In effort to raise awareness of the lack of commutations of sentences in the state of Wisconsin, WISDOM is seeking a case to lift up to the attention of the public and the Governor’s office. It is our hope that bringing to light a specific individual will help urge Governor Evers to establish a Commutations Committee to begin to review cases of disproportionate sentencing. If you would like to present your incarcerated loved one as a possible candidate for the initial publication, send the following information to commutationsubcommittee@gmail.com by March 24th, 2023. Please note that if your loved one is not selected for this initial campaign, we may still reach out to you for future publications. Please note: Eligible candidates have not yet had their first parole review Full name, DOC number and current institution name Age at time the crime was committee Exact crime(s), sentence length(s) and sentencing date Parole eligibility date and length of time incarcerated, so far List of all programs completed (include certificates if available) List of all conduct reports and dates received with a brief description of the incident (include images of the reports) Other evidence that the individual has been rehabilitated (letters from judges, DOC documentation, etc.) Your name and the best number to reach you at, should we need further information during the selection process In Solidarity, David Liners wisdomwisconsin.org

Mark Peters, faith organizer for Voces de la Frontera and a member of the Dane Sanctuary Coalition Advocacy Committee, had this letter to the editor published in the Milwaukee State Journal. Way to go, Mark! https://madison.com/opinion/letters/all-deserve-access-to-drivers-license----mark-peters/article_af64daf7-7df3-5385-8379-87708ee16464.html (3/12/2-23) Until 2007, all Wisconsin residents could obtain driver licenses and state IDs regardless of immigration status. But in the wake of a federal law passed in 2006 limiting the REAL ID to citizens and legal residents, the Wisconsin Legislature passed Act 126 requiring a Social Security number to obtain or renew a license or ID. With support across party lines from business, community and religious groups, Gov. Tony Evers has twice attempted to restore licenses regardless of status. But he was blocked by Republican leaders. An estimated 32,000 state residents, many with children who are U.S. citizens, are unable to drive legally to work, school, or the doctor. Immigration and Customs Enforcement targets unlicensed drivers for detention and deportation, separating hundreds of immigrant families. We all benefit by allowing workers to get to their jobs legally. Our roads are safer through increased driver education and licensure, access to auto insurance and stronger penalties for reckless driving. Drivers licenses for all will provide access to economic opportunities, make families stronger and connect more people to their communities. As people of faith, this is a moral issue. For citizens, we hope this is a matter of good sense. Mark Peters, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice wisconsinfaithvoicesforjustice.org

With every passing day it seems our one and only world moves closer to nuclear holocaust. Hopefully common sense will prevail and we will edge back from the brink. But there is something significant we can do right now here in Madison to achieve some semblance of security. We can stop the F-35 nuclear-capable fighter jets from being stationed at Truax Field, which experts say would make Madison a nuclear target. But time is running out. The killer jets are scheduled to arrive this coming May, so we only have two months to turn the tide. We need all hands on deck if we are to succeed. We need to exert as much public pressure as possible on our Governor, County Executive and Senator Baldwin. These are the three people who have the power to prevent this abomination. Safe Skies wants to implement two general strategies which we will briefly summarize here. Strategy 1: Save Our Children Campaign There are 59 schools and daycares within three miles of Truax Field! A substantial body of scientific research indicates that military jet noise can result in hearing disruption and hearing loss, which affects children’s attention, concentration and memory. This impacts their reading and math comprehension, which can cascade into poor overall academic performance and lack of motivation. Chronic exposure to high levels of aircraft noise can also exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adults. Year after year, Wisconsin posts the worst academic achievement gaps in the nation between black and white students. Even the US Air Force admits the F-35s will have a disproportionate impact on low-income students and children of color. Governor Evers (the former Wisconsin Superintendent of Schools) says he is very concerned about the ability of our children to learn, as well as their mental health. We need to demand that the Governor’s deeds match his words. The Save Our Children Campaign is intended to educate and motivate the public concerning the real danger our children face, and to build our base to pressure our public officials. We want to focus on schools, parent groups, faith groups and neighborhood associations. We are making a video about the impact of jet noise on infants and children, which we can share with these groups at public presentations. Strategy 2: Nonviolent Direct Action You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. – Martin Luther King Jr., Why We Can't Wait Rooted in grassroots “people power,” nonviolent social movements have been a powerful means for ordinary people to act on their deepest values and to successfully challenge immoral and unjust social conditions and policies, despite the determined resistance of entrenched powerholders. – Bill Moyer In brief, if the Governor and the Senator refuse to meet with us and take our concerns and grievances to heart, we need to raise the stakes. That means disruption of the status quo. This is not the time to be shy or meek. It is time to be bold and courageous. Whether you are more comfortable reaching out to others to get them involved, helping to disrupt the status quo, or offering support to disruptors, all are equally important right now. You may want to consider venturing outside of your comfort zone. Safe Skies and Midwest Catholic Workers will be hosting a major event, the Faith & Resistance Gathering, from March 24th to 27th. (See the notice on our website for more details.) Whether you want to help recruit people to participate, or help plan direct action, both are important and it would be great if you can do both. Whatever your skills, talents and passions are, we need you now! Are you an artist? We need you. Are you a musician? We need you. Are you a writer? We need you. Are you a public speaker? We need you. Are you a strategic planner? We need you. Are you a teacher? A student? A caring and concerned parent? We need you. Are you an attorney? We need you. Do you have media connections? We need you. Are you a philanthropist? We need you and your money. I think you get the idea. We need you now. Come June, July and August, you can go fishing or to the beach. (Just watch out for the PFAS.) We need you right now! Please call or email our organizer, Tom Boswell, and we will connect you to other people and get you involved. tomboswell2002@yahoo.com – 608/718-7312 safeskiescleanwaterwi.org

In these unprecedented times, it is imperative that we find creative ways to collaborate and invite more people to champion democratic values. And this is what we intend to do. On March 18th at the Wisconsin Heights High School in Mazomanie, the Wisconsin Grassroots Network (WGN) has developed a series of three-breakout sessions devoted to organizational collaboration at its annual WI Grassroots Festival. Using the experiences of New Hampshire where 50 statewide and regional groups are working together on legislative and policy issues. They have written and successfully passed legislation. We will examine the potential for this model to work in Wisconsin . . . or for Wisconsin to create its own collaborative solution for improved communication, coordination, and issue/policy development and promotion. Representatives from New Hampshire will be present for these sessions. And look for WNPJ member groups at the March 18th event, too: The Madison Raging Grannies will be singing & Family Farm Defenders will have a table and facilitate a table discussion about 'Why Everyone Should Care About the Farm Bill'. jepeck@wisc.edu Our time is running short to build a more unified approach to keep Wisconsin the proud, progressive, and equal justice state we all once knew. We thank you for your concern about our democracy, and look forward to seeing you on the 18th of March. More information? Contact: Rev, John Stanley - WGN Events Coordinator and Co-chair https://wigrassrootsnetwork.org/2023-festival-registration/ ********************************** Here is your chance to “Advocate for hunger relief, climate justice, and clean water in the Wisconsin State Budget”. Join the ‘Wisconsin and Faith in Place’ day of action, cosponsored by many groups, including member group First United Methodists – Church and Society Comm.. The event is in Madison, Tuesday, March 21 – from 09:30 am to 2:15 pm. Meet at the First United Methodist Church, 203 Wisconsin Avenue, Madison. (lunch included) and from there, participants will go over to the Capitol. There is no charge but any donation would be welcome on the day of the event to help defray costs. Register here: https://www.loppw.org/evrplus_registration/?action=evrplusegister&event_id=9 ********************************************* Urgent request for an action against asylum ban. Take action before March 27! The Biden Administration has proposed a new rule that will drastically reduce the ability of people to seek asylum in the United States. This new rule will deny asylum to people who entered at anything other than a legal point of entry. It also will refuse asylum to any who apply at a legal point of entry, if they did not have an appointment. They also must first apply for asylum in countries they may have traveled through on their way to the United States. This does not take into account that many of those countries may pose as much danger to the asylum-seeker as the country they are fleeing, that many of these countries have years-long backlogs of asylum seekers, and that some countries have no asylum process at all. There are very limited exceptions to these requirements, that are very difficult to prove. There is a 30-day public comment period whereby the public can send in their comments on this proposed rule. Time is short! The deadline is March 27. It is important that each comment be unique, so please add your own thoughts, personal story, faith values, or anything you want to add to personalize your comments. You can use this link from HIAS to make your comment. https://act.hias.org/page/49543/survey/1 Action Alert from Rabbi Bonnie Margulis of Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice and Dane Sanctuary Coalition .608-513-7121 ****************************** Books needed for Wisconsin Books for Prisoners: John Peck, member of the WNPJ Board, and Camy Matthay, active with the WNPJ member group, Wisconsin Books to Prisoners, were interviewed for the recent story on WPR - https://www.wpr.org/magic-gathering-manuals-books-banned-wisconsin-prisons-expo-reading. Check it out. Learn more about WI Books to Prisoners and how you can donate your books: https://www.wnpj.org/member-organizations-list/wi-books-to-prisoners wisconsinbookstoprisoners.org wisconsinbookstoprisoners@gmail.com ********************************************************** Save the Date! Saturday, May 6th. This is our Annual WNPJ Spring Assembly! All welcome to come share their social justice & just transition success stories! We'll be meeting at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve near LaFarge (and providing a zoom/recorded event option). This is our chance to hear about the activities of Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice member groups; form a nominating committee for Officers and WNPJ Board member recruitment; and to conduct any necessary Network business. It's an outreach event, too, as we will be inviting Driftless area member groups and their affiliates to speak about environmental and other issues they share in common. Watch for details! If you'd like to be involved with planning, contact the WNPJ at info@wnpj.org. ********************************************* Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups: (Read about more upcoming events here: https://www.wnpj.org/event-calendar) MADISON Tues March 14th, 6:30 - 7:30 pm Peregrine Forum - on "Tania, the Unforgettable Guerrilla". Madison Central Public Library, 201 W Mifflin St, 1st Fl. Conference Rm. There will be a presentation with some film clips on the story of a young German woman who went to Cuba in the 1960s to support that revolution. In 1967 she joined Che Guevara in Bolivia and was killed along with him and most of his guerilla group in the Bolivian jungle by the Bolivian military and the American CIA. FREE. For more info call 608-284-9082 or email: dvdwilliams51@tds.net VIRTUAL Tues Mar 14th, 7 - 8:30 pm March Distinguished Lecture on Refugee Resettlement in Wisconsin and Dane County with UNA USA Dane County. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86228895403?pwd=SEFYMUllSFRWWFEzejZhSmcybEYrQT09 Speakers: Kristen Olsen, Refugee Programs Coordinator, Bureau of Refugee Programs, Wisconsin - Department of Children and Families and Becca Schwartz, Resettlement Director, Jewish Social Services of Madison .Hope to see you Tuesday! unausadanecounty@gmail.com VIRTUAL Tues Mar 14th, 7 - 8 pm An Evening with the Poetry of Mary Oliver via zoom from Sinsinawa. Facilitated by Sister Priscilla Wood, OP. Mary Oliver, probably the most popular American poet of the last 25 years, explores through her poetry the natural and spiritual worlds in ways that amaze, puzzle, engage and intrigue her readers. Join us for a lively conversation around a diverse group of her poems. Registration ends March 13 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. VIRTUAL Tues Mar 14th, 7 - 8 pm Building Unity General Evening Meeting via zoom. Building Unity Wisconsin invites all to help with your input for the continuing Tour for Democracy and Justice! You can use the same Zoom link for all of our meetings: https://zoom.us/j/99245031795. Meeting ID: 992 4503 1795 One tap mobile: +13126266799,,99245031795# US (Chicago) Any phone: +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) buildingunitywisconsin.org or buildingunitywi@gmail.com MILWAUKEE Thurs March 16th 12 noon to 1 pm Anti-ROTC Vigil at Marquette U. Library on Wisconsin Ave. Coordinated by Casa Maria Catholic Worker VIRTUAL Wed Mar 15th 6 -8 pm Screening of Just Vision’s new documentary, Boycott. Sponsored by The National Lawyers Guild. Following the screening, we look forward to hosting a Q&A with the film’s Director Julia Bacha and movement attorneys Meera Shah Palestine Legal and Lauren Regan from the Civil Liberties Defense Center. Click here to RSVP. Upon registering, you will receive an email with a unique Zoom link to join the screening and discussion. Sent to WNPJ by Art Heitzer artheitzer@gmail.com EAU CLAIRE Fri Mar 17th, 5 - 6 pm Monthly Stand for Peace. Meet at Wisconsin 93 Trunk & Golf Road. The 3rd Friday of each month is Peace Stand time in Eau Claire, going on since 2004. We gather with signs, we visit one another and sometimes we sing. Contact for more information: helpsmeet@usa.net VIRTUAL and in MADISON Sat and Sun Mar 18th – 19th HUMANs Solidarity Summit + 608 Arts/Madison MAN gathering* . Join us for an in-person gathering during the HUMANs global Solidarity Summit. If you’re in Madison – join us in the evening at the Social Justice Center! Learn more by going to the WNPJ events page: https://www.wnpj.org/event-calendar - and looking for this event on March 18th. The whole summit is on zoom but our local gathering will be in person. Organizer: steph@stephanierearick.com SINSINAWA Sat Mar 18th, 9 am to noon - Workshop on Journaling: The Journey Inward. Mary Ellen Green, OP, will be leading a journaling retreat at Sinsinawa Mound. Our unconscious is like the bulk of a huge iceberg whose small tip is all we see. Ever want to go deeper? Journaling is a good way. Whether it is new to you or a continuation of past practice, come and share the experience with us. Registration ends March 16 and the fee is $25 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 Mar 18th, 12 noon - 1 pm Peace Action WI Weekly 'Stand for Peace'. Meet at Farwell & Brady. 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 STEVENS POINT Sat Mar 18th, 1 pm Building Unity Wisconsin Tour for Justice and Democracy/ Watch for details of where the meeting will take place. buildingunitywisconsin.org or buildingunitywi@gmail.com. Remember to vote: General Election - April 4. Upcoming meetings: Sat. 3/25 - State Supreme Court Candidate Forum - Eau Claire Area - Location: TBD - 1:00 PM Sat. 4/1 - State Supreme Court Candidate Forum in La Crosse Area - Location: TBD - 1:00 PM Sun. 4/2 - Tues. 4/4 - “Get-out-the-Vote for Justice Rallies” on the way to and in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Times and Locations: TBD - More info: https://buildingunitywisconsin.org/ SINSINAWA MOUND Sun Mar 19th, 1 - 4 pm Art Gallery Reception for the Exhibit: Getting Lost in Driftless Beauty. Artist Jenna Lueck is from Northeast Iowa and truly appreciates the scenery in this area. The Driftless Area Skyscapes Series features some of the amazing sunrises, sunsets and just beautiful sky scenes that we get to witness almost daily in the Driftless area. The peaceful and intriguing landscape is never one to disappoint! Jenna’s art will be on display from March 8 to May 8. 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. Read about all of these events and many more on our events page: https://www.wnpj.org/event-calendar And if yourgroup 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 ******************************************************************* See our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WisNPJ/ "Like" us and follow us!

Would you like to attend the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair? For the past 32 years the Energy Fair in Custer, Wisconsin has helped many people learn about renewable energy and sustainable living. It’s an incredible networking experience and WNPJ has been there nearly every year sharing the efforts of our peace and justice organizations and welcoming people to take a step towards activism. This year the event will take place June 23-25. Once again WNPJ will have a booth and we are inviting you to join us. We are looking for members who can commit some time to tabling and greeting people. As a volunteer you will be given a pass and the ability to scope out the various offerings at the fair. If this is your year to return to the MREA Fair or maybe be there for the first time, we will be happy to have you. Campsites are available. Please contact: office@wnpj.org with questions or the times you are available to help. Let’s have some fun!

John LaForge of the WNPJ member group Nukewatch reflects on his completed 50-day Prison Sentence in Germany (letter below) Dear Nukewatch friends, colleagues, comrades, My incarceration in Germany was short compared to the other prisoners I met and got to know. The “open prison” at Glasmoor, 45 minutes from Hamburg, was a great relief from the conditions at the U.S. jails and prisons I’ve experienced. I wrote this general greeting just before being released February 28. Now I’m back home with Marion [my wife] at her flat in Hamburg and we’re looking forward to the ICAN conference in Oslo March 9 and 10. The six weeks in the very-minimum security Glasmoor prison camp, after my first week of corona quarantine in solitary at the regular prison at Billwerder, were challenging because of my terribly poor German language skills. It was difficult to follow orders, but in my defense, I’m not so good at that in any language. Luckily, most of the official commands were meant for others and were merely annoying to anyone trying to read or sleep. After a while, I learned to recognize the drift of what was being demanded, or, alternately, understood that that message was gibberish. On the morning of Tuesday, January 10, when I went inside the great wall of Billwerder prison in Hamburg, Marion and her colleagues had organized a brief send-off rally directly in front of the entrance. Peaceniks from the area turned out to hear a few short speeches and to say ‘see you later’ to me. (On February 15, I got a note from a friend in Hamburg who signed off saying, “See you when you get out, that is if they let you out.”) My friend Greg Klave said about a photo of me heading toward Billwerder’s imposing 30-foot poured concrete wall, that I looked like I was going on a camping expedition. He might have been projecting, because all the two of us have been doing regularly since 1978 is adventuring in the wilderness in canoes. It is true that this particular “portage” was an adventure of a new and different kind. With a rally just outside the gate, I wondered about the possible reaction of some of the U.S. prison authorities I’ve met. I thought that perhaps such an event wouldn’t be looked on as something jovial by the gatekeepers, but as it turned out, the officials inside the wall didn’t appear to have noticed the event. My first eight days at Billwerder were strangely quiet and contemplative, since the Covid rules required a five-day “quarantine.” This meant solitary confinement, which meant a 3D-floor cell with no books or reading materials. Why books were forbidden was never explained. The prohibition seemed ridiculous, since the authorities allowed me to wear my own clothes and bring in paper, pens, stamps, and envelopes. So, for a week in a very modern and well-furnished cell, I wrote notes and letters, gazed out the window overlooking the prison yard, did some light exercise, made countless cups of tea using the provided electric hot pot, and (as our teacher Mr. Albert Fenske used to suggest to his students), contemplated the nature of reality. Garbled announcements in German blared from the intercom, and I missed most of the fine points. On the first morning I thought that I’d lost out on breakfast by not responding to what sounded like “gzhwaunschmaltschtz” over the air. It turned out that no breakfast is delivered. The food was delivered once a day in a presentation that included a hot meal in a covered tin around 11:30 a.m., and a plastic bag full of sliced bread, cheese, condiments, packaged jelly, sugary yogurt or pudding, and a piece of fruit. The bagged items constituted our evening meal and the following day’s breakfast. In my roomy single cell, I had a writing desk, a big window, a closet, two book shelves, a semiprivate washroom set behind a pair of knee walls, and an electric hot pot. The window was inside a set of steel bars, but opened to the inside and accessed some outside air. The outer window sill between the glass and the bars was good for keeping cheese and yogurt chilled. I was annoyed that I’d gotten no fresh air time out of the solitary cell in three days, when, on the third day, I was escorted to a 36’-by-60’ pen that had poured-concrete walls about 15’ high, for a one-hour bit of outdoor time. I walked around and around by myself, kicking pebbles off the concrete walk and thinking of my old dad who would argue about the absurdity of my chosen style of protest and resistance. There was no denying at that point that he was on to something about the absurd. Beckett wrote “we always find something to give us the impression that we exist.” but maybe he could have written “we usually” do. Between January 10th and 17th, that was the only time I was outside in the air. This is officially some sort of a rule violation since a few people have told me that regulations stipulate every prisoner is supposed to get one hour out of the cell every day. I penned a note to our friendly attorney in Bonn, but in the big scheme of things my stay was not bad for an introvert. I told my friend, A. Powell, that there was no torture, but that they do try and reduce the prison population by boring us to death. On the Tuesday the 17th I was transferred by bus to the very-low-security JVA Glasmoor “open prison,” so-called because the place allows prisoners a certain amount of time, between Friday and Sunday afternoons, off the grounds to be with family or friends. Designed for prisoners at the end of long sentences and preparing to return to the streets, this co-ed joint (250 men, 20 women) is modern, clean, humanely administered, and conscientiously respectful in its treatment of inmates. Everyone is addressed as Mr. or Ms., and the guards seem well adjusted rather than sour, angry, distrustful, and full of spite like in the U.S. slammers I’ve been to. The four-person cells in Building 1 where I was assigned each have a private shower, and a small kitchen with a little fridge, and a hot pot for tea and coffee, and two cells with two beds each, and doors that close with keys given to us. The police can come in with universal keys and make unannounced “control” searches (and do so on a seemingly random basis), but don’t seem overly bent on finding anything other than the seriously verboten cell phone. My first two cellies are finishing up 5 and 8-year bits for drug trafficking. “R” immediately shook hands upon my arrival, didn’t seem to mind my interruption of his and the M’s “space.” He began calling me “brother” immediately, and said all the food in the fridge and the cupboards was free for the taking, to help myself, and to make myself at home. Since he knew I arrived without any food, he began cooking for me from the things he got through commissary. The food system here is the same as Billwerder, with a hot tin and a bag of bread and other things once a day. Prisoners with means can order on Tuesdays from a dictionary-length commissary list written in 9-point type, and pick up the goods on Thursdays. I messed up my first week’s order and was dependent on R another week until finally I was able to contribute to the food supply. After a week, one cellie moved to another building and so our unit had a lot of room, and we each have had our own sleeping room with three lights we control, a large south-facing window, two bookshelves, a closet, and a writing desk. In the little kitchen, we cook together most of the time, although he explained he has to eat alone in his cell because of his experience of 2-and-1/2 years of solitary confinement. If R’s stories are true, he’s a former body guard and ‘heavy’ for a Colombian drug cartel who’s worked as a hired gun in Colombia, Mexico, Russia, Israel, and Switzerland. He tells me flabbergasting stories of his life. Born in Iran but with a German passport, R said he completely understands my refusal to pay the courts “any goddamn money,” shaking my hand and saying “great respect, my brother.” In spite of becoming friends, I don’t think I’ll be joining him in the Hells Angels, the Aryan Brotherhood, or even getting a tattoo any time soon. After a few days of extra space, a short-term inmate who speaks Polish and German but no English, joined us in the cell. The three of us got along cooking meals together that were heavy on pasta, rice, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. The bread supply from the prison is generous so everybody not on an exercise program gains weight pretty easily. Like many U.S. joints, there is a price that prisoners pay for the privilege of 24 weekend ‘holiday’ trips away every year. Here, we are obliged to toil for 7 hours Monday-Thursday, and 4 hours Friday, at light industrial hand work given to us in a large heated garage. For most of the time, I sit with five or six others around a large table placing small items in small Ziplock bags. Later, 50 of the bags get counted out and put in a cardboard box that gets taped shut and ID’d with a sticker. The boxes are then stacked in rows on pallets which are later wrapped about 2,000 times by a mechanized Saran wrap device, and then fork lifted out to a beautiful post-and-beam barn which is built like Fort Knox. On February 14, we put labels on small boxes, covering up wrongly placed labels. This meant unwrapping then unpacking whole forklift loads of these little boxes, relabeling them all, and then replacing them in stacks of pallets for the forklift. It’s like an exercise routine except that the only result is just carpal tunnel or a nervous condition. The crew is deliberately and comically slow at the work, and we take a break outside every 20 or 30 minutes. I walk across a parking lot to look at the neighbor’s horses while most everyone else smokes cigarettes. One morning I watched the horse whisperer patiently brush a big tan mare from head to toe while the horse watched me. At the work table, there is a lot of kidding and story-telling, mostly coming from R who has the gift. The crew smirks, rolls their eyes, grins, laughs, and groans in disbelief or pushes back with dry rebuttals at the stories he shares. My first day A., who worked as the half-time janitor for the whole room, boldly asked me directly upon seeing a new man, “What’s your name? What are you in for?” When I told him political protest against nuclear weapons, he pointed at me and said, “Greenpeace!” Then, pointing to the work table I’d been assigned to he declared, “Okay, this is the Greenpeace table.” Again, R was my interpreter and guide to the rules in this deeply understated and melancholy world of prison hand work. The evenings have been busy with mail, phone calls, cooking dinner, and corresponding. I did get one whole week without work after I complained a second time to the in-house medical staff about shoulder pain. The first time I got a Thursday and Friday off, and the next time I got a Thursday and Friday and the following week. That allowed for some writing and correspondence. And after two weeks of paperwork and off-property trips, I have earned the privilege of going out from 3 p.m. Friday, until 4:30 p.m. Sunday, spending the time with Marion at her Hamburg flat. One weekend, the two of us made a 4-hour train trip to Cologne for a Campaign Council meeting. I mostly skipped out on the discussion (all in German) but enjoyed an exhibit at a major city museum just down the block. I had to train back to Glasmoor on my own early Sunday, because the meetings continued while I had to be back at open prison. The next Saturday, February 25 th , we trained to Berlin for a large anti-war rally which made international news that reported a crowd of 50,000. We are keeping track of a major anti-war Open Letter on Ukraine from Alice Schwarz, et al., calling for an end to weapons deliveries, a ceasefire, and a start on peace negotiations, which has obtained over 750,000 signatures. The same dilemma of right-wing and left-wing acrimony is splitting anti-war communities in countries all over. The Code Pink Board asked Medea Benjamin not to speak at a rally in D.C., while here there are groups and individuals splitting on the Open Letter over questions about the background of groups or individuals that have already signed. Some are asking others to withdraw their support. But who cares? The War Party does not have to pay attention to open letters or even elected representatives. The open prison system is a major improvement over the half-way-house system in the U.S., and far better than minimum security joints run by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Having been to 21 such U.S. institutions in my life as an anti-war crime fighter (I made a list during my Billwerder solitude), I can say with some confidence that the program at Glasmoor is better than any in the U.S. It does sorely lack educational programs. It has no music or art programming, and the light hand-work factory system is not representative of real world, time-clock settings where crew bosses crack the whip. Thank you for all your letters and cards of support and concern over these last weeks. I am grateful for our extended Anti-Nuclear family! Cheers, John LaForge - Thank you! Nukewatch nukewatchinfo.org www.facebook.com/Nukewatch nukewatch1@lakeland.ws

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From 'Magic the Gathering' to computer coding manuals, these are the books banned in Wisconsin prisons. Hundreds of book titles are banned inside Wisconsin prisons, according to list obtained by Wisconsin Public Radio in response to a public records request. Story by By Sarah Lehr www.wpr.org March 2, 2023 https://www.wpr.org/magic-gathering-manuals-books-banned-wisconsin-prisons-expo-reading John Peck, on the WNPJ Board, and Camy Matthay, active with the WNPJ member group, Wisconsin Books to Prisoners ,were interviewed for the story: "Books, whether escapist or practical, are a lifeline to people behind bars, said John Peck, a volunteer with Wisconsin Books to Prisoners. Jennifer Beil looks through the inventory of Wisconsin Books to Prisoners on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, in Madison, Wis. as volunteers work to fulfill requests from inmates in Wisconsin. Angela Major/WPR "Access to books is sort of considered a privilege in the prisons," Peck said. "Reading is a human right. People should have access to education as a way to better themselves and learn about the world and improve their skills." Wisconsin Books to Prisoners, a nonprofit affiliated with the Madison-based book store called A Room of One's Own, has sent more than 60,000 books to people behind bars since 2006. Those books are mailed in response to letters from incarcerated people who ask for specific titles or topics. "The most common requests include dictionaries and books on trade and job skills", said volunteer Camy Matthay. Wisconsin Books to Prisoners has received denial letters because the free books it sent were deemed to be prohibited, although Matthay said that happens rarely. A box holds receipts for book requests from prisoners Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, in Madison, Wis. A nonprofit called Wisconsin Books to Prisoners maintains those records as part of its mission to send free books to incarcareated people. Angela Major/WPR Learn more about WI Books to Prisoners here: https://www.wnpj.org/member-organizations-list/wi-books-to-prisoners wisconsinbookstoprisoners.org wisconsinbookstoprisoners@gmail.com ps. Camy writes about the article: The author accepted my advice to include the DOC codes so readers could see for themselves what the constraints are regarding the receipt of mail and books. But overall and comparatively the current administration has been very supportive and it clear by the increasing volume of letters that some prison librarians are advertising/championing our project...... AND as a result we need more books and are hoping to encourage more people to do book drives on our behalf.

Cassandra Dixon, contact for the WNPJ member group Mary House, is in Palestine this season, escorting children to and from school. Here is her report from March 5th, followed by her previous report from Feb. 23rd. *************************************************** Hi Friends, (March 5, 2023) "These Children Are Losing their Childhoods to Occupation" One of the most distressing things I see here is the daily impact of the occupation on children. In recent days armed and masked Israeli settlers have been bringing flocks onto cultivated Palestinian land very near the village of Tuba to destroy Palestinian crops, and to continue to lay a claim to more and more Palestinian land. Their presence there has meant that the Palestinian school children from Tuba and Maghyer al Abeed villages are forced to walk through a volatile and confusing scene of armed Israeli settlers, soldiers and police in order to pass between their homes and their school in the village of At Tuwani.. For 15 years children from these villages have walked with an army escort in order to pass the illegal Israeli outpost of Havat Ma’on on their way to school, and even with the escort they are frequently harassed and threatened by settlers. Now the complete failure of the Israeli army and police to address the presence of settlers and flocks on these lands has effectively doubled the length of time the children must walk in the presence of armed settlers, and because the escort tasked with their safety stops inside the outpost they are now forced to walk without protection to reach their homes. Internationals have walked with the children for the portion of the path that the soldiers do not cover, but now due to the presence of settlers, police and army they are unable to meet the children where the army leaves the, and the children are forced to walk the most dangerous path alone. The settlers use of flocks to destroy crops on these Palestinian fields that were planted earlier this spring is both a means of stealing the crops that should be providing food for the owner’s sheep, and a way of stealing large tracts of Palestinian land. By grazing flocks on the land, armed and masked, and claiming it as state land, the settlers are effectively expanding the illegal outpost all the way to the edge of Tuba. In this way they are isolating the village and cutting it off from access to education, commerce and health care by making the path out too dangerous to use. I just don’t have words for how heartbreaking this is, Cassandra E-Mail: maryhousewis@gmail.com Website: http://themaryhouse.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryHouseofHospitality *************************************************** February 23, 2023 Hi friends, Yesterday there was a terrible Israeli military invasion of the Palestinian city of Nablus. At least 11 people have died, and over 100 were wounded, many of them seriously. The dead include a 16 year old child and a 72 year old man. The raid will probably even be in the mainstream news. But western media rarely covers the endless infringements on human rights that are a part of daily life for Palestinians living under occupation. I arrived in the South Hebron Hills at an incredibly sad time, Haroun Abu Aram died earlier this month, 2 years after he was shot and paralyzed by Israeli soldiers while he tried to prevent them from stealing the small generator that provided electricity to his village. At the time he was shot he was 23 years old and about to be married. During the past two days here, settlers have been occupying Palestinian grazing land near Tuba village with a settler flock, harassing Palestinian shepherds and internationals, disrupting and scaring children as they walked to school, and calling in the army, which responded by taking the ID of the Palestinian land owner and doing absolutely nothing to stop the settler harassment. Tuba has lost an enormous amount of land to this kind of settler aggression and army collusion, with the result that now it is impossible to walk safely from there to the nearest village and Palestinian road access in Tuwani, and people are having to kill sheep in order to buy grain to feed flocks that should be safely grazing right now. Families there and in surrounding villages are living with the constant threat of demolition of their homes and agricultural buildings to make way for Israeli use of the land for military training. In the village of Khalet AlDabba there are demolition orders for all of the buildings, including the school. Shortly after I arrived Israeli bulldozers destroyed an olive grove there, as well as a water cistern Im the village of Al Bweibh, and confiscated an entire caravan home near Bani Naim, leaving a demolition order for the well that should have provided that home with water. And throughout the time I’ve been here families trying to travel the short distances between villages have faced military checkpoints and attacks by Israeli settlers. On one recent evening a family returned to Tuwani with damage to their car after passing settlers who had blocked a road and were stoning Palestinian cars and breaking windshields. The car contained a grandmother and a small child who mercifully were unhurt. These events that I happen to have seen in a short time here are such a tiny portion of the loss and stress endured by people and families daily throughout the occupied West Bank. Home demolitions, checkpoints, settler attacks and military raids are constant and relentless here. Thank you so much for caring about people here, Cassandra E-Mail: maryhousewis@gmail.com Website: http://themaryhouse.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryHouseofHospitality

The time to fight for our right to healthcare in Wisconsin is NOW! Wisconsin is one of only a handful of states that has continued to reject additional funds from the federal government to expand Medicaid. Expanding Medicaid will help more low income people access better health care. Learn more here. In addition, we are facing an exacerbated healthcare crisis in which hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites could lose Medicaid coverage that they have been able to continue due to the federal public health emergency (PHE). The PHE has required states to allow people to remain covered by Medicaid - but efforts are underway to end this provision, resulting in catastrophic loss of coverage in our state. We should be moving forward together towards covering as many people in our state with the best access to healthcare possible, not going even one step back by allowing people to be removed from Medicaid. What can you do? Sign WI Poor People’s Campaign’s (PPC) petition to the WI Joint Finance Committee TODAY And SHARE it out to all your contacts and on social media! You can share the link or print a hard copy in English or en Español. If you collect hard copy signatures, please email wisconsin@poorpeoplescampaign.org to make a plan to get the pages delivered. Fill out PPC's ‘Get Involved Form’ to connect about finding a way to be involved. Do you know someone on Medicaid or excluded from Medicaid because you/they make too much money, because of immigration status or any other reason? Please get in touch with the campaign and learn how you can lend your voice and leadership to this fight! Email us at wisconsin@poorpeoplescampaign.org Plan to attend PPC's Healthcare Day of Action at Madison's statehouse Wednesday March 22, 10am. Save the date! More details to come. Register here if you can join us! ************************************************************************************* Action Alert from Voces de la Frontera... Did you hear the good news? On February 14th Governor Evers gave his state budget address, which included a plan to restore access to driver’s licenses for all Wisconsin residents, REGARDLESS of immigration status. He also included other pro-safe roads initiatives like accessible driver’s education and auto insurance. See the video and transcipt here. We applaud Governor Evers for listening to our demands and taking action, grassroots organizing works! Here’s what one member, and immigrant essential worker, Hiram Rabadan from Fond du Lac said: “I want to thank Governor Evers for recognizing me, and so many others like me, who just want to be able to drive without the fear that a routine traffic stop could end in my deportation and our family separation. We’ve been fighting for this right, the simple right to drive to work, to school, to the grocery store, etc. for too long. Gov. Evers is recognizing the urgency to finally restore our ability to drive and allow us to fully participate and contribute back to our communities.” However- This fight isn't over. It is likely that Republicans will challenge the Governor's plan. But, Voces De La Frontera will continue to fight and call on you to join us! The WNPJ Board has signed on to support this work....Has your group? Call your elected officials (click here to find) and let’s make sure this stays in the budget! More information at https://vdlf.org/driver-licenses-for-all/ or see vdlfa@vdlfa.org Alert sent to WNPJ by member group WI Faith Voices for Justice: Bonnie Margulis rabbibonnie@charter.net *************************************** Representatives Barbara Lee (CA) and Mark Pocan (WI) have re-introduced the People Over Pentagon Act in the House of Representatives, which would cut $100-billion from the Pentagon budget. The National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress last December is the largest Pentagon budget ever, at $858 billion, an $80 billion increase over what was authorized in 2021. The USA spends more on its military than the next 9 countries combined. No nation can afford this! Upon introducing the bill, Rep. Lee said “Cutting just $100 billion could do so much good: it could power every household in the U.S. with solar energy; hire 1 million elementary school teachers amid a worsening teacher shortage; provide free tuition for 2 out of 3 public college students; or cover medical care for 7 million veterans.” Over half of the military budget goes directly to for-profit corporations and their executives. According to Rep. Pocan, “We can no longer afford to put these corporate interests over the needs of the American people. It’s time to invest in our communities and make meaningful change that reflects our nation’s priorities.” ASK YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO CO-SPONSOR IT HERE.. Action Alert sent to WNPJ by Milwaukee's Veterans for Peace vfpchapter102@gmail.com ************************************************************ Save the Date! Saturday, May 6th. This is our Annual WNPJ Spring Assembly! All welcome to come share their social justice & just transition success stories! We'll be meeting at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve near LaFarge (and providing a zoom/recorded event option). This is our chance to hear about the activities of Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice member groups; form a nominating committee for Officers and WNPJ Board member recruitment; and to conduct any necessary Network business. It's an outreach event, too, as we will be inviting Driftless area member groups and their affiliates to speak about environmental and other issues they share in common. Watch for details! If you'd like to be involved with planning, contact the WNPJ at info@wnpj.org. ***************************************** Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups: (Read about more upcoming events here: https://www.wnpj.org/event-calendar) Check out events in your community for International Women's Day - Mar. 8th VIRTUAL- Mon. Mar 06, 7:00 - 8:30 pm ‘350 Wisconsin’ Regional planning and climate change - via zoom from Madison. Learn how regional planning can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and foster community climate resilience. Learn how land use planning can address — but not solve — the challenges of climate change. Our speaker, Steve Steinhoff, will share priorities and strategies from a regional planning framework for greater Madison’s growth over the next 30 years. He will share ideas for what climate activists can do to influence land use in our communities. Register in advance for the meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkd-qupz8jHtCx2JikRB3t05iy0Jney9AW https://350wisconsin.org/ VIRTUAL Tues. Mar 7th 12 noon - 3 pm - Celebrating United Nations International Day of Women's Rights. This conference, honoring the United Nations International Day of Women's Rights, is a joint project of the members of the Global Peace Education Network. The conference will be hosted and created by Dr. Guila Clara Kessous, UNESCO Artist for Peace. It features legendary activist/actress Claudia Cardinale, Nobel Laureate human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi, award-winning business coach Carol Kauffman, former US diplomatic advisor Stephenie Foster, Royal Thai sustainability coordinator Pear Wongtitirote, and TPRF Peace Education Program Director Willow Baker. Registration is free of charge. Register here: ​Spanish and French translation available within the Zoom webinar. Sent to WNPJ by WNPJ Board member, Dena Eakles - dena.eakles@gmail.com MADISON - Tues. Mar 7, 5:30 - 7 pm First Ever Chrysalis Storytelling Project event "Building Community, Sharing Hope"! 1342 Dewey Court. We will come together to celebrate stories of hope while we also acknowledge our struggles. This collective learning opportunity will be led by professional storytellers, Jen Rubin and Takeyla Benton. Eight storytelling workshop participants will then present. Sabrina Madison will be our MC for the evening. We invite you to join us at this FREE event. There will be light refreshments, an acapela performance, and of course wonderful stories of HOPE! Click HERE to reserve your spot. https://workwithchrysalis.org/about-us/ MILWAUKEE - Tues. Mar 07 - 6:00 - 7:30 pm Documentary, Dinner & Discussion for Women's History Month. Historic Mitchell Street Library, 906 West Mitchell Street. Screening of MAESTRA, Catherine Murphy's 2012 documentary that explores the experience of nine women who, as young girls, taught on the Cuban Literacy Campaign of 1961. Through current day interviews from in their homes in Havana, archival film footage and still photos, this 33-minute film looks at this moment and how it changed their lives as women. RSVP your intent to come at our Facebook Event. WI Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba. wicuba.org VIRTUAL - Tues. Mar 7, 7 - 8 pm Wheel of Time: Seasonal Festivals, Community Life & Personal Growth via zoom - Sinsinawa Join Eric Anglada, Sinsinawa’s Ecological Programming Coordinator, and Thoureau College’s Director, Jacob Hundt, for Wheel of Time via Zoom. For millennia, humans from cultures around the world lived their lives deeply enmeshed in the rhythms of the seasons. During this time, we’ll have a wide-ranging conversation that will cover seasonal observances from different faith perspectives, possibilities for creating learning opportunities around the wheel of the year, different practices for creating community and alternative education and more! Registration ends on March 6 and the fee is $10 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. MADISON Wed Mar 8m 10 am - 3 pm "Celebrating HERstory" a day of Women's Action in honor of International Women's Day. Co-sponsored by FREE, along with The Wisconsin Coalition for Dignity for Incarcerated Women & Girls. You can register for this event here to join them. They will be meeting at the State Capitol in Madison (Room 400S) on International Women's Day to meet with legislators about issues that affect incarcerated women and girls. They will be discussing the proposed Dignity for Incarcerated Women & Girls Bill; this bill includes multiple pieces of legislation. WISDOM is supporting this event: wisdomwisconsin.org or office@wisdomwisconsin.org MADISON - Wed. Mar 8, 6:30 - 8:30 pm Screening of 'Battleground'. The Marquee Cinema at Union South, West Dayton Street.This is part of the ongoing Social Cinema Series hosted by the Havens Wright Center. Battleground is an urgently timely window into the intersection of abortion and politics in America, following three women who lead formidable anti-abortion organizations to witness the influence they wield. More info? Visit: https://havenswrightcenter.wisc.edu/social-cinema-stories-of-struggle-change/ Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop jepeck@wisc.edu MADISON - Thur. Mar 9, 6-7 pm. "Running Deep - Understanding Water to Understand Our Future" At the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, 330 N Orchard St. Join four leading experts on water and society to explore how water helps us understand the present moment, and how thinking about water differently can help us build a better and more just future. Hosted by UW-Madison’s Holtz Center for Science & Technology Studies. Info? https://sts.wisc.edu/events/category/science-the-public/ Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop jepeck@wisc.edu VIRTUAL Thurs Mar 9, 6:30 pm WISDOM Spring Training - "Telling Your Story" - virtual event. As part of the WISDOM spring training sessions - join us for preparing to speak at Joint Finance Hearings, or at a meeting or forum with decision-makers. It is not too late to invite other folks to register, here: WISDOM 2023 Spring Trainings wisdomwisconsin.org - office@wisdomwisconsin.org MADISON - Thurs. Mar 9, 7 - 8:30 pm Interfaith Intersections Program “Faith as a moral compass”. Meet at 1704 Meeting House Lane. Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice is excited to announce this new program. We will bring people together to hold intentional conversations on a variety of topics related to faith. Goals: - to deepen relationships among people of different faiths - hold rich conversations on different topics - learn about faiths other than your own. An important aspect of this program is that our panelists are lay people, not clergy or academics. Therefore, panelists will address this topic speaking from their own understanding of their faith but not speaking for their faith. Contact: Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice - wifaithvoices4justice@gmail.com. Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeqInydhv8SOho2QR4YHiqzGAqBcNmPgfyaKBpJKuc6sfGZXA/viewform SINSINAWA MOUND - Fri Mar 10, 7 - 8 pm An Evening of Music and Reflection with Dan Schutte - Special emphasis for the evening’s concert will be on our beloved Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa as most of them will be moving to Muskego, Wisconsin, this spring. Come and join us as we send them forth on their next chapter of their adventure with God. A free will offering will be accepted. 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. VIRTUAL - Sat. Mar 11, 10:30 - 11:30 am WI Transit Riders Virtual Annual Meeting - "Tools and Tactics" - Two presentations: 1) WisDOT’s exciting new ArcGIS Non-Driver Tool with Ethan Severson, Strategic Initiatives Officer, WisDOT re. estimating proportions of specific populations that may be non-driver; and 2) Campaign to Save Public Transit Against Predatory Microtransit presented by Denton Worker, Denton, Texas. Registration required at tinyurl.com/WTRA-031123. Contact: smdevos@witransitriders.org - https://witransitriders.org/events/annual-meeting/ MILWAUKEE and VIRTUAL Sat. Mar 11, 10 - 11:30 Celebrate International Women's Day 2023 with Informative Presentations by Several Women Experts on… “The Impacts Of Gender Violence On Native Communities And On Women In Yemen & The Middle East”. Attend in-person at Peace Action Wisconsin – 1001 E. Keefe Ave. You can also attend virtually through this Zoom link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82539910998?pwd=YzFhY2RVR09mRVZnb0JlR0RUVDZCUT09 By Phone Only: 1.312.626.6799 Meeting ID: 825 3991 0998 Passcode: 078720 Free & Open to the Public. Sponsored by The United Nations Association of Greater Milwaukee, Peace Action Wisconsin, & the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Milwaukee . info@peaceactionwi.org MILWAUKEE - Sat. Mar 11, 12 noon - 4 pm International Women’s Day Coalition March & Rally. Meet at Red Arrow Park, North Water Street, RSVP to WI Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba Facebook Event. wicuba.org MILWAUKEE - Sat Mar 11, 12 noon - 1 pm. Peace Action Weekly Stand for Peace - Meet at South 43rd Street & West Forest Home Avenue, 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 GREEN BAY - Sat. Mar 11, 1 - 2 pm Building Unity Wisconsin Tour for Justice and Democracy. Meet at the Brown County Central Library, Pine Street. More info: tinyurl.com/WIJusticeandDemocracyTour General Election - April 4. buildingunitywisconsin.org/ or buildingunitywi@gmail.com MADISON Sat Mar 11 2 pm As we recognize World Water Day, and welcome the Islamic holy month of Ramadan of daily fasting from food and water from dawn till dusk, we honor and celebrate the central role of water in our lives, both physically and spiritually. Huda Alkaff, founder and director of Wisconsin Green Muslims, a grassroots environmental justice group formed in 2005, will share the Islamic environmental justice perspective on water and climate. Meet at Allen Centennial Garden, Babcock Dr. Madison. Contact: interfaith.earth@yahoo.com MADISON - Sun Mar 12 1:30 - 2:30 pm VFP and Forward Marching Band in the 2023 St. Patrick's Day Parade. VFP#25 in Madison is still looking for a few folks for either holding the banner for the march, or marching with the people holding the banner. Contact: Steve Books, Books24u@aol.com. More information at www.stpatsmadison.org. 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 ******************************************************************* See our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WisNPJ/ "Like" us and follow us!

Imagine a Wisconsin where all K-12 students have the opportunity to eat nutritious free school breakfasts and lunches made with locally sourced ingredients. You can help make this vision a reality! Last month, Governor Evers included free school meals for all, strategic investments in school breakfast funding, and a local purchasing incentive program in his proposed biennial budget. More specifically, the Governor’s Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids plan includes: Creating the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids program, an initiative aimed at improving student health and reducing hunger by investing $120.2 million in FY 2024-25 to fully fund school breakfasts and lunches for all children; Providing $4.3 million in FY 2023-24 and $4.7 million in FY 2024-25 to increase the school breakfast reimbursement rate to 15 cents per meal and extending eligibility for the reimbursement to independent charter schools and state residential schools operated by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI); and Incentivizing schools to support Wisconsin farmers, food producers, and local economies by providing $2.75 million in FY 2024-25 for an enhanced 10 cents reimbursement per meal for those including locally sourced foods. There will be opportunities for people to testify at public hearings (not yet scheduled) to encourage the Joint Finance Committee to keep these provisions in the final budget. In the meantime, here are several ways to take action. Invitations to Take Action Submit a brief video in support of free school meals for all by Friday, March 31. Full instructions are provided here. Having farmers and local food advocates speak to this issue strengthens the coalition’s ability to engage elected officials who are interested in agriculture and economic development. Join the next Healthy School Meals for All Wisconsin coalition meeting on Thurs, March 9, from 1:30-2:30 pm. Meeting registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuduqprz4tHtGgAS3_FMxbzDzTzPyhvAb_ Add to your monthly calendar link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/tZcuduqprz4tHtGgAS3_FMxbzDzTzPyhvAb_/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGrrTopG9WQtx2CRpwqA4j4b-vzmCVagrd6mz7WUB91Txv0LMZYBqhPCdDG Take a look at who is on the Joint Committee on Finance and the Education Committees (Assembly and Senate). If you know anyone from these representatives’ home districts, encourage them to contact their legislators in support of the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids plan. It is also helpful to contact any Republican legislators, even if they are not on either of these committees. Submit a letter to the editor expressing your viewpoint. There are many local newspapers, magazines, and online media outlets that accept brief letters to the editor. Here is the submission information for Cap Times, the Journal Sentinel, and the Wisconsin State Journal. Contact Allison Pfaff Harris (allisonph@reapfoodgroup.org, farm-to-school director at REAP Food Group, if you’d like to stay updated and/or be alerted about opportunities to provide public testimony. Action Alert sent to WNPJ by Family Farm Defenders: jepeck@wisc.edu

We write with gratitude to the many individuals, families, foundations and faith-based groups which have enabled dozens of remarkable Afghan activists to resettle in safer havens. We’re also grateful for relationships that continue developing between our international team and young Afghans hoping to resettle in another country. Some of us have known one another for over ten years. Some are meeting one another, through correspondence, calls, and zoom meetings, for the first time. We feel enlivened by shared challenges and growing resilience. Photo: Abdulhai Darya A bit of background for those who might just be learning about the “Afghan Generations” project: Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August of 2021, an ad hoc team of internationals began regular zoom meetings, coordinating efforts to assist Afghan activists who, for security reasons, have asked that we not name them or their group. The inspiring efforts of young Afghans to share resources, seek equality, protect the planet and abolish all war, along with their willingness to host Western visitors, has sadly jeopardized their lives. Mutually beneficial relationships have developed over the past eighteen months leading to some very good news for those who have engaged in resettlement efforts. As of now, we’re relieved to offer this report: From among the former volunteers: six of the activists are now in Germany; six are in Brazil, five are in Canada, one young woman has joined her spouse in the Netherlands, eight (including one infant!) have been in Portugal since spring of 2022 and, on February 18, 2023, seventeen young Afghans (including one infant!) arrived in Portugal. Late last year, we were fortunate to connect with the Asociación Yaran, a group in Spain’s northern province, Galicia, dedicated to helping Afghans resettle in their region. Members of the Spanish team are exploring possibilities for obtaining student visas to Spain that would allow many of the people now on our list awaiting resettlement to begin University studies in Galicia. Before seeking refuge in another country, people fleeing Afghanistan must first cross into a country neighboring Afghanistan. For this reason, many have fled to Pakistan. Last year, our team of internationals worked with young Afghans in Pakistan to set up a safe space which housed young people awaiting visas to Portugal. Now, plans for a new safe space are underway. Two flats have been rented and furnished, and soon the young people who are living there will welcome 13 new housemates. We are hoping it will be possible for all of them to obtain student visas to Spain. In the past year, our group of internationals has appealed to a broad base of donors spanning several continents to raise funds covering visas to Pakistan, temporary housing in Pakistan, and airfare to another country. The projects underway in Portugal are models for humane, holistic and dignified resettlement plans. Now, looking toward northern Spain as a possible destination for young friends facing precarity and desperation in Afghanistan, we welcome your support. We’re grateful to the renowned permaculturist, Starhawk, and the NGO she works with: “The Alliance of Community Trainers,” for their willingness to be fiscal sponsors for our ongoing efforts. Below is information about making contributions. Please note that for U.S. taxpayers these contributions are tax deductible. For online donations: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/alliance-of-community-trainers/earth-activists-emergency-fund-for-afghan-relief Checks can be made payable to Alliance of Community Trainers with Afghan Relief written in the memo section, and sent to David Kast at: 311 S. 7th Avenue, Wausau, WI 54401 (The Alliance of Community Trainers will send U.S. taxpayers a statement of their charitable donation at the end of 2023). Dave Kast’s bookkeeping has been indispensable for us. He’ll continue keeping careful account of contributions and will regularly forward the checks to the Alliance of Community Trainers. It’s encouraging to see how the group that formed a caring, equitable safe space over the past year, in Pakistan, has guided newcomers to understand what worked so well for them during the difficult months they spent together. The buddy system has helped immeasurably, pairing young Afghans with people living outside the region, allowing lively exchanges and deepening relationships. We invite you to assist with this new fundraising effort, aiming to help young Afghans reach a safer haven, possibly in Spain (or elsewhere, should another option arise). Please consider sharing this letter with others, or, if possible, arrange a donation. And if you’d like to join the buddy system, welcome aboard! (write sarah.ball7@gmail.com) Sincerely, Kathy Kelly on behalf of an ad hoc international team seeking to assist Afghan activists facing crises. Note: Kathy Kelly is a previous contact for the WNPJ member group Voices for Creative Nonviolence - well know to Wisconsin peace and justice activists. Kathy Kelly<kathy.vcnv@gmail.com