Jun 2, 20237 min read

6/4:Join the WNPJ Board! + Make Plans to go to the MREA Renewable Energy Fair June 23 – 26, + more!

Updated: Jun 5, 2023

We want YOU to be on the WNPJ Board!

No matter where you live in Wisconsin, you can sit at the table of the Board of the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice! Our monthly meetings are now via zoom, as well as in person.

Do you have ideas on how to move Wisconsin forward in justice and peace issues? We want YOU to help set the direction for the next years of WNPJ. The only requirement is that you are WNPJ member, or contact of a WNPJ Member Group, at the time of the Fall election.

We have 32 years of statewide organizing - creating and maintaining an umbrella organization covering so many different peace and justice groups - environment, labor, prison justice, agriculture justice, anti-nuke work, immigration, democracy, and more.

We now have 75 member groups under our umbrella, as well as individual members - keeping all informed through social media, a weekly e-bulletin and an active website events calendar - showing the intersectionality of all we do.

Here's what Board members do - per our By-laws:

· The Board shall meet at least quarterly to oversee the operation of the WNPJ.

· The Board shall develop and adopt a budget to carry out the priorities set at the General Assembly meeting.

· It shall set policy and procedures for the operation of the WNPJ, including the assignment of duties deemed necessary to raise funds.

· It shall review the recommendation of the officers in personnel issues, and in the hiring and termination of staff, in accordance with those policies and procedures.

· It may initiate and organize statewide actions.

But more than that - we learn together as a Board when we do get the opportunity to gather together in person throughout the state.... whether it is anti-racism training at the Farley Center, viewing an open-pit mine in the Penokees, watching real original corn growing with the Oneida, or talking renewables together at Echo Valley Hope or the MREA Fair in Custer.

Being on the Board is fun, it's educational, it's rewarding - and it makes a difference. Join us.

If you're interested in being on the 2023-2024 WNPJ Board, to be elected at our Fall Assembly, contact info@wnpj.org - and tell us a little about yourself and why you want to be part of this Board.

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Fri. June 23rd – Sun. June 25th MREA (7558 Deer Rd. in Custer)

Each year the Energy Fair brings together over 10,000+ attendees to learn about clean energy, connect with others, and take action toward a just transition and sustainable living for all. Hundreds of workshops and exhibitors, clean transportation show, live music, kids activities, and much, much more!

This year’s keynote speakers include: Fri. 4:00 pm Amy Goodman, award winning investigative journalist and host of Democracy Now!; Sat. 1:00 pm Erik Conway, historian of science and technology and author of The Big Myth: How Business taught Americans to Loathe Government and Love the Free Market; and Sun. 12:00 Noon Triti Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and the former President of the National Iranian American Council.

For more info and ticket info, visit: https://www.theenergyfair.org/ .

The Sierra Club is also sponsoring a Badger Bus from Madison to the Fair on Sat. June 24th, leaving at 7:00 am and returning at 10:00 pm – for details visit: https://tinyurl.com/MREAbus2023

WNPJ and member groups Building Unity, Citizens Climate Lobby, and Family Farm Defenders will have tables in the exhibition hall. Find us! And on Sunday, June 25th, Dena Eakles of Echo Valley Hope will hold a workshop in the Red Tent: 10 am – “Waking the Cooperative Spirit” . Tim Cordon speaks to ‘Building Unity for a Sustainable Future’ in the Pink Tent at 1 pm that Sunday afternoon.

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Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups:

MADISON & VIRTUAL Mon June 5th, 7 – 8:10 pm - 350 Wisconsin Annual Meeting - virtual or in person at the Madison Friends Meetinghouse, 1704 Roberts Court. What has 350 Wisconsin been doing the past year? What are we planning for the future? Please join us! We will review where we are as an organization working together to combat the climate crisis and promote environmental justice. We also will hold our annual election for our Board of Directors and Coordinating Council. This will be a hybrid meeting. Join us in person, (and stay for a tour of the building’s award-winning renovations adding geothermal and solar systems) or join us on zoom from anywhere. For zoom link, register in advance for the meeting through our page: https://350wisconsin.org/monthly-meetings/.

We will review our progress in implementing our strategic plan, including: Rebranding as 350 Wisconsin in recognition of the statewide reach of our work; Launching 350 Wisconsin Action, a separate 501(c)(4) organization to allow us to engage in political and electoral work; Assessing what we can do to make 350 Wisconsin a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive organization; and building our capacity at many levels, including our campaigns, communications, and development. Organizer: https://350wisconsin.org/

WHITEWATER and VIRTUAL - Join Moms Demand Action to celebrate our Wear Orange events, raise awareness, and call for an end to gun violence. Don't forget to wear orange! Wear Orange events around the state:

June 7, 6:00 pm, Whitewater Wear Orange, details and RSVP here https://act.everytown.org/event/moms-demand-action-event/52997/signup/

June 14, 7:00 pm, Statewide Virtual Welcome to Moms Demand Action, details and RSVP here https://act.everytown.org/event/moms-demand-action-event/51017/signup/

July 19, 7:00 pm, Statewide Virtual Bi-Monthly Meeting, details and RSVP here https://act.everytown.org/event/moms-demand-action-event/51179/signup/

SINSINAWA Friday, June 9th, 09:00 am - 03:00 pm "No Child Left Inside" - Weekly Ecological Day Camp for children. —On Friday this summer, June 9, 16, 23, 30 and July 7, Eric Anglada, Sinsinawa’s Ecological Programming Coordinator, will be leading this weekly day camp. These day-long camps, open to ages from 7 to 11, will be filled with games, exploration, story-telling, hiking, plant identification and more. Participants should be ready to learn about themselves and nature, get some exercise and have lots of fun. Children should bring their own water bottle, lunch, snack and hat. We will spend the entirety of the day outdoors. Registration ends on the Wednesday prior to each Friday. The fee is $30 per day camp or $120 for all five camp sessions. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at https://www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter/ for more information. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque.

MADISON Fri June 9th 12 noon END the ERA of FOSSIL FUELS - Rally - at the Capitol . Join 350 Wisconsin as part of People vs Fossil Fuel's End the Era of Fossil Fuels distributed actions!

We'll be calling for President Biden and Governor Evers to end the era of fossil fuels! With the Bad River meander less than ten feet from Line 5, we're on the brink of a catastrophic spill in the Great Lakes and a true environmental justice disaster. And after the fast-tracking of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Appalachia, it's never been more urgent for us to take action to END THE ERA OF FOSSIL FUELS! RSVP here.

This will be the debut of our amazing group of singers, and we'll be assembling in the Wisconsin Capitol Rotunda at noon to use music and art to tell the Wisconsin government that we demand action now. Join us on Friday during your lunch break to Stop Line 5 and end the era of fossil fuels in Wisconsin and the US! Contact: Emily Park<contact@350wisconsin.org

MADISON Fri June 9th, 5:30 - 8 pm Screening of the film, "Breaking the Cycle" – viewing Norway's prison system. First Unitarian Society, University Bay Drive. Moses Ministry Team is excited to welcome you to an in-person screening of the film, "Breaking the Cycle". What: Potluck, Film, and Discussion Please share this information with interested folks and organizations! Please RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/screening-of-the-norwegian-film-breaking-the-cycle-tickets-632892407227. Sent to WNPJ by First Unitarian Society of Madison - kristis@fusmadison.org

SINSINAWA Sat June 10th, 9 am - 4 pm Grief Retreat: Journey Toward Wholeness - Sinsinawa Mound Center, County Road Z. Join Mary Hopkins, OP, Dominican Sister for a grief retreat. Throughout our life we experience the loss of people, places and things. We will take time to reflect on our losses and to discover how loss can lead to greater wholeness and holiness. Please register by June 5 and the fee is $50 per person. Lunch will be provided the day of the retreat. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at https://www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter/ for more information. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque.

MILWAUKEE and VIRTUAL Sat June 10th, 10 - 11:30 am "Collaborating for Greater Community Impact" with the United Nations of Greater Milwaukee. At Zao MKE Church – 2319 E. Kenwood Blvd. or virtually through the Following Zoom Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85784621419?pwd=Z2V4UEFENmtNS29hV3FlcFBQOUdVdz09

Three Chapter Leaders, Steve Watrous, Martha Collins and Annette Robertson will represent the UNA of Greater Milwaukee at the 2023 UNA-USA Leadership Summit June 4- 6 and report back with "Three First-Hand Perspectives on The Most Important Issues for The United Nations and the UNA of Greater Milwaukee", sharing the best of their interactions with UN and U.S. government officials and with members of other UNA chapters. Today's forum will provide participants with an opportunity to share ideas for planning future forums, how to develop relationships with other community groups and organizations concerned with global issues, and how the UNA of Greater Milwaukee can be more effective in supporting the sustainable development goals of the UN and UNA-USA. For more information, contact Jack Murtaugh murtaughwi@aol.com (email) / 414.635.9879 (Phone)

MILWAUKEE Sat June 10th, 12 noon - 1 pm Peace Action WI Weekly Stand for Peace. Meet at South 16th Street & West Greenfield Avenue. Each week, a different vigil site in Milwaukee. Bring your signs for peace! Questions? Contact Peace Action WI - info@peaceactionwi.org or see https://www.peaceactionwi.org

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If your group would like to get your events posted in the weekly e-bulletin – JOIN US!

https://www.wnpj.org/membership

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WNPJ member groups can sign up for a Saturday opportunity to TABLE at the Madison Farmers Market – this Spring and summer at the Capitol Square.

The Farmers Market opening date is April 15th – 7 am to 1 pm …and runs through the Fall on Saturdays. Sign up for your spot today! Bring your own table and hand-outs to the King Street corner of the Square, next to the VFP #25 table! Questions? Contact info@wnpj.org

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