WNPJ + Peace Action Annual Mother’s Day Celebration, with WNPJ Board member Debra Gillespie as speaker + Volunteers needed for Madison ‘Memorial Mile’ VFP Display + other statewide events… *********************************************************** SPOTLIGHT on Peace Action Wisconsin PEACE ACTION WI Mother’s Day Peace Event - Milwaukee Sunday, May 14, 3 - 4:00 pm Art Bar, 722 E Burleigh St. (near Fratney St) Featuring: Singer Dorothy James & Debra Gillespie of Mothers Against Gun Violence on creating a more peaceful Milwaukee. $25.00 per person- Make your reservations today for the buffet lunch. Call 414-269-9525 or email pamrichard35@gmail.com ********************************* Volunteers Welcomed! MADISON VFP'S MEMORIAL MILE. This year Madison Veterans for Peace "Memorial Mile" tombstone display will move to South Park Street, on the lawn of the South Central Labor Temple. If you are interested and able to help set up and/or take down the tombstones, please come help! Installation will be Saturday May 27 at 9 am and we should be done by 11 am. Take-down will be Saturday June 3 at 9 am. Thank you. John Fournelle 608-438-7480. https://madisonvfp.org/ ************************************************ Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups: (Read about more upcoming events here: https://www.wnpj.org/event-calendar) MADISON Mon May 8th, 7 pm Free Screening of the film ‘The Right to Read’ - Madison College, Goodman South Campus Rm 205, 2429 Perry St. Sponsored by MOSES. We also invite you to partner with us in the work of ensuring that all children in Madison and surrounding communities receive screening for dyslexia. Whether or not you can attend the film screening please reply to let the Education Advocacy Group of MOSES know if you would like to be a part of the collective effort we are building. Contact: Shel Gross <shelgross3@gmail.com .More about this program: The Education Advocacy Group of MOSES invites you to join us in the work of improved literacy education in our community. We have made literacy and specifically the issue of dyslexia a top priority. The reason we have determined this to be our top priority is, in part, because of statements like the following: When a child can’t read, their chances of incarceration, homelessness, and unemployment increase. That’s why Oakland-based NAACP activist Kareem Weaver believes literacy is one of the greatest civil rights issues of our time and is fighting for better reading instruction. “What good is winning the right to vote if we can’t even read the ballot?” Fed up with the bleak reading scores in his own community, Kareem files a petition with the Oakland Unified School District demanding change. You can learn more about MOSES here: https://mosesmadison.org/ Note: This event sent to WNPJ by Shel Gross, a member of Madison Friends Meeting VIRTUAL - MADISON Tues May 9th, 7 pm May Distinguished Lecture Series Event - UNA USA Dane County. Please join us for a very timely discussion/lecture on the issue of gun violence. Lizzy Weber, Students Demand Action Midwestern Organizer and Megan Egstad, Students Demand Action Leader will present on the scope of gun violence in Wisconsin and its impact on various communities. They will speak about how Students Demand Action work towards ending gun violence in Wisconsin and nationwide and give an overview of the group's accomplishments thus far. Finally, they will offer some options for how to get involved with the gun violence prevention movement. https://www.facebook.com/unadaneorg zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88119820715?pwd=Ym1UR0o3NThsc01YY0hJNW82TVpJZz09&fbclid=IwAR2pvTehDrKivwbFW3KMnNX3aw-3C7a0rMk6d1q-IQ9DPQa_Qrt8t3uUvVg#success VIRTUAL Tues May 9th, 7 - 8 pm Building Unity Evening “Drop-in” meeting. Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/99245031795 Meeting ID: 992 4503 1795. Contact: Timothy Cordon BuildingUnityWi@gmail.com MADISON Wed May 10th, 6 - 7:30 pm Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Annual Gathering and Celebration. Lussier Family Heritage Center, Lake Farm Road. Did you know Executive Director Matt Rothschild is retiring from the WI Democracy Campaign? Come hear Matt speak one last time about the fight to save our democracy, and to wish him well. Also, we will hear Madison Poet Laureate Angie Trudell Vasquez! Go here to register by no later than Sunday, May 7: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxJbW439riT-9uEayJuD6AmtA8l-UGMYqwU_YlZn4kfaHHeg/viewform VIRTUAL Sat May 13th, 10 - 11:30 am UNA USA Milwaukee webinar: “Foreign Policy, International Peace, & the Role of US Military Spending” with Dr. Joseph Gerson. The United Nations Association of Greater Milwaukee invites you to participate in an informative virtual Zoom forum. Co-sponsored by Peace Action WI & the Milwaukee Chapter of the Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom Free & Open to the Public. Participate virtually through the following Zoom link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87829732649?pwd=Tmg0amRBUnE5eGFta09MRE4rZWNWQT09 Dr. Joseph Gerson is President of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament, & Common Security (CPDCS), Co-chair of the Committee for a Sane U.S.-China Policy, and Co-Convener of the International Peace & Planet Network. He was co-founder of the National United for Peace and Justice. Dr. Gerson helped to launch the 1980s Nuclear Weapons Freeze movement and is currently coordinating peace movements planning to impact the November 2023 Second Meeting of States Parties in New York City to the Treaty for Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. His books include: Empire and the Bomb: How the US Uses Nuclear Weapons to Dominate the World; The Sun Never Sets – Confronting the Network of U.S. Foreign Military Bases; The Deadly Connection: Nuclear War and U.S. Foreign Military Intervention; and With Hiroshima Eyes: Atomic War, Nuclear Extortion and Moral Imagination. For more information, contact: Pam Richard at 414.269.9525 or pamrichard35@gmail.com GREEN BAY Sat May 13th, 11 an - 1 pm Planning Meeting: Creation Walk planned for May 27 - 29 in Green Bay. Meet at Women Gathering Place at 641 Comanche Ave. #H. This is a potluck lunch. Calling all Water Walkers and Water Protectors to the Creation Water Walk on May 27-28-29 (Memorial Day weekend)! Donations are needed and greatly appreciated. Please see the donation link on the Wise Women Gathering Place website at: www.wisewomengp.org. * WE DO THIS FOR THE WATER 📷 * CHASEBURG Sat May 13th, 12 noon - 3 pm Erosion and Water Management Field Day and Farmers Union Potluck. At Coon Creek Watershed, Seelow Farm,E5052 Embr Ln. (street formerly known as Schultzs Lane - nearby intersection of Hwy B and Hwy KK near Esofea Park). Potluck Lunch-and-Learn starts at noon and will feature WFU staff discussing state policy and organizing efforts around water quality, and Forest Jahnke of Crawford Stewardship Project will talk about the effects of the Driftless region's unique hydrogeology and topography. During the field walk, starting at 1pm, we will view cover crops on the Seelow Farm in addition to structures that were built in the 1930s by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) to help slow down water flow and prevent erosion. Incredibly, those structures are still in operation and helping manage water 90 years later! Structures include five water drops with two side drops from levees that control the water flow, and a dam that has a cement water tunnel that drops 20 feet and is 60 feet long. After the field walk, guests are welcome to join the Vernon-Crawford WFU Chapter Meeting at 2pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/263650322872081/?ref=newsfeed VIRTUAL Sat May 13th 3 - 4:30 pm Wisconsin Working to End the War in Ukraine! Invitation to the 2nd WI Organizing Zoom call. We invite you to a statewide zoom meeting for WI peace people to discuss the war in Ukraine, get the latest news on negotiations, and see what we can do to "stop the bleeding" ASAP. Please share this with your friends. We hope participants will come away with ideas they can use for local action. Please register in advance for this meeting at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZclc-qhrzwsE9axmZgIhFn6zzxeO2wok-AB The zoom meeting will feature WI folks who can describe lobbying Congress, organizing public events such as stands and marches for peace, petitioning, speaking to groups, supporting national media work, actions at political party meetings, statewide communications, and more. We are seeking people to describe what peace tactic worked for them. We will have an update from a resource person who can answer detail questions. Former CIA officer turned political activist Ray McGovern had this role on the first zoom 4/15. Our place in the peace movement is that we want the U.S. government to change policy to promote peace talks now and mutual ceasefire, and to take no actions to escalate or prolong the war. We will discuss the thorny issue of what to say about sending more U.S. weapons. This project, "Uniting Wisconsin to End the War in Ukraine," is sponsored by the Milwaukee End the Wars Coalition and Peace Action-WI, and co-sponsored by the WI Network for Peace and Justice, Building Unity WI, the Interfaith Peace Working Group, Madison for a World BEYOND War, and Veterans for Peace Madison Chapter. Thanks for assistance from the Fellowship of Reconciliation. The need: the war in Ukraine grinds on with daily death and destruction, plus danger of nuclear escalation, while voices for peace have not yet moved U.S. policy toward serious negotiating and de-escalating. To make our contribution to peace, WI activists need to find some unity and then organize more work on Congress, public opinion, the media, etc., and not just in Milwaukee and Madison. Organizers of this project also support humanitarian aid to victims of the war, U.S. acceptance of refugees, the brave individuals in Ukraine and Russia who use non-violent tactics to oppose this war, and funding for our domestic needs instead of war. To endorse or help with this effort, or ask questions, please contact Steve Watrous at wius.senateforum@gmail.com or 414-429-7567. More info at Peace Action WI - info@peaceactionwi.org CUSTER Sat May 13th, 9 - 5 pm Move Some Earth! Volunteer Day at MREA. Midwest Renewable Energy Association, Deer Road. This annual event invites volunteers to help prepare the grounds for The Energy Fair. Join us for this all-day, energizing outdoor event. Light breakfast and lunch will be provided. Tasks may include: •Washing windows•Tending to the gardens•Landscaping •Organizing or preparing Energy Fair materials. RSVP here: https://www.midwestrenew.org/volunteer-rsvp-form/ APPLETON Sat May 13th, 9 am - 2 pm Indigenous Peoples Blanket Exercise. At First English Lutheran Church, 6331 N. Ballard Road. Sponsored by First English Lutheran Church’s Racial Equity Team, The Green Sanctuary Justice Action Team of the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the Indigenous Peoples’ Allies Committee (IPAC) of the First Congregational United Church of Christ and ESTHER. The blanket exercise is a kind of simulation designed to help participants understand how colonization of the land we now know as the United States of America has impacted the people who lived here long before Columbus and other settlers arrived. A traditional Talking Circle is included in the exercise to allow participants to debrief. In addition to the exercise, a traditional indigenous meal will be served. Register here: Cost per person is $30 which includes the meal. See more on the Facebook event page MILWAUKEE Sat May 13th, 12 noon to 1 pm Weekly Peace Action "Stand for Peace". Meet at Wisconsin/Prospect (by orange sunburst): Focus on Palestinian rights . 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 MILWAUKEE Sun May 14th, 3 pm PEACE ACTION WI Mother’s Day Peace Event - See the SPOTLIGHT above for details! *************************************************************** And 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. 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! A special thanks to volunteer Kathy Esposito for her volunteer work each week, to put our e-bulletin together for WNPJ!

The meeting was held on Saturday, May 06 10:00 am - 1:00 pm at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve Visitor Center S3661 Wisconsin 131 La Farge, Wisconsin and via Zoom* Our annual WNPJ Spring Steering Committee Meeting! Almost 20 WNPJ member groups were represented at this annual event. People gathered to share their social justice & just transition success stories! The recording of the meeting will be available here soon. Watch for it! We met at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve near LaFarge (and provided a zoom event option). Board host Dena Eakles gave a bit of history of the Driftless area where we met and about the issues here. Guest speaker Samantha Laskowski presented an overview of local energy concerns. Sam is part of Vernon County energy district, involved in helping rural people understand the IRA/ the government's financial support for solar installations. Another guest, Spark,spoke to the possibility of a nuclear micro plant in Vernon county. https://www.vced.energy/ Board member Tynnetta Jackson facilitated WNPJ member groups providing short 'reports from the field' about the work their groups are doing. WNPJ treasurer Vicki Berenson led a discussion of how best to move forward from our current all-volunteer status. We are still looking for volunteers to form a Nominating Committee to seek new Board members for next Fall. Share on Facebook

This June, a diverse delegation from Wisconsin will join other leaders from across the country in Washington, D.C. for the Moral Poverty Action Congress. Are you interested in getting more involved with the Wisconsin Poor People’s Campaign and possibly taking on a leadership role in your area? Are you part of an organization that is led by impacted people and/or is building the movement to end the interlocking evils of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, the war economy and our distorted moral narrative? Are you an impacted person, a young person, clergy, or a musician? If so, please consider applying HERE to be a part of the Wisconsin delegation. Wisconsin Poor People's Campaign

Over 300,000 of our neighbors are at risk of losing their healthcare coverage with the upcoming Medicaid cutoffs, yet a bill that would make it even more difficult to access these life-saving benefits is currently passing through our state legislature. As the 4 million Wisconsinites who support Medicaid expansion, we need to use our voices and call on the Joint Finance Committee to do their job and truly represent the people. ACTION ONE Call 1-2 members of the Joint Finance Committee and email at least one of their staff, asking them to support Medicaid/BadgerCare expansion in the upcoming budget. JFC members and their staff, along with contact information, are listed below: Rep. Born (Co-Chair, Assembly District 39) -- 608-237-9139 Kelly Elmes - Kelly.Elmes@legis.wisconsin.gov Patrick Gehl - Patrick.Gehl@legis.wisconsin.gov Sen. Marklein (Co-Chair, Senate District 17) -- 608-266-0703 Katy Prange - Katy.Prange@legis.wisconsin.gov Connor Buss - Connor.Buss@legis.wisconsin.gov Rep. Katsma (Vice Chair, Assembly District 26) -- 608-237-9126 Suzy Geroux - Suzy.Geroux@legis.wisconsin.gov Anna Knocke - Anna.Knocke@legis.wisconsin.gov Sen. Stroebel (Vice Chair, Senate District 20) -- 608-266-7513 John Soper - John.Soper@legis.wisconsin.gov Eric Brooks - Eric.Brooks@legis.wisconsin.gov Sen. Felzkowski (Senate District 12) -- 608-266-2509 Collin Driscoll - Collin.Driscoll@legis.wisconsin.gov Rachel Drost - Rachel.Drost@legis.wisconsin.gov Sen. Ballweg (Senate District 14) -- 608-266-0751 Bethany Rasmussen - Bethany.Rasmussen@legis.wisconsin.gov Drew Hanstedt - Drew.Hanstedt@legis.wisconsin.gov Sen. Testin (Senate District 24) -- 608-266-3123 Jason Knack - Jason.Knack@legis.wisconsin.gov Christina Nelson - Christina.Nelson@legis.wisconsin.gov Sen. Wimberger (Senate District 30) -- 608-266-5670 Zachary Stollfus - Zachary.Stollfus@legis.wisconsin.gov Bill Kloiber - Bill.Kloiber@legis.wisconsin.gov Sen. L. Johnson (Senate District 6) -- 608-266-2500 Lacy Fox - Lacy.Fox@legis.wisconsin.gov Brett Halverson - Brett.Halverson@legis.wisconsin.gov Sen. Roys (Senate District 26) -- 608-266-1627 George Gillis - George.Gillis@legis.wisconsin.gov Cecely Castillo - Cecely.Castillo@legis.wisconsin.gov Rep. Zimmerman (Assembly District 30) -- 608-237-9130 Mark Austinson - Mark.Austinson@legis.wisconsin.gov Al Colvin - Al.Colvin@legis.wisconsin.gov Rep. Rodriguez (Assembly District 21) -- 608-237-9121 Calvin Stoflet - Calvin.Stoflet@legis.wisconsin.gov Kaitlyn Wender - Kaitlyn.Wender@legis.wisconsin.gov Rep. Kurtz (Assembly District 50) -- 608-237-9150 Joseph Severance - Joseph.Severance@legis.wisconsin.gov Danielle Zimmerman - Danielle.Zimmerman@legis.wisconsin.gov Rep. Dallman (Assembly District 41) -- 608-237-9141 Ryan Ring - Ryan.Ring@legis.wisconsin.gov Cassidy Sommer - Cassidy.Sommer@legis.wisconsin.gov Rep. Goyke (Assembly District 18) -- 608-237-9118 Ryan Knocke - Ryan.Knocke@legis.wisconsin.gov Elena Kruse - Elena.Kruse@legis.wisconsin.gov Rep. McGuire (Assembly District 64) -- 608-237-9164 Dan Housh - Dan.Housh@legis.wisconsin.gov Quinn Marita - Quinn.Marita@legis.wisconsin.gov ACTION TWO Write to your Senator and encourage them to OPPOSE SB 245. This bill would hugely alter the process of re-enrollment for BadgerCare by: requiring individuals to requalify every 6 months rather than every year cutting automatic re-enrollment prohibiting prefilled forms fining and/or barring people from being eligible for 6 months if they miss a reporting deadline for any reason creating a data sharing agreement with any source that maintains financial and personal information about residents of Wisconsin Click here to join the letter campaign. ACTION THREE Watch the recording our recent People's Voice on Healthcare virtual forum to hear the stories of our neighbors who are directly impacted by the for-profit healthcare system. ACTION FOUR Tell YOUR story! Using our voices is one of the most powerful things we can do in this movement. If you have a healthcare story you would like to share, please reply to this email (wisconsin@poorpeoplescampaign.org) and a member of the coordinating committee will reach out. Contact us to GET INVOLVED Email wisconsin@poorpeoplescampaign.org

Support human dignity in the workplace. Worker Justice Wisconsin will hold its annual faith labor fundraising breakfast on Thursday, May 4 at 8 am in Madison. Enjoy homemade tamales and baked goods from JustBakery and learn about worker struggles and victories in Wisconsin. Can’t make it? Donations are welcome. Since the inception of International Workers Day, the United States has used the fear of socialism to keep workers from unionizing and organizing for fair working conditions. That decades old fear is slowly dying and it is incumbent upon all of us to shed this divide and conquer tactic and step up to our humanity. ​ The first Labor Day took place in New York City on September 5th, 1882 as a demonstration for worker’s rights. Twelve years later, it was signed into a law as a national holiday to celebrate and honor the working class. World-wide people celebrate May 1 as International Workers Day. Everyday is Labor Day!

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

WNPJ + Weaving the Web Virtual Drop-in Hour + WNPJ’s Annual Organizational Meeting + Vicki’s Pottery Benefit + video of “Stop the F35s” + other statewide events… *********************************************************** VIRTUAL Thurs May 4th 12 noon - 1 pm Weaving the Web - WNPJ 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. Board members Mary Kay and Dena hosting! 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) ******************************************** Saturday, May 6th from 10 am to 1 pm This is our Annual WNPJ Spring Assembly! All welcome to come share their social justice & just transition success stories! We'll be meeting at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve near LaFarge or you can join us via ZOOM!. This is our chance to hear about the activities of Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice member groups; form a nominating committee for Officers and WNPJ Board member recruitment; and to conduct any necessary Network business. Snacks provided. Please rsvp here! https://forms.gle/5cM11pDV1BBatQp36 It's an outreach event, too, as we will be inviting Driftless area member groups and their affiliates to speak about environmental and other issues they share in common. More details here! Questions? Contact WNPJ at info@wnpj.org. ******************************************** Pottery by WNPJ Board Member Vicki Berenson Sunday, May 7, 2023, 11:00am – 5:00pm, 1834 Rutledge Street, Madison Look for Vicki at the Marquette-Atwood Neighborhood Art Walk! ceramicantics.com Proceeds from Vicki’s sales will benefit the Wisconsin Network for Peace & Justice ************** The F35s are due to arrive in Madison on Tuesday, May 2nd. There's a new 12-minute "Stop the F35" film available for you to learn more from Safe Skies Clean Water WI: https://youtu.be/SZxLkZbgkxY ************************************** Upcoming Events this week for some of our 75 WNPJ groups: (Read about additional future events here: https://www.wnpj.org/event-calendar) MILWAUKEE Mon May 1st, 11 am MAY DAY MARCH WITH VOCES DE LA FRONTERA. Meet at the Voces de la Frontera Offices on Mitchell St near 6th St. PEACE ACTION WI will have a solidarity contingent. Contact info@peaceactionwi.org VIRTUAL Mon May 1st, 7 - 8:15 pm 350.org Meeting - Learning from Water Protectors in Minnesota. Join 350 Wisconsin to hear two volunteers from Waadookawaad Amikwag (Anishinaabemowin for Those Who Help Beaver) talk about efforts to monitor and document the ongoing damage done by the construction of the Line 3 replacement pipeline (now operating as Line 93). 7 - 8:15 pm Learn how Indigenous respect for water and community science have come together in this grassroots effort to uncover what Enbridge is trying to hide in Minnesota. Our speakers, Victoria McMillen and Jami Gaither, will share findings of damage to lands and waters far beyond what is reported by Enbridge and the state agencies charged with protecting the environment and controlling pollution. The hope is to hold polluters like Enbridge and all responsible state and federal agencies accountable for remediation of our watersheds. VIA ZOOM: Register in advance for the meeting here: https://350wisconsin.org/monthly-meetings/ MADISON Wed May 3rd, 6pm Radicals & Progressives Meet & Eat. At the Maharani Restaurant 380 W. Washington. The public is welcome, bring your concerns, insights and projects. Some on-street parking and two nearby parking decks available. For more info email amagavioion@gmail.com or call Allen at 608-231-3015. https://maharanimadisonwi.com RACINE Wed May 3rd, 7 - 8 pm An Evening with Matt Rothschild: Campaign Finance Laws.....at the Racine Peace and Justice Coalition Meeting. Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church Office, 6th Street. Matt Rothschild has been the Director of the non-profit group - Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Day care available, if you contact the group before April 18th. Contact: sareynolds42@gmail.com VIRTUAL Wed May 3rd, 8:30 am Core Team Building Unity meeting (Steering Committee) - First Wed. of the Month VIRTUAL Tues May 9th 7 pm Monthly Evening Building Unity “Drop-in” meeting - Second Tues of the Month - Same Zoom link for all of our meetings: https://zoom.us/j/99245031795Meeting ID: 992 4503 1795 One tap mobile: +13126266799,,99245031795# US (Chicago) Any phone: +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) Contact: Timothy Cordon * BuildingUnityWi@gmail.com MADISON Thurs May 4th, 8 – 10 am Worker Justice WI Annual Faith Labor Breakfast. Christ Presbyterian Church (944 E Gorham St) Learn about organizing workplaces. We’ll share homemade tamales and baked goods from JustBakery as we build the power of the coalition! We’re looking forward to seeing you on May 4th! If you’re a union, faith, or social justice organization, contact rebecca@workerjustice.org to learn how to become a WJW sponsor! GET TICKETS ➡️ classy.org/event/annual-faith-labor-breakfast/e474477🎟 www.workerjustice.org www.facebook.com/workerjusticewi MADISON Sat May 6th, 10 - 11 am "No More Police" Book Discussion - Linden CoHousing 107 Sutherland Ct. Join Families for Justice, Allies for Black Lives, and the Women's International League for Peace & Freedom for an exploratory but facilitated discussion of this new book by abolitionist thought leaders Mariame Kaba and Andrea J. Ritchie. Everyone welcome, even if you don't read the book! More info? Visit the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/475116031333727/. To get the zoom link, reply to: wilpfmadison@gmail.com. 608-609-7961 http://wilpfmadison.org/ APPLETON Sat May 6th, 11 am to noon. Fox Valley Peace Coalition monthly vigil. Houdini Plaza, West Lawrence Street. Bring your signs! Organizer: Ronna Swift - ronnajean61@gmail.com MILWAUKEE Sat May 6th, 7:30 - 9:30 pm Benefit Jam for Casa Maria - The Coffee House. 2717 East Hampshire Street. Bring your voice, instrument, a poem - to benefit Casa Maria Catholic Worker casamariamke@gmail.com SINSINAWA Sun May 7th, 3 - 4 pm Sounds of the Soul Concert - Sinsinawa Mound Center, County Road Z. Enjoy an hour of music from various traditions such as Muslim, Catholic and Jewish. These sounds will be coupled with some brief comments and explanations. A freewill offering is greatly appreciated. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at 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. MADISON May 8th, 7 pm Free Screening of the film ‘The Right to Read’ - Madison College, Goodman South Campus Rm 205, 2429 Perry St. Sponsored by MOSES. We also invite you to partner with us in the work of ensuring that all children in Madison and surrounding communities receive screening for dyslexia. Whether or not you can attend the film screening please reply to let the Education Advocacy Group of MOSES know if you would like to be a part of the collective effort we are building. Contact: Shel Gross <shelgross3@gmail.com .More about this program: The Education Advocacy Group of MOSES invites you to join us in the work of improved literacy education in our community. We have made literacy and specifically the issue of dyslexia a top priority. The reason we have determined this to be our top priority is, in part, because of statements like the following: When a child can’t read, their chances of incarceration, homelessness, and unemployment increase. That’s why Oakland-based NAACP activist Kareem Weaver believes literacy is one of the greatest civil rights issues of our time and is fighting for better reading instruction. “What good is winning the right to vote if we can’t even read the ballot?” Fed up with the bleak reading scores in his own community, Kareem files a petition with the Oakland Unified School District demanding change. You can learn more about MOSES here: https://mosesmadison.org/ Note: This event sent to WNPJ by Shel Gross, a member of Madison Friends Meeting ************************************** If your group would like to get your events posted in the WNPJ weekly e-bulletin – JOIN US! We can then SPOTLIGHT the work you’re doing. 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. 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 Questions? Let us know! info@wnpj.org or see www.wnpj.org

Community advocates, including Tynnetta, sparked gun violence conversations with teens this week. This was part of YOUTH VICTORY WEEK OVER VIOLENCE! The regular curriculum was put on hold at one Milwaukee high school on Monday morning, April 24, so that students could discuss a more pressing issue. Gun violence was the focus inside Milwaukee Excellence Charter High School's gym. Check out this story on FOX6 tv.... https://www.fox6now.com/news/community-advocates-spark-gun-violence-conversations-teens

We're pleased to share with you this newest issue of the Interfaith Peace Working Group newsletter! We believe you will find the articles informative and useful for discussion and study in your congregation/synagogue/mosque or other local faith community. Thank you for reading! –Interfaith Peace Working Group

Today's (April 23, 2023) Wisconsin State Journal reports that Wisconsin has received $4.2 million under a 2022 federal law for gun violence reduction program research. Attorney General Josh Kaul's office is working to hire two grant managers who will coordinate how the funding is spent. Persons interested in these openings can contact the State Department of Justice. ​https://www.doj.state.wi.us/ag/contact https://www.doj.state.wi.us/dms/employment-opportunities Learn more about 3 WNPJ member groups involved with gun violence reduction: Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America WAVE Education Fund Mothers Against Gun Violence

SPOTLIGHT on Worker Justice Wisconsin! Reserve your spot now! Join us for our ✨biggest✨ fundraiser of the year! Worker Justice Wisconsin’s Annual Faith Labor Breakfast is a time for labor, faith, and community organizations to gather and share our collective passion for worker justice. GET TICKETS ➡️ classy.org/event/annual-faith-labor-breakfast/e474477🎟 📅 Thursday, May 4th,🕒 8 -10am - 📍 Christ Presbyterian Church (944 E Gorham St, Madison, WI) Come and connect with allies, hear from our worker members, and learn how to get involved and support rank-and-file immigrant workers as they organize their workplaces. We’ll share homemade tamales and baked goods from Just Bakery as we build the power of the coalition! ******************************************** Saturday, May 6th from 10 am to 1 pm This is our Annual WNPJ Spring Assembly! Snacks provided All welcome to come share their social justice & just transition success stories! We'll be meeting at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve near LaFarge or you can join us via ZOOM!. This is our chance to hear about the activities of Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice member groups; form a nominating committee for Officers and WNPJ Board member recruitment; and to conduct any necessary Network business. Please rsvp here! https://forms.gle/5cM11pDV1BBatQp36 It's an outreach event, too, as we will be inviting Driftless area member groups and their affiliates to speak about environmental and other issues they share in common. More details here! Questions? Contact WNPJ at info@wnpj.org. ******************************************** DONATE a BACKPACK to JustDane! New groups of students are starting at JustBakery, and they are in need of backpacks to carry their laptops and supplies. Consider purchasing one and having it sent to JustBakery: 1708 Thierer Rd., Madison, WI 53704. These are good ones: http://ow.ly/YFoh50NJFh8 Questions? Contact: info@justdane.org ****************** Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups: (Read about more upcoming events here: https://www.wnpj.org/event-calendar) VOLK FIELD Tues Apr 25th, 3:30 - 4:30 pm VIGIL AGAINST THE DRONES. We need YOU there. The vigil at Volk Field is a legal vigil where we will be on public property. As always, it will be a solemn vigil, remembering the victims of US government drone attacks. If you are interested in carpooling to Volk Field from Madison, please contact Bonnie at 608-256-5088. If you can’t come this time, mark your calendar. We usually vigil on the 4th Tuesday of every month. Questions? 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 MADISON & VIRTUAL Tues Apr 25th, 4 - 5 pm Mutual Aid for Health and Wellness - Social Justice Center, Williamson Street. This is an action-oriented workshop toward building care teams as well as a health expense cooperative, in order to meet our health and wellness needs more fully, mutual aid-style. As always, there's lots more, including Communications, HOME Economics, and Dream Time every week, on zoom and usually at Social Justice Center (rsvp if you want to show up in person, just in case). You're welcome at anything, and feel free to request orientations or meetings with your communities or organizations. Just email info@madisonman.coop or call 608 443-8229. MILWAUKEE Tues Apr 25th, 7 - 8 pm Chapter Meeting of VFP #102. Saint John's On The Lake, North Prospect Avenue. Election of officers. Contact vfpchapter102@gmail.com for more information. MINOQUA Wed, Apr 26th, 10 – 5 pm, Joint Finance Committee Hearing 2023 Lakeland Union High School, 9573 State Highway 70. The state of Wisconsin has a biennial budget. The state budget that will govern our state's taxes and spending from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025, was recently proposed by Governor Evers. You can learn more about the biennial budget here. The state legislature is now in control of the budget. The "Joint Committee on Finance" is a team of 16 Senators and Assembly Representatives who will make their own recommendations to the other members of the legislature. As part of that process, the Joint Finance Committee holds hearings, at which any Wisconsinite can speak for (usually) 2 minutes. Contact: David Liners - WISDOM office@wisdomwisconsin.org MADISON Thurs Apr 27th WISDOM Action Day (4/27) at the State Capitol, East Main Street. The day itself will be exciting. Hundreds of us will gather to hear from faith leaders, from members of our organizations, and from people who are impacted by the justice issues we work on. We'll walk together to the State Capitol where we will have a rally on the steps. Then, we will go to speak with the people who represent us in the state legislature, to let them hear our priorities. We need everyone to register for Madison Action Day as soon as possible. There are a lot of reasons to register now. Here are a few: It will help us to know which legislators will be visited by their constituents. When you sign up, we can know who your Assembly Representative and Senator are, and we can be sure they will know you are coming. It helps us to know how many lunches to have! wisdomwisconsin.org https://wisdomwisconsin.org/madison-action-day-2023 office@wisdomwisconsin.org MILWAUKEE Thurs Apr 27th, 12 noon - 1 pm ANTI GUN VIGIL. Dunham's Sports, 2550 South 108th Street, West Allis. Guns are made to do violence to others. We are called to be nonviolent. From Casa Maria Catholic Worker House casamariamke@gmail.com MADISON Fri Apr 28th, 8:30 am – 5:15 pm Minority and Ethnic Politics in and from the Middle East – Annual Middle East Studies Conference. UW-Madison, Memorial Union (800 Langdon St.) Featuring outstanding scholars from around the US discussing the historical background, sociopolitical realities, and challenges facing religious, ethnic, and other minorities in the region. Free and open to the public. For details and to register, visit: https://mideast.wisc.edu/upcoming-events/mespspringconference2023/ Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop jepeck@wisc.edu SINSINAWA Fri Apr 28th, 5 - 6 pm Arbor Day Hike - Sinsinawa Mound Center, County Road Z. Join us and celebrate Arbor Day at Sinsinawa Mound with a lovely hike through our forests and discuss the arboreal giants that live among us on Friday, April 28, from 5 to 6 p.m. This is an outdoor activity and we will be hiking on and off trail so be sure to bring sturdy hiking boots and weather appropriate clothing. Registration ends April 27 and the fee is $10 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. 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 Apr 29th 9 am - 4 pm Joy of Forgiveness. Sinsinawa Mound. Come on a healing journey through a practical, personal retreat about forgiveness. Sandy Hoenig will be leading this workshop and you’ll identify and process the stages of forgiveness and healing. Along the way, you’ll learn strategies you can use in your personal and/or professional life to avoid or resolve hurtful situations. Registration ends on April 24 and the fee is $75 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at 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. SINSINAWA Sat Apr 29th 10 am - 2 pm “Neutral Ground” Native Lands Tour . Sinsinawa Mound Center, County Road Z. On this tour of native lands, we’ll travel to a number of sites around Fayette, Iowa, where the Ho-Chunk were forced during the so-called neutral ground period of the 19th century on Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We’ll listen to largely untold stories of the land, traveling to the mission school, burial grounds, campsites, Fort Atkinson and sites connected to the great Ho-Chunk chief, Whirling Thunder. You will need access to a vehicle to join our tour caravan and please bring your own lunch. Registration ends April 27 and the fee is $20 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at 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 Apr 29th, 12 noon - 1 pm Weekly Stand for Peace. North Water Street & E St Paul Ave. 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 Sun Apr 30th, 12 noon - 4 pm Madison Really Really Free Market. 504 S. Brearly St. Do you have items, clothing, books, food, seeds, skills, gifts, talents, services, love, listening, etc. of value that you're willing to give away freely? Could you use some support, community and/or aid right about now? Join us at the Madison Really Really Free Market, where we can support each other and our community at a pop-up market, for free. Really, for free? Really, really. Free!!! Nothing at this market is bought or sold! Any and all forms of sharing and aid welcome. For more info, contact jepeck@wisc.edu or see https://www.facebook.com/events/245557614704660/?ref=newsfeed VIRTUAL Sun Apr 30th, 3 - 4 pm Mission Forward - 175 years and counting. Interactive Virtual Events Join the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa as we host interactive, virtual prayer and conversation events for you to reconnect with our Sisters and learn more about our capital campaign. Register for one or more of our virtual gatherings at https://forms.gle/mhkxvB8LCB1ZmanTA. Please share this link with other classmates, friends, or family members who might also want to join us.​ We look forward to seeing you soon! For more information, contact the Office of Philanthropy at (608) 748-4411. VIRTUAL Mon May 1st, 7 - 8:15 pm 350.org Meeting - Learning from Water Protectors in Minnesota. Join 350 Wisconsin to hear two volunteers from Waadookawaad Amikwag (Anishinaabemowin for Those Who Help Beaver) talk about efforts to monitor and document the ongoing damage done by the construction of the Line 3 replacement pipeline (now operating as Line 93). 7 - 8:15 pm Learn how Indigenous respect for water and community science have come together in this grassroots effort to uncover what Enbridge is trying to hide in Minnesota. Our speakers, Victoria McMillen and Jami Gaither, will share findings of damage to lands and waters far beyond what is reported by Enbridge and the state agencies charged with protecting the environment and controlling pollution. The hope is to hold polluters like Enbridge and all responsible state and federal agencies accountable for remediation of our watersheds. VIA ZOOM: Register in advance for the meeting here: To learn more: https://350wisconsin.org/monthly-meetings/ MILWAUKEE Mon May 1st 11 am MAY DAY MARCH WITH VOCES DE LA FRONTERA. Meet at the Voces de la Frontera Offices on Mitchell St near 6th St. PEACE ACTION WI will have a solidarity contingent. Contact info@peaceactionwi.org Looking Ahead! VIRTUAL Wed. May 31st 3:00 – 5:00 pm Uniting for Wisconsin’s Civic Health – virtual introductory workshop! Are you, or is someone you know, interested in stronger Wisconsin communities, bridging across difference, and deepening and broadening civic engagement? Or, already working on a project to improve your community? If so, we invite you to participate in a state-wide conversation. This is part of the Civic Health of Wisconsin Initiative and will be facilitated by Urban Rural Action, which has experience supporting constructive dialogue and collaboration in a diverse range of U.S. communities. For more info and to apply for this program, visit: https://www.uraction.org/wisconsin.html . Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop – jepeck@wisc.edu ********************************************** Read about all of these events and many more on our events page: https://www.wnpj.org/event-calendar And if your group would like to get your events posted in the weekly e-bulletin – JOIN US! https://www.wnpj.org/membership Interested in a yard sign? WNPJ has yard signs available! yardsigns@wnpj.org WNPJ member groups can sign up for a Saturday opportunity to TABLE at the Madison Farmers Market – this Spring and summer at the Capitol Square. The Farmers Market opening date is April 15th – 7 am to 1 pm …and runs through the Fall on Saturdays. Sign up for your spot today! Bring your own table and hand-outs to the King Street corner of the Square, next to the VFP #25 table! Questions? Contact info@wnpj.org ******************************************************************* See our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WisNPJ/ "Like" us and follow us!

On Earth Day, consider how militarism affects our environment Everything is connected to everything else, as environmentalists have said for centuries. Barry Commoner called it the first law of ecology. That’s true of nature and the ecosystem, but it also applies to humans, who don’t operate independently from the world around us. Earth Day is a time to reflect on the impact humans have on the environment and on how war and militarism are connected to and responsible for the biggest threat to the ecosystem and the world’s population — climate change. War has always brought environmental destruction, starting with the ancient practice of salting the land after a city was conquered and razed, to poison the enemy’s earth. Now we poison it on a much larger scale. Dresden, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki were 20th century horrors as modern warfare and weapons reached new heights of inhumanity. Then came Vietnam, which combined devastating weaponry with chemical poisons. Sen. Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day’s founder and an early opponent of the war, was horrified. In 1972, introducing a bill requiring a full-scale study of ecological damage, he cataloged it: An area the size of Rhode Island flattened and scraped bare of foliage. Prime forest acreage the size of Massachusetts destroyed by 100 million pounds of poisonous herbicides. Twenty-three million huge craters, 49 feet across and 26 feet deep, created by 500-pound bombs, with tonnage amounting to three pounds for every person on Earth – 8 billion pounds. Destruction of 80% of timber forests and 10% of all cultivated land in the nation. “That is what we have done to our ally, South Vietnam.,” he said. “The huge areas destroyed, pockmarked, scorched and bulldozed resemble the moon and are no more productive. There is nothing in the history of warfare to compare with it. A ‘scorched earth’ policy has been a tactic of warfare throughout history, but never before has a land been so massively altered and mutilated that vast areas can never be used again or even inhabited by man or animal. This is impersonal, automated and mechanistic warfare brought to its logical conclusion – utter, permanent, total destruction. The cold, hard and cruel irony of it all is that South Vietnam would have been better off losing to Hanoi than winning with us.” And that is what happened three years later. The endless wars of the 21st century have continued the devastation. A Brown University report found the U.S. war in Afghanistan alone caused the emission of 1.2 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases. But U.S. military operations are just part of the equation. The U.S. is responsible for 37% of the global arms trade. Militarism destroys the environment and fuels climate change even when there is no active war. It is now a global, existential problem that worsens every day, with the U.S. playing a leading role. The U.S. military is the world’s largest consumer of gas and oil and one of the biggest polluters ever. A local example: The F-35 fighter jets to be based at Madison’s Truax Field burn 22 gallons of jet fuel per minute, 1,340 gallons an hour. In a year, operations at Truax would produce 21,741 tons of greenhouse gases, the Air Force stated in an environmental impact statement. And that’s just a flyspeck compared with total Pentagon pollution. The Biden administration’s Pentagon budget request for 2024 was $842 billion. By the time Congress passes it, it will likely be $1 trillion or more. And it comes at the expense of programs that could actually fight climate change and reduce the U.S. contribution to the global threat. In the last fiscal year, Wisconsin taxpayers paid $11.7 billion in Pentagon taxes, including $201 million for the F-35. Those tax dollars could have funded 67,907 clean energy jobs for a year or provided solar electricity to 43 million households, according to the National Priorities Project. It is about priorities and choices. The late, great Wisconsin Sen.Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day, recognized that 53 years ago. In his speech at UW-Madison on the eve of the first Earth Day in 1970, Nelson made it clear he saw the movement as broadly focused. “Our goal is not to forget about the worst environments in America — in the ghettos, in Appalachia and elsewhere,” he said. “Our goal is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all human beings and all other living creatures — an environment without ugliness, without ghettos, without poverty, without discrimination, without hunger and without war. Our goal is a decent environment in its deepest and broadest sense. “The battle to restore a proper relationship between man and his environment, between man and other living creatures, will require a long, sustained, political, moral, ethical and financial commitment far beyond any commitment ever made by any society in the history of man. Are we able? Yes. Are we willing? That’s the unanswered question.” So far, the answer has been no. Published in the WI Examiner. Photo credit to Isiah Holmes. https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2023/04/21/on-earth-day-consider-how-militarism-affects-our-environment/