Res Publica

Thursday05

CREATING A CULTURE OF PEACE: NONVIO­LENCE TRAIN­ING Learn to help your community strive for peace, justice, and human dignity. Thu.-Sun., Nov. 5-8. St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 8134 Mesa. $50, scholarships available. [email protected].

CLAIMING OUR COMMON GROUND Celebrate the launch of the Interfaith Environmental Net­work. 6:30-8:30pm. Congregation Beth Israel, 3901 Shoal Creek Blvd. www.interfaithenvironment.org.

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR GERDA WEISSMANN KLEIN talks about her life and promoting tolerance through education. 7pm. Texas Hillel, 2105 San Antonio.

RAINFOREST PARTNERSHIP Elizabeth Avellán and Richard Linklater host a soiree for Austin nonprofit Rainforest Part­nership as it celebrates the one-year anniversary of its Chipaota project, which has saved almost 9,000 acres of the Peruvian Amazon while supporting the entrepreneurship of the people who live there. $100. Barr Mansion, 10463 Sprinkle Rd. www.rainforestpartnership.org.

U.S. STRATEGY BEYOND COUNTER­INSURG­EN­CY Celeste Ward discusses the flawed U.S. policy. 5pm. LBJ Library, 10th floor, Brown Room. Free. www.robertstrausscenter.org/events/view/101.

Friday06

CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION SEMINAR 5:30-8:30pm. Mexican American Cultural Center, 600 River St., 478-6222. Donations accepted. www.sietaraustin.org.

JAMES G. STAVRIDIS discusses Europe, NATO, and the 21st Century: The Trans-Atlantic Bridge. Noon. LBJ Library, 471-6267. Free. www.robertstrausscenter.org/events/view/106.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, PUBLIC CITIZEN! Help celebrate Public Citizen's 25 years of fighting for public safety on all fronts with dinner, live music, and dancing. Jim Hightower emcees. Dinner & schmoozefest, 6-9pm; hoedown, 9pm-12mid. Barr Mansion, 10463 Sprinkle Rd., 477-1155. $75, dinner; $25, party. www.citizen.org/txrsvp.

JILL RICHARDSON The author of Recipe for America talks about how sustainable agriculture offers the only solution to America's food crisis. 7pm. BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar, 472-5050.

Saturday07

ARDEN EVERSMEYER discusses A Gift of Age: Old Lesbian Life Stories, a book of 22 stories derived from the Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Proj­ect. 1pm. BookWoman, 5501 N. Lamar, 472-2785.

BUS RIDERS UNION MEETING 11am. Austin His­tory Center, 810 Guadalupe. Free. www.busatx.org.

TEXTBOOKS, TAKS, & SBOE A panel discusses the state of the State Board of Education. 11:45am. Yarborough Library, 2200 Hancock. Free.

Sunday08

CHRIS HEDGES The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist discusses his latest book (see "Point Austin"). 6pm. St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 14311 Wells Port Dr. $11.50 (tickets available at MonkeyWrench Books). www.thirdcoastactivist.org/events.

LARRY SCHWEIGER speaks twice today about his book Last Chance: Preserving Life on Earth. 3pm at BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar; 6:30pm at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse.

REP. MARK STRAMA talks about the future of energy in Texas. 11:30am. First Unitarian Universalist Church, 4700 Grover, Free. www.austinuu.org.

STRONG WOMEN FOR OLGA SEELIG gather to support Judge Olga Seelig for County Court at Law 3. 11am. El Sol y la Luna, 600 E. Sixth, 848-3130. Donations appreciated. www.olgaseelig.com.

TEXAS RENEWABLES CONFERENCE Sun.-Tue., Nov. 8-10. Omni Hotel Southpark, 4140 Governor's Row, 448-2222. www.treia.org.

Monday09

COMMUNITY FORUM: IMAGINE AUSTIN Share your vision for the Austin Comprehensive Plan. 6pm. Two locations: Westwood High School, 12400 Mellow Meadow; Baty Elementary School, 2101 Faro. www.cityofaustin.org/compplan.

JOURNEY FOR JUSTICE TOUR Carlos Mauricio speaks on his experience as a torture survivor as part of a tour against the School of the Americas at Fort Benning. 8pm. MonkeyWrench Books, 110 E. North Loop, 407-6925. Free.

Tuesday10

COMMUNITY FORUM: IMAGINE AUSTIN (see Mon­day.) 7:30am: St. David's Episcopal Church, 301 E. Eighth. 6pm: Bowie High School, 4103 Slaughter.

ENGAGE SPEAKER SERIES Local experts talk about health care reform in Central Texas. 7:30am. Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones, 499-0435. $25 ($20, members). www.leadershipaustin.org.

YOUR THOUGHTS: AUSTIN'S NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY Discuss your ideas for Austin's new central library with the architectural team that will be designing it. 6-9pm. Carver Library, 1161 Angelina, 974-7183. See details and submit ideas online at www.cityofaustin.org/library/newcentlib.htm.

Thursday12

AUSTIN FIREFIGHTER CALENDAR PARTY Another year, another 12 months of hunky shirtless firefighters. Meet the models live and in the flesh tonight. Proceeds from calendar sales ($15 each) go to the Firefighters Outreach Fund, which provides financial assistance to firefighters and their families when they are in need. 6:30-10pm. Cool River Cafe, 4001 W. Parmer, 835-0010. www.austinfirefightersfund.org.

CENTRAL LIBRARY (See Tuesday.) 6-9pm. North Village Library, 2505 Steck, 974-7183.

COMMUNITY FORUM: IMAGINE AUSTIN (See Monday.) 6pm. Two locations: Reagan High School, 7104 Berkman; Travis High School, 1211 E. Oltorf.

FOOD BANK BENEFIT Appetizers, wine tasting, and live music – your donations ensure that the Capital Area Food Bank has enough food for the holiday season. 5-7pm. Parsons House, 1130 Camino la Costa, 454-0524. $2 (or two nonperishable food items). www.parsonshouseaustin.com.

MOLLY IVINS: A REBEL LIFE Join folks from the Texas Observer and the ACLU of Texas Central Texas Chapter to celebrate the new biography of the late Molly Ivins. Co-authors Bill Minutaglio and W. Michael Smith will be in attendance. 5:30-8pm. Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto. Free.

URBAN GEOGRAPHY LESSON The UT geography department's Eliot Tretter gives a history of Austin's urban renewal policies and discusses the effects of UT's expansion plan for the Blackland neighborhood. 7pm. MonkeyWrench Books, 110 E. North Loop, 407-6925.