The PAR 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.
There are programs that can help lower-income people with electric and heating bills. To find out about eligibility, contact the Community Action Agency of New Haven at 419 Whalley Ave.
You can call 203-285-8018, or email [email protected]. More information is on their website at https://www.caanh.net/energy-assistance.
If you live outside of New Haven, call 211 for the appropriate agency in your town or city.
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.
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 [email protected] 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
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 [email protected] or phone 203-624-8664.
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 [email protected].
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
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.
To read this article in its entirety, visit https://www.newhavenindependent.org/article/tenant_organizing_2
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
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]
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.
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.
by Andy Piascik, PAR reader
Willie Matos, who worked his entire adult life for Puerto Rican liberation and freedom for working class people everywhere, passed away on October 14 at 84. Born in Puerto Rico, Willie emigrated with his family to Bridgeport in 1951 and soon confronted the many manifestations of racism that Puerto Ricans face. He also came to better understand that many of the problems are directly related to US colonial domination.
Willie joined the Young Lords Party after its formation in 1968, helped found a chapter in Bridgeport and served on the organization’s national leadership body. He played a leading role in the Bridgeport Lords’ work against slumlords, police brutality and on other issues. They established a Free Breakfast for Children program and worked for the liberation of Puerto Rico and in opposition to the Vietnam War. The Lords also advocated on behalf of the unemployed and helped establish a statewide organization of Puerto Rican migrant agricultural workers.
Willie helped form the Spanish American Coalition and in 1979 pulled together a committee to support striking workers at a local factory. The committee’s work proved important to the strike being settled on favorable terms. He and others carried that work forward in the Plant Closures Project in an attempt to hold corporations accountable for the layoffs ravaging working class communities. Willie helped establish the Vieques Support Committee that sought to end the US Navy’s use of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques for target practice. That effort proved successful and Vieques today is home to the Caribbean’s largest wildlife refuge.
Willie worked for the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and as an adjunct professor at Housatonic Community College. He remained involved in activist organizations and mentored hundreds of Latino youths. He also gathered for many years on New Year’s Eve day with friends at a marker in Bridgeport that honors Roberto Clemente to pay homage to the great baseball player on the anniversary of his death.
A friend, comrade and mentor to hundreds, Willie’s spirit lives on in those who walk in his footsteps. [See https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/10/29/williematos-friend-and-comrade for a more detailed article]
Consider Radical Connecticut: People’s History in the Constitution State, written by Andy Piascik and Steve Thornton.
To get a copy, please send $25 ($20 plus $5 shipping) to:
Andy Piascik
25 Cartright St. PH-C
Bridgeport, CT 06604
The Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs, Health Resources in Action, and Alternatives for Community & Environment, Inc. invite you and your organization to an informational webinar on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, at 4 p.m.
This session will explore the exciting opportunities available through the EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program. This initiative aims to strengthen environmental justice efforts by providing funding and support to local communities. During the webinar, you’ll learn about:
– The goals of the EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program.
– How this program supports projects that address environmental injustices in communities.
– Available technical assistance to support organizations in their efforts.
RSVP at [email protected].
This is a valuable opportunity to gain insight into this transformative program and connect with organizations committed to environmental and community justice.
Register here — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/breaking-chains-building-bridges-ct-for-palestine-tickets-1002651446467
Wesleyan University, Middletown CT: Breaking Chains, Building Bridges will bring together activists, organizers, students, workers, artists and all those ready to stand in solidarity with Palestine and grow the movement for collective liberation. We invite people of conscience from across Connecticut and the greater region to join us in political education, skill-building and strengthening relationships for the struggle ahead. Free Palestine! Mask up and see you there – Unitarian Society of Hartford, 50 Bloomfield Ave. Hartford, CT 06105.
On Oct. 7, peace and justice activists gathered in front of Rep. DeLauro’s New Haven office at 59 Elm St. for a community reading of the open letter to Pres. Biden and Vice Pres. Harris from American medical professionals who served in Gaza. The letter was then given to her aide Lou Mangini to read to her. The reading was organized by the Greater New Haven Peace Council.
Below are excerpts. The entire letter is online at www.gazahealthcareletters.org/usa-letter-oct-2-2024.
I’ve never seen such horrific injuries, on such a massive scale, with so few resources. Our bombs are cutting down women and children by the thousands. Their mutilated bodies are a monument to cruelty. Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, trauma and critical care surgeon, Veterans Affairs general surgeon
I saw so many stillbirths and maternal deaths that could have been easily prevented if the hospitals had been functioning normally. Dr. Thalia Pachiyannakis, obstetrician and gynecologist
Gaza was the first time I held a baby’s brains in my hand. The first of many. Dr. Mark Perlmutter, orthopedic and hand surgeon
October 2, 2024
Dear President Biden and Vice President Harris,
We are 99 American physicians, surgeons, nurse practitioners, nurses, and midwives who have volunteered in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. Combined, we spent 254 weeks volunteering in Gaza’s hospitals and clinics. We worked with various nongovernmental organizations and the World Health Organization in hospitals and clinics throughout the Strip. In addition to our medical and surgical expertise, many of us have a public health background, as well as experience working in humanitarian and conflict zones, including Ukraine during the brutal Russian invasion. Some of us are veterans and reservists. We are a multifaith and multiethnic group. None of us support the horrors committed on October 7 by Palestinian armed groups and individuals in Israel. …
…[T]he human toll in Gaza since October is far higher than is understood in the United States. It is likely that the death toll from this conflict is already greater than 118,908, an astonishing 5.4% of Gaza’s population.
Our government must act immediately to prevent an even worse catastrophe than what has already befallen the people of Gaza and Israel. A ceasefire must be imposed on the warring parties by withholding military support for Israel and supporting an international arms embargo on Israel and all Palestinian armed groups. We believe our government is obligated to do this, both under American law and International Humanitarian Law. We also believe it is the right thing to do.
Read the letter in its entirety here: https://www.gazahealthcareletters.org/usa-letter-oct-2-2024