Ninety Seconds to Midnight: What Can We Do?
2023-08-09 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Ashland Peace Church, 717 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland, OR, 97520, United States
On Wednesday, August 9, Peace House, One Sunny Day Initiatives and the Peace and Witness Team of the Ashland Congregational Church will host an opportunity for learning and discussion on our geopolitical situation.
What can we do? What initiatives may be possible to scale back the dangers of nuclear war?
Speakers include:

Dr. Michael Niemann, Retired Professor of International Studies: Luck Is Not a Strategy
Dr. Hideko Tamura Snider, Hiroshima survivor: The Urgency of Peace

Hideko Tamura Snider holds an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. She was recently interviewed for the MSNBC documentary program “Oppenheimer,” after being flown to Los Angeles by the producers, in order to provide her witness of the bombing of her home town in 1945, seventy-eight years ago.Then ten years old, she lost many family members and suffered from terrible radiation burns. As an adult and social worker, Hideko has worked tirelessly to alert people to the horrors of nuclear war and the steps we need to take to prevent it from happening again. Hideko is the founder of One Sunny Day Initiatives, which began in 2007, to promote peace, hope and reconciliation while working towards a nuclear weapons-free world.
Dr. Michael Niemann is a retired professor of International Studies from Southern Oregon University. He grew up in a small town in western Germany before moving to the United States and studied at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität in Bonn, Germany, and at the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver where he received a PhD in International Studies.

A Friend's Call to a Farm Bill for All
2023-08-01 16:00 - 17:00 | Online
Our food system is failing to address hunger in the U.S. Our food system is vulnerable to climate change and a leading contributor to the climate crisis. Join AFSC staff and partners as we host roundtable discussions on the U.S. Farm Bill and how we can collectively call for policies that build a more just, equitable, and sustainable food system.
In this Farm Bill learning series, all are welcome to join. We will deepen our understanding of how the Farm Bill functions, its crucial role in responding to the climate crisis, and how we can advocate for legislation that prioritizes the growing needs of our communities and environment.
Aug 1, 2023 04:00 PM

No Way To Treat A Child: American Friends Service Committee
2023-07-25 09:00 - 10:30 | Online
Please join the #nowaytotreatachild campaign co-leaders from Defense for Children International – Palestine and American Friends Service Committee for a webinar on July 25 at 12 p.m. Eastern / 9 a.m. Pacific / 5 p.m. BST.
Palestinian rights organizers, activists, and advocates across the United States have been busy working to advance the Palestinian Children and Families Act, H.R. 3103, which aims to prohibit Israel from using U.S. taxpayer funds to detain and torture Palestinian children, demolish or seize Palestinian homes and property, and further annex the occupied West Bank. During this webinar, several special guests will share their experiences advocating for Palestinian rights in the U.S. and share tips for how you can make progress with your elected officials.
Background
Approximately 2.9 million Palestinians live in the occupied West Bank, of which around 45 percent are children under the age of 18.
Palestinian children in the West Bank, like adults, face arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment under an Israeli military detention system that denies them basic rights.
Since 1967, Israel has operated two separate legal systems in the same territory. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers are subject to the civilian and criminal legal system whereas Palestinians live under military law.
Israel applies civilian criminal law to Palestinian children in East Jerusalem. No Israeli child comes into contact with the military courts.
Israel has the dubious distinction of being the only country in the world that automatically and systematically prosecutes children in military courts that lack fundamental fair trial rights and protections. Israel prosecutes between 500 and 700 Palestinian children in military courts each year.
Ill-treatment in the Israeli military detention system remains “widespread, systematic, and institutionalized throughout the process,” according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report Children in Israeli Military Detention Observations and Recommendations.
Children typically arrive to interrogation bound, blindfolded, frightened, and sleep deprived.
Children often give confessions after verbal abuse, threats, physical and psychological violence that in some cases amounts to torture.
Israeli military law provides no right to legal counsel during interrogation, and Israeli military court judges seldom exclude confessions obtained by coercion or torture.
ABOUT #NOWAYTOTREATACHILD’S WEBINARS AND ZOOM:
For this webinar, we will be using the Zoom platform. Additional instructions and details for joining the webinar will be shared by email with individuals that have registered.
WHEN
July 25, 2023 at 12:00pm – 1pm
WHERE
Online via Zoom
CONTACT
Brad Parker · info@nowaytotreatachild.org

Celebrating the Siskiyou Crest: A Festival of Arts, Culture, and Science
2023-07-15 10:00 - 2023-07-16 21:30 | Pacifica Garden, 14615 Water Gap Road, Williams, OR, United States
Festival Schedule of Events July 15-16 at Pacifica

Saturday, July 15, at Pacifica: A Garden in the Siskiyous
10:00—Butterfly walk with Linda Kappen
10:30—Doors open; announcements, land acknowledgement, etc.
10:45—Panel 1 (Botany)
12:00—Open (lunch)
1:00—Panel 2 (Joe Scott)
2:00—Panel 3 (Wildlife)
3:30—Poetry readings
4:00—Reception for invited guests
5:00—Open (dinner)
6:00— Keynote speaker: Michael Kauffmann Justin Garwood, and Luke Ruediger
7:00—Keynote Q & A
7:30—Music: Windsong
8:30—Music: The Pozitronics
Sunday, July 16, at Pacifica: A Garden in the Siskiyous
10:00—Doors open; announcements, land acknowledgement, etc.
10:15—Panel 4 (Threats)
11:40—Panel 5 (Biodiversity)
1:00—Open (lunch)
1:30—Panel 6 (recreation)
3:15—Music, poetry, dance performances
5:15—Open (dinner)
6:00-7:00—Keynote speaker: David Rains Wallace
7:00-7:30—Keynote Q & A
7:30-8:30— Music: Alice DiMicelle

Art Show and Performances

Paintings, photography, tapestries, sculpture, mosaics, video, and other visual arts, plus short performances of poetry, music, and dance, each entry depicting the beauty and inspirational quality of the Siskiyou Crest region.

Celebrating the Siskiyou Crest: Guided Hikes and Field Trips
2023-07-14
Free field trips led by ecologists and naturalists throughout the Siskiyou Crest region on July 14th. See the field trip options listed below. Field trip registration ends on July 7th, and some trips are already sold out, so sign up soon for one of these fantastic Siskiyou Crest adventures!

Peace Village Festival 2023
2023-06-23 - 2023-06-25 | Jackson Wellprings, 2253 HIGHWAY 99 N, Ashland, OR, 97520, United States
The music and magic of Peace Village Festival is back! After a 6 year hiatus we are rebirthing and reimagining Peace Village. While retaining the great musical lineup, including late night electronic dance parties, we are opting for a more unitfied gathering, with one music stage, group participation song circles with some of our musicians, yoga, cacao ceremonies, and a few choice workshops. One of the largest Summer Music, Arts, and Wellness Festivals in Southern Oregon, Peace Village takes place on June 23-25 at Jackson Wellsprings Hot Mineral Springs Resort in Ashland, Oregon, from 6pm to 2:30am on Friday, 11am to 2:30am on Saturday, & 11am to 11pm Sunday. This year’s event builds upon our tradition of high quality music with another amazing lineup.
Featuring a local and national lineup of world renowned and beloved musicians, the festival offers both familiar and new music in a variety of genres. Friday, June 23rd features 2 amazing singer song writers in Windsong Martin and Alice Di Micele and their stellar bands. Saturday showcases the beautiful voice and songs of Tina Malia, who will be playing her first concert in the are in several years, along with the hypnotic sounds of Freedom Tribe, which feature the soul stirring songs of Freedom and virtuoso guitarist Al Torre. Saturday will also feature the acoustic, sweet sounds of Sasha Rose and the incredibly talented Max Ribner. Sunday winds up with some really special treats, including the world music of Shimshai, the esteemed Jah Levi and his ensemble, African Kora player extraordinaire Youssoupha Sidibe, and opens with fan favorite Sara Tone. DJs for the late night dances Friday and Saturday nights To Be Announced.
For one weekend in June, Jackson Wellsprings transcends time and space to become a Peace Village, going beyond ordinary realms to create a unique village setting of peace and community. The event brings the very best of Southern Oregon style and hospitality. Festival goers can enjoy three days of original live music, stellar late night electronic shows, an artisans’ market, visionary artists, and delicious gourmet vegetarian meals and snacks.*
The rejuvenating waters of Jackson Wellsprings, including a hot mineral soaking pool, full size swimming pool, sauna, and steam bath, will be available late into the night.** This is a family friendly event. The festival also features Late Night music around the fire and late morning Yoga in the Community Room. A limited number of camping passes are available.
* Food is available for purchase in the Conscious Food Court at Peace Village Festival.
** Unlimited use of the Wellsprings pool and spa facilities over the weekend is included with the purchase of a Full Weekend Festival Pass and a Weekend Festival All Access Pass, or available for a modest cost at the event as an add-on to other ticket options.
*** Tickets are transferable but non-refundable
*** Absolutely no alcohol, dogs or drugs at the event or anywhere onsite.
GMO free Ashland celebration May 20 park

Peace House 40th Year Anniversary Celebration
2023-06-22 16:00 - 19:00 | Peace House
As we pass the 40 year mark, we are thrilled to open our house to the community with a summer solstice 40th Anniversary Party June 22 from 4-7 p.m. at Peace House. We hope you will join us in commemorating our victories with delicious Middle Eastern food, live music, and social justice art by Betty LaDuke.
If you plan to come could you RSVP? We’ve created a simple form to make it easy.
RSVP Here!
In addition to the festivities and plentiful food, we will have information about our programs and campaigns, including:
• A Season of Nonviolence: Celebrating 40 years of peacemaking with skills and resources to bolster peace & justice efforts in Southern Oregon;
• Prevent War Coalition: A strategic initiative to support an end to the war in Ukraine and demand stabilizing agreements to reduce the risk of a nuclear war;
• Rogue Liberation Library: Volunteers that send hundreds of packages of requested books to people in prisons each month; and
• Uncle Food’s Diner: Our 30-year-old program that works to fill the hunger gap for many members of our community.
This event is free and open to the public!

BASE: Juneteenth in Medford 2023
2023-06-17 11:00 - 18:00 | Pear Blossom Park, 204 N Bartlett St, Medford, OR, 97501
On Saturday, June 17, 2023, BASE will host the 3rd Annual Southern Oregon Juneteenth Celebration at Pear Blossom Park in Medford from 11am – 7pm. This family-friendly event will be an outdoor cultural celebration for the entire community featuring food, education, music, and live entertainment.
This year’s celebration will showcase our region’s expanding roster of Black-owned businesses, highlight local Black artists and creatives, and share Black culture. It will provide a platform for community leaders, and create a fun environment where both youth and adults can commemorate this moment in our history and enrich understanding of our collective journey towards equity. This is a celebration where the whole community can come together.
The day-long event will include activities for grownups and children throughout the day. The Kids’ Zone will feature music, a bouncy house, face painting, and games. The mainstage will feature stars from across the Pacific Northwest: DJ Gemineye, Ekome drumming band, No BS, Ratie D, Tyrone Hendrix, plus performances from the AfroScoutz youth program. Community leaders including Kamilah Long of The Black Whole, Kym McKandes, Pastor of the Living Room Church, and Abby McKee of Britt Festival will illuminate history and offer inspiration. Raffles, offered throughout the day, include the chance to win Britt festival tickets. There will also be vendors, food trucks, community organizations, and other resources.
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, was declared a national holiday in 2021, and celebrates the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. Juneteenth, the longest-running holiday that celebrates the end of American slavery, commemorates the anniversary date of June 19, 1865 when Union Army general Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and issued General Order Number 3, effectively freeing enslaved people in the South.
Let’s celebrate and have a good time!!!!!

Emma's Revolution Concert May 21
2023-05-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Rogue Vally UU Fellowship, Ashland, Oreogn, 97520
Update:
This concert has been rescheduled for May 21. Tickets will be honored if already purchased for the April 16 date. If you are unable to attend on May 21, please contact Rogue Valley Peace Choir for a refund.
Emma’s Revolution, the renowned activist duo of Pat Humphries and Sandy O, returns to Ashland for a concert hosted by the secular Rogue Valley Peace Choir. Advance tickets are available in Ashland prior to the day of the concert at the Music Coop, 268 East Main St., and Paddington Station, 125 East Main St., for $20. Tickets at the door are $25. The often irreverent duo’s songs have been sung for the Dalai Lama, covered by Holly Near and praised by Pete Seeger, who was a dear friend and mentor to the duo. Emma’s Revolution has a national presence among communities, organizations and venues that share the duo’s vision of valuing people over profit, choosing compassion over violence, demanding accountability, and building a more just and sustainable world. The Rogue Valley Peace Choir mission is to promote peace, social justice and environmental stewardship through song.

Vyshyvanka Day May 20
2023-05-20 15:00 - 17:00 | Wesley Hall, 175 N Main Street, Ashland, OR, 97520
You are invited on May 20th, from 3 to 5 pm at Wesley Hall at the United Methodist Church to Vyshyvanka Day. Vyshyvanka Day celebrates the beauty and tradition of the various regions of Ukraine through their traditional embroidery and costuming. It is one of the most well-known cultural holidays of Ukraine.
In attendance at this event will be the community of Ukrainian families that have relocated here since February of last year, their hosts, as well as existing members of the Slavic community. There will be Ukrainian folk singing, delicious homemade baked goods from a Ukrainian pastry chef, and traditional crafts such as Motanka dolls.
This event is for all ages, and will include music, refreshments, handmade chocolates and crafts for sale. Hosted by Lyndmila Sokol and Megan Danforth with support from Uniting for Ukraine Rogue Valley.

Dedication of the Hiroshima Peace Camellia & Sharing of Japanese Arts
2023-05-13 11:00 - 13:00 | Lithia Park Band Shell
On May 13, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Peace House, One Sunny Day Initiatives and Southern Oregon Japanese Association will host the Dedication of the Hiroshima Peace Camellia & Sharing of Japanese Arts event in Lithia Park, in Ashland.
Ashland was chosen to host the Green Legacy Hiroshima Peace Camellia. It was planted in front of the Japanese Garden in Lithia Park this past March, and joins the Hiroshima Peace Ginkgo dedicated near Thalden Pavilion last August, to serve as living ambassadors of peace, resilience and hope.
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Butler Memorial Bandshell

Elbow Room Taiko Drumming
Journey of the Hiroshima Peace Camellia
Rogue Valley Peace Choir
Dedication – Peace House

12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Japanese Garden

Hiroshima Peace Camellia
Landscape Architecture
Ikebana Flower Arrangement
Tea Ceremony in formal Kimono dress

For more information contact: Estelle at evoeller@charter.net (541-512-1013) or Miwa at sojangoinfo@gmail.com
Presented by One Sunny Day Initiatives, Peace House, and Southern Oregon Japanese Association

Queer Resilience and Wellbeing Group for ages 18+
2023-05-03 15:30 - 17:00, 2023-04-26 15:30 - 17:00, 2023-04-19 15:30 - 17:00, 2023-04-12 15:30 - 17:00, 2023-04-05 15:30 - 17:00, 2023-03-29 15:30 - 17:00, 2023-03-22 15:30 - 17:00, 2023-03-15 15:30 - 17:00 and 2 more dates | Kolpia, Kolpia, 611 Siskiyou Blvd Suite 8, Ashland, 97520, United States
NEW: Queer Resilience and Wellbeing Group for ages 18+ starting on March 1st! This group is an in-person group offered through Options of Southern Oregon that is free and open to the community. We will meet on Wednesdays, 3:30pm-5pm at Kolpia, 611 Siskiyou Blvd Suite 8, in Ashland. Please call or text by 12:00pm Wednesdays to confirm your attendance: (541) 621-8875.
The purpose of this group is to support LGBTQIA+ folx while engaging in discussion and resilience practices and ultimately to help people to challenge internalized negative messages, explore and embrace who they are, and how to navigate life when faced with discrimination. Click here to download full flyer

Sharing the Tools: Creative Collaboration for BIPOC Artists and Audiences
2023-04-29 13:30 - 15:30 | Scenic G Studio, 618 South Pacific Hwy Unit A, Talent, 97540, United States
In this workshop, we’ll explore how collaboration across mediums and creative backgrounds can lead to innovative processes and expressions in our art and lives. Presenters Manya Yana and Gabriel Barrera will share their own creative practices as writer /poet, visual artist, social justice advocates, and mentors for other BIPOC artists. Through writing and visual activities, we will consider the impacts and importance of the collaborative process—from concept to creation—particularly for BIPOC artists and audiences.
Please note that registration is limited to 25 participants. Register here: https://www.tfaforms.com/4962051
Venue and workshop details:
This is a wheelchair-accessible venue, which will be provided in your registration confirmation email. Free, accessible parking is available. There is a Rogue Valley Transportation District Line 10 bus stop located roughly four blocks from the venue.
This workshop will consist of a mix of activities, conversation, and presentation. Seating will be available. There will be a 5- to 10-minute break between activities. Participants are encouraged to break as needed for their own comfort. Water and light snacks will be provided.
About the presenters:
Gabriel Barrera is a visual artist living in Southern Oregon. He works in various mediums from traditional art methods to multimedia and graphics. The identity of his artwork is rooted in social justice, advocacy, and mentorship. Being influenced by his mother, a school teacher, and his father, an artist/tool designer, he has found his strength in merging his influences to produce his practice of Artivism. He has been practicing as an artist ever since his parents provided him with sketch pads and pencils when he was a child. Gabriel received a BFA from Pratt Institute in NYC. He has also been greatly influenced by his experience as a scenic artist, with 20 years in the theater industry working for theaters such as South Coast Repertory, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and numerous colleges in California, Oregon and others. His experience and advocacy for social justice developed while working in theater. His ideology is heavily influenced by BIPOC women in the field. While developing as an artist, he also developed as a mentor for BIPOC youth. Gabriel is considered an influencer and mentor among his community. He currently operates ScenicG, a visual art and design company providing services in art/design, workshops, consultation, facilitation and mentorship, with his spouse, Merilee. Gabriel is always available to mentor BIPOC youth and advocates for the leadership, hiring and promotion of BIPOC artists in all fields of creativity. His vision is to create an art/performance space centered with social justice values to provide a creative outlet for himself, colleagues, collaborators, mentors and mentees. Together we can advocate for the empowerment of BIPOC creatives!
Manya Yana is a chicana poet, writer, visual artist, community organizer and mother creature. She has been published in: Ofrenda magazine, We’Moon, the Jefferson journal, Main Squeeze, and Essential Oil. She is the author of two chapbooks: Blue Corn, Mixed Masa, and the Occasional Magic Trick and a look of defiance.radiant. She is currently working on a series of interviews turned poems turned textiles titled, Latina Geniuses are Everywhere. Manya received her MFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art.

SOU Earth Day Extravaganza 2023
2023-04-21 15:30 - 19:00 | The Farm at SOU, is located at 155 Walker Avenue, ,, Ashland, Oregon, 97520, United States
Southern Oregon University invites the Rogue Valley community, and beyond, to the annual “Earth Day Extravaganza!” On Friday, April 21nd, 2023 from 3:30-7:00pm at The Farm at SOU. There will be exhibitors, live music, an ecoquest adventure, crafts, an electric vehicle showcase, games and more, all in celebration of the 53rd Earth Day.
The Farm at SOU is located at 155 Walker Avenue, Ashland, OR 97520. For questions about the event, please contact the SOU Student Sustainability Team at ecos@sou.edu.
Exhibitor Application
The Earth Day Extravaganza offers a unique opportunity to engage with the community and share opportunities for action and education for the health of our planet and people. Exhibits should be related to environmental conservation, climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainability, sustainable living, or social justice and equity. This is a low waste event so please leave at home any handouts or other giveaways that quickly end up in the waste stream. In the spirit of education and engagement, no sales are allowed by exhibitors at the event; exhibitors may collect contact information, advertise, and collect membership or registration fees.
Please apply to exhibit by April 10th.
Donations
Exhibitors at the 2023 Earth Day Extravaganza may table free of charge. Organizations that are able to are encouraged to donate $45 to the SOU Student Sustainability Team (part of the Social Justice and Equity Center) to help offset the cost of the event.

ACCESS Senior Fair April 4
2023-04-03 09:00 - 16:00
The 2023 ACCESS Senior Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, at the Medford Armory, 1701 S. Pacific Highway.
This will be a great opportunity to connect again in person while sharing needed resources with our seniors, their families, and each other. We have a broad selection of vendors who will offer an information-based resource fair for seniors, their families and others who provide care and services to this population. There is no cost to attend.
Live music will be provided by Rockafairy, an emerging non-profit with a desire to connect more with our local senior population. Primarily this will be solo singer/songwriters with a focus on older music, but we hope there will be one trio including a stand-up base.
Not only will we have a bingo room with local celebrity callers from Newswatch Channel 12, but we will also have a bingo game for attendees to increase engagement with vendors. Upon entry attendees will receive a double-sided sheet with vendor business names and a blackout bingo offering.

SOCAN Monthly Meeting: Curb Food Waste for the Climate
2023-03-28 18:00 - 19:00
Southern Oregon Climate Action Now (SOCAN) will feature guest speakers and a discussion about what people can do to help curb food waste in Southern Oregon March 28 at 6:00 p.m. online.
In 2022, the U.S. department of Agriculture stated: “Food loss and waste … exacerbates the climate crisis with its significant GHG footprint. Production, transportation, and handling of food generate significant carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and when food ends up in landfills, it generates methane, [which is] an even more potent greenhouse gas.”
A 2021 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report concluded that “each year, U.S. food loss and waste embodies 170 million metric tons of climate pollution– equal to the annual CO2 emissions of 42 coal-fired power plants.” This doesn’t even take landfill methane into account.
To learn more about food waste and what we can do to address it, join Southern Oregon Climate Action Now (SOCAN) at their March 28th General Meeting online from 6:00 to 7:00pm. This month’s topic is “Food Waste and the Climate Crisis: What to Know & What to Do” with featured speakers Flavia Franco of Southern Oregon Food Solutions, Jeanette Hardison of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, and Ellie Cosgrove of Rogue Valley Farm 2 School.
There is no charge for joining the ZOOM meeting, but participants must register at the link on the SOCAN calendar event: socan.eco/food-waste.
In response to the food waste problem April 10 – 16 has been designated as ‘Food Waste Prevention Week’ nationwide. In order to raise awareness and to engage with folks about solutions. Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality is a sponsor of this campaign.

Nonviolence Film Festival: Pray the Devil Back to Hell
2023-03-19 12:00 - 15:00
This year’s “Celebrating Stories of Nonviolence” virtual film festival from March 11-25, 2023 explores the power of nonviolent action. A unique mix of films explores this theme, from Gandhi’s Salt March, to ending war in Liberia, to civil discourse and healing in Montana. Each week, we’ll host a live Zoom discussion with key representatives from the films and special guests to answer your questions and explore the topics addressed in the films.
Day 2: Discussion of “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” on Saturday, March 18 at noon.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell chronicles the remarkable story of the Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country. Armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions, they demanded a resolution to the country’s civil war.
A story of sacrifice, unity and transcendence, Pray the Devil Back to Hell honors the strength and perseverance of the women of Liberia. Inspiring, uplifting, and most of all motivating, it is a compelling testimony of how grassroots activism can alter the history of nations.
Purchase Tickets Here

World BEYOND War's Film Festival
2023-03-11 12:00 - 14:00 | Online
Join World BEYOND War for our 3rd annual virtual film festival!
This year’s “Celebrating Stories of Nonviolence” virtual film festival from March 11-25, 2023 explores the power of nonviolent action. A unique mix of films explores this theme, from Gandhi’s Salt March, to ending war in Liberia, to civil discourse and healing in Montana. Each week, we’ll host a live Zoom discussion with key representatives from the films and special guests to answer your questions and explore the topics addressed in the films. Scroll down to learn more about each film and our special guests, and to purchase tickets!
How It Works:

1 ticket gets you access to all 3 films & panel discussions.
1 week before each panel discussion, you will get the screening link to watch the film on your own time leading up to the live discussion.
Then join us live on Zoom each Saturday in March from the 11th-25th to talk with key representatives from the films and special guests! The panel discussions will also be recorded if you can’t join us live.

Learn More at World Beyond War’s Film Festival page.
Day 1: Discussion of “A Force More Powerful”
A Force More Powerful is a documentary series on one of the 20th century’s most important and least-known stories: how nonviolent power overcame oppression and authoritarian rule. It includes case studies of movements, and each case is approximately 30 minutes long. We’ll watch Episode 1, which contains 3 case studies:

In India in the 1930s, after Gandhi had returned from South Africa, he and his followers adopted a strategy of refusing to cooperate with British rule. Through civil disobedience and boycotts, they successfully loosened their oppressors’ grip on power and set India on the path to freedom.
In the 1960s, Gandhi’s nonviolent weapons were taken up by black college students in Nashville, Tennessee. Disciplined and strictly nonviolent, they successfully desegregated Nashville’s downtown lunch counters in five months, becoming a model for the entire civil rights movement.
In 1985, a young South African named Mkhuseli Jack led a movement against the legalized discrimination known as apartheid. Their campaign of nonviolent mass action, and a powerful consumer boycott in the Eastern Cape province, awakened whites to black grievances and fatally weakened business support for apartheid.

Storytelling & Strategy with George Lakey March 7
2023-03-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Ashland Peace Church, 717 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland, OR, 97520, United States
Join Peace House and Ashland’s Peace Church (UCC) March 7 in welcoming George Lakey to Ashland. George is a veteran nonviolent activist, trainer, and author. He will be reading and sharing stories from his new book, “Dancing with History: a life for peace and justice.” George will be speaking at 2 p.m. at Peace House and at 7 p.m. at UCC (717 Siskiyou Blvd.) in Ashland.
George Lakey’s first arrest was for a sit-in during a civil rights campaign in 1963, while he was studying at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously he’d been active in demonstrations with the Congress of Racial Equality. With Martin Oppenheimer he wrote A Manual for Direct Action (1964) for the civil rights movement. The daughter of Martin Luther King, Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, later described that book as “literally a lifesaver for many during the height of the struggle for black freedom and dignity.”
In 1964 he joined the training staff for Mississippi Freedom Summer, in which nearly a thousand students from the North went to Mississippi to lead Freedom Schools and do voter registration. After helping design an activist curriculum with civil rights leaders Bayard Rustin, James Farmer and others, he taught at the Martin Luther King, Jr., School of Social Change, assisting young civil rights workers from the front lines to develop further their leadership skills.
After taking advanced studies in sociology at Penn, Lakey wrote a series of articles and books on the theory and strategy of nonviolent struggle. He taught at Haverford College and the University of Pennsylvania. In 1990 he co-founded Training for Change. He has led over 1500 workshops on five continents, including work with the African National Congress and in the civil rights movements of Zimbabwe, Taiwan, and Myanmar.
He has also been an activist in other social movements in the U.S.: anti-Vietnam war, gay liberation, Men Against Patriarchy, Jobs with Peace (a labor coalition), and climate justice.
“Peace Educator of the Year, 2010”
In 2006 Swarthmore College invited him to become Eugene M. Lang Visiting Professor for Issues in Social Change, where he created an on-line database of over 1000 cases of nonviolent campaigns in nearly 200 countries, including dozens of campaigns from the classic period of the U.S. civil rights movement, 1955-68. Swarthmore will be using his memoir as a course-assigned book.
He has lectured at Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, Thailand’s Thommasat University, and many other colleges and universities, including as a popular speaker for the annual day remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

KS Wild: First Friday Art Show with Dot Fisher-Smith
2023-03-03 17:00 - 19:00 | KS Wild Office, 562 A Street, Ashland, OR, 97520, United States
Join KS Wild and Rogue Riverkeeper Friday to view “Mountains and Waters Walking on Canvas” an art installation by Dot Fisher-Smith.
Dot has been hiking, biking and backpacking among mountains, forests and rivers for more than 75 years. She has been walking with KS Wild from its beginning.
The distillation of her long walk on the Earth and her love of the Wild shows up magically on weathered canvas from her meditation yurt above the Payne Cliffs, where she lived for 14 years (1986-2000) before moving to town to use her bicycle (rather than her car) for transportation.
She is at home in the wide natural world wherever she finds herself. She invites you to find yourself taking a stroll with her through magical land and space-scapes at the KS Wild and Rogue Riverkeeper office.
Dot will be donating 25% of all sales proceeds to KS Wild and Rogue Riverkeeper’s mission.

Putting Communities First in Oregon's News & Civic Information Ecosystem
2023-03-03 16:00 - 18:00 | Catalyst Ashland, 357 East Main Street, Ashland, OR, 97520, United States
Last October, the Agora Journalism Center mapped Oregon’s local news and released a study titled “Assessing Oregon’s Local News & Information Ecosystem: Connecting news, information, and civic health.” Our findings are deeply concerning. The loss of trusted news sources should be troubling as information gaps are where misinformation breeds, and accountability goes to die. But we see hope.

As University researchers, we’re convening journalists and community members to better understand how people engage with trusted information during considerable changes in the media ecosystem. What issues are most important? What tools and sources do people use for reliable news and information? What challenges do people face in getting information that helps them make decisions and take action in their local communities?
While we’ll review some table-setting baseline information on the health of our state’s media system, most of our time together will be in conversation on how to better fill our community’s information needs and re-imagine what truly engaging, informative, and inclusive local news would look like.
We’re hosting two community conversations and hope you can attend one of them:

Friday, March 3, from 4 to 6 pm
Saturday, March 4, from 10 am to 12 noon

Refreshments will be served.
