February 2019 Recommended Events Calendar Tuesday, February 5 • Poor People’s Campaign Returns to the Capitol Tuesday, February 5 • Sunrise Louisville Hub Open House Wednesday, February 6 • Louisville Sustainability Forum: The Phoenix House Saturday, February 9 • Mapping Gratitude with Cory Lockhart Saturday, February 9 • Louisville Grows Citizen Forestry Training Saturday, February 9 • Community Interfaith Peace Concert: Call To Unity! Sunday, February 10 • Screening of King in the Wilderness Monday, February 11 • Monthly KFTC Monthly Chapter Meeting Starting Thursday, February 14 • Nonviolent Communication Class Series Friday, February, 15 • Flying Wild/Project Wild P.D. Training Saturday, February 16 • ECO Kids Discovery Day: Seeing Green Saturday, February 16 • Mindful Hiking at Iroquois Park with Jordan Dye Tuesday, February 19 • Greater Louisville Sierra Club presents Carla Wallace Wednesday, February 20 • Rise Up Kentucky Rally at the Capitol Friday, February 22 • Coalition Student Strike for Climate Justice Thursday, February 28 • 2019 Solar Lobby Day in Frankfort Registration is Open for the 3rd Annual Louisville Earth Walk Saturday, April 20 at Iroquois Park Be Ready -- Hearing to be announced on Metro Louisville 100% Renewable Energy Resolution! Read the latest FORsooth a publication of the Louisville Fellowship of Reconciliation

Tuesday, February 5, 1:30 pm Poor People’s Campaign Returns to the Capitol Capitol Rotunda, 700 Capitol Ave, Frankfort, Ky 40601

Supporters of the The Kentucky Poor People’s Campaign from across the state will return to the Capitol, the “People’s House," Tuesday, Feb 5th when legislators resume session. The planned activities come in protest of Gov. Matt Bevin’s Jan. 4 “statement of emergency,” a set of guidelines aimed at restricting public access and protest at the statehouse. Activists will highlight the true emergencies in the state: low wages, the lack of access to affordable healthcare, an unjust criminal justice system, unchecked corporate pollution, the ongoing opioid crisis and other forms of inequality. Last summer, the KY Poor People’s Campaign waged a series of statehouse protests in Frankfort and 40 other state capitals across the country demanding a more moral agenda from legislators. Kentucky became the first state to restrict statehouse access to the Poor People’s Campaign. Under the direction of Gov. Bevin, state troopers were directed to limit entry to the Capitol to two PPC activists at a time before ultimately shutting the whole movement out. Bevin relented only after Attorney General Andy Beshear issued an opinion saying the targeted enforcement of such rules was unconstitutional. The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is co-organized by Repairers of the Breach, a social justice organization founded by the Rev. Barber; the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice at Union Theological Seminary; and hundreds of local and national grassroots groups across the country. For the past two years, leaders of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival have carried out a listening tour in dozens of states across this nation, meeting with tens of thousands of people from El Paso, Texas to Marks, Mississippi to South Charleston, West Virginia. Led by the Revs. Barber and Theoharis, the campaign has gathered testimonies from hundreds of poor people and listened to their demands for a better society.

Tuesday, February 5, 7 - 9:30 pm Sunrise Louisville Hub Open House First Unitarian Church, 809 South Fourth St, 40203

At this gathering, Sunrise will be hosting a livestream event with special guests to lay out the movement’s collective plans to win back power in the 2020 elections and secure the lasting change on climate we need -- a Green New Deal. The event will be livestreamed to Watch Parties all across the country, including right here in Louisville. After the livestream, our group -- Sunrise Louisville -- will talk to you about how we’re going to bring the Green New Deal and Sunrise to our community. This is also a potluck so if possible bring something to share! RSVP @ bit.ly/lougnd We are excited to hear from such inspiring leaders and talk with people from our community about what we can do together! Hope you can make it and that you are well!

Wednesday, February 6, 12 - 1:30pm Louisville Sustainability Forum: The Phoenix House Passionist Earth and Spirit Center Undercroft, 1924 Newburg Rd, 40205

Please join the Louisville Sustainability Forum each month for interesting and informative presentation, dialogue and networking about sustainability issues. At each meeting there is one featured presentation and one or two shorter presentations, discussion, announcements, and opportunity for networking and community building. Featured Presentation The Phoenix House with W. Mark McGinley, Ph. D, PE, FASTM, FTMS, Professor and Endowed Chair for Infrastructure Research, Civil and Environmental Engineering, J. B. Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville The Phoenix House is a permanent housing solution prototype for disaster relief that inspires a conscious lifestyle to save energy and money. It functions as a self-sustaining house: capable of producing all of its energy from photovoltaic panels, and recycling much of its own water. It can be assembled rapidly using two prefabricated modules: one main living core, and a secondary bedroom module. It is constructed using durable, low-maintenance, and reclaimed materials. The open floor plan and vaulted ceiling visually maximize space.  The Phoenix House supports green living by rebuilding more efficiently and becoming less reliant on non-renewable energy sources. The Phoenix House is the 2013 Solar decathlon entry by the University of Louisville, Ball State University and University of Kentucky. A brief overview of the design and construction the home will be given.  Dr. McGinley is a structural engineer and building scientist with more than 30 years of research and forensic engineering practice in building systems. He joined the faculty in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Louisville from North Carolina A & T State University where he was Chair of the Civil, Architectural, Agricultural and Environmental Engineering Department. Shorter Presentations Energy and Sustainability in K-12 Kimberly Joseph, Sustainability Director, Bullitt County Public Schools Tree Canopy Planning and Preservation  Julia Williams, AICP, Metro Louisville Planning and Design Supervisor Directions to the Undercroft: The meeting will be held in the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center's Undercroft Conference Room located in the lower level of the Passionist Monastery. Access to the Undercroft is down the steps located to the right of the front porch of the monastery. Parking is available in the Sacred Heart Retreat parking lot, just south of the Passionist Retreat House, or in the St. Agnes parking lot, north of the church.

Saturday, February 9, 9 am - 11 am Mapping Gratitude with Cory Lockhart JustFaith Ministries, 224 Woodbine Street, 40208

"The root of joy is gratefulness. It is not joy that makes us grateful. It is gratitude that makes us joyful." -Brother David Steindl-Rast Gratitude practices are central to many spiritual traditions. Recent scientific studies show that gratitude not only gives us a spiritual boost, but also enhances our physical and psychological well-being. Practicing gratitude encourages us to move out of a scarcity mindset to one in which we notice the abundant good in our lives. Want to spend a morning exploring the abundance in your life? In this 2-hour workshop participants will create gratitude maps, a visual tracking of the people and life events that have blessed them. Based on the nonviolent communication framework of observation, feelings, and needs, the workshop will include a short teaching and ample time for participants to reflect and create their gratitude maps. Toward the end of the second hour, participants will have the opportunity to share insights gained from the mapping. After the 2-hour workshop, participants will be able to stay up to an additional hour to create cards or notes expressing the gratitude that emerged from the exercise. Each participant will leave with their map and up to 5 self-decorated or printed thank you cards. In order to make the class accessible to more people, it is offered on a sliding scale from $20 to $60. Please consider mindfully what you are able to invest. Register at heartcommunication.net/classes . 

Saturday, February 9, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm Louisville Grows Citizen Forestry Training 3835 Have Ave, 40211

The Citizen Forestry Training 101 is the foundation of Louisville Grows' Tree Planting Program. Through the Citizen Forestry 101 course, participants learn how to build and maintain our neighborhood and community forests. Participants are taught basic tree anatomy and physiology, environmental stewardship, tree planting skills and how to lead other volunteers in proper planting and caring for trees. Training is provided for individuals of all abilities, ages 12 years and older. The training cost is $25. A light breakfast and lunch is provided. All trainees receive a Citizen Forester t-shirt. Scholarships available upon request. Register here .

   Saturday, February 9, 6 - 8 pm 4th Annual Community Interfaith Peace Concert: Call To Unity! St. Paul United Methodist Church, 2000 Douglas Blvd, 40205

A multi-cultural concert for global peace presented by Interfaith Paths to Peace in partnership with Sister Cities of Louisville. Featuring ensemble and choir performances by musicians of diverse faiths, nationalities, and cultures. Led by renowned jazz pianist, Harry Pickens. We are excited to announce the musicians for the 2019 Call To Unity Peace Concert: Musicians from Universidad de Las Americas in Quito, Ecuador, Jazz and Indigenous music* (info below) Shir Chadash Temple Choir of Congregation Adath Israel Brith Shalom and Crescent Hill Baptist Choir, led by Dr. Louie Bailey Sulh Ensemble, Southeast Asian music and Folk music of Malay Muslims and Thai Buddhists Mormon Choir from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Louisville Members Ahl-e Qulub, Sufi musicians from Charleston, IL, performing Sufi songs and chant Featuring Gregory Rahming, International Opera Singer and Harry Pickens, Renowned Jazz Pianist The Peace Concert is presented annually in celebration of the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week which is observed during the first week of February. The purpose of the concert is to promote inter-religious and intercultural dialogue for global unity and peace through music. There are many who seek to divide us -- this concert intends to bring us all together as one -- regardless of our faiths, traditions, or backgrounds. Tickets available here . 

Sunday, February 10, 1 pm Screening of King in the Wilderness Douglas Blvd Christian Church, 2005 Douglass Blvd, 40205

King In the Wilderness is a movie about a person we all stake claim to, Martin Luther King Jr. yet is also about a part of his life we culturally avoid. This film is a “portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. during the last years of his life, from his part in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to his assassination in 1968.” It shows his struggle to grow in his politics beyond the domestic, to see his unpopularity tick up within movement space he helped form, and ultimately how when he was assassinated he was at his most politically and emotionally isolated. This won’t be an easy thing to watch, but it is important. Come through and learn something about someone you don’t know as well as you think you do.

Monday, February 11, 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kentuckians For The Commonwealth Chapter Meeting First Unitarian Church, 809 S. 4th Street, 40203

Join the Jefferson County Chapter of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth for our Monthly Chapter Meeting. We'll focus this month on the upcoming General Assembly -- how we can engage from home or in person, how to craft our vision for a more just Kentucky, and how to navigate the ever-shifting waters of the legislative session. Food will be provided, and we welcome you to bring a dish to share. Children & young people are welcome to attend and participate in the meeting, and we'll have some games and supplies on hand to keep younger kids busy. First Unitarian Church is wheelchair accessible and has gender neutral bathrooms. If there is anything else that would make this meeting more accessible for you, please reach out to info@kftc.org !

Tuesday, February 12, 5:30 - 7:30 pm Louisville Community Grocery Community Meeting Joshua Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 426 S 15th St, Louisville, KY 40203

Once a month the Louisville Community Grocery hosts a community meeting – which is just that, an opportunity for the community to learn more about the Louisville Community Grocery, get involved, and share their voice. These meetings provide a welcoming space for everyone, whether you’re a long time supporter or newly learning about the community grocery, whether you live in one of the target neighborhoods or you simply believe in our mission. During the meeting we give an update on our progress and things that have happened over the past month. We believe transparency is essential to our mission, and we want the community to know exactly what we are investing our time in each month. In addition to our progress update, we often discuss special topics, such as the results of a market analysis, the turn out of a recent event, or new information we’ve acquired. Our community meetings typically include a committee breakout session as well. We hope you’ll join us at our next meeting! If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out . 

Thursday, February 14, – Thursday, March 28, 7 - 9:15 pm Nonviolent Communication: Building with the Basics JustFaith Ministries, 224 Woodbine St, 40208

How can we communicate from the heart, from a place of empathy for ourselves and others? Nonviolent Communication (NVC) draws from the wisdom of many traditions: “NVC is founded on language and communication skills that strengthen our ability to remain human, even under trying conditions... The intent is to remind us about what we already know – about how we humans were meant to relate to one another – and to assist us in living in a way that concretely manifests this knowledge…Through its emphasis on deep listening – to ourselves as well as others – NVC fosters respect, attentiveness, and empathy and engenders a mutual desire to give from the heart.”   - Marshall Rosenberg, developer of NVC In this 6-session class, you will learn the basics of NVC, which some have called “a spiritual practice disguised as a communication technique.” The primary goal of NVC is connection - with self and others - with the secondary goal of both realizing and addressing the needs of all parties, thus contributing to each person’s thriving. NVC is very much a practice, and like any practice, there will be leaps forward, stumbles, successes, mistakes, and lots of learning. The class is highly participatory, with an emphasis on exploring and practicing different aspects of NVC each week: the basic building blocks of NVC “feeling literacy”: noticing, connecting with, and naming our feelings recognizing, appreciating, and addressing your needs and those of others different ways of responding to difficult messages making requests, NVC-style practicing self-empathy The most useful tools to bring to class will be curiosity, openness, and humility. A notebook and pen are also handy! Note that this class is a 6-week class, but there is one week the class won’t meet- March 21, so the class runs from February 14- March 28. Class dates are February 14, 21, and 28, March 7, 14, and 28. Fees and registration at https://www.heartcommunication.net/classes/

Friday, February, 15, 9 am - 3 pm Flying Wild/Project Wild Professional Development Training Louisville Nature Center, 3745 Illinois Ave, 40213

 Saturday, February 16, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm ECO Kids Discovery Day: Seeing Green Bernheim Forest, Clermont, Ky, 40110

Look close and you will discover mosses, ferns, and lichens thriving in the winter landscape. Kids and their families will have fun finding these green gems and then exploring Discovery Stations and the Hike of the Day during the afternoon. On Your Own Challenge 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Discovery Stations 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Hike of the Day 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Visitor Center FREE EVENT* * $5 per car environmental impact fee for non-members applies. 

Saturday, February 16, 9 - 11 am Mindful Hiking at Iroquois Park with Jordan Dye Iroquois Park, 5216 New Cut Road, 40214

Would you like to feel more relaxed and in touch without taking a vacation or missing work? Are you curious to try mindfulness practices in nature? This mindful hiking experience can help you recharge and recenter. Research shows that even two hours in nature can decrease stress and blood pressure levels while increasing feelings of calm. We’ll meet in Iroquois Park, the “Yellowstone” of Louisville’s Olmsted parks. During this two-hour hike, we’ll pause for Forest Bathing practices and gentle Qi Gong. In this guided hike we'll draw upon mindfulness meditation practices to deepen our connection with nature. If the gound is wet, we’ll hike on the paved pedestrian road under a canopy of trees. Curent Offering: 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16, March 9 and April 6. Choose one or more dates. Registration is required by emailing Jordan at  JordanDyeMSW@gmail.com . (I’ll respond with an email with directions and details.) Limited to 8 adults. These hikes are offered on a donation basis ($5 to $15 suggested, though not required). https://youtu.be/LUfbMIGcxkM

Tuesday, February 19, 7 pm Greater Louisville Sierra Club presents How Racial Justice Can Save Our Planet with Carla Wallace United Crescent Hill Ministries Building, 150 S. State St. 40206

Too often racism is seen as individual acts of harm by white people against People of Color. While that is part of it, when we miss the way that racism is holding us back from investing in a clean economy, addressing global climate change, and shifting how we define ‘progress’ we all lose. How can a racial justice lens in our environmental work help us make the change we need? Please join us for a powerful and timely presentation from longtime social justice activist Carla F Wallace. Carla grew up between a farm in Kentucky and Amsterdam, Netherlands where her grandmother hid people fleeing nazis under her floorboards during WWII. Carla has done social justice work for over 35 years. She is a co founder of Louisville Showing Up for Racial Justice and a founder and leader in the national SURJ network which works to broaden the base of white people engaged in racial justice work. She believes in lifting up the interconnections between immigrant rights, war, economic, environmental, education, health and gender justice, and that we will make no progress on any of them without placing racial justice central. Capitalism, war and environmental destruction cannot be ended without a commitment to undermining white supremacy. Mentored by southern civil rights activists in the Black Liberation Movement and by white racial justice fighter Anne Braden, Carla believes that those most impacted by an unjust system must be central to our change making. “We can only win when we understand that each and every one of us is needed. I am not interested in the kind of change that leaves any of us behind.” Carla is a founder of Louisville’s Fairness Campaign, which has been honored locally and nationally for its work on behalf of LGBTQ equality and justice for all. She helped establish the University of Louisville Audre Lorde Chair in Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality. Carla is an inductee in the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame. We hope you’ll join us for this important presentation. Our programs are always free and open to the public. 

Wednesday, February 20, 3 pm Rise Up Kentucky Rally The Capitol Building, Frankfort, Ky

On Wednesday, February 20th, a coalition of young Kentuckians will gather on the steps of the Capitol for the annual Rise Up Kentucky Rally to remind our legislators that we, as young people, will be most impacted by the catastrophic effects of climate change and environmental degradation. The event is intended to amplify the voices of Kentuckians who realize that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness aren't possible without a livable environment. The rally will incorporate speakers who are pillars of Kentucky's activist communities, as well as the creative powers of the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition (KSEC). KSEC and its allies will be chanting, singing, and performing a theatre piece written by one of our members. The Rise Up Kentucky Rally aims to promote a sustainable, renewable future that doesn't leave any Kentuckians behind, and to uplift the voices of those in our commonwealth who do not see themselves represented in our current legislature. For information about the history of KSEC’s youth activism and framework for a just economic transition, visit https://www.kystudentenvironmentalcoalition.org/. The Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition is a youth-led grassroots organization that connects and empowers young Kentuckians to take action for a just, environmentally sustainable Kentucky through training, leadership development, and community engagement. Founded in 2007, we create inclusive, anti-oppressive, and accessible spaces where young people conduct peer-to-peer education, self-organize for a just economic transition, and advocate for policies that put people over profit. In a state that many youth feel compelled to leave, KSEC helps young people envision and shape a Kentucky where we want to and are able to stay. 

Friday, February 22, 8 am - 3 pm Coalition Student Strike for Climate Justice Campuses and Schools Across Louisville

The Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition and Student Strike for Climate Justice invites everyone who cares about a safe climate future to join our Student Strike 4 Climate on February 22nd- students standing up when our politicians won’t. 12 YEARS LEFT. That is the rallying cry beginning to resonate across the world. 12 years until the point of no return. Political leaders are not doing enough to ensure that there will be a future, so our generation is taking a stand to demand that there will be. Join us on University of Louisville's campus (Humanities Quad) to rally for climate justice at 2pm; meet us at Mayor Fischer's office downtown at noon, or spend the day writing to public officials, marching for climate justice, or just sitting outside your local government building demanding change, like 16 year old phenom Greta Thunberg. If you would like to plan a satellite event, let us know so we can promote it here. #wedemanclimatejustice #12yearsleft #FridaysforFuture On February 22nd, school students are striking to tell our politicians to take us seriously and start treating climate change for what it is: a crisis and the biggest threat to our generation and generations to come. Everyone is invited. Tens of thousands of students around the world will join us. If you’re an adult, take the day off and join us in solidarity! See you February 22nd!

Thursday, February 28 2019 Solar Lobby Day The Capitol Building, Frankfort, KY

A broad coalition of organizations are joining together on Thursday, February 28 in Frankfort to lobby for solar energy. This clean, renewable energy source is under attack and you are needed to help protect it. No experience needed, you will be matched with more experienced people on your lobby visits. Please info@kentuckyipl.org if you plan on attending so that we know ahead who to expect. If you would like a ride to the event, we will be meeting at 8 am at Bardstown Road Presbyterian Church at 1722 Bardstown Road, Louisville, but please register here for the bus/van so we know what size vehicle to reserve. 

 Be Ready -- Hearing to be announced on Metro Louisville 100% Renewable Energy Resolution!

Expect a Hearing on the 100% Clean Energy Resolution for Louisville Last September, a group of citizen leaders presented to Metro Council “A RESOLUTION FOR 100% CLEAN ENERGY FOR METRO LOUISVILLE OPERATIONS BY 2030 AND COMMUNITY-WIDE BY 2035.” Council President David James sponsored the resolution, and the Parks and Sustainability Committee has now already held two hearings. A third hearing should be scheduled soon. Go to this website : (1) to see if the next hearing has been scheduled; and (2) sign the petition to tell the members of the Parks and Sustainability Committee to support a fast and just transition to 100% clean, renewable energy. Here are a few reasons why our city needs to transition to 100% clean energy now: There is no way forward to a livable climate without stopping the use of all fossil fuels. Increased rainfall associated with a warming climate is an existential threat to Louisville. A clean energy economy will provide cleaner air, a healthier community, many good jobs, and reduced energy costs for all. Over ninety U.S. cities have already adopted a 100% clean energy goal, including Atlanta and St. Louis. Our city has been working hard on concrete steps to address climate change impacts. However, the accelerating pace of climate change mandates bolder, faster action. So please lend your support to these first steps on the road to 100% clean energy for Louisville: Go here to see if the hearing has been scheduled and to sign the petition.

Link to the Latest Issue of FORsooth!

The February 2019 edition of FORsooth, published by the Louisville Fellowship of Reconciliation is available by following this link ARTICLES: GAZA AND THE ANTI-BOYCOTT LAW by Russ Greenleaf VIOLENCE AND NON-VIOLENCE IN AMBAZONIA by Matt Meyer ON THE ORIGIN OF DENIAL by Adam Khayat HOST HOMES: A SOLUTION TO END YOUTH HOMELESSNESS by Liza Smith WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IN THE 116TH CONGRESS by Gracie Lewis PROSPECTS OF LOUISVILLE ECONOMY IN 2019 by Thomas E. Lambert PLUS! FORWard Radio Schedule Calendar for peacemakers Meeting Times for Area Organizations

Sign up today for the 2019 Louisville Earth Walk!

The Louisville Earth Walk returns to Iroquois Park for its third year on Saturday, April 20, 2019. Everyone is invited to join in the celebration as we walk in support of a vision of a city where everyone, in every neighborhood, has safe and clean water, air and soil. This family friendly event will celebrate our beautiful planet while raising both awareness and funds for the wonderful organizations in our city that work day in and day out to protect and improve the quality of life for all our citizens. This will be a morning of fun outdoor activities designed to engage and educate the public on the steps they can take to promote a cleaner, healthier, more sustainable lifestyle. The feature event is a 5k walk and fundraiser. Proceeds will be distributed among 12 partner organizations each of which will be on site to provide ideas and inspiration that you can take back to your home, office, group or community!  Please help us make Earth Walk 2019 a huge success! Invite your family, friends, businesses and co-workers to participate and get them to register to walk. Becoming involved in fundraising is easy when you use the MightyCause peer to peer fundraising tool , too! 

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