Internationally Known Palestinian Speaker in CT Dec. 9
by LouAnn Villani, Middle East Crisis Committee
Mazin Qumsiyeh, who has spoken all over the world about Palestinian rights and also on science issues, will talk in Connecticut on Monday, Dec. 9, in three different
places.
First he’ll be in New Haven at the central New Haven (Ives) Library, 133 Elm St., across from the Green at noon. The Middle East Crisis Committee is sponsoring the event along with the Jewish Voice for Peace Health Advisory Council. Qumsiyeh lived in Connecticut at the start of the 2000s as he headed the Cytogenetic Department at Yale Medical School. His books include Sharing the Land of Canaan and Popular Resistance in Palestine. Back in occupied Palestine in the West Bank he founded the Palestine Museum of Natural History and the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability. He has written Mammals of the Holy Land, The Bats of Egypt, and scores of scientific papers.
He has spoken in most U.S. states and in dozens of countries around the world. He helped found the Right to Return online movement and was an early proponent of the “one-state solution.” See qumsiyeh.org and palestinenature.org. His emails that go out weekly to thousands are known for their humanity and optimism mixed with mention of the terrible oppression and murder inside Palestine. He signs off with the slogan, “Stay Human.”
Later on Dec. 9 he’ll speak at Wesleyan University and Trinity College. See TheStruggle.org for details in early December.
New from Greater New Haven Green Fund
by Lynne Bonnett, GNH Green Fund
Our 2025 grant application is going live. Check out our grant opportunities for community projects to improve our quality of life through environmental and sustainability initiatives. We serve residents in New Haven, Hamden, Woodbridge and East Haven. Visit our website: www.gnhgreenfund.org for details, and / or contact us at info@gnhgreenfund.org with any questions. Applications will be due Jan. 31, 2025. You can expect to hear from us in the spring in time to work on your project over the summer or next year. Grant awards are for amounts up to $10,000.
We also offer smaller microgrants and sponsorships throughout the year for up to $1,000. We look forward to supporting your projects. Let us hear from you what you would like to do
People’s World Amistad Awards on Dec. 14
by People’s World Amistad Awards Committee
This year’s People’s World Amistad Awards will be held Saturday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. at the Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School, 177 College Street in New Haven. The 2024 Awards are themed “We Who Believe in Freedom Will Not Rest Until It’s Won.”
People’s World is honored to present the Amistad Award to three wonderful allies and working-class champions. Together they represent the kind of unity, solidarity and vision needed to build the movement that can transform our country to put people, peace and planet before profits. Seth Freeman, president of Congress of CT Community Colleges (4Cs), is an inspiring and passionate union leader and coalition builder for racial and economic justice in public higher education who courageously envisions funding human needs instead of corporate greed and wars. Maribel Rodriguez, first Latina president of the Western CT Labor Coalition, former healthcare worker, tireless champion for respect and dignity of all workers in the community, on the job, in the legislature, is beloved for her courage and dedication.
Teresa Quintana, Housing Equity Organizer at Make the Road, rose up against exploitation as an immigrant from Bolivia to achieve a life of dignity and rights for all, with unapologetic extraordinary commitment, and is the proud mother of two.
The event will stand “IN SOLIDARITY” with Unite Here Local 217 and NE1199 SEIU for their courageous organizing, campaigning and strikes to take on corporate greed and build worker power, This annual event is hosted on the 105th anniversary of the Communist Party USA, in the spirit of building unity against racism, red-baiting and all forms of bigotry, and standing for workers’ rights, equality, peace, democracy, and a better world. Tickets are $10. For more information, please email ct-pww@pobox.com or phone 203-624-8664.
Yale School of Public Health Seeking Focus Group Participants
by The Yale School of Public Health
The Yale School of Public Health wants to hear from you about interest in electric heating and cooking systems, and awareness of and concerns about indoor air pollution and health.
Do you live in New Haven? We are most interested in residents of the following neighborhoods: Annex, Dixwell, Dwight, Edgewood, Fair Haven, Fair Haven Heights, The Hill, Newhallville. West River, West Rock / West Hills. Participants will be asked to take an online survey and then answer questions about the survey. Participants will receive $30 in cash for participating in an in-person focus group (approximately 60 minutes).
If you would like to participate in a focus group, please contact us by text or phone at (203) 936-9518 or email at newhavenelectrification@gmail.com.
No-Excuse Absentee Voting Was Approved by CT Voters. What Happens Next?
by Kat Struhar, Nov. 18, CT Mirror
Connecticut voters have approved a proposed amendment to the state constitution that removes restrictions around absentee voting, allowing for universal access.
The amendment passed with around 58% of voters in favor and 42% against, a 16% margin of difference… But its passage doesn’t mean so-called “no-excuse absentee voting” will automatically take effect; rather, it means lawmakers are now free to pass a law allowing for it.
No-excuse absentee voting describes absentee voting that is accessible universally. In other words, one does not need to provide a reason in order to vote by absentee… No-excuse absentee voting does not take effect immediately.
For it to become law, state legislators must take it up during the 2025 legislative session. Because Connecticut voter law is written into the state constitution, it is difficult to amend. Any changes to it must first pass through the House and Senate with three-fourths majority support, or a simple majority in both chambers in two successive legislative terms, and then majority support among voters. Now that those steps have been completed, lawmakers are free to pass a law to enact no-excuse absentee voting statewide.
Though lawmakers could technically opt not to pursue passing a law to permit no-excuse absentee voting further, that is not the plan for [Rep. Matthew] Blumenthal.
If lawmakers approve it, Connecticut will join the more than half of the U.S. states that utilize no-excuse absentee voting.
Source https://ctmirror.org/2024/11/18/ct-no-excuse-absenteevoting-ballot-question-passed
Fed Bill Would Boost Tenants Unions
by Thomas Breen, Nov. 12, New Haven Independent
Last Thursday, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal joined a half dozen members of the Blake Street Tenants Union, along with leaders of Connecticut Tenants Union, to announce his co-sponsorship of that proposed federal legislation. … As Blumenthal explained on Thursday, the proposed bill would support tenants union organizing in the following ways:
* By explicitly prohibiting landlords from retaliating against tenants who participate in or try to organize such unions.
* By providing federal “resources” — aka money — to support tenants union organizing. Per a draft version of the law, that would include no less than $1 million for a nationwide outreach and training program for tenants in housing covered by this law, as well as $40 per unit per year for tenant resident councils.
- By covering all tenants who live in “government supported housing” … Blumenthal said that a quarter of all rental housing across the country would fall into this “government-supported” category.
To read this article in its entirety, visit https://www.newhavenindependent.org/article/tenant_organizing_2
Pride Center Convenes Community To Heal
by Grayce Howe, Nov. 14, Arts Paper
Art acted as a form of resistance and relief last week, as dozens of community members gathered at the New Haven Pride Center for a night of post-election healing and artmaking. Often, they found themselves leaning on each other for support and encouragement, even as they searched for an answer to some of the grief and despair… The evening was co-hosted by the Greater New Haven Arts Council. In the interest of full transparency, the Arts Paper lives within, but is editorially independent from, the Arts Council.
Throughout the evening, the gathering aimed to combat feelings of unease that followed the election of Donald Trump… As president, he instituted legislative measures that included a ban on Muslim immigrants and refugees, multiple appointments to a now-conservative, anti-choice Supreme Court, significant environmental rollbacks, and direct calls meant to invigorate and activate millions of followers who were fueled by anti-Black, anti-immigrant, anti-woman ideals of a white nationalist America. During his 2024 campaign, he expanded that rhetoric, from calling into question whether Vice President Kamala Harris was and is in fact Black… to pushing for harsher immigration policies to insulting Haitians, Puerto Ricans, and all childless women within weeks of the election. In New Haven—a sanctuary city that has for years championed LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights—Tuesday’s result came as a crushing blow to many.
Thursday, it seemed that only compassionate community filled the room. In addition to a workshop from [Pride Center Executive Director Juancarlos] Soto—who, in addition to leading the Center, is a visual artist and fierce activist—the night included offerings from movement facilitator Vee Warden, holistic healer Thema Graves, drag queen Xiomarie LaBeija and poet, organizer and spoken word artist Sun Queen.
Throughout the evening, comments also came from Soto, Mayor Justin Elicker, and ACGNH Program Director Rebekah Moore and Executive Director Hope Chávez. The evening also included catering from the Ninth Square business Blue Orchid.
By the end of the night, participants’ moods were visibly lighter. Faces held smiles and laughed with new-made friends, inspired and hopeful for the future while empowerment overtook the previously overruling stress. That continued this week, as staff at the Pride Center set up a new corner of their space dedicated entirely to self-care.
[To read the original article visit https://www.newhavenarts.org/arts-paper/articles/pridecenter-convenes-community-to-heal
A Vision for Peace Appears In Fair Haven
by Lee Cruz and Lucy Gellman, Nov. 12, Arts Paper
Just off Grand Avenue, one side of the Fair Haven Branch Library has come to life. It marks the culmination of a new peace-themed mural at the Fair Haven Branch Library, thanks to a collaboration among CITYarts, the Yale School of Art, Creative Arts Workshop, ACES Educational Center for the Arts and the New Haven Free Public Library… The mural, which artists began working on in August, has been months in the making. Earlier this year, [CITYarts Founder and Executive Director Tsipi] Ben-Haim connected with CAW Director Trina Mace Learned, who hosted an exhibition in the Audubon Street space in June and July. They envisioned the mural with input from high school students, community partners, and artists Mitchell Rembert, Carlos Perez, and Irisol Gonzalez-Vega, currently an MFA candidate at Yale. Lauren Flaaen was also an early collaborator.
The team worked closely with the library, which has supported arts initiatives in Fair Haven for years. Branch Manager Kirk Morrison helped install a CITYarts exhibition featuring work from young people in over 120 countries. At the mural’s ribbon cutting, Morrison encouraged attendees to reflect on the pieces, which envision peace amid global violence.
The mural integrates designs from 10 ACES Educational Center for the Arts (ECA) students, including doves, flowers, vegetables from the library’s garden, and silhouettes of buildings. During this time, Cruz and Sustainable CT launched a fundraising campaign, which raised $4,300 from over 40 donors.
Professor Kymberly Pinder, Yale School of Art’s dean, saw the mural as an opportunity for greater community collaboration. In September, ECA students joined the artists for two days of mural work, and local youth from Fair Haven, including library regulars, also contributed to completing the piece.
Photo: Jennifer Simpson
[For entire article: https://www.newhavenarts.org/artspaper/articles/a-vision-for-peace-appears-in-fair-haven]
300 Activists for Palestinian Rights at All-Day Hartford Conference
by Stanley Heller, Middle East Crisis Committee
The pews were filled at the Hartford Unitarian Society for a major conference about U.S. activism during a time of immense killing of Palestinians and Lebanese. Thunderous chanting filled the hall. The best part was that 80 to 90% of those attending seemed to be under 30. Participants were members of a score of activist groups in Connecticut and Massachusetts. A workshop of nearly 40 people founded a Labor for Palestine chapter. Our group and members of Jewish Voice for Peace New Haven took part in a panel on Jews confronting Zionism. I gave a slide show based on my book Zionist Betrayal of Jews using photos to show how Zionist leaders consistently allied with far-right parties, even groups that were violent antisemites, in their single-minded quest to drive out Palestinians and create a Jewish state.
In speeches to the whole assembly, Hesen Jabr, a Palestinian-American nurse, described how she was fired right after being given a nursing award because of her remarks and social media posts about the attacks on Palestinians. Sultana Hossain, who is part of the Amazon Labor Union and Labor for Palestine spoke about efforts to organize for Palestinian rights in the one unionized (Long Island) Amazon plant.
The conference took place among new threats of repression. The radical right is pushing for a bill that would give the Secretary of the Treasury the power to designate any nonprofit as “terrorist supporting.” If it passed, the Secretary (who serves at the pleasure of the President) could on his/her own devastate a group. There would be no need to show any evidence or provide due process. A group so designated would lose its tax-exempt status. That might be the least of its problems. Once designated as supporting terrorists it would no doubt be demonized and attacked in social media or worse. It’s believed groups supporting Palestinian rights would be the first targets.
A Short History of the Progressive Action Roundtable
by Paula Panzarella, PAR Planning Committee
On Nov. 10, I gave a presentation to the First Unitarian Universalist Society on the history of the Progressive Action Roundtable. It is available to view at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kZJZSFBUwAQ1sVfafMfd0OiCBO9CbW3A/view?usp=drive_link.
Below is a link to a few early PAR documents and an example of my current activism calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u4iKSzRVefMEDHF9BjD4BKPPyO98ltyn/view?usp=sharing.