WNPJ + Vote this week! + SPOTLIGHT on Environmental Justice and ACTION ALERT + Veterans for Peace National Convention + Songwriter Visit to WI + other statewide events
The WI Network for Peace and Justice is the umbrella non-profit organization
supporting the work of 86 member groups around Wisconsin.
Early Voting has started for the Wisconsin Primary on August 13th! Are you registered? Click here to find your polling place, important voting deadlines, and more!
Several WNPJ member groups are urging voters to VOTE NO on the August 13th Referendums
These upcoming referendums threaten checks and balances in the Wisconsin State Constitution! They give sole power to the legislature for spending federal funds, block timely funding for emergency response, and create more gridlock in the legislature.
WNPJ member groups Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, WAVE Educational Fund, and Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice strongly encourage Wisconsinites to VOTE NO on all the constitutional amendments that will appear on the ballot in August and November later this year.
❌ Question 1: “Delegation of appropriation power. Shall section 35 (1) of article IV of the constitution be created to provide that the legislature may not delegate its sole power to determine how moneys shall be appropriated?”
❌ Question 2: “Allocation of federal moneys. Shall section 35 (2) of article IV of the constitution be created to prohibit the governor from allocating any federal moneys the governor accepts on behalf of the state without the approval of the legislature by joint resolution or as provided by legislative rule?
For more information, check out WI Votes No and WI Democracy Campaign.
Spotlight on Environmental Justice Work
Join WNPJ's monthly Environmental Justice virtual check in on Tuesday August 13th @ 2–3pm! These calls are a chance for organizations to draw attention to their environmental justice activities, petitions, actions and more. It is an opportunity to learn from one another and to bring focused awareness to the most important actions occurring in a given month.
If you would like to contribute to the agenda, please contact Dena at least one week before the call.
All are welcome to attend this call on the 2nd Tuesday of each month - the Zoom link is always the same!
Environmental Justice ACTION ALERT from 350 Wisconsin!
Have you heard? Once again, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has extended the public comment period for Enbridge’s Line 5 expansion project in northern Wisconsin to August 30.
Why? Because of grassroots power!
Several appendices included in their document continued to be updated and new ones were added since releasing it for feedback - and our movement took notice.
During the last major public comment period in 2022, over 30k total remarks were submitted. So far, this input opportunity through the Army Corps has garnered over 100k statements in opposition to Line 5!
Will you join us and add your voice to this monumental effort?
With extreme weather more apparent than ever, now is the time for bold decisions that progress our climate goals and protect the future of the planet for generations to come. Let’s do this together, for the water, wild rice, climate, and so much more.
There is still time to get your comments in! The new deadline is Friday, August 30th.
Veterans for Peace National Virtual Convention
Friday, August 16th through Sunday, August 18th -- Register Now for the 2024 Veterans For Peace Online Convention!
"Once again, this year’s convention will be held online. We have had a huge success with our virtual conventions the past few years with increased attendance and the opportunity to hear from speakers around the globe. We are also happy that hundreds of our members and guests can join us in gathering without the environmental impacts (and health risks) of traveling. There are many international issues that need our attention and being able to connect globally is advantageous. The theme of this year's convention is CEASEFIRE NOW: Demilitarize and Decolonize! More information will be coming soon so make sure to check back periodically."
Questions? Contact: Brad Geyer @ 920-650-0052
~Veterans for Peace Madison~Clarence Kailin, Chapter 25
And on another note from Veterans for Peace:
Singer-songwriter Tom Neilson is coming to Wisconsin next Spring. Milwaukee Vets for Peace recommends organizing a "\Fundraising/fun" opportunity for your group in 2025.
Bill Christofferson of VFP #102 writes:
"Milwaukee Veterans For Peace has presented several benefit concerts with singer/songwriter/activist/agitator Tom Neilson over the last five years. They've all been great successes, both in terms of audience reaction and financially. We'd like to help Tom find more Wisconsin gigs. He plays at a lot of Unitarian churches, is a great for VFP, environmental groups, peace and social justice organizations. We have just booked him for April 2025 and would encourage you to consider introducing him to people elsewhere in Wisconsin. during his visit to the Midwest (He lives in Massachusetts). He puts on a great show, and it's music with a message and a lot of humor. He plays at union halls, churches, colleges, conferences, cafes, house concerts, and has performed for countless benefits and causes. His music has been used in documentaries, TV shows, stage and street theater as he tells the stories of people’s struggles against greed & violence, interjecting a good deal of levity along the way. He writes and sings about historical and current events. He has been at the forefront in helping communities organize against water privatization, mountain top removal, nuclear energy, incinerators, GMOs, fracking, & toxic waste."
Visit Tom Neilson's website for more about him and contact Bill Christofferson for more information on the VFP fundraising event.
WNPJ Member Group Events
Click here to see a listing of recurring Vigils across the state!
Madison
8/12 @ 12pm-1pm: Vigil for Peace - Meet at the corner of MLK Jr Blvd and Doty St. Questions? Call Tim at 608-630-3633
Milwaukee
8/17 @ 12pm-1pm: Peace Action WI Weekly STAND for PEACE at St. Paul and Water. Join us and bring your signs. Questions? Contact: info@peaceactionwi.org
Racine
8/17 @ 12:30pm-1:30pm: Weekly Stand for Peace supported by the Racine Coalition for Peace and Justice. We have signs, banners and flags available for all. Free Palestine!
Green Bay
8/13 @ 6pm-8pm: Searching for Sustainability Film and Discussion. At the Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine Street, Downstairs Auditorium. This 70-minute documentary explores the challenges and solutions we face in our collective search for sustainability. Viewed by over 350 cities nationwide. Much of the filming was done in northeast Wisconsin and features interviews with local people. Join us for this film and panel discussion. Valerie Dantoin, 2024 Organic Farmer of the Year for the Midwest and executive producer of the documentary Searching for Sustainability will lead the discussion. Questions? Contact Clean Water Action Council.
La Crosse
8/15 @ 12pm-12:30pm: Weekly Women in Black Peace Vigil. Meet at Main St & 4th Street South. A weekly vigil for peace every Thursday. Questions? Email dbuffton@yahoo.com
Viroqua
8/17 @ 11am-12pm: Driftless Palestinian Solidarity Weekly Vigil. Meet at Decker and Main. Action Alert: The Driftless Palestinian Solidarity group has a petition to demand that Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and end financial aid to Israel's military. If your group is interested in getting signatures, please email driftless.solidarity@gmail.com. Thank you for your help!
Eau Claire
8/16 @ 6pm-8pm: Monthly Peace Stand. Meet at WI-93 Trunk & Golf Rd. The 3rd Friday of each month is Peace Stand time in Eau Claire, going on since 2004. We gather with signs, we visit one another and sometimes we sing. Stand and be counted. For more information, email: helpsmeet@usa.net.
Virtual
8/13 @ 2pm-3pm: WNPJ's Monthly Environmental Justice Check In - See Spotlight above!
8/13 @ 1pm-2pm: WISDOM's Essential Voting Training Session with Yolanda Perkins, WISDOM’s IVE Director. Learn how to effectively engage and mobilize voters in your community with the right tools and strategies. CLICK HERE to register today!
8/13 @ 12:30pm-1:25pm: BIPOC Women Shaping a Just Economic Future: Speaking Truth to Power: Grassroots Solutions to Advance Justice featuring Justice for the People Legal Center, Worker Justice Wisconsin, and the Grassroots Organizing School of Alabama (GOSA). Frida, from WJW, is a part of the three-month long Common Future Accelerator program that has invested in a cohort of 10 BIPOC women and non-binary-led organizations that are actively working to dismantle economic inequality by giving power back to communities left out of prosperity. Join us to learn about how each organization is contributing to an economic system that allows everyone to thrive. LEARN MORE & REGISTER TODAY → Rebecca Meier-Rao, Worker Justice Wisconsin rebecca@workerjustice.org.
8/13 @ 6:30pm-7:30pm: Taking a Faithful Stand for Equity webinar “Why the Backlash?”. We are delighted to welcome back Professor Gloria Ladson-Billings who will speak on: ‘DEI: Why the Backlash?’ In the last few years, the anti-CRT forces have turned their attention to DEI – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. DEI training helps people understand issues such as unconscious bias, anti-racism, systems of oppression, and strategies to honor diversity in the workplace. Diversity Offices ensure that workplaces and schools adhere to best DEI practices. In recent years, DEI has come under fire in Wisconsin and around the country. CLICK HERE to register and contact WI Faith Voices 4 Justice with any questions!
8/14 @ 7pm: Join Moms Demand Action Wisconsin for a virtual meetup to meet like-minded volunteers and learn how to get involved in the fight to end gun violence in our state. CLICK HERE to register!
Join WNPJ - Individual members and groups welcome!
For individuals, join at a sliding scale rate of $35/year – or whatever fits your budget!
For between $50 - $75/year, a WNPJ membership keeps your group connected with peace and justice efforts and helps keep the Network going - and growing!
Visit our website to find out more about the benefits of membership and join us!
We help our member organizations reach a wider audience by amplifying your peace and justice events and actions on our list-serve and Facebook page. Membership also provides access to our community tabling opportunities, our online toolbox of peace and justice resources, and a community that cares about your peace and justice journey.
Here's an opportunity for WNPJ member groups!
WNPJ member groups can sign up to table at the Dane County Farmers Market on Capitol Square every Saturday from April 13th through November 9th at 7am - 1pm. Bring your own table and handouts to SITE 10 on the King Street corner of the Square (next to Veterans for Peace) - you can't sell anything at the non-profit table, but donations to your group are acceptable. Sign up today!
Questions? Contact info@wnpj.org
If your group would like to get your events posted in the weekly e-bulletin – JOIN US!
Interested in a yard sign? WNPJ has yard signs available! yardsigns@wnpj.org
Follow us on Facebook!
Questions? Contact info@wnpj.org
The WI Network for Peace and Justice is the umbrella non-profit organization
supporting the work of 86 member groups around Wisconsin.
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