V-Day at Berkeley's Teach-In on the Women of the Congo

Remember last year's Raise Hope for Congo Speakers' Tour, when we brought in leading activists spreading awareness about the Democratic of the Congo's unheard story: the systematic rape of women as a weapon of war? This year, V-Day at Berkeley, a group that presents The Vagina Monologues to help end violence against women and girls, will raise the profile of the DRC through a special spotlight monologue. Before the actual showing of The Vagina Monologues, the group is hosting a teach-in on the current situation in the DRC and how we can help. Be sure to show your support!

V-Day at UC Berkeley's Teach-In on Women of the Congo
Wednesday, February 3 at 8:30p.m.
121 Wheeler Hall
RSVP to the Facebook event here.
vagmonsUCB@gmail.com

Amnesty Social: Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka

Amnesty Social
Monday, February 1
6:30 p.m.
Wheeler Auditorium
RSVP to the Facebook event here.

We will be meeting as a group in front of Wheeler to wait in line for free tickets around 6:30. Bring food or snacks to share, as it doesn't start until 7:30. See you there!

"Rights and Relativity: The Interplay of Cultures"
Monday, February 1, 2010
7:30 pm | Wheeler Auditorium

Writer, playwright and poet, Wole Soyinka is the author of over thirty books. He was also the first African to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986. Soyinka has been an outspoken critic of many Nigerian military dictators and of political tyrannies worldwide, including the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe. He has been imprisoned several times for his criticism of the government, and has lived in exile at various points during his life. A consistently courageous voice for human rights worldwide, Soyinka is involved in numerous international artistic and human rights organizations, including the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the International Parliament of Writers.

Read more about the event here: http://townsendcenter.berkeley.edu/avenali_soyinka.shtml

Flow: For Love of Water Screening

FREE Screening of Flow: For Love of Water
Thursday, February 11
7:00 p.m.
Unit 2 All Purpose Room
RSVP to the Facebook event here!

We are in a global water crisis...

A crisis of inequity: The average American uses 150 gallons of water per day; often, those in developing countries cannot find even five (the daily requirement is 13.2 gallons). Of the 6 billion people on earth, 1.1 billion do not have access to safe, clean drinking water, and every 15 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease.

A crisis of consumerism: Water is a $400 billion dollar global industry, the third largest behind electricity and oil. In 2007, US consumers spent $16.8 billion on bottled water alone, but it only takes $6 to supply 10 liters of safe water per day for a year.

A crisis of sanitation: Between five hundred thousand and seven million people get sick per year from drinking tap water, with 116,000 human-made chemicals found in public supplies.

A crisis of resources: Californiaʼs water supply is running out, with about 20 years of water left in the state.

Learn more about the global water crisis and how YOU can help! Featuring FREE food, a presentation by Professor Darren Zook, interactive discussions, and a FREE screening of the internationally acclaimed documentary "Flow: For Love of Water".

How to stay informed

This is a random blog post, full of tips about staying informed! :)

Websites/blogs to consider:

• UCB Amnesty International Blog! (Haha, shameless plug.)
• http://www.change.org/ : Has A LOT of different issues, both domestic and international. This is probably the most comprehensive and inclusive.
• http://www.amnestyusa.org/take-action-online/page.do?id=1031043: Online actions for Amnesty International. Sign up for the mailing list and you'll get a regular email/actions for AI.
• http://blog.amnestyusa.org/: If you feel up to more reading, this is a great way (more in depth than just the regular emails) to keep track of all things Amnesty and more.
• http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/: If you're interested in the Congo.
• http://www.hrc.org/: Human Rights Campaign, all things LGBT.
• http://www.hrw.org/ Human Rights Watch.

Tips for keeping track of everything:

• If you feel overwhelmed by emails, Twitter feed is an EXCELLENT way to keep track of things. You can just read the headline (140 characters or less) and read more about it, if it intrigues you! Most nonprofits have a Twitter, and you can be informed that way. :)
• Facebook. Join a fan page! Sign up under "Causes" application and receive regular updates, from Invisible Children to Amnesty International. Now you can feel less guilty about being on FB instead of writing that paper due tomorrow.
• Sign up for the emailing list on the above websites! It's a painless way to receive updates without visiting 1235324 websites.
• Reading the newspaper really does help. NY Times and NPR are great. BBC is good, too.
• Come to the meeting. We'll keep you posted.

That's it. I hope that helped. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Also, creative advocacy ideas? Email them our (Elizabeth's/my) way!

1st General Meeting of 2010!

It's time to wake up from your winter break hibernation and get excited to promote human rights at Cal!

Amnesty International 1st General Meeting of 2010
Tuesday, January 29 at 8:00 p.m.
88 Dwinelle Hall

Check out everything we've accomplished in the past, and what we need your help to do in the future!

RSVP to our Facebook event, and invite your friends!

See you there!

A Jihad for Love Screening

Join Amnesty International, during the ASUC's Spring Welcome Week 2010, for a FREE screening of A Jihad for Love!

What: A Jihad for Love Screening, with director/producer Parvez Sharma
When: Tuesday, January 19 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: 10 Evans Hall, UC Berkeley Campus
Price: FREE

Filmmaker Parvez Sharma will join Amnesty International to introduce his internationally acclaimed documentary A Jihad for Love on Tuesday, January 19 as part of the ASUC's Spring Welcome Week. The film explores the complex global intersections of Islam and homosexuality, and how gay and lesbian Muslims fight to reconcile their faith and their struggle for love. Refreshments will be available.

Check out the Facebook event, the film's website, or email ucbamnesty@gmail.com for more information! Don't miss out on this amazing event!