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Egyptians have seen steady progress towards Presidential and Parliamentary elections in the past few weeks. In Cairo on Monday the interim cabinet to the ruling military body was sworn in. Essa Sharaf, a US educated civil engineer, is the new Prime Minister. Sharaf was a more acceptable choice than the previously appointed PM, Ahmad Shafiq, who protesters said was too closely aligned with the ousted Hosni Mubarak. The interim military-led government has set a referendum vote on constitutional reform on March 19th, and has promised to hold Presidential and Parliamentary elections in six months. However Egyptian women, heralded as an essential force behind the uprising, are now struggling to get a seat at the table as the new government takes shape. Meanwhile, here in the U.S., the political standoff in Wisconsin between Governor Scott Walker and 14 Democratic state Senators continues. The “Wisconsin 14”, as they are now known, remain at an undisclosed location in Illinois for the third week to prevent a quorum from being reached in the state Senate. The Democrats do not want to return until they are certain a vote on Walker’s controversial anti-union legislation will not be bulldozed through. On Tuesday a fine of $100 per-day was imposed on each absent member. But cracks in the GOP front are beginning to show. Over the last two days Republican Sen. Rob Cowles of Green Bay and Sen. Luther Olsen of Ripon publicly said there should be negotiations with the Democrats. The uprising in Egypt and the continuing protests in Wisconsin have captivated international attention. Egyptians have sent words of encouragement and praise to Wisconsinites through videos and even by ordering pizza for protesters in Madison. On Saturday March 12th an event will be held in LA that draws connections between the two struggles, titled, “From Egypt to Wisconsin to CA: A peoples Forum in Response to Global Injustice.” Featured speakers are USC professor Robin Kelley, Jerome Scott, and Walda Katz-Fishman. The program comes to LA from its debut at the World Social Forum in Senegal.

GUESTS: Walda Katz-Fishman, Professor of Sociology at Howard University, Jerome Scott, Director of the Institute for the Elimination of Poverty and Genocide

Walda Katz-Fishman and Jerome Scott will join Robin Kelley for an event on March 12, 2011 at 11 am at the Southern California Library, 6120 S. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. The event is called “From Egypt to Wisconsin to CA: A peoples Forum in Response to Global Injustice.”