July 8th, 2020
Please join us on Friday at noon for the “Move for Justice” Rally, which will assemble in front of the Erie County Court Building (25 Delaware Ave) and then move to Niagara Square. Meet the Buffalo 5 – John Walker, Jr., Darryl Boyd, Floyd Martin, Darren Gibson, and Tyrone Woodruff – and show community support to get their indictment, No. 41-413 revisited by the Erie County District Attorney’s office. For more details, visit the event page on our website.
Later on Friday, join us at Lafayette Square from 3-5pm for the #CariolsLaw National Day of Action calling for an end to police violence and justice for our shero (and Board member) Cariol Horne. The march will assemble at Lafayette Square and then move to Niagara Square for a protest concert featuring Drea d’Nur at 4pm. #PassCariolsLaw #GrantCariolsPension #JusticeForCariol
On Sunday we will be at Amherst State Park (400 Mill St.) from 1-3pm where we will demand educational and economic racial inequalities be acknowledged in the suburbs and greater Buffalo area. All are welcome! Please note there is a parking lot off of Sheridan behind the Sisters of St. Francis building. Cohosted by @716protests and the WNY Peace Center.
The fight for racial justice continues at Niagara Square. Our own Racial Justice Taskforce continues to work independently and is also connecting with those at the Square and elsewhere. There is still daily activity at Niagara/Liberation Square thanks to the WNY Liberation Collective. Thank you also to everyone for your support of Deyanna Davis who was released this morning on bail.
A final reminder that our 13th annual youth summer camp, Camp Peaceprints, begins on Monday! Registration is still open with a sliding scale of up to $25/week, with scholarships readily available! Camp will be 100% online this year due to the public health crisis, but we offer games, recreation/physical activities, art projects, music, and virtual field trips to MACHU PICCHU (Peru) and KENYA; plus wonderful guest presenters (activists and artists from the Buffalo area, including Derek Middlebrooks of Nerds United, Poet Jillian Hanesworth, and Valentino Dixon)! Please register ASAP as we’ll be delivering packets with art supplies, etc. for use during camp.
We are, of course, still accepting *MATCHED* donations to the Father Joe Bissonette Fund for the WNY Peace Center. For more information and to contribute, please visit the fundraiser page on our website. We cannot do this work with you and are so grateful for your support!
Lastly, we are excited to share the IFCO/Pastors for Peace recording from the amazing event on Cuba’s response to COVID-19 for those of you who were unable to join us on the 29th.
Please see details and much more below, including other special events this week, regularly scheduled events, campaigns, fundraisers, and more at wnypeace.org, on our Facebook page, Twitter (@wnypeace), and Instagram (@wnypeace)! We update our Event Calendar often as we learn of new events, so please be sure to check back regularly!
And another reminder to pace yourselves – no one can do it all. Please feel free to reach out and let us know what kind of help you might need from the WNYPC.
Peace, thanks, solidarity and yes – love.
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
July 4th, 2020
In our continued effort to limit digital overload through these intense times, we are again highlighting just a few important items and special upcoming events, and then refer you to our website for details on our regularly scheduled events and ‘Helping Hands’ resource list (including updated campaigns and fundraisers!).
We are excited to announce the Fr. Joe Bissonette Fund for the Western New York Peace Center to sustain our ongoing work and prepare for even stronger social justice activism coming out of quarantine! In these challenging times, we know that this work is more important than ever. The WNY Peace Center struggles to discern and do its part and can only continue with your help. See our letter below our event listing for full details about this matched fundraiser!
Our 13th annual youth summer camp, Camp Peaceprints, is now less than ten days away! Registration is still open with a sliding scale of up to $25/week, with scholarships readily available! Camp will be 100% online this year due to the public health crisis, but we offer games, recreation/physical activities, art projects, and music; plus wonderful guest presenters (activists and artists from the Buffalo area); and field trips to Machu Pichu, Peru and Nairobi, Kenya! Please register ASAP as we’ll be delivering packets with art supplies, etc. for use during camp.
Of course we also want stress racial justice issues – this mountain of work is not done! The stories of Quentin Suttles, Deyanna Davis, Miles Carter, Cariol Horne, and so many others each give very important insight to the lack of racial justice and police accountability in Buffalo. Daily activities continue at Niagara/Liberation Square at 4pm. Additionally, our own Racial Justice taskforce will be meeting more frequently, including planned alternating meetings likely at the Square (maybe Wednesday evening?), Zoom meetings, and Speakouts for Ethical Police Officers. Please keep an eye on our Event Calendar for updates.
Lastly, we want to mention that our radio show, Talking Peace with the WNY Peace Center, is on indefinite hiatus due to administrative and COVID-19-related issues. We should have our most recent shows on our website before long. In the meantime, please check out the whole of yesterday’s Democracy Now! Daily Show featuring Dr. Cornel West, Angela Davis, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, with a special reading of Frederick Douglass’ historic speech “What to the Slave is the 4th of July?” by James Earl Jones.
Please see details and much more below, including other special events this week, regularly scheduled events, campaigns, fundraisers, and more at wnypeace.org, on our Facebook page, Twitter (@wnypeace), and Instagram (@wnypeace)! We update our Event Calendar often as we learn of new events, so please be sure to check back regularly!
*** And lastly, a reminder to pace yourselves – no one can do it all. Let us know what kind of help you might need from the WNYPC; please feel free to reach out!
Peace, thanks, solidarity and yes – love.
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Dear friends,
You are invited to attend TONIGHT’S presentation for the Buffalo/Rochester/Ithaca/Albany areas:
MEDICAL COLLABORATION BETWEEN CUBA
& THE US IN THE TIME OF THE PANDEMIC
7:00-8:30 PM on Zoom
REGISTER HERE.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The whole world is grappling with how best to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
One country, Cuba, is sending its doctors and other health professionals around the world to help beleaguered health care systems. It is also making available a Cuban produced antiviral drug Interferon Alpha 2B that has been widely used in China, as well as Cuba, and has shown some success in strengthening the body’s immune system to fight off the virus.
The US government, instead of seeking to collaborate with Cuba, is demanding that other countries refuse to accept the Cuban doctors and drugs, while simultaneously strengthening its 60 year long economic blockade of Cuba in an attempt to deny the Cuban people the food, medical supplies and gasoline they and their society needs.
This presentation will discuss:
– The unique medical collaboration that already exists between the US and Cuba at the Roswell Park Cancer Center in Buffalo,
– The potential for creating new forms of medical collaboration in confronting COVID-19
– How young US doctors, trained in Havana, Cuba at the Latin American Medical School (ELAM) are already a living example of such collaboration.
– How such collaboration is part of ending the US blockade of Cuba
Program includes:
– Jennifer Wager – Board member of IFCO/Pastors for Peace and former coordinator of its annual Caravan to Cuba. Now a documentary filmmaker whose work includes the award winning Dare to Dream about ELAM
– Dr Joaquin Morantes – a graduate of ELAM, now working in the area
– Video material about the Roswell Park Cancer Center collaboration with Cuba
– There will be time for Q+A and discussion
The event is a fundraiser for IFCO/Pastors for Peace.
Event sponsored by:
– Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization/Pastors for Peace
– Western New York Peace Center, including its Latin America Solidarity Committee (LASC wny)
– Rochester Committee on Latin America (ROCLA)
– Ithaca Friends of Cuba
– Albany Cuba Solidarity
If questions, contact:
– John Waller at 831-261-2025
– Victoria Ross at 716-931-3520
