Dear Peacemaking Friends,What follows is a statement on the tragedy in Gaza developed by the Interfaith Peace Working Group. If you agree with this statement, we encourage you to sign it and be a part of this peace witness of people and communities of faith in Wisconsin. You can read the statement below and add your name by clicking here. –Interfaith Peace Working Group We, members and leaders of communities of faith and conscience in Wisconsin, have joined together to bring a unified moral voice to the human catastrophe in Gaza and the increasing violence throughout Israel and Palestine. We represent the voices of many others in our local communities of faith and conscience who grieve the deaths of so many human beings in what many of us call the “Holy Land.” We grieve both the decades of Israeli occupation and oppression in the West Bank and Gaza and the violent attacks of Palestinian groups on Israelis. We are horrified by the brutal October 7th Hamas attack on Israelis. We are also horrified by the retaliatory massacre by Israel’s powerful Defense Forces of tens of thousands of people in Gaza and the West Bank. Our hearts go out to both the Israelis and Palestinians who have lost loved ones and to the Palestinians who are still suffering from Israel’s continued attacks on Gaza. This is what we know has occurred in the land that holds so many stories central to our understanding of our Creator God: On October 7, 2023, over 1100 Israelis and foreign nationals, nearly two thirds of whom were civilians, were killed, tortured or taken forcefully to Gaza to be used as hostages by Hamas. In retaliation, tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, two thirds of whom are women and children, have been and are being killed. 2.3 million people in Gaza have suffered the total destruction of their communities. Entire neighborhoods, schools, houses of worship, cultural centers and even hospitals have been destroyed. All has been turned to rubble. The civilians of Gaza are being deliberately deprived of clean water, food, shelter, medicine, and medical care. Without these basic necessities, many of those who survived the bombings and displacements are starving, freezing or dying of illnesses brought on by the conditions created by Israel’s massive military attack on Gaza. Attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank by settlers provided with guns by the Israeli government and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have also increased, resulting in injury, displacement, and death. As people of faith, we believe we must bring our various faiths to bear on this disaster by: Uplifting the Torah value of t’selem Elohim, the Divine Image. Every human life is a reflection of God and has infinite value. Uplifting the value of the agape love of Jesus, an active, unconditional and inclusive love that is built on justice for all of God’s children. Uplifting the value of ‘adl (justice). The Quran calls upon us to “uphold justice and bear witness to God, even if it is against yourselves, parents or close relatives.” We plead with our communities to save precious human lives on all sides of this conflict by: Petitioning the President and Wisconsin’s US senators and congressional representatives to demand that they support an immediate and permanent ceasefire, an immediate end to US financial and military support for Israel’s continued attacks on Gaza, an increase in humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, and an end to settlers’ and Israeli Defense Forces’ attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Calling on our government to insist on the safe release of all Israeli and international hostages being held by Hamas and all Palestinians being held by Israel for acts of nonviolent political resistance or protest. Urging our governmental leaders to convene or participate in an international conference convened by others to work towards the development of a just and lasting peace agreement in the Holy Land. We believe that such an agreement must guarantee the human rights and security of all the region’s inhabitants. To do so, it must include provisions that ensure authentic Palestinian self-determination and deny governing authority to any persons or organizations that support genocidal actions against the Palestinian or Jewish people. Rejecting and denouncing all forms and expressions of antisemitism and Islamophobia in our communities, especially in the rhetoric of politicians and White Christian Nationalists. We invite all people and communities of faith and conscience to sign this statement and join the effort to bring about an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza and a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. interfaithpeaceworkinggroup@gmail.com https://www.wnpj.org/member-organizations-list/interfaith-peace-working-group

Events and Alerts for the week of Feb. 5th. The WI Network for Peace and Justice is the umbrella non-profit organization supporting the work of 80 member groups around Wisconsin. SPOTLIGHT on WILPF-Madison 'Gather the Community' Breakfast - with WILPF in Madison Wednesday, 07 February 08:00 - 09:30 am 107 Sutherland Ct – Linden Co-Housing Reserve your spot by responding to wilpfmadison@gmail.com Join us and invite interested friends! Gather for a homemade buffet breakfast and to talk about: JUST MONEY $Money to clean up PFAS $Money for family services $Money for modest housing. Why Not? Somehow a mighty human invention, money, has been twisted away from human and planetary needs. Eco-systems are being ransacked. Between interest, inflation and taxes, we all are serving the billionaires and fearing the next crash. Fortunately that secret twist has been identified and it is fixable. Our guest speaker, Mary Sanderson, will pinpoint the problem and invite us to work for a historically grounded plan that addresses it directly. She will also introduce vibrant allied projects modeling how money can work for the common good. The Alliance For JUST MONEY, WILPF’s Women, Money & Democracy Committee, and Move To Amend invite us to challenge corruption and dystopia at their roots. Mary Sanderson - of Madison WILPF and WNPJ, a Raging Granny, retired postal worker & Spanish Medical interpreter - was feeling like all our peace & justice efforts were just spinning wheels until 2017 when the underlying private money system came to her attention. Money reformers are excited imagining healing futures that will be possible with permanent, debt-free money. And, of course, there will be good food besides! Vegetarian meal with vegan options upon request. Served in the Cohousing Great Room. RSVP now to reserve a place: wilpfmadison@gmail.com The cost of the breakfast is $20, with a sliding scale of $10 - $20. Funds are used to provide an honorarium to our guest speaker and to further the work of Madison WILPF. Sponsored by Women's International League for Peace and Freedom – Madison. All are welcome. https://www.wnpj.org/member-organizations-list/women's-international-league-for-peace-and-freedom---madison-branch ***********************************************************lling all Wisconsin- Forward Community Investments is excited to announce a new strategic granting partnership with long-time partner The Sisters Racine Dominicans offering grants – Application deadline March 30th, 2024: https://www.wnpj.org/post/wnpj-member-groups-2024-grant-opportunities-through-racine-dominicans-mission ******************************** Spotlight on Madison Area Bus Advocates: Madison Transit Riders Observe Transit Equity Day 2024 On Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, in honor of Rosa Parks’ Birthday, advocates will gather for a Day of Action on Public Transportation as a Civil Right at the closed bus stop on University Ave. near its intersection with Lake St. at 11:30 AM. Advocates call for a first-rate transit system with both rapid and local buses that better balance the goals of ridership, coverage, accessibility, environmental sustainability, and organizational efficiency. They call for a transit system with equitable access everywhere, including to infill, old and new peripheral developments. They call for drastic cuts to our emissions of greenhouse gasses and conversion of our economy to renewable non-emitting energy sources. Public transit is a public service, not a business. Its purpose is to get people where they need to go and should not focus primarily on ridership or profit. Frequent service without reasonable access to people of all abilities is not transit equity. BRT service should enhance, rather than be at the expense of, local routes. More transparency in the budgeting of public transportation. We need city, county, state and federal legislation that increases (1) public funding for transit, (2) the accessibility of public transit for people with disabilities, and (3) opportunities for transit-related jobs that pay family-supporting wages, provide good benefits, and give workers the opportunity to organize a union and bargain collectively without employer pressure and intimidation. More information is available at: https://www.labor4sustainability.org/transit-equity-2024/ https://www.madisonbusredesign.org/home https://www.busadvocates.org/positions/TED2024-MABA-Res.html https://witransitriders.org/positions/we-celebrate-transit-equity-day/ https://1kfriends.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ProclamationTransitEquityDay.pdf Sent to WNPJ by Susan DeVos of the WNPJ member group: busadvocate@gmail.com https://www.wnpj.org/member-organizations-list/madison-area-bus-advocates ********************************************* 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. ********************** More ways to act on ceasefire: Check out this Let Kindness Win Blogpost by WNPJ Board member,  Dena Eakles   https://www.wnpj.org/post/the-challenge *************************************** ACTION ALERT from World BEYOND War Madison: Please write these WI State Senators to allow this WI bill - Senate Joint Resolution 92 -  to go forward! Sen.LeMahieu@legis.wisconsin.gov , Sen.Kapenga@legis.wisconsin.gov ....and write your own legislators to co-sponsor! The bill is here, with co-sponsors so far noted. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/.../related/proposals/sjr92 ****************************************** Example: Hello friends on staff of Senators LeMahieu and Kapenga -I am  writing today as the bloodshed continues in Israel and Palestine. The war needs to end. Would you please allow Senate Joint Resolution 92 to move forward in the Wisconsin Legislature? The resolution is a sensible one, calling for an end to the mass murder that is war. Over 10,000 children have been killed and half the buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. Bombing of civilians creates more terrorists than it kills. Janet Parker, Madison for a World BEYOND War https://worldbeyondwar.org/madison/ warabolition@gmail.com ********** Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups: MADISON Mon Feb 5, 11:30 am Day of Action on Public Transportation as a Civil Right - at the closed bus stop on University Ave. near its intersection with Lake St. In honor of Rosa Parks’ Birthday. Read more in the Spotlight above….. MADISON Mon Feb 5, 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. VIRTUAL Mon Feb 5, 7 – 8:10 pm Climate justice, resident science, and the Chicago Heat Mapping project - with 350.org.  Join 350 Wisconsin to learn more about the unequal impacts of summer heat on Chicago’s different neighborhoods. 350 Wisconsin is pleased to welcome Lonette Sims, chair of the People’s Response Network (PRN), and Dr. Howard Ehrman, PRN co-founder, to discuss the 2023 Chicago Heat Mapping Project. Working with resident scientists to create a map of localized measurements of temperatures, the project found a differential of 22℉ between different neighborhoods on July 28, 2023. Under-resourced, redlined African American and Latino neighborhoods experienced the most dangerous temperatures, with the greatest concentrations of heat islands and far less green infrastructure or air conditioning. Lonette and Howard will talk about their experiences, give an overview of the project’s key findings and share thoughts about how these findings can be used to save lives. ONLINE VIA ZOOM: https://tinyurl.com/monthly-mtg-reg  https://350wisconsin.org/monthly-meetings/ julia.isaacs@350wisconsin.org MADISON – Thurs Feb. 8 , 8 – 9:30 am WILPF Breakfast Gathering – see the Spotlight above….. VIRTUAL Thurs Feb 8, 12 noon to 12:30 pm WAVE Legislative Advocacy Update; COMMUNITY EVENT. Get status updates on our top priority policies (as well as the ones we must stop!) and the actions you can take over the next few weeks to have the greatest possible impact. We’ll tell you what we’re hearing from the Governor, our friends at the White House, and our closest legislative allies. Register today, and you'll receive a Zoom link the day of the event. Nick Matuszewski  nm@waveedfund.org MADISON Thurs Feb. 8, 7:30 pm 20th Annual Bob Marley Birthday Party and Food Pantry Benefit! Crystal Corner (1302 Williamson St.)  Join us for a community dance party to shake away the winter blues and support Healthy Food for All Dane County. Featuring DJ Kayla Kush, DJ El Serpentine, and the Real Roots Rockers Band. Suggested donation of $5 at the door with a non-perishable food item ($7 without). Plus a raffle with lots of prizes! More info? visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1065256824794888/ Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop peckjohne@gmail.com LaCROSSE Thurs Feb 8, 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 MIDDLETON Fri Feb 9, 10:30 – 11:30 am Badger Talk: What Does Lake Ice Seasonality Tell Us About Climate Change? -  Attic Angel Community, 8301 Old Sauk Rd. Because human observers have recorded the dates of ice on and ice off on many lakes around the world, lake ice provides a view of what is happening, well before direct climate measurements of temperature were available. In Wisconsin and other states some records began as early as the 1850s. So what do these records tell us? In this Badger Talk Emeritus Prof. John Magnuson, founder of the UW Center for Limnology, will talk about the changes and variability in ice cover in Wisconsin lakes from the 1850s to the present. He will also discuss the value of lake ice to us largely for cultural reasons and as a measure of what is happening to climate. Info? https://www.facebook.com/events/941106277585030/  Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop   madisoninfoshop@gmail.com MADISON Sat. Feb. 10, 1 pm STOP THE HATE: BUILD PEOPLE'S UNITY – Rally and March! UW-Madison Library Mall (700 block of State St. This emergency event is in direct response to the neo-Nazi “Blood Tribe” march and attempted recruitment rally that was held in Madison on Nov. 18th, 2023. This same terrorist organization menaced an LGBTQ community event in Watertown last year. These attacks (encouraged by fascist politicians and their corporate bosses) continue to create a climate for hate. Our public institutions and public spaces need to be defended from the likes of the "Blood Tribe,” the "Proud Boys” as well as think tanks like the Milwaukee-based Bradley Foundation that oppose free thought, truth and diversity, worker's rights, unions, safety laws, healthcare for all, environmental safety and any regulations that infringe on rich people's profits. Join us (and bring your friends, neighbors, fellow students and co-workers) to resist the hate and participate in this proactive action to continue building a stronger, more engaged people's movement in Madison and beyond. More info? Visit Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=785121540309788&set=a.648227117332565 Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop peckjohne@gmail.com MILWAUKEE Sat Feb 10, 12 noon - 1 pm Peace Action WI - Weekly STAND for PEACE: Each Saturday, a different location. Today meet at Port Washington and Silver Spring. Join us. Bring your signs. info@peaceactionwi.org    https://www.peaceactionwi.org/stand_for_peace VIROQUA Sat Feb 10, 11 am - 12 noon 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! RACINE Sat Feb 10, 12:30 – 1:30 pm Weekly Stand for Peace. 909 Dr Martin Luther King Dr. Supported by the Racine Coalition for Peace and Justice. We have signs, banners and flags available for all. Check out our website, http://racinepeace.wordpress.com    for weather concerns. Free Palestine! ******************************************************* WNPJ seeking those with special skills......​ If you have the time and interest in Environmental Justice, WNPJ is looking to contract with people able to help with social media, educational zoom events, and ongoing website development. As we endeavor to build a strong coalition of Environmental Justice organizations throughout Wisconsin, your help will be invaluable. Interested? If you’re a UW-Madison student, this job may be available through your work-study program. Contact: dena.eakles@gmail.com ********************************************************** You can open any of our weekly WNPJ e-Bulletins from the archive and copy the web address to share with others. ******************************* If your group would like to get your events posted in the weekly e-bulletin – JOIN US! https://www.wnpj.org/membership Join WNPJ – www.wnpj.org **************************************** Interested in a yard sign? WNPJ has yard signs available!  yardsigns@wnpj.org See our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WisNPJ "Like" us and follow us! Questions? Contact info@wnpj.org

Olive fields in as-Samu. I get it. No one wants to hear about the slaughter of innocent people day in and out. No one wants to hear that women and children are the highest casualties of the nearly 27,000 dead and 66,000 wounded. No one wants to believe the United States could be on the wrong side of this devastation, even as the International Criminal Justices’ nearly unanimous decisions to deter Israel may implicate us in acts of genocide. We still want to believe we’re the good guys. And on top of the slaughtering of innocents with our bombs, the United States government has led nine of its allies to halt funds to the UN agency, UNWRA, that provides supplies to six million Palestinians in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and those who are refugees in neighboring countries. Our government took no time to consider if the allegations leveled at the agency were true or not, nor did we consider the suffering we would be subjecting to innocent lives. Seems we are unable to slow Netanyahu’s reign of terror, but are quite capable of derailing food and life saving provisions to survivors. And while the cries for permanent ceasefire echo around the world, there’s still a deafening silence in the media of our country. So here’s the challenge. Its time we stop waiting for our government to do the right thing. Its time we demand of our clergy and all humanitarian agencies and organizations to unite in one voice denouncing this senseless violence. We must break free of the propaganda that allows us to sleep walk through this blood bath. If you recognize that you have a voice and that every life counts, step up to your humanity and find a way to say, “No more”. Here are some things that you can do: If you are of a Christian faith, urge your clergy to help save lives. Here is a petition by Mennonites that welcomes all Christians to stand in conscientious objection to the violence of war. If you live in Wisconsin, learn about and participate in the rallies, press releases, and actions happening around the state at the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine. With over 60 diverse organizations educating about and uplifting Palestine while demanding ceasefire and an end to occupation. Learn from Palestinians, not the media. Friends of Tent of Nations. FOTONNA provides grassroots support through the Tent of Nations, a peace project located on Daher’s Vineyard – a 100-acre farm located about six miles from Bethlehem in the West Bank. Listen to my interview with Akram Abed on WDRTCommunity Radio show, Conversations, to understand life from a Palestinian point of view. Sign petitions calling for ceasefire by Amnesty or OXFAM or a host of local and national organizations that are working towards that end. Challenge your own personal beliefs and the indoctrination that allow us to go immediately to war and violence. Challenge your legislators to find peaceful solutions. We can do this. But it will take everyone who cares to speak up. Let Kindness Win blogpost Feb 1, 2024 - by WNPJ Board member, Dena Eakles https://letkindnesswin.com/ Photo compliments of Wikimedia Commons share alike license.

Sandy Lyon and Walt Bresette at the acid train blockade on the Bad River Ojibwe reservation. | Photo by Kathy Olson, published with permission. By Al Gedicks, agedicks@eagle.uwlax.edu https://www.wnpj.org/member-organizations-list/wi-resources-protection-council. ENVIRONMENT, Jan 31, 2024 Ojibwe environmental and treaty rights activist Walt Bresette will be inducted posthumously into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame (WCHF) in a virtual ceremony on April 17, 2024. Bresette will join over 100 members inducted since the Hall of Fame’s  inception, including Aldo Leopold, Nina Leopold Bradley, John Muir, Gaylord Nelson and Menominee Nation environmentalist Hilary Waukau, Sr. Bresette (1947-1999) was a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, and a long-time treaty rights and environmental activist, author, artist, storyteller, organizer and public speaker. He was an outspoken advocate for Ojibwe treaty rights who asked people to come to the spring boat landings in northern Wisconsin during the spearfishing conflict (1980s-1990s). Walt wondered why people chose to go so far away to show support for others when there were urgent calls for solidarity closer to home. Bresette said, “You don’t have to go to Nicaragua to witness, you can witness in your own backyard.” Walt was a founder of the Witness for Non-Violence for Treaty and Rural Rights in Northern Wisconsin, modeled on the group Witness for Peace, which was active during the Central American wars (especially in the Contra-backed areas of Nicaragua). The Wisconsin witnesses documented anti-Indian harassment and violence at the boat landings. By 1992, the efforts of the witnesses and a federal court injunction against anti-Indian harassment decreased the violence at the boat landings. Bresette was a prolific organizer who brought together Native American and rural white communities through organizations like the Midwest Treaty Network, the Upper Great Lakes Green Network and the Wisconsin Greens. He said that the fight between Natives and non-Natives over the walleye harvest diverted attention from the far more significant pollution threat to the Wisconsin fishery for both groups from proposed metallic sulfide mining. One of his most powerful messages was that Ojibwe treaty rights provided the greatest environmental protection against destructive metallic sulfide mining, like the Crandon and Ladysmith mining projects, in the ceded territory of the Lake Superior Ojibwe tribes. This was not because the tribes had a direct claim to minerals –—they definitely did not — but because mining threatens the environment, and a threat to the environment is a threat to Ojibwe fishing, hunting and gathering rights. Treaty rights provide the Ojibwe tribes with legal standing in federal courts to protect the habitat of fish, deer and wild rice. Bresette was a leader in the successful resistance to the controversial Crandon mine next to the Sokaogon Ojibwe reservation (2003) and he led the grassroots campaign to enact Wisconsin’s “Prove It First” Mining Moratorium law. The law, signed by Governor Tommy Thompson on Earth Day, 1998, prohibited the opening of a new mine in a sulfide ore body until a mining applicant could prove they had not polluted surface water or groundwater in any of their previous mines in the U.S. or Canada. As a non-violent Ogichidaag (protector of the people), Bresette was active in the opposition to the Rio Tinto/Kennecott copper mine next to the Flambeau River near Ladysmith, Wisconsin. In 1991, the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe and the Sierra Club obtained a preliminary injunction against mine construction because the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) had failed to conduct an environmental assessment for endangered resources in the Flambeau River. Despite the restraining order, Kennecott continued construction activity at the site. Bresette said that the State of Wisconsin had failed to protect the interests of the Lake Superior Ojibwe and decided to take action to protect the environment. I witnessed Bresette climbingover a 10-foot security fence at the Flambeau mine site carrying a club once used by Black Hawk, and “counted coup” on a giant earth mover. The act of hitting the machine was a symbolic scoring of victory against one’s enemies but did no physical damage. In his trial for trespassing on mining company property,  Bresette said the mining permit was illegal because the State of Wisconsin did not consult the Lake Superior Ojibwe about their treaty rights in the fishery of the Flambeau River before it issued the mining permit. I interviewed Bresette for my documentary film, Anishinaabe Niijii (Friends of the First People), about the Indian and environmental resistance to the proposed Flambeau mine. Bresette and his good friend Sandy Lyon were co-founders of Anishinaabe Niijii. He said, “Someday our children are going to rise up and say, ‘Where were you when they poisoned my river?’”  His words were prescient. The mine operated from 1993 to 1997. A Flambeau River tributary that crosses part of the reclaimed project site remains polluted to the present day. Bresette and the Ogichidaa from the Bad River Ojibwe reservation were more successful in 1996 when they blockaded trains traveling through the reservation carrying sulfuric acid to a nearby copper mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Ogichidaa were concerned that the tracks were unsafe and that a spill from tankers would poison reservation water and the largest wild rice stand in the Great Lakes region. The blockade lasted 28 days and prevented the transport of sulfuric acid across the reservation as a federal mediator conducted talks between the Ogichidaa, the tribe and the railway. The blockade and the assertion of tribal sovereignty protected the Bad River’s sacred wild rice beds and won the support of surrounding communities. Walt was a charismatic storyteller who was a regular keynote speaker at the many Protect the Earth festivals, organized by Sandy Lyon, on Indian reservations throughout northern Wisconsin.  His vision of a Seventh Generation Constitutional Amendment adopted the Iroquois concept that required Iroquois leaders to think about how today’s decision will affect the seventh generation into the future. The amendment promoted “the rights of the people to use and enjoy air, water, sunlight, and other renewable resources determined by the Congress to be common property, nor shall such use impair their availability for the future generations.” Sandy Lyon summarized Bresette’s influence eloquently in a radio tribute broadcast on Woodland Community Radio WOJB-FM on the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation: “He was like the North Star and the people followed him.” https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/walt-bresette-ojibwe-leader-and-environmental-hero-wisconsin-conservation-hall-fame%C2%A0

WNPJ + Weaving the Web + Spotlight on member group Northern Spirit Radio + Jewish Voice for Peace-Madison joins WNPJ + other statewide events WNPJ’s Weaving the Web Spotlight Join WNPJ Board member Erika Bach on Thursday, February 1st at 12 noon – for a drop-in Conversation Hour All welcome!  Learn more at office@wnpj.org Zoom info: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89361313008?pwd=UmxCOUcxL3ZFb244aXp0SnBVTFRSZz09. Meeting ID: 893 6131 3008 - Passcode: 797041; +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) ********************************************** Spotlight on the WNPJ member group -  Northern Spirit Radio https://www.wnpj.org/member-organizations-list/northern-spirit-radio Northern Spirit Radio promotes world healing by broadcasting inspirational and educational voices of peace and social justice using the language of personal story, music, and spirituality.  We directly produce two programs, Spirit in Action and Song of the Soul, which are syndicated to community radio stations across the country and distributed as podcasts. Here's an example of a recent podcast called: Vision, Utopia, & Big Questions - Martin Schoenhals & Jeremy Lent | Northern Spirit Radio You can find more podcasts at  https://www.northernspiritradio.org/spirit-action For more information, contact: helpsmeet@usa.net *********************************************************** WNPJ welcomes new member group: Jewish Voice for Peace – Madison The Madison chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace is speaking out and organizing in support of dignity, human rights and equality for Israelis and Palestinians. Contact: Samantha Bosco . Local Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jvpmadison/ Email: madison@jvp.org National website: https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/take-action/ ****************************** 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. *************************************** WNPJ is seeking those with special skills: If you have the time and interest in Environmental Justice, WNPJ is looking to contract with people able to help with social media, educational zoom events, and ongoing website development. As we endeavor to build a strong coalition of Environmental Justice organizations throughout the state, your help will be invaluable. Interested? Contact dena.eakles@gmail.com (image: Image: "They tried to bury us, but they didn't know we were seeds." poet Dinos Christianopoulos. In the 1990s the proverb was translated into Spanish and used by the Zapatistas, an indigenous people's movement in Mexico fighting for sovereignty.) ********************************************* The WI Network for Peace and Justice is the umbrella non-profit organization supporting the work of 82 member groups around Wisconsin. ********************************************************** You can open any of our weekly WNPJ e-Bulletins from the archive and copy the web address to share with others. ********************************************************** Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups: MADISON ongoing event: World BEYOND War Vigils at Tammy Baldwin's Office – Madison. At West Mifflin Street. Various days and times each week. Check with warabolition@gmail.com for specifics. Those who gather at these  vigils are asking  Tammy Baldwin to vote YES for a permanent ceasefire and NO on more weapons for Israel. Call when you arrive at 608-630-3633 or 608-228-9096 or 608-217-2248 so WBW-Madison can open the building's front door for you. Senator Baldwin's staff are there and will listen to you. Sign up for a time to read names of the dead, offer words, music, silence, or whatever you are inspired to do.  warabolition@gmail.com. MADISON Mon Jan 29, 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. VIRTUAL Mon Jan 29, 7 – 8 pm Presentation from the Dane Sanctuary Coalition Steering Committee. Budget 2024 and opportunity for Q&A with the steering committee on DSC programs. This event is open to all members of DSC congregations and organizations – Share with your members! On Zoom. Register here -https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAscOqsrDsvE9BmlSwHYzPdLGq4hpEFZYHr Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, Executive Director Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, 608-513-7121 MILWAUKEE Wed Jan 31, 12 noon – 1 pm ANTI-GUN VIGIL. Meet at Dunham Sports store, 2027 S 108th St, West Allis. Dunham advertises and sells guns and assault rifles. Casa Maria Catholic Worker casamariamke@gmail.com LaCROSSE Thurs Feb 1, 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 VIRTUAL Thurs Feb 1, 12 noon – 1 pm WNPJ’s Weaving the Web Drop-in Hour. See the Spotlight above…. WAUSAU Thurs Feb 1, 8:30 – 2 pm Panel on Housing Justice and Congregational Futures. At St Michael’s Parish, 611 Stark St. The way we gather is in a season of transition. Many faith communities have large buildings that were used in an era when congregations were larger and had busier schedules with events happening throughout the week. Some believe they may conclude ministry in that place in the next 5-10 years. It is time for us to re-examine our buildings and ask how they can continue to serve our communities. One widespread community need across Wisconsin is safe, affordable housing. We have begun to imagine what it would look like if faith communities used our assets such as buildings, people, and faith that calls us to love our neighbor to advocate for housing justice in our cities? Faith communities in north central Wisconsin are invited to join together to share, listen, and dream about how they could have an impact on their communities through housing justice - Register here for free –https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/WisconsinCouncilofChurches/HousingSummitWausau2.html Sponsored by: Wisconsin Council of Churches, Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, NAOMI, WISDOM, and WISCAP. MADISON Thurs Feb 1, 6 – 8 pm End the Lockdowns and Justice Reinvestment Community Forum. At First Unitarian Society of Madison at 900 University Bay Avenue. Join us to meet Madison elected officials, learn about WISDOM’s End The Lockdowns Campaign and provide input on transformational justice priorities in Wisconsin. This event follows a successful event in Milwaukee on December 20 with elected officials. WISDOM’s End The Lockdowns Campaign seeks to raise awareness on the detrimental effects of lockdowns to people who are incarcerated in Wisconsin’s prisons and their loved ones, urging Governor Tony Evers to use his authority to take action. It aims to close prisons, reduce the prison population and reinvest spending into community resources that decrease crime and strengthen communities. Currently, we are awaiting response from Madison legislators on who are able to attend.  Register in advance at this link. https://secure.everyaction.com/_c8HI4yPdEOcEJdYKttexA2? Broadcast will be live streamed on WISDOM, MOSES and EXPO’s Facebook pages. For inquiries about the event, you can email WISDOM Transformational Justice Campaign Coordinator Mark Rice at ricermark@gmail.com. VIRTUAL Thurs Feb 1, 6: 30 – 7:30 pm WILPF Monthly Book Circle -Conversation. Let's talk about...the book tonight: A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall. Sponsored by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom in Madison -For questions or more information on getting the zoom link, send a message to: wilpfmadison@gmail.com , 608-609-7961, http://wilpfmadison.org/ MILWAUKEE Sat Feb 3, 12 noon - 1 pm Peace Action WI - Weekly STAND for PEACE: Each Saturday, a different location. Today meet at Layton Blvd (S. 27th) + National. Join us. Bring your signs. info@peaceactionwi.org    https://www.peaceactionwi.org/stand_for_peace APPLETON Sat Feb 3, 11 – 12 noon Fox Valley Monthly Stand for Peace. Meet at Houdini Plaza, West Lawrence Street. Every month - the first Saturday! Bring your signs! Organizer: Ronna Swift ronnajean61@gmail.com VIROQUA Sat Feb 3, 11 am - 12 noon 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! RACINE Sat Feb 3, 12:30 – 1:30 pm Weekly Stand for Peace. 909 Dr Martin Luther King Dr. Supported by the Racine Coalition for Peace and Justice. We have signs, banners and flags available for all. Check out our website, http://racinepeace.wordpress.com    for weather concerns. Free Palestine! ******************************************************* If your group would like to get your events posted in the weekly e-bulletin – JOIN US! https://www.wnpj.org/membership Join WNPJ – www.wnpj.org **************************************** Interested in a yard sign? WNPJ has yard signs available!  yardsigns@wnpj.org See our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WisNPJ "Like" us and follow us! Questions? Contact info@wnpj.org

Bombs were falling on Arcatao, El Salvador when Madison’s Common Council voted to make it Madison’s first sister city on April 1, 1986. Eight activists recount the events leading up to this moment in a new oral history published in the online Living History Project sponsored by Madison Public Library (MPL). View the collection at https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/resources/living-history-project. Today, Madison, Wisconsin has ten sister cities around the world. Sister cities engage in mutually beneficial partnerships. While some sister city relationships focus on cross-cultural understanding, the Madison-Arcatao partnership is also rooted in solidarity and accompaniment, providing direct economic and political support to the Arcatao community. In 1986, Wisconsin was a sanctuary state, Madison was a sanctuary city and asylum seekers from Guatemala and El Salvador were fleeing the US financed bombings, massacres, torture and kidnappings in their countries. Antonio Portillo, a young man from Guatemala found sanctuary in Madison and told his horrific story at hundreds of community gatherings between 1983-4. His purpose in being so public was to educate Madisonians about what the US government was perpetrating on the local population of his country and in El Salvador. He starts his story this way: “My father was a community activist helping people get running water and electricity. At that time in Guatemala, if you proposed anything that had to do with justice, you were labled a communist and sentenced to death.” Other interviews in this collection include leaders in the sanctuary movement, community activists and Common Council alders at the time. Alder Billy Feitlinger explained his support of the official sistering resolution this way: “ This was an issue that was a moral imperative …part of the purpose of the resolution was to raise public awareness that it was a very bad thing that the American government was involved financially and militarily in El Salvador.” The stories in this collection illuminate a unique period of history and will be of special interest to anyone interested in the history of Madison, the history of El Salvador, or community involvement in the struggle for social justice. Members of Madison Arcatao Sister City Project (MASCP) answered the recent call for proposals from the MPL and collected the interviews and materials. MASCP celebrates its 37th anniversary this year by sponsoring another trip, June 9-16, to El Salvador for any interested community members. Contact: Joan Laurion, 608 556-0717, joan.laurion@gmail.com Website: www.mascp.org

If you have the time and interest in Environmental Justice, WNPJ is looking to contract with people able to help with social media, educational zoom events, and ongoing website development. Image: "They tried to bury us, but they didn't know we were seeds." poet Dinos Christianopoulos. In the 1990s the proverb was translated into Spanish and used by the Zapatistas, an indigenous people's movement in Mexico fighting for sovereignty. As we endeavor to build a strong coalition of Environmental Justice organizations throughout Wisconsin, your help will be invaluable. Interested? Contact: dena.eakles@gmail.com

About Racine Dominicans The Racine Dominicans , a WNPJ member group, are Committed to Truth and Compelled to Justice, a mission that has been the cornerstone of their life and work. For more than 160 years, the Racine Dominicans have continued to build on the foundation started by Mother Benedicta and Mother Thomasina through their tireless work to serve those in the margins. In addition to traditional roles in the field of education, the Racine Dominicans served as health care professionals, social workers, prison ministers, community organizers, environmentalists, counselors, administrators, cooks, pastoral ministers, artists, spiritual directors, musicians, peace activists, researchers, college professors, writers and more. About the Program To further this mission and the work of justice, the Sisters have partnered with FCI to create the 2024 Racine Dominicans Mission Grant Program. THIS PROGRAM WILL OFFER TEN (10) ONE TIME $50,000 GRANTS TO NONPROFITS PURSUING WISCONSIN BASED AND FOCUSED PROJECTS TACKLING CRITICAL ISSUES IN THE AREAS OF: Immigration & Migration: Projects that will help provide services to directly support & assist the immigrant or migrant population Affordable Home Ownership Solutions: Projects or programs that will increase individual ownership and/or help provide pathways to ownership amongst disadvantaged persons and families Climate Equity: Environmental projects that mitigate damage to air, water, and soil that serve disadvantaged populations that typically challenged with accessing similar services or support Open to 501(c)(3) organizations (or projects fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization) with consideration given to projects that meet the following criteria: Serving an unmet or under met need Actively collaborating with other organizations or municipal partners to amplify impact Working to address racial equity within the scope of the project Inclusion of an educational component to raise awareness Project will advocate for systemic change and long-term impact Proximity to Racine will be preferred between projects of equal merit In addition, applicants must be able to provide evidence of the organizations solvency, ability to carry out it’s mission, and capacity to deploy funding to execute the project within a reasonable timeframe (12-18 months). Those considered ineligible to participate include: Individuals Capital campaigns Endowments For-profit entities Partisan political efforts READY TO JOIN FCI AND RACINE DOMINICANS IN THE FIGHT FOR A BRIGHTER, MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE FOR WISCONSIN? TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. APPLICATION PERIOD: JANUARY 30TH – MARCH 30TH, 2024 Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfPrTREqGtQ2QR1tucEiNgnyzaN4pus450SMxkjxsLA3LJQXA/closedform

On Tuesday January 16, the US Senate killed Senate Resolution 504, submitted by Sen. Bernie Sanders, calling for basic oversight of U.S. weapons to Israel. Only 11 senators had the courage to vote in favor even though a clear majority of Americans want an end to this bloody war. Sen. Baldwin, to your everlasting shame, you ignored your constituents and joined Sen. Ron Johnson and the others who made the cruel choice to keep giving Israel a free pass to commit mass murder. Our sister city of Rafah is being bombed, shelled, and overwhelmed with more than a million starving, thirsty, sick and wounded civilians --including some 500,000 children -- fleeing death and the total destruction of their lives. The projects that the citizens of Madison have so generously supported in Gaza over the last 21 years have been destroyed, damaged or rendered inoperable by Israel with weapons provided by our own tax dollars. Prominent among these is the Atfaluna Society for the Deaf, a children's school and adult crafts workshop, which was completely destroyed when Israel deliberately blew up the entire neighborhood where it was located. Are the people that our hands were extended to still alive and intact, searching desperately in the cold and wet winter of Gaza for food, water, medicine, shelter, the bodies and body parts of missing relatives? Or are they among the 25,000 already confirmed dead, the 7,000 buried under the rubble, the 62,000 enduring their wounds without benefit of medical care, painkillers, or anesthetics to relieve the pain of amputations and caesarean sections? We don't even know. We are angered and devastated beyond words that you -- who have the unmitigated gall to call yourself a Progressive when asking for our votes -- lacked the courage to even investigate whether Israel is using taxpayer-provided weapons to commit war crimes in Gaza in violation of US law. As Ahmad Abuznaid of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights said, “Every senator who has voted to let Israel off the hook, refusing to conduct the most basic oversight for U.S. weapons, is deeply complicit in Israel’s mass killings of Palestinians in Gaza. History will remember how you fueled bloodshed during a genocide.” Senator Baldwin, in the name of all that is decent, compassionate and just, how many more must suffer and die before you take action? When will it be enough? Rowan Atalla Amy Atalla-Hill Tsela Barr Cassandra Dixon Lisa Masri Barbara Olson Donna Wallbaum Kathy Walsh MRSCP recommends this excellent writer who is chronicling her life under the bombs in Rafah. https://electronicintifada.net/people/khuloud-rabah-sulaiman Sent to WNPJ 1/19/24 by MRSCP Madison Rafah Sister City Project

Building Unity Spotlight Building Unity Gatherings (BUG's) are events where people committed to peace, justice, sustainability, and democracy can come together, share information, and find ways to collaborate. This Winter / Unity Summit will be attended virtually via Zoom. Guest speakers will include: * Janan NaJeeb on Peace * Tamra Oman on Justice * Anakwet (Guy Reiter) on Sustainability (the Rights of Nature) * Tomika Vukovic on Democracy We will also hear from other partners in our growing coalition. Pam Richards will speak about the anniversary of the Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons. We will also explore and expand our proposed 2024 unity plan: Our Spring Tour of Community Forums across the state Our Calendar of Solidarity and Transformation - Ending the war on Palestinians - NAACP Climate Summit in Feb - March 2 w/ PPC - Launch of the Spring Tour - Earth Day (4/20-22) - Spring Festival and Unity Summit (4/27) - May Day with Voces de La Frontera - Juneteenth Everywhere - MREA Energy Fair - Building Unity on Rock Island (7/2 - 7/9) - Summer Summit - Peace Day (9/21) - Indigenous Peoples Day (10/14) - GOTV - Election Day Weekend Celebrations - Fall Summit To Register, please sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/UnitySummitReg. You will receive a reminder on the day of the summit. For questions, comments, ideas, or concerns, please call Building Unity at 608-630-3633 ********************************************** All Critters Art Build and Potluck- Ashland Let’s get together for an art build to prepare for future actions to #StopLine5! Led by local organizers and the 350 Wisconsin Art Collective and Tar Sands Team, this two-day event will be an opportunity to create critter hats and other eye-catching art for the fight against Line 5. Arrive at Bohemian Hall in Ashland at 10am on Saturday, January 27, and come back the following day to complete your project or take it home to finish. All supplies will be provided. All are welcome! There will be frybread and a potluck from 1:00 to 3:00pm on both days. Bring a dish to pass and enjoy great food and conversation with neighbors. The event is FREE to attend, we just ask you to RSVP so we can plan for supplies. https://www.facebook.com/events/906601160834258 WHAT: All Critters Art Build & Potluck WHEN: Saturday, January 27, & Sunday, January 28, 10:00am – 6:00pm WHERE: Bohemian Hall, 319 11th Ave. E., Ashland, WI 54806 RSVP HERE: tinyurl.com/allcritters *************************************************** 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. *************************************** Upcoming Events this next week for WNPJ groups: FITCHBURG Mon Jan 22, 10 am UN in the News monthly discussion group. At the Fitchburg public library. We'll be discussing several important foreign policy topics and concerns for 2024. These include the Israeli war on Gaza, climate change, the continuing war in Ukraine, migration trends and major elections in 2024. Another major topic we can discuss is the upcoming proceedings in the International Court of Justice where South Africa supported by several countries is charging Israel of perpetrating the crime of genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. Also continuing our discussion about ongoing conflicts in Sudan and the Congo. Finally, we can discuss the adoption of UN General budget and how late payers are affecting the work of the United Nations. Questions? Contact Sam Romano of the UNA USA Dane County chapter. sromano@charter.net MADISON Mon Jan 22, 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. VIRTUAL – Mon Jan 22 - Building Unity Summit. Read more in the Spotlight above…. CAMP DOUGLAS Tues Jan 23, 3:45 – 4:45 MONTHLY VIGIL AGAINST THE DRONES, OUTSIDE THE GATES OF VOLK FIELD. We are starting a new year.  Please make this vigil part of your new monthly routine.  We must keep vigilant and continue to speak out against killer drones.  Our first vigil against drone warfare was at Volk Field on December 1, 2011, and so we are starting our 13th year of vigiling. WE MUST BRING THIS TERROR THAT THE US GOVERNMENT REIGNS DOWN ON OTHERS TO AN END! The vigil at Volk Field is a legal vigil where we will be on public property.  As always, it will be a solemn vigil, remembering the victims of US government drone attacks. 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 picnic wayside where you can park.  The wayside is now closed for the winter, but you can legally park on the side of the road.  There are no bathrooms available during the winter months THE VIGIL - We will gather at the wayside at 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.   If you have questions about the vigil because of the weather, please make sure to call Joy at 608 239-4327 joyfirst5@gmail.com or Bonnie blb24@earthlink.net at 608-256-5088 for an update before you make the long drive.. Wisconsin Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars VIRTUAL Wed Jan 24, 12 noon – 1 pm WISDOM Virtual Lunch and Learn Webinar. WISDOM's Digital Organizer Amanda Ali and EveryAction Coordinator Katie Olson will be hosting. These quarterly events are open to the public and WISDOM community to take an hour out of your time during lunch and invest it in learning with us in 2024! Our first session will be about optimizing your campaign through digital tools. Register for the event in advance here ! Once you register, you will receive a Zoom confirmation email. This is free to attend, so please share with anyone else you think would be interested! Let's invest in ourselves and get to learning! office@wisdomwisconsin.org MILWAUKEE Wed Jan 24. 12 noon – 1 pm ANTI-ROTC VIGIL Meet in front of M.U. Library on Wisconsin Ave. Casa Maria Catholic Worker casamariamke@gmail.com VIRTUAL Wed and Thurs, Jan 24 & 25, WISDOM is diving all into 2024 with two new campaign and voting trainings in January! Two different events but both equally important. The first is a Virtual Lunch and Learn: Optimizing Your Campaign on January 24 at 12 p.m. CT through Zoom. You can join WISDOM's digital team to discuss how digital tools can create momentum in your campaign.  Register in advance In order to prepare for the upcoming 2024 elections, WISDOM is excited to have relaunched School of Democracy last September! The fourth event in our series is a training with our affiliate, FREE's Director Peggy West-Schroder on State Elections on January 25 at 6:30 p.m. CT through Zoom. Come learn about important upcoming elections, what's at stake for 2024 and how you can make a difference by using your voting power. You can register in advance here or click the link below! Register in advance School of Democracy and WISDOM will host many trainings in the upcoming year so keep an eye out in your inbox for future updates! For questions, please contact WISDOM's Digital Organizer, Amanda Ali, at aali@wisdomwisconsin.org. WEBINAR: Wed Jan 24, 12 noon A Conversation with Robert Herbst- "Israel, South Africa, Genocide and the International Court of Justice" Register Here. South Africa sued Israel for genocide in the International Court of Justice (“ICJ”) late last year.  On January 11 and 12, the court heard its initial arguments on South Africa’s claim for preliminary relief, styled Provisional Measures. Robert Herbst and Michael Spath will be discussing the case and its political, moral and religious implications for Palestinians, Israelis, and their American supporters in our first webinar of 2024. Viewers will get some understanding of (1) how genocide is defined in the Genocide Convention to which South Africa and Israel are both signatories, (2) the allegations of genocidal intent and genocidal acts detailed in South Africa’s 84 page complaint, styled an Application, which has now also been joined by others, including Turkey and Malaysia, (3) Israel’s response, (4) the nature of these proceedings before the ICJ, its jurisdiction and possible outcomes.  Come join us! Robert Herbst is a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, as well as a veteran international human rights attorney, arguing cases in Sierra Leone and other countries.  He and Michael Spath are co-chairs of ICAHD-USA. Michael Spath is the Executive Director of the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace and a member of UCC-PIN and the Global Kairos for Justice Coalition.  He and Robert Herbst are co-chairs of ICAHD-USA. Sent to WNPJ by Madison-Rafah Sister-City Project rafahsistercity@yahoo.com LaCROSSE Thurs Jan 25, 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 VIRTUAL Thurs Jan 25, 7 pm Webinar: 1992 Peace Accords and the February 2024 elections in El Salvador.  In El Salvador, President Bukele’s State of Exception strips people of their rights and continues with no end in sight. The government has imprisoned over 73,000 people, including some from our sister community of Arcatao. There are detailed reports of torture, medical neglect, and death in prisons. President Bukele is defying the constitution and running for re-election on February 4, 2024. Join MASCP for a conversation with CRIPDES, our Salvadoran Sistering partners, to learn more. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tfuGvpz0tHdPBv9QXzINKHqAeN2f96ruT#/registration Madison Arcatao Sister City Project -  info@mascp.org WEBINAR: Thurs 25 Jan 5:30 - 06:30 pm From terror to transformation. From the organization: King and Breaking Silence. This event sent to WNPJ by Dena Eakles of Echo Valley Hope - dena.eakles@gmail.com. Dena writes: "This webinar is presented by an organization I respect for their depth of coverage in wonderful webinars on social injustice." Learn more: Can the violence in Palestine-Israel become a turning point for humanity? Register at https://kingandbreakingsilence.org. MADISON Thurs Jan 25, 9:30 am – 2:30 pm DACA Advocacy Day. At Bethel Lutheran Church (312 Wisconsin Ave).  The Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin is sponsoring a day of to urge our Wisconsin legislature to pass four bills that will help DACA recipients to: Receive professional licenses to be teachers, nurses, electricians, plumbers, etc. – ie, Pay in-state tuition if they have lived in Wisconsin at least 12 months prior to the semester and are DACA recipients - Receive a tax credit to help defray the cost of renewing their DACA status every two years -Become police officers and sheriff’s deputies. Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice is co-sponsoring, as is WISDOM. Register by January 19. https://www.loppw.org/evrplus_registration/?action=evrplusegister&event_id=10 MADISON Thurs Jan 25, 5:30 pm Antiwar Movie Series – 2 films. At the Madison downtown central public library.   The Occupation of the American Mind: Israel’s Public Relations War in the US (2016, 45 min) PLUS & My Neighborhood (2012, 25 min) Socialize and tabling plus a movie discussion, plus free popcorn. Co-sponsored by Jewish Voice for Peace and World Beyond War Madison.  Contact:  Brad Geyer 920-650-0052 Veterans for Peace Madison - Clarence Kailin, Chapter 25   https://madisonvfp.org/ RHINELANDER Thurs Jan 25, 6 – 8 pm  Northwoods Community Forum. Nicolet College . For Our Future, with support of Project North, Northwoods Area Progressives, and Nicolet College, are holding a casual event to get people together! This will be an opportunity for small businesses, local non-profits, and individuals active in the community to share what they are working on, and to network and connect with others. Here is the Facebook event, and a link to sign up to attend.  https://fb.me/e/49Yv6XWXh Sign-up link: https://secure.everyaction.com/WaxlzK9lhESZF0Ott3G-QA2 Announcement sent to WNPJ by Building Unity: BuildingUnityWi@gmail.com MILWAUKEE Sat Jan 27, 12 noon - 1 pm Peace Action WI - Weekly STAND for PEACE: Each Saturday, a different location. Today meet at 76th and North. Join us. Bring your signs. info@peaceactionwi.org    https://www.peaceactionwi.org/stand_for_peace VIROQUA Sat Jan 27, 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  driftless.solidarity@gmail.com. Thank you for your help! VIRTUAL Sat Jan 27, 2 – 4 pm United for Peace and Justice Midwest Planning Call.  The Regional Gathering held in March 2023 was informative and energizing. There's certainly a lot going on in The Great Lakes area and a lot that still needs to happen. Now, it's time to get together and discuss our next steps and prepare for 2024! Please join us on January 27th at 2:00 p.m. for a 2-hour Zoom. Register here. Remember to Share this info with your networks! United For Peace and Justice info.ufpj@gmail.com ASHLAND Sat and Sun Jan 27 – 28 All Critters Art Build & Potluck . Bohemian Hall, 319 11th Ave. E. RSVP HERE: tinyurl.com/allcritters  See the Spotlight above….. ******************************************************* If your group would like to get your events posted in the weekly e-bulletin – JOIN US! https://www.wnpj.org/membership ******************************************** Join WNPJ – www.wnpj.org *********************************** The WI Network for Peace and Justice is the umbrella non-profit organization supporting the work of 82 member groups around Wisconsin. ********************************************************** You can open any of our weekly WNPJ e-Bulletins from the archive and copy the web address to share with others. **************************************** Interested in a yard sign? WNPJ has yard signs available!  yardsigns@wnpj.org See our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WisNPJ "Like" us and follow us! Questions? Contact info@wnpj.org

The WI Network for Peace and Justice is the umbrella non-profit organization supporting the work of 82 member groups around Wisconsin. **************************** MADISON - 39th Annual Madison & Dane County MLK Day Observance: January 15, 2024 5:00 PM – Freedom Songs Sing-Along | 6:00 PM – Program Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State Street https://mlkingcoalition.org/ The King Coalition was established in the fall of 1985 as a community group to plan the official City of Madison and Dane County observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday along with other events to commemorate the life and accomplishments of Dr. King. The Coalition consists of representatives from religious communities, organized labor, the UW-Madison, United Way, peace groups, service organizations, city and county government, and other individuals committed to equal rights and justice for all people. Coalition activities are made possible through public and private financial sponsorship, in-kind, and volunteer support. Welcoming Guest Speaker, Terrence Roberts: Terrence Roberts made history as one of the “Little Rock Nine.” He attended segregated elementary, junior, and high schools until 1957, when he volunteered to help desegregate Little Rock Central High School. His first attempt to enter the school was stopped by the Arkansas National Guard and an angry mob of 400 people. A second attempt several weeks later was met with a mob that had grown to 1,000 people. The next day, President Dwight Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard and dispatched members of the 101st Airborne Division to accompany the students to school for the remainder of the year. Dr. Roberts went on to a successful academic career that included earning a PhD. He and the other Little Rock Nine were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bill Clinton. The program will also feature the MLK Community Choir and presentation of the 2024 MLK Humanitarian Awards by Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. MILWAUKEE - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Justice Program and March Monday Jan. 15, 2024, 1 pm- 3 pm St. Francis of Assisi Church, 1927 Vel R. Phillips Ave, Milwaukee 23rd Annual Gathering to honor Dr. King's teachings on the three great evils of racism, materialism and militarism. 1:00 pm - Program 2:30 pm - March to Dr. King’s Statue 1700 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive (just north of Walnut St.) Sponsored by the Milwaukee Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Coalition info@peaceactionwi.org ********************************************************** You can open any of our weekly WNPJ e-Bulletins from the archive and copy the web address to share with others. ********************************** Action Alert Welcome to WNPJ's newest member group, Wisconsin for Environmental Justice. https://www.w4ej.org/contact We hope our other 81 member groups across Wisconsin will sign their petition - demanding accountability for the climate crisis! Sign here: https://www.w4ej.org/petition ***************************** The Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) and Pastorate 21 (Our Lady Queen of Peace and St. Thomas Aquinas Churches) are teaming up to study Pope Francis’s letter Laudate Deum, which offers people of faith a strong call to action to care for the earth and for one another. This apostolic exhortation is a sequel to Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, and can be found at: "Laudate Deum": Apostolic Exhortation to all people of good will on the climate crisis (4 October 2023) | Francis (vatican.va). The free, four-week interactive study will feature presenters from across the US and the world, poems, prayers, songs, and group discussion time. It will be offered Wednesdays, January 17 through February 7, from 6:30-7:35 PM on Zoom. For more details, please contact Laura Green at the CMC: Laura@cmcmadison.org or 608-441-1180. This information was provided to WNPJ by Dennis Collier - 608-516-1656 of the member group Pax Christi. - 608-516-1656  https://www.wnpj.org/member-organizations-list/pax-christi---madison- *************************************************** 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. *************************************** Upcoming Events this week for WNPJ groups: VIRTUAL Mon Jan 15, 11 am COVID19 Community Safety – virtual discussion. Your friends, elders, students, colleagues, and family need protecting from the latest COVID19 wave. You, too, deserve to be safe and in community this spring! Join this Zoom call to meet folks in the Madison area who care about preventing respiratory disease; to order free masks, air purifiers, and share resources on the spot; learn about multilayered protections; and to share the tools and knowledge your community has developed for keeping safe from COVID19. To register visit: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEpd-mgrz0sGdWhhVh7Q2PDWvVGdWcsADY7#/registration  Sent to WNPJ by Madison Infoshop - peckjohne@gmail.com MADISON Mon Jan 15, 12 noon – 1 pm Monday Noon Vigil for Peace – Meet at the corner of MLK, Jr. Blvd and Doty St.  This is a holiday. For more information, call Tim at 608-630-3633. MADISON Mon Jan 15, 39th Annual Madison & Dane County MLK Day Observance. 12:00 – 5:00 PM | Madison Central Library. The King Coalition, in partnership with the Urban League of Greater Madison, City of Madison, Dane County, MSCR, Madison Out of School Time (MOST), Madison Public Library, and others is pleased to invite middle school youth to attend the MLK Day Youth Call to Service. Engaging workshops, lunch, and an event t-shirt will all be provided at no cost. Registration is limited to youth groups serving middle school youth. Space is limited. For more information, please contact Andrew Schilcher at aschilcher@ulgm.org.  5:00 PM – Freedom Songs Sing-Along | 6:00 PM – Program at the Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State Street. Learn more at   https://mlkingcoalition.org/ Special note: WNPJ will be tabling at the evening event in Madison at the Overture Center! MILWAUKEE Mon, Jan 15, 1 pm 23rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Event. At St. Francis Church, 1927 Vel R. Phillips Ave. Sent to WNPJ by  Casa Maria Catholic Worker casamariamke@gmail.com MADISON Mon. Jan. 15,  5 – 6:30 pm Lights Up For Palestine! Corner of State St. and W. Dayton Please join us in respectfully asking our community to call on their elected representatives to demand a permanent ceasefire in Gaza as we celebrate the birthday of Dr. King. Sent to WNPJ by Madison-Rafah Sister-City Proj  rafahsistercity@yahoo.com MADISON Tues. Jan. 16, 4:30 pm – 6 pm Lights Up For Palestine! Univ. Ave. and Prospect Ave. - Campus Drive Overpass. Please join us in respectfully asking our community to call on their elected representatives to demand a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Sent to WNPJ by Madison-Rafah Sister-City Proj  rafahsistercity@yahoo.com VIRTUAL Tues Jan 16, 5 pm  Conversation with Ana María Rodríguez Valencia The Board of Directors of the Colombia Support Network invites you to participate in our next speaker-series conversation. Dr. Rodríguez Valencia is a lawyer and human rights defender with extensive experience in advocacy before bodies of the universal system for the protection of human rights, particularly before the Human Rights Council, the special procedures and treaty monitoring bodies of the UN, and broad experience in articulation processes with local, national and international organizations. She will provide an update on her work as the leader of the Colombian Commission of Jurists (CCJ), the legal issues Colombians and the government are facing today, and the practical implications of "Total Peace" To sign up for the event, receive the Zoom link, and write any questions for the speaker, please fill out the form here. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_C9zxMnRxsEtVD8Kgqqnktmmwy4S5d5iftVgA9P2qaYE0PQ/viewform?usp=sf_link MADISON Wed Jan 17, 6 pm  Monthly business meeting of Veterans for Peace #25 . VIRTUAL this month, due to the cold. Contact for the zoom link:  920-650-0052  Clarence Kailin, Chapter 25  - Veterans for Peace Madison geyerb@yahoo.com VIRTUAL Wed Jan 17, 7 pm Crawford Stewardship Project CAFO Committee meeting. This is now a VIRTUAL meeting only:  via Zoom Meeting ID: 774 440 0739    +1 312 626 6799. Join us to discuss and provide information about township “CAFO Operations Ordinances” and our upcoming event, Planning for Stewardship. Learn from Lisa Doerr's slide presentation highlighting her citizen group's experience passing an Operations Ordinance in five townships in Polk County. Let's make 2024 a year of protecting our townships from unwanted changes. Join us to learn our strategy, be prepared, and start this ball rolling in your townshipcsp.county@gmail.com LaCROSSE Thurs Jan 18, 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 This event POSTPONED unitl March 10th, due to weather related problems. MADISON Thurs Jan 18, The Dane Sanctuary Coalition Steering Committee Presentation. The event will be in person at Beth Israel Center, 1406 Mound St and also livestreamed and/or on Zoom. This report-back is from members of Beth Israel Center on their recent volunteer trips to Casa Alitas in Tucson.  Throughout October, groups of volunteers from Beth Israel Center journeyed to Tucson to volunteer at Casa Alitas, a migrant welcome center. As the crisis at our border increases, the needs for help at Casa Alitas and similar migrant centers will only increase. Join us and hear about the volunteers’ experiences and how the trip came together. EAU CLAIRE Fri Jan 19, 5 – 6 pm Monthly Peace Stand in Eau Claire. 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 signs at Hwy 93 & Golf Road, 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 MADISON Register by Fri Jan 19 for the event on Thurs Jan 25, 9:30 – 2:30 pm  DACA Advocacy Day . At Bethel Lutheran Church (312 Wisconsin Ave. The Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin is sponsoring a day of advocacy to urge our Wisconsin legislature to pass four bills that will help DACA recipients to: Receive professional licenses to be teachers, nurses, electricians, plumbers, etc.- Pay in-state tuition if they have lived in Wisconsin at least 12 months prior to the semester and are DACA recipients -Receive a tax credit to help defray the cost of renewing their DACA status every two years.- Become police officers and sheriff’s deputies. Wisconsin Faith Voices is co-sponsoring the event. REGISTER HERE by Jan 19 https://www.loppw.org/evrplus_registration/?action=evrplusegister&event_id=10 MILWAUKEE and VIRTUAL Sat Jan 20, 10 – 11:30 am UNA of Greater Milwaukee Presentation:  Doug Savage, Director of the Institute of World Affairs at UW-Milwaukee, on The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in Civics Education. Attend In-Person at Zao MKE Church – 2319 E. Kenwood Blvd. – Milwaukee or Virtually Through the Following Zoom Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83901614973?pwd=ekxVWEU2UWtQdjFha0xQODNzUm5xUT09By Phone Only: 1.312.626.6799     Zoom id: 839 0161 4973    Zoom passcode: 361713 . Free & Open to the Public. In his presentation, Doug Savage will explore how international frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Declaration of Human Rights are being used by the UW-Milwaukee Institute of World Affairs to help K-12 students analyze and engage with global-to-local issues. For more information, contact Jerry Rousseau   jerroldbrousseau@gmail.com MILWAUKEE Sat Jan 20, 12 noon - 1 pm Peace Action WI - Weekly STAND for PEACE: Each Saturday, a different location. Today meet at E Brady St & N Farwell Ave. Join us. Bring your signs. info@peaceactionwi.org    https://www.peaceactionwi.org/stand_for_peace VIROQUA Sat Jan 20, 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  driftless.solidarity@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 ******************************************** Join WNPJ – www.wnpj.org **************************************** Interested in a yard sign? WNPJ has yard signs available!  yardsigns@wnpj.org See our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WisNPJ "Like" us and follow us! Questions? Contact info@wnpj.org

Interested in traveling to El Salvador with MASCP? The theme this year is water quality, water rights, and what the world's sugarcane production has to do with water and environmental quality in El Salvador. Come to Finca Coffee (2500 Rimrock Rd, Madison, on January 20, February 17, or March 16 from 10-noon for a great cup of Salvadoran coffee and Salvadoran quesadillas (yum!), visit with friends of MASCP, and learn about the upcoming trip to Arcatao in June 2024. On the trip, we’ll be talking with social justice activists in San Salvador, visiting the organized southern community of Las Anonas where sugar cane is produced and of course, we’ll renew friendships in Arcatao where our sister city is fighting to retain control of their water and avoid privatization. In 2023, our trip included Eunice Gibson, in her 80’s, Daniel Quintanilla, not quite 20, and all the decades in between. Anyone is welcome! US El Salvador Sister City Staff will make all the arrangements for us in El Salvador. At Finca Coffee, there will be a table reserved for our group. Past MASCP travelers are encouraged to come share their experiences. Old friends and new friends are welcome. It’s an MASCP reunion, discussion and planning meeting for our 2024 trip all rolled into one. See our MASCP 2024 Delegation on our website. Madison Arcatao Sister City Project MASCP info@mascp.org