The documentary Two Americans is a cautionary tale on the direction immigration policies are headed in the US, but also a hopeful exploration on the power of resiliency.

The parents of 9-year-old Katherine Figueroa are arrested when America’s Toughest Sheriff raids a Phoenix carwash suspected of hiring undocumented workers. As young Kathy fights to save her parents from deportation, a community group succeeds in pressuring the County Board to investigate Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s spending priorities. When the sheriff retaliates against his political foes, his actions spark outrage, and a federal investigation.

Filmmaker Valeria Fernandez will discuss current policies and the outcome of Arpaio’s political and criminal fate.

She has been covering Arizona’s immigrant community for more than 15 years. Her most recent stories highlight the struggles that unaccompanied minors from Central America face when trying to access mental health treatment in the United States after experiencing unspeakable trauma in their homelands.

She has also written extensively about the racial profiling that took place in Maricopa County, highlighting the stories of a Latino woman who was forced to give birth in shackles, a legal resident of the United States who presented valid documentation but was jailed for 12 days anyway, and a U.S. citizen who hit the pavement face first after a deputy jerked him out of his truck.

Her work has also been featured in PRI’s Global Nation and The World, CNN Español, Radio Bilingüe, and Al Jazeera English.

“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

That guarantee attracted bipartisan support, and both the House and the Senate approved the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970’s. But then it fell three states short of ratification. Today it is largely forgotten.

EQUAL MEANS EQUAL offers an unflinching look at how women are treated in the United States today. Examining both real-life stories and precedent-setting legal cases, director, Kamala Lopez, uncovers how outdated and discriminatory attitudes inform and influence seemingly disparate issues, from workplace harassment to domestic violence, rape and sexual assault to the foster care system, and the healthcare conglomerate to the judicial system. Her interviews feature legal experts, ordinary women and top-line feminists (including Eleanor Smeal and Gloria Steinem), who are still making a case for for the urgency of ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment decades later.

Women and Children’s Art Openings WOMAN UNFOLDING

Women artists have come together for a second year, to present “Woman Unfolding,” an art show presenting the work of San Miguel’s women artists focusing on the theme of women in all our stages, ages, views and our active lives. The exhibit will be shown on the walls of the Cafe Santa Ana and throughout the Bibioteca for the month on March in conjunction with Ser Mujer and in celebration of International Women’s Month. The art works exhibited will be in various media, although the media most common will be acrylic paint and/or collage.

CASA ESPERANZA

The children of Casa Esperanza, under the direction of their instructor Irazú Aranda, will present an art show on the theme of Woman during the month of March. In conjunction with the Biblioteca Publica, Casa Esperanza offers a variety of free classes to children in need. These chldren live on the streets or are from dysfunctional familes. All live in poverty. Thank you to the Biblioteca and the volunteers with Casa Esperanza for reaching out to the most vulnerable children of San Miguel. Proceeds will assist the children.

All works will be available for purchase.

Art Opening WOMAN UNFOLDING

Women artists have come together for a second year, to present “Woman Unfolding” an art show presenting the work of San Miguel’s women artists focusing on the theme of women in all our stages, ages, views and our active lives. The exhibit will be shown on the walls of the Cafe Santa Ana and throughout the Biblioteca for the month on March in conjunction with Ser Mujer and in celebration of International Women’s Month. The art works exhibited will be in various media, although the media most common will be acrylic paint and/or collage.

All works will be available for purchase.

We invite children (ages 4-8) to join us March 10 at 12pm in the Sala Literaria (Bellas Artes) to learn about simple ways we can help our mother Earth.

Children will learn about resource conservation in fun and creative ways with environmental specialist, Mila Villasana.

“Every two minutes, a woman dies of complications related to pregnancy or childbirth—that’s about 720 deaths every day. But 98 percent of those are preventable”. To combat the highest mortality rates in Central America, indigenous women in Guatemala are taking safe pregnancy care into their own hands.

National Geographic partnered with Every Mother Counts to feature “Con Madre,” a short documentary film highlighting the importance of midwifery care in Guatemala, one of the most dangerous countries in Central America to give birth. Every Mother Counts, founded by Christy Turlington Burns, a model, filmmaker, and entrepreneur who advocates for global maternal health is a maternal health care nonprofit dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother, everywhere.

The film follows Erika and Dora Maria, students training to be the first university-level midwives (parteras) in the country, as they return to their hometowns in the rural, Indigenous communities of Guatemala.

Janet Jarman, the photographer, lives here in San Miguel and will present the film, along with Clancy McCarty, Director and Producer.

A powerful documentary about the work of Berta Caceres, an environmental activist from Honduras. Berta’s pursuit of environmental justice continues after her death. On March 2nd, 2016 news of Berta Caceres’ murder shook the world. The woman whose fight defending Lenca territories brought her to lead COPINH, the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras. The defense against the construction of a dam at the Gualcarque River, sacred to the Lenca indigenous communities, is the preface to a story in which we follow Miriam Miranda, leader of the Garífuna Afro-descendant people, as well as a friend and comrade of Berta. Both women unified in a struggle for environmental justice in a country that is being sold to transnational capital.

Joining us to lead the discussion on the impact of Berta Cáceres will be Laura Carlsen, director of the CIP Americas program and advisor to the Nobel Women’s Peace Initiative.  As a friend of Berta and fellow activist and feminist, Laura participated in the Caravan for Peace, Life and Justice.  The Caravan arrived in La Esperanza–Berta’s home town and where she was murdered– just a month after the assassination.  Laura was part of a delegation that met with the leaders of COPINH, the organization that Berta founded to discuss how to build international solidarity and the challenges facing her organization.

Sold, a feature film was produced by Emma Thompson and tells the story of a brave, 13-year-old girl from Nepal who dreams of buying a tin roof for her family home, only to be tricked and trafficked to a prison brothel in India where she is coerced into bonded sexual slavery. Despite brutal conditions, her will is never broken. She builds friendships with others creating a new family while secretly planning escape. Sold is grounded in hope and the resilience of the human spirit.

The movie is Jeffrey Brown’s directorial feature film debut. It stars Gillian Anderson, David Arquette, Seema Biswas, Susmita Mukerhjee and Ankur Vikal. Sold has won five audience awards and two jury awards, has been shown in 30 countries, opened 9 film festivals as the opening film and was shown at the Nobel Peace Conference and at the Trust Women Conference.

The film inspires the audience to take action to end human trafficking and to support survivors through a campaign called, “Taught Not Trafficked,” which vocationally trains and helps employ survivors through partner organizations. They also teach teachers to help heal PTSD and trauma for thousands of survivors in India and Nepal.

Representatives from Comision Unidos, a Mexico City organization devoted to ending human trafficking, will be present along with one of the survivors who was rescued. Comisión Unidos was formed in 2012, and is a coalition of organizations and citizens with the purpose of eradicating human trafficking in all its forms, through comprehensive strategies. The members of the board of directors are business leaders, members of the media, the political class, the public administration and social activists.

Comision Unidos works in collaboration with more than 100 NGOs from Mexico, the United States, Canada, Colombia, Spain, Argentina and the United Kingdom.

Join Caminos de Agua and SECOPA (Community Services of Pozos Ademato) on Friday, March 23rd in celebration of World Water Day. Travel to the rural community of Pozos Ademato

MEET THE STRONG WOMEN OF POZO ADEMADO TO HEAR ABOUT THEIR WORK TO IMPROVE THEIR COMMUNITY’S HEALTH.

9:30 am Departure from Geek and Coffee patio

3:30 pm Return

Join Caminos de Agua and SECOPA (Community Services of Pozo AdemaDo) on Friday, March 23rd in celebration of World Water Day. Travel to the rural community of Pozo Ademado to see the work of a dedicated group of women fighting for health in their community for over twenty years.

Their alternative health and community center serves hundreds in the area. This group of women has also been pivotal in educating the surrounding rural communities on water issues and seeking solutions. Hear about their work and see the rainwater harvesting cisterns they are building to provide safe, healthy water for all. Join them in a home cooked meal.

Proceeds goes directly to SECOPA.

500 pesos

Pre register: info@caminosdeagua.org

Additional World Water Day events organized by Caminos de Agua

Thursday, March 22

“What’s in Your Water?: Santa Ana Theater

11 am: Join Caminos de Agua, i3 and the Center for Global Justice for a one-hour presentation of “What’s in Your Water?” You’ll leave understanding water quality and availability issues and solutions you can apply. Proceeds go to local rainwater harvesting projects.

“What’s in Your Water?”: Geek and Coffee, Fabrica Aurora

2 pm: Art & Water Workshop: Caminos de Agua, Ser Mujer and artist Rebecca Peterson partner to celebrate water with art and reflection. 200 pesos Limited space.

4 pm: Art & Science for Kids: Caminos de Agua invites kids of all ages to drop in to upcycle ceramic water filters and learn about water with our volunteer engineers. Free

2 pm-6 pm: Drop-In Info Table: Caminos de Agua staff members are available to answer all your questions about water quality and access. Free

Friday, March 23

Women Take Action: Solutions to Water and Health in Rural Communities

9:30 am- 3:30 pm Caminos de Agua and Ser Mujer partner for this day-long excursion. Be inspired to by the collective of women at SECOPA. Travel to the rural community of Pozo Ademado to see how these women make a difference in their community through their alternative health center, water education programs and rainwater harvesting installations. 500 pesos. Preregister: info@caminosdeagua.org

Saturday, March 24

10-2 pm: Drop-In Lab Visit: Caminos de Agua opens the doors to its laboratory. Stop by to ask questions and learn about research. Free
to see the work of a dedicated group of women fighting for health in their community for over twenty years.

Their alternative health and community center serves hundreds in the area. This group of women has also been pivotal in educating the surrounding rural communities on water issues and seeking solutions. Hear about their work and see the rainwater harvesting cisterns they are building to provide safe, healthy water for all. Then join them in a home cooked meal.

Your 500 peso donation (minus transportation costs) goes directly to SECOPA

For INFO and how to register, call 154-6918 or email muriellogan@gmail.com

On March 24, Ser Mujer and the Center for Global Justice present Sandra Moran at El Sindicato. Join us at 1 PM for an intimate conversation with Sandra Moran to learn about her lifelong efforts at stopping violence towards women and working for human rights. Learn why she was exiled for many years from Guatemala. Meet one of the heroines of Latin America at the Sindicato Café, Recreo 4. The event is free. Limited seating,

Sandra Moran will meet with members of Colectivo 41 to discuss her struggles and successes in advocating for LGBT rights. For more information, go to the Colectivo 41 Facebook page.