This Week at Gaia House

THEOLOGY ON TAP Engage questions you can hardly ask in church about life, love, and why care anyway. Discuss and question the progressive theological-spiritual bias on taking action for social justice. Jesus meant it. Do we? It all happens at the Underground Pub & Grill Tuesday, Nov 10 at 5 p.m. Located at the corner of University and Mill on the Island. BYOB (Buy your own beer.)

BONHOEFFER: PASTOR, PACIFIST, NAZI RESISTOR The SI Quakers offer to the public a video and discussion about theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Tuesday Nov 10, 7-9 p.m. in the Dave Colombo Memorial Library at Gaia House.

HELP PLAN THE VEGETARIAN THANKSGIVING DINNER Come to the Gaia House RSO meeting on Wednesday, Nov 11, at 5:30 p.m., at Gaia House-Interfaith Center. Contact: Julie Grey (Dinner is Nov 19.)

FACULTY FORUM on critical/transformative education, Planning Group is meeting Thursday, Nov 12, 3:00 PM at Melange.

THURSDAY'S INTERVEG FORUM features Sam Packard, anthropology student at SIUC sharing information on "Homo McSapiens: Anthropology and Nutrition." Thursday, Nov 12. The Forum starts at 7:30 in the Library of Gaia House-Interfaith Center -- preceded by the INTERVEG POTLUCK: food prep begins at 4 p.m., dinner at 6. Come for the Dinner, the Forum, or both.

RETHINK AFGHANISTAN AND RICE & SPICE DINNER The Peace Coalition is teaming up with the Big Muddy Independent Media Center and the Gaia House-Interfaith Center to prepare and serve an Afghani inspired dinner on Friday, November 13th. Food preparation begins at 6 pm with dinner to be served at 7 pm.

The meal will be followed by a showing of Robert Greenwald's important new documentary Rethink Afghantistan that analyzes the consequences of eight years of U.S. military engagement. The film graphically documents how the military approach to Afghanistan is not succeeding and how further application of American military force will not bring stability to the country or security to our own.

Please contact the Interfaith Center, Aur Beck or Georgeann Hartzog, 521-4239 if you would like to help with preparations for dinner.

GAIA HOUSE INTERFAITH CENTER WORK DAY! This Saturday, Nov 14th, 9:30 AM. Come join us as we beautify and winterize our home-away-from-home. Fill in volunteer hours or just get some great exercise on what is sure to be one of the last nice days of the year. Free fair-trade coffee, and lunch if you stick around that long!

BOARD MEETING Monday, Nov 16, 5:30 PM at Gaia House.

LIBRARY PARTY! Tuesday, Nov 17, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM. We just had so much fun the first time, we're throwing another! Bring your laptop and help put our wonderful library collection online. Good company, yummy snacks, and the dry comedy stylings of librarian Dan Raino! What more could you ask for? Please let Dan know if you will be able to make it.

THE ANNUAL VEGETARIAN THANKSGIVING DINNER is quickly approaching! Volunteers are still needed for everything from setup and decorating, to food preparation, to dish duty. Stop in and pick a slot on our sign-up sheets, or email Julie Grey for more information. Be sure and tell everyone you know! The dinner is Thursday, Nov 19, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM, but setup will begin early Wednesday.

Community Events

NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH is in full swing at SIUC. For a list of the films, meals, and lectures, check out the NAHM website or see the poster in the atrium at Gaia House.

THE AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT is coming to SIUC Dec 1-4, and volunteers are needed to stand with the quilt and read from the Book of Names. Multiple time slots are still available. To sign up, contact Jennie Gentoli

UNITED NATIONS UNA: ACTION PLAN FOR SUCCESS presented by Olga Weidner at the Humanist Round Table, Wednesday, Nov 11th, 2:00 pm, Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship

SPRING BIRD MIGRATION IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS Thursday, Nov 12th, 7:3 0PM with biologist John Schwegman's pictures and narration. Carbondale Township Office meeting room, 217 E. Main St. Use back door off parking lot. Refreshments & social time provided. Free and open to the public.

KEVIN DANZIG Friday, Nov 13, 7:30 PM at Cousin Andy's Coffee House. Rod Kennedy, Founder of the Kerrville Folk Festival says, "Kevin reminds me of a young Andrew Lloyd Webber, in an 'off-broadway' sense." From acoustic rock to modern folk, Kevin brings a performance that is sure to delight you and make you think.

ANNUAL CARBONDALE IN THANKSGIVING community interfaith service Tuesday, Nov 17th, 7:00 PM at Congregation Beth Jacob located at 904 Norwest Drive. The new chaplain at Carbondale Memorial Hospital, Vern Farnum, will be the guest speaker. There will also be special music for the occasion. The following religious traditions will be represented in the service: Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Unitarian, Baha'i, Latter Day Saints, and Native American. A reception will conclude the event which is open to the public. Co-sponsors of the annual gathering are Southern Illinois Healthcare and the Carbondale Interfaith Council.

SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS WATCH CONVERGENCE ON FT. BENNING, GA Nov 20-22. The campaign to close the SOA/WHINSEC, so called "school of torturers," goes on. Anyone interested in traveling to Columbus to take part in this years vigil is invited to contact Georgeann Hartzog, 521-4239. Information about the action, workshops, the issues, etc. is available at SOAW.org.

Our Global Community

THE CHARTER OF COMPASSION is the cooperative result of Karen Armstrong's 2008 TED Prize wish, to restore not only compassionate thinking but, more importantly, compassionate action to the center of religious, moral and political life. Compassion is the principled determination to put ourselves in the shoes of the other, and lies at the heart of all religious and ethical systems.

The Charter, crafted by people all over the world and drafted by a multi-fath, multi-national council of thinkers and leaders, seeks to change the conversation so that compassion becomes a key word in public and private discourse, making it clear that any ideology that breeds hatred or contempt ~ be it religious or secular ~ has failed the test of our time. It is not simply a statement of principle; it is above all a summons to creative, practical and sustained action to meet the political, moral, religious, social and cultural problems of our time.

The Charter will be unveiled to the world Thursday, Nov 12. Visit the above link for more information, or find them on Facebook or Twitter.