A free four-part video series has been created by the non-profit Turtle Island Project (TIP) in Munising, Michigan on the third annual "Cowboys and Angels" concert that benefited the White Buffalo Calf Woman Society (WBCWS) in Mission, South Dakota – the world's oldest Native American domestic violence shelter...WBCWS battles domestic violence, sexual assault and an alarming increase in teen suicides on the Lakota Rosebud Sioux Reservation...A wide variety of social problems are among the causes for the Rosebud suicides and family violence including poverty, depression, no jobs, and substance abuse Rev. Dr. Lynn Hubbard performed original songs and seasonal music during the free concert on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008 at the Falling Rock Cafe and Bookstore in Munising, Michigan.

Healing the Earth Radio explores the connections between many social and ecological issues. Motivated by a desire to foster more understanding, alliances, and effective action, the show interviews Native people defending their land and culture, environmental, local food, and peak oil activists, writers, lawyers, supporters of political prisoners, scientists, whistle-blowers, tree sitters, and many others who devote their lives to making things better.

In a society where numbers on a measuring tape and weight scale calculate a woman's worth, the field of cosmetic surgery has grown to astounding length...Physicians offer a variety of nip and tuck procedures that can allow the transformation of a female body from the top of her skull to her very tiptoes. More recently, much has been made of what has come to be known as the "designer vagina" craze.

By Diego Cevallos - Sunday, December 14, 2008

Kidnappings in the south of Mexico are nothing new, but the latest cases seem to follow a different pattern, Paulo Martínez, spokesman for the non-governmental organisation Sin Fronteras (Without Borders), a human rights watchdog for immigrants arriving in this country...According to Martínez, women kidnapped in the south have reported being tortured and raped. Their captors usually demand ransom from relatives of the victims living in the United States.

By Sonali Kolhatkar - November 30, 2008

President Elect Barack Obama wants to increase the number of US troops in Afghanistan. But the US/NATO occupation is less popular than ever. Eman, an Afghan woman's rights activist with RAWA tells Uprising host, Sonali Kolhatkar, that Obama must end the occupation. RAWA, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, is the oldest women's political organization in Afghanistan, struggling non-violently against foreign occupations and religious fundamentalism for more than 30 years.

*please distribute widely - apologies for cross-postings*

Dear family, friends, allies and supporters,

Vancouver Status of Women is excited to invite you to:

Daring to LEAP: The Art of Building Community and Collective Voice

Thursday, 11 December 2008
6:00 – 9:00pm
Hastings Community Centre (Room 9)
3096 East Hastings St.
Vancouver - Coast Salish Territory

By Thomas Walkom - November 29, 2008

If there's anything a red-meat Conservative hates more than a civil servant, it's a unionized civil servant. Indeed, the only thing worse is an uppity, female, unionized civil servant who complains to a human rights commission (which red-meat Conservatives also hate) that she's not paid enough.

By RAMZY BAROUD - November 21/23, 2008

The issue of women’s rights is a pressing one, not just because of the horrifying statistics...But also because no real progress, development or sound governance can ever take place when half of the society is marginalized and mistreated...To address the issue correctly, studies and reports must delve into the roots of women’s suffering, and not be satisfied with numerical indicators that tell half of the story.

Everyone's Downstream II: Stop Playing Games With Our Lives
To be held November 22nd, 23rd at

The Edmonton Native Friendship Centre
11205 101 Street NW

This event is co-presented by OilSandsTruth.org [OST] with the Indigenous Environmental Network [IEN]

And on Friday November 21, 2008 at the University of Alberta:

From: St'at'imc Native Youth Movement

Munna [HELEN PETERS] [was] arrested for obstruction of justice, Tuesday October 21st 2008, for helping her daughter keep her children from [being] taken by 4 [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] officers, Tribal Police, 4 ministry of Child and Family agents, and social workers that showed up at her house unannounced.

HOUSING JUSTICE:
A Panel on Homelessness and Systemic Poverty

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Friday, October 24th

Dinner served at 5 pm
Panel from 6-8 pm

DTES Women Centre: 302 Columbia
1 block west of Main, corner Cordova

All (including men) welcome!
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SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

by Prime Sarmiento - Sunday, October 12, 2008

Sexual abuse, harassment, poor living conditions and disconnection with their families and own cultures -- these are real-life stories that Sharu Joshi Shrestha hears from many Nepali, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan women migrants who come to her office each day...There are nearly 200 million women migrant workers around the world, most of whom come from Asia, Africa and South America. Lack of job opportunities at home and their dreams of providing a more comfortable life for their families force them to be domestic workers, seafarers, factory workers and caregivers.

October 6, 2008 - Ynet News

Zealots accused of beating [a] Jerusalem woman for allegedly consorting with men, torching store[s] selling MP4 players, fearing devout Jews would use them to download pornography. 'It's very similar to what you hear about in countries like Iran,' says novelist Naomi Ragen...

Tillie Black Bear addresses the Northern Michigan University 2008 UNITED Conference

Links to stories and video by Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, SD on the tragic suicide epidemic involving Lakota youth and young adults