#StillResisting perSisters – Women’s Solidarity March ~5K! Truth Commission 1/25!
Dear Friends! 716-332-3904; 716-931-3520 1/24/18
The #StillResisting Weekend was amazing!! Huge thanks to the 35 cosponsors for sharing, and to the ~5,000 who participated!!
We had
– a wonderful time with our friends Science Demands Action (/Buffalo March for Science) at great sign-making parties on Friday and Sunday, with scores of participants;
– a day to remember gathering and going on the #StillResisting Bus to Women’s March in Seneca Falls, the birthplace of the US Women’s Movement (on this 100th year after we women won the right to vote!). Many thanks to Maureen Milligan and the stalwart bus-full!! What a time!;
– 4,500-5,000 –yes!!- at the Sunday Women’s Solidarity March!! (police estimate). Not only was the turnout record-breaking, the Spirit and principles very evident, the speakers fantastic, and the support overwhelming, but the message also came through loud and clear – Equality, Empowerment and SOLIDARITY!!
Attendees and reporters seemed crystal clear the we were there to #UnitetheStruggles in Truth and Love. #wepersistBUF!! While there was a person or two there with unrepresentative message(s) – ie too focused and too nastily on a particular person – and some of the signs were x-rated (the family nature of the event was thrilling; sorry that we didn’t ask people to bear that in mind in sign-making); we’ll keep on improving our events in every way possible. We do keep learning!
More than anything, it was a tribute to Women’s Ways ~ Peace Ways; to
WNY and our burgeoning peace movement, and to Solidarity. Si, se puede! We Shall Overcome!!
Once again, so grateful to
-Jill Yagwoneest Clause, Tuskarora;
– the Women’s Resistence Revivial Chorus with Drea D’Nur and ensemble.
Our Inspired and Inspiring Speakers! (see topics above under Route):
Tanya Loughead, Chair of WNYPC Gender Justice
Welcome from Mayor Byron Brown
Karima Amin, Founder/Director of Prisoners Are People Too
Betty Jean Grant, former Co Legislator, Director of We Are Women Warriors
Cariol Holloman-Horne, community activist (former Buffalo Police Officer)
Kelly Ann Kowalski, Director of Food for All
Andrea Ó Súilleabháin, Ass’t Director of Partnership for the Public Good.
The other elected officials attending as well as Mayor Brown, who spoke to vouch for their solidarity:
– Lt Gov Kathy Hochul
– Congressman Brian Higgins
– Assemblyman Sean Ryan
And the wonderful co-sponsors! Activists of Buffalo, Bee Social, Buffalo for Freedom, Buffalo AntiRacism Coalition Official; @Buffalo Parent-Teacher Organization (BPTO), Burning Books; Buffalo Democratic Socialists of America, Citizen Coalition for Wildlife and Environment, Food For All, Indigenous Women’s Initiatives, Interfaith Peace Network of WNY, Liberty Union Progressives, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, NYCLU Western Regional Office, Open Buffalo, Partnership for the Public Good,Pax Christi WNY (Pax Christi), Peacejam Buffalo, Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York Action Fund, Prisoners Are People Too, Inc., @Puerto Rican Committee for Community Justice, Rise Collaborative, Riverside Salem Environmental Cottage, Science Demands Action – Buffalo March for Science, Sierra Club Niagara Chapter, Sister District for Western New York, a NYPAN Chapter, StandUp WNY, Stronger Together WNY, Corp., Temple Beth Zion, UB School of Social Work, Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo, Veterans For Peace VFP 128, We Are Women Warriors, @WNY Coalition of Peace-Justice-Nonviolence Advocates (Peace, Justice & Nonviolence Festival and Walk 2017). Yes 35 …. #unitethestruggles
POWER WITH !!!! NOT POWER OVER!!!!
So we invite you to join us as often as you can – pace yourself tho – with our many friends and allies at a raft of events and in lots of campaigns.
Don’t miss the Truth Commission on Poverty tomorrow at 6pm at the 1199SEIU space at 2421 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14214 (across from Jewett). The renewal of Rev. Dr. King’s POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN is a source of inspiration for us at the WNY Peace Center as we #unitethestrugges. Join us there. You can still register and/or get more info at facebook.com/events/BfloTruthCom-Pov
Hasta pronto!
LASTLY, ANOTHER VICTORY: DEMOCRACY NOW! IS NOW BEING BROADCAST MONDAY-FRIDAY, 8AM-9AM (LIVE) ON WBNY 91.3FM. Hear it over the radio or streaming live at wbny.buffalostate.edu or http://tunein.com/radio/WBNY-913-s27549/.
Below are
– more event listings (see also calendar & facebook page);
– Taskforce items and campaigns; and
– regularly scheduled events – all in that order. And be sure to go to wnypeace.org/calendar for more event listings – there’s plenty more and additions are frequent! …..
NOTE: WNY Peace Center Membership Fling (Bringing in the Spring) Sat February 17, 3pm, WNYPC/NRC, 1272 Delaware (entrance & parking round back). All are welcome! (tho only members vote). At the Bring in the Spring Membership We’ll review, pre-view, and get your input. Tour the taskforces, get involved! Also (worry-free) pot-luck. And bring your own “Spring-iest” plate to use! You can sign up at facebook.com/MembershipFling No hate, no fear as we are #StillResisting and #UnitetheStruggles.
Peace, Thanks, Solidarity, and yes Love. #loveisloveBUF <3
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EVENT LISTINGS
Today, January 24 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm; Shift Change with Community First Alliance & Cooperation Buffalo; Moot Senior Citizen Center (292 High st, Buffalo). From the Facebook event page: “Join Community First Alliance and Cooperation Buffalo for a screening of SHIFT CHANGE, a film featuring stories of democratic workplaces, worker-owned cooperatives, and a new way forward that retains wealth and control in our communities. Followed by a discussion about the film with: India Walton – Open Buffalo and Community First Alliance
Alex Wright – African Heritage Food Co-op
Jonet Rodolph – Community First Alliance
Zaid B. Islam – F.B. Community Land Trust
Tori Kuper – Cooperation Buffalo
Free and open to the public. Popcorn and snacks included!”
Thurs, 1/25
Truth Commission on Poverty. 6-8pm. At SEIU1199 Main St Office, 2421 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14214. Come out to hear – or testify. Hear from people directly impacted by poverty and related injustices, direct service providers, advocates, faith leaders, and policy experts reflect on these questions. Part of the **POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN**!! More to follow!
Fri, 1/26
Opening 7-10pm for Portraits of Struggle Photography Exhibit 26 January – 24 February 2018; Flux Gallery (1st Floor), CEPA, 617 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203. Global Justice Ecology Project and Langelle Photography. Orin Langelle’s new exhibit, *Portraits of Struggle*, captures the efforts of people striving for justice all over the globe (incl in Chiapas, @World Bank & G-8 protest, Indigenous struggles, more).
Sun, 1/28
Riverside-Salem UCC/DC Sunday. Followed by potluck. Sundays, 4-7pm. This Sunday, watch “Look & See,” a Portrait of Wendell Berry. “Writing from a long wooden desk beneath a forty-paned window, Berry has become one of the most passionate and eloquent voices in defense of agrarian life.” Environmental Cottage, 3449 West River Road, Grand Island
Monday, 1/29
Talking Peace with the WNY Peace Center Radio Show on 91.3FM, WBNY. Mondays, 1-4pm. Jim Anderson & Vicki Ross co-hosting. This Monday re health care, more – call in! Go to wbny.buffalostate.edu or http://tunein.com/radio/WBNY-913-s27549/.
NOTE: WNY Peace Center Bring in the Spring Membership Fling, Sat February 17, 3pm, WNYPC/NRC, 1272 Delaware (entrance & parking round back). All are welcome! (tho only members vote). At the Bring in the Spring Membership We’ll review, pre-view, and get your input. Tour the taskforces, get involved! Also (worry-free) pot-luck. And bring your own “Spring-iest” plate to use! You can sign up at facebook.com/MembershipFling
For more events on the WNYPC calendar go to wnypeace.org!
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CAMPAIGNS
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ECONOMIC JUSTICE TASKFORCE
Please call our state senators and ask them to support The New York Health Act, the bill to guarantee health care to all New Yorkers, passed the NY State Assembly for the third consecutive year in 2017. Call now to help #PassNYHealth in the State Senate. Contact info is on our website
wnypeace.org/governmental-contact-info/). Learn more nyhcampaign.org
Truth Commission on Poverty. 6-8pm. At SEIU1199 Main St Office, 2421 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14214. Come out to hear – or testify. Hear from people directly impacted by poverty and related injustices, direct service providers, advocates, faith leaders, and policy experts reflect on these questions. Part of the **POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN**!! See above.
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EDUCATION & HUMAN RIGHTS TASKFORCE
PEACEJAM will be starting up at Lafayette HS Community School this Saturday, January 27!
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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TASKFORCE
Action Alert re Stone Dam Road Pipeline: go to wnypeace.org/environmental-justice/
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GENDER JUSTICE TASKFORCE
If you believe that discrimination against all women should be eliminated please support enacting the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in the city of Buffalo. Follow this link for more information: https://cities4cedaw-buffalo.org/ and contact your district’s councilperson to urge them to support this ordinance too.
Darius G. Pridgen- Ellicott District- 716-851-4980
Christopher P. Scanlon- South District- 716-851-5169
David A. Rivera- Niagara District- 716-851-5125
Joel P. Feroleto- Delaware District- 716-851-5155
Richard A. Fontana- Lovejoy District- 716-851- 5151
David A. Franczyk- Fillmore District- 716-851-4138
Joseph Golombek, Jr.- North District- 716-851-5116
Ulysees O. Wingo, Sr.- Masten District- 716-851-5145
Rasheed Wyatt- University District- 716-851-5165
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IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE JUSTICE TASKFORCE
Calls are still needed to your NYS Assembly Members to ask them to support NYS ASSEMBLY Bill #4050. The GreenLight NY program restores access to drivers’ licenses to all community members, to avoid abusive immigration enforcement. For more info, please see Dec 11 online presentation mentioned above or go to
https://www.facebook.com/GreenLightNY/; Green Light Petition
Vive la Casa, shelter for people awaiting documents and/or sanctuary, still desperately needs personal hygiene products and of course, CASH.
jrchc.org/vive
(Checks to Jericho Road/VIVE) 50 Wyoming St., Buffalo, NY 14211, 892-4354.
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LATIN AMERICAN SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE (LASC)
Great thanks to the many people throughout New York State who rallied and made visits to state legislators in Albany, on Jan. 17th. Rural and Migrant Ministries of NYS continues to lead this vital effort to right an outrage of effective slavery. We would appreciate it if you would call or e-mail your state senators and especially Senator Jacobs–jacobs@nysenate.gov, 518-455-3240 and Senator Ortt–ortt@nysenate.gov,, 518-455-2024. Those 2 senators have consistently voted against farm workers legislation. I would suggest you do this on Jan. 17th. Thank you for your support and hopefully we will get legislation that will get economic justice to farm workers. Thanks, Wayne Alt
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Witness For Peace has sent out travel opportunities to Latin American Countries. LASC will support interested people financially if they are interested in going. Delegations will be going to between January and June to: Colombia, Cuba, Honduras and Mexico. For more info, go to www.witnessforpeace.org or elise@witnessforpeace.org or 202-547-6112
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| Stand with Sen. Sanders: Rebuild Puerto Rico The situation is still dire in Puerto Rico. Please go to the link below to see what you can do to Stand with Puerto Rico (and Sen Sanders). |
| https://act.credoaction.com/sign/sanders_puerto_rico?t=8&akid=26241%2E8770573%2Evra5l7 |
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As you know, people desperately need our help because of the devastation caused by “natural” disasters (read fossil-fuel-burning-generated Climate Catastrophe). You can contribute as follows:
Puerto Rico—Go to hispanicheritagewny.org for a full report on ways to help.
We also recommend:
Mutual Aid Community Soup Kitchens Paypal address: cdpecpr@gmail.com run by Giovanni Roberto, friend of MaryAnne Grady Flores (UpstateDroneAction.org and Puerto Rico activist].
The Mariafund.org is another fund governed by many grassroots community groups.
Cuba—Alliance for Global Justice/Irma Relief, 418 W. 145th St.. New York, NY 10031(for tax deductible). Not tax deductible, IFCO/Irma Relief (same address) Phone: 212-926-5757
Please give generously – the situations continue to be terrible for many!!
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From Our Friend the renown film-maker Bill Jungels:
Forgive me in advance. I’ve never done an email like this before and probably never will again.
If you would like to make some kind of Holiday offering that really might make a difference to poor Maya campesinos in Chiapas I recommend these people in need who live very close to my friends in Chenalhó, Chiapas.
A humanitarian crisis occurred when paramilitaries from Chenalhó killed a person from the next door township of Chalchihuitan over old land disputes between the two townships. Paramilitaries then closed the roads while 5000 people fled their homes in fear of another massacre of the innocent like the one that occurred in Acteal Chenalhó at about this time of year in 1997. Some of the paramilitaries are said to be the same who took part in that massacre. People are out in the mountains and unprotected in the cold winter nights and without food. At least nine have died. Caritas, a trusted organization in San Cristobal, is coordinating donations and aid. Our friend Christine Eber has set up a way to donate through weaving-for-justice.org This is an organization whose normal work is organizing volunteers to sell the weavings of women from Chiapas here in the US and return all of the proceeds to them. All donations will be sent by her through Western Union to Caritas. The Caritas web site bank transfer information does not function from the US and so we have had to resort to Western Union, which charges only $7 for a transfer.
Our organization, Latin America Solidarity Committee of the WNY Peace Center www.lascwny.org has already sent donations to Caritas, but now an easier way to contribute on line through Weaving for Justice exists. I can vouch for the integrity of all involved.
This article in the National Catholic reporter gives a brief overview of the situation.
https://www.ncronline.org/news/world/enough-deaths-mexican-clergy-reiterate-chiapas-crisis
Father Marcelo who is quoted in the article is a fearless, incorruptible Tsotsil Maya priest who has visited those hiding in the mountains multiple times. He appears in my recent documentary Maya Faces in a Smoking Mirror. mayafaces.com
If you would like to help, go to weaving-for-justice.org
Thanks,
Bill
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PRISONER’S RIGHTS TASKFORCE
Join us in promoting the H.A.L.T. Solitary Confinement campaign. Please call your State Senators and Congresspersons and ask them to cosponsor and vote for the bills A. 3080 / S. 4784. Ways you can help:
RSVP for the upcoming Advocacy Day to demand passage of the HALT Solitary Confinement Act: https://goo.gl/z22oVf
Sign the petition to support the HALT Solitary Confinement Act: https://goo.gl/HLwqbK
Encourage your organization to endorse the HALT Solitary Confinement Act: https://goo.gl/forms/FM2F6DZAcPZp1co32
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RACIAL JUSTICE TASKFORCE
THE CARIOL HORNE WHISTLEBLOWER FUND
The Western New York Peace Center has created a fund for the purpose of supporting police officers who face reprisals from their department from choosing to strictly uphold their oath to protect and serve the community. gofundme.com/cariol-horne-whistleblower-fund. The Peace Center has named this fund after Cariol Horne who saved the life of a citizen, but was fired just prior to earning her 20-year pension. Our goal is to encourage good police officers in following their moral conscience if and when it conflicts with the infamous blue wall of silence ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_wall_of_silence).
Each Police District has a Chief and Community Police Meeting. We encourage people to go to them and communicate freely on issues of concern. A District is scheduled for Jan 19. At 1847 South Park Ave.
More above, on the calendar, and to follow.
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RESIST MILITARISM! TASKFORCE
Victories in DeWitt Town Court!!! A number of actions had charges dismissed, including for lack of speedy ajudication! See upstatedroneaction.org for full info.
Nuclear annihilation ‘one tantrum away’, Nobel peace prize winner warns Australian-founded International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons urges support for UN treaty banning them:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/11/nuclear-annihilation-one-tantrum-away-nobel-peace-prize-winner-warns
Please call your Senators and Congresspersons to urge them to vote in favor and cosponsor if possible Senator Markey’s Bill # 200 and House Bill, Rep Lieu # 669, to Restrict First Strike with Nuclear Weapons.
And lastly, please sign on to Credo Action’s Stop Police Militarization petition here.
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REGULARLY SCHEDULED EVENTS in the One Movement, One Struggle
Riverside-Salem UCC/DC Sunday. Followed by potluck. Sundays, 4-7pm. This Sunday, watch “Look & See,” a Portrait of Wendell Berry. “Writing from a long wooden desk beneath a forty-paned window, Berry has become one of the most passionate and eloquent voices in defense of agrarian life.” Environmental Cottage, 3449 West River Road, Grand Island.
Talking Peace with the WNY Peace Center Radio Show on 91.3FM, WBNY. Mondays, 1-4pm. Jim Anderson & Vicki Ross co-hosting. This Monday re health care, more – call in! Go to wbny.buffalostate.edu or http://tunein.com/radio/WBNY-913-s27549/.
Buffalo Supports Standing Rock Water Protectors/Nekanesakt. Indigenous support group/allies. 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month, 6:30-8pm. At Burning Books, 420 CT Ave. All are welcome!!
Interfaith Peace Network
1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month, breakfast pot-luck 8-9:30am, NRC, 1272 Delaware Ave, Buffalo NY 14209 (entrance and parking round back).
Environmental Justice Taskforce
Protest the Shipments of VERY Dangerous Radioactive Liquid from Canada.
Fridays 2-3pm, Front Park, Buffalo. Email Charley Bowman renewableenergy@wnypeace.org with your phone number for him to call and let you know whether (weather 😉 the vigil will take place that particular Friday. Or just show up and bring your own sign if you’re not sure others will be there!!
Fridays – 1st and 3rd of the month; 6pm: Stop The Violence Coalition,
United Way Building, Delaware and Summer Sts.
Saturdays, Noon-1pm: Women In Black. Nonviolence vigil, Bidwell and Elmwood. Specially invited for #StillResisting weekend!! Signs also available. (and you don’t need to be a woman or dress in black 😉
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More listings on website (wnypeace.org) and in previous email posts.
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Please submit possible listings for consideration to weeklynews@wnypeace.org.
Many thanks, peace, solidarity, and yes – Love. We shall overcome!!