect for The Nature Conservancy, will speak on Proposition #3 and the acquisition of 6,500 acres of Parks and Natural Areas in Bexar County. Nonmembers are welcome to attend. [210-308-6788]

Public Hearing on Tree Ordinance Amendments on Thursday, May 4, 6 pm (to speak, sign in required before 6 pm)at 103 Main Plaza (City Council Chambers.) San Antonio’s Tree Preservation Ordinance is in danger. Developers are lobbying for drastic cuts in preservation standards and elimination of 9 native tree species. It appears they have the sympathy of several councilmembers. Without an outpouring of support from the community, the ordinance will be weakened along with our health. The proposals before Council will increase air pollution and flooding, contaminate drinking water, and decimate birds and wildlife. On May 4, Citizens will have the opportunity to speak at City Council to protect our trees and urban ecosystem. You can also contact your City Councilmember (www.sanantonio.gov/council) & inform them to vote against the amendments.

In conjunction with the exhibition “Breathing Places: San Antonio Parks,” the Witte Museum will host a symposium titled “Parks: Breathing Places and Public Spaces” on Friday afternoon, May 6 from 1 to 4:30. Then on Sunday afternoon from 3 to 4:30, guest curator Maria Watson Pfeiffer will provide an illustrated and entertaining look at the history of parks in San Antonio. [210-357-1910]

First Saturday Movie Night at the Muslim community center, 3201 Cherry Ridge Drive, Building B # 213. Saturday May 7 at 7 pm. Free and open to the public (please dress modestly.) For more information, contact Narjis Pierre, 210-367-2042. Secrets of the Koran A fascinating examination of Islam's Holy Scripture. Hear from some of the world's leading religious scholars. See how the Koran has been interpreted through the centuries. This History Channel production probes the heart of the work that many outside Islam find impenetrable and mysterious. Examine the history of the verses and their implications for modern times, as well as the striking similarities and differences between the Koran and the Bible--and the ways in which Muslims believe the Koran corrects some of the Jewish and Christian scriptures. Trace the influence of the Koran from the Golden Age of Islam to the modern rise of jihadism. And hear from top Islamic scholars and holy men as they share their insights into the work that lies at the foundation of one of the world's great religions.

On Saturday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., SAMMinistries will host the 4th annual Birdhouse Sale and Auction. This event will take place at the Furniture For A Cause Store, 5254 Blanco Road, and proceeds will help SAMMinistries provide services for the homeless. [210-340-0302]

The San Antonio Area Progressive Action Coalition will meet on Saturday afternoon, May 7 from 1 to 3 at Grady’s Barbecue, 6510 San Pedro. Larry Hoffmann, President of Clean Air and Clean Water will speak on the “Crisis of Fresh Water Worldwide and Locally, and What That Cost Will Mean to All of Us.” [210-492-6630]

Our House Clubhouse, a community for those challenged by severe and persistent mental illness, will host a Sound of Music Singalong on Saturday evening. May 7 at 7 and again on Sunday afternoon, May 8 at 2. This event will take place in the sanctuary of Travis Park United Methodist Church, 230 East Travis. [210-287-2421]

The India Association of San Antonio presents the Festival of India on Sunday, May 8 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. in Maverick Plaza at La Villita. Highlights of this event include cultural programs such as Bollywood Songs and Dances, and traditional practices such as saree wrapping. Admission is free. [210-379-2244]

On Sunday evening, May 8 at 6, the Esperanza Center will premiere Granito de Arena, a film about teachers and students fighting for Mexico’s democracy. Filmmaker Jill Freidberg will introduce the film and answer questions after the hour-long screening. The film is in English and Spanish. The Esperanza Center is located at 922 San Pedro. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. [210-228-0201]

Uprooted: Tierra, Gente, y Cultura Palestinians and Other Occupied Peoples from Jerusalem to Baghdad. They Uprooted the Palestinians. Now They've Uprooted the Olive Trees. An Exhibit of Artwork by Salwa Arnous. May 12 Exhibit Opening with Poetry by Naomi Shihab Nye. 6 pm to 9 p.m. at the Esperanza Center, 922 San Pedro. Salwa's art depicts the significance of "uprooting." For the Palestinian people, uprooting has meant dispersal to many lands, and deprival of land, culture and livelihood. The current uprooting of the olive trees on Palestinian lands removes trees planted to sustain children and grandchildren. Olive trees support Palestinian communities with food and economic and spiritual well-being. Uprooting olive trees means the communities' loss of trees that are considered blessed because they are not killed by burning or cutting. These tree may live 1000s of years and, because of their slow growth to maturity and the many resources they provide, Palestinians plant them to sustain their progeny. Exhibition runs through July 15 at The Esperanza Center. Salwa's website: www.arnousart.com.

Walk and Roll 2006 will include two major events to raise public awareness of the benefits of cycling and walking. The Walk and Roll to Work Rally will take place on Friday morning,May 12 from 8 to 9 at the Alamo Street entrance to HemisFair Park. Free refreshments, health information, and door prizes are planned. Then on Saturday May 13 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Walk and Roll Fest will take place at Maverick Park, and feature 5K and 10K walks, a 25-mile Historic Mission Cycling Tour and 5-mile Family Bike Hike, as well as refreshments, games, music, and more. [210-230-6911]

IN AUSTIN: Environmental Defense is hosting it's 6th Annual Water Conference on 'Global Warming and Texas Water' at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin on Friday, May 12th. Texas water planners weigh population trends and projected water demands, but what about the elephant in the room? Global warming is leading to climate change around the world, and with our reliance on adequate fresh water for our people, our agriculture and our bays and estuaries, no state has more on the line than Texas. Please join the discussions as we hear from distinguished scientists on the potential impacts of global warming on our state's water resources and how water resource managers and planners can and in some instances are addressing them. The registration fee of $35 includes continental breakfast, lunch, and a comprehensive packet of information on global climate change. Please visit www.texaswatermatters.org for more information, or contact Alicia at aisaac-cura@ed.org or (512) 691-3435.

Gallista Gallery presents: the calm b4 the storm. Revolucionarte by: jane madrigal,jose cosme, y mary agnes rodriguez. Music by: DJ Ed Saavedra. May 13, 6-9 pm, 1913 S. Flores.

2nd Sunday @ 6 Cinema on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 14:
PEACE by PEACE: Women in the Frontlines
at the peaceCENTER, 1443 S. St. Mary's. Free, but donations joyfully accepted. Women are more likely than professional soldiers to be the casualties of war. From genocide and rape to displacement and starvation, they bear more than their fair share of the suffering. But amongst all this hardship, women around the world are standing up for peace. By advocating justice and educating future generations that war is not the answer, they are at the forefront of reconciling their communities. This special one-hour version of the documentary follows women peacemakers from four different conflict/crisis zones: Afghanistan, Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Burundi. Narrated by Academy-Award winning actress Jessica Lange, this film redefines the role of women in war. In partnership with Women's Global Connection.

Pro Bono (free) clinic at the Nonprofit Resource Center, May 15 from 4-6 pm. The Center staff will answer questions about incorporating a nonprofit corporation, obtaining tax-exempt status, strategic planning, fundraising and the role and responsibilities of the board of directors. There is no charge for attending the clinic but reservations are required 24 hours in advance, (210) 227-4333. At the Nonprofit Resource Center, 7404 US Hwy 90 West,San Antonio, TX 78227.

Fisher Heck Architects has entered the first CANSTRUCTION SA Design/build competition to help raise awareness of the needs of the homeless and poor in our community. Using the theme "bridging the hunger gap," they will be building a replica of one of the San Antonio Riverwalk pedestrian bridges -- out of cans of food! For more information about the nation-wide project, visit www.canstruction.com. All of the food will be donated to the SA Food Bank; the final projects will be on display at Central Library from June 25-July 7. Cans of food or money to purchase supplies can be donated by contacting Rachel Helmke, mke@fisherheck.com. The deadline for donations is Friday, May 19.

The City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs is accepting electronic applications for General Operational and Project Support art funding. The deadline for General Operational applications is Friday, May 19th, and for Neighborhood Arts Program project support, May 26th. [www.sanantonio.gov/art]

Tutsi survivor speaks of faith and forgiveness at VIVA! Bookstore, May 18, 5:30 - 7 pm. Gilbert Tuhabonye, author of This Voice in my Heart (Amistad/HarperCollins, $23.95 hc), has experienced horrors that only visit most of us in our worst nightmares. He will speak of the massacre by Hutus of innocent Tutsi children at his school, a massacre he miraculously escaped. He his forgiven his tormenters and gone on to find a new life in Austin as a running coach and world-class athlete. He will be interviewed on NPR's "The Diane Rehm Show" (FM 89.1) on May 3. For more information, 210-826-1143 www.vivabooks.com. VIVA! is at 8407 Broadway, just inside Loop 410.

"Sir, No, Sir," which opens at the Bijou at Crossroads Friday, May 26th, is about the G.I. anti-Vietnam war movement For more info, www.sirnosir.com.

IN AUSTIN: Marcus Borg – Joan Chittister – John Dominic Crossan *MYSTICISM, EMPOWERMENT and RESISTANCE (A FAITH/and/REASON® Seminar) May 18, 19, 20, 2006. Register now at www.faithandreason.org or *call toll free 1-800-882-7424. Cost is only $30 for entire 3 day seminar (includes lunch Thursday and Friday) All lectures and sessions will be held at First Baptist Church, 9th and Trinity Streets, Austin, Texas.

IN HOUSTON: Pax Christi's 2006 Texas conference, “Bringing the Kingdom of God: Counting the Cost: The Martyrdom of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, John and Robert Kennedy,” will feature Jim Douglass, author, activist and theologian. He served as an advisor on questions of nuclear war and conscientious objection to the Catholic bishops at the Second Vatican Council in Rome, and has taken part in numerous peacemaking journeys to the Middle East, Iraq, and Sarajevo. Along with his wife Shelley, he helped found Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action adjacent to the Trident nuclear submarine base near Seattle. Friday, May 19 & Saturday May 20. Douglas' presentation is at 7 p.m. Friday and is free. The Saturday sessions run 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m; requested donation is $30 (includes lunch), but free for students and low income persons. Dominican Sisters Meeting Room, 6501 Almeda (just north of Holcombe). For more information, contact Frank Skeith, 281/955-0342, fjskeith@texas.net.

IN AUSTIN: Can you imagine Jews, Christians and Muslims walking together in friendship on a path that traces Abraham's route through the Middle East? Sunday, May 21st, from 3:00-5:00pm at St. Edward's University we are honored to present Harvard's Barbara Fields who is responsible for creating just such a path through Syria, Jordan, Turkey and Israel. All are welcome! This event is free! In the Maloney Rm., Main Bldg., St. Edward's University. A panel featuring Barbara Fields, the creative visionary behind the worldwide Abraham Path Initiative, and Ken and Joyce Beck, two of the leaders of the local initiative. For more information, www.abrahampath.org.

IN SAN JACINTO: Sunday, May 28 – Tuesday, May 30: To observe Memorial Day, the San Jacinto Democratic Veterans Brigade, CODEPINK, and Veterans for Peace will honor U.S. military and all civilian casualties from the ongoing Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The observance will consist of a display of small U.S. flags, each bearing the name of a fallen service man or woman, plus an area filled with empty shoes to memorialize the civilian casualties. The flags and shoes will be placed Sunday at Hermann Park along Fannin St. just west of the Sam Houston statue. That day, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the names of each U.S. military casualty will be read. The display will remain up through Tuesday at 6 p.m. Volunteers are needed to read names, and place and pick up flags. To volunteer or to donate shoes, contact Jim Rine, 281/414-1386, sanjacsec@yahoo.com.

The San Antonio Area Progressive Action Coalition will be showing the film "Invisible Children," about child soldiers in Uganda, on Saturday, May 20 at 7 pm at Bethany Congregational Church, 500 Pilgrim. Free and open to the Public. For more information, www.saapac.org.

Leslie Williams to speak about women's ministry, Saturday, May 27, 2-3:30 pm, at VIVA! Bookstore. Leslie Williams will read from her new book, When Women Build the Kingdom: Who We Are, What We Do and How We Relate (Crossroad Publishing, $17.95 pb). Williams writes of the special gifts of women's ministry, especially how women use their relationships, hearts and spirituality to build community, compassion and peaceful resolutions. For more information, 210-826-1143 www.vivabooks.com. VIVA! is at 8407 Broadway, just inside Loop 410.

Season for Nonviolence Concert Saturday, April 1st at 7p.m. with Rudi Harst, Janet O'Connor, Giles Whitsett, and Dana Clark, with special guest Richard Mekdeci from Unity Village AND the Community Peace Choir. At the peaceCENTER, 1443 S. St. Mary's. Tickets at the door: $5 Adults, $2 kids 7-14, kids under 7 free. BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY! Contact Dana Clark at danapiano@sbcglobal.net or visit www.songsofpeace.org for more details.

JOIN THE PEACE CHOIR! One simple rehearsal and you'll be able to sing for peace at the Concert for A Season for Nonviolence, SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 7:00 at the peaceCENTER. Admission to the concert is free for those who sing in the choir. Contact Dana Clark at danapiano@sbcglobal.net to volunteer or visit www.songsofpeace.org for more details. There will be a final rehearsal of the Peace Choir from 3:30 to 5:30 on the day of the concert, peaceCENTER in the Mennonite Church, 1443 S. St. Mary's. (From 281, take the Florida/Carolina exit. Drive west on Florida until it dead ends in the church parking lot.) Singers are encouraged to bring a sack lunch to eat following rehearsal. There are also restaurants available in the area.

The San Antonio Area Progressive Action Coalition will meet on Saturday afternoon, April 1, at 1 o’clock at Grady’s Barbeque, 6510 San Pedro. Eva DeLuna Castro will speak on “The Texas Tax System and How to Fund Education.” [210-492-6630]

IN AUSTIN: Interfaith Community forum on COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM, Sunday, April 2, 3:00 to 4:30 pm at the Congregational Church of Austin, corner of San Antonio and 23rd Streets. Free Parking at University Baptist Church Lot B San Antonio and 22nd St. What kind of provisions would a just and humane Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill include? How do the teachings of faith traditions regarding justice, righteousness, and welcoming the sojourner inform our criteria for evaluating proposed immigration legislation? Learn about the House and Senate bills currently under consideration and the statements faith traditions have issued regarding the criteria for a just and humane immigration policy. For more information, justice@texasimpact.com or 512.472.3903.

IN SEGUIN: Distinguished author and speaker Inge Auerbacher will share her "Memories Of A Child Survivor Of The Holocaust" during a public lecture at Texas Lutheran University on Monday, April 3. The illustrated presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in Wupperman Little Theatre on the TLU campus. The public is invited to attend the free lecture. For more information, www.tlu.edu/news/stories/06/03/031406_holocaust.html. George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, will present Trinity University’s Flora Cameron Lecture on Politics and Public Affairs at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, in Laurie Auditorium. His presentation is free and open to the public. For more information, www.trinity.edu.

Panel discussion on immigration and the erection of a wall between the U.S. and Mexican border. Wednesday, April 5, 6 to 8 pm at St. Mary's University, SBC Center for Information Technology room 108. For more information, contact Jose Frech, (210) 436-3419.

IN AUSTIN: The Unfinished Work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A time to reflect on: - MLK's death - April 4, 1968 - MLK's 'Beyond Vietnam' speech -April 4, 1967 - MLK's commitment to non-violence - How we can carry on MLK's unfinished work Tuesday - April 4, 2006, 7PM until 9PM at the George Washington Carver Museum/Cultural Cente, Boyd Vance Theatre 1165 Angelina Street, Austin, TX 78702. Admission Free - Donations Accepted. For more information contact: Austin Center for Peace and Justice information@austinpeacecenter.org or Veterans For Peace - Austin underhill@att.net (512) 238-1491.

Carl N. McDaniel, an expert in animal and plant development and ecological economics and a professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, will present a lecture on “Wisdom for a Livable Planet” on Wednesday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m. in Northrup Hall, Room 040, on the campus of Trinity University. His talk is free and open to the public. For more information, www.trinity.edu.

IN SEGUIN: Texas Lutheran University’s department of dramatic media will present Bertolt Brecht’s play, “Galileo,” April 6-9 in Jackson Auditorium. Admission is free, and the public is encouraged to attend. When Galileo discovers proof that the earth is not the center of the universe, he is forced by the church to either renounce his claims or be tortured, a story with parallels to current political pressures on the restriction of science. Performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 6-8, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 9. For more information, 830-372-8049.

Our Lady of the Lake University will host a symposium, “Huntington and Fear of a Brown Nation: A Collective Latino Response” on Friday, April 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the OLLU Sueltenfuss Library, Community Room. Admission is free and open to the public; refreshments will be served. [210-434-6711]

The San Antonio Zen group will host Gaelyn Godwin, from the Houston Zen Center, for a lecture on Friday evening, April 7 at 7, and a one-day sitting from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, at the Shambhala Center, 1112 S. St. Mary’s. [210-226-1781]

On Saturday night, April 8 at 7, Trinity University students will present “Our Tears Still Flood the City,” A New Orleans Revival—a performance fusion of jazz, poetry, and dance. This event will take place in Laurie Auditorium, and will benefit United Way New Orleans. [210-999-8119]

The San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department will host an Ethno-Botany Talk on Saturday, April 8 at the Medina River Natural Area. The walk through the park will take place from 10 a.m. until noon, and participants will learn to identify native plants that are used for tools, clothing, rituals, social life, food, and folk medicine. [210-624-2575]

LiveGreenFest, Saturday, April 8 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Eisenhower Park, 19399 N.W. Military Hwy. CPS Energy will host the second annual LiveGreenFest Saturday, April 8, to celebrate Earth Month and to encourage customers to adopt environmentally-friendly habits. There will be information about the environment, energy efficiency and plenty of fun. For more information, www.citypublicservice.com/.

The Circle School International Food Festival: Saturday, April 8, 2006, 6 – 10 p.m. Feast on a world buffet featuring food and drink from Asia, North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa & the Middle East. Suggested donation is $20 for Adults and $5 for Children 4 – 12. At The Circle School 217 Pershing Ave, San Antonio. For more information, call 210.822.0461 or e-mail peace@thecircleschool.org. The Circle School is a nonprofit, preschool and elementary in a family cooperative environment what focuses on teaching peace and expanding the minds of young children by providing knowledge of the world’s cultures.

April 2-9 is peace week for saving Darfur/Sudan. Visit the The SaveDarfur website to resources to share about the genocide in Darfur at: www.SaveDarfur.org/faith

2nd Sunday @ 6 Cinema, April 9 at the peaceCENTER: Beyond Good and Evil Examines how the “good and evil” rhetoric, in both the entertainment and the news media, has helped children to dehumanize the enemies, justify their killing and treat the suffering of innocent civilians as necessary sacrifice. The interviews include media scholars (Robert Jenson, Robin Andersen), child psychologists (Diane Levin, Nancy Carlsson-Paige), teachers (Merrie Najimy, Brian Wright), educators (Eli Newberger and Betty Burkes), and the children themselves. Free and open to the public. Includes a discussion. Call the peaceCENTER at 210-224-HOPE for more information.

From April 1 to April 14, Texas will be home for a national event - the March to Redeem the Soul of America. http://www.marchtoredeem.org/ Inspired by the lives of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, this march will lift up the Iraq War, official misconduct and oil profiteering for consideration and redemption by the American people and people around the world. The march, which will start in Irving, Texas will carry the message of immediate withdrawal from Iraq reinforced by the ExxonMobil War Boycott directly into the heartland of Texas to the Bush Ranch in Crawford. Cindy Sheehan will join us on this march and at the extended events planned for the Third Anniversary of the Crawford Peace House on Easter Weekend, April 14-16. Cindy's son, Casey, was killed two years ago on April 4 and was returned home on Palm Sunday. Sponsors include the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the NAACP, Peace Action Texas, and Texans for Peace.

March for migrant rights Monday, April 10 beginning at Milam Park (Located on Corner of Commerce & Santa Rosa in Front of the Santa Rosa Hospital) at 5:00 PM and ending at the Federal Building. download fliers and posters and help spread the word!

On Saturday evening, April 15 at 7, the San Antonio Area Progressive Action Coalition will show Occupation Dreamland, a film about the Iraqi war and occupation. This event will take place at Bethany Congregational Church, 500 Pilgrim at Panda. [210-492-6630]

The Mind Science Foundation presents Jay Giedd, MD, with a presentation on the “Secrets of the Teen Brain.” This event will take place Monday, April 17th, beginning at 5:30 in Trinity University’s Laurie Auditorium, and is free for teachers and school counselors with advance reservations. [www.mindscience.org/events/teachers.cfm]

The University of the Incarnate Word presents the 2006 Sean Burke Memorial Forum on Wednesday, April 19th, at 6:30 p.m. in the Grossman International Conference Center Auditorium, located atop the hill at the corner of Hwy 281 and Hildebrand. This event, which is free and open to the public, is entitled Voices of Dignity: Writers Against Torture. Speakers include Sandra Cisneros, Frances Trevino, Jo LeCoeur, Palmer Hall, Marian Haddad, and others. [210-829-6062]

Holy Warriors on PBS (KLRN) on Wednesday, April 19th at 9 p.m. For centuries, England has gloried in the epic legend of King Richard the Lionhearted and his struggle to save Christendom’s holiest city — Jerusalem — from the clutches of its Muslim conqueror Saladin. This drama-documentary challenges the popular view of both Richard and Saladin, re-assessing their relationship and re-evaluating their war, the Third Crusade.

San Antonio's Water Woes- Trinity University Urban Studies Colloquium - Wednedsay, April 19 at 4 p.m. at Trinity University, in the Waxahachie Room, Coates Center (across the street from Alamo Stadium--park there!). Annalisa Peace, executive director of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, will speak to us of the continuing dilemmas about water that south Texans daily confront. Free and open to the public.

Earth Day: April 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Woodlawn Lake. This event was created to share with and educate the community on the value and respect we should give our Planet Earth. The event will include entertainment stages, food (vegetarian) and beverage booths, tree-planting demonstrations, 5K run, workshops, and seminars demonstrating various energy and conservation ideas and techniques. Co-sponsored by the Earth Day Committee and the City of San Antonio. Free admission. For more information, call 210-434-6967.

Saving Darfur, Stopping the Genocide, Saturday, April 22, 7 p.m. in the sancturary of University Presbyterian Church, 300 Bushnell, adjacent to Trinity University. Brian Steidle, former Marine captain and U.S. representative to the African Union's peacekeeping mission from September 2004 to February 2005 will give a talk and slide show. Brian's photographs and eyewitness account document the horrific genocide occuring then and now in the Darfur and Chad regions of Sudan. Free and open to the public. for more information, call University Presbyterian at 210-732-0027.

Celebrations of Tradition Pow Wow, April 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston. An opportunity to view and participate in the American Indian culture and traditions of dance and music at an official Native American Pow Wow. The pow wow promotes tribal traditions, culture and the opportunity for Native people to gather in celebrating their rich heritage with one another. The pow wow is sponsored by United San Antonio Pow Wow Inc., a Texas nonprofit chartered, federally recognized 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to promote the traditions and culture of the American Indian. Through the pow wow, the American Indian can pass these traditions to their children and grandchildren so the culture can be maintained and enriched—learning the honored ways of the past. The schedule includes Gourd Dancing starting at 10 a.m., the Grand Entry at noon, and intertribal dancing and exhibitions until 3 p.m. This event is to feature vendors selling Native American arts, crafts and supplies. Free event. for more information, e-mail nativeamerican@netscape.net.

What does Islam's holy text, the Koran, say about faith, women, Christians, Jews, and jihad? On Friday, April 21, NPR's The Diane Rehm Show (KSTX, 89.1FM, 9-11 a.m.) continues its in-depth exploration of the Koran in a conversation with Islamic scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Georgetown University's Muslim Chaplain Imam Yahya Hendi.

Department of Peace Campaign Texas Regional Conferences: Real Solutions for the Real World, in Austin, Friday April 21 from 7-10 PM, Saturday April 22 from 9-5 PM: contact for Austin: David Jenkins davidaj333@aol.com 512-845-6377 and Finding Common Ground, in Dallas, Sunday April 23: contact for Dallas: Kathy Kidd kathykidd@earthlink.net or 713-443-9938. For more information, visit www.thepeacealliance.org. The Austin event will be held at St. David’s Church 304 E. 7th Street, Austin TX 78701. Friday evening: $10 at the door. Saturday: $25($20 if pre-registered by April 14) Includes lunch on Saturday. YOU WILL DISCOVER: How to communicate your vision for peace to your Congressperson, family and friends; How to use your money to create the world you long for; Nonviolent communication overview; How to create awareness and build coalitions to gain support for the DOP bill; How to respond to objections and Frequently Asked Questions.

Community and Neighborhood Rebuilding Workshop. Saturday, April 22, 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. San Antonio residents are invited to attend this workshop (part of the annual conference of the American Planning Association) at no charge. This workshop will teach you how to create and sustain social capital. One error commonly made by everyone engaged in civic life is that once relationships are in place, they remain that way. Mack McCarter will teach you to develop relationships that build neighborhoods and communities and provide case studies from a Shreveport, Louisiana, program that has received national awards and recognition from APA. McCarter is responsible for reviving the settlement house movement in poor neighborhoods of Shreveport. His seven Friendship Houses are a staging ground for tutoring, music lessons, preventive medical care, and neighborly support. Pre-registration is required: www.planning.org/2006conference/neighborhoodrebuilding.htm.

The University of the Incarnate Word and the Sisters of Charity are sponsoring a Symposium titled The Blue Hole-Preserving the Headwaters of the San Antonio River, on Saturday, April 22 at the International Conference Center (the corner of Hildebrand and 281). Continental breakfast and registration start at 8 a.m., the program begins at 9 a.m. Lunch will be provided. The symposium will include presentations on the archeological history of the Headwaters land, Native American history and spirituality, water and soil research projects and neighboring Cathedral Park. The event is free and all are welcome. For more information, please contact Troy Knickerbocker at 210-805-5818 or troy@uiw.edu.

In celebration of Rabbi Sam Stahl's second book, Boundaries, not Barriers: Some Uniquely Jewish Perspectives on Life (Eakin Press) you are invited to a light lunch on Sunday, April 23 at 12:30 p.m. in the Center for Education at University Presbyterian Church, 300 Bushnell at Shook, adjacent to Trinity University. RSVP required for lunch: 210-732-9927 by Wed., Apr. 19. The lunch is free. At 1:00 Rabbi Stahl will share remarks on three chapters from his book in a talk entitled "Gossip, Forgiveness and Hanukkah." He will autograph copies of the book, which is available for purchase for $22.95.

Appalachian Treasures: Helping Our Neighbors in Appalachia End Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining. Sunday, April 23 at 7 pm at the Community Unitarian Universalist Church, 4818 E Beverly Mae Drive, San Antonio For more information contact Henry Halff, hmhalff@mac.com or 210- 493-7501 or Glenna Jones-Kachtik, gjkbear822@yahoo.com or 210-525-0416. One of America's most heartbreaking environmental and human rights tragedies, mountaintop removal, is destroying the region's rich culture & heritage, as well as the ancient, beautiful mountains and diverse forests of the Appalachian range. Join Appalachian Voices for this powerful & compelling presentation on mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia. Learn how you can help your neighbors in Appalachia end mountaintop removal. ion, contact Henry Halff, hmhalff@mac.com or 210- 493-7501 or Glenna Jones-Kachtik, gjkbear822@yahoo.com or 210-525-0416. Free and open to the public.

The Tri-Faith Dialogue's Barbie Gorelick calls this the best peace movie ever! See it in San Antonio at Fiesta Stadium 16 Theatres (right off IH-10 at Vance-Jackson and DeZavala.) Joyeux Noel(PG-13) On Christmas Eve 1914 during WWI, opposing troops put down their weapons, shake hands, and share the holidays together.

The City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs is seeking applicants for the Neighborhood Arts Program Grants and Review Committee Members. Application for Review Committee Members – Deadline: April 28. Application for Grants - Deadline: May 31. For more information, visit www.sanantonio.gov/art/website.

TV-Turnoff Week is April 24-30: empowering people to take control of technology and not letting technology take control of them so they can live healthier lives. For more information, visit www.tvturnoff.org/ or AdBusters.

Sikhs, Muslims, and Arabs: Civil Rights in Post 9/11 America, panel discussion at the Chapman Auditorium of Trinity University on Monday, April 24, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Free and open to the public. Download a flyer for more details or e-mail simran.singh@sikhri.org.

IN KERRVILLE: On Monday, April 24th, at noon, Dr. Ronald Hatchett, Director of Schreiner University’s Center for Global Studies, will present “St. Augustine, Others and the Just War Theory: How Can People of Faith Think About War?” This event will take place in the university’s Cailloux Campus Activity Center Ballroom. This event is free and open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to bring a bagged lunch. [830-792-7284]

U.S. premiere of The Iron Wall, a film by San Antonio filmmaker Mohammed Alatar, April 26, at the University of the Incarnate Word Library Auditorium at 7 p.m. Hosted by Palestinians for Peace and Democracy and the UIW Chapter of Amnesty International. Free and open to the public. Mr. Alatar is expected to be present to answer questions. For more information, contact Kara Lopez 210.887.7394. For more information, www.p4pd.org.

Race is the Place Screening and Discussion. Wednesday, April 26, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM at Our Lady of the Lake University, 411 S.W. 24th Street, Province West Social Room. KLRN-TV and Our Lady of the Lake University School of Professional Studies invite the San Antonio community to a FREE Screening & Discussion of one of the most pressing social issues in America today: racism. Free dinner from Subway will be provided. For more information: Amy Rames, 210-270-9000, x2247 or arames@klrn.org.

On Wednesday, April 26, please join thousands of Americans rallying all across the country to fight for affordable health care for all Wal-Mart workers. Join us at your local “Change Wal-Mart, Change America” rally: Rally to "Cure the Wal-Mart Health Care Crisis", 8500 Jones Maltsburger, San Antonio TX, in the Wal-Mart Parking Lot at 4:30 PM. For more information and to RSVP, visit www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/ctw?zip=23. Despite over billion in profits, Wal-Mart fails to provide company health care to 57%, over 775,000, of its employees and their families, which costs American taxpayers over .4 billion every year. At the rallies, we will call on Wal-Mart to pay its fair share for health care and provide comprehensive, affordable health care to all of its >employees. After the rally, supporters will take to the streets to sign up thousands of Americans to join the fight for health care by signing the Cure the Wal-Mart Health Care Crisis pledge. The rallies are the first nationally coordinated actions involving the new Change to Win federation, which represents over six million workers.

Gira por los Derechos de Inmigrantes W/ Mexico Solidarity Network & Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Friday, April 28, 7:00 pm at Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, 922 San Pedro Ave. Free and open to the public. For more info call 210-228-0201. The rights of immigrant farm workers and domestic workers are violated and ignored, creating a situation of modern day slavery in the fields that produce for fast food giants and in homes throughout the U.S. A film and bilingual panel discussion will be presented by Candelario Vasquez, from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) who are challenging McDonald’s to use their colossal influence to improve wages and working conditions in the tomato fields of Florida. Celeste Escobar, a grassroots leader from Mexico Solidarity Network, will share her experiences in organizing domestic workers in New York to speak out against unfair pay and no benefits.

On Sunday, April 30th from 2-4 pm the Tri-Faith Dialogue will discuss "How does my faith understand the concepts of faith and good works? Does my faith rank these in terms of importance and if so, how?" The meeting will be held at the home of Sylvia Maddox in Olmos Park; call her at 210-826-5799 to RSVP and for directions. For more information about Tri-Faith Dialogue contact Barbie Gorelick (barbie@thecircleschool.org) or Narjis Pierre (narjas@aol.com).

Candlelight Vigil, Sunday, April 30, 7:30 p.m., Federal Building, 727 W. Durango. To remember everyone who has died or been the victim of violence along the Border. For more information call Fuerza Unida 210-927-2294.

2nd Sunday @ 6 Cinema, March 12 at the peaceCENTER: VOICES IN WARTIME. This 51-minute documentary sharply etches the experience of war through powerful images and the words of poets – unknown and world-famous. Soldiers, journalists, historians and experts on combat interviewed in Voices in Wartime add diverse perspectives on war’s effects on soldiers, civilians and society. In Voices in Wartime, poets around the world, from the United States and Colombia to Britain and Nigeria to Iraq and India, share their views and experiences of war that extend beyond national borders and into the depth of the human soul. Free and open to the public. Includes a discussion of the film and reading from local poets. Call the peaceCENTER at 210-224-HOPE for more information.

It is with great sadness and in honor of Tom Fox, and all those like him who not only give voice during wartime but also speak with their very lives, that this Sunday evening's 2nd Sunday Cinema will be dedicated. Tom, a Quaker Christian Peacemaker Team member from Virginia, was abducted with three of his colleagues in November; his body was found in Baghdad on Thursday. Immediately following the short film, poetry reading and discussion, a VIGIL in Tom's honor will be held at the Peace Pole outside of the peaceCENTER. At a later date his name will be added and attached to the legacy of peacemakers who are already on this San Antonio Peace Pole. May the Voice of Peace not go silent!!!

Thursday, March 9: The Bexar Audubon Society will host a San Antonio Environmental Network Public Issues Forum on Thursday evening at 6:30 in Trinity University’s Cowles Life Sciences Building, room 336. A panel discussion titled “Mow It or Grow It?” focus on the conflict between old-style vegetation control regulation and the wildscaping movement. [210-824-1235]

Thursday, March 9: Local members of Kappa Delta Sorority will hold their annual Shamrock Event to Prevent Child Abuse in conjunction with a Taco Cabana Benefit Night, on Thursday evening from 5 to 9 at the restaurant located at 15925 US. Hwy 281 North. In additions, the sorority will collect new and “gently loved” teddy bears at this event to donate to local children in need. [210-215-2269]

Fuerza Unida asked us to pass on that on Friday, March 10 at 12 noon at the Southwest Workers Union (1416 East Commerce) there will be a local planning for the Foro Social Fronterizo / Border Social Forum. The Forum itself will take place May 3-5 in Ciudad Juárez, and we want as many people as possible to participate to build an ever-stronger movement and especially to have a strong representation from San Antonio. If you have any questions, or can´t make it to the meeting but would like to be involved with the Forum, call Fuerza Unida: (210) 927-2294, or write to admin@lafuerzaunida.org. You can get more information about the Forum at www.forosocialfronterizo.blogspot.com.

In recognition of Women’s History Month, the Esperanza Center presents “!Ojo! Mujeres de Conciencia / Women of Conscience,” an exhibit featuring the works of numerous artists and presenting multiple perspectives and voices on ecology, the female body politic, women’s labor rights, gender and ethnic stereotypes, narrative, and spirituality. A reception will take place on Saturday March 11 from 6 to 9, and the exhibit will run through April 28th. The Esperanza is located at 922 San Pedro. [210-228-0201; www.esperanzacenter.org]

The First Unitarian-Universalist Church of San Antonio will host Film Night on Saturday, March 11 beginning at 7:45 with Does God Play Football, a short; and a feature titled Delivering Milo. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. [210-344-4695]

Women's Global Connection 2nd International Conference. Affirming Diversity: Women Making A Difference, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio. May 18-20, 2006. For more information, www.womensglobalconnection.org.

The San Antonio Area Progressive Action Coalition will host its monthly film night on Saturday. March 18 at 7. The featured film will be Enron—The Smartest Guys in the Room. A discussion will follow. This event will take place at Bethany Congregational Church, 500 Pilgrim. [210-492-6630]

On Sunday afternoon, March 19 at 4, the San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble will perform a concert program titled “Ancient Echoes.” Using Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic languages, as well as period harps, lyres, and drums, the ensemble will create an echo of worship from biblical times. The concert will take place at Abiding Presence Lutheran Church, 14700 San Pedro, and is free and open to the public. [www.savae.org]

You are invited to come and share your thoughts and dialogue with members of the various faith-communities: Tri-Faith Dialogue San Antonio meets this Sunday, March 19th, 2 - 4pm at the Muslim Community Center, 3201 Cherry Ridge Drive, building B, suite 213;(on the backside of the office complex) zip: 78230 Our topic will be: "How Do We Understand Free Will vs. Determinism?" If God is in charge then how can we have free will, and if we have free will, then how can God be in charge? Everyone is welcome to share from their learning. For more information, contact: narjis, 210-367-2042 or Barbie, 210-383-9835.

Peace Choir Rehearsal: Sunday March 19, 12:00 to 1:00--Unity Church of San Antonio, 1723 Lawndale. (Off Broadway, three traffic lights south of Loop 410.) and 2:00 to 3:00--First Unitarian Universalist Church, Fellowship Hall. (Soup lunch from 12:30 to 1:30.) Go to www.firstuusanantonio.org/directions.htm or call 344-4695 for directions. Visit www.songsofpeace.org for more info about the Peace Choir!

Mind Science Foundation lecture: "Origin of Minds and Emotions." March 20, 2006, Laurie Auditorium, Trinity University. Roger Bingham, PhD Salk Institute for Biological Studies - La Jolla, California Research Faculty, Center for Brain and Cognition, UC San Diego Scientist / Television Host & Executive Producer / Author / Educator. For more information, www.mindscience.org or call 210-821-6094.

Rabbi Michael Lerner, author of The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right, will be hosted in Austin by the Texas Freedom Network http://www.tfn.org/ and spiritual progressives. Monday, March 20, 7 pm Rabbi Lerner will be BookPeople for a book signing. On Tuesday, March 21, 7 pm, he will give an evening lecture at Congregation Beth Israel (3901 Shoal Creek Blvd).

Texans for Peace, Veterans for Peace, Austin Against War, and others announce the MILLION MUSICIAN MARCH FOR PEACE, Saturday, March 18th, beginning at 11:30 AM, Federal Building, 8th and San Jacinto, Austin, Texas. This is a regional event, one of many across the state--the others being in El Paso, Dallas, Houston, and Brownsville. The South-by-Southwest Festival will be in town, and we are borrowing musicians to add to our event. We ask that all who can bring their own instrument, as we will be recording, as a group, a very special message for the man in the White House. Speakers will be the Reverend Peter Johnson, an important figure in Civil Rights, who marched with MLK, and Diane Wilson, environmentalist-author and co-founder of Code Pink. We will march to City Hall Plaza through downtown, providing many opportunities for visiting festival-goers to join in. Please bring friends and make yourself an instrument of peace. For more information, contact Alyssa Burgin, march steering committee, Austin Against War. aburgin@texansforpeace.org.

The Alamo Sierra Club will meet on Tuesday, March 21st, at 7 p.m., at the Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway. The program will be “Renewable Energy—State of Development in Texas” by Russell E. Smith. This event is free and open to the public. [210-222-8195]

The SoL Center at University Presbyterian Church, 300 Bushnell, presents “Metaphor: A Tool for Healing and Embracing the Dangerous Beauty of the World” on three Tuesday afternoons beginning March 21st, from 1 to 3. Then on Wednesdays beginning March 22nd, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., “Contemporary Films on Faith” will feature scenes from a different film each week and discussion on how their expressions of faith and spirituality apply to real life. [210-732-9927]

The UTSA College of Liberal and fine Arts and the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures are hosting the third annual European Film Festival in San Antonio March 20th through March 23rd at the Bijou at Crossroads Cinema, located at Interstate 10 and Loop 410. Most showings are between 5 and 10 p.m. and include 15 recent films from Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Spain. All films will be shown in their original languages with English subtitles, and each day film industry professionals, scholars and critics will discuss European cinema with audience members. Admission is free and open to the public. [210-458-4350]

Winona LaDuke will speak on "Moving Towards a Multi-cultural Democracy: How Native American Teachings Can Inform/Influence Democracy" March 23, 2006 11 a.m. to Noon at St. Philip's College, Watson Fine Arts Center Theatre. At the age of 18, LaDuke spoke to the United Nations regarding Native American issues and since has become known as a voice for American Indian economic and environmental justice throughout the United States and internationally. She is the author of "Recovering the Sacred: The Power of Naming and Claiming" as well as numerous articles. Admission to the lecture is free and open to the public. For directions or other information, call 210-531-3260.

At 10:15 on Wednesday morning, March 23, Dr. Raymundo Paredes, Commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, will give a status report on “Closing the Gaps,” an initiative that includes dramatically increasing the number of college graduates, particularly among minority groups, by the year 2015. His presentation will take place in McAllister Auditorium, on the campus of San Antonio College, and is free and open to the public. [210-733-2147]

10th Annual Cesar E. Chavez March for Justice, Saturday, March 25. Assembly and program, 10:00 a.m. at Avenida Guadalupe, 1321 El Paso. March starts at noon to the Alamo. Grand marshall: Richard Chavez, brother of Cesar Chavez. Special Guest: Jesse Borrego, Chicano Actor. For more information, contact Jaime Martinez, 210-226-2301 or IUEORG@aol.com.

Peace Choir Rehearsal: Sunday, March 26, 12:00 to 1:00--Celebration Circle, Jumpstart Theater, Blue Star Arts Complex, 1414 S. Alamo. Visit www.songsofpeace.org for more info about the Peace Choir!

Palo Alto College recognizes Women’s History Month by collaborating with the Esperanza Center for CineMujer, a women’s film festival scheduled for March 27th through 31st. Featured films include a documentary about Wangari Maathai, an environmentalist and political leader who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. The Esperanza Center is located at 922 San Pedro. [210-228-0201]

The Interfaith Community for Palestinian Rights Presents: "The 'Piece' Process Continues! The Struggle Against Myths, Propaganda, Violence and Annexation in Palestine and Israel." Nonviolent Peace Activist (a full-time volunteer with the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Hebron) and former Beirut-based Middle East Bureau Chief for CNN, Jerry Levin, will report on the Nonviolent Struggle against the dismantling of Palestinian land. Jerry will also be selling and signing copies of his recently published book, West Bank Diary. At Gethsemane Lutheran Church, 200 W. Anderson LN, Austin TX (free admission) on Tuesday, March 28th, 7:00 pm. For more information, contact ICPRAustin@aol.com.

Peace Choir Rehearsal: Wednesday, March 29, 6:30 to 8:00, First Unitarian Universalist Church, Fellowship Hall. Go to www.firstuusanantonio.org/directions.htm or call 344-4695 for directions. Visit www.songsofpeace.org for more info about the Peace Choir!

2 to Watch: Charlie Morris and Aretha Williams Artpace March 30, 6:30:00 PM - 8:00:00 PM at ArtPace, 445 North Main, San Antonio, TX 78205. Three times annually Artpace collaborates with Gemini Ink to feature a visual artist and wordsmith worth keeping eyes on -- either emerging talents, those new to the community, or established artists with new bodies of work. Charlie Morris' recent paintings, sculptures, and films poetically reflect upon the sense and nonsense of war. In a series of large-scale imaes in black and white on wood from 2004, Morris retrofits panoramic scenes of lone soldiers in the fields from historic military field manuals with absurd, cartoonish elements (an octopus playing piano, an animate elephant) that disrupt the seriousness of their missions. As a journalist Aretha Williams focuses on ideas of peace and justice. A weekly columnist for the San Antonio Express-News, Williams is co-authoring, with Arun Gandhi, a forthcoming book on the power of nonviolence in an age of terrorism.

The UTSA Lyric Theatre presents "Brundibar," an historic and bittersweet composition by Hans Kraas. Mar 31, 7:30 PM at the Buena Vista Theatre, UTSA Downtown Campus. For more information, contact: Cindy Solis Cynthia.solis@utsa.edu, (210) 458-5685. The children's opera was first performed by the young prisoners of Terezin, a Czech concentration camp during Word War II. Performed more than 55 times for the inhabitants of the camp, Red Cross visitors and for a Nazi propaganda film, "Brundibar" is a parable of good versus evil with the forces of good triumphant. Inga Auerbach, who survived the holocaust as a child and wrote of her experiences in her autobiography, "I Am a Yellow Star," will speak before a pre-performance screening of the film, "Olympic Doll: A Child Survivor's Story." The film is based on her book. The screening is at 7:30 p.m. followed at 8 p.m. by the performance of "Brundibar." Tickets are $10. The event is a fundraiser for the UTSA Concert Choir's tour of Terezin and the Czech Republic. The choir was invited to perform at several activities celebrating the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth.