Windham County Action Network (WeCAN)

"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

     There are many new submissions for this week's email, including graduate capstone presentations, a volunteer opportunity with a local campaign, a Climate Change solidarity action, and a discussion about local economies and economics. Take a look and find a new topic to explore near you! 

*JUST A REMINDER*: The last day to vote in the Vermont Primaries is this Tuesday, August 14th. Make your voice heard by casting your vote! You can find your local polling place here: 2018 Primary and General Election Polling Place Listing. 

HAPPENING TODAY, SUNDAY, AUGUST 12th, 2018

Share the Harvest
sponsored by Edible Brattleboro
Sunday, August 12th, 2018  at the Turning Point Garden (the corner of Elm Street and Frost Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 11am-1pm. Please bring your own bags.
Join Edible Brattleboro from 11am-1pm in our garden at Turning Point, on the corner of Elm and Frost Street (diagonally across from New England Youth Theatre) for free, locally grown veggies, herbs, and more. Please bring your own bags. All produce is free thanks to the generosity of local gardeners and farmers. We welcome donations from your garden.

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Advanced Backyard Composting
sponsored by the Living Earth Action Group of Westminster West and made possible by a grant from New England Grassroots Environmental Fund
Sunday, August 12th, 2018 at Main Street Arts (5 School Street, Saxtons River, VT). 2pm-5pm.
Suggested Donation: $5-10. No one turned away for lack of funds. Main Street Arts is at the intersection of School and Main Street. The house is the 2nd house on the right, but please park cars at the elementary school. Bring a chair, and, if it is hot, bring an umbrella to create shade. For more information and to register call Caitlin Adair at 802-387-5779 or email her at [email protected].
Crafting a recipe for the backyard compost system is a critical element for success in making a healthy soil amendment and for protecting wildlife. Cat Buxton, master composter and well known Vermont community educator, will give an overview of the soil food web to help you understand how and why to create compost that benefits your soil while managing kitchen and yard waste. 
At this backyard workshop Cat and friends will take apart an existing compost pile, analyze it and then rebuild it according to best principles as taught by Dr. Elaine Ingham with whom Cat studies.  
Learn about the spectrum of practical compostable ingredients and how to construct a pile that applies principles of structure and density to ensure that your living compost can hold air and water, creating the conditions that diverse microbial populations need to thrive. Suitable for all levels of understanding, and applicable for all sizes of family and neighborhood compost systems. 

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HAPPENING THIS WEEK, MONDAY, AUGUST 13th, 2018-SUNDAY, AUGUST 29th, 2018

SIT Capstone Presentations 
Tuesday, August 14th, 2018-Thursday, August 16th, 2018 on the SIT Campus (1 Kipling Rd, Brattleboro, VT 05301). Times vary. Click here for the complete schedule. For accessible accommodations, please call 802-258-3527.
SIT’s August 2018 Capstone Seminar is August 14-16. Presentations will cover a wide range of research conducted by SIT Graduate Institute students in the final phase of their International Education master’s degree programs. Among them will be an exploration of the community-building work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Palestine; a comparison of restorative justice programs in Vermont and Rwanda; and a study of African American girls in the school-to-prison pipeline. The presentations are free and open to the public. 

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Primary Night Celebration!
sponsored by Brenda Siegel for Governor
Tuesday, August 14th, 2018 at Echo Restaurant and Lounge (73 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 6pm-9pm.
Celebrate Brenda's historic, grassroots campaign together as we watch the final votes be counted this Tuesday Evening. When this campaign started we were told it was impossible. Now, come celebrate our ground breaking campaign. Join us as we make history! Light food will be provided by Brenda for Vermont. Facebook event is here: Primary Night Celebration!

[Info on how to Get Out The Vote for Brenda Siegel For Governor is happening all over the state, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. See VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES below].

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Protest Vigil at TD Bank
sponsored by Post Oil Solutions
Friday, August 17th, 2018 (and every Friday) at TD Bank Brattleboro (215 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT). In front of the building. 12pm-1pm. Signs will be provided
TD is a major investor in Tar Sands. TD helps to fund the Dakota Access Pipeline. What You Can Do (besides attending the vigils): If you’re a TD depositor, change banks! Founded in 2005, Post Oil Solutions is a 501c3 community organizing project in Southeastern Vermont whose mission is to help empower the people of the Central Connecticut River Valley bioregion in this era of global warming and climate change to develop sustainable, resilient , collaborative, and socially just communities leading to a self- and community-sufficient post petroleum society.

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Gift Economy and "The Great Turning”: A Discussion Led by Trevor Lohr
presented by Living Earth Action Group
Friday, August 17th, 2018 at the Congregational Church of  Westminster West (44 Church Street, Westminster West, VT). 5pm-6:30pm. If you have questions or you would like to receive the Living Earth Weekly Newsletter, contact Caitlin Adair [email protected] 802-387-5779.
Let go of any associations with the word “Economics”; this won't be some abstract, mathematical, boring didactic presentation. We will have an engaging personal and communal discussion about the systems that shape people's lives. If you've had enough doom and gloom concerning present global circumstances, then join this discussion that will use the story of a broken system as a stepping stone toward realistic, hopeful visions and stories for the future. Bring your imagination.
For the vast majority of human history, small communities of people produced nearly all of their needs and wants locally. These alternative socioeconomic ways of life depend on mutual trust, and cultural narratives that weave together self, community, and cosmos. The stories we tell ourselves and our children have the power to create and change community, and a new (and ancient) story about the deep interconnection of all living beings is rapidly spreading across the globe. During this conversation, we will explore the foundations of small community economy and culture through history and the present, and most importantly, we will apply those perspectives to visions of transition toward a future that makes sense and feels empowering for ourselves, our families and our communities. 
Stories about experience of life in your community, informal economic exchange, rituals and celebrations will be welcome and encouraged. 

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Share the Harvest
sponsored by Edible Brattleboro
Sunday, August 19th, 2018  at the Turning Point Garden (the corner of Elm Street and Frost Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 11am-1pm. Please bring your own bags.
Join Edible Brattleboro from 11am-1pm in our garden at Turning Point, on the corner of Elm and Frost Street (diagonally across from New England Youth Theatre) for free, locally grown veggies, herbs, and more. Please bring your own bags. All produce is free thanks to the generosity of local gardeners and farmers. We welcome donations from your garden.

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Spark Teacher Education for The World in Claire’s Classroom 
Sunday, August 19th , 2018 at The Root Social Justice Center (The Whetstone Studio for the Arts, 28 Williams Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301), on the First Floor. 5pm-7pm. Light food and refreshments will be provided. 
Join the Spark Teacher Education for The World in Claire’s Classroom as part of our opening Summer Institute. The World in Claire’s Classroom highlights the teaching of Claire Oglesby,  who was a beloved lead teacher  for many decades at the Westminster West Public Community School.  In the four grades of the School, she knew that every child, no matter their background, had the ability to learn. Claire demonstrated the compassion and determination to teach for a more equitable world through observation, inquiry based learning and storytelling. 
As a student in the Spark Teacher Education Institute, watching The World in Claire's Classroom was inspiring. Claire provided a clear, practical and local introduction into Social Justice Education. Claire reminds us the importance to teach students to think critically, to learn how to understand ourselves in the world, and to have difficult conversations about fairness with children of all ages.
Today, The World in Claire's Classroom reminds us, that what we teach is both a reflection of the world and the ways that we seek to change it. Spark Teacher Education prepares student teachers for building skills and critical thinking, as we work together to carry on Claire's legacy to strive for a better world for all. 
Spark Teacher Education Institute partners with Marlboro College Graduate School to offer a Masters in Teaching for Social Justice. At the same time Spark trains teachers to complete Certification for the Agency of Education, VT, participants work side-by-side for an entire year with skilled mentor teachers, learning to integrate social justice and equity content into the mainstream curriculum.
For more information on Educational Praxis, the umbrella non-profit organization that encompasses Spark, Brattleboro Solidarity, Indigo Radio, and Indigo Institute, please visit our website    

http://www.educationalpraxis.org/.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Democracy Forum on the Brattleboro Youth Vote Campaign
Wednesday, August 22nd, 2018 at The River Garden (157 Main St., Brattleboro). 12pm-1pm. 
Contact: Rio Daims, [email protected]
The Brattleboro Youth Vote is an amendment to the town charter that will enable Brattleboro youth ages 16 and 17 to vote in town elections, serve on local school boards, and serve at Representative Town Meeting. This will empower youth to be completely active members of the town where they live, work, and pay taxes, and will give them a voice in the changes that affect them. Rio Daims, Youth Vote Coordinator at Brattleboro Common Sense, will lead the Forum. Come find out about the campaign and how you can get involved!

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Windham County Rally & Ride: A Rise for Climate Solidarity Action
Saturday, September 8th, 2018. Pedal Bikers meet at the Brattleboro Area Farmers’ Market Parking Lot [570 Western Ave (Route 9), Brattleboro, VT, 05301]. Walkers (including stilt-walkers and drummers) meet at the bike racks across from the Brattleboro Food Co-op (2 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301) to march up Main Street. Both groups will convene at the Brattleboro Commons (Park Place, Brattleboro, VT, 05301) for a planned Rally. 3pm-6pm. Families with kids welcome! And all are welcome at the rally, whether or not you're able to join in the ride or the march. RAIN DATE: Sunday, September 9th, 3pm-6pm.Questions? Want to borrow a bike? Have ideas for the rally? Email us at [email protected]. RSVP here - https://actionnetwork.org/events/critical-and-kidical-mass-bike-rally-for-climate-action/. More info at 350.org/rise.
     On September 8th hundreds of rallies will be held in cities and towns around the world as part of the "Rise for Climate" to demand our local leaders commit to building a fossil free world that works for all of us. This date has been chosen to precede the Global Climate Action Summit that will be happening in San Francisco from September 12th - 14th. Join us as we hold our local leaders to account and demand that they walk the talk on climate action!
Agenda:
3pm: Pedal bikers meet in the Brattleboro Farmers' Market parking lot to bike together in a critical/kidical mass. Walkers (including stilt-walkers and drummers) meet at the bike racks across from the Brattleboro Food Co-op to march up Main Street. Both groups travel to the Brattleboro Common.
4 pm: Rally at the Common! All are invited to attend!
Speakers: Representative Mollie Burke, youth, and more!
Bicycle "petting zoo"
Creating a People's Transportation Plan
Bike stencils for t-shirts and canvas bags
Face-painting and kids activities
Tabling from local and regional orgs
Live music and refreshments!
     Our hope is to get as many people as possible out on the streets of Brattleboro pushing for more support for active transportation and a lower transportation carbon footprint. Families with kids welcome! And all are welcome at the rally, whether or not you're able to join in the ride or the march.

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Get Out The Vote for Brenda Siegel For Governor is happening all over the state Sunday (8/12), Monday (8/13), and Tuesday (8/14).  Whether you have 30 minutes or 6 hours or whether you can canvass, phone bank, or drive we have something for you.  You help will get us over the finish line. Volunteer for the Brenda Siegel for Governor this weekend before final voting on Tuesday, August 14th, 2018 and be a part of a historic, grassroots campaign! See the event here and we will help you find a place to help:  https://www.facebook.com/events/2596942626989897/

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FUTURE EVENTS

Healing Our Collective Trauma and Reconnecting with Our Spiritual Source & 
Healing Our Divisions and Biases and Unifying Our Movements: Two Workshops by Sherri Mitchell, an Indigenous Rights and Environmental Justice Activist
sponsored by Post Oil Solutions
Saturday, October 27th, 2018 and Sunday, October 28th, 2018 on the Winston Prouty Campus (209 Austine Drive, Brattleboro, VT) in Croker Hall on the 4th Floor (with elevator access). 9am-5pm, both days. 
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS:
Healing Our Collective Trauma and Reconnecting with Our Spiritual Source:
This one-day workshop will take participants on a journey into Native American mythology and cosmology, as a means of healing our collective wounds and reconnecting with spiritual source. We have all been impacted by histories of violence. The oppressed, the oppressor, and the witness alike bear the wounds of our collective past. Together, we will look at the psychic and spiritual wounds that we all share and learn how we can untangle their hold on our hearts and minds. Participants will be asked to look at the history that led to this traumatization and explore how it continues to impact their lives. We will also learn how to hold sacred space for one another while our trauma is present. In this process, we will learn that there is a safe space for us to occupy together, whole and intact. Then, we can begin the process of healing our divisions, so that we can go back and claim a new future for all living beings.
Healing Our Divisions and Biases and Unifying Our Movements:
This one-day workshop provides participants with an opportunity to look at the divisions and biases, including hidden biases, that have been built into our societies and ideologies. We will look at the divisions created by our shared history, the biases informed by that history, and the ways that they prevent us from joining our movements. We will learn how to find interest convergence points that enable us to work with one another across these divisions, and how to manage the intersectionality of the emerging movement of movements. 
-We will only accommodate the first 50 people that register, with a wait list beyond.
The minimum participants are 20; we will cancel if we get less than this, and reimburse registrants accordingly.
-People are encouraged to bring a bag lunch and snacks for themselves, or to share
-Registration: $125.00
-REFUND POLICY FOR PARTICIPANT CANCELLATION: People can get a refund of the full price if they cancel 10 days prior to the event; after that they can get 50% up to 5 days before the event. If they fail to cancel before that time they will get a 25% refund up to 48 hours before the event and no refund within 48 hours. 
Write & Mail Check to
Post Oil Solutions, P. O. Box 431
Townshend, VT  05353
Note “Sherri Mitchell”  in Memo line and please include e-mail address and phone number.

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RESOURCE FOR WeCAN: Rapid Response Text Alert System

When WeCAN began, Song & Solidarity set up a Rapid Response Text Alert System for WeCAN Groups. Directions for signing up are on WeCAN's website, here: https://www.wecantogether.net/rapid_response We were reminded of the Rapid Response text alerts system as President Trump moves towards firing Mueller. In the event Mueller is fired, MoveOn is planning a nation-wide simultaneous protest. The trick will be to get the word out fast if/when the time comes. We are grateful to Song and Solidarity for providing this service.

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STANDING REGULAR MEETINGS

Lost River Racial Justice, Black Lives Matter-South, and People Of Color Caucus Regular Meeting

Reoccurring racial justice organizing meetings every 2nd Monday at The Root Social Justice Center (The Whetstone Studio of the Arts, 28 Williams Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301) on the First Floor. 6pm-8pm. 
Childcare provided. Fragrance & nut free space.  

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Alternatives to Suicide 
Every Wednesday, 6pm-7:30pm at the Hive Space (24 Flat St, Suite 202, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). Second Floor, up one flight of stairs.

Alternatives to Suicide is a mutual support group open to anyone who has experienced thoughts of suicide. The group is guided by a charter of values provided by the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community. The group is non-clinical and does not link suicide with illness.  Participants are free to talk about and find meaning in their experiences in/on their own terms. 

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Youth 4 Change

Meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month from 5:30pm-8pm.
Upcoming: Aug 27th (*NOTE: This is the 4th Monday of the month, not the 3rd Monday!)

For more information please contact Youth 4 Change at [email protected].
Agenda:
5:30pm: Drop in homework time and art making
6:00pm: Food
6:30pm: Meeting and Organizing
Youth 4 Change is for local-area youth 12-22 interested in political organizing around local/state/national social justice issues that are important to them. Brattleboro area advocates and educators are holding a space, and assisting youth in building a strong personal tool kit to organize for change.  Using a variety of creative methods, we aim to enable youth with tools for resilience, courage and compassion, while fostering their ability to speak up about issues that matter to them, and to take action in the name of love and liberation for all people.  Come explore issues of racial, economic and gender justice through art, movement, first-hand accounts and contemplative practices. Connect with area youth around the issues that matter to you and strengthen your tool kit for action! 

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ONGOING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING 

Indigo Radio
Sundays at 12pm on Brattleboro Community Radio 107.7FM
To stream live: Visit www.wvew.org 
Indigo Radio, deepening understanding and making connections! IndigoRadio is a group of area educators seeking to learn through engaging with others in our community and throughout the world. We will be talking about educational and social issues both globally and locally and connecting them to our lives and Brattleboro community. Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indigoradiowvew/. For archive recordings of past shows: https://soundcloud.com/user-654648353

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Have a productive and insightful week, Friends. Until next time...


Ann, Joanna, and Leslie