Friends of the Commons Movement, please spread the word... this is just the sort of information the people need now as the Occupy Movement gains steam. Please join us, and connect to interested individuals & groups for cooperation/collaboration Building Change Convergence, Hosted in part by Three Rivers Bioneers Panel Discussion: Challenging the Market-State Monopoly, how to reclaim a democracy by and for the people Friday, Oct 14, 3 - 4:30 pm Heinz History Center, Building Change Conf. (details below for all 3 days of conference activities) Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund's Ben Price, Democracy School Instructor and international advocate for the Rights of Nature and communities. CELDF is one of the leading organizations helping communities protect their local resources from Marcellus Shale exploitation thru developing local ordinances that demand the evolution of our legal system and Global Commons Trust's James Quilligan, Policy analyst, economist and one of the leading thinkers on a shift to a sustainability rate for our monetary system. This means transitioning our local to global economic system to one based on Natural or Commons Law, bioregionalism, social justice and ecological health... and a sharing of commons resources managed by stakeholders for intergenerational wealth 1. What is the tool kit for challenging the market-state system? 2. Why do we need to redefine sovereignty of citizens? 3. What do you see as the role of civil society, community groups, citizen associations? 4. How do you transform decision making so that people are really engaged in the governance process to inform policy at all levels? 5.... community inquiry and sharing THE COMMONS, n., gifts of nature and society; the wealth we inherit or create together and must pass on, undiminished or enhanced, to our children; a sector of the economy that complements and counterweights the corporate sector. Many other great events happening during the Building Change Convergence, this Thurs., Fri. and Sat. including...

Reclaiming and Protecting Our Regional Green Commons - organized by 3 Rivers Bioneers, a community workshop, 9 am-12 noon, Heinz History Center

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Three Rivers Community Foundation News Change, not charity (TM) October 6, 2011 Three Rivers Community Foundation

TRCF promotes Change, not charity, by funding and encouraging activism among community-based organizations in underserved areas of Southwestern Pennsylvania. We support groups challenging attitudes, policies, or institutions as they work to promote social, economic, and racial justice. We apologize for the re-send of this, but one of the dates for one of the events listed below was incorrect!

Registration is OPEN!

Registration for the jam-packed Building Change: A Convergence for Social Justice is now OPEN! Please visit http://www.buildingchangewpa.org and register TODAY! * Register EARLY for the best choice of workshops! * Need-based scholarships are available (contact wpaterson@trcfwpa.org) * The Building Change Film Festival schedule is up on the Building Change website! * Check out the Logistics page on the website, too, where you'll find information on what to bring, buses to the event from outside Allegheny County, and more. * We finally have an email-able registration form, if you're having problems with the registration on the website. If you want a copy of the form, please email wpaterson@trcfwpa.org.

CHECK OUT OUR VIDEO! Major thanks to Pat Kennedy, Henry Lipput, our CPR (Communications & Public Relations) Subcommittee, and Wrecking Crew Media for it: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=IJZc0uAm3RA&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL Check out the Pre-Convergence FORUMS!

During the planning process of Building Change: A Convergence for Social Justice, it became clear that some topics simply could not be adequately covered in just a short workshop. To that end, the following pre-Convergence Forums were created. These will occur on Thursday, October 13, during the day. So, if you're really passionate about one of the topics below, make sure you register for Thursday! (All in the History Center and surrounding buildings, except Labor.)

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Workers' Rights and Labor Issues - NEW VENUE: August Wilson Center for African American Culture (980 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222) - organized by United Steelworkers and other unions Ending Violence: We have the Strategies - How do we IMPLEMENT & MOBILIZE for Change?!? - organized by the Coalition Against Violence (B-PEP) Reclaiming and Protecting Our Regional Green Commons - organized by 3 Rivers Bioneers

12:30 PM - 2:30 PM: LGBTQ Workplace Issues Workshop for Employers and Employees - organized by Rayden Sorock of the Coro Center for Civic Leadership

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM: After PPACA: Real Health Care Reform - organized by Healthcare 4 All, New Voices Pittsburgh, and Keystone Progress Fighting for Justice in the Shale Fields: What YOU Can Do - organized by Marcellus Protest Gearing Up for the 2012 Elections and Beyond: The Opportunities and Challenges for Engaging Everyone - organized by B-PEP/REMP, Disability Rights Network, PA Voice, Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership, and the League of Women Voters Debunking the Myth of a Fair Criminal Justice System - organized by American Friends Service Committee, Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, HRC-Fed Up!, ACLU-PA, Ban the Box Campaign, and the PA Innocence Commission

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM: ACTION: Video Production from Concept to Completion - organized by local Pittsburgh filmmakers

Fees for the forums are the same rate as the day tickets for Friday and Saturday (sliding scale of $5-$10) and can be purchased through the registration process at http://www.buildingchangewpa.org! Don't Forget about Pathways to Change Performances and Awards!

On Friday, October 14, starting at 6:30 PM, TRCF will be hosting Pathways to Change Performances and Awards as part of Building Change: A Convergence for Social Justice!

The Awards! There will be four Champions of Change Awards given out over the course of the evening, and one Cathy Raphael DANU Award. The recipients are:

Champions of Change: Lee Marcuzzi, Joyce Rothermel, Rev. Thomas E. Smith, and Bonnie Young Laing

Cathy Raphael DANU Award Recipient: Bekezela Mguni

See more information about the event and the performers on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/#!/event.php?eid=298301563516990

During the Convergence itself, make sure you check out the 7 Pathways to Change Art Show, going on in the Heinz History Center's Mueller Center (5th Floor)! See works by artists such as Margaret Baco, Etta Cetera, Elizabeth Myers Castonguay, Dana Elmendorf with Seton Hill University's Undergraduate Art Therapy Program, Kurt Garrison, Fran Gialamas, Dawn Hartman, George Hogan, Gary Huck, Tavia LaFollette, participants from Living Together is an ART, MGR Foundation youth, Maritza Mosquera, Ann Rosenthal & Steffi Domike, Carol L Randolph, Dameta Skinner, Pat Ulbrich, posters from United Steelworkers, Joyce Wagner & Mina al Doori, and more!

Events!

October Outrage! Frack Protest at Marburger Dairy Saturday, October 8, 2011 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Evans City Community Park & Pool, Butler County (Clover St. and Railroad St.) A well pad and fracking operation have begun in a producing corn field on Marburger Dairy Farm property. Marcellus Outreach Butler has organized this protest. There will be a picnic gathering from 1-3 PM, so please bring a lunch. More information: https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php? eid=295386403809018

Jobs Now! Rally, Resource, and Unity Fair Saturday, October 8, 2011 12:00 PM - 3:30 PM Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers Hall (10 South 19th St., Southside, 15203) Join us at a dynamic community event for the whole family, kicking off at noon with speakers and live music with Mike Stout. Let's all come together and get connected to the national push for good jobs and a fair economy! Also, networking, information, and resources for unemployed and underemployed workers and their families. Unity, fun, resources, and ACTION for good jobs! Lunch will be served at 1:30. Fall fun, crafts, and books for the kids will be available from the Carnegie Library and Reading is FUNdamental. Free and open to the public More information: Dave Ninehouser - 412-370-5247 or http://www.facebook.com/pawantstowork

National Coming Out Day Celebration Saturday, October 8, 2011 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM Butler County Community College, Succop Theatre (107 College Dr., Butler, PA 16002) Parents, Friends & Families of Lesbians & Gays of Butler County (PFLAG Butler) will be hosting many different activities to celebrate and educate the Butler County community about LGBT issues. Events include an opening reception, discussion groups, and a screening of the film "Gender Redesigner" at 3:30 PM. The film tells the story of Butler, PA native fAe Gibson and his transition from female to male. A panel discussion featuring fAe, his doctors, and others from the film will follow the screening. Free and open to the public. More information: info@pflagbutler.com or 724-290-9674

GIMP Forum Tuesday, October 11, 2011 7:00 - 9:00 PM Rodef Shalom Congregation (4905 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213) A forum with members of Heidi Latsky Dance Company - Heidi Latsky, Jeffrey Freeze, and Toby Macnutt. Free of charge More information: 412-456-5550 or info@fisafoundation.org

FISA Foundation Centennial Event: GIMP - A Heidi Latsky Dance Production Saturday, October 15, 2011 8:00 PM (stop by after the Convergence!) August Wilson Center (980 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222) GIMP is about the beauty of movement in all its aspects -- the breathtaking, unexpected beauty that is physical, emotional, and full of grace. At the heart of GIMP are five trained dancers and five performers with physical disabilities who create an edgy landscape of uncommon magnificence. Heidi Latsky, artistic director and former principal dancer with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance, is a dynamic force in the dance world. Admission: $15 Buy tickets: http://pgharts.culturaldistrict.org/production/30447 More information: http://www.fisafoundation.org

Voices of Freedom: ACLU Clients Speak Out Tuesday, October 18, 2011 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Frick Fine Arts Auditorium (University of Pittsburgh, Oakland) The Grieving Grandparents, Latina Driver, Advertisers, Police Recruit speak out More information: Barb Feige - bfeige@aclupgh.org or 412-681-7736

6th Annual Think Big Forum Friday, October 21, 2011 7:45 AM - 12:00 noon Chatham University, Shadyside Campus Hosted by the Center for Women's Entrepreneurship at Chatham University. The keynote speaker is Maxine Clark, CEO and Founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. Panel on "Branding: Boiling It Down to the Basics," with panelists Susan Gregg Koger (Chief Creative Officer and Lead Buyer, ModCloth), Donna Sturgess (President and Founding Partner of Buyology, Inc., and former Global Head of Innovation, GlaxoSmithKline), and Laurie R. Mizrahi (President, Mizrahi, Inc., and interim Vice President Creative, GNC Corporation). Admission: $45 More information: http://www.chatham.edu/cwe or 412-365-1253

Sleep-In for the Homeless Friday, October 21, 2011 6:00 PM - 6:00 AM, Saturday, October 22 Schenley Plaza, Oakland (4100 Forbes Ave., across from Carnegie Library in Oakland)Please join with us as we raise awareness and funds in support of 1500 local homeless individuals that need our support to overcome housing crises. Funds raised provide critical funds for Community Human Services homeless assistance programs. To find out more visit the website at: http://www.sleepinforthehomeless.org . This year the Sleep-In for the Homeless moves to Schenley Plaza in Oakland, the heart of Pittsburgh's University communities. Oakland is also a neighborhood where friends and families are struggling to overcome poverty and homelessness. We invite individuals, groups, sororities, fraternities, service-learning organizations, congregations, corporations, and all committed supporters of the homeless to join with us for this important awareness raising event. More information: call Diane at 412-246-1608 or email DMcMahon@chscorp.org .

Clear the Air Poster Challenge!

From our friends at Group Against Smog & Pollution (GASP)!

Hey teachers--your students could win bicycles, magic shows, or cash for school supplies by participating in the "Let's Clear the Air" Poster Challenge, put together by Pennsylvania Resources Council and the Southwest PA Air Quality Partnership. The first 50 teachers to register will receive a free kit full of activities and lesson plans.

Call Sarah at (412) 488-7490, ext. 236, for more information and to register, or click on the link below to learn more and register online.

http://www.prc.org/posterchallenge.html Opportunity for Youth (15 to 18 years old) in the Greater Pittsburgh Area

We are looking for youth from different racial, ethnic and geographic backgrounds to be part of a one to two year community- service opportunity in which we explore and celebrate our similarities and our differences.

The American Friends Service Committee PA Program together with Pittsburgh Young Leaders Academy is looking for a diverse group of between 12 and 15 high school youth, 15-18 years old. The group will learn from each other as we explore issues such as violence, nonviolence, how social change movements work, human rights and racial justice. As the youths' learning and experience with these issues grow, they will be guided in designing and implementing a project that addresses in some way racial or ethnic injustice in the community. In the first year of the project the youth were instrumental in getting Pittsburgh declared the 5th Human Rights City in the U.S.

Benefits to youth: We anticipate many positive outcomes for the participants including: 1) understanding of human rights and social change movements 2) skills in leadership and collaboration 3) comfort conversing about race and oppression 4) satisfaction of impacting the quality of life within our community 5) community service experience 6) dynamic, engaging interaction with diverse peers 7) lasting friendships

Time frame: The program will start in October 2011. We will meet twice a month on Sunday afternoons although that may change as the group gets to know each other. The fall will be a time to work with the curriculum designed in the first year of the project. Part of the training will be a Human Rights training, learning about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and how it impacts each of us. In 2012 we will be designing and implementing a project that addresses racial injustice in our city. In the spring of 2012 there will be an opportunity for the group to go to Washington DC to be part of a Model United Nations at the State Department.

Contact if interested: Scilla Wahrhaftig, 412 371 3607 or swahrhaftig@afsc.org Upcoming Events Building Change: A Convergence for Social Justice October 13-15 Sen. John Heinz Regional History Center (1212 Smallman St., Pittsburgh, PA 15222)

Contact Info Anne E. Lynch Manager, Administrative Operations & Special Projects Three Rivers Community Foundation 100 N. Braddock Ave., Ste. 302 Pittsburgh, PA 15208 412-243-9250 trcf@trcfwpa.org http://www.trcfwpa.org

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Mary Beth Steisslinger, MS Integral Systems Biologist Global Commons Trust, Commons Action for the UN www.globalcommonstrust.org Commons Learning Alliance http://www.commonslearning.org/ marybeth.steisslinger@gmail.com THE COMMONS, n., gifts of nature and society; the wealth we inherit or create together and must pass on, undiminished or enhanced, to our children; a sector of the economy that complements and counterweights the corporate sector.