April News - Our Only Weapon Our Spirit

 Hello Good People!

 
The delay in my newsletter comes from a wonderful new role I have stepped up to in my life - I am now a member of the board of directors of the Common Fire Foundation, a visionary organization that supports the development of intentional communities grounded in sustainability, social justice, and interpersonal transformation. If the name sounds familiar to you, it may be because you have heard of the first community they developed, the Tivoli Housing Co-op, which is LEED certified as the greenest building in the Eastern United States. I am so honored to be a part of the Common Fire community! www.commonfire.org
 
I am also honored, proud, and giddily excited to announce the publication of a new book edited by my husband, Samuel Conway. Our Only Weapon Our Spirit is a collection of the prison writings of Bobby Sands, an inspiring Irish political prisoner and poet who died on hunger strike in 1981. Here is an excerpt from the back of the book:
 
After sixty-six days on hunger strike, Bobby Sands was legally killed by British intransigence. He died resisting the claim that eight-hundred years of Irish rebel history had been purely illegitimate and criminal. He had been a volunteer of the Irish Republican Army, an Irish speaker, elected Member of Parliament and writer. Thirty years later, his legacy as a cultural figure, freedom fighter and writer continues to resonate with people struggling for freedom throughout the world.

This new selection of his prison writing commemorates his life and his legacy. We hope this book contributes to his vision of a just, united and free Ireland, and helps to sustain the liberation struggles of people world-wide.

All proceeds from the sale of this book go to the benefit of the wives, families and dependents of prisoners through the Bobby Sands Trust.
 
Samuel Conway and his co-editor Patrick Stanley (Yellow Bike Press) will be celebrating the publication with two major events in New York City at the beginning of May, on the 30th anniversary of Bobby Sands death on hunger strike. The book launch will take place on Thursday, May 5th at The Commons in Brooklyn. A reading will take place at Bluestockings Book Store in Manhattan on Saturday, May 7th. Details are below, and I do hope you can make it out if you are in the New York Area.
 
In this Edition of Iambrown:
  • Book Launch for Our Only Weapon Our Spirit
  • New Website of Performer, Artist and Extraordinary Doula, Samara Gaev

  • Native Arts and Cultures Foundation Announces Call for Letters of Intent for 2011 Grants

  • Twin Cities Take Back the Night 2011
  • The California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowship
  • Intermedia Arts Announces ... 2011 VERVE GRANTS FOR SPOKEN WORD POETS 
  • Real Food Fellowship - Applications Due May 6th

  • George Lakey's Book Launch May 15th

  • The Super-T: 17 days of Training for Social Action Trainers

  • The Center for Whole Communities is Hiring a Senior Program Manager


-----
Book Launch for Our Only Weapon Our Spirit
 
Book Launch Event!!

Thursday, May 5 · 7:00pm - 9:30pm

The Commons, Brooklyn
388 Atlantic Avenue
 
Readings from Our Only Weapon Our Spirit
Saturday, May 7th - 7:00pm
Bluestockings Bookstore, Manhattan
172 Allen Street

-----
New Website of Performer, Artist and Extraordinary Doula, Samara Gaev
 
Samara Gaev is an inspiring artist, social justice worker, and she was my doula in the birth of my daughter Siobhan. I am absolutely thrilled to be able to include the announcement of her gorgeous new website in this newsletter: http://www.truthworker.com/#!


-----

NATIVE ARTS AND CULTURES FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES CALL FOR LETTERS OF INTENT FOR 2011 GRANTS

Vancouver, Wash., March 17 – The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF) today announced a call for letters of intent for the Foundation’s 2011 grants. The three categories include: Artist Project Grants; Mobilizing the Community; and the Regional Collaboration Pilot Program. NACF’s grants support the artistic creativity of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian individual artists, programs and organizations.

This year, grants will be awarded in three categories: Support for Individual Artists (2011 Artistic Innovation Initiative); Support for Communities (2011 Mobilizing the Community Initiative); and Support for the Field (2011 Strengthening the Arts and Cultures Infrastructure Initiative).

“NACF’s funding initiatives provide support for arts and cultural activities across the broad diversity of Native cultures, from rural landscapes to urban centers, from contemporary arts practices to grassroots community arts activities,” says NACF Program Director Reuben Roqueñi. “In 2011, NACF will offer $500,000 in grants and fellowships.” 

The Artistic Innovation Initiative will support individual artist projects that engage community members in new ways. Grants up to $10,000 per artist will be awarded.

The Mobilizing the Community Initiative will support networks of artists, with particular consideration given to organizations presenting arts conferences, convening artist gatherings, or supporting master artist-to-artist residencies. Awards will be up to $15,000 per project.

The Strengthening the Arts and Cultures Infrastructure Initiative will focus on organizations providing support for arts and cultural activities. Particular consideration will be given to organizations that do at least one of the following: re-grant; offer professional development opportunities; focus support in a particular field or practice; and/or provide unique opportunities to artists in national arenas. Awards will be up to $40,000 per organization.

Letters of intent are due to the NACF on April 29, 2011. Visit www.nativeartsandcultures.org for criteria and guidelines.

Incorporated in 2007, the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, located in Vancouver, Washington, is a permanently endowed national organization dedicated exclusively to the revitalization, appreciation and perpetuation of Native arts and cultures. In late 2010, the Foundation awarded its first grants totalling $394,319 to 26 American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian artists and organizations in 12 states.

To learn more about the NACF, visit www.nativeartsandcultures.org. Receive the free e-newsletter by sending an email toinfo@nativeartsandcultures.org and become a fan of the organization on Facebook.

-----
Twin Cities Take Back the Night 2011

Friday, April 29 · 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Minneapolis Community and Technical College

We are going to have an amazing lineup! 
  • Remy Corso, Ross Neely, Coya Artichoker, Susan Raffo, and Jude Foster will be speaking. 
  • Heidi Barton Stink, Linda Hawj, and Ashley Gold will be performing!

follow us on twitter for updates!!!

http://twitter.com/#!/TwinCitiesTBTN

Take Back the Night is an annual march and rally to combat sexual violence. Attending means you will not only take a stand against abuse, rape, and sexual assault, but will also show your pride and commitment in/to the Twin Cities community, the atmosphere, and safety. We're taking back the streets. We're taking back the night. We're shattering silence to stop the violence.

The event, as always, will include a rally complete with free dinner, entertainment, powerful speakers, and socializing. We will be marching in protest of sexual violence and standing up for our rights, as humans, to feel safe in our communities. The event also includes a candlelight vigil where we will be able to share our experiences in a safe environment, show our support for survivors, and empower each other to continue taking a stand.

This year's event is being planned by representatives from several groups around the cities! These groups include:

-the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG)
-the University Pro-Choice Coalition
-the Women's Student Activist Collective (WSAC)
-the Aurora Center
-Outfront Minnesota
-the Trans Youth Support Network (TYSN)
-Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA)
-the Alexandra House
- National Organization for Women (NOW, MN chapter)
-Cornerstone Advocacy Services
-the Family Partnership
-the Sexual Violence Center
-St. Kate's PRIDE
-Old Lesbians Organizing for Change
-the Queer Student Cultural Center

...and with help from many others!

If you're part of a group that's interested in joining our planning coalition, there's still plenty of time! E-mail twincitiestbtn@gmail.com!
 

Details for this event are still in the works, but we wanted to makes sure you saved the date! Look back at this page for event updates!


-----

The California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowship
Application Deadline: May 02, 2011 
How to Apply » http://www.reportingonhealth.org/fellowships/how-to-apply
Who Can Apply:
 
This Fellowship is open to professional journalists from print, broadcast, and online media around the country, including freelancers. Applicants need not be full-time health reporters, but they need to have a passion for health news (broadly defined). Applications from ethnic media journalists are strongly encouraged, as are applications proposing collaborative projects between mainstream and ethnic news outlets. Applicants must be based in the United States, and Fellowship projects must be published in or broadcast by bona fide journalistic outlets, not outlets whose operations are funded exclusively by a corporation, foundation, university, or advocacy organization. Journalism students are ineligible. Please contact us at CAHealth@usc.edu if you have questions about your eligibility.
 
Event Schedule:
 July 24 - July 29, 2011. The National Health Journalism Fellowships offer journalists from around the country an opportunity to explore the intersection between community health, health policy and the nation's growing diversity. Reporting projects are supported with a $2,000 grant to each Fellowship recipient. 
 
At a time when one-third of the 300 million residents in the United States are ethnic minorities, this program explores the cultural dynamics at play in the debate over health policy. Based in Los Angeles, an international city that has been called a "proving ground" for a multicultural society, program participants learn about health trends, policy innovations and political conflicts involving health and health care. California has the largest numbers of Asians and Latinos in the nation, and many of the health challenges and opportunities that accompany changing demographics have been debated and legislated here for decades.
  
During field trips and seminars, fellows hear from prize-winning journalists and leaders in community health, health policy, and medicine. They go home with a deeper understanding of current health care reform initiatives and gain insight into the larger picture of colliding interests and political battles over health policy. Participants also explore ways to document -- through data, online maps and stories -- the health inequities in their local communities. Hands-on workshops also provide felllows with new sources, practical reporting tips and multimedia strategies to reach a broader digital audience.
  
Program Description:
The National Health Journalism Fellowships are offered over a six-day period, beginning with an evening keynote address on Sunday night and ending with a midday wrap-up session the following Friday. Partipants are expected to attend all sessions. To encourage journalists and their newsrooms to aim high in reporting on health at a time of scarce resources, we offer a $2,000 stipend to fellows in this track upon completion of what are expected to be ambitious, major fellowship projects. To stimulate collaboration between mainstream and ethnic media, we encourage applicants to propose a joint project for use by both media outlets. Up to two collaborators for each project may receive a stipend. 
 
-----
Intermedia Arts Announces ... 2011 VERVE GRANTS FOR SPOKEN WORD POETS   

DEADLINE TO APPLY: 6PM Friday, May 6, 2011 
   
Intermedia Arts' VERVE Grants for Spoken Word Poets awards grants of up to $4,000 to four to six emerging Minnesota spoken word poets each year.  

In addition to their grant award, recipients also participate in a 12-month cohort program that provides community, mentorship, guidance, workshops, and resources throughout the program year.

Application and complete program information available here...http://www.intermediaarts.org/verve1

This program is made possible, in part, thanks to the generous support of the Jerome Foundation.   
-----
Real Food Fellowship - Applications Due May 6th

Have food or farming impacted your life?

Are you active in your community?

Are you between the ages of 18-29?

Do you want to be part of a national movement of young people working to transform our food system?


If you answered yes to the above, Live Real’s Real Food Fellowship is for you! We seek candidates with the creativity, charisma, and courage to change the world!

Live Real is a new initiative uniting youth and communities across the country. Our mission is to build community around food cultures and policies that are based in respect for ourselves, each other, and the earth. 

The Real Food Fellowship is a nine-month program beginning June 2011 that supports 8-10 emerging leaders (ages 18-29) around the county to become powerful voices for food justice in their communities and on the national scene. We welcome organizers, artists, and generally awesome people who are newer to the food movement as well as food justice advocates looking to deepen their work.

The program will connect fellows with peers and mentors, and it will develop their communications and leadership skills. Fellows will serve as connectors and spokespeople in a growing movement for an equitable and ecological food system. They will identify new leaders in their communities, represent Live Real at conferences and other events, and influence the national debate about food through media/art projects.

More information about fellowship goals, timeline, benefits, and expectations are available at http://realfoodfellowship.weebly.com/.

Who We’re Looking For

The following are considered in the selection process for Year 1:

  • 18 to 29 years in age
  • People with experience living and/or working in communities struggling with an unjust food system, and with some experience addressing related to social justice issues, including immigration, education, criminalization, affordable housing, and environmental justice.
  • People with the passion and commitment to create a food system that works for people and the planet.
  • Commitment to Live Real's core values, including movement-building.
  • Strengths and skills in creative expression (cooking, art, music, dance, poetry, facilitation, graphics, film, social media, etc) and willingness to apply them in local work and in national campaigns.


Applicants are sought throughout the United States. We especially encourage applicants from Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

Applications are due Friday, May 6, 5pm PST. Finalists may be contacted for an interview the following week. All fellows will be informed of their selection by the end of May. The first event will be an in-person orientation scheduled for June 24-26. Travel, lodging, and food will be provided.

Applicants may submit materials in three ways:

Online, E-mail (fellowship@liverealnow.org), or Mail to: Live Real’s Real Food Fellowship 24 Croxton Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611

Applicants will be notified within 24 hours that their application has been received.

Inquiries can be directed to Hai Vo, at fellowship@liverealnow.org.


-----
George Lakey Book Launch May 15th

George Lakey, the founder of Training for Change, co-author of A Manual for Direct Action as well as numerous other books will be in the Twin Cities promoting his latest publication, Facilitating Group Learning: Strategies for Success with Diverse Adult Learners from 2-4PM on Sunday, May 15th at the Minneapolis Friends Meeting House. 

A message about the event from Training for Change Associate, Celia Kutz: "This is really a excellent opportunity to learn about direct education, a methodology that cuts through the pretense and needless complications that can distance learners from subject matter. Direct Ed removes false expectations (for example, that kinesthetic learners will strongly benefit from slide presentations) and false assumptions (for example, that a group is simply the sum of the individuals). The approach focuses on encounters between teacher and group; it replaces scattered attention - of a teacher preoccupied with curriculum and participants preoccupied with 'getting it' - with gathered attention, using experiential exercises and theories that support whole group learning. Direct Education directly confronts and challenges the current system of injustice -- which includes how people are taught. I hope you will join me and please forward on."
 

-----

The Super-T: 17 days of Training for Social Action Trainers

June 10-26th, 2011 (with a special orientation for participants outside North America June 8-9)
Philadelphia, PA
Register online at www.trainingforchange.org or contact Nico Amador for more information atnico@trainingforchange.org.

Take your facilitation to a new level of creativity, range and effectiveness in this intensive 17-day super-training: 4 state-of-the-art workshops, with a day's rest between each, sequenced for maximum growth for participants.

We highly encourage participants to take all 4 workshops in the series to have the time to get maximum value, form meaningful connections with the participants and trainers, and to experience a real advancement in your training skills.  However, you can register for part of the series if you're not able to take the whole thing.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Super-T

The Super-T is for experienced and less-experienced trainers and facilitators who want to take their work to a new level of creativity and effectiveness, as well as new trainers who want to learn the major principles of this rapidly-developing field. The Super-T is ideal for a trainer's sabbatical, for facilitators looking for inspiration and fresh approaches, and for international trainers wanting to make a study trip to North America.

WHAT MAKES THIS PROGRAM UNIQUE?
The Super-T has four parts, carefully sequenced to provide balanced learning by the participants, with rest in between for digestion of the new skills and knowledge. The program leaders are not only expert in empowerment teaching but also have deep experience in nonviolent social change work, internationally and locally. The Super-T goes beyond skills and information to the transformational level, with trainers growing in self-awareness and communicative power. The program includes an adventure-based learning course which will expand your toolkit for strengthening people's leadership, teamwork, and conflict resolution skills.

AT THE END OF THE SUPER-T, YOU'LL HAVE...
More training tools you can use successfully
Increased skill in challenging situations, including tools for working with strong emotions and difficult participants
Greater awareness of yourself as a facilitator and new ways to use your strengths more effectively
More clarity in how to arrange activities in a powerful sequence
More confidence in facilitating with emergent design
A certificate of achievement as a graduate of the Super-T

ADD THESE TO YOUR FACILITATOR'S TOOLKIT
Want to add variety and greater range to the exercises you use in workshops? The Super-T will offer you...

Expanded tools for working with people who learn primarily through visual, auditory, or kinesthetic channels
Strategies for how to increase a resistant group's flexibility and openness to learning
Increased creativity in inventing tools and activities for your kind of teaching

GAIN FLEXIBILITY
We'll show you how to increase your flexibility as a trainer. By the end of the Super-T, you'll have...

New approaches to design which enable you to work with hundreds of participants in a workshop if necessary
More understanding of how to use the dynamics in the workshop itself to teach nonviolence, team-building, democratic leadership, and conflict resolution
Increased skill in cross-cultural communication and support for diversity

COME FOR...
Coaching from experienced, internationally known trainers... Stimulation and support from working closely with other trainers for an extended time... A deeper appreciation for yourself and what you have to offer as a facilitator... More self-confidence

A COMMUNITY OF LEARNING
Of central importance is the learning community formed by the Super-T participants, which gives support to individuals' learning goals. This international learning community, by living and learning together for more than two weeks, extends the learning opportunities far past the hours of actual workshops.

INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS
The Super-T is very popular with trainers from overseas. In the past few years, we've welcomed trainers from Russia, Thailand, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Burma, India, Nepal, Romania, and many other countries. We have so many international participants that we've included a special orientation session for overseas visitors.

About visas: In order to travel to the United States, you will need to get a visa from the US embassy in your country. It's your responsibility to get your visa, but we'll help you as best we can. We will write an invitation letter and send it to you and to the embassy. But the letter is not a guarantee of a visa, and even if your visa is approved, the process can be very slow. You should contact us at least 3 months before the workshop you plan to take.

Funding: Are you looking for help paying for your trip to the US Here's an idea: many participants get funding from social-change groups in their home countries. In return, the participant agrees to do trainings for the group after returning home.

FEE
The fee for the whole Super-T is $750-$2,250 US, sliding scale based on income. The fee includes over 110 hours of training, meals on workshop days, and simple lodging in neighborhood homes for people who request it. Payment is by check or money order payable to Training for Change. To determine your workshop fee, use the chart below.


-----
The Center for Whole Communities is Hiring a Senior Program Manager
 

Center for Whole Communities is expanding its staff. With their retreats, workshops and other programs growing each year, they are poised to greatly expand our capacity to serve our alumni, new fellows, and our larger mission by bringing on a Senior Program Manager.This position will be full-time, and based at Knoll Farm in central Vermont.

CWCs Senior Program Manager will oversee our educational workshops and retreats, and manage our rapidly growing advanced leadership program of custom-designed, fee-based programs for organizations and alumni around the country. The senior program manager will work closely with the other program staff, co-directors, board, and alumni to provide the leadership, planning and implementation necessary to deliver the highest quality educational programs in service of our mission. This position is hands-on, creative and highly gratifying. The staff is dedicated and fast-moving so ideal candidates will be entrepreneurial, highly relational, organized and personally committed to our mission.

For a full description, or to post or pass along this announcement, please to the homepage of the website,www.wholecommunities.org, or link here.

To apply, send a resume, cover letter and writing sample to Molly Bagnato: molly@wholecommunities.org.
 

and...
 
Attend the Whole Measures Workshop at Knoll Farm 
 
Time: July 5, 2011 at 3pm to July 8, 2011 at 11pm
Location: Center for Whole Communities, Knoll Farm
Organized By: Ginny McGinn

Event Description:
Come to this interactive, innovative workshop to learn more about the ten values-based practices detailed in Whole Measures and how to use them in your work. The workshop provides the practical and transformational skills needed to collaboratively implement these practices in your organization or community. To read more about this workshop, go to http://www.wholecommunities.org/whole_measures/

See more details and RSVP on Center for Whole Communities Alumni Network:
http://cwcalumni.ning.com/events/event/show?id=2015834%3AEvent%3A11439&xgi=4O1ZHMyYugBfzr&xg_source=msg_invite_event
 

 Hello Good People!

 
The delay in my newsletter comes from a wonderful new role I have stepped up to in my life - I am now a member of the board of directors of the Common Fire Foundation, a visionary organization that supports the development of intentional communities grounded in sustainability, social justice, and interpersonal transformation. If the name sounds familiar to you, it may be because you have heard of the first community they developed, the Tivoli Housing Co-op, which is LEED certified as the greenest building in the Eastern United States. I am so honored to be a part of the Common Fire community! www.commonfire.org
 
I am also honored, proud, and giddily excited to announce the publication of a new book edited by my husband, Samuel Conway. Our Only Weapon Our Spirit is a collection of the prison writings of Bobby Sands, an inspiring Irish political prisoner and poet who died on hunger strike in 1981. Here is an excerpt from the back of the book:
 
After sixty-six days on hunger strike, Bobby Sands was legally killed by British intransigence. He died resisting the claim that eight-hundred years of Irish rebel history had been purely illegitimate and criminal. He had been a volunteer of the Irish Republican Army, an Irish speaker, elected Member of Parliament and writer. Thirty years later, his legacy as a cultural figure, freedom fighter and writer continues to resonate with people struggling for freedom throughout the world.

This new selection of his prison writing commemorates his life and his legacy. We hope this book contributes to his vision of a just, united and free Ireland, and helps to sustain the liberation struggles of people world-wide.

All proceeds from the sale of this book go to the benefit of the wives, families and dependents of prisoners through the Bobby Sands Trust.
 
Samuel Conway and his co-editor Patrick Stanley (Yellow Bike Press) will be celebrating the publication with two major events in New York City at the beginning of May, on the 30th anniversary of Bobby Sands death on hunger strike. The book launch will take place on Thursday, May 5th at The Commons in Brooklyn. A reading will take place at Bluestockings Book Store in Manhattan on Saturday, May 7th. Details are below, and I do hope you can make it out if you are in the New York Area.
 
In this Edition of Iambrown:
  • Book Launch for Our Only Weapon Our Spirit
  • New Website of Performer, Artist and Extraordinary Doula, Samara Gaev

  • Native Arts and Cultures Foundation Announces Call for Letters of Intent for 2011 Grants

  • Twin Cities Take Back the Night 2011
  • The California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowship
  • Intermedia Arts Announces ... 2011 VERVE GRANTS FOR SPOKEN WORD POETS 
  • Real Food Fellowship - Applications Due May 6th

  • George Lakey's Book Launch May 15th

  • The Super-T: 17 days of Training for Social Action Trainers

  • The Center for Whole Communities is Hiring a Senior Program Manager


-----
Book Launch for Our Only Weapon Our Spirit
 
Book Launch Event!!

Thursday, May 5 · 7:00pm - 9:30pm

The Commons, Brooklyn
388 Atlantic Avenue
 
Readings from Our Only Weapon Our Spirit
Saturday, May 7th - 7:00pm
Bluestockings Bookstore, Manhattan
172 Allen Street

-----
New Website of Performer, Artist and Extraordinary Doula, Samara Gaev
 
Samara Gaev is an inspiring artist, social justice worker, and she was my doula in the birth of my daughter Siobhan. I am absolutely thrilled to be able to include the announcement of her gorgeous new website in this newsletter: http://www.truthworker.com/#!


-----

NATIVE ARTS AND CULTURES FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES CALL FOR LETTERS OF INTENT FOR 2011 GRANTS

Vancouver, Wash., March 17 – The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF) today announced a call for letters of intent for the Foundation’s 2011 grants. The three categories include: Artist Project Grants; Mobilizing the Community; and the Regional Collaboration Pilot Program. NACF’s grants support the artistic creativity of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian individual artists, programs and organizations.

This year, grants will be awarded in three categories: Support for Individual Artists (2011 Artistic Innovation Initiative); Support for Communities (2011 Mobilizing the Community Initiative); and Support for the Field (2011 Strengthening the Arts and Cultures Infrastructure Initiative).

“NACF’s funding initiatives provide support for arts and cultural activities across the broad diversity of Native cultures, from rural landscapes to urban centers, from contemporary arts practices to grassroots community arts activities,” says NACF Program Director Reuben Roqueñi. “In 2011, NACF will offer $500,000 in grants and fellowships.” 

The Artistic Innovation Initiative will support individual artist projects that engage community members in new ways. Grants up to $10,000 per artist will be awarded.

The Mobilizing the Community Initiative will support networks of artists, with particular consideration given to organizations presenting arts conferences, convening artist gatherings, or supporting master artist-to-artist residencies. Awards will be up to $15,000 per project.

The Strengthening the Arts and Cultures Infrastructure Initiative will focus on organizations providing support for arts and cultural activities. Particular consideration will be given to organizations that do at least one of the following: re-grant; offer professional development opportunities; focus support in a particular field or practice; and/or provide unique opportunities to artists in national arenas. Awards will be up to $40,000 per organization.

Letters of intent are due to the NACF on April 29, 2011. Visit www.nativeartsandcultures.org for criteria and guidelines.

Incorporated in 2007, the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, located in Vancouver, Washington, is a permanently endowed national organization dedicated exclusively to the revitalization, appreciation and perpetuation of Native arts and cultures. In late 2010, the Foundation awarded its first grants totalling $394,319 to 26 American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian artists and organizations in 12 states.

To learn more about the NACF, visit www.nativeartsandcultures.org. Receive the free e-newsletter by sending an email toinfo@nativeartsandcultures.org and become a fan of the organization on Facebook.

-----
Twin Cities Take Back the Night 2011

Friday, April 29 · 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Minneapolis Community and Technical College

We are going to have an amazing lineup! 
  • Remy Corso, Ross Neely, Coya Artichoker, Susan Raffo, and Jude Foster will be speaking. 
  • Heidi Barton Stink, Linda Hawj, and Ashley Gold will be performing!

follow us on twitter for updates!!!

http://twitter.com/#!/TwinCitiesTBTN

Take Back the Night is an annual march and rally to combat sexual violence. Attending means you will not only take a stand against abuse, rape, and sexual assault, but will also show your pride and commitment in/to the Twin Cities community, the atmosphere, and safety. We're taking back the streets. We're taking back the night. We're shattering silence to stop the violence.

The event, as always, will include a rally complete with free dinner, entertainment, powerful speakers, and socializing. We will be marching in protest of sexual violence and standing up for our rights, as humans, to feel safe in our communities. The event also includes a candlelight vigil where we will be able to share our experiences in a safe environment, show our support for survivors, and empower each other to continue taking a stand.

This year's event is being planned by representatives from several groups around the cities! These groups include:

-the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG)
-the University Pro-Choice Coalition
-the Women's Student Activist Collective (WSAC)
-the Aurora Center
-Outfront Minnesota
-the Trans Youth Support Network (TYSN)
-Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA)
-the Alexandra House
- National Organization for Women (NOW, MN chapter)
-Cornerstone Advocacy Services
-the Family Partnership
-the Sexual Violence Center
-St. Kate's PRIDE
-Old Lesbians Organizing for Change
-the Queer Student Cultural Center

...and with help from many others!

If you're part of a group that's interested in joining our planning coalition, there's still plenty of time! E-mail twincitiestbtn@gmail.com!
 

Details for this event are still in the works, but we wanted to makes sure you saved the date! Look back at this page for event updates!


-----

The California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowship
Application Deadline: May 02, 2011 
How to Apply » http://www.reportingonhealth.org/fellowships/how-to-apply
Who Can Apply:
 
This Fellowship is open to professional journalists from print, broadcast, and online media around the country, including freelancers. Applicants need not be full-time health reporters, but they need to have a passion for health news (broadly defined). Applications from ethnic media journalists are strongly encouraged, as are applications proposing collaborative projects between mainstream and ethnic news outlets. Applicants must be based in the United States, and Fellowship projects must be published in or broadcast by bona fide journalistic outlets, not outlets whose operations are funded exclusively by a corporation, foundation, university, or advocacy organization. Journalism students are ineligible. Please contact us at CAHealth@usc.edu if you have questions about your eligibility.
 
Event Schedule:
 July 24 - July 29, 2011. The National Health Journalism Fellowships offer journalists from around the country an opportunity to explore the intersection between community health, health policy and the nation's growing diversity. Reporting projects are supported with a $2,000 grant to each Fellowship recipient. 
 
At a time when one-third of the 300 million residents in the United States are ethnic minorities, this program explores the cultural dynamics at play in the debate over health policy. Based in Los Angeles, an international city that has been called a "proving ground" for a multicultural society, program participants learn about health trends, policy innovations and political conflicts involving health and health care. California has the largest numbers of Asians and Latinos in the nation, and many of the health challenges and opportunities that accompany changing demographics have been debated and legislated here for decades.
  
During field trips and seminars, fellows hear from prize-winning journalists and leaders in community health, health policy, and medicine. They go home with a deeper understanding of current health care reform initiatives and gain insight into the larger picture of colliding interests and political battles over health policy. Participants also explore ways to document -- through data, online maps and stories -- the health inequities in their local communities. Hands-on workshops also provide felllows with new sources, practical reporting tips and multimedia strategies to reach a broader digital audience.
  
Program Description:
The National Health Journalism Fellowships are offered over a six-day period, beginning with an evening keynote address on Sunday night and ending with a midday wrap-up session the following Friday. Partipants are expected to attend all sessions. To encourage journalists and their newsrooms to aim high in reporting on health at a time of scarce resources, we offer a $2,000 stipend to fellows in this track upon completion of what are expected to be ambitious, major fellowship projects. To stimulate collaboration between mainstream and ethnic media, we encourage applicants to propose a joint project for use by both media outlets. Up to two collaborators for each project may receive a stipend. 
 
-----
Intermedia Arts Announces ... 2011 VERVE GRANTS FOR SPOKEN WORD POETS   

DEADLINE TO APPLY: 6PM Friday, May 6, 2011 
   
Intermedia Arts' VERVE Grants for Spoken Word Poets awards grants of up to $4,000 to four to six emerging Minnesota spoken word poets each year.  

In addition to their grant award, recipients also participate in a 12-month cohort program that provides community, mentorship, guidance, workshops, and resources throughout the program year.

Application and complete program information available here...http://www.intermediaarts.org/verve1

This program is made possible, in part, thanks to the generous support of the Jerome Foundation.   
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Real Food Fellowship - Applications Due May 6th

Have food or farming impacted your life?

Are you active in your community?

Are you between the ages of 18-29?

Do you want to be part of a national movement of young people working to transform our food system?


If you answered yes to the above, Live Real’s Real Food Fellowship is for you! We seek candidates with the creativity, charisma, and courage to change the world!

Live Real is a new initiative uniting youth and communities across the country. Our mission is to build community around food cultures and policies that are based in respect for ourselves, each other, and the earth. 

The Real Food Fellowship is a nine-month program beginning June 2011 that supports 8-10 emerging leaders (ages 18-29) around the county to become powerful voices for food justice in their communities and on the national scene. We welcome organizers, artists, and generally awesome people who are newer to the food movement as well as food justice advocates looking to deepen their work.

The program will connect fellows with peers and mentors, and it will develop their communications and leadership skills. Fellows will serve as connectors and spokespeople in a growing movement for an equitable and ecological food system. They will identify new leaders in their communities, represent Live Real at conferences and other events, and influence the national debate about food through media/art projects.

More information about fellowship goals, timeline, benefits, and expectations are available at http://realfoodfellowship.weebly.com/.

Who We’re Looking For

The following are considered in the selection process for Year 1:

  • 18 to 29 years in age
  • People with experience living and/or working in communities struggling with an unjust food system, and with some experience addressing related to social justice issues, including immigration, education, criminalization, affordable housing, and environmental justice.
  • People with the passion and commitment to create a food system that works for people and the planet.
  • Commitment to Live Real's core values, including movement-building.
  • Strengths and skills in creative expression (cooking, art, music, dance, poetry, facilitation, graphics, film, social media, etc) and willingness to apply them in local work and in national campaigns.


Applicants are sought throughout the United States. We especially encourage applicants from Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

Applications are due Friday, May 6, 5pm PST. Finalists may be contacted for an interview the following week. All fellows will be informed of their selection by the end of May. The first event will be an in-person orientation scheduled for June 24-26. Travel, lodging, and food will be provided.

Applicants may submit materials in three ways:

Online, E-mail (fellowship@liverealnow.org), or Mail to: Live Real’s Real Food Fellowship 24 Croxton Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611

Applicants will be notified within 24 hours that their application has been received.

Inquiries can be directed to Hai Vo, at fellowship@liverealnow.org.


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George Lakey Book Launch May 15th

George Lakey, the founder of Training for Change, co-author of A Manual for Direct Action as well as numerous other books will be in the Twin Cities promoting his latest publication, Facilitating Group Learning: Strategies for Success with Diverse Adult Learners from 2-4PM on Sunday, May 15th at the Minneapolis Friends Meeting House. 

A message about the event from Training for Change Associate, Celia Kutz: "This is really a excellent opportunity to learn about direct education, a methodology that cuts through the pretense and needless complications that can distance learners from subject matter. Direct Ed removes false expectations (for example, that kinesthetic learners will strongly benefit from slide presentations) and false assumptions (for example, that a group is simply the sum of the individuals). The approach focuses on encounters between teacher and group; it replaces scattered attention - of a teacher preoccupied with curriculum and participants preoccupied with 'getting it' - with gathered attention, using experiential exercises and theories that support whole group learning. Direct Education directly confronts and challenges the current system of injustice -- which includes how people are taught. I hope you will join me and please forward on."
 

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The Super-T: 17 days of Training for Social Action Trainers

June 10-26th, 2011 (with a special orientation for participants outside North America June 8-9)
Philadelphia, PA
Register online at www.trainingforchange.org or contact Nico Amador for more information atnico@trainingforchange.org.

Take your facilitation to a new level of creativity, range and effectiveness in this intensive 17-day super-training: 4 state-of-the-art workshops, with a day's rest between each, sequenced for maximum growth for participants.

We highly encourage participants to take all 4 workshops in the series to have the time to get maximum value, form meaningful connections with the participants and trainers, and to experience a real advancement in your training skills.  However, you can register for part of the series if you're not able to take the whole thing.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Super-T

The Super-T is for experienced and less-experienced trainers and facilitators who want to take their work to a new level of creativity and effectiveness, as well as new trainers who want to learn the major principles of this rapidly-developing field. The Super-T is ideal for a trainer's sabbatical, for facilitators looking for inspiration and fresh approaches, and for international trainers wanting to make a study trip to North America.

WHAT MAKES THIS PROGRAM UNIQUE?
The Super-T has four parts, carefully sequenced to provide balanced learning by the participants, with rest in between for digestion of the new skills and knowledge. The program leaders are not only expert in empowerment teaching but also have deep experience in nonviolent social change work, internationally and locally. The Super-T goes beyond skills and information to the transformational level, with trainers growing in self-awareness and communicative power. The program includes an adventure-based learning course which will expand your toolkit for strengthening people's leadership, teamwork, and conflict resolution skills.

AT THE END OF THE SUPER-T, YOU'LL HAVE...
More training tools you can use successfully
Increased skill in challenging situations, including tools for working with strong emotions and difficult participants
Greater awareness of yourself as a facilitator and new ways to use your strengths more effectively
More clarity in how to arrange activities in a powerful sequence
More confidence in facilitating with emergent design
A certificate of achievement as a graduate of the Super-T

ADD THESE TO YOUR FACILITATOR'S TOOLKIT
Want to add variety and greater range to the exercises you use in workshops? The Super-T will offer you...

Expanded tools for working with people who learn primarily through visual, auditory, or kinesthetic channels
Strategies for how to increase a resistant group's flexibility and openness to learning
Increased creativity in inventing tools and activities for your kind of teaching

GAIN FLEXIBILITY
We'll show you how to increase your flexibility as a trainer. By the end of the Super-T, you'll have...

New approaches to design which enable you to work with hundreds of participants in a workshop if necessary
More understanding of how to use the dynamics in the workshop itself to teach nonviolence, team-building, democratic leadership, and conflict resolution
Increased skill in cross-cultural communication and support for diversity

COME FOR...
Coaching from experienced, internationally known trainers... Stimulation and support from working closely with other trainers for an extended time... A deeper appreciation for yourself and what you have to offer as a facilitator... More self-confidence

A COMMUNITY OF LEARNING
Of central importance is the learning community formed by the Super-T participants, which gives support to individuals' learning goals. This international learning community, by living and learning together for more than two weeks, extends the learning opportunities far past the hours of actual workshops.

INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS
The Super-T is very popular with trainers from overseas. In the past few years, we've welcomed trainers from Russia, Thailand, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Burma, India, Nepal, Romania, and many other countries. We have so many international participants that we've included a special orientation session for overseas visitors.

About visas: In order to travel to the United States, you will need to get a visa from the US embassy in your country. It's your responsibility to get your visa, but we'll help you as best we can. We will write an invitation letter and send it to you and to the embassy. But the letter is not a guarantee of a visa, and even if your visa is approved, the process can be very slow. You should contact us at least 3 months before the workshop you plan to take.

Funding: Are you looking for help paying for your trip to the US Here's an idea: many participants get funding from social-change groups in their home countries. In return, the participant agrees to do trainings for the group after returning home.

FEE
The fee for the whole Super-T is $750-$2,250 US, sliding scale based on income. The fee includes over 110 hours of training, meals on workshop days, and simple lodging in neighborhood homes for people who request it. Payment is by check or money order payable to Training for Change. To determine your workshop fee, use the chart below.


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The Center for Whole Communities is Hiring a Senior Program Manager
 

Center for Whole Communities is expanding its staff. With their retreats, workshops and other programs growing each year, they are poised to greatly expand our capacity to serve our alumni, new fellows, and our larger mission by bringing on a Senior Program Manager.This position will be full-time, and based at Knoll Farm in central Vermont.

CWCs Senior Program Manager will oversee our educational workshops and retreats, and manage our rapidly growing advanced leadership program of custom-designed, fee-based programs for organizations and alumni around the country. The senior program manager will work closely with the other program staff, co-directors, board, and alumni to provide the leadership, planning and implementation necessary to deliver the highest quality educational programs in service of our mission. This position is hands-on, creative and highly gratifying. The staff is dedicated and fast-moving so ideal candidates will be entrepreneurial, highly relational, organized and personally committed to our mission.

For a full description, or to post or pass along this announcement, please to the homepage of the website,www.wholecommunities.org, or link here.

To apply, send a resume, cover letter and writing sample to Molly Bagnato: molly@wholecommunities.org.
 

and...
 
Attend the Whole Measures Workshop at Knoll Farm 
 
Time: July 5, 2011 at 3pm to July 8, 2011 at 11pm
Location: Center for Whole Communities, Knoll Farm
Organized By: Ginny McGinn

Event Description:
Come to this interactive, innovative workshop to learn more about the ten values-based practices detailed in Whole Measures and how to use them in your work. The workshop provides the practical and transformational skills needed to collaboratively implement these practices in your organization or community. To read more about this workshop, go to http://www.wholecommunities.org/whole_measures/

See more details and RSVP on Center for Whole Communities Alumni Network:
http://cwcalumni.ning.com/events/event/show?id=2015834%3AEvent%3A11439&xgi=4O1ZHMyYugBfzr&xg_source=msg_invite_event
 

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