Month: April 2022

The gathering is free to attend, although donations are always welcome. Please register at the link here so that we can plan accordingly. Also, sign up to bring a potluck dish for the community meal or to volunteer for logistics for the community gathering.

This is an in-person event as we do our best to gather safely together. Please wear masks and respect others’ space. (We will have extra masks and hand sanitizer.)

Connect & Act (1-5pm) is an opportunity for the community to come together in order to learn, share, and act for justice and collective power. This year it will be run as an “unconference” (though with less technology than the article describes). This means that the sessions are determined by who is in the space and the conversations that happen allow everyone to bring in their expertise.

We’ve had some members already provide topics that they would like to share with others. These include:

• Improved Medicare for All
• Immigration Justice Issues & Driver’s Licenses for All
• People’s Budget for Dignity & Justice
• Organizing for Sustainability & Solar Power
• Organizing for Environmental Justice
• Sustainable Food, Farm Production, & Supply System
• And more to be offered day-of!

What do you want to share?!? What conversations would you like to launch or expand?

The Annual Meeting (5:30-7pm) will be an opportunity to gather around good food with the ICPJ members and network. We will share an update and vote on ICPJ business.

You can register to bring a potluck dish for the Annual Meeting and someone will be in touch with you for more information.

Register for the (online) event here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/228024355987. 
There is no cost for these events, but your donations to ICPJ help us to be able to continue this work of educating and mobilizing in our communities. 

Mary Anne is an educator, an activist, and a spiritual guide. For over 30 years her area of focus has been on human rights in Latin America. She has worked in the U.S. to raise consciousness about the U.S.’s role in human rights violations in Latin America and the need for substantive change in our foreign policy.  In the last two decades, this work has taken her on multiple human rights delegations to several Latin American countries, connecting with and accompanying courageous people working in their own countries to defend those whose human rights are highly threatened.  She has been part of the Latin America Caucus of Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice (ICPJ) in Ann Arbor for decades.

Since 2009, Mary Anne has traveled to Honduras a dozen times or more on various human rights delegations, often with SOA Watch.  In the last few years she has been part of several SHARE Foundation delegations to Honduras addressing crucial moments in the volatile recent history.  Her most recent delegation was in December 2021 in the wake of the historic election process there.

This event is hosted by The Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice Latin America Caucus, the University of Michigan Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Wayne State University Center for Latino/a & Latin American Studies, and Huron Valley DSA

Library Lane and Fifth Avenue Noon to 6 and into the evening with Drums and Dancing, weather permitting

THURSDAY April 21, 2022:
The Commons is Open, Cars are Gone. Tables and Chairs. carpets and kids toys, open Mic. Central Park Now!
noon > opening bell and Land Acknowledgement
12:30 >. “DecaDome” Commons office and information point, Set up opening
1-2 >. Discussion: The Commons is Commonly Pooled Resources Self-Managed by the Users:
What resources can we commonly pool?
2-3 > Discussion: Artists Brainstorming Public Art Ideas for the Center of the City
Murals for the walls and Elevator Building. Entry and Exit Signage
Chalking for fun—“chalk the walk you talk”
3-5 more chalking, open mic, music,…

FRIDAY…actual Earth Day April 22, 2022.
noon bell
noon-12:30 Land Acknowledgement : What Earth Are We on
Land Return. What can be done.? Potawatomi relations.
12:30-1:00 Opening Question : What Earth Day means to me …(reading from the “survey”)
Opening song. and sing along
Music [Jim Griff Griffin ]
1:-2:30 Mayoral Candidates discussion debate: All Candidates Invited
Climate calamities, social needs, mutual aid and the commons are all questions facing our tree town:
What do candidates have to say?

.#1 >> #2 >> #3
*speaking order by lot. time equalized

2:30-2:45***brief introduction. Green Brick Road to Sustainability and Survival,
Local climate and earth conscious organizations invited to be a “green brick”
with a table or easel giving visual program presentation, and a leaflet inviting
citizen participation, for those walking the Green Bricks, on a pathway through the commons

2:45-3:15. Earth Dance and plastic burial Megan Sims
Save Soil program
Music

3:15-4. The Green Team: reporting work: Growing the Earth, Community Garden, pollinators, composting, seeds and
volunteers,
4-4:30. A2 zero City Climate plan, Sustainable Energy Utility.

4:30-5. music: opening song again. Mary and Eric Fithian

5-5:15 Global Big Picture…The next COP Conference of Parties, Intergovernmental Report,
Deep Adaptation and Extinction Rebellion.
5:15. -5:30. “New Earth Manifesto” opening reading
5:30- 6… Game “Adapt”: Bridget O’Brien
Music band and drumming into the evening

SATURDAY: April 23
noon: bell
12-12;20 Land Acknowledgement and Knowledge from our relations
12:20-12:30 What Earth Day means to me…: Elected Officials and Candidates

12:20-:-12:30 -Exhibits open: The “commons” book and drawings table, City Energy Plan exhibit.
12:30 -1:30 John Heath band
1:30-2:00. Reports from the Green Brick Road to Sustainability and Survival: Fermi, Line 5, Prohibition Treaty, Public Power, Climate Lobby, Student Actions
2:00-3:00. Music and talk.
3- 3:30 Poetry. One Single Rose. Rose Marie Wilson

3:30 -4:00. Peter Linebaugh: The Commons in the world, Enclosure, Privatization and Theft: with time for Questions.
“Climate calamity as the ultimate enclosure.”
4:00 -4:30
Ann Arbor City A2Zero 2030 carbon neutral program, with time for questions Missy Stultz
Project Grow 50th anniversary Scott Richardson….
What Earth Day means to me: candidates : Angeline Smith
Council of the Commons : Lisa Disch

   Adam Zemke : introducer

4:30-6. MUSIC HEADLINER LAITH AL-SAADI

6:-7:00-ish PM on **** Drumming and drum circle, bring your drum

Dancing into the evening

SUNDAY: April 24
Noon. Bell.
12-12:30 Land Acknowledgement and Restoration draft Resolution? How!
12:30- 1:30 Sunday Prayers and words
What Earth Days Means to me: open Mic
open mic
1:30 -2:30 Sunday Band Steve Somers

2:30-3:30 One hour Thinking outside the box:
2:30 -3: New Earth Manifesto, concluded reading and 2022 vision Odile Hugonot Haber
3:- 3:30 Peace Table.. .Art for making Peace with the Earth Alan Haber

3:30-4:30 Sunday Band Ralph McKee

4:30 on. open jamming
>>> next actions. discussion tables and meet-ups
Bloomsday Party May 21-22
Juneteenth June 19 and the United Nations Decade for People of African descent, 2015-2024,
Reparations how! Ann Arbor-Asheville Alliance
Ann Arbor Bicentennial 1824-2024 To what future? Vision,History, Outreach, inclusive,
Flea Market in July…pass on your good old stuff,

6PM Clean up: aiming for zero waste, leave no trace.