Dec 16, 20237 min read

WNPJ events and Action Alerts for the week of Dec. 18th

WNPJ member groups holding Candlelight Holiday Vigils .....calling for a permanent CEASEFIRE and an End to Drone Warfare + other statewide events below…

***********************************

Tuesday in Madison - 4:30 pm - Read more about this event below - in the events section.

****************************

SPECIAL CANDLELIGHT HOLIDAY VIGIL AGAINST THE DRONES OUTSIDE THE GATES OF VOLK FIELD

TUESDAY DECEMBER 19, 3:45-4:45 pm

Followed by Social Gathering with Hot Chocolate, Coffee, and Cookies

5:30-6:30 pm, Hatch Public Library Community Room

111 W. State St., Mauston, WI

In this the darkest time of the year, our hearts are heavy as the assault against our brothers and sisters in Gaza continues. We know that the Israeli military is using drones as one of their ways to attack the civilians in Gaza, and so we continue to call on the U.S. government to help bring an end to these illegal war crimes, and no longer provide drones and other weapons to Israel.

December marks the 12th anniversary of our vigils at the gates of Volk Field. We have also had multiple nonviolent civil resistance actions where we have been arrested as we peacefully walk onto the base to talk with the personnel at the gate house. Volk Field continues to provide training to personnel in operating the RQ Shadow drone, a smaller drone that carries out reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, and is likely also now weaponized.

So during these dark times, this will be a special vigil where we will light candles and somberly remember the victims in Gaza, remember that we are there to call on our government to end drone warfare, and remember that we are working to bring light into the world.

DIRECTIONS - To get to the vigil, take the Camp Douglas exit off Interstate 90/94 between Mauston and Tomah. When you exit take County Rd. C to the northeast. You will see the base straight ahead, but follow County Rd. C to the right and within a few blocks is a wayside park. We park our cars on the side of the road at the entrance to the wayside. There are no bathrooms available during the winter months

THE VIGIL - We will gather at the wayside around 3:30 for introductions and to review the plan for the vigil, and then process together to the gates of the base where we will hold a solemn vigil for one hour to remember those killed by drones. Participants can stand in silence or read poems and stories about the effects of drone warfare. It is important that the voices of the victims be brought to the gates of Volk Field.

Bring posters if you can.

A WORD ABOUT THE WEATHER – If you have questions about the vigil because of the weather, please make sure to call Joy at 608 239-4327 or Bonnie at 608-256-5088 for an update before you make the drive.

CARPOOLING - If you are interested in carpooling to Volk Field from Madison, please contact Bonnie at 608-256-5088.

We hope to see you at the vigil on Tuesday December 19. If you can’t come this time, mark your calendar. We usually vigil on the 4th Tuesday of every month. If you have any questions please call or email Joy at 608 239-4327 or joyfirst5@gmail.com or Bonnie at 608-256-5088 or blb24@earthlink.net of the WNPJ member group, Wisconsin Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars

***************************************************

WNPJ member groups and affiliates issue Statements and Action Alerts on Hamas/Palestine/Israel

See the developing list here: 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.

Go to the Madison Rafah Sister City sites: http://madisonrafah.org/ and/or https://www.facebook.com/madisonrafah to learn more.

***************************************

The WI Network for Peace and Justice is the umbrella non-profit organization supporting the work of 81 member groups around Wisconsin.

Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups:

MADISON Mon Dec 18, 12 noon – 1 pm Monday Noon Vigil for Peace – Meet at the corner of MLK, Jr. Blvd and Doty St. For more information, call Tim at 608-630-3633.

MAUSTON Tues Dec 19, 3:45 – 6:30 pm SPECIAL CANDLELIGHT HOLIDAY VIGIL AGAINST THE DRONES – see the Spotlight above.

MILWAUKEE Tues Dec 19, 11:30 am – 1 pm CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER TO END RACISM - St. Bakhita Catholic Worker, 3138 N. 2nd Street. Sent to WNPJ by Casa Maria Catholic Worker - casamariamke@gmail.com

MADISON Tues Dec 19, 4:30 – 5:30 pm Candlelight Vigil calling for a permanent ceasefire. Meet in front of Senator Tammy Baldwin's Madison office (State St. corner of the Capitol Square.) The vigil will provide community leaders of faith and/or conscience the opportunity to speak out for the need for an immediate ceasefire. This vigil will end with an optional 10 minute candlelight march from Senator Baldwin's office to Representative Mark Pocan's office, where we will leave thank you cards for his being one of the first 60 lawmakers to call for a ceasefire. Senator Baldwin has not yet joined these lawmakers. We are hopeful that with the extra pressure from thousands of her constituents, she will soon join the growing global outcry calling for a ceasefire. Please invite others to join you, promote this candlelight vigil on Facebook (https://fb.me/e/6AKE3g6eh) and don’t hesitate to call us if you have any questions. If a member of your community is interested in being one of the people speaking at this vigil, please call 608-630-3633 to discuss that possibility. Tim Cordon, Building Unity Coalition - (608) 630-3633 and Jane Kavaloski, Chair of Interfaith Peace Working Group

MILWAUKEE Wed Dec 20, 12 noon – 1 pm Anti Gun Vigil. Meet at Dunham's Sports, South 108th Street. Dunham advertises and sells guns and assault rifles. Organizer Casa Maria Catholic Worker casamariamke@gmail.com

MILWAUKEE Wed Dec 20, 5: 30 - 7: 30 pm WISDOM's End the Lockdowns and Justice Reinvestment Community Forum - Turner Hall, Vel R. Phillips Avenue. Representatives Ryan Clancy and Darrin Madison have confirmed attendance at the event and WISDOM is still awaiting response from other Milwaukee legislators. WISDOM leaders will provide a presentation about their vision of justice reinvestment and attendees will be able to share testimonies with lawmakers. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. The restaurant will be open for attendees to purchase their own food and drinks if desired. Panel and broadcast will occur from 6-7:30 p.m. Broadcast will be live streamed on Milwaukee Turners and WISDOM Facebook pages. office@wisdomwisconsin.org

MADISON Wed Dec 20, 6 – 8 pm POTLUCK FOR GAZA | PHONEBANK FOR HUMANITY at Pasture & Plenty, 2433 University Ave. It’s a phonebank potluck! Let food bring us together in collective action. Bring a Palestinian dish or dessert to pass, and join us in contacting our reps to bring an end to the humanitarian atrocities happening daily in Gaza for the last 2+ months. We will not let Palestine be erased. We’re calling for CEASEFIRE NOW as the first step on the road to ending the occupation of Palestine. Bring stamps & a writing utensil, a cell phone or computer. Paper, envelopes, contact info for reps, & scripts will be provided. PLEASE SHARE. NO RSVP NECESSARY. Sent to WNPJ by Madison Rafah Sister City Project . http://www.madisonrafah.org

VIRTUAL Wed Dec 20, 6 – 7 pm Webinar - Legacy of Agriculture at Sinsinawa: 175 Years of Farming - Laurana Snyder, Sinsinawa Mound’s Horticulturist and Farm Coordinator, will be presenting via Zoom. Farming has been a way of life at the Mound since 1847, when Father Samuel Mazzuchelli founded the order of Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa. This presentation will walk you through the past legacy of farming at Sinsinawa and explore where the future of farming is taking us. The fee is $10 per person, and registration ends Monday, December 18. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at https://sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information.

VIRTUAL Wed Dec 20, 7 pm Crawford Stewardship Project CAFO Committee meeting via zoom. Protect your township from industrial ag. Join us! Discussion and information about township “CAFO Operations Ordinances”. These are becoming the go-to way for our rural communities to set higher standards for the industry than the minimal regulations provided by state permitting and the restrictive Livestock Siting Law. Our struggle to work through the existing state and county permitting process for Roth Feeder Pig II has shown clearly that if we want to address the many community concerns about these operations, other avenues must be pursued. Most importantly, these ordinances must be done proactively, as any existing permits will be grandfathered in, so don’t wait until a proposal hits to act! Join us via Zoom Meeting ID: 774 440 0739 By phone: +1 312 626 6799

LaCROSSE Thurs Dec 21, 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 21, 3 – 4 pm JustDane’s Longest Night Homeless Persons' Memorial Service - Capitol Square North Garage, East Mifflin Street. We will gather at 3:00 p.m. on the Capitol Square, 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. info@justdane.org

MADISON Dec 21, 6 pm Durango’s Old Timey Rascal Holiday Peace Concert! High Noon Saloon, East Washington Avenue. All ages show! Tickets are $10 with 100% of proceeds going toward humanitarian assistance for displaced victims of ongoing wars through the International Committee of the Red Cross. For more info, visit: https://www.high-noon.com/event/durangos-old-timey-rascalsholiday-peace-concert/. Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop peckjone@wisc.edu

SINSINAWA Thurs Dec 21, 6:30 – 8 pm Wild Church: Winter Solstice – At Cavanaugh Park. Eric Anglada, Sinsinawa’s Ecological Programming Coordinator, will be leading the program. Fire and song, ritual and community, prayer and quiet: this inclusive, outdoor gathering is centered on honoring this day of equal light and dark. In a time of planetary upheaval, it is crucial to recover our elemental sense of connection and kinship with Creator and Creation. We are inspired by Celtic tradition and the Wild Church movement. No registration is required and a free will offering is welcome. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at https://sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information.

MILWAUKEE Sat Dec 23, 12 noon - 1 pm Peace Action WI - Weekly STAND for PEACE: Meet at Port Washington/Silver Spring. Each Saturday, a different location. Join us. Bring your signs. info@peaceactionwi.org https://www.peaceactionwi.org/stand_for_peace

VIROQUA Sat Dec 23, 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!

*******************************************************

If your group would like to get your events posted in the weekly e-bulletin – JOIN US! https://www.wnpj.org/membership

Here’s your chance to read Network News

https://www.wnpj.org/newsletter

***********************************

Videos of the 32nd WNPJ Annual Fall Assembly are now available: "Every Drop Counts: Coming Together for Water https://www.wnpj.org/post/2023-fall-assembly