Be the Change Weekly Community Update October 8, 2021

You’re Invited! Join us IN PERSON or ONLINE
@ A Gift To Be Simple
Wednesday, October 20, 5:30 p.m.

Simply Living’s annual Gift To Be Simple fundraiser will be held in the beautiful, LEED certified Grange Insurance Audubon Center, Scioto Audubon Metro Park, 505 W. Whittier St., Columbus, OH 43215. Look for several EVs (Electric Vehicles) in the parking lot. Inside the spacious interior meet and network with dozens of other Simply Living friends, munch on delicious hors d’oeuvres, and talk with representatives from sponsoring sustainable businesses and organizations.

Then you can hear a presentation on “Our Story: How Simply Living has made Central Ohio more sustainable,” and meet several of the movers and shakers from core organizations that we have helped launch over the past 29 years. Simply Living has made a difference in the lives of so many Central Ohioans, and they will tell you about it.

Finally, you’ll hear the big plans Simply Living has for the future — our new database, the relaunch of Sustainable U, and more. You are not going to want to miss this!

Tickets start at $50 per person. Register at bit.ly/GTBS2021.

Want to sponsor? Six levels start at $100. Individuals, local businesses, and organizations will be recognized in the program and benefits grow with your generosity. Details here. Many thanks to

Mac and Debbie Crawford
Rita Haider
John Krieger
Lynn Stan
Mary Lou Langenhop
Kathleen Gmeiner & Doug Todd
Green Roots LLC
Brothers Drake Meadery
Ohio Sustainable Business Council
Stratford Ecological Center
Citizens Climate Lobby, Columbus Chapter
Spiritual Healers Professional Learning Institute
Support Ohio Local Economies & Public Banking Initiative

Sustainable U discussion and self paced courses in Fall 221. Details here.

Economics of Happiness – Tuesdays 7-8:30 p.m.
Five week discussion course starting October 26, 2021

Spirit and Money – This is a pre-recorded webinar course. Self paced.

Introduction to Solar PV – This is an online course. Spirit and Money – This is a pre-recorded webinar course. Self paced.

Residential Solar Installation and Design – Online. Spirit and Money – This is a pre-recorded webinar course. Self paced.

Democracy Film Series: The People vs. Agent Orange

Co-sponsored by Simply Living and the Ohio Community Rights Network
Zoom Discussion: Sunday, October 24, 2021, 2:00 PM EST
You will have 48 hours to watch the film prior to the discussion!
Two women, one American and one Vietnamese, fight to hold the chemical industry accountable for a devastating legacy. Nearly 60 years following the use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War—the deadliest use of chemical warfare in history—the devastating after effects of the toxin remain lethal, demanding attention both in Vietnam and at home in America. The People vs. Agent Orange closely follows two activists as they take on the chemical industry, and demand accountability for the pernicious legacy caused by the use of this poisonous herbicide.
More info here. Register here. Please consider a donation of $5 per film or $20 for the series to help defray the cost of the film, and support the work of OHCRN and Simply Living.

Laughter lifts our spirits, surprises and sometime shocks our expectations, allows us to cross boundaries, reorders our priorities, and gives us access to ideas and associations we rarely ever thought to have. ~ Jean Houston

**SLSU Discussion Course: Economics of Happiness**
Tuesdays Starting Oct 26th 7-8:30 pm
*Course schedule* (attend all, or as you choose)
October 26 – Introduction and orientation
November 2 – Globalization
November 9 – Local Economy
December 7 – Community Localization
December 14 – Big Picture Activism
Course facilitator is Chuck Lynd. Details and Registration link ***here***

**POSTPONED: NEW DATE**
*TUES NOV 9 @ 5:30 pm.* ***Register***

AUTHOR TALK ON GLOBAL WARMING AT WHETSTONE LIBRARY Join author Paul Robinson at the Whetstone Library meeting room for a presentation and discussion of his new book: Global Warming: Can It Be Stopped? We will discuss and explore the science, psychology, and the morality of climate change. Join us! Books will be available to purchase.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SIMPLY LIVING’S BE THE CHANGE COMMUNITY CALENDAR

**Friday, October 8, 5:00pm-11:00pm**
**Saturday, October 9, 12:00pm-11:00pm**
**Sunday, October 10, 12:00pm-7:00pm**

**Friday October 8 from 9 am – 3 pm**
**Stratford Ecological Center**
Wonderful invitation video ***here***.

**FESTIVAL FOR GOOD** *Fri Oct 8th 4:30pm – 9:00pm (EDT)*
Make every purchase have a higher purpose.
Location: 480 W. Broad Street, 43215
Every year, Festival for Good features Central Ohio businesses that were founded with one purpose—to create true social impact in their communities.
**LEARN MORE HERE**
The Region’s Largest Celebration of Giving
Increasing the impact of social entrepreneur
100+ social enterprises are right here in Central Ohio.

Grassroot Ohio streams all their broadcasts on Soundcloud.com 92.7/98.3 FM & streams @ #WCRSFM.org. Details and FB here. Listen to past programs here

*5 pm Fri Oct 8 & 2 pm Sun Oct 10* Carolyn Harding with Teresa Mills and Roxanne Groff, founders of the Ohio Brine Task Force, educating and organizing the people of Ohio regarding Oil & Gas liquid waste or, “Brine”, which is currently spread on our roadways for dust and ice control, sounding the alarm that this Brine is far more than salty water, in fact it’s dangerous – it’s Radioactive.

Oct. 9, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Whetstone Park Prairie, 3901 North High Street. Learn more; register to voulunteer.

Celebrate, Learn About Nature’s Dynamos at Pollinator Field Day

Pollinators–such as birds, bees and butterflies–are important to our environment and world. They pollinate trees, flowers and crops; plants that provide our food and food and shelter for other animals. Did you know that pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food?

Celebrate nature’s dynamos at free Pollinator Field Days in September and October! There’s something for all ages, including kids’ activities, a pollinator habitat scavenger hunt and a butterfly catch-and-release–we’ll learn how to tag monarchs if we catch any. We’ll try out the free iNaturalist app to identify and document the flowers and pollinator species we see. You can also volunteer to help with habitat restoration efforts. Events are outdoors and COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed. Walk-ins are welcome–register online to volunteer. It’s sure to be a day of fun and learning!

**Join Zoom Meeting**
us02web.zoom.us/j/83906590837
**Presenting the 2021 Free Press Libby Award for Community Activism**
Speakers:
Esther Flores of 1DivineLine2Health – Free Press Libby Award winner;
Nevin Siders on the crisis in Chiapas;
An update on women’s reproductive health in Ohio; Immokalee workers struggles
and more! Q & A included.

Java Central is located at 20 S. State St. in Uptown Westerville 43081
**Java Central ART**

Said is from Nigeria, but he and his family reside in Westerville. His pieces hang throughout the country and he frequently exhibits in art shows and festivals where they are consistently named Best in Show.

Avalon Nine Trio to Perform at Folk Fest Fundraiser Patio at El Vaquero on Olentangy: *Sun Oct 10th 3:00pm – 5:00pm*
Enjoy great Mexican food and acoustic music on the patio while supporting our Central Ohio Folk Festival! First come, first-served eating on the patio. $10-15 per person suggested donation when we pass the hat, with **donations supporting our 2022 Central Ohio Folk Festival.**
Linda Blaine, Dave Clutter and Brian Szuch will be celebrating the roots and branches of folk and Americana music. This acoustic trio brings vocal harmonies, guitar, mandolin, and other instrumentation to songs by such artists as *Joni Mitchell, John Hiatt, Bob Dylan, Nanci Griffith, John Prine, Gillian Welch* and many more.

We needed a “psychenaut” program to be the opposite of the astronaut program in order to explore the enormous domains and dimensions of inner space. We need inner space exploration. We need to have access to more capacities in order to be adequate stewards of this most incredible process of transformation in human history. ~ Jean Houston

President Biden promised to fight for our climate and wildlife. While he’s taken important steps, he’s failed the most critical test: stopping the fossil fuel projects that power the climate emergency, violate Indigenous rights, and threaten wildlife and communities with toxic pollution.
This October thousands of people will take action at the White House to demand that Biden stop approving fossil fuel projects and declare a climate emergency to launch a renewable energy revolution. The multi-day “People vs. Fossil Fuels” action will provide ways to make a difference, including opportunities to engage in civil disobedience.
Join the kickoff call on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET to learn how to get involved.

Just as you would not neglect seeds that you planted with hope that they will bear vegetables and fruits and flowers, so must you attend to nourish the garden of your becoming. ~ Jean Houston

The Poetry Forum

We’re ba-ack! 2nd Mondays at 7pm on Zoom.

Email Steve Abbott at abbott4949@gmail.com for log in info.

Check out the group’s FB page.+ Google Calendar + iCal Export
For more poetry events, see Nita Sweeney’s calendar of events:
https://nitasweeney.com/calendar/category/write-now-events/

Environmental Professionals Network
Hybrid In Person & Online Event
*Tuesday, October 12 7: 15 am – 9:30 am*
*Growing the Future of Agriculture: Conversations with Black Farmers and Educators.*
This event will showcase innovative strategies being led by Black farmers in urban and rural communities to grow and enhance connections to the land through food production and other regenerative land management practices, while also addressing historical and current barriers to entry in agriculture, including for youth of color.
We will continue to stay vigilant of public health trends and ensuring that the university’s *Safe and Healthy* *guidelines* are practiced at this event. You can **register** for October’s in-person or virtual formats at **go.osu.edu/epnoct21**

**USGBC Midwest Municipal Forum** ***October 12 from 2 – 3:15 p.m. EDT***
Join us to discover how the U.S. Green Building Council’s suite of resources can *help local governments on the path to a more sustainable, resilient, healthy and just future* — while simultaneously addressing the responsibility to use taxpayer dollars both wisely and transparently. In this session, we will connect local leaders to our work as we outline our core resources for municipalities. You’ll learn how partnership with USGBC can help you, your local government, and your community’s businesses and residents. Following the presentation, our collaboration circles will connect you with colleagues around the region, and offer space to share ideas, ask questions and learn from others in a smaller group setting.

Brianna Schiavoni will lead this NVC practice group starting Oct 13 from7 – 8:30 pm

Perfectly Imperfect: An NVC Practice Group for the Development of Curiosity and Compassion with Brianna Schiavoni (Virtual)A Practice Group (PG) is a way to engage with a group of other like-minded people who want to develop their Nonviolent Communication (NVC) skills in a safe learning environment over time.With use of Dr. Marshal Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication book and the companion workbook written by Lucy Leu, participants will learn to make sense of their internal and oftentimes automated processes; so as to foster self-compassion and empathy for others. Readings, activities and group dialogue will be used to enlighten, nourish, encourage, and strengthen our collective capacity for self-growth, interpersonal connectivity and conflict resolution.The practice group will be held for 8 weeks, once each week via ZOOM on Wednesday’s for 1 ½ hours from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. EST. starting October 13th. REGISTER

**Embracing Intuition, Embodiment & Grief For Navigating Through ‘Tween Times Thu Oct 14th 1:00pm – 3:00pm (EDT)**
As Bioneers we are fortunate to be surrounded by a dynamic community – people who are discerning, engaged, committed and reflective. These new monthly Community Conversations hosted by Bioneers offer an opportunity to come together around topics that are deep, relevant, and engaging in order to discuss what has real meaning and value to us.
Each conversation is stimulated by a brief ‘keynote’ or ‘conversation starter’ from a thought leader/luminary, guided through discussions by a skillful team, and captured by a creative ’synthesis’ from talented spoken word and musical artists. These community conversations offer a place to connect with others, as well as engage with and explore ideas in creative ways. Join us to connect, inspire and be inspired by the collaborative community of Bioneers. **REGISTER**

Previews of upcoming events
Virtual Book Club: Being Mortal Thu Oct 14th 4:00pm (EDT)
FANTASTIC FUNGI GLOBAL SUMMIT Fri Oct 15th – Sun 17th (EDT)
The Transportation Solutions Vehicle Expo Fri Oct 15th 11:00am – 4:00pm (EDT)
People’s Food Summit Sat Oct 16th (EDT)
Find many more events posted on our Community Calendar.
Browse now. Select the Monthly View to find events quickly.
HINT: Search using keywords like FOOD, ENERGY, SUSTAINABLE, YOGA, MEDITATION, MUSIC, SUMMIT, ETC.

You are not an encapsulated bag of skin dragging around a dreary little ego. You are an evolutionary wonder, a trillion cells singing together in a vast chorale, an organism – environment, a symbiosis of cell and soul. ~ Jean Houston

NEWS + RESOURCES
FOR LIVING LOCAL

4760 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43214
info@cityfolksfarmshop.com
(614) 946-5553 Text or Call
Fall/Winter HOURS
October 1st – February 31st
Closed Mondays
Tuesdays – Friday Noon — 6 pm
Saturday Noon — 5 pm
Sunday Noon — 4 pm

City Folk’s Farm Shop was created to connect city-dwellers to goods, services, information and other people who are interested in city farming. We carry backyard animal feeds and equipment, gardening tools and supplies, homesteading products, and local foods. Whether you are growing tomatoes on your patio or have a city plot farm complete with vegetables, bees, and chickens, we have what you need.

We also offer education opportunities including classes, in-store information, and connection to other community members who have expertise that may be of interest to you.

If there is a tool or service you need to make your growing better, let us know. We hope you find the store, and us, to be a fun, educational, and helpful partner.

October Tree of the Month: Sugar Maple Acer saccharum
By Martin (Mort) Schmidt, for Simply Living

Mort’s full description of the Sugar Maple and its many uses are posted here.

Take a treetop tour at Holden Arboretum.

**Location**: Warren H. Corning Visitor Center or the Katharine Holden Thayer Center, at *9550 Sperry Road, Kirtland, Ohio.*
The canopy walk and emergent tower at Holden Arboretum will give you a whole new perspective on trees, literally. The Judith and Maynard H. Murch IV *Canopy Walk takes you 65 feet into the air so you really are one with the trees*. If you can make it to the Kalberer Emergent Tower before you discover a crippling fear of heights, it will take you up a total of 120 feet above the ground. You’ll be so high up you can see Lake Erie.
It will cost $16 for adults, $10 for kids ages 3 to 12, kids 2 and under are free. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be available onsite.
See admission details here.

Starburst Media helps businesses create effective websites. Based in Columbus, they serve clients worldwide. More ***here***.

THE REVOLUTION OF OUR TIMES

Discovering the Nature of Transformation, by Kavita Byrd (Uplift) Article of the Week: Read Here.

*Inner work can’t substitute for outer work – the two have to go together. Photo by* Ksenia Makagonova

*By advancing our evolution both personally and collectively, it advances both exponentially. Photo by* Chang Duong

The Compost Exchange is a growing business in central Ohio. Founder and Chief Composter, Ray Leard, is seeking investment partners.
Many thanks for the kind words from many of you concerning my treatment for Prostate Cancer. So far, so good. Last session was Sept 23^rd. As far as finding someone to sell TCE to, nothing on that yet and because of that, I have decided to try PLAN B. Here’s how that might work: We are looking for two individuals to each invest $30,000 for an initial 10% stake in TCE and to also take an active part in running the company until Dec 31, 2023. During those two years they will earn an additional 8% equity by achieving some measurable objectives. At the end of 2023 I will sell my remaining 64% to one or both of them – if they would not wish to buy me out by then, I would look outside the company for another interested party. Let me know if you might be interested or perhaps know of a high energy, sustainably minded individual who might have the skills needed to grow this business.

*Monday, October 11 is Indigenous Peoples Day*
**The YES! Crossword: Indigenous Peoples Da**y
*by Patrick Blindauer*

The Americas changed forever when the Spanish first set foot on this continent in 1492. The era of colonization had started earlier in that century, with the Portuguese conquest of Ceuta, Morocco, but the colonial project in the Americas by the governments of Spain, Portugal, England and ultimately the United States, became known for the repression and genocide of the continents’ Indigenous peoples. Today we’ve come to acknowledge those past actions and are looking for ways to promote healing and repair. One of those is the creation of a new October holiday.
This month’s YES! Crossword features clues tied to Indigenous peoples, as well as a smattering of pop culture, poetry, food, and Americana. **Play the puzzle**

How to share: 300 guides to help your community thrive

Welcome to Shareable’s growing collection of how-to share posts, which can help you save money, reduce waste, and build community through sharing. In fact, Shareable’s co-founder Neal Gorenflo made new friends and saved $17,000 during his “Year of Living Shareably.” If you try one of the guides, let us know how it goes. See the full list of topics and start sharing ***here***.

David Holmgren Interview on Permaculture,
Energy Descent & Future Scenarios

David Holmgren is the co-originator, with Bill Mollison, of permacuture. This is the full interview we (Happen Films) shot with him for our film “A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity”. We can only ever fit in a few minutes’ worth of the amazing interviews we get to shoot, so here’s the whole thing for people who want to get into the nitty-gritty! Watch it ***here***.
Thanks to Aaron Jones for the reference. Some related references:
Watch A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUwLA… David Holmgren: https://holmgren.com.au Simplicity Institute: http://simplicityinstitute.org

These classic videos were discussed in Simply Living’s Voluntary Simplicity Discussion Course. Both 1 hour PBS versions from 1998 are available to watch on YouTube, and Lynn Stan and I both feel their relevance today! Affluenza is available here. The sequel, Escape from Affluenza is available here

We Came to Dance
We revisit this awesome short piece by the ever-inspiring Tasha Blank. Everything we need is already inside us, just waiting to be moved!
WATCH NOW (2:24)

zIndividuals learn faster than institutions and it is always the dinosaur’s brain that is the last to get the new messages.
~ Hazel Henderson

Posted by the Environmental Working Group
Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W74aeuqsiU

Lots more info on PFAs at https://www.ewg.org/

DIY Solar Now To Pocket Profits From Solar Energy

Would you like to install solar but can’t afford to? A free e-book promises to help you build your system so you, and the planet, can profit from solar energy. more…

Developing Habits for a Sustainable Life

Many of us want to live more sustainably, but where do we start? Sustainable habits that support our values are more likely to become lasting habits.
more…

Recycling Mystery: Metal Lids & Bottle Caps

Your recycling service may not want you to put metal lids and bottle caps in your bin, yet metal is highly recyclable. Get the scoop on recycling these items.
more…

**Recycling Search** **More Articles** **Recycling Guides**

**Did you learn something new today?**
Please **Support Earth911** database updates so we can help others recycle!

The Columbus Free Press Network includes two awesome community radio stations! WGRN.org 94.1 and WCRSFM.org 92.7 / 98.3
Listen on your radio or online anytime!

CALENDARS!
LIVE LOCAL, BUILD COMMUNITY #SIMPLYLIVING

Columbus on the Cheap
Good, Cheap, Fun

**Holistic Horticulture**
Check out Wes Williams and the landscaping services he offers:
https://www.plantconnections.net/

COLUMBUS UNDERGROUND
Mega Weekend
Italian Festival & Tacos & Art & More

*It’s a pizza with friends kind of weekend. Photo by Maksim Goncharenok from Pexels*

Here’s a rundown of fun things to do this weekend. Early bird pricing for HighBall Halloween ends on Friday. Get Coffee Festival merchandise at Saturday’s Moonlight Market. Make plans to attend next week’s special 20th CU Anniversary beer release party.
Enjoy your weekend!

Food Events

Hen Quarter Dublin celebrates 3 years.
Shop the Pearl Market downtown on Gay Street on Friday for pumpkins, hot sauce & more!
Check out the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival.
Explore the Columbus Italian Festival all weekend.
Columbus Taco Fest is happening Saturday and Sunday in Goodale Park.
There’s an Oktoberfest in Worthington.

Fun Things to Do

Zassy’s has a fall treasures shopping experience.
Spooky live music at Spacebar!
Hocking Hills has a music festival.
Explore the Festival For Good.
Shop the Fall Festival at Oakland Nurseries.
Franklinton Friday has the final live music show of the season at Land Grant.
Attend the Community Pride Festival on Saturday in Mayme Moore Park.
The final Moonlight Market is going to be the best one of the season – plus you can get Columbus Coffee Festival merchandise, and your Columbus Makes Art Passport sticker!

ENJOY EXPLORING ART

Stars of Napoleon Dynamite.
Young Frankenstein is on view at Short North Stage.
Hear from the stars of Napoleon Dynamite.
Let’s Hope You Feel Better opens at Madlab.
Hitchcocktober is going on at Gateway Film Center.
Enjoy the two day femme af fest, She Burns Bright.
Explore the latest art show at Austen & Company.
Sunday is opening night for ProMusica’s new season.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO
THIS WEEDKEND?

Shop the Glass Axis Pumpkin Patch.
Don’t forget about ZOMBIEzi Bay!
All Hallow’s Eve continues at the Ohio History Center.
Ohio State’s Homecoming Parade is Friday.
Sew to Speak has a crafting goods sale on Saturday.
If you live in Grandview, get a free native tree to plant.
Shop the Bookspace book sale.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend! A great community is an informed community. Want to help keep our news free for all and support our small, local company?
Your support helps Columbus Underground further our mission.

**GET ACTIVE!** Items below are selected from the **Columbus Peace Newsletter**
edited by **Connie Hammond** (pictured above).
Email cmhammond11@att.net to subscribe to her Community Calendar or share meeting info.

Saturday, October 9, 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 with Our Revolution here.

Saturday, October 9, 2017, 7:00 PM. Columbus Free Press Second Saturday Salon. The 2021 Free Press Libby Award for Community Activism will be awarded to Esther Flores of 1DivineLine2Health this weekend during the Second Saturday Cyber-Salon. Please join the salon to celebrate Esther’s work to hear her good (and bad) news, and also updates on: the crisis in Chiapas by Nevin Siders. SB 123 and reproductive justice in Ohio and the Wendy’s boycott and news from the Immokalee workers. Join Zoom meeting here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83906590837. Meeting ID: 839 06.

Saturday, October 9, 2021, 12:00 – 7:00 PM. Community Pride. Community Pride is coming up quick!! Join us at Mayme Moore Park for a full day of free festivities and merriment by and for us! Live music and performances by local LGBTQ+ bands and artists! Vendor booths by local LGBTQ+ artists and entrepreneurs! Info fair for local LGBTQ+ organizations! Kids activities! (Masks required in the youth activity zone). Food trucks! Workshops! Beautiful queer people and our love!!! Performers: More updates on who you’ll see take the stage soon, but we are also still open for new performers! Sign up for a chance to perform at Community Pride (and get paid!) at bit.ly/FTPartists. Volunteering: We are still looking for volunteers to help us with the festival! If you are interested in being a part of our trained Safety team to help ensure a fun and safe festival for everyone, sign-up at bit.ly/FTPsafety. If you want to help with setting up and tearing down before or after the festival, we need a lot of hands! Sign up at bit.ly/FTPhelp. COVID-19: The festival is all outdoors. We are not asking for proof of vaccination, but do ask that all attendees wear a mask for the safety of others, especially children, as this pandemic isn’t over yet. We will provide masks for those who need one, and there will be hand sanitizer stations throughout the park. Location: Mayme Moore Park. Getting to the festival: Mayme Moore Park is located off Mt Vernon Ave in the King-Lincoln neighborhood, just east of downtown Columbus. Closest COTA bus stops are serviced by routes 7, 9, and 11. We hope to secure some lot parking, and there is street parking in the neighborhood. More information on Facebook Event Page.

Saturday, October 9, 2021, 2:00 PM. Webinar with Fida Qishta. Join a US Boats to Gaza webinar with documentary filmmaker Fida Qishta, who has just returned from several months in Gaza. Fida will speak about the current conditions in Gaza and show clips from footage she filmed after the latest Israeli attack on Gaza. She will also talk about her upcoming new documentary, We Are Here: Our Dreams Are Not Rubble (working title). Register here.

Sunday, October 10, 2021, 3:00 PM. Voices from the Holy Land Online Film Salon: “Bethlehem Today: Two Short Films.” Co-sponsored by the Bethlehem Cultural Festival, this salon will focus on two films about Bethlehem Today: Aida Refugee Camp Virtual Tour – The Aida (Ayda) Refugee Camp was first established in 1950 to house refugees from 17 area villages destroyed by Israel during the 1948 war. This 2021 film takes you on a tour of Aida, which is 2 kilometres north of the historic center of Bethlehem. You will be led through the main gateway under the vast house key, a stark reminder to all that they will return to their villages. Bethlehem–Beyond the Wall – A report by U.K.’s Sky News TV shows the impact of Israel’s Separation Wall on Palestinians in the West Bank as well as the illegal settlements springing up continuously on Palestinian land. Their land is sliced through by this concrete eyesore snaking across the landscape. Our discussion, moderated by Leila Sansour, director/producer and founder of Open Bethlehem, features panelists Dr. Abdelfattah Abusrour, author, actor and founder of Alowwad Cultural and Arts Society, and Christiane Dabdoub Nasser, cultural operator, heritage consultant and author. Please watch the two films in advance. The links will be provided by email immediately after you register. Then tune in to the online film salon discussion on October 10 at 3:00 PM Eastern time. Register here.

Sunday, October 10, 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, October 11, 2021, 08:00 PM. Ohio Poor People’s Movement Central Regional Meeting. Register here.

Adbusters is calling for a **Pumpkin Pie Rebellion**.
What? Yes, Any world leader who has not lived up to their carbon commitments gets a pie in the face.
This XR kind of civil disobedience isn’t for everyone.
Yet maybe it’s exactly what our code-red-for-humanity moment demands? More ***here***

Monday, October 11 – Friday, October 15, 2021. People vs. Fossil Fuels. Fossil fuel pollution and climate disasters are already disrupting millions of lives. We deserve a world beyond fossil fuels: a world in which workers’ rights, community health, and our shared climate come before corporate profits. That’s why we are coming together to ensure Biden becomes the climate president he promised to be before attending the global climate talks this November. Indigenous people, pipeline fighters, water protectors, young people, scientists, faith leaders, and more are saying enough is enough: it’s time to finally place people over fossil fuels. This October, thousands of people will come to DC to demand that President Biden end the fossil fuel era. He must stop approving fossil fuel projects and declare a climate emergency right now, ahead of the United Nations climate summit in November. We will take action over 5 days to highlight the damage done by fossil fuels, the climate impacts we are already facing, and the need for real solutions rooted in justice. More information and registration here.

Tuesday, October 12, 2021, 4:00 PM. Ideas of Race and Racism in History. The issues of race and racism remain as urgent as ever to our national conversation. Come be part of a conversation as four scholars discuss such questions as: Since Race does not exist as a biological reality, what then is race and where did the idea develop from? What is racism? How have race and racism been used by societies to justify discrimination, oppression, and social exclusion? How did racism manifest in different national and historical contexts? How have American and World history in the modern eras been defined by ideas of race and the power hierarchies embedded in racism? Presented by the OSU College of Arts and Sciences. More information and registration here.

Tuesday, October 12, 2021, 3:00 PM. Nicaragua’s Amazing Advances in Gender Equality. In this webinar Nan McCurdy will describe awards and recognition Nicaragua has received for gender equality and overall advances for women. Yorlis Gabriela Luna will consider the effect on her life, and on the lives of women around her, of advances for women since 2007 when the Sandinistas regained the presidency. Shaira Downs Morgan will discuss advances for women on the Caribbean Coast and more. More information and registration here.

Tuesday, October 12, 2021, 7:00 PM. McCarthyism, Old and New: Today’s Culture Wars in Historical Context. Attacks on K-12 teachers, institutionally and personally, are raging. Ellen Schrecker places the “new McCarthyism” in historical context. Ellen Schrecker is Professor of History, Emerita at Yeshiva University. Her book Many are the Crimes is the definitive work on McCarthyism in America. Historian Ronald Radosh has described her as “the dean of the anti-anti-Communist historians.” Read her article Trumpism is the new McCarthyism. Explaining what McCarthyism was, Historians for Peace and Democracy issued her “Broadside for the Trump Era” in 2017. Sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action and Historians for Peace and Democracy. Register for the webinar here.

Thursday, October 14, 2021, 8:00 PM. American Friends Service Committee Webinar: Policing and the war on terror. The post 9/11 war on terror framework further legitimized the targeting and criminalization of Muslim, immigrant and Black communities and produced techniques, agencies, and concepts of policing that are increasingly being used on all communities of color and protesters. We will look at militarized policing, the development of ICE, fusion centers, “pre-crime,” the use of community leaders and social service organizations in surveillance, and what local communities are doing to push back. Register here.

Thursday, October 14, 2021, 5:00 – 6:30 PM. The Ballot and Community Control Over Police. In the summer of 2016, the Movement for Black Lives Policy Table released a platform that intervenes in this political moment, advances a more radical Black-centered policy vision, and addresses the systemic devaluing and destruction of Black lives. A major part of the platform asserts a world where those most impacted in our communities control the laws, institutions, and policies that are supposedly meant to serve us – from our schools to our local budgets, economies, our land, and the police. Join us for a forum about the platform’s call for “community control over police” as a means of shifting power, enforcing democracy, deconstructing the historic relationship between the police and the Black community, and re-imagining a social force designed to actually protect and serve its population as policy, and not as a meaningless slogan. Through multimedia presentation, group dialogue, and interactive exercise, we will learn what it will take to win community control over the police in a given locale and how to start a campaign to achieve it. Register here.

Thursday, October 14, 2021, 7:00 PM. The who, what & why of Ethiopia’s Wars and the U.S. response. Four armies along with several ad hoc militias are fighting in and around northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Each side blames the other(s) for atrocities, amid warnings of mass starvation and accusations of genocide. The U.S., a long-time strategic partner of Ethiopia, calls for an end to hostilities and a negotiated settlement, threatening sanctions against all parties. All this in a country led by a recent Nobel Peace prize winner. Gloucester-based author and activist Dan Connell will try to sort this out in a MAPA webinar and explore the prospects and possibilities for peace in the region. More information and registration here.

Thursday, October 14, 2021, 4:00 – 5:00 PM. Afghanistan: Insights from History and Political Science. Join the OSU College of Arts and Sciences experts for a conversation about the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan. Panelists: Christopher Gelpi, Director and Chair of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Mershon Center for International Security Studies; Professor, Department of Political Science. Peter Mansoor, Professor and General Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History, Department of History. This event is free and open to the public. More information and link to registration here.

“We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already.” J.K. Rowling

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