Jamaica Plain Forum http://jamaicaplainforum.org Community Conversations on the great issues that shape our neighborhood and our planet Mon, 14 May 2012 18:01:57 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Hosted by the First Church in Jamaica Plain Unitarian Universalist, the Jamaica Plain Forum is a free, public series of discussions, lectures, and events addressing current topics of interest to the Jamaica Plain community. Speakers include people from the Jamaica Plain community who are involved in dynamic and stimulating work near and far, as well as regional and national authors, activists, artists and thinkers. Everyone is welcome to attend the Jamaica Plain Forum. All activities follow the principles of tolerance, respectfulness and inclusiveness. Although no fee is required for attendance, donations contribute to building-use fees and JP Forum expenses. All Jamaica Plain Forum activities are wheelchair accessible. Visit the JP Forum website at http://www.jamaicaplainforum.org Podcasts were recorded by David Goodman of Ibis Radio, http://www.ibisradio.org Various Speakers clean Various Speakers jamaicaplainforumsarah@gmail.com jamaicaplainforumsarah@gmail.com (Various Speakers) Community Conversations on the great issues that shape our neighborhood and our planet local, jamaica plain, massachusetts, boston, politics, community, forum Jamaica Plain Forum http://jamaicaplainforum.org/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/jpforum-itunes-art.jpg http://jamaicaplainforum.org Project JamaicaWay: Sustainable Style Competition & Fashion Show http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/05/14/project-jamaicaway-sustainable-style-competition-fashion-show/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=project-jamaicaway-sustainable-style-competition-fashion-show http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/05/14/project-jamaicaway-sustainable-style-competition-fashion-show/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 18:01:57 +0000 gillian http://jamaicaplainforum.org/?p=2055

Calling all aspiring fashion designers:

Apply by May 30 to show off your skills, save the planet, & win fabulous prizes!

Sustainable Style Competition & Fashion Show

Thursday, June 7, 7-9 PM
First Church in JP, UU – 6 Eliot Street, JP

Buying new clothes is bad for our wallets and the environment, but how can we look fierce without flooding our eco-system with the toxic byproducts of producing and transporting the latest threads?  The answer – reuse, recycle, and restyle old clothes to make fresh new looks!

Project JamaicaWay challenges aspiring designers to do just that!  We’ll provide gift certificates to JP’s best thrift stores – you provide the creativity & talent to turn someone’s cast-off clothing into an eco-chic new style.

 How it works:

1.    Apply today!  Email a short statement on why sustainable fashion is important to you and a picture of your favorite outfit to projectjamaicaway@gmail.com.  Applications are due Wednesday, May 30.

2.    On May 31, we’ll choose 10 applicants to compete & show off their style!

3.    Those 10 lucky contestants will have one week to put together their looks using thrift-store finds!

4.    Our expert panel of judges will choose a winner on June 7 at a spectacular celebration of style and sustainability!

 

SPONSORED BY:

* The Jamaica Plain Forum * Boomerangs * Goodwill *

* JP New Economy Transition * The JP Green House * JP Centre/South Main Streets *

To apply, or for more information, email projectjamaicaway@gmail.com!

]]> http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/05/14/project-jamaicaway-sustainable-style-competition-fashion-show/feed/ 0 Wealth Inequality: The Gilded Road to Ruin? http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/22/wealth-inequality-the-gilded-road-to-ruin/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wealth-inequality-the-gilded-road-to-ruin http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/22/wealth-inequality-the-gilded-road-to-ruin/#comments Sun, 22 Apr 2012 15:09:47 +0000 sarahb http://jamaicaplainforum.org/?p=2002

At the Cambridge Forum:
Wednesday, April 25 7-9 PM
First Parish Cambridge, UU
3 Church Street, Harvard Square – Cambridge, MA 02138
 
 
AND
 
 
At the Jamaica Plain Forum:
Thursday, April 26, 7-9 PM
First Church in Jamaica Plain, UU
6 Eliot St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
 

 

Chuck Collins, director of the Institute for Policy Studies Program on Inequality and the Common Good, and journalist Linda McQuaig explore the impact of the growing wealth gap, and suggest ways to reverse the increase in economic inequality.  What role does the call for austerity play in reinforcing or overcoming economic inequality?  Where do they see the political will to make the necessary policy changes?  What can a single nation do to counteract the effects of global economic conditions?

Chuck will discuss his new book, 99 to 1: How Wealth Inequality is Wrecking the World and What We Can Do About It.  Linda will discuss her new book, Billionaire’s Ball: Gluttony and Hubris in an Age of Epic Inequality. Both books will be available for sale at a signing after the program!

 

 

]]> http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/22/wealth-inequality-the-gilded-road-to-ruin/feed/ 0 Fighting for Our Health: Richard Kirsch on the Epic Battle to Make Health Care a Right http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/20/fighting-for-our-health-richard-kirsch-on-the-epic-battle-to-make-health-care-a-right/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fighting-for-our-health-richard-kirsch-on-the-epic-battle-to-make-health-care-a-right http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/20/fighting-for-our-health-richard-kirsch-on-the-epic-battle-to-make-health-care-a-right/#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:35:07 +0000 gillian http://jamaicaplainforum.org/?p=2041

Thursday, May 17, 7-9 PM
First Church in Jamaica Plain, UU
6 Eliot St., Jamaica Plain
President Obama may have been the one to sign health care reform into law in 2010, but the passage of the new law was the product of decades of struggle by activists and advocates across the country.  In his new book, Fighting for Our Health: The Epic Battle to Make Health Care a Right in the United States, organizer and policy expert Richard Kirsch recounts that struggle from his personal experience as a leader in some of its fiercest clashes.  Join us for an evening of conversation about the strategy behind the grassroots movement that took on the Tea Party, the insurance industry, and even the Obama administration in the fight to make health care reform a reality.  Richard Kirsch will share his experiences in the long fight for health care justice as well as his analysis of the current political threats that have put health care under attack once again.
]]> http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/20/fighting-for-our-health-richard-kirsch-on-the-epic-battle-to-make-health-care-a-right/feed/ 0 Can the Earth Survive Capitalism?: Reading and Discussion with Peter Barnes http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/19/can-the-earth-survive-capitalism-reading-and-discussion-with-peter-barnes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=can-the-earth-survive-capitalism-reading-and-discussion-with-peter-barnes http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/19/can-the-earth-survive-capitalism-reading-and-discussion-with-peter-barnes/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:41:15 +0000 gillian http://jamaicaplainforum.org/?p=2032

Can the Earth Survive Capitalism?:

Reading and Discussion with Peter Barnes

May 24, 7-9 PM
First Church in Jamaica Plain, UU
6 Eliot St, Jamaica Plain
RSVP & Invite your friends on Facebook

Is it possible to transform capitalism so the economy can exist within ecological limits?  In his new book, journalist & entrepreneur Peter Barnes proposes a model of the market in which “the earth isn’t devoured and the gap between rich and poor gets narrower rather than wider.”  A co-founder of Working Assets/Credo (a company that provides ethical, sustainable solutions for mobile phone service and banking), Barnes will share his hands-on experience and the details of his latest project.  Peter Barnes is author of Capitalism 3.0: A Guide to Reclaiming the Commons.

]]> http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/19/can-the-earth-survive-capitalism-reading-and-discussion-with-peter-barnes/feed/ 0 Gods, Gays, and Guns: Rev. Osagyefo Sekou on the Failure of God and Democracy http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/18/gods-gays-and-guns-rev-osagyefo-sekou-on-the-failure-of-god-and-democracy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gods-gays-and-guns-rev-osagyefo-sekou-on-the-failure-of-god-and-democracy http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/18/gods-gays-and-guns-rev-osagyefo-sekou-on-the-failure-of-god-and-democracy/#comments Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:39:50 +0000 gillian http://jamaicaplainforum.org/?p=2044

Thursday, June 14, 7-9 PM
First Church in Jamaica Plain, UU

6 Eliot St., Jamaica Plain

As a pastor, documentary filmmaker, theologian, and organizer, Rev. Osagyefo Sekou has argues that the religion must be used for the expansion of democracy.   His new book, Gods, Gays, and Guns takes up the topics of gay marriage, economic justice, and social movements.  Written in London’s ghetto, the aftermath of Haiti’s earthquake, post-Katrina New Orleans, and Parisian cafes, Gods, Gays, and Guns is a spiritual tour-de-force— revealing a crisis of faith in religion and democracy.  Join us for a conversation with Rev. Sekou about his new book and his reflections on the role of religion in our global democracy.
]]> http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/18/gods-gays-and-guns-rev-osagyefo-sekou-on-the-failure-of-god-and-democracy/feed/ 0 99% Spring Training: Telling the Story of Our Economy and Non-Violence http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/04/99-spring-training-telling-the-story-of-our-economy-and-non-violence/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=99-spring-training-telling-the-story-of-our-economy-and-non-violence http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/04/99-spring-training-telling-the-story-of-our-economy-and-non-violence/#comments Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:31:43 +0000 sarahb http://jamaicaplainforum.org/?p=2019

We’re at a crossroads as a country. In recent years, millions have lost their jobs, homes have been foreclosed, and an unconscionable number of children live in poverty. We have to stand up to the people who caused of all this and confront the rampant greed and deliberate manipulation of our democracy and our economy by a tiny minority in the 1%.

The 99% Spring is an effort supported by dozens of organizations and thousands of individuals to train 100,000 people in the “story of our economy” and the history of non-violence between April 9 – 15 this year. Register for the JP 99% Spring training on April 13! Our training will be led by Rev. Terry Burke of First Church UU, JP.

Click here to register for the training.

Visit the 99% Spring Website: http://the99spring.com.

More Information…

We inherit a history of everyday people shaping the direction of our country by standing up for their own dignity and community. From the seamstress in Alabama who launched a bus boycott, to the workers in Flint, Michigan who occupied their plant to form a union, to the women in New York who took to the streets en masse to demand the right to vote.

Inspired by Occupy Wall Street and the fight for workers in Madison, Wisconsin, the 99% will rise up this spring. In the span of just one week, from April 9-15, 100,000 people will be trained to tell the story of what happened to our economy, learn the history of non-violent direct action, and use that knowledge to take action on our own campaigns to win change.

We’ll gather for trainings in homes, community centers, places of worship, campuses, and public spaces nationwide to learn how to join together in the work of reclaiming our country through sustained non-violent action.

Will you rise with us and join a 99% Spring action training?

 

]]> http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/04/99-spring-training-telling-the-story-of-our-economy-and-non-violence/feed/ 0 Darkening the Doorways: Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison Reed on African Americans in the UU Church http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/03/darkening-the-doorways-rev-dr-mark-morrison-reed-on-african-americans-in-the-uu-church/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=darkening-the-doorways-rev-dr-mark-morrison-reed-on-african-americans-in-the-uu-church http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/03/darkening-the-doorways-rev-dr-mark-morrison-reed-on-african-americans-in-the-uu-church/#comments Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:25:22 +0000 gillian http://jamaicaplainforum.org/?p=2027

 

Darkening the Doorways:

Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison Reed on African Americans in the UU Church

April 18, 7-9 PM
First Church in Jamaica Plain, UU
6 Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain

 

Why does Unitarian Universalism find becoming more diverse such a struggle?  In a religious community that values diversity, what role does race play?  Reverend Dr. Mark Morrison Reed explores these question and many others in his new book Darkening the Doorways: Black Trailblazers and Missed Opportunities in Unitarian Universalism.  There are more African-American UUs than you know about!  Find out who they were and learn what is it like to grow up an African-American UU.  Rev. Dr. Morrison-Reed will read excerpts from Darkening the Doorways and his previous book, In Between: Memoir of an Integration Baby.

]]> http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/04/03/darkening-the-doorways-rev-dr-mark-morrison-reed-on-african-americans-in-the-uu-church/feed/ 0 Education Not Deportation! The Student Immigrant Movement and the Struggle for Educational Equity http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/03/12/education-not-deportation-the-student-immigrant-movement-and-the-struggle-for-educational-equity/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=education-not-deportation-the-student-immigrant-movement-and-the-struggle-for-educational-equity http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/03/12/education-not-deportation-the-student-immigrant-movement-and-the-struggle-for-educational-equity/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:04:52 +0000 sarahb http://jamaicaplainforum.org/?p=1994

March 16, 7-9 PM
First Church in Jamaica Plain, UU
6 Eliot St., Jamaica Plain, MA, 02113
Every year in the United States, around 65,000 undocumented students beat the odds and graduate high school, only to confront a new set of obstacles.  They don’t have social security numbers to put on college applications.  They aren’t eligible for most financial aid.  And they face the constant threat of deportation, which could be triggered by a traffic ticket or an unavoidable visit to the emergency room.
Faced with these tremendous obstacles, only 3-5% of undocumented immigrants will enroll in college.
Here in Massachusetts, the Student Immigrant Movement (SIM) is fighting to improve those odds.  Join us for an evening of conversation with SIM about the ongoing battle for equal access to education for all Massachusetts students, regardless of immigration status.  The student organizers of SIM will share their stories and answer questions about their experiences and their work.
Since 2005, SIM has been empowering undocumented youth to lead the fight for immigrant justice.  Best known for their successful 24/7 vigils in front of the State House to prevent anti-immigrant amendments from inclusion in the state budget, SIM works toward greater equity for immigrants here in Massachusetts and nationwide.

 

]]> http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/03/12/education-not-deportation-the-student-immigrant-movement-and-the-struggle-for-educational-equity/feed/ 0 The Ice Cream Social Experiment: A Workshop on Bridging the Two JPs http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/03/12/the-ice-cream-social-experiment-a-workshop-on-bridging-the-two-jps/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-ice-cream-social-experiment-a-workshop-on-bridging-the-two-jps http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/03/12/the-ice-cream-social-experiment-a-workshop-on-bridging-the-two-jps/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:28:42 +0000 gillian http://jamaicaplainforum.org/?p=2009

Hosted by the Racial Healing and Reconciliation Team of Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center & The Equity Collaborative!

March 22, 7-9 PM
***Nate Smith House, 155 Lamartine St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130***

RSVP & Invite Your Friends on Facebook

Led by youth and adults working together for racial healing and reconciliation in JP, The Ice Cream Social Experiment is a participatory activity that tests your ability to build an equitable community in the face of systemic obstacles.

This is a fun activity with serious implications for the way we live in a divided Jamaica Plain.  Join us to play, consider, and start a conversation about how race and place impact our society and our neighborhood.

]]> http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/03/12/the-ice-cream-social-experiment-a-workshop-on-bridging-the-two-jps/feed/ 0 Film Screening: The Economics of Happiness http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/03/11/new-economy-film-series-kick-off/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-economy-film-series-kick-off http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2012/03/11/new-economy-film-series-kick-off/#comments Sun, 11 Mar 2012 21:21:38 +0000 sarahb http://jamaicaplainforum.org/?p=1987

Note Different Location: Nate Smith House, 155 Lamartine St, JP

Along with the JP New Economy Transition, the JP Forum is  sponsoring a “New Economy” film series on the last Thursday of every month. We watch films about building a new economy that works for everyone in harmony with the planet. Help us choose the movies! Vote here for the films you want to see.

The Economics of Happiness

Economic globalization has led to a massive expansion in the scale and power of big business and banking. It has also worsened nearly every problem we face: fundamentalism and ethnic conflict; climate chaos and species extinction; financial instability and unemployment. There are personal costs too. For the majority of people on the planet life is becoming increasingly stressful. We have less time for friends and family and we face mounting pressures at work.

The Economics of Happiness describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions. On the one hand, government and big business continue to promote globalization and the consolidation of corporate power. At the same time, all around the world people are resisting those policies,a re-regulation of trade and finance—and, far from the old institutions of power, they’re starting to forge a very different future. Communities are coming together to re-build more human scale, ecological economies based on a new paradigm – an economics of localization.

We hear from a chorus of voices from six continents including Samdhong Rinpoche, the Prime Minister of Tibet’s government in exile, Vandana Shiva, Bill McKibben, David Korten and Zac Goldsmith. They tell us that climate change and peak oil give us little choice: we need to localize, to bring the economy home. The good news is that as we move in this direction we will begin not only to heal the earth but also to restore our own sense of well-being. The Economics of Happiness restores our faith in humanity and challenges us to believe that it is possible to build a better world.

Read more here.

Click here to vote for next month’s film!

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