encuentro 5

A Conversation with Jorge Santiago

Thursday, April 2, 7:00 p.m. As the Wall Street financial crisis sparks urgent discussion of shortcomings in the US economy, the Mexico-US Solidarity Network invites you to join us in examining lessons from economic projects in the indigenous communities of southern Mexico . Jorge Santiago is the former Director of Desarrollo Económico y Social de los Mexicanos Indígenas (DESMI; Indigenous Mexican Social & Economic Development) where he has worked since the 1970s developing economic alternatives in over 200 indigenous communities in Chiapas , the southernmost state of Mexico.

Meet Senator Jorge Enrique Robledo

Monday, March 23, 2009, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to speak with Senator Jorge Robledo, an prominent member of the National Senate in Colombia. The AFL-CIO Solidarity Center has been trying to build ties with Colombian trade unionists who are routinely assassinated in Colombia (more than any other country in the world combined) for speaking up for their rights. Senator Robledo has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with labor unions and civic groups focusing on the plight of the indigenous peoples and small scale farmers of Colombia.

Saturday, February 28, 2009, 7:00 p.m. Organizers of this conversation are Kendra Fehrer, Ashok Prasad, Suren Moodliar and Thomas Ponniah. About the e5 Forum: It "is a social-political space for activists to informally come together, connect, drink, be happy and discuss social change. Normally we have a speaker present for 20-30 minutes followed by discussion. However the premium would be on hanging out and building relationships among diverse progressives."

Friday, March 6, 2009, 7:00 p.m. Behind the layoffs, foreclosures and bankruptcies, lurks the danger of an ever-deepening economic crisis. The scale of federal bailouts and the less debated but much bigger guarantees to bankers boggles the mind. Just last year it was argued that single-payer health care costs at $120 billion was too expensive... That was then! How are we to make sense of all of this? Richard Krushnic’s presentation will get us started on the topic. Come join the conversation as we think about economic alternatives beyond Keynes and other messiahs.

Author Presentation with Daniel Faber

Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. Join us for a conversation with author Daniel Faber based on his book, "Capitalizing on Environmental Injustice: The Polluter-Industrial Complex in the Age of Globalization" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2008). "Capitalizing..." is a comprehensive assessment of the environmental justice movement, examining the achievements and challenges confronting the movement, along with an emphasis on new strategies of environmental problem-solving and innovations in environmental policy. Download flyer here.

Friday, February 27, 2009, 8:00 p.m. This is a benefit for a CISPES delegation to El Salvador in March to monitor the presidential elections. Visit the CISPES website for more information about the elections. The Grass Gypsys, Gary Backstrom, Dean Stevens, Chris Eastburn, Mary Casiello, Avi Jacobs, Joseph Ziemba, and more … Download the flyer and the media advisory.

Saturday, February 7, 2009, 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. As the Obama Administration takes office, the peace movement has both new opportunities to seize and growing crises to confront. Join us to discuss emerging peace priorities, from stopping a military escalation in Afghanistan to finally advancing a nuclear weapons free world. Let's gather together, share insights, inspiration, and action ideas, and strengthen our movement for peace. For more information, visit the Mass Peace Action website or click on "read more."

Thursday, February 12, 2009, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.The most dramatic of World Social Fora, the 8th edition took place in Belem do Para, at the mouth of the Amazon, in Brasil. It featured indigenous and Afro-Brazilian movements, 5 heads of state and brought together about 120,000 people including more than 10,000 from outside the host country. Join Boston activists who attended the forum to get their take on how the world is responding to the economic crisis and to the changed political context.

Final Event Video by Mark Quevillon

Tuesday, February 3, 2009, 6:30 - 8:50 p.m. Major economic, environmental and global security crises are upon us! They demand our movements’ full engagement. At the same time, majorities of the public support the effective solutions to these crises being offered by our social movements: a single-payer universal health care system; bring all the troops home; a stimulus package based on investing in the lives and economic security of our people; debt relief to homeowners and families; and confronting climate change head-on, renewable energy and green jobs.

Saturday, January 17, 2009, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. The monthly meeting of the antiwar/peace meeting has been moved from January 10, 2009, to accommodate organizing for the Let Gaza Live! demonstration in Washington, D.C. Please visit the New England United website for more details and the proposed agenda.

Saturday, January 17, 2009, 6:00 p.m. Members of the Boston delegation to the eighth World Social Forum (Belem, Brazil) will begin the evening by discussing their objectives for the forum, then moving onto identify the forum's contributions and closing by stating how the want the forum to evolve. Topics to be covered include solidarity economics, the human right to water, migration and global social movements. The event will be followed by informal conversation and music from Brazil. There will also be an auction to benefit the Global Economic Alternatives Network (GEAN).

Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 7:00 p.m. Taking advantage of his visit to Boston, the e5 Forum is proud to host documentary film maker Liam Leahy for an informal conversation about his work in Europe. In particular, he will look at the English approach to human rights film making and contrast it with those within the US. Leahy accompanied the Boston Delegation to the 2006 World Social Forum held in Caracas, Venezuela, and produced a short documentary account of that trip. The program includes short clips.

Author Presentation with Daniel Faber

Thursday, January 15, 2009, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. NEW DATE: Thursday, March 5, 2009 (same time) Join us for a conversation with author Daniel Faber based on his book, "Capitalizing on Environmental Injustice: The Polluter-Industrial Complex in the Age of Globalization" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2008). "Capitalizing..." is a comprehensive assessment of the environmental justice movement, examining the achievements and challenges confronting the movement, along with an emphasis on new strategies of environmental problem-solving and innovations in environmental policy. Updated flyer coming soon.

Friday, January 30, 2009, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Official election observer provides firsthand testimony on the outcome and events surrounding the historic 2009 Salvadoran elections--the best chance for the left to take power in El Salvador since the 1992 Peace Accords. This event is organized by the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador.

Friday, December 12, 2008, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Join Alyona Roshko to discuss the state of human rights organizing in the Former Soviet Union. This event is part of a regular series of small group discussions that address issues of both global and local organizing. A transcript and podcast will be available after this event.