 Get resourceful in solidarity with Standing Rock Facing threats of a Dec. 5 eviction by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Water Protector camps at Standing Rock have called for continued solidarity actions and donations. Now is the time to use your resources to help, to understand self-determination, and to take action to stop the pipeline. It’s important that support efforts are responsive to calls for support from indigenous people on the front lines and in our area. With good intentions but often lacking cultural knowledge and historical education, outsiders don’t know what is best or needed. Rather than give what we think Water Protectors need, we need to listen to what is being asked of us, and take guidance from indigenous leaders on what actions are helpful. Keep this in mind as you donate items. There is a list of most-needed supplies here that is followed by a list of all needed supplies: http://sacredstonecamp.org/supply-list/ If it’s not on this list, please do not send it.
You don’t have to go to Standing Rock to be supportive. One of the most important solidarity actions we can take locally is to close accounts with the banks funding the pipeline. Once yours are closed and you've moved your money to a credit union, tell your family, friends, and neighbors about the process and why you did it. Keep an eye on Bellingham #NoDAPL Coalition Facebook page for more actions coming together as part of a national week of solidarity actions. There is a continuing call for supporters to travel to Standing Rock and reinforce the front lines. A caravan of veterans and indigenous people is leaving this week, and small groups are organizing trips every few days. Please post on the local rideboard to find a space or offer a ride. Disrupting the (highly profitable) deportation pipelineAlready a targeted population under the Obama Administration, undocumented immigrants stand to lose more under Trump. This month immigrant community organizers with expertise in the deeply flawed U.S. immigration system are working on educating community members about their rights and the importance of an organized community response to detentions and the threat of deportation. Here in Bellingham, the Blue Group at Western Washington University is advocating to make that institution a sanctuary campus and to make Bellingham a sanctuary city. That means essentially that local law enforcement (campus police and Bellingham Police Department) would not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in detaining and jailing people in their jurisdiction. [Read more about other cities' efforts here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/27/us/cities-vow-to-fight-trump-on-immigration-even-if-they-lose-millions.html?ribbon-ad-idx=4&rref=us&_r=0] (Neither Bellingham nor WWU currently has actual sanctuary policies, despite recent statements expressing an intent to protect all residents and students. In June, legal representatives of a local minor served the City of Bellingham with a lawsuit for profiling him and placing him in ICE custody.) The Blue Group asks all WWU staff, faculty, students and alumni to sign their petition: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_aRIN_CH5cg60zJaBsMaEpP-PGb19EyEcVZS6DzZDQPSUXQ/viewform Community members may also sign. Please talk with your family and friends affiliated with WWU about the importance of supporting the Blue Group’s petition. Also follow NWDC Resistance on Facebook for actions happening across Western Washington relating to the immigrant detention center (a federal private prison run by GEO Group) in Tacoma, where local students and other residents caught up in the deportation pipeline are detained. Also happening this week:1 p.m., Dec. 1
Courtroom support for the Whatcom 3 Fourth floor of the Whatcom County Courthouse in downtown Bellingham 7 p.m, Dec. 1 Black and Pink Holiday Card writing party Join Imagine No Kages to send some cheer to LGBTQ people behind bars during one of the hardest times of the year to be incarcerated. 4-5 p.m., Dec. 2 Peace and Justice Weekly Vigil (officially 50 years old this month!) Corner of Magnolia and Cornwall in downtown Bellingham 6-8 p.m., Dec. 2 Visual & Literary Arts Show at Whatcom Peace & Justice Center 1-3:30 p.m., Dec. 2 Solidarity with San Quintin - #Boycott Driscoll’s Picket 6-8 p.m., Dec. 3 WPJC Community Potluck The Majestic on North Forest  Be in solidarity with people targeted right now. Monitor their websites and Facebook pages for the latest requests.
Put yourself out there! Groups that publish their meeting information on our list of ongoing meetings are open to new members, even if you just want to check them out without making a longterm commitment. Attending a meeting or demonstration is a great way to learn about the group's values, organizing principles, and tactics. 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 22 Amnesty International usually meets the last Tuesday of the month, but this month their meeting is Nov. 22. They meet upstairs at the downtown Food Co-op on Holly and Forest. 3-4 p.m, Wednesday, Nov. 23 The local Veterans For Peace chapter (#111) is holding a rally/demonstration/protest/vigil (what have you) on State Street, across from the Herald Building. Bring signs for your peace and justice issue of choice. Veterans and non-veterans are welcome. 4-5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 25 The Peace Vigil gathers every Friday afternoon in front of the Federal Building at Cornwall and Magnolia. Learn! There are continually workshops and lectures happening in Bellingham, providing ample opportunities to learn more about issues including climate justice, immigrant rights, white privilege and supremacy, and more, plus skills like cultural work and community organizing. Many are free, including all of the ones listed here (donations for the sponsoring organizations and facilitators are appreciated and help ensure that we can continue to offer free learning opportunities). 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 22 Comics and Graphic Arts is the final offering in a fall series of Peace Arts workshops at the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center. Register here: www.whatcompjc.org/peace-arts-workshops.html 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 22 Human Dimensions of Climate Change is a series taught by Patrick Freeland at RE-Sources for Sustainable Communities. This week is the third in the series. Be sure to do your work before attending -- links are on the Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/events/1699578757026960/ Do some research and practice what you preach! The Internet is full of great resources on white privilege and supremacy, organizing as allies to immigrant-led, Native-led, and Black-led social change. There are also groups with Facebook pages full of articles to read and videos to watch, like Students for Anti-Racist Action at WWU, Community to Community Development, the Bellingham Racial Justice Coalition, and Black Lives Matter Bellingham. Here are two pieces to get you started this week: |
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