"My Daily Constitution" in NYC during RNC"

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"My Daily Constitution" in NYC during RNC"

www.mydailyconstitution.org
Info Line: [phone]

L.A. artist Linda Pollack brings interactive Constitution Discussions to
Public Libraries across NYC during Republican National Convention -- series
designed to engage the People, create collective interpretation of U.S.
Constitution.

CONTACT:
Linda Pollack
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]


AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2 2004
Six days
Eight Public Libraries across NYC
Eight discussions about the U.S. Constitution

* free and open to the public *

From August 27th through September 2nd 2004, Linda Pollack holds "My Daily
Constitution" a series of eight interactive discussions about the U.S.
Constitution, led by lawyers, academics, activists, and others. The
discussions take place in public libraries of all five boroughs of New York
City. Complimentary copies of the U.S. Constitution, printed by Pollack in
a
second edition of 5,000, will be available at all discussion locations. All
events are free and open to the public.

"The idea," says Pollack, "is to break away from the dynamics of the large
lecture hall and create a space where People can become active participants
in a dialogue about our democracy. The more I am involved with this
project,
the more I am realizing that our Constitution, our democracy, is about
interpretation - and interpretation means a collective, active dialogue,
not
just passive consumers and lawmaking producers."

Pollack founded "My Daily Constitution" in 2002, after belatedly learning
of
the passage of the U.S. Patriot Act the previous Fall. The discussions
originally took place in a Hollywood café. Additional 'Constitution Café'
series have been held in New York City, Cincinnati, and Seattle.

August 28th's discussion; "The Right to Vote and the Future of American
Constitutional Democracy" will be held at The New York Public Library's
Countee Collen Branch in Harlem. Councilman Bill Perkins joins Robert
Richie
of the Center for Voting and Democracy to talk about the state of voting
today and what People can do about it.

September 2nd's discussion; "Privacy, Free Speech, and the Patriot Act",
will be held at The Brooklyn Public Library. Chris Finan, President of the
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, and Ann Beeson,
Associate Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, will talk
about the growing battle fought by booksellers and librarians to protect
the
privacy of their records in order to guarantee customers complete freedom
in
their choice of books, a freedom very much threatened by the USA Patriot
Act.

The series also includes a Spanish language version at the Queens Library,
Jackson Heights Branch, and a Mandarin language version at the Queens
Flushing Library, both addressing the right to vote.

A special youth edition, led by Professor Christopher Malone of Pace
University, will be held in the Fordham Library Center in the Bronx.

Other discussion leaders include: Bryan Pu-Folkes, Executive Director of
the
New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE); Udi Ofer, Project Director of
the Bill of Rights Defense Campaign of the New York Civil Liberties Union;
John Bonifaz, author of "Warrior-King"; Ana Maria Archila, Executive
Director of the Latin American Integration Center; Shirley Lin, Political
Integration Project Coordinator, NICE, Cheryl Wertz, Director, Government
Access & Accountability Campaign, NICE; Heidi Boghosian, Director of the
National Lawyers Guild; Nancy Chang, Senior Litigation Attorney at the
Center For Constitutional Rights; and Svetlana Mintcheva, Arts Program
Director at the National Coalition Against Censorship.



A complete listing of the program follows.

"My Daily Constitution" is part of the Imagine Festival of Arts, Issues &
Ideas, a citywide cultural festival, Aug 28 - Sept 2, designed to inspire,
initiate and support civic engagement through the arts (www.imagine04.org).
Keeping in the spirit of the Imagine Festival, "My Daily Constitution"
events are non-partisan. "No matter what the outcome of the coming election
is", says Pollack, "in the long term, we as a nation need to be able to
discuss these complex issues if we are going to continue to be a vibrant
and
robust democratic society".

For further information about My Daily Constitution, visit
www.mydailyconstitution.org
Information Line: [phone]


My Daily Constitution - Republican National Convention Edition
August 27th - September 2nd, 2004

August 27 - Friday
6:30 - 8:30 PM
"Who are We the People Anyway? Our American Identity and the U.S.
Constitution"
Discussion led by BRYAN PU-FOLKES, Executive Director, New Immigrant
Community Empowerment; and UDI OFER, Project Director, Bill of Rights
Defense Campaign, New York Civil Liberties Union.
AT: QUEENS CENTRAL LIBRARY
89-11 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, NY [phone]


August 28 - Saturday
2 – 4 PM
"The Right to Vote and the Future of American Constitutional Democracy"
Discussion led by Councilman BILL PERKINS, NYC Council Deputy Majority
Leader; and ROBERT RICHIE, Executive Director, Center for Voting and
Democracy.
AT: THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY, COUNTEE COLLEN BRANCH
104 West 136th St., NYC [phone]


August 30 - Monday
6 – 8 PM
"The War Powers Clause (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11), and the U.S.
Constitution Today"
Discussion lead by JOHN BONIFAZ, author, "Warrior-King", (Nation Books-NY),
Founder, National Voting Rights Institute.
AT: THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY, ST. GEORGE LIBRARY CENTER
5 Central Ave., Staten Island, NY [phone]


August 31 - Tuesday
3 - 5 PM
"Our Right to Vote and the U.S. Constitution" / Spanish Language Edition
Discussion lead by ANA MARIA ARCHILA, Executive Director, Latin American
Integration Center
AT: QUEENS LIBRARY, JACKSON HEIGHTS BRANCH
35-51 81 Street, Jackson Heights, NY [phone]


August 31 - Tuesday
6 - 8 PM
"Our Right to Vote and the U.S. Constitution" / Mandarin Language Edition
Discussion lead by SHIRLEY LIN, Political Integration Project Coordinator,
New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), and CHERYL WERTZ, Director,
Government Access & Accountability Campaign, NICE.
AT: QUEENS FLUSHING LIBRARY
41-17 Main St., Flushing, NY [phone]


September 1 - Wednesday
3 - 5 PM
"Youth Edition, My Daily Constitution"
Discussion led by CHRISTOPHER MALONE, Assistant Professor of Political
Science, Pace University.
AT: THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY, FORDHAM LIBRARY CENTER
2556 Bainbridge Ave., Bronx, NY [phone]


September 1 - Wednesday
6:30 - 8:30 PM
"The Right of Political Dissent and the U.S. Constitution"
Discussion led by HEIDI BOGHOSIAN, Director, National Lawyers Guild; NANCY
CHANG, Senior Litigation Attorney, Center For Constitutional Rights; and
SVETLANA MINTCHEVA, Art Program Director, National Coalition Against
Censorship.
AT: THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY, MID-MANHATTAN LIBRARY
455 Fifth Ave., NYC, NY [phone]


September 2 - Thursday
6:30 – 8:30
"Privacy, Free Speech and the Patriot Act"
Discussion lead by CHRISTOPHER FINAN, Director, American Booksellers
Foundation for Freedom of Expression; and ANN BEESON, Associate Legal
Director, American Civil Liberties Union.
AT: BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY
Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY [phone]
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