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

Searching for better health care

Friends of the Rochester Public Library will present a discussion of Washington Post correspondent TR Reid's book "The Healing of America: The Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care." The book will be reviewed by Andrew Doniger, director, Monroe County Department of Public Health, on Tuesday, March 23, at the Central Library, 115 South Avenue, from 12:12 to 12:52 p.m.

Backyard birds

The Genesee Land Trust will present "Birdscaping," a lecture and slideshow by 2010 Backyard Habitat Tour gardener Kevin Griffith at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23, at the Greece Public Library, 2 Vince Tofany Boulevard. Registration: 256-2130.

Exploring the media's influence

The Rochester Downtown Development Corporation will present "The Media, the Economy, and the Future," a discussion about the media's impact on economic and investment decisions on Wednesday, March 31, at Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside, 120 East Main Street, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tickets and reservations: 546-6920.

City schools budget

The Rochester School Board will hold its Finance Committee meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 18, at 131 West Broad Street. Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard will make his first presentation of the proposed 2010-2011 school budget.

Women and dance

SUNY Brockport's Department of Dance will present DANCE/Strasser, which will feature works by students inspired by women and feminism from Thursday, March 25, through Saturday, March 27, at the Strasser Studio, Hartwell Hall. Each session begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: general admission $12, seniors $10.

Peace vigil

The Peace Action and Education taskforce of Metro Justice will hold a peace vigil from noon to 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 21, on the corners of South Goodman Street and East Avenue. The vigil commemorates the seventh anniversary of the Iraq War.

Seventh anniversary of the Iraq War

Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace and the Geneseo Ecumenical Coalition for Peace will hold a vigil to commemorate the 7th anniversary of the Iraq War at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 25, on Main Street at the fountain.

Protest funding for School of the Americas

Activists from various local organizations will hold a protest and vigil to call for the end of taxpayer funding of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation-School of the Americas based in Fort Benning, Georgia at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24, in front of the Federal Building, 100 State Street.

School budget listening tour

The Board of Education will hold public meetings to listen to community input on the proposed 2010-2011 budget for the city schools. There will be two meetings: 7 p.m. on Monday, March 22, at the Central Church of Christ, 101 South Plymouth Avenue, and at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24, at the School of the Arts, 45 Prince Street. Information: 262-8525.

No nukes

The "Walk for a Nuclear-Free Future," which was started by the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Order, will be coming through Rochester on Monday, March 22, and Tuesday, March 23. The walkers will arrive on Monday in the late afternoon, and they will depart early Wednesday morning. The walk began on March 6 in Steamburg, New York and will conclude on May 2 at the United Nations in New York City. Information: Harry Murray, 389-2760.

All-male, all-female schools

McQuaid Jesuit School will present "Why Gender Matters," a talk by Dr. Leonard Sax, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 18, at 1800 South Clinton Avenue. The lecture presents an expert look at single-sex education, its advantages, and the latest research on the subject.

Diversity on campus

The UR's Eastman School of Music will present Myra Hindus, vice president of Berklee College of Music, at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 24. Hindus is an expert on diversity and established a program at Princeton to combat sexual violence on campus.