Saturday, July 27, 2019, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Going green is good, but how? Simply Living will show you lots of nature-friendly ways to "green-up" your lifestyle and make your neighbors green with envy! This year we have curated a diverse selection of homeowners and gardens selected to help you learn from local pioneers in sustainable living. The self-paced tour offers unique opportunities to learn “what’s next” for your home. A butterfly garden? Beekeeping? Native herbs? Or perhaps solar panels? an electric car? What gets you excited? Talk one-on-one with our homeowners at each tour site. Get answers to your questions. Leave with ideas and inspiration to take with you and create your own "green new deal" in your home.  Discover cutting edge, innovative practices like permaculture, how to remove and replace your lawn, create a meditation space or add esthetic features. A SWACO rep will be on hand to answer your recycling questions. Solar 101 info will be available from a local expert.  It’s social too. Food, music, and literature on sustainability will enhance your experience in several locations.  Tickets are $15 for adults and may be purchased on Eventbrite. Children under 12 are admitted free. The tour will take place rain or shine!  For more information, contactChuck@simplyliving.org or call 614-354-6172.

Saturday, July 27, 2019, 7:00 PM.  The 13th Annual Mary Magdalene Celebration.  This year Dances of Universal Peace are joining us, with opportunities for those attending to sing and dance to beautiful music. Rev. Joanna Samuelson is our worship leader. The service honoring Mary Magdalene includes:  a reading, sermonette, Holy Communion/Anointing, and a visual meditation, with music, dance, and song, interspersed.  A tribute to ‘These Are The Women We Come From’, featuring photos of our female relatives and ancestors, is a highlight of the service. Light refreshments will be served following the service.   A free will offering, to cover expenses, is requested.  Please RSVP to register, with Susan Kinzer, 614-451-1835 or skinzer@midohio.twcbc.com.  Childcare will be provided, (if you make this request when registering). Location:  Fellowship Hall at Just North’ United Church of Christ, 2040 West Henderson Road, Columbus, OH 43220. Park in the lot behind the church.

Sunday, July 28, 2019, 5:00 – 9:00 PM.  Two great activist films are hitting the Columbus scene on July 28.   The Columbus International Film and Animation Festival (CIFAF), The Free Press, Simply Living and Brothers Drake Meadery are bringing a local pop-up activist film screening to Columbus as an extension of the 2019 CIFAF. As the oldest and longest-running film festival in the nation, CIFAF brings a tradition of film to Columbus. The legacy CIFAF has brought continues to support independent filmmakers throughout the year in an effort to make Columbus a hub of the film industry. Help us keep the spirit of film alive in our ever-growing and urbanizing city.  From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the highly-respected films “Counter Histories: Rock Hill” and “How to Be an Activist” will be screened at Brothers Drake Meadery, 26 E. Fifth Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43201.  “Counter Histories: Rock Hill” (53 min.) by Director Frederick Taylor, addresses how several African-American male college students stood up for their rights by, literally, sitting down. They sat down in a five and dime in Rock Hill, South Carolina, to grab a cup of coffee and were met with violence and brutality—eventually leading to unjust imprisonment. Check this film out to see how they inspired protests and freedom rides across the nation.  “Concerned Citizen: Civics in Action” (40 min.) follows whistleblower Dr. Riki Ott who predicted the Exxon Valdez oil spill hours before it happened and works to curb oil pollution. It is "A must see video for anyone who wonders what he/she can do to change the world and needs a spark of inspiration” said Lisa Eargle. The screening doubles as a fundraiser for CIFAF and CIFAF promotes the local and international film community. This is an opportunity to not only experience activism from an insider point-of-view but give back to the local Columbus art scene. There is a suggested $5 donation at the door, a 50/50 raffle will be held and 10 percent of bar proceeds 5-9 p.m. will be granted to CIFAF. Food trucks will be on site for those hungering for more.  Any further questions pertaining to this event can be sent via email to CIFAF at columbusfilmfestival@gmail.com. #CbusFilm.  More information here.

Sunday, July 28, 2019, 3:00 – 5:00 PM.  Voter Registration:  Canvass for Unregistered Voters.  Voter Registration Canvass in Linden. Joe Knapp has identified houses without registered voters. We're knocking on the doors to see if anyone needs to register!  Meet at 3:00 PM at the Linden Branch of CML, 2223 Cleveland Avenue, and we'll go out in pairs.  Hosted by Indivisible Ohio District 12.  Facebook. 

Monday, July 29, 2019, 4:00 – 6:00 PM.  Picket City Council for the Schools #ColumbusStudentsDeserve.  Hosted by Columbus Education Association.  It's time to send a message to City Council: Fund Schools, Not Corporate Tax Breaks! With negotiations and our campaign for the Schools #ColumbusStudentsDeserve at a critical point, join CEA members, parents, and communities allies as we demand the end of tax abatements for wealthy corporations which drain millions of dollars from our schools. We need to demonstrate that we are willing to do whatever it takes for our students and communities.  We will meet in the grassy area beside the Firefighters' Union Hall at 379 W Broad St in Columbus before marching across the bridge to city hall for our picket. Wear your red shirt and contract campaign button.  Facebook. 

Monday, July 29, 2019, 7:00 – 8:00 PM.  Not Far From Me:  Stories of Opioids and Ohio.  Join editors and scholars Daniel Skinner and Berkeley Franz, and contributor Sharon Parsons, featuring Not Far from Me, Stories of Opioids and Ohio, the first book on this public health emergency composed entirely of first-person accounts. More and more Americans find themselves in some way touched by the opioid epidemic. But while many have observed the effects of the crisis, Not Far From Me is the first book on this public health emergency composed entirely of first-person accounts. The collection unfolds across more than fifty gripping accounts by Ohioans at the center of the national epidemic. Shared through personal stories, poetry, interviews, and photos, these perspectives transcend typical one-dimensional portrayals of the crisis to offer a mosaic of how politics, religion, sports, economics, culture, race, and sexual orientation intersect in and around the epidemic.  Location:  Gramercy Books Bexley, 2424 E. Main St., 43209.  More information on Facebook. 

Tuesday, July 30, 2019, 7:30 – 8:30 PM.  Open Mic Night.  Open Mic Night returns after a month-long hiatus!  Anyone is welcome to read poetry or short prose. Both fiction or non-fiction are welcome. The event is free for all. Reading is open to anyone who wishes to read, and is run on a first-come, first-serve basis on the day of the event. Capacity is limited, so make sure you arrive early if you want to read!  Any questions? Email info@prologuebookshop.com. Location:  Prologue Bookshop, 841 N. High St., Columbus.  Facebook. 

Wednesday, July 31, 2019, 6:30 – 8:00 PM.  Why Did We Stop Singing?  Song is one of the most effective tools for building and sustaining mass movements for social change. Join us as we study the craft of using song in mass movements. We will reflect on the history of song in social movements, and write our new songs for the movements we are building today.  Why Did We Stop Singing is one piece of the Momentum training program. Location:  The People’s Mansion, 394 E. Town St., Columbus 43215.  Facebook.  

Saturday, August 3, 2019, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM.  Free Wage Theft Clinic.  Meet with a wage theft intake volunteer who can help you get paid. We work with attorneys and advocates to recover stolen wages for workers. Enforce your rights.  Spanish speakers available.  Facebook.  Location:  Central Ohio Worker Center Office, Seafarer’s Union Hall, 2800 S. High St., Columbus 43207.

Saturday, August 3, 2019, 1:00 – 5:00 PM.  Voices of Reform Conference.  Proving resources and support towards restored citizens and their family.  Location:  Whitehall United Methodist Church, 525 
Bernhard Road, Whitehall 43213.  Facebook. 

Monday, August 5, 2019, 6:30 PM.  Solidarity with Edith Espinal.  Please join us continuing planning support for Edith Espinal in sanctuary.  Everyone is welcome!  Location:  Columbus Mennonite Church, 35 Oakland Park Ave, Columbus 43214. 

Tuesday, August 6, 2019, 7:00 PM.  Clintonville Progressives Meeting:  Talking Outside the Blue Bubble. Doors open at 6:30, program at 7:00. Our speakers will be David DeWitt, Deputy Communications Director of the Ohio Democratic Party, John and Nancie Kennedy, and Tina Cottone of Buckeye State Rural. They will be discussing “Talking Outside the Blue Bubble.”  Come here the valuable information about messaging and persuasion.  Location: Whetstone Library, 3909 N. High St., Columbus 43214. 

Tuesday, August 6, 2019, 6:00 – 7:30 PM.  Summer of Action Voter Registration Training.  OH12 is spending this summer finding unregistered progressive voters to get them engaged and registered to vote as part of our plan to win in 2020. Join us in Meeting Room 1 for a complete Voter Registration Training and overview of our Summer of Action Plan. There will be lots of opportunities for you to ask questions and sign up for VR opportunities. This is all a part of our "Road to 2020 Summer of Action!" Hosted by Indivisible Ohio District 12.  Location:  Columbus Metropolitan Library – Northside Branch, 1423 N. High St., Columbus. Facebook.

Wednesday, August 7, 2019, 7:00 – 8:30 PM.  Jewish Voice for Peace.  JVP members are inspired by Jewish tradition to work together for peace, social justice, equality, human rights, respect for international law, and a U.S. foreign policy based on these ideals.  All are welcome.  Location:  Bexley Public Library, auditorium, 2411 E. Main St., Columbus 43209. For more information please contact,  centralohio@jvp.org. 

Wednesday, August 7, 2019, 3:30 PM.  Columbus Area New Member Meeting.  Hosted by Moms Demand Action.  Join supporters of Moms Demand Action for a new membership meeting of the Columbus local group. Learn how you can get involved with the gun violence prevention movement here in Ohio.  Please RSVP using this link so that we can easily keep you updated of any changes to this event and future opportunities: https://tinyurl.com/yy95t6jk.  Facebook.  Location:  Whitehall Public Library, 4445 E. Broad St., Columbus 43213. 

Thursday, August 8, 2019, 7:00 PM.  Paris to Pittsburgh.  Interfaith Power and Light is excited to be hosting a FREE screening of Paris To Pittsburgh, inspiring stories of the local, private sector, and community leaders across the U.S. who are continuing to take action to transition to a clean energy economy - regardless of federal inaction.  It’s a must see for people of faith concerned about the future of U.S. climate action. Join us!  Location:  First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Rd., Columbus. 

Thursday, August 8, 2019, 7:00 – 9:00 PM.  DSA Monthly General Meeting.  Join us to learn about how you can get involved with our ongoing activist activities. Parking is located in the back of the building in the spots marked "R" or on-street parking is available. Meeting is held in room 100.  For more information, contact columbusdsa@gmail.com. 

Friday, August 9, 2019, 3:00 – 5:00 PM.  Bar-B-Queer: Back to School Event.  Join us for our annual FREE back-to-school community event: Bar-B-Queer!  Everyone is invited to attend and tour our center, enjoy great food, great company, great games, and pick up back-to-school supplies (while they last)! We'll announce more details as we get closer to the event!  If you are interested in donating school supplies, please visit kycohio.org/wishlist or contact jen@kycohio.org.  Location:  Kaleidoscope Youth Center, 603 E. Town St., Columbus.  Facebook. 

Saturday, August 10, 2019, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.  Host Home Network Info Session.  The Kaleidoscope Youth Center Host Home Network is a community and volunteer-based response to youth homelessness. The Network will center the needs of LGBTQIA+ youth, with the goals of keeping our young people off the streets and disrupting the potential for subsequent crises that often arise when they are without a safe place to stay. Young people will be provided with a stable home environment and support services while they navigate the process of finding and securing their own permanent housing or potentially reuniting with family. KYC will provide training and support to our volunteer hosts.  Please join us on August 10th to learn more about the KYC Host Home Network, and the unique opportunity to be part of preventing and ending youth homelessness in Central Ohio.  KYC's Host Home Network will provide short-term, supportive housing for LGBTQ+ young people ages 18-24 who are homeless or unsafely housed.  Location:  Columbus Metropolitan Library - Driving Park Branch, 1422 East Livingston Avenue, Meeting Room 3, Columbus, OH 43205.  Register here. 

Saturday, August 10, 2019, 6:30 – 11:00 PM. Free Press Second Saturday Salon.  Join progressive friends for food, drink, and great music. Free, no RSVP required. colsfreepress@gmail.com or 614-253-2571.  Location:  1021 E. Broad St. in the backyard, weather permitting. 

Tuesday, August 13, 2019, 6:00 – 8:30 PM.  State of Black Education.  It is not a coincidence that by most measures, students throughout the African Diaspora feel they are being #left behind.  Ohio is among the six lowest states in the nation to graduate black students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Some leaders say the systemic issues start at the preschool level, from the disproportionate punishment of black students, the lack of black teachers and neighborhood-resident teachers in majority-black schools, to our unconstitutional state funding of public schools. Even when a black student graduates high school, there are still significant barriers to achievement and opportunity. In higher education settings, black students often face systematic and institutional oppression, unconscious bias in the classroom, as well as financial barriers that make post-secondary opportunities unaffordable. Join the Columbus African Council and other community partners for a conversation on the state of black education, and how as individuals and community leaders, we can set a course for a more prosperous future throughout the African Diaspora in Columbus.  Location:  Columbus Metropolitan Library, 96 S. Grant Ave., Columbus 43215.  Facebook.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019, 7:00 – 9:00 PM.  Franklin County Green Party Meeting.  Join the Franklin County Green Party, open meeting, to re-organize for 2020! Your ideas are needed to shape the goals of the Franklin County Greens in local electoral politics. Get involved! Help create the vision for social change in Franklin County and beyond.  Location:  Northwood High Building, 2231 N. High St., Columbus.  Free parking available behind the building in “R” spaces. 

Thursday, August 15, 2019, 8:00 – 10:00 PM.  Webinar:  Solidarity Not Charity: Mutual Aid for Survival and Mobilization.  Widespread, effective social movements usually include mutual aid strategies as part of their work. Mutual aid is work that directly addresses the conditions the movement seeks to address, such as by providing housing, food, health care, or transportation in a way that draws attention to the politics creating need and vulnerability. Famous examples of mutual aid projects include the Black Panther Party's Free Breakfast Program, the Young Lords Party's hijacking of New York City's tuberculosis testing mobile unit to bring TB testing to high-risk, medically neglected neighborhoods, and feminist organizing to provide underground abortions in the 1970's. In this webinar, we will look at why mutual aid is an important part of building participatory movements, and what is difficult about mutual aid in the current political climate. We will also look at what principles and methods characterize politicized survival work and how it intentionally departs from charity frameworks.  More information and registration on Facebook.

Thursday, August 15, 2019, 6:30 – 8:30 PM.  WTF?!’s Voter Forum Featuring Columbus City Council Candidates.  Calling all the S.E.X.Y. Voters come and be EMPOWERED ! Ask questions of the Candidates asking for YOUR vote!  Location:  1561 Old Leonard Ave., Columbus 43219.  Facebook. 

Saturday, August 17, 2019, Noon – 2:00 PM. Move to Amend Central Ohio Meeting.  The monthly meeting of the local affiliate of the national Move to Amend organization that is calling for a U.S. Constitutional amendment to reverse several U.S. Supreme Court decisions during the past century and thereby to firmly establish that corporations are not people and that money is not free speech. Find out what can be done locally to restore democracy!  Location:  First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus, 93 W. Weisheimer, Columbus.  For more information and location, please contact sbolzenius72@hotmail.com.  Website:  https://movetoamend.org.

Saturday, August 17, 2019, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.  COWC New Member Orientation.  What can you do in 2019 to advance the rights of immigrants and workers in Columbus?  Join us for a new volunteer and membership orientation. In this 2-hour training you will learn about the key issues facing workers and immigrants today, understand the Central Ohio Worker Center's mission and strategy for making Columbus a place for all people, and learn what you can do to have an impact. The orientation is a prerequisite for COWC membership but is open to all residents who wish to learn more about the COWC and about grassroots social justice organizing. The event includes coffee and snacks.  Hosted by Central Ohio Workers Center.  Facebook.  Location:  2800 S. High St., Columbus 43207. 

Sunday, August 18, 2019, 4:30 PM (doors open), Program, 5:00 PM.  Interfaith Association of Central Ohio 27th Annual Main Event Dinner.  IACO will host an Interfaith Panel Discussion led by Professor Paul Numrich of the Methodist Theological School of Ohio and Trinity Lutheran Seminary at Capital University. Panelists will be Nicol Ghazi, Hari Narayanaswamy, and June K. Gutterman.  The intent of the panel discussion – Civility in an Era of Hostility: An Interfaith Perspective — is to expand specific knowledge and further understanding of how various faith traditions address incivility through teachings and tests. This event will be held at Bethel International United Methodist Church, 1220 Bethel Road, Columbus.  For additional details and to purchase tickets to the Main Event, please download the PDF version of the Main Event Flier and Registration Form click here –2019 Main Event Flyer Final  – You can register by mail by filling out form, and sending your payment by check of $35 per ticket to:  IACO, 65 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215. Or you may purchase your ticket online using Pay Pal at $36.50 each and email your completed registration form to office@iaco.org.  Location:  Bethel International United Methodist Church, 1220 Bethel road, Columbus, 43220.   Link to the Main Event here.

Sunday, August 18, 2019, 6:30 (Potluck), 7:15 - 8:30 PM (Program).  Care and Share Timebank Potluck and Program.  Program:  TBA.  Location:  First UU Church, Fellowship Hall, 93 W. Weisheimer Rd., Columbus, OH 43214.  For more information, call 614-398-3605 or email to csgeneral27@gmail.com.  Website:  http://cstimebank.org/. 

Monday, August 19, 2019, 6:00 – 7:30 PM. Sign the Petition/Public Meeting. The Columbus Community Bill of Rights is a citizen-initiated charter amendment for the city of Columbus. It will give you and I the right to protect our Water from toxic, radioactive Frack Waste dumping in our Water supply.  Location:  Columbus Public Library, South High Branch, 3540 S. High St., Columbus.  Facebook. 

Tuesday, August 20, 2019, 3:00 – 7:00 PM.  Safety Commission Meeting.  https://www.columbus.gov/Templates/Detail.aspx?id=2147510867&dt=8/20/2019

Wednesday, August 21, 2019, 7:00 – 9:00 PM.  Central Ohio Progressive Democrats of America.  Meets monthly on the third Wednesday.  Location: 1021 E. Broad St., Columbus in the carriage house on the second floor.  Parking in back.  Contact:  mayo.makinde@gmail.com for more information. 

Friday, August 23, 2019, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.  Which Side are You On?  Cleveland Work & Wages Conference.  Six of Ohio’s 10 most common jobs pay so little a family of three would need food assistance to make ends meet. These jobs don’t lift people out of poverty—they keep them there. That’s why Policy Matters Ohio is hosting a daylong conference on low-wage work along with partners from The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Neighborhood Connections, Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center, Central Ohio Worker Center, the labor community, and others. This conference is an important step toward founding a worker center here in Northeast Ohio, built on a broad and deep understanding of the challenges facing low-wage workers.  Location:  Cuyahoga Community College, Metro Campus Center.  Registration is FREE but required - space is limited! Learn More: For conference details, including the agenda and list of union-friendly hotels & restaurants, visit policymattersohio.org/register.  Contact: For more information, email Cynthia Connolly – cconnolly@policymattersohio.org,  (216) 361-9801. 

Sundays, August 25, September 15, October 6, 27, 2019, 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM.  Mini-Farm Stand to Raise Funds for School in Guatemala.  Buy local to support a good cause: Herbs and vegetables from local urban gardens, Home-made baked goods, Hand-made crafts from Guatemala. 100% of sales goes to support The New Dawn Middle School:  Education for Maya Youth in Guatemala. More info?  contact Heather at copalaa2003@yahoo.com.  Location:  Oakland Nursery, 1156 Oakland Park Ave, Columbus 43224.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019, 6:00 – 8:00 PM.  Safety Commission Meeting – Public Hearing. https://www.columbus.gov/Templates/Detail.aspx?id=2147510868&dt=8/28/2019

Saturday, September 7, 2019, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM.  CRIS 5k Run for Refugees and Advocacy Fair – Register Now.  Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS) is an independent non-profit organization that serves the growing refugee and immigrant populations in Central Ohio. Our various programs have dedicated staff members from more than 10 countries who speak many different languages. We are a refugee resettlement agency, working with the Department of State to directly receive and place refugees in our community. In partnership with Church World Service, we resettle individuals and families from all over the world.  Join us on Saturday, September 7, 2019, as we celebrate our mission and our community. More information about this event may be found on the event website at https://runsignup.com/Race/OH/Westerville/CRIS5K.  Location:  Alum Creek Park, 221 W. Main Street, Westerville 43081.  Facebook. 

Saturday, September 7, 2019, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM.  Free Wage Theft Clinic. Meet with a wage theft intake volunteer who can help you get paid. We work with attorneys and advocates to recover stolen wages for workers. Enforce your rights.  Spanish speakers available for intake.  Location:  CWA, 4140 E. Broad St., Columbus 43213.  Facebook. 

Wednesday, September 11, 2019, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.   Safety Commission Meeting – Commissioners final voting on whether to accept recommendations. https://www.columbus.gov/Templates/Detail.aspx?id=2147510869&dt=9/11/2019

Friday, September 13, 2019, 6:00 – 9:00 PM.  Gun Violence Survivor Recognition Dinner.  Please join us on September 13th for a special night filled with love, support and a great Mediterranean buffet from Olive Tree! Doors open at 6, dinner starts at 6:30. In partnership with Columbus City Council we will be recognizing survivors of gun violence who are working and volunteering in their communities to prevent and end gun violence. All funds raised will go towards providing headstones and memorials to victims of Gun Violence.  The Gun Violence Survivor Network is a 501(c)(3) Not for profit organization.  General admission $40.  Location:  Stomping Grounds, 3436 Heritage Club Dr., Hilliard 43026.  Tickets and more information on Facebook. 

Monday, September 16, 2019, 6:00 – 7:30 PM. Sign the Petition/Public Meeting. The Columbus Community Bill of Rights is a citizen-initiated charter amendment for the city of Columbus. It will give you and I the right to protect our Water from toxic, radioactive Frack Waste dumping in our Water supply.  Location:  Columbus Public Library, Driving Park Branch, 1422 Livingston Ave., Columbus.  Facebook. 

September 16 – 19, 2019, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.  Digital Organizing Bootcamp!  Becker Digital Strategies is partnering with Ohio Voice to conduct a 4 day, Digital Organizing immersive.  Join us today to become a distinguished digital campaign director! This training will be hands-on, in-depth and cover topics that include: Building a digital campaign strategy, Basic best practices for building websites, writing email blasts, managing social media, etc., Data Collection, Using CRM's, like Action Network, Facebook and Twitter best practices, Facebook ads, Integrating digital tactics with offline organizing, Digital Rapid Response, Video for social media, Analytics and tracking our organizing progress.  Location: The People's Mansion, 394 E. Town St, in Columbus, Ohio.  Becker Digital Strategies and Ohio Voice are prioritizing people of color, Black, Indigenous, New Americans, women, genderqueer and nonbinary people, LGBTQ2S+, differently-abled folks, and other underserved identities at this training. SPOTS ARE LIMITED! We can only host 50 participants, so sign up now to reserve your spot! Free.  Register here.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019, 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM.  CAIR-Ohio 3rd Annual Muslim Advocacy Day.  Join CAIR-Ohio for the 3rd Annual Muslim Advocacy Day in Columbus at the Ohio Statehouse!  Participants will receive training, education, and meet with their elected representatives to discuss issues affecting all Ohioans. Registration fee includes lunch, training, and materials.  Registration: $20 Early Bird General Admission (If purchased by August 25, 2019), $30 Early Bird General Admission with Statehouse Parking Garage Validation (If purchased by August 25, 2019), $25 General Admission (If purchased after August 25, 2019), $35 General Admission with Statehouse Parking Garage Validation (If purchased after August 25, 2019).   Deadline to register is September 6, 2019.  Agenda and issues TBA.  Register here.

Sunday, September 22, 2019, 3:30, 4:00 PM Step off, 4:30- 5:45 Building community interactive event. Interfaith March for Peace and Justice.Please join us and alert your communities of this annual event.  This event is international in scope.  Gather at Genoa Park, west side of the river behind COSI.  Building community event, Bicentennial Park Pavilion area. 

Monday, September 23, 2019, 7:00 PM.  Imprisoning a Generation.  Jewish Voice for Peace Central Ohio and Central Ohioans for Peace are sponsoring a screening of the documentary, Imprisoning a Generation.  Imprisoning a Generation is a documentary film following the stories of four young Palestinians who have been detained and imprisoned under the Israeli military and political systems. Their perspectives, along with the voices of their families, combine to form a lens into the entangled structures of oppression that expand well beyond the prison walls. Discussion on what we can do will follow the screening.  Location: Columbus Mennonite Church, 35 Oakland Park Ave., Columbus.   Facebook. Learn more about the campaign to end military detention of Palestinian children here: http://bit.ly/2Qp5vbf. 

Thursday, October 10, 2019, 6:00 – 8:30 PM.  On The Brink Screening and Panel Discussion.  On The Brink is the story of a once-vibrant community on the brink of vanishing from Seattle and their struggle to have a place to call home in a rapidly changing city.  Following the film, we'll have a panel discussion about the issues of affordable housing, gentrification and how the South Side of Columbus is tackling these issues.  Confirmed panelists are Jason Reece, Ohio State University (Moderator), Sheldon Johnson, Managing Director, CD4AP, Jeffrey Shulman, University of Washington, Producer and Co-Director of On The Brink, and Angela Mingo, Community Relations Director, Nationwide Children's Hospital.  View the film's trailer here: https://youtu.be/WAA-VhqnchI.  Location:  Church and Community Development for All People, 946 Parsons Ave., Columbus 432-6.  Facebook. 

Friday, October 11, 2019, 7:00 – 9:00 PM.  An Evening with Sr. Helen Prejean, CSJ.  Join us for an evening with Sr. Helen Prejean, CSJ.  Sr. Helen will discuss her new book and share her spiritual journey which led her to a life of helping others. The final page of her new book, River of Fire, is the first page of her first book, Dead Man Walking. Expect candid reflections of bringing light to some of the darkest places in the world, spiced with Cajun humor. Sr. Helen's books will be available at the event via partnership with Gramercy Books. A reception & book signing will follow the talk. Sr. Helen's presentation is both a stand-alone event and also the opening event of the "Dropping Our Stones" conference which continues on Saturday, Oct 12 at First Community Church (North Campus) and the statewide Journey of Hope ...From Violence to Healing speaking tour led by murder victim families from October 13-20.  Details on the conference and other events will be available not later than August 1st at http://deathpenaltyaction.org/journeyofhope.   Sponsors receive two tickets to a meet & greet with Sr. Helen prior to the event, and priority seating during the presentation.  Location:  St. John’s United Church of Christ, 59 East Mound Street, Columbus (free parking in the Franklin County garage).  Tickets: $9.00.  Facebook. 

 

RESOURCES FOR ACTIVISM

No Kids in Cages -  Columbus Free Press, July 19, 2019 Issue.   

Ohio Fairness Act - The Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC) is committed to fairness and justice for all Ohioans. Whether black or white, straight or queer, all of us should share in the protections, benefits, and opportunities offered by Ohio's public services and goods. So imagine our shock when we learned about our own communication lead's experience on Pride Day, when they were denied a ride on the Metro Bus. Read about the story in the Cincinnati Enquirer by clicking here. This can happen all over Ohio, which is why the OOC supports Senate Bill 11, the Ohio Fairness Act. Once passed, the Ohio Fairness Act will add sexual orientation and gender identity or expression to the laws that make discrimination illegal in Ohio. Specifically, it protects against employment discrimination, housing discrimination, and discrimination in accessing basic goods and services (also known as public accommodations).  Click this link to email your state Representative and Senator, asking that the legislature make the Ohio Fairness Act a priority and passed immediately.

Support the Fair Food Program — Join the Wendy’s Boycott:  The Fair Food Program created by Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) has ended abuse for tens of thousands of farmworkers in this decade. Today, we’re inviting all Fair Food allies in Ohio to join with the farmworkers by joining the Wendy’s Boycott. If you want to join the boycott or would like more information about the Fair Food Campaign and how you can take action, please send your name to: ohiofairfood@gmail.com or call Sue Carter at 614-459-0017. 

The Green Renaissance Network    Community Radio Station!   WGRN FM 94.1  Listen Live on your radio or listen online. Download podcasts!  WCRSFM.org 92.7 or 98.3 on your radio dial or listen online. Check out the SCHEDULE!  Get them PRE-SET in your vehicle. WCRS features News in the morning and WGRN offers News in the afternoon. Diverse Music and Voices you won't hear anywhere else in Columbus!

 

TAKE ACTION!

From Defending Rights and Dissent:  The First Amendment protects your right to boycott. Yet, many lawmakers don’t care about your constitutional rights. In state after state, and even in Congress, we’ve seen attempts to use the legislative process to silence those who use boycotts to advance Palestinian rights. Since the first of these anti-boycott bills was introduced in 2014, Defending Rights & Dissent has been on the frontline of fighting for the First Amendment and your right to boycott. We’ve not only called upon lawmakers to reject these blatantly unconstitutional bills, we’ve asked them to pass legislation affirming our First Amendment rights.  We have good news! Rep. Ilahn Omar (D-MN), along with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) have introduced a resolution “Affirming that all Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad, as protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.” Tell Your Member of Congress to Support H.Res 496.   As a domestic civil liberties organization, Defending Rights & Dissent does not take positions on international issues like Boycotts, Divestments, and Sanctions (BDS) meant to change Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. But we do adamantly oppose any attempts to weaken our right to protest and express ourselves freely. The onslaught of legislation aimed at silencing BDS is affront to the right of free expression. This resolution, which comes in response to that onslaught, simply affirms that boycotts have been used by movements for civil and human rights throughout U.S. history,and that the First Amendment protects them. We enthusiastically support it.  Standing up for the First Amendment rights of all Americans shouldn’t be controversial. But we know it will be. Rep. Omar is already facing down an incendiary storm of racist hatred. Her willingness to stand up for the First Amendment is courageous. Tell your Representative to support your First Amendment rights!

From NIAC – Tell Congress:  Tell Congress: The U.S. Should Re-Enter the JCPOA!  Trump's decision to exit the Iran nuclear deal pushed us to the edge of war. That's why the DNC, Presidential contenders and legislators all support returning to compliance with the deal. Thankfully, Reps. Barbara Lee, Jan Schakowsky and David Price have introduced a resolution calling for the U.S. to return to compliance. Please tell your Representatives to sign on and support a return to the nuclear deal today!  Take Action Here.  

Assist Immigrant Families Travelling Through Ohio - Volunteers in Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton and Cleveland are organizing to meet buses of asylum-seeking immigrant families at the Greyhound station to offer bags of food, fruit, basic hygiene items, baby needs and more. These families will spend 3 or 4 or even more days on a bus or waiting in a bus station for the next connection.   Most have no food, no money and no possessions beyond what they carry in slim backpacks. Most need simple necessities like diapers, baby wipes, toothpaste, cough drops, fruit for the children, etc. First step would be to fill out the volunteer survey, so they have a record of your interest in involvement: https://forms.gle/7WihYZq9BswutkQS8?fbclid=IwAR1hT4yfdp59gIUklVIFH64obQ_TmkLYt77yQN4n8SlWLXhnACsTeV5vMpA.  Based on what you indicate there, these are some of the routes you can go to get involved:

1. Meeting buses. If you are interested and haven't yet done so, please ask to join the "Cbus ITA Depot Volunteers" page on Facebook (which is separate than the main Cbus ITA page) and look at our Sign Up system. Lauren Powers from Simakovsky Law is the Team Lead for the 9:45am and 2:15pm/2:25pm bus shifts Monday through Friday. She is happy to meet new volunteers at the Simakovsky Law Office (located at 460 E Main St) and then walk them through the process of going to the station and helping the families. Supplies will be available at that location for you to take with you. She also speaks Spanish. To be sure that Lauren is aware of who to wait for before leaving the office, you must sign up on the Sign Up system in order to join her (https://signup.com/go/iRMxvhe). If y

...

[Message clipped]  View entire message     Attachments area   Preview YouTube video On the Brink: A Central District Story of History, Hope and Determination     On the Brink: A Central District Story of History, Hope and Determination