Dear Community, Since the attack by Hamas on October 7th that killed over 1200 Israelis and took more than 250 hostages, the Israeli military has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians and at least a third of them children. We believe it is critically important for everyone, especially Americans, to speak out through every avenue available to them about the genocide currently happening in Palestine.  The Israeli military is killing around 250 people a day, the highest daily death rate of any 21st century conflict. Israel has leveled 70% of Gaza, bombing homes, hospit ..read more

On July 11th, 2022, Peace & Justice Center (PJC) staff arrived for a virtual meeting with the Rotary Club in Poultney, at the request of the Rotary Club members, ready to discuss our educational programs and approach. We were not prepared for the resistance to the reality of systemic racism within the Rotary Club. We meet regularly with organizations outside PJC to discuss our educational programs. When the organization’s needs do not align with our programming, the meeting concludes with mutual respect. These meetings have not concluded with the combative censure the Rotary meeting did ..read more

Winooski Mutual Aid STATEMENT IN SOLIDARITY WITH FAMILIES AT 300 MAIN ST., WINOOSKI For immediate release 2.14.2022 On February 2nd, Rick Bove, owner of 300 Main Street apartment complex in Winooski, served a notice to all 24 residing families that they must vacate their homes no later than June 30th or July 1st, 2022 so that he can undertake “major renovations” to the property. Winooski Mutual Aid stands in solidarity with all families living at 300 Main Street facing displacement and families across Winooski dealing with similar housing crises. Housing is a Human Right. We believe in safe ..read more

Vermonters Must Oppose War in Ukraine By Ashley Smith Ashley Smith of Burlington works for Spectre Journal and is a member of the Champlain Valley Democratic Socialists of America and Community Voices for Immigrant Rights. Vermonters must oppose the drive to war between the US and Russia over Ukraine. We should demand a peaceful settlement of the crisis that recognizes the right of Ukraine to self-determination and protects the rights of the country’s national minorities. The US bears the bulk of primary responsibility for the conflict. The Clinton Administration expanded NATO into Eastern Eur ..read more

Join us every other Thursday from 6-7pm for a virtual conversation and discussion with a diverse group of authors about their work. Register here. The post Peace & Justice Book Club: Author Series appeared first on Peace & Justice Center ..read more

Dear Friends and Allies, My name is Clarence,  I’m reaching out to share news and ask for support from you and your community in regards to Indigenous land defenders of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, in so-called British Columbia, Canada. I am working with my comrades of the Trans Asylum Seeker Support Network of Western Mass to share about this struggle and fundraise support. The Wet’suwet’en people, under the governance of their hereditary chiefs, are opposing the largest fracking project in Canadian history. The Coastal Gas Link pipeline (CGL), owned by TC Energy (formerly TransCanada), aims ..read more

Council Woman Morton-Dow stands under a teepee in a traditional ribbon skirt next to her son Kai in his traditional ribbon shirt on the land known as Kunsikeya in Huntington, VT. Aniin, If I were speaking to you in person, I would honor you and my ancestors by introducing myself in the traditional way of my people, the Anishinaabe, or Ojibwe. I would tell you my Anishinaabemowin name, my clan, and where my people come from. We do this out of respect of those who came before us and to identify which territory we come from. I continue this practice to honor my relations that have passed and neve ..read more

  When I was growing up, a trusted adult in my life misguidedly told me that Kwanzaa was a made up holiday; insinuating other traditions were more worthy of celebration. I remembered those words and repeated them, and it wasn’t until my late 20’s that I realized: every holiday is made up. We need to decide for ourselves how and why we celebrate.     We have a variety of holidays in this so-called United States, but as I begin to unpack this nation’s history, some of them have become hard for me to recognize, let alone celebrate, including the 4th of July. A day known as “Indepe ..read more

Between the World and Me is a 2015 non-fiction novel written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. This book is written as a letter to the author’s teenage son regarding feelings, symbolism, and realities associated with being black. The book covers many different themes from racism to father-son relationships, to education, and much more! Overall, Coates explores the effects of racism and systematic oppression throughout this book. He talks about how racism has consequences and extreme impact not only on one’s mind but also on their physical body and soul. In his own words he writes “Not being violent enough ..read more

Resmaa Menakem’s My Grandmother’s Hands is an excellent book dedicated to guiding readers down the path of healing intergenerational trauma brought on by white supremacy, which manifests itself as white-body supremacy. Trauma is inherent in this white-body supremacy, and affects folks of all races and backgrounds; however, the categories that Menakem primarily focuses on in his path to healing are Black bodies, White bodies, and the bodies of the American police. Menakem writes that trauma responses are that of the lizard brain – the lizard brain does not act reasonably, it acts on primal inst ..read more