July 4th, 2020
In our continued effort to limit digital overload through these intense times, we are again highlighting just a few important items and special upcoming events, and then refer you to our website for details on our regularly scheduled events and ‘Helping Hands’ resource list (including updated campaigns and fundraisers!).
We are excited to announce the Fr. Joe Bissonette Fund for the Western New York Peace Center to sustain our ongoing work and prepare for even stronger social justice activism coming out of quarantine! In these challenging times, we know that this work is more important than ever. The WNY Peace Center struggles to discern and do its part and can only continue with your help. See our letter below our event listing for full details about this matched fundraiser!
Our 13th annual youth summer camp, Camp Peaceprints, is now less than ten days away! Registration is still open with a sliding scale of up to $25/week, with scholarships readily available! Camp will be 100% online this year due to the public health crisis, but we offer games, recreation/physical activities, art projects, and music; plus wonderful guest presenters (activists and artists from the Buffalo area); and field trips to Machu Pichu, Peru and Nairobi, Kenya! Please register ASAP as we’ll be delivering packets with art supplies, etc. for use during camp.
Of course we also want stress racial justice issues – this mountain of work is not done! The stories of Quentin Suttles, Deyanna Davis, Miles Carter, Cariol Horne, and so many others each give very important insight to the lack of racial justice and police accountability in Buffalo. Daily activities continue at Niagara/Liberation Square at 4pm. Additionally, our own Racial Justice taskforce will be meeting more frequently, including planned alternating meetings likely at the Square (maybe Wednesday evening?), Zoom meetings, and Speakouts for Ethical Police Officers. Please keep an eye on our Event Calendar for updates.
Lastly, we want to mention that our radio show, Talking Peace with the WNY Peace Center, is on indefinite hiatus due to administrative and COVID-19-related issues. We should have our most recent shows on our website before long. In the meantime, please check out the whole of yesterday’s Democracy Now! Daily Show featuring Dr. Cornel West, Angela Davis, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, with a special reading of Frederick Douglass’ historic speech “What to the Slave is the 4th of July?” by James Earl Jones.
Please see details and much more below, including other special events this week, regularly scheduled events, campaigns, fundraisers, and more at wnypeace.org, on our Facebook page, Twitter (@wnypeace), and Instagram (@wnypeace)! We update our Event Calendar often as we learn of new events, so please be sure to check back regularly!
*** And lastly, a reminder to pace yourselves – no one can do it all. Let us know what kind of help you might need from the WNYPC; please feel free to reach out!
Peace, thanks, solidarity and yes – love.
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Dear friends,
You are invited to attend TONIGHT’S presentation for the Buffalo/Rochester/Ithaca/Albany areas:
MEDICAL COLLABORATION BETWEEN CUBA
& THE US IN THE TIME OF THE PANDEMIC
7:00-8:30 PM on Zoom
REGISTER HERE.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The whole world is grappling with how best to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
One country, Cuba, is sending its doctors and other health professionals around the world to help beleaguered health care systems. It is also making available a Cuban produced antiviral drug Interferon Alpha 2B that has been widely used in China, as well as Cuba, and has shown some success in strengthening the body’s immune system to fight off the virus.
The US government, instead of seeking to collaborate with Cuba, is demanding that other countries refuse to accept the Cuban doctors and drugs, while simultaneously strengthening its 60 year long economic blockade of Cuba in an attempt to deny the Cuban people the food, medical supplies and gasoline they and their society needs.
This presentation will discuss:
– The unique medical collaboration that already exists between the US and Cuba at the Roswell Park Cancer Center in Buffalo,
– The potential for creating new forms of medical collaboration in confronting COVID-19
– How young US doctors, trained in Havana, Cuba at the Latin American Medical School (ELAM) are already a living example of such collaboration.
– How such collaboration is part of ending the US blockade of Cuba
Program includes:
– Jennifer Wager – Board member of IFCO/Pastors for Peace and former coordinator of its annual Caravan to Cuba. Now a documentary filmmaker whose work includes the award winning Dare to Dream about ELAM
– Dr Joaquin Morantes – a graduate of ELAM, now working in the area
– Video material about the Roswell Park Cancer Center collaboration with Cuba
– There will be time for Q+A and discussion
The event is a fundraiser for IFCO/Pastors for Peace.
Event sponsored by:
– Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization/Pastors for Peace
– Western New York Peace Center, including its Latin America Solidarity Committee (LASC wny)
– Rochester Committee on Latin America (ROCLA)
– Ithaca Friends of Cuba
– Albany Cuba Solidarity
If questions, contact:
– John Waller at 831-261-2025
– Victoria Ross at 716-931-3520
June 23rd, 2020
In an effort to limit ongoing digital overload, we are continuing to highlight just a few important items and special upcoming events and then refer you to our website for details on our regularly scheduled events and ‘Helping Hands’resource list.
We hope you will join us this Thursday evening at 6PM for our Zoom webinar on Know Your Rights featuring Daire Brian Irwin, Esq. and John A. Curry III, NYCLU. The webinar will also include de-escalation techniques from WNYPC Executive Director, Victoria Ross, with a Q&A after the presentation. Meeting ID: 868 1853 9395, Password: 268120
Our shero, Cariol Horne, still needs our help! Please continue to call Mayor Brown (311 for city residents; otherwise 716-851-4841) and demand #JusticeForCariol! Restore Cariol’s pension and pass Cariol’s Law! PLEASE ALSO SHARE WIDELY ON SOCIAL MEDIA using the images on our website and social media accounts or at cariolslaw.com
Please also note that our 13th annual youth summer camp, Camp Peaceprints, is less than one month away! Registration is now open with a sliding scale of up to $25/week, with scholarships readily available! Camp will be 100% online this year due to the public health crisis, but we offer games, recreation/physical activities, art projects, music, and virtual field trips; plus wonderful guest presenters (activists and artists from the Buffalo area)! Please register ASAP as we’ll be delivering packets with art supplies, etc. for use during camp.
In response to the current $14 billion COVID-related budget crisis, Governor Cuomo is withholding authorization of NYS contracts beginning July 1st. This affects all operations – in particular, the funding of social programs like food banks and SNAP (food stamp) programs. Food For All and 43 other agencies currently receive funding to provide SNAP education and assistance in NYS counties, and their Nutrition Outreach program is one of the programs dramatically impacted. We are asking friends of the FFA and those who recognize the importance of the SNAP program – especially during the current public health crisis – to contact their NY State Representatives and Senators urging them to have the Governor authorize vital state contracts for the fiscal year beginning July 1st. If you are able to support FFA by donating a basket for auction, please contact Kelly Ann Kowalski at kellyannkk@aol.com. Visit our Campaigns page for more details.
Sentencing dates are again postponed for the remaining Kings Bay Plowshares 7 – now July 30th, 31st – per the request of the defendants in order to accommodate their right to be sentenced in person in an open court, witnessed by the public. As they await their sentencing, each of the KBP7 continues to serve their communities as human needs grow exponentially during this COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like to write to Judge Lisa Godbey Wood in support of the defendants, you may do so here.
More previews for next week: Note the LASC/IFCO webinar in our scheduled events below. Plus if you’re interested in the Racial Justice taskforce, please check back on our Event Calendar – a date/time for the next planning meeting should be finalized sometime next week.
Lastly, out of respect for Martin’s request for privacy, our last mention of the events will be to share this video from Jimmy Dore. We ask that you please no longer contribute monetary donations to him via the GoFundMe fundraiser nor the WNYPC website, as these donations will be returned. We thank you for your understanding, kindness, and support.
Please see details and much more below, including other special events this week, regularly scheduled events, campaigns, fundraisers, and more at wnypeace.org, on our Facebook page, Twitter (@wnypeace), and Instagram (@wnypeace)! We update our Event Calendar often as we learn of new events, so please be sure to check back regularly!
*** And lastly, a reminder to pace yourselves – no one can do it all. Let us know what kind of help you might need from the WNYPC; please feel free to reach out!
Peace, thanks, solidarity and yes – love.
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
