3/17/11 Northern Japan Earthquake

This has been a week of devastating news coming from Japan. Tonight, we reflect on the tragic events in Japan and how our local community has responded.

• We’ll talk with Sri Lankan reporter Suvendrini Kakuchi who was in Tokyo at the time of the earthquake.
• We hear from Stephen Gong, executive director at the Center for Asian American Media to find out how they are harnessing their large Festival audience to donate funds to the relief effort.
• Paul Osaki talks with us about the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California’s quick response to set up the Northern Japan Earthquake Relief Fund based on a long relationship between Japan and San Francisco.
• Keith Kamisugi, director of communications on sabbatical from the Equal Justice Society, talks with us about his use of social media upon learning about the devastation in northern Japan.
• And finally, we talk with Laura Adleman with the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management talks with us about how WE can be better prepared for an emergency. Important sites are 72hours.org and alertsf.org.

Community Calendar

• California has two nuclear power plants sitting near fault lines; and one is in a tsunami zone. Oakland gets energy from PG&E’s Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. In 2008, a previously unknown fault line was discovered a half mile from the Diablo Canyon Plant. PG&E is trying to renew it’s permit to operate the plant until 2045 before doing earthquake studies. Communities near the nuclear plant are saying, “No Way!” Join Movement Generation in calling for every measure to be taken to ensure the safety of the people in Japan including the shutdown of compromised reactors. Call on the City of Oakland to take back control from PG&E. Build the Local Clean Energy Economy.There is a vigil and demonstration tomorrow, Friday, March 18th, gathering at 11th and Broadway and marching to City Hall in downtown Oakland.
• On Friday, March 18th, from 6:00pm – 9:00pm, the crew at Hyphen is having their Throwback issue party at Vessel located at 85 Campton Place in San Francisco.
• On Friday, March 18th, from 9:00pm – 11:00pm, the San Jose Museum of Art is hosting the San Jose Opening Night Gala of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. The event is located at 110 South Market Street in San Jose.
• On Saturday, March 19th, from 2:00pm – 7:00pm, the Tibetan Community and Cultural Center hosts 1000 Peace Cranes & Solidarity Fundraising for Japan. Origami Peace Cranes represent healing, hope, and peace during challenging times. All proceeds will go to the Japanese Earthquake Relief Fund of the Japanese Community & Cultural Center in Northern California. This event is located at 5200 Huntington Avenue in Richmond.
• On Saturday, March 19th, from 7:00pm – 10:00pm, Eth-Noh-Tec turns their monthly open mic, “Salon, You’re On!” into a benefit for the relief efforts in Japan. Musicians, performers, and visual artists share their work at the Eth-Noh-Tec studio at 977 South Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco’s Mission District.
• On Sunday, March 27th, at 3pm, the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley is screening the Thai film, Agrarian Utopia.
• Next Thursday, at 7pm on Apex Express, join DJ LN and Selekta Lapu~Lapu as they interview Rachel Jackson about Oakland Gang Injunctions and Sri Lankan~descent Reggae & HipHop Artist Ras Ceylon and bring you pre-release versions of his new music.
• Also, music lovers, tune in to KPFA this Friday for the “Roots Kommunikations” 2-to-6 latenight mix, as we continue our celebration of International Women’s Month with special guest DJ LN, spinnin’ soul and special selections celebrating Sisters in Song.