"Don't you see," I say, "that the personal narrative is crucial to the history of women's literature, and to feminism, rooted as it is in various literary antecedents, some as ancient as Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book and others as recent as Riot Grrrl zines, not to mention the second-wave practice of consciousness-raising, wherein intimate stories were shared as a means of piecing together our shared experiences and placing them in a political context? I maintain that the personal narrative remains a valid and important form for women today!"

"Ah," they say, "but what have you to say about the phenomenon of the 'overshare'?"

"Let's be honest," I say. "Y'all didn't know how our genitals worked until about thirty years ago.* You thought we were imagining our menstrual cramps! Our inner lives were a complete mystery to you, and your fear and confusion gave rise to way too many terribly unconvincing female characters in literature, along with the idea that we were all 'crazy' and 'moody' and unpredictable. Women, as Others, were unreadable to men, and because men controlled the discourse, we became, to a certain degree, unreadable to ourselves. If we didn't feel the way men thought we ought to feel, we believed that we were crazy or defective. Some of us still think that way. I think we ought to share as much as possible."

"Mmmm," they say. "Interesting points. Perhaps you should look at this."

"I have changed my mind," I say. "We should shut up right now. Truly, we are a lost generation."

*UPDATE: Maybe it was closer to 50! "The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm" was published in the early '60s, I think, but it was in a very tiny ladies-only magazine. Then, at a certain point, it became a topic of conversation, and folks were like, "whatever! The clitoral orgasm is the frigid woman's defense against penetration! Freud told me this, and I know it to be fact!" Then the ladies were like, "no, it actually just feels kind of good, so maybe could we focus on that, por favor?" And folks were like, "once again, whatever, bra-burners." Then, in the super-funky '70s, folks got to reading D.H. Lawrence again, who said that women who experienced clitoral orgasms were all secret lesbians and should be shot. He also called it a "stabbing beak," which suggests that Dave Herb dated some unusual ladies, and suggested that we all put flowers in our cooches and give them pet names like "Lady Jane," which I think was also a plot from an episode of "Sex & the City." At any rate, in my estimation, it wasn't until the '80s when folks stopped really debating how lady parts worked, and started debating whether we should use them at all, and, if so, why, with whom, and how often (see: Porn Wars). It's been a complicated conversation.

The new Editorializing Forum is up and running.  Please go over and join!

To keep asshole MRAs and trolls out of what I'm envisioning to be a relatively safe space, I have implemented a couple of measures.  First, I must approve your membership.  If your username/email is the same as you use to blog or to post at the IBTP Forum, you'll get approved quickly.  If you're a lurker at either my blog or the IBTP forum, and/or I don't recognize your username or email, you'll be moved into a New Member group where you'll have Read-Only access to most of the forum and limited posting access to the New Editorializers board.  If you find yourself unable to post anywhere except there, please post there explaining who you are and why you want to be an Editorializer.  Again, bear in mind that this is not to punish or scare off potential members but to keep assholes out of our space.  I appreciate your patience as I work to keep the forum safe from those with ill intent.

I should say that the forum is open to men who are pro-/feminist.  Those of you who are opposed to this may consider not joining the Editorializing Forum.  This aspect of the forum is unlikely to change, as I believe that working with some men is important to the future of the feminist movement.

Please feel free to invite your radfem and radfem-curious friends to join the boards.  The goal of the forum is to practice consciousness-raising and to promote feminist activism both online and off.  I hope to see many of you there.

Best,

Laceyfish

The post-mortems are rolling in to explain the long-drawn-out and spectacular failure of Hillary Clinton's once-so-promising presidential campaign. She and her supporters are sure they know how and why she was rejected: she was the victim of sexism.

Feminist ideology teaches that American women are victims of an oppressive patriarchal society. No matter how rich or prominent or smart or advantaged a woman may be, success and happiness are still beyond her grasp because institutional sexism holds her down.

The aging Gloria Steinem opined on CNN that it is "clear that there is profound sexism." She whined that Hillary couldn't crack the "glass ceiling" (an architectural figment of feminist imagination) because there are "still barriers and biases out there."

Oh, the unfairness of it all! Steinem bemoaned that women find it so "difficult to be competent and successful and be liked." Au contraire, women are not disliked because they are competent and successful, but because they are chip-on-the-shoulder feminists.

The feminists are living in an unhappy world of their own making. In truth, 92 percent of Americans say they would vote in a presidential election for a qualified female candidate from their own party, and 55 percent say Yes when asked if America is ready for a woman president.

Hillary lost because (a) she simply is not likeable, and (b) the voters (especially Democrats) suffer from Clinton fatigue. The Clintons' offer of two-for-the-price-of-one didn't play particularly well in 1992, and it was even less attractive in 2008.

The bad attitude of victimhood is indoctrinated in students by the bitter feminist faculty in university women's studies courses and even in some law schools. Victimhood is nurtured and exaggerated by feminist organizations using a tactic they call "consciousness raising," i.e., retelling horror stories about how badly some women have been treated until little personal annoyances grow into grievances against society.

Consider how Katie Couric of CBS Evening News, a woman promoted and paid above her suitability for the job, solemnly promotes feminist mythology about discrimination against women. She breathlessly reported that "90 percent of teen girls say they have been harassed at least once."

And what does this "harassment" consist of? "Unwanted romantic attention, demeaning gender-related comments based on their appearance, and unwanted physical contact."

Where did the authors of this nonsense find females to claim that light-hearted banter at which no boy would take offense can now be defined as sexual harassment? Predictably, "girls who had a better understanding of feminism . . . were more likely to recognize sexual harassment."

This silly report came from feminists who believe there are no differences between males and females, and that anyone who suggests otherwise should be cast into exterior darkness. Remember Harvard's former president, Larry Summers.

Another reason Hillary lost was that people resented her sense of entitlement. She believed that the presidency was hers, and that all the people whom the Clintons had appointed or helped, like New Mexico's Governor Bill Richardson, should fall in line.

Hillary kept repeating that she was the candidate most ready (on day one) to be America's CEO and commander-in-chief. That's hard to believe when she couldn't run her own campaign staff.

The New York Times reported that her employees, working with a "war room mentality," "hurled expletives at one another, stormed out of meetings and schemed to get one another fired." They engaged in "profanity-laden shouting matches" and used unprintable expletives.

Hillary promotes victimhood on her website by touting the long-discredited falsehood that women are paid "only 77 cents for every dollar men earn" and the worry that there might be any restriction on abortion. She is still pushing the Equal Rights Amendment even though it was rejected after ten years of national debate, and the Supreme Court declared it dead in 1982.

Michelle Obama is another feminist who, despite her bloated salary from a Chicago hospital, oozes the aura of victimhood. Although she was privileged to attend Princeton University, she wrote that she felt "as if I really don't belong."

Hillary's allies blame the national news media for unfairly terminating her campaign because they are "suffering from sexism" and "Obama mania." Ellen Malcolm of Emily's List and Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood emoted for an hour on C-SPAN about how sexism spoiled Hillary's chances.

Contrary to the image Hillary has carefully cultivated, she is not a self-made woman like Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or Margaret Thatcher. Hillary got her career the old-fashioned way; she married it.

Stiff Right Jab contributing editor, Phyllis Schlafly, is the President of Eagle Forum, syndicated writer, radio show host, and bestselling author.

Main Tent:

11am - 11.15am : Big Welcome from Eastside Roots including who are we, and what will we being doing.
11.15 - 11.45       : Easton Community Choir - singing African, Gospel & Pop tunes to get you smiling & in a fayre mood.
11.45 - 12.15       : Transition Easton - 'Unleashing the collective genius of the community' - helping us prepare for Peak Oil & Global                               Warming.
12.15 - 1.00         : The legendary Mike Feingold brings you 'Introduction to Permaculture' - always a treat!
1.00 - 1.45pm      : Live Music from local folk hereos 'The Dearlings' - gentle sounds whilst you enjoy hot soup & homemade cake.
1.45 - 2.15           : local expert Fred Miller tells you everything you have ever wanted to know (and a bit more) about Wormeries
2.15 - 2.45           : Singer songwriter David Green plays for your pleasure
2.45 - 3.45           : Mike Baker from 'Living Easton' gives us a fascinating talk about the History of Easton with a chance for questions.
3.45 - 4.15           : Jethro enchants us with a story with a magical garden theme.
4.15 - 5.00           : Jetfly with full band to bring us contemporary folk songs from Jethro's extensive collection
5.00 - 5.15           : Insect Orchestra (see below)
5.15 - 6.00           : Very special musical treat (if things go to plan) plus a Tall Tale to enchant you before you leave.

Children's Tent:

12.00 - 12.45pm  : Seed bombs - take them home with you or explode them on site!
1.00 - 1.45           : Make a groovy wallet or purse out of a Tetra pack - how? - you'll see.
1.45 - 2.00           : Hula Hoop workshop - do the twist!
2.00 - 3.00           : Make homes for beneficial insects for your garden or for the Community Garden Centre.
3.00 - 4.00           : Make your own sugar free sweets - taste great, dont make you hyper!
4.00 - 5.00           : Be part of Easton's first ever Insect Orchestra! Then perform in the main tent!!

Plus: Egg & spoon race - legs plus final throughout the afternoon - prizes for leg winners & The Champion!
Plus: Flower/human crossbreeds on stilts

Market Area:

Arts & crafts (ethical / local / fair traded / hand crafted gifts for you & your friends) and community groups

Painted Container:

Freya from Psych in the City brings you Shamanic Tarot card reading.

Competition Corner:

Pay a pound and receive either sunflower seeds, chili seeds or squash/pumpkin seeds (all organic and selected for their large growth potential), top quality compost & a plant pot. Whoever grows the tallest sunflower or longest chili by our August Summer Fayre will win an organic hamper! Whoever grows the heaviest pumpkin by our October Halloween BBQ bonanza wins.....you guessed it.....an organic hamper. You also win the admiration of your community of course. We may also throw in a meal for two at a local restaurant if I can butter them up.

Food:

Delicious homemade soups & cakes. Fresh organic fruit. Sandwiches & pasties. And much more.

So tell all your friends, put everything else on hold & celebrate the start of Spring & the beginning of a vibrant, green, social community space!
And finally - do you have a megaphone...... & can we borrow it on Saturday - OR do you know where would sell one - call me on 07810 806 354

SATURDAY 26th APRIL
BRISTOL NAKBA-60 CONFERENCE
10.30am til 5.00pm at Malcolm X Centre, City Road, St Pauls, Bristol.
Headline speakers include:
Maha Rahwanji, member of Palestine Solidarity Campaign Executive Committee,
whose family were driven out of Haifa in 1948.
Kerry McCarthy, MP for Bristol East and member of the All-Party
Britain-Palestine Group.
Ilan Pappe, Professor of History at Exeter University and internationally
acclaimed academic on the Nakba.
The conference will include stalls & exhibitions, together with eight
workshops to build genuine networking and practical empowerment.
Middle Eastern lunch and refreshments available for purchase.
Entrance to the conference is free/donations.

Followed in the evening by:

SOCIAL FOR PALESTINE
8.00 til midnight.
Also at the Malcolm X Centre.
With Middle Eastern meal, bands, cabaret, oriental dancers, DJ, and bar.
Tickets 6 (3 concessions) on the door or in advance from Booty, 82
Colston Street, Bristol.

Fliers, program, and travel instruction available by email from Bristol.Nakba60@yahoo.co.uk

Whilst their motives are locally specific, these autonomous actions are
drawn together by common threads: indignation at the impending grip that
corporate expansion has on our cities - from diminishing social housing and
rising rents to the homogenisation of the high street with corporate chains
and the segregation of cities along the lines of wealth and power.

Here in Bristol we will be taking a space and breathing life back into it
for a weekend as momentary rupture with march of high speed commercial
existence - we will show films, parade through the streets, open space for
art, workshops, cabaret, poetry & performance, serve food listen to music
and live a little. Whether your a lock breaking specialist, poet or painter
and would like to get in involved or if you just want to come have a look at
what can be done with love and shoestring please come along!

For more info call: 07528 953 230 / 07591 631 230

FRIDAY 11th
- daytime: Come help create the space
- evening: Film night from 7pm

SATURDAY 12th
- Carnival Parade starting from Albany Green St. Pauls at 11am.
- Art Exhibition open all day
- Cabaret/Open mic, live music

Where? 1:30pm in Easton Community Centre - to learn some simple uplifting songs, then we'll join the procession as it passes about 2:45pm

Come and join your voice to the chorus – let's make a chorus! - it's good for your body & soul – bring songs to share or just come and make a noise – it's a living tradition, let's keep it alive.

Wear: any combination of purple, pink, blue (but especially purple)

If you get stuck … shout for help. Or call John 07877 999764.

For those who cant make that date Transition Bristol are screening film The Power of
Community also
At 7pm on Monday 31st March
At The Pickle Factory, All Hallows Rd, Easton

Are you fed up with relying on shops and supermarkets for your every need?"

Then....why not join in with the GROFUN scheme OR contact KEO Films-the makers of River Cottage.

They want families with no experience of this sort of thing who are ready to commit to an experiment in self-sufficiency.

To find out more about this life-changing challenge please e mail rivercottage@keofilms.com or call 0845 8672694 and leave a message or phone 07811 443961 and ask to speak to Vanessa or Charlotte.

(I'm thinking of proposing that they come make a programme about GROFUN instead-it would be much better, tension, sweat, tears, compost, drama, slugs and laughter!!!!)

In other news-I have been interviewed by, not one, but two major broadsheets in as many days!!!! Yep, The Independent and The Telegraph have both been sniffing about the GROFUN headquarters (my bedroom) !!!

Look out for something in The Independent a week today or the following Thurs!

How exciting this all is.........but its nothing without you-so join up to the scheme if youre at all interested and book in your Action Days asap and lets get things rolling!

Anyone interested in GROFUN is invited along to another informal meeting at The Albany, Shaftesbury Avenue, Montpelier, Wed the 19th, 6.30 for 7 where I'll also be screening the film. There's no obligation to sign-up its just a chance to find out more.......

Gro-well.

I am proud to report that the short film we made which chronicles the first year of the GROFUN Project is now on the web!

With the help of Kyra, a local film maker/editor and Naomi it is great that I can now point those interested to an engaging and informative film to further promote the benefits of this growing, grass-roots project. My friend Steve produced the music especially for this film.

Thankyou Steve

You can watch the film here and comment or go to and watch and comment there. In terms of promotion of the scheme YouTube probably has bit more clout!

Please feel free to leave constructive comments, but go easy, much of the footage was unuseable due to poor sound or light quality and the final cut is the best it could have been with the raw material we had available. It's not exactly Palme d'Or stuff, but it's sort of innocent in tone dont you think?

Venue - Blue Lagoon, 20, Gloucester Road Cost - £3 or £2 concessions

Latin Party Night - Salsa, Cumbia, Reggaeton, Merengue etc
DJs El Gingo, Jaz, EL Phatticito
Benefit for Venezuela Solidarity and Colombia Solidarity Campaigns

Please come along, show support and have fun!

Map: http://www.multimap.com/maps/?hloc=GB|bs2%209tj#t=l&map=51.46797,-2.57287|16|4&loc=GB:51.46797:-2.57287:15|bs2%209tj|BS2%209TJ

Refreshments will be available

‘Offside’ is about a group of young women who break into a football stadium to watch their national team compete in the World Cup qulaifiers. From acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Pahani (White Balloon, The Circle, Crimson Gold) this film challenges many misconceptions surronding Iran and Iranian women. More info at: http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=155197

This showing is to raise funds for Bristol Stop The War Coalition - come along and bring your friends.

For further information email bristolstopwar@hotmail.com

"The chemical war is never won, and all life is caught in its violent
crossfire"*

Breaking the Silence is a play about the life and works of Rachel
Carson, probably the most influential ecologists of the 20th Century,
She took on both the US government and the agro-chemical industry in
her ground breaking book "Silent Spring" published in 1962.This show
is not a history lesson, it's not about fear and despair, it's a love
story which reverberates with the world we face today.

Tickets available from
7 Generations, Picton Street, Montpelier, 0845 330 3934
Earthbound, Abbotsford Rd, Cotham, 0117 904 2260

OR

Book online by sending an email to silentspring. bristol@gmail. com
these tickets can be collected and paid for on the night.

Where?
Circomedia, Portland Square, St Pauls, Bristol

When?
Wednesday 6th Feb 7.30pm

How Much?
£8, £5 concessions.

Seven Generations Trust A vibrant hub where people can share ideas and explore visions of a sustainable future. WHO ON EARTH ARE WE? Seven Generations is a community owned & run social enterprise which seeks sustainable solutions to the problems humanity currently faces. We are a conduit for 'missing information' to enable us to make life changing decisions - for ourselves, our children & the generations to come. WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE? We have the best eco-cafe-bookshop, in the heart of the Montpelier, just 10mins walk from Bristol's city centre. CONTACT US 0845 330 3934 info@sevengenerations.co.uk www.sevengenerations.co.uk Seven Generations Trust Ltd · company registration #:5601571 · vat registration #:tbc · 10-12 Picton Street, Bristol BS6 5QA THE SMALL PRINT The purpose of this email is to provide you with some information which may have been missing in your life.  The views expressed here are absolutely those of the company.  If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, feel free to read it anyway!  The world is full of disclaimers.  This is not one of them.

Forward email This email was sent to nadiahillman@yahoo.ca, by info@sevengenerations.co.uk Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Email Marketing by Seven Generations | 10-12 Picton Street | Bristol | BS6 5QA | United Kingdom

SUNDAY 25TH NOVEMBER All day 9.30am to 6pm

AT THE COUNCIL HOUSE, COLLEGE GREEN

With chilled music at the Folkhouse after-party 6.30 to 11pm. You are invited to The Big Event - a lively day of talks, workshops, films and discussions designed to inspire and inform local action. Find out how you can get involved with a community led, radical rethink Bristol’s dependency on fossil fuels and planning how we can move towards a resilient, creative, positive future. Keynote speakers include leading experts Richard Heinberg, Jeremy Leggett, David Strahan and Dr Chris Johnstone. There will also be a packed programme of workshops covering topics like sustainable transport, eco-building, alternative energy, community gardening, herbal medicine, local economics, composting, carbon reduction action groups, how to work effectively as a group and much more. Many workshops will be run by local groups who are already initiating positive changes in their community plus experts fom national organizations Sustrans, The Soil Association and Centre for Sustainable Energy and others. Full listing on www.transitioncitybristol.org

Lifecycle UK will be providing Dr Bike to give your bike the once over while you fill your head with positive ideas. If you’ve already changed your light bulbs and turned your heating down a notch and are wondering what to do next The Big Event is a chance to find out how you can get involved with shaping Bristol’s transition from energy dependence to a sustainable, resilient and positive future. You are invited to come, be inspired and learn how to find the confidence to act. Ticket sales online or at The Better Food Company, Fresh and Wild, Windmill Hill City Farm and other outlets.

For details visit www.transitionbristol.org. Cost £14/£8 concessions. Please book in advance. Tickets are limited so early booking is advised. Bristol Permaculture Group are holding a benefit at the Folkhouse from 6.30pm to 11pm. Chill to beautiful music from Slow, The Dearlings, Eirlys Rhiannon and Susannah Waters. Simple affordable food. £5 on the door. Flyer

Contact Sarah Pugh

sarah@transitioncitybristol.org

www.transitionbristol.org

Transition Bristol is a not for profit community led organization working in conjunction with the national Transition Network. The project is run entirely by volunteers. Transition Bristol supports and is accountable to a network of locally active Transition Villages including Easton, Barton Hill and Redfield, Bishopston, Redland and Ashton. We also have close links with Transition projects in Bath, Wrington and Thornbury. Sarah Pugh 0117 370 1362 07765 604571 sarah@transitioncitybristol.org www.transitioncitybristol.org Transition City Bristol The Hub King St Bristol BS1 4DZ

Full Programme of Talks and Workshops here

The talk is on Post-Peak Food & Farming and the subject is 'Fossil Fuel Depletion: Agriculture and the Soil Association'. Josh famously came to the UK to study without using an airplane. Here his story.

Wednesday 14th November at Redland Friends Meeting House 126 Hampton Road at 7pm

In the heart of the city centre commute, cyclists and walkers and other more flamboyant carbon-lite travellers will celebrate the start of a new people-led movement whose plan is simple: to change Bristol by making every Tuesday a ‘Chooseday’, a day when everyone can choose to do something more climate-friendly and, through small changes in lifestyle, make a big impact on city life.

All of Bristol is invited to cycle, walk, take the bus or the train, kayak, ride a horse, in-line skate, skateboard, or pogo stick down to Burke's statue next to the fountains along St. Augustine's Parade in the Centre of Bristol, between 8:30 and 9:30am to help launch this initiative to begin to get climate change under control.

The idea has captured the imagination of some of Bristol’s biggest and most innovative employers who have already pledged their commitment to help more than 20,000 city centre employees make a car-free choice, changing working practices and providing facilities that support car-free travel. Bristol City Council and United Bristol Health Care Trust have pledged their support to Chooseday along with legal firms Beachcroft and Bevan Brittan and Triodos Bank.

With no great sponsor behind it and no great organisation, Chooseday is the idea of Chris Sunderland, leader of a small charity, Agora. Easy to grasp and easy to act on, Chooseday is already inspiring ordinary people, communities and environmental groups in Bristol as a way of changing the environment on our doorstep.

Explains Chris, “Deep down we all want to do something about climate change but don’t know how. The idea of Chooseday is empowering, a real opportunity to show what we can achieve if we all act together.”

Hope to see you all there tomorrow morning- it's a great opportunity to try a new and different mode of transport, and to get the word out to the general public about the urgent need to tackle climate change in our daily lives.

Solidarity: with all those killed and affected by the murderous oil/car culture & its side-effects, ruining our cities and planet.

Celebrating: the sustainable culture & economics of cycling. You are one less car!

Celebrating: the excitement of Halloween weekend. Let the devil in you ride out!

Bring whistles, flags, music, witches hats, ghostly masks, theatrics, smiles, friends, flyers, toolkits, and more. Lets party!

Bikes, skateboards, roller blades, wheelchairs, pogo sticks etc - all self-propelled transport forms are welcome

Thank you for not driving

A host of expert speakers will present & discuss ideas, issues and practical solutions for Bristol's transition towards a sustainable future.

Workshops from local groups will share practical skills such as how to run community allotments, setting up carbon reduction action groups, composting and wormeries, eco-building and transport solutions.

A programme of films will be shown throughout the day.

An ongoing 'open space' session will enable free-form discussion of the issues, ways of working together and potential solutions.

For full details and to book tickets please visit our website:

Transition Bristol
The Hub, 35 King Street
Bristol, BS1 4DZ
0117 370 1362
www.transitionbristol.org

Send Your Message

This Monday, October 15, the foreign ministers of the 27 European Union states will meet in Luxembourg--and decide whether to live up to their warnings to the Burmese junta.

Three weeks ago, the EU vowed to step up sanctions on the Burmese regime if it cracked down violently on the protesters. If the EU fails to take action now, the Burmese regime will take it as a sign that international pressure is mere talk, and won't hesitate to commit further atrocities.

Burma isn't a democracy, but EU countries should be. If we can send a flood of messages to our own foreign ministers before the meeting on Monday, we can press each of them to vote for stronger sanctions and targeted incentives to push the regime into dialogue-- without hurting ordinary Burmese people. Click here to send an email to your foreign minister:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_squeeze_the_junta/d.php?cl=31303531

The brutal Burmese military sees EU sanctions as a serious threat. To finance its vast army, the junta exports billions in gas, oil, gems, and timber each year. Targeting these industries will hit the state-run monopolies, but won't affect the public; most Burmese are desperately poor and gain nothing from this ugly trade. In parallel we can offer aid and incentives for reconciliation. Strong sanctions would give the democracy movement a powerful bargaining chip-- the government might cede power in exchange for them being lifted.

That's why Aung San Suu Kyi, the iconic Burmese opposition leader, has been calling for stronger international sanctions for more than a decade. And it's why, earlier this week, she refused to back down--even after the dictator Than Shwe promised to meet with her if she would drop her demands.

We can stand with Suu Kyi, with the monks and other protesters--so many of whom have given their lives--by supporting their call. Let's send a flood of messages to the EU foreign ministers before they meet this Monday, supporting targeted sanctions and incentives for Burma:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_squeeze_the_junta/d.php?cl=31303531

The very day before the Burmese junta's crackdown began, the EU threatened to "reinforce and strengthen the existing sanctions regime" if the junta were to "resort to using violence against the unarmed and peaceful demonstrators." Meanwhile, a remarkable global movement has arisen--protests worldwide, media attention, more than 750,000 individuals signing the Avaaz petition on Burma.

Unless European countries act now, international pressure could lose all credibility. It is up to us to make sure that our leaders live up to their own words--and take meaningful action now to support the Burmese people.

With hope and determination,

Ben, Ricken, Pascal, Graziela, Galit, Iain, Paul, Sarah, and Milena - the Avaaz team.

PS: Some recommended background reading...

Suu Kyi refusing to surrender to Than Shwe on sanctions - http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article3043752.ece

A comprehensive background on Burma sanctions; excellent answers to common questions - http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/reports/targeted_sanctions.htm

A statement supporting sanctions by the National League of Democracy spokesperson -
http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=308

And the European Union statement threatening stronger sanctions if the Burmese government resorted to violence -
http://www.eu2007.pt/UE/vEN/Noticias_Documentos/Declaracoes_PESC/20070925PESCII.htm

_______________________________________

[- 525.957056-]

"The Power of Community"

Film showing & discussion

Monday 15th October

7pm-9:30pm

Central Friends Meeting House, River Street, BS2 9DG (map)

"End of Suburbia"

Film showing & discussion

Thursday 25th October

7pm-9:30pm

St Werburghs Community Centre, Horley Road, BS2 9TJ (map)

"An Inconvenient Truth"

Film showing & discussion

Thursday 1st November

7pm-9:30pm

Create Centre, Smeaton Road, BS1 6XN (map)

"Post Peak Agriculture"

Talk & discussion with Patrick Holden (Director, Soil Association)

Wednesday 14th November

7pm-9:30pm

Redland Friends Meeting House, 126 Hampton Road,  (map)

How would it be if Tuesdays became a focus across the Bristol region for us all to re-imagine our lifestyles - a day on which we choose to live differently.

This is Chooseday — why don't you join in ?

Chooseday will begin with the challenge that every Tuesday we 'choose' to leave our cars at home and experience what a day without cars feels like.

Are you up for it?

I knew there was a reason I kept coming back to the internets. So I encouraged someone I met IRL, to start blogging. I am also trying to wrangle up some NC ladies interested in momsrising's agenda. I've got to go with my strengths creating things online is one of them.