Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Kevin Kaempf Artist Discussion + Potluck Discussion

[ Start Time: 6:00 PM | End Time: 7:30 PM | Cost: Free | | Link to this Event ]
[ The DAAC | 115 S Division Ave | Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (Map) ]

The Visual Studies Program at GVSU's Department of Art & Design presents a Communal Dinner and Discussion with visiting Artist, Kevin Kaempf of the Chicago-based artist group People Powered.

Kaempf will lead a discussion on community, art, and collaboration.

Kaempf is a member of People Powered, a collective that "designs experimental pilot programs that integrate art, environmentalism, and communities. By presenting these projects in exhibitions and public locations in the city, People Powered creates a platform for discussing how these practices may intersect." He is also an Instructor in the First Year Program at the School of the Art Institute (SAIC) in Chicago. Kaempf has exhibited extensively, including at the The Smart Museum of Art, the Hyde Park Art Center, Mess Hall, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. His publications include Beyond Green: Toward a Sustainable Art; Parkett; WhiteWalls. For more information about Kaempf, visit http://www.peoplepowered.org

Attendees are encouraged to bring a side dish to pass. Vegetarian and vegan food will be provided by Brick Road Pizza. It would also be awesome if you brought your own chair.

For more information, contact GVSU Visual Studies at .

Website: look.gvsu.edu/public/content/visiting-artist-kevin-kaempf

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

OnGoing LGBT Conference: LGBT & Culture Conference

[ Start Time: 4:00 PM | End Time: 6:00 PM | Cost: Free | Link to this Event ]
[ GVSU - Kirkhof Center | 1 Campus Dr | Allendale, MI (Map) ]

Please join the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Resource Center as the Colorado Anti violence Project Presents, "Hanging Out and Hooking Up: Cruising, Safer Dating and Negotiating Sex."

For more information, contact GVSU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Resource Center at .

Website: www.gvsu.edu/lgbtrc

The Drug War & Mexican Migration: An Evening with John Ross Lecture

[ Start Time: 7:00 PM | End Time: 9:00 PM | Cost: Donations accepted | | Link to this Event ]
[ Trinity United Methodist Church | 1100 Lake Dr. SE | Grand Rapids, MI 49506 (Map) ]

John Ross, radical journalist and author of several books on Mexico, particularly the Zapatista Uprising, is on book tour with his most recent book El Monstruo: True Tales of Dread and Redemption in Mexico City. He will speak about the drug war in Mexico, the US role in the drug war and Mexican migration.

For more information, contact The Bloom Collective at .

Website: bloomcollective.org

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Human Trafficking: A Community Discussion Panel Discussion

[ Start Time: 6:00 PM | End Time: 8:00 PM | Cost: $3 | | Link to this Event ]
[ Take Hold Church | 133 S Division | Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (Map) ]

The Tolerance, Equality, and Awareness Movement (TEAM) will be holding it's 2nd Discussion Panel of the 2010 year. This event is going to be an amazing Discussion Panel for the community on the topic of Human Trafficking.

Michigan ranks 13th in the nation for Human Trafficking problems. We will be discussing what we can do in the community to help alleviate the problem, and what can be done as far as public policies to reduce the number of human trafficking cases.

The event takes place at Take Hold Church, which is located in the same building of the Mixtape Cafe at 133 S. Division near the corner of Cherry and Division in Grand Rapids. The event starts at 6pm sharp and will go until about 8pm on March 25, 2010. You may come at any time, and leave whenever you need to. We are extremely focused on expanding the dialogue on Human Rights topics in the Western Michigan area.

There is a $3 admission charge for the event, which will go to the operations of the Tolerance, Equality, and Awareness Movement. We will use the admission charge to organize more discussion panels and events for the general community.

We will have general discussion, examine statistics, and particular cases including news stories.

Everyone is welcome to attend and we hope to see you there!

For more information, contact The Tolerance, Equality, and Awareness Movement (TEAM) at .

Website: www.teamthemovement.com

Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality and Relationships Film

[ Start Time: 7:00 PM | End Time: 9:00 PM | Cost: $3 Suggested Donation | | Link to this Event ]
[ The Bloom Collective | 1134 Wealthy | Grand Rapids, MI 49506 (Map) ]

The Bloom Collective is hosting a screening and discussion on the film The Price of Pleasure. The Price of Pleasure moves beyond the liberal versus conservative debates so common in the culture to paint a myth-busting and nuanced portrait of how pleasure and pain, commerce and power, liberty and responsibility have become intertwined in the most intimate area of our lives.

For more information, contact The Bloom Collective at .

Website: bloomcollective.org

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

West Michigan Community Garden Gathering, Potluck & Seed Swap Potluck

[ Start Time: 11:00 AM | End Time: 1:00 PM | Cost: Free | Link to this Event ]
[ Coit Creative Arts Academy | 617 Coit | Grand Rapids, MI (Map) ]

Join us for our annual gathering of gardeners to share resources, stories, food and your favorite seeds. Please bring a dish to pass if you can.

For more information, contact Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council at .

Website: www.foodshed.net/

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Author Derrick Jensen in Kalamazoo Lecture

[ Start Time: 7:00 PM | End Time: 10:00 PM | Cost: Free | Link to this Event ]
[ WMU - Bernhard Center - RM 208/209 | 1903 W. Michigan Ave. | Kalamazoo, MI 49008 (Map) ]

Author Derrick Jensen will be speaking at Western Michigan University. The title of the talk is "Too Busy Pretending that Culture will Undergo a Magical Transformation."

For more information, contact Andrew D Weissenborn at or (616) 558-6200.

Website: www.derrickjensen.org

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Juan Cole - "Obama's America and the Muslim World" Lecture

[ Start Time: 7:00 PM | End Time: 9:00 PM | Cost: Free | Link to this Event ]
[ GVSU - Loosemore Auditorium | 401 W. Fulton St | Grand Rapids, MI 49504 (Map) ]

Western society, Juan Cole argues, is suffering from Islam Anxiety--the product of fearmongering and misinformation. There is a desperate need to debunk the myths concerning Islam in order to improve the political and ideological understanding between Muslim countries and their Western counterparts. Dr. Cole carefully sorts through all the major issues in Western-Muslim relations, addressing such hot-button topics as terrorism, dependence on the volatile Persian Gulf, the uncertainties of the Iraq War, and the little-understood regimes in Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Cole separates spin from fact, providing substantive recommendations for Obama administration on how to engage with key countries such as Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. Finally, he will reveal how we can repair the damage caused by a misguided and blunder-prone U.S. foreign policy of the Middle East and forge ahead on a path of peace and prosperity.

For more information, contact Haunstein Center for Presidential Studies at or (616) 331-2770.

Website: www.allpresidents.org

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Morris Dees: With Justice for All Lecture

[ Start Time: 7:00 PM | End Time: 9:00 PM | Cost: Free | Link to this Event ]
[ Fountain Street Church | 24 Fountain St NE | Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (Map) ]

Civil rights and diversity speaker Morris Dees is the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit group specializing in lawsuits involving civil rights violations, domestic terrorism, and hate-motivated crimes. Dees and his associates have secured huge criminal, civil, and financial judgments against a series of hate groups including the Aryan Nation and Ku Klux Klan.

Morris Dees is a strong proponent of education about civil rights and the civil rights movement, and was instrumental in the creation of the Civil Rights Memorial in Mobile, Alabama. For his efforts as an attorney and activist, Dees was named the Trial Lawyer of the Year in 1987 and received the National Education Association's Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Award in 1990.

Today, he focuses his attention on anti-government militias. In his brilliant expose Gathering Storm: America's Militia Threat, Dees explains the dangers these groups represent. He is also author of A Lawyer's Journey, an autobiography, and Hate on Trial: The Case Against America's Most Dangerous Neo-Nazi.

For more information, contact Jennifer Smith at or (616) 234-3390.

Website: www.grcc.edu/lecture/

AID: What is it Good For? Discussion

[ Start Time: 7:00 PM | End Time: 8:30 PM | Cost: free | Link to this Event ]
[ Institute for Global Education | 1118 Wealthy St. SE | Grand Rapids, MI (Map) ]

We will look at foreign aid and its consequences. The show will be on GRTV for the whole month!

For more information, contact Laura Casaletto at or 454-1642.

Website: www.iserv.net/~ige/talks/index.html

Saturday, April 10th, 2010

The White House Project: Michigan Debate Boot Camp Workshop

[ Start Time: 8:00 AM | End Time: 8:00 PM | Cost: $50 (scholarships available) | Link to this Event ]
[ TBA | TBA | Ferndale, MI, MI TBA (Map) ]

The White House Project is a national, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization committed to advancing a richly diverse, critical mass of women in public leadership positions.

The Michigan Debate Boot Camp is a day-long training to give women in-depth knowlegde on a specific area of expertise and break down some of the larger barriers for women seeking office.

For more information and to apply, please visit https://secure2.convio.net/twhp/site/SSurvey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=2421

For more information, contact Shannon Garrett, TWHP Great Lakes Regional Director at .

Friday, April 16th, 2010

EcoAction Expo & Fiery Furnaces Concert at Fountain Street Misc

[ Start Time: 5:00 PM | End Time: 11:00 PM | Cost: Expo: Free; Concert: $20 | Link to this Event ]
[ Fountain Street Church | 24 Fountain NE | Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (Map) ]

EcoAction Expo, Picnic, Triple Top Line Awards and Benefit Concert by the Fiery Furnaces

For more information, contact WMEAC at or 616-460-9118.

Website: liveatthefountain.org

Saturday, May 1st, 2010

May Day 2010 Rally

[ Start Time: 10:00 AM | Cost: Free | | Link to this Event ]
[ Martin Luther King Jr. Park | Fuller and Franklin | Grand Rapids, MI (Map) ]

Celebrate MAYDAY 2010 in Grand Rapids! May 1st in Martin Luther King Jr. Park. To include: Community Potluck, Hip Hop Artists, Bands, Speakers, Kids Activities...

Performances by: Euphoria, Kelly O'Brien and the Bridge Street Special, Jihad Islam, The U.S. Beat...

Participating organizations: Grand Rapids Hip Hop Coalition, The Bloom Collective, Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy, League of Revolutionaries for a New America, Workers Solidarity Alliance, Lansing Workers Center, Black Autonomy Network Community Organization, Grand Rapids IWW...

More artists and organizations to be announced!

If your organization would like to participate or your a musical artist contact:


616-881-5263

For more information, contact Cole Dorsey at or 616-881-5263.

Website: grsbuxunion.blogspot.com

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

2010 Lakeshore Region Summit on Racism Conference

[ Start Time: 8:30 AM | End Time: 2:30 PM | Cost: $20 | Link to this Event ]
[ Hope College | 141 East 12th Street | Holland, MI 49423 (Map) ]

It's about community. Thousands of area residents have participated in this informational and inspirational event in recent years.

The Summit brings people together to learn and grow - preparing participants to help our region advance racial equity and offer economic opportunity for all.

Learn why simply efforts can make a profound change in our racial landscape.
Understand how racial inclusion benefits us all.
Develop the tools you need to make a positive difference in our community.

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum - widely recognized as a scholar, teacher, race relations expert and leader in higher education - will be providing the morning keynote address and Dr. Tony Campolo - author, minister, and media commentator on religious, social, and political matters - will be providing the lunch keynote address.

Breakout sessions will focus on sector-specific topics: BUSINESS - Inclusion: The Critical Step in the Business Case & Triple Bottom Line Solutions; COMMUNITY/GOVERNMENT - Building One America: Advancing Policy for Inclusion; EDUCATION - Cultural Sensitivity: Responding to the Changing Face of Our Community; and FAITH - Building One Community: Practicing Faith and Racial Justice in Multi-Cultural Communities.

Register Now at http://www.ethnicdiversity.org.
The registration fee is $20, which includes lunch. Payment will be accepted online with PayPal or by check/money order.

For more information, contact Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance at or (616) 846-9074.

Website: www.ethnicdiversity.org

Friday, May 21st, 2010

The White House Project: Michigan Go Run Workshop

[ Start Time: 8:00 AM | End Time: 8:00 PM | Link to this Event ]
[ TBA | TBA | Grand Rapids, MI, MI 49503 (Map) ]

The White House Project is a national, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization committed to advancing a richly diverse, critical mass of women into public leadership positions.

Michigan Go Run is a weekend long training dedicated to equipping you, the future candidate, with the skills to run and win. The training aims to demystify the political process and inspire a richly diverse group of women in to the leadership pipeline.

For more information and to register, please visit https://secure2.convio.net/twhp/site/SSurvey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=2462

For more information, contact Shannon Garrett, Great Lakes Regional Director at .

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

United States Social Forum Conference

[ Start Time: 9:00 AM | Cost: Varies | | Link to this Event ]
[ Cobo Hall | 1 Washington Boulevard | Detroit, MI 48226 (Map) ]

The USSF will take place June 22-26, 2010 at Cobo Hall and Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit. The USSF will convene social movements from across the United States and globally.

The US Social Forum (USSF) is a movement building process. It is not a conference but it is a space to come up with the peoples' solutions to the economic and ecological crisis. The USSF is the next most important step in our¨ struggle to build a powerful multi-racial, multi-sectoral, inter-generational, diverse, inclusive, internationalist movement that transforms this country and changes history. We must declare what we want our world to look like and we must start planning the path to get there. The USSF provides spaces to learn from each other's experiences and struggles, share our analysis of the problems our communities face, build relationships, and align with our international brothers and sisters to strategize how to reclaim our world.

For more information, contact US Social Forum at .

Website: ussf2010.org/