"What Are Human Rights?" Presentation by Sandra Alvarez

What Are Human Rights?

Who has them and where did they come from? What can YOU do about human rights? What are WE doing across borders to protect and guarantee peoples' human rights?

Come head Sandra Alvarez speak about the international human rights system and how communities caught in the crossfire of violence in Columbia are fighting for their rights. The Peace Community of San José de Apartado and the U'wa people of Columbia are two communities working to stay on their land and avoid joining the four million people who have been forced out of their homes. Despite millions of dollars in military aid from the US and a half century of conflict, these communities, with the support and solidarity of activists around the world, are building peaceful alternatives.

Wednesday April 1, 2009

12:45 PM to 2:45 PM

Cañada College Main Theatre

4200 Farm Hill Blvd, Redwood City, CA 94061

Sandra Alvarez, the daughter of Columbian immigrants, has worked on Columbia peace and justice organizing and activism for over ten years. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Politics from the University of California at Santa Cruz and remains active as a volunteer with Mujer U'wa and the U'wa Defense Project in addition to her advisory work with the Fellowship of Reconciliation's Columbia Program.

For more information contact Yolanda Valenzuela, 306-3206, valenzuelay@smccd.edu


Here are a few videos to get you thinking about the issues
that will be discussed at this presentaiton:

U'wa Oil Resistance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD7NbXMR6gI

7 August 2001
The U'wa have a unique relationship with their surroundings -- one which environmentalists hold up as an ideal of man's interaction with nature.

U'wa - The last guardians of the world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAckZV912Ac

A small indigenous population in Columbia, fighting for their survival against the oil industry as they are caught in the crossfire of war being waged between army, paramilitary, and guerillas.

The Truth About The San José Apartado's Massacre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu-To4tD570

The White House Blog

This is the official White House blog, launched January 2009 at the start of the Barack Obama administration. It includes video and text of the "Weekly Address," and announces events, proclamations, executive orders, and other White House activities. RSS feed is available. This week there's any entry on the new White House garden.

URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/

The White House Blog

This is the official White House blog, launched January 2009 at the start of the Barack Obama administration. It includes video and text of the "Weekly Address," and announces events, proclamations, executive orders, and other White House activities. RSS feed is available. This week there's any entry on the new White House garden.URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/

Gay Straight Alliance - First Meeting - Mon 3/23!

Gay Straight Alliance
of Cañada College

First Meeting this year
is this Monday!

Monday, March 23

12:30-1:30

in the Library
(in the back on right)

Free pizza and drinks!!

Questions? Contact Dave Patterson pattersond@smccd.edu or (650) 306-3476 or Professor Elizabeth Terzakis terzakise@smccd.edu (650) 306-3327.

Hey,

If anyone (you or someone you know) is feeling shy about coming to this, just send me or Elizabeth a quick e-mail and we will figure out a way to make it more comfortable. I remember going to my very first GSA meeting (25 years ago!) and it wasn't easy. In fact, I didn't go for a while because I was too shy. One way to make it easier for people to attend is to remind everyone that this is an alliance of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender, transexual, queer, and questioning students AND THEIR ALLIES. So whatever your orientation, you are welcome. We will assume nothing about participants' orientations, and no one is going to ask participants about their orientation. Hope that that helps! But do e-mail Elizabeth or me if you'd like to get support to attend this because we are going to fill that Silent Study Room with a friendly, supportive spirit and we want you to be there! If you can't come because of a class schedule conflict, I would be happy to e-mail the instructor and ask that you be excused from your class. The instructor might say no, but it never hurts to ask. If you prefer, I could ask the instructor without using your name. (How? I don't know, but I'll figure something out!)

All the best, Dave Patterson, Librarian (and Gay Activist!)

The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Junot Diaz's Pulitzer Prize winning novel tells the story of a New Jersey romantic and ghetto nerd struggling to grow up, get by, and get out from under the "fukú" curse that has plagued his Domincan family for generations. It is about the pain of adolescence and never fitting it, exile and immigration, urban life in 21st century America, and the long shadow of violence and dictatorship. Funny, sad, and original. Check it out!


It's available through the Peninsula Library System in English and Spanish.


You can find articles about Junot Diaz's books in the Literature Resource Center and JSTOR article databases.

Stanford Power Plant Field Trip - Feb 10!

Power Plant @ Stanford
Industry Field Trip
Tuesday, Feb 10th
Depart Cañada at 3:30pm sharp!

Did you know that Stanford University runs its own Power Plant?
Come find out how a power plant works.

“The Stanford Power Plant burns natural gas to create electricity--which runs a turbine--while also creating exhaust heat. In conventional power plants, heat gets created and wasted. At the cogeneration plant, however, the heat is run through a Heat Recovery Steam Generator so it can be transformed into steam. This steam serves three functions. It gets looped around campus for heating and cooking. It drives chillers which produce cooled water. It also drives its own turbine, creating yet more electricity.

The combined effort of the gas--driven turbine and the steam-driven turbine generates nearly 50 megawatts of power, almost twice as much as Stanford needs. Cardinal sells the remainder to PG&E for the general grid.” PA Weekly

http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news_features/power2001/2001_02_07.cogen.shtml

Cañada students are invited to a private tour to learn more!

For the tour, required dress, is long pants (no shorts or dresses), shirts or jacket with sleeves (no tank tops), closed toe shoes (no sandals).

Sign up NOW!
Space limited

To sign up, email your full name and phone number to Professor Parsa parsar@smccd.edu