The Progressive Action Roundtable mission is to inform the greater New Haven community about the activities of many progressive groups, so that people may learn about them and become involved in discussions and actions on issues for the common good, such as peace, health, racial equity, justice, clean energy and the environment.
Be part of the City of New Haven’s first-ever Urban Agriculture Master Plan – a community-rooted, actionable vision for the growth of food and farming in New Haven! The only requirement for participation in this process to co-create this shared vision is an interest in the topics of food and farming. There will be sessions in neighborhoods all over New Haven in 2023! Info: foodpolicy.newhavenct.gov.
by Chris Schweitzer, New Haven Climate Movement
In 2019, New Haven Climate Movement youth led the effort to pass the New Haven Climate Emergency Resolution. Soon after its passage, then Mayor-elect Elicker committed to create a climate office to work on cutting climate pollution and fossil fuel use. On Dec. 9, 2022, Alder Steve Winter was hired to become Climate and Sustainability Director.
Steve has supported climate organizing efforts, including helping pass NHCM’s Electrification Resolution in 2020, and supported the Board of Education Climate Emergency Resolution in 2022. The City has set aside $2 million in Federal funding for projects that cut greenhouse gas emissions and pollution in neighborhoods (for example, energy efficiency programs).
NHCM is now working hard to implement projects identified in the BoE Resolution in 2023, and will be advocating for much greater investment in cutting fossil fuel climate pollution.
For more information about NHCM’s work or to get involved go to newhavenclimatemovement.org.
CT People’s World Committee Rise Up!
Time to be the Leaders of Today! Seize the Moment and the Future is Ours!
This year’s People’s World Amistad Awards will be held Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. at the historic Dixwell Q House, 197 Dixwell Avenue in New Haven, with a keepsake greeting book. The 2022 Awards are dedicated to Art Perlo, whose legacy and vision live on and inspire us. We are excited to announce this year’s awardees. 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:
Mustafa Salahuddin, President, Amalgamated Transit Union 1336 in Bridgeport and board member of CT Roundtable on Climate and Jobs and the CT AFL CIO.
Salwa Mogaddedi, courageous leader of Starbucks Workers United, who has led in organizing her co-workers in Vernon into the union throughout her cancer treatment.
Leslie Blatteau, President New Haven Federation of Teachers 933 (AFT CT) focused on anti-racist curricula, social justice activist, and past president NARAL Pro-Choice CT.
Special recognition will be presented to Brian Steinberg for his lifetime of commitment and organizing for equality, real democracy and peace as an outstanding leader of the Communist Party in Hartford, in Connecticut and nationally. The recognition is presented on the occasion of the 103rd anniversary of the Communist Party USA.
Featured performer will be Jay Hoggard, world-renowned jazz vibraphonist and composer blending jazz and gospel with African marimba rhythms.
The event will stand “IN SOLIDARITY” with the organizing drive of Local 33 Unite Here at Yale, and other organizing drives underway in Connecticut.
Tickets: $10 and $25 Solidarity. For scholarship ticket information or to purchase tickets, e-mail ct-pww@pobox. com or phone 203-624-8664.
In Solidarity, People’s Weekly World
The Middle East Crisis Committee held a rally in front of the Federal building at 450 Main St. in Hartford on Nov. 7 to call for President Biden to press Egypt’s ruler Abdul Fattah El-Sisi to free Egyptian political prisoners, in particular well-known activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah. Biden was going to Egypt to attend the COP27 climate conference.
Alaa Abd El-Fattah has been in prison for years for peaceful protests that demanded basic democratic rights. He has been on a partial hunger strike for months and has started a total hunger strike. Egypt has tens of thousands of people in El-Sisi’s prisons for the “crime” of standing up for human rights. The Human Rights Watch estimate is 60,000 political prisoners.
Photo: Stanley Heller Stanley Heller, Executive Director of MECC said, “Alaa ate his last bit of food Nov. 4 and stopped drinking water Nov. 6. We must do all we can to free this man. We’re directing our message to President Biden and Congress since Biden will be in Egypt for the COP27 climate conference and because the U.S. gives the Egyptian dictatorship about $1.5 billion in aid each year. Certainly the U.S. has means of leverage.”
To see the bright yellow banner we’ve created for this event go to: https://thestrugglevideo.org/the-struggle
The Middle East Crisis Committee was founded in 1982 in New Haven and has interest in working for human rights, especially in Middle Eastern and North African countries. For more info: Visit TheStruggleVideo.org.
[Alaa ended his hunger strike and remains in prison. His family was allowed to see him on Nov. 17, and said his health has visibly deteriorated.]
In recognition of the current climate emergency, the New Haven Climate Movement is calling on individuals, organizations, and governments in the greater New Haven area to substantially reduce their fossil fuel emissions in 2023. As national governments fail to act with urgency, cities around the world have begun to step up as crucial agents of change. It is time for New Haven to do its part.
If you are an individual, please join us by signing our 2023 Pledge at newhavenclimatemovement.org to work for a 50% reduction in individual and collective emissions in 2023. In signing our pledge, you are joining a community of local residents committed to both advocacy and individual change. Together, we can transform our city and become leaders in the movement for environmental justice.
For more information, email Chris at newhavenclimatemovement@gmail.com.
On Sept. 22, 2022, Kathy Fay, Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of New Haven’s Director of Community Sustainability, had the honor of presenting to the Yale School of Environment’s “Green Building: Issues and Perspectives” class.
Kathy took students down the road to energy justice by beginning with the discussion of redlining. This racially discriminatory act denied Black people mortgage loans and various financial services required to purchase a home. Although redlining was banned 50+ years ago, the systemic impact of redlining is still very evident, even in New Haven. A historically redlined area today manifests as a community with people of color living in financial instability as renters, not homeowners.
Kathy stated, “Being able to keep property in the family becomes difficult when you’re struggling with energy bills and leaky, old buildings.” This is a common plight in formerly redlined communities and creates a snowball effect: people are living in an area where past generations did not have the ability to finance mortgages. This means that when houses were not passed down to future generations, poverty is still rampant today, thus, generational wealth was never achieved.
NHS works to make change a reality by transforming these old houses into safe, energy-efficient, affordable homes. The work is done by I Heart My Home CT, an NHS program. Clients get counseled in ways to have home-energy conversations with landlords, how to identify trusted services (for example, barrier remediation programs to remove mold or asbestos), and the advantages of getting home energy audits.
Kathy hopes to see the intersection of energy efficiency and equity be more prevalent. One way to accomplish this is through a mandated landlord energy-efficiency requirement. She left the students with a call to action: “Reach out to your local representatives.”
The CT General Assembly proposed Governor’s Bill No. 5041, An Act Concerning Home Energy Affordability for Home Renters. The bill essentially holds landlords accountable regarding transparency with “home energy labels.” Tenant right-to-know is important. If people use their voice to encourage their local representatives to vote in favor of this bill next session, they will have the power to change the trajectory of energy justice in Connecticut.
For more info: https://nhsofnewhaven.org/
On Instagram and Facebook: @NHSofNewHaven
203-562-0598 Admin@nhsofnewhaven.org
A group of transit advocates rallied outside the headquarters of the CT Dept of Transportation in Newington on Wednesday [Nov. 16] waving their signs as a few buses drove past them.
The group was calling for an indefinite extension of fare-free buses as well as support for the mostly Black and brown bus drivers who have experienced more stress ever since the pandemic, and then had to deal with more riders on the free buses who sometimes needed mental health support themselves.
Tenaya Taylor, head of the Nonprofit Accountability Group and lead organizer of the event, explained why they came out. “So, you know, for us supporting fare-free transit will mean lifting some economic burdens on frontline communities because they’re saving money on the bus, and also cleaner air because it’s reducing emissions since more people are hopping on the bus and less people are driving their individual cars to get to work and school.”
Gov. Ned Lamont has indicated he will likely extend both the gas tax holiday and free transit for another few months, but these rallyers want “free fares forever,” as some of their signs indicated.
by Jane Comins, FKP
Pumpkin Festival: Saturday, October 29 was a great day in Kensington Playground, as we hosted our Pumpkin Festival. Kensington Playground was filled with kids and families enjoying the warm weather and colorful trees. Kids laughed and smiled as they decorated free pumpkins and played Pumpkin Balloon Pop for treats. Everyone enjoyed free ci-der and donuts, took festive pictures in front of the deco-rated splash pad, and shopped for free clothing at Renee’s Closet.
Holiday Festival: We are planning our Holiday Festival and Tree Lighting event in Kensington Playground on Saturday, December 10, 3-5 p.m. (Rain date: Sunday, December 11). We hope to have a holiday tree with festive lights, ornament making for the kids, singing, and hot chocolate and cookies. We welcome donations and need volunteers for this event.
Park Proposal: Thanks to everyone who came out to support us at the Parks Commission meeting in October. Our Park Proposal, which asks the City to commit to the idea that every neighborhood should have at least one public play-ground that has a playscape, splash pad and trees, was on the agenda. After a brief discussion the proposal was tabled, until we can provide more information. We expect to do so at the January 18th meeting, and will keep you updated, so that you can join us at the meeting in a show of support and solidarity.
Lawsuit: Our lawsuit continues. Currently, we are in the discovery phase of the trial. No trial date has been set. We recently received an invoice for $1,995. We paid $1,000 of that, but still owe our lawyer $995.
We hope that you will make a donation to legal costs now to keep our work moving forward, as we expect another legal bill soon. All donations will be used towards legal expenses, unless you specify that your donation is to be used for an event. We are now a 501(c)(3), so all donations are tax deductible.
Our website is kensingtonplayground.org.
From training students for Mississippi Freedom Summer to victories over the banks funding climate destruction a half-century later, George has spent his life fighting for peace, civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, labor justice and the environment. He shares serious stories with great humor and love, and clearly imparts the lessons learned.
George will be speaking (in person and virtually) on Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. about his new memoir, Dancing with History, at the Unitarian Society of New Haven, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden.
The PAR Mission: To inform the greater New Haven community about the activities of many progressive groups, so that people may learn about them and become involved in discussions and actions on issues for the common good, such as peace, health, racial equity, justice, clean energy and the environment. Refreshments and book signing after the talk. Bring cash or check to pay for books. To register, please email melinda.tuhus2@gmail.com.