Once again, we face conflict in central Europe and the Middle East. Russia has moved troops into Ukraine. We can’t know whether our country could be drawn into a war like we were drawn into the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

What can we do to redue the chance that ethnic and religious conflicts across the world will continue? My answer is that we can increase the chance that people across the world can obtain food, shelter, education, health care, justice and equality.

Kachemak Human Rights Watch is a small, informal organization in Homer that promotes justice and equality in Homer, in Alaska and in the rest of the world. To celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, we are showing the inspiring PBS film “Half the Sky” Part 1 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Saturday, March, 8 and Part 2 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, in the Homer library conference room.

The film features extraordinary women and men who promote justice for the most abused people in the world: women and girls in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Some abuse follows immigrants to Anchorage, and maybe even to Homer.

These stories of human rights workers will give us hope that each of us can help transform the oppression of girls and women into opportunities for their improved health, education and justice.

Amy Bollenbach