WNPJ + Network News is out for delivery + WNPJ’s Fall Assembly Videos are Available + “Longest Night Homeless Persons' Memorial Service” Dec 21 in Madison + Gaza updates + other statewide events…
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Here’s your chance to read the Fall edition of WNPJ's Network News. If you're a WNPJ member, it should be arriving in your mailbox soon!
In this issue:
· Ceasefire action
· Madison for a World Beyond War - by Anthony Walker
· WNPJ Moving Forward on Environmental Justice - WNPJ receives BEA Grant - by Dena Eakles
· Words from Lance Green, original 32 yr member of WNPJ and first newsletter editor
· Book Review by David Nordstrom "Peace: A Very Short Introduction"
· HISTORY: Defeat of Crandon mine in Wisconsin a pivotal victory - by Al Gedicks, excerpted from The Cap Times, October 5, 2023
· State of the Network
Excerpts and video links from the Oct 28 WNPJ Fall Assembly: “Every Drop Counts – Coming Together for Water”:
· Dean Hoegger of Clean Water Action Council
· Lynn and Nancy Utesch, area farmers
· Rights of Nature Wisconsin Initiative with Terry Dawson and WISDOM representative David Liners
· WNPJ Peacemaker of the Year Award 2023 presented to Bill Christofferson
· WNPJ celebrates the life of George Paz Martin by Julie Enslow
· Jonathan Ward joins the 2023–24 WNPJ Board
· Sold Down the River – the Struggle for Clean Water, Rural Justice, and a Better Farm Bill - by John Peck of Family Farm Defenders
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Videos of the 32nd WNPJ Annual Fall Assembly are now available: "Every Drop Counts: Coming Together for Water”
You can watch the video of Mark Foreman and Mary Kay Bauman presenting Bill Christofferson (center) of Vets for Peace Milwaukee with the annual WNPJ Peacemaker Award 2023 - and much more – here: https://www.wnpj.org/post/2023-fall-assembly
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Spotlight on JustDane’s Longest Night Homeless Persons' Memorial Remembrance
This year’s Longest Night Homeless Persons Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, December 21st. We will gather at 3:00 p.m. on the Capitol Square at the intersection of East Main, South Pinckney Street and King Street, Madison. We will hold a brief outdoor service and then proceed around the Capitol.
This gathering place is near the bench where 38 year old Dwayne Warren’s body was found on June 16th, 2009. Dwayne was experiencing homelessness, he died of sepsis, a blood infection that could have been treated with a simple antibiotic prescription. Dwayne’s death helped bring the community together to create this annual event.
Each year we like to create memorial cards for each of the individuals remembered at the event, and for those who may have passed and been remembered in previous years. Eventually we would like to create a Remembrance Wall that would include these cards and could travel to various locations to serve as a traveling memorial to those we mourn. While the service is primarily intended to remember our neighbors who were homeless when they died, it is also a place where people who are formerly or currently homeless can remember others that they lost but were unable to attend a funeral or memorial service.
With that in mind, we are asking that, if you have someone you would like remembered at the service, that you provide us a little information about the person, their gifts, interests, qualities you admired, anything you would like to share.
Please complete this form by Dec. 11, 2023.
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WNPJ member groups and affiliates issue Statementsand Action Alerts on Hamas/Palestine/Israel
Read statements from our member groups:https://www.wnpj.org/post/statements-from-wnpj-groups-and-their-national-affiliates-on-palestine-israel-hamas
Petitions to sign https://www.change.org/p/sign-and-share-this-urgent-petition-calling-for-a-ceasefirenow-in-gaza-and-israel and phone calls to make.
To learn more, see the Madison Rafah Sister City sites: http://madisonrafah.org/ and/orMadison Rafah Sister City Facebook Page
Special Note: The Madison Common Council passed the ceasefire resolution by unanimous consent following public testimony that was overwhelmingly in favor. If you want to thank them, the email address to do that is allalders@cityofmadison.com
Check out these images from the Dec 9th Rally for a GAZA Ceasefire.... in Madison:
More photos and video:
Event organized by: https://www.facebook.com/wiscoforpali
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Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups:
MADISON Mon Dec 11, 12 noon – 1 pm Monday Noon Vigil for Peace – Meet at the corner of MLK, Jr. Blvd and Doty St. Call Tim at 608-630-3633 to see if this is happening today.
MADISON Mon through Fri, Dec 11 to 15, 9 – 5 pm Ceasefire Vigil at Tammy Baldwin's office – 30 W Mifflin St. 7th Fl. World Beyond War Madison is inviting individuals and groups to take chunks of time to vigil for a ceasefire. Could be inside the office or downstairs on the sidewalk, reading names of the dead, or whatever you are inspired to do. You can sign up for an hour or more, on your own, with friends or with a group you are part of. "Ceasefire vigil at Senator Baldwin's office." Options here to Sign Up. Contact warabolition@gmail.com to learn more.
VIRTUAL Tues Dec 12, 7:30 – 9 pm December Membership Meeting of Madison DSA. | Zoom | Passcode: 639152 . We will have Alders Marsha Rummel and Juliana Bennett for a discussion on housing. Contact: dsamadison@gmail.com
VIRTUAL Tues Nov 12, 7 – 8:15 pm Native Book Discussion: The Land is Not Empty – Sinsinawa. Join Eric Anglada, Sinsinawa’s Ecological Programming Coordinator, for a zoom discussion about the book, “The Land is Not Empty”, by Sarah Augustine. This prophetic book reframes the colonization of North America, investigating ways that the Doctrine of Discovery continues to devastate indigenous cultures, and even the planet itself, as it justifies exploitation of both natural resources and people. This is a powerful call to reckon with the root causes of a legacy that continues to have devastating effects on indigenous peoples around the globe and a call to recognize how all of our lives and our choices are interwoven. Registration ends December 11, and the fee is $10 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at https://sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information.
MILWAUKEE Wed Dec 13, 12 noon – 1 pm Anti ROTC Vigil. Meet in front of Marquette U Library. We ask Marquette to stop training our young how to kill the enemy rather than doing good to the enemy. Casa Maria Catholic Worker casamariamke@gmail.com
LaCROSSE Thurs Dec 14, 12 noon - 12:30 pm Weekly Women in Black Peace Vigil. Meet at Main St & 4th Street South. A weekly vigil for peace every Thursday. Contact Deborah. dbuffton@yahoo.com
MADISON Thurs Dec 14th 6:30 - 7:30 pm, Lights Up for Palestine -
Meet near the Overture Center, downtown Madison, corner of N. Henry and West Dayton. Contact: Cassandra Dixon of Madison Rafah Sister City Project
EAU CLAIRE Fri Dec 15, 5 – 6 pm Monthly Peace Stand. Meet at Wisconsin 93 Trunk & Golf Road. The 3rd Friday of each month is Peace Stand time in Eau Claire, going on since 2004. We gather with, we visit one another and sometimes we sing. Stand and be counted. Mark Helpsmeet is with Northern Spirit Radio, a member group of WNPJ. Contact for more information: helpsmeet@usa.net
VIRTUAL Fri Dec 15, 5 – 6 pm Webinar: A History of Common Vegetables – Sinsinawa. Have you ever looked at a potato and wondered how such a humble spud made its way into cuisine around the world? Laurana Snyder, Sinsinawa Mound’s Horticulturist and Farm Coordinator, will be a leading our discussion. We will learn all about where your food really comes from and how humans domesticated and distributed some of the most common vegetables we consume today. Registration ends December 13, and the fee is $10 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at https://sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information
MADISON Fri Dec. 15, 7:30 pm and Sat Dec 16, 2:30 and 6:30 pm Proud Theater: Commercial Break. At the Madison Youth Arts Center (1055 E. Mifflin) - an exciting weekend of theater and performance pieces written by and starring the talented youth of Proud Theater Madison, the city's premier LGBTQIA+ and Allied youth theater troupe. Tickets are a suggested price of $10 – for reservations email: reservations@proudtheater.org More info, visit: https://proudtheater.org/ Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop peckjohne@gmail.com
Madison Sat. Dec. 16, 6:00 pm Fundraiser for Hannah! Say “NO” to Cop City. Social Justice Center (1202 Williamson St.) This is a benefit for our friend and neighbor, Hannah Kass. Come for free food, music, and to learn more about the Atlanta forest defenders and their dubious criminal prosecution. By now you've probably heard that the City of Atlanta wants to hand hundreds of acres of forest to the Atlanta Police Foundation where they are planning to build a hyper-militarized police training facility. Several Stop Cop City (aka Defend the Atlanta/Weelaunee Forest) co-defendants were indicted on bogus RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) charges in a highly political prosecution against a broad social movement fighting urban deforestation and police militarization. One of these co-defendants, PhD student, Hannah Kass, (UW Geography Dept. and Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies) needs funds to support her bail, legal, travel, and other expenses. Hear a few words from Hannah and other local activists about Cop City and the growing danger of police-sponsored repression. None of us is safe until all of us are safe! You can learn more about this struggle here: https://defendtheatlantaforest.org/ Donations for Hannah came be made via Venmo here: https://account.venmo.com/u/madisonsolidarity You can also share this event via Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/events/368969032341037 Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop peckjohne@gmail.com
MADISON Sat Dec 16, TBD Holiday Caroling with 350 Wisconsin. Place TBD. The Art Collective and the Divest & Defund team are organizing a holiday "caroling" event where we will sing familiar tunes with alternative, climate change - related lyrics. Some of the songs will call upon certain banks to stop funding fossil fuels. This action will take place on December 16, but other details are being worked out. We'd love to have you join us - the more the merrier! For more information, contact divest.defund@350wisconsin.org
MADISON Sat Dec 16, 10 am – 4 pm HUMANS Solidarity Summit. At the Social Justice Center, 1202 Williamson St. Details and registration are here. 10am - gather in person for a little breakfast and then participate in the virtual summit together. And/or show up after the 11-1 clusterflocks session. From 1-3 pm there’s a casual reception with food and drink - before having fun with our friends around the world in from 3-4 pm - online karaoke with Marilyn. Sunday's session is all online UNLESS we hear from members who need to access in person. That day includes Technicollab Dreams (11-1) then the wrap up, mutual aid market, and board election (1-2). The whole schedule is at the event link. Join or renew at https://madisonman.coop/ .
MILWAUKEE Sat Dec 16, 12 noon - 1 pm Peace Action WI - Weekly STAND for PEACE: Meet at 76th/Layton. Each Saturday, a different location. Join us. Bring your signs. info@peaceactionwi.org https://www.peaceactionwi.org/stand_for_peace
VIROQUA Sat Dec 16, 11 am - 12 noon Driftless Palestinian Solidarity Weekly Vigil. Meet at Decker and Main. Action Alert: The Driftless Palestinian Solidarity group has written a petition to demand that Senator Tammy Baldwin support a ceasefire in Gaza. We are trying to get this initiative going throughout the state of WI. If your group is interested in getting signatures, please email Debbie.a.dudek@gmail.com. Thank you for your help!
RACINE Sat Dec 16, 12:30 – 1:30 pm Stand for Ceasefire in Irael and Palestine. Meet at 909 Dr Martin Luther King Dr . We have signs and banners for all! JOIN US today and on Dec. 9th and 16th! We also remind everyone to continue to call your representatives a number of times a week—-for a CEASEFIRE NOW. Contact: www.facebook.com/RacineCoalitionforPeaceJustice/
MADISON Sun Dec 17, 10:30 am Memorial Service for Helen Woodson:
Sent to WNPJ by Mary Beth Schlagheck mbspeace1@charter.net, Helen was the originator of the Monday Noon Peace Vigil in MAdison, 42 years ago.
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The WI Network for Peace and Justice is the umbrella non-profit organization
supporting the work of 80 member groups around Wisconsin. Join WNPJ – www.wnpj.org
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