WNPJ's Weekly E-bulletin for the week of April 9th - So many events and Action Alerts!

Apr 6, 20238 min read

Updated: Apr 8, 2023

WNPJ + Statewide organizing call on Ukraine + ‘Cassandra’s Home!’ benefit event + Palestine Action Alerts + Madison Farmers Market Sign Up + WISDOM’S Day of Action + WNPJ’s Annual Organizational Meeting + other statewide events…

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"Uniting Wisconsin to End the War in Ukraine"

- Virtual Event

This zoom call is being hosted by Peace Action WI and Milwaukee End the Wars Coalition and co-sponsored by WNPJ, Veterans for Peace #25 Madison, Echo Valley Hope, Interfaith Peace Working Group, Building Unity, and more. Please register if you are interested and spread the word!

Peace activists need to organize more work on public opinion, the media, and among ourselves. And this can happen not just in Milwaukee and Madison, but statewide. We want Congress and Pres. Biden to avoid escalation in Ukraine and do more serious negotiating.

· Peace talks now

· Mutual ceasefire

· No U.S. actions to escalate or prolong the war

Join the general discussion and speakers with differing viewpoints on how to achieve peace.

Saturday, Apr 15, 3:00 – 4:30 pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYuduCqrjMvHNLW1WQx_Fz1LqNKvNfgF5Oc

If you are in Madison, please join Cassandra Dixon, April 23, from 2-4 pm, at the incredible Taza restaurant in Middleton, 1900 Cayuga St. (More on her return from several months in Palestine.and her attack.) “For my friends in the Madison area, I'd love to thank you in person with delicious Palestinian tea and snacks. One of the joys of visiting Palestine is the delicious food, and I would love the chance to give you a small taste!! I was able to bring back some beautiful new jewelry, hand embroidery and leather bags and wallets made and designed by my friend Laila at Women in Hebron Fair Trade Cooperative and we’ll have those, along with Palestinian olive oil & soap from Playgrounds for Palestine available for sale. Plus there will be information on a Madison-Rafah Sister City fundraiser to help Masafer Yatta residents resist forced removal from their lands, and easy post cards and online links to contact congress. Please bring a friend!” Please click HERE to RSVP so that we will have enough food! Action Alert #1: Please use this link to ask WI Senator Tammy Baldwin as well as other congressional representatives to continue to press for a trial and legal consequences for the settler through the US State Department and the Israeli Police and Prosecution.

· Thank them for their attention to the attack. · Ask that they continue to monitor the complaint in Israel and let the Israeli police know that we expect legal consequences for the settlers involved in the attack. · Request that the US Consulate visit Tuba in order to understand the threat of violence and human rights abuses caused by expansion of the illegal Israeli outpost of Havat Ma’on · Ask them to continue to request updates and a written report from the state dependent. · Express your appreciation for her attention to this matter, ask that she sign on to the Bowman Sanders letter, and add that you hope this will lead to greater attention by the Senator in the future to the reality of life on the ground under what is increasingly becoming an Apartheid regime that the US needs to start holding accountable.

Contacts to the state department from other congressional representatives would also be very helpful, however with Tammy Baldwin you can mention that Cassandra Dixon is a constituent of hers in WI. Here is a link to contact your senator and representative Questions? Cassandra chrepairs@gmail.com

And Action Alert #2 - the WNPJ Sign on Letter..... There are moments in time when horrible acts of violence can be turned into nonviolent actions towards justice. This is such a moment. As WNPJ learned of the Israeli settler attack on our WNPJ member and friend, Cassandra Dixon, we were also made aware of the mistreatment of the Palestinians, mostly children, living in Masafer Yatta, the South Hebron Hills region of the occupied West Bank. Senator Tammy Baldwin took swift action and contacted the State Department urging investigation and consequences to the settler who harmed Cassandra. We applaud her efforts, and with this sign on letter, we thank her and ask her to continue to seek justice. It is our hope that our united voices will demonstrate that eyes are on what is happening there and that we are weary of United States dollars being used in support of an apartheid system. Please sign on to this letter to Senator Baldwin and urge your members and friends to do the same. We would like to send this to her by April 17th. Please make your best effort to reach as many people a possible. From the WNPJ Board - info@wnpj.org ****************************

WNPJ member groups can sign up for a Saturday opportunity to TABLE at the Madison Farmers Market – this Spring and summer at the Capitol Square.

The Farmers Market opening date is April 15th – 7 am to 1 pm …and runs through the Fall on Saturdays. Sign up for your spot today! Bring your own table and hand-outs to the King Street corner of the Square, next to the VFP #25 table! Questions? Contact info@wnpj.org ********************************************

WISDOM Madison Action Day (4/27) at the State Capitol, East Main Street. Register now - and attend the April 13th Zoom Orientation meeting. The day itself will be exciting. Hundreds of us will gather to hear from faith leaders, from members of our organizations, and from people who are impacted by the justice issues we work on. We'll walk together to the State Capitol where we will have a rally on the steps. Then, we will go to speak with the people who represent us in the state legislature, to let them hear our priorities. We need everyone to register for Madison Action Day as soon as possible. There are a lot of reasons to register now. Here are a few: It will help us to know which legislators will be visited by their constituents. When you sign up, we can know who your Assembly Representative and Senator are, and we can be sure they will know you are coming. It helps us to know how many lunches to have! For those who register early, and who attend an April 13 Zoom Orientation session, there will be a drawing to give away some fun prizes! Over the next couple of weeks, you will get more information about Madison Action Day. We'll send information about some of the issues we will highlight, and about some of the speakers you will hear on the 27th. In the meantime, please get yourself registered! You can register through any local WISDOM organization. Most groups outside of Madison also have transportation available to and from the event. If you aren't sure who to contact to get registered, send a note to ESTHER organizer Katie Olson at katio@wisdomwisconsin.org and she will help you wisdomwisconsin.org www.facebook.com/pages/Wisdom-for-justice office@wisdomwisconsin.org ***********************************

Save the Date! Saturday, May 6th. This is our Annual WNPJ Spring Assembly! All welcome to come share their social justice & just transition success stories! We'll be meeting at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve near LaFarge (and providing a zoom/recorded event option). This is our chance to hear about the activities of Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice member groups; form a nominating committee for Officers and WNPJ Board member recruitment; and to conduct any necessary Network business. It's an outreach event, too, as we will be inviting Driftless area member groups and their affiliates to speak about environmental and other issues they share in common. Watch for details! If you'd like to be involved with planning, contact the WNPJ at info@wnpj.org. ******************************* Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups: (Read about more upcoming events here: https://www.wnpj.org/event-calendar) Joint Finance Committee Hearings – April 11th – 26th The state of Wisconsin has a biennial budget. The state budget that will govern our state's taxes and spending from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025, was recently proposed by Governor Evers. You can learn more about the biennial budget here. The state legislature is now in control of the budget. The "Joint Committee on Finance" is a team of 16 Senators and Assembly Representatives who will make their own recommendations to the other members of the legislature. As part of that process, the Joint Finance Committee holds hearings, at which any Wisconsinite can speak for (usually) 2 minutes. They have announced their schedule which is listed below. Questions? Contact: David Liners - WISDOM office@wisdomwisconsin.org

· UW-Eau Claire , Tuesday, April 11th,10 am – 5 pm - 2023, Davies Student CenterOjibwe Grand Ballroom (Third Floor)77 Roosevelt Ave. · Wisconsin Dells, Wednesday, April 12th, 10 – 5 pm - 2023 Wilderness Resort, Glacier Canyon Conference Center - Sandstone Meeting Room45 Hillman Road, · Minocqua , Wednesday, April 26th, 10 – 5 pm, 2023 Lakeland Union High School, 9573 State Highway 70,

VIRTUAL Tues Apr 11th, 7 - 8:15 pm - Native Book Discussion: Solar Storms: A Novel. Sponsored by Sinsinawa Mound Center. Eric Anglada, Sinsinawa’s Ecological Programming Coordinator, will be leading the book discussion. “Solar Storms” is a powerful examination of the clashes between cultures and traumatic repercussions that have shaped American history. Registration ends April 10 and the fee is $10 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information.

MADISON Thurs Apr 13th, 4 - 7 pm 'Helping Low Wage Workers & Families Recover from the Pandemic' - lecture at Union South, 1308 W. Dayton St. Presentation by Dr. Anna Gassman-Pines, Professor of Public Policy, Psychology & Neuroscience at Duke University. In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Roberta Gassman Earning her Masters Degree from UW-Madison’s School of Social Work. More info? Visit: https://socwork.wisc.edu/event/roberta-gassman-lecture/. Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop jepeck@wisc.edu UW-MADISON - Fri Apr 14th, 4 - 6 pm "350 Wisconsin! Get Ready for Earth Day!". Library Mall on State Street. The Art Collective in Madison will be collaborating, once again, with a coalition of UW environmental student groups, every Friday, 4-6pm through April 21, on the UW-Madison East Campus Mall. The central activity will be just north of the Walgreen's, around the 300 block. Join us for speakers, an art project, free food and, most of all, to support the next generation of climate activists. Then on Earth Day, April 22, the students will be holding a rally at Library Mall, followed by a march up State Street. Stay tuned for details about that. 350 Wisconsin <350wisconsin@350wisconsin.org SINSINAWA - Sat Apr 15th, 9 am to noon. Wood Painting: Spring Wreath at the Sinsinawa Mound Center, County Road Z. Sarah Barnes, an artist from Iowa, will guide you step-by-step on how to paint a spring wreath on wood. All supplies will be provided for you. The fee is $35 per person and registration ends on April 12. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at http://www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. SINSINAWA Sat Apr 15th, 10 am - 3 pm Healing Haunted Histories: Re-Member, Re-Story, & Restore - Sinsinawa Mound Center, County Road Z. We live amid a time of great loss and upheaval. The roots of our challenges, as well as the path toward healing, lie in the way we understand our relationships within ourselves, within our families, within our spiritual traditions, within the community of creation and within the ongoing realities of colonialism. This retreat, inspired in part by the efforts of white settlers, Elaine Enns and Ched Myers, will include a presentation, small group discussion and silent reflection. Registration ends April 13 and the fee is $30 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at http://www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information.

MADISON Tues Apr 11th, 6:30 pm Veterans for Peace Book Club, reading David Couper: Beyond the Badge, by Rob Zaleski. . Meet at 2220 West Lawn. Contact John Fournelle 608-438-7480. Follow-up book will be Black Snow (by James M. Scott). You are welcome to bring suggestions for next books after that. More info from geyerb@yahoo.com or see https://madisonvfp.org/

MILWAUKEE Sat Apr 15th, 12 noon - 1 pm, Weekly Stand for Peace. Meet at North 51st Boulevard & West Silver Spring Drive. Each week, a different vigil site in Milwaukee. Bring your signs for peace! Questions? Contact Peace Action WI - info@peaceactionwi.org or see https://www.peaceactionwi.org VIRTUAL Sat Apr 15th, 3 - 4:30 pm “Uniting Wisconsin to End the War in Ukraine”. ….an Invitation for a WI statewide organizing zoom call. We hope the people attending will come away with ideas they can use locally. This project is sponsored by the Milwaukee End the Wars Coalition and Peace Action WI, and co-sponsored by the WI Network for Peace and Justice and Building Unity WI. Register here prior to the event: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYuduCqrjMvHNLW1WQx_Fz1LqNKvNfgF5Oc Contact Steve Watrous at 414-429-7567 or Mary Kay Baum, Co-chair of WNPJ - marykbaum@gmail.com