Multiple date series:

Illahee Lecture Series

March 14 — Consultant extraordinaire Alan AtKisson will discuss how governments, businesses and nonprofits can push the accelerator on innovation for sustainability.
March 30 — Molecular biologist Richard Jefferson will talk new tech, tools and thought to bring efficiency and equity to life-sciences-enabled innovation.
April 16 — Food guru and author Michael Pollan will explore his “Food Rules” and lay out lessons we can all take the supermarket, farmer’s market and stock market.
May 11 — Founding editor and On The Commons fellow David Bollier will take us on a tour of the commons as a new paradigm of economics, politics and culture.
Aug. 31 — The first female winner of the Nobel prize for Economics, Elinor Ostrom will discuss her work on how people interact with economic and political systems to cultivate the Commons.
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March
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Wednesday March 2nd, 6:30 - 9 p.m., Hosford Middle School, 2303 SE 28th Place

The Portland Plan Community Forums

Portlanders have an opportunity to shape the City's strategies for the future at the upcoming Portland Plan Fairs, starting on March 2. Developed with the community, the strategies include actions that address residents' key concerns:

* Equity
* Education
* Economic Prosperity & Affordability
* Healthy Connected Neighborhood

The fairs are designed to offer residents a range of experiences and opportunities to learn about and comment on the strategies. In addition to breakout discussions for each strategy, the fairs will feature booths, presentations, local food and community exhibitors. Free childcare will be provided at all locations.

The Portland Plan will be a 25-year strategic plan for the City, and the direction it sets will touch every neighborhood, district and resident of Portland as it grows. The plan will help to define priorities, guide investment of public dollars and set the course for Portland for the next quarter of a century. For more information please go to: www.pdxplan.com

Additional meetings dates, time and locations

Sunday, March 6, 12:30 - 3 p.m. Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road
Thursday, March 10, 6:30 - 9 p.m., De La Salle North Catholic High School, 7528 N Fenwick Avenue
Saturday, March 12, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), 10301 NE Glisan Street
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March 4 - 10th, 7 PM plus weekend matinees at 5pm, The Hollywood Theater, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd

Bag It! Is your life too plastic?

“Documentary is a Powerful Look at the Impacts of Plastics on Society”

Our story follows Jeb Berrier, an average American guy who is admittedly not a “tree hugger,” who makes a pledge to stop using plastic bags. This simple action gets Jeb thinking about all kinds of plastic as he embarks
on a global tour to unravel the complexities of our plastic world. When Jeb’s journey takes a personal twist, we see how our crazy-for-plastic world has finally caught up to us and what we can do about it. Today. Right now.

BAG IT is a film that examines our society’s use and abuse of plastic. The film focuses on plastic as it relates to our society’s throwaway mentality, our culture of convenience, our over consumption of unnecessary, disposable productsand packaging—things that we use one time and then, without another thought, throw them away. Where is AWAY?

Away is over flowing landfills, clogged rivers, islands of trash in our oceans, and even our very own toxic bodies. Jeb travels the globe on a fact-finding mission—not realizing that after his simple resolution, plastic will never look the same again!

“Think about it—why would you make something that you’re going to use for a few minutes out of a material
that’s basically going to last forever, and you’re just going to throw it away? What’s up with that?”
—Jeb Berrier

The grand premiere, on Friday March 4th, Oregon state Senators Hass and Cannon will be present for Q&A. Also present will be Junk-to-funk fashion, and live music. There will also be a raffle!

More info: http://oregon.surfrider.org/portland/
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Saturday, March 5, 7 - 9 PM, 1st Unitarian Church, SW 12 and Salmon

Campaign Cash Controversy, a look at the Supreme Court Decision Citizens United v Federal Election Commission, a talk with David Cobb

Since the January 21, 2010 Supreme Court decision giving corporations free speech rights to spend money with almost no limit on political campaigns, David Cobb has been the cheif spokesperson for amending the US Constitution to eliminate corporate personhood. Come hear him talk about the decision and what our response must be.

Sponsored by Alliance for Democracy, Economic Justice Action Group of the 1st Unitarian Church and the Portland Green Party. Printable flier here.
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Sunday, March 6th, 4 - 6 PM,, Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Highway

Protest! The Annual Oregon AIPAC Event

Please join Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights (AUPHR) and other groups for our annual protest of the Oregon American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) community dinner.

AIPAC is the largest and most powerful hard-line pro-Israel lobby organization in the United States and serves to tie U.S. and Oregon politicians closer to Israel's right wing policies of occupation, settlement expansion, and apartheid. Many local, state and federal politicians from across Oregon attend this event, which typically lays out AIPAC's political strategy for the coming year and serves to garner support and build community for AIPAC and Israel while ignoring injustice

In part because of AIPAC, U.S. politicians are unwilling to take a courageous stand against Israel's policies and unwilling to hold Israel accountable for virtually any human rights violations. It is time for citizens to stand up and say "No to AIPAC, no to apartheid, and no to our politicians' complicity with Israeli human rights violations!"

AUPHR is providing many signs that say "Stop Funding Israeli Occupation and Apartheid" and ask that protesters dress in black attire. Help us send a unified message!
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Wednesday, March 9th, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, PNCA Main Campus, Swigert Commons, 1241 NW Johnson St.

Edelman Lecture: Derrick Jensen

Derrick Jensen is the acclaimed author of fifteen books, including A Language Older Than Words, The Culture of Make Believe, and Endgame. Author, teacher, activist, small farmer and leading voice of uncompromising dissent, he has been hailed as the philosopher poet of the environmental movement.

His premise is as profound as it is persistent: industrial civilization is inherently unsustainable. It will always require violence to biotic and human communities. And it will create a culture where trauma is normalized, where living beings become objects, and where the only relationship left is one of domination.

PNCA is the Pacific NW College of Art
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Wednesday, March 9, 11 am to 2 PM, Oregon State Capital in Salem

Go Solar Oregon rally

Open to all solar advocates, organizations, interested citizens, solar customers, solar professionals, etc. We need your support! Come join us and help us show the State Legislature that Oregonians want clean solar energy. You will have a chance to share your story and promote Oregon's solar industry.
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Thursday, March 10th, Portland City Hall

Portland Says NO to the JTTF (Joint Terrorism Task Force)

Join other Portlanders to say No to the Portland participation in the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Portland withdrew from the JTTF in 2006 because of concerns that our officiers might be used to spy on Portland citizens as they gather to engage in legal, non-violent protest. We should not rejoin.

On March 10th the Portland City Council will be voting on whether or not the City of Portland should re-enter the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). We strongly oppose the JTTF because we value our civil rights and we need Portland Police officers to be held accountable to Oregon State Law. We don't want roving wiretaps, secret access and domestic spying on non-violent activists & community groups.

We said NO in 2005 and we say NO now.

Rally at 12:30; speakers at 1 PM. Council hearing and vote scheduled for 2 PM. Public testimony will be taken.

CO-SPONSORS: Oregon Progressive Party, Oregon Jericho, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace, NW Student Coalition, Portland Central American Solidarity Committee, the Portland Coalition Opposing Political Repression, Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights, International Socialist Organization, Freedom Socialist Party, Portland Animal Defense League, Right 2 Survive, Portland Rising Tide
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Friday, March 11, time details below. Oregon State Capital Bldg, Salem

Rally for Single Payer Health Care/Legislative Action Day to support HB3510

LOBBY your state representatives.

Meet for training at 9 am, MICAH Hall, First Methodist Church, 680 State St. (one block from Capitol)

RALLY at noon on the Capitol steps.

HEARING House Health Care Committee takes testimony on the bill, 3 pm

Everybody In, Nobody Out-- Let Your Voice Be Heard!
More information at www.singlepayeroregon.org or (503) 262-4970. Print a flyer. Details of the bill here.
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Saturday, March 12, 12:30 - 3 PM, 1st Unitarian Church, SW 12th and Salmon

Pray the Devil Back to Hell (documentary)

Pray the Devil Back to Hell is the extraordinary story of a small band of Liberian women who came together in the midst of a bloody civil war, took on the violent warlords and corrupt Charles Taylor regime, and won a long-awaited peace for their shattered country in 2003.

As the rebel noose tightened upon Monrovia, and peace talks faced collapse, the women of Liberia – Christian and Muslims united - formed a thin but unshakable white line between the opposing forces, and successfully demanded an end to the fighting– armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions.

The women of Liberia are living proof that moral courage and non-violent resistance can succeed, even where the best efforts of traditional diplomacy have failed.
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Saturday, March 19 ,1:00 PM, Pioneer Courthouse Square, SW 6th and Yamhill

Eight Years in Iraq - Nine Years in Afghanistan: How is the War Economy Working for You?
Anti-War Rally & March

End the Wars and Occupations - Bring All the Troops Home Now
Fund Jobs, Health Care and Human Needs, Not the War Machine
Stand for Civil Liberties at Home and Abroad
Take Action!

Rally at 1 PM
March at 1:30 PM

Preliminary cosponsors and endorsers include Alliance for Democracy, Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Groupo, Peace Action Committee Unitarian Church, Economic Justice Action Group-First Unitarian Church, Veterans for Peace Chapter 72, Iraq Veterans Against the War-Oregon, Portland Peaceful Response Coalition, Portland Jobs with Justice, Freedom Socialist Party, Metanoia Peace community, Portland Labor for Peace and Justice, KBOO Community Radio .

For more info or for your organization to get involved, contact Peace and Justice Works: 503.236.3065 or http://www.pjw..info.
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Wednesday, March 23, time to be determined, Bagday Theater, SE 36th and Hawthorne

Ted Danson, actor and environmental activist

Famous for his portrayal of Sam Malone on the era-defining sitcom Cheers and recently for his role in HBO's critically acclaimed series Bored to Death, Danson has also devoted the last 25 years of his life to environmental activism.

Join Danson as he recounts his journey from protesting offshore oil drilling near his Southern California neighborhood in the mid-1980s to his current status as one of the most influential oceanic environmental activists, helping found Oceana, the largest organization in the world focused solely on ocean conservation.

This special event is cosponsored by Oceana. Tickets, $29.99, include admission and a copy of Danson's new book, Oceana. Visit Powells.com for all the ticket details.
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Thursday, March 31, 7 PM, Jantzen Beach Red Lion Hotel, 909 N. Hayden Island Drive

STATE OF THE HANFORD SITE, PUBLIC MEETING

The Tri-Party Agreement agencies (U.S. Department of Energy, Washington State Department of Ecology, and the U.S.nvironmental ProtectionAgency) invite you to participate in this year’s State of the Hanford Site meetings being held in March. These meetings offer the opportunity for interested members of public to discuss Hanford cleanup progress, challenges, and priorities with top decision-makers from the agencies.

This is a good opportunity to express your concerns about the clean-up process at Hanford as well as your desire not to have Hanford become a national nuclear waste disposal site.
Schedule
Open hous with displays - 6 PM
Hanford Story Video - 6:45 PM
Town Hall Meeting - 7 PM

Arrive at 6 PM for a intro to the meeting by Gerry Polett of Heart of America NW.
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April
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Friday April 15th, time to be determined, Oregon Zoo

Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility 30th Anniversary Dinner

With keynote speaker Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and founding coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

Visit www.oregonpsr.org or call 503.274.2720 for more info.
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Friday, April 22, 7PM (doors open at 6:30 PM) 1st Unitarian Church, SW 12th and Salmon

GasLand, the documentary film by Josh Fox

"The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of "fracking" or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a "Saudia Arabia of natural gas" just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND. Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown.

Sponsored by Community for Earth, 1st Unitarian Church.
$5-15, no one turned away.
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Saturday, April 23, Washington High School field at SE 12th and Stark

Earth Day 2011- Incorporated "We need You"

This year’s theme has been chosen to spark a conversation about incorporation being a positive attribute. In essence the word means to build bridges and close gaps. To incorporate everyone is the intention. We want to celebrate sustainable business models big and small, organizations gathering momentum in the green movement and anyone who is ready to take steps toward creating a healthy future for our children. Sustainability is an idea that will need incorporation of all parties, coming together and succeeding!

Mission Statement: The Earth Day Celebration is organized by a coalition of organizations and community members celebrating and activating environmental and social sustainability in the Portland, Oregon metro area. We encourage community service projects, citizen participation, emphasis on local economy and the restoration of a culture of cooperation. In our 12th year, we have built this event to highlight local organizations and businesses that demonstrate social and environmental sustainability in their own unique way for Portland area residents. Along with organizations & vendors at the celebration, there will be music, dance, a Kids’ Village, Health and Wellness area, Food, the Reware Upcycle Market and the T-horse.