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  • Mexico: So Far from God, So Close to Wall Street

    Economic Policy Institute 1225 Eye Street, NW Suite 600, Washington, DC, United States

    Jeff Faux, the founding president of EPI who now lives part of the year in Mexico, and Manuel Pérez-Rocha, of IPS and the Mexican Action Network on Free Trade, will lead a brown-bag discussion on current U.S. economic policy toward our troubled neighbor to the south, the effects of neoliberalism and deregulation, and just alternatives.

    Bring your lunch and join the conversation! No RSVP is required. For more information, call (202) 533-2555.

     

    Jeff Faux, Founding President of EPI, now lives part of the year in Mexico Manuel Perez Rocha, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and Mexican Action Network on Free Trade

  • Day of the African Child

    Busboys & Poets - 14th & V 2021 14th Street NW, Washington, DC

    Featuring Comrade Fatso, Dennis Brutus and others.Comrade Fatso is Samm Farai Monro, better known as Comrade Fatso, is one of the most explosive and controversial acts in Southern Africa today. Comrade Fatso calls his poetry Toyi Toyi Poetry, radical street poetry that mixes Shona with English and mbira with hip hop. It’s an art form that is an uprising against oppression. 2008 saw Comrade Fatso and Chabvondoka launch their much-acclaimed album, House of Hunger, banned in Zimbabwe but praised internationally labeled ‘undeniably alluring’ (Mail and Globe, Canada), ‘irresistably danceable’ **** (Songlines Magazine, UK) and ‘the most revolutionary album since Thomas Mapfumo's music in the 1970’s’ (Agence France Presse). House of Hunger is now on sale through different record labels in Europe and the USA.

    Dennis Brutus is a South African poet who was banned and imprisoned on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela and 1,000 others. He is the author of 12 books of poetry, including Poetry and Protest: A Dennis Brutus Reader and Still the Sirens. He is Honorary Professor at the Centre for Civil Society, University of Kwazulu-Natal, in Durban, South Africa and Professor Emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh. Brutus was the recipient of the Langston Hughes Award in 1987 (the first non-African American to receive that award), and the first Paul Robeson Award in 1989 for "artistic excellence, political consciousness and integrity."

    Hosted by Elen Awalom and Akenji Ndumu with support from Split This Rock Poetry Festival, Haymarket Books, Trans Africa Forum, Africa Action and Foreign Policy In Focus/Institute for Policy Studies.

     

     

  • Roundtable Discussion: The Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on Africa

    George Washington University, Marvin Center Amphitheatre 800 21st St NW, Washington, DC, United States

    The Institute for Policy Studies and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Present a roundtable discussion, moderated by Foreign Policy In Focus co-director Emira Woods, that will attempt to answer some of the following questions:

    What is the impact on women, workers, and small-holder farmers? What are the challenges but also the opportunities that the crisis presents for the continent? What is Africa’s economic outlook? Is the continent in a better position to weather this crisis than it was in the '80s and '90s? Could the crisis bring an end to the Washington Consensus? What are the opportunities for structural change that meets the needs of people and the planet?

    List of speakers:

    Jose Gijon, Chief Africa economist and Head of the Africa Desk, OECD Development Centre Regina Amadi, Former Head of Africa, International Labor Organization Tony Avignan, Economic Policy Institute Briggs Bomba, Associate Director, Africa Action Leonce Ndkumana, Director of Development Research, African Development Bank

    This event is co-sponsored by Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars, Africa Action, Transafrica Forum John Hopkins School of Advanced Studies, Association of Concerned Africa Scholars, American University’s Africa Council, and the Foreign Policy In Focus project of the Institute for Policy Studies.

  • The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009: Areas for Improvement

    Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2247 45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC, United States

    Join us for a briefing on HR 2454 to discuss what the legislation entails, what it lacks, and how it can be improved.

    Confirmed experts:

    Michael Wara, Stanford University Law School
    David Bookbinder, Chief Climate Counsel, Sierra Club
    Cecil Corbin-Mark, WeACT for Environmental Justice
    Margaret E. Sheehan, lead partner, EcoLaw
    Richard Sweeney, Resources for the Future

    The discussion will be moderated by Daphne Wysham, co-director of IPS' Sustainable Energy & Economy Network.

    This event is sponsored by Friends Committee on National Legislation, Friends of the Earth, Indigenous Environmental Network, the Institute for Policy Studies, and MoveOn.org.

  • Deflating Bolivia Hyperbole in the United States

    IPS Conference Room 1301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC, United States

    In many ways, perceptions of Bolivia in the United States resemble a Rorschach test on which to project one's fears, dogmas or utopian visions. In reality, Bolivian political and social dynamics are complex, constantly shifting, and impossible to force into preconceived external formulas. Neither an Andean socialist paradise nor an extension of the "Venezuelan-Iran-Cuba axis of the Bolivarian Revolution," recent reports perpetuate stale stereotypes and misconceptions and prevent a balanced evaluation of the challenges faced in Bolivia. This briefing will deconstruct one such recent publication Into the Abyss: Bolivia Under Evo Morales and the MAS as a typical case study and offer a deeper, more nuanced analysis of recent developments.  Since 1999, Kathryn Ledebur has directed the Andean Information Network (AIN), which promotes human rights and socioeconomic justice in Bolivia and more humane and effective illicit drug control policies. AIN provides information and analysis to NGO colleagues, the media and international policymakers on developments in Bolivia and the impact of U.S. government and European policies.

    Please RSVP to Sanho Tree stree@igc.org  or call (202) 787-5266.

  • Public Briefing: Obama, Ghana, and U.S.-Africa Policy

    IPS Conference Room 1301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC, United States

    As President Obama heads to Ghana for an historic visit, leading Africa advocacy organizations urge a new U.S. engagement with Africa based on mutual interests and mutual respect.

    The Institute for Policy Studies and allied organizations will host a public briefing and press conference covering proposals for a bold transformation of U.S. Africa policy. Issues covered include peace and security, trade and development, agriculture, HIV/AIDS and health.

    Speakers:

    Bishop Akolgo, Integrated Social Development Ghana (ISODEC)
    Charles Abugre, Christian Aid
    Nii Akuetteh, Africa Analyst, former Executive Director of Africa Action
    Dan Volman, Association of Concerned Africa Scholars
    Bill Freese, Science Policy Analyst, Center for Food Safety
    Matthew Kavanagh, Health GAP (Global Access Project)

    Moderator: Emira Woods, co-director of Foreign Policy In Focus.

    Light refreshments will be served. Please call (202) 234-9382x232 to RSVP or for more information.

    Event cosponsors include Africa Action, TransAfrica Forum, African Faith and Justice network, American Friends Service Committee, Mennonite Service Committee, Africa Security Research Institute, Health GAP, Global Aids Alliance, Friends of the Congo, Sustainable Energy and Economy Network, Jubilee USA, Association of Concerned Africa Scholars, African Alliance for the 21st Century, African Network for African Development, Third World Networks-Africa, Integrated Social Development Ghana (ISODEC), and Blackcommentator.com.

     

  • Author Event: Lecture and Book Signing by Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi

    Busboys and Poets, Langston Room 14th & V St NW, Washington, DC, United States

    On July 5, 2005, on the first anniversary of the ruling of the International Court of Justice that Israel's Apartheid Wall is illegal and must be torn down, Palestinian civil society launched a call for campaigns of boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS). Today BDS campaigns are flourishing across the United States and around the world, serving as an important nonviolent means of advocating for Palestinian rights.

    Author and Israeli dissident Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi will speak on "First Principles: Utopia and Injustice in Palestine and Israel." He is the author of Original Sins: Reflections on the History of Zionism and Israel.

     

    This event is cosponsored by Busboys and Poets, the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation, and the Institute for Policy Studies.

  • Discussion: Free Trade Agreements, the Peasant Economy, and Illicit Crops in Colombia

    IPS Conference Room 1301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC, United States

    The illicit cultivation of coca in Colombia is not as profitable a business as one would imagine. A new study by Colombian development expert Andrés García, reveals that the majority of small farmers growing coca in the areas studied were earning less than the legal minimum wage. Why do they persist in cultivating coca for illicit use? They simply do not have a viable economic alternative, according to Mr. García’s report. Indeed he found that the majority of peasants used the money to buy basic social services, such as healthcare, which were not provided by the state.

    Andrés García’s research was funded by Oxfam and conducted in the departments of Nariño and Cauca. Mr. García will share his experience working directly with coca growing communities and explain what anti-narcotic programs have failed — and which have failed miserably.  He will also look at the potential impact of the proposed U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement on illicit coca cultivation.

    For more information contact Sanho Tree stree@igc.org or call (202) 787-5266.

    This presentation is cosponsored by the Institute for Policy Studies, Oxfam America, and the U.S. Office on Colombia.

     

     

     

  • Democratizing The Electoral College

    IPS Conference Room 1301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC, United States

    When we vote for the president of the United States, we are actually voting for a slate of our state's presidential electors that have pledged to cast their votes for a presidential candidate. Each state's presidential electors are equal to the number of representatives it is entitled to in Congress. All but two states award all of their presidential electors to the party candidate who receives a majority of the votes cast in the state on a "winner take all" basis.

    This means that unless a vote is for the candidate receiving the most votes within a state, that vote is effectively disregarded as null and void and does not help in a national tally the candidate for whom it was casts. "Winner take All" is not required by the constitution and in nearly half of the states where it is applied, it is not even based on state law.

    Lecturer Asa Gordon will provide a historical context and report on recent developments in a Civil Action to reform and "Democratize the Electoral College". The Civil Action seeks a Federal court order for proportional allocation of a state's presidential electors to reflect the popular vote split for presidential candidates in states without a "Winner take all" provision in the state's election law.

    To sign up for this class, please click here.

  • U.S. Military Involvement in Africa

    United Methodist Building, Conf. Rm. 3 100 Maryland Ave NE, Washington, DC, United States

    Since its establishment in October 2008, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has caused debate about the role United States military should play on the continent. Africa is growing in strategic importance, especially in its provision of vital resources and its role as an ally in the "global war on terror." As the Obama administration seeks to redefine U.S. foreign policy in Africa, it is a critical time to reevaluate the extent of U.S. military engagement on the continent.

    Please come and share in this great opportunity to engage experts on this issue and also learn how students and interns can help shape policy.

    Guest Speakers:

    Daniel Volman, Director of the African Security Research Project in Washington, D.C. He received his Ph.D. in African history from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1991.
    Maurice Carney, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Friends of the Congo. He is an independent entrepreneur and human rights activist who has fought with the Congolese for over a decade to bring about positive change in the heart of Africa.
    Nii Akuetteh, Independent Africa policy analyst and researcher. He is the former Executive Director of Africa Action.

    This event is co-sponsored by the Institute for Policy Studies, the Africa Faith and Justice Network, and Africa Action.

    Refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP to Alyssa@staging.ips-dc.org.

  • Film Event: Brazil A Report on Torture

    LinkTV Washington, DC, United States

    After the kidnapping of the Swiss Ambassador in Brazil in 1970, 70 political prisoners were released from Brazilian prisons and set free in Chile on an exchange agreement. The directors of this film, Haskell Wexler and Saul Landau, went to Chile and recorded first-hand interviews with the former prisoners, revealing the torture that was part of everyday routine interrogation in Brazilian prisons. The film shows reenactments of waterboarding, pau de arara and other medieval and modern "procedures" administered by Brazil's military government.

    LinkTV will be showing this revolutionary film three times in the next two weeks. You can find more information, including an interview with the film-makers, here.

  • Party with Split This Rock

    Busboys and Poets, Langston Room 14th & V St NW, Washington, DC, United States

    Split This Rock invites you to a party at Busboys and Poets! The restaurant will be donating fabulous appetizers and creating a couple of funky Split This Rock cocktails.

    Why party? Split This Rock has recently received nonprofit status, a crucial step on the road to becoming a permanent home for socially engaged poets from DC and nationwide. Plus, believe it or not, it's just 6 months until the second Split This Rock Poetry Festival. So we figure it's time to celebrate.

    Reading and performing will be 2010 featured poet and DC leading light A.B. Spellman, along with Regie Cabico and the DC Youth Slam Team. Suggested donation is $10-$25, sliding scale, and you'll have a chance to bid on amazing prizes at auction. Come prepared for readings, for fun, for volunteer opportunities, and for celebrating!

    Can't make the party? You can still volunteer — just contact us at the above email or phone. We'd love to have you involved! And you can definitely still make a donation by clicking here.

    This event is cosponsored by the Institute for Policy Studies. For more information: info@splitthisrock.org or 202-787-5210. 

     

  • Brown Bag Discussion: Dancing with Child Soldiers

    IPS Conference Room 1301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC, United States

    David Alan Harris is a choreographer, writer, and leading dance/movement therapist who specializes in fostering recovery among survivors of egregious human rights abuse. His article on his work in Sierra Leone can be read here.

    This event is co-sponsored by Foreign Policy In Focus (www.fpif.org) and the Semester on Peace at the University of Maryland (http://www.peace.umd.edu).

     

  • People’s Voices: Challenging the G20’s Agenda of Corporate Globalization

    Monumental Baptist Church 2228 Wylie Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, United States

    What is the G-20? How do their policies affect me? What can we do about it?

    The G-20 promotes policies that put profits first through deregulation, privatization, and free trade. Their agenda has harmed working-class communities in the U.S. and around the world, causing job loss, lower wages, poverty, inequality, and environmental destruction.

    As part of a five-event series scheduled around the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, the Institute for Policy Studies, The Nation Institute, and the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) are co-sponsoring a panel discussion, featuring Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz.

    Other panelists include:

    Emira Woods, Institute for Policy Studies
    Miriam Miranda, general coordinator of the Fraternal Organization of Afro-Hondurans (OFRANEH) and representative to the Resistance Front against the coup in Honduras.
    Carl Redwood, Jr., Hill District Consensus Group
    Rev. John Welsh, president of the Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network (PIIN)
    Leo Gerard, president and international president of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA)

    Moderators: John Nichols, Washington correspondent for The Nation magazineTammy Bang Luu, Labor/Community Strategy Center and Grassroots Global Justice Alliance (GCJ)

    This event will be held in Pittsburgh.

  • Film Event: Screening of ‘Slap the Donkey’ and Panel Discussion

    Landmark E Street 555 11th St NW, Washington, DC, United States

    Slap the Donkey, by filmmaker Edward J. Harris, Jr. is narrated by Danny Glover and features such notable luminaries and public intellectuals as Percy Sutton, Dr. Ron Daniels, and Dr. Cornel West. Slap the Donkey was recently featured in Howard University’s John H. Johnson School of Communications Film Festival in New York, NY at the Magic Johnson Theater in Harlem.

    The screening will be followed by a panel discussion, moderated by journalist and CNN correspondent Jamal Simmons with guests XM Satellite Radio host Joe Madison, IPS scholar Dedrick Muhammad, and actor/producer Doug E. Doug.

    Slap the Donkey takes a critical look at black politics at the start of the 21st century, while tracking Al Sharpton's 2004 bid for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States of America. The documentary features commentary and interviews from members of the Democratic Party, such as George McGovern and Joseph Lieberman. The film also features well-known figures in the African American community such as Jesse Jackson Jr. and Herb Boyd.

    Admission is $10.00 tickets can be purchased at E Street Cinemas. For more information about Harris’ film or to interview Harris, please call 646-217-9995 or email slapthedonkey gmail com.