WNPJ + Solidarity with 'Stop Cop City' + Update on Cassandra Dixon’s hearing in Palestine + Spotlight on 350 Wisconsin + UN International Day of Peace + other statewide events… **************************** SAVE the DATE: Saturday, October 28th in Appleton. Join us in-person or virtually for the Annual WNPJ Fall Assembly. Interested in planning, contact Dena.eakles@gmail.com *********************************** The WI Network for Peace and Justice is the umbrella non-profit organization supporting the work of 79 member groups around Wisconsin. Here are Spotlights and Events listings for many of our member groups: ******************************* (photo credit to the https://atlsolidarity.org/#why site) ACTION ALERT: This is a call to stand in solidarity with the 61 'Stop Cop City' (aka Defend the Atlanta/Weelaunee Forest) co-defendants who have been indicted on bogus RICO charges in a highly political prosecution against a broad social movement fighting deforestation and police militarization in Atlanta. We extend particular solidarity to one of these co-defendants, one of our own: Ph.D. student Hannah Kass, jointly affiliated with the Department of Geography and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Hannah is also a volunteer with the WNPJ member group, Madison Infoshop. This alert was sent to WNPJ by John Peck of the Infoshop - jepeck@wisc.edu . Read the full story here: https://www.wnpj.org/post/solidarity-statement-free-hannah-her-co-defendants Sign a petition to the Attorney General and the District Attorneys of Fulton County and Dekalb County, demanding they drop the charges: https://forms.gle/DV43zBLthiB13B6T9 Donate to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, a bail and legal defense fund for forest defenders: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/contribute-to-the-atlanta-solidarity-fund ******************************** Cassandra Dixon of the WNPJ member group Mary House returned to Israel for a hearing on her assault in Palestine last spring. You can read her full report here: https://www.wnpj.org/post/update-from-cassandra-s-hearing-related-to-her-assault-in-palestine . Cassandra asks in response you will consider this chance to sponsor an olive tree, at a cost of $24 per tree, to be planted in Masafer Yatta in the coming planting season as an act of solidarity with these families who are struggling every day to hold on to their land. Please visit https://tiny.one/MadisonOliveGrove . ************************* SPOTLIGHT on 350 Wisconsin and their TWO events this week in Madison! MADISON Thurs Sept 21st, 5 - 7:30 pm WHAT: “Let’s Get Together!” community event with 350 Wisconsin. Meet at the Biergarten at Olbrich Park, 3527 Atwood Ave for a fun, casual gathering to build solidarity with fellow climate activists and community members. Enjoy the beautiful weather and views of Lake Monona. Whether you're a long-time supporter or just getting to know us, we'd love to see you! In addition to great beer, ytou can enjoy classics from local favorites like Clausens European Bakery, Underground Meats, Farmer John and Banzo. contact@350wisconsin.org Interested in joining a public rally in Madison in support of affordable solar power? Join 350 Wisconsin on Saturday, September 23, 10:00 am - 01:00 pm at the Dane County Farmers' Market, East Main Street. This will be 350 WI’s debut of their Art Collective’s newest dance, celebrating solar and renewable energy! In solidarity, Stephanie Robinson & Emily Park - 350 Wisconsin Co-Executives. Have questions? contact@350wisconsin.org 608-492-1667 *********************************** Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups: MADISON and VIRTUAL Sun. Sept. 17th through Fri. Sept 23rd Join in on Cap Times Idea Fest 2023– Guests include: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, former PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff and former Wall Street Journal journalist Albert Hunt. For a full schedule and to register, visit: https://captimesideafest.com/ Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop - jepeck@wisc.edu MADISON Tues Sept 19th, 5 - 6:30 pm JustDane Service Fair. At the Village on Park - Villager Mall, Atrium Community Rooms, 2300 S. Park St. In partnership with United Way of Dane County, JustDane's Journey Home program presents a Reentry Service Fair for individuals recently released from prison to get connected to resources. September's focus will be Education, Residence and Employment. Vendors will present about the opportunities that they can offer people reentering, after incarceration. Food will be provided. Contact: JustDane info@justdane.org MILWAUKEE Wed Sept 20th, 12 noon - 1 pm Anti-ROTC Vigil - Meet at Marquette University at M.U. Library on Wisconsin Ave. HALF of the proposed Pentagon budget — approximately $443 BILLION — is estimated to flow directly to weapons contractors like Raytheon, General Dynamics, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and others who have amassed more than $7 TRILLION from taxpayers over the past twenty years.----- 60 Minutes. Organizer, Casa Maria Catholic Worker House - don2roberta@yahoo.com VIRTUAL Wed. Sept. 20th 12:00 Noon What Is Antiracism (And Why It Means Anticapitalism)? - online presentation with Arun Kundnani. He has been active in antiracist movements in Britain and the United States for three decades. He is a former Editor of the journal Race & Class and was a scholar-in-residence at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at New York Public Library. Hosted by the UW Havens Wright Center for Social Justice. To register, visit: https://havenswrightcenter.wisc.edu/event/arun_kundnani_2023/ Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop - jepeck@wisc.edu MADISON Thurs Sept 21st, 10 am - 3 pm WAVE Educational Fund 2023 Day of Action for Gun Violence Prevention! This is the most important action you can take this year to end gun violence. Join WAVE and a host of partner organizations in Madison. The day will begin with training for legislative visits, so you feel comfortable talking to your legislators in the afternoon. If you'd rather not speak with your officials, you can still show up to demonstrate our strength in numbers! Register now, https://secure.everyaction.com/2jfOfOz9x0eHs-kvRUvIyw2 and WAVE will contact you with additional details! Contact: Heidi Johnson (she/her)(414) 909-1231. VIRTUAL Thurs, Sept. 21st, 11 am Eyewitness Palestine Presents: "Art Under Occupation". This second installment of their monthly educational Zoom series will feature Palestinian creatives like Sliman Mansour, Saleh Bakri & more. Register here for Art Under Occupation (Note: There is a donation requested, but if you can't afford it there's an option at the link.) Madison Rafah Sister City Project http://www.madisonrafah.org VIRTUAL Thurs, Sept. 21st, 5:30 - 7:30 pm on line Screening and Panel Discussion of the film "Boycott". Join Churches for Middle East Peace and Just Vision for a virtual screening of the film Boycott, with a discussion to follow. "Boycott" traces the impact of state legislation designed to penalize individuals and companies that choose to boycott Israel due to its human rights record. Registration and full information here. Madison Rafah Sister City Project http://www.madisonrafah.org MADISON Thurs Sept 21st, 5 - 7:30 pm WHAT: “Let’s Get Together!” community event with 350 Wisconsin. Meet at the Biergarten at Olbrich Park, 3527 Atwood Ave for a fun, casual gathering to build solidarity with fellow climate activists and community members. Enjoy the beautiful weather and views of Lake Monona. Whether you're a long-time supporter or just getting to know us, we'd love to see you! In addition to great beer, you can enjoy classics from local favorites like Clausens European Bakery, Underground Meats, Farmer John and Banzo. contact@350wisconsin.org ****************************************** UN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE...... MADISON Thurs Sept 21st, 5 - 7:45 pm World BEYOND War- Letter-to-the-editor-writing Gathering. Hawthorne Public Library, 2707 E Washington Ave. We had a VERY successful Letter Party on August 17. Five antiwar letters that we wrote that evening have been published! Read them in the Wisconsin State Journal. Join us for this Letter Party, this event tonight will have a film too. warabolition@gmail.com MILWAUKEE Thurs, Sept 21st, 6 - 7 pm Presentation: Share Kindness, Onstage and Off: Compassionate Action in a Troubled World. Weasler Auditorium, Marquette University, 1506 W Wisconsin Ave. A presentation on Global Playback Theatre's theme of promoting kindness with several improvised, short-form theatrical sketches. Hosted by Marquette University Center for Peacemaking . About the play: Taking place on the United Nations-designated International Day of Peace, this stage-based, theater event will include a presentation about the Global Playback Theatre project and the dire need for kindness in our world, as well as several improvised short-form theatrical sketches based on audience members' own stories. The performers include Asheville Playback Theatre co-founder Raphael Engel, Milwaukee native author/actor/activist Paul McComas, and noted Chicago Playback members Christina Melgar and Allison Sokolowski. Tickets are free. Registration: https://www.facebook.com/events/694846356017921/?ref=newsfeed MILWAUKEE Thurs, Sept 21st, 7 pm UN International Day of Peace 2023; Peace Action WI Teach-In. Zao Church, 2319 E Kenwood Blvd. Guest Speaker Ray Mc Govern, Raymond McGovern, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer turned political activist. McGovern was a CIA analyst from 1963 to 1990, and in the 1980s chaired National Intelligence Estimates and prepared the President's Daily Brief. He received the Intelligence Commendation Medal at his retirement, returning it in 2006 to protest the CIA's involvement in torture. McGovern's post-retirement work includes commenting for Consortium News, RT, and Sputnik News, among other outlets, on intelligence and foreign policy issues. In 2003 he co-founded Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS). Prof Jeffery Sachs and former CIA intelligence analyst Ray McGovern presented at the U.N. Security Council Feb. 21, 2023, on the Nord Stream 2 destruction. Right now, there is a heightened risk of nuclear war with Russia over NATO expansion and the war in Ukraine, and with China because of continuing military build-up by Japan, South Korea and the US in the Pacific region. Ray will speak on the important issues concerning the war in Ukraine and the many dangers it imposes. We’ll have a discussion with community participation after Ray speaks. Sponsored by Peace Action WI https://peaceactionwi.org ****************************************** SINSINAWA Sat. Sept 23rd, 9 am - 9 pm "It’s Okay, Boomer, It’s Going to Be Okay: Reflections and Reassurance for the Journey Ahead" - Sinsinawa Mound Center, County Road Z. Join us for a presentation on the boomer generation with Thom Dennis, D. Min., LCPC, FT. The generation born between 1946 and 1964 has often been described as optimistic and idealistic. Over the years we’ve worked hard and played hard and certainly left our mark on history. Despite the younger generations’ call for us to move aside, our world is desperately in need of a wisdom born of lived experience. As we strive to remain engaged and vital, this program offers perspective and the chance for dialogue about how our own spirituality and worldviews are being invited to evolve as we take our steps forward in faith. Registration ends on September 18, and the fee is $25 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at https://sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque. MADISON Sat Sept 23rd, 10 am – 1 pm Public Rally in support of affordable solar power! at the Dane County Farmers' Market, East Main Street. Join 350 Wisconsin at their debut of their Art Collective’s newest dance, celebrating solar and renewable energy! In solidarity, Stephanie Robinson & Emily Park - 350 Wisconsin Co-Executives. Have Questions? contact@350wisconsin.org 608-492-1667 MILWAUKEE Sat Sept 23rd, 12 noon - 1 pm Weekly Peace Action "Stand for Peace" - Meet today at Capitol/Teutonia .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 SINSINAWA Sat. 23rd, 2 - 3:30 pm Wild Church: Fall Equinox - Sinsinawa Mound Center, County Road Z. Eric Anglada, Sinsinawa’s Ecological Programming Coordinator, will be leading Wild Church: Fall Equinox at Sinsinawa Mound. Fire and song, ritual and community, prayer and quiet: this inclusive, outdoor gathering is centered on honoring this day of equal light and dark. In a time of planetary upheaval, it is crucial to recover our elemental sense of connection and kinship with Creator and Creation. We are inspired by Celtic tradition and the Wild Church movement. We will meet at Cavanaugh Park which is located on the west end of our campus across from the sisters’ cemetery. Drive through the St. Clara Academy entrance next to the Post Office on County Road Z. Stay to the left which leads out to Cavanaugh Park and the Sisters’ Cemetery. No registration is required and a free will offering is welcome. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at https://sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque. MADISON Sun Sept 24th, 3 - 4:30 pm Madison Watch Party for WBW's conference -- No War 2023: Nonviolent Resistance to Militarism. RSVP to warabolition@gmail.com for location. Debate: Is War in Ukraine Justified? In this 1.5 hour friendly debate, moderated by Marcy Winograd of CODEPINK, we’ll hear 3 perspectives debated: 1) Russia had no choice but to invade Ukraine, argued by former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, 2) Ukraine had no choice but to fight Russia, argued by journalist James Brooke who works as the Ukraine/Russia columnist for The New York Sun, and 3) Russia and Ukraine both had options better than war, argued by WBW Executive Director David Swanson. Debate: Is War in Ukraine Justified? Sent to WNPJ by Madison World BEYOND War. MADISON Mon Sept 25th 7-8pm Madison Area Bus Advocates in-person meeting. Central Public Library, West Mifflin Street, in room 104. MABA will be holding its first in-person meeting in over three and a half years. It ideally will have a virtual option. Watch for updates. Contact: Susan De Vos info@busadvocates.org VIRTUAL Mon Sept 25th, 7 pm Zoom Meeting on Understanding "Wisconsin Rights of Nature Campaign." Organized by WISDOM. About a year ago, we launched the "Wisconsin Rights of Nature Campaign." After a couple of general presentations, a core group of about 25 leaders has continued to meet regularly, to better understand Rights of Nature, to develop some materials and resources, and to pilot some activities. We now have a website, a brochure, and are on the verge of having a Rights of Nature resolution passed by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. We invite you to join us for this Zoom event to learn more about the campaign and what has been done. More importantly we want to share a vision for the future of the campaign and show ways, large and small, that people can get involved. Rights of Nature is a movement rooted in the indigenous community that calls for legal recognition and protection of the natural world. It is a recognition that lakes, rivers, forests and animals have a right to exist, to evolve and to thrive. They also have a right to remedies when they are harmed. It is an end to the dangerous assumption that the natural world is ours to consume and exploit, without recognizing its intrinsic value. We need only look at global warming, mass extinction and water crises of all kinds to recognize that our assumptions have to change. Register for the event. One thing you can do immediately is to sign our petition below urging elected officials to adopt rights of nature laws, and share it with friends and neighbors. Sign the petition . Sent to WNPJ by WIDOM. office@wisdomwisconsin.org VIRTUAL Mon Sept 25th 7 pm Virtual kickoff meeting for 350 WI fall bank actions. Are you tired of seeing big banks continue to fund fossil fuels and climate destruction? If so, join the Divest and Defund team in shutting down local Chase banks in Madison and potentially Milwaukee this fall. We are seeking volunteers for a variety of action and support roles. Register here for the Zoom link to the meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email . At our kickoff meeting, we will: Prepare you for participating in or supporting Nonviolent Direct Actions at the banks; Give an overview of planned actions in October; Form into groups who will carry out actions . Info at Divest.defund@350wisconsin.org . ******************************************************* If your group would like to get your events posted in the weekly e-bulletin – JOIN US! https://www.wnpj.org/membership ******************************************** 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. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4daaa929a5fac34-wnpj#/ 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 **************************************** 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!

The Madison Back from the Brink (BftB) Resolution will be introduced to the City Council on 9/19/23 and voted on 10/3/23. Time for you to take action, Madison! As you know, the F-35 fighter jets are named as part of the U.S. strategic nuclear triad. Community efforts that make it clear that we do not condone nuclear weapons can build into a larger movement. And maybe, just maybe, we can ultimately make those horrible jets go away. But we definitely need to prevent nuclear war. Back from Brink Resolutions call on our federal government to: · Actively pursue a verifiable agreement among nuclear-armed states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals. Renounce the option of using nuclear weapons first. · End the president's sole, unchecked authority to launch a nuclear attack. · Take U.S. nuclear weapons off hair-trigger (launch ready) alert. · Cancel the plan to replace the entire U.S. arsenal with enhanced weapons. · The City of Madison Back from the Brink Resolution also commits Madison to nuclear weapon - free investments and contracts. The BftB recommendations were developed by members of the Union of Concerned Scientists and Physicians for Social Responsibility USA in consultation with experts on nuclear security. The financial recommendations are the result of research on other cities that have committed to nuclear weapon free investments/contracts, and the hard work of the Madison Finance Director and City staff. If you have already contacted your Alder, contact them one more time and urge them to vote on 10/3 for the Back from the Brink Resolution. If you have not already contacted your Alder, this is the time to do it! Nuclear disarmament sometimes feels like an impossible goal. But the grassroots Nuclear Freeze movement of the 1980's led to negotiations between Russia and the US that resulted in a decrease in the world arsenal from 60,000 to today's 12,500 warheads. To find your alder, go to: https://www.cityofmadison.com/council/councilmembers/findalderbyaddress.cfm Here's a link to the national campaign: https://preventnuclearwar.org/ Sent to WNPJ by Safe Skies Clean Water WI safeskieswi@gmail.com

From Cassandra - 9/12/23. Thank you all so much for helping me to come back to Palestine, and for sponsoring young olive trees to be planted in Masafer Yatta in the coming growing season. (Background info: https://www.wnpj.org/post/cassandra-dixon-of-mary-house-is-going-back-to-palestine-for-a-trial-sept-6th) I attended the September 6 hearing in the legal case against the Israeli settler who assaulted me in March of this year in the Palestinian village of Tuba, but the judge did not issue a verdict. The court scheduled another hearing for November 2, during which the settler will testify. During the September 6 hearing both the prosecution and the lawyer for the settler questioned two of the doctors who cared for me after the assault. Lawyers for the settler refused to accept written hospital reports and documentation, and insisted on questioning the doctors at length in an attempt to claim that the injury was not serious. It was not easy for these doctors to travel to the hearing, and I am so grateful to them, both for their wonderful care when I was injured, and again now for their help in insisting on legal consequences for the settler. The lawyer for the settler also argued that the settler should be released, however as I understand he remains on house arrest in the home of his grandparents. The US consulate did not attend the hearing, which was held completely in Hebrew, and fairly early in the proceeding the judge forced the human rights lawyer who was accompanying me to leave the room. As a result I know only what the doctors were able to tell me about their testimony, and what the prosecutor told me during a few minutes of conversation after the day- long hearing. I am trying to get a court transcript. Meanwhile in the area of Masafer Yatta, where the attack on me occurred last March, Palestinians continue to confront escalating attacks by settles, backed up by Israeli soldiers. In one village that I visited last spring, Widade, the violence from settlers has been so relentless and terrifying in these past months that the family has been forced to flee, leaving their home and barns and the livelihood they built over generations. Their sheep have been sold now and all they know has been lost. Settlers have already arrived to destroy everything that remained, and there is now no hope of them returning to their land. The majority of legal complaints made by Palestinians to the Israeli police against settlers are dismissed before they reach the prosecution stage and legal consequences for settlers involved in assaults on Palestinians are almost unheard of. At this time, in 2023, Palestinians are facing violent attacks by Israeli settlers at the rate of 2.8 per day in the occupied West Bank. This unrelenting pressure and violence is forcing families to flee, and resulting in the depopulation of villages that will be lost forever. In addition to attacks on people, settlers continue to burn and slash olive trees, steal sheep and donkeys, vandalize homes, cars and personal belongings and destroy water wells and crops. The Israeli military and police routinely back up the settlers, and refuse to intervene to protect civilians. US taxpayers send Israel 3.8 million dollars per day in aid, the majority of which is received by the military, so when these attacks occur, we own a piece of the violence. I hope that in response you will consider passing on to a friend this chance to sponsor an olive tree, at a cost of $24 per tree, to be planted here in Masafer Yatta in the coming planting season as an act of solidarity with these families who are struggling every day to hold on to their land. Please visit https://tiny.one/MadisonOliveGrove Many many thanks, Cassandra Dixon chrepairs@gmail.com

ACTION ALERT: This is a call to stand in solidarity with the 61 Stop Cop City (aka Defend the Atlanta/Weelaunee Forest) co-defendants who have been indicted on bogus RICO* charges in a highly political prosecution against a broad social movement fighting deforestation and police militarization in Atlanta. (photo credit to the https://atlsolidarity.org/#why site. ) We extend particular solidarity to one of these co-defendants, one of our own: Ph.D. student Hannah Kass, jointly affiliated with the Department of Geography and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In early 2021, the Atlanta City Council leased a former plantation and prison farm to the Atlanta Police Foundation, which plans to clear-cut over 300 acres of the Weelaunee Forest to build a $90 million dollar militarized police training facility, funded by taxpayers as well as a range of large corporations. The plan for the facility, set near the predominantly-Black neighborhoods of Dekalb County, Georgia, mirrors the mock cities built by the United States military in the 1960s to contain the rebellions of the civil rights movement. In these training centers, police forces have historically tested the militarized tactics of urban street protest repression. The mock city design of the training facility has earned it the nickname “Cop City” by critics. Swiftly approved by the city council despite protests and extensive public comment against it, the project continues to face fierce opposition from Atlanta-area constituents. While completing preliminary research for her dissertation research regarding the movement, Hannah was falsely arrested on felony charges over a year ago following a protest. These pending charges are the sole grounds on which Hannah has been indicted under RICO. In the past two years, state repression against the movement opposing Cop City and defending the Weelaunee forest has escalated dramatically. The movement has been defined by decentralized and autonomous action, using a diversity of tactics, many of which have been met with criminal charges. Forms of non-violent action have resulted in domestic terrorism charges. Bail fund organizers have had their homes raided by a SWAT team and been charged with financial crimes. On January 18, 2023, Georgia State Patrol officers brutally murdered one forest defender, Manuel Paez Teran, known in the forest as “Tortuguita.” An independent autopsy revealed that Tortuguita was sitting cross-legged, with their hands up in surrender, when they were shot 57 times. On September 5, the state intensified its repression, indicting Hannah and 60 others on RICO charges. The indictment alleges that a broad swath of people from around the country are involved in a criminal conspiracy to stop Cop City. This alleged conspiracy is claimed to have begun on May 25, 2020, the day George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officers, sparking nationwide uprisings demanding police abolition. The indictments suggest that completely legal protest activities — such as mutual aid, bail fund organizing, handing out fliers, distributing political literature, or attending a music festival — are furthering a criminal conspiracy. They also suggest that protest activities which target property rather than people such as trespassing, vandalism, or arson should not be prosecuted as individual and contextual crimes. Rather, the indictment conflates these protest tactics with terrorism and criminal conspiracy. In reality, movement participants' actions support a social movement. This indictment weaponizes the criminal legal system to quash political dissent. It is unlikely that the indictment will hold up in court, particularly because its accusations in themselves constitute a conspiracy of the state's own creation. Still, this prosecution sets an authoritarian precedent for the criminalization of social movements in the U.S. more broadly. If allowed to stand, it would set a precedent for the collective punishment of large groups of like-minded people, regardless of their actual deeds. As scholars, researchers, organizers, activists, and educators, we value critical dialogues and movements for social justice. The movement against Cop City is an integral part of such dialogues. Academic research, methodologies, and pedagogy must be rooted in the commitment to academic freedom. Academics should therefore be deeply concerned about the criminalization of social movements and the harmful consequences suffered by our colleagues. Hannah’s case highlights the importance of researchers’ rights to freely conduct research. Hannah’s prosecution, if allowed to proceed, could result in a chilling effect on researchers exploring crucial topics, including but not limited to criminalized social movements. We therefore must demand that all charges to be dropped against Hannah and her 60 co-defendants. Urge your colleagues across UW and beyond to stand in solidarity with these defendants in the face of unconstitutional repression tied to ongoing legacies of racism, environmental destruction, and police militarization. Hannah and her co-defendants need our support! FREE THEM ALL! Sign a petition to the Attorney General and the District Attorneys of Fulton County and Dekalb County, demanding they drop the charges: https://forms.gle/DV43zBLthiB13B6T9 Donate to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, a bail and legal defense fund for forest defenders: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/contribute-to-the-atlanta-solidarity-fund Alert sent to WNPJ by John Peck of the WNPJ member group, Madison Infoshop - jepeck@wisc.edu. Hannah has been a Madison Infoshop volunteer. *RICO: Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations

The WI Network for Peace and Justice is the umbrella non-profit organization supporting the work of 79 member groups around Wisconsin. Here are Spotlights and Events listings for many of our member groups: ******************************* SPOTLIGHT on a NEW WNPJ member group, Unity of Appleton! Sunday, September 17 is a special day for the Fox Cities area around Appleton. We are celebrating the United Nations International Day of Peace with an event in Erb Park, 1800 Morrison St. - from 1-4 PM. There will be things to do for folks of all ages! Face painting, games, arts and crafts for the kids, with live music, popsicle cart, peace pole painting and more for adults. Community organizations will also be present. A representative of the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice will speak about the importance of peace in our lives and our need to become peacemakers. We’ll even have a story teller from the Oneida Nation. Please join us as we celebrate the motto: peace begins with me! Contact: unity@unityofappleton.org or Fred Depies freddepies@gmail.com ******************************************** You are welcome to a Zoom Sample Workshop on the "Peace Education Program" - hosted by Echo Valley Hope Tuesday, September 12 OR Thursday, Sept 14th - both from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Echo Valley Hope, a Wisconsin based nonprofit advancing sustainability and peace, has teamed with “The Peace Education Program” to offer the program to organizations and individuals throughout Wisconsin. https://tprf.org/peace-education-program/ The Peace Education Program is a free 10-week course that empowers individuals by helping them reach their own inner strengths. Themes include: peace, appreciation, inner strength, self-awareness, clarity, understanding, dignity, choice, hope and contentment. The Peace Program can be made available to your faith organization, school, community group, etc. The ninety -minute sample workshops will give you a first hand look at how the course is run. TPRF Peace Education Program - Introduction and Sample Workshop Dates: Tuesday, Sept. 12th Time: 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Central Time Meeting ID: 868 4725 6745 Passcode: 728309 Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIlc-6qqz0tHtHLAdF-wh2_3JRDZrZYGqBQ OR TPRF Peace Education Program - Introduction and Sample Workshop Dates: Thursday, Sept. 14th Time: 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Central Time Meeting ID: 872 0830 4662 Passcode: 83237 Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvd-Grrj8sHNbvXXsuIQnj62eJsuZhrpMv After registering, a confirmation email will be sent to you. For more: contact Dena Eakles 608-606-4450, Dena.eakles@gmail.com ******************************************************* SPOTLIGHT on the WI Poor People’s Campaign events on Sunday Sept. 17th * Candlelight Vigil for those cut from Medicaid - Madison, Beloit, Oshkosh Sunday, September 17 Across the country, millions of people, including children, are losing access to healthcare through Medicaid as a result of a bipartisan decision to return to an inadequate re-enrollment process that is overly complicated and has unrealistic limits on income. In Wisconsin, in the first few months of re-qualifications, two-thirds of people up for renewal have lost their BadgerCare coverage. While some are being determined to be ineligible based on too-strict regulations that are outdated, others haven’t been able to complete the complex process. Meanwhile, our legislators continue to refuse funds to expand BadgerCare to cover more people, and those with private insurance continue to face high copays and deductibles, denials of coverage, and mounting medical debt. This is policy murder. Join us during the Nonviolent Medicaid Army week of action as we hold vigils for our healthcare and for our lives. On Sunday, September 17th at 7pm we will come together in Beloit, Madison, Oshkosh, and anywhere else that a group would like to gather. Locations and details below in the EVENTS section: We will create a space to mourn the loss of our care and loved ones, call attention to this act of policy violence and death and let folks in our communities know that none of us is alone - we are building a movement to end this violence and poverty together. Madison contact: Megan and Danielle at ppcdaneco@gmail.com ; Beloit contact: Sally at Sallymccoy46@gmail.com ; Oshkosh contact: Sarah at sarah.b.weintraub@gmail.com or Joyce at jeffrohn@gmail.com *********************************** Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups: VIRTUAL Mon, Sept 11th, 10 am - 12 noon UN In the News Discussion Group - monthly meeting. This group meets on-line on the 2nd Monday of each month. They meet in Fitchburg in-person the 4th Monday of each month. Questions? Agenda and readings for the day? Contact Sam Romano for the zoom call-in details. sromano@charter.net MADISON and VIRTUAL Mon Sept 11, 7 - 8:10 pm Energy for All: Climate Justice & Energy Burden in Wisconsin - with 350 WI. In person: Madison Friends Meetinghouse, 1704 Roberts Ct.— OR — ONLINE VIA ZOOM: Register in advance for the meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting via computer, tablet, or smartphone. Understanding disparities in energy burden is one way 350 Wisconsin can engage in climate justice issues. Please join us online or in person (in Madison) for this monthly meeting. https://350wisconsin.org/monthly-meetings/ VIRTUAL - Monthly Meeting of WI People's Party. Invited speaker, Nick Romos, of the WI Democracy Campaign - to talk about Fair Maps and gerrymandering. Every month the Wisconsin People's party has a statewide meeting open for all curious people who agree on one thing: get money out of politics. The rest is negotiable, but as long as corporations can buy their voice in politics we have no real democracy. via Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82658778485 www.withepeople.net https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82658778485 mikeb.mpp@gmail.com. VIRTUAL Tues Sept 12th, 6:30 - 7:30 pm "Wisconsin's curriculum requirement on American Indian studies" via zoom. Taking a Faithful Stand for Equity will host a two-part series on Wisconsin's curriculum requirement on American Indian studies. Tonight our presenter will be David O'Connor, David J. O'Connor, a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe) in northern Wisconsin. In January 2012, he became the American Indian Studies Consultant at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). In David's role at DPI, he supports school districts' efforts to provide instruction on the history, culture and tribal sovereignty of Wisconsin's American Indian nations and tribal communities, often referenced as Wisconsin Act 31, and the education of Native American students. This initiative is co-sponsored by the Creating Beloved Community team: Wisconsin Council of Churches, WISDOM, Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, Wisconsin Council of Rabbis, and MICAH. Register here. Additional information from wifaithvoices4justice@gmail.com SINSINAWA Tues Sept 12th, 7 - 8 pm "When God Was a Bird" Presentation - at Sinsinawa Mound Center, County Road Z. Mark Wallace, Professor in the Department of Religion, will be leading this presentation, weaving together scripture, theology, philosophy and personal stories of sacred nature. Wallace will present a model of God in Christianity as a creaturely, avian being who signals the presence of spirit in everything, human and more-than-human alike. Registration ends September 11, and the fee is $10 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at https://sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque. VIRTUAL Tues Sept 12th, 7 - 8 pm Wisconsin Cuba Coalition Monthly meeting - via zoom. E-mail WiCubaCoalition@gmail.com to request a link to the Zoom meeting. We welcome all those who support ending the U.S. economic blockade/embargo and favor normalized relations between our two nations, including normal two-way travel and trade and allowing US people to send remittances to Cuba as with other countries. MILWAUKEE Wed Sept. 13th, 12 noon - 1 pm ANTI-GUN Vigil. Meet at Dunham Sports store, 2027 S. 108th St. Dunham advertises and sells guns and assault rifles. “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” CASA MARIA CATHOLIC WORKER. https://CasaMariaCatholicWorker.weebly.com SINSINAWA Wed Sept 13th, 6 - 7:30 pm The History of Yoga and Christianity -Sinsinawa Mound Center, County Road Z. While yoga started out as an obscure practice thousands of years ago in India, it is now a worldwide phenomenon. But how did yoga make its way out of India? Is yoga appropriate for Christians to practice? Did you know that there are numerous forms of Christian Yoga which are now taught around the world? Join local yoga teacher and presenter, Jim Earles, at Sinsinawa Mound on Wednesday, September 13, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., for a sweeping historical presentation with fun and interesting facts about yoga and Christianity. Registration ends on September 11, and the fee is $10 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at https://sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque. EAU CLAIRE Fri Sept 15th 5 - 6 pmn Monthly Peace Stand - Hwy 93 & Golf Road. The 3rd Friday of each month is Peace Stand time in Eau Claire, going on since 2004. 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 VIRTUAL Fri-Sat, Sept 15th - 16th Building Community Beyond Barriers with Citizens Climate Lobby. A people-centered conference focused on building leaders, encouraging dialogue, promoting understanding, and building bridges of collaboration to address needed climate solutions. Our world is changing in dramatic and consequential ways and the climate emergency requires everyone's participation to ensure the creation of a collective future that benefits all. Our event will kick off with a reception on Friday, Sept. 15th, 6 pm for a chance to get to know each other. The one day virtual conference is Saturday, Sept. 16th, 12 noon - 5:30pm. This conference is organized and led by CCL’s Affinity Action Teams including: Asian Pacific, Climate and Culture, Differently ABLED, Environmental Justice, Higher Education, Latinos, LGBTQIA+ and Allies OUTreach, Listening to Indigenous Voices, Peace Corps, People of the Global Majority, and Youth. Learn more about the Action Teams on CCL Community. More information can be found on our website, https://citizensclimatelobby.org/climate-change-conferences/inclusion/ . Any questions please email conference.inbox@citizensclimate.org SINSINAWA Sat Sept 16th, 9 am - 12 noon Wood Painting: Fall Gnome - Sinsinawa Mound Center, County Road Z. Join us at Sinsinawa Mound for a morning of painting. Sarah Barnes, an artist from Iowa, will guide you step-by-step how to paint on a wood cut out. All supplies will be provided for you. The fee is $35 per person, and registration ends on September 13. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at https://sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque. SINSINAWA Sat Sept 16th, 9:30 am- 12:30 pm Meeting Alzheimer’s: Effective Communication, Connection & Care - Sinsinawa Mound Center, County Road Z. Join us at Sinsinawa Mound for this enlightening, engaging workshop about Alzheimer’s. It can be difficult to communicate and connect with people who have Alzheimer’s or dementia. They may say or do things that don’t make sense, or they may become upset or angry for reasons we don’t understand. Knowing creative ways to react and respond can make a big difference in the quality of their lives and enhance their on-going relationships with caregivers. Learn effective skills for caregiving, connect with other caregivers, and have some fun with Rev. Dr. Jade Angelica who is the Founder and Director of Healing Moments for Alzheimer’s. Registration ends September 13, and the fee is $35 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at https://sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque. MENOMINEE Sat Sept 16th, 12 noon - 7 pm Coalition to Save the Menominee River Water Celebration - Meet at the Menominee Marina this year (not Stephenson Island). We will be raffling a kayak and our yearly homemade guitar by one of our board members, as well as additional raffle chances. There will be games and speakers. Questions? Contact: Nancy Stencil, Chair, Coalition to Save the Menominee River. 715.581.7983 jointherivercoalition@gmail.com MILWAUKEE Sat Sept 16th, 12 noon - 1 pm Peace Action Weekly Stand for Peace - Meet at West Forest Home Avenue & South 43rd Street. 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 MADISON and VIRTUAL Sat. Sept 16th & 17th, 1 - 3 pm each day * Solidarity Summit! - Social Justice Center, Williamson Street. On zoom* and anywhere any local group wants to gather (we'll be at the Social Justice Center in Madison WI). *unless we manage to find a good and more values-aligned web meeting tool that can handle more than a handful of people, we'll use zoom. If you have a good solution instead, let us know! and check our website for details closer to the event... Saturday: For newcomers, and people who want easy open conversation, this is a Getting to Know You session. We'll give overviews of the HUMANs and the summit, and hear from each of you, and chat more about whatever topics are compelling to you. Sunday: This second session of the summit will focus in on Communities of Place and Communities of Practice. We'll have 2 facilitated breakout sessions where people can dive into how to realize more dreams through connecting various cooperators - one session organized by geography, the other by interest area (justice, food, travel, housing). We'll regroup to process what we've learned and how we can operationalize it. From Humans United in Mutual Aid Networks (HUMANs) Contact steph@stephanierearick.com for the zoom code. VERONA Sun Sept 17th, 8 am - 6 pm Bike the Barns - hosted by the FairShare CSA Coalition! Meet at Badger Prairie County Park, Maple Grove Drive, Verona. Proceeds benefit Fair Share and its Partner Share Program, which helps low-income families afford farm-fresh veggies. Bikers will depart from Badger Prairie Count Park near Verona and visit four different farms. The event also includes farm tours, gourmet food, craft libations, on-farm activities, and live music. For more info and to register, visit: https://www.csacoalition.org/bike-the-barns . Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop - jepeck@wisc.edu MADISON Sun Sept 17th, 10:30 am March for Peace in Ukraine and a World BEYOND War at the Willy Street Parade - Meet first at 926 Williamson Street. Bring the kids! Bring the adults! Rsvp if you'd like warabolition@gmail.com MADISON Sun Sept 17th 10:30 am 350 Wisconsin’s Stayin’ Alive flash mob will be at the Willy Street Fair. Meet Up Point: Parking lot behind 211 S. Patterson St. Look for 2 big bird sculptures. Come join the parade, following the flash mob. Carry a banner, wear a critter hat, show up in your own fun-loving animal costume, and/or help move the Chariot of the Great Turning. September 17 is also the March to End Fossil Fuels in New York City. But if you can’t make it to NYC, bring your positive energy for climate change action to the Willy Street parade. contact@350wisconsin.org Appleton Sun Sept 17th, 1 – 4 pm Celebrating the United Nations International Day of Peace, Erb Park, 1800 Morrison St. There will be things to do for folks of all ages! Face painting, games, arts and crafts for the kids, with live music, popsicle cart, peace pole painting and more for adults. Community organizations will also be present. A representative of the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice will speak about the importance of peace in our lives and our need to become peacemakers. We’ll even have a story teller from the Oneida Nation. Please join us as we celebrate the motto: peace begins with me! Contact: unity@unityofappleton.org MADISON Sun Sept 17th 7 - 8 pm Candlelight Vigil for those cut from Medicaid - with the WI Poor Peoples Campaign - Meet at Triangle Community Ministry, Braxton Place. We are part of the Non-Violent Medicaid Army (NVMA) and are planning events as part of a national Week of Action September 17-23rd. We will be holding a candlelight vigil to draw attention to the hundreds of thousands of people in Wisconsin who are at risk of losing healthcare coverage this year due to Medicaid Cut-Offs. Contact ppcdaneco@gmail.com for more details. ************************************************* SAVE the DATE: Saturday, October 28th in Appleton. Join us for the Annual WNPJ Fall Assembly. Interested in planning, contact Dena.ealkes@gmail.com If you’re a member of WNPJ, or a contact of a member group – you are eligible to be on the Board! Do you have a vision for peace and justice? The Board meets virtually once a month. Join us! info@wnpj.org ******************************************************* If your group would like to get your events posted in the weekly e-bulletin – JOIN US! https://www.wnpj.org/membership ******************************************** 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. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4daaa929a5fac34-wnpj#/ The Farmers Market opening date is April 15th – 7 am to 1 pm …and runs through November 11, 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 **************************************** 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!

Good News!!! Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Dave Schmiedicke, the City Finance Director, have approved a nuclear weapons free investment and contracts policy!! Alder Figueroa-Cole helped push it through. Alder Cole plans to introduce the investment/contracts policy to the City Council in late September or October. It will be referred to the City Finance Committee for review, then return to the entire City Council for a vote (along with the 5 Back from the Brink recommendations). Alder Outreach - one more time Some of you have recently communicated with your Alders. But if it has been more than a year since you contacted your Alder, could you please do it once more? Remind her/him that the Resolution will soon be coming to a vote. Keep it simple; ask them to support the Back from the Brink Resolution and try to find out if they will vote for it. I would be more than happy to followup with those who have questions/concerns. Major Points - Nuclear disarmament is essential for the survival of humans and other complex life on the planet. - This local Back from the Brink effort is part of a local, grassroots campaign to increase nuclear security on a global scale. It embraces the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and recommends 5 steps the US can take to decrease the chance of a nuclear war. - This Resolution commits Madison to nuclear weapon free contracts and investments, a major step in withdrawing support from the nuclear weapons industry. Alder Contact Info Please phone, email or write your Alder. Personal contact is even better. Find contact info at: https://www.cityofmadison.com/council/councilmembers/alders.cfm See the attached documents: - Background info - Sample letter to your Alder. - Proposed Resolution - parts I (BftB) and II (Contracts/Investments) Thank you all for the time and energy you have devoted to getting the Madison Back from the Brink Resolution to the finish line. Paula Rogge, on behalf of PSR WI Board www.psr-wisconsin.org/ info@psrwisconsin.org 608-232-9945 720 Hill St. Ste. 200, Madison, WI 53705

On Monday, we drove to Madison for Laborfest. It was a celebration of workers rights and a call for workers’ justice. Though the temperatures were in the nineties, the place was bustling with unions, students and organizations all championing labor, all trying to impress upon us the very real need to respect and give dignity to those who are the ones keeping it all going. I enjoyed seeing old friends, all activists striving for a better day. And I appreciated meeting new friends, most young and passionate. It reminded me of younger years as I challenged our government’s choice to war with Vietnam and as I allowed myself to question our role in the overthrow of Salvador Allende. Signing up for socialist information made a lot of sense. Still does if you need a dose of new possibilities. I grew up in a union enclave. My father and uncles worked union jobs and we lived in the midst of steel mills, glass, paint and lumber factories. Much of that came tumbling down in the late 70’s when the mills left the area for cheaper labor abroad. A lot more changes followed. The playgrounds, swimming pool and other amenities available to blue-collar families disappeared. The camaraderie that had been forged in our little neighborhoods began to shift as fear of other and "Keeping up with the Joneses" took on whole new meanings. It’s not a new story. It’s boringly old. The rich get richer and the poor are told they are poor because they are lazy, or because that’s the way God planned it. There’s nothing new here. But being with the earnest people who know better days are still before us, and that better ways are still possible stirred my thinking and fueled my hope. Here’s to the rise of human dignity. And to all who champion it! Dena Eakles - Sept 6, 2023 http://letkindnesswin.com/2023/09/06/heres-to-human-dignity/

Vermont political and military leaders viciously abuse Vermonters living in the 115-decibel oval-shaped noise zone of the F-35. They daily assault the 6,663 Vermonters who live in that 5 mile long by 1 mile wide oval-shaped danger zone centered on the runway in S. Burlington. 1,300 children among them. The basing decision for the F-35 was studied and planned for years. The exact number of homes, 2,963, and the exact number of people, 6,663, and the exact number of acres in the oval-shaped noise danger zone, 2,252, to be blasted with the 115-decibel F-35 hundreds of times a month was all revealed in an Air Force study in 2013, long before the F-35 first arrived in 2019, four years ago. The disproportionate impact on low income and ethnic minority populations was also revealed in that Air Force study. As was the expectation of injury from repeated exposure to military aircraft noise at that level. It was all revealed by the Air Force. The basing followed the 2018 Town Meeting in Burlington in which a resolution to cancel the planned F-35 basing at Burlington International Airport was approved by 55.3% of the voters. But the will of the people was ignored. The daily targeting of Vermonters with the F-35 is deliberate, knowing, and intentional. One of the things that makes it possible for the governor to continue this abuse is that it does not affect even more Vermonters. It’s just one percent of the state’s population severely affected. For those living a few miles outside that oval-shaped area, the F-35 is loud; it interrupts conversation; it is annoying. But it’s nothing like the pain and injury experienced by the 6,663 people living in the oval-shaped area. Especially for adults working or children playing outdoors: the result is severe pain, hearing damage, heart disease, stroke, and dementia. The Air Force itself cited studies showing that repeated exposure to military jet noise at the level of the F-35 damages hearing and impairs the cognitive development of children. Recent studies show that hearing loss contributes to dementia in adults. F-35 training in a city is government-sponsored abuse of children and adults on a mass scale. The flagrant abuse of Vermonters is conducted in blatant disregard of the military’s own discipline that protects civilians. Military discipline forbids deliberately targeting any civilians and requires locating military forces and dangerous military equipment away from populated areas. The training with the F-35 in a city is illegal, immoral, and unjust. The conduct of the training of Vermont National Guard airmen is under the control of the Governor of Vermont, Phil Scott, who has the power to put a stop to it now and protect Vermonters. But he won’t. The discipline for the national guard of every state is under the control of the federal government. All that is in the US constitution. The fact that this abuse of thousands of Vermonters in the oval-shaped F-35 noise zone has been ongoing for 4 years demonstrates that both Vermont and US political leaders and military commanders respect no DoD Directive, federal law, Vermont law, or international law that requires protection of civilians from military operations. Nearly 3 years ago 657 Vermonters submitted a 62-page complaint to the Inspector General of the Vermont National Guard describing the injuries that they experienced—it quoted the words of those hit by the noise—and quoted the military’s own discipline and federal, state, and international laws. The inspector general never responded despite repeated inquiries. Those responsible for the abuse, including the governor and commanders, continue the abuse to this day with impunity. The abuse of Vermonters by Vermont’s own political and military leaders must stop now. The F-35 must be grounded. It must be removed from the airport in the City of S. Burlington now. It must be kept out of all populated areas. Those responsible must be prosecuted and incarcerated. Write or call your public servants and demand an immediate halt to F-35 training in cities. Governor Phil Scott 802-828-3333 Chief of Staff Submit your report & complaint to the online F-35 Report & Complaint Form: https://tinyurl.com/5d89ckj9 See all the graphs and in-your-own words statements on the F-35 Spring-Summer 2021 Report & Complaint Form (513 responses): https://tinyurl.com/3svacfvx. See links to the graphs and in-your-own words statements on all four versions of the F-35 Report & Complaint Form since Spring 2020, with a total of 1670 responses from 658 different people plus 77 more so far on the form that remains active now. Senator Bernie Sanders 800-339-9834 Senator Peter Welch 888-605-7270 Chief of Staff Rep. Becca Balint Burlington City Council Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger Winooski Mayor Kristine Lott S. Burlington City Council Chair Helen Riehle Williston Selectboard Chair Terry Macaig VT Senate President Philip Baruth VT House Speaker Jill Krowinski Attorney General Charity Clark States Attorney Sarah George Vermont’s Federal Prosecutor Adjutant General Brig Gen Gregory C Knight Major J Scott Detweiler Wing Commander Col Dan Finnegan Vermont National Guard Inspector General Lt. Col. Edward J Soychak US Air Force Inspector General Lt. Col. Pamela D. Koppelmann Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall Blog post by JAMES MARC LEAS SEP 5, 2023. Forwarded to WNPJ by Arthur Heitzer

For a very long time, WISDOM and the WISDOM Action Network have been dedicated to promoting justice and compassion for the immigrants who reside and work among us. The previous work on immigration reform has been disappointing. Our newest neighbors are often used as a scapegoat or even demonized by many politicians. We anticipated that hearts and minds would shift when the pandemic revealed that immigrants, both documented and undocumented, made up a sizable number of the "essential workers" on whom we depend, but few did. Even "friendly" elected leaders frequently exhibit timidity and ambivalence in their backing. I am pleased that WISDOM leaders have persevered despite challenges. Now, there is a good probability that we will make at least one step in the correct direction. The "DACA Police Bill" (Senate Bill 78/Assembly Bill 51) has bipartisan support in the Wisconsin legislature. The law would make it possible for youth participating in the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program to work for their local sheriff's office and police force. These individuals are allowed to work in the US and may even be able to join the state police. Simply put, the bill would repeal an odd provision that prevents non-citizens from serving as municipal law enforcement officials. The DACA Police Bill is a modest but positive move. Additionally, it might be quite helpful for some families and law enforcement. You could assist with this: If you live in Wisconsin, you can find your State Senator by entering your address in the "Who Are My Legislators?" field on the Wisconsin State Legislature Home Page. https://legis.wisconsin.gov/ Call them and ask them to support the "DACA Police Bill" also known as SB78. If you want to take action further, you can take part in a simple process by making a few phone calls to individuals associated with WISDOM in significant legislative districts to urge them to get in touch with their legislators. Please get in touch with WISDOM's Digital Organizer Amanda Ali at aali@wisdomwisconsin.org if you would like to get involved. Finally, it appears that in the near future, the legislature may seriously explore allowing undocumented individuals to apply for driver's licenses (as many other states permit). That measure, which also receives strong bipartisan support, could gain some steam if the DACA Police Bill succeeds in getting passed. Stay tuned for updates on that! In Solidarity, David Liners Executive Director, WISDOM Action Network info@email.actionnetwork.org

Building Unity and Partners are pushing forward towards our Fall Unity Summit and other efforts towards the creation of a Unity Plan for advancing the movements for Peace, Justice, Sustainability, and Democracy. SAVE THE DATE: FALL UNITY SUMMIT - SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2023. If you’d like to learn more about this exciting project to build a “Unity Plan” for Peace, Justice, Sustainability, and Democracy, please sign up for more information here: https://tinyurl.com/UPSCInfoSignUpSurvey There are TWO weekly opportunities to provide your input and ideas towards the creation of the Unity Plan. Wednesdays at 10:30 am, or Thursdays at 6:00 pm. Zoom links, agendas, and meeting notes will be sent out to all who sign up at this link: https://tinyurl.com/UPSCInfoSignUpSurvey Upcoming Holidays for All of Us! Building Unity and Partners invite you to save the dates and join us in celebrating the following holidays: U.N. International Day of Peace - September 21, 2023 Indigenous Peoples’ Day (No Longer Columbus Day!) - October 9, 2023 More information about how we plan to be celebrating these days of peace and justice will be out next week with the next Building Unity Update. If you have plans for either of these days, please let us know by calling Building Unity at 608-630-3633. Stay informed with what is happening in the movement for peace and justice: https://www.wnpj.org/event-calendar Building Unity is proud to be a supporting member of the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice. We encourage all unity building groups to join this network and support it in any way that you can! Our next meetings: Unity Plan Steering Committee Meetings - Weekly on Wednesdays at 10:30 am or on Thursdays at 6:00 pm. Come when you can. All are welcome! To receive links, agendas, and meeting notes, please sign-up here: https://tinyurl.com/UPSCInfoSignUpSurvey

The WI Network for Peace and Justice is the umbrella non-profit organization supporting the work of 79 member groups around Wisconsin. Here are Spotlights and Events listings for many of our member groups: ACTION ALERT from WI Faith Voices for Justice: Wisconsin's Childcare Crisis: Take Action! Governor Evers has called for a special session of the legislature to take place on September 20, 2023 to restore funding for vital programs. The Joint Finance Committee had stripped essential funding for numerous programs from the Governor’s biennium budget proposal. Cuts included: funding to shore up Wisconsin’s childcare system (which is on the brink of crisis) and funding for paid family medical leave, which would help Wisconsin families care for sick children, elderly parents, and their own health - without losing income or risking their jobs. When the federal childcare support enacted during the pandemic ends, 2,110 childcare programs are predicted to close. This will leave up to 87,000 children's parents without childcare, forcing some to leave the workforce. Programs that don't close will be raising tuition about 25% (average of $50 per child per week). This may be cost prohibitive for many. Please call your state Senator and Assembly member today and tell them to vote yes on Sept. 20 for robust funding to address this crisis! Find your legislator here. https://legis.wisconsin.gov/ Additionally, Congress must vote to fund childcare nationally. Please call Senators Tammy Baldwin https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/contact and Ron Johnson https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/email-the-senator , and the rest of the Wisconsin congressional delegation and urge them to vote for $16 billion in federal support for childcare. https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_congressional_delegations_from_Wisconsin Thank you for taking action! From the WI Faith Voices for Justice wifaithvoices4justice@gmail.com ****************************** SPOTLIGHT on WNPJ: VIRTUAL Thurs Sept 7th, 12 noon - 1 pm Weaving the Web - WNPJ monthly virtual drop-in Hour. All are welcome to drop in the first Thursday of each month - ....no agenda, just people who care about peace and justice showing up to connect. Dena Eakles and Vicki Berenson facilitating. Contact office@wnpj.org with questions. Zoom Meeting Information: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89361313008?pwd=UmxCOUcxL3ZFb244aXp0SnBVTFRSZz09 Meeting ID: 893 6131 3008 Passcode: 797041 +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) AND.....SAVE the DATE! On Saturday, October 28, WNPJ will hold the annual Fall Assembly in Appleton. We are working with local organizations to bring pressing issues for consideration and we will be celebrating efforts and victories. You are welcome to join us live or via zoom. Details are forthcoming. Questions? Contact dena.eakles@gmail.com WNPJ-uniting hearts and minds to promote sustainable peace and justice on the earth and to all people. *********************************** Two past Chairs of WNPJ showed up on the dock in Milwaukee this week - as The Golden Rule anti-nuke boat sailed into Wisconsin harbors! Bill Christofferson and Alfred Meyer! Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups: MADISON Mon Sept 4th, 12 noon - 5 pm Labor Fest 2023! - Madison Labor Temple, 1602 S. Park St. Live music from VO5 and The Periodicals. Solidarity Roll Call at 2:00 pm, many info tables, plus magic shows, bounce house, face painting and balloon twisting for kids. Food and drink will be available for purchase. SCFL's Community Services Committee will also be collecting gift cards of all types to help homeless students in the MMSD Transition Education Program (TEP) Info? Visit the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/3525488584398960/ Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop - jepeck@wisc.edu GOLDEN RULE PEACE BOAT VISIT to Milwaukee. Sept. 1- 4. The Golden Rule, a historic sailboat, visits Milwaukee as part of an 11,000 mile voyage. Free boat visits and tours 1-4pm at Lakeshore State Park. Shuttle service available from Milwaukee’s Laborfest. Sponsored by Veterans For Peace. INFORMATION: Bill Christofferson, 414-587-6577, vfpchapter102@gmail.com RACINE Tues Sept 5th, 4:15 - 5: 15 pm The Golden Rule Sails into Racine. Reefpoint Marina, Christopher Columbus Causeway. Contact Sonali Knotek of the Racine Peace and Justice Coalition:... https://www.wnpj.org/member-organizations-list/racine-coalition-for-peace-and-justice . Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100064702475230/posts/pfbid0zwhtLLTsfbXR9vvzsB5QH82WvDEfVciKBE7C1GMnMCfA7X2odxy6VoeoHnPFkzX6l/?mibextid=Nif5oz VIRTUAL Thurs Sept 7th, 11 am - 12 noon WEEKLY WEBINAR series - 'Radiation Basics' — a five week dive from September 7 -- October 5. Promoted by Nukewatch, 740A Round Lake Road, Luck, WI 54853(715) 472-4185 * www.nukewatchinfo.org You get pre-recorded presentations, and weekly ZOOM MEETINGS. TOPICS FOR THIS CLASS: WHAT IS RADIATION? CANCER AS OUTCOME; SOURCES OF EXPOSURE; RISKS; DO WE NEED TO TIGHTEN SAFETY LIMITS? Registration required -- Details here: https://www.genderandradiation.org/classes The discussion sessions, led by Mary Olson and Cindy Folkers will be dynamic and include time for participants to network and work together to identify areas where each needs additional information. These are classes, not webinars, and the goal is for each participant to come away with a strong grasp of the topics. This class is for people who want to be able to understand government, industry and scholarly articles better. It is not really introductory, though we are glad to work with anyone who has the interest to join. There is no considered question that is unwelcome. Beyond Nuclear and Gender and Radiation Impact Project offer these classes together, we charge fees on a sliding scale $30--$300, you decide. Scholarships available. VIRTUAL Thurs Sept 7th, 12 noon - 1 pm Weaving the Web - WNPJ monthly virtual drop-in Hour. All are welcome to drop in the first Thursday of each month - ....no agenda, just people who care about peace and justice showing up to connect. Facilitated by Dena Eakles and Vicki Berenson this month. Contact office@wnpj.org with questions. Zoom Meeting Information: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89361313008?pwd=UmxCOUcxL3ZFb244aXp0SnBVTFRSZz09 Meeting ID: 893 6131 3008 Passcode: 797041 +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) VIRTUAL Thurs Sept 7th, 6 - 8 pm WILPF Monthly Virtual Book Club - "The Dawn of Everything:A New History of Humanity" by David Graeber & David Wengrow. Respond to this email address to get the link :wilpfmadison@gmail.com. This is a hefty read. If you can, read at least the first, fourth, and last chapters. "Graeber and Wengrow offer a history of the past 30,000 years that is not only wildly different from anything we’re used to, but also far more interesting: textured, surprising, paradoxical, inspiring . . . It aims to replace the dominant grand narrative of history not with another of its own devising, but with the outline of a picture, only just becoming visible, of a human past replete with political experiment and creativity."―William Deresiewicz, The Atlantic "A fascinating, radical, and playful entry into a seemingly exhaustively well-trodden genre, the grand evolutionary history of humanity. It seeks nothing less than to completely upend the terms on which the Standard Narrative rests . . . erudite, compelling, generative, and frequently remarkably funny . . . once you start thinking like Graeber and Wengrow, it's difficult to stop."―Emily M. Kern, Boston Review For questions or more information contact Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom: wilpfmadison@gmail.com 608-609-7961 http://wilpfmadison.org/ MILWAUKEE and ZOOM Sat Sept 9th, 10 - 11:30 am UNA Program: “What is the Milwaukee Sister Cities Program?”: A Presentation by Alexander P. Durtka, Jr. Sister Cities State Coordinator for Wisconsin. Attend In-Person at Zao MKE Church –2319 E. Kenwood Blvd. – or Virtually through the Zoom Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83435775541?pwd=eURiRnJWemFrUXhSTXM5OUt1WlhvZz09 The presentation will explore the various aspects of Sister Cities globally and locally and how one might be part of the picture. Another presenter is Nevenka Lutzow Balic who has taken part in the Zadar, Croatia - Milwaukee Sister City program since 2015. She will share the details of this particular relationship to provide an example of why this program is successful. Free & Open to the Public. For more information, contact Dan O’Keefe 414.688.0694 (Phone) / danok@att.net (email) MADISON Sat Sept 9th, 7 – 2 pm Veterans for Peace #25 at the Dane County Farmers Market – look for their table at the King Street corner of the Square. They are there every Saturday through Nov. 11th! Learn about Veterans for Peace and their local meetings, sign petitions to end war, and more. Contact: Brad Geyer - geyerb@yahoo.com ONTARIO Sat. Sept 9th 10 am - 12 noon Transitioning to Solar - workshop at Echo Valley Hope Farm, E14604 County Rd. F. We will build on our knowledge of solar and battery storage. Discuss simple ways to lower your electric bill and programs and rebates that may be available to you as we all move toward renewable energy. We will have DIY handouts and share information on classes and where you can additional information. Samantha Laskowski, Board Vice President of Vernon County Energy District will be available for Q&A. (part of a series of workshops on Aug 26th, Sept.9th, AND Oct. 21st) For more info: 608-606-4450 or dena.eakles@gmail.com MILWAUKEE Sat Sept 9th, 12 noon - 1 pm Weekly STAND FOR PEACE. Meet at Lake Drive and Silver Spring today. 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 ******************************************************* If your group would like to get your events posted in the weekly e-bulletin – JOIN US! https://www.wnpj.org/membership ******************************************** WNPJ member groups can sign up for a Saturday opportunity to TABLE at the Madison Farmers Market – this summer and fall, through Nov. 11th at the Capitol Square. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4daaa929a5fac34-wnpj#/ Look for the Veterans for Peace #25 table nearby at the King Street corner of the Square each Saturday...... Sign up for your spot today! Bring your own table and hand-outs….. Questions? Contact info@wnpj.org **************************************** Interested in a yard sign? WNPJ has yard signs available! yardsigns@wnpj.org See our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WisNPJ "Like"

We're in the news! And we've set up many peace actions for you in the weeks to come! Read on for: 5 of our letters to the editor published this past week Actions this Saturday, next weekend and beyond Big global and national weeks of action in Sept & Oct New film series with Veterans for Peace Even a good old fashioned call-your-congresspeople suggestion Letters to the Editor - We had a VERY successful Letter Party on August 17. Five antiwar letters that we wrote that evening have been published! Read them in the Wisconsin State Journal -- Glenn's letter is here and Gil's is here, and in the Cap Times -Stefania's letter is here, Susan's is here, and Gil's is here. Join us for our next Letter Party, this one with a film too: Thursday, Sept 21 from 5:00 - 7:45 pm, Hawthorne Library, 2707 E Washington Ave. War Abolition Walk on August 20 from the Great Turning Catholic Worker House to the Madison Mennonite Church Can you help staff a WBW table? With your help, we can bring the antiwar message to thousands of people in Madison. Sign up for an hour or two, then come sit or stand by our table and chat with people. You pick when. This Saturday, Sept 2 and future Saturdays - Dane County Farmers Market - 8:00 am - 1:00 pm. LaborFest - Monday, Sept 4 - Noon - 5:30 pm. 1602 S Park St. Library Mall or MATC - Suggest a day and time. RSVP to warabolition@gmail.com and we'll join you to make it happen. Weeks of Action - Defuse Nuclear War has called for a National Week of Action September 24 - 30. Also, the Peace in Ukraine Coalition is organizing a Global Week of Action for Peace in Ukraine, September 30 - October 8. Events will take place all over the country and the world. Here in Madison, we are working with Veterans for Peace, Back from the Brink, and Safe Skies Clean Water Wisconsin. You’ll be updated as plans develop. But, to start with, we want to announce two events: Movie & Letter Party - Thursday, Sept 21 - 5 pm - 7:45 pm, Hawthorne Library - We will first stream a movie or a webinar; then we will cooperate to craft letters to editors or commentaries related to the topics that are being highlighted nationally in the two weeks of action. 2707 E Washington Ave. Speak-out - Saturday Sept 30 - 9:30 am - 11:00 am, Farmers Market - Speak-out on the same issues as above; we will broadcast our messages "a viva voce" to the market-goers! Debate: Is War in Ukraine Justified? Watch Party for WBW's conference -- No War 2023: Nonviolent Resistance to Militarism - Sunday, Sept 24 - 4:00 - 5:30 pm. Location TBA. New Antiwar Film Series with Madison Veterans for Peace, Chapter 25. Thurs Oct 26, 6 pm - National Bird about illegal drone murder Thurs Nov 30, 6 pm - Theaters of War: How the Pentagon and CIA took Hollywood Both at the Central Library, 201 W Mifflin St, Room 302. Discussion following the films. Anytime! Call Senators Johnson and Baldwin, and Representative Pocan at 202-224-3121. Here's the message this week, from our friends at CODEPINK: Ask them to vote no on President Biden's request for another $24 billion to continue the war in Ukraine. The latest CNN poll reveals that 55% of the US public opposes more weapons and aid to Ukraine--and for good reason. There is no military solution--only more death and destruction as the war drags on, costing the US taxpayer $113 billion to date. We need a diplomatic solution and must not risk a wider war that poses the risk of nuclear annihilation. Vote no on another $24 billion for the war in Ukraine. We hope that you’ll take note of these events, and stay tuned for events we’ll announce soon. We hope you’ll join us! Questions, ideas, RSVP? warabolition@gmail.com