Madison Arcatao Sister City Project is a new member organization of WNPJ and we are compelled to share their information with you in the spirit of unity and peace. Young people between the ages of 16-30 are being arrested without cause and put in prison without warrants, access to a lawyer, or any other civil liberties in Arcatao, El Salvador. During the civil war (1980-1992) MASCP’s mission was to tell the people of Arcatao's story and they've asked that we tell it again… Not only are the soldiers there but they are beating people in the streets when questioning them. Students …have been stripped naked and searched. Many families have members now imprisoned without justification. MASCP *info@mascp.org Very few people in the 16-30-year-old age range are left in Madison’s sister city. They have migrated to Honduras or the US. This is the video that the youth of Arcatao created and asked us to share. You are invited to hear MASCP delegates on Monday, July 10 6-7:30pm, Village Cohousing Community, 1104 Mound Street, Madison

No matter where you live in Wisconsin, you can sit at the table of the Board of the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice! Our meetings are now via zoom, as well as in person. Do you have ideas on how to move Wisconsin forward in justice and peace issues? We want YOU to help set the direction for the next years of WNPJ. We have 32 years of statewide organizing - creating and maintaining an umbrella organization covering so many different peace and justice groups - environment, labor, prison justice, agriculture justice, anti-nuke work, immigration, democracy - and more! We now have 77 member groups under our umbrella, as well as individual members - keeping all informed through social media, a weekly e-bulletin and an active website events calendar - showing the intersectionality of all we do. Here's what Board members do - per our By-laws: 1. The Board shall meet at least quarterly to oversee the operation of the WNPJ. 2. The Board shall develop and adopt a budget to carry out the priorities set at the General Assembly meeting. 3. It shall set policy and procedures for the operation of the WNPJ, including the assignment of duties deemed necessary to raise funds. 4. It shall review the recommendation of the officers in personnel issues, and in the hiring and termination of staff, in accordance with those policies and procedures. 5. It may initiate and organize statewide actions. The only requirement to run for the board is that you are WNPJ member, or contact of a WNPJ Member Group, at the time of the Fall election. But more than that - we learn together as a Board when we do get the opportunity to gather together in person throughout the state.... - whether it is anti-racism training at the Farley Center, viewing an open-pit mine in the Penokees, watching real original corn growing with the Oneida, or talking renewables together at Echo Valley Hope or the Midwest Renewable Energy Association Fair in Custer. Being on the Board is fun, it's educational, it's rewarding - and it makes a difference! Join us. If you're interested in being on the 2023-2024 WNPJ Board, to be elected at our Fall Assembly, contact info@wnpj.org - and tell us a little about yourself and why you want to be part of this Board. -------- Current board members: Tynnetta Jackson & Mary Kay Baum, co-chairs; Vicki Berenson, Treasurer; Erika Bach, Secretary; John Peck, Dena Eakles, Debra Gillispie and Brad Geyer

Learn about this summer/fall Campaign for Love, Unity, & Equity: C.L.U.E. Check out the following dates and events and add them to you calendar! We are Building Unity! We have the beginnings of a plan for a planet-saving united movement for ALL of us! BIPOC/Workers/LGBTQ+/Immigrant/JUSTICE! Nonviolence/World Peace Demilitarization Climate/Ecological Justice Democracy Not Run by Money Abortion rights, Body Autonomy Equity and Justice for ALL people Compassionate, Restorative Justice Hunam Rights, Needs, & Gun Sense - Not Corporate Greed WI Justice Summit - in Madison “Wisconsin Justice Summit” Saturday, July 22, 2023 10 am - 8 am First United Methodist Church - 203 Wisconsin Ave. - Madison Justice activists from all over WI are coming together to forge a strategic plan that will include action for Peace, Justice, Sustainability, and Democracy! The following leaders have signed on to help guide it so far: Judge Everette Mitchell Rep Francesca Hong Emily Park, 350 Wisconsin Rev. Jerry Folk, Interfaith Peace Working Group To help us build momentum for the July 22nd Wisconsin Justice Summit, we have launched the Campaign for Love, Unity, and Equity (C.L.U.E.) Please endorse this campaign and the Wisconsin Justice Summit by going here: https://tinyurl.com/CLUESignUpForm Using our “Flier for All of Us” we are showing up and supporting the actions of our partners in hopes of building powerful movement momentum for the summit on July 22. Register to take part in the summit by going here: https://tinyurl.com/JusticeSummitRegistration Share our Facebook Event: https://fb.me/e/RLg68QZ8 Visit and share this Summit info page: https://tinyurl.com/WIJusticeSummitInfo For more information about how you can help make this Summit an exciting turning point for peace, justice, sustainability and real democracy, call Building Unity at 608-630-3633. *** Next planning meeting for the WI Justice Summit will be on Wed. 7/5 at 7pm. We will resume the Tuesday night meetings on July 11th. https://zoom.us/j/99245031795 - Meeting ID: 992 4503 1795 - Any phone: 312-626-6799 Our world is on fire. We must unite to turn things around. And we must do it now. Period. It might not be too late! Perhaps, working together, we can increase all of our hopes for a liveable future. On July 22 many groups and individuals will be coming together to plan for united action… Please review these Summit posters: https://tinyurl.com/BUSummitPosters. If you’d like to create a different version of this poster, call building unity at 608-630-3633 - we’d love to add your creation to our collection. Please do all of the following: Join us as a Summit Endorser: https://tinyurl.com/CLUESignUpForm. Whether you can attend or not, we would love to have your public endorsement of the summit and our Campaign for Love, Unity, & Equity. Invite your favorite groups and individuals to join us. You can copy and/or modify this invitation if you would like. Our hope is that everyone that comes will also bring someone else that they would like to collaborate with. If having a place to stay in Madison would make attending the summit more enjoyable or possible for you, or if you have the ability to provide an out-of-town summit attendee with in-home hospitality, please call Building Unity at 608-630-3633. ********************************************** 7/31 - 8/12 tinyurl.com/BUatChicanoInstitute The details for how Building Unity will partner with and/or support this exciting two-week celebration and exploration of Chicano/Latinx/Hispanic Culture and Liberation in Madison, Wisconsin is yet to be determined. Please check back soon! If you have interest in collaborating with Building Unity to support and promote the Chicano Institute - 2023, please call Building Unity at 608-630-3633. ********************************** 8/5 tinyurl.com/BUatWisVoicesPicnic On August 5, 2023, Wisconsin Voices and partners will be holding their annual summer picnic. While we don’t know the details yet, you can be sure that Building Unity will be there celebrating our shared movement with Wisconsin Voices. Check back here. We will update this document when we learn more about the event. **************************************** 8/6 tinyurl.com/BUonHiroshimaDay The details for how we will commemorate this historic day of calling for world peace and demanding that never again will nuclear weapons be used against our siblings is yet to be determined. Please check back soon! If you have interest in collaborating with Building Unity partners on making this day more powerful in your area of Wisconsin, please call Building Unity at 608-630-3633. ************************************************ 9/4 tinyurl.com/BUonLaborDay The details for how we will commemorate this historic day of workers and showing our solidarity with all working people is yet to be determined. Please check back soon! If you have interest in collaborating with Building Unity partners on making this day more powerful in your area of Wisconsin, please call Building Unity at 608-630-3633. **************************************************** 9/21 tinyurl.com/BUonPeaceDay The details for how we will commemorate this historic day of calling for world peace and demanding that never again will nuclear weapons be used against our siblings is yet to be determined. Please check back soon! If you have interest in collaborating with Building Unity partners on making this day more powerful in your area of Wisconsin, please call Building Unity at 608-630-3633. ***************************************** 10/9 tinyurl.com/BUonindigenousPeoplesDay The details for how we will commemorate and honor this historic day celebrating the lives, cultures, and liberation of all Indigenous people is yet to be determined. Building Unity supports the replacement of the current U.S. federal holiday known as “Columbus Day” (The second Monday in October) with “Indigenous Peoples Day.” * Please check back soon! If you have interest in collaborating with Building Unity partners on making this day more powerful in your area of Wisconsin, please call Building Unity at 608-630-3633. * Excerpt from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Day “The celebration of Columbus Day in the United States began to decline at the end of the 20th century, although many Americans continue to celebrate it.[36][37][38] The states of Hawaii,[39][40]Alaska,[41][42]Vermont,[43]South Dakota,[44]New Mexico,[45]Maine,[46] and parts of California including, for example, Los Angeles County[47] do not recognize it and have each replaced it with celebrations of Indigenous Peoples' Day (in Hawaii, "Discoverers' Day", in South Dakota, "Native American Day"[38]). In the states of Oregon and Washington, Columbus Day is not an official holiday.” [48][49]

Notes From Roberta Thurston of Casa Maria - 21st STREET - in Milwaukee: I look out at the beautiful roses in my backyard. They are flourishing because of the rain we had. The weeds also are growing. I had planned to pull them out after the rain, but now I am unable to. The air quality is at 217 and is deemed very unhealthy. So I will stay inside. Fires are burning out of control in Canada. I worry about the people, the birds, the animals and the trees that are affected. If we ever needed to be reminded that we are all connected this event should do it. Whatever happens in another country, good or bad, will affect us. Therefore we all need to live lightly on mother earth because nature has a wonderful way of restoring herself. The following is a portion of a reply by Chief Seattle to the US president in 1854 when he offered to buy a large area of Indian land. When possible I used inclusive language. “Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man. Our dead never forget this beautiful earth, for it is the mother of the red man. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sister; the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and man—all belong to the same family. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. We did not weave the web of life: we are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.” May we all grow in our reverence and care of mother earth. Peace, Roberta June 2023 CASA MARIA CATHOLIC WORKER P O Box 05206, Milwaukee WI 53205 414344-5745 1131 N 21sst St. .Milwaukee WI 53233 Facebook.com/Casa MariaCatholicWorker CasaMariaCatholicWorker.weebly.com

Please choose one point below and call your WI State Senator and Assembly Rep, immediately! Leave them a phone message overnight. Let's fill those voicemails and create a buzz about this important issue. Find the phone numbers here: https://legis.wisconsin.gov/ "I am a constituent and urge you NOT to support SB 230/AB 237 because... ... As a person of faith and member of WISDOM, I value human dignity, forgiveness, and an opportunity for re-integration of a wrong-doer back into the community. Thanks In Opposition to SB 230/AB 237 A recent batch of Republican proposals is seeking to make Wisconsin criminal law ever more punitive and vastly more expensive, even proposing procedures that research has shown to be useless for public safety. The worst of these is SB 230/AB 237. This bill requires an individual potentially being released from prison by the Department of Corrections to first submit to a psychological evaluation which must then be considered by the Parole Board or reviewing authority prior to release. This proposal has multiple problems. The inability of mental health professionals to predict violent tendencies has been confirmed by two leading organizations in the field, the American Psychological Association, and the American Psychiatric Association. Studies indicate that medical knowledge has not yet advanced to the point where long-term predictions of future dangerousness can be made with a reasonable degree of medical certainty (See Brief Amicus Curiae for the American Psychiatric Association, Supporting Defendant-Appellant, U.S. v. Fields, 483 F.3rd313 2005). Instead of relying on the judgement and recommendations of DOC and the Parole Commission, one psychologist (who may have very limited experience evaluating criminal dangerousness) may impose multiple additional years of incarceration on an individual by reviewing a bundle of outdated papers. It is likely that such a process is a constitutional violation of due process. A psychological evaluation used as a “risk assessment” tool, will further dehumanize those who are statutorily eligible for release. There is a large body of data regarding the use of an algorithm to determine the “statistical risk” of a person reoffending (based for example on past criminal history, job history, family, education, residence, etc.), but not their “actual” risk. These assessments claim to be evidence based, but are often inaccurate and fraught with racial and class bias. Research shows that with regard to accuracy, predictions of future violence were wrong two thirds of the time. (Morris, 1974). Other research concludes that on average, the positive violence predictions of the leading risk assessment instruments are correct 42% of the time. (Fazel et al, 2012) Risk assessments allow for continuation of racism inherent in the creators and users of the tools, for example, that low-income Black, Hispanic or indigenous men are inherently dangerous. This bill’s new attempt to reduce complex human individuals into a package of statistics denies their dignity and individuality. Then, there are the costs. Based on the number of affected people who were released from prison in 2022, DOC’s Fiscal Estimate is that they would have to hire up to 25 full-time employees at a cost ranging from $4,295,000 to $13,000,000 at the high end. On top of the expense, it is highly unlikely DOC could find enough licensed psychologists to hire. DOC’s current vacancy rate for “psychological services” is 26%, indicating a current need to hire 49 FTE’s, in addition to the 2-25 positions required for this bill. This hiring search could cause hundreds of individuals to be unnecessarily held in prison for years while DOC is searching for licensed psychologists to perform evaluations since prisons are not desirable workplaces. The Co-Sponsorship Memorandum to SB230 explicitly acknowledges that it was inspired by the murder of Johanna Balsewicz by her husband who had only served 25 years in prison when parole was proposed. Several punitive bills arose out of the outrage of this family. However, law based on one sympathetic person or family is rarely good law. It is magical thinking to believe that a psychological evaluation of thousands of people is the solution to domestic violence. Rather, it would be a costly, ineffective and likely impossible system of governmental over-reach. Instead, we should recognize the humanity of individuals who have served their time and want to rejoin their communities. In addition, SB 230 specifies that a police chief or sheriff may disseminate the DOC notice about an individual released from prison to the general public if, in the opinion of the chief or sheriff, providing that information is necessary to protect the public. Do we really want every person placed on parole or extended supervision, and his family, to lose their dignity and privacy in this way? How will they ever start a new life? All faith traditions support a tradition of respecting human dignity, forgiveness, and an opportunity for re-integration of a wrong-doer back into the community. Wisconsin ought to do the same. ### WISDOM - office@wisdomwisconsin.org 2821 N Vel Phillips Avenue, #217 Milwaukee, WI 53212 United States

Lincoln Rice began living at Casa Maria when he was a senior in college. He still calls the organization home after 26 years. “I think the way Casa Maria is organized has played a large role in why I’m still here,” says Rice, a live-in staff member. Casa Maria has provided housing to Milwaukee families since 1966. Its founders Annette and Michael Cullen wanted families to feel at home, so they arranged for families and staff to live together and make decisions by consensus. Casa Maria’s four Victorian homes are nestled between gardens on residential streets. The front lawns are dotted with yard signs supporting Black Lives Matter and climate justice, a few of the justice issues staff members are involved in. Rice says political activism has always been a part of Casa Maria’s mission. One of its founders, Michael Cullen, was a member of the “Milwaukee 14” activist group that burned draft records during the Vietnam war. He and Annette would later found Casa Maria as a married couple before being deported to Ireland for Michael’s activism. Casa Maria, at the time a fledgling organization based in a convent, managed to grow and thrive as part of the Catholic Worker Movement. The movement started by encouraging volunteers to fight causes of violence and poverty during The Great Depression. It grew to include justice organizations around the U.S. Rice first read the words of Doris Day, suffragette and founder of the Catholic Worker movement, in high school. He says the Catholic Worker Movement principles of hospitality and community are part of what drew him to Casa Maria. Rice references a familiar quote when describing Casa Maria’s mission: “The extra coat in your closet belongs to the person without one,” he says. Casa Maria’s methods of accomplishing its mission change from year to year. The organization is currently focused on supporting families with open Child Protective Services cases, which Rice says can be biased and disproportionately affect Black families. Casa Maria is also involved in anti-drone protests and boycotting Chase Bank, a major climate change contributor. Staff members often work closely with other organizations in the Milwaukee area to help support Casa Maria’s mission. Rice says being a member of WNPJ allows him to stay connected to like-minded organizations and recognize the work of young volunteers. Moving into 2023, the need for shelter and support is still ever-present within the community. Casa Maria will continue its 57-year legacy of providing housing for Milwaukee families — an extra coat to those in need. You can reach Casa Maria through their Facebook page @CasaMariaCatholicWorker or their website at casamariacatholicworker.weebly.com

On June 20 of each year the UN honors World Refugee Day. Two maritime disasters and their aftermaths signal to us the current view of those seeking asylum versus the class discrepancies that encourage people not to care. Very little attention was given when the fishing ship carrying over 700 human beings, mostly women and children, capsized off the coast of Greece - until learning that the Greek Coast Guard knew the ship was in trouble and did nothing. This in sharp contrast to the international search for the submersible carrying five tourists, in which case no expenses were to great. Perhaps podcasts like those in Democracy Now and Reuters will begin to call an awakening to the crisis on our doorsteps. Over one hundred million people are currently displaced by war, drought, and violence. How we will cope with this human tragedy weighs heavily before us. Our histories do not speak well of our capability for compassion. But there are people seeking better days. View this Peace Channel webcast on World Refugee Day, feel the hope, and unite. *************************************************** Another article on refugees: https://www.wnpj.org/post/the-right-to-seek-safety-submitted-by-kathy-kelly-june-21-2023

We are organizing a five-week training series that will begin at the end of August as a way of preparation for the work that lies ahead of us this fall and in 2024. In our sessions, you will learn the basics of relational organizing and the principles to build relationships within your community. Our session is based on the popular workshop we held in 2021 and 2022, which attracted over hundreds of participants. We are excited to roll out our program starting on August 29th. The five-session program will reflect the lessons learnt while also highlighting the fact that this effort is intended to create and guide an ongoing system of local leadership development. Each session is 90 minutes long held over five weeks every Tuesday. The topics include: Week 1: Attitudes and Disciplines Week 2: One-on-One's Week 3: Issues and Actions Week 4: Effective Meetings Week 5: Team Building Registration is now open for this FREE workshop! The link below will register you for all the sessions and we recommend you attend all because each session will build off one another! Don't forget to register here! For any questions, please contact WISDOM's Digital Organizer Amanda Ali at aali@wisdomwisconsin.org. We hope you join us! Best regards, David Liners and the WISDOM Training Team

WNPJ + Joyous Pride to all from FUS + Ice Cream Fundraiser in Richland Center + Seeking Donations for JustDane + other statewide events… ******************************** The WI Network for Peace and Justice is the umbrella non-profit organization supporting the work of 76 member groups around Wisconsin. Here are Spotlights and events listings for many of our member groups: www.wnpj.org ******************************* *********************************** SPOTLIGHT on the First Unitarian Society - Madison Joyous Pride to all! As we celebrate Pride this month, and again, in August, may we call to mind these words by poet Sharon Wylie: Wholeness You are welcome here, all of you Every part of you beautiful just the way you are Here you do not need to be something more or something less No holding back, no hiding No exerting yourself, no trying to do more or be more You have inherent worth and dignity Nothing to prove here, Nothing to prove to me or the person sitting next to you or to the children or to anyone You don’t have to try and be witty or more quiet or more outgoing You are beautiful; every part of you beautiful just the way you are You do not need to change anything about yourself to be welcome here: Your skin, your hair, your belly, your limbs, your face— all beautiful just the way they are You are extraordinary Each and every one of you different from each and beautiful in your own beautiful way, Breathtaking. "In the last few years states have advanced a record number of bills that attack LGBTQ rights, especially transgender youth. The ACLU is tracking these attacks and working with our national network of affiliates to support LGBTQ people everywhere." -Source ACLU Currently, 491 anti-LGBTQ Bills are being watched. Not all will pass, but their mere existence is harmful to all of us. We cannot be silent. For more, visit the ACLU website here: https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights Sent to WNPJ by the Reproductive Freedom Team at First Unitarian Society - which has decided to encompass issues of gender and gender affirming care in their social justice work. To get involved, please contact First Unitarian Society of Madison - kristis@fusmadison.org *********************************************** SPOTLIGHT on the Santa Teresa Sister City Project of Richland Center: If you're in Richland Center on Friday evening, June 30, consider stopping by the Kilian Meyer shelter in Krouskop Park (1050 N. Orange Street) to enjoy a meal and support the Sister City Project. Serving from 5-7:30 PM. Menu includes barbeque, rice and beans, salads, root beer floats, ice cream sundaes with all the toppings. Free will offering - all money raised at this event goes toward our work in Santa Teresa, Nicaragua. https://www.wnpj.org/member-organizations-list/richland-center---santa-teresa-sister-city-project ****************************** Guests at JustDane's Healing House often come there with the bare minimum. Please help us provide some items to make them feel comfortable. The Program Coordinator has developed a wish list of items they need. Slippers, baby lotion, batteries and more: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c44a9ac29abf9c07-healing3#/ Please only donate NEW items, as the Healing House serves people who are recuperating and can't accept used items. Please sign-up to donate and drop off the smaller items at the Healing House: 303 Lathrop St., Madison, WI 53726. Questions? Contact Jean Alt at jean@justdane.org or (608) 256-0906. https://www.wnpj.org/member-organizations-list/justdane *************************** Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups: MILWAUKEE Tues Jun 27th, 7 - 8 pm. Veterans for Peace Monthly Meeting. Saint John's On The Lake, North Prospect Avenue. Please make note and plan to join us, in person or via Zoom. For more information: vfpchapter102@gmail.com VOLK FIELD Tues Jun 27th 3:45 – 4:45 Monthly Vigil Against the DRONES! – Camp Douglas. Arrive at the wayside around 3:30 so we have time for introductions and to process to the base together. Our regular vigils at Volk Field are part of a larger worldwide campaign to bring an end to drone warfare. We will hold a solemn vigil for one hour to remember those killed by drones. Participants can stand in silence or read poems and stories about the effects of drone warfare. It is important that the voices of the victims be brought to the gates of Volk Field. Bring posters if you can. If you have any questions please call or email Joy at 608 239-4327 or joyfirst5@gmail.com or Bonnie at 608-256-5088 or blb24@earthlink.net. Wisconsin Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars VERONA Thurs Jun 29th, 12 noon Farm Bill session with Representative Mark Pocan - Verona public library. For more information contact John Peck of the Family Farm Defenders - jepeck@wisc.edu - https://familyfarmers.org/ MILWAUKEE Thurs Jun 29th 12 noon - 1 pm ANTI-GUN Vigil - Dunham's Sports, S 108th St, West Allis. The Gun Violence Archive reports nearly 17,500 people across the U.S. have been killed by firearms so far this year, with 70 separate mass shootings in the month of May. Dunham advertises and sells guns and assault rifles. If we continue to support gun violence and those who make and proliferate them people who profit from these will keep making and distributing them in our society, and the more people will die from guns and other assault weapons. “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” Casa Maria Catholic Worker casamariamke@gmail.com SINSINAWA Fri Jun 30th, 9 am - 3 pm No Child Left Inside: Weekly Day camp for kids. Sinsinawa Mound Center, County Road Z. Eric Anglada, Sinsinawa’s Ecological Programming Coordinator, will be leading this weekly day camp. These day-long camps in June and July, open to ages from 7 to 11, will be filled with games, exploration, story-telling, hiking, plant identification and more. Participants should be ready to learn about themselves and nature, get some exercise and have lots of fun. Children should bring their own water bottle, lunch, snack and hat. We will spend the entirety of the day outdoors. Registration ends on the Wednesday prior to each Friday. The fee is $30 per day camp or $120 for all five camp sessions. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at https://www.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. MILWAUKEE Sat Jul 1st 12 noon - 1 pm Peace Action WI Weekly Stand for Peace. 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 Thurs Jul 6th, 12 noon - 1 pm WNPJ's Weaving the Web First Thursday of each month, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm 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. Contact office@wnpj.org with questions, Zoom Meeting Information: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89361313008?pwd=UmxCOUcxL3ZFb244aXp0SnBVTFRSZz09 VIRTUAL Thurs Jul 6th, 6 - 8 pm WILPF Monthly Virtual Book Club. We'll talk about... "Lessons in Chemistry". To get the zoom link, reply to: wilpfmadison@gmail.com SINSINAWA Fri Jul 7th, 9 am - 3 pm No Child Left Inside: Weekly Day camp for kids. Sinsinawa Mound Center, County Road Z. Eric Anglada, Sinsinawa’s Ecological Programming Coordinator, will be leading this weekly day camp. These day-long camps in June and July, open to ages from 7 to 11, will be filled with games, exploration, story-telling, hiking, plant identification and more. Participants should be ready to learn about themselves and nature, get some exercise and have lots of fun. Children should bring their own water bottle, lunch, snack and hat. We will spend the entirety of the day outdoors. Registration ends on the Wednesday prior to each Friday. The fee is $30 per day camp or $120 for all five camp sessions. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at https://www.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. *********************************** 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! Special thanks to volunteer Kathy Esposito for her volunteer work putting the WNPJ weekly e-bulletin together!

Unimaginable terror afflicts refugees, including children, on dilapidated boats crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Humane alternatives should guide policies. Through a WhatsApp message from Portugal, my friend Eunice Neves asked to share a moment with me. She was with an Afghan couple, Frishta and Mohammad, and their baby son, Arsalan. The young family has resettled in Mértola, a small city in southern Portugal. They looked forward to celebrating World Refugee Day as part of a project which the Portuguese government lauds as a model for refugee resettlement. I had first met Frishta in 2015 when she was a volunteer teacher, in Kabul, Afghanistan. At a school for “street kids” she helped young child laborers gain literacy and math skills, while also learning basic ideas about nonviolence. The children could be rowdy and boisterous, but when Frishta entered the classroom, they were eager to please their talented teacher. Frishta’s altruism and skill made her a target for persecution when the Taliban ascended to power. Following death threats to her and her husband, the couple fled their home just prior to the Taliban takeover of Kabul. Days later, on August 21st, 2021, Frishta gave birth to Arsalan. Eventually, after harrowing and harsh months seeking refuge in Pakistan, the family found a safe haven in Portugal. An international group of activists familiar with the former volunteer group helped devise a model resettlement project. Now, 25 young Afghans have been integrated in Portuguese cities. Eight of the young people have spent thirteen months in Mértola, helping rehabilitate arid land through syntropic farming and permaculture. Together, they pursued a program designed to fully integrate them into Portuguese society. During today’s conversation, Arsalan amused himself with a garden hose by watering the flowers, the walls and himself. “Look where he is now,” said Eunice, shifting the phone to show Arsalan, fully clothed, splashing contentedly in a small tub he had partially filled with water. From his makeshift boat, he blew me a kiss! Arsalan’s security, in sharp contrast to the dangerous circumstances surrounding his birth, should epitomize the story of every vulnerable refugee seeking a safe haven. Sadly, tragically, and shamefully, on this World Refugee Day, we must recall a tragedy all too familiar which took place last week. In the deepest part of the Mediterranean Sea, a ship carrying at least 100 children, among hundreds of others, capsized. Irish author Sally Hayden, who, for years, has accompanied migrants attempting to enter Europe, writes: “The dead are victims of the world’s inequality. They are victims of the fact that the privileged of this planet have freedom of movement simply due to the luck of where they were born, while much of the rest must risk their lives in the hope of accessing a secure, dignified life….Those who survive that journey live with huge trauma – many have told me how they are haunted by memories of watching family members or friends drown; how they appealed for help, but their distress calls were ignored; how, when the boat engines failed or fuel ran out and they drifted, they were certain they would die of thirst one by one.” The mind revolts and simply will not consent to imagine the terror felt by a single child, much less the hundred or so who drowned and sank to the ocean's deepest depths inside that boat last Wednesday. Photos of the boat before it sank showed the upper decks entirely packed with would-be migrants, meaning that, horrifically, the lower decks were crammed with migrants – including most of the children – as well. It’s estimated 500, or even 750, people were on board. There were only 104 survivors, mostly young adult males with the strength to cling for hours onto available wreckage. There were no life preservers; legal migration had been made near-impossible. Writing from Ireland, Ed Horgan, a campaigner for Irish neutrality, calls this a tragedy in which “hundreds of migrants were fleeing wars and dire poverty and human rights abuses.” (Irish Examiner, Opinion, 17 June) Horror spreads everywhere when militarism reigns and weapon sales proliferate, causing displacement and rising numbers of people fleeing violence. Horgan holds The European Union’s Border and Coast Guard agency, FRONTEX, partly accountable, noting they and the Greek Coast Guard, “had been monitoring this ship for up to 12 hours prior to the disaster, and failed to offer any practical assistance until it was too late.” Here in the United States, where I live, similar tragedies unfold. One of my closest friends, Laurie Hasbrook, has worked to accompany refugees arriving in Chicago for over two decades. Last weekend, with two other volunteers, she was almost arrested for attempting to serve food and supply warm clothing to shivering and famished migrants who had newly arrived in Chicago. U.S. activists in the southwest face criminal charges for attempting to save the lives of migrants by dropping off water and food supplies along routes where needy people might access the supplies. We have much to learn from people in Portugal who’ve created model projects based on mutual respect and creative problem-solving as they’ve welcomed young Afghans to become integral members of Portuguese society. Upholding the right to safety, we should stop pouring money into the coffers of military contractors. These merchants of death take us down the road of militarism and exploitation. Rather than be led by fortress Europe or US-led NATO full spectrum dominance, we should find security by extending the hand of friendship and seeking reciprocal, survivable plans to rehabilitate lands and communities. It’s vital that people worldwide persuade governments to promote global peace and justice instead of wars and military domination which inevitably lead to tragedies like the one which occurred last week in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo Credit: Hellenic Coast Guard Kathy Kelly, (kathy.vcnv@gmail.com) is Board President of world BEYOND War (& former WNPJ contact for the WNPJ member group Voices for Creative Nonviolence) and a co-coordinator of the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal and BanKillerDrones.org

Watch Our Annual Peace Rally – Recorded May 29, 2023 Memorial Day at the Gates of Heaven in Madison, Wisconsin | Veterans for Peace (madisonvfp.org) https://madisonvfp.org/peace-rally-may-29-memorial-day-matt-rothschild-david-couper-norm-stockwell-will-williams/ Veterans for Peace Madison Clarence Kailin, Chapter 25

Tynnetta Jackson of SOULS was asked to speak at Rockwell Automation on the History of Juneteenth - June 19th, 2023. Ty is a co-chair of WNPJ.