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Critical Conversations on Civic Issues |
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Films |
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Lectures |
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Off-Campus Events |
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Special Events |
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Multiple Categories |
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| Nov 2nd, 2009 (Mon) |
7:00 PM |
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Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars
Uplifting and courageous, this dramatic award-winning
film directed by Zach Niles and Banker White tracks the journey of Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars – a group of
six musicians who formed a band after being displaced
from their home during the brutal decade-long civil war
in Sierra Leone – as they rise from the ashes of war and
inspire a nation to believe in the healing power of music. This stunning documentary captures the triumphant
story of six musicians who escaped the horrific violence
of Sierra Leone’s civil war, landed in a West African
refugee camp and formed a band that would go on and
travel the world. An unbelievable treatment of the human spirit, the refugees’ journey exemplifies the power of
music. “Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars” follows band mates Reuben Koroma, Francis “Franco” Langba,
Efuah Grace, Mohammed Bangura, Arahim Kamara
and Alhadji “Black Nature” Kamara through their tour
of local refugee camps, debut recording session and
painful return to their country for the first time since the war. The band’s sound, a mixture of home-grown beats
from West Africa, roots-reggae and Western-influenced rhythm and blues combined with heartfelt lyrics which condemn war and encourage social change, has been praised around the world, leading to the band’s first American tour.
“As harrowing as these personal tales may be, the music buoying them is uplifting” – New York Times |
| Nov 5th, 2009 (Thu) |
7:15 PM |
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BTC Dinner with Valentino Achak Deng
BTC students and UNIV classmates, please join us for dinner with Valentino Achak Deng, subject of Dave Eggers' book What is the What.
Dave Eggers and Valentino Achak Deng will be speaking in Tydings Hall, room 0130 at 5:30-7:00 on Thursday, Nov. 5. The dinner will follow this event.
Please arrive for dinner at 7:15pm in room 1102 South Campus Commons building 1.
RSVP to Megan Riley at mnriley@umd.edu by Tuesday morning. |
| Nov 9th, 2009 (Mon) |
7:00 PM |
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An Evening with Emira Woods: Promoting True Peace and Partnership in Africa
An Evening with Emira Woods:
Promoting True Peace and Partnerships in Africa – The International Campaign to Resist AFRICOM
Resist AFRICOM is an international campaign
comprised of concerned U.S. and Africa-based
organizations and individuals opposed to the new U.S. military command for Africa, known as AFRICOM. On February 6, 2007, President Bush announced the establishment of the United Command for U.S. military forces in Africa (AFRICOM). This decision has led
African nations and regional organizations to repeatedly declare their opposition to the hosting of U.S. bases on
the African continent and to the militarization of their relations with the United States. Resist AFRICOM’s
vision is for a comprehensive U.S. foreign policy
grounded in true partnership with the African Union, African governments, and civil society based on peace, justice, human security, and development.
Emira Woods is Director of Foreign Policy in Focus at
the Institute for Policy Studies, and an expert on U.S. foreign policy with a special emphasis on Africa and the developing world. Emira serves on the Board of
Directors of Africa Action, Just Associates, Global
Justice, and the Financial Policy Forum. |
| Nov 11th, 2009 (Wed) |
7:00 PM |
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Leave No Soldier
What is our responsibility as a nation if we are to fulfill our promise to “support the troops?” “Leave No Soldier” tells the story of two impassioned journeys by two communities of American war veterans who have carried a military oath from the battlefield to the home front. The two groups are divided by their politics, but united in their devotion to dead comrades and their compassionate commitment to “leave no fallen soldier behind.” In 2006, Rolling Thunder, Inc. and Veterans for Peace each undertook a highly emotional journey of remembrance, protest and reparation. In very different ways, each group set out to redirect their grief and rage into a redemptive advocacy for soldiers at war. Occupying opposite sides of the political spectrum, both groups feel betrayed by their government, and vow never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.
“…[A] unique documentary about soldiers and war. It probes two opposite responses to the Vietnam and Iraq conflicts, both of them involving love for comrades – support for their war, and opposition to it. Advocates of both views are treated with deep sympathy…” – Robert J. Lifton, M.D., author of “Home From War: Learning from Vietnam Veterans” |
| Nov 12th, 2009 (Thu) |
3:30 PM |
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In Debt We Trust: America Before the Bubble Bursts
Emmy-winning journalist Danny Schechter (ABC News, CNN) investigates America’s mounting debt crisis in this hard-hitting expose, “In Debt We Trust.” The film focuses on the roles of the credit card companies, lobbyists, media conglomerates and key members of the Bush administration who have colluded to deregulate the lending industry – ensuring that a culture of credit dependency can flourish. Many Americans are “maxing out” on credit cards, living beyond their means, and are unable to make the minimum monthly payments. The film highlights the impact of credit card debt on young people and our society, and provides practical suggestions of how to empower the public with the information to avoid the traps of debt and dependency. The timely film delivers an urgent warning that cannot be ignored.
“…[An] economics lessons meets Supersize Me” – Orlando Weekly |
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Lost Dog and Cat Rescue
The Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation, is a highly dedicated group of volunteers that rescues abandoned or displaced dogs and cats from the threat of euthanasia by area shelters or other at-risk situations. Once in our care, these companion animals are fully vaccinated and spayed or neutered. We also provide for those animals who need additional time and medical care before going to a new home.
BTCers will participate in an adoption event at Petsmart in Falls Church, Virginia. Each person will be assigned a dog to try and get adopted. In addition, you’ll hear from the Lost Dog Foundation about how their nonprofit works!
Questions, or to sign up, contact Shayna Maskell: smaskell@umd.edu |
| Nov 16th, 2009 (Mon) |
7:00 PM |
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The Peacekeepers: The Pride of Peace
The Peacekeepers: The Price of Peace
Violent and brutal civil wars are inflicting slaughter
and misery on the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The United Nations Department of Peacekeeping
is working overtime to avoid another Rwanda disaster.
In this shocking and explicit film, award-winning
director Paul Cowan gains unprecedented access to the United Nations’ offices and bureaus to capture behind-
the-scenes peacekeeping tactics. Cutting back and for the between New York, the United Nation’s Crisis Room,
and on-the-ground footage of Third World devastation.
“The Peacekeepers” provides a realistic and profound balance of hope in the face of ongoing strife. |
| Nov 23rd, 2009 (Mon) |
7:00 PM |
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As We Forgive
As We Forgive
Could you forgive a person who murdered your family?
This is the question faced by the subjects of “As We Forgive,” a documentary about Rosaria and Chantal –
two Rwandan women coming face-to-face with the men
who slaughtered their families during the 1994 genocide. The subjects of “As We Forgive” speak for a nation still wracked by the grief of a genocide that killed one in
eight Rwandans in 1994. Overwhelmed by an enormous backlog of court cases, the government has returned
over 50,000 genocide perpetrators back to the very communities they helped to destroy. Without the hope
of full justice, Rwanda has turned to a new solution: Reconciliation. But can it be done? Can survivors truly forgive the killers who destroyed their families? Can the government expect this from its people? And can the
church, which failed at moral leadership during the genocide, fit into the process of reconciliation today?
In “As We Forgive,” director Laura Waters Hinson and narrator Mia Farrow explore these topics through the
lives of four neighbors once caught in opposite tides of
the genocidal bloodbath, and their extraordinary journey from death to life through forgiveness.
“A powerful, inspiring film” – Steven Kinzer, author and former New York Times reporter. |
| Nov 30th, 2009 (Mon) |
7:00 PM |
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The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court
The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court
In mid-1998, in response to repeated mass atrocities
around the world, more than 120 countries united to
form the International Criminal Court (ICC) –
the first permanent court created to prosecute
perpetrators (no matter how powerful) of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. “The Reckoning”
follows dynamic Luis Moreno Ocampo and his team for
3 years across 4 continents as he issues arrest warrants
for Lord’s Resistance Army leaders in Uganda, puts Congolese warlords on trial, and charges Sudan’s
President Omar al-Bashir with genocide in Darfur, challenging the U.N. Security Council to arrest him. Building cases against genocidal criminals presents
huge challenges, and the Prosecutor has a mandate
but no police force. At every turn, he must pressure the international community to muster political will for the cause. Life a deft thriller, “The Reckoning” keeps you
on the edge of your seat, in this case with two riveting dramas – the prosecution of unspeakable crimes and the ICC’s fight for efficacy in its nascent years. As this tiny court in The Hague struggles to change the world and
forge a new paradigm for justice, innocent victims
suffer and wait. Will the Prosecutor succeed? Will the
world ensure that justice prevails? |
| Dec 7th, 2009 (Mon) |
7:00 PM |
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Invisible Children: "Go" and "Global Night Commute"
Invisible Children: “Go” & “Global Night Commute”
In 2007, Invisible Children posed a challenge to youth around the world: raise one million dollars in 100 days
to rebuild schools in war-torn northern Uganda.
Thousands of students rallied, and 20 were rewarded
with an adventure of a lifetime: a trip into Africa’s
longest running war. This is the story of a generation
discovering that it does not matter where you are from,
but where you go!
These short films take a behind the scenes look at
Invisible Children and its journey through the successful grassroots events, the Global Night Commute. Find out
what it takes to start a movement that brings hope to
those suffering the effects of a 20-year long war in
Northern Uganda. Watch as the Invisible Children
National Tour inspires thousands of people to share
the story of Northern Uganda. Sleep alongside more
than 80,000 people at the Global Night Commute. See
how their voices carried through the hall of the United
States Senate. |
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