Be the Change Community Update February 11, 2022 |
|
|
|
What's In This Issue:
Lots of news and events:
> Read Part 1 of Path to Eco Culture here and join the class on Weds Feb 16 @ 7 pm.
> February Simply Share on Sunday 2/20 @ 2 pm (new time)
> First Friday March 4 with David Celebrezze of Columbus GreenSpot and Aryeh Alex of Keep Columbus Beautiful
> Simply Living Seeks Sustainability Interns
> Don't miss the Vitamin L post by One Bite Wellness
> Free Press Salon Saturday @ 7 pm
> Bramble Bush Gardening ONLINE Sunday with Tisa Watts of Columbus Garden School
> Poetry Forum with Beth Weinstock Monday
> EPN Breakfast Tuesday on Making Space for Large Carnivores (Hybrid Event)
> Shift Your World Film Festival - 4 days and Free
> Paul Hawken talk and new Regeneration website - don't miss the Anthem!!
> Community Solar in Ohio?
> Don't forget to browse community events on the Simply Living Calendar here
Thanks for subscribing and please share and invite friends to sign up for this free service here. Your support makes this work possible. If you are not already a member, please consider joining Simply Living here or donating here. Be sure to click on our business member advertisements to visit their websites. If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, simply scroll down to the bottom and click Unsubscribe. |
|
|
|
NEW Discussion Course:
A Path to a New Ecological Culture
Wednesdays 7 - 8:30 pm
Feb 16, 23, March 2, 9
This is a 4 week discussion course based on the 4-part article “The Path to an Ecological Future for Humanity.” The article links here. It is not necessary to read the article but it will be helpful. It is not necessary to attend every class session.
Week 1: The Cultural Creatives – a Third Force in the Radical Middle
Week 2: Literacy, Traditional Science, and the Problem of Dualistic Thinking
Week 3: The Relational Shift to Ecological Sciences
Week 4: A New Era for Humanity: Technozoic Age or an Ecozoic Age?
Instructor: Chuck Lynd will begin with a short slide presentation and then facilitate the discussion of each topic.
The goal of the course is to deepen our understanding of what it means to co-evolve a new culture rooted in ecological values and understand the role of Simply Living in building sustainability in central Ohio.
Graphic credit: Yes! Magazine Issue on What Does An Ecological Civilization look Like?
|
|
|
|
Simply Share
Monthly Meetup
Sun Feb 20 @ 2 pm
What's your favorite podcast? What are reading now? Is there a movie that moved you? to tears? to action? Simply Living invites you to share whatever is inspiring you at Simply Share, a monthly salon and media exchange. The February event will feature a new initiative by Michael Greenman to support climate action. We're starting on Zoom but may switch to in person or hybrid in the future. It's free for members. Register here. Not a member? Join here. Free will donations support the work of Simply Living. Thanks!
|
|
|
|
First Fridays
Columbus GreenSpot & Keep Columbus Beautiful
Fri March 4, 12-1 pm
Simply Living's First Fridays series highlights sustainability initiatives in the city of Columbus and surrounding region that you may want to know more about. Each month our speakers will discuss the initiatives they are working on to make Columbus more sustainable and equitable.
Join us in March as we speak with the leaders of two Columbus initiatives: GreenSpot and Keep Columbus Beautiful. In this online event, we will hear from:
-
David Celebrezze, coordinator of GreenSpot, a coalition of over 23,000 homes, businesses, and neighborhoods in Central Ohio that have pledged to take actions to support sustainability
-
Aryeh Alex, manager of Keep Columbus Beautiful, a city agency that focuses on public education and volunteer service on environmental issues including litter, recycling and beautification.
|
|
|
|
Vitamin L blog post from One Bite Wellness
by Adrienne Ramos, Functional Nutritionist
There are all sorts of nutrients that your heart needs in order to be healthy, including: magnesium, polyphenols, omega-3s, fiber and folate. However nutritious your food choices, there is a nutrient of supreme importance - Vitamin L.
How is this vitamin different from the A, B, C, D versions you've heard about? One, it's not a physical nutrient. Two, it is among one of the most powerful forces in the universe. Three, when you have it, and share it, your heart beats with pure joy.
Vitamin L is vitamin Love. Unlike a pill, you can't just "take" love. In fact, you have to give in order to receive it. Read the full post here - and Happy Valentine's Day Weekend!
|
|
|
|
Recent Simply Living Blog Posts... |
Job Title: Sustainability Internship
Reports To: Executive Director and Volunteer Leader
Hours: 5 to 20 per week
Simply Living is seeking students for our year-round Sustainability Internship. We will accept interns during winter, spring, summer, and fall quarters or semesters. Our internships are currently unpaid, but we are happy to work with colleges and universities to arrange for course credit and letters of recommendation.
Our internships provide a hands-on opportunity to gain a greater understanding of how to apply sustainability concepts on the local level. An intern may be doing a wide range of tasks such as gathering and analyzing information, organizing events, connecting with business partners, writing blog posts and newsletter articles, engaging with volunteers, and more. Read the full post here. Please share this with students you know!
|
|
|
|
White Oak (Quercus alba): February Tree of the Month by Mort Schmidt
Learn how to ID the Trees!
Mort's mind is a walking encyclopedia of useful info about our native trees -- their characteristics and uses as well as stories and lore about each tree species. More here.
|
|
|
|
What is a Fibershed?
Guest blog by
Elissa Yoder Mann
Ohio Sierra Club
The statewide plastics campaign kicked off the year with a presentation hosted by Jess Boeke and Sarah Pottle from the Rust Belt Fibershed, a fascinating take on the topic of plastics and textiles. The post
includes links to webinar recordings and resources along with practical recommendations. More here.
|
|
|
|
How’s the Weather? A Global Initiative to Turn from Emergency to Emergence
Simply Living member Michael Greenman's guest blog posted last week here described a one page letter called "How's the Weather?" The idea is simple: share this letter widely to invite to share and learn about a global day of action set for Earth Day, April 22, 2023.It's now even easier to share via a new Facebook post here that features more details and interaction. Pass it on.
|
|
|
|
Transforming Health-Through
Connection & Community
Free Webinar
Friday Feb 11 @ 4-5 pm
|
As a society, we've forgotten our species thrives in close community.
We’ve begun to value our health as a commodity, erring on the side of cheap versus quality, convenience versus efficacy, isolation versus connection.
Distancing has become so quickly normalized it’s shocking how ready our subconscious has been to adopt this new way of living. We’ve watched ourselves fall into a state of isolation never experienced before and can only imagine: what journey have our children signed up for in such a challenging moment of isolation? At a time when things may seem hopeless, now more than ever, we must empower ourselves with hope that health and connection are ours to take back. More + Registration Link on SL Calendar here. |
|
|
|
Every Friday 5 pm on 94.1 FM and streaming @ WGRN.org, Repeats on Sundays at 2 pm on 92.7/98.3 FM and streams @ WCRSFM.org.
Conversations with everyday people, working on important issues here in Columbus and all around Ohio. Justice: environmental, social, racial, economic, with folks on the front lines.
Details on Facebook here. Listen to Podcast archives here.
|
|
|
|
Emma's Revolution:
A Concert Fundraiser for UU Ministry for Earth
Friday Feb 11 @ 8 pm
Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth and Side with Love are excited to co-sponsor a winter concert fundraiser for Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth with the exceptional duo of Emma's Revolution!
Join UU Ministry for Earth to pause for excellent music, a conversation about music for climate justice during this moment, and to be galvanized for the work ahead! Register today! The concert is pay what you can. Donations of any amount are appreciated and welcome.
Emma’s Revolution is the dynamic, award-winning activist duo of Pat Humphries & Sandy O. In their 20th year performing together, Emma’s Revolution shares that their songs "have traveled around the world and have been sung for the Dalai Lama, praised by Pete Seeger and covered by Holly Near."
|
|
|
|
Wild Goose Creative
February Gallery Night: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Friday Feb 11, 6-9 pm
The exhibition contains the work of three artists: Jimbo Tamoro, J-bo James, and Joey Knuckles. While each artist's work is wildly different, they balance each other out in a complimentary approach. Each artist was born out of punk rock ethics and aesthetics, but ultimately diverged in artistic paths. Jimbo's meticulously tedious technique, J-bo's mysteriously dark compositions, and Joey's bold chromatic saturation along with his innovative pageantry amalgamate into a creative concoction of visual structure.
Location: 188 McDowell St 43215. Admission $5 suggested donation. Register
|
|
|
|
Free Press Second Saturday Cyber-Salon Saturday, Feb 12 from 7-8:30 pm on Zoom
Featuring: Adrienne Hood, activist and member of Columbus Civilian Review Board, Rev. Susan Smith, Ohio Poor People's Campaign and Crazy Ministries, and more! Q & A included. Facebook Event
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83906590837
|
|
|
|
Cane Berries for the Backyard (Online)
Sunday Feb 13, 1 - 2:30 pm
Delicious raspberries and blackberries are the brambles most commonly grown in suburban backyards. Learn the basics in this fun ONLINE class:
- Blackberries vs. raspberries vs. black raspberries
- Choosing the best varieties for central Ohio/zones 5/6 (and why you should drop a zone)
- Optimal growing conditions
- Soil prep
- Trellising
- Fertilizing
- Pest control
- Pruning - when, how, and WHY
- Weed control
Students will receive several PDF handouts before class.
Join us for a FREE in-person pruning demonstration of our raspberry beds at CGS on Saturday, March 5. We have 6 varieties of raspberries (both primocane and floricane types); there will be an opportunity to observe -- and participate in -- pruning back canes. (Garden participation is voluntary but encouraged.) Signup for the demonstration class takes place during the online class. More information and registration here.
NOTE: This ONLINE class will be offered again on Thursday, March 3, at 6:30-8 pm.
Instructor: Tisa Watts is the founder of the Columbus Garden School. She’s a landscape designer, educator, and public speaker with over 18 years of professional experience. She has a degree in Horticulture and Landscape Design, and her passion is helping Columbus residents identify the best native plants to restore backyard biodiversity to our neighborhoods!
|
|
|
|
The Poetry Forum
Mon Feb 14 @ 7 pm
We’re ba-ack!
Mondays at 7 pm on Zoom.
The Poetry Forum offers a featured reader and open mic on the second Monday of the month at 7 pm.
Beth Weinstock (pictured) will be featured in February
Find out about more poetry and literary events on Write Now
|
|
|
|
Large carnivores and a lot of people: Finding human-animal coexistence in a crowded world
Tue Feb 15
7:15 - 9:30 am
Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center and Online
Sponsored by OSU's Environmental Professionals Network (EPN).and open to all.
Join us on Tuesday (February 15) for Coyotes, Coffee, and Carnivores to learn from four unique and world-renowned experts on various large carnivore species and their diverse coexistence adaptations to human environments. Speakers: Madeline Winans (program coordinator, Ohio State’s Center for Human-Animal Interactions Research and Education), Tom Schmid (president and CEO, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium), José Vicente López Bao, Ph.D. (Universidad de Oviedo-Campus de Mieres, Spain) and Stan Gehrt, Ph.D. (professor of wildlife ecology and extension wildlife specialist, Ohio State) will provide their own firsthand experience and advice on wildlife ecology, management, and conservation. This event, featuring in-person and virtual streaming options, is located Ohio State’s 4-H Center and via EPN’s YouTube livestream service. All aspects of this program, including the in-person networking, freshly brewed coffee and assorted breakfast beverages, are free!
Full schedule and map are provided.
|
|
|
|
Grand Opening
for Java Central Coffee at Zaftig Brew Pub
Wednesday February 16, 7 am - 3 pm
Come join us in Italian Village
Zaftig Brew Pub, 119 E 5th Ave, Columbus 43201 (5th and Summit)
|
|
|
|
A Shared Future: Overcoming Polarization
Wed Feb 16
11:30 am - 1 pm
In contexts where there is historic division and intractable violence, where “enemies” or “rivals” vie over control of resources and securing their own futures, are there pathways to promote constructive dialogues and difficult compromises – where a vision of a “bearable” future for all involved is possible? Byron Bland will share what he and colleagues at the Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation learned while working in Northern Ireland and Israel/Palestine. These lessons also provide a useful lens for examining political, racial, and cultural divides currently taking place in the United States. He will describe strategies to address problems of distrust, the particular susceptibility to hate-mongering populist leaders shown by those who are feeling the most painful losses, and the thorny question of just entitlements. Additionally, he will explore the distinction between the vision of a shared future and a shared vision of a specific future. More details and register
Byron Bland is a fellow at the King Institute at Stanford University where he works on the legacy and relevance of Martin Luther King for the 21st century and a senior consultant for the Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation (SCICN).
|
|
|
|
Recycle Right
at Home
Wed Feb 16 @ 12 pm
While it’s important for you to recycle, it’s also important to Recycle Right. By taking just a few minutes to recycle the right way, you help reduce pollution, contribute to cleaner water, conserve limited natural resources, support our economy and reduce central Ohio’s reliance on landfills. SWACO is here to help you recycle right, answer common recycling questions, and provide the necessary tools and resources you need to make recycling right convenient for your household. Sign up for the webinar here.
|
|
|
|
Watching and Counting Birds is Fun: Tips for the Great Backyard Bird Count
Wed Feb 16 @ 2-3 pm
Cornell Lab Facebook Livestream
(Note: You can still watch the livestream without using a personal Facebook account)
Join us for a free webinar to help you make birdwatching easier and more fun — right in time for the 25th Great Backyard Bird Count. Join our experts as we brush up on bird ID, unlock the mystery of bird songs, and practice counting birds no matter how large the flock or busy the feeder. Plus, we’ll discuss how to create group counts using new eBird Trip Reports. This webinar is designed for birders of all ages and experience — you'll leave confident and ready to be part of the GBBC!
|
|
|
|
Wild Ones Presents
Genetic Diversity & Plant Preservation
Wed Feb 16 @ 7 pm
Neil Diboll is a Wild Ones Lifetime Honorary Director and Prairie Ecologist. Neil is a pioneer in the native plant industry and recognized internationally as an expert in native plant ecology. Neil has dedicated his life to the propagation of native plants, promoting their benefits and furthering their use and in restoration projects. Register Now!
This webinar is free and open to the public. A recording will be available to the public on Wild Ones website and YouTube channel soon after the event.
A link to access the webinar will be emailed to registrants leading up to the event.
NOTE: Please do not unsubscribe! This is the only method you have for receiving important communications from Wild Ones! Please add marketing@wildones.org to your address book - this is needed to keep Wild Ones emails out of your SPAM folder.
|
|
|
|
Shift Your World Film Festival!
Thu Feb 17 - Mon Feb 21
This seminal event is rooted in the understanding that the most powerful world-changing movies are ones that leave us as better, wiser, and more engaged humans by the end of the experience.
The 4-day online film festival showcases thought-provoking films from around the world.
These short and feature-length films explore humanity's most inspiring cinematic storytelling in five categories: Healing & Wellness, Sustainability & Regenerative Living, Peace & Social Justice, Spirituality & Mysticism, and The Psychedelic Renaissance.
More details on films available on the SL Calendar here.
|
|
|
|
An Evening with Dan Pink at the Drexel Theatre!
Thurs Feb 17 @ 7 pm
The Drexel Theatre, Pelotonia, and YPO Columbus are Gramercy's Community Partners for this exclusive program.
*IN-PERSON AND ONLINE EVENT!* Tickets on Eventbrite here.
Join #1 New York Times bestselling author and inspirational speaker Daniel H. Pink as he launches his seventh book, The Power of Regret, about the transforming power of our most misunderstood yet potentially most valuable emotion. Dan will be in conversation with Pelotonia CEO Doug Ulman.
|
|
|
|
Smart Cities:
Leveraging Public Private Partnerships
Fri Feb 18
10:30 am - 12 pm
Join MORPC for a web-based conversation on Smart Cities and how we can work together to leverage public private partnerships to meet Central Ohio residents' needs.
Panelists include Thea Ewing, MORPC, Jordan Davis, Smart Columbus, Patricia Zullo, Spectrum, and Lee Davenport, US Ignite
|
|
|
|
Could community solar see the light of day in Ohio? Supporters see momentum
A Republican-sponsored bill to establish a community solar program is advancing in the Ohio legislature with no opposition so far. If it passes, it could create up to 3,000 megawatts of new subscriber-backed solar projects.
House Bill 450 would let the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio approve up to 2,000 megawatts of community solar projects in the state, with an additional 1,000 megawatts permitted on brownfields or in economically distressed areas.
Either way, subscribers of community solar projects under the bill would be entitled to net metering benefits “on the same terms” as people or businesses with solar generation on their own property.
Small businesses and nonprofits could benefit as well, said Mayda Sanchez Shingler, executive director for the Ohio Sustainable Business Council. And farms that might host a community solar project could get added income. All in all, “there’s really no downside to this legislation,” she said. Read the full article here.
|
|
|
|
Podcast on Sustainable Living
from Blue Rock Station
Listen on WGRN 94.1 FM in Columbus
Fridays 11:30 am & Saturdays 8:30 am
When the Biomass Hits the Wind Turbine is an award winning, nationally syndicated podcast heard weekly on WGRN. Jay and Annie Warmke, owners of Blue Rock Station call it a " serious, but not too serious," discussion of the realities of sustainable living. Weekly podcasts archived here.
Program topics have included: Electric Vehicles, The Truth about Recycling, Urban Forest Gardens, Alternatives to Local Money, and our own Cathy Cowan Becker joined Jay and Annie for a discussion of the Columbus Climate Action Plan. Listen to these and more and discover why so many are listening to this popular show. Blue Rock Station is a business member of Simply Living. We're due for another field trip this summer!
|
|
|
|
What Could Possibly Go Right? with Vicki Robin |
Paul Hawken is an environmentalist, entrepreneur, bestselling author, and a renowned lecturer who has keynoted conferences and led workshops on the impact of commerce upon the environment.
He addresses the question of “What Could Possibly Go Right?” Click the pic or here.
|
|
|
|
Regeneration Anthem Created
AY Young and Jon Russell from The Head & The Heart came together to create “We Can Change The World” an anthem for the Regeneration and an anthem for AY’s “Project 17” AY is producing the world’s first sustainable album containing 17 songs, 1 per each SDG, recorded in partnership with the best artists in the world in a carbon-neutral way.
Take a few minutes to listen to the Anthem here and be inspired!
|
|
|
|
Regeneration Health International
The Organic Consumers Association, Regeneration International, and a group of our allies in the food and natural health movement are organizing a new international network called Regeneration Health International (RHI). The founders of RHI, which includes the editors of Organic Bytes, are team of scientists, farmers, activists, artists, physicians, and lawyers. The goal of RHI is to facilitate and catalyze a global movement and alliance dedicated to regenerating personal and public health. RHI work is based on the fundamental principles that food is medicine, and that human health, mental, physical and spiritual, are directly related to societal, environmental, and planetary health.
|
|
|
|
Inside the Market: A Tribute to Seeds
“When seeds want to rise, they drop everything that is weighing them down.”
~ Matshona Dhliwayo
It's seed starting time in greenhouses (and windowsills and in many basements under grow lights!) across the country. Those juicy heirloom beefsteak tomatoes, crisp bell peppers and super sweet Sugar Cube melons that give Ohio summers their incredible flavor start in the quiet darkness of a soil tray today. For such tiny things, seeds represent so much: culture, history, place, potential, health, wealth, food, medicine. To plant a seed is to plant hope for the future. With preparation, patience and care, that hope materializes into trellised rows of snap peas, a patch of milkweed that nourishes winged migrants, or, over a generation, a tall oak to recline under.
Even if you don't plan on growing food this summer, it's worth it to leaf through a seed catalogue like Baker Creek Heirloom or Seed Saver's Exchange. The pictures and descriptions read like a treasure hunt crossed with a flavor buffet and a side of history. They'll definitely get you dreaming of spring and summer if you're not already! (Kitazawa is another good one, and offers a downloadable version of their catalogue.)
In Other News...
~As always, eat well, be well.~
Read the full Newsletter here and see the full Feb 12 producer lineup and more.
|
|
|
|
Iceland to Ban Commercial Whaling by 2024
In two years, Iceland will officially hang up its harpoon. The country, one of only three in the world that allows commercial whaling, will end the controversial practice when current quotas expire. Read More
|
|
|
|
8 Ways to Lower Your Pet’s Environmental Pawprint
We’re a country of pet lovers. 95 million families – or 70% of American households – own a pet, according to the American Pet Products Association. 135 million cats and dogs live in our homes, and many more amphibians, fish, birds, rodents, and reptiles bring joy to our lives.
|
|
|
|
Coral Vita and the Vital Importance of Restoring Coral Reefs |
Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean, yet they support 25% of marine life and provide millions of people with jobs, food, medicinal compounds, and more. But they are dying due to climate change and other human impacts. Coral Vita is working to restore these vital and beautiful ecosystems for future generations.
|
|
|
|
|
Should You Use Treated Wood? |
While wood is a natural building material, we often treat it with toxic chemicals for durability. What are the dangers of treated wood and do we have safer options?
|
|
|
|
|
Seed Your Future: Career Opportunities Working With Plants |
Plants are vital to our existence on this planet. And the career opportunities are wide and varied. Seed Your Future helps students discover them.
|
|
|
|
|
Did you learn something new today?
Please support Earth911 database updates
so we can help others recycle
|
|
|
|
Columbus on the Cheap
- Over 145 free or cheap events this weekend in Columbus!
- Explore Ohio’s past at Ohio History Center: Black History Month, President’s Day, and more
- Winter festivals and other KidsLinked.com events
- Indoor Farmer’s Markets in Columbus
- 2022 Super Bowl deals, freebies, and watch parties
- 2nd Sundays at Ohio Wildlife Center
- Bowling for Bullies and Low Cost Pet Vaccines with Central Ohio Pit Savers
- Free Hallmark Greeting Cards for Black History Month
- Valentine’s Day in Columbus (gifts, dates, and more)
- Celebrate Galentine’s Day in Columbus with your besties!
- Kids Eat Free on Valentine’s Day at Rusty Bucket
- Valentine’s Day restaurant deals
- Cherry Valley Hotel Dining, Igloos, and Valentine Dates
- The Melting Pot Date Night, Girls Night, and Valentine’s Specials
- Unique Valentine’s Day gifts for a Columbus Clippers fan
- Find current and cheap gas prices in Columbus
- Order a Love Cube for 2 for Valentine’s Day from White Castle
- Valentine’s Chihuly Nights at the Conservatory
- Maple Syrup tours and events in Columbus
- Free Tool Rental at Modcon Living’s Tool Library
|
|
|
|
Valentine’s Day, Felissa Rose, Who Dey Highlight the Weekend
Have a lovely weekend. Photo by Alina Kurson from Pexels.
Here’s a rundown of fun things to do this weekend. Have a great Valentine’s weekend and cheer on the Bengals! Enjoy your weekend!
Valentine's Day
Make something cool at a Valentine’s themed workshop at the Idea Foundry.
Enjoy Exploring Art
Franklinton Fridays returns to 400 Square.
See work by artist Victoria Douglas.
Felissa Rose returns for another meet-n-greet at Studio 35.
What Else Can You Do This Weekend?
Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend!
|
|
|
|
Connie Hammond's Newsletter
Peace and Social Justice Events
To subscribe to weekly events newsletter or to have progressive events for peace and justice added to this list, please contact cmhammond11@att.net.
Friday, February 11, 2022, 7:30 PM. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz: Not "A Nation of Immigrants." The eye-opening and transformative new book from the author of An Indigenous People’s History of the United States will challenge what you believe about U.S. history. An essential text for the twenty-first century, Not “A Nation of Immigrants” charges that it’s time to stop perpetuating simplistic and ahistorical fantasies and embrace the true, complex, and often sobering history of these United States. Cleveland Peace Action Webinar. Register here.
Saturday, February 12, 2022, 2:00 PM. Towards Nuclear Disarmament - US Nuclear Posture Review by Veterans For Peace. Veterans For Peace (VFP) has issued a remarkable Nuclear Posture Review that is what the US government should be putting out but won’t. The VFP Nuclear Posture Review warns that the danger of nuclear war is greater than ever and that nuclear disarmament must be vigorously pursued. With the first anniversary of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on January 22, the VFP Posture Review calls on the U.S. government to sign the treaty and to work with other nuclear-armed states to eliminate all the world’s nuclear weapons. It also calls for measures that would reduce the risk of nuclear war, such as implementing policies for No First Use and taking nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert. Join VFP members Ken Mayers, Gerry Condon, and Alice Slater as well as longtime anti-nuclear activist Joseph Gerson for a discussion of this document and how it can be used as an organizing tool. Massachusetts Peace Action and Veterans for Peace. Register here.
Monday, February 14, 2022, 12:00 - 2:00 PM. Palestine/Israel: Strategies and Actions for a Just Peace: A Conversation. Leila Farsakh and Jeff Halper in conversation across the globe, on strategies and actions for a just peace in Palestine/Israel. Register here.
Monday, February 14, 2022. National Day of Action to End the Economic Strangulation of Afghanistan. Return their Assets Now. On Valentine’s Day we send our love and solidarity to the people of Afghanistan by demanding that the Biden Administration unfreeze their country’s assets. These $9.4 billion are needed so the people of Afghanistan can have access to their own money to re-start their economy and feed themselves. When the United States military pulled out of Afghanistan, the Biden administration strangled the country’s economy by freezing the reserves of the Afghan Central Bank held in the U.S, and imposing sanctions on those doing business with Afghanistan. Jobs and income disappeared, people could not afford to buy food and mass starvation is now occurring. A December 20 letter to President Biden signed by 48 members of Congress states: “…we stand with American allies and humanitarian experts in urging the United States to avoid harsh economic measures that will directly harm Afghan families and children….The U.S. confiscation of $9.4 billion in Afghanistan’s currency reserves held in the United States is contributing to soaring inflation and the shuttering of commercial banks and vital private businesses, plunging the country…deeper into economic and humanitarian crisis.” Since then President Biden has increased humanitarian aid through private groups and relaxed some of the sanctions he imposed on the country. But what is really needed is to jump start its banking system to avert economic and social collapse. Strangling Afghanistan is not the way to pressure the new government to govern in a more humane way. To deny Afghanistan its own money in this time of desperate need is criminal. February 14 is a national day of action to end the economic strangulation of Afghanistan. Our action in Boston will be one of a number of such actions around the country. Contact us if you would like help organizing an activity in your own community. You can call your members of Congress right now to let them know what out you think: 202-224-3121.
Monday, February 14, 2022, 7:00 PM. International Relations and Militarism Today. By any measure the pain and suffering caused by 21st century imperialism is staggering. Millions of people, mostly in the Middle East and South Asia, have died or been displaced by the war on terrorism initiated in 2001. These figures include the untold thousands who have died directly from war and violence in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, and elsewhere in the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa ani harry d indirectly through “hybrid “wars against such countries as Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba. Concomitant to war and violence, the 2022 US military budget endorsed by both political parties will exceed $778 billion. What is the history of US militarism, what Andrew Bacevich calls “the permanent war economy”? What are connections between the military/industrial complex and the global needs of capitalism? What are the current sources of international tensions and possible war today? What is behind US policy towards countries including China, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba? How should the peace movement respond to militarism and imperialism today? Harry Targ, Professor of Political Science, Emeritus and Purdue University, will initiate discussion of these critical and complicated issues. Targ, a long time activist, is currently a Co-Chair of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism (CCDS) and a member of the Wisconsin Peace Action steering committee. He blogs at www.heartlandradical.blogspot.com. Massachusetts Peace Action. Register here.
Tuesday, February 15, 2022, 11:00 AM. Kumi Now: Palestinian Innovators series, Shuruq Harb. Join us for an online gathering to meet the second guest in our Shuruq Harb, visual artist, filmmaker, and author. Please register to join us.
Tuesday, February 15, 2022, 10:00 PM. Investigating the Insurrection: The Meaning & Impact of the 1/6 Select Committee. A conversation with DR. WILLIAM ARMALINE, Director of the Human Rights Institute, San José State Univ. Hosted by Paul George, Director, Peninsula Peace and Justice Center. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85065223550. More information on
Registration is not required but greatly appreciated. Register here.
Wednesday, February 16, 2022, 5:00 PM. Impacts of the Green New Deals on Latin America. The Green New Deal has been a rallying cry in the Global North for reducing carbon emissions and promoting equitable and sustainable economic growth. While confronting global problems like climate change, loss of biodiversity or inequality, it is crucial that the responses advance global justice. To what extent do the different Green New Deals proposed in the United States, in Europe, and elsewhere take into account the impacts they could have on other regions of the world? Institute for Policy Studies. More information and registration here.
Wednesday, February 16, 2022, 12:00 PM. Conversations with the Nation. Why Cori Bush is Just Getting Started in Congress. Halfway through an extraordinary first term, and gearing up for reelection, Congressional representative from Missouri’s first district Rep. Cori Bush is one of the most recognizable and unapologetically progressive members of the House. Join Rep. Bush as she discusses her agenda for 2022–and takes your questions–with Nation Justice Correspondent Elie Mystal. Cost: $10. More information and registration here.
Wednesday, February 16, 2022, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM. A Shared Future: Overcoming Polarization. What does sharing a future mean and how do we get there? In contexts where there is historic division and intractable violence, where “enemies” or “rivals” vie over control of resources and securing their own futures, are there pathways to promote constructive dialogues and difficult compromises – where a vision of a “bearable” future for all involved is possible? Byron Bland will share what he and colleagues at the Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation learned while working in Northern Ireland and Israel/Palestine. These lessons also provide a useful lens for examining political, racial, and cultural divides currently taking place in the United States. He will describe strategies to address problems of distrust, the particular susceptibility to hate-mongering populist leaders shown by those who are feeling the most painful losses, and the thorny question of just entitlements. Additionally, he will explore the distinction between the vision of a shared future and a shared vision of a specific future. Mershon Center for International Security Studies. More information and registration here.
Thursday, February 17, 2022, 7:00 PM. Honesty for Ohio Education Town Hall. Protect kids’ rights to learn about our true history. Join Honesty for Ohio Education for a town hall meeting. The town hall will feature advocates from around the state. For more information on the attacks on education, check out Red Wine & Blue’s book ban map. Register here.
Thursday, February 17, 2022, 6:30 PM. From Noose to Needle. Join the #NoDeathPenaltyOH campaign for a panel discussion on the legacy of lynching in our state and how the modern death penalty grew from this horrific practice. This will be a hybrid event featuring a virtual panel as well as an in-person gathering at a historical lynching site in Oxford, Ohio. Panelists include: State Senator Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati), Furonda Brasfield, From Noose to Needle Project, Rev. Dr. Crystal Walker, Greater Dayton Christian Connections, Demetrius Minor, Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty. Cosponsored by Cincinnati NAACP, YWCA Greater Cincinnati, Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, and From Noose to Needle. Register for the virtual event here. If you’re interested in showing up in person at the event in Oxford, Ohio, please contact Jennifer Pryor at jennifer@otse.org.
|
|
|
|
“Do the best you can until you know better.
Then when you know better, do better.”
~ Maya Angelou
|
|
|
|
|
|
