Reel and Meal at the New Deal

Reel and Meal is a monthly film series at the New Deal Cafe exploring vital environmental and social justice issues. Admission to the film is always free, sponsored by several Greenbelt community organizations. Contributions are gladly accepted to cover each month's donation to a non-profit organization.

Date: Third Monday of every month
Time: The free film starts at 7pm. Beginning at 6:30pm, an optional vegan buffet meal is offered by Chef Karim for $13.
Location: New Deal Cafe - 113 Centerway in historic Greenbelt, MD

July 19, 2010

Based on the critically acclaimed book by Charles Clover, The End of the Line charts the devastating ecological impact of overfishing by interweaving both local and global stories of sharply declining fish populations, including the imminent extinction of the blue fin tuna, and illuminates how our modern fishing capacities far outstrip the survival abilities of any ocean species. Scientists explain how this depletion has slipped under the public radar and outline the catastrophic future that awaits us -- if we do not adjust our fishing and consumption practices. Beyond detailing the issues at hand, The End of the Line outlines the solutions, motivating supermarkets, restaurants and individuals to take the necessary steps to save the ocean.

Kevin Dowling will be our guest speaker. He is a graduate of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and currently works for Ocean Conservancy in Washington DC.

Chef Karim will be preparing recipes using just-harvested vegetables from the Three Sisters Demonstration Garden which can be found next to the Community Center.

Contact Steve Kane at srkane@gmail.com for more information.

June 21, 2010

When sixty years of war and diplomacy have failed to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, can a small group of ordinary citizens succeed? This documentary profiles a self-formed group of twelve ordinary women calling themselves "Zeitouna," the Arab word for "olive tree." These six Arabs and six Jews weave an unusual and intimate tapestry of sisterhood. Their journey of personal transformation may pave the way to socio-political transformation and peace. Some of the women are American-born, others are immigrants; one is a Holocaust survivor, another is a survivor of the Nakbah's terror; their ages span 40 years.

Rather than attempt to answer questions of right and wrong, or how to break the deadlock of the Middle East conflict, the documentary Refusing to Be Enemies simply offers living proof of how ordinary people might succeed where diplomats and warriors have failed. Runtime is 58 minutes.

Laurie White, who is a founding member of Zeitouna and also Producer/Director of the film, will be in attendance to make comments and take questions. Discussion on the issues the film raises will be led by Kay Halpern, a concerned American Jew and an active member of a local area synagogue. For more about these issues, visit sharingjerusalem.org.

The Peace & Justice Coalition of Prince George's County has organized this month's program. For more information about the coalition, contact Lucy Duff (justpeacepg@earthlink.net, 301-577-2350).

April 19, 2010

The documentary The World According to Monsanto will be shown Monday, April 19th. The film is the work of celebrated award-winning French filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin, whose three years of work on four continents investigates Monsanto and its corporate influence on government and technology. Combining secret documents with accounts by victims, scientists and policy makers, she guides us through a path of misleading reports, pressure tactics, collusion, and attempted corruption. And we learn how the company systematically tricked governments into allowing dangerous genetically modified (GM) foods into our diet—with Monsanto in charge of determining if they're safe.

The film highlights the company's production of substances including PCBs, pesticides, and genetically modified organisms which have led to negative impacts on human health, the environment and the economy world wide.

Following the film, discussion will be led by Michel Cavigelli, PhD, a soil scientist at USDA who has been working in the field of sustainable agriculture for 25 years. Email sr.kane@verizon.net for more information about this event.

February 15, 2010

Rethink Afghanistan will be shown on Monday, February 15. This recent Robert Greenwald/Brave New Foundation documentary raises serious doubts about current U.S. policy. It explores key issues about the war in Afghanistan -- the effectiveness of military escalation, the threat of destabilizing Pakistan, the scale of civilian casualties, its potential to better Afghan women's lives, its cost to U.S. taxpayers. For more information, visit the film's website at rethinkafghanistan.com.

Guest speaker Alicia Lucksted, a Baltimore volunteer for the Afghan Women's Fund, will offer comments and lead audience discussion. As part of that group's mission to help Afghan people survive and rebuild, she will also offer for sale a selection of Afghan handicrafts. Ms. Lucksted has over ten years' experience in volunteer solidarity work with several different women's groups in Afghanistan.

Afghan Women's Fund engages volunteers in people-to-people work with grassroots women's groups and specific, mostly rural communities in Afghanistan. Projects undertaken are all ones the local Afghan people have deemed important. They support basic needs such as schools, literacy classes, clinics, new wells, vocational traning, and income generating enterprises. They also give Afghan women an international voice for human rights advocacy.

This month's program is organized by Peace & Justice Coalition, Prince George's County. For more information on the event please contact the coalition at justpeacepg@earthlink.net or 301-577-2350. For more on the Afghan Women's Fund and its parent group, Women for Afghan Women, visit womenforafghanwomen.org.