DWCaucus' Last meeting for 2005 is Friday, December 2 at 7:30 am at the Village Deli. Some of our brightest and best women attorneys, Catherine Stafford, Terry Harper and Val Haughton will present information and perspectives on the Supreme Court. Yes, the Supremes!
This topic is so timely as we'll be hearing much about the U.S. Supreme Court this week as a never-enforced New Hampshire law requiring parental notification before a minor gets an abortion goes before the Court this week. Saturday the Union Board at IU will be hosting a Supreme Court Mock Appeal, Roe v. Wade Revisited: Carhart v. Gonzales, and of course we'll also be watching for the hearings on Bush nominee Samuel Alito that are supposed to begin in January.
Please join us for viewpoints, talking points and what we can expect in the months (and maybe years) to come.
*Factoid* Did you know that Terry Harper is one of about a half dozen in Bloomington certified to practice in the US Supreme Court??
If you can come by, please send a quick email to regina@bluemarble.net so we can plan accordingly!
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Our meetings for breakfast certainly network in so many ways, and we always have LOTS of announcements from members who want to share ideas, events, fundraisers for candidates. We will try to cover as many as we can in the e-newsletters, and our DWC website as well. If you would like something announced at the breakfast meeting, please send it in advance to lcregar@insightbb.com or alibrown@insightbb.com. This will ensure that your announcement makes it to the website calendar of events, and also to a new announcement sheet that we will publish each month for breakfast attendees… with as much detail as you provide. This way, no one misses, times, dates, other little details of the wonderful things that we can share that will support and inspire women in the political realm.
***Remember, send notes to Lu Cregar or Alisa Brown by Monday of the week of our Breakfast meeting… a slight exception this month because of this late notice.
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Sunday December 18: Garrison Keillor, Homegrown Democrat: A Few Plain thoughts from the Heart of America.
NOTE: Copies of Garrison Keillor's book can be ordered from for the DWC at a 20% discounted rate. If you would like to have a copy of Keillor's book ordered, please send Julie an e-mail (julthoma@indiana.edu). before Monday November 21.
Julie will then order the text from the Book Corner (Kirkwood and Walnut), and will send an e-mail alert as soon as the texts are available for you to pick up.
If you have any titles to suggest for the Reading Group or if you have suggestions for alternate locations, dates, or times to meet, send your comments to Julie (julthoma@indiana.edu). Your contribution will help make the reading group better.
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Our own member Shaunica Pridgen has accepted a position as the 9th congressional field coordinator for the Democratic National Committee and is coordinating with the Indiana State Democratic Party in efforts to take back that seat, and increase the number of Democrats in national offices across the country. Shaunica is leaving her position of Treasurer with the local Monroe County Democratic Party in order to do this work, and below is a letter she sent to party members recently:
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MESSAGE FROM MCDP TREASURER SHAUNICA PRIDGEN:
Friends and fellow Democrats,
Over the last two years, I've grown a great deal in my understanding of and love for Monroe County and its vibrant political scene. I began my political life in the summer of 2003 by simply asking what I could do to help and have since had the good fortune to be able to have an impact in getting Democrats involved in politics and elected to office. Throughout this time, I've met many of you, have cultivated many acquaintances and made some very good friends. I cherish the relationships I have with so many of you and am humbled by the trust and faith you've shown in letting me serve you as Treasurer.
With this in mind, I wanted to be the first to tell you that I have accepted a position with the Indiana Democratic Party as the Democratic National Committee's 9th District field organizer. As part of its "50 State Strategy," the DNC has committed to this position through November of 2008. I will continue to make my home in Monroe County as I travel across the district, but since I am considered an employee of the DNC, I am not allowed to raise any money for the local party and thus must submit my resignation as Treasurer effective November 18, 2005. It saddens me that I am not able to continue serving Monroe County in my current role, but I am eager to work towards a stronger Democratic Party on all levels not only here, but also in all of the counties across the entire district. I thank all of you for giving me these invaluable opportunities to learn and grow and look forward to continuing to serve Monroe County in this new role.
With love and gratitude, Shaunica Pridgen
Party Chair Lee Jones has called a caucus to fill the vacant position of County Party Treasurer. It will be held at 6:00 pm on Sunday, December 4th at the New Headquarters at 110 South Washington Street. This building is next to the bus shelter on Washington, between Kirkwood and 4th Streets, and there is convenient parking in the lot behind the building. A potluck, pitch-in will follow the meeting so that everyone can see the new HQ, socialize, strategize, and generally hang out with wonderful Democratic friends. You are welcome to come, whether you are voting as a member of the central committee, want to talk to your party officers or elected officials (Democrats, of course!), or just want to get some good bumper stickers. See the party website for details… www.monroedems.org
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In case you haven't seen anything about this program yet:
Alumni Hall located on the first floor of the IMU, 2 pm, Saturday, December 3. Free admission.
Union Board is presenting another wonderful opportunity for education and entertainment at Indiana University. There will be a Supreme Court Mock Appeal of the Carhart v Gonzales case, which is currently on the docket to be heard by the actual Supreme Court. This case appeals a federal ban on late-term abortions, and its ruling may have far-reaching effects on the legal status of abortions. The mock Supreme Court will consist of Valpraiso Law Professor Richard Stith, former judge Bob Reinke, attorney Susan Lee, attorney Reanna Moore, former judge Viola Taliaferro, former appeals clerk Stephen Sanders, IU Professor Alvin Chambliss, former judge Kathy Khamis, and current judge Stephen Galvin. The Case will be tried by Professor Seth Michael Lahn and IUPUI Professor John Lawrence Hill. There will be a reception after the oral arguments, and the mock Supreme Court panelists will explain the reasoning for their decision. This is meant as an opportunity for the audience to learn not only about how the Supreme Court is run, but also to inform them about the issues involved in the case. Students will have the opportunity to vote on the case and compare their results with the decision made by the justices. This should be a valuable and entertaining event for Indiana University students and the community.
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What better way to get a perspective on the role women have played in our community than joining with the planning committee for this wonderful annual event. This call has been made from the Commission on the Status of Women:
The City's Commission on the Status of Women is convening volunteers interested in planning Bloomington's annual Women's History Month lunch. The event will be held on March 8, 2006, at the Convention Center. Members of the Commission are seeking individuals and representatives of organizations to serve on the lunch planning committee. The next committee planning meeting will be on Monday, Dec 19, at 12 noon in Room 1A of the Monroe County Public Library. Minimum age is 18. For more information contact: Jillian Kinzie at 856-5824 or jikinzie@indiana.edu (www.city.bloomington.in.us/cfrd
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Just wanted you to know about a unique opportunity to support women in Africa by buying jewelry!
Claire Robertson will be showing and selling her unique products at The Unitarian Bazaar this next weekend (Dec 2 and 3).
Claire implemented the KYENI project in 1998 with a consultation between the members of Kyeni cia Gikomba to help with economic development in Nairobi where she has researched traders in the Nairobi area. Claire visits the area during the year and purchases beads, completed jewelry items and other crafts and sells them in Bloomington and Columbus, Ohio, where she teaches at The Ohio State University. The project supports micro-lending for the Kyeni Womens Group of Nairobi, Kenya; water tanks and latrines for the women of Kathonzweni, EasternProvince, Kenya; and the Spurgeon School of Kibera, Nariobi, Kenya,where 350 AIDS orphans are fed and educated.
Claire also purchases jewelry from Kazuri, a women's cooperative that employs single mothers, and those items come with a description of the cooperative and how it operates.
There's no middleman here (or should I say middlewoman!) and all the proceeds go directly from Claire's account to the women in Kenya.
The beads and jewelry are absolutely some of the most unique that you will see in the area, and you can rest assured that the money is going to such a good cause: helping women secure life's necessities for themselves and their families.
Claire has wonderful stories to tell of her purchases, some from bazaars in other parts of Kenya, and each piece is unique truly one of a kind! Every color, every style, every mineral, bead type is such a delight.
Claire's research in African history has produced a life history of Berida Ndambuki entitled We Only Come Here to Struggle: Stories from Berida's Life, printed by IU Press and also a video Second Face, also available from IU Press.
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I'm very proud that my former home, IU's Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design Department, would be the force behind such a movement as described in the following notice. The history of the textile and apparel trade, the retail sector has a record of employment that has brought about much social and labor issue awareness. With so many women of the world, young girls and teens who work in factories and an industry with the history of exploitation of women, it's refreshing that these young women are making a case to change some of that. Thanks for indulging me in this announcement, Regina.
****Invest In Your World and Shop Fair Trade
Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) wants to invite you to help us change the world! We are a professional student organization at Indiana University beginning a project to educate the Bloomington community about Fair Trade. Because Fair Trade has proven to be a successful means of supporting people and communities in low income countries, we want Bloomington to be part of this unique economic solution, and its residents to have the opportunity to participate by purchasing Fair Trade products.
Our goal is to open a Ten Thousand Villages nonprofit store in Bloomington which will market and sell fair trade gifts and artisan products from around the world. In addition to providing economic support and business skills in developing counties, these products showcase cultural traditions from far reaches of the world! Our first step in this process is to host Festival Sales in the community, giving us the opportunity to bring these products to Bloomington in conjunction with the Holiday Season, where you can purchase beautiful gifts that give back. Our Festivals will be held at the following dates and locations:
University Baptist Church, 3740 E. Third St. (1/2 mile east of K-Mart)
Friday, Dec. 2nd, 10-4
Saturday Dec. 3rd, 10-3
Indiana Memorial Union, Georgian Room
Thursday, Dec. 8th, 10-4
Among artisan products and gifts for the home from Ten Thousand Villages, we will have jewelry, scarves, bags, children's items, and hand printed textiles from Marketplace: India. You can preview product lines at tenthousandvillages.com, and www.marketplaceindia.com
SIFE would greatly appreciate any support you can give to build awareness of our sale specifically and Fair Trade in general. Contact Mary Embry (mcembry@indiana.edu) if you have any questions or thoughts.
Thank you and our best for the Holiday Season, SIFE Ten Thousand Villages Team
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Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price_ is Robert Greenwald's newest film, exposing the employment practices of the largest private employer in the United States. Julie Thomas has a limited number of copies of the DVD for sale for $15 each. All proceeds benefit Middle Way House. Copies will be available at the DWC Friday breakfast meeting, or contact Julie at julthoma@indiana.edu. For information on the DVD, visit the film's website: www.walmartmovie.com
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Check out details on the DWC Web Site: http://www.democraticwomenscaucus.org/index.html
Read the DWC Blog and add your comments: http://dwcaucusbloomingtonin.blogspot.com/
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