"I ran for the presidency, despite hopeless odds, to demonstrate the sheer will and refusal to accept the status quo. The next time a woman runs, or a black, a Jew, or anyone from a group that the country is 'not ready' to elect to its highest office, I believe that he or she will be taken seriously from the start."
Shirley Chisholm (b. Nov.30, 1924, d. Jan.1, 2005)
American politician, educator, and author. In 1968, she became the first black woman elected to the United States Congress and she represented New York's 12th congressional district for seven terms from 1969 to 1983
There are a few new items this week, WeCAN readers, so please take a moment during this chilly and snowy Sunday to scroll through to the end of the email and pick a few items that interest you. We would also like to remind our wonderful group organizers to start sending in your January and February events, too, as the New Year will be here before we know it. Have a fantastic week, Friends, and stay safe and warm. We hope to see you at a meeting or event soon!
______
HAPPENING TODAY, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1st, 2019
Nobody Is Above the Law: Rally for Impeachment
Sunday, December 1st, 2019 at Central Square in Keene, NH. 1pm-3pm.
Bring a sign, as we stand together in defense of OUR Constitution and OUR nation.
Organizers plan to hold the rally unless the weather is worse than predicted. If the rally happens there will be singing. They asked that we show up.
Click here for the sheet from the last rally.
Titles are links to music videos for the songs.
Also, go to this link and enter your zip code to sign up with MoveOn's "Nobody is Above the Law" impeachment rally event. MoveOn is planning nation-wide rallies the night before the House votes on impeachment. By signing up you will get a notification when the rally is scheduled. It probably won't happen until next month, if then, but the decision to move to a vote could happen quickly. With the MoveOn sign up you will get notification.
______
HAPPENING THIS WEEK, MONDAY, DECEMBER 2nd, 2019-SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8th, 2019
World AIDS Day Commemoration
hosted by the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont
Monday, December 2nd, 2019 at Centre Congregational Church (193 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 12pm-1pm. Call (802) 254-4444 for more information.
World AIDS Day commemoration will begin first with a vigil outside Centre Congregational Church on Main Street and continue inside with guest speakers and music will be provided by the Green Mountain Strummers.
_______
Andrew Yang Rally
hosted by Andrew Yang for President 2020
Monday, December 2nd, 2019 at Branch and Blade Brewing (17 Bradco Street, Keene, NH, 03431). 4:30pm-6pm. Sign up for tickets here.
Join Andrew Yang for a town hall in Keene, NH! Listen to his vision for the country and ask your questions.
______
US Immigration Policy in Historical Perspective
hosted by Vermont Humanities Council
Wednesday, December 4th, 2019 at Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street, Brattleboro, Vt, 05301). 7pm-8:30pm.
One would think that current anxieties about immigration in the US have never been more intense, but history teaches us otherwise. Dartmouth professor Richard Wright examines the present-day contradictions of US immigration policy and places them in historical perspective. Part of the Vermont Humanities First Wednesdays free lecture series.
______
Protest Vigil at TD Bank
sponsored by Post Oil Solutions
Friday, December 6th 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.
______
Walls of Sound: Ecology of the Borderlands
Friday, December 6th, 2019 at Epsilon Spires (190 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 7pm-10pm. Tickets are a sliding scale of $15-20.
Alexander Meszler performs a piece on the sanctuary Estey organ incorporating field recordings, video projection, poetry, and scientific research to raise awareness of the negative environmental impact of a U.S.- Mexico border wall.
An original composition exploring the natural environment of the Sonoran Desert at the U.S.-Mexico border. “Walls of Sound” brings together collaborators from across disciplines including musicians, scientists, activists, and theater, and was funded in part by the Foundation for Contemporary Arts in New York.
For this piece, Alexander Meszler invites us into an immersive sonic and visual experience in contemplating the human impact of the militarization of borders and consequences for the natural environment. Meszler is a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate in organ at Arizona State University under Kimberly Marshall who is known worldwide for her compelling programs and presentations of organ music. He recently returned from Versailles, France on a Fulbright award where he investigated secularism and the church organ while studying with Jean-Baptiste Robin.
Composed in 2018, this work is a multimedia collaboration including musician Glenn Weyant whose work has addressed the militarization of the Southern Arizona borderlands since 2006; the video works of artist Erik Miller and videographer Samantha Lloyd; and musical works composed specifically for this program by Garth Paine and Huw Morgan.
The program is narrated with the poetry of Alberto Rios, poet laureate of Arizona, and scientific research by Michael Schoon.
This event is being streamed live online in partnership with Wave Farm Radio [https://wavefarm.org/listen] and broadcast live on WGXC 90.7-FM in New York's Upper Hudson Valley.
______
UPCOMING EVENTS
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
______
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.
______
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 350 Vermont bringing together families to talk about the tough realities of climate change and to participate in the transition to a healthier and safer world. What Joanna Macy calls the “Great Turning,” or the third revolution, is this unprecedented time where we are called to stop the destruction of our world, to build new life-sustaining practices and ways of being, and to shift our collective consciousness. We especially wish to engage young parents in this vital discussion of how we can make positive changes to protect our planet for our children's future.
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!
______
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.
______
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.
______
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.
______
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.
______
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.
______
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!
______
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.
______
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.
______
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.
______
Thank you for your civic engagement this and every week, WeCAN neighbors. We appreciate your activism and look forward to seeing you at an event or meeting this week!
Joanna and Leslie
{{settings.site.full_url}}