Urban Action 2/27

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This week's calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.)

Rwandan hero coming to MCC

Paul Rusesabagina, who is credited with saving hundreds of people during the Rwandan genocide, will be the keynote speaker at the Voices of Vigilance program at Monroe Community College on Wednesday, March 6.

The program is organized by student leaders of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Project at MCC. Rusesabagina, the subject of the film "Hotel Rwanda," is a Hutu who sheltered Tutsi minority people during the Rwandan military's ethnic cleansing campaign. He has since established a foundation to promote peace in Rwanda and in the world. His talk will be at 7 p.m. in the MCC theater in the Wentworth Arts Building. Parking is in Lot F. Tickets: $10 public; $5 MCC students.

Middle East peacemakers speaking here

Two members of Combatants for Peace, a group of former Israeli and Palestinian combatants, will talk about their efforts in a program at Temple B'rith Kodesh, 2131 Elmwood Avenue, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 6.

The Combatants for Peace movement was founded on the belief that peace in the Middle East is possible only when both Israelis and Palestinians work together. Wednesday's event is sponsored by Faith to Faith, J Street Rochester, and Partners for Progressive Israel, and it's open to the public.

Focusing on downtown development

The Rochester Downtown Development Corporation's annual "Downtown Rising" event, on Thursday, March 7, will feature representatives of six initiatives underway downtown.

Speakers will be representatives of the city's Roc the Riverway project, Metro Co-Work, Roc City Skatepark, Redd Restaurant, Roc Game Dev, and the Frederick & Anna Douglass Homestead Project. The event will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Tickets are $45 for RDDC members, $60 for non-members, and the cost includes lunch. Registration deadline: March 4.

Seeking answers to the problem of food waste

RIT associate professor Callie Babbitt will be the speaker for a program titled "Sustainable Food Waste-to-Energy Systems" at Downtown Presbyterian Church on Sunday, March 3.

Babbitt and several RIT students will discuss the growing problem of food waste and RIT research on solutions. The program, which is open to the public, is part of the church's Sunday Forum series on reducing climate hazards and begins at 9:50 a.m.