"My Beijing Birthday", a film by Howie Snyder.

Monday, May 11th at 7 PM at the Winchester Public Library

On Monday, May 11 the film "My Beijing Birthday" will be shown in the Library Meeting Room at 7:00 PM. Filmmaker Howie Snyder will be on hand to discuss the film following the 53-minute documentary which takes a heart-felt and humorous look at the rapidly changing lives of a group of young Beijingers through the eyes of a New Yorker. Snyder has spent the last 25 years living and working in China and Japan and several other Asian countries. For more information about the film, go to My Beijing Birthday.

If you would like to attend, please go to the library webpage www.winpublib.org, click on calendar, find the May 11 program and register for Howie's program. Seating at the library is limited.

The film is a presentation of One Winchester, Many Traditions, a collaborative project of the Winchester Public Library and the Winchester Multicultural Network, funded by the John and Mary Murphy Educational Foundation. The project's purpose is to welcome residents from other countries and to celebrate the varied cultural heritages of all of Winchester's residents.

International Film Series

Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. on January 12, February 9, March 9, and April 13.
As part of One Winchester, Many Traditions , International Connections and the Winchester Public Library are collaborating on a Monday evening international film series starting Monday, January 12 and continuing February 9, March 9, and April 13. On January 12 the series will begin with the film The Visitor and on February 9 the feature will be Golden Door, also known as Nuovomondo. The series continues on March 9, with Hero and on April 13 with Caramel, also known as Sukkar Banat. The series is free and all are welcome.

One Winchester, Many Traditions is a collaborative project of the Winchester Public Library and the Multicultural Network, funded by the John and Mary Murphy Educational Foundation. The project's purpose is to welcome new residents from other countries and to celebrate the varied cultural heritages of all of Winchester's inhabitants.

To learn more about the films, visit www.winpublib.org/1winchester.htm, or contact Yvonne Coleman at vcoleman@minlib.net or call 781-721-7171, ext 26.

A Storytelling Event: Not Just for Kids: True Stories You Won't Believe, featuring Motoko and Eshu, award-winning storytellers

Wednesday evening, April 15th from 7:00-9:00 PM at the Winchester Public Library

One Winchester, Many Traditions is proud to present Not Just for Kids: True Stories You Won't Believe, a multicultural storytelling program for adults and children in the Library Meeting Room on Wednesday, April 15 at 7 PM This program is free and open to the public.

Motoko and Eshu, two award-winning, nationally known storytellers, blend ancient lore and original tales with traditional music and eloquent physical characterization. Their tales are at once comical and wise, earthly and sublime. It's a journey beyond your imagination!

Motoko and Eshu have been telling stories together and separately for over 15 years. They have appeared at storytelling festivals, schools, colleges and libraries throughout the eastern United States. They each have appeared at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Motoko's CD, "The Promise of Chrysanthemums," has won both a Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award and a Storytelling World Award.

Peg O'Sullivan of the Connecticut Storytelling Center said of their performance, "Eshu and Motoko shine up a storytelling event wherever they appear. Though diverse in style and culture, they blend and tell as one. Absolutely charming, they bring humor, a sense of drama, a talent for singing, and present a seamless performance. At the Connecticut Storytelling Festival where they recently appeared you could have heard a pin drop!"

For more information, contact Yvonne Coleman at ycoleman@minlib.net or 781-721-7171 x26.

One Winchester, Many Traditions is a collaborative project of the Library and the Winchester Multicultural Network, funded by the John and Mary Murphy Educational Foundation. The project's purpose is to welcome residents from other countries and to celebrate the varied cultural heritages of all of Winchester's residents.

WMCN Yearly Community Workshop

Friday evening, March 27 from 7:00-9:00 p.m., continuing Saturday, March 28 from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Who should come?
Anyone interested in fostering multiculturalism--the ongoing process of recognizing, understanding, and appreciating differences--in your family, community, in schools and workplaces.

What will I get out of it?
You will come away with a framework and language, now shared by more than 150 others, for understanding and talking about multicultural issues of all kinds--racism, heterosexism, classism, anti-Semitism, ageism, and other "-isms." You'll feel more confident having conversations across differences of all kinds--more comfortable with differences in general. And you'll learn guidelines for discussion that will serve you well in every phase of your life!

Have you ever had a question: What do I say when I hear a racist, sexist, homophobic, or other troubling remark or joke?
Bring your question or concern to this workshop!

Do we expect you to do anything after you have participated?
No! But we know that you will bring new perspectives and ideas to your family, workplace, community organization, and faith community.

I did a workshop five years ago. Will this be the same thing?
Every workshop includes the basic framework, but each workshop is tailored to the needs and goals of participants. Those who have participated in more than one workshop find their initial learning reinforced and refreshed, with new understandings added.

What does it cost?
The workshop is free, thanks to the generosity of contributors to the Network, but we welcome contributions of any amount to defray our expenses.

Who gives this workshop?
Angela Giudice, an independent multicultural consultant, educator and community activist, will facilitate the workshop using the VISIONS model for looking at multicultural issues. This model is the basis of the Network's philosophy and approach to addressing issues of difference.

How do I sign up?
Workshop space is limited so call the Multicultural Network office at 781-729-7100 or email office@wmcn.org.

Who Does She Think She Is?
A film by Pamela Boll

Sunday, March 29 at 6:00 PM at the Next Door Theater, 40 Cross Street, Winchester
Celebrate Women's History Month by joining us for the screening of Winchester resident Pamela Boll's latest film, Who Does She Think She Is? This powerful documentary focuses on the lives of five women artists of varied backgrounds--an actor, two sculptors, a painter and a printmaker - who are also mothers. Each of them experiences the competing and often conflicting demands of pursuing their art, making a living, and parenting. The film also highlights the sexism that still exists in the art world.

Interviews with such experts as Riane Eisler (The Chalice and the Blade), Maura Reilly (Sackler Center for Feminist Art-Brooklyn Museum), Courtney E. Martin (Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters), Tiffany Shlain (The Webby Awards) and the Guerrilla Girls add a cultural context for these women's uplifting journeys.

For more information about the film, go to Who Does She Think She Is?

Pamela Tanner Boll, who produced and directed Who Does She Think She Is?, also produced the Academy award-winning film Born into Brothels: The Kids of Calcutta's Red Light District. She is currently working on these film projects: Global Moms; Life on the Edge: True Stories of Doctors Without Borders; 9/12: From Chaos to Community; Kashmir; and In a Dream.

A question and answer period with director Pamela Tanner Boll will follow the screening. On the panel with Pamela will be Angela Williams, vocalist, one of the five artists featured in the film, and former Winchester resident, internationally-known quilter/artist, Ruth McDowell.

Admission to the film is free but seats must be reserved by emailing office@wmcn.org.

The Multicultural Network is grateful for generous grants from the EnKa Society, the Griffin Museum of Photography, and the Winchester Cultural Council which have made this program possible.

The African American Experience:
an engaging, hands-on, interactive Timeline

February 10, 2009 7:00 to 8:30 PM at the Griffin Museum, 65 Shore Road, Winchester
Join us for this program that uses the Timeline as a way of enriching understanding of the Black American experience and to gain a deeper appreciation of the contributions of African Americans to America since her founding. With a 15-foot-long Timeline, playing pieces and active audience participation, significant events in Black American life are explored, highlighted and placed in context against 400 years of history. Trainers: Vincent Licenziato and Andy Towlen, Culture Coach International, Inc.
All are welcome. This is a free event.

For those of you who were able to attend this exciting evening, Culture Coach has provided a list of the books they discussed.

Save the Date!
MLK Celebration Events

The Winchester Multicultural Network is hosting two special events on Monday, January 19 to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Both will take place in Metcalf Hall in the Winchester Unitarian Church, corner of Main St. and Mystic Valley Parkway.

From 3:00-5:00 PM families can enjoy a display of art and writing from Winchester students, craft activities, refreshments, and the music and storytelling of Kemp Harris, teacher, musician, author and actor. Born in North Carolina, Mr. Kemp taught himself piano and was writing songs at age 14. As a musician and composer, Kemp has shared the stage with Taj Mahal, Gil Scott-Heron, and Koko Taylor. He has written and performed original compositions in the United States and Europe for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and WGBH public television. He currently maintains a songwriting residency at the Wang Center for the Performing Arts in Boston in conjunction with Berklee College of Music, assisting talented young artists with composition and performance.

At 6:30 PM there will be an informal reception followed by remarks by Kim McLarin, currently writer-in-residence at Emerson College in Boston and host of WGBH's Basic Black, Boston's longest-running weekly television program devoted exclusively to African American themes.

Ms. McLarin is also an award-winning novelist, whose books include Taming it Down, Meeting of the Waters and Jump at the Sun, and a former staff writer for The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Greensboro News & Record and the Associated Press.

Please come and celebrate King's birthday and the election of our country's first African-American president.

For more information, email office@wmcn.org or call 781-729-7100.

International Parents Meetings

Tuesday evenings from 7-8 PM in the McCall Middle School Library on October 7th, November 4th cancelled, and December 2nd.
Come and meet other parents, share your concerns and questions about Winchester schools. "Helping Your Child Be Successful in Winchester Schools" is the theme for our meetings.

International Pot Luck Supper

Sunday, November 2nd, 5:30-8:00 PM
Our annual pot luck supper will be held at the First Congregational Church, 21 Church Street. Share food from your country and enjoy a delightful evening. Call 781-729-7100 to sign up or office@wmcn.org .

Screening of Traces of the Trade : A Story from the Deep North

Social Capital Inc. will present a screening of Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North on Thursday, November 13th at 7 PM in the Woburn Memorial High School Auditorium. The program is being co-sponsored by St. John's Baptist Church and WMCN. Traces of the Trade Producer/Director Katrina Browne offers a new and provocative perspective on the slave trade by telling the story of her family's role as the largest slave trading family in United States history. The film follows ten descendants as they journey along the Triangle Trade route. Following the screening, there will be a discussion about the film and how the legacy of slavery affects our community and the nation today.

For more information, go to SCIWoburn.org.
To view a trailer of the film, please visit Traces of the Trade.

Winchester Reads Events

This is the seventh year of Winchester Reads, a collaboration of the Winchester Public Library, the Multicultural Network, and the Winchester Public Schools with support from Book Ends. It is sponsored by the John and Mary Murphy Education Foundation. Each event, listed below, is free and open to the public.

Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao: "Transition and Change in Today's Families"
Tuesday, September 23 at 7:00 p.m. in the Pond Room, Jenks Senior Center, 109 Skillings Road
Dr. Pavao is the CEO and founder of The Center for Family Connections, a non-profit organization whose goal is to serve individuals and families touched by adoption, foster care, kinship, and guardianship, as well as other blended family constructions. She has worked with many families who have adopted across race and ethnicity. As many of us remember from her previous appearances, Dr. Pavao weaves stories from her own experience into her talks. We look forward to her return to Winchester this fall.

Bill O'Connor: "The Irish in Boston"
Tuesday, October 7 at 7:00 p.m. in the Pond Room, Jenks Senior Center, 109 Skillings Road
Former head of the Winchester High School Social Studies Department and locally well-known historian, Bill will give us some fascinating background on the history of the Irish living in Boston.

Family Fun Run
Saturday, October 25 at 1:00 p.m., Winchester High School, Skillings Field on Skillings Road.
Also sponsored by the Winchester Recreation Department.

An Evening With Ann Patchett, prize-winning author of Run and Bel Canto
Wednesday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m. in the McCall School Auditorium, 458 Main St. Ann Patchett is coming to Winchester! She will be talking about her latest book, Run, this year's Winchester Reads selection. Many of our readers know Patchett from her novel Bel Canto, which won the Pen/Faulkner prize, sold over a million copies in the U.S., and was translated into 30 languages. Patchett also has written The Patron Saint of Liars, The Magician's Assistant, Truth and Beauty, and numerous magazine and newspaper articles.

Fall Hike in the Fells

Saturday, October 4th at 10 AM
The Middlesex Fells Reservation is a beautiful wooded area with lovely trails. Meet members of International Connections for a hike around Long pond. Meet at the Long Pond parking lot, the first parking area on South Border Road from Winchester Center. The hike will last about one and a half hours. Call Anna at 781-729-4784 for more information and to sign up.

International Peace Day Celebration

Saturday, September 20 between 11 AM and 2:30 PM in Town Hall and the Library's Meeting Room.

Join us for the Winchester Public Library's celebration of International Peace Day. We will have representatives from the International Connections Committee and information about English conversation groups, fall activities, and our annual International Pot Luck Supper.

* From 11 AM to 1:15 PM there will be Chinese and Indian dancers, Indian food, and Chinese crafts in the Town Hall auditorium:

*From 11-11:45 AM the Triveni Dancers--Neena Gulati, acclaimed dancer from New Delhi, and her professional students--will perform classical dances ofIndiadressed in traditional costumes. A sampling of Indian snacks and an array of hands-on Chinese crafts will follow this performance, giving all ages a chance to become directly involved with these vibrant cultures.

*At 12:30 PM, the Traditional Chinese Dance Troupe of the American Chinese Art Society under the direction of Jade Lin will present a 45-minute program of traditional Chinese folk dance.

* From 1:30 to 2:30 PM there will be a Chinese craft demonstration, community resources information, library catalog demonstrations, and a raffle in the Library Meeting Room.

If you have friends or neighbors from other countries, be sure to bring them. This is part of our library's welcoming outreach to international families and we are happy to be part of this wonderful event. Events are free and all are welcome!

Four Sundays, 2:30-4:45 PM: March 16, March 30, April 6 & April 13
Meeting Room of the Winchester Public Library
Sponsored by the Winchester Multicultural Network and the Winchester Public Library in conjunction with the Fair Housing Center of Greater Bostonand based on the documentary Race, the Power of an Illusion.

The goal of this dialogue series with community leaders and residents is an increased awareness of the historic relationship between race, place, and current economic prosperity. A further goal is to have the discussion lead to possible community action; participants, however, have no obligation to anything further than consistent participation in the dialogue.Participants will view the documentary in one-hour segments and discuss each with the guidance of a professional facilitator.

The first three segments are titled:
The Difference Between Us: understanding why the peoples of the world cannot be divided into distinct biological groups (March 16)

The Story We Tell: tracing the origins of the racial idea to the European conquest of the New World and the American slave system (March 30)

The House We Live In: dealing with institutional racism and its affect on neighborhoods and communities in this country because of its impact on housing.

The final session on April 13 will be devoted to bringing the issues down to the local level; what have we learned from this series that has impact and relevance for our town of Winchester?

For information or to sign up email office@wmcn.org or call Sandy Thompson at 781-729-8063.
Also, available from WMCN is the Viewing Guide for Race and Place: The Power of An Illusion."

Viewing Guide for "Race--The Power of an Illusion"

Would you like to know more about the Winchester Multicultural Network? We are planning an information session and invite anyone interested in learning more about the Network to join us on Tuesday, April 15 from 7:30-9:00 in the Social Studies Open Area at Winchester High School.

For the past fifteen years we have been actively involved in multiculturalism--a process of recognizing, understanding and appreciating differences of all kinds as well as the impact those differences have in our lives. We are anxious to share the mission and philosophy that grounds and guides our work and look forward to talking with you about the broad scope of issues that we have been concerned with for well over a decade.

"This is an opportunity," says Robin Smith, co-chair of the Multicultural Network Board, "for people to explore what the Network does and how they can become involved." For more information on the evening, contact the office at 781-729-7100 or email office@wmcn.org.

Friday evening, March 14 from 7:00-9:00 p.m., continuing Saturday, March 15 from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Who should come?
Anyone interested in fostering multiculturalism--the ongoing process of recognizing, understanding, and appreciating differences--in your family, community, in schools and workplaces.

What will I get out of it?
You will come away with a framework and language, now shared by more than 150 others, for understanding and talking about multicultural issues of all kinds--racism, heterosexism, classism, anti-Semitism, ageism, and other "-isms." You'll feel more confident having conversations across differences of all kinds--more comfortable with differences in general. And you'll learn guidelines for discussion that will serve you well in every phase of your life!

Have you ever had a question: What do I say when I hear a racist, sexist, homophobic, or other troubling remark or joke?
Bring your question or concern to this workshop!

Do we expect you to do anything after you have participated?
No! But we know that you will bring new perspectives and ideas to your family, workplace, community organization, and faith community.

I did a workshop five years ago. Will this be the same thing?
Every workshop includes the basic framework, but each workshop is tailored to the needs and goals of participants. Those who have participated in more than one workshop find their initial learning reinforced and refreshed, with new understandings added.

What does it cost?
The workshop is free, thanks to the generosity of contributors to the Network, but we welcome contributions of any amount to defray our expenses.

Who gives this workshop?
Angela Giudice, an independent multicultural consultant, educator and community activist, will facilitate the workshop using the VISIONS model for looking at multicultural issues. This model is the basis of the Network's philosophy and approach to addressing issues of difference.

How do I sign up?
Workshop space is limited so call the Multicultural Network office at 781-729-7100 or email office@wmcn.org.

Join us as we celebrate the richness of the increasing diverse Woburn Community! On June 23, Woburn residents will come to Downtown Woburn to learn about, taste and appreciate the many cultures that comprise our community. For more information: Contact 781-935-2244 or e-mail jjones@sciwoburn.org

Come and enjoy a traditional American gathering of friends with ice cream, strawberries, and other toppings. Please call Nancy Dahm at 781-729-9387 for more information or to sign up, email office@wmcn.org

Would you like to know more about the Winchester Multicultural Network? We are planning an information session and invite anyone interested in learning more about the Network to join us on Tuesday, April 24 from 7:30-9:00 in the Social Studies Open Area at Winchester High School.
For the past fifteen years we have been actively involved in multiculturalism – a process of recognizing, understanding and appreciating differences of all kinds as well as the impact those differences have in our lives. We are anxious to share the mission and philosophy that grounds and guides our work and look forward to talking with you about the broad scope of issues that we have been concerned with for well over a decade.
Don’t miss this opportunity to explore what the Network does by talking to current members. “Last year,” says Gloria Legvold, a member new to the Network, “the information session was very helpful in setting out the What, Why, and How of the organization. The goals of the Network and the people I met motivated me to become involved.” For more information call Kaye Nash at 781-721-5752 or Email office@wmcn.org

Please plan to come on October 18. Your contribution will mean a lot to our work. Let us know by emailing office@wmcn.org or calling Sandy Thompson at 781-729-8063.

Our annual pot luck supper will be held at the First Congregational Church, 21 Church Street. Share food from your country and enjoy a delightful evening. Call Nancy Dahm at 781-729-9387 to sign up or email office@wmcn.org

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Winchester Multicultural Network (WMCN)    PO Box 346, Winchester, MA 01890    781-729-7100    office@wmcn.org

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