We will meet online daily for #11DaysOfGlobalUnity To begin the day with a mantra and hear about the speaker for the day.
Artists and people from the community will be given canvases and paints to create their visions of what can be done to heal people and halt HIV/AIDS. The winner will receive $500 and have her or his work displayed at the Old Dillard Museum.
Audrye S. Arbe is a #1 International Best-Selling Author with RAISING RACE CONSCIOUSNESS Healing Racism Sexism and Other Isms (RRC). Audrye is a Cosmic Being, The Transformation Catalyst, Diversity Expert, Metaphysician, Life Strategist, Healer, Frequency Shifter, Award-Winning Author and Artist, Speaker, Seminar Leader.
Share your smiles, compliments, time, talents, money, and energy with those around you. We must truly be the change that we want to see. And we can do it. We are doing it. Believe that the future is full of mindfulness where hearts mean more than our accounts.
The Love Initiative.
Notes From the Road – Bright Lights Blog
http://troubadourofpeace.blogspot.com/
Book a house concert or music for a yoga class today!!
TOUR DATES
| Date | Time | Venue | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/22/18 | 3:00 PM | Choices | Akron, OH | |
| 3/22/18 | 6:00 PM | Tea Time for Peace | Kent, OH | |
| 3/23/18 | 5:00 PM | Friends of the Metro Parks Benefit w/ the Bright Lights | Akron, OH | |
| 3/27/18 | 7:00 PM | Brother’s Lounge | Cleveland, OH | |
| 3/30/18 | 6:30 PM | 330 Day @ Akron Civic Theatre | Akron, OH | |
| 3/31/18 | 10:30 AM | Celebration of Life for Marilyn Stroud | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | |
| 4/3/18 | 6:30 PM | MLK Kirtan | Akron, OH | Donations |
| 4/4/18 | 6:30 PM | Nonviolent Communication Circle | Akron, OH | Donations |
| 4/6/18 | 7:00 PM | Big Love Night @ Live Music Now w/ Rhodes St Rude Boys | Akron, OH | $5-10 |
| 4/7/18 | 8:30 PM | Mustard Seed Highland Square w/ Bright Lights! | Akron, OH | |
| 4/10/18 | 7:00 PM | Brother Lounge | Cleveland, OH | |
| 4/16/18 | 7:00 PM | Wolf Creek Winery | Norton, OH | |
| 4/21/18 | 6:30 PM | Bright Lights @ the Rialto | Akron, OH | $5 |
| 4/22/18 | 4:00 PM | Yoga Central | Canton, OH | |
| 4/28/18 | 7:00 PM | Wine Mill | Peninsula, OH | |
| 5/2/18 | 6:30 PM | Nonviolent Communication Series | Akron, OH | Donations |
| 5/4/18 | 7:00 PM | Big Love Night @ Live Music Now w/ Gretchen Pleuss | Akron, OH | $5-10 |
| 5/5/18 | 12:00 PM | Cleveland VegFest | Cleveland, OH | |
| 5/5/18 | 6:00 PM | Bent Ladder winery | Doylestown , OH | |
| 5/8/18 | 7:00 PM | Brother’s Lounge | Cleveland, OH |
A great soul /funk concert. Come and be uplifted by great music and let’s raise as much money as possible to help re-unite children who have been separated from their families at the U.S. border. Tickets are $10. Please click on the link below to buy tickets, bring friends! You may make an extra donation on the night if you so wish. All proceeds will go to this great cause. Rob Duncan has played music all over the world, is a father of 3 and writes music about his experience of being human, man and father.
Here’s what he says about his music and this concert:
My music draws from my life experience; spiritually, soulfully, intellectually, and emotionally. All of my songs represent my musical influences like soul music, blues, jazz, and rock. Deeply soulful, funky, melancholy music with ultimately a message of hope. That’s how I write my music. That’s how I sing my music. I lay my heart on the table and reach you in places that you feel.
I have decided to donate the cover charge from my upcoming show at Rockwood Music Hall 3 to RAICES. RAICES primarily provides two very very important things.
It provides lawyers for the children who have been torn from their parents by ICES, and it pays the Immigration Bond which releases the parent from detention allowing their children to rejoin them. This is where your $10 cover charge for my upcoming show will go. If you wish to donate extra you may do so on the night of the show.
ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL PRESENTS
ROB DUNCAN LIVE with his Funkin Soul Band
Date: Saturday, July 7
Time: 7 PM – 8 PM (Arrive by 6:30. Show starts at 7:00! )
Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3
185 Orchard St, New York, NY
Hosted by North Corner Music
$10 Cover Charge
For Tickets, Click Here: https://bit.ly/2LB0QPM
Women’s Environmental Institute presents:
September 29 @ 8:00 am – September 30 @ 3:30 pm
The New Will Allen Farmer Training Weekend –
Farm, Eat, Sleep: All Four Seasons
Overview:
The weekend workshops will provide participants with hands-on knowledge for building a low-cost hoop house, growing microgreens, growing mushrooms, herbalism workshops, soil building through composting and vermiculture, keeping bees, and growing fish and greens together through aquaponics. The Saturday night bonfire discussion with Will Allen will focus on cold climate farming, community sustainability and climate change – a very popular capstone event which brings environmental, agricultural and food justice together.
CLICK THIS LINK FOR COMPLETE DESCRIPTION
Registration Info: $275/person
Deadline is September 19, 2018 at 12:00pm
Meals: All meals, snacks and beverages included.
Overnight Accommodations at WEI: Limited camping space is available, please reserve your camp space upon registration.
Instructor Name: Will Allen, Will Allen Farms, LCC Milwaukee, Former Founder Growing Power, Inc., Urban Farmer Hero
REGISTER HERE or SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
**********************************************************************************
THE WOMEN’S ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE
The Women’s Environmental Institute (WEI) is an environmental research, renewal and retreat center designed to create and share knowledge about environmental issues and policies relevant to women, children and identified communities affected by environmental injustice; to promote agricultural justice, organic and sustainable agriculture and ecological awareness; and to support activism that influences public policy and promotes social change.
Our mission brings together agricultural, food and environmental justice, one community at a time; one farm at a time, one person at a time and all of us together.
Amador Hill Farm and Orchard
15715 River Road
North Branch, MN 55056
Mailing Address:
WEI
P.O. Box 128 (55056)
St Paul Office –
550 Rice St
St Paul, MN 55103
Email: wei@w-e-i.org
September 29–30, 2018
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles
Note that times are for Pacific Coast Time Zone
jotff@anewwayoflife.org
323-563-3573
*************************************************
Note: Last movie – SURVIVORS GUIDE TO PRISON – with Q&A to follow with producer DAVID ARQUETTE
September 30 | 3:30 PM (RunTime: 102 minutes) – at MAYER THEATRE
******************************************************************
Film Synopses & Trailers
Saturday, September 29
(Screenings will be followed by Q&A with filmmakers)
RT: 30 minutes
September 29 | 11 AM
Life Sciences Building Auditorium Theatre
Q&A to follow with writer/director Tiffany Johnson and producer/animator Jonathan Clark
The Real Background Check
This animated short film is based on the real life story of Tiffany Johnson, who survived life-altering trauma caused by early childhood abuse. “The Real Background Check” breaks down what happens to people before they enter the criminal justice system.
RT: 57 minutes
September 29 | 1:30 PM
Life Sciences Building Auditorium Theatre
Q&A to follow with Johnny Perez (Director of U.S. Prison Programs, National Religious Campaign Against Torture)
Rikers: An American Jail
From Bill Moyers comes the first film to focus exclusively on former detainees who were held at Rikers Island. Their searing testimonials about the deep-seated culture of systemic violence and corruption that has plagued the notorious NYC jail for decades add a powerful authentic voice to investigative journalism that has reported on violence and abuses at the jail.
RT: 68 minutes
September 29 | 1:30 PM
Seaver 100 Theatre
Q&A to follow with writer/director/producer Saffron Cassaday
Returning Citizens
“Returning Citizens” focuses on a passionate group of individuals who are looking for a second chance – or perhaps a chance they never had to begin with. Set in Southeast Washington, DC, the film offers a humanizing perspective on a community that has been negatively impacted by mass incarceration.
RT: 40 minutes
September 29 | 1:30 PM
Seaver 200 Theatre
Knife Skills
What does it take to build a world-class French restaurant? What if the staff is almost entirely men and women just out of prison? What if most have never cooked or served before, and have barely two months to learn their trade? Oscar-nominated Knife Skills follows the hectic launch of Edwins restaurant in Cleveland. In this improbable setting, with its mouth-watering dishes and its arcane French vocabulary, we discover the challenges of men and women finding their way after their release.
RT: 45 minutes
September 29 | 3:05 PM
Life Sciences Building Auditorium Theatre
The Bail Trap: American Ransom
Money bail is one of the main causes of mass incarceration in the United States. Yet, few people know what the money bail system is, let alone how it all works or why we need to do away with it. This short film compilation from Brave New Films explains America’s broken bail system.
RT: 22 minutes
September 29 | 3:00 PM
Seaver 100 Theatre
Q&A to follow with producer/director Terrell Wormley
Wild Roots
Hakeem, a reformed gang member, gets out of jail and wants to change his life around, but the hood won’t left him go easily. He knows how senseless gang banging is, but what do you do when your past catches up to you?
The Talk
After an unarmed black teen is killed, James & Maddie argue about whether they should warn their 9-year-old son about police brutality.
RT: 16 minutes
September 29 | 3:40 PM
Seaver 100 Theatre
Q&A to follow with Marlon Perrier, writer/director/star of “The Talk”
Sunday, September 30
(Screenings will be followed by Q&A with filmmakers)
RT: 60 minutes
September 30 | 11 AM
Life Sciences Building Auditorium Theatre
Q&A to follow with director/producer Ultan Guilfoyle, Craig Webb (Gehry Partners) & Leonard Noisette (Justice Team Director, Open Society Foundations)
Building Justice
At the invitation of George Soros and his Open Society Foundations, architect Frank Gehry arranged two ‘masters’ studios, one in SCI-Arc in Los Angeles, the other at the Yale School of Architecture, to investigate prison design as a subject for the best architecture students in the US. Partnering with Susan Burton of A New Way of Life Re-Entry Project in
Watts, Gehry and his students explored all aspects of prison design, learning first hand the design flaws of prison living from women who have been incarcerated in America’s worst prisons and visiting what are considered to be the world’s most successful prisons, in Norway.
RT: 60 minutes
September 30 | 1:50 PM
Life Sciences Building Auditorium Theatre
Q&A to follow with director AJ Ali
Walking While Black: L.O.V.E Is the Answer
“Walking While Black: L.O.V.E. Is The Answer” presents proven action steps
to bridge the painful gap between peace officers and the communities they serve. Featuring interviews with peace
officers, faith leaders, educators, activists and others, the film offers an inspiring blueprint to end racial profiling and heal our communities.
RT: 73 minutes
September 30 | 1:50 PM
Seaver 200 Theatre
Q&A to follow with director/executive producer Rahiem Shabazz
Elementary Genocide III: Academic Holocaust
Elementary Genocide: Academic Holocaust adds more statistical proof of the scholastic inequalities faced by Original people around the country. The documentary revisits the importance of education and its impact on self-image, family structure, financial freedom and the collective future of African/indigenous people in America and abroad.
RT: 16 minutes
September 30 | 1:50 PM
Seaver 100 Theatre
Let My People Vote
Filmed in Tampa, two days before the 2016 presidential election, this verité short covers a day-in-the-life of civil rights activist Desmond Meade. His mission? Assisting people in voting — something our “forefathers marched and died for.”
What begins as an upbeat day of faith in our democratic process, ends with a heartbreaking realization: Jim Crow is not dead.
RT: 102 minutes
September 30 | 3:30 PM
Mayer Theatre
Q&A to follow with producer David Arquette
Survivors Guide to Prison
Follows the stories of two innocent men, Bruce Lisker and Reggie Cole, who spent decades behind bars for murders they did not commit. With gripping testimony from formerly incarcerated people, guards, cops, lawyers and reformers, “Survivors Guide” exposes the failed “punishment model” and examines the programs proven to work.
‘GRANDMOTHERS ON THE MOVE’ Podcast Episodes
Click HERE!
NO START TIME and NO END TIME – LISTEN to past and current podcasts!
Grandmothers To Grandmothers Campaign
The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign exists to support the indomitable African grandmothers who are caring for the millions of children who have been orphaned by AIDS. Members of the Grandmothers Campaign share three goals. They work to:
- Raise funds to meet the needs of African grandmothers and the children in their care;
- Listen to African grandmothers, respect their expertise and amplify their voices, in order to promote authentic and substantive responses to the epidemic in Africa;
- Build solidarity among African and Canadian grandmothers in order to motivate and sustain the vital work of turning the tide of AIDS in Africa.
Canadian grandmothers groups are tremendously active in their communities. They put on concerts, organize card tournaments, and sell jewellery. They visit countless schools and community organizations. They bake, cook, sew, knit, paint, write, organize cycle tours, walks, and even ride motorcycles – all to raise funds and awareness for grandmothers in sub-Saharan Africa through the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
To learn more about how you can get involved in the Campaign, write to Ilana here.
Articles About The Campaign
What started as a conversation around a kitchen table has grown to become a movement to empower women, especially grandmothers, in Africa.
The Grandmothers Campaign, an initiative of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, is known as Grandmothers 4 Grandmothers in Regina, which was among the very first places in Canada where women took on projects to support families in Africa.
‘We know the power of women’s organizing in Canada and older women have an extraordinary amount of vigour and energy.’– Ilana Landsberg-Lewis
As Ilana Landsberg-Lewis explains, the movement arose in response to the human crisis, observed by her father Stephen Lewis during his time as a special envoy for the United Nations, afflicting the African continent during the HIV and AIDS pandemic.
Millions of children were orphaned by the deaths of their parents. Their grandmothers were left to raise them, with little or no support.
Ilana Landsberg-Lewis is co-founder, with her father Stephen Lewis, of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. One of their main campaigns supports grandmothers in Africa. (Lisa MacIntosh/Stephen Lewis Foundation)
“Grandmothers were just in an agony of loss,” Landsberg-Lewis said. “Death was everywhere. They were left with no income and often isolated by the terrible stigma surrounding HIV-AIDS.”
Landsberg-Lewis recalled how requests seeking aid referred to the grandmothers as “caregivers” and when she asked why, she learned there was a strong bias in play.
“Nobody wants to fund them because they’re older women and nobody sees them as a meaningful investment,” she learned.
“We decided if Canadian grandmothers knew what was happening on the [African] continent then it would surely resonate with them and boy did it ever,” Landsberg-Lewis said.
“I wish I could say that I was prescient but it would be overstating it,” she said, talking about how the success of the organization, which quickly grew from a handful of activists brain-storming at a kitchen table (her own) to over 250 chapters across the country.
Since 2006 they have raised about $25 million.
“It was really extraordinary but I can’t say that I’m surprised,” she said. “Older women in our communities, we know the power of women organizing in Canada and older women have an extraordinary amount of vigour and energy.”
******************************************************************************
The Campaign currently boasts more than 240 grandmothers groups across the country. Many of the groups have organized into regional and national networks in order to support each other’s efforts in solidarity with African grandmothers and the children in their care.
Resources from the Grandmothers Campaign go to grassroots organizations that support African grandmothers with food, health care, school fees and school uniforms for their grandchildren, income-generating programmes, counselling, social support, essential shelter, and other necessities. Throughout Africa, grassroots organizations run by and for grandmothers are sharing insights, deepening their expertise, collaborating with other local organizations, and building their capacity to turn the tide of AIDS at community level.
Get Inspired and Engaged by the Global Community
Reconnect with the Source of Pachamama Alliance
A 75-Minute Conference Call for Our Global Community
*************************************************************************
These calls are designed to
bring together Pachamama Alliance
participants, leaders, and supporters who are actively engaged
in creating a shift in humanity to a worldview
that honors and sustains life
****************************************************************
By coming together and grounding in this vision, you will:
*Feel supported in your work.
**Be inspired and energized in your unique role in a worldwide
network committed to a new future for all.
***Strengthen your connection to like-hearted people and to the spirit
that has inspired Pachamama Alliance since its inception.
*********************************
GO TO: https://www.pachamama.org/events
to reserve your space for the conversation.
Fill out the online form and submit.
You will receive a confirmation email.
****************************************************************************
Theater Company of Lafayette Presents
The Laramie Project
by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project
Directed by Nanci Van Fleet
October 2018 marks the 20th anniversary of Matthew Shephard’s murder. He was the victim of a brutal assault because he was gay. Moises Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project made six trips to Laramie over the course of a year and a half, in the aftermath of the beating and during the trial of the two young men accused of killing Shepard. They conducted more than 200 interviews with the people of the town and created a deeply moving and fascinating theatrical experience.
Do not miss this powerful and moving production that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable.
Performances run October 5 – 14
Fridays and Saturdays – 7:30 pm
Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm
LAFAYETTE ARTS HUB
420 Courtney Way
Lafayette CO 80026
Tickets at
https://
or
1-800-838-3006
Early Childhood Education and Public Charge
November 7 at 3:00 PM ET – 4:00 PM ET (12:00 PM PT – 1:00 PM PT)
On October 10, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was published in the Federal Register, outlining the administration’s intent to dramatically change the meaning and application of “public charge” provisions in immigration law. This proposal could harm the health and well-being of millions of children and families and is of great concern for young children’s development and the early childhood field as outlined in this Q&A. Staff at the Center for Law and Social Policy will provide an overview of the proposed public charge rule, its potential impact on young children, and explain how the early childhood field can support immigrant families and take action during the public comment period.
What Housing and Homelessness Advocates Should Know about the Public Charge Rule
November 8 @ 3:30 PM ET – 5:00 PM ET (12:30 PM PT – 2:00 PM PT)
On October 10, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a proposed rule that would make it more likely for certain immigrants to be denied admission to the U.S. or denied green cards because they receive or would receive lifeline benefits, including public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and project-based Section 8 housing subsidies. Previously leaked drafts of this drastic policy change have already led many families to drop out of critical food and nutrition programs for their children. This chilling effect is poised to impact hundreds of thousands of hardworking immigrant households that depend on these programs for survival.
PIF Campaign: New Research and Estimating the Impact of Public Charge
November 8 @ 3:00 PM ET – 4:00 PM ET (12:00 PM PT -1:00 PM PT)
Join partners with the Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) Campaign as we discuss new research estimating economic and demographic impacts of the proposed public charge rule. During this webinar, panelists will present the findings of three new resources from Manatt Health, Kaiser Family Foundation, and Fiscal Policy Institute. For more information about the webinar, please contact Jackie Vimo and Renato Rocha.
PIF Campaign: Public Charge 101
November 14 @ 2:00 PM ET – 3:00 PM ET (11:00 AM PT -12:00 PM PT)
A recurring webinar from CLASP and NILC. The Department of Homeland Security has published a proposed regulation on “public charge.” If finalized, the regulation would dramatically rewrite immigration policy and make green cards only available to the highest bidder. This webinar describes public charge policy today, how it would change, and what you need to know if you work with immigrant families.
For more info: bit.ly/askPIFcampaign
AURA HOME WOMEN VETS
50 South French Broad Avenue
Suite 203
Asheville NC 28801
828-771-6979
http://aurahomewomenvets.org
*******************************************************************************
Prem Rawat Foundation Supports Veterans With Peace Education Program
This article is also available in: French
For too many veterans, finding an enduring sense of peace remains elusive long after they return from war. They often face immense challenges as they transition to civilian life, from trauma disorders to unemployment and homelessness.
Thankfully, November 11 marks an occasion to honor their service and support solutions that can improve their lives. The date is Veterans Day in the United States, and in many other countries it is called Remembrance Day and Armistice Day, commemorating the end of World War I.
A growing number of veterans say the Peace Education Program is a solution that gives them the tools they need to harness their own inner-strength and overcome their obstacles. The program’s workshops feature videos of Prem Rawat’s empowering international talks on themes such as dignity, choice and hope.
“The Peace Education Program tries only to achieve one simple thing: it’s to put you in touch with yourself,” says Rawat.
While the goal is simple, the impact was profound for Alyce Knaflich, a veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress, depression and homelessness for 10 years. She credits PEP with giving her the confidence to now work as the executive director of Aura Home Women Vets, a charity in Asheville, NC that provides housing and support to homeless women veterans.
Veteran Alyce Knaflich shares her story in this video.
“I was lost. Prem Rawat and his message in the program, it brought me home. And my home is my heart. Peace starts on the inside,” says Knaflich.
She has incorporated the Peace Education Program into Aura Home’s services to help her clients have the same enriching experience that she did.
“Prem’s message will help them heal their emotional stress, and ease the transition of coming out of the military and trying to find a new career path. It will help them center themselves and bring out their confidence,” says Knaflich.
Print, Customize, and Post #HonorNativeLand Art
Imagine going to a local coffee shop, music venue, grocery store, or town hall, and finding a sign on the wall acknowledging traditional lands. Sound far-fetched? It doesn’t have to be! As part of this campaign to #HonorNativeLand, we partnered with Native artists to create downloadable signs that you can print, customize, and post in your community.
After Downloading the Guide, Take the Pledge
We urge organizations, collectives, institutions, and agencies to publicly commit to practicing traditional Native land acknowledgment.
Those who have taken the Pledge:
- Artist’s Laboratory Theatre
- Arts in a Changing America (ArtChangeUS)
- ArtSpark
- ArtWell
- California Indian Culture & Sovereignty Center
- Dancing Earth
- Democracy at Work Institute
- Emerging Arts Leaders/Los Angeles
- Indigenous Women Rise in Gallup
- Ink People, Inc.
- IU First Nations Educational & Cultural Center
- Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection
- Marietta Ohio Arts Innovation Lab
- National Council for Science and Faith
- Native American Music Awards
- Native Arts and Cultures Foundation
- New Economy Coalition
- SOMArts
- Women of Color in the Arts (WOCA)
- Artivists LA
- Kamiah Community Library
- Peñasco Theatre Collective
- Self Help Graphics & Art
- The Field
- YWCA Olympia
As a step toward honoring the truth and achieving healing and reconciliation, our organization commits to open all public events and gatherings with a statement acknowledging the traditional Native lands on which we stand. Such statements become truly meaningful when coupled with authentic relationships and sustained commitment. We therefore commit to move beyond words into programs and actions that fully embody a commitment to Indigenous rights and cultural equity.
The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture is a people-powered department — a grassroots action network inciting creativity to shape a culture of empathy, equity, and belonging. Learn more about the USDAC and read our Statement of Values, then join this act of collective imagination
Contact info: hello@usdac.us.
PROTOTYPING CULTURAL DEMOCRACY SERIES Part 7: Remember2019, Memory and Reflection on Mass Lynching in Phillips County, AR
By Arlene Goldbard, Chief Policy Wonk
This is the sixth in a series of blogs profiling the USDAC’s Policy Prototype projects, seven projects across the U.S. receiving micro-grants to document their work related to the proposals in “Standing for Cultural Democracy: The USDAC’s Policy and Action Platform.”
The proposal submitted for a one-off USDAC Policy Prototype micro-grant by Ashley Teague, a theater director with extensive community experience, focused on the critical issue of commemorative justice (as did the STICK + MOVE project featured earlier in this series). Partnering with Mauricio Salgado, co-founder of Artists Striving to End Poverty and Arielle Julia Brown, founder of The Love Balm Project, Remember2019 lives in South Phillips Country Arkansas where in “1919 arguably the largest mass lynching in American history, took the lives of more than 230 African Americans in less than 72 hours….,”
Remember2019 was developed in response to Bryan Stevenson’s (founder of the Equal Justice Initiative) call to action when he said, “Formalizing a space for memory, reflection, and grieving can help our communities recover from this traumatic history of mass violence.”
In the Remember2019 proposal, Ashley wrote:
As we approach the centennial of the massacre in South Phillips County, our goal is to partner with individuals and organizations throughout the region to create a theatre event that unearths this erased and contentious history and considers how it has affected the communities past and present. Furthermore, we will raise Dr. Martin Luther King’s timely question—where do we go from here?— tour the play during the 2019 centennial year, organize an annual residency that will continue after the theater event, offering local artists opportunities to create their own self-determined work around issues of memory, reflection, belonging, and cultural citizenship.”
Three Platform points were referenced:
- Point 2. Support A Culture of Justice and Equity
- Point 3. Redeem Democracy with Creativity
- Point 5. Invest in Belonging and Cultural Citizenship
The work touched on all three, but as Ashley explained when we spoke, “we ended up doing more work towards point five, investing in belonging in cultural citizenship. That’s where this long-term artist residency came from, working with community-based centers to reuse abandoned or underused spaces and some of our focus with the young people.”
“We believe that culture influences policy,” Ashley wrote in her proposal. “Therefore, it is our responsibility to reframe our cultural narrative so that it inspires just policies. This project begins by recognizing a history that was intentionally devalued and disposed of in order to entrench a normative white supremacist culture. In order to do that, this project will embody equity and participation by prioritizing the leadership, stories, and talents of community members that have been historically ignored. Our model is flexible, scale-able and nimble enough to adapt to the specific context and goals of the community, while still based in well-researched frameworks and proven methodologies.”
Healing the Land Ceremony in Elaine, AR, October 30, 2017
Remember 2019 is a long-term project, as Ashley explained when I interviewed Mauricio and herself:
The big picture is that we’re producing six residencies over six years. The first two are trailblazed by Remember2019, beginning with a blues event featuring local musicians using their music to synthesize personal stories and testimony with the rich history of the blues in the Delta. The next residency is the original, full-length play featuring community testimony and community and professional actors on stage. Then the next four will be determined by local artists. We are part of funding those residencies and getting a group of local folks together to take on those residencies past our involvement in the community, creating a long-term artist residency in the neighborhood.
“Another way of thinking about this long-term project, Mauricio added, “is that we are supporting local efforts to build an ecosystem of art spaces and work. At the moment there are a couple of spaces where folks engage in visual or performing arts—aside from churches, I think there are only two. There are local artists like Kyle Miller at the Delta Cultural Center who are hoping to build out a community of art spaces and art makers and that’s what we’re trying to do. How else do we build that ecosystem but by creating opportunities for performance and for sharing?”
Ashley agreed. “In this community there are a lot of vacant spaces that used to be for commerce. One part of our conversation is if there is a way to repurpose these as creative spaces. Is there a way to take on these underused or unused spaces in the blues festival performance and also in other residencies moving forward?”
The team’s time on the ground in South Phillips County was revealing and catalytic, as Ashley explained:
During the two months we were in South Phillips County we found ourselves wondering, “Where are the young people?” There’s nowhere to hang out. There’s no public space to let loose and relax and see friends other than going to church. How can we create space for that? How can we provide food and entertainment and make a space where people can just hang out and commune?
A major goal is to create and perform in 2019 a play grounded in the experiences and voices of local people who have been affected by the massacre of 1919. Mauricio explained:
All of our work, both the story-sharing institute as well as the current blues festival, has conversation at its core. We are interested in reflecting on the story-sharing practices that remember that moment in time and how that has been affected and where that has been channeled. There’s some research at the institute that the blues changed in response to the red summer of 1919, for instance. So all of that’s in the mix of thinking about the dream for the play next year.
Ashley explained that the playwright, Clos Sirah, “has gone several times to the community for interviewing and story-gathering, including one time when we were all there together for weeks. We’ve been having meetings with our community partners—community-based organizations, community-based centers in the area—as we shape what that play will be to make sure we’re getting community feedback at every stage. Ultimately it will be a performance that is inspired by and based on community testimony and will involve community in the making and performance. One idea is that it may travel around the community so that part of the experience is really being present in the space, really being aware of generations stacked up on this land and here we are now as a community moving through our space together.”
Team photo, July 2018 Staged Reading of Scapegoat by playwright Christina Ham in Helena, AR
Mauricio noted the nuances and controversies that commemorative justice projects can entail. “The Elaine Memorial Foundation is putting up a memorial and there are a series of events that are being organized for next October. And so how are we doing something that adds to that conversation? That puts up against it? That isn’t just the same thing? How is our work refracting, reflecting on, reckoning with the conversation that is already happening in light of the memorial that’s being created?
The past is always in dialogue with the present in such work. “Something we heard often from our partners and from folks we’d meet in the community,” Mauricio told me, is ‘We’re not just what happened in 1919. We’re a lot more than that, and who’s interested in that? It seems like folks are only interested in the hype around that one moment. How do we broaden our understanding of that story so that we can tell that side of ourselves too?’ That’s only possible if there are several conversations happening simultaneously that can use the events of a hundred years ago as a jumping-off point.”
Ashley and Mauricio explained that their team has been in conversation with all kinds of local groups, from Waves of Prayer to the Delta Community Center to the Boys and Girls Club, local educators, social service organizations, and beyond.
What binds our work and theirs is a desire to have this story told on a national level, to give voice to these stories, and understanding that art and theater is the way to do that. People tell us “We’re trying to move our community forward and we need this story to get out and we need attention to come here. We need jobs to come here. We need work to come here,” and the understanding is growing that theater as a vehicle for storytelling can serve those purposes as well.
This type of long-term relationship-building grounded in art calls on Citizen Artists to be open to sharing their gifts in a spirit of flexibility and generosity. For instance, Mauricio noted that he’d been helping folks from the Delta Cultural Center write a grant proposal for an after-school music academy, and the person he was working with
…says to me, “I feel funny. I don’t know what this has to do with your work.” And I said “Listen, Kyle, we are in for the long game of supporting the development of the arts in the area. So helping you write this grant is also my work.” We are showing up as much as we can for the community and the community’s needs, checking at the door our own particular agendas or even our own abilities. In that way I think this project will continue to morph. We will continue to produce these events, and that will be a centerpiece of our work. But also a whole lot of other things, because it’s going to take participating in many things.
Remember2019 has received funding from Alternate ROOTS, the Highlander Research and Education Center, The MAP Fund, and the Network of Ensemble Theaters to support this long-term cultural development in the service of commemorative justice.
In fact, a keystone event made possible with this funding is coming right up: in Marvell, Arkansas on 29 September 2018 and Elaine, Arkansas on 2 October:
Remember2019 Collective members Carlos Sirah and Mauricio Salgado are collaborating with James “Gone for Good” Morgan, Marcus “Mookie” Cartwright, and Vera White to present Black ‘n da Blues: Stories and Songs from the Arkansas Delta. The event is free to the public and will include a reception with food.
In Black ‘n da Blues, Phillips County musicians explore the relationship between legacies of race and artistic expression – locally, nationally and beyond. The event is being produced in partnership with The Delta Cultural Center, The Elaine Legacy Center and The Boys, Girls, Adults, Community Development Center (BGACDC).
Major events like these emerge from a fabric of community dialogue and story-sharing. For example, Remember2019 Collective members Arielle Julia Brown and Carlos Sirah convened a two-day story-sharing institute on 18 and 19 June, inviting local people to share “freedom songs, delta blues traditions, oral histories, meal centered oral traditions, story circles, testimonies, gossip, folklore, interviews and more,” culminating in a Juneteenth Freedom Celebration in a local park.
Specific activities also emerge from a convergence of interests in which the artists’ desire for commemorative justice—for their work mattering to people and serving as a vehicle for everyone’s liberation—connects with local desires and aspirations. Mauricio recalls being asked by a community leader
“What’s your investment in the work?” She would question us whenever we would say “We’re here for you.” Towards the end of our last time together, she heard us start to say “We’re here because we want. We want.” She says, “I only trust people who are here 100% for themselves because how do I know that you’re committed unless you too realize there’s something here for you?” That’s the level of commitment we’re being asked.
If you’d like to explore bringing any points in Standing for Cultural Democracy to life in your community, please feel free to contact us at hello@usdac.us. While Policy Prototype micro-grants were a one-time thing, we can still offer technical assistance and help share information with the wider world if you have a project that promotes one of more of the Platform points, so call on us.
Empowering Women through Writing, Weaving and Sharing
Be heard, connect with your inner resources and cultivate courage to create change.
Our Mission
To create a woven tapestry based on the stories of 1,000 women globally by 2020 that will be exhibited internationally to shine a light on the creative accomplishments of women while calling attention to the challenges women currently face world-wide.
To foster a culture of self-knowledge and sharing that builds courage and fosters a sense of power in women everywhere to contribute to their communities in positive ways.
To allow women to tell the story of their lives, as a catalyst for change, particularly by opening up discussions about issues of domestic violence and sexual abuse in a safe and supportive way.
To promote resilience, compassion, open communication, healing and peace in individuals and communities.
Intro to the Project
Participating in Woven Voices is a journey that starts with self-reflection and writing, and transforms into a woven tapestry, a visual storyboard of women’s lives from around the globe. The 3 elements of the Woven Voices project work together as tools to access, claim, and celebrate our power as individuals and together as a global community of women.
The Artist
Brecia Kralovic-Logan is a passionate champion of creativity who has spent the last 40 years helping people of all ages to embrace and express their unique individuality.
Brecia Kralovic-Logan
4164 Mount Hukee Ave
San Diego, Ca 92117
Mobile: 805-896-3287
breciakl@gmail.com
breciacreative.com
thespiralofcreativity.com
|
This year we explore all the various ways we can be and co create love in action. Along with a challenge~ How are you showing up in the world? at the grocery store, with your family, at work, school, out being social How are we showing up in the world? Does it feel in alignment? Since we know we are love, and love is who we are… what does love look like for us personally? Each person here is a divine, miraculous unfolding. We each have our own Unique Energetic Signature… what you bring to the planet, to the streets, only you can bring. Be strong in your heart, be strong in your dreams. Let’s show the world what we can do in the name of love! International Children’s Month 2019 Platform is TAKING IT TO THE STREETS! Love In Action! International Children’s Month web site is based in Oral Traditions. If you are inspired, please cite your source. We stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us. IN the name of love we thank Gandhi, our indigenous relatives/relations, and for this year especially the first wave of love in action creators of the 60’s…We have come full circle. GAME ON and BE THE MEDICINE! #ICMTakingItToTheStreets #ICMGameOn #ICMGlobalWaveofLove #ICMBeTheMedicine
FIRST WE TUNE INTO SELF, THEN TO OUR FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND THE WORLD. AS WE DO THIS WE SPREAD LOVE. DR. EMOTO TAUGHT US THAT WE TRANSFORM THINGS BY THINKING AND FEELING ABOUT THEM… JOIN ICM IN THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE 7 DAYS OF REST AND REFLECTION BEGINNING TODAY, AND FOR THE NEXT 7 DAYS. YOU CAN ALSO SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY, AND TOGETHER WE WILL LOVE ALL THAT IS SACRED AND IMPORTANT TO US. SIGN UP ON THE WEB SITE WWW.7DAYS-OF-REST.ORG AS AN INDIVIDUAL, TEAM OR COMMUNITY. #GAMEON
JOIN US!! WE WILL BE READING FABULOUS BOOKS FOR US ALL ON FACEBOOK LIVE SHOWS THROUGHOUT THE MONTH!
LIKE AND SHARE US ON FACEBOOK!
https://www.facebook.com/2019-International-Childrens-Month-Global-Wave-of-Love
Introducing the Encore Public Voices Fellowship
The Encore Public Voices Fellowship is a prestigious year-long initiative to accelerate the ideas and impact of 20 new and necessary thought leaders working at the intersection of aging/longevity, inter-generational connection and social justice.
Many parts of the world are rapidly aging. In the United States, we have added more than 30 years to life expectancy in the past century, but not across the board. Whites live longer than people of color. Women live longer than men. And the richest Americans live 10-15 years longer than the poorest. In 2019, for the first time ever, there are more people over the age of 60 than under the age of 18. The ripple effects of these shifts will affect every aspect of society.
We need better and faster ideas from a more diverse set of people of all ages, including those who are most impacted by the uneven implications of these realities, and thus most likely to see new solutions and envision a more just future. The Encore Public Voices Fellowship is a collaboration among The OpEd Project, Encore.org, and Ann MacDougall and is part of The OpEd Project’s national Public Voices initiative to change who writes history.
Participants will receive extraordinary support, skills and mentoring to ensure their ideas shape the greater public conversation. All participants will publish at least two written pieces (hopefully many more) during their fellowship. Read this summary oped to learn how the first 20 fellows are changing the national conversation.
After a highly successful pilot year, we are looking for community and business leaders, activists, entrepreneurs, writers, educators, researchers and other thinkers. We are committed to building a cohort that is inclusive across all identities and backgrounds. We will take into account a variety of factors, including but not limited to race/ethnicity, geography, age, gender and area of expertise. During our pilot year, over half of the cohort consisted of people of color.
Encore.org is an innovation hub and catalyst, working to realize the potential of longer lives and intergenerational connection to solve our most pressing social problems.
The OpEd Project is a think tank and leadership organization that expands history by accelerating the ideas and public impact of new and necessary voices, including women of all backgrounds.
Ann MacDougall, former president of Encore.org, serves as a senior advisor to the Encore Public Voices Fellowship.
Our Advisory Council is comprised of a small group of outstanding social innovators and media professionals. Members include Ellen Goodman (Chair), Sylvia Brown, Mary C. Curtis, Ken Dychtwald, Raymond Jetson, Katie Orenstein, Trabian Shorters and Lester Strong. They will advise on strategy, recruitment of candidates and fellow selection, and may participate as guest speakers.
MORE ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP The Public Voices Fellowship is part of an ambitious national initiative to change who writes history. Launched by The OpEd Project in collaboration with a core group of institutional partners, including Yale, Northwestern, the Ford Foundation and a dozen others, we have had extraordinary success accelerating the ideas and impact of new and necessary voices at the highest levels in their fields, including women of all backgrounds. Watch this short video to hear how last year’s fellows describe their experiences.
Selection
Fellows will be chosen through a competitive selection process. The 2019-20 fellowship targets leaders across all fields and generations who are working somewhere in the intersection of aging, longevity, intergenerational connection and social justice. We strongly encourage people in adjacent fields to apply provided they have a clear and demonstrated desire and ability to contribute to the public dialogue on these issues. Areas of focus could include intergenerational activism, ageism, encore careers, financial security/insecurity, climate change activism as a “legacy” to our descendants, outdated retirement policies, etc.
Selection criteria includes work history, professional track record, and desire to help change the cultural narrative.
Details
-
Year-long program
-
Up to 20 fellows
-
Four interactive day-long seminars in NYC designed to expand thinking and deepen expertise (dates are: September 26-27, 2019; December 3, 2019; March 6, 2020; and May 8, 2020)
-
Dedicated editors (top journalists) to provide regular, hands-on, one-on-one support/editing/coaching
-
Access to ongoing mentoring for the fellowship year
-
A limited number of travel stipends for those who need them
THE ENCORE FRAMEWORK Guided by the belief that the aging of America is every bit as much an opportunity to be seized as a problem to be solved, Encore.org tells a new story about the possibilities of an older America, creates new ways to enable people of all ages to contribute more fully to their communities, and seeds a movement built around these ideas. We hope to change both the conversation and reality around the years after 50, not just for the enormous cohort of baby boomers, but also for generations to come.
There are barriers to this exciting vision. Ageism remains pervasive. Neither government nor big business have been especially innovative or supportive of policies or programs to pr.epare experienced people for new roles. And there are scant pathways and opportunities for individuals to get from their midlife work to a new chapter, often called an encore career. Many people in this life stage find themselves in difficult financial circumstances, without the resources to weather later life. And sadly, some low-income communities are missing out on these “bonus years” altogether.
Encore.org has been a leader in this space for the past two decades, working to normalize the idea of people in this life stage as a force for social good. Scores of leaders (the vanguard of an emerging encore movement) are now engaged in thought leadership in this area, but this issue has not yet become part of a mainstream, public conversation. Rather, it is driven by a small chorus of people who are not reflective of the diversity of our population
Water: Reconnecting the People of African Descent, UN High Level Political…
Event Information
Description
Our next Community Conversation will be on
Thursday, July 18
9:00 – 10:30 am PST / 12:00 – 1:30 pm EST
The terrible issue of immigrant children detained at the U.S. border
The United States of America has, since its inception, been a country formed by immigrants. Yet now, at our southern border particularly, thousands of people leaving their home countries are requesting asylum or entrance and are being held in detention centers and processed very slowly. Meanwhile, the immigrating families are being separated and the children held in cells – cages in many cases – without adequate sanitation or bedding, without adequate nutrition and without access to their parents or adult relatives. In spite of legal and popular objection this problem has continued and continued to worsen for over a year under the Trump administration.
Is the description above adequate to define this problem? What are some of the underlying causes of the problem and what can or should be done instead? What actions can we take to effect those changes?
Looking at this issue through your social justice and elder lenses, please read the materials suggested below, focus your attention on this issue in other news you read and conversations you hear, then bring your thoughts on the subject to our conversation July 18th.
In our Community Conversations we draw on the experience and wisdom of our group to better understand the critical issues we are facing and discern what actions we would want to take as elders in our society today. We offer moral support for each other as we grapple with the issues and challenges of our times and discern how to best support the activism that we are each engaged in.
Resources:
Letter from Santa Fe Dreamers:
Dear Friends and Supporters,
We know that you have all been reading and watching the absolutely horrific news unfold about the conditions of detention on the border. We know that many of you feel scared, frustrated, angry, and powerless by the way that our government is treating vulnerable people, especially children. We are writing today with information and direction towards action but also to urge you not to feel powerless. We are always capable of making change through our collective power. Of course this requires courage, stamina, and an intelligent, disciplined, and organized theory of change. It will not be easy. We encourage you to turn away from despair and towards this place of collective power knowing that it will test you. We will be with you the whole way. Below you will find some ideas for inspiration.
Love,
Your friends at Santa Fe Dreamers Project
- Educate yourself: Here at SFDP this is always our number one piece of advice. The more you know, the fiercer you will be as an advocate and a voter. There are plenty of explosive news articles to read but here are a few that we have learned from recently: We suggested this piece in our last newsletter but if you haven’t had a chance to read it we highly suggest Dara Lind’s “The Border is in Crisis. Here’s How it Got This Bad”. The New Yorker ran an incredibly thought provoking piece written by a historian about “The Unimaginable Reality of American Concentration Camp”. Again from the New Yorker, a report from the lawyers who were recently allowed in to inspect a children’s facility in Clint, TX, “Inside a Building in Texas where Government is Holding Immigrant Children”. Another really important thing to learn about (and something that is not highlighted enough in the news) is the Migrant Protection Protocol or MPP program that has currently turned thousands of thousands of migrants around at the US border to wait in Mexico. This is an excruciatingly dangerous policy that is threatening the lives of migrant families day after day.
- Understand that this cruelty is not new and these tactics did not just begin. In fact, the Obama administration reignited the practice of family detention in 2014. One of the reasons this summer feels so out of control is because the sheer numbers of people asking for asylum are so high. The Obama and now Trump administrations’ policies attempted to deter migrants through punishment, suffering, and torture but their success was dependent on the flow of migrants actually stopping. Now that the numbers are so high, these cruel and failed policies have now turned deadly.
- Engage with politicians: Here is the thing: The Trump administration cannot be swayed with moral arguments or blame. They are doing this on purpose. One way of thinking about engaging with politicians is to remember that Congress has the power of the purse and is funding this enforcement regime. One theory is that we can defund ICE and CBP and redirect that money to agencies or NGO’s that are capable of handling a humanitarian crisis of this scope and are not killing people for political motive. This means we have to pressure progressives and democrats and republicans with a conscience to do more than just signal compassion for immigrants. We need these leaders to articulate how they are going to disempower the Trump Administration and make sure it is part of the work they are doing to secure our votes. We can and must demand courageous leadership from our Senators and Representatives and that their actions reflect our deep desire to end the state sponsored violence on the border.
- How to respond to the threat of ICE raids: Trump’s twitter threat for a massive enforcement action last week was credible and achieved its purpose of scaring the shit out of immigrant and refugee communities all over the US. While it has been “delayed”, now is a wise time for communities to get organized. The American Friends Service Committee published this resource about how allies can support their immigrant and refugee neighbors during this time. Here is the ACLU’s guide to knowing your rights during ICE encounters and we suggest exploring it. Santa Fe Dreamers will be holding walk in hours for people to help families with power of attorney and family prep plans every Friday in Santa Fe from 1-5 at our 1213 Mercantile Rd office. If you work with concerned families let them know about this resource.
- Actions happening in NM: There is a lot of talk about national protests to close concentration camps on July 12. One of the organizations that is involved with planning this is called Lights of Liberty. Their Facebook page is a source of info– although we don’t have much info yet about that organization. We are talking with folks in NM about planning more locally focused actions and as soon as we have more details we will announce it. Choose your social media of choice or keep reading our emails to stay in touch.
- Where to donate: Of course here at Santa Fe Dreamers Project we use your donations to protect vulnerable immigrants and refugees in a million different ways every day. Specifically, we need more help on the border. We just rented a much larger office space in El Paso for our expanding team there and are raising funds for a legal assistant so we can have greater impact in the borderlands. You can donate to that effort here. Write border in the note! We are grateful for any help you can give putting this donation link out there into the universe. For those of you wondering where else it might be useful to donate here is our list of several grassroots legal organizations that we know are having impact (we also know we have left many out!)
- And finally an offer of poetry from our director, Allegra, who likes to contemplate what this particular poem is trying to teach us when thinking about the horrors we witness:
Now you know the worst
By Wendell Berry
To my granddaughters who visited the Holocaust Museum on the day of the burial of Yitzhak Rabin
Now you know the worst
we humans have to know
about ourselves, and I am sorry,
for I know that you will be afraid.
To those of our bodies given
without pity to be burned, I know
there is no answer
but loving one another,
even our enemies, and this is hard.
But remember:
when a man of war becomes a man of peace,
he gives a light, divine
though it is also human.
When a man of peace is killed
by a man of war, he gives a light.
You do not have to walk in darkness.
If you will have the courage for love,
you may walk in light. It will be
the light of those who have suffered
for peace. It will be
your light.
Regarding Investor Activism:
Here are some groups focused on Social, Environmental and Governance-conscious investing:
- Proxy Impact
- Sustainable Investment Institute
- As You Sow
- Green America (and also: www.greenamerica.org/finance)
And finally, for your research about political donations, money flow and lobbying influence:
How to join the conversation:
We will be using Zoom video conferencing, which is very easy to access by computer or regular telephone. If you choose to use your tablet or smartphone, be sure to download the Zoom app ahead of time. We will be starting each meeting on time so please connect 15 minutes before the call so that the host can help with any technical difficulties or questions you may have. Once the call starts the host will be not be able to help with connection issues. Once you are connected via Zoom you are welcome mute your microphone and turn off your video until just before the meeting starts, or you may enjoy chatting with others in the meeting while you wait.
Instructions and access to Zoom conferencing
To receive email reminders for Elder Activists for Social Justice (EASJ) meetings, monthly community conversations and workshops, please sign up here:
SIGN UP
Honoring the Past • Healing the Present • Celebrating the Future
A CELEBRATION OF NATIVE AMERICAN ART, MUSIC AND CULTURES
Thank you Joanne and Monte for this inspiring, hope-infused interview.
Tickets: www.sheatheater.org
Note that the concert is at the Shea Theater at 17 Avenue A in Turners Falls at 7:30 pm on Saturday and tickets are available before the event at a reduced rate and also available at the door.
******************************************************************************************
Festival details and schedule: www.nolumbekaproject.org
P.O. Box 285, 91 Main St., Greenfield, MA 01302
The mission of the Nolumbeka Project is to promote a deeper, broader and more accurate depiction of the history of the Native Americans/American Indians of New England before and during European contact and colonization;
To protect and preserve sites sacred to, and of historic value to, the Native Americans/American Indians of New England; to create and promote related educational opportunities, preservation projects and cultural events; and to work in partnership, as much as possible, with the tribes.
We will strive to exemplify the Native American/American Indian peoples’ respect for Mother Earth and all living beings; to be mindful of our role as caretakers for future generations; and to honor our connection to the Earth and Sky and to the Creator.
The Nolumbeka Project, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the history of Native Americans/American Indians of New England through educational programs, art, history, music, heritage seed preservation and cultural events. We are actively building, maintaining and expanding an historical archive research library for use by the Tribes and Educators of the Northeast and beyond.
Our Board of Directors is comprised of volunteers who have been active for more than 40 years in a number of other preservation, historical research, environmental and social justice organizations.
Join TransOhio for our Annual Unity Picnic
for the transgender and gender non-conforming community and allies.
Sunday, August 4 2019
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
We will be serving hamburgers, hot dogs and veggie dogs.
Bring a side to share!
All ages are welcome.
We will be at the Shadblow Shelter at
Blendon Woods Metro Park
in Westerville, Ohio.
We hope to see everyone there!
|
Blendon Woods Metropolitan Park 4265 E. Dublin-Granville Road, Westerville, Ohio 43081
|
TransOhio is a state-wide nonprofit that serves the transgender and ally communities by providing services, education, support, and advocacy.
Columbus, Ohio 43214
Meditation and Prayer Gathering for World Peace on Hiroshima Day
August 5 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
This is a simple call for a gathering of spiritually-minded persons dedicated to world peace. Please join us, to make peaceful compassionate steps to help heal our wounded world. Walk together one step at a time mindfully. Let us cultivate peaceful minds and hearts within, and work harmoniously with our fellow beings on earth.
The event includes A-bomb panels, experiencing a walking mindful meditation, Origami, Tanabata tree of wishes, music, prayer and readings.
May Peace Prevail On Earth International
Nagasaki Peace Pals Art Awards by artist
Join us in a one minute SYNCHRONIZED GLOBAL MEDITATION
WATCH THE LIVE Broadcast HERE
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wppc
Our friends at the URI – United Religious Initiatives
invite you to recite The Nuclear Prayer on Hiroshima Day
as a call for the abolition of all nuclear weapons.
Join 791 URI Community Circle in 98 countries
in a call for the abolition of all nuclear weapons.
Learn more about The Nuclear Prayer and the
Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons URI Cooperation Circle.
www.TheNuclearPrayer.org
May Peace Prevail On Earth
The Convergence
Archives Available on VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel
In a world inevitably going global and multicultural, what becomes of religions and spirituality? What becomes of activism towards real global change? In THE CONVERGENCE, global Interspiritual pioneer and scientist Dr. Kurt Johnson joins interfaith leaders Ben Bowler of Australia and Doug King of America in engaging women and men who are inspiring leaders and change agents around our world. Spiritual and cultural leaders, sacred and secular activists, scientists, artists, writers, economists, politicians and even shamans join in this discussion of a world trying to wake up and grow up. What is at stake and what are the technologies and cosmologies creating a world that can work for everyone? If you are concerned for our world’s future and sincere about your commitments to bold and world-serving ideas, you’ll want to tune in to The Convergence on the VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel.
**************************************************************************************************
Episode Description
VoiceAmerica presents this Evergreen Special detailing major 2019 and 2020 global events upcoming from UNITY EARTH partners Standing for Peace Campaign, Road to 2020 Events, and Caravan of Unity across America. The five sections of the Special spotlight, now and for months to come: United Nations mandated global holiday events like the International Day of Yoga and the International Day of Peace, the vision and work of Light on Light Magazine and VoiceAmerica in covering all these events, UNITY EARTH and its partners month to month activities and initiatives 2019-2020, and the roles of partner groups like Transformation365, We, the World, URI, UNIFY, EcoPeace and The Evolutionary Leaders. Featured are global leaders from the UN, UNITY EARTH, Light on Light Magazine, Transformation365, We, and The Evolutionary Leaders. Lets share this Special, ongoing, as a resource and PR instrument pointing toward all of these global events and gathering a global constituency for their success!
**************************************************************************************************
Ambassador K. Nagaraj Naidu
His Excellency Ambassador K. Nagaraj Naidu is a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service representing the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York. He holds a Master’s Degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School. His extensive background includes being a fluent Chinese speaker and having previously served in China on four separate postings. More recently, he was the National Coordinator for establishing the International Solar Alliance in India. Significantly, Ambassador Naidu is a long-standing yoga practioner. Reaching back to a tender age, he was exposed to his grandfather rising early to teach yoga classes. As part of the 5th Anniversary of World Yoga Day in June, he moderated a high level panel in New York in the UN Secretariat on the theme of climate change and climate action.
Gayatri Naraine
Since 1980 Gayatri Naraine has served as the representative of the Brahma Kumaris at the United Nations in New York. She is a spiritual educator, writer, and speaker. She is currently the vice chair of the International Day of Yoga Committee. Gayatri’s focus is on the Sustainable Development Goals. She helped in the development of a concept paper entitled Enhancing Human Flourishing Within the 2030 Development Agenda: The Spirituality of Global Transformation. This was the result of a 3-year dialogue held with UNFPA. As a design team member for the Call-of-the-Time Dialogues, a global leadership dialogue, she has spent the last 20 years exploring “experiments in silence,” the transformational depth of contemplative silence and its impact on the world. She serves on the Board of the Kosmos Journal. Gayatri was born in Guyana and currently lives in New York City, USA. Contact Gayatri.naraine@us.brahmakumaris.org
Ben Bowler & Deborah Moldow
Ben Bowler, Executive Director of UNITY EARTH and Deborah Moldow, UE Creative Consultant discuss the vision of UNITY EARTH and its Road to 2020 and Caravan of Unity across America. Ben and Deborah are leaders of a team projecting inspiring global events from 2019 – 2020 and beyond. The Road to 2020 to date has touched all five continents with major intercultural and musical events. (https://unity.earth/roadto2020/). In 2019 events in India and The Holy Land will join the list. The New York Convergence and UNITY Earth Liftoff Celebration and concert are first steps toward “the Caravan of Unity across America” which, in 2020, will features events across America culminating in major celebrations in New York City for the International Day of Peace (Sept. 21). Ben and Deborah will help anchor a “Coalition for the Road to 2020” organized regionally to create participations in these inspiring events. The Leadership Conference, February. 1 will begin that process (contact adam@unity.earth).
Rick Ulfik
Rick Ulfik is Founder of We, the World, We.net and The 11 Days of Global Unity which for many years has been directing major events around the major international holidays of the United Nations. Rick is a founder/leader of We.net, FIONS and other New York City transformational organizations. He works with leaders of United Nations Committees and fellow members of the Evolutionary Leaders network co-sponsoring New York and UN international event programs. We, the World and their “Eleven Ways to Change the World” are central to the plans for 2019 and 2020 for The Road to 2020 and the Caravan of Unity across America. Rick is also a leader in Marshall Rosenberg Nonviolent Communication initiatives as well as an award-winning composer and musician. Rick co-produces Visual Voices on the Dish Network available in 15 million homes. Producing short films as well, Rick organizes and promotes scores of events and other better world activities, large and small, every year. See www.We.net.
Denise Scotto and Adam Collett
Denise Scotto, Esq., and Adam Collett join us, respectively, as Chairperson of the International Day of Yoga Committee at the United Nations, and as Creative Director for UNITY EARTH. Denise is Guest Editor of Light on Light Magazine’s annual issues on the International Day of Yoga and hosts the IDY discussion on this broadcast. Adam, a strategist, designer, media and event producer dedicated to making a positive impact in the world by combining innovative solutions with a deep knowledge of cultural diversity, joins Ben Bowler and Rick Ulfik in the discussions of these global activities on this broadcast. Denise is an attorney at law and policy advisor who has held leadership roles in professional bar organizations and has organized numerous events at UN fora. Adam, with 20 years of experience in design and technology, event production, not-for-profit management, cultural projects, youth programs and more, implements cutting-edge solutions for NGOs and social enterprises.
Karuna and Kurt Johnson
Karuna is founder of www.lightonkundalini.com and a leader in the international Yoga and spiritual practice communities. She is also Host Editor of Light on Light Magazine and a host of The Convergence Series on VoiceAmerica. Dr. Kurt Johnson is the Series Host for The Convergence on VoiceAmerica and Contributions Editor for Light on Light Magazine. Light on Light has produced two annual special issues on The International Day of Yoga with the IDY Committee at the United Nations also featured in this broadcast and will publish a special issue in August 2019 reflecting this VoiceAmerica Special,see https://www.facebook.com/ lightonlightmagazine Karuna and Kurt are co-developing Light on Light with Managing Editor Shannon Winters (below) and also preparing a lifestyle book, manual and lifestyle Teacher Training program with Karuna for 2019. Light on Light magazine and Kurt’s Interspiritual Network are both partners of UNITY EARTH. See www.unity.earth.
Rev. Diane Berke and Jeff Genung
Part of Tranformation365, Rev. Diane Berke is the founder of The One Spirit Learning Alliance and One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City. Jeff Genung is co-founder and President of Contemplative Life.org and, with Rev. Berke, a leader in the interspiritual movement. One Spirit and Contemplative Life have both co-sponsored various events with UNITY EARTH and Contemplative Life is a UNITY EARTH Partner. An author and international speaker, Diane is a recipient of the Houston Smith Interfaith Educator Award and numerous other recognitions. Contemplative Life and Transformation365 create a digital hub that connects people and communities with transformative practices. Contemplative Life.org’s prodigious website hosts hundreds of spiritual teachers and practice traditions, as do the famed interfaith education programs at One Spirit Interfaith.org. Recently Jeff has also partnered with Prosocial.world along with Dr. Kurt Johnson of the Interspiritual Network and UNITY EARTH.
Kate Sheehan Roach and Sr. Mary Friedland
Sr. Mary Friedland and Kate Sheehan Roach join us from Transformation365. Mary Friedland is Coordinator of the Brahma Kumaris activities in Chicago and the Midwest. A Raja Yogi of more than 30 years, she teaches courses in meditation and everyday spirituality. She enjoys applying spiritual principles to life’s knotty problems and sharing what she has learned with others. Kate Sheehan Roach served as founding editor of Contemplative Journal, and as managing editor of the Spirituality Channel at Patheos.com. She is now Director of Content for ContemplativeLife.org and as a founding member of the Transformation365.org core team. Kate works alongside some of today’s great spiritual and religious teachers as editor/agent, podcast host, moderator, and program director. She is a certified Centering Prayer facilitator and serves on the North America Leadership Council for the United Religions Initiative. She lives on the edge of Philadelphia. Contact: katesheehanroach@gmail.com.
Shannon Winters and Yanni Maniates
Shannon Winters in the Managing Editor of Light on Light Magazine and Yanni Maniates is Global Projects Director for UNITY EARTH. Light on Light is dedicated to spiritual practice and inspired lifestyle and Yanni has been working with Contemplative Life.org and other leaders in the UNITY EARTH Network creating spiritual practice programs to accompany UNITY EARTH’s events. The program developed by Yanni, Jeff Genung of Contemplative Life and Rev. Diane Berke of America’s largest interfaith seminary, One Spirit in New York City is called “Transformation 365” and its programs can be found at http://www.tranfomation365.org. Shannon has also been Managing Editor of UNITY EARTH’s Convergence Magazine which, along with Light on Light, publishes special issues on the amazing activities across the networks featured in this broadcast. Shannon has also just completed a spiritual autobiography, The Gospel of Wisdom, documenting her journey from religious fundamentalism to interspirituality.
The Leading Network for Original Live Internet Talk Radio
About Us
VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network is the leading producer, distributor, and online broadcaster of original live and on demand talk radio programming worldwide. We deliver hundreds of original programs weekly through eight branded channels: VoiceAmerica Variety, VoiceAmerica Empowerment, VoiceAmerica Health & Wellness, VoiceAmerica Business, VoiceAmerica Sports, VoiceAmerica INFLUENCERS , VoiceAmerica Kids, and VoiceAmerica Women.
VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network is a true online broadcast network reaching a rapidly expanding domestic and international audience of millions of listeners every month in more than 140 countries worldwide.
VoiceAmerica has been a pioneer in original live talk radio programming for the past 20 years. We continue to produce exceptional radio content that emotionally connects and creates lasting impact in the lives of our global listening audience.
VoiceAmerica TV is a full service television and production company offering worldwide distribution through VoiceAmerica channels, privately owned channels (white label), or shared channels. Live events, Pay Per View, subscription based and all production capabilities are available either in collaboration or created by VoiceAmerica TV. With sixteen (16) channels of content to choose from, there is entertainment for everyone and a proper destination to build and attract your audience. VoiceAmerica TV is accessible to anyone with an Internet connection on any device.
The VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network and VoiceAmerica TV are radio and TV divisions of World Talk Radio, LLC, an independent and privately owned digital entertainment media company.
For our listeners:
We strive to inform, shape and change the way you live, offering content that inspires, entertains and enlightens. Our goal is to create content that impacts you, any time any place and on any Device. Period!
STAND UP. SPEAK OUT.
BE AN UPSTANDER.
“upstander | noun: A person who stands up, speaks out, and/or takes action in defense of those who are targeted for harm or injustice. Antonym: bystander
UPSTANDER PROJECT
The Upstander Project produced DAWNLAND. The filmmaking and educational collaborative was created in Boston, Massachusetts in 2009 is to challenge indifference to injustice and raise awareness of the need for upstanders, especially among teachers and their students. We help bystanders learn the skills of upstanders and contribute to action-oriented campaigns in response to vital social issues.
The Upstander Project’s flagship program presented with the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center at the University of Connecticut is the Upstander Academy. The Upstander Academy is an inquiry-based professional development opportunity for secondary educators with a focus on genocide and human rights education to foster upstanding and address complex historical and current issues. The Academy is six days (Sunday through Friday) and is based at the University of Connecticut-Storrs. Additionally, Academy participants will spend time on sacred Tribal lands, including the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, home of our principal partner.
Since 2009 we have used documentary film, teacher professional development, and interactive educator resources to teach about colonialism and genocide and address how we deal with difference in our society. Our first project is anchored by COEXIST (broadcast in April 2014 on PBS World Channel) and its extensive Teacher’s Guide. The film examines Rwanda’s unprecedented social experiment in government-mandated reconciliation through the stories of survivors and perpetrators of the 1994 genocide.
Learn more about Upstander Project teacher workshops and learning resources on the Upstander Project website.
Dawnland
By signing in, you are authorizing ITVS to share information collected from you with any persons or entities participating in or hosting the screening. Such persons or entities may send you periodic communications about related events, services, and support. ITVS’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service govern all uses of your information.
Enter Screening
Welcome! Please sign in with one of the following options…
Join the makers of the Emmy Award-nominated film DAWNLAND for a special screening of the 86-minute feature edition.
For decades, child welfare authorities have been removing Native American children from their homes to save them from being Indian. In Maine, the first official “truth and reconciliation commission” in the United States begins a historic investigation. DAWNLAND goes behind-the-scenes as this historic body grapples with difficult truths, redefines reconciliation, and charts a new course for state and tribal relations.
After the movie please stay with us
so you can ask questions of the film team
in a live online chat.
Learn more about the film and watch the trailer at dawnland.org
120 minutes
Panelists
-
Adam Mazo is the director of the Upstander Project and co-director and producer of First Light, and the feature-length film, Dawnland. Adam also directed and produced Coexist (WORLD Channel, Africa Movie Academy Award Nominee). He co-founded the Upstander Project in 2009. He is originally from Minnesota, graduated from the University of Florida, and now lives in Boston with his wife and son.
-
Mishy Lesser, Ed.D., is the learning director for the Upstander Project and Education Fellow at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center at the University of Connecticut. She is director of the Upstander Academy, a weeklong professional learning experience for teachers and museum educators that focuses on genocide and human rights education and the skills of upstanders. Currently Dr. Lesser spends much of her time researching and writing the five-inquiry Teacher’s Guide for Dawnland. Mishy authored the Coexist Teacher’s Guide to promote learning about the complexity of reconciliation in post-genocide Rwanda. She is a Circle Keeper and has been featured on WBUR (Boston) and PRI/BBC’s The World. Mishy was a Fulbright Scholar in Ecuador and spent 12 years learning and working in the Andes.
-
Tracy Rector (Choctaw/Seminole) is the impact producer for Dawnland and the Upstander Project. She is a mixed race filmmaker, curator, community organizer, co-founder of Longhouse Media. She has made over 400 short films, and is currently in production of her fifth feature documentary. Her work has been featured on Independent Lens, Cannes Film Festival, ImagineNative, National Geographic, Toronto International Film Festival, and in the Smithsonian’s Museum of the American Indian. She is a current Firelight Media Lab Fellow, WGBH Producer Fellow, and Sundance Institute Lab Fellow. Raised in Seattle and Albuquerque, Tracy lives in Seattle and sits as a City of Seattle Arts Commissioner.
Before you get started in OVEE:
1. Ensure you are using the most current version of your favorite popular browser:
2. Run a test to ensure OVEE works properly on your computer
Elder Activists for Social Justice
Community Conversations
Our next Community Conversation will be on
Thursday, August 15
9:00 – 10:30 am PT / 12:00 – 1:30 pm ET
|
Bystanders to Activists:
Ways of Being Engaged in Ensuring Social Justice
3rd Thursday of each month
9:00 – 10:30 am PT / 12:00 – 1:30 pm ET
We participate together over Zoom video conferencing in a lightly-facilitated, educational and interactive conversation. We have time to deep dive into our topics using an Elder and social justice lens…always provocative, meaningful and community-oriented.
We began, three years ago, by looking at issues related to racism, white privilege, wealth inequality and Islamophobia, and have recently studied Native peoples’ history, reconciliation and the moral voice of an Elder. Each month’s topic grows from the previous month’s and the interests of those attending.
Approximately two weeks before each meeting we may post resources about our subject which include relevant readings, videos, articles, and introspective questions. Our meeting format is participatory, and everyone has a chance to interact and share. All meetings are via Zoom video conferencing. Click for instructions and access to Zoom conferencing. ALL ARE WELCOME.
Our next Community Conversation will be on
Thursday, August 15
9:00 – 10:30 am PT / 12:00 – 1:30 pm ET
Bystanders to Activists:
Ways of Being Engaged in Ensuring Social Justice
In this month’s Community Conversation we turn toward taking specific actions on developing an EASJ project to end the separation of immigrant children from their parents at the border. Your task, should you decide to accept it, is to look up and read everything you can find on recent actions taken by the US government, state and local border governments, prison facilities housing immigrants and ICE officials to change separation practices.
Also, think about how you would actually define the problem and its underlying causes. Be thorough in asking yourself “Why?” or “What does that mean?” because we’re setting this up as a serious project. We’re not just talking about or protesting the problem. We’re developing responsible action for finding and enacting positive solutions for this terrible, heartless situation. Join us!
To receive email reminders for Elder Activists for Social Justice (EASJ) meetings, monthly community conversations and workshops, please sign up here.
July Conversation:
The terrible issue of immigrant children detained at the U.S. border
At our July 18 meeting we asked What can I or We do about [the] problem [of immigrant children being separated from their parents at the border]?…. As Elders who care deeply but who are not necessarily able to get up and go to protests – although some do – determining what can one person do presents the usual question of just that – what can one person do? The power of positive action of any type was deemed to be essentially of a personal choice, but whatever it is, it’s important – whether it be writing letters to editors, senators or representatives; joining local or bigger groups and jumping on the bandwagon; donating money for aid or bail for immigrants, or writing to our mutual fund investment managers about divesting from prison complex companies like Geo Group (GEO) and CoreCivic (CXW), it’s all good.
But, perhaps the best way to help is to follow Shannon’s information she found in the New York Times on June 24, 2019: Children Shouldn’t Be Dying at the Border. Here’s How You Can Help
Donation of money (100%) to the National Bail Fund Network aids in disrupting the injustice of bail requirements in the immigration detention and mass incarceration systems. For more information contact Pilar Maria Weiss, Director of Community Justice Exchange at 202-279-1656 or go online to: www.communityjusticeexchange.org/national-bail-fund-network
So…show up…speak out…and ‘be the light’ because it all matters!
Resources:
Letter from Santa Fe Dreamers:
Dear Friends and Supporters,
We know that you have all been reading and watching the absolutely horrific news unfold about the conditions of detention on the border. We know that many of you feel scared, frustrated, angry, and powerless by the way that our government is treating vulnerable people, especially children. We are writing today with information and direction towards action but also to urge you not to feel powerless. We are always capable of making change through our collective power. Of course this requires courage, stamina, and an intelligent, disciplined, and organized theory of change. It will not be easy. We encourage you to turn away from despair and towards this place of collective power knowing that it will test you. We will be with you the whole way. Below you will find some ideas for inspiration.
Love,
Your friends at Santa Fe Dreamers Project
- Educate yourself: Here at SFDP this is always our number one piece of advice. The more you know, the fiercer you will be as an advocate and a voter. There are plenty of explosive news articles to read but here are a few that we have learned from recently: We suggested this piece in our last newsletter but if you haven’t had a chance to read it we highly suggest Dara Lind’s “The Border is in Crisis. Here’s How it Got This Bad”. The New Yorker ran an incredibly thought provoking piece written by a historian about “The Unimaginable Reality of American Concentration Camp”. Again from the New Yorker, a report from the lawyers who were recently allowed in to inspect a children’s facility in Clint, TX, “Inside a Building in Texas where Government is Holding Immigrant Children”. Another really important thing to learn about (and something that is not highlighted enough in the news) is the Migrant Protection Protocol or MPP program that has currently turned thousands of thousands of migrants around at the US border to wait in Mexico. This is an excruciatingly dangerous policy that is threatening the lives of migrant families day after day.
- Understand that this cruelty is not new and these tactics did not just begin. In fact, the Obama administration reignited the practice of family detention in 2014. One of the reasons this summer feels so out of control is because the sheer numbers of people asking for asylum are so high. The Obama and now Trump administrations’ policies attempted to deter migrants through punishment, suffering, and torture but their success was dependent on the flow of migrants actually stopping. Now that the numbers are so high, these cruel and failed policies have now turned deadly.
- Engage with politicians: Here is the thing: The Trump administration cannot be swayed with moral arguments or blame. They are doing this on purpose. One way of thinking about engaging with politicians is to remember that Congress has the power of the purse and is funding this enforcement regime. One theory is that we can defund ICE and CBP and redirect that money to agencies or NGO’s that are capable of handling a humanitarian crisis of this scope and are not killing people for political motive. This means we have to pressure progressives and democrats and republicans with a conscience to do more than just signal compassion for immigrants. We need these leaders to articulate how they are going to disempower the Trump Administration and make sure it is part of the work they are doing to secure our votes. We can and must demand courageous leadership from our Senators and Representatives and that their actions reflect our deep desire to end the state sponsored violence on the border.
- How to respond to the threat of ICE raids: Trump’s twitter threat for a massive enforcement action last week was credible and achieved its purpose of scaring the shit out of immigrant and refugee communities all over the US. While it has been “delayed”, now is a wise time for communities to get organized. The American Friends Service Committee published this resource about how allies can support their immigrant and refugee neighbors during this time. Here is the ACLU’s guide to knowing your rights during ICE encounters and we suggest exploring it. Santa Fe Dreamers will be holding walk in hours for people to help families with power of attorney and family prep plans every Friday in Santa Fe from 1-5 at our 1213 Mercantile Rd office. If you work with concerned families let them know about this resource.
- Actions happening in NM: There is a lot of talk about national protests to close concentration camps on July 12. One of the organizations that is involved with planning this is called Lights of Liberty. Their Facebook page is a source of info– although we don’t have much info yet about that organization. We are talking with folks in NM about planning more locally focused actions and as soon as we have more details we will announce it. Choose your social media of choice or keep reading our emails to stay in touch.
- Where to donate: Of course here at Santa Fe Dreamers Project we use your donations to protect vulnerable immigrants and refugees in a million different ways every day. Specifically, we need more help on the border. We just rented a much larger office space in El Paso for our expanding team there and are raising funds for a legal assistant so we can have greater impact in the borderlands. You can donate to that effort here. Write border in the note! We are grateful for any help you can give putting this donation link out there into the universe. For those of you wondering where else it might be useful to donate here is our list of several grassroots legal organizations that we know are having impact (we also know we have left many out!)
- And finally an offer of poetry from our director, Allegra, who likes to contemplate what this particular poem is trying to teach us when thinking about the horrors we witness:
Now you know the worst
By Wendell Berry
To my granddaughters who visited the Holocaust Museum on the day of the burial of Yitzhak Rabin
Now you know the worst
we humans have to know
about ourselves, and I am sorry,
for I know that you will be afraid.
To those of our bodies given
without pity to be burned, I know
there is no answer
but loving one another,
even our enemies, and this is hard.
But remember:
when a man of war becomes a man of peace,
he gives a light, divine
though it is also human.
When a man of peace is killed
by a man of war, he gives a light.
You do not have to walk in darkness.
If you will have the courage for love,
you may walk in light. It will be
the light of those who have suffered
for peace. It will be
your light.
Regarding Investor Activism:
Here are some groups focused on Social, Environmental and Governance-conscious investing:
- Proxy Impact
- Sustainable Investment Institute
- As You Sow
- Green America (and also: www.greenamerica.org/finance)
And finally, for your research about political donations, money flow and lobbying influence:
How to join the conversation:
To receive email reminders for Elder Activists for Social Justice (EASJ) meetings, monthly community conversations and workshops, please sign up here.
Compassion Camp
August 15-18, 2019
at Earthaven Ecovillage | near Asheville, North Carolina
Compassion Camp is a four day event for adults and children where we create a community of people who learn, play and celebrate together, empowered to then send each other back into the world to spread these seeds of justice and love. Our time together is designed to foster community among the growing number of people in Western North Carolina and beyond who are passionate about living and promoting compassionate consciousness. Located at Earthaven Ecovillage, it is an opportunity to have fun, enjoy ourselves, learn together, and connect deeply in a beautiful natural setting.
Compassion Camp is inspired by the life and work of Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, the creator of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). We believe that the theory and practice of NVC is a life-changing tool for cultivating compassion in our hearts, communities, and the world. In addition to NVC, other topics may include: social justice, ecology, circling, restorative circles, healthy relationships, feminism, families and children, eco-sexuality, community, economics, and authentic movement.
Compassion Camp combines experiential and traditional approaches to learning, including professionally led classes, small-group conversations, hands-on practices, movement, self-reflection, and interactive activities, to provide an intimate, well-rounded, and powerful experience. Through both pre-planned presentations and Open Space sessions, Compassion Camp seeks to concentrate the creativity and inspiration of participants into an ongoing, life-serving energy for the community and create networks among affinity groups such as educators and social activists. Compassion Camp also features relational activities centered around singing, dancing, storytelling, and silence, which cultural anthropologist Angeles Arrien has identified as the four most common ways that humans create wellness, community, and connection.
Compassion Camp participants will likely experience:
- Increased connection to self, others, and nature
- A deeper commitment to being of service
- A broader understanding of the ways you can live compassion
- More skill in creating supportive community in your life
- More practical tools and resources to inspire yourself and others
Schedule
Compassion Camp hosts a broad selection of topics to explore through the combination of pre-planned presentations and group-selected open space offerings. Connection and movement activities, meals, and rituals also contribute to a rich and nourishing experience.
More about schedule and Open Space technology
About the Co-Directors
For over thirty years, Steve Torma has gently guided our culture toward cooperation and regeneration. He is the former President of Earthaven Ecovillage, where he continues to live his passion for community and sustainability. Trained in Nonviolent Communication, and other healing modalities, Steve co-founded The REAL Center in 2007. Through his compassionate presence and guidance, Steve has helped countless people to find healing, direction, and meaning in their lives.
Terrie Lewine focuses her work on deep self-awareness, communication and relationship work. She currently resides in Philadelphia, PA where she owns and manages her private teaching/coaching practice and the Back to Life Wellness Center. She offers classes, workshops and trainings for individuals and couples, and supports organizations by developing and supporting best practices regarding collaboration, team building and effective conflict resolution.
Steve and Terrie have been deeply enriched by using NVC in their own lives, relationships, communities and with the people they serve. Having felt the power of NVC to transform lives they are excited to create a gathering where people can come together to learn from each other, celebrate, and network.
While deeply inspired by NVC, their vision of a compassionate world includes many other aspects of creating the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible. With that in mind, they’ve brought together a group of leaders in WNC to share their wisdom at Compassion Camp.
More Facilitators and Class Descriptions
Location, Travel, and Accommodations
Location
This program takes place at Earthaven Ecovillage. This permaculture-based community offers a unique living classroom where participants will engage with the natural world, eco-infrastructure, and the intimate experience of rural community living.
Accommodations
Camping is included. Private indoor lodging at Earthaven is available for an additional cost.
Shared indoor lodging
Cost per person: 1 night $20, 2 nights $40, 3 nights $60, 4 nights $75
Private indoor lodging
Cost for 1 person: 1 night $50, 2 nights $85, 3 nights $105, 4 nights $120
Cost for 2 people (shared bed): 1 night $75, 2 nights $130, 3 nights $160, 4 nights $175
Off-site options
Various options in Bat Cave, Black Mountain, and Asheville.
Travel
Earthaven is nestled in the heart of the rural Southern Appalachian Mountains, 30 miles outside of Asheville, NC on curvy mountain roads and within two hours of three airports.
Food
Delicious, omnivorous meals are prepared by talented culinary artists from the Earthaven community. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available. Snacks and beverages (tea, coffee) are provided. Participants are invited to help with meal clean-up. Many hands make light work.
As much food as possible is sourced from Earthaven and its surrounding farms and gardens, with some ingredients sourced from local grocery stores. Our meals are created with seasonal, local, fresh, wildcrafted, humanely-raised, and organic ingredients.
Children and Families
We welcome families with children to attend and will do our best to support you and your children. The village setting of Earthaven offers a safe and fun place for people of all ages and stages to explore. Much of the content involves focused, sit-down presentations, so attending with a young child will likely mean being less able to participate fully in the program.
Children ages 0-3 ($0 includes food and camping)
Young children are welcome to attend with parent/guardian at no cost. We do not offer a program or childcare for this age group. If you decide to bring your young child(ren) to sessions, please understand that you and your child may need to step outside if your child is crying or playing loudly so that others may participate fully.
Children ages 4-12 ($100 includes food and camping)
Children are welcome to attend with parent/guardian. For this age group we offer a youth program that runs during open space sessions and will include games, crafts, and nature connection activities. Parents are responsible for their children during all other times.
Teens ages 13-17 ($100 includes food and camping)
Teens are welcome to attend with parent/guardian. We do not offer a program for this age group. Teenagers may attend sessions, but parents should be aware that there may be adult content, and parents are responsible for them and what they attend.
Compassion camp was an emotionally nourishing environment where I was able to sink into my relationship with my partner and our children. ~ Angel Trail, 2018 Participant
Cost
Registration includes instruction, all materials, food, and three nights of camping. Private indoor lodging at Earthaven is available for an additional cost (see above).
Adults
Registration Sliding Scale: $220-400
Payment available in $60 increments
Youth
Infant and Toddlers ages 0-3: Free
Children ages 4-12: $100 (youth program available)
Teens ages 13-17: $100 (no program available)
Work Trade: We offer a few partial work trade opportunities to individuals who are available and qualified for the following service areas, and who would otherwise not be able to afford to attend. Our partial work trade positions cost $50-90 depending on the position, require about 11 hours of service, and include food, camping, admittance to camp, and materials.
Scholarships: We offer limited partial scholarships of $100 to individuals who otherwise would not be able to afford it. We prioritize scholarships for people of color and single parents with financial needs. We understand that people of color experience more financial and institutional barriers to participation, and we want to counteract that by offering scholarships.
Work trades and scholarships do NOT cover transportation or indoor lodging.
Please contact us at info@schoolofintegratedliving.org to receive a work trade or scholarship application.
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~ Dalai Lama
AKRON PRIDE FESTIVAL
2019
The mission of Akron Pride is to unify and affirm the LGBTQ community and allies in celebrating our diversity and recognizing our likeness.
We will promote acceptance of all individuals by defending human equity.
“We came together, strong, unified, for the purpose of uniting the LGBTQ community for one day of celebration. With many obstacles and challenges ahead of us, we are willing to take risks and ask questions. With allies in tow, every person in this endeavor is helping to write history in this small city of Akron, Ohio. Every city in every state, no matter how big or small, should own their pride-strong, united, untethered! When there are many that say ‘no’ there is one to say ‘yes’-‘yes we can!’ Small city, big heart!”
-D. Lottman Cruise, President & Founder
Socially Conscious Leadership from the Inside Out
Our guest this week has come to believe that “No matter how wonderful a program is, if it is done as a bestowing – a certain group of people making decisions for another group – that is never going to bridge the divide in our city.” Does your work fit within this paradigm of “bestowing,” and how do you plant seeds for a deeper mindset or consciousness shift to address underlying structural issues? Share Your Reflection »
Dallas-based therapist, activist, writer, community leader and speaker Michelle Kinder examines and teaches conscious leadership “from the inside out.” She offers practical, achievable steps for parents, teachers and others to support children’s social-emotional health, and for business and other leaders to drive transformation in their lives and organizations. While exploring the lack of mental health resources in southern Dallas, Kinder got to know the work of the Momentous Institute, a 99-year-old Dallas-based nonprofit organization that has been building and repairing social-emotional health through education and mental health programs. Momentous Institute serves vulnerable children through therapy services, curriculum and teacher training focused on See full.
Five Questions for Michelle
What Makes You Come Alive?
Thank you for asking. Learning makes me come alive. Learning combined with contribution has long been a winning formula for me feeling most alive. Over the years I developed the habit of checking in with myself every six months or so with the questions “Am I learning? Am I contributing?” There have been interesting seasons on how the two balance each other. There are times that striving to contribute crowded out the kind of white space by brain needs for deep learning and I have had to course correct. And there have been other times that I was learning a lot, but didn’t feel like I was being a good steward in terms of making a difference for other people or for causes I care about. I should also say that because I am currently in a season of more white space and more time for discernment, increasingly, simple pleasures are what make me come alive. Listening to birds, watching our dogs, yoga, running, sunshine, good coffee and the sound of my girls laughing together. Things like that.
Pivotal turning point in your life?
When I was in High School I left my family in Guatemala and came to the states to attend boarding school. It was a transformational experience. The wonderful faculty there saw qualities in me that they nurtured into leadership and I really learned who I was and what I was capable of during those four years. Interestingly, in my previous school, there were teachers who experienced the exact same qualities as problematic, annoying or something to control. Having that experience has made me very interested in how adults show up in the lives of children in a way that respects the enormous privilege and responsibility. I always say there are no neutral interactions when it comes to our relationships with children – all interactions are either positive, negative or missed opportunities.
An Act of Kindness You’ll Never Forget?
When I was in college, my 24-year-old sister died suddenly and it was an enormous challenge to go back to school while navigating the grief process. Several weeks into it, when people had stopped checking in, I found a card tucked into one of my books. It was from a classmate I knew somewhat, but not super well. It said something like, “I know time has passed but your hurt hasn’t.” I still tear up thinking about that act of kindness. It meant so much and it has shaped my desire to show up for others in similar ways.
One Thing On Your Bucket List?
Have the kind of flexibility to visit different places for a month at a time and work remotely while folding into the local scene.
One-line Message for the World?
Regardless of the situation, if you ever aren’t sure how to be most helpful, regulate your own nervous system.
***************************************************************************************************
Awakin Circles: A hub for local meditation circles that started in the Silicon Valley and have now spread to 80+ cities around the globe. The circle start with an hour of silence, followed by a circle of sharing and dinner in silence. A newsletter with a passage selected from various wisdom traditions and an audio reading is sent out to 87,000 subscribers each week. See also Awakin Calls that hosts weekly conversations with wide-ranging thought leaders.
***************************************************************************************************
ServiceSpace is an organization run entirely by volunteers. We leverage technology to encourage everyday people around the world to do small acts of service. Our aim is to ignite the fundamental generosity in ourselves and others, creating both inner and outer transformation.
ServiceSpace was conceived by volunteers, was built by volunteers, and is run by volunteers — all for the benefit of volunteers. Our projects range from a daily positive news service, to an acts-of-kindness portal, to a gift-economy restaurant. Regardless of the endeavor, we act in concert to create service opportunities for each other and to support each other’s service journeys.
In September of 2011, we formally changed our name from CharityFocus to ServiceSpace. Founded in 1999, ServiceSpace was originally started to help non-profits with technical services. Over the past dozen years, the organization has become an umbrella for many generosity-driven projects. Thus we have expanded our services from focusing just on helping charities, to encouraging everyday people to contribute in meaningful ways to the world around them. As the name suggests, our new expanded ServiceSpace platform allows people to stay connected with others interested in service, participate in service opportunities through any of our dozen projects, organize their own local service event using our tools, and stay connected to inspirational content. Above all, we believe in the inherent generosity of others and aim to ignite that spirit of service. Through our small, collective acts, we hope to transform ourselves and the world.
We hold these three principles steadfast within our organization:
Stay fully volunteer-run.
ServiceSpace was founded by volunteers and is run by volunteers. There is no paid staff, no office, and no central facilities. All ServiceSpace programs are conceived, designed, implemented, and administered by people who selflessly give their time so that others can benefit from those services.
Based on twelve years of our experience with a volunteer-run infrastructure, we’ve developed a streamlined process that structures projects in a distributed and decentralized manner. This allows more volunteers to give small chunks of time and still deliver high quality services to the end-receiver.
Being volunteer-run also allows us to organically self-organize. Instead of hierarchies and prefabricated business plans, our volunteer infrastructure is dynamic, low-cost and open to radical change. Everything is based on relationships and presence, and that creates a powerful context to BE the change.
We continue to be amazed at what inspired and dedicated individuals can do. Margaret Mead eloquently said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever does.” We could not agree more.
Serve with whatever we have.
We have chosen a slightly different path than most organizations, and choose not to focus on fundraising, grants, or other sources of revenue – for example, none of our websites contain any advertisement. All services are distributed are gifted without any fees. Thus, we serve with whatever support and resources that come in organically when people are truly moved to give.
ServiceSpace projects are built within a gift-economy system, an economic system in which goods and services are given freely, rather than traded. In a traditional market economy, one’s wealth is increased by saving. In a gift economy, giving leads to increase: an increase in connections and relationship strength.
Our services are given freely, without asking for anything in return. Instead of scarcity and fear for an uncertain future, our second principle roots us in abundance and trust. We have realized that over time, if you serve with pure intentions, people’s cups of gratitude overflow. They don’t give to fulfill a need, they give as an expression of their own solidarity and joy. These genuine gifts, no matter how small or large, are what sustains us.
Focus on the small.
Our attempt is to do “small acts with great love”. As our tagline says, “Change Yourself, Change the World.” If we started out by having a goal to change the world, we might have been a little disappointed in our abilities; when we start with ourselves, we notice that the ripples around us continue to get bigger and bigger and as more people try to do small acts, we have every potential to change the world.
Just as every tiny bit of a hologram contains information of the whole, we feel that paying attention to the process, to the present moment, gives us plenty of information to become instruments of a larger, systemic change.
This is how ServiceSpace makes things happen. But essentially the engine that drives the organization is inspiration, pure and simple. We learn from each other, spur each other, help each other, and frequently amaze each other. Sure, we are stirred by the words and lives of great men and women like Gandhi and Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa; but the examples set by our ServiceSpace colleagues–everyday heroes–are the real sustaining forces behind our projects.
Every two minutes a woman dies from complications in pregnancy or childbirth, and millions around the world are denied the choice of if and when they want to have children.
UNFPA Supplies supports over 20 million women and girls worldwide with family planning services, contraception, and vital maternal medicines, and since 2007 they have saved over 1.1 millions lives.
Without additional support, their vital work — and the safety of over 20 million women and girls — will be at risk. Call on world leaders to step up for women and girls by pledging new funds this year.
Thank you so much,
Annabelle Roberts
17 September 2019 – Opening of the General Assembly regular session | 24 September 2019 – Opening of the general debate.
Sign the petition telling world leaders — including the UK, Canada, Australia and Germany — to pledge new funds to UNFPA Supplies and protect women’s lives everywhere. We’ll be handing your signatures over to decision makers this September at the United Nations General Assembly, so add your name now!
When: Friday, September 6, 2019 from 5:30PM – 8:30PM
Where: Novick Urban Farms, 3660 S. Lawrence Street (just past intersection of Pattison Ave and S. Lawrence)
What: Join in for a night of food, drinks, games and more! There will be Southeast Asian food, games & prizes, a farm tour and performances. Hosted by SEAMAAC and its partners (Philabundance, Vetri Community Partnership, and Novick Urban Farm), you can purchase tickets by visiting this site.
| EAMAAC, Inc |
| 2154670690 |
| events@seamaac.org |
| seamaac.org |
**************************************************************************************************
We are grateful to those in our communities who help us drive hunger from our
communities today and end hunger forever, including the individuals, partners,
small businesses and others who are hosting
benefits on behalf of Philabundance.
***************************************************************************************************
.
PCK is a 14-week culinary vocational training program which has been transforming the lives women and men with low-to-no income since 2000. Students in the 500-hour program will; earn their ServSafe certificate; intern in the culinary industry; prepare meals for those in need; and receive retention services by PCK staff for two years after graduation to ensure that students maximize their training and maintain positive work ethics post-graduation.
****************************************************************************************************
Moving Food Forward: Product Innovation
Our goal is to create nutritious food from surplus farm products in a way that extends shelf life & adds value for our communities in need (upcycling). We partner with manufacturers to create retail items which fund the same high quality items for donation. The Abundantly Good brand allows us to provide better food for clients AND engage socially conscious consumers in our mission in an exciting new way.
FOR SAMA
TUESDAY, September 10, 2019
4:00pm – 6:30pm
Konover Auditorium
Dodd Center
University of Connecticut
FREE ADMISSION
|
|
|
Sponsored by
Department of Digital Media and Design
Human Rights Institute
Huskies for Human Rights
Middle East Studies
&
Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
About this Event
Please join The Square One Project and The Vera Institute of Justice for Reimagining Justice: The Next 25 Years, taking place on September 11th at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, NY. As we approach the 25th anniversary of the federal 1994 Crime Bill, this multi-format event will consider the visionary work, big ideas, and fundamental values that will guide the next 25 years of justice policy.
Program: 3:30pm – 6:00pm ET (details to be announced soon)
Reception: 6:00pm – 7:00pm ET
Details for the livestreaming option for this event will be available shortly.
Update: The full list of researchers, activists, and professionals that will be participating in Reimagining Justice: The Next 25 Years is available here!
Speakers and presenters include [list in formation]:
|
Thanks to Yen Tan for the beautiful poster design, Jeremy Dennis (Shinnecock) for the lovely photo, and to Georgina!DEAR GEORGINA WORLD PREMIERE
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 15
Camden, Maine
with Georgina Sappier-Richardson, filmmakers Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip, and producer Tracy Rector (Choctaw/Seminole)
Tickets here
Camden Opera House
Creators of the documentary films “Coexist” (reconciliation in Rwanda) “First Light” and “Dawnland” (Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission)
WHO WE SERVE
We serve mass and targeted audiences by challenging indifference to injustice and raising awareness of the need for upstanders, especially among middle- and high-school educators and their students.
WHAT WE DO
With original documentaries, related learning resources, and educator workshops, the Upstander Project helps teachers and students become upstanders.
OUR GOALS
Overcome indifference to social injustice;
Develop the skills of upstanders;
Contribute to action-oriented campaigns in response to vital social issues.
Awards
One Nation Film Festival Audience Award
Camden International Film Festival Official Selection
Africa Movie Academy Awards Nominee
Artivist Film Festival Official Selection
Metropolitan Film Festival of New York Honorable Mention
Africa World Documentary Film Festival Finalist
Downtown Boca Film Festival Official Selection
Central Florida Film Festival Official Selection
I Will Tell International Film Festival Official Selection
Show Me Justice Film Festival Official Selection
Social Change Film Festival Official Selection
Culture Unplugged Film Festival Official Selection
Men and Spirituality – Ghost Ranch – New Mexico
What is in a man’s heart? As a man, you are possibly the only person who truly knows, and you may feel isolated without answers to the age-old questions: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? Gather with other men in a safe contemplative setting to experience the true power of conscious vulnerability, and the healing alchemy of deeply connecting with other men seeking answers along their spiritual path. Then learn how to take your experience home if you wish and extend the conversation to engage like-minded men.
Please note that our workshop price structure packages your tuition, course materials, lodging and meals together in a single rate. Prices are presented for each of the types of lodging available for the workshop you select. Some art workshops will have an additional list of course materials and supplies that can be purchased or you will be asked to bring with you.
- Note: Some courses (especially studio courses and plein air painting courses) can carry an additional material list or expense.
All rates are Per Person, Double Occupancy unless otherwise specified. Single Occupancy: Single occupancy rooms may be reserved for an additional $50 per night when space is available. The fee will be charged when space is confirmed. Single occupancy lodging is generally not available during June and July. If you are a single person and do not specify a roommate, a roommate of the same gender will be assigned to share your lodging space or you can request the single occupancy and be charged the supplement of an additional $50 per night (based on availability). For more information or if you would like to attend this workshop, but do not need lodging, please call the Registrar’s Office at 505.685.1001 or 505.685.1001 ext 4155 or toll-free at 877.804.4678 — available Sunday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. MST.
Three ways to register:
- Download printable registration form and mail to: Ghost Ranch Registrar, 280 Private Drive 1708, Abiquiu, NM 87510. OR scan and email your completed form to: registrar@GhostRanch.org
- Register by telephone at 505.685.1001 or 505.685.1017 or toll-free at 877.804.4678, ext. 4155 or ext. 4121 — available Monday-Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. MST.
Circles of Men Project
The Circles of Men Project, in association with the Charter for Compassion, launched in January 2019 for the purpose of creating and fostering a global constellation of likeminded men working together to elevate mindfulness, compassion and consciousness among men around the world.
The overarching intention is to provide a forum:
- for thought leaders in men’s work to support one another navigate forward in the rapidly changing world
- to enable men and boys around the world to engage in contemplative conversation both in person and virtually
- to help provide a foundation for work in the area of deep healing between women and men with Gender Equity and Reconciliation International.
The Circles of Men Project is evolving as an extension of the Men’s Fellowship Network which launched in 2012 and has grown into a global network with visitors to the website from over 140 countries; half of whom are women seeking to learn more about the issues men face today and to offer as a resource to the men in their lives.
For more information contact us at: clay@clayboykin.com
|
|
|
ECOLISE
The European Network for Community-led Initiatives on Climate Change and Sustainability, is the initiator and main organiser of the European Day of Sustainable Communities. We have 46 member networks and organisations across Europe
***************************************************************************************************
A celebration of local communities taking action for a zero-carbon, regenerative and inclusive Europe.
This is an ECOLISE flagship event. #EDSC19 #SustainableCommunity
Become a co-creator of the day! For details see https://www.sustainable-communities.net/
***********************************************************************************************
TransOhio and Clintonville Counseling and Wellness present the 2nd Annual Trans Career and Wellness Day at Columbus Public Health! Local employers and community and wellness partners will be onsite to offer employment, health, and other opportunities to the transgender and gender non-confirming community.
10AM – 3PM: Job Fair with dozens of local affirming and inclusive employers and resources from Community organizations
11AM – 4PM: Wellness Workshops
10AM – 4PM: Medical testing by Columbus Public Health
Please check back to hear about the employers and community partners attending this year, details about the wellness workshops, and info about raffle prizes! Please share!
TransOhio, Inc.
P.O. Box 14481
Columbus, Ohio 43214
Email: TransOhio@transohio.org
Facebook: TransOhio Fan page
Our Mission
TransOhio serves the Ohio transgender and ally communities by providing services, education, support, and advocacy, which promotes and improves the health, safety and life experience of the Ohio transgender individual and community.
Our Vision
- to serve as a bridge to other LGBTQ+ and ally communities
- to provide a focus for matters of concern to the Ohio transgender community and their allies by providing open, affirming, visible and tangible support
- to promote opportunities and networking that increase awareness of the Transgender and gender-nonconforming community’s needs and concerns such, as discrimination and violence
- to increase lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual, and ally understanding and cultural awareness of the Ohio Transgender community
- to help ensure that Ohio educational programs and services are inclusive and supportive of Ohio Transgender issues, perspectives, and concerns
- to provide social activities that are inclusive of all LGBTQ+ and ally communities, access to safe-spaces, people, forums for confidential discussion, support, and local and national resource information
- to foster Ohio Transgender community pride
In order to actualize real, lasting reforms to our juvenile justice system
on a national level,
we need your help making a difference on the local and state level.
Governors, state legislators, county commissioners, district attorneys, and mayors all make decisions that shape communities, including what investments our tax dollars fund. Down-ballot candidates for these policy-making positions have the ability to shift resources away from youth incarceration and into community alternatives for our young people.
It’s critical that we build relationshipswith candidates throughout their campaignsto ensure that any person running for officeknows that youth justiceis a priority in your community.They need to hear from you and other voicesin the community who care about youth justicefrom now through Election Day and beyond.We’ve updated our Electoral Toolkit for 2019 to provide you with updated resources, including social media graphics, to mobilize your community to engage local candidates in an effort to end youth incarceration and direct resources to community alternatives. Those seeking political power in local and state elected positions must understand the issues facing youth involved in the juvenile justice system, talk about their positions publicly, and stand ready towork with young people and families if elected.Your participation helps educate candidates about youth incarceration and what is at stake, so that we can create local systems that promote safer communities and a more just system for our children. Candidates also need to know that we are an engaged community that will hold them accountable through our vote and our activism, even once they’re in office, through activities such as voter registration drives, community events, and forums.Please join our movement by downloading our toolkit to learn what you can do in your community and share this with all your friends and colleagues in your own network. You can also share this toolkit on your social media pages using the graphics here.We look forward to joining together with you in this fight.Thank you,The Youth First Team___________________________________________________________________ YOUR TOOLKITTAKE ACTION : LOOK AT THIS PDFYou can take action now to educate your lawmakers on why incarcerating youth doesn’t work! Follow these steps:
NKIP-Shifting-Resources-Backgrounder-Document-2P ___________________________________________________________________ Looking to make a difference? Take action now by joining a campaign in your community! Don’t see a campaign in your state? Consider starting your own campaign. CONNECTICUTIn 2015, Governor Malloy announced plans to close to close the Connecticut Juvenile Training School (CJTS). The Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance (CTJJA) is spearheading advocacy efforts to ensure that the state replaces CJTS with a comprehensive continuum of mostly community-based programs for youth and their families.  KANSASProgeny protects youths’ voice and advocates for Kansas youth touched by the juvenile justice system. Progeny strives to progress, develop and build the future expectations of the youth in our community. Progeny successfully advocated for the restoration of funding for alternatives to incarceration for youth.  MAINEMaine Youth Justice is a nonpartisan campaign to end youth incarceration in Maine and invest in a range of community-based alternatives that respond to young people’s needs, support families, and build community in support of community alternatives to youth incarceration.  NEW JERSEY150 Years is Enough seeks to transform New Jersey’s youth incarceration system into a community-based system of care by closing two of New Jersey’s three youth prisons, the New Jersey Training School for Boys (“Jamesburg”) and the Female Secure Care and Intake Facility (“Hayes.”)  VIRGINIARISE (Re-invest in Supportive Environments) for Youth is a nonpartisan campaign of youth, families, and community organizations that successfully advocated for re-investment of funding from the closure of youth prisons in Virginia into community-based programs and placements for youth. The campaign is urging the state to continue to expand effective community treatment rather than build new prisons.  |
Women’s Leadership in the Fight for Justice, Democracy & Labor
|
Tuesday, September 24, 2019 at 3 PM – 5 PM
|
|
25 W 43rd St Fl 19, New York, New York 10036
|
Open Society Foundations, the Ford Foundation, the Freedom Fund, Fundación Avina, C&A Foundation, Humanity United and AFL-CIO, Solidarity Center, and Global Labor Justice invite you to join us for a discussion on Tuesday, September 24, 2019 from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm entitled:
Building Power: Women’s Leadership in the Fight for Justice, Democracy, and Fair Work
Major trends and disruptions are altering the world around us. Threats to human rights and labor rights defenders, closing civic space, automation’s impact on the future of work, and the underlying conditions leading to the #MeToo movement are real challenges to ensuring a fair global economy that works for everyone. However, against these threats there are significant efforts underway to build power, set standards, and ultimately to ensure economic and social justice in communities across the world.
At the frontlines of this fight are incredible women who are paving the way for reforms in law, policy, and practice. These leaders understand that to truly course correct we need to build power and work in collaboration. This event will both celebrate their achievements and reflect on what’s worked—and what needs more support—in the fight for justice, democracy, and fair work for all.
Speakers:
- Sharan Burrow is the General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation and a former president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. She is the first woman to become General Secretary of the ITUC since its foundation in 2006, and was the second woman to become president of the ACTU.
- Liz Shuler is an American labor activist and, since 2009, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO. She is the first woman and the youngest person to hold the position of Secretary-Treasurer and is the highest-ranking woman in the labor federation’s history.
- Anannya Bhattacharjee is the International Coordinator of Asia Floor Wage Alliance, a global supply chain campaign for living wages and a violence-free workplace for garment workers in Asia who are mostly women and who produce most of the world’s clothing. She is one of the few women trade unionists in India and has helped build grassroots labor-related collaboration between North America, Europe and Asia for well over a decade.
- Maricarmen Molina is the General Secretary of the Confederación Sindical de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de El Salvador – CSTS, one of the largest trade union confederations in El Salvador.
- Liduvina Magarin, an attorney and longtime public servant, is Executive Director of the Center for Worker and Migrant Integration / Centro de Integración para Migrantes, Trabajadores y Trabajadoras (CIMITRA) based in San Salvador, El Salvador. She is the former Vice Minister for Salvadorans Living Abroad for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, and has held posts in the Legislative Assembly and Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs covering investment, immigration, health, and the environment.
- More speakers to be announced
The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens.
Community Guidelines: https://osf.to/commguidelines
The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. To achieve this mission, the foundations seek to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. On a local level, the Open Society Foundations implement a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, we build alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information. The foundations place a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of people in marginalized communities.
Investor and philanthropist George Soros established the Open Society Foundations, starting in 1984, to help countries make the transition from communism. Our activities have grown to encompass the United States and more than 100 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Each foundation relies on the expertise of boards composed of eminent citizens who determine individual agendas based on local priorities
|
On September 25th we’re hosting a live event in Chicago! At AWE Partners we LOVE the idea of blending profit and purpose to change the world. So we have created an event for business women who want to learn how they can support women’s empowerment. The event is called How to Invest, Shop, Give to Empower Women and will feature a panel of extraordinary women whose lives are a testament to doing good. At the event you will learn about…
The struggles our sisters are facing
Who is implementing solutions to change lives
How you can support these solutions in the way you invest, shop, and give
There will be plenty of time for Q&A, networking with other amazing women, and yummy food & drink. The event will be held at Susan Crown Exchange (4 East Ohio) and the price is only $30 – but space is limited so register early. Here’s the EventBrite link…
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
SEPTEMBER 25, 2019
How to Invest, Shop, Give to Empower Women
$15 – $30
Event Information
Are you passionate about creating impact with your actions? Do you want to learn how to empower other women through investing, shopping, and giving?
Join a diverse community of heart-centered, mission-driven, and socially conscious women for a night of networking and learning. Our panelists and fellow impact-oriented women will help us discover how we can best incorporate the principles of Conscious Capitalism into our life and business for more passion, purpose, and profit!
We are embracing a paradigm shift to a more feminine approach to solving our social challenges that says “yes” to a new way forward and “no” to what’s not working.
Our guest panelists are:
Invest – Peg Quinn is a financial advisor and Certified Financial Planner for Paradigm Wealth Management. She works with individuals and families to simplify and organize their financial matters by providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management services. Her studies include a BS and MBA concentrating in finance. In addition, her 35 years of experience within the investment industry provide her a unique perspective into impact investing’s evolution. She is a friend of Gilda’s Club Associates Board and a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).
Shop – Daniela Ancira is a human rights lawyer, an Ashoka Fellow, and founder of La Cana, a social enterprise working with incarcerated women in Mexico and creating social reintegration programs in prison. Daniela has promoted public policies on issues regarding prison labor, and is currently working closely with legislators to create a framework that guarantees basic working and social standards to inmates to incentivize companies to formally employ convicts, in order to help reduce recidivism and delinquency rates in Mexico. She has worked as a Human Rights lawyer defending victims of torture and enforced disappearance at a national and international level, and has collaborated with several organizations in litigating human rights violation cases before the UN and the Inter-American Human Rights Commission. She is a member of the Technical Working Group of the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime to create the United Nations Advanced Standards for the Mexican Penitentiary System; and in private practice has worked in prestigious firms in Civil and Commercial litigation, Corporate Law and Intellectual Property matters. Daniela is an Ashoka Fellow and was named Citizen of the Year in 2018.
Give – Izabel Olson is the Founder and CEO of Salt and Light Coalition here in Chicago, a non-profit organization which works with victims of human trafficking. She is dedicated to the empowerment of women, especially survivors of human trafficking, as they reframe their trauma experience and find success in the workplace. The unique combination of an academic background in cognitive science and a passion for holistic self-care gives her a unique ability to have a positive impact on women’s lives. Olson holds a Ph.D. in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University and is the founder and CEO of Salt & Light Coalition, a grassroots organization focused on job training and mind/body restoration for survivors of human trafficking in Chicago and beyond. In 2017, Olson was awarded the Illinois Secretary of State’s Latina Humanitarian Achievement Award.
Light appetizers and drinks will be served. The event starts at 5:30 and our panel will begin at 6. Hope to see you all there
WHY WOMEN
Women are the future
of Social Impact.
If you’re here, we’re willing to bet you believe this, too. Here’s some AWEsome news: no matter if you’re a solopreneur just starting out or a seasoned exec, you absolutely can make a social impact (and inspire others to do the same)!
AWE Partners is a social enterprise created for women who are eager to give, invest, and shop for maximum impact on the causes they care about most.
In business…in life…in every area of our world, women aren’t just rewriting the “rules”. They’re redefining them, shattering the status quo, and leading the way on social issues that demand our attention.
Are you determined to create social impact…
Are you a female entrepreneur or executive determined to create meaningful social impact… but not quite sure where to start?
If you…
- feel confused and overwhelmed by the giving process
- don’t know where to begin
- aren’t sure where to find the information you need
- want to save time and money
Welcome home! Prepare for a whole lot more passion, purpose, AND profit in your life and business!
7 in 10 Americans think companies have the obligation to take actions to improve issues that may not be directly relevant or related to their everyday business. They are expected to help solve social problems.
That’s according to a 2017 study by Cone Communications
Working with AWE Partners
- Discover Your Purpose
- Ignite Your Passion
- Grow Your Impact
- Make a Positive Difference in the World
- Create a Meaningful Legacy
We understand this desire.
We can help.
- Identify the social issues that matter most to you
- Define your unique goals
- Maximize your social impact
- Connect you with a supportive community of like-minded women
There has never been a better time to unleash your AWE-thentic Impact!
Learn more about our on-line course Impact from the Inside Out
Subscribe to our e-mail list and receive this FREE Guide, Give & Grow: Business with Purpose delivered directly to your inbox!
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S DAY |
Governor’s Mansion, One Mansion Drive, Santa Fe, NM |
Located in the ancestral Tewa homelands of Northern New Mexico, Tewa Women United is a multicultural and multiracial organization founded and led by Native women. The name “Tewa Women United” comes from the Tewa words wi don gi mu which can be translated as “we are one” in mind, heart, and in the spirit of love for all.
Learn more about our vision, mission, and history here.
Please Visit the Contact Us page for a list of program/staff emails addresses.
Come Celebrate Our 30th Anniversary With Us!
Please join us for this special evening
to celebrate Tewa Women United’s Past, Present, and Future
This event, on Indigenous People’s Day, celebrates 30 years of being in beloved community and showcases how Tewa Women United has created spaces for Indigenous women to uncover their power, strength, and skills.
Wo’watsi will feature…
- Pueblo Dances
- Blessings from the TWU Sayain/Grandmothers’ Circle
- Words from executive director Dr. Corrine Sanchez
- Indigenous-inspired appetizers from Chef Ray Naranjo
- Offerings of Poetry & Art
- And more….
All ticket proceeds will benefit the work of Tewa Women United.
This will be an evening to remember…we look forward to sharing it with you!
• NOTE: Tickets are limited and available until October 7 or until sold out
• To receive email updates about this event, sign up here
Contact Us
Tewa Women United
Phone: (505) 747-3259 | Fax: (505) 747-4067
Mailing Address:
Tewa Women United
PO B0x 397
Santa Cruz, NM 87567
Office: 912 Fairview Lane, Española, NM 87532
___________________________________________________________________
About Us
About Tewa Women United
Located in the ancestral Tewa homelands of Northern New Mexico, Tewa Women United is a multicultural and multiracial organization founded and led by Native women.
The name “Tewa Women United” comes from the Tewa words wi don gi mu which can be translated as “we are one” in mind, heart and in the spirit of love for all.
Our Beginnings
Tewa Women United (TWU) started in 1989 as a support group for women from the Pueblos of the northern Rio Grande concerned with the traumatic effects of colonization, religious inquisition, and militarization leading to issues such as alcoholism, suicide, domestic/sexual violence and environmental violence. In the safe space we created, we transformed and empowered one another through critical analysis and by embracing and reaffirming our cultural identity.
In 2001 we transitioned from an informal, all volunteer group to a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Tewa Women United was incorporated for educational, social and benevolent purposes, specifically for the ending of all forms of violence against Native Women and girls, Mother Earth and to promote peace in New Mexico.
Our Vision
TWU believes in strengthening and re-strengthening beloved families and communities to end violence against women, girls, and Mother Earth.
Our Mission
The mission of TWU is to provide courageous spaces for Indigenous women to uncover the power, strength, and skills they possess to become positive forces for transformative change in their families and communities.
Our Values
A’Gin – respect for self and others
Wina ta yay – Together we live these values
Seegi ma vay i – Loving, caring for each other
Kwee-wa seng-wa vi tuu – female/ male energy – ancestral knowingness
Nung Ochuu Quiyo – Our Mother, Mother Earth, multi-versity
Bin mah pah di – Letting go
Wowatsi – Our breath, our prayer, commitment to live life with purpose and good intentions
ALL NEW MUSIC VIDEOS!
All Music Videos are now posted on our website and on our Youtube Channel.
The 19th Annual Awards Show is set for Saturday November 2nd, 2019 at the Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York.
TICKETS GO ON-SALE: August 23, 2019 through all Ticketmaster Outlets.
Thank you to all our members who submitted music to the Nineteenth Annual Native American Music Awards.
Nominees will be announced in mid September.
WATCH AND LISTEN TO ALL THE NEW MUSIC VIDEOS HERE:
YOUTUBE CHANNEL
__________________________________
CONGRATULATIONS TO ANDREAS GOBOR OF THE GREYWOLF BLUES BAND, ACTORS JONATHON JOSS AND ACTRESS IRENE BEDARD ON THE NEW NATIVE TALK SHOW AIRING THIS MONTH ON FNX
________________________________
We sincerely thank you for your contributions and continuing to be part of the world’s Leading Resource for Contemporary and Traditional Native American Music Initiatives!
Thank yoU!
Mailbox: PO Box 1705, Lindenhurst, NY 11757
Ph 212.228.8300 fx 646.688.6883
Upcoming Events
November 13, 6:30-9:00 pm/Impact Hub Oakland
Meet this year’s honorees Taina Vargas-Edmond and David Cowan:
Taina Vargas-Edmond is the Founder & Executive Director of Initiate Justice, a grassroots organization created to build the political power of people directly impacted by mass incarceration. Under her leadership, Initiate Justice has recruited almost 17,000 members in prison, and fought for important policy wins such as passing and implementing Prop 57, eliminating the Felony Murder Rule (SB 1437), and advocating to restore voting rights to all people in prison and on parole in California.
Taina has a Master of Arts Degree in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall University, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from California State University, Northridge.
David Cowan is the Director of a new organization, Bonafide, which connects with prison programs and organizes volunteers to meet newly released people at the gate with a “welcome back pack” of basic necessities. They then organize structured outings including critical learning goals and bonding activities to build learning and community among its newly released members. David is also the operations manager for the Prison University Project.
David has an Associate of Arts degree from Patten University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Francisco State University in Criminal Justice.
ACTION
We are transforming justice, one life at a time. We provide many services for reduced or no fees.
CONTACT:
Tel: (510) 271-0310
Fax: (510) 271-0101
Address: 220 4th Street, Suite 103, Oakland, CA 94607
**************************************************************************************************
At this year’s event, we will enjoy food from CALA restaurant which hires formerly incarcerated employees for front and back of house positions (and was named the best Mexican restaurant in the U.S. by SF Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer).
Join us: RootSkills Workshop
November 15th // WaterFire Arts Center // Providence, RI
For full event details, visit the event website – linked here. Including: agenda, workshop offerings, speakers, cost of registration, scholarships & stipends, carpooling & travel.
View event website View workshops & agenda Register to attend Apply for a scholarship
The Grassroots Fund’s RootSkills workshops are day-long gatherings where grassroots organizers, colleagues and supporters convene to network, share stories and dig into both issue- and process-based skills-building sessions. We work with a planning committee ahead of each event to ensure a broad range of lived experiences and perspectives weigh in as we set agendas, select workshop topics and invite speakers.
The Grassroots Fund is committed to participatory, democratic decision making processes across our grantmaking and skillsbuilding programs. We work to bring together a broad range of lived experiences as we plan and design the RootSkills Training Series. We invite community organizers, students, non profit colleagues, funder partners and sustainable business people to apply to be on the planning committee for each of our RootSkills in-person trainings.
Contact program manager Tess Beem with questions about this event: tess@grassrootsfund.org or 603-905-9915×2.
______________________________________________________________________
In an effort to make the RootSkills Conference as accessible as possible, registration is on a self-identified, sliding scale from $35 – $150.
Led by Starhawk, Charles Williams and friends.
Dates: January 5 – January 19, 2020: two-week intensive residential course
Location: Black Mountain Preserve and Golden Rabbit Ranch, Western Sonoma County, CA
Sliding scale:$1800-2300*
*includes all instruction, lodging, meals, and materials
WORK TRADE positions are currently full. Please feel free to apply for a spot on our waiting list ~ Limited Diversity Scholarships still available
Who is this training for?
We firmly believe that everyone can benefit from learning the tools and insights of permaculture to apply toward the broad goal of earth regeneration. Permaculture has solutions not just for landscapes and agricultural systems, but also for social design, public policy and survival strategies for these challenging times.
Topic and Projects Covered:
Hands-on projects vary with weather and needs, but may include mapping, water harvesting structures, graywater or roof catchment, compost, compost teas, sheet mulch, plant propagation, planting trees and shrubs, seed-starting, introductions to natural building concepts (including cob, straw-clay or plastering) and a collaborative design project. Our projects can be tailored to students of varied levels of physical ability and diverse ages and previous experience.
Our students include:
-
- Young people looking for a career oriented around sustainability
-
- People in mid-life looking for a new direction for existing or new work
-
- Retirees wanting new fields to explore
-
- Established professionals wanting to broaden and deepen their knowledge of sustainable alternatives
-
- People involved with intentional communities, co-housing and eco-villages, or those who want to start or join one
-
- Gardeners, farmers, ranchers, and land stewards of all kinds
-
- Green business entrepreneurs who want to have a broader understanding of the possibilities
-
- Teachers, environmental educators, and youth workers
-
- Anyone involved in gardening, especially school gardens and community gardens
-
- Architects and landscape designers
- Artists, musicians, poets, writers and dancers, and anyone who collaborates creatively
-
- Community organizers and activists from many movements, including environmental justice, food justice, global justice, anti-oppression, human rights workers, and others
- Dreamers, visionaries, and more…
Start: Monday, January 13, 2020• 5:30 PM
End: Monday, January 13, 2020• 8:30 PM
Location:Cherokee United Methodist Church•2105 Cosgrove Ave, North Charleston, SC 29405
Host Contact Info: southcarolina@poorpeoplescampaign.org
Join the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival in South Carolina for the eighth stop of the We Must Do M.O.R.E. national tour as we Mobilize, Organize, Register and Educate.
Click here if you’d like to volunteer and help make this tour a success!
The tour in South Carolina will culminate with a Moral Monday March and Mass Meeting on Monday, January 13th in Charleston, SC. This will follow a weekend of activities a community canvas to register people for a movement that votes and a community site visit.
Monday, January 13th | Charleston, SC
South Carolina Moral Monday March & Mass Meeting
5:30 PM – Gather for the march
6:30 PM – Mass Meeting begins
Cherokee United Methodist Church, 2105 Cosgrove Ave, North Charleston, SC 29405
**No large bags or umbrellas will be allowed in the mass meetings and small bags are subject to being searched.
At the Moral Monday, we will hear from South Carolinians directly impacted by systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism and the war economy, and the corrupt moral narrative. We will also hear from Rev. Barber and Rev. Theoharis, Co-Chairs of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.
The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is organizing a 25-state We Must Do MORE national tour from September 2019 to May 2020. This tour will lead into the Mass Poor People’s Assembly & Moral March on Washington, where thousands of poor people and moral agents will gather at the nation’s capitol on June 20, 2020 to demonstrate their power.
We will demand the implementation of our Moral Agenda and call all people of conscience to engage in deeply moral civic engagement and voting that cares about poor and low-wealth people, the sick, immigrants, workers, the environment, people with disabilities, first nations, the LGBTQ community, and peace over war.
THOUSANDS OF LGBTQ ACTIVISTS TO CONVENE IN DALLAS, TX JANUARY 2020 FOR 32ND ANNUAL CREATING CHANGE CONFERENCE, WITH THEME OF LOVE, LEARNING & LIBERATION!
REVEREND ANGEL KYODO WILLIAMS TO KEYNOTE
– Thousands of LGBTQ advocates, activists, leaders, and allies will gather in Dallas, TX for the 32nd Creating Change Conference from Wednesday, January 15 through Sunday, January 19, 2020 at the Sheraton Dallas.
The Creating Change Conference, run by the National LGBTQ Task Force, is the foremost political, leadership, and skills-building conference for the LGBTQ social justice movement. Since 1988, Creating Change has created opportunities for tens of thousands of committed people to develop and hone their activist skills, build community, and inspire. This year, in addition to the political focus of the work, the Conference will be focusing on the 2020 Census and building capacity to ensure everyone is counted.
The primary goal of the Creating Change Conference is to build the LGBTQ movement’s political power from the ground up to secure our overarching goal of full freedom, justice, and equality for LGBTQ people and their families in the United States.
This will be the second Creating Change Conference managed by Andy Garcia, who is bringing some new changes to the longtime activist gathering as attendance grows and diversifies. Garcia said, “It is clear that 2020 will be a critical year for all of us, including LGBTQ communities. We face a historic election year, some of the most significant Supreme Court cases in our lifetime, on-going attacks from the current administration, and an epidemic of violence, among other challenges. Creating Change is where LGBTQ advocates, activists, leaders, and allies come together to learn and connect with each other, with a focus on creating a welcoming space for queer and trans people of color. We need that now more than ever.”
The keynote speaker for Creating Change 2020 will be Reverend angel Kyodo williams, who will kick off this year’s conference at the opening plenary on Thursday, January 16, 2020 at 7 PM. With the alarming murders of trans women of color across the country, the Creating Change Conference community will also be rallying to spotlight and build capacity to address this epidemic as well as featuring the resilience, determination, and leadership of the trans community.
PLENARIES
Opening Plenary Session: Love, Learning, and Liberation
From the Census to the election, 2020 is going to be historic. We have a lot of work ahead of us against a backdrop of an epidemic of trans women of color being murdered and a rollback of hard-fought gains by the current administration. This plenary aims to set a new tone for the conference and for our movement: one of love, learning, and liberation. As we create change together, how can we be mindful to center our hearts and our minds?
Opening Keynote Speaker: Rev. angel Kyodo williams: Love and Justice are One
Called “the most intriguing African-American Buddhist” by Library Journal, angel Kyodo williams is an author, activist, master trainer, and founder of Transformative Change. Her newest work, Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love & Liberation, is igniting communities to have the long overdue conversations necessary to become more awake and aware of what hinders liberation of self and society. angel notes, “Love and Justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters.” She was made for these times.
Plenary Session: The Annual State of the Movement Address
Following our Creating Change 2020 theme, “Love, Learning, and Liberation,” Task Force executive director, Rea Carey, and deputy executive director, Kierra Johnson will host the annual State of the Movement plenary. Even as LGBTQ people and their families are under attack by the current administration, we know our community is strong, resilient, creative, and determined. This year, with special guests, we will focus on the issues facing trans women of color, the work being done to address anti-trans violence and systemic discrimination, and moving us forward in our work for freedom, justice, and liberation. Come be inspired to fight on, and defeat those who intend to make our lives invisible!
Closing Plenary Session: Queering Immigration: Owning Our Power, Building the Defense Line
Immigration will once again be a top issue this election year. This panel will focus on how we can collectively build power by centering the needs and experiences of those most impacted: queer and trans people of color. Our expert panelists will talk about deportation defense, rapid response at the neighborhood, city, and state level, the criminalization of Black and Brown bodies, legislative victories, and so much more. Our call to action will be the work that still needs to get done: closing the camps, stopping the arrests and deportations, and imagining a world without borders.
The immigration-focused panel will be made up of Sharita Gruberg (She/Her/Hers), policy director for the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress; Oluchi Omeoga (They/Them/Theirs), a co-creator and Core Team member of Black Visions Collective, a black-led local organization working in Minnesota; Monserrat Padilla (She/Her/Hers) the Coordinator for the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network; Nancy Haque (She/Her/Hers), executive director of Basic Rights Oregon, an LGBTQ political advocacy organization with a focus on transgender justice and racial justice; and Dani Marrero Hi of the Texas Civil Rights Project.
New for this year, the traditional closing plenary brunch will be replaced by a dynamic indoor street fair on Sunday, January 19th with an 11:30 am – 1:00 pm “Send Off Celebration!” including accessible HIV testing and mammogram screening.
DAY-LONG INSTITUTES
This year’s Racial Justice Institute encompasses queerness and racial diversity within an expression and experience that centers on resisting with all our brilliance, our joy, and our truth. Keynote speaker and Queer Black Feminist Love Evangelist Alexis Pauline Gumbs will offer a loving reflection and an accessible practice designed to impact how to work together through and across difference and depth. In addition, our second keynote Timothy DuWhite is a Black, queer, poz-writer/artist based out of Brooklyn, NY. A majority of his work circles around the intersections of state & body, state & love, and state & mind. Following our keynotes is a series of afternoon breakout sessions on topics that range in topics from Talking to Kids about Race, Respectfully United – Allyship Without Tokenization, Beyond D&I: Organizing for Racial Equity, The Metamorphosis of White Men: Ending our Legacy and Creating a New Story.
Also this year, the Conference team is excited to add six new Day Long Institutes, bringing the total number of these intensive eight hour sessions to 23. New topics like Disability Justice and Leading in Complex Situations will be held alongside returning favorites like the Trans Institute, Latinx Institute, and LGBTQ+ Campus Resource Professionals Institute.
For more information about the day long institutes see here: https://www.creatingchange.org/day-long-institutes-2/
WORKSHOPS AND CAUCUSES
The conference features over 250 workshop and caucus sessions. Workshops range from 90 minutes to three hours, addressing the vast scope of issues relevant to LGBTQ activism and organizing. There are nearly a dozen sessions on campus organizing, several intergenerational dialogues, many workshops focused on healing and well-being, art and theater activism, racial and economic justice, trans issues, and a robust track for political advocacy. Caucuses cover a broad range of identities and interests, including caucuses for deaf queer people, lesbians, Queer Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) people, LGBTQ people in STEM, LGBTQ Jews, and parents.
AWARDS
SAGE Award for Excellence in Leadership on Aging Issues: Carmen Vasquez
Carmen Vasquez was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in Harlem, New York. Among her many accomplishments, Vasquez was the Founding Director of the Women’s Building in San Francisco, helped found the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center in San Francisco, and the LGBT Health & Human Services Network. She was a founder and principal author of Causes in Common (a national coalition of Reproductive Justice and LGBT Liberation activists). Her essays have been published in several anthologies and she has made scores of keynote presentations at conferences and college campuses across the United States. Vasquez is the Co-Chair of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation Board of Directors and the former Director of LGBT Health and Human Services.
Haas, Jr. Award for Outstanding LGBTQ Leadership for Immigrant Rights: Stephanie Cho
Stephanie Cho is the Executive Director for Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta. She brings 20 years of experience in labor and community organizing, strategy planning, and fundraising at the local and national level. Under her leadership over the last three years, AAAJ-Atlanta has worked to protect DACA and end local law enforcement cooperation with ICE. Originally born in South Korea, Cho grew up in Oregon. In 2015, she co-authored “Beyond the Binary: A Tool Kit for Gender Identity Activism in Schools.” Last year, she was a Grand Marshal for Atlanta Pride.
The Leather Leadership Award: Judy Tallwing McCarthy
Judy Tallwing McCarthy has been involved in the leather/BDSM world since 1969; and, in 1987, became first International Ms. Leather. That same year, she was the leather community’s keynote speaker at the 1987 March on Washington. She has also served as Co-Chair of the National Leather Association from 1988-1992. She is widely credited for helping change the focus of leather to community activism. Judy Tallwing McCarthy continues to judge, teach, and speak at various leather events and has been honored with numerous awards from the leather community. Of Apache, Tewa, and African descent, Judy Tallwing McCarthy has raised raising six biological children (with 25 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren) and nurtured and protected numerous “leatherkids.” Judy Tallwing McCarthy will be the first woman of color to receive the Leather Leadership Award.
The Susan J. Hyde Award for Longevity in the Movement, sponsored by Wild Geese Foundation: Monica Roberts
Monica Roberts is the founding editor of the award winning TransGriot blog, and a longtime award-winning human rights advocate. She has been advocating for the human rights of transgender people for over 20 years, with a focus on the issues affecting Black trans people. Her writing has appeared at Ebony.com, the Advocate, Black Girl Dangerous, and in the ‘Unapologetically Trans’ monthly column in Houston’s OutSmart magazine. Some of the honors that Roberts has received are the 2018 GLAAD Media Award, the Robert Coles Call of Service Award from Harvard University’s Phillips Brooks House Assn, the Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award, the Barbara Jordan Breaking Barriers Award from the Harris County Democratic Party, the IFGE Trinity Award, and being named to the 2019 OUT100.
ACCESSIBILITY
The Creating Change Conference is committed to radical accessibility. Everyone benefits when everyone participates fully and equitably in every aspect of the conference. When you register online for Creating Change, you can request:
- ASL interpretation
- Spanish translation
- Programs in large print
- Electric scooters and wheelchairs
- Assisted Listening Devices
- Magnifiers, readers, and step stools
There will be a staffed Accessibility Table set up near registration, where attendees can ask questions, meet up with an interpreter, and pick up the items listed above.
There will also be an ASL “Hub” where our team of ASL interpreters meet and plan their day. Last year we had over 40 ASL interpreters.
There will also be a People with Disabilities Hospitality Suite where those who need and want to have an opportunity to regroup and relax.
PRESS CREDENTIALS
Press are invited to the conference, and press credentials are given out as space provides. To request credentials email Sarah Massey and Cathy Renna below. Confirmation of credentials will be considered on a rolling basis and as space allows.
MISSION STATEMENT
The National LGBTQ Task Force advances full freedom, justice and equality for LGBTQ people. We are building a future where everyone can be free to be their entire selves in every aspect of their lives. Today, despite all the progress we’ve made to end discrimination, millions of LGBTQ people face barriers in every aspect of their lives: in housing, employment, healthcare, retirement, and basic human rights. These barriers must go. That’s why the Task Force is training and mobilizing millions of activists across our nation to deliver a world where you can be you. For more general information go to https://www.thetaskforce.org
Contact: Sarah Massey, Communications Director, National LGBTQ Task Force, 202-639-6308, smassey@thetaskforce.org
Cathy Renna, TargetCue, 917-767-5123, cathy@targetcue.com
Des Moines Iowa Mass Meeting | We Must Do MORE National Tour
Start: Wednesday, January 15, 2020• 7:00 PM • Central Time (US & Canada) (GMT-06:00)
End: Wednesday, January 15, 2020• 9:00 PM • Central Time (US & Canada) (GMT-06:00)
Host Contact Info: iowa@poorpeoplescampaign.org
If you are interested in helping make the Iowa We Must Do MORE tour a success, visit: CLICK HERE to Volunteer
Need a ride or have extra seats to offer in yours? Please sign up here on our MORE Tour Mass Meeting Carpool system.
**No large bags or umbrellas will be allowed in the mass meetings and small bags are subject to being searched.
The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is organizing a 25-state We Must Do MORE national tour from September 2019 to May 2020. This tour will lead into the Mass Poor People’s Assembly & Moral March on Washington, where thousands of poor people and moral agents will gather at the nation’s capitol on June 20, 2020 to demonstrate their power.
We will demand the implementation of our Moral Agenda and call all people of conscience to engage in deeply moral civic engagement and voting that cares about poor and low-wealth people, the sick, immigrants, workers, the environment, people with disabilities, first nations, the LGBTQIA+ community, and peace over war.
Iowa is the eighth stop on this tour.
It’s not the waking, it’s the rising!
We must do M.O.R.E!
Manifesting the DREAM of MLK Jr.!
Sneak Peek Showing of “We Cried Power: A documentary of the PPC”
Dayton: January 19th at 12:00PM
College Hill Community Church
1547 Philadelphia Drive
Dayton, Ohio 45406
Looking forward to hearing your voices and making a change with you to mobilize,organize, register and educate Ohioans around poverty, racism,ecological devastation and the war economy!
Check out the newly designed website! Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival
Here is a link to a video that describes the tour during the 2nd stop in North Carolina.
PPC in NC, We Must Do M.O.R.E!
For those of you wanting to join us in DC for the Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington, June 20, 2020, please visit the site below and book your ride! The PPC Rally will also make stops along the way to fill the bus, so if you don’t see your city listed let us know and we can find a way to connect you. We will also need to do a tremendous amount of fundraising to send those that are impacted.
Here is the link to book your ride to DC, Click HERE
Register for the March on Washington Click HERE
Here is the donation link for those who would like to support those going to DC.
https://actionnetwork.org/
************************************************************************************************
EXCITING NEWS FOR APRIL: The National Mobilizing, Organizing, Registering and Educating (M.O.R.E.) Tour, will be coming to Dayton, Ohio, with Campaign co-chairs Rev. Theoharis, and Rev. Barber on April 23, 2020—details will be coming in a few weeks!
It’s not the waking, it’s the rising!
We must do M.O.R.E!
Manifesting the DREAM of MLK Jr.!
Cincinnati: January 20th
A special collaboration with Public Allies from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Sneak Peek of “We Cried Power”, followed by an economic and panel discussion.
Cincinnati Public Library in the Tower Room
800 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Looking forward to hearing your voices and making a change with you to mobilize,organize, register and educate Ohioans around poverty, racism,ecological devastation and the war economy!
Check out the newly designed website! Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival
Here is a link to a video that describes the tour during the 2nd stop in North Carolina.
PPC in NC, We Must Do M.O.R.E!
For those of you wanting to join us in DC for the Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington, June 20, 2020, please visit the site below and book your ride! The PPC Rally will also make stops along the way to fill the bus, so if you don’t see your city listed let us know and we can find a way to connect you. We will also need to do a tremendous amount of fundraising to send those that are impacted.
Here is the link to book your ride to DC, Click HERE
Register for the March on Washington Click HERE
Here is the donation link for those who would like to support those going to DC.
https://actionnetwork.org/
************************************************************************************************
EXCITING NEWS FOR APRIL: The National Mobilizing, Organizing, Registering and Educating (M.O.R.E.) Tour, will be coming to Dayton, Ohio, with Campaign co-chairs Rev. Theoharis, and Rev. Barber on April 23, 2020—details will be coming in a few weeks!
It’s not the waking, it’s the rising!
We must do M.O.R.E!
Manifesting the DREAM of MLK Jr.!
***************************************************************************************************
THE POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN AND WE THE WORLD ARE COLLABORATING
Visit OUR Facebook page to watch a virtual screening of “We Cried Power”.
There will be a panel discussion afterwards.
Visit the facebook page here – We, the World
to watch the live screening
of the PPC documentary on January 26th, at 6:00 pm.
Looking forward to hearing your voices and making a change with you to mobilize,organize, register and educate Ohioans around poverty, racism,ecological devastation and the war economy!
Check out the newly designed website! Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival
Here is a link to a video that describes the tour during the 2nd stop in North Carolina.
PPC in NC, We Must Do M.O.R.E!
For those of you wanting to join us in DC for the Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington, June 20, 2020, please visit the site below and book your ride! The PPC Rally will also make stops along the way to fill the bus, so if you don’t see your city listed let us know and we can find a way to connect you. We will also need to do a tremendous amount of fundraising to send those that are impacted.
Here is the link to book your ride to DC, Click HERE
Register for the March on Washington Click HERE
Here is the donation link for those who would like to support those going to DC.
https://actionnetwork.org/
************************************************************************************************
EXCITING NEWS FOR APRIL: The National Mobilizing, Organizing, Registering and Educating (M.O.R.E.) Tour, will be coming to Dayton, Ohio, with Campaign co-chairs Rev. Theoharis, and Rev. Barber on April 23, 2020—details will be coming in a few weeks!
ShaRon Rea
The Whole Family Coaching
480-420-9551
ShaRon@TheWholeFamilyCoaching.
www.thewholefamilycoaching.com
My Queer Valentine Reception
Hosted by Torpedo Factory Art Center and Target Gallery
|
Friday, February 14, 2020 at 7 PM – 10 PM
Next Week18–32°F Sunny
|
|
105 N. Union St, Alexandria, Virginia 22314
|
Art in Person and in Progress. Located in Old Town Alexandria, the Torpedo Factory Art Center is home to 165 working artists, seven galleries, The Art League, and the Alexandria Archaeology Museum. Free admission.
My Queer Valentine Shows the Richness of LGBTQ Life
The warmth of recognition is strong inside the exhibition.
“Acrylic” by Aurele Gould, 2017
I took my girlfriend to see My Queer Valentine on a Monday morning; it was a date, I told her. We took the Metro down to King Street and walked to the Alexandria waterfront. Once we got there, we strolled into The Torpedo Factory Art Center’s Target Gallery, hands interlocked.
For My Queer Valentine, the contemporary gallery’s spring show, the small space is filled with large-scale photographic prints, paintings on both large and small canvases, and sculpture. Visually, the pieces cover a broad range of styles, including a digitally influenced take on Abstract Expressionism, geometric interpretations of fire, Basquiat-esque mark-making and writing over photographs, sculpture with few references to recognizable forms, canvases made three-dimensional by the attachment of glittery found objects, and small silkscreen prints. Thematically, they may at first seem to not cohere, but that’s only because My Queer Valentine’s juried works cover a diverse and rich swath of queer life.
As for taking my girlfriend, I had another motive that I didn’t say aloud, though she may have picked up on it. I wanted to enter that exhibition as a visibly gay person, and I wanted to see how that affected my experience of the art. It was the right choice. My Queer Valentine does more than curate work that examines what it means to be LGBTQ in the 21st century: It creates a queer space warm with the joy of recognition.
Some works speak directly to that joy, like artist Cat Gunn’s abstract canvases. Their dramatic patterns represent the harmony of being in a relationship where their partner sees them as their authentic, nonbinary self, they write in the wall text. There are glittering squares and wobbling lines moving back and forth across the plane, but things seem to be coming together the longer you look—parts that once made no sense have an internal logic that reveals itself with sustained attention and open mindedness. Recognition can be dangerous, and the closet offers safety, but it also means hiding behind a mask. The relief of dropping the charade and being seen is transcendent.
My Queer Valentine isn’t camp, not as a whole, but it’s full of artworks made by people who understand the humor and the wondrous pompousness of queer glamor. (That glamor and its high drama are knowingly self-important because there are still so many people who wish we didn’t have it.) The first pieces the viewer encounters play with the feminine trappings of artificial jewelry, glitter, plastic, and resin, all in bright, loud colors; one piece dripping with sequins invites viewers to “lick me until ice cream.” That kind of playful sexuality thrives in many of the works, even the more subdued ones. A beige canvas on the opposing wall asks the onlooker to “come (cum on my) back.” The half-joking, half-serious attitude toward sex is one of My Queer Valentine’s greatest strengths, highlighting the laughter and joy inherent in queer life and queer sex.
Linda Hesh’s “Kissing Booth” is another joyful artwork. It’s not a stunning feat of technique and construction; it’s just a wood and steel booth, like one you might see at a county fair in the ’50s. It advertises itself as, unsurprisingly, “KISSING BOOTH.” It’s not anchored to a wall. Instead, it stands out from a corner and beckons viewers to come in, where they might notice that its gingham pattern is made up of pictures of kissing same-sex couples. I’ll admit my biases here: I’ve always had a love for participatory art. But the booth’s standing invitation to come inside, to take a picture kissing underneath it, and to share that picture with the world is a brave act, even in 2020 in Alexandria—brave for the artist and the piece inviting those kisses, brave for the people who choose to do so. Even though queer desire is hypervisible in contemporary life, it’s not always recognized as a loving, human affect. By asking people to kiss, Hesh affirms the romance of the gesture and the genuine safety of the space around it.
The most striking pieces were by D.C.-based photographer Matt Storm, a transgender man. His work is challenging, cheeky, and hard to look away from. The two images on display come from his Act of Looking series, where he returns to the same studio in Provincetown, Massachusetts, the famous gay vacation spot, to photograph his body “to create an expanded lexicon of ways to see a body, inclusive of ways to see my body,” he writes in his artist’s statement. In the first image, we see him standing naked, in a pose that looks relaxed but requires him to hold himself in place with his own strength. His muscles are tense but not flexed. His face isn’t overly expressive, but there’s a spark of playfulness in his eyes and a hint of a smile on his mouth. And his arm drapes behind his back, coming to rest between his legs, where he holds his fingers playfully—an obvious commentary on how, as he says, “my body is incongruous with how we are taught to see bodies.” In another, he clasps his hands in front of his crotch, fingers crossed. We can’t see his face, but we can feel the humor. The piece is titled “Crossing my Fingers, Getting Away with Something.”
But a different series of works stopped me in my tracks. Aurele Gould’s photographs pulled my gaze from the moment I entered the gallery. When I saw her triptych of an athlete putting pre-wrap around another girl’s thigh, I felt a lump in my throat. “A moment of transference is constructed, a care and an intimacy among women,” she writes in the wall text. Immediately I thought of Barbara Kruger’s 1981 piece “Untitled (You Construct Intricate Rituals),” which famously says “You construct intricate rituals that allow you to touch the skin of other men” over an image of men roughhousing. But I thought of it less because of its artistic impact and more because, for years, queer kids on Tumblr have been using it as a memetic reference point for jokes about the forbidden, magnetic pull of another person’s skin. In the three images of the piece, we see hands grab the inner thigh, let go to wrap the tape around, and return to place both hands on the partner’s leg.
Likewise, I’d been primed to see Gould’s piece “Acrylic” before I walked in—it represents My Queer Valentine online—but I stopped myself from making a beeline to it. When I did make my way over and allowed myself to look, I noticed for the first time the two models’ sharp, long, matching acrylic nails gently cradling each other’s faces. That striking image is made more striking by those glittery nails. Gould knows this: “I like how thought processes can fold unto each other, like thinking about when stereotypes can be used and who they can be used by,” she wrote in the wall text. I felt a pang of recognition. I smiled. The two lovers in the photograph stared at me, nails shining, and I took my girlfriend’s manicured hand and stared back.
105 N. Union St., Alexandria. (703) 746-4587. torpedofactory.org.
Join us in setting our intentions for healing in China and around the world. We will be meditating together for 7 days, through February 21 with Master Mingtong Gu.
February 15th – Saturday 11am Mountain Time
February 16th – Sunday 9am Mountain Time
February 17th – Monday 9am Mountain Time
February 18th – Tuesday 9am Mountain Time
February 19th – Wednesday 9am Mountain Time
February 20th – Thursday 9am Mountain Time
February 21st – Friday 9am Mountain Time
Want to continue meditating with Master Mingtong Gu?
Sign up for weekly meditations here.
Convert to your timezone here.
***************************************************************************************************
Master Mingtong Gu
Master Mingtong Gu
Named Qigong Master of the Year by the 13th World Congress on Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Mingtong Gu possesses a profound ability to harness energy in order to accelerate personal and global healing, making him a sought-after healer, practitioner, and teacher.
As a child growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution, Master Gu endured hunger, poverty, and a long separation from his birth family. Despite these incredible hardships, he became the first from his village to attend college, earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics followed by two master’s degrees, including an MFA from Ohio State University. As a graduate student in art, Master Gu discovered the treasures of his own culture through the spiritual iconography of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Western mystic traditions while practicing yoga, Tantric Buddhism, and qigong.
In 1997, Master Gu returned to China for qiqong training under Dr. Pang Ming, a qigong grandmaster trained in Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, and the founder of the world’s largest qigong hospital. During his training, Master Gu observed thousands of cases of chronic and “incurable” diseases being healed at this “medicine-less” hospital, which has now treated over 200,000 patients with over 185 different illnesses, with a 95 percent effective improvement rate.
Witnessing these profound healing experiences inspired Master Gu’s dedication to the teaching and practice of qigong healing, which he now teaches to thousands of people in the United States, China, and Europe through his workshops, books, and education programs. He created the Pure Qi Online series—a collection of courses which translate the ancient teachings of Wisdom Healing Qigong™ for contemporary times—and is the founder of the Chi Center and the Center for Wisdom Healing Qigong, a beautiful 79-acre resort located 20 minutes south of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Through practice, Master Gu has recovered from his own chronic conditions of asthma, scoliosis, back pain, and kidney weakness. His teaching emphasizes activating the power of inner self-healing, facilitating the release of chronic illness while improving health and well-being. Master Gu lives and teaches with his wife Linling, also a gifted healer, and their two children.
Linling Xie
Linling studied Zhineng Qigong at the medicine-less Qigong hospital in China under the guidance of Dr. Pang Ming. She is a gifted Wisdom Healing Qigong Teacher and Healer, offering private sessions while Healing Intensive Retreats are in session at the Center in Santa Fe.
40 Camino Vista Clara
Galisteo, NM 87540
WE – A global campaign of We, The World to unite
and amplify the efforts of people, organizations
and movements working for the common good
WE.net
This Special Broadcast
is part of our MLK Program
Carrying Forward the Work and Legacy
of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Sign Up at WE.net/MLK
The Poor People’s Campaign
A National Call for Moral Revival
Rev. William Barber, Rev. Liz Theoharis, Other Leaders
and a Growing Coalition of Organizations
Drawing on the unfinished work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s
1967/68 Poor People’s Campaign
Panel Discussion and Interactive Online Broadcast
Sunday February 23rd at 6PM Eastern Time
Watch the Broadcast LIVE or Watch the Recording on
We, The World’s Facebook Page
Please LIKE the Page to be notified when our Broadcasts are starting
Featured Speakers Include:
Karen Palmer (Host) is a Global Kindness Leader and a Livestream / Social Media Expert who co-produces several popular online talk shows. She is a best-selling author and is Coordinator of We, The World’s Campaign for Women. She helps change agents and peacemakers find their voice, and share their message and gifts globally. Find her at http://www.globalkindnesstv.
Rick Ulfik (Co-Host) is the Founder of We, The World and the WE Campaign at WE.net. Rick is the Co-Creator of 11 Days of Global Unity – 11 Ways to Change the World linking local awareness and action campaigns into an inspiring international movement with participants including Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall, Deepak Chopra, Eve Ensler, Bill McKibben and many others.
The Reverend Dr. Liz Theoharis is Co-Chair with the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival which has organized the largest and most expansive wave of nonviolent civil disobedience in US history. She is the Director of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice at Union Theological Seminary and is a Founder and Coordinator of the Poverty Initiative.
Rev. Janelle Bruce, Esq. is a National Organizer with Repairers of the Breach and the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. She is also the Founder and Pastor of the Church Without Walls, Global Reach. Her life, ministry and work is guided by Micah 6:8, “He has told you O’ mortal what is good and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with the Lord”.
Njimie Dzurinko is the founder and co-coordinator at Put People First and the Pennsylvania Poor People’s Campaign. Njimie studied Urban Studies at Temple University and English Literature/Poetry at University of Pennsylvania.
Take Action and Be of Service
During MLK 40 Days of Peace
To Participate Now Through Feb. 29th
For Updates & To Participate
WE.net/MLK
Takes under a minute!Full MLK Broadcast Links and other activity details here:
WE.net/MLK-program
Don’t SLEEP through the REVOLUTION!Thank you!Rick Ulfik
Founder of We, The World and the WE Campaign at WE.net
Subscribe to our WE Campaign Global Action Newsletter: WE.net/subscribe
Now is the Time For WE Video – Narrated by Desmond Tutu and Jane Goodall for We, The World: WE.net/we-video
Manifesting The Dream – Service Activities to Honor and Carry Forward the Work and Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. https://WE.net/MLK
11 Days of Global Unity – 11 Ways to Transform Your World
An Urgent Message from Your Children at WeYourChildren.org
GlobalUnityCalendar.org – See and post social change and cultural events for a global audience!
Volunteer Sign-up: https://WE.net/takeaction/
Organization Sign-up: https://WE.net/11days/
Donation Page: WE.net/donate
Facebook – Twitter – YouTube – News Blog
|
Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Next Week25–41°F Snow Showers
|
|
Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (Main Library) 800 Vine Street, Cincinnati 45202
|
Meeting will be at the Main Library – Huenefeld Tower Room
In 2013, the Supreme Court gutted the core of one of the crowning achievements of the civil rights movement: the Voting Rights Act. The 1965 bill, propelled by the historic march of protesters from Montgomery to Selma, Alabama, officially put an end to the literacy tests, poll taxes, and voting restrictions that had disenfranchised millions of minority voters for decades. And it went further than that: it also required areas of the country with a history of using these discriminatory tactics to get federal approval before making any changes to voting.- Vice News Oct. 16, 2020
Soon after the ruling in 2013, polling locations were closed and many of the closed polls were in neighborhoods with large minority populations.
We will review the history and ramifications of the gutting of the Voting Rights Act. Then we will discuss what are the possible solutions to solving attacks on our nation’s voting rights in our community, our state and our nation.
If you are able, please bring a dish to share. Please let us know if you have any needs to allow you to participate fully.
*****************************************************
MORE INFO:
Rethinking Race: Film Screening & Discussion
Hosted by Drs. Nicholas and Dorothy Cummings Center for the History of Psychology and The University of Akron
|
Thursday, February 27, 2020 at 11 AM – 8 PM
73 S College St, Akron, Ohio 44325
Call (330) 972-7285
|
Visit the National Museum of Psychology to view the film, “The Negro and the American Promise”. The film will run continuously throughout the day beginning at 11am. The last showing will begin at 6pm with a discussion following at 7pm. The film is an hour long and is FREE.
In the spring of 1963, Dr. Kenneth B. Clark, a professor of psychology at the City College of New York, interviewed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Minister Malcolm X, and author James Baldwin, respectively, in order to examine and discuss the racial climate of America. The resulting program, “The Negro and the American Promise”, is a thought-provoking film depicting the varying perspectives of three passionate, powerful leaders in the Black community.
Regular museum rates apply to tour the Museum and Institute galleries. Museum admission is free for The University of Akron students, faculty, and staff with a valid ZipCard.
This event is part of Rethinking Race at The University of Akron. See the full list of events: https://www.uakron.edu/race/calendar/.
ECHOES & REFLECTIONS
CONFIDENTLY TEACH ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST
Echoes & Reflections empowers middle and high school educators with dynamic classroom materials and professional development.
PROGRAMS FOR EDUCATORS and anyone who wants to know more
and understand…
RELEASE AND REVIEW OF THE NEW CONTEMPORARY ANTISEMITISM UNIT
A Webinar on February 27th, 2020 4PM – 5PM EST
With a changing education landscape and the recent spike in antisemitic incidents, it is essential that educators have access to strategies and tools to address the reality of antisemitism and hate with their students. To meet this need, Echoes & Reflections is launching a revised Contemporary Antisemitism Unit with an inquiry-based and student-centered learning approach to raise the important topics of hate, antisemitism in the US and globally, and what it means to be an ally. Participate in this webinar, led by the lead developer of this Unit, to discover new curated content and approaches for incorporating these important lessons into your classroom.
Check out other webinars on our website.
WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY MEET
City: Mount Abu
+919079295525
Organizer: Brahma Kumaris
Location:: Gyan Saroval – Academy for a Better World, Mt.Abu, Rajasthan, India
Email: ecoshanti@brahmakumaris.com
World Interfaith Harmony Meet is being organized by Brahma Kumaris at its international Head Quarter Complex Gyan Sarovar, an academy for a better world.
This event is being celebrated during the Silver Jubilee celebrations of Gyan Sarovar. Many spiritual, religious and faith leaders will be participating in the meet. The aim and objectives of this event are to share common interests and to also come to common understanding regarding actions that could be taken to mitigate climate-related issues, inter-regional harmony, and value-based education systems. The list of the invited guests include:
HH Dalai Lama Ji,
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev Ji,
Sri Ravi Shankar Ji,
Dadi Janki Ji, and many others.
Gyan Sarovar
The Academy for the Better World, known in Hindi as Gyan Sarovar, offers residential programs and courses on development and practical implementation of human, moral and spiritual values and principles.
The Brahma Kumaris started building the campus for the Academy for a Better World, an institution of higher learning established by the Brahma Kumaris along with its sister institution, the World Renewal Spiritual Trust, and Rajyoga Education and Research Foundation, in 1991. The aim was to provide a training facility for the institution’s outreach to all sections of society. Within a few years, 28 acres of land near the institution’s headquarters in Mount Abu was transformed into a modern village complex in a quiet, rural setting.
The campus includes Universal Harmony Hall, an auditorium that can seat 1,600 people and has facilities for simultaneous translation in 16 languages; the International Spiritual Art Gallery housing sculptures, murals, audio-visual and laser displays and other works of art from around the world; the International Center for Higher Learning comprising 13 seminar and training rooms; accommodation for up to 1,500 people; kitchen and dining facilities that can cater to 1,200 people at a time; three man-made lakes that irrigate the 15,000 trees planted to provide fruits and vegetables and a rural retreat atmosphere; and a solar water heater for cooking. The telephone exchange, computers and emergency lighting systems are powered by solar and wind energy, and a unique waste treatment plant is capable of treating 200,000 liters of washing, kitchen and bathroom waste water daily, of which nearly 80 percent is available for re-use.
In 1996, the Academy was presented to Habitat II, the second UN Conference on Human Settlements held in Istanbul, Turkey. It was recognised as part of the Best Practice Initiative for Human Settlements.
“When you increase the number of gardens, you increase the number of heavens too!”
2020
New York City at Sony Hall
Get ready to celebrate!
Join us in New York on March 9, 2020 as No Bully celebrates our partners and friends at our annual Broadway Against Bullying event. This annual one-night-only cabaret show, featuring stars from some of Broadway’s biggest musicals, benefiting No Bully’s mission to eradicate bullying and cyber-bullying worldwide.
Calling all New York area Friends who LOVE Broadway. March 9th: Broadway Against Bullying, a one-night-only cabaret featuring stars from some of Broadway’s biggest musicals. Lexi Lawson (Hamilton), Telly Leung (Aladdin) and Kevin Duda (Book of Mormon). A wonderful organization, committed to a kinder world, No Bully has teamed up with Broadway Stars,(Year 2) for an evening supporting bullying prevention school programs and positive action initiatives. Entertainment and Doing Good! Get your tickets for March 9: www.nobully.org/broadway2020 and join the movement to end bullying! #broadwayagainstbullying #nobully #bullying #kindevolution, #nobullyingperiod
IGNITING COMPASSION
Words that come to mind when describing our team include: compassionate, kind, inclusive, strong, and has a generosity of spirit.
Each one of us has our own personal story around bullying and we hold this work near and dear to our hearts. We are constantly trying to live out our mission on a day to day basis, both igniting compassion around the office and also the world!
No Bully takes a holistic approach to partnering with schools and districts by involving the administration, staff, parents, and students in the process.
FIND OUT MORE
No Bully is the most comprehensive professional development program proven to combat bullying and enhance school culture.
There are so many ways to become a part of No Bully’s mission to dramatically reduce bullying. Consider yourself invited to tell us how you’d like to connect.
Phone:
(415) 767-0070
Mailing Address:
No Bully
1012 Torney Ave
San Francisco, CA 94129
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Hallock Auditorium, Lewis Environmental Studies Building, Oberlin College
122 Elm Street, Oberlin, OH, 44074
4:30pm – 6:00pm EST; doors open at 4pm
Topic: Tainted: Anti-Suffragism and Race Politics in the Crusade for Women’s Votes
“Determined to Rise”: Women’s Historic Activism for Equal Rights
Panelists:
- Angela P. Dodson, Author, Remember the Ladies: Celebrating Those Who Fought for Freedom at the Ballot Box (Center Street Press, 2017): Angela P. Dodson is author of “Remember the Ladies: Celebrating Those Who Fought for Freedom at the Ballot Box” about the woman suffrage movement in the United States and women’s political gains up to the present. Dodson is also an independent editor, writer and consultant. She founded an editorial services company, Editorsoncall LLC, in 2012, to link freelancers to clients in need of writing, editing, graphic and photographic services. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at Marshall University and a master’s degree in journalism and public affairs from the American University. Angela is a former senior editor and former Style editor for the New York Times. She has most recently been an online editor and book reviewer for DIVERSE: Issues In Higher Education, diverseeducation.com, and diversebooks.net. She is the former executive editor of Black Issues Book Review.
- Dr. Carol Lasser, Emerita Professor of History, Oberlin College: Carol Lasser is Emerita Professor of History at Oberlin College and former president of the Society for the History of the Early American Republic (SHEAR). At Oberlin she taught about women, gender and race in American history, and chaired the History Department and the Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies Program. Her books include Antebellum American Women (with Stacey Robertson, 2010); Friends and Sisters: Letters Between Lucy Stone and Antoinette Brown Blackwell, 1846-1893, (with Marlene Merrill, 1987), Educating Men and Women Together: Coeducation in a Changing World (1987), and, most recently, with Gary Kornblith, Elusive Utopia: The Struggle for Racial Equality in Oberlin, Ohio (Louisiana State University Press 2018). Her articles address topics ranging from Civil War courtship to utopianism to the scholarship of teaching and learning. With students, she created Digitizing American Feminisms: Projects from the Oberlin College Archives (http://americanfeminisms.org/), featuring materials that bring feminist history alive. Her current projects include ongoing research on the life Lethia Cousins Fleming (1876-1963), a Cleveland woman of color who pursued a pioneering political career in the first half of the twentieth century. Professor Lasser is also rethinking the racial implications of the Nineteenth Amendment in her work-in-progress, “Bending to the Color Line: The Fight for Woman Suffrage in Ohio,” and she continues her work exploring Oberlin history, focusing on racial inequality in employment, public schools, housing and recreation from the 1930s to the 1980s. She earned her B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania and her Ph.D. at Harvard University.
- Dr. Ben Railton, Professor of English Studies and Coordinator of American Studies, Fitchburg State University: Ben Railton is Professor of English Studies and Coordinator of American Studies at Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts. He is the author of five books, most recently We the People: The 500-Year Battle over Who is American (Rowman and Littlefield’s American Ways series). He also writes the daily American Studies blog, contributes the bimonthly Considering History column to the Saturday Evening Post, and is the Boston Chapter Leader for the Scholars Strategy Network.
- Moderator: Tamika Nunley, Assistant Professor of History, Oberlin College: Tamika Nunley is an assistant professor of American history. Her research and teaching interests include slavery, gender, 19th-century legal history, digital history, and the American Civil War. At Oberlin, she created the History Design Lab that allows students to develop scholarly projects that involve methodological approaches that range from digital humanities, exhibit design, oral history, podcasts, historical fiction, and public history. Her book manuscript, ‘‘At the Threshold of Liberty: Women, Slavery, and the Boundaries of Freedom in Washington, D.C.,’’ examines how black women strategically used the laws, geography, and community networks of the nation’s capital to make claims to liberty during the Civil War era. Her work has been supported by the Andrew W. Mellon and Woodrow Wilson foundations as well as the American Association of University Women.
To register, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/determined-to-rise-womens-historic-activism-for-equal-rights-tickets-93388356087
.png?w=584&ssl=1){kind=logo}
Thursday, March 19, 2020
The Forum, Michigan History Center
702 W. Kalamazoo St, Lansing, MI 48915
6:30pm – 8:00pm
In collaboration with Michigan Women Forward
Topic: Woman’s Suffrage: The West Came First
“Determined to Rise”: Women’s Historic Activism for Equal Rights
Panelists:
- Dr. Molly Rozum, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, The University of South Dakota (Vermillion, SD): Molly P. Rozum, Ph.D., is the co-editor (with Lori Ann Lahlum) of Equality at the Ballot Box: Votes for Women on the Northern Great Plains, published by South Dakota Historical Society Press (2019). The volume includes her article, “Citizenship, Civilization, and Property: The 1890 South Dakota Vote on Woman Suffrage and Indian Suffrages.” Rozum is Associate Professor and Ronald R. Nelson Chair of Great Plains and South Dakota History at The University of South Dakota, Vermillion and teaches the histories of South Dakota, and the Great Plains, and the American West, and Modern Women’s History. Rozum grew up in Mitchell, South Dakota.
- Dr. Lori Ann Lahlum, Professor, Department of History, Minnesota State University, Mankato (Mankato, MN): Lori Ann Lahlum is professor of history at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where she teaches courses on the American West, Minnesota history, and western women’s and gender history. She and Molly Rozum edited Equality at the Ballot Box: Votes for Women on the Northern Great Plains, which came out with South Dakota Historical Press in 2019. Lahlum also publishes on Norwegian America.
- Dr. Virginia Caruso, Historian and Member, Board of Trustees, Historical Society of Michigan (Plainwell, MI): Virginia Paganelli Caruso retired in 2001 after 34 years of teaching history at 4-year liberal arts colleges, and community colleges. She holds graduate degrees from the University of Michigan where she received her MA, has a Specialist in the Arts degree from Western Michigan University, and her PhD from Michigan State University. Her interest in both Michigan and Women’s History dates back to early 1981 when she discovered that the standard texts on Michigan History were inconsistent about when women in Michigan achieved equal suffrage. Focusing on this topic for her dissertation, she has been researching and talking about Woman Suffrage, voting rights, voting in Michigan, and the political activism of women ever since. She currently serves on the board of the Historical Society of Michigan, moderates panels at HSM conferences, serves as a Michigan History Day judge, and is active with the local Friends of Michigan Library Group. She also conducts local history research with the informal local history group that uses the library’s resources.
- Moderator: Valerie Marvin, Historian & Curator of the Michigan State Capitol (Lansing, MI): Valerie Marvin serves as the Historian & Curator of the Michigan State Capitol, a National Historic Landmark. In this capacity, she oversees the Capitol’s historical collections, and conducts extensive research on Capitol and legislative history, sharing her findings through publications, lectures, and social media. She is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan (Bachelor of Arts in Russian Studies, 2005) and Eastern Michigan University (Masters of Science in Historic Preservation, 2009). She is an active member of the Historical Society of Greater Lansing, the Downtown Lansing Inc. Design Committee, and the Lansing Woman’s Club. Valerie lives with her husband David in a 1906 home in downtown Lansing.
To register, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/determined-to-rise-womens-historic-activism-for-equal-rights-tickets-93316306585
Take Action on National Refugee Shabbat
National Refugee Shabbat 5780, which will take place on March 20-21, 2020, is a moment for congregations, organizations, and individuals around the country to dedicate a Shabbat experience to refugees and asylum seekers.
Register: Learn more about how your community or group can participate at hias.org/nrs – it’s not too late!
There are also many ways individuals can take action for refugees and asylum seekers in the week leading up to National Refugee Shabbat, as well as on the actual Shabbat itself (in accordance with individual Shabbat practice). Feel free to share the list below widely with family and friends.
12 WAYS TO TAKE ACTION THIS NATIONAL REFUGEE SHABBAT
1. Advocate – Call your Member of Congress to ask them to stand for the rights, safety and dignity of refugees and asylum seekers.
2. Get Involved in the Election – Research the candidates running in local elections in your area, and let them know that the rights of refugees and asylum seekers are among your top priority issues this year.
3. Update Your Facebook Photo Frame – Show your support for refugees by updating your Facebook profile picture with the HIAS #JewsforRefugees frame. Click here for directions.
4. Join the “Jews for Refugees” Facebook Group – Joining this group is a great way to connect with thousands of other committed individuals across the country, access up-to-the-minute information about the Jewish response to the refugee crisis, and share the actions that you are taking. Click here to join.
5. Donate Your Miles to Asylum Seekers – HIAS has partnered with Miles4Migrants (M4M), a nonprofit charity dedicated to using donated frequent flyer miles and money for the relocation of refugees and those seeking asylum – including families recently separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. HIAS and Miles4Migrants (M4M) will work to identify refugees and asylum seekers who need assistance purchasing airfare to reunite with their families. Donate your frequent flyer miles here the week of National Refugee Shabbat.
6. Buy Refugee-Produced Goods – Support refugees and asylum seekers around the world and in your local community by buying refugee-produced goods and/or researching refugee-owned restaurants in your community and having a meal there. Check out this website to purchase goods made by a collective of African asylum-seeking women living in Tel Aviv, Israel.
7. Give Life to Refugees and Asylum Seekers – In the week leading up to National Refugee Shabbat, set up a Facebook fundraiser to benefit HIAS’ work.
8. Scholarships for Displaced Students – Research whether your local universities and colleges offer scholarships to refugees and asylum seekers. If not, reach out and ask them to consider starting such a program. Check out Columbia University’s program for an example.
9. Have A Difficult Conversation – Using the HIAS Conversational Guide for How to Talk About Refugees with Family and Friends, commit to having at least one conversation with someone in your life who has expressed concern about welcoming refugees to the United States or even someone who has made disparaging remarks about refugees or asylum seekers.
10. Light Shabbat Candles with Intention – As you welcome Shabbat on March 20, use this reading before lighting Shabbat candles to set an intention to stand with refugees and asylum seekers around the globe.
11. Host A Gathering In Your Home – Invite a small group of friends over to your home for Shabbat dinner or lunch or a havdallah (the ceremony for closing Shabbat) wine and cheese gathering. At the gathering, consider using the HIAS National Refugee Shabbat 5780-2020 Programming Content Resource. Use the text study on page 6 of this guide as a jumping off point for conversation, take a look at and discuss the refugee art on page 13 of this guide, or screen the movie suggested on page 14 and 15 of this guide.
12. Start A Book Club – Start a book club – for adults or young people – to read books by and about refugees and asylum seekers. Use this list as a jumping off point for suggestions or search google for even more ideas.