Category: Events

Courage Award to Go to Imprisoned, Tortured Palestinian Doctor

by LouAnn Villani, Middle East Crisis Committee 

The Middle East Crisis Committee (MECC) will give its 2025 Courage Award to Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya of Gaza, Palestine. Dr. Safiya was the Director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in north Gaza, Palestine when he was arrested on Dec. 27, 2024 by Israeli troops. He has been in their custody ever since. Israeli authorities claim he’s being held under “suspicion of terrorism.” He has not been charged in court with any crime but is held under a cruel legal-like measure the Israelis call “Administrative Detention.”

Dr. Abu Safiya was head of the pediatric department in Kamal Adwan Hospital before becoming its director. While not exclusively a pediatric hospital, Kamal Adwan Hospital was particularly known for its specialized pediatric services, including a critical Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Like all Gaza medical facilities, Kamal Adwan performed incredible work despite severe shortage of essential supplies. And like all Gazans, he and his staff were being intentionally starved, often arrested, even as its building endured sieges and bombardment. In December 2024 the hospital was closed at gunpoint.

He has been seen by a lawyer very infrequently. In February, his attorney said Dr. Abu Safiya had suffered torture, including beatings with batons and electric shock sticks. In July his attorney reported that Dr. Abu Safiya had lost nearly 90 pounds while in Israeli custody.

Dr. Abu Safiya stands for all Palestinian doctors and healthcare workers who have done outstanding humanitarian work amid indescribable conditions and constant slander that they are terrorists.

We hope to have a ceremony in late November to honor Dr. Abu Safiya in absentia. MECC’s Courage Award was initiated in 2023. It was bestowed that year to Alaa Abd El-Fattah, an imprisoned activist in Egypt who has very recently been released. In 2024 the award was given to Palestinian journalists and media workers as a whole. Visit TheStruggleVideo.org for future developments.

Americans and the Holocaust: A Traveling Exhibition for Libraries

by Meriden Public Library

Americans and the Holocaust is on display at the Meriden Public Library, along with a series of related special events, through Nov. 9, 2025.

The 1,100-square-foot exhibition examines various aspects of American society: the government, the military, refugee aid organizations, the media and the general public.

Drawing on a remarkable collection of primary sources from the 1930s and ’40s, the exhibition tells the stories of Americans who acted in response to Nazism, challenging the commonly held assumptions that Americans knew little and did nothing about the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews as the Holocaust unfolded. It provides a portrait of American society that shows how the Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism and antisemitism shaped responses to Nazism and the Holocaust. Info: 203-630-4730, www.meridenlibrary.org. Meriden Public Library at 105 Miller Street, Meriden.

No Kings Day 2! Demonstrate on Saturday, Oct. 18

www.nokings.org

[Demonstrations on Oct. 18 will take place in many towns across the country and the world. The Hartford demonstration at the Capitol is from noon-2 p.m. The New Haven demonstration will be on the New Haven Green from 3-5 p.m. NOW IS THE TIME!!! See www.nokings.org for all locations. And check the time before you go to ensure the time has not changed.]

In June, we did what many claimed was impossible: peacefully mobilized millions of people to take to the streets and declare with one voice: America Has No Kings. And it mattered. The world saw the power of the people. President Trump’s birthday parade was drowned out by protests in every state and across the globe. His attempt to turn June 14 into a coronation collapsed, and the story became the strength of a movement rising against his authoritarian power grabs.

Now, President Trump has doubled down. His administration is sending masked agents into our streets, terrorizing our communities. They are targeting immigrant families, profiling, arresting and detaining people without warrants. Threatening to overtake elections. Gutting healthcare, environmental protections, and education when families need them most. Rigging maps to silence voters. Ignoring mass shootings at our schools and in our communities. Driving up the cost of living while handing out massive giveaways to billionaire allies as families struggle.

The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty.

Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and bigger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan; it is the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, shouted by millions, carried on posters and chants, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together.

Because this country does not belong to kings, dictators, or tyrants. It belongs to We the People – the people who care, who show up, and the ones who fight for dignity, a life we can afford, and real opportunity. No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.

 

Know Your Rights https://undocumented.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3141/2025/03/Know-Your-Rights_One-Pager_Bilingual-2.pdf

Famed Professor to Speak on Biodiversity and Sustainability in War-Wracked Palestine

by Yann van Heurck, First Unitarian Universalist Society

Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh will speak via Zoom at First Unitarian Universalist Society of New Haven during the 10:30 a.m. church service on Sunday, Oct. 19.

Dr. Qumsiyeh, former professor of biology and genetics at Yale and author of many academic papers and books, including Sharing the Land of Canaan, is currently director of the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability, and of the Palestine Museum of Natural History, at Bethlehem University in Occupied Palestine. A Christian Palestinian, Dr. Qumsiyeh will share the groundbreaking work of the Institute to preserve the flora, fauna and human populations of the region amid devastating attacks on the environment.

Unitarian Universalism is a multiethnic, multireligious faith that encourages social activism in a context of spiritual awareness. Everyone is welcome to join our service at the meeting house (608 Whitney Ave., New Haven) or by Zoom link. Email Yann for the link at janinawoelfin@gmail.com. We urge all friends of nature and justice to join us!

6th Annual Kulturally LIT Fest, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 4

Oct. 4, 2025, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

ConnCAT, 4 Science Park, New Haven

Join us for the 6th Annual Kulturally LIT Fest — formerly Elm City LIT Fest — a dynamic celebration of Black literature, art, and cultural power. This year’s theme, “The Year of X,” honors the legacies of Malcolm X and Medgar Evers, two revolutionary leaders whose vision, sacrifice, and radical love continue to shape our struggles for justice and liberation.

The 2025 festival will center Black storytelling through powerful panels, workshops, music, vendors, and interactive art. We’ll explore the enduring impact of Malcolm and Medgar across generations. Expect bold conversations, creative expression, and space for both reflection and resistance.

Whether you’re a book lover, a budding writer, an artist, or a freedom dreamer, this festival is for you. Come experience the power of Black literature, legacy, and community.

For more information, please go to bit.ly/42IMJBY.

More than Oysters: “Talking” Tour of Fair Haven East, Sunday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m.

by New Haven Preservation Trust

The borough of Fair Haven East, incorporated in 1872, represents the city’s one (and only) experiment with this semi-autonomous form of local government.

This two-part lecture featuring presenters Oliver Gaffney and Joe Taylor will explore architecture that exemplifies the development of the borough from its roots in East Haven; through its annexation to New Haven in 1881; and its eventual consolidation with city government starting in 1897. Historic maps, newspaper articles, and rare photos from the Joe Taylor Collection will help us visualize changing patterns of commerce, agriculture, transportation, and housing in the borough – and some interesting stories about the residents who called it home!

Please RSVP as seating is limited. This event will be held indoors, rain or shine, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2 p.m. at the New Haven Friends Meeting, 225 E. Grand Ave., New Haven. Register at nhpt.org/events.

Greater New Haven Labor History Association Annual Meeting ‘Remembering the 50th Anniversary of the 1975 Teachers’ Strike,’ 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7

by Steve Kass, President, GNHLHA

Please join us for our annual meeting at the New Haven Labor Center, 267 Chapel St., New Haven, for a special program looking back at the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Teachers’ Strike.

There will be a presentation of all the news articles from the strike, followed by a panel discussion featuring some of the 90 teachers who were jailed for refusing to return to work until a new contract was in place. There will also be a keynote address by Frank Carrano, the president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers during the time of the strike.

As usual, the Augusta Louis Troup “Pass It On” awards will be presented to people and organizations that advance the labor movement agenda of decent working conditions at a good wage, with hope for the future.

Frank Panzarella will perform some labor songs.

Seating is limited, the event is free. We will start promptly at 3 p.m. Parking is available behind the building.

Sun Day Festival at CCSU on Sept. 21

by Lynn Stoddard, Third Act CT, Sun Day Co-Coordinator

Sun Day is a national mobilization on the weekend of the Autumnal equinox, September 20 – 21, 2025 to celebrate the power of clean energy and mobilize millions to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. Spearheaded by Bill McKibben and inspired by the success of Earth Day, Sun Day will harness Americans of all stripes to highlight the benefits of solar, wind, and electrification through thousands of local events and a massive online campaign. Learn more at www.sunday.earth.

CT Third Act and partners are holding a big statewide Sun Day Festival at the Student Center, Central CT State University, 1615 Stanley St., New Britain, from noon-4 p.m. on Sept. 21. Please RSVP at Connecticut@thirdact.org to join us.

In addition, many communities are holding local Sun Day events on or leading up to Sept. 20 (the day before the statewide festival). Interested in holding a local Sun Day event? You can find info and resources here: https://www.climateactionct.org/sun-day.

Pedal for Palestine, Sunday, Sept. 21

by Ellen Rubin, JVPNH

Jewish Voice for Peace New Haven (JVPNH) invites you to join us on September 21, 2025 for Pedal for Palestine. We will be cycling in “slow motion” through the streets of New Haven to create connection and community with Gaza and Palestine. We welcome bright banners with clear messaging and visibility, noisemakers of all types, high spirits and riders of all ages and abilities – with safety as a priority. Please wear your helmets, honk horns, ring bells, blow kazoos, follow the marshals and make new friends!

We will start at 10 a.m. at the Mill River by Cross High School to highlight the destruction of educational resources in Gaza, stopping at the water treatment plant, public library, local hospital, and media outlets to highlight the corresponding devastation of life-sustaining resources in Gaza today. We will end by the Sea at Long Wharf around 2 p.m., with plans to get to know one another, enjoy the food trucks, and hopefully dance! The goal is to promote solidarity, education and funds for the families in Gaza facing famine, genocide, and internment camps. Folks can join at any of the planned stops (maps will be provided) or join us at the start or finish or anywhere in between. If you are not a bike rider, you can help with refreshments, leafletting, fundraising to the grass-roots organizations providing food, healthcare, and children’s services in Palestine (MECA and RAWA) &/or just party with us. We stand and pedal for Peace and Justice in Palestine. Join us!

For more information and to register to ride, go to jvpnh.org/pedal-for-palestine.

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