Monday March 5: Feminism on Film

International Women's Day: Feminism on Film
Monday, March 5, 2007, from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m.
Wisconsin Union Play Circle
(in the UW Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St)

Please join us for an evening of capturing women's rights through the lens of local, national, and international film-makers in celebration of International Women's Day!

Two feminist shorts will be screened and discussed by their filmmakers: Lucie Ferrari will discuss the role of women in film from a grassroots perspective and Cecelia Condit, an internationally acclaimed filmaker, will screen her film, "All About a Girl." The feature documentary, "View From a Grain of Sand" by director Meena Nanji, chronicles a journey through the last 30 years of Afghanistan's history as lived by three Afghan women.

Co-sponsors: Madison Women for Peace, the Campus Women's Center, the Wisconsin Coordinating Council in Nicaragua, Wisconsin Union Directorate

Reality Unflattering? Ignore It!

That's what U.S. media seemed to do when confronted with the results of the latest UNICEF report. According to the Feminist Daily Newsire, one of the few outlets to cover the story:

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Innocenti Research Center released a report yesterday ranking the well-being of children in the world's most economically advanced countries. Out of 21 countries, the United States came in second-to-last, at number 20.

Looking at the report itself (PDF file), the U.S. is the worst country surveyed for health at birth and for childhood poverty. However, the U.S. ranks respectably on education-related matters (thanks, public schools!).

A Google News search showed that not only did British media actually pay attention to the UNICEF report, they asked how their country could do better. While in the U.S., media outlets either totally ignored the report or wondered why Britain was so bad for children. Wha...?

On another note, celebrate International Women's Day with us, on Monday, March 5. Women for Peace, along with the Wisconsin Coordinating Council on Nicaragua and the Campus Women's Center, are hosting an evening of film and international women's rights. The event starts at 7 pm, at the Wisconsin Union Play Circle (UW Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St), and includes shorts by local filmmakers and a discussion of global feminism, followed by "View from a Grain of Sand," an acclaimed documentary by Meena Nanji that explores Afghanistan's history through the experiences of three women.

Taking the Occupation to Sen. Kohl

For those who would like to take part in the "occupation" of Sen. Kohl's Madison office (at 14 W. Mifflin St, Suite 207) to support bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq, the Weds Feb 14 vigil will run from 4:30 to 5:00 pm, and the Weds Feb 21 vigil from 4:00 to 5:00 pm.

From local peace activist Joy First:

We began our participation in the Occupation Project with a vigil in Senator Kohl's Madison office Wednesday February 7. Senator Kohl refuses to take any kind of stand or do anything to end the war in Iraq. We have occupied his office many times over the last couple of years. Now, as part of the Occupation Project we plan to occupy his office weekly for the next couple of months.

Six adults and one 4 month-old baby (my grandson) were present in the reception area of Senator Kohl's office and read names of Iraqi people, many many of them children, and US military people who have died in the war. We had three large posters. One said "Senator Kohl. Listen to the People. Stop the War Now." One had pictures of Iraqis, showing the horrors and suffering of the war. One showed pictures of the 67 Wisconsin soldiers who have died in the war. When I updated the poster, I had to add seven pictures of Wisconsin soldiers who have died since November. As I printed their pictures and added them to the poster I thought about the terror they must have felt the last moments of their lives, dying so young and so far from home and loved ones.

We will be visiting Senator Kohl's office on Feb. 14, Feb. 19 and weekly after that to demand that he vote no on the supplemental funding for the war. We will increase the level of our actions, continuing to risk arrest, as we call for an end to the immoral and illegal occupation of Iraq. For more information on the Occupation Project, see vcnv.org.

Pictures from the Peace Rally

Thanks to Amy (in pink in the first picture, below) for these fabulous pictures from the Washington DC peace rally on January 27. For more (including larger verions of these), see our pics page.