Cathy Cowan Becker to Present on Community Solar at Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit
The Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit is one of the top sustainability conferences in the country, and this year Simply Living is proud to be a part. We have organized a panel on “Creative Solutions to Community Solar in Ohio” — highlighting how, even though Ohio does not have enabling legislation for community solar, several groups are finding ways to do it anyway. The panel will take place Friday, May 14, at 3 p.m. The community solar panel will be moderated by Simply Living Executive Director Cathy Cowan Becker, who will talk about the our support of the People’s Solar Project, a demonstration community solar and microgrid that will generate 5 MW of solar energy to power 80 homes, five churches and two city schools in a 300-acre area on Cooke Road. Read the blog post to learn about panel members and their involvement in community solar. Register: https://www.midwestsustainabilitysummit.org
Archetypal Astrology 101 with Chuck Lynd
Curious about astrology? Wondering how in the world it could be relevant today? Get answers and have some fun as we deconstruct the ancient archetypes of the Zodiac, with a nod to Carl Jung (who did a chart for each one of his patients). Bring your curiosity and your birth date and we’ll explore the symbolic language of the Zodiac. The $10 fee is donated to support the work of Simply Living.
Details and sign up here.
Upcoming Simply Events in June and Beyond
We’re looking into a book talk, a book club discussion, and both an in person and online event. Learn more about the book here.
Wednesday, June 16 at 7 pm
Details coming soon. We anticipate future in person nature walks with Mort helping us identify
trees in our local Ohio woodlands.
We will have a Save the Date announcement soon – likely the end of July or early August!
The Tour will include 7 seven stops showcasing a wide variety of sustainability feature and offers an opportunity
to talk to the owners and learn about their gardens as well as solar installations, electric cars, and water systems.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SIMPLY LIVING’S BE THE CHANGE COMMUNITY CALENDAR
For Mother’s Day this year, we’re hosting a very special Fire Drill Friday virtual rally to honor the profound gifts, wisdom, and responsibilities of motherhood. An incredible line up of speakers will share, in words and song, the beautiful complexities of stewardship and why climate action can not wait.
Join Jane Fonda, Greenpeace USA Executive Director Annie Leonard; Climate Justice Liaison of Environmental Defense Fund and Senior Advisor of Moms Clean Air Heather Mcteer Toney; Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network Miya Yoshitani; professor, scientist, and author Robin Wall Kimmererand; Ellen Dorsey of the Wallace Global Fund; and musical guests Indigo Girls and Cheryl L’Hirondelle. Please join us!
Watch on Zoom or the Fire Drill Fridays Facebook Live at 11am 2pm ET on Fridays. More here
May 7, 2021 2 pm – 3:15pm Register Now (Free)
Please register even if you can’t attend live and you’ll receive a link to the recording. More info here.
Meditation is not a “one size fits all” practice, and not every type of meditation is right for each person. Join us on Friday, May 7th to discover the meditation practice that is the best fit for you! This webinar will include experiential practices and time for discussion. More here.
Meet the Columbus-based foraging enthusiast and social media star Alexis Nikole Nelson in this virtual cooking class! Alexis has gained social media fame (@alexisnikole on TikTok and @blackforager on Instagram) for her fun and informative videos showcasing plants that many people might not realize are edible. Details and registration link here.
Join your neighbors around the farm to celebrate Spring and Mothers’ Day TOGETHER! Four farm gardens, one festival. Start by visiting at any one of these sites:
1. Patrick Kaufman Memorial Learning Garden at 154 Hawkes Ave.
2. Avondale Community Garden at 290 Avondale Ave.
3. U-Pick Community Garden At 867 W Town St.
4. Farm Hub At 930 Sullivant Ave. – alley side
Win prizes – Kids bikes and gift cards to neighborhood restaurants
Live music – DJ IQ, DJ Trueskills, Devin Henry, and Megan Bee
Have fun – Free games, snacks, crafts, mural painting and plant!
Please note: To ensure COVID19 safety, all guests age 6 and up who are not vaccinated should wear masks when not eating and maintain distance from those not in their household
Join Zoom Meeting us02web.zoom.us/j/83906590837
Meeting ID: 839 0659 0837 Facebook Event
Salon presentations: Edith Espinal, formerly in sanctuary with Carrie Vereide and Joel Cali,
Lynn Tramonte of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, Andrew Lin, Socialist Alternative, Central Ohio Worker Center,
Marty Stutz, Comfest. And more. Q & A included.
Our brokenness is also the source of our common humanity, the basis for our shared search for comfort, meaning, and healing. Our shared vulnerability and imperfection nurtures and sustains our capacity for compassion. ~ Bryan Stevenson
Join: Two Free Virtual Seminars
Register for two free virtual seminars hosted by AAA, The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research, Columbus State Community College, DriveOhio, Smart Columbus, and the Transportation Research Center. This two-part series will walk you through some of the smart features on today’s cars, and show you how this technology can transform lives.
Technology Takes the Wheel®:
What Can My Car Do?
Date: May 11, 2021
Time: 10 – 11 a.m.
Technology Takes the Wheel®:
How Will Smart Mobility Change My Life?
Date: May 25, 2021
Time: 10 – 11 a.m.
Register: AAA.com/TTTW.
Bridges of Love is the story of 25 women at the Ohio Reformatory for Women and 40 of their children around the state of Ohio who worked with local musicians to write and produce six original songs. With help from CAPA and WOSU, the songs were recorded and performed on the stages of the Southern and Palace Theatres. Join us on Facebook Live to watch the full-length film about their journey, featuring interviews with the women, their children, guest speakers, the artists behind each song, and special live performances.
The year 2030 has been cited as a deadline by which the impacts of catastrophic climate change will be irreversible. But what if we imagine innovative solutions for healthier people and communities? Launch green policies that lead to stronger, more resilient regions? Create a built environment that lowers rather than increases our climate footprint and support a vibrant, thriving landscape? It is both possible and attainable. Join us at our biggest event of the year and let’s work together to create a sustainable future!
NOTE: Simply Living Director Cathy Cowan Becker will lead a panel on Community Solar developments in Ohio. More on her session is described in a blog post here.
Lily Kunning Community Herbalist and Haven Herbs present a FREE class on wellness topics each month (second Wednesdays) at Cancer Support Community called the Natural Living Series. This class is free and open to the public (but focuses on the needs of cancer survivors for all the topics).
Food is the best medicine, yet most Americans rely too heavily on processed foods and get all kinds of ingredients, additives, and preservatives that cause cancer or disrupt your natural body systems. Learn how easy it is to make healthy food at home. We’ll focus on making food in advance, or using awesome tools like crock and instant pots to make whole foods at home. If we meet in person, there will be a demonstration with food to taste! If on Zoom, we’ll provide recipes for you to follow along. This class may be in person or it may be on Zoom. Register here by Tuesday, May 12 to get a Zoom link sent to you.
Location: 1200 Old Henderson Road Columbus, OH 43220 614.884.HOPE (4673)
SWACO’s Big Steps Towards a Sustainable Future Columbus Metropolitan Club
Wed May 12th 12:00pm – 1:00pm The Boat House at Confluence Park
Livestreaming available on our YouTube channel FREE
Click to Register to Attend In-Person! (Due by Monday, May 10)
Scott Barbour, President & CEO, Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. will also serve on the Panel
More here.
While the OEC’s policy experts practice their own art of change in the Statehouse and city halls across Ohio, we’re also inspired by the artists and makers across our state using their talents to both entertain and push for change. To explore the opportunities we have to collaboratively make change, we created The Art of Change, a new event series, to bring together artists and changemakers to address some of the biggest challenges facing Ohio.
During this live performance, we’ll hear from poet Barbara Fant and musician Eric Rollin (accompanied by David Wong). Following Barbara and Eric’s performances, Callia Tellez, OEC Policy Fellow, will lead a panel discussion focused on the intersectionality of art, the environment, and social justice. Join us for these moving performances and insightful discussions! Register Here!
The events listed above are a fraction of those listed just this week. There are many more!
Browse now. Select the Monthly View to find events quickly.
HINT: Search using keywords like FOOD, FARM, SUSTAINABLE, YOGA, MEDITATION, MUSIC, SUMMIT, ETC.
Overall Economic Impact Study of ECDI’s Lending to Ohio Entrepreneurs by Bill Lafayette, Ph.D.
“There is absolutely no inevitability as long as there is
a willingness to contemplate what is happening.”
~ Marshall McLuhan, The Medium is the Massage
NEWS + RESOURCES
FOR LIVING LOCAL
Wow. This just in from Elissa Yoder Mann, Ohio Sierra Club Conservation Manager. Beginning June 1,
Kroger stores in Cincinnati will no longer carry plastic bags. Sierra Club’s PAST PLASTIC campaign is rolling out a social media campaign and working with our membership to write LTEs, create a twitter storm, secure press hits, and thank Kroger directly for taking this step. Great news for southwest Ohio!
IS CAOLUMBUS NEXT!?!
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We have wonderful gifts for all the mothers:
Inspiring books, local self care products, eco-friendly gifts ,local honey, jam, soaps, wine… and more!
Flowers for Moms!
Last chance to get these beautiful flowers for moms!
Sunday May 23 ~ LOVE YOUR ALLEY
The program will culminate with an Art in the Alley Walk, where everyone is invited to peruse the alley upgrades! Everyone can learn and participate even if you don’t live in Bexley!
See learning opportunities below. More hhttps://bexley.org/loveyouralley
This program is about collaboration, sustainability, creativity and beauty. It is transforming our underutilized alleys into extended living space for everyone to enjoy, while creating our own Homegrown National Park in Bexley with native plants that support our pollinators and biodiversity.
Participants have the month of May to work on their alleys: planting native plants and rain gardens, adding benches, and installing temporary and permanent artwork in gardens, on fences, and on garages. You could even celebrate your new space you’ve created with neighbors by naming and hanging an alley name sign. This is a chance to collaborate with friends and neighbors to make your alleys greener and more beautiful! There will even be some garden installation teams to assist in creating this vision.
Program Classes & Speakers. There are events and speakers scheduled throughout the month of May to help participants learn about planting native plants, enhancing gardens for pollinators, and much more! Registration for these events is now open! Register through Bexley Recreation and Parks by
clicking here.
“Native Plants in the Residential Landscape” Instructor: Tisa Watts
Date: Thurs. May 13th from 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Adding native plants to your landscape provides long-term beauty AND benefits for you and your community! Reduce your dependency on petroleum-based garden products and time-consuming and often repetitive chores like mowing or watering.
Founder of the Columbus Garden School, Watts is a garden educator and public speaker with 20 years of experience. She has a degree in Horticulture and Landscape Design.
“Gardening for Butterflies”
Instructor: Margaret Harriman
Date: Sat. May 15th from 1:00 – 2:00 pm Location: South Community Garden
Learn about specific host plants for caterpillars and nectar source plants for the adults. Butterfly gardens do not need to be large but do need to be colorful, sunny, and sheltered from strong winds!
Margaret Harriman and her husband Jeff, are co-coordinators of both Bexley Community Gardens since 2018. Margaret graduated from OSU and has been a Bexley resident since 1980.
“Eco-Friend or Eco Foe: How to Create an Eco-Paradise in Suburbia”
Instructor: Tisa WattsDate: Weds. May 19th from 7:00 – 8:00 pm
What makes a garden “eco-friendly” or “eco-hostile”? How can we become better hosts to backyard wildlife – what do our garden guests need? Let’s talk about how to provide nutritious food and access to water, a variety of habitat options, which garden practices may endanger wildlife, and how to create safe and welcoming place for wildlife to visit.
Sustainable Grandview – Good Deeds A’Plenty!
Discover More Here
Take a Class at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Take a class at the Conservatory and learn directly from the experts!
Many of the upcoming classes are taught by Columbus locals who are eager to share their knowledge and experience with you.
If you’re interested in plants or gardening, you can take an annuals class taught by a master gardener or review the principles of modern landscaping with the founder of Foreground Studio.
Foodies can cook French bistro fare alongside Rich Terapak and Steve Stover of ‘Chefs in the City’ fame or decorate cookies with the fabulous drag queen and baker Plenty O’Smiles.
Art lovers can practice glassblowing with the master gaffers of the Conservatory’s very own Hot Shop.
Take a look at the calendar and sign up for a class today!
CLASS CALENDAR
2021 Farmers Markets in Columbus
Farmers’ Markets in Columbus open in most communities in mid/late spring. Farmers’ Markets are the best place to buy local produce through the Ohio growing season. Buy the freshest produce (often picked that morning) at a fair price, and help put money back in the local community.
Check out the directory compiled by Columbus on the Cheap!
GreenSpot Community Backyards
It’s that time of year again! Dust off the garden spade and shovel, and figure out what downspout to connect a rain barrel to. GreenSpot Community Backyards can help. You can be eligible for a $50 rebate on a rain barrel, compost bin, or native trees. There are also up to $25 rebates on native flowers.
Simply take an online quiz or virtual course to get the rebate. GreenSpot member Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District implements this aspect of GreenSpot for the city. Opens May 1, 2021! Check it out.
You can easily plant a tree in a deforested or at-risk area of the globe with just a few dollars —
you won’t even get your fingers dirty! Learn how. more…
Great basics to have on hand for your natural medicine cabinet,
these four simple ingredients have natural healing properties for common kid complaints.
more…
it should also reflect our values, like sustainability and ethical production. Need to update your wardrobe basics?
These 10 brands are good choices for stylish, comfy, and sustainable underwear. ore…
Join us in June for our virtual Foundations of Compassionate Nonviolent Communication Training
This four-week, online foundations training is perfect for people new to Compassionate Nonviolent Communication (NVC) or refreshing their practice with the basics.
Plan to meet from 3-5pm every Sunday starting on June 6.
Want solar training? Get a discount!
We are super excited to announce a new partnership to provide a $50 discount for Simply Living members who sign up for online solar classes offered by Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station.
“Anything else you’re interested in is not going to happen if you can’t breathe the air and drink the water. Don’t sit this one out. Do something. You are by accident of fate alive at an absolutely critical moment in the history of our planet.” — Carl Sagan
FRIENDS OF PUBLIC BANKING WEBSITE
https://friendsofpublicbanking.org/
As the public banking movement continues to surge forward, everyone can now learn about banking in the public interest and declare your support for the creation of public banks. Check it out now
Listen on your radio or online anytime!
Through a trio of fresh produce initiatives, including the ongoing virtual Agricademy and the forthcoming Bronzeville Growers Market, Walker hopes to reclaim the neighborhood’s agricultural past
See the full article in Columbus Alive here.
CALENDARS!
LIVE LOCAL, BUILD COMMUNITY #SIMPLYLIVING
In This Issue…
- Nurse Appreciation Week Deals: Play: CBUS, Dunkin’, Insomnia Cookies, Crocs, and more!
- Visit the monthly North Market Outdoor Night Market
- Mother’s Day Brunch in Columbus
- Mother’s Day and ways to celebrate Mom this year
- Moms get in FREE for Mother’s Day at Columbus Zoo
- Safari in Ohio: Take a Wilds Tour, including Safaris, Horseback, Zipline, Sunset, and more!
- Free Yoga on the Square at Easton
- Free Crocs for Healthcare Workers for 5 days in 2021
- Adventure Awaits! Explore the Magical Fairy Trail in Granville
- Live acoustic music with Easton Unplugged at the Yard
- Easton Drive-in Movies are BACK!
- All Ohio Reptile Show with dragons, pythons, and frogs (oh my!)
- Over 155 free or cheap events this weekend in Columbus
- Insomnia Cookies: Free cookies for Nurse & Teacher Appreciation
COLUMBUS UNDERGROUND
Mega Weekend
Moonlight Market, Mother’s Day Shopping, and More!
Welcome to the weekend. Sign up to help MORPC get an idea on our trails usage. Mom’s can get into the Columbus Zoo for free on Sunday. Get your ticket to the CCAD Fashion Show, either virtual or drive-in. Shop our Mother’s Day Gift Guide. Have a great weekend.
Shopping and Mother’s Day
The Rural Garden Society sale is back.
Explore Uptown Westerville on Friday night.
Shop the Plenty O’Cookies Popup at Polaris for a fun Mother’s Day gift. GartenMarkt is back for in person plant shopping.
Or pick up plants in Powell.
Budd Dairy Food Hall has a Mother’s Day Mini Market.
Shop the Moonlight Market. Take your mom to Spoonful Records.
Shop the Not Your Mama’s Craft Market at BrewDog.
Take mom on a carriage ride at Easton.
Nightlife
Land Grant’s music series continues.
Easton starts a live music night in The Yard area.
Granero Lounge has a comedy night with Simon Fraser.
The Walrus is hosting comedy on Friday and Saturday.
Go to The Forum for The R&B Experience.
ENJOY EXPLORING ART
BAM Thursdays are here again at Columbus Museum of Art.
Tune in to CATCO’s musical: Working.
Help Shadowbox Live ‘Set the Stage‘.
Austen & Company has a new exhibit.
Take in the latest show at Keny Galleries.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO
THIS WEEDKEND?
It’s Drinko de Mayo Week at Palmas.
Speak Easy’s stories are ‘Don’t Tell Mom‘.
Go on a Slow Roll bike ride. Explore COSI’s Science Festival.
Go ride a Harley. Try some Pilates for free.
Alexis Nikole Nelson, aka BlackForager, virtually visits Franklin Park Conservatory.
Unload your hazardous waste at the SWACO event in Dublin.
Get a Taste of Fitness. Green Lawn Abbey has a Mother’s Day Picnic and Open House.
North Market Bridge Park has a Crawfish Boil going on Sunday.
edited by Connie Hammond (pictured above).
Email cmhammond11@att.net to subscribe to her Community Calendar or share meeting info.
Friday, May 7, 2021, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM. Immigration Policy in the Biden Administration: The First 100 Days and Beyond. During the 2020 presidential campaign, Joe Biden repeatedly signaled his interest in adopting an immigration policy very different from that of the prior administration. After winning the election, several leaders from the immigrants’ rights movement joined the new administration, suggesting that fundamental change was imminent. As we approach one hundred days into this new era, it has become clear that the Biden Administration will reset U.S. immigration policies. But reset to what? This conference will bring together important stakeholders to address three central questions: First, what should federal immigration policy look like, both in the Biden Administration and beyond? Second, have the first 100 days put the country on a path toward achieving those goals, or is the reality mixed? Third, what should immigrants’ rights advocates do to achieve the world they want, in terms of both substantive demands and tactics to achieve them? Topics: April 30: Movement Lawyering; The Department of Homeland Security; and Asylum. May 7: Inside vs. Outside Strategies; Congress vs. the Executive Branch. UCLA School of Law. More information and registration here.
Friday, May 7, 2021, 5:00 – 5:30 PM. GrassRoot Ohio With Carolyn Harding. Our mission is to profile every-day people working on important issues and to connect them with other folks who want to help. Conversations with every-day people, working on important issues here in Columbus and all around Ohio Justice: environmental, social, racial, economic, w/ folks on the front lines. LISTEN TO 94.1 FM and stream US online at WGRN.com. You can find all GrassRoot Ohio podcasts/shows on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-42674753. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grassroot-ohio/id1522559085 and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAX2t1Z7_qae803BzDF4PtQ.
Saturday, May 8, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 PM. Occupy for Our Revolution. Join Our Revolution each Saturday at the intersection of North Broadway and High street to demonstrate for peace and justice. Bring a mask and a sign or two in solidarity. Register here.
Saturday, May 8, 2017, 7:00 PM. Columbus Free Press Second Saturday Salon. Since we aren’t getting together in person, we can gather for a couple hours on the second Saturday night of each month. Join Zoom Meeting. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83906590837. Meeting ID: 839 0659.
Saturday, May 8, 2021, #LightTheLamps: Annual Ramadan Gala. We are excited to invite you to our signature event this month LIVE here on Facebook and on Youtube. In the United States, American Muslims for Palestine is working diligently to light the lamps on the path of freedom and justice in Palestine. Without a doubt, your support has been the cornerstone of AMP making gains toward this goal. Join our star-studded lineup of speakers as you’ll hear from the formidable Dr. Cornel West, Oscar-Nominated Director Farah Nabulsi, two Jerusalemite trailblazers Hanady Halawani and Dr. Mustafa Abu Sway, and our very own Dr. Osama Abuirshaid and Mohamad Habehh. Facebook.
Saturday, May 8, 2021, 2:00 PM. 5th Annual Mother’s Day Climate Rally, virtual edition! Food and Water Watch is rallying for renewable energy, a livable climate and a healthy future. Our powerful list of speakers includes: Wenonah Hauter, founder and executive director of Food & Water Watch with decades of experience campaigning and writing on food, water and energy issues, Bill McKibben, author, educator, environmentalist and founder of 350.org, Harriet Shugarman, author of “How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change: Turning Angst into Action” and executive director of ClimateMama, Jerome Foster II, youth activist serving on the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council and executive director of OneMillionOfUs, and Finn Fisk, co-hub coordinator of Sunrise Richmond and a leader of Sunrise Virginia. We’ll round out the program with a children’s story time! Register here.
Sunday, May 9, 2021, 2:00 PM. GrassRoot Ohio With Carolyn Harding. Our mission is to profile every-day people working on important issues and to connect them with other folks who want to help. Conversations with every-day people, working on important issues here in Columbus and all around Ohio. Justice: environmental, social, racial, economic, w/ folks on the front lines. LISTEN TO 94.1 FM and stream US online at WGRN.com. You can find all GrassRoot Ohio podcasts/shows on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-42674753. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grassroot-ohio/id1522559085 and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAX2t1Z7_qae803BzDF4PtQ.
Monday, May 10, 2020 08:00 PM. Ohio Poor People’s Movement Central Regional Meeting. Register here.
Monday, May 10, 2021, 7:00 PM. Clintonville Area Progressives Meeting. Join CAP for a discussion with Liz Walters, the new chair of the Ohio Democratic Party. Join us to hear about her plans to turn Ohio blue. Join us at 6:30 for a chance to chat with one another. Join Zoom Meeting: https://ashlanduniversity.zoom.us/j/9933174972. Meeting ID: 993 3174 9725. Dial by your location: +1 646 876 9923 US (New York).
Tue May 11, 2021 6:45 PM – 8:30 PM EDT
First Church of God (The City), 3480 Refugee Road, Columbus, OH 43232 more here
Tuesday, May 11, 2021, 6:45 – 8:30 PM. BREAD Nehemiah Action. We will ask city officials to commit to implementing solutions for affordable housing, gun violence, and police reform. We need numbers to show our officials that it is unacceptable that around 50,000 families spend over 50% of their income on housing, and that there are two shootings on average every day in Columbus. We are bringing proven solutions to our city officials; all we need is YOU in order to win justice for our community. To keep everyone safe this year, we will be hosting a hybrid Action. This means you can attend virtually by streaming the Nehemiah Action on a wifi-enabled device (link is included in your registration confirmation email), OR in your car by driving into the Nehemiah Action at First Church of God (The City). Parking spots are limited, so be sure to talk to your team member and get your ticket early if you want to attend in person! Location: First Church of God, 3480 Refugee Road, Columbus 43232. More information and registration here.
Tuesday, May 11, 2021, 8:00 PM. AFSC Webinar: Can federal legislation transform policing? In response to a growing nationwide call for an end to racist police violence, members of Congress have unveiled measures to change how police interact with our communities—but does this legislation go far enough? We’ll discuss the federal proposals under consideration and how you can get involved in working toward a future where we rely less on police and ensure community safety for all. Register here.
Wednesday, May 12, 2021, 7:00 PM. Film Screening: The War Game, by Peter Watkins. Join Massachusetts Peace Action on Wednesday for a showing of The War Game, by Peter Watkins. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, this 45-minute film envisions an escalating war between NATO and the USSR resulting a nuclear attack on Great Britain. Originally written for the BBC, the film was deemed too provocative by the British Broadcasting Company. We’re honored to have received a video montage, and message from the filmmaker himself, Peter Watkins. After viewing the 45-minute film we’ll be joined by internationally recognized expert on nuclear weapons, Dr. Ira Helfand, to take your questions. Ira Helfand, MD is co-chair of PSR’s Nuclear Weapons Abolition Committee and also serves as co-president of PSR’s global federation, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). He was a leading medical voice in ICAN’s campaign for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. More information and registration here.
Wednesday, May 12, 2021, 12:00 PM. Conversations with the Nation. Justice for Migrant Women. Not many people can say they’ve ignited a national women’s movement, spoken at the United Nations, and walked the red carpet at the Golden Globes, but not many people are Mónica Ramírez. The activist, civil rights attorney and author is one of America’s most prominent advocates for Latinx and migrant issues, beginning as a law student at Ohio State University where she founded America’s first legal project to address sexual harassment and gender discrimination against women farmworkers. The founder of Justice for Migrant Women and co-founder of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, The Latinx House, and Poderistas (formerly She Se Puede) Ramirez has received numerous awards, including Harvard Kennedy School’s first Gender Equity Changemaker Award. She was named to Forbes Mexico’s 100 Most Powerful Women’s 2018 list and TIME Magazine included her in its recent 2021 TIME 100 Next list. When Covid-19 struck, Justice for Migrant Women set up a Farmworkers’ Pandemic Relief Fund to help those keeping America fed. Last October, it organized the annual Latina Equal Pay Campaign, including a national charla (Latinas are paid 54 cents for a white man’s dollar; migrant women, 32 cents) to demand pay parity. And its rural civic initiative—created to increase political representation and power of rural women—drove get-out-the-vote efforts in Ohio, Florida and Texas for the 2020 election. Join an urgent conversation with Mónica Ramírez and Katrina vanden Heuvel about the current plight of migrant workers and how we can help. Tickets are $10. All proceeds directly support The Nation’s journalism. Register here.
Wednesday, May 12, 2021, The Making of Metropolitan Inequality. The Making of Metropolitan Inequality explores the policies and processes that segregated our society through the lens of the creation of suburban spaces. Speaker Glennon Sweeney, Senior Research Associate at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University, focuses on 20th-century development policies, how they were designed to segregate our society, and what policies and processes have been utilized to maintain that segregation over time. This particular talk focuses on Columbus, Ohio and the role that the suburb plays in metropolitan Columbus. Key topics include housing, development, and education policies, neighborhood and school segregation, and the impacts of these policies and processes on our metropolitan opportunity landscape. Register here.
Thursday, May 13, 2021, 7:00 PM. AFTER Party! Humanity Rising Day 221==Radiation Impact on Women: Discussion with Panel. Please join Beyond Nuclear for a Q&A and discussion on the disproportionate harm radiation causes to women, children, and pregnancy. First, please watch the April 7, 2021 Humanity Rising Global Solutions Summit livestream that featured Tina Cordova, Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium; Mary Olson, Gender and Radiation Impact Project; Cindy Folkers, Beyond Nuclear; Victoria Moore, Children of Atomic Veterans and Still Glowing; and moderator Chuck Johnson, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. Then join all of us by Zoom for further discussion. Registration in advance is required.
Saturday, May 15, 2021, 12:30 PM. Prohibiting the First Use of Nuclear Weapons. A nuclear exchange between the US and Russia would incinerate hundreds of millions of people immediately, and lead to a Nuclear Winter which would slaughter an estimated 7 billion of the Earth’s 7.7 billion people, mostly through starvation. Building back civilization would require over 1,000 years [Daniel Ellsberg talk, 12/13/2020]. A U.S. nuclear first-strike against China would result in a similar catastrophe. Confirmed Speakers include William Perry, Tom Collina, Kennette Benedict, Elaine Scarry, Ira Helfand, Zia Mian, Joe Cirincione, Joseph Gerson. Special greeting from Sen. Ed Markey. Cosponsors: Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security (CPDCS); Massachusetts Peace Action; Council for a Livable World; CodePINK; Chicago Area Peace Action; NY Peace Action; Maine Peace Action; Nuclear Age Peace Foundation; Greater Boston Physicians. More information and registration here.
Saturday, May 15, (9:00 AM – 12:30 PM), or Monday, June 8, 2021, 6:00 – 8:00 PM. Policing + The People. Understanding The Local Budget, Organizing for Local Needs. You’ve heard the discussions about public safety funding in local budgets, but do you feel equipped to engage with your local government to advocate for change? Action Tank and Policy Matters Ohio have teamed up to demystify the local government budget process, especially as it relates to public safety budgets. This free, public workshop empowers participants skills to engage with elected leaders. We will offer the workshop three times via Zoom. This session will include segments on local government budget training, community investment priorities, and workshops from artists on creative ways to engage in the process. Registration and more information here.
MORE LOCAL CALENDARS
Columbus Free Press Activists Calendar Editor Bob Roehm
WCBE Arts & Life Calendar
BE THE CHANGE: READ OUR COMMUNITY CALENDAR
The hierarchical, top-down power structures
that ruled the world for thousands of years
are collapsing before our eyes. ~ Kalle Lasn
Be the Change: Join Simply Living Individual membership rates have been reduced to $25 annually. Seniors, $20. Students only $10. Business memberships starting at $100 now include membership in the Ohio Sustainable Business Council.
Sign up online here or email HELLO@simplyliving.org