Free Public Videos explore Media, Terrorism & War, Work & Trade issues

Social Issues Dramas and Documentaries Video Festivals and Series are becoming popular in our area and around the USA. Perhaps this is because in commercial broadcasting conservative perspectives have been dominant and progressive perspectives scarce. The balanced programming void is being filled however by socially concerned activists and groups -- such as those devoted to building peace through justice, to citizen and worker rights and global economic justice, and to environmental preservation and sustainability. One of the biggest and best Social Issues Film/DVD/Videos Festivals goes on regularly in Denver: See www.ArgusFest.org if you want to be intrigued and inspired!

In DuPage Country IL one such open-minded public offering is the monthly video program called "Just Views". The video-anchored evenings all raise questions about what is just (fair) in the particular context being studied and they involve not just viewing but the sharing of views. After watching, the attending public and invited experts discuss the complex of issues surrounding the topic focus of the night.

Since Just Views started in Naperville IL in March of 2002, the organizers and participants have collaboratively identified and found videos to prime their discussions on a variety of related subjects: How the U.S. government has gone to war -- sometimes in haste with mixed motives, changing rationales, without in-depth understanding of various consequences, using dangerous and illegal means. How sometimes US administrations and corporations have domineered in Latin America and elsewhere to cater to their own narrow, special interests with little public understanding of this. How unions help workers and their communities everywhere to create more safe and decent conditions and get above-poverty pay.

Just Views participants get to see videos from independent producers that relate to inter-connected topics. In recent months, Just Views got up close and personal in examining global trade and workers’ rights at home and abroad and how the "race to the bottom" has eroded the quality of life and created unrest for lower and middle classes. Just Views will continue examining questions of corporation-dominated government and media and how security and prosperity, democracy and peace have been impacted. Upcoming topics will include the multiple motives behind the war on terrorism, the hijacking of catastrophe, the lack of accounting for the various costs of war; also genocide and its prevention.

Just Views is free and open to the public and meets on the second Friday of every month in Naperville at 7:20 pm in a donated venue where parking is free and plentiful: The DuPage Unitarian Church at 4 S 535 Old Naperville Road, Naperville IL 65063 (630/505-9408) You may use some web-based location finder to map your route from door to door. Or here are simple driving directions: Get on Naperville Rd from Roosevelt or Butterfield, Maple/Chicago or Ogden. South of Rt 88 at the corner of Naperville Road and Diehl, turn east on to Diehl and go one block, then turn left / north and see the Unitarian Church on the right.

The Director of Just Views is sociologist Stephanie Hughes (630/420-4233). Details about Just Views past and current and other activities of the DuPage Peace through Justice Coalition are available at http://DuPagePeace.home.att.net. There people also may sign up for the list serv to receive email notices of specific topical programs upcoming on second-Friday evenings monthly. Upcoming Just Views programs and recent Just Views topics listings are being archived at www.HumanistsWestOfChicago.org.