Please join us for a discussion on this topic with veteran socialist organizer and founding member of PSOL in Brazil, Pedro Fuentes. We’ll talk about the factors leading to Bolsonaro’s rise, the threat his movement poses, and how socialists can fight back. We’ll also discuss the connection between Bolsonaro and the resurgence of the far-right in the US and elsewhere.

About Pedro Fuentes

Pedro Fuentes was born in Pergamino, Argentina, and began his activism there as a teenager, when he and his brother joined a high-school student movement to reform the schools called Movimiento de Accion Reformista. Later, in the 1960s, he joined Palabro Obrera, led by the Argentine Trotskyist Nahuel Moreno, and organized in the factories in his city. In 1971, his older brother, Luis Enrique Pujals, was one of the first to be “disappeared” by Argentina’s dictatorship for his activity in the Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores (PRT). Soon after, Pedro was forced to flee Argentina and lived in exile for the duration of the dictatorship and beyond, traveling across Latin America and Europe and embedding himself in socialist movements wherever he went.

Eventually he moved to Brazil and in 2000 began organizing with Movimento Esquerda Socialista (MES), then a tendency in the Workers Party (PT). In 2003, the PT introduced anti-worker pension reforms supported by Brazil’s right wing parties. A number of dissenting PT deputies, including MES leader Luciana Genro, voted against the reforms and were subsequently expelled from the PT. Pedro joined these expelled leaders in founding PSOL as a left alternative to the PT. For many years he served as PSOL’s secretary of international relations, though he has recently stepped back.

Recommended Readings

See the recommended readings for this special event

Doughnut Economics Reading Group starts Nov 10^th
Creating a world with neither human suffering nor planetary peril

Doughnut Economics: 7 ways to think like a 21^st century economist

By Kate Raworth Chelsea Green Publishing (2017)

The capitalist economic system defines every aspect of our lives: the schooling and medical care we get, where we live, and how we sustain ourselves. The system works for a lucky few and exploits everyone else. And it’s a real threat to the survival of our species (and many others) on this planet.

We know the system needs to change—but we can’t change what we don’t understand. We have to know what we’re talking about.

Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics lays out traditional economic theory—still taught as gospel at all the major temples of capitalism—with clarity, authority, lots of graphics, and quite a bit of humor. She exposes the flawed models and persistent myths that keep the system in place. Even more importantly, she presents seven big, basic ideas with which to begin creating the world we want to see. We can indeed build an economy in the “doughnut”—meeting the needs of all while maintaining the biospheres that support us.

All of us need to read this book. We’ve all grown up in this deeply unfair and absurd system; seeing it clearly and getting free of it require a group effort.

So we at Strike Debt Bay Area are sponsoring a group discussion of Doughnut Economics. We’re thinking of seven meetings so we can talk about one chapter per meeting. Please join us!

First meeting:

4:00 – 5:15pm, Saturday, November 10^th
Omni Commons, 4799 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland

Bring the book (available at your favorite online bookseller and in select local bookstores) and/or your thoughts on the first chapter (available online – http://tinyurl.com/ycysqtde ‘Look Inside’).

https://www.kateraworth.com/doughnut/

Films to The People (FTP) short film festival gives a platform to independent filmmakers whose work might not find a place in larger, mainstream festivals. We like to showcase filmmakers of various ages, genders, and ethnic backgrounds, and subject matter that is pertinent to our times. We prefer to work with local filmmakers, but we have made exceptions. Films are selected for quality and diversity of perspectives.

We will screen 19 politically relevant films and discuss local shorts with the directors.

Doors open at 3pm, program starts at 4pm

There will be food, raffle and awards!

To attend the festival for free, contact liberatedlens [at] omnicommons.org for volunteer opportunities.

Films 2 The People is a film festival highlighting short films of 20 minutes or less with social justice themes. We like to showcase filmmakers of various ages, genders, and ethnic backgrounds, and subject matter that is pertinent to our times. While we prefer to work with local filmmakers, submissions are opened to everyone. Films are selected for quality and diversity of perspectives.

https://filmfreeway.com/filmstothepeople

Hosted by Liberated Lens.

You’re invited to a limited theatrical screening of Say Her Name: The Life & Death of Sandra Bland. On July 10, 2015, Sandra Bland, a politically active 28-year-old African-American woman, was arrested for a traffic violation in a small Texas town. Three days later, Sandra was found hanging from a noose in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas. Described by The Hollywood Reporter as “heartbreaking..one of the most galvanizing episodes of this generation’s civil rights struggle…poignantly explored”, Say Her Name follows her family and their legal team as they try to make sense of what happened, presenting a compelling look at her life as well as her death. It’s both a vigorous, engrossing mystery and a disturbing account of systemic racism and neglect.

Following the documentary, there will be a moderated discussion with Sharon Cooper (film subject & sister of Sandra Bland).

Join us for this important discussion!

East Bay Peace Action invites you to their annual gathering featuring Eric See presenting a post-election analysis. This event takes place Sunday, November 11th at 2:00pm at the Fred Weaver Residence Center, St. Paul’s Tower, at 100 Bay Place in Oakland.

The next Green Sunday forum will come less than a week after election day in what has proven to be one of the most contentious and emotional electoral cycles (and related political turmoil) in recent memory.  Come participate in an evaluation of not only the results, but of the implications for our ongoing fight for independent politics and for a range of policies and struggles which might follow in their wake.  This discussion will examine our local electoral efforts, as well as what occurred on a regional, state and national level, “Blue Wave” or not.

Please invite friends whether Greens or not, including those who may have voted for the corporate parties. We can anticipate a lively discussion.

Ashby BART is approximately 7 blocks away.

SPONSOR: Green Sundays are a series of free programs & discussions sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County. They are usually held on the 2nd Sunday of each month. The monthly business meeting of the County Council of the Green Party of Alameda County follows at 6:45 pm.  Council meetings are always open to anyone who is interested.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office applied for and received a grant targeting incarcerated Black Muslims in Alameda County, according to the East Bay Express. The Homeland Security CVE, or Countering Violent Extremism program, has been criticized for solely targeting Muslims as susceptible to violence and extremism, while not addressing the rising threat of white supremacists.

The “#StopCVE: Race, Islamophobia, Policing and Mass Incarceration in Alameda County” panel will discuss the CVE grant program, how the “E Pluribus Unum” project in Alameda County came to be, history of surveillance of Muslims, and community efforts to increase transparency in the sheriff’s operation of the county’s jails and other social service facilities.

Panelists include: Imam Abu Qadir Al Amin, imam, SF Muslim Community Center; Sally Horna, legal fellow with Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Bay Area; Fatima Ladha, community advocate, Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus National Security and Civil Rights Program, and Jose Bernal, senior organizer, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. Journalist Rasheed Shabazz will facilitate the conversation.

Event is free and open to the public.

SAVE THE DATE: we need court support on Tuesday, 11/13, when a federal judge will hear our case against the eviction regime of Mayor Libby Schaaf and her Homelessness Czar Joe DeVries.

This will be at 2 PM, at the Oakland Federal Courthouse, 1301 Clay St, Oakland CA 94612.

— The Village, Oakland (@VillageOakland) November 11, 2018

Thanks to community members holding it down we were able to resist our eviction this weekend, but we’re still fighting for a court order to keep #HousingandDignityVillagethriving. Pack the court TUESDAY @ 2pm (Courtroom 2 on the 4th floor at Clay Street) to show your support for autonomous community driven solutions to this crisis! #homesforall #solidarity

Please join us at Berkeley’s International Computer Science Institute (ICSI), where Serge Egelman will share his research on how game apps have been collecting kids data. Serge’s work has been covered by the New York Times and Washington Post.

Serge’s team examined more than 5000 of the most popular kids apps and more than 50% appear to be failing to protect kids privacy.

Serge Egelman is the Research Director of Usable Security and Privacy at ICSI and is a returning Privacy Lab speaker.

ICSI will host us at 1947 Center Street in Berkeley (6th floor). Doors will open by 6pm for networking and Serge’s presentation will start at 6:30pm.

If you arrive after 6pm, someone will be there to help with after hours admissions (the front doors and elevators require key cards after 6pm).

Based on frequent, first-hand reporting in Iran and the United States, The Iran Agenda Today explores the turbulent recent history between the two countries and reveals how it has led to a misguided showdown over nuclear technology. Foreign correspondent Reese Erlich notes that all the major U.S. intelligence agencies agree Iran has not had a nuclear weapons program since at least 2003. He explores why Washington nonetheless continues saber rattling, and he provides a detailed critique of mainstream media coverage of Iran. The book further details the popular protests that have rocked Tehran despite repression by the country’s own Deep State. Erlich offers insights on Iran’s domestic politics, popular culture, and diverse populations over this recent era. His analysis draws on past interviews with high-ranking Iranian officials, the former shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, and Iranian exiles in Los Angeles, as well as his trip to Tehran with actor Sean Penn.Erlich’s book Target Iraq: What the News Media Didn’t Tell You, co-authored  with Norman Solomon was a best seller in 2003. His fifth book, Inside Syria: the Backstory of Their Civil War and What the World Can Expect (foreword by Noam Chomsky) was published in 2014. In a starred review of Inside Syria, Publisher’s Weekly wrote that Erlich’s “insights and conclusions are objective and valuable… essential reading for understanding the current turmoil in the Middle East.

Norman Solomon is the author of a dozen books including “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death. He is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, where he coordinates the ExposeFacts.org program for whistleblowers and press freedom, and co-founder of RootsAction.org.

Sabrina Jacobs is host and producer of the popular A Rude Awakening, aired on KPFA, Mondays 3:30 -4pm. She covers local breaking news as well as global events, informing listeners about the latest social injustices. Ms. Jacobs is also currently serving as staff representative/vice chair of Pacifica Radio’s National Board.

65 million people worldwide are fleeing war, ethnic cleansing, environmental catastrophe. Filmed in 23 countries over two years, the dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei brings to life the immense human scale of the worldwide refugee crisis.

The film’s aerial photography shows the destruction of Mosul by the U.S. in Iraq, sub-Saharan Africa where 26 percent of the world’s refugees are located, the vast network of permanent camps in the Middle East, and the open-air prison of Gaza and the U.S.-Mexican border.

Ai Weiwei gives voice to the people living through this and to their hopes and their dignified determination to be treated as human beings.

A team of journalists from Liberation News traveled to Mexico in early Nov. to document the refugee caravan. Thousands of mainly Honduran families walking thousands of miles to the U.S. border are fleeing incredible violence and poverty in their home country as a direct result of decades of U.S. exploitation and intervention in the region. These increased hardships stem directly from the 2009 U.S.-backed coup in Honduras that ousted the democratically-elected progressive leader Manuel Zelaya installing a rightwing puppet government and unleashing widespread violence throughout the country.

Join us for an eyewitness report and video from PSL organizer Gloria La Riva documenting the stories of those on the caravan and the mass support they have received from the people of Mexico as they traveled to the border.

Refreshments provided. Wheelchair accessible.

Are you thinking about going solar – tapping the sun for your energy needs? But you have so many questions, you don’t know where to start? Solar Simplified will provide a strong foundation for your decision-making. Solar is more accessible and affordable than ever, and the industry is rapidly changing. Solar expert Doug McKenzie will discuss the latest solar products, rebates, and technologies, plus the factors that are advancing or limiting the future of solar in the US. Presentation followed by Q&A, so bring your questions!

Topics include:

Why: The environmental and financial benefits of solar
What: How a PV system works, and the latest technology
Solar Financing: Owning versus leasing, low-income options, rebates
Other Considerations: Contractors, home selling, policies, Community Choice energy
Getting Off Gas: Batteries, electric cars, electric appliances
Jobs: The growth of solar in CA, US, the world, and how to get a foot in the door

Doug McKenzie retired early from HP after almost 20 years in software development and customer support. Before HP, he received a degree in Applied Math from UC Berkeley. After HP, he is living his dreams as a solar educator and consultant and as a career coach helping people through career transitions. He’s the East Bay development manager for non-profit solar installer SunWork.org and is on the Board of NorCal Solar. Doug lives in Berkeley and drives an electric car powered by rooftop solar.

We are disappointed to relay that dangerous air quality in the Bay Area has compelled us to cancel the People Get Ready II Conference, which was scheduled to take place tomorrow, Saturday November 17th.#climatechange #californiafires pic.twitter.com/qUfeAkaskK

— CPE (@Center4PE) November 17, 2018