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Protecting the Rights of People & Nature From the Local Up  
Hi,

I’m here in the Heartland again - rural Wisconsin and Iowa - for my (27th?) workshop tour since 2013.  I'm looking forward to connecting with many of you while here.

This Winter tour includes participating in our 3rd regional Community Rights gathering in western Wisconsin , where we’re expecting at least 60 folks from dozens of counties to converge to talk shop, strengthen their mutual support networks, and possibly even launch a new national Community Rights Institute/Think Tank.

There’s a famous saying that’s been misattributed to Gandhi:

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

This intriguing statement is starting to come true in some of the latest developments of the Community Rights movement, and I’m pretty excited about it.

At the forefront of this development is a courageous township in rural Pennsylvania, population 741. You can read more about it further down in this newsletter.

In other news, our fledgling community rights organization will soon be completing our first-ever crowdfunding campaign , as we continue to rev up our new national Community Rights support organization - Community Rights US (CRUS).
Our final day of the campaign, fittingly, will be February 14th, on Valentine's Day.

If you’ve been meaning to show your love for a cause you believe in by making a tax-deductible donation (but haven’t quite gotten around to it yet) this is your last chance to be part of our Indie GoGo fundraising drive !

While we are definitely short of our original goals, we're thrilled to report that between our wonderful online and other donors, we've raised a hefty $20,000 in total.


To make a one-time donation, CLICK HERE .
To begin making a monthly donation of any size, CLICK HERE .

Thank you, from our hearts to yours, for your love and commitment to the Community Rights movement in this generous way. We appreciate you!
Paul Cienfuegos image
Warmly,

Paul Cienfuegos
Founding Director,

P.S. Remember, We the People are more powerful than we dare to believe!
Pennsylvania Township vs. Fracking Corporation: "Settled" Law vs. Rights of Community
Since 1999, about 200 communities and counties in nine states have passed groundbreaking local laws, and surprisingly few of them - only about 5% - have been taken to court. 

But just recently, in an extraordinary legal battle taking place in Grant Township, Pennsylvania, oil and gas corporation attorneys have demanded that the judge order our movement’s law firm to pay $52,000 to the corporation suing this community, because our side's legal arguments are contrary to “settled" law and therefore “frivolous”.

And I quote:  

Grant Township, the court writes, “seeks to disavow constitutional rights afforded corporations so as to prevent PGE from the lawful exercise of its right to pursue gas extraction related activities within its borders.” … [T]he court acknowledges that sanctions can have the effect of “chilling novel legal or factual arguments."

Let’s not forget that “separate but equal" was “settled” law until 50 years later, when the Supreme Court revisited its previous decision and reversed itself in Brown v. Board of Education. The ban on gay marriage was "settled law" until recently.
The article continues: 

Thomas Linzey, CELDF’s director and one of the two attorneys being personally sanctioned, says “…  for years, the oil and gas corporations believed that they could stop the community rights movement by suing municipalities to overturn their local laws; but having failed to do so, they’re now coming after the lawyers who are helping those communities to stop drilling. In many ways, the industry’s filing for sanctions against us is just proof of how strong the community rights movement is becoming.”

CRUS Upcoming Wisconsin Workshop Tour
PAUL'S CALENDAR:

February 3rd - La Crosse WI
Keynote Speech at the Annual  Progresstival (More Info: Cathy cathyvanmaren@gmail.com )

February 4th - La Crosse WI
3-hour Intro CR Workshop
(More info: Click  HERE .)

February 22nd   - Tomah WI
3-hour Intro CR Workshop.
(More info: Katie Groves kgroves57@gmail.com .)

March 4th - western Wisconsin
3rd Regional Community Rights Gathering
(More info:   Paul@CommunityRights.US .)


Upcoming: Spring & Beyond
April 12-14 (Almost confirmed!) - Big Rapids MI
Weekend Training Intensive
(More info: Karen Turnbull kturnbull72@gmail.com )

Paul is likely to be in Arizona and Texas later this Spring, and back to Georgia in the Fall.

If you want to bring Paul Cienfuegos to YOUR community for a workshop or public talk, please contact him directly at Paul@CommunityRights.US .
Essential CR News from the Web
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