Amnesty Houston’s “Take Action” Event
Central Market Community Room 3815 Westheimer, HoustonFree and open to the public; Amnesty International Houston’s "Take Action" Event. Learn how *you* can make a difference locally and globally !
Free
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Breaking the Siege of Gaza w/Ann Wright
Arab American Cultural and Community Center 10555 Stancliff Rd, HoustonLearn about Gaza's increasingly deteriorating conditions and hear how a broad coalition of activists, academics, veterans, and Palestine solidarity organizers plan to break the siege in this summer's upcoming Gaza Freedom Flotilla and to draw attention to the inhumane conditions Israeli Occupation and blockades imposes on Palestinians.
$10 – $15
“Dialogue on the Plantations”
Center for the Healing of Racism 3412 Crawford Street, Houston, TX, United StatesThe Center for the Healing of Racism presents it’s third annual “Dialogue on the Plantations”, a tour of three historic plantations in Louisiana, the weekend of May 5-6, 2018. Learn about the role of slavery in the southern plantation economy. Tour includes visits to St. Joseph Plantation (sugar cane), Laura Plantation (a Creole plantation) the the Whitney Plantation Museum, which pays homage to all slaves throughout the southern United States.
$275.00
Fundraising
Alianza Latina Internacional needs your support to maintain serving our community!
Making Houston a Resilient City – How Houses of Worship Can Help
Congregation Emanu El 1500 Sunset Blvd, Houston The Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston invites you to consider the challenges and opportunities that lie before Houston, a key city in the global response to changing weather patterns, emerging economies and changing consumer preferences and needs.
In this presentation, Jim Blackburn will discuss the scope of current problems, some ideas to bring resilience to our community in the future, and the role of houses of worship could play in realizing this future. But, this future can only be achieved by personal commitment and action, and to reach it, we all are going to have to come together and act for the common good, a great challenge for the faith community.
Free
Socialist Reading Group: Happy Birthday, Karl Marx!
Cafe Express River Oaks 1422 West Gray Street, Houston, United StatesKarl Marx has achieved a lasting global impact, one that is greater and wider than any other philosopher before or afterwards. The Smithsonian Magazine published an article titled "Karl Marx Is the World's Most Influential Scholar". The article is based on a study and paper in Nature. Several information scientists from Indiana University Bloomington came to that conclusion based on how often Marx's work was cited plus the number of works.
After the global financial crisis of capitalism in 2008, Marx was often cited to help explain the crisis. Marx is relevant because his work is based on science and an advanced method of critical analysis in philosophy and economics.
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail”
Center for the Healing of Racism 3412 Crawford Street, Houston, TX, United StatesThe Center for the Healing of Racism will celebrate Asian-Asian Pacific Islander Month with a screening of “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 from 7 to 9 PM. The 2016 documentary film by Steve James relates the story of Abacus Federal Savings Bank,a family-owned community bank located in Manhattan’s Chinatown in New York City. Because it was deemed "small enough to jail" rather than “too big to fail”,Abacus became the only financial institution to actually face criminal charges following the subprime mortgage crisis. The film premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival where it was firstrunner-up for the People’s Choice Award. It was also nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 90th Academy Awards.
Free. Donations encouraged. RSVP required.
ReThink Houston Sustainability Happy Hour
JOIN US as we REBUILD Houston as a center for sustainability! Meet the leaders behind Houston’s environmental repurposing movement.
An opportunity for attendees to discuss collaboration as a network of like-minded businesses, mutually supporting one another, for one goal.
Living Compassionately From the Inside Out (a NVC event led by Bren Hardt)
Country home outside of BrenhamBren Hardt invites you to a day-trip in Brenham for a workshop (4th annual FUNfest) on the basics of Compassionate or Nonviolent Communication. If you want to 1) Reclaim our empathic facilities to recognize and honor the common ground we share in all our relationships AND 2) find and empower our voices by aligning what we deeply value with our words and actions, join us. All proceeds benefit a scholarship fund for a October Texas International Intensive. Donation requests range from $50 to $85. Includes lunch. PRE-REGISTRATION PLEASE at website and Flyer there.
Houston Mennonite Church Grand Opening
Houston Mennonite Church 1231 Wirt Rd., Houston, TX, United StatesHouston Mennonite Church has a new home!
Our official grand opening will be held on Saturday, May 12, 2018 and we would love for you to join us.
Plan to drop by between 10am and 2pm and see our lovely new space for yourself. The official opening ceremony will start at 11:30am and finish around noon.
Meet our sister churches, Amor Viviente and the Korean Vision Church (who share our space), take a tour of the new building, enjoy musical performances, sample food from both our Mennonite heritage and our multicultural present...
Craft activities for kids, face-painting, piñata, yard games, and more!
Free
ACLU Presents Screening of Death Row Stories: Family Lies
14 Pews Arts Theater 800 Aurora, HoustonIn 2010, Anthony Graves walked out of prison a free man after serving 18 and 1/2 years for a crime he did not commit.Today, he shares his story with people around the country to bring meaningful change to Texas’ justice system. Hear Anthony’s story at a free screening of the CNN documentary, "Family Lies."
Free
A New Agenda & Bipartisanship for the Americas & the U.S. (panel)
A.D. Players Theatre 5420 Westheimer Rd., HoustonThe past two decades have provided great successes and collaborations between the U.S and Latin America, especially in the areas of: economic integration and trade; combatting organized crime and narcotics trafficking; strengthening collaboration on anti-corruption efforts; expanding and improving educational exchanges; and addressing the opportunities and challenges of actors from outside of the hemisphere.
In 2017, Global Americans convened a High-Level Working Group on Inter-American Relations and Bipartisanship to discuss cross-regional ways the current U.S. administration can build and improve upon the achievements of the past twenty years of inter-American cooperation.
Free – $35
Race + Justice Houston
The Houston 3118 Harrisburg Boulevard, HoustonHouston, Texas is a microcosm of national trends in criminal justice. In one of the most diverse cities in the country, institutional stakeholders are seeking to address tensions between police and their communities, manage the intersection of immigration enforcement and the criminal justice system, reduce local jail populations, and reform prosecutions. Meanwhile, the Houston community grapples with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
What is the path forward for creating a justice system that works for all who call Houston home?
Free
Break Free From Plastics US Grassroots Tour: Houston
EARTHWORKS, one of #breakfreefromplastic member orgs in the US, has organized a speaking tour with communities and stakeholders in the frontline affected by plastics pollution in key places i.e. Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. The tour seeks to dig deeper into the various processes where plastic pollution should be mitigated starting with extraction to production.
Together with Tejas Barrios and Texas Campaign for the Environment, we are hosting a discussion panel on "closing the loop, linking plastic production to fossil fuel extraction and the shale gas boom in the US. Plastics don’t just pollute the ocean, they pollute from cradle to grave starting with the communities impacted by oil & gas extraction from which plastics are made.
Kaz Tanahashi Live Calligraphy and Auction
Houston Zen Center 1605 Heights Blvd, Houston, TX, United StatesA live calligraphy demonstration, and sale of the art by renowned artist and teacher, Kaz Tanahashi! All proceeds benefit Houston Zen Center and Kaz' peace work.
Kazuaki Tanahashi, born and trained in Japan, is an artist, writer, and peace and worker. As a painter and calligrapher, Kaz has had solo exhibitions of his brushwork, performed, and taught worldwide. He has created a genre of one-stroke paintings and multi color Zen circles. As a calligrapher in East Asian style, he creates works of large single ideographs. He has translated the writings of Dogen, a great Zen master of 13th century Japan and he has produced over forty books in English and Japanese.
Free
Guided Birding Outing to Brazos Bend State Park
The Nature Center at Brazos Bend State Park 21901 FM 762, Needville, TexasChrist the King Evangelical Lutheran Church invites you to join a guided bird walk with “birders extraordinaires”, Mike & Joyce Bradshaw. Meet at the Nature Center at Brazos Bend State Park in Needville on Saturday, May 19 at 8:30 a.m. Bring binocs if you have them. We’ll spend a couple leisurely hours on trails in the park looking for birds and other wildlife. If you are planning to join us, please contact Steve Long at [email protected], as space is limited.
small fee to enter the park, payable at the park entrance
Inspiring the Great Transition Tour by Sailesh Rao
Jain Society of Houston 3905 Arc St, HoustonAhimsa is an essential response to climate change. The great transition is the metamorphosis of the global industrial civilization from its current domination relating "caterpillar" phase to the partnership relating "Butterfly" phase.
Please join a talk by Sailesh Rao who is the Founder and Executive Director of Climate Healers, a non-profit dedicated towards healing the Earth’s climate.
EMPOWERED COMMUNICATION: Skills for Life
This is a 5 part series Workshop (total 12 hours) based on Nonviolent Communication, the world acclaimed practice changing lives; offered in West Houston (77077) beginning on Sunday, May 20. Time each date: 2 to 4:15pm If you want a brief, FREE introduction, Come on MAY 20 or JUNE 3 at 1:00 pm. The topics each day will be Choose Self-Compassion, Choose Empathy, 6/17 Transforming Anger into Compassion, 7/1 Choose Honesty, and 7/15 Putting It All Together. This will be the last public workshop by Bren in 2018. Extremely important to PRE-REGISTER for free intro or workshop.
$25
Care & Stewardship of the Wildlife & Ecosystems in Our Communities
At the May web meeting, we welcome Anja Machado, Executive Director, and Victoria Hepburn, Education/Outreach Coordinator, of the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (TWRC), who will discuss Care and Stewardship of Wildlife & EcoSystems in Our Communities.
Anja will explain how the TWRC cares for wildlife brought to the center, and the role of rehabilitators who care for animals in their homes. She will also discussion volunteer opportunities at the center.
Victoria will explain how to recognize if an animal is in need, how to assist animals in need, and how to bring injured or orphaned animals to the center for assistance. She will also highlight how attendees can be true stewards of our urban and suburban ecosystems, and the importance of doing so to the health & vitality of our city.
Free
Demonstration against George W. Bush
Houston, TX, United StatesGeorge W. Bush will be honored at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award Dinner at the Hilton Americas-Houston hotel, 1600 Lamar St., on Thursday, May 24. Bush should be imprisoned for life for war crimes and crimes against humanity--not honored for moral courage.
As Governor of Texas, Bush approved more than 150 executions. As President, his invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 led to the deaths of over 250,000 people. His invasion of Iraq in 2003 led to the deaths of more than one million people. And U.S. troops remain in both countries today.
The Bush administration tortured and abused prisoners in these countries, in Guantanomo Bay, and in secret sites around the world. Bush promoted passage of the PATRIOT Act, which increased unconstitutional surveillance and reduced civil liberties. Bush's neglect during Hurricane Katrina contributed to the suffering and deaths of hundreds of poor people, predominantly African Americans, in New Orleans. As one commentator has remarked, "The blood on Bush's hands will never dry."