WOMEN ACROSS THE WORLD TELL US WE ARE NOT ALONE
Shared by Vicki Polansky, long time DWC member:
A colleague in Estonia has been keeping me informed about international reactions to events in our country. Yesterday's postings appear below:
What angers you about the world you live in? What would you say to world leaders if you were given time with them?
These are some of the questions playwright Rebecca Lenkiewicz is asking young women ahead of the Women’s March on London, part of a global movement of people taking to the street’s on the first day of Donald Trump’s presidency. She will shape a text from the contributions she receives, and a version will be read in front of the American Embassy on the day – January 21.
More than 60 cities in 32 countries are marching in solidarity with a planned march in Washington, D.C., and the Facebook page for the London event already has 10,000 people listed as attending. London’s event counts Amnesty International, Liberty, Pride in London, Unite, and the Women’s Equality Party amongst their supporters, and celebrity supporters include Ian McKellen, Alexa Chung and Frankie Boyle."
And here’s the Facebook announcement for the Women’s March on London:
(ed. Note: let’s post on that site to personally thank them!)
Saturday, 21 January 2017
at 12 o’clock
Womensmarchlondon.com
THIS MARCH IS INCLUSIVE AND ALL ARE WELCOME.
On January 21 2017, the first day of Donald Trump’s Presidency, women-led marches, welcoming all participants, will take place across the world, with the largest expected in Washington, D.C.. We call on people of all genders to march in London as part of an international day of action in solidarity.
We will march, wherever we march, for the protection of our fundamental rights and for the safeguarding of freedoms threatened by recent political events. We unite and stand together for the dignity and equality of all peoples, for the safety and health of our planet and for the strength of our vibrant and diverse communities.
We will come together in the spirit of democracy, honouring the champions of human rights who have gone before us. Please spread the word, so that our numbers are too great to ignore and the message to the world is clear. The politics of fear and division have no place in 2017.
.... a link to the Huffington Post with a graphic showing marches around the world many of which will take place BEFORE our march!:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/5878a635e4b094e1aa9dc530?timestamp=1484312828256
Just an added note: lest we forget, our sisters in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Ukraine are facing the real possibility that Putin will seize the occasion of his good friend Donald’s presidency to send tanks into the Ukraine and the Baltic states. Trump has basically signed off on Russian’s intervention in eastern Ukraine as well as the annexation of the Crimea, and Newt Gingrich has declared Tallinn to be “a suburb of St. Petersburg.”
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Announcements
Events
Action Item
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Please sign up for a DWC Committee
The DWC Steering Committee is the group that organizes and manages the business of the DWC. We manage much of our business through committees, and we welcome help from the membership to bring fresh ideas and hands to the work of running our operation. Planning meetings and events, fundraising, communications (the Monday Morning News, website, Twitter, blog, etc), maybe things we haven't even thought of! Please sign up to help us continue to make the DWC great! (Plus, you'll have a lot of fun!) To sign up, go to the DWC website at http://www.democraticwomenscaucus.org/volunteer or email [email protected] and let us know how you can help out. If you have special skills, please note that as well. We'd love to have you working with us!!
City Commission on the Status of Women Seeks Nominations!!
The City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women is seeking nominees for the Woman of the Year, Emerging Leader and Lifetime Contribution Awards. The deadline for submission of nominations is January 23, 2017. The awards will be presented during Women’s History Month, March, 2017.
The Woman of the Year Award is presented to a woman who has improved the quality of life for other women through inspiration, community service or professional accomplishments above and/or outside normal job responsibilities. The recipient is also someone who serves as a positive role model for girls and women and has made outstanding contributions to the community. The Lifetime Contribution Award recognizes a woman whose work has significantly advanced the status of women through leadership and service. The Emerging Leader Award acknowledges a woman with a relatively short (less than five years) history of significant achievements and recognizes the potential for future contributions.
Nomination forms are available in the City of Bloomington’s Community and Family Resources Department, City Hall Suite 260 and online at https://bloomington.in.gov/csw, or contact Sue Owens at [email protected]. Nominations should include the name, address, telephone number and email address of the nominee in addition to the reasons why the nominee merits the award and how her community service has benefited women. The nominator also should include his or her name, address, telephone number and email address. Send completed nomination forms by email to [email protected] or by mail to: The Commission on the Status of Women, P.O. Box 100, Bloomington, Ind. 47402
The Emerging Leader Award recipient will be honored at the Women’s Leadership Development event in March, 2017 at City Hall. The Woman of the Year and the Lifetime Contribution Award recipients will be honored at the Women's History Lunch on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at the Convention Center.
Democratic Party News:
Elections for Monroe County Democratic Party Offices
All Party offices, including Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer will be filled by Democratic precinct chairs and vice chairs at a caucus on March 4th at 10am at the Nat U. Hill room in the County Courthouse. If you have any questions or are interested in running for any of these positions, please send an e-mail to [email protected].
Election of Indiana Democratic Party Chair
Current Indiana Democratic Party Chair (and Monroe County's own!) John Zody recently announced his bid for reelection of the Indiana Democratic Party. If you're interested in learning more about John and following campaign events, please click here for more info.
Election for National Democratic Party
Our own South Bend Mayor-extraordinaire Pete Buttigieg has announced his intention to run for the Chair of the Democratic National Committee.
For information on Mayor Buttigieg contact Drew Anderson at 765-432-3231 or [email protected]
Pete's Platform can be found here: https://petefordnc.com/platform/
EVENTS It's a busy week!:
**MONDAY, JANUARY 16TH, MLK DAY!
MLK Day On! Activities.
Opportunities to volunteer with a friend or your family can be found at http://www.bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org/mlk
Knitting for Women’s Marchers
Yarns Unlimited, 1-4 pm.
Facebook page for more details at https://www.facebook.com/Yarns-Unlimited-119540828126328/
2017 Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Birthday Celebration
Buskirk Chumley Theater
6 pm reception, 7 pm program
Address will be given by Adam J. Foss, who will speak on the theme of "And Justice for All." Foss is a former Assistant District Attorney in the Juvenile Division of the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office in Boston, Massachusetts. This celebration is a true community celebration, all the hard work of the MLK Birthday Celebration Commission. It's something NOT to miss!
**TUESDAY, JANUARY 17TH
The Monroe County Democrats' Club will meet on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. at Bobby's Colorado Steakhouse.
This year, the Club will honor Home-Town Heroes who have helped improve our community through their service. Our first hero will be former Mayor and author, Tomilea Allison. The public is invited to attend
How to Talk to Your Legislator!
First United Church, 2420 East Third Street, 6:00-7:30 pm.
This training will teach you how to overcome that feeling of intimidation, make an appointment with your legislator, and advocate effectively! Mark Fairchild, former executive director of the Indiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, has years of experience talking with legislators and advocating for numerous issues. Learn the basics of building relationship, advocating clearly and effectively, and have a chance to practice these skills in a safe and supportive environment! This training is open to anyone who is interested.
**THURSDAY, January 19th
Democracy for Monroe County Meeting
Monroe County Public Library, 6:30 pm. See their Facebook page for profiles of candidates for officers and board members.
**FRIDAY, January 20th
Rally Send Off Bloomington/Maurer Law Bus to Women’s March on Washington!
6:45 to 7:30, Maurer Law School Moot Court Room, 211 S. Indiana Ave.
Come to a rally to send off the Maurer Law School location bus to the Women's March on Washington and support our marchers from Bloomington! Please consider bringing donations of water/baked goods/snacks for the bus riders (any surplus will be shared with other buses to DC or Indy).
Speakers include congressional candidate Shelli Yoder, Bloomington City Council president Susan Sandberg, professor Dawn Johnsen, law student/bus organizer Francesca Hoffmann, and other progressive student group leaders. Co-sponsored by Maurer student organizations including American Constitution Society, Black Law Student Association, Women's Law Caucus, Law Students for Reproductive Justice, OUTlaw, and the Latino Law Student Association.
Inaugurate the Revolution: a Day of Justice and Resistance
Friday, January 20, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. or thereabouts, at various venues in Bloomington, IN
Inaugurate the Revolution, a day of workshops, teach-ins, panel discussions, projects, direct actions, a march and a rally will take place on Inauguration Day at the Monroe County Public Library and other venues beginning at 9:30 a.m. Registration is at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater at 9:00 a.m. Workshops will last 60 minutes, 90 minutes or 2 hours and will include a Food Sovereignty Action Workshop, The Power of Religion to Liberate People, Moving Beyond Capitalism and many more. All events are free, open to the public and accessible to people with disabilities. Free child care will be provided.
Instead of inaugurating a President, we will inaugurate a revolution—a grassroots, proactive resistance to the elimination of our civil liberties and the erosion of democracy itself. Our goals are twofold: transferring power into the hands of the disenfranchised and responding creatively to new political realities. This radically inclusive event is for the lifelong activist and the newcomer, the anarchist and the pacifist, the youngster and the elder and everyone in between. Inaugurate the Revolution will culminate in a march at 5:15 p.m. and a rally at 6:00 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Participants will celebrate this day of unprecedented action and celebrate the future—one in which people rise up across the country to fight for what is right, true and necessary: freedom from those who seek to oppress us. This joyous celebration will serve not as an end but a beginning to a new era of activism—in Bloomington and beyond.
To see the workshop schedule, pre-register, find out about free child care and see full information about the event, go to inauguratetherevolution.com.
Women's Marches
NOTE: If you are going to the Women's March in Indianapolis Saturday January 21st, please register at https://www.womensmarch.com/sisters
Indianapolis, IN
Saturday, January 21, 2017,
For a ride on the bus from Bloomington to Indy contact Deborah Meader [email protected] or The Monroe County Democrats at [email protected]
NB: there are currently 3 full buses out of Bloomington to Indianapolis; they are currently working to put together a potential 4th bus so if you are not already signed up please contact the organizers immediately so that they can determine how many more seats are needed...
Washington, DC
Saturday, January 21, 2017, Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.
Join hundreds of thousands of women in a March on Washington to show our support for women everywhere and highlight issues of sexual assault, workplace discrimination, and women's equality. We need to let the new administration know that we are here, that we are watching and that we will take action! Unfortunately, the bus from Bloomington to D.C. is sold out with a waiting list. But it looks like the bus from Indianapolis still has room. Use this link and add your city and state: http://rallybus.net/womens-march-on-washington
In addition, here is a link to the event page for the safety meeting and poster making session for those planning to join the Women's March on Washington: https://www.facebook.com/events/222491411537732??ti=ia
NEXT WEEK:
MCDP After Hours
Monday, January 23, 5:30-7:00pm
The Tap (back room), 101 N College, Bloomington
Come on out to MCDP's After Hours! Following a hiatus, we're bringing back the monthly social hour. It's your opportunity to grab a bite, a beer, and some good conversation with fellow Democrats. Mark your calendars for the 4th Monday of each month - same time, same place.
Organizational Meeting for New Local Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW)
Saturday, January 28, 10 a.m to 12 p.m., Monroe County Public Library, Meeting Room 2A
One of the new DWC members at the Friday breakfast, Laura Collins, is the Convener of the new National Organization for Women - Monroe County chapter!! Laura is an Indiana native, graduated from IU, spent a decade in Boston, and returned to Bloomington a year and a half ago. Like all of us, she was devastated by the results of the elections and had to do something about it. Since joining the 2004 March for Women's Lives in DC, her go-to activist group has been NOW. So she reached out to NOW Indiana in Indianapolis - NOW's only Indiana chapter, asking how she could help from Bloomington. Heather Wildrick-Holman, president of Indiana NOW, replied simply, "Would you like to start a chapter in Bloomington?"
Heather's hope is that a nationally recognized, female-empowering organization like Monroe County NOW will bring in new activists, hold them tight, lead them to participate in the hard work that is democracy and encourage them to join additional groups such as the DWC. To do this, she needs grass-roots activists from the not-so-experienced to the very experienced to join in NOW's work. DWC members can help by attending the meeting on January 28th and by sharing this exciting news! For more information and to follow NOW-Monroe County:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonroeCountyNOW/
Sign up for the Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cwCOMv
Email: [email protected]
ACTION ITEMS
*Attend Inaugurate the Revolution
*March in Indy or DC
*Call to Action
Jean Capler and Kathy Byers have organized called "Call To Action." This is an "online and in-person organization focused on TAKING ACTION!" Call To Action has set up a secret Facebook page to promote communication, maintains a list of actions accomplished or begun each week, provides activist skills-building training sessions, and facilitates networking with other activist groups.
To be added to the group or learn more about Call To Action, contact Jean and Kathy at [email protected] and [email protected]
and last, but NOT least:
Join the DWC in 2017. It's important to stay organized and energized! Renew your membership today!
The DWC is dedicated to inspiring, recruiting, training, supporting and funding women to increase the number of progressive, pro-choice women in the political arena. We ALL help with this mission, together, collectively. Make sure you have full rights and privileges of membership!
Only $20 for one year’s membership. Join online here: https://democraticwomenscaucus.nationbuilder.com/membership
Do you have news items? Send your items of interest to us at [email protected]
Deadline for MMN is noon on Sunday.
Paid for by DWPAC - Democratic Women's Political Action Committee
Democratic Women's Caucus
http://www.democraticwomenscaucus.org/