Saturday, November 14th, 2020
We invite you to join us in the movement to REFUSE FASCISM. Refuse Fascism is a movement of non-violent protests in Washington, DC, and across the US with a single unifying demand: #RuleOfLaw Trump/Pence out of the White House! Trump refuses to concede, filing lawsuits throughout the nation to try to overturn the election – even with Republican voting officials telling him there’s no factual basis for his complaints. Despite that, his supporters have gathered today in protest of the results.
We need to mobilize – nonviolently – to stop the theft of the election and the rise of fascism while still protecting all as COVID-19 cases are increasing exponentially. Local marches were called off this weekend, but we can still prevent a fascist America. Please – if you haven’t already – read RF’s Pledge to the People of the World (also seen in the NYT on 11/9) and sign. You can also donate to the cause here. (If you are on social media, we encourage you to join in the campaign currently flooding the hashtag ‘MillionMAGAMarch’ with photos of pancakes.)
If you are bothered by what you are seeing across America, just remember our wonderfully motivating evening with Cornel West, a supporter of RF. Take some inspiration from him and other sources that make you feel strong about the long-distance running we have to do in this fight for justice. Pace yourselves and remember that ‘unarmed truth’ (moral integrity) and ‘unconditional love’ (universal solidarity) will win in the end.
For those of you who were in attendance on Monday, we first want to express our extreme gratitude for all of your support. We had an amazing evening and hope you did as well. The excitement isn’t over yet; we are currently putting together a post-event packet which will include a captioned video, downloadable program book, and link to our virtual marketplace! We also want to remind you that TODAY IS THE LAST DAY to get your Peace Pin for Social Justice in support of the WNYPC!
Tomorrow is the deadline for federal rent and mortgage grants to keep tenants and homeowners from being evicted or foreclosed on – and there’s lots of money left! Erie County has a $10 million COVID-assistance program using cash from the CARES Act, and will pay up to five months of past-due rent or mortgage payments. Call 211 for a referral for help applying. Please share this information widely!
Lastly, we want to share an update regarding the virtual sentencing of three members of the Kings Bay Plowshares: Carmen Trotta was sentenced to 14-months; Clare Grady was sentenced to one year and one day; and Martha Hennessy was sentenced to 10-months. Mark Colville opposed a virtual sentencing and after appeal, has been given a delay until December 18th. We appreciate their courage and their sacrifice.
Please see details and much more below, including Rally for the Buffalo Five, Friday Noon, and special and regularly scheduled events this week, plus campaigns, fundraisers, and more at wnypeace.org, on our Facebook page, Twitter (@wnypeace), and Instagram (@wnypeace)!
Peace, thanks, solidarity, and yes – love!
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Friday, November 6th, 2020
We want to mention that we are still having some issues with our website, and have a wonderful team working to resolve this as soon as possible. We ask that you please note the upcoming event times listed below are correct, but are not currently accurate on our website calendar. If you have any questions about what you are seeing anywhere on our site, please reach out by emailing assistant@wnypeace.org.
Of course we’ll start by mentioning the election; while results are not yet finalized, we are glad to see the count continues moving along and that things are generally calm and peaceful. Please join us tomorrow for the Protect the Results Rally, 12-1:30pm at Niagara Square with masks and physical distancing. We have seen historic voter turnout, with millions of people voting by mail due to the pandemic. Every eligible vote counts!
The WNY Peace Center’s 53rd Annual Fundraiser: An Evening with Dr. Cornel West is now just three days away! If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet, there is still time – visit bit.ly/wnypeace_cornelwest for all of the details! If you are unable to attend, please spread the word, share this email, and/or sponsor a ticket for someone! Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this exciting post-election event will be held entirely on Zoom along with a week-long online auction to benefit the WNYPC. Please see our program below:
- Gnonyoh by Jill Clause, Tuscarora
- Introduction to student groups
- Awards, including Alt-imate Activist to Jillian Hanesworth; Emerging Leaders Award to Jalonda Hill; Lifetime Achievement Awards to Roger Cook and June Licence; and two surprise awards!
- Jillian’s performance of her poem, ‘The Revolution Will Rhyme’
- Keynote by Dr. Cornel West
- Q&A
- Gnonyoh by Jill Clause, Tuscarora
We are so excited for the guidance and wisdom Dr. West will surely bring to us at this critical time. We are ready for whatever comes next and know that we have plenty of work ahead of us!
Please see details and much more below, including special and regularly scheduled events this week, plus campaigns, fundraisers, and more at wnypeace.org, on our Facebook page, Twitter (@wnypeace), and Instagram (@wnypeace)!
Peace, thanks, solidarity, and yes – love!
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Sunday, October 11th, 2020
The WNY Peace Center’s 53rd Annual Fundraiser: An Evening with Dr. Cornel West is now less than a month away! Please join us – visit bit.ly/wnypeace_cornelwest for all of the details and to purchase your theatre and/or Zoom tickets! As with our previous annual events, we are also planning to hold our auction and basket raffle – only this year we are going virtual! We are in need of items for both the auction and baskets, so please contact office@wnypeace.org if you would like to donate! (Please note that to accommodate the school year, our new office hours have changed and are M/T/R from 2-4pm.)
We would also like to make a note about the upcoming WNY Women’s March on October 17th. With health and safety being our top priority, we may consider splitting into smaller simultaneous gatherings across downtown if the main group becomes too large at Niagara Square. We hope you will join us for this rally to stop violence against women, BIPOC, and the planet! We will feature speakers, musical performances, and more! We welcome and appreciate your input – email assistant@wnypeace.org if YOU are interested in being a peace keeper/marshal or cosponsor.
We will also emphasize early voting at the Women’s March. Just a reminder that all active registered voters in Erie County are eligible to cast an early voting ballot – you do not have to do anything more! Starting 10/24, there will be 37 early voting locations in Erie County which you can just walk into to cast your vote (bring your ID just in case). If you are concerned about voting in person, please see more details here on requesting an absentee ballot – there is still time! And if you or someone you know is interested in becoming a poll worker, find more information here.
We also want to mention that the deadline for the 2020 Census has again changed. If you were not able to complete it by the 5th of this month, it’s not too late – you (again) have until the end of the month*! Please take advantage of the return of this extension, and let your friends and family know! (*Note: The Trump administration has filed an appeal to try to halt this latest extension, so please get your responses in ASAP!)
Lastly, two of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 (Fr. Steve Kelly and Patrick O’Neill) are scheduled to be sentenced on October 15th and 16th this week. Please sign the petition here to dismiss the charges against against these antinuclear activists facing 25 years! Four others were granted continuances until November 12th and 13th due to COVID-19 – you can follow the updates here.
Please see details and much more below, including special and regularly scheduled events this week, plus campaigns, fundraisers, and more at wnypeace.org, on our Facebook page, Twitter (@wnypeace), and Instagram (@wnypeace)!
Peace, thanks, solidarity, and yes – love!
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
