RTP-area local music and culture

[internationalistbooks AT lists.ibiblio.org]

Internationalist Books & Community Center
405 W Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
919.942.1740
Open 11 AM to 8 PM, Mon-Sat; 12 to 6 PM Sun
www.internationalistbooks.org

IN THIS EMAIL:

1) Author reading tomorrow: "Orphans of War"
2) Prison Abolition Reading Group studies "Discipline and Punish"
3) Petition to stop UNC scooter regulations
4) More upcoming events!


1) THURS, 7/16, 7 PM: "ORPHANS OF WAR"- AUTHOR READING WITH BEARTA POWELL

Join us for an author reading with Bearta Powell, whose compelling  
memoir "Orphans of War" provides a gripping autobiographical account  
of a young life lived in war-torn Lebanon. The story unfolds with the  
life of the author and the lives of her siblings, who, despite losing  
their parents at a tender age, they found the courage to live through  
the perils of war, hunger, abandonment, fear, and hopelessness.

As you journey with the author through her childhood, teenage years  
and, finally, adulthood, you are transported into the chaos of war:  
hiding in bomb shelters, living in an SOS orphanage, surviving by your  
instincts. In a writing style reminiscent of a screenplay rather than  
a novel, you see the action, experience the smells, and feel acute pain.

The themes of the book are faith, family, togetherness, hope, courage,  
and friendship. You will be challenged in the deep places of your  
heart and I hope that through this compelling and inspiring story you  
will find courage in your own situation to live one day at a time.

For more information, please visit http://www.beartapowell.net/.


2) MON, 7/20, 7 PM: PRISON ABOLITION READING GROUP

The Internationalist Prison Books Collective invites you to attend our  
monthly reading group exploring the theory and practice of the prison  
abolition movement. Together we read and discuss issues relating to  
the prison industrial complex in the US and internationally, histories  
of prisoner resistance, and strategies for organizing against  
ever-expanding rates of incarceration. This reading group is open to  
everyone, but specifically oriented towards individuals working in  
organizations (such as the Prison Books Collective and others) who are  
struggling around prison issues, or who have experienced the prison  
system firsthand or in their families/communities.

This month we'll be reading excerpts from Michel Foucault's classic  
analysis of prisons, "Discipline and Punish".  The book is available  
for purchase at the Internationalist.  For information about the  
readings, please email prisonbooks AT gmail.com or call (919) 619-4524.


3) PETITION TO STOP UNC SCOOTER REGULATIONS

Check out the UNC Scooter petition, started by a group of people  
trying to stop the new UNC scooter regulations from going into place.   
UNC is trying to force scooter riders to purchase non-secure and  
inconvenient parking spaces, which we feel would lead to many  
difficulties, and does not support the University's vision of  
eco-friendly, traffic-friendly and space-friendly transportation.   
Please spread the word and sign our petition!  Go to  
http://www.UNCscooters.com and help us support scooter rights!


4) MORE UPCOMING EVENTS!

TUES, 7/21, 12:00 PM: ORANGE COUNTY RAPE CRISIS CENTER SEXUAL VIOLENCE  
TASK FORCE MEETING
Looking for a way to voice your concerns about sexual violence?  
Looking for a way to become an activist against rape, sexual assault,  
child sexual abuse and other forms of sexual violence? Join us! The  
Sexual Violence Prevention Task Force of Orange County is a group of  
volunteers dedicated to preventing sexual violence. Hosted by the  
Orange County Rape Crisis Center (OCRCC) and Internationalist Books  
(405 W Franklin St.) the task force is starting another round of  
activism and needs your volunteer help! New volunteers are always  
welcome. No previous experience in activism or victim advocacy needed.  
Give a lot of time or just a little. Join us at the next meeting at  
Internationalist Books. We'll be discussing logos, listservs,  
websites, and community outreach. For more information or just to be  
on our email list please email Christine Hudelson at  
chudelson AT ocrcc.org, or call 968-4647.

THURS, 7/23, 7 PM: "SOMETHING'S RISING: APPALACHIANS FIGHTING  
MOUNTIANTOP REMOVAL"
Join us for a discussion of local Appalachian resistance to  
mountaintop removal as we read from the inspiring oral history  
collection "Something's Rising: Appalachians Fighting Mountaintop  
Removal", featuring former Kentucky coal miner Nathan Smith and Lora  
Smith, a former organizer with Kentuckians For the Commonwealth.

"Something's Rising" collects oral histories from a diverse group of  
individuals from Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Virginia who  
are fighting mountaintop removal, an ecologically devastating form of  
coal mining. Taken together, these voices stand as a testament of what  
it means to be an Appalachian and the value of preserving a culture's  
history and spirit through the stories of its people.

This event will feature Nathan Smith, a 25 year old native Kentuckian  
from the coalfields who was an underground coal miner.  He left the  
mines to work on sustainable alternatives for coalfield communities.   
He has been an activist against mountaintop removal coal mining,  
participating in actions across Kentucky and organizing in his home  
community to fight mountaintop removal permits.  He is currently  
working on building some infrastructure in his native Floyd Co, KY for  
sustainable energy options there.

Nathan will read from the chapter written about him, then help  
facilitate a discussion afterwards about grassroots efforts to stop   
mountaintop removal, what people can do to join the movement and what  
our options are for a future beyond coal.  Nathan will be joined by  
Lora Smith, a former organizer with the grassroots social justice  
group Kentuckians For the Commonwealth.

MON, 8/10, 7 PM: G20 PROTEST PLANNING MEETING
Join other Chapel Hill-area radicals to discuss the upcoming G20  
summit taking place this September in Pittsburgh, PA.  Building off of  
our previous meetings in Chapel Hill and Raleigh, we'll be hearing  
reportbacks and making concrete plans for resistance  and actions  
being planned, and discuss how we can continue to build momentum  
locally.


ONGOING EVENTS:

INTERNATIONALIST PRISON BOOKS COLLECTIVE
The Internationalist sponsors a program that sends free books and  
literature to people incarcerated in Mississippi and Alabama.  Since  
2006 the Books to Prisoners collective has mailed educational  
materials to thousands of prisoners, building solidarity with networks  
of activists inside and out of prison agitating for justice and  
alternatives to the prison system, while meeting a direct and urgent  
need.  There are many ways to get involved:

-Come fill requests at the weekly book-wrapping, which takes place  
every Sunday from 1-4 PM at 218 N. Graham St. in Chapel Hill.

-DONATE books by dropping them off at the Internationalist!  
Particularly in demand are dictionaries, thesauruses, African-American  
history, culture, and fiction, self-help, Spanish language,  
GED/education, and more (paperbacks only).

For more information, check out www.prisonbooks.info.

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