WNPJ + Action Alert to Protect the Great Lakes + Spotlight on MASCP and their Summer Tour to El Salvador + Voces de la Frontera comes in as a new member group + other statewide events
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The WI Network for Peace and Justice is the umbrella non-profit organization
supporting the work of 83 member groups around Wisconsin.
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Action Alert – Sign this 350 WI petition today – to save the Great Lakes! Deadline to sign is Monday, March 11th!!!
Tell the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Don't Take Shortcuts on Line 5!
As far as national treasures go, the Great Lakes rank near the very top - there’s no question that these pristine freshwater lakes are a pillar in the survival of not just our region, but our planet. Every year, access to clean, fresh water diminishes due to drought, lack of rain, pollution, and more. So why would anyone ever gamble with 84% of North America’s surface freshwater?
Enbridge, a Canadian multinational oil company with a long track record of highly destructive environmental disasters, and operator of the deteriorating 70-year-old Line 5 pipeline, is doing just that.
As they continue to run a dangerous, outdated tar sands oil pipeline, the company is seeking permission from the USACE to reroute 41 miles of pipeline around the Bad River Band Reservation, where it has been operating illegally for over a decade, threatening tribal sovereignty and treaty rights.
It’s more clear now than ever - if we want the planet to continue to be livable, we have to stop our reliance on fossil fuels. This expansion is not a solution and it’s far past time to #ShutDownLine5.
Tell the USACE to stop allowing Enbridge to gamble with the Great Lakes, and to conduct the most thorough environmental review possible. Signatures will be delivered in-person to the USACE office in DC on 3/13 - CLICK HERE to add your name!
Questions? Contact Britnie at britnie.remer@350wisconsin.org
And there’s a film coming your way this month – with screenings in Ashland, River Falls, Milwaukee and Madison – Don’t miss it! Check out the dates and theaters here:
Bad River – a Story of Defiance. https://www.badriverfilm.com/the-film/
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SPOTLIGHT on the Member group – Madison Arcatao Sister City Project
MADISON Sat Mar 16, 10 am – 12 noon Madison Arcatao Sister City Project Gathering. Finca Coffee, 2500 Rimrock Rd #105. The 2024 MASCP's trip to El Salvador is scheduled for June 9-16, 2024 and you are invited to join us! We sponsor these trips for three reasons:
1- Offering the opportunity to people in Madison to experience our sister city for themselves,
2- Renewing our friendship with the people of Arcatao and be witness to the joys and challenges of their lives
3- Bringing current personal stories from Arcatao and El Salvador to the Madison community and to Wisconsin’s representatives in Congress.
The theme this year is water quality, water rights, and how sugar cane production affects water and environmental quality in El Salvador. To explore these areas, we’ll be talking with social justice activists in San Salvador, visiting the organized southern community of Las Anonas where sugar cane is produced, and renewing friendships in Arcatao where our sister city is fighting to retain control of their water and avoid privatization.
We’ll be exploring El Salvador, too. Some options are hiking El Boqueron, the volcano outside San Salvador, visiting Shicali Cerámica, a pottery workshop in El Salvador, and exoloring St Romero’s home, chapel, and meditation garden. Join the group now and help plan our itinerary!
As usual, we’ll be traveling with US El Salvador Sister City (USESSC) staff member, Zulma Tobar, who will be making all our travel, housing and activity arrangements in El Salvador. Depending on air fare, the total cost should be under $2000. This amount includes all meals, transportation, visits and home stays as well as a payment to USESSC for the organizing, guiding and interpreting. Last year the total cost was around $1700.
Interested? Have questions? Want more information? Friends of MASCP, past travelers to El Salvador, curious about MASCP, lovers of great coffee and pupusas? You are all invited to these gatherings! See you there! info@mascp.org or you can text Joan at 608 556-0717 https://www.mascp.org/
(photo: MASCP volunteers- Marilee Sushoreba and Barb Alvarado)
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WNPJ welcomes VDLF – Madison to our organization.
Voces de la Frontera is a membership-based community organization led by low-wage workers, immigrants and youth whose mission is to protect and expand civil rights and workers’ rights through leadership development, community organizing and empowerment.
We strive to create a world where all people live free of poverty and discrimination, have access to safe, dignified work, quality education, and health care; where immigrants can cross borders with dignity; and human rights and workers’ rights are respected; where government is truly “of the people”, and all families thrive.
Contact: Stephanie Janeth Salgado Altamirano stephaniejsa123@gmail.com
(608)250-9982 https://vdlf.org/
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WNPJ is hiring: We’re looking for a Spring Newsletter Coordinator:
What does that entail? Gather content for the Spring 2024 WNPJ Network News, edit as needed and create a finished document with articles and images (PDF). Arrange for printing and assist with mailing or arrange with volunteers. The layout can be done with a simple word processor (see examples at https://www.wnpj.org/newsletter).
The timeline is somewhat flexible as long as it's sent out this spring. Time required is estimated at 10-20 hours, and there is the potential for coordinating future fall and spring newsletters. Members of the WNPJ Board will supervise and provide necessary resources, suggestions and some content. This is a temporary contract position which pays $20/hour, Contact info@wnpj.org with your interest and skills and experience.
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WNPJ member groups and affiliates issue Statements and Action Alerts on Hamas/Palestine/Israel
See the developing list here: https://www.wnpj.org/post/statements-from-wnpj-groups-and-their-national-affiliates-on-palestine-israel-hamas
Petitions to sign https://www.change.org/p/sign-and-share-this-urgent-petition-calling-for-a-ceasefirenow-in-gaza-and-israel and phone calls to make.
Go to the Madison Rafah Sister City sites: http://madisonrafah.org/ and/or https://www.facebook.com/madisonrafah to learn more.
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Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups:
MADISON Mon Mar 11, 12 noon – 1 pm Monday Noon Vigil for Peace – Meet at the corner of MLK, Jr. Blvd and Doty St. For more information, call Tim at 608-630-3633.
VIRTUAL Mon Mar 11, 7 pm The 2024 annual meeting for the Richland Center-Santa Teresa Sister City Project. The meeting will be conducted via Zoom. If you are interested in joining, please reply to this email and request an invitation. santateresascp@gmail.com https://www.wnpj.org/member-organizations-list/richland-center---santa-teresa-sister-city-project
VIRTUAL Tues Mar 12, 6:30 pm A Path to Peace….supported by member group Echo Valley Hope. Join us for a virtual Introduction to TPRF'S Peace Education Program. Peace Education Is a free, ten week, interactive zoom class that helps individuals discover their inner strength. Subjects include: peace, appreciation, clarity, understanding, self awareness, choice, dignity, and contentment. Learn more: https://tprf.org/peace-education-program/
LaCROSSE Thurs Mar 14, 12 noon - 12:30 pm Weekly Women in Black Peace Vigil. Meet at Main St & 4th Street South. A weekly vigil for peace every Thursday. Contact Deborah. dbuffton@yahoo.com
VIRTUAL Thurs Mar 14, 7 – 8 pm Webinar Know Your Co-op; Own Your Co-op - with Sierra Club, Vernon Co Electric District, and WNPJ's Environmental Justice team. Contact dena.eakles@gmail.com for registration and zoom info.
EAU CLAIRE Fri Mar 15, 5 – 6 pm Monthly Peace. Meet at Trunk and Golf Road, Wisconsin 93 - The 3rd Friday of each month is Peace Stand time in Eau Claire, going on since 2004. We gather with, we visit one another and sometimes we sing. Stand and be counted. Mark Helpsmeet is with Northern Spirit Radio, a member group of WNPJ. Contact for more information: helpsmeet@usa.net
MADISON Fri Mar 15, 7 pm Kick-off for the Building Unity Democracy Tour. Madison Labor Temple, 1602 S. Park. The bus is going to 33 districts in 3 months. Please join the tour whenever and wherever you can! We are still working on scheduling tour stops. Let us know if you can help in your part of Wisconsin. BuildingUnityWi@gmail.com
MILWAUKEE Sat Mar 16, 10 - 11:30 am Webinar: “Inspire Inclusion: Invest in Women” – with UNA of Greater Milwaukee’s celebration of the “2024 International Women’s Day”. Rickey Gard Diamond, Bernadette Karanja, and Bianca Shaw will present their views on a gender-equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. The theme of their presentations is “We can forge women's equality. Collectively, we can all ‘inspire inclusion,’ celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness about discrimination, and take action to drive gender parity.” Attend Virtually Through the Following Zoom Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88650140165?pwd=bElvK1Q0bFFuMlNyK2hNRzF4YkM4UT09 Co-sponsored by: Peace Action of WI & Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom info@peaceactionwi.org
MILWAUKEE Sat Mar 16, 12 noon - 1 pm Peace Action WI - Weekly STAND for PEACE: Capitol and Oakland. Each Saturday, a different location. Join us. Bring your signs. info@peaceactionwi.org https://www.peaceactionwi.org/stand_for_peace
VIROQUA Sat Mar 16, 11 am - 12 noon Driftless Palestinian Solidarity Weekly Vigil. Meet at Decker and Main. Action Alert: The Driftless Palestinian Solidarity group has a petition to demand that Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and end financial aid to Israel's military. If your group is interested in getting signatures, please email driftless.solidarity@gmail.com. Thank you for your help!
RACINE Sat Mar 16, 12:30 – 1:30 pm Weekly Stand for Peace. 909 Dr Martin Luther King Dr. Supported by the Racine Coalition for Peace and Justice. We have signs, banners and flags available for all. Check out our website, http://racinepeace.wordpress.com for weather concerns. Free Palestine!
MADISON Sat Mar 16, 10 am – 12 noon Madison Arcatao Sister City Project Gathering. Finca Coffee, 2500 Rimrock Rd #105. …..See the Spotlight above…..
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Join WNPJ!WNPJ welcomes individual members and groups!
For individuals, join at a sliding scale rate of $35/year – or whatever fits your budget! For between $50 - $75/year, a WNPJ membership keeps your group connected with peace and justice efforts and helps keep the Network going - and growing!https://www.wnpj.org/membership
We help our member organizations reach a wider audience by amplifying your peace and justice events and actions on our listserve and Facebook page. Membership also provides access to our community tabling opportunities, our online toolbox of peace and justice resources, and a community that cares about your peace and justice journey.
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Here's an opportunity for WNPJ member groups!
WNPJ member groups can sign up for a Saturday opportunity to TABLE at the Dane County Farmers Market – this Spring and summer at the Capitol Square. The Farmers Market opening date is April 13th – 7 am to 1 pm …and runs through Nov. 9th on Saturdays.
Bring your own table and hand-outs to the King Street corner of the Square, site #10, next to the VFP #25 table! You can't sell anything at the non-profit table, but donations to your group are acceptable.
Questions? Contact info@wnpj.org
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If your group would like to get your events posted in the weekly e-bulletin – JOIN US! https://www.wnpj.org/membership
Join WNPJ – www.wnpj.org
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Interested in a yard sign? WNPJ has yard signs available! yardsigns@wnpj.org
See our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WisNPJ
"Like" us and follow us!
Questions? Contact info@wnpj.org
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