Windham County Action Network (WeCAN)

"In cold weather states like Vermont, where the weather can get to 20 below zero, home heating assistance is critically important. In fact, it is a life and death issue." 
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

     We hope you are having a restful and relaxing weekend, WeCAN friends. This week's Weekly Email Update has a few new entries as well as a two separate notices for Organizers and Group Leaders. Take a moment to scroll through to the bottom, grab your calendar, and make some plans! We look forward to seeing you at a meeting or event in near future. 

HAPPENING THIS WEEK, MONDAY, DECEMBER 9th, 2019-SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15th, 2019

Impeachment and the Rule of Law, with Tim Kipp
Part of the Brattleboro Democracy Forum/Brown Bag Lunch
sponsored by We Celebrate Democracy/Civil Rights for All
Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 at the Robert H. Gibson River Garden (157 Main Street, Brattleboro, Vt, 05301). 12pm-1pm.
This is a 2 part lecture /discussion, the first will be Wednesday November 13, 12:00-1:00 , the second will be December 11, 12:00-1:00,.
The concepts of a “nation of laws and not of people” and the “rule of law” are as old as the nation-state itself. Elbowing aside the “divine right of kings” this new system would become the very foundation of democracy.
What happens when the president violates the oath of office? Through the lens of history and contemporary politics this lecture/discussion will examine the roles of the Constitution, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Council, the 25th Amendment, and impeachment in addressing presidential misconduct. The conclusion will ask, “How well is the US living up to the principle of the Rule of Law?”
Tim Kipp, retired US history and political science teacher of 39 years and a political activist since the 1960’s.
Sponsored by WE CELEBRATE DEMOCRACY/CIVIL RIGHTS FOR ALL, positive nonviolent public action for democracy and equal civil rights for all people.

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Compassion, Fear, and Safety on Brattleboro’s Streets and Public Spaces
presented by Compassionate Brattleboro
Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 at Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 7pm-8pm.
We hear that fear and unpleasantness is keeping residents and tourists away from Brattleboro’s Downtown.  We also hear that a sizable number of Brattleboro residents have no place to hang their hats or spend their days, other than our streets and parks.  Brattleboro voters say they want to be a compassionate community.  What can we learn about ourselves and our community by looking at this situation through the lens of compassion?  Is there a compassionate way forward which includes safety, responsibility, accountability, and legality?  A panel of 5 residents with varied perspectives on Down Town life will share their views and stimulate community conversation.
Community Conversations on Compassion looks at hard issues in our community and in our lives through the eyes of compassion.  The hope is that these conversations will give us better understanding of what compassion means to us and our neighbors in Brattleboro in 2019, and how it can grow in our personal and public lives.  Previous fall topics were Living and Responding to Climate Change, and Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices.

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Protest Vigil at TD Bank
sponsored by Post Oil Solutions
Friday, December 13th 2019 (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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Dinner Together
Friday, December 13th, 2019 at the Winston Prouty School (Austine Drive, Brattleboro, VT, 05301), in the Great Hall in Thomas Hall. 5:30pm-7:30pm. All welcome! Free dinner (GF and vegan options, and all nut free) and childcare. More info: [email protected].
Join us for a community dinner and casual facilitated conversation about mental health and wellness. It's for those of us who are working on our mental health and those of us who are supporting folks who are struggling (or both). This is a chance to connect with peers and gain connections.

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Living Earth Action Group Meeting with Members of the Vermont House Climate Caucus
Friday, December 13th, 2019 at Congregational Church of Westminster West (44 Church Street, Putney, VT, 05346). 5:30pm-7pm. All are welcome. Bring snacks to share.
Next Friday, Dec. 13, 5:30-7pm, two members of the Vermont House Climate Caucus will be speaking and listening at the Living Earth Action Group in Westminster West, VT.  Reps Mike Mrowicki and Carolyn Partridge (Carolyn is the chair of the House Ag Committee) are coming to our meeting, which is open to all to join in.  Bring snacks and questions/concerns to put before Carolyn and Mike so they can be better informed and can best represent the interests of Earth and humans of our state!

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Brattleboro Mother Up! Monthly Meet-Up
hosted by 350 Vermont and KidsPLAYce
Monday, December 16th, 2019 at KidsPLAYce (20 Elliot Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 5:30pm-7:30pm. A vegetarian meal and childcare for ages 10 and under will be provided. RSVP helpful, but not required. Contact Abby Mnookin for more info at [email protected]. Note: We usually meet on 4th Mondays, but switched to 3rd Monday this month to avoid the holidays.
Join us in building solidarity amongst parents by taking action to protect the health and safety of our collective future.
Mother Up!: Families Rise Up for Climate Action is a project of 350Vermont that brings together families to talk about the tough realities of climate change and to participate in the transition to a healthier and safer world.
Join us on Facebook ~ www.facebook.com/groups/1575656819412318
And thank you to KidsPLAYce for continuing to give us a generous discount and hosting our monthly meet-ups!

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Greenfield Harmony Holiday Concert to Benefit Community Asylum Seekers Project (CASP) led by Mary Cay Brass
Saturday, December 21st, 2019 at the Wesley Methodist Church (98 North Maple Street, Hadley, MA). 4pm. Admission is $15, children under 12 are free. For more information about the concert, the choir, or the director go to www.marycaybrass.com. For more information about CASP please go to www.caspvt.org.
Greenfield Harmony is a unique, multi-generational choir known for its eclectic mix of music from diverse cultural musical heritages.
The choir will present soulful and thrilling songs of joy, love and peace, as well as songs for social justice, from the Balkans, Israel, the British Isles, South Africa, Sweden and the Republic of Georgia.
Every Greenfield Harmony concert is a benefit for a local or global peace initiative. This year’s concert will assist the Community Asylum Seekers Project. Based in Southern Vermont, CASP’s mission is to provide basic needs and a supportive community for those in the process of seeking asylum in the U.S. www.caspvt.org.

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LGBTQIA+ Allies Youth Yule Dance
sponsored by Outright Vermont
Friday, January 3rd, 2020 at The Root Social Justice Center (The Whetstone Studio for the Arts, 28 Williams Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 7pm-11pm.
Like in Goblet of Fire, but with fewer straight/cis people. 

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Refugee Theater: Kurdish and Yazidi Women Speak Out
hosted by the Vermont Humanities Council and Brooks Memorial Library
Wednesday, February 5th, 2019 at Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 7pm-8:30pm.
Rojava, a revolutionary experiment in Kurdish Syria, attempts to create an inclusive democracy safe from ISIS, Turkish incursion, and Syria’s civil war. Smith College professor Ellen W. Kaplan discusses the process of interviewing women, activists, refugees, and fighters from the Rojava region, and transforming their experiences into theater. Part of the Vermont Humanities First Wednesdays free lecture series.

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For Our Organizers and Group Leaders

Are Volunteers Needed for Your Group? St. Michael’s Episcopal Church Social Justice Committee Wants to Assist You!
The Social Justice Committee is preparing a list of organizations doing social justice work who need volunteers to assist them in their work in Windham County. Does your group need volunteers? 
If so: for what kind of tasks? How can we assist your organization in doing its work?
And secondly, do you have a one-day service project that volunteers could do during the week of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday? We cannot commit to any project immediately, as we would need to get it approved (and staffed!), but whom should we contact if we need more information about such a project?
In both cases, should there be work volunteers could do, please let us know the appropriate contact person for follow-up. We hope to assemble all this information later this month for dissemination to the Saint Michael's community in the New Year.

Best regards, 
Joyce ([email protected])
Joyce Vining Morgan, PhD 

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Tabling Opportunity for Windham County’s Social/Economic/Environmental Justice Workers 
MLK Day Event at the Brattleboro Food Coop
The Brattleboro Coop is beginning to plan their fourth-annual MLK Day tabling event, and yet again want to invite Windham County’s social/economic/environmental justice workers to the store to set up a table and let people know what you’re up to. The Coop wants to help increase our customers’ awareness of this area’s incredible network of organizations, and encourage Co-op Shareholders to do community service work. 
As you may know, the Coop offers an 8% discount to Co-op owners for volunteer service in the community for up to four months per year, so it’s a great incentive for people to learn about your work and consider lending their time to helping your organization in exchange for this benefit.
Some details:

• If you could give the Coop a general yes or no at some point before December 24^th, that would be very helpful; the finer details will be sorted out as the day approaches.
• This message is going out to about 30 organizations, and they have around 7 tabling spots and 8 hours in the day. In the past some organizations have stayed for the whole day, but depending on how many tablers we have they may not be able to do that this year. 

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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 are grateful to Song and Solidarity for providing this service.

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STANDING REGULAR MEETINGS  

Women Veterans Weekly Coffee and Tea Social
Thursday Mornings at Brattleboro Legion Post 5 Inc. (32 Linden Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 9am-10am.
All female veterans are invited to join in the Women Veterans group coffee held at the American Legion.  All women veterans are welcome. You do not need to be a Legion member.

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Youth 4 Change
Meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month from 5:30pm-8pm. 
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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Windham County NAACP Regular Meetings
Monthly community meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month at The Root Center for Social Justice (The Whetstone Studio for the Arts, 28 Williams Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301) on the First Floor from 6pm-7pm. For more information please email [email protected]. All are welcome. 
The meetings are open to anyone interested in racial justice. The Mission of the NAACP is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

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Brattleboro Common Sense Open Meeting and Orientation for New Volunteers
Every Sunday at 16 Washington Street (Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 10:30am. For more information please call 802.490.9363 or go to www.BrattleboroCommonSense.org.
Come and check out Brattleboro's kick-ass group that makes global issues local. 
This summer our proposal for renewable-sourced municipal electricity and our petition for a sustainability coordinator were approved, but other terms of our Climate Crisis forum and common sense conservation lost their first vote in March. Brattleboro voters also approved our Youth Vote Amendment in March.
CURRENT AGENDA :
We are very glad to improve our unique and aggressive DECLARATION of CLIMATE EMERGENCY with Selectboard input that sets all Americans equal across the political divide, establishing compassion and unity for the sake of climate rescue; Local Wall Street Tax; police safety; basic social research
BACKGROUND : in 2010 EMDOVY v Brattleboro: Superior Court order that ends censorship of petitions by the Selectboard; in 2014 We promoted Brattleboro's Declaration that climate change is a real and human-made, and that carbon be listed as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act.

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ONGOING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING 

Indigo Radio
Sundays at 12pm on Brattleboro Community Radio 107.7FMTo 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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     We thank you for your enthusiasm and commitment to community organizing this and every week, WeCANners. Until next week...

Joanna and Leslie 
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