NEW World Cinema - Winter/Spring series

Fox Cities Rotary Multicultural Center & Wisconsin Public Radio Present

NEW World Cinema

Fox Cinema Café, 400 Third Street, Menasha
All movies have English subtitles
Tickets: $5, Show Times - 7:00 PM
At each screening, a moderator will introduce the movie and facilitate a discussion at the conclusion of the film.

January 25 & 26
After the Wedding
(Denmark)
2006 120 min Rated R
Director: Susanne Bier
The orphanage which Jacob runs in India is threatened for closure. He receives an offer from a Danish businessman Jørgen, who offers him a donation of four million dollars with conditions that Jacob returns to Denmark and take part in the wedding of Jørgen's daughter. The wedding proves to be the most intense dilemma of Jacob’s life.

Awards:

• Academy Awards 2007 (Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film)
• Bodil Awards 2007 (Best Supporting Actor)
• Festróia - Tróia Int. Film Festival 2007 (Best Director, Best Actor)
• Rouen Nordic film Festival 2007 ( Best Actress)
• European Film Award 2006 (Nominated for Best Director & Best Actor)

February 22 & 23
Volver
(Spain)
2006 121 min Rated R
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Raimunda (Penelope Cruz in a stunning performance), who lives in Madrid with her daughter and drunk husband, visits her aunt Paula in the village in La Mancha where she lost her parents in a fire years ago. Paula continues to speak about her sister Irene, Raimunda’s mother, as if she were still alive. When the old aunt dies the past returns in a twist of mystery and suspense.

Awards:

• Academy Awards 2007 (Nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role)
• Argentinean Film Critics Association Awards 2007 (Best Foreign Film)
• Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain 2007 (Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress)
• Czech Lions 2007 (Best Foreign Language Film)
• BAFTA Awards 2007 (Nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role)
• Cannes Film Festival 2006 (Best Actress & Best Screenplay)

March 29 & 30
A Good Hearted Daughter-in-law
(Hmong)
2008 116 min Rated NR
Director: Abel Vang
After the death of her husband and two sons, Va Cha returns to the northern lands of her husband’s clan. One daughter-in-law decides to follow her into a marginal village existence in a steeply patriarchal society. Inspired by the biblical story of Ruth, it is a tale of two widows bounded by loss and love.
Note: The Hmong National Development, Inc will hold its 14th Hmong National Conference here in Appleton from April 3-5, 2009. NEW World Cinema is very proud to be a part of it by screening this film at the dawn of this conference.

April 26 & 27, 2009
In the Name of God
(Pakistan)
2007 168 min Rated R
Director: Shoaib Mansoor
Since 9/11 the Muslims are caught up in an unfortunate situation. There is a war going on between the fundamentalists and the liberals Muslims, creating a rift not only between the western world and the Muslims but also within the Muslim community. Educated and modern Muslims, because of their approach towards life, are harassed by the fundamentalists -- and on the other hand, the western world sees them as potential suspects of terrorism.

Awards:

• Asian First Film Festival 2008 (Best Cinematography)

ESTHER Advocacy Training

Make Your Voice Heard!
2nd Annual Advocacy Training

Monday, January 26th; 6:30 - 8:00 pm
St. Mark Lutheran Church
140 South Green Bay Road, Neenah, WI

Join local Representatives and Senators, along with Forbes McIntosh of Government Policy Solutions, in a lively discussion on why it is important for citizens to get involved in the legislative process as well as how to get involved.

• Learn the basics of the legislative process
• Find out who you need to contact about issues of concern
• Discover methods to get your voice heard to create lasting change

State and federal laws affect and protect us all. Join us for this training.
Event is free and open to the public. Questions? Contact us: esther.foxvalley@gmail.com

Directions: Take Highway 41 to Winneconne Exit into Neenah. Turn left onto S. Green Bay Road.St. Mark's Lutheran Church will be on your right.

Advocacy program sponsored by ESTHER, an interfaith social justice organization in the Fox Valley, Alliance for Retired Americans ensure social and economic justice and full civil rights for all citizens, and Citizen Action of Wisconsin, organizing people to make Wisconsin a better place to live and work.

Please feel free to pass this information out to the general public.

Stephanie Gyldenvand
ESTHER Organizer
(920) 216-0891

Fox Cities Rotary Multicultural Center Open House

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008
6:45 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.

Fox Cities Rotary Multicultural Center
128 North Oneida Street
Appleton, WI 54911

Highlights

• Honor Roll of Donors
• Honor Roll of Volunteers
• Meet our Upward Bound Program Family with Craig Baker
• Visit the American Indian Center with Lisa Hurst
• Enjoy delightful conversations with Harmony Café Staff & Shannon Kenevan
• Meet & Greet our member organizations
• Experience community dialogue with various individuals
• Refreshments….

For more information, please contact Aditee Shet.

NEW Wolrd Cinema - Joyeux Noël

France 2005 Director: Christian Carion, rated PG-13
November 30 & December 1, 2008, 7:00 PM
Fox Cinema, 400 3rd Street, Menasha
Ticket $5

In 1914, World War I, the bloodiest war was well under way. However on Christmas Eve, numerous sections of the Western Front called an informal, and unauthorized, truce where the various front-line soldiers of the conflict peacefully met each other in No Man's Land to share a precious pause in the carnage with a fleeting brotherhood. This film dramatizes one such section as the French, British and German sides partake in the unique event, even though they are aware that their superiors will not tolerate its occurrence.

Thia film was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award in 2006.

What do the reviewers say …

• “The story speaks to universal human emotions that transcend country and culture”. – Robert Butler (Kansas City Star)
• “Today's audience might find it hard to believe soldiers could shoot each other one day and play soccer together the next. Alas, this happened and Carion's screenplay is smart enough to make us believe ... even in the 21st century”. – Forrest Hartman (Reno Gazette)
• “A remarkable episode in the bloody history of what is still referred to - with increasingly sickening irony -- as the war to end all wars.'” – John Beifuss (Commercial appeal, Memphis)
• “It's a marvelously entertaining history lesson -- glossy, emotional and touching” – Roger Moore (Orlando Sentinel)

Hmong New Year celebration

when: Saturday, November 29, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
where: Appleton East High School.

Stop over and watch some of the festivities. It’s a great event to drop in on and catch what you can. Stay for 30 minutes or the whole day ... you won't regret it.

For more information, contact Jennifer Gaines Bates, Refugee Youth Coordinator, Hmong-American Partnership Fox Valley, Inc. at jennygbates@hotmail.com

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Holiday Party

Date: Tuesday, December 30

Time: 6-9 PM

Place: India Darbar Restaurant, 2333 W Wisconsin Ave, Appleton. We will have a private room.

Cost: $10 per person. Toward Community will pay $3 toward every meal so the cost for Toward Community members, including children and family members, will be $7 per person.

Scott Peeples and Tony Gonzalez will provide recorded music. You are all encouraged to bring a favorite reading or poem to share with the group.

RSVP:To Scott Peeples at peeplesscott@aasd.k12.wi.us or 993-8905

2009 Jane LaChapelle McCarty Unity in Diversity Award

PLEASE SUBMIT NOMINATIONS:

The 2009 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee is accepting nominations for the 2009 Jane LaChapelle McCarty Unity in Diversity Award. This honor will be awarded to an individual in our community who has made great strides in bringing different people in the community together in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The award will be announced at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on Monday, January 19, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lawrence University Memorial Chapel in Appleton. The keynote speaker is Dr. Bola Delano-Oriaran, Assistant Professor at St. Norbert College in De Pere and 2004 recipient of this award. You will be inspired as she presents Beyond Dr. King’s Dream: Next Steps.

DEADLINE FOR ENTRY:
Mail or email by Friday, January 2, 2009. Nomination must be one page.

Nominations are to be submitted to:
JLM Unity Award
Attention: Roger Bertschausen
PO BOX 1791 Appleton, WI 54912
or email fvuufmin@new.rr.com

Yearly Report of Toward Community 2008

Submitted on November 16th

Regular Executive committee and General meetings-

• January 15th M L K Celebration
• February 28th – General Membership Meeting
• June 17th - Executive Board Meeting
• Annual Diversity Picnic - July 20th
• August 16th - Booth at Farmer’s Market and General Membership Meeting
• November 20th – General Membership Meeting
• December – Holiday Party

Participation in Community Activities -

• Healthy Day- YMCA
• Meeting with Kaukauna School Superintendent
• Participating in Planning of Hmong Association Conference of 2009
• Participating in planning of Seed folks Project with area schools and Appleton Library
• Participated in Multicultural Center’s program - Foods of All Nations

Financial Support to Different Organizations -

• Donation to NEWCA (Northeast Wisconsin Chinese Association) $100
• Donation to FCRMC towards their loan payment - $500
• Donation to Harmony Café - $250

Toward Community meeting THURSDAY

From: PEEPLES, SCOTT <PEEPLESSCOTT@aasd.k12.wi.us>

Dear Toward Community,

Please join us this Thursday, November 20th at the Appleton library at 6:30 p.m. As you know, we are only meeting quarterly this year so this is one of the few chances for all our members to come together.

We will meet in the lower level of the library.

Thursday, November 20^th, 2008-Toward Community Meeting Agenda

6:30 p.m.

I. Approval of Minutes of August 16 meeting (1 minute)

II. Toward Community Membership for 2009, mailing (5 minutes)

III. Treasurer's Report (4 minutes)

6:40 p.m.

IV. Holiday Party – date and venue (5 minutes)

V. Yearly report of the programs done by TC (10 minutes)

6:55 p.m.

VI. Future TC presence at Downtown Appleton Farmer's Market (5 minutes)

VII. 2009 Martin Luther King Celebration at Lawrence University (8 minutes)

VII. Planning next year's meeting dates (7 minutes)

7:15 p.m.

VIII. Topic for Discussion – "Election proves 'we the people' includes African-Americans," by Leonard J. Pitts Jr. 11/5/'08 (30 to 45 minutes)

VIII. Adjourn by 8 p.m

2009 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest Announced

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Young people who are inspired by Dr. King’s vision of a society free of racial prejudice are invited to enter the 2009 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest.

Essay contest winners will be invited to read their essays at the 18th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration to be held on Monday, January 19, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. in the Lawrence University Memorial Chapel on College Avenue in Appleton. Winners in four brackets will be awarded $25 from Toward Community: Unity in Diversity and $25 from IndUS of the Fox Valley.

Contest categories by grade are: 2nd and 3rd, 4th through 6th, 7th through 9th, and 10th through 12th. Submissions may be in essay or poetry form and should not exceed one page. Writers should relate their essays to the theme of this year’s community celebration, “Beyond Dr. King’s Dream: Next Steps.” Dr. King’s dream for our world was that all people would learn to live together in harmony. Student entries should attempt to describe the responsibility young people have in advancing Dr. King’s message of equality and harmony among people of all races and all backgrounds. A panel of judges will critique the essays. Originality will be a critical factor in the judging process.

The deadline to enter the contest is 4:30 p.m. Friday, December 5, 2008. A sheet separate from the essay should contain the writer’s name, address, telephone number, school, and grade. Do not write names on essays. Please do not use staples to attach name and essay sheets. Send entries to: Toward Community: Unity in Diversity, 128 N. Oneida St., Appleton, WI 54911. Call Gayle Hardt at (920) 954-7211 with questions or if you need to arrange for drop off of an essay before 4:30 p.m. on December 5th. Winners will be notified by phone.

The keynote speaker for the 2009 celebration is Dr. Bola Delano-Oriaran, Assistant Professor of Education, at St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI. In addition, the Kaukauna High School Choir will perform.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration is an interfaith, multicultural event sponsored by Toward Community: Unity in Diversity, Lawrence University, and a number of area churches, religious organizations, businesses, and social service agencies. The King Celebration has been a unifying tradition in the Fox Valley since 1992. It is free and open to the public.

Deadline to enter is 4:30 p.m. Friday, December 5, 2008

2009 UW-Fox Valley Ethnic Reading Seminar

This seminar is a unique opportunity to discuss experiences and thoughts on issues of ethnicity, identity, citizenship and society, by coming together in a shared reading experience.

This year's seminar will focus on "Lan Samantha Chang and the Immigrant Experience." Her stories set in the past and the present, in China and the US, depict intimate portrayals of individuals who long for so much, but above all, for connection, in an environment that is at once alienating and enticing. Hunger includes a novella and five short stories that explore the vulnerabilities of individuals and their relationships as they navigate the dislocations brought by immigration. Her novel Inheritance illustrates the complexity of the interaction between identity and heritage, memory and history.

"Sometimes I wonder if I would have become a writer if I had been raised in a larger, more diverse community ... My childhood in Appleton [WI] prepared me for writing -- for observing and recording -- because I grew up feeling like an outsider ... I can not remember a time when I was not conscious of being different from the majority of people around me."

Lan Samantha Chang has published short stories in Atlantic Monthly and Best American Short Stories Collection. She has been awarded numerous fellowships awards, including the PEN Beyond Margins Award in 2005 for Inheritance and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2008. She currently directs the Iowa Writer’s Workshop at the University of Iowa. She will be speaking at UW-Fox Valley April 17^th.

The seminar is open to at no charge to members of the Fox Valley community. Sessions will take place from noon until 1:00 p.m. at the UW-Fox Valley campus on February 17, February 24, March 10, April 14 and April 21. The sessions will be in a discussion format.

There is no cost to participate. Participants may keep the books as part of their involvement in the seminar.

If you are interested in participating please contact: Jeff Kuepper: jeff.kuepper@uwc.edu . If possible, please try to respond by Thursday, November 6^th.

Toward Community November Meeting

Toward Community Meeting Agenda
Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008
6:30 p.m., Appleton Library, lower level

1. Approval of minutes of Aug. 16 meeting, 1 min.
2. T.C. membership for 2009, mailing, 5 min.
3. Treasurer's report, 4 min.
4. Holiday Party, date and venue, 5 min.
5. Yearly report of TC programs, 10 min.
6. Future TC presence at Downtown appleton Farmer's Market, 5 min.
7. 2009 Martin Luther King Celebration at Lawrence, 8 min.
8. Planning next year's meeting dates, 7 min.
9. (Should start at about 7:15) Topic for discussion; Bringing the country together after the Nov. 4 election -- based on article Scott Peeples will present. 30-45 min.

Adjourn by 8:00 p.m.

Current Community Conversation: Energy Challenges

The Fox Cities Rotary Multicultural Center is having its second Current Community Conversation...

Topic: Energy Challenges at home and abroad

Panelists:

• Paul Linzmeyer, General Partner, Innovative Sustainability for Organizations, Inc.
• Leslie Taylor, Coordinator for Sustainable Fox Valley Initiative
  

Wednesday, October 15th
5:00 to 6:30 PM
Fox Cities Rotary Multicultural Center
128 N. Oneida St., Appleton

For more information:
Kamal Varma 920.731.0834

Mexican Consulate in Appleton

En Español / Spanish version

The Mobile Mexican Consulate will be visiting the City of Appleton to process the following documents for Mexican citizens (by birth or naturalization):

• Passports (Cost: $ 101 for 6 years or $74 for 3 years)
• Consular Matriculas (Cost: $ 27)

Payment must be in cash.

YOU MUST HAVE AN APPOINTMENT
TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT CALL : (920) 968-6880
Appointment Scheduling the week of September 22 - 26
Monday – Friday from 8:00 am – 12:00pm and 4:00-7:30pm

Appointments made for the following hours:

• Thursday, October 2, 2008: 12 – 6 pm
• Friday, October 3, 2008: 9 am – 2 pm
• Saturday, October 4, 2008: 9 am – 2 pm
• Sunday, October 5, 2008: 9 am – 2 pm

Location: Appleton Public Library
225 N. Oneida St., Appleton, WI 54911

Parking in the East Ramp (Cost: $1)

For more information about the requirements to obtain a matricula or Mexican passport contact: 312-855-1380 or www.consulmexchicago.com

NEW World Cinema - Sept 28 & 29: El Violin

Francisco Vargas’s highly acclaimed film EL VIOLIN (The Violin), which will be screened this Sunday & Monday, September 28 & 29, 2008. Please note the change in the show time. We are back to our usual show time 7:00 PM.

The Violin (Mexico 2007)
(Winner of 24 international awards and 7 nominations)
Director: Francisco Vargas
Drama - Not Rated
September 28 & 29, 2008
7:00 PM
Fox Cinema, 400 3rd Street, Menasha - Ticket $5

The film is set in rural Mexico during the peasant revolution of 1970. While the government is fighting the insurgency with torture, assault, rape, and murder, Don Plutarco, an elderly farmer and the aged patriarch of a musical family has fashioned an ingenious way of smuggling ammunition beneath the noses of government troops.

Reviews…
“The old saying that music can soothe the savage beast is both celebrated and challenged in "The Violin," the finely crafted writing-directing debut of Mexican filmmaker Francisco Vargas.” - Justin Chang (Variety)

"A stunning film that dazzles with its deceptive simplicity." - Belinda Acosta, (Austin Chronicle)

“Finally, on the very crest of the much-discussed Mexican new wave, Francisco Vargas outplays all first-time peers with his magnificent The Violin.” - Jeffrey M. Anderson (San Francisco Bay Chronicle)

“Brutal military repression looks the same everywhere and Francisco Vargas' striking and poetic film “The Violin” offers a plaintive cry on behalf of the oppressed. Vargas' screenplay includes some memorable lines that speak to the struggle of the poor and the power of their oppressors. Tavira brings gravitas and humor to the role of an ancient who knows the struggle is eternal.” - Ray Bennett (The Hollywood Reporter)

Coffee fundraiser

If you’re a coffee drinker and believe in fair trade policies, please consider purchasing from Globally Sound. They moved recently to 604 W College Ave. We (Toward Community) will get a $1 for every bag purchased; just mention Toward Community when buying coffee.

Globally Sound Fair Trade Imports
604 W. College Ave.
Appleton, WI 54911-5804
920.993.9989
genelle@globallysound.com

Hours
Mon thru Fri: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sat: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Video from WFRV news follows short commercial message -- note new address above...

Immigration issues - film & discussion

Crossing Arizona - Documentary about the influx of migrants and issues of human rights, culture, labor, and national security. Facilitated by Nicole Lemke, Intercultural Relations Coordinator, City of Appleton - Thu, Sep 11, 6:30 - 8:30 pm at the Appleton Public Library

Celebrate Diversity Picnic - Sunday, July 20

The annual Toward Community Celebrate Diversity Picnic will be held this Sunday, July 20, 12:30-3:30 at Schaefer Park, 610 S. Buchanan St in Appleton (several blocks south of College Ave.) This event is free and open to the public. T.C. will provide

• burgers
• hotdogs
• Hmong egg roles
• beverages.
  

Activities will include

• face painting
• pinatas
• music
• children's activities
• and FUN!

Bring a dish to pass and lawn chairs if you have them. Looking forward to seeing you all there. No RSVP necessary. Please join us for a celebration fo the rich diversity of the Valley!

- T.C. Executive Board

NEW World Cinema in the Post Crescent

Foreign film series brings the world to Menasha theater | Postcrescent.com | Appleton Post-Crescent

Source: www.postcrescent.com

NEW World Cinema, the Fox Cities' foreign language film series, celebrates two years on screen this summer.

Multicultural Center sponsors China conversation

From Fox Cities Rotary Multicultural Center:

Our first Current Community Conversation event will be held on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 5:00 PM at Fox Cities Rotary Multicultural Center.

The topic is China: A Developing Country or an Emerging Power?

Our featured Panelists are

• NEWCA (Northeast Wisconsin China Association) --Dr. Xie is a professor and Co-Chair of the Department of Chemistry at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh will be representing NEWCA.
• Appleton Boychoir - Shana Shallue, Executive Director of Appleton Boychoir and the families, who visited China would share first hand details about the preparation for 2008 Olympics.
  

There will be time for Q&A.

This event is open to the public and is free. Please share this information with your family, friends, and colleagues.

If you have any questions, e-mail Kamal Varma, Education & Outreach Committee at kvarma@new.rr.com

Post Crescent Silver Pen letter: Hard work ahead, yet change is already here

Published in the Post-Crescent, June 15, 2008

June 3 was a historic day in the history of our nation. I listened to the speeches of (senators) John McCain, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama. They promised to bring changes in the country, and they all defined their perception of the change.

For me, the change is already here. It has happened. When I heard Barack Obama, a young African-American, declaring that he was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party for 2008, change was already there.

When Hillary Clinton, a very strong woman, stood on the stage and said that she was our presidential candidate, this was the change we have been waiting for.

I came to this country several years ago with an image of America, an America with equal opportunity for everyone, an America where everyone would be accepted.

Today, I feel we have taken several steps toward completing that image. I see an America where one could achieve one's dreams irrespective of the color of skin or gender. I see an America where the next generation would be colorblind. We would only see a human being.

I'm thinking of all those leaders who made many sacrifices and gave their lives to bring us to this day.

Finally, their dream has been fulfilled. Every individual who has worked hard to educate and celebrate diversity and equality, every community that has worked hard to accept each and every human being with open arms should be very proud.

It's their victory and it's their vision that has brought this history-making day to this nation, which we all are very proud of.

However, we aren't quite there. We have to continue the hard work and keep moving toward the path that's right in front of us.

Kamlesh Varma
Appleton

Fox Cities Earthquake Relief Benefit

二零零八年五月十二日下午7.9级大地震无情地袭击了以汶川县为中心的四川省许多县市，已有五万多人遇难，二十多万人受伤，五百二十多万人流离失所。朋友，请您伸出援手，奉上爱心，支持中国抗震救灾。东北威州华人协会，福谷中华舞蹈团，福谷中文学校，福谷华人基督教会将六月七日晚上七点在Lawrence University Memorial Chapel共同举办赈灾捐款义演。届时将有多位艺术家登台献艺。我们热诚的邀请全体东北威州的华人，华侨，和各界友人共同参加，踊跃捐款，尽我们最大的努力帮助我们的同胞重建家园。

Northeast Wisconsin Chinese Association along with Fox Valley Chinese Dance Group, Fox Valley Chinese School and Fox Valley Chinese Christian
Church are hosting a benefit performance at Memorial Chapel, Lawrence
University at 7:00 PM on June 7, 2008. Tickets are $10, and proceeds from the performance will be donated to the China's earthquake victims.

In case you can't attend the performance, but would like to make a
donation:

1) Make check payable to "FVCCC"
2) Indicate "CAF-China Red Cross" in the check memo, and
3) Send to:
Shiming Zhuang
1037 Garda court
Menasha, WI 54952

Celebrate International Children's Day

Casa Hispana is having a FREE event this Sunday June 1, 2008 at Telulah Park in Appleton from Noon until 4:00PM to Celebrate International Children's Day.

Feel free to pass this information to your friends a family. If you wish to volunteer, call Hispana 920 968-6880.

Mark your calendar: MLK service

The 18th Annual MLK Celebration will be held at the Lawrence University Chapel on Monday evening, January 19, 2009 -- theme & speaker to be announced

The service will feature children's essays, a choir presentation, and the singing of "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

Mark your calendar and watch for details!

Immigration: Look into a mother's eyes

Letter to the editor: Post Crescent, May 21, 2008

Look into the eyes of a mother who faces the agonizing decision of choosing between her children. Two who made the difficult decision to leave their homeland of Mexico in search of an escape from poverty, and the other who chose to stay and try to eke out a living in a country whose poverty rate escalates, as does the cost of living, due to their policies and ours.

Either decision she makes, she loses a child. In this case, she chose to come to America, facing the untold terrors of crossing a border and coming to a strange and often unfriendly land. She joins her son and daughter and struggles every day to make a living and send money back to her family.

She has not seen her beloved son for two years; she does not dare return to Mexico and he, like most Mexicans, cannot get a visa even to visit her here.

She does not see her son, her mother or her brothers, and knows that she may not see them, ever again. I've looked into her eyes and, as a mother, felt her grief.

When you look into her eyes, thank whatever higher power you believe in that you were fortunate enough to be born here, where you don't have to make decisions that break your heart and realize that it is indeed only fortune that separates you from her.

Look into her eyes when you think about how we will solve the issue of immigration. I hope you can feel compassion for her and urge our politicians to make just and fair decisions as they ponder this issue.

Help them make decisions that will no longer tear families apart but allow paths to citizenship for those already here and opportunities for their loved ones to join them.

Connie Raether,
Appleton

NEW World Cinema announces summer film series

NEW World Cinema
Fox Cinema Café, 400 Third Street, Menasha (map)
Show times: 8:00 PM Ticket: $5
Each showing will be followed by discussion
All movies have English subtitles

June 29 & 30, 2008
Adam’s Apples (Denmark, 2005)
Rated R Dir: Anders Thomas Jensen
Sentenced to community service at a small, countryside church, Adam, a middle-aged neo-Nazi, is warmly welcomed by the cheerful vicar, Ivan. Although Adam is crude, full of hostility, and beyond redemption, Ivan encourages him to choose a goal that will occupy his time there. When Adam dismissively tells the vicar that he will bake an apple pie, Ivan assigns him the task of nurturing the church's lone apple tree.

July 27 & 28, 2008
Persepolis (France, 2007)
Rated NR Dir: Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi
Marji Statrapi and her family are happy with Shah's defeat in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. While growing up, she discovers how the new Iran has become a repressive tyranny on its own. Marji refusing to remain silent at this injustice is sent to Vienna to study for a better life. However, this change proves equally difficult with the young woman finding herself in a different culture. When she returns home, Marji finds that both she and homeland have changed too much and she must decide where she truly belongs.

August 24 & 25, 2008
The Band’s Visit (Israel, 2006)
Rated NR Dir: Eran Kolirin
When the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra arrives in Israel from Egypt for a cultural event there is no one to meet them and take them to their destination of Petah Tiqva. They find their own ride and arrive instead at the remote town of Beit Hatikva. Stuck there until the next morning, the band gets help from Dina,who offers to put them up for the night. As the band settles in as best it can, eachof the members attempts to get along with the natives in their own way.

For more information contact the Fox Cities Rotary Multicultural Center at 920.882.4056 or contact@foxcitiesmulticultural.org

Social Awareness Theater

North Theatre Class to Present Original Disability Awareness Play “Much Like You”
On Thursday, May 29th, the Appleton North High School Theatre Seminar/Production class will present an original theatrical piece entitled “Much Like You” at 7:30 P.M. in the Large Group Instruction Room at North High School. The 35 minute play deals with the subject of the physically and cognitively disabled and the attitudes and beliefs we bring to each other. The play utilizes a combination of performed poetry and original monologues -- many based on real-life situations which have occurred at North High School.

Each year the North Theatre Seminar/Production class prepares a production dealing with some social issue topic relevant to our community and its youth. Previous classes have dealt with the issues of tolerance, abuse, depression, suicide, homelessness, and drunk driving. The play will be performed for North students during the school day on May 30th.

Admission to the public performance is free, but seating is restricted to 90 people. Both the school and public performances will be followed by a talk back on the issues of tolerance raised by the play.

Renaissance to offer play on Co-Dependency, “Under the Influence”
The Renaissance School for the Arts’ Social Issue Theatre class will present a free public performance of the play UNDER THE INFLUENCE in the West auditorium at 7:30 P.M. on Tuesday, May 27^th. UNDER THE INFLUENCE is an original play by Ron Parker, Renaissance instructor and director of the eight students who comprise the cast. The drama has been performed in over 30 states nationwide. UNDER THE INFLUENCE is a play about drug and alcohol abuse, but not about the drug and alcohol abuser. Family members, friends, and others who are in a relationship with someone dependent on drugs and alcohol show the results of their co-dependency— anger and hate, loneliness and isolation, guilt, sorrow, and shame. The co-dependents in this play relate their tragic stories by speaking directly to unseen abuser. The play attempts to reach out to those using drugs as well by showing them the tragic effects their choices have on those they care about the most. An image of a mobile on stage shows how the co-dependent's life is thrust into a state of imbalance by the person dependent on drugs or alcohol. The purpose is clear—to help bring balance back to the lives of those who cry out for it so desperately and to reach out to those who abuse drugs by showing them how their behavior tragically touches those they care about the most. In addition to the public performance, students in both Renaissance and Central will view the production. The play lasts about an hour and will be followed by a brief talkback with cast and trained staff on drug abuse.

For further information on either play, contact Ron Parker, director at 832-4300 or via e-mail parkerronaldc@aasd.k12.wi.us .

Foods of All Nations - mark your calendar!

This year's Foods of All Nations, a multicultural feast and festival to benefit the Fox Cities Rotary Multicultural Center, will be held Saturday, August 23rd, 3:00-6:00 PM.

This event features food and entertainment from the numerous diverse cultures represented in the Fox Cities.

Watch for details!

May Toward Community meeting

Agenda

May 22, 6:30 PM
Appleton Public Library - lower level meeting room

1. Approval of Minutes of the last meeting
2. Membership Update
3. Position Update- Vice Chair – Membership
4. Web Master and revision of brochure
5. Farm Market Meeting—selection of Topics
6. Picnic, Date and Place- Tony and Scott
7. Toward Community Happenings – Scott
8. Any other business

Discussion Topic- "Stuff White People Like and Stuff Educated Black People Like" Eugene Kane column

NEW World Cinema - May 25/26

NEW World Cinema Spring 2008 Series 4-panel brochure
Each film will have a brief introduction and be followed by a group discusssion.
Next movie:
May 25 & 26, 7:00 PM Fox Cinema Cafe, 400 Third Street, Menasha

The Man Without a Past
Finland/2002 Director: Aki Kaurismäki
Drama/Comedy Rated PG-13

a story of poor people on the fringes of society. A man, who arrives in Helsinki in search of work, gets mugged and is beaten up so severely that he loses his memory. He rises up from the ashes, in a tight little community of homeless people and starts his life completely anew, from scratch, discovers love, and the values with which man will not be ashamed to live. A small story about people who still know how to be gentle.

17th Annual Fox Valley Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

Monday, January 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Lawrence Memorial Chapel on College Avenue.

The theme of this year’s celebration is: Dr. King’s Legacy: What is our Responsibility? and the keynote speaker is Nancy Giles. Also:

• The Jane LaChapelle McCarty Unity in Diversity Award
  
• Tribute to the late Dr. Thomas Scullen
• Youth will read winning essays
• "Lift Every Voice and Sing"
• Appleton North Choir
  

For more information, see the Toward Community website or call Kathy Flores at (920) 955-9127.

NEW World Cinema's winter-spring series

Fox Cities Rotary Multicultural Center Presents:

NEW World Cinema Spring 2008 Series / 4-panel brochure
Each film will have a brief introduction and be followed by a group discusssion.

All films at 7:00 PM
Fox Cinema Cafe, 400 Third Street, Menasha

January 27 & 28
The Lives of Others (2007 Oscar, Best Foreign Film)
Germany, 2006, Rated R
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

February 24 & 25
Monsoon Wedding
India, 2001, Rated R
Director:Mira Nair

March 23 & 24
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont
U.K., 2005, Rated NR
Director:Dan Ireland

April 27 & 28
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter …Spring
South Korea, 2003, Rated R
Director:Ki-dukKim

May 25 & 26
The Man without a Past
Finland, 2002, Rated PG-13
Director:Aki Kaurismäki