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Upcoming Events: Wed., Aug. 27th, noon, RMC: First Meeting of Next Semester Fri., Sept. 5th, RMC: Event TBA Media Mentions: 5th Anniversary of Iraq War Events Artist Marc Levine and Rice for Peace and Justice member Karen Leu are quoted in a Houston Fox story and another Channel 26 (KRIV-TV) story story on the art exhibit and protest of the Iraq war by the Students of Rice for Peace and Justice. Channel 11 (KHOU-TV) and Channel 13 (KTRK-TV) also ran stories on the event. Recent Events: Mexican Border Wall Talk: Friday, April 11, 2008 Rice for Peace & Justice and HACER are cosponsoring an event with Houston Environmental Lawyer Charles Irvine and 2005 Will Rice graduate, and Brownsville Teacher and Activist, Elizabeth Stephens. Read her recent Thresher article on the border wall. See Mr. Irvine's powerpoint presentation and Ms. Stephens powerpoint presentation. Photos are at Indymedia. Rice for Peace & Justice members Sarah Taylor and Gislaine Williams are mentioned in a in a Rice Univ. release about a trip to a border town in Mexico. Thurs., March 20th: Iraq 5th Anniversary Day Vigil Wed., March 19th: Iraq 5th Anniversary Exhibition and Dinner(RMC Grand Hall) Please RSVP HERE Art Exhibit: 10:30 AM - 9:00 PM: 100 pieces by local artist, Marc Levine, see video below Free Dinner at 6:30 pm and the program starts at 7:00 pm Opening Speaker: Dave Atwood (of Houston Peace & Justice Center) Libertarian Party: Guy McLendon Constitution Party: Clell Drumheller Reform Party: David Collison Green Party: Alfred Molison Democratic Party: William-Paul Thomas Republican Party: Dr. Al Jameson (Ron Paul Republican) Keynote Speaker: TBA Cosponsoring Organizations: Rice Democrats, Rice Libertarians, Harris County Libertarian Party, Hacer (Hispanic Club), and Rice Amnesty, in addition to the organizing group, Rice for Peace and Justice. See Some of Marc Levine's Artwork: Tues., March 11: No End in Sight (Spring Movie Series/Iraq 5th Anniversary Event) The first film of its kind to chronicle the reasons behind Iraq's descent into guerilla war, warlord rule, criminality and anarchy, NO END IN SIGHT is a jaw-dropping, insiders tale of wholesale incompetence, recklessness and venality. Based on over 200 hours of footage, the film provides a candid retelling of the events following the fall of Baghdad in 2003 by high ranking officials, Iraqi civilians, American soldiers and prominent analysts. NO END IN SIGHT examines the manner in which the principal errors of US policy largely created the insurgency and chaos that engulf Iraq today. 102 mins. www.noendinsightmovie.com Tues., February 26: Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary (Spring Movie Series) Wetback, a quietly commanding documentary, follows in the footsteps of immigrants traveling from Nicaragua to the United States. On their journeys, they encounter gangs and vigilantes, as well as border patrol. But these immigrants navigate real-life nightmares with uncanny calm, grace, even humor. And director Arturo Perez Torres does all of us a favor by getting out of the way and allowing them to tell their stories. 97mins. www.opencityworks.com/wetback Tues., February 12: Arna's Children (Spring Movie Series) Arna Mer led a small theatre group of Palestinian children in the West Bank. Her son Juliano, who directed the group, filmed the rehearsals and performances of the plays. Through playing, the children try to cope with their memories of the refugee camps and their daily realities. After the death of his mother and years after the theatre is closed, Juliano looks up "Arna's children." Back in Jenin, he discovers little by little the tragic story of the theatre children who were so dear to him. 84 mins. Tues,January 29th: The Times of Harvey Milk (Spring Movie Series) A documentary following the career and assasination of San Francisco's first openly gay city councilor. Last Meeting: Wed., Jan 16th, noon in Kelley Lounge of the RMC Come out to our first general meeting of the semester next Wednesday, January 16 at noon in Kelley Lounge of the RMC. We'll be talking about upcoming conferences this spring, fundraising, tabling, our film series, and possible events (such as workers' rights and anti-war) - as well as whatever you're interested in! Bring your own lunch but there might be baked goods... Some Rice for Peace and Justice members protest on campus, saying proposed free-trade aggreements violate international labor and environmental standards. Read the Thresher article. Pictures from the Nov. 29th: Iran "Lunch & Learn" See pictures and read about the event where we heard war would be a disaster, but increased sanctions would also be terrible policy. See the Powepoint Presentation Pictures from the Nov. 16th Lunch to End the Iraq Occupation See the pictures from the event. See the Rice for Peace Iraq flyer (PDF). See the PowerPoint slides from the event. NEWS: CNN reports that "A declassified summary of the latest National Intelligence Estimate found with "high confidence" that the Islamic republic stopped an effort to develop nuclear weapons in the fall of 2003." Listen to the timeline of the White House's building pressure here. Senate voted 53-45 in favor of a funding bill to enforce the start of large-scale troop withdrawals from Iraq. This was seven votes short of the 60 votes it needed to overcome Republican blocking tactics in the closely-divided 100 seat chamber. The move means lawmakers will leave for their two-week Thanksgiving holiday break without bowing to the demands of President George W. Bush for extra emergency funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US House of Representatives voted to approve a $50 billion war funding bill which could set the stage for a showdown with the White House. If enacted, the measure would require President Bush to start withdrawing troops from Iraq within 30 days, with a goal of ending combat in December 2008. The president requested $200 billion. AEIA Director: Military Strike On Iran "Would absolutely lead to a Disaster." Iran and Economic Recession: If war breaks out, anticipate that all hell will break loose in the oil markets." Mission statement Rice for Peace and Justice is a non-partisan student organization committed to promoting non-military solutions to conflict, both foreign and domestic, and dismantling the systems of oppression that perpetuate injustice, including race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. We believe that each person should be granted the same social, economic, and environmental rights, and we aim to achieve these goals through education, advocacy, active political participation, and coalition building with other student groups both at Rice and in the larger community. Past Projects Iraq War Memorial (March 2007) In honor of the 4th anniversary of the war in Iraq, R4PJ teamed up with Amnesty International to organize a campus-wide memorial for American soldiers and Iraqi civilians who have been killed, injured, or displaced by the war. Placards displaying the names of affected people were individually tied around more than 900 trees on the Rice campus, creating a visible reminder of the extent of suffering inflicted by the unjust war. Service and activism guide R4PJ coordinated with progressive organizations at Rice and in Houston to create a comprehensive guide for incoming Rice students to community service and social activism. Justice for Janitors (fall 2006) R4PJ supported the Houston janitors during the fall of 2006 by participating alongside them during marches and rallies and by organizing an information session to inform the Rice community of the strike’s importance. Journey of Hope (Oct. 2007) R4PJ hosted Journey of Hope, an educational speaking tour featuring family members of murder victims and exonerated death row prisoners. Lunch to End the Iraq Occupation (Nov. 2007) See the pictures from the event. See the Rice for Peace Iraq flyer (PDF). See the PowerPoint slides from the event. Iran "Lunch & Learn" (Dec. 2007) See pictures and read about the event. Fall Film Series (2007) R4PJ showed biweekly films to raise awareness of important social issues including the death penalty, mental illness, and war profiteering in Iraq. Films watched include: The Peace! (Nov. 2nd, 2007) A 2003 documentary on the Iraq peace movement. Includes Desmond Tutu, Scott Ritter, Pete Seeger, Howard Zinn and Gore Vidal. Iraq for Sale (Nov. 13th, 2007) Iraq for Sale takes you inside the lives of soldiers, truck drivers, widows and children who have been changed forever as a result of profiteering in the reconstruction of Iraq. Iraq for Sale uncovers the connections between private corporations making a killing in Iraq and the decision makers who allow them to do so. 75 min. Future Film Series Possible films to watch include: Meeting Resistance Iran "Lunch & Learn" See the Powepoint Presentation “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead